food comas

Happy Chinese New Year everyone!  Happy Year of the Dragon — may it be prosperous for all!

Just wanted to compile all my Chinese recipes I’ve posted so far (updating my 2011 Rabbit post actually) … and I realize *still* I have been seriously slacking in that department.  I need to get back in touch with the mother/fatherland cuisine!  I have plenty more recipes to post (that are actually tried and true family ones) so I will try to get cracking on those soon… ish.

Click on each dish title for the full recipe and step-by-step photos.  If you love ginger and garlic and scallions and fairly high sodium content… Chinese cooking is for you!

Chinese-Style Steamed Fish
One of my favorite/funniest Chinese cooking experiences… but onto the results, this recipe produces a deliciously fragrant, flaky textured, melt-in-your-mouth fish that is healthy too!

Szechuan Braised Rabbit with Tofu and Peanuts
Celebrate the year of the Rabbit (well that was last year) properly with this bold and flavorful Szechuan style braised rabbit dish!

Braised Baby Bok Choy
I love baby bok choy — just got into a massive braising mode rather than doing my usual stir–fry…

Honey Walnut Prawns
One of my favorite dishes to order at Chinese restaurants!  Sweet and succulent shrimp with candied walnuts… yum!

Chicken Chow Mein
Just how my dad makes it!  Chow Mein 炒面 is a Chinese stir-fried noodle dish that is typically served in two ways: steamed or crispy style.  The latter version is also known as Hong Kong style in Western cultures, and it is one of my favorite Chinese dishes.

Eggplant Szechuan Style
When my Dad came to visit, he cooked this delicious side dish of Asian eggplant stir-fried with ginger, garlic, and the necessary Szechuan ingredient — hot bean paste.  Compared to American eggplants, Chinese eggplants are long and slender with thinner skins and a more delicate flavor.

Chinese Mabo Tofu
Mabo Tofu (or Mapo Doufu) is a popular Chinese dish that originated from the Szechuan province.  The dish consists of tofu set in a spicy chili and bean-based sauce that is mixed with minced meat, usually pork or beef.

Chinese Chicken Salad
This is not an authentic Chinese dish, assuming you didn’t already know that from the fact that McDonald’s serves it.  But it is certainly Chinese-inspired, particularly by making use of  ingredients commonly used in Szechuan cuisine (garlic, ginger, chili peppers, and sesame oil) in the soy dressing.  This is a irresistibly crunchy and tangy salad that is super easy to prepare.

Garlic Soy Chicken Wings
I am unsure if this is legitimately a Chinese recipe, more in the “Asian Fusion” category perhaps but the ingredients are all pretty Chinese-y / Szechuan-y so I am adding them in!  Natalya came up with this  easy recipe and these  intense flavorful little guys are a major crowd pleaser!  Plus, it’s baked, so it is slightly on the healthy side!

Char Siu Baby Back Ribs
Just like my mom makes it!  Char Siu translated to “fork burn/roast,” which is a literal description of the Chinese traditional method of cooking pork: long strips of seasoned pork are skewered with long forks and placed in a covered oven or a fire.  You can get the sauce at any Asian grocery store, and all you have to do is marinate the ribs and roast!  So simple, so good.

White Boiled Shrimp 白灼虾 and Boiled Chinese Broccoli 芥蘭
This is one of the easiest restaurant-style dishes to replicate at home.  The sauce my family makes consists of scallions, ginger, garlic and oil.  The only time-consuming aspect of this recipe is actually consuming it!

Chinese Corn Soup
This soup is incredibly easy to prepare; at the bare minimum, all you really need is cream-style corn, chicken broth, and eggs.

Auntie Meliza’s Potato Salad
Another Chinese-inspired dish that adds an Asian twist to traditional potato salad in the form of Chinese ham aka Spam, shrimp and sesame oil.

Chinatown Food Crawl
Lastly, if you are looking for unique ways to celebrate the new year, a Chinatown Food Crawl is always a fun adventure!  For those whose live in Manhattan, check out all the key spots to hit up to have a fully comprehensive Chinatown Food Crawl.  Allow several hours and very expanded stomach…