Every once in a while I get the urge to try some different recipes and I like to try dishes from around the world.
When we were in Taiwan I had some excellent food.
We feasted on 12 different foods during a Chinese New Year celebration.
The lady of the house had worked two days to prepare this wonderful meal that had lots of vegetables, duck, chicken, pork, fish and squid.
Some of the food was cooked right at the table in a hot pot and every so often the hostess would add something different to the pot.
Of course we had rice.
It was a wonderful meal.
Our son took us to a mountain spa where we enjoyed a different kind of Chinese food and, like most countries, they have several dishes that are national to their land, however, those recipes will change in character from region to region.
This mountain spa food was lighter, didn’t use starch and the fish was out of this world.
Where we were in Taiwan, there were food vendors on the street and lots of little tiny stall places that had the front open to the elements and as they cooked their tasty food for sale, mostly take-out, you could inhale these wonderful fragrances as you walked along the streets.
So my imaginary culinary journey took me back to Taiwan and thinking about their food, so of course I wanted to cook Chinese.
Most Chinese meals don’t take long to make, therefore it’s important to have everything cut and ready to go into the wok or frying pan in order.
This is a simple dish. Now come with me for a wok around my Chinese kitchen.
Stir-fry Honey Peas with Shredded Beef
• 1/2 to 3/4 pound of sirloin quality beef
• 8 oz small package of honey peas or snow peas.
• 1/4 cup of thinly sliced carrots
• 1 oz of straw mushrooms. Oyster mushrooms will also work.
Marinade
• 1/2 tsp starch
• 1/2 tsp light soy sauce
• 1/3 tsp sugar — Splenda works well
Thickening
• 1 tsp corn starch and 2 tbsp water
Seasoning
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1/3 tsp sugar
Cut the beef in thin strips about two to three inches long and 1/2 inch wide and then marinate for about 10 to 15 minutes.
Clean the peas and then scald the peas and mushrooms for 40 seconds and remove.
Fry the beef strips in a little oil until medium cooked.
Add in peas, carrot slices and seasonings, then cook until almost done then add thickening and stir-fry until food is done.
Some nice five-grain rice that is often on the store market shelves these days is a nice add on to this easy to cook Chinese dinner.
Bye for now and Gooood Cooking.
Ken Wilson is a freelance columnist with the Tribune/Weekend Advisor.