Moo's Shredded Beef with Hot Sauce

1 lb. flank steak
6-8 fresh water chestnuts
2 T tree ears fungi
2 tsp. fresh ginger, chopped
1 tsp. garlic clove, chopped
6 T olive oil

Marinade
2 T dark soy sauce
1 T sherry
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 T cornstarch

Seasoning Sauce
2 T dark soy sauce
1 T sherry
1 T sugar
1 T wine vinegar
2 T hot bean sauce
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 T sesame oil
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 T scallions, shredded

In a bowl, mix marinade ingredients: soy sauce, sherry, sugar and cornstarch. Cut flank steak against the grain in 2" long thin strips and marinate for about 20 minutes. Set aside. Soak tree ears in hot water for about 20 minutes. Then cut into small pieces. Peel water chestnuts and slice. Mix all seasoning sauce ingredients: soy sauce, sherry, sugar, vinegar, hot bean sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil, pepper and scallions.

Heat 4 T olive oil in wok. Stir fry shredded beef for 2 minutes. Remove and set aside. Heat another 2 T oil in the same wok. Stir fry chopped ginger and garlic then add tree ears and water chestnuts. Stir a few times, mix in the beef, stirring constantly. Finally pour in the seasoning sauce (give it a stir before pour because the cornstarch will settle to the bottom). Mix well and serve hot.

Cracked Crab with Curry and Ginger Sauce

King Crab legs or Dungeness Crab, pick meat from shells
2 T olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
2 slices fresh ginger
2 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 green pepper, finely chopped
2 heaping tsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
3 T sherry
2/3 cup chicken broth
1 T cornstarch
2 T water

Place wok over high heat, add oil. When oil is very hot, add garlic, ginger, scallion, green pepper. Stir fry for 30 seconds. Add crab meat and stir fry for 1 minute. Combine curry powder, salt, sugar and sherry. Pour the curry mixture over crab. Stir fry for 30 seconds more. Add chicken broth. Cook 5 minutes or less. Combine cornstarch and water in small dish. Stir into stir fry dish to help thicken slightly. Stir until smooth and thickened. Serve immediately.

Moo's Zesty Stir-Fry Chicken

Moo sent this recipe to me while I was in college. Said this would be a palate pleaser at my next dinner party. It was...and it still is.

4 whole medium chicken breasts
1/4 cup soy sauce (I prefer low sodium)
2 T. sherry
4 T. orange marmalade
2 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
3/4 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 small orange
2 cups fresh peapods
1/2 cup olive oil
salt to taste
1/2 - 3/4 cup almonds, sliced
1 bunch scallions, sliced into 1" pieces

Remove skin and bone from chicken breasts. Cut each into medium-size chunks. Create marinade of: soy sauce, sherry, marmalade, cornstarch, ginger, and red pepper; 30 minutes before cooking, marinate chicken bits. Peel orange and separate wedges. Cut each wedge in half and set aside. Clean peapods (remove tips and string). Blanch in boiling water for about 1 minute (until bright green). Drain and rinse in cold water to stop the cooking. Wrap in foil and set aside in refrigerator.

Heat olive oil in wok. Cook almonds until lightly browned. Remove almonds from oil and drain on paper towel. In same oil, cook scallions, stirring until dark brown (to infuse flavor into oil). Remove onions from oil and discard. Now add marinated chicken until chicken has turned white. Add peapods, almonds and orange slices. Salt to taste. Turn a few times and serve.

Moo's Szechwan Lobster

It's lobster with a Szechwan flavor...of course it's delicious. This is Moo's version and she declared it a palate pleaser. I love boiled lobster right from the pot, but I have to say this is a very good dish. And easy to make.

1 two-pound live lobster
1 t. soy sauce
1 1/2 t. white vinegar
12 drops chili oil
1/2 t. minced garlic
1/4 t. salt
3 t. sherry
12 water chestnuts, cut in 1/2" pieces
3 T cloud ear fungi, soaked about 30 minutes to soften
20 peapods
1/4 cup scallions, minced
1/4 cup Olive Oil for stir frying

Select a pot large enough for boiling the lobster. Add water and salt water enough to simulate sea water. Bring to a boil, add lobster and cook for just 10 minutes. The lobster will not be completely cooked but enough so that removing meat from shell is easy. Allow lobster to cool enough that you can handle it. Remove all meat from the shell and cut into 1 1/2" pieces.

Wash and pull strings from peapods. In pot of boiling water, blanch peapods for just 15 seconds--until bright green. Set aside.

In a bowl, mix sauce ingredients together: soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil, garlic, salt and sherry. Heat oil in wok on high. Add lobster and water chestnuts. Stir fry about 3 minutes. Add cloud ears and scallions for about 30 seconds. Add sauce and cook another 15 seconds. Finally add peapods and cook another 15 seconds. If you like a thicker sauce, you can prepare a teaspoon of cornstarch with a little water and add to the dish. This will thicken dish slightly.