This is Guizhou, China, we are told there are 250,00 mountains acting as a back-drop to this little village

BEEF STROGANOFF:

1/3 cup dried porcini mushrooms                               

2 ½ lb. beef fillet, cut into strips

2 shallots, minced

1 tbsp. flour                                                                

1½ cups hot beef stock

¼ cup cognac                                                              

2 tbsp. tomato paste                                                    

pinch cayenne pepper

salt and freshly-ground pepper                                   

½ to 1 cup sour cream

2 tsp. snipped dill                                           

2 tsp. lemon juice

cooked rice                                                                 

cooking oil

Soak dried mushrooms in ½ cup boiling water for 30 minutes. Drain and reserve soaking liquid. Discard stems and chop mushrooms.

In a heavy skillet over high heat, heat 2 tbsp. oil until very hot and sear beef strips, in batches, turning once, for 1-2 minutes. Add salt & pepper to taste, then transfer beef as it is cooked to a plate and keep warm.

Deglaze pan with cognac, scraping up brown bits from bottom and sides of pan. Add shallots and mushrooms. Cook mixture over medium-low heat, stirring, until shallot is softened. Add flour and cook, stirring, for 2-3 minutes. Gradually whisk in hot stock, the reserved mushroom liquid and tomato paste. Bring sauce to a boil and cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until sauce is thickened.

Add salt and pepper to taste and the cayenne pepper. Remove skillet from heat and stir in sour cream to taste, dill and lemon juice, mixing in well.  Return beef to pan & heat the mixture over medium heat until heated through; but do not boil.

Serve with cooked rice.

NOTE:  Cooked left-over beef can be used to substitute for fresh beef. Skip the searing process, but add it into hot pan & stir fry quickly to heat through. Add salt & pepper to taste. Make sauce; then add beef & heat through before serving.

This is a simple recipe to follow & the result has invariably been satisfactory. Serving it with hot rice on a cold evening is particularly welcoming.

BEEF STEW WITH BEER:

4 lbs. cross rib roast                                        

2 large onions, chopped finely

2 cloves garlic, crushed                                  

4 medium carrots, cut into cubes

2-3 tbsp. cooking oil                                       

2 tsp. dry mustard

1 ½ cups dark beer, such as Guinness            

salt and freshly-ground pepper

1 cup beef stock                                             

¼ cup all purpose flour

Cut beef into 1-2-inch cubes. Dredge meat in flour, shaking off excess, & reserving excess flour.

In a large heavy non-stick saucepan, hit oil over high heat until very hot. Sear meat in batches until browned. Add salt and pepper to cooked meat and transfer beef as it is cooked to a large casserole.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Add onion, garlic and carrots to pan and cook for about 5 minutes.  Make flour up to ¼ c and stir it into pan, mixing in well, & cook it over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Add beer to deglaze pan, scraping up brown bits in bottom and sides of pan. Add mustard, salt and pepper to taste and beef stock. Increase temperature to high, & bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly and cooking until sauce thickens. If sauce is too thick, dilute it slightly with water. Reduce heat, cover pot and simmer sauce for 2-3 minutes. Adjust seasoning.

Pour sauce over beef in the casserole and transfer casserole to oven. Cook beef for 2 hours or until meat is very tender. Skim off fat before serving.

*** 1-2 cups of sliced or quartered mushrooms--cooked for 2-3 minutes—can be added to the beef for extra flavour if preferred***

NOTE:  BEEF IN WINE---Substituting red wine for beer and proceed with basic recipe                                                             

BASIC BEEF STOCK:

2 lb. beef shank, cut into chunks                                

1 onion, quartered

1 carrot, cut into chunks                                             

1 large tomato, halved

1 parsnip, cut into chunks                                           

1 turnip, cut into chunks

1 leek                                                                          

4 black peppercorns

2 tbsp. butter                                                               

15 cups water

additional beef bones if desired, optional

Wash bones, if using, and remove excessive fats. Cover beef and bones with the water in a large saucepan. Cover pot & bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer over medium-low heat for 1 hour. Skim and remove the surface fat and floating particles, and strain.

Melt butter in large stock pot, sauté vegetables over medium heat for 10 minutes, being careful not to let vegetables burn.  Add the strained liquid & the peppercorns; cover pot & bring to a boil. Then reduce heat & simmer stock for 2 hours.

Strain the stock again. Cool and keep in refrigerator until needed. Remove excess fat before using.

                                                           

Grandma's Gastronomics: Grandma's Gastronomics: Welcome!!!

Grandma's Gastronomics: Grandma's Gastronomics: Welcome!!!: "Grandma's Gastronomics: Welcome!!! : 'I have been cooking my entire life & have accumulated many recipes over the years. One day my kids sug..."

Further to the Chicken Pie with crust recipe, there are couple of additional ways to make use of it:

Cooked chicken from a previous roast chicken dinner can be used to substitute for fresh meat, just omit the chicken cooking process in the recipe.


Very often, after a Xmas or Thanksgiving turkey dinner, lots of meat is left over. So use that to make Turkey Supreme & Turkey Pot Pie as follows:






TURKEY SUPREME & TURKEY POT PIE:

Short crust pastry for 1-crust pie--see recipe

Filling:

2 cups cooked and diced turkey meat                                   

½ cup diced celery

½ lb. mushrooms, quartered                                       

2 medium onions, diced

3 medium potatoes, parboiled and cubed                  

1 cup parboiled diced carrots

1 cup pea                                                                    

4 tbsp. butter

4-5 tbsp. all purpose flour                                          

2 -3 cups hot milk, or hot chicken stock or combination of both

1-2 tbsp. curry powder

salt and pepper

egg wash

To make Turkey Supreme:

Melt butter over medium-low heat in a heavy saucepan. Add flour and cook roux for 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously. Remove from heat & whisk in hot milk or hot stock gradually, whisking vigorously with a wire whisk to prevent lumps, straining sauce if necessary. Return to heat, cover casserole & bring mixture to the boil. Reduce heat, add curry powder & whisk in evenly. Simmer sauce for 15 minutes.

Cook vegetables until tender but still slightly crunchy. Season cooked turkey meat with salt & pepper to taste, & add, together with vegetables, into the hot sauce. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Heat through & serve hot. 

To make Turkey Pot Pie:

Cool turkey supreme, & transfer it to an oven-proof casserole or deep dish.

Roll out pastry to ¼-inch thickness to fit a large oven-proof casserole. Transfer pastry to a large plate lined with a sheet of waxed paper, and refrigerates it for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Drape pastry over casserole, sealing and crimping edges, and making slits in the centre of the pastry to allow steam to escape. Brush pastry with egg wash and bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Making a chicken pie with double or single crust involve 3 steps. The filling is the easy part, while making the sauce or gravy involves the technique in making a white cream sauce, known as Bechamel sauce. The crust part is easy too if a store-bought crust is to be used. But challenge yourself to make a home-made crust, the result is more satisfying.

BASIC SHORT CRUST PASTRY:

1 lb cold lard cut into cubes                                       

5-5 ½ cups all purpose flour

3 tsp. salt                                                                    

1 egg

1 tbsp. vinegar                                                            

¾+ cup ice water

Beat egg and vinegar into ice water to make up 1 cup liquid. Refrigerate until use.

Place flour and salt in work-bowl of food processor fitted with steel blade. Process on/off to mix.  Add lard into work bowl and process a few seconds until mixture resembles coarse bread crumbs.  With machine running, add ice water mixture in a steady stream through the feed-tube. Process with on/off pulses a few times, until mixture is just coming together into a ball. Do not over process.

Turn dough out onto a large piece of waxed paper. Bring the edges of paper together and pressing through the paper to make dough into a ball.  Knead gently once or twice to distribute the fat evenly. Flatten the ball out to a large flat round. Wrap well and refrigerate 10 minutes before using.

Dough may be frozen for up to 1 month. Defrost in fridge before using.

This recipe is sufficient for a double-crusted pie. If only a top or bottom pie crust is needed, make dough with half the amount of ingredients. 

DOUBLE-CRUSTED CHICKEN PIE:

1 quantity of basic short crust pastry--see recipe, enough for double-crusted pie

Filling:

    1 cup chicken meat                                    

   

    ½ cup coarsely chopped mushrooms

    1/3 cup cooked carrot, diced                                 

    ½ cup chopped onion

    ¼ cup cooked peas                                     

    4 sliced cooked ham, diced

 

    1½ tsp. salt

    1 tsp. white pepper

    1 tbsp. wine

    ½ tsp. sugar                                                            

    2 tsp. tapioca starch

1 cup warm Béchamel sauce--see recipe                    

egg wash—beat 1 egg with equal amount of water together

Cut pastry into halves. Roll out one portion to ¼-inch thickness to line the bottom of a 9-inch pie dish, trimming off excess. *** If making a pot pie, ignore this procedure in making bottom crust.

Roll the other portion out to same thickness. Transfer it to a plate lined with a piece of wax paper. Refrigerate both pastries for at least 30 minutes before use.

The filling:  Add 1 tsp. of the salt, the sugar and tapioca starch to chicken meat. Toss well to mix and marinade for 30 minutes. In a large non-stick saucepan over medium-high heat, heat 1 tbsp. oil until very hot. Cook onions for 2-3 minutes, then add mushrooms and cook 3-4 minutes more. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Heat 1 tbsp. oil in the saucepan and add chicken. Cook until no longer pink. Add in ham, peas, carrots, cooking wine, pepper and the ½ tsp. of salt. Toss ingredients well together. Add sauce and mix in well. Transfer filling mixture to a bowl and let cool.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Fill pie crust with filling. If making a pot pie with no bottom crust, just transfer filling to a baking pan, or a deep dish oven-proof container. Place top piece of pastry over filling, sealing and crimping edges together. Brush pie with egg wash; and make venting holes on top crust. Bake 45 minutes or until crust is golden.

  

                                     

BECHAMEL SAUCE—WHITE ROUX SAUCE:

½ an onion, finely chopped                           

½ a carrot, finely chopped

½ stalk celery, finely chopped                       

4 tbsp. butter                                                  

4-5 tbsp. all purpose flour

2½-3 cups hot milk or hot chicken stock, or a combination of both                                      

2 -3 thyme leaves, or ¼ tsp dried thyme

dash white pepper and salt to taste                

dash grated nutmeg

In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Cook onion, carrot, celery until soft and golden. Stir in flour and cook over low heat for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly to prevent browning. Remove from heat, gradually add hot milk or stock or milk mixture, whisking with a wire whisk constantly to mix smoothly to prevent lump. Strain mixture into a non-stick pan, pressing down on vegetables to extract flavour. Return pot to high heat. Bring sauce to a boil. If sauce is too thick, add a bit more milk or chicken stock.

Reduce heat to medium-low & simmer sauce for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Adjust seasoning. Use sauce as needed. This is the basic white sauce using butter & flour as roux, or the thickening method.

If sauce is not to be used immediately, cover the surface with a piece of buttered wax paper to prevent skin forming and let sauce cool. Sauce may be kept for up to 2 days in a refrigerator.

VARIATIONS ON BECHAMEL SAUCE:

Cheese sauce:  Add 1 cup grated Cheddar cheese to the sauce. Add pinch of dried-mustard and paprika to season sauce.

Mornay sauce:  Add 2/3 cup whipping cream to sauce and boil to reduce by one-third. Then add in ½ cup mixed grated Gruyere and Parmesan cheese and 6 tbsp. butter.

Mushroom sauce:  Add 1 cup chopped or sliced cooked mushrooms to sauce.

Parsley sauce:  Add 7 tbsp. chopped parsley to sauce.

Tomato cream sauce:  Cook together 1 lb. fresh or 1 cup canned tomatoes, 1 stalk celery, 1 sliced onion, salt and pepper to taste. Drain cooking liquid, pressing through a sieve, and add to Bechamel sauce gradually, stirring to blend in 

Noodles, any one? This recipe is a family favourite.

RICE VERMICELLI WITH BEEF AND BLACK PEPPER黑椒牛肉炆米粉:

12 oz. beef, flank steak or sirloin                                  

3 cakes, out of a pkg of 4, of dried rice vermicelli

1 clove garlic, crushed                                                             

1 large red pepper, cut into thin strips

1 stalk green onions cut into thin strips, optional

3-4 tbsp. cooking oil

Seasoning:

    1/8 to ¼ tsp. baking soda                                      

    2 tbsp. tapioca starch

    1 tsp. sugar                                                  

    1 tbsp. light soy sauce

    1 tbsp. oil                                                    

    ½ cup water

Sauce:

   

    ½ tsp. salt                                                    

    1 tsp. sugar

    1 tbsp. each light and dark soy sauce                       

    1 tsp rice wine

    1 tbsp. oyster-flavoured sauce                     

    1-2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste

    ½ tsp. sesame oil

Cut beef across the grain into slices then into ¼- ½ -inch strips. Add seasoning ingredients and marinate for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add in 1 tsp. salt. Add vermicelli, stir to separate, making sure vermicelli is completely covered with water. Cover & bring water back to boil. As soon as water comes back to the boil, remove pot from heat. Let vermicelli soak for 2-3 minutes or until it is just softened. Do not soak too long to make vermicelli mushy. Drain well. Toss vermicelli with a tsp. salt and 1 tbsp. oil. Reserve.

In wok or non-stick saucepan over high heat, heat 2 tbsp. oil until very hot. Add garlic, then the beef. Stir-fry quickly until no longer pink. Remove with a slotted spoon.

Heat 1 tbsp. oil until hot and add red peppers.  Cook for 1-2 minutes only, leaving it crunchy. Add green onions, if using & cook for 1 minute. Mix sauce ingredients well and add it into saucepan. Cook until it comes to a boil. Return vermicelli to the pan. Toss well to coat noodles well with sauce. Adjust for seasoning, adding more ground pepper if preferred. Cook 1 minute; then add beef. Toss well together and serve right away.

Beef lovers will enjoy this recipe. Simple & easy to follow, but good result depends on quality of meat.

BEEF TENDERLOIN---CHINESE STYLE中式牛柳:

1-2 lbs. beef tenderloin or sirloin, not round steak                                                           

1 piece thinly-sliced ginger

2 -3 tbsp. cooking oil                                                             

Few slices of tomatoes for garnish

Marinade:

    ½ cup each of chopped carrots, onion and celery              

    1/3 tbsp. sugar

    ½ tsp. meat tenderizer, optional                                                     

    1 cup water                                                            

    1 tbsp. dark soy sauce

    1 tbsp. oil                                                               

    2 tbsp. tapioca starch

Sauce:

   

    3 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce                                              

    1 tbsp. tomato ketchup

    1 tbsp. sugar                                                                       

    1 tsp. sesame oil

    ¼ tsp black pepper

Slice beef into ½-inch thick and 3 ½-inch long pieces. Use the back of the cleaver or a meat hammer to pound beef slightly to tenderize. Omit tenderizer if beef is of top quality. Mix marinade ingredients together and pour over beef in a large glass bowl. Marinate 6 hours.

Discard marinade and pat dry beef with paper towels. In a large non-stick skillet, heat 2 tbsp. oil over high heat until very hot. Arrange beef in a single layer in hot oil and cook  in batches for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown, but not overcooked. Remove cooked pieces to keep warm and continue cooking the rest, adding more oil to skillet if necessary.

Mix sauce ingredients together and add into skillet. Bring sauce to boil, and then return beef to pan. Toss well together to coat meat with sauce. Serve immediately.

           

This is so easy that I am sure it will also be fool-proved. Please try it.

CHICKEN BREAST WITH OYSTER SAUCE蠔油雞脯:

1½ to 2 lbs. boneless & skinless chicken breast                    

3 pieces thinly-sliced ginger

3 stalks green onion, cut into long pieces                  

2-4 tbsp. cooking oil

Tapioca starch for dredging               

Seasoning:

    1 tbsp. rice wine or dry sherry                   

    1 tbsp. dark soy sauce

     ½ tsp sugar                                                

    1/8 tsp. black pepper

    2 tbsp. tapioca starch                                             

    ¼ tsp. baking soda                                     

    ¼ to ½ tsp. salt

Sauce:

    2 to 3 tbsp. (or to taste) good quality oyster-flavoured sauce                                  

    ½ tbsp. dark soy sauce

    1 tsp. sugar 

    1 tsp. sesame oil

    2 tbsp. cold water

Rinse and pat dry chicken breasts. Slice meat into pieces, roughly 3 x 2-inches in size and 1/8-1/4-inch in thickness. Marinate with seasoning ingredients for 30 minutes. Dredge each piece of meat with tapioca starch and set aside.

In a large non-stick skillet over high heat, heat 2 tbsp. oil until hot. Add chicken pieces in batches, arranging them in a single layer in the pan. Cook until just golden brown on both sides, between 1-2 minutes, taking care not to over cook. Remove cooked pieces to keep warm while cooking the rest, adding more oil to pan when necessary.

Add ginger and green onion to pan, stir fry slightly; then stir in sauce ingredients. When sauce is bubbling, return chicken pieces to pan. Toss very quickly to coat with sauce; then remove from heat right away. Serve immediately.

             

Here are 2 recipes that are popular in the Chinese household as sweet soup & dessert. They are a breeze to make.

RED BEAN SWEET SOUP SERVED IN 2 WAYS:

600 to 700g. Chinese red beans                                 

I tsp. baking soda

2 pkgs fresh lotus seeds + 1 pkg fresh lily pods--optional

5 ½ to 6 bricks of Chinese cane-sugar pieces

1 to 2 large pieces of dry tangerine peel, soaked until soften

1- 2 tbsp. tapioca starch mixed with 3 tbsp. water

Toss red beans with the baking soda; then add barely enough water to cover beans and let soak for 1 hour.  Wash and rinse red beans and drain. 

Put beans in a large stock pot & top it with just enough water to cover. Cover pot and bring water to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium low and simmer beans for 1 hour, adding more water as needed to prevent boiling dry. 

Then add roughly 15 to 16 cups cold water and the tangerine peel. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat to medium-low to simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours, or until beans are cooked to the desired tenderness, but still whole and not mushy. Add in lotus seeds and lily pods, if using, during the last half hour of cooking. Reduce heat to minimum & add cane sugar. Leave for 10 minutes, stirring once or twice to dissolve sugar. Check for sweetness, adding more sugar if preferred.  

If a thicker soup is preferred, raise temperature to high, & add in starch solution in a steady stream, stirring constantly to mix well while liquid comes to a boil and thickens slightly.  Serve hot.

If red bean soup is not to be served hot, cool completely then refrigerate overnight to serve it cold.

ICED RED BEAN:  Omit lotus seeds & lily pods. Cook red beans in the same way, using only 10 cups water. Cook until beans are tender but not mushy. Cool and refrigerate.

To serve:  Add 3-4 heaping tbsp. red beans into the bottom of tall parfait glasses. Pour in ¼- ½ cup of the liquid. Top beans with very finely shaved ice, right to the top of the glasses. Pour in a little evaporated milk over the ice to serve.

ALMOND- FLAVOURED TOFU DESSERT杏仁荳腐:

½ of an 1½ oz. pkg of dried agar-agar***                

1 ½ cups sugar

1cup milk                                                                   

1 cup evaporated milk

1 ½ tsp almond extract                                              

8 cups water

1 large can fresh fruit salad                                       

extra evaporated milk to serve

***agar-agar is available in Chinese grocery stores. Cut the piece of dried agar-agar in half and reserve one half for later use***

Soak the other half in 8 cups water in a large saucepan for several hours to soften.

Bring water to a boil & cook agar-agar over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until completely dissolved. Add sugar and stir to dissolve.

Strain mixture through a layer of cheese cloth into a large serving container. Add milk, evaporated milk and almond extract. Stir well to combine. Cover container with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm and set. 

Cut into cubes. Serve with drained fresh fruit salad and extra evaporated milk.