Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup

         Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Soup

Ingredients:

3  sweet red peppers 
8  cups tomatoes, chopped
2  vegetable stock cubes (or chicken)
2  tablespoons sugar 
1/2  cup cooking cream 
4  tablespoons butter 
    fresh basil
    salt 
    white pepper 

Directions:

1.Grill the peppers, turning frequently, until bla ckened all over. 

Peel off the skin. Gently wipe or scrape off any remaining black stuff from the outside. Cut open and discard seeds and white insides. Do not wash as this will flush away much of the flavour. 
2.Puree peppers and tomatoes in a blender or food processor. 
Strain out seeds. 
3.Place pepper/tomato mixture in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for about 25 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except butter and basil. Simmer uncovered for 15 - 20 minutes. Add butter and basil right before serving.

Orange Chicken Recipe

Orange Chicken Recipe

Orange Chicken Recipe (Orange Peel Chicken)


Ingredients:

1/2 pound chicken breast (cut into bite-size cubes)
5 dried red chilies (cut into 1.5 inch length, seeded and soaked in warm water)
1 teaspoon minced orange zest
2 cloves garlic (minced)
1 inch ginger (minced)
1 stalk scallion (use the white part only, cut into thin threads for garnishing)
2 teaspoons oil
Oil for deep frying

Orange Sauce:

1/4 cup freshly-squeezed orange juice
3 tablespoons canned chicken broth
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
5 teaspoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon white pepper powder
1 teaspoon corn starch
Salt to taste

Frying Batter:

1/2 cup water
2 oz. all-purpose flour
1 oz. corn starch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 egg
1 teaspoon cooking oil
1 small pinch of salt

Method:

Mix the orange sauce ingredients and set aside.

Mix the frying batter and dip the chicken meat into the batter. Heat up a pot/wok of cooking oil. When the cooking oil is hot enough for frying, drop the chicken pieces into the oil and deep fry them until they turn golden brown or crispy. Transfer them out onto a plate lined with paper towels to soak up the excess oil.

In a wok, add 2 teaspoons of cooking oil and quickly stir-fry the minced garlic and ginger until aromatic. Add in the dried red chilies and toss around until you smell the spicy aroma. Follow by the minced orange zest and then chicken. Quickly stir the chicken around before adding the orange sauce mixture. Continue to stir-fry until the sauce thicken. Dish out, garnish with the scallion threads and serve immediately with steamed white rice.

Chopped Cucumber, Pear, and Fennel Salad

Chopped Cucumber, Pear, and Fennel Salad

Ingredients:

2 pounds cucumbers
1 large fennel bulb cut into 1/2" squares
Fresh lemon juice
2 pears, peeled, quartered, cored, cut into 1/2" pieces (about 2 cups)
3/4 cup pomegranate seeds
3/4 cup Granny Smith Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
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Preparation

Cut 2 pounds cucumbers (we like English hothouse so we can skip peeling) into 3/4" cubes. Place in a resealable plastic bag. Place fronds from 1 large fennel bulb cut into 1/2" squares in a resealable plastic bag. Place fennel in a large bowl of water with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to prevent browning; cover. Chill cucumber, fennel, and fronds overnight. Combine cucumber, drained fennel, 2 pears, peeled, quartered, cored, cut into 1/2" pieces (about 2 cups), and 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds in a large bowl. Add 3/4 cup Granny Smith Apple Cider Vinaigrette; toss to coat. Add more vinaigrette, if desired. Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Garnish with 1/4 cup pomegranate seeds and reserved fronds.