Red Date and Poached Egg Soup

1 serving - can consume every 3-5 days, except during menstruation

Ingredients

• 6 red dates, pitted and cut in quarters
• 20 goji
• 2 slices ginger
• 1.5-2 rice bowls of water
• 1 egg

Procedure

• Combine dates, goji, ginger, and water in a pot, bring to a boil, and simmer 15 minutes
• Crack an egg into the pot and cook for 10 seconds
• Turn off the stove, and keep pot covered for 15-20 minutes

Black Bean & Black Date Soup

Makes 2 servings - okay to consume every 3-5 days, except during menstrual cycle

Ingredients

• 1/2 rice bowl black beans
• 5 black dates
• 5 ginger slices
• 5 rice bowls of water

Procedure

• Soak black beans for 4-5 hours (overnight is also okay).  Can use vinegar to soak, if desired.  Discard water.
• Combine with other ingredients, bring to a boil, and simmer for one hour

糖醋排骨 (Sweet and Sour Spareribs)

Ingredients

• ~20 pieces of baby back sparerib (~1.25 lbs, $4.99/lb at Ranch 99)
• 5 Tbs water
• 4 Tbs vinegar (鎮江香醋 or balsamic vinegar work well)
• 3 Tbs sugar
• 2 Tbs soy sauce
• 1 Tbs cooking wine

Directions

Place all ingredients in a small pan, bring to a boil, and then simmer for 45 minutes or until sauce is the consistency of molasses.  Stir occasionally.

Thai Basil Chicken

http://www.eatingthaifood.com/2014/01/thai-basil-chicken-recipe-pad-kra-pao-gai/

Ingredients

• 7oz chicken
• 5 garlic cloves
• 4 Thai chilies
• 1 tablespoon oil for frying
• 1 teaspoon of oyster sauce
• ½ teaspoon light soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon sugar
• 1 splash of dark soy sauce
• 1 handful of Thai holy basil leaves (~0.06 oz)

Procedure

• Cut the chicken into small bite sized pieces.  [Consider marinating the chicken with sugar and soy sauce at this step rather than adding during the cooking process.]
• Rinse and peel the garlic and chilies, and pound them in a mortar and pestle (alternatively you can just mince them with a knife). They don't need to be super fine, you just want to bring out the oils and flavors from the garlic and chilies.
• Pluck a good sized handful of holy basil leaves off the stems.
• Now it's time to start cooking. Heat your wok on high heat, and add about 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan.
• When the oil is hot, add the chilies and garlic. Stir fry them for about 20 seconds or so until they get really fragrant, but don't let them burn or get too dry.
• Toss in your chicken. Keep stir frying continuously. At this stage you want to continue to stir and cook your chicken until it's just about fully cooked all the way through (depending on the size pieces of chicken and how hot your fire is, it should take about 2 - 3 minutes). If it starts to get dry, add just a tiny splash of water.
• Add 1 teaspoon of oyster sauce, ½ teaspoon light soy sauce, ½ teaspoon sugar, and finally a splash of dark soy sauce. Keep stir frying for about another 30 seconds.
• Grab a handful of holy basil, toss it into the pan, fold it into the chicken, and then immediately turn off the heat (if you're using an electric stove, you'll want to remove the pan from the burner). The holy basil really only needs to cook for about 5 seconds, and it will continue to wilt and cook from the existing heat of the chicken. This step is important because if you cook the basil for too long, it loses some of its glorious flavor and gets slightly chewy.