The Everything Chinese Cookbook (20 page)

1 cup shredded napa cabbage

cup chopped red onion

1. Boil the potatoes and hard-boil the eggs. Drain and peel the potatoes, and cut them into bite-sized squares. Slice the hard-boiled eggs.
   
2. Mix together the mayonnaise, soy sauce, cilantro leaves, Hot Mustard Sauce, and sugar. Stir in the sesame oil.
   
3. Mix the potatoes, eggs, shredded cabbage, and chopped red onion together in a large bowl. Mix in the mayonnaise sauce. Keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
   

Main Dish Salad

The common tossed green salad is unknown in Chinese cuisine. A salad can be hot or cold, an appetizer or part of the main meal. It may even take the place of a sorbet when served between courses.

Peanut Sauce (page 20)

2 red potatoes

2 hard-boiled eggs

½ English cucumber

½ cup snow peas

½ cup cauliflower

½ cup spinach leaves

½ cup carrots, chopped

½ cup mung bean sprouts

1. Boil the potatoes with their skins on and slice. Boil the eggs and cut into thin slices. Peel the cucumber and cut into thin slices. String the snow peas. Chop the cauliflower.
   
2. Blanch the snow peas, spinach leaves, carrots, and bean sprouts.
   
3. Arrange the vegetables on a platter, working from the outside in. You can arrange the vegetables in any order, but the boiled egg slices should be placed on top.
   
4. Pour the Peanut Sauce over the salad. Serve immediately.
   

Spicy Steamed Beef (page 124)

1 bunch Romaine lettuce leaves

1 carrot, shredded

1 cup raw cherry tomatoes, halved

2 tablespoons red rice vinegar

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 teaspoon sugar

A few drops sesame oil

1. Prepare the steamed beef. Place the cooked beef in a sealed container in the refrigerator and leave overnight.
   
2. Place the vegetables in a medium-sized bowl and toss with the red rice vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil.
   
3. Serve the steamed beef on a plate with the salad arranged around it.
   

¼ cup rice vinegar

½ teaspoon lemon juice

¼ teaspoon chili sauce

¼ teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon sesame paste or peanut butter

2 tablespoons water

2 cups watercress

1 small tomato

1 leaf Romaine lettuce, shredded

10 1-inch cubes of watermelon, green peel and seeds removed

1. For the dressing, place the rice vinegar, lemon juice, chili sauce, sesame oil, sesame paste, and water in a blender and process until smooth. Place in a bowl and set aside.
   
2. Wash the watercress. Drain thoroughly, and remove the stems. Cut the tomato into thin slices.
   
3. Toss the watercress with the Romaine lettuce and tomato. Place in a serving bowl and add the watermelon cubes. Drizzle the dressing over. Refrigerate leftover dressing in a sealed jar. It will keep for 3–4 days.
   

Peanut Butter Is a Substitute

The more authentic version of this dish uses sesame paste. Made from toasted sesame seeds, sesame paste has a sweet flavor similar to peanut butter, which makes a convenient substitute. Although it is also made from ground sesame seeds, the Middle Eastern tahini is not a good substitute for sesame paste: It is made with untoasted sesame seeds, giving it a very different flavor.