Sticky Chinese-Style Spareribs

From Hungry Monkey by Matthew Amster-Burton

serves 4

1 rack pork spareribs (about 3 1/2 lbs), trimmed and cut into individual ribs
1 bunch scallions, cut into 2 inch lengths
4 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
2 star anise
1/4 c rock sugar or 2 Tb granulated sugar
1/2 c soy sauce
1 1/2 c low-sodium chicken broth
2 Tb hoisin sauce
2 Tb rice vinegar

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on low heat 7-8 hours or until the meat is very tender.

Fried Rice

From The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman

4 servings

3 Tb neutral oil
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 lb small peeled shrimp
1/2 lb Barbecued Pork, Chinese sausage, or other meat, chopped into bits
1/2 c chopped scallion
4 c leftover cooked long-grain rice, chilled
1 T soy sauce
3 tea dark sesame oil or toasted sesame seeds
salt and pepper to taste

Heat 1 Tb of the oil in a wok or large skillet over med heat, swirling the oil to coat the wok. Add eggs and scramble, breaking the egg into small pieces, just until set. Remove and set aside.

Raise the heat to high and add the remaining oil. When hot, add the shrimp and cook until they turn pink, just a minute or so. Add the pork and brown lightly, then stir in the scallion. When fragrant, stir in the rice, eggs, and soy sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the rice is heated through, 3-5 minutes. Sprinkle the sesame oil over the rice, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

(optional: add 2 cups frozen peas when adding rice and eggs)

Green Onion Pancakes

From Judy Fu's Snappy Dragon

An appetizer, snack or side dish. Makes 4 pancakes
Ingredients: 3 C. and 2T flour
1 cup boiling water
4 T vegetable oil
1/3 cup cold water
2 tsp. salt (to taste)
4 T chopped green onions
vegetable oil for frying

1. In a large bowl, mix flour and boiling water. Let mixture rest for 5 min.
Add cold water, knead dough, and let rest for 15 minutes.

2. Divide dough into four equal portions.
FOR EACH PORTION: on a lightly floured board, roll dough out to a 10" circle; spread 1 T oil onto the round and then sprinkle with 1/2 tsp. salt (to taste), and 1 T green onions.

3. Roll the pancake up like a jelly roll, then coil into a snail shape.
This creates the layers that give the pancakes their wonderfully flaky texture.
(If planning ahead, the pancakes can now be wrapped in plastic
and refrigerated for up to 24 hours. For the rest of us, it’s on to the next step).

4. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough "snail" to a 9" round and fry in an oiled 9" non-stick pan until golden brown and crispy on both sides. A bit more oil may be brushed on before frying second side, to ensure a golden brown color. Cut pancake into eight pie-shaped wedges.