The summer weather is hot, making it the perfect time for some light appetizers to whet the appetite. So, what are some simple and delicious home-style dishes suitable for the summer? Let's take a look!
Summer Home-Style Dishes
Kudzu Root Soup with Pork Bones
Ingredients: 500g kudzu root, 700g pork bones, 4-5 red dates, half a dried tangerine peel, 2-3 slices of ginger.
Instructions:
1. Peel, wash, and cut the kudzu root into sections. Remove the pits from the red dates and wash them. Soak the dried tangerine peel in water to remove the white powder on the surface.
2. Wash the pork bones and chop them into pieces. Place them in a clay pot with the ginger, add 3000ml (about 12 bowls) of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 3 hours. Season with an appropriate amount of salt and a little cooking oil before serving.
Shiitake Mushrooms with Bok Choy
Ingredients: Bok choy, shiitake mushrooms, scallions, ginger, salt, sugar, starch, chicken powder, and MSG, all in appropriate amounts.
Instructions:
1. Heat oil in a wok over high heat until very hot. Briefly stir-fry the bok choy, then remove to a plate. Clean the wok, heat oil again until very hot, add scallions and ginger to stir-fry until fragrant, then add the shiitake mushrooms and stir-fry for about one minute.
2. Add the bok choy back in, pour in three tablespoons of water, and add appropriate amounts of salt and sugar. Simmer over medium-low heat for about five minutes. Thicken with starch, add chicken powder, mix well, and serve.
Stir-Fried Bitter Melon
Ingredients: 500g bitter melon, 50g peanut oil, 4g salt, 10g cooking wine, 2g MSG, 5g sesame oil.
Instructions:
1. Wash the bitter melon, cut it in half, remove the pulp and seeds, then cut into 5cm long, 1cm wide strips. Blanch in boiling water for a short time, then remove and drain thoroughly.
2. Heat a wok over high heat, add peanut oil and heat until very hot. Stir-fry the bitter melon strips for a few minutes. Add salt, cooking wine, and MSG, drizzle with sesame oil, then remove and serve.
Stir-Fried Celery with Lily Bulbs and Cashews
Ingredients: 100g celery, 50g lily bulbs, 50g carrots, 50g cashews, salt, white sugar, and cooking oil as needed.
Instructions:
1. Trim the ends of the lily bulbs and separate into petals. Wash the celery and dice it. Wash the carrots and slice them thinly. Heat oil in a wok, add cashnuts to cold oil and deep-fry over low heat until crispy, then remove and drain.
2. Pour out half of the oil, turn the heat to high, heat the remaining oil, then add the carrots and celery. Stir-fry over high heat for about one minute.
3. Add the lily bulbs, a small amount of salt and white sugar, and stir-fry for about one minute. Turn off the heat, add the cashews, mix well, and serve.
Tomato Sauce Mushrooms
Instructions:
1. Heat a small amount of oil in a pan, add two large spoonfuls of tomato paste, and stir-fry over low heat. Add white vinegar, sugar, some water, and a little soy sauce. Thicken with a thin starch slurry and continue to stir-fry constantly.
2. Add the deep-fried mushrooms and stir-fry until the sauce is thick. Add chicken powder and sesame oil before serving. For a "fish flavor" variation, add some chili bean paste to this method.
Hot and Sour Shredded Potatoes
Ingredients: 2 potatoes, 1 chili pepper, a pinch of Sichuan peppercorns, 8 dried chili peppers, a few chopped scallions, 3 tablespoons vinegar, 1 tablespoon soy sauce (optional), 2 tablespoons sugar, 1/2 teaspoon salt. For extra flavor, you can optionally add chicken powder and a little sesame oil.
Instructions:
1. Peel and wash the potatoes. Cut a thin slice off the bottom to create a flat surface, then slice and julienne. Soak the potato shreds in a bowl of water with a little vinegar for a while, then rinse and drain.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add Sichuan peppercorns. When fragrant (do not burn them), turn off the heat and remove the peppercorns.
3. Turn the heat back on, when the oil is about 70% hot, add the dried chilies. When you smell the spiciness, add the scallions to stir-fry until fragrant, then add the potato shreds and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and salt, stir-fry over high heat for 1 minute, then add the chili pepper strips and continue to stir-fry for about 1 minute.
Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs
Ingredients: spare ribs, chopped scallions, ginger slices, star anise, rock sugar, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, black vinegar, salt, sesame seeds.
Instructions:
1. Wash the spare ribs to remove any blood, then chop into 4cm sections.
2. Place the ribs in a pot of boiling water, bring to a boil and skim off the foam. Add scallions, ginger, and star anise. Simmer over low heat until the ribs are tender (about 50 minutes), then remove and drain.
3. Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. When the oil is about 50% hot, add the ribs and pan-fry over medium heat until golden brown on both sides. Remove and drain in a colander.
4. Add a small amount of water and rock sugar to the wok, and melt the sugar slowly over low heat. When it starts to bubble and the color turns light yellow, add salt, light and dark soy sauce, and black vinegar. Mix well and cook until the sauce turns a deep red. Add the fried ribs and stir-fry until each piece is coated in the sauce. (This is the most crucial step of this dish!).
5. Serve, sprinkled with some sesame seeds. Delicious served hot or cold!