First time cooking fish

Even though I was raised on the California coast, I didn't, and still don't, eat much fish. I even more rarely cook fish. However, Taiwan is an island nation, and as such fish plays a big part in the lifestyle here so I figured I should try to prepare it at least once.

Yes, this is the first time in over five years in Taiwan that I've cooked fish. And I must say, it came out delicious! (Thanks to Dylan for the inspiration)

Let's eat…

Ingredients:

• 1 White fish, like tilapia
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 Tbsp minced green onion
• 1 Tbsp minced ginger
• 3 Tbsp soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp sugar
• 1/2 Cup water
• 1 Tsp black vinegar
• 1 Tbsp tapioca starch or corn starch, mixed with 1 Tbsp water
• 1 Tsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp minced red chilies
• 1 Tbsp minced leek
• salt and white pepper to taste
• Minced cilantro (optional)

Note: There wasn't any tilapia in the store, so I just bought what was available which was a fish called barramundi or Asian seabass.

Directions:

Rinse the fish and pat dry. Sprinkle both sides with a little salt and pepper. Set aside for 10 minutes.

Heat 2 Tbsp of oil in a pan and sauté the fish until both sides are crispy. Remove.

Add 1Tbsp of oil to the pan and stir fry the garlic, green onions, and ginger until fragrant.

Add the soy sauce and sugar and bring to bubbling on low heat.

Add water and bring to a low boil. Add salt and white pepper to taste.

Add the black vinegar.

Thicken with the tapioca/corn starch mixture.

Mix in the sesame oil, and the sauce is ready.

Cover the cooked fish with the minced red chilies and leek.

Pour the sauce on top, and you're ready to eat.

 

HAPPY MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL! 中秋節快樂!

What's for dinner? Sichuan pork belly

The original name of this recipe is Sichuan Double-Cooked Pork Belly. It uses meat that has already been cooked and prepared as a temple offering, then brought home and fried up in this dish. Since I didn't have any sacrificial meat on hand, the pork in my version is only cooked once.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 pound pork belly, sliced
• 1 pkg. dried tofu, sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 green onions, sliced (I didn't have any so I used regular onion)
• 1 bell pepper, sliced
• 1 red chili pepper, sliced
• 1/2 head of Chinese cabbage, torn
• 1 Tbsp spicy soybean paste
• 1½ Tbsp sweet soybean paste
• 1½ Tbsp rice wine
• 2½ Tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil

 

DIRECTIONS

Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a pan.

Fry the pork belly until brown.

Remove from pan.

Fry the tofu in the pork oil until the white areas are golden.

Remove from pan.

 

Stir fry the garlic and onion until fragrant.

Add the spicy and sweet soy bean pastes and mix over low heat.

Add the rice wine and mix.

Stir in the pork belly and tofu on medium heat.

Mix in the bell pepper, red chili…

...and cabbage.

Stir in the soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, and serve.

This recipe is from The Best-loved Everyday Dishes: Mastering the Culinary Art in One Cookbook by Cecilia Hong Baiyang.
這個食譜是從最想學會的家常菜：從小菜到主食一次學透透 作者:洪白陽 (CC老師) 來的.

What's for dinner? Hakka-style braised tofu & greens in oyster sauce 客家燒豆腐、蠔油青菜

I tried cooking a new dish last night and it came out pretty good!

I admit, at the beginning I was a bit nervous trying to cook Taiwanese food. In the U.S. I was a casual cook, which to me means that I can follow a recipe, but I can't really throw things together and come up with my own dishes. 

Adding to my apprehension was the fact that my kitchen is so tiny!

But if a Taiwanese ah-ma can prepare an 8-dish meal for her family under these conditions, then so can I!

LET'S COOK!

INGREDIENTS – Braised Tofu

• 2 squares firm tofu
• ½ pound pork belly
• 3 leeks
• 2 red chilies
• 1½ T fermented soybeans
• 1½ T rice wine
• ¼ cup beef broth
• 1 T soy sauce
• 1 T soy sauce paste
• 1 T sesame oil
• 1 T tapioca starch+3 T water
• white pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS – Braised Tofu

Soak the fermented soybeans in the rice wine for 8 minutes, then drain.
 
Cut the tofu into sections.

Shred one leek; slice the other leeks and red chilies.

Heat 2 T of oil. Cook two sides of the tofu until golden, then remove.

Sauté the pork belly until brown.

 

 

Add the fermented soy beans and stir-fry until fragrant.

Add the leeks, red chilies….

…broth, soy sauce, soy bean paste, and white pepper.

Bring to a low boil.

Add the browned tofu, gently stirring the mixture to prevent the tofu from breaking.

Let the mixture simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the tapioca (or corn) starch mixture to thicken the sauce.

Drizzle with sesame oil and scoop into a serving plate.

Top with the shredded leek.

 

Now for the Greens in Oyster Sauce. The original recipe calls for Chinese Broccoli (芥蘭菜). However, I was too lazy to go to the traditional vegetable market, so I just grabbed a green vegetable from the supermarket.

The one I chose, Chinese Mustard (大芥菜), is probably better suited for soups. Next time I'll get the real deal.

INGREDIENTS – Greens with Oyster Sauce

• 1 pound greens (see above)
• 8~10 mushrooms, sliced
• 2 T oyster sauce
• 4 T beef broth
• 1 T ketchup
• 1 t spicy soybean paste
• 1 t vinegar
• 1 T tapioca starch+3 T water
• ½ T sesame oil

 

DIRECTIONS – Greens with Oyster Sauce

Separate the leafy and stem sections of the greens. Add to a pot of boiling water.

Cook until softened and deep green in color. Drain.

Put a little oil in a pan and stir-fry the mushrooms briefly until tender.

Add the oyster sauce, broth, ketchup, soybean paste, and vinegar.

Bring to a low boil.

Add the starch and water mixture to thicken the sauce.

Drizzle the sesame oil and mix.

Arrange the greens on a plate and pour the oyster sauce on top.

 

These recipes are from The Best-loved Everyday Dishes: Mastering the Culinary Art in One Cookbook by Cecilia Hong Baiyang.
這個食譜是從最想學會的家常菜：從小菜到主食一次學透透 作者:洪白陽 (CC老師) 來的.

What's for dinner? Stewed Beef with Chinese Cabbage 津白牛肉煲

In my opinion, this is the best tasting dish I've ever made. During the workday I excitedly anticipated coming home and eating the leftovers!

津白牛肉煲 (Jin Bai Niu Rou Bao) Beef and White Cabbage Casserole

Let's cook!

Ingredients

For the stewed beef… 600g [1½ lbs] boned beef ribs/shank 1½ tablespoons oil 1 tablespoon minced garlic 2 tablespoons minced green onion 1½ tablespoons minced ginger 1 tablespoon minced red chili ½ sliced onion 2 tablespoons spicy soy bean paste  1 tablespoon rice wine 1 tablespoon sugar 3 tablespoons soy sauce 2 star anise pods 6 cups beef broth ------------------------------------------------------- For the cabbage... 1 tablespoon oil 1 sliced green onion 3 slices ginger 400g [1 pound] Chinese cabbage, torn 1 tablespoon rice wine 3 tablespoons beef broth cilantro for garnish

 

Slice the beef into bite-size pieces.

Heat the oil in a pot and sear the beef for 1~2 minutes or until browned on the outside.

Remove the beef and set aside, retaining the juices in the pan.

In the same pot, stir-fry the minced garlic, green onion, ginger, and red chili until fragrant.

Lower the heat, add onion, and stir-fry until tender.

Add the spicy soy bean paste…

...rice wine…

...sugar…

...soy sauce…

...star anise…

...and beef broth (save 3 tablespoons for later use).

Add the browned beef.

Bring to a low boil, reduce heat to low, and cook for 2 hours.

In another pan, heat 1 tablespoon oil and stir-fry the green onion and sliced ginger until fragrant.

Add the cabbage pieces, rice wine, and 3 tablespoons broth. Cook until the cabbage is tender.

Stir the cabbage mixture into the stewed beef.

Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro if desired.

This recipe provided several meals for me. When the beef and cabbage was gone, I still had a pot of delicious broth, to which I added various leftover vegetables, tofu, and shuijiao (Chinese dumplings).

This recipe is from The Best-loved Everyday Dishes: Mastering the Culinary Art in One Cookbook by Cecilia Hong Baiyang.
這個食譜是從最想學會的家常菜：從小菜到主食一次學透透 作者:洪白陽 (CC老師) 來的.