This is a recipe that was a last-minute throw-in that uses basil as one of the ingredients. I love basil, and I promise to add more basil recipes in the future. To be quite honest, this isn’t my favorite basil recipe. It was completely improvised, and more of an experiment. But I wanted an archive of most of my attempts, this being one of them. You can’t really see much of the basil from the photo. They really do shrivel up when cooked in high heat. So don’t worry, there’s a whole bunch in there :)

I think most of my readers will find a theme for all of my recipes (the stir-fry ones at least). I usually start out with garlic, cook the meat, take it out, cook the vegetables, add the condiments/flavoring, put the meat back in, add corn starch mixture, and then finish off with sesame oil. Sounds simple, but the execution and finding the right amounts to add is crucial!

This recipe did not take very long at all, 10 minutes to prepare, and about 10 minutes to cook. I’m honestly a bit shocked that the list of ingredients is as big as it is. I’m always intimidated by long lists of ingredients when I look at recipes, so I hope I did not scare any of you off!

By the way, I apologize again for the long time in-between postings. A lot of busy days have kept me away from the site for a while, especially decisions on a new house! I have recipes queued up, it’s a matter of posting them. Hang in there everyone :)

• handful of fresh basil
• 1 zucchini (I used two, I had a huge craving!)
• 1 small onion sliced
• 250 g of chicken, cut into small bite-sized pieces (white, dark, choice is yours)
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1-2 teaspoons of sesame oil
• 1-2 teaspoons of soy sauce (light if possible)
• 1-2 teaspoons of oyster sauce
• 1-2 teaspoons of sesame oil
• 1 teaspoon of the chicken broth powder
• 3 teaspoon of cooking (rice) wine (aka rice vinegar)
• 3 teaspoons of corn starch
• pinch of salt to taste
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1-2 tablespoons of cooking oil

• Marinade the chicken with the soy sauce, chicken broth powder, 1 teaspoon of the cooking (rice) wine, and 1 teaspoon of the corn starch
• Place the remaining corn starch (2 teaspoons) in a small sauce bowl, and mix with 2 teaspoons of water. Set aside for later use, as we will be adding this mixture near the end to thicken the sauce.

1. In a preheated wok (or pan), heat the cooking oil, then add the garlic. Once the garlic starts to turn a little brown, add the chicken and saute.
2. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the wok (or pan) and set aside.
3. Re-heat, put more cooking oil, and then add the zucchini and onions. Saute for a few seconds, and then add 1/4 cup of water, the rest of the rice vinegar (2 teaspoons), soy sauce, and oyster sauce.
4. Once the vegetables are almost cooked, return the chicken into the wok (or pan), and also add the basil leaves. Do a quick stir, and finish off with the corn starch mixture (prepared from the Preparation section) and sesame oil.

Apologies for the time between posts, things have been quite busy on this end. But it also gave me time to think of more recipes to upload!

I had a little bit of satay sauce left in my fridge, so I took advantage. Satay is used a lot in grilled skewered meats, and very popular in Indonesia. I don’t have the brand of satay that I used, but any satay paste/sauce that you find in the supermarket should be sufficient.

It’s very tasty with a little bit of spice and saltiness. For those who are unfamiliar, satay sauce can be a little “grainy”. This recipe does not take long, with about 15 minutes of preparation, and at most 10 minutes of cooking time.

• 2 tablespoons of satay paste/sauce
• 350 g of chicken, cut into small bite-sized pieces (white, dark, choice is yours)
• vegetables of your choice. I used zucchinis and red bell peppers. Also works with carrots and onions.
• 1 teaspoon of soy sauce
• 2 teaspoon of chicken broth powder
• 1 teaspoon of cooking (rice) wine
• 3 teaspoons of corn starch
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1-2 tablespoons of cooking oil

• Marinade the chicken with the soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of the chicken broth powder, cooking (rice) wine, and 1 teaspoon of the corn starch
• Place the remaining corn starch (2 teaspoons) in a small sauce bowl, and mix with 2 teaspoons of water. Set aside for later use, as we will be adding this mixture near the end to thicken the sauce.

1. In a preheated wok (or pan), heat the cooking oil, then add the chicken. Once it is cooked, remove and set aside.
2. Re-heat the wok (or pan), and add more cooking oil. Put in your vegetables, and add the satay paste/sauce as well. Saute for 30 seconds.
3. Next, add 1/2 cup of water, the rest of the chicken broth powder (1 teaspoon), sugar, and a pinch of salt to taste.
4. Place the chicken back into the wok (or pan), and saute. Once the sauce has come to a boil, add in the corn starch mixture that was prepared earlier on to thicken the sauce. Enjoy!

My father calls this dish “five-colored chicken” in Cantonese, although I’m not sure if I captured all the colors in my version. We make use of some peanut butter, which is always a plus for kids!

As you will see below, this recipe involves a lot of ingredients. However, I’d say almost every item are common household items, so hopefully there is no need to purchase an item for this specific recipe.

A variation of this recipe can be done using prawns (instead of chicken).

From start to end, the duration of this recipe was about 25 minutes (10 for preparation, the rest for the stir-fry).

• 350 g of chicken, cut into small bite-sized pieces (white, dark, choice is yours)
• 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small carrot, cut into small cube-like pieces
• 1 green pepper, cut into small cube-like pieces
• 1 small onion, cut into small pieces
• 1/2 cup of chicken broth (or water)
• 2 teaspoons of chicken broth powder
• 1-2 teaspoons of sesame oil
• 3 teaspoons of cooking (rice) wine
• 1 teaspoon of corn starch
• 4 teaspoons of vinegar
• 3 tablespoons of peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon of hoisin sauce (optional)
• chili sauce to taste
• 3-4 teaspoons of sugar (or to taste)
• pinch of salt to taste
• 1-2 tablespoons of cooking oil
• cashews or peanuts for garnish

• Marinade the chicken with a pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon of chicken broth powder, 1 tablespoon of the cooking (rice) wine, and the corn starch.

1. In a preheated wok (or pan), heat the cooking oil, then add the garlic. Once the garlic starts to turn a little brown, add the chicken and saute.
2. When the chicken is cooked, add the carrots, and saute for a minute.
3. Add the rest of the cooking (rice) wine (2 teaspoons), add the onions, and then stir-fry for another couple of minutes. Then add the green peppers and chicken broth (or water).
4. Add in the following: hoisin sauce (optional), pinch of salt, 1 teaspoon of chicken broth powder, chili sauce, and sugar. Stir-fry for a few seconds, and then add the vinegar and the peanut butter. Stir-fry. Perform a taste-test (You should definitely be able to taste the peanut butter!).
5. Finish off by adding the sesame oil. Garnish with cashews or peanuts.

I’m a big fan of ginger, but that wasn’t always the case. When I was a kid, I despised the taste of ginger! When my parents made stir-fry using ginger, I would always pick them out of my bowl, and get angry if I accidentally munched on one. I felt it was too strong, and wondered why anyone would like the taste.

As I grew older, I started to appreciate the various spices and tastes that make the Asian cuisine so unique. I’m proud to say that I’m totally in love with ginger, and eat lots whenever I get the chance!

There are no vegetables within this stir-fry, although I think onions may complement it well. I like the addition of dark soy sauce, which gives the chicken a nice dark color.

So, other than stir-fry, how else do you all of you incorporate ginger into your meals? Share with me your ideas!

• 250 g of chicken, cut into small pieces
• ginger to your liking, cut into matchsticks
• 2-3 chopped garlic cloves
• 1-2 tablespoons of cooking oil
• 2 teaspoons of rice wine (cooking wine)
• 3-4 tablespoons of chicken broth (or substitute with water)
• 1 teaspoon of chicken broth powder mix
• 1 teaspoon of light soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce
• 1-2 teaspoons of corn starch
• 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon of sugar

• Marinade the chicken with the light soy sauce, chicken broth powder mix, corn starch, and 1 teaspoon of the rice wine.

1. Heat the wok (or pan) with cooking oil, then add the garlic. Once the garlic starts to turn a little brown, add the chicken and stir-fry until it is cooked.
2. Place all the ginger into the wok (or pan), and stir-fry. Pour the remaining 1 teaspoon of rice wine into the wok (or pan).
3. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, then add the chicken broth (or substitute with water), oyster sauce, sugar, and the dark soy sauce.
4. Stir-fry for another minute, and serve.

I have been noticing quite a few recipes recently that uses green beans as one of it’s main ingredient, so I felt the urge to participate as well! It’s very popular to cook with pork, but I’m going to share with you how I cooked them with chicken.

The beauty of this recipe is that you can substitute the green beans with other vegetables of choice (say, broccoli), follow the same recipe, and produce a similar tasting dish!

Some of you may have heard of Chinese long beans. That is not the same as the green beans used in this recipe, as the Chinese long beans are usually longer in length (can be as long as 3 feet!).

Alright, so let’s get right to it!

• 350 g of green beans
• 250 g of chicken (thighs or breast)
• 2-3 chopped garlic cloves
• 2 teaspoons of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of chicken broth mix
• 1 teaspoon of rice wine (cooking wine)
• 1 teaspoon of soy sauce
• 2-3 teaspoons of corn starch
• 2-3 tablespoons of oyster sauce
• 1-2 tablespoons of cooking oil

• Chop off both ends of the green beans (or just break them off with your hands), and wash thoroughly.
• Cut the chicken into small pieces, and marinade with the chicken broth mix, rice wine, soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of the corn starch, and 1 teaspoon of the sugar.

1. Take the remaining corn starch, and mix with 2-3 teaspoons of water. Set aside for later use.
2. Heat the wok (or pan) with cooking oil, then add the garlic. Once the garlic starts to turn a little brown, add the chicken and stir-fry until it is almost all cooked.
3. Once the chicken is ready, add the green beans and stir-fry. Add 1/2 cup of water, sugar, and oyster sauce. Cover the wok (or pan) with a lid until the green beans are cooked while the sauce comes to a boil.
4. Grab the corn starch mixture that was prepared from Step #1, and make sure to mix it again, as the corn starch may have settled to the bottom. Add the mixture into the wok (or pan). This will thicken the sauce.
5. Mix for for half a minute, and serve!