tasty tuesdays - Chinese/Japanese

I seem to go through fads, and food is no different. Since losing a portion of my bowel due to cancer, I have lost some of my appetite, but going Chinese or Japanese seems to keep me going through the day. If done properly can be a tasty and healthier option to your average meal. There are plenty of resources online so it is pointless to give you the recipes, but I can show you some of my favourite condiments and ideas that you can purchase from your local store.

Chinese vegetables used in stir fries need to be cut evenly, and same shapes/sizes, so they cook evenly. And use this trick with your meats as well. Pictured is some onions, noodles spring beans gently fried in Oyster sauce.

This is the best Oyster Sauce around that I have tasted so far. Purchased in the Chinese supermarket in Leeds. Great for your salmon and noodles.

Try this website http://chinesefood.about.com/od/sauces/Sauce_and_Seasoning_Recipes.htm
for this and other ideas for Chinese cooking. Plenty of Thai and Szechuan ideas. One suggestion is Beef and broccoli with Oyster Sauce.
And supermarkets are filling their shelves up with Szechuan sauces. The key ingredients is chilli oil, tomatoes and black pepper, so you may as well try and make your own to spice up some white fish or chicken.


Served these vegetables with some breaded fish goujons bought from a local supermarket, using Plum Sauce for dipping.

Chinese cooking should be versatile and does not necessarily stick to a strict recipe format. Other key ingredients for Chinese especially for the more sweeter savoury dishes, is sugar in your sauces, or honey to coat and marinade your meats. Distilled soya beans is a must, but in your local China town or supermarket, they sell Soya pastes and Soya bean sauce. The rest is up to you and your imagination.
As for Japanese, this a little more specific, they have their own mustard tasting sauces and strange looking mushrooms that look as if they've been grown on an distant alien world. Supermarkets in the UK are stocking these delicacies though, and it adds authenticity to your Japanese themed night.