Stir Crazy by Ching-He Huang

Stir Crazy by Ching-He Huang (Photo courtesy: chinghehuang.com)

Mastering the wok with Ching-He Huang

This week, I was delighted to receive a copy of Ching He-Huang's latest cookbook in conjunction with the launch of her line of organic soybean and edamame noodles for Yutaka.

Stir Crazy is Ching's collection of everyday stir fry recipes written with the busy in mind.
In it, she offers plenty of tips on how to cook the perfect stir fry - with simple recipes that most people can try at home. 

Stir-fried Spicy courgettes recipe

Stir-fried spicy courgettes with ginger

Stir-fried courgettes - mildly spicy and lots of flavour...

I've recently been learning about the Sze Chuan (Si Chuan, 四川 ) style of cooking from Terry Tan's "The Food and Cooking of Si Chuan and West China".  Sze Chuan cuisine is well known for being spicy, fiery sometimes leaving your tongue with a tingling sensation (think Sze Chuan peppers!).

This Sze Chuan inspired recipe (adapted from Terry's book) does not have chillies in it, but rather it is the heat from ginger root combined with flavoursome sauces that bring this very ordinary vegetable to life.  The stir-fried courgettes are then served with rice, as a vegetable side.

It won't be long now before we will grow our own courgettes in the garden, but for now, we used Sainsbury's basics courgettes and garlic.

Chinese Noodles in mushroom & pork gravy

 Chinese noodles in Soy Mushroom Sauce using Leftover Roast Pork

Chinese noodles in a mushroom gravy...
There is a kind of noodle dish where the noodles are neither immersed in broth nor stir-fried in a sizzling hot wok.  Instead, the cooked noodles are tossed in a deliciously rich, usually soy flavoured sauce, with each strand of noodle glistening with mouth watering gravy.

I find this style of noodle the most comforting mid-week, when in the dark of the evening you arrive home, the mechanical hum from the long train journey still ringing in your ears and the ideas from an earlier brainstorming session still buzzing in your head.    

Chicken, Sweet Potato & Mixed Vegetable Lettuce wraps ("Sang Choy Bau")

Chicken Sang Choy Bau with Sweet Potato

HEALTHY SANG CHOY BAU with chicken and sweet potato...
Sang Choy Bau is a Chinese classic commonly served as a starter all around Australia, where I grew up.  It literally translates to "lettuce wrap" and in its traditional form, is simply a lettuce cup filled with minced pork and vegetables.  These days, you will find many variations of the original recipe, from minced beef or chicken to duck or even quail meat.

In creating this recipe, I was keen to fill my Sang Choy Bau with lots of different coloured vegetables, rather than simply with meat.  So, this healthy recipe brings together lean chicken breast and everyday vegetables like carrots, celery and peppers with soy and oyster sauce to create a quick and tasty modern twist to a Chinese classic.