The Everything Chinese Cookbook (21 page)

½ English cucumber

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon grated ginger

1 garlic clove, finely minced

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon red rice vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

¼ teaspoon chili paste

1. Peel the cucumber and cut into thin slices. Place in a bowl and toss with the salt and leave for 15 minutes.
   
2. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl. Place the cucumber in a clean bowl and pour the sauce mixture over. Serve immediately or chill.
   

1 English cucumber

¼ teaspoon salt

1 clove garlic, minced

½ cup plain yogurt

½ teaspoon cilantro leaves

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

¼ teaspoon chili paste

1 Asian pear

1. Peel the cucumber and slice. Place in a bowl and toss with salt, allowing to stand for 15 minutes.
   
2. Place the garlic, yogurt, cilantro leaves, honey, lemon juice, and chili paste in the blender and process until smooth. Makes
   cup.
   
3. Serve the cucumber slices on a plate with the dressing on the side. Garnish with Asian pear slices.
   

2 cups mung bean sprouts, rinsed and drained

½ carrot, shredded

1 tablespoon red rice vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon chili with garlic sauce

¼ teaspoon sesame oil

1. Trim the ends of the bean sprouts if desired. Combine with the shredded carrot.
   
2. Mix together the red rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, chili with garlic sauce, and sesame oil. Drizzle over the mixture of bean sprouts and carrot, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.
   

Green Onion Brushes

This attractive garnish is easy to make. Simply slice a green onion into 1½ -inch pieces, then, starting in the middle and going left, cut several slits with a pin. Repeat in the other direction. (Leave a small section in the middle untouched so that the green onion doesn't fall apart.)

1 pound fresh asparagus

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons black rice vinegar

2 teaspoons white sugar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

teaspoon sesame oil

1. Wash the asparagus and drain well. Cut off the ends and cut diagonally into 1½ -inch pieces.
   
2. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Parboil the asparagus, and plunge into cold water. Drain well.
   
3. Mix together the garlic clove, black rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Toss with the asparagus.
   

Black Rice Vinegar

With its intriguing combination of tart and sweet, black rice vinegar is the crème de la crème of the rice vinegars. The most famous comes from southern China's Chinkiang region. If you enjoy black rice vinegar's distinctive smoky flavor, try substituting it in any recipe where rice vinegar is called for.

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

½ cup soy sauce, divided

1 head Romaine lettuce

1 red bell pepper

4 tablespoons red rice vinegar

3 teaspoons sesame oil

2 green onions, minced

2 teaspoons sugar

½ teaspoon chili paste

2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

1. Marinate the chicken in ¼ cup soy sauce for 1 hour. Steam the chicken in a bamboo steamer in a wok until it is cooked through. Cool. Shred the cooked chicken meat.
   
2. Wash the Romaine lettuce leaves and drain well. Wash the red bell pepper and cut into thin slices.
   
3. Mix together ¼ cup soy sauce, the red rice vinegar, sesame oil, green onions, sugar, and chili paste.
   
4. Arrange the lettuce and red bell pepper on a plate. Add the shredded cooked chicken. Drizzle with the red rice vinegar dressing and top with toasted sesame seeds.
   

How to Shred Meat

Hold the cleaver parallel to the cutting board and slice the meat horizontally into thin sections. Lay the cut pieces on top of each other, position the cleaver perpendicular to the board, and cut the meat lengthwise into thin slices, from ¼- to
-inch thick. For easier shredding, partially freeze the meat ahead of time.