Kung Pao Chicken with Potatoes and Bell Peppers

                           

Like a lot of other families, in my house, I am the cook, my boyfriend is the cleaner. We're both pretty content to follow this rule, until one day, he made a chicken stir-fry with potatoes and bell peppers that I couldn't stop myself from eating. I thought to myself: did I really get this lucky! Soon I realized this is the best (and arguably the only thing) he knows how to cook. Better than nothing, right?? The only drawback is the timing. It did take him 2 hours every time to cook, and another 2 hours to clean up the sixty different kitchen gadgets and plates he used to achieve this final glory. 

2-3 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch x 1 inch cubes
• 2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 2/3 inch x 2/3 inch cubes
• 1 green bell pepper, seeded and membrane removed, cut into 2/3 inch x 2/3 inch cubes
• 1/2 red pepper, seeded and membrane removed, cut into 2/3 inch x 2/3 inch cubes
• 1 scallion, chopped
• 2 pieces of 1/4 inch x 2 inches x 2 inches ginger
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fermented black beans
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Guilin chili sauce (I use Lee Kum Kee)
• 2 1/2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
• 2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons Chinese cooking wine, divided
• 2 1/2 tablespoons ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup canola oil for frying
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Marinate chicken with 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 1/2 tablespoons ground black pepper and 2 tablespoons Chinese cooking wine. Soak potatoes in cold water in a bowl.
2. Drain potatoes from cold water. Heat up enough canola oil in a pot to fry the potatoes on high heat (oil should almost cover all the potatoes), fry for about 13 minutes or until the potatoes are golden brown and soft. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain off excessive oil on a paper towel.
3. Heat another 3 tablespoons of canola oil in a big pan on high heat. Add scallions and ginger. Sautee for 1 minute. Add chicken and stir fry until half cooked, for about 2 minutes. Add fermented black beans, guilin chili sauce and dark soy sauce. Cook for about another 2 minutes, or until the chicken are just cooked. Pour the potatoes into the chicken and mix. Remove the mixture from the pan and set aside on a clean plate.
4. In the same pan, add a splash of water to deglaze the pan and then add the peppers and cook for about 2 minutes. Turn the heat to low. Add the chicken and potato mixture back into the pan. Mix all the ingredients together. Salt to taste. Serve hot with brown rice.

End of your search for the perfect Mapo Tofu

I used to crave mapo tofu after a long day at work, especially on those humid and cold days. It wakes my taste-bud and picks me up. But the complex look of it at the restaurants seems forever too daunting for me to try to recreate at home. Back in the days when I didn't have the knowledge to care much about what's in my food, I sometimes resorted to the packaged Mapo tofu seasonings, but the final product tastes just like coming from a package too.

Not anymore. There are no exotic ingredients in the dish. You can easily get all of them from Whole Foods or whatever your favorite local grocery store is. The result is not only 10 times more flavorful but also good for you.

2-3 servings

Ingredients:

• 1 pack (or 19 oz) of firm tofu
• 300g ground turkey dark meat (you can use white meat if you like)
• 4 Szechuan peppercorns (optional. these little things will give you a numbing sensation on lips and tongues.)
• 4 scallions, cut into short pieces at steep angle
• 1/4 cup of canola oil
• 2 1/2 tablespoons of chilli paste (I use Lee Kum Kee Guilin Chilli Paste because it's one of the rare bottled Chinese chilli pastes that have no preservatives, MSG or colorings. You can find it from your local Asian supermarket.)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons black fermented beans (You can find it from your local Asian supermarket or Whole Foods)
• 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon Low Sodium Chicken Stock
• 1 teaspoon turbinado raw sugar (you can use white or brown sugar)
• 1 teaspoon of chilli flakes
• 2 teaspoons light low sodium soy sauce(I use Kikkoman)
• 3 tablespoons of corn starch mixed with with 4 tablespoons cold water

Directions:

1. Cut tofu into 1-2 inches cubes. (So you will have about 64 pieces out of a regular package)In a small pot, boil enough water to cover the tofu. Put 1 1/2 teaspoon of kosher sea salt into the water.
2. Heat up oil on high in a deep pan. Put ground turkey( and szechuan pepper corn if using) in and cook for about 3 minutes or until almost all the meat turns brown but not dry.
3. The water should be boiling by now, so put the tofu in to the hot water and leave it there. It will just start to simmer before you take them out later.
4. Stir in the chilli paste into the ground turkey and cook for 30 seconds (or until you see the mixture turning into a rich red color). Next, stir in the fermented beans and chilli flakes and cook for another 30 seconds. Pour in chicken stock and let it come to boil.
5. Drain the tofu using a slotted spoon and put them into the pan together with the turkey. Use the back of a wooden cooking spoon to gently push, rather than stir, the tofu from the edge to center and from side to side. Be careful not to break the tofu. Add sugar and soy sauce. (No need for more salt at this point because everything is seasoned by now. If you do, adjust to your taste). Let it simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Put in the scallions and gently stir while they are cooked. Add the corn starch mixture 1 tablespoon at a time to let the sauce thicken. Turn off the heat. Serve with brown rice.