_lotus Seeds To Blanch Recipes

QUICK LOTUS SEED AND NUT SNACK

Steps:

• Heat ghee in a skillet over medium heat and shallow-fry cashew nuts until fragrant and lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from skillet and dry on paper towels. Add peanuts and fry in the same skillet until lightly toasted, 2 to 3 minutes. Add lotus seeds and fry over low heat until they are crisp and have absorbed all the ghee, about 3 minutes.
• Mix cashews, peanuts, and lotus seeds in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Store in an airtight jar to stop them from getting soggy.

_EGGS, PRESERVED: TO SHELL

Steps:

• Soak the egg in cold water until its black outer coating is soft enough to scrape off with a knife (about an hour). Then crack and remove shell, taking care not to bruise the egg itself. Slice egg with a sharp knife.Or: Crack the black outer coating by tapping the egg gently on a flat surface, or with the side of a knife. Remove coating and rinse. Then crack and remove shell slice egg. NOTE: Either procedure is best done at the sink right from the start. The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

_BEEF: TO TENDERIZE

Steps:

• Dissolve 1 teaspoon baking soda in 2 tablespoons water. Spread over beef. Let stand 1 hour.Or: Combine 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon peanut oil, a pinch of sugar and a dash of pepper. Add mixture to beef shreds or slivers and toss. Let stand 1 hour. Or: Pound stewing beef lightly with the side of a cleaver blade or bottom of a glass, and pierce all over with a fork. Combine 3 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sherry and 1 teaspoon salt. Rub into meat. Let stand 1 hour, then braise. Or: Add 1 tablespoon brandy for every 2 cups of liquid in which red-simmered beef will cook.The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

_DUCK: TO BONE

Steps:

• Chop off the lower wings. Cut carefully downward along the spine, working close to the bone. Separate meat from bone without tearing either meat or skin. Lift one leg of duck and move it in all directions to loosen the thigh joint. Insert the knife point, hitting thigh joint lightly but firmly until joint and pelvis separate. Repeat with the other leg and with both shoulder joints to loosen. In the fleshier portions, such as breast and thighs, alternately cut and pull the meat away from the bones, to separate the flesh from the carcass. When meat and bones are completely separated, draw the bony neck out as far as possible through the skin. Chop neck off. Draw out the windpipe and esophagus. Remove as much tail bone as possible, but do not chop off tail. Carefully remove oil sacs near the tail. Wash duck in cold water. Hang by tail to drain thoroughly.The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

_VEGETABLES: TO BLANCH

Steps:

• Wash, peel and cut up vegetable. Then pour boiling water over, stir once or twice, and drain at once in a colander or sieve. Rinse the vegetable immediately with cold running water. (This will stop the cooking action.) Drain again.Or: Bring the water to a boil in a large pot and add the cut-up vegetable. Turn off the heat at once and let the vegetable stand a minute or two. Then drain rinse immediately with cold running water and drain again. NOTE: These techniques of blanching and parboiling are sometimes also used with meat, poultry and seafood as specified in certain recipes.The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

_ALMONDS: TO BLANCH

Steps:

• Shell the almonds. Soak 5 minutes in hot water. Rinse in cold water. Drain. Slip off skins.The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

BLANCHED VEGETABLES BACK TO BASIC'S

Steps:

• Trim vegetables by removing tough skin and chopping into bite size pieces.
• Keep stem separate form tender heads.
• In a large pot of salted boiling water add the thick stems for 1 minute then add the more tender tops of the vegetable and cook for 1 minutes. Remove and add to water bath to chill and stop the cooking.
• Save for when you want to get the meal finalized. Or add right to a pan with butter, oil, garlic, nuts what suits your fancy stir fry for 1-2 minutes, seasoning with seasoned salt and enjoy.

_WALNUTS: TO BLANCH

Steps:

• Shell the walnuts with nutcracker. Cover nutmeats with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook 3 minutes. Drain at once. Dry on paper toweling.Or: Cover the nutmeats with boiling water. Let stand 15 minutes. Drain and dry.The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.

_LOTUS SEEDS: TO BLANCH

Steps:

• Soak the seeds 5 minutes in hot water. Rub off the husks. Insert a toothpick in one end of each seed. Push out and discard the bitter-tasting green heart. Rinse. Boil 10 to 15 minutes. Drain.The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.