Wood Ear and Chicken Soup

Wood ear is a kind of edible fungus often used in Chinese cooking. Wood ear is black in colour, so looks not quite appealing to eyes. Yet, we can’t underestimate its value to our health. It can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol.

I often use wood ear in my cooking, like Chinese New Year traditional dish, stir-fry with chicken, make the classic hot and sour soup and imitation shark fin soup.  If you feel like having a vegetarian dish, wood ear will work with many vegetables. You can make this Stir Fried Bean Sprouts, Carrots & Wood Ear Fungus dish. When I make dumplings, I also like putting in some wood ear to add a texture in the fillings. Ever thought about making san choi bao (lettuce wraps) with wood ears? They taste really good with roast duck meat too.

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Tom Yum Soup (Easy Version)

Tom Yum Soup is very delicious and well accepted by different countries. Whenever we go to a Thai restaurant, we won’t forget to order one to ease our craving. This is my take on this classic Thai soup. It’s quick, easy and delicious.

The Tom Yum soup base is very crucial and it’s the soul of the whole dish. The soup tastes hot and sour with lots of fragrant spices and herbs. You can add any meat or vegetables you like in the soup.

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Tofu and Pork in Chilli Bean Sauce (Video)

Tofu is an inexpensive nutrient-rich food. You can make lots of delicious dishes with it. Here’s one of my favourite tofu dishes - tofu and pork in chilli bean sauce (魚香豆腐).

The savoury and spicy taste of the whole dish is very appetizing. This dish goes perfectly with a bowl of steamed rice.

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Hot and Sour Soup (酸辣湯)

No matter the weather is cold or hot, this classic hot and sour soup, originated from Sichuan China, is suitable for every occasion throughout the year. It’s tremendously appetising and delicious. No wonder this soup is well-liked and popular around the world.

Every family has their own version around different countries, using different ingredients though. Basically, this hot and sour soup contains wood ear fungus, bamboo shoots and tofu, sometimes pork blood (豬血) is added. Give it a go if you want, or dare, or you can find some pork blood at your local area.

To make this soup is very straightforward and easy. The tricky part of cooking is to get the right consistency with a balance of sourness and saltiness. You can easily turn this soup into a light meal by cooking some white Shanghai noodles to go with it.

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Cashew Chicken Stir-Fry (Video)

Ever tried adding some crunchy cashews in your stir-fried dishes? I grew up with this traditional stir-fried dish, cashew chicken stir-fry. It’s good for a daily meal or even family gatherings. 

Cashews will add an interesting texture and make a contrast of the tender chicken meat. You can use any vegetables for the stir-fry instead of using celery. It’s very easy to make and flexible for you to add any vegetables you like.

In traditional Chinese cooking, cashews are often deep-fried in oil in order to make them crunchy. If you have an oven, simply bake them in an oven. Or pan-fry them in a pan without any oil. The result will be equally crunchy, and you can consume less oil.

As for chicken meat, I like using chicken thigh as the texture is good for stir-frying and the price is cheaper. You can use chicken breast if you want. It won't make any difference in taste.

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Stir-fried Prawns with Eggs (滑蛋蝦仁)

This homey dish, Stir-fried Prawns with Eggs is very popular in Chinese restaurants. It's so quick and easy to make at home. Best of all, it's absolutely tasty.

The prawns/shrimps used must be very fresh. Although I can’t find any live prawns here, the frozen, raw ones are still good for making this dish.

This dish is like cooking scrambled eggs with prawns. Both of the smell and taste of the eggs with prawns are so good and tempting. No wonder many Chinese people love this dish.

This dish looks simple and easy to make. But frying smooth and silky eggs needs some practices and experiences. Is there any trick to help?

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Braised Chicken with Bitter Melon

Ever tried bitter melon? It’s just like coriander. People either hate it or love it. In Chinese cooking, bitter melon is often used to stir fry or braise with all kind of meats. This braised chicken with bitter melon is very popular in Hong Kong. It tastes so good and perfectly goes with a bowl of steamed rice.

Bitter melon goes very well with chicken. My family loves this dish so much. Give it a try if you’re into bitter melon.

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