Strawberry-Spinach Salad

Ingredients
-1/4 red onion, thinly sliced

-2 (6-oz.) bags baby spinach

-1  (16-oz.) container strawberries, quartered

-1 (4-oz.) package crumbled blue cheese

-½ cup sliced toasted almonds

-Bottled red wine vinaigrette

-Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation

 Toss together red onion and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle with red wine vinaigrette; sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste.

Note:

For a tasty flavor combination, replace the almonds, blue cheese, and red wine vinaigrette with pecans, goat cheese, and balsamic vinaigrette.

BON APPETIT

Cheesy BBQ Sloppy Joes

1 ½ pounds lean ground beef

1 (14.5-oz.) can diced tomatoes

1 cup ketchup

½ cup bottled barbecue sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeño peppers (optional)

1 tablespoon liquid from pickled jalapeño peppers (optional)

1 (11.25-oz.) package frozen garlic Texas toast

½ cup (2 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Preparation

1. 1. Brown ground beef in a large skillet over medium-high heat, stirring often, 8 to 10 minutes or until beef crumbles and is no longer pink; drain well. Return to skillet. Stir in tomatoes, next 3 ingredients, and, if desired, jalapeño peppers and liquid. Cover and cook 10 minutes.
2. 2. Meanwhile, prepare Texas toast according to package directions. Serve beef mixture over Texas toast; sprinkle with cheese.

BON APPETIT

Combination long soup

- 6 oz thick egg noodles
- 5 dried black mushrooms, soaked
- 2 oz lean pork, cut into fine shreds
- 2 oz chicken boneless, cut into fine shreds
- 6 oz chinese cabbage, cut into 2-inch squares
- 2 oz button mushrooms, diced
- 2 slices fresh ginger, chopped
- 6 cups water
- 2 tablespoons chicken stock powder
- 1 tablespoon light soya sauce
- 1 tablespoon dry sherry
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- Pinch of sugar, salt and white pepper

Soak noodles in boiling water to soften, about 12 minutes, then drain well.
Squeeze water from black mushrooms, remove stems and slice thinly.

Bring water to the boil in a large saucepan and add chicken stock powder, soya sauce, sherry and seasonnings.
Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Heat oil in a wok and stir-fry pork and chicken shreds for 1½ minutes.
Add to the soup with ginger.
Simmer for about 10 minutes, then add noodles and cook until just tender.
Add black mushrooms and cabbage and simmer until softened, then just before serving add in button mushrooms and heat through.

Garnish with fresh coriander.

BON APPETIT

Szechwan stewed beef

- 1½ pounds lean flank beef cut into 2-inch chunks
- 4 shallots sliced
- 6 slices fresh ginger
- 1 whole star anise
- 1 fresh orange peel chopped
- 3 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns lightly crushed
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Sauce
- ¾ cup dark soya sauce
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry
- 1½ tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornflour

In a large saucepan, place shallots, meat, ginger, broken star anise and orange peel.
Cover meat with cold water and bring to the boil.
Reduce heat and simmer until tender, about 2½ hours.

Mix sauce ingredients in a bowl.

Remove meat from the stock and drain well, then cut or break the meat into smaller pieces, set aside.
Strain stock back into the pan and add the pre-mixed sauce.
Bring to the boil and simmer on low heat for about 15 minutes.

Heat oil in a wok and fry garlic and peppercorns on moderately high heat for ½ minute.
Add meat and stir-fry on high heat until well coloured.
Return to the stock with garlic and pepper and simmer for about 30 minutes more.

Transfer to a deep dish and serve with steamed white rice.

BON APPETIT

Pineapple and lychee chicken

- 1 pound chicken bite-sized pieces
- 1 tablespoon poultry marinade
- 2 egg whites
- ¾ cup cornflour
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 rings canned pineapple, diced
- 12 canned lychees, drained
- 2 shallots, cut in small pieces
- Deep-frying oil

Sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon chicken stock powder
- ¼ cup pineapple juice
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- ½ teaspoon white vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons cornflour

Season the chicken pieces with poultry marinade, leave 20 minutes.
Mix egg whites with cornflour, adding a little cold water to make a thickish batter.

Mix sauce ingredients in a bowl.

Heat deep oil in a wok.
Coat the chicken pieces with the batter and place one by one in the hot oil.
Fry to a deep golden brown, then remove and drain well.

Pour off all but 3 tablespoons oil and stir-fry garlic and shallots for 1 minute.
Pour in the sauce and bring to the boil.
Add chiken, pineapple and lychees and cook until the sauce thickens and becomes clearer.
Spoon into a serving dish and serve.

BON APPETIT

Poultry marinade

Makes about ½ cup
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 tablespoons dry sherry
- 1½ teaspoons salt
- 3 teaspoons sugar
- ¾ teaspoon white pepper
- 4 slices fresh ginger, minced
- 1 clove garlic, minced

To prepare marinade, measure ingredients into screw-top jars.
Shake well and keep refrigerated until needed.

BON APPETIT

Stir-fried shrimps, peas and cashews

- ¾ pound raw shrimps, peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon seafood marinade
- 1 egg white
- 2 teaspoons cornflour
- 2 oz frozen green peas
- 3 oz raw cashew nuts
-2 shallots, chopped
- 4 slices fresh ginger, chopped
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- Pinch of salt and white pepper
- Deep-frying oil

Sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 1 teaspoon chicken stock powder
- ½ teaspoon cornflour

Wash shrimps and pat dry.
Season with seafood marinade and add beaten egg white and cornflour.
Mix well and leave for 10 minutes
Mix sauce ingredients in a bowl.

Heat deep oil in a wok, put the cashews in a wire strainer or perforated ladle and place in the oil.
Fry to a light golden brown, lift out and drain on absorbent paper.

Add shrimps to the oil and fry for ½ minute, drain.
Pour off all but 2 tablespoons oil and fry shallots and ginger for ½ minute.
Add peas and stir-fry on high heat for 1½ minutes.
Return shrimps to the wok and season with sugar, sesame oil, salt and pepper.
Stir briefly, then pour in the sauce.
Bring to a boil and simmer until the sauce thickens and clears.
Add the cashews and mix well.

Garnish with slivers of thinly sliced red chilli and sprigs of parsley.

BON APPETIT