Basic Braised Bamboo Shoots

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp thinly sliced Ginger
• 300g packaged Bamboo Shoots
• 1/2 a medium onion sliced to thin wedges

Stir-fry sauce:

• 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing Rice Wine
• 1 tbsp Chinkiang Black Vinegar
• 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
• 1 tsp Sugar

• 1 tsp garlic puree
• 2 Dried chilies cut thinly

• 1 Cup Chicken Stock
• 1-2 tsp Chili Oil/Sesame Oil to garnish

Directions:

1. Combine the Stir-fry sauce ingredients in a bowl, set aside.
2. Par-boil the bamboo shoots in boiling water with ½ tbsp of salt for about 3-5 minutes. This blanching step helps to get rid of any bad smells, flavours or impurities. Drain in a colander, running cold water through to cool the bamboo.
3. In a hot wok, add 2 tbsp of oil. Cook the sliced ginger until turns light brown. Immediately add the garlic puree, dry chili and onions, and stir fry for about a minute or 2.
4. Add the bamboo shoots and stir through well. Add the stirfry sauce to coat the mixture well. Then add the chicken stock to cover the wok's contents and braise on high heat while covered for about 5 minutes, stirring as needed.
5. When the liquid has reduced, add the cornstarch solution and stir through briskly to thicken up the remaining liquid for about 30 seconds. 
6. Turn off the heat and mix through the chili oil garnish to finish off the dish. 
7. Plate and serve with white rice.

Sichuan Spicy Pork with Bamboo Shoots

Ingredients:

• 2 tsp thinly sliced Ginger
• 300g packaged Bamboo Shoots
• 200g pork, sliced into thin matchsticks

Marinade:

• 1 tsp Soy Sauce
• 1 tsp Shaoxing Rice Wine
• 1 tsp Sesame Oil
• 1 tsp cornstarch

Stir-fry sauce:

• 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing Rice Wine
• 1 tbsp Chinkiang Black Vinegar
• 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
• 1 tsp Sugar

• 1 tsp garlic puree
• 1 tsp hot chili paste
• 2 Dried chilies cut thinly
• 1/2 tsp sichuan peppercorns

• 1 Cup Chicken Stock

• 1-2 tsp chili oil to garnish

Directions:

1. Mix the pork with the Marinade ingredients and set aside for 10 minutes. Combine the Stir-fry sauce ingredients in a bowl, set aside.
2. Par-boil the bamboo shoots in boiling water with ½ tbsp of salt for about 3-5 minutes. This blanching step helps to get rid of any bad smells, flavours or impurities. Drain in a colander, running cold water through to cool the bamboo.
3. In a hot wok, add 2 tbsp of oil and when smoking flash-fry the pork, vigorously stirring about 1 minute until the color turns. Remove Pork to a dish and set aside.
4. Turn the stove to low heat, add another tbsp of oil. Cook the sliced ginger until turns light brown. Immediately add the garlic puree, chili paste, dry chili & sichuan peppercorns and stir fry for about a minute while gradually raising the heat.
5. Add the bamboo shoots and stir through well. Add the stirfry sauce to coat the mixture well. Then add the chicken stock to cover the wok's contents and braise on high heat while covered for about 5 minutes, stirring as needed.
6. When the liquid has reduced, return the pork to the wok and immediately add the cornstarch solution and stir through briskly to thicken up the remaining liquid for only about 15-30 seconds. 
7. Turn off the heat and mix through the chili oil garnish to finish off the dish.
8. Plate and serve with white rice.

Secret of Indian Restaurant Style Cookery at Home

The secret to cooking a wide variety of Indian restaurant-styled dishes easily at home is in cooking how they do, with the use of a previously prepared sauce that forms the base of each dish. This example base can be kept 4-5 days in the fridge, or frozen for up to a month, and once prepared will allow you to make a curry up quickly in only about 5-10 minutes!

Ingredients:

• 1kg white thinly sliced onions, 
• 1.5 liters water
• 400g chopped tomatoes, cores discarded
• 10 dried chilies, chopped in half.
• 50g finely chopped garlic
• 50g finely chopped ginger
• 1-2 tsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 -5 tbsp oil

1. Pour enough freshly boiled water to cover the chillies in a bowl, set aside 10 minutes to soak.
2. Pour 4 tbsp oil into deep frypan heat and add ginger & garlic stirring 30 seconds till aromatic before adding the onions. Stir on high heat a couple of minutes, cover and reduce heat to medium. Stir every minute or so for about 10 minutes till browning. Add salt, mixing through well, then reduce heat to lowest setting. Continue cooking another 10 minutes stirring every 2 minutes.
3. Add all of the 1.5 liters of water to the pan & bring to boil. Reduce heat & simmer covered for an extra 10 minutes. Take off heat and leave to cool a while.
4. Pour the soaked chillies with their water into a blender. Blend thoroughly till no chunks of chilli remain obvious. Remove chilli mixture to bowl.
5. Pour in the tomatoes into the blender, blend thoroughly till smoothly processed. Add half of the chilli mixture to blender. Blend through the tomato - chilli mixture until well combined. Remove to large bowl.
6. Add the cooled onion mixture to the blender (working in half amounts if needed). Blend thoroughly for at least 2 minutes until sure it's done smoothly. Remove to large bowl/s and reserve 4-5 tbsp of the onion mixture for preparing the meat in bulk later.
7. Add 1 tbsp oil to clean frypan on medium heat, adding the tomato paste paprika and turmeric. Stir briskly 30 seconds before adding the remaining chilli mixture. Stir another 30 seconds before adding the blended tomato mixture to the pan, bringing to boil. Turn heat down and simmer about 10 minutes.
8. At this stage add the blended onion mixture to the pan, mixing through well and bringing back to boil. Reduce heat again and simmer gently about 15-20 minutes. As it simmers, skim off the froth that rises to the surface as necessary. 
9. Sauce can now be used as needed in recipes as outlined, and can be kept 4-5 days in the fridge, or frozen for up to a month.

Meat preparation for recipes:

• 1 kg of chicken, diced to desired size (from about half to 1 inch wide cubes)
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 5-6 tbsp oil
• the 4-5 tbsp of reserved onion mixture from the base sauce recipe

1. Put the oil in a clean pan on medium heat, adding the turmeric & reserved onion mixture when warmed. Stirring constantly cook till darkens (3-4 min), and add the chicken. Mix through well till covered with the sauce. Turn down the heat, cover, and cook till tender (about 15-20 minutes) while stirring frequently!
2. When chicken is done and tender, remove to a clean container, leaving sauce behind.
3. Use immediately as outlined in further recipes, or cool and refrigerate for up to 4 days (freezes for up-to 2 months) while using as needed.

Tips - Minced Garlic and Ginger Paste

A good way to further save time & energy when making the restaurant-style curries is to have a pre-prepared minced garlic & ginger paste handy. One common way to do this is to blend together garlic & ginger with a touch of water and salt, but this will rapidly start to discolour & only last 1-2 days kept in the fridge.

A better solution is to freeze the paste instead in ready to use portion sizes. Most of the restaurant styled curry recipes call for 2 cloves garlic & a 1 inch piece of ginger, so our mix will reflect this ratio, and be easy & ready to use as needed.

Minced Garlic and Ginger paste.

Ingredients:

• 2 whole bulbs of garlic, cloves separated & peeled
• 200g ginger, skin removed & rinsed clean
• 1-3 tbsp water as needed to blend.
• 1/2tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Oil 
• 3 ice cube trays

1. Roughly chop Garlic and Ginger into thin pieces to assist processing.
2. Put the chopped garlic and ginger into a food processor or blender.
3. Add 1 tbsp water, and blend until processed into paste, stopping and adding extra tablespoons of water as necessary (a maximum of 3 in total, less is best for final results) to work the mix to process. 
4. When the paste is processing well, stop the blending and add the salt & Oil and process well a further 2 minutes. A tiny dash of turmeric can also be optionally added as well to give a nice colouring touch but is not necessary if freezing and may limit the paste's use with other cuisine cooking.
5. When the paste has finished the 2 minute final process, carefully pour it into ice cube trays, using a spoon to spread around filling the cubes evenly. Put the filled trays into the freezer, and the next day the frozen cubes can be removed into a freezer bag for convenient later usage, at a rate of 1 cube per curry. 

Stir-Fried Pork with Sweet Soybean Paste.

Ingredients:

• 200g pork Tenderloin
• 1 small onion thinly Julienned
• 1 clove garlic thinly sliced
• 5 try chilies, chop all head off, and cut by half for each chilies

Sauce:

• 2 Tbsp. Soy sauce
• 3 Tbsp. Sweet bean paste
• 2 Tbsp. Shaoxing Rice wine
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. sesame oil 

In a bowl mix all the stir-fry condiments

Method:

1. Cut pork Tenderloin into thinnish strips.
2. Marinade Tenderloin strips with corn starch, soy sauce, and Shaoxing rice wine.
3. Add 1Tbsp. oil to wok on high heat, after the oil heated, add onion for stir-frying in a few minutes until the colour changed to golden, then empty all on to a clean plate. Add 1/2 Tbsp oil on high heat, add garlic and chillies to quickly stir, add pork into the wok by stirring for a few minutes until the pork cooked before sliding the plate's contents back into the wok and tiring to combine with the pork well. The moment of the combination well cooked, immediately add the mixed sweet soy-been sauce, mix together and quick stir. the sauce is too thin add a small splash of water, stir through, and add a corn starch solution (mix a tsp corn starch with a tsp water) to thicken while finishing off.

Enjoy served with hot white rice.

Julienned pork strips served in a sweet, spicy sauce on a bed of scallions. Delectable!

Classic spicy stir-fried juicy chicken

Ingredients:

• 150g chicken breast
• 1 small onion cut to small squares
• 1 small capsicum cut to small squares
• 1 clove garlic thinly sliced
• 1 bunch of scallions cut to 1 inch lengths (optional)

Sauce:

• 1 Tbsp. black bean chilli sauce with certain amount of chili oil 
• 1 Tbsp. Chilli paste
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Shaoxing Rice wine
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. sesame oil 

Method:

1. Cut chicken breast into thinnish strips. 
2. Marinade chicken strips with corn starch, soy sauce, and Shaoxing rice wine.
3. Add 1Tbsp. oil to wok on high heat, add garlic for 15 seconds before adding onion stirring briskly for a minute before adding capsicum stirring briskly a further minute, and adding the eshallots/spring onions quickly stirring before emptying all on to a clean plate.
4. Add 1Tbsp. oil to wok on high heat add the sauce mix stir well and add the sliced chicken. Stir-fry well for 1-2 minutes before sliding the plate's contents back into the wok and tiring to combine with the pork well. If the sauce is too thin add a small splash of water, stir through, and add a corn starch solution (mix a tsp corn starch with a tsp water) to thicken while finishing off. 

Enjoy served with white rice.

The Chicken should be very juicy and tender, the generous amount of chilli oil that this dish produces will be healthily consumed well with an ample amount of white rice, and actually have a nice warming effect without being too spicy.

Hui Guo Rou - 'Twice-Cooked' Pork

Ingredients:

• 200g pork with skin
• 1 bunch of scallions cut to 1 inch lengths
• 1 small capsicum cut to small squares
• 1 clove garlic thinly sliced

Sauce:

• 1 Tbsp. black bean chilli sauce
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Shaoxing Rice wine
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 1 tsp. sesame oil 

Method:

1. Prepare the sauce ingredients in a bowl
2. Boil water in a pot and place the pork in the boiling water for about a minute until it changes color.
3. Remove pork from the pot and slice it thinly including skin on each slice.
4. Add 1Tbsp. oil to wok on high heat, add garlic for 15 seconds before adding the capsicum stirring briskly for a minute before adding the eshallots/spring onions stirring briskly a further minute before emptying all on to a clean plate.
5. Add 1Tbsp. oil to wok on high heat add the sauce mix stir well and add the sliced pork. Stir-fry well for 1-2 minutes before sliding the plate's contents back into the wok and tiring to combine with the pork well. If the sauce is too thin add a small splash of water, stir through, and add a corn starch solution (mix a tsp corn starch with a tsp water) to thicken while finishing off. Enjoy served with white rice.

Sichuan Chili Chicken

Prep: 20minCooking: 4-7 minutes

Ingredients:

Chicken Marinade:

• 150g chicken cut into small cubes
• ½ tsp. Sichuan peppercorns
• ½ tsp. chili powder
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. Shaoxing Rice wine (Dry Sherry can be substituted)
• 1 tsp. Corn starch
• 1 tsp. Sesame oil

• 1 tsp. Chili paste (a Sambal Olek styled paste is best)

Vegetables:

• 5-10 dried chillies (halved with stem & seeds discarded)
• ½ tsp. Sichuan peppercorns
• 1 tsp. ginger sliced thinly
• 1 tsp. garlic minced
• 1 small onion cut in half, quartered, and halved again.
• 1 small Capsicum cut into small squares

Sauce:

• 1 Tbsp. Sugar (brown is best but white is fine)
• 1 Tbsp. Chilli powder
• 1 ½ tsp. Chicken stock powder
• 2 Tbsp. Corn Starch
• 2 Tbsp. Soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp. Shaoxing Rice Wine
• 1 Tbsp. Chinkiang Black Vinegar (Balsamic can be substituted)
• 1 tsp. Chilli paste (a Sambal Olek styled paste is best)
• About 1 cup of water
• 1 Tbsp. Sesame oil

Method:

1. Add the sauce ingredients in the order listed to a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Set aside.
2. In a dry wok roast ½ tsp. of Sichuan Peppercorns for about 30 seconds under low heat till aromatic, and then add to chicken in a bowl. Follow by adding the remaining marinade ingredients and mix thoroughly. Set aside in the fridge while you prepare rice in a rice cooker.
3. When the rice has only about 7 minutes till it’s ready, add some oil to the wok and add the dry chillies followed by ½ tsp. Sichuan Peppercorns under low heat only until the colour deepens, then remove to a bowl leaving the oil behind in the wok.
4. Add the ginger & garlic to the wok raising the heat to high. Stir briskly for 15 seconds then add onion. Stir & toss briskly helping the onion pieces separate for a minute then add capsicum while stirring a further 30 seconds. Add a splash of Shaoxing Rice wine and stir & toss to create a wok-hay* effect. Then empty wok onto a clean plate.
5. Return wok to high heat adding 1-2 Tbsp. oil. When oil begins to smoke add a tsp. chilli paste to the centre of the oil and immediately spoon the marinated chicken into the wok forming a consistent level layer much like a pancake. Leave to fry about 45 seconds without stirring, then flip the ‘pancake to fry another 30 seconds on the other side before stirring through the chicken briskly to break the ‘pancake’ up into individual pieces till done on all sides (about 30 seconds). Then slide the fried vegetable mix back into the wok and toss/mix together with the chicken till combined well. Again empty the wok’s contents onto the plate.
6. Lower heat to lowest setting. Stir the sauce mixture thoroughly ensuring the thick starch & sugar layer at the bottom of the bowl is loosened completely. Empty the sauce mix into the wok and raise back to high heat while stirring, paying special attention to the base and sides returning the congealing parts back into the centre. When the sauce has turned and is all one uniform bubbling mass turn the heat straight down and slide the chicken mix back from the plate into the sauce followed by the fried chillies, and at high heat mix all through the sauce until combined well. For an authentic spicy red sheen, add a Tbsp. of Sichuan chilli oil, mix, and serve alongside white rice.

* Wok-Hay effect, known as ‘breath of fire’, is a balancing technique of keeping the wok at its highest heat without letting ingredients overload (in turn cooling the wok), while also ensuring nothing overcooks or burns used by Asian Chefs that creates a signature of great Chinese cuisine sometimes difficult to replicate at home without access to the extremely high heat burners used in Asian restaurants, but get it right once and you'll know it and enjoy tasting the difference! 

The Beauty of Home-Made Dishes

Chipped Plate is fresh, healthy, simple, tasty food, which all made from home. This cooking recipe Website (http://chippedplate.blogspot.com) is dedicated for my husband-Simon. He has made me realize that live upon the present, enjoy yourself, and to be happy. 

I'm proud to say, he is a wonderful cook in my eyes. I highly admire his cooking skills and love his food very much. For ten year, I have this idea, finally I got his permission to go for it. All home-made food from him actually aren't too complex to make, but taste really delicious. Yummy!

To be shamed to say, I can't cook, but I'm a good little kitchen-hand, a washer, and a creator. Wrote down his cooking process and took photos awhile he was cooking, was quiet disturbing and annoying sometimes. :)

I guess that it love is, contain each other the differences and transform to attractions.

The website has been just started, i will try to put new dishes' recipes for every week. Please check back, there are many amazing home-made dishes that is coming up.

PS:
If you also love creations and like to make something for your own, enjoy to share your joys with others. Welcome you publish your creations in Chipped Plate. It is Very simple, just send me your recipe with the details of cooking preparations and the good quality of photos. I'll design the layout and publish for you in "sharing joys" sections after the evaluations. (sunny6192009@outlook.com)

Basic breakfast for 2

Picture 1 for only with eggs and bacon. (Picture 2 for the full set of meal is coming soon)

• 2x Eggs
• 2-4 slices Bread
• 2-4 rashes of bacon cut to half length
• Salt, Pepper, Chili powder to season

• 2-4 small sized breakfast sausages (optional)
• 1 can of baked beans (optional)ask
• 2-4 cherry tomatoes sliced in half (optional)

• 2 coffees or orange juice

Method

In a large fry pan, add 1-2 Tbs oil/butter and Turn heat to medium-low. Crack 2 eggs into the pan, trying to keep separate as much as possible. While they are still yet to set, sprinkle seasoning powders over them. Beside the eggs, place as much of the bacon halfs in the pan as will fit comfortably. Also add the sausages where they will get direct contact with the pan. Place lid. Pop 2 slices bread into toaster, and empty the baked beans can into a small pan/pot on low heat. Cover. Check eggs and turn bacon & sausages with tongs. Fry another minute. Temporarily remove bacon from pan, replacing with a new layer of bacon. Turn heat down to lowest setting, place lid. Check & stir baked beans. Arrange toasted bread on plates. After 30 seconds, uncover frypan, turn bacon, bring original bacon back and layer over the bacon cooking in the pan. This will return their warmth. With an egg flip, move the eggs off the pans surface on top of the bacon. This will help avoid burning their base. In the space now vacant in the pan, place the cherry tomato halves cut side down. Remove the baked beans from heat and stir. Remove sausages eggs & bacon from pan, arranging on plates as desired. Add the baked beans on to the plates & finally add the tomatoes. Serve up with coffee/juice!

PS:Besides, always could add some small creations for yourself, my suggestion is, one small bowl of rice with grandma source (black bean with chili oil: can get in any Asian shop), which is perfect combination for Basic breakfast. Try it. 

Spaghetti con oglio Il olio - Spaghetti with Garlic and chili oil basedsauce

Makes 2 servings.

Ingredient:

• 250g Spaghetti, 
• 2 cloves garlic, 
• 2 dried chillies, 
• olive oil, salt and pepper to season
• 1 rasher bacon (optional)

Perpetration and Cooking process:

1. Thinly slice garlic into wafer sized slices;
2. Using scissors cut the chillies into thin rings;
3. If adding bacon, slice into thin matchsticks;
4. Mix desired amount of seasoning into a small bowl;
5. boil water in large pot to make spaghetti, when boiling add 1-2 tsp of salt and then put in the spaghetti, to cook following the packs timing directions.
6. When there's only about 3 minutes until the the pasta is 'al dente', bring about 3-4 Tbs of oil in a large pan on medium heat adding the garlic & bacon. Keep watch that the heat is not too high that the garlic blackens while stirring. Reserve a bowl of the spaghetti water and drain the pasta when it is done, and at the same time add the seasoning and the dry chilli to the fry pan. immediately 
7. Pour in about half the pasta water to the fry-pan to emulsify the sauce. Immediately after raise the heat to high and toss in the drained spaghetti and toss in the sauce to coat evenly, adding splashes of more pasta water as needed. Serve with some nice crusty bread & pop on The Godfather trilogy. 

Enjoy!

Spaghetti Al'Amatriciana - Home made fresh Tomato Bacon & Chilli saucespaghetti

Makes 2 servings.

Ingredients:

• 4-5 medium sized tomatoes, 
• 2 rashes of bacon, 
• half an onion, 
• 2-3 cloves of Garlic, 
• 1 fresh Baguette to serve. (if over a day old, slice it up and toast lightly in a layer on a small fry pan with salt & pepper and a drizzling of olive oil if you wish.)

Seasoning:

• Salt, pepper, seasoned salt.

Preparation and Cooking process:

1. Finely Dice the half onion, and very finely chop the garlic. Arrange the bacon rashes as 1, and slice into matchsticks. 
2. Prepare a deep pot with a very large amount of cold water, and also Boil enough water in another deep pot/wok to cover all of the tomato's. When a rolling boil is reached, put all of the tomatoes into the boiling water for no longer than 1 Min. Take them all out after the minute, and immediately transfer them into the pot with cold water to chill, and peel their skins off to discard.
3. Chop the peeled tomatoes into rough pieces discarding any large white sections, and put into a deep fry pan on high heat until they have broken down , most of the liquid has gone, and the colour has darkened to a deep red. At this stage, take off the heat and remove the mixture from the pan into a blender to blend for about a minute until a smooth consistency is reached. Set aside.
4. Fill a large pot of water to almost 3/4 full for making the spaghetti as you would normally. When boiling, add 1-2 tsp of salt, and then add half a 500g pack of spaghetti to cook following the package's timing instructions.
5. As the spaghetti boils, add a small mount of oil into a deep fry pan/wok adding the chopped bacon, garlic and onion into the pan, stirring while scraping the bottom of any remaining tomatoes. When the onion become translucent, throw in the mixed seasoning, followed with the blended tomatoes as well. Use a cup or so of water to the blender to rinse out all the tomato residue into the fry pan. Stir for a Min, then turn to low heat, and put the lid on. 
6. When the spaghetti is ready, reserve 1 bowl of the boiling spaghetti water from the pot, and then drain the spaghetti. Then while stirring the sauce turn the heat to high, and add in the reserved hot water from the bowl to emulsify the sauce. 
7. Finally add the spaghetti into the sauce, turn heat down and mix the sauce well through the pasta. Serve with the fresh baguette to sop up the sauce.

Lazy Sausage Curry with rice

Makes 2 serves

• 2 garlic cloves, 
• 1/2 inch piece ginger, 
• 1/2 medium sized onion, 
• 1 potato, 
• 1 small capsicum, 
• 9 dried chillies

Basic Curry Masala:

• 1 Tbs chill powder, 
• 1 Tbs curry powder, 
• 1/4 tsp of seasoned salt, 
• 1/4 tsp of salt, 
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, 
• 1tsp of chicken stock powder, 
• 1/4tsp of turmeric. Mix all together. 
• 1+1/2table spoon corn flour,
• 210g large chicken sausage, 

Preparation:

1. Cut potatoes into medium sized cubes of about 2-3cm, Put into a pot with cold water, bring to boil, keep cooking on high for 5 minutes. Make sure do not cook completely.
2. Roughly Cut capsicums & onions to 2-3cm sized squares,
3. finely chop the garlic & ginger.
4. Remove loose seeds from chilies by cutting of the butt letting them easily come out, then chop chillies in half.
5. Slice the sausage into thinnish discs.

Cooking

Add oil into wok on high heat, when oil warms add the garlic, ginger & chillies. Stir for 30 seconds, then add the sliced sausage, onion & capsicum. Stir-fry for 1-2 Min, then add the half-cooked potatoes. toss all together for about a minute and then add the curry masala mix and stir for 1 Min  after that, add about 1 +1/2 rice bowls of cold water. Keep mixing to scrape anything that starts to stick to the bottom making sure nothing burns. Put lid on and boil for 5-7 mins. Then add the corn flour paste while stirring until desired consistency is reached.

If it's too spicy, add a touch of sugar or sesame oil.