Nothing beats a warming stew on colder weather days. In Vegetarian Country Stew, tofu puffs soak up the flavor of the gravy. (Tofu puffs are available at Chinese markets, or you can substitute firm tofu). This recipe for Hawaiian Beef Stew made with soy sauce is deceptively simple yet full of flavor. It has been reader-rated at 5 out of 5 stars. Last but not least are Chinese red cooked dishes. This recipe for Beef Braised in Soy Sauce uses seasonings available in local supermarkets (with the exception of the dry sherry, which can be found at liquor stores). For something a little more authentic, this Red Cooked Beef recipe is made with licorice flavored star anise and dried mushrooms and includes instructions for cooking the beef in either a wok or a clay pot.

A northern Chinese dish, classic Mu Shu Pork combines thin strips of pork with exotic cloud ears, dried lily buds and Chinese dried mushrooms with scrambled egg in a flavorful sauce. In this version, Gretchen Siegchrist uses easier to find Chinese vegetables such as bok choy and mung bean sprouts. You can enjoy the Mu Shu Pork as is, or serve it in the traditional style, on Mandarin pancakes that have been brushed with hoisin sauce.

This fried rice dish is made without any extra seasonings, allowing the natural flavor of the ingredients to come through. You'll also noticed that the egg is cooked in the individual grains of rice instead of being fried or scrambled separately. A reader gives this recipe for Yangchow Fried Rice 5 out of 5 stars, saying "As usual Rhonda's recipes always come out great." Thanks!



More Chinese Fried Rice Recipes

• Egg Fried Rice
• Fried Rice With Chinese Sausage
• Shrimp Fried Rice

This recipe features the distinctive flavor of Chinese sausage, those thin, firm sausages with a sweet flavor.that are found in Chinese supermarkets and groceries. Since I didn't have leftover cooked rice on hand, I tried a trick recommended by television chef and restarauteur Ming Tsai: prepare a batch of fresh cooked rice, spread on a baking sheet and freeze for 25 - 30 minutes. The texture of the fried rice wasn't quite the same as days-old cooked rice, but it made a handy substitute.

Chinese Fried Rice Recipes:

• Fried Rice With Chinese Sausage
• Mama Choo Cha's Egg Fried Rice
• Shrimp Fried Rice
• More Fried Rice Recipes

_{Fried Rice Recipe photo, Copyright © 2008, Rhonda Parkinson, licensed to About.com, Inc}

A Szechuan dish, Chengdu Chicken is named after the city of Chengdu, which is the capital of Szechuan province. The secret ingredients in this recipe are hot bean paste, made with fermented soybeans and crushed chilies, and Szechuan peppercorn. Both are available at Asian groceries. Serve Chengdu Chicken with stir-fried greens or a salad, and cooked rice.

In this simple stir-fry, green beans are combined with fresh mushrooms and seasoned with garlic, ginger and hoisin sauce. Traditionally, Chinese green bean dishes are made with Asian long beans - dark green beans that can grow up to three feet long. But you can use other types of green beans, including haricot verts and runner beans. This recipe for Chinese green beans would pair nicely with pork and cooked rice.

More Chinese Green Bean Recipes

• Szechuan Green Bean Recipe - uses longbeans
• Beef With Chinese Green Beans
• Chinese Green Beans With Pork - with Szechuan preserved vegetable

Curry chicken is a nice recipe for busy weeknights, with chicken breasts, onion, potatoes and carrots all cooked together in one dish. Feel free to use chicken thighs instead of breasts, and to replace the curry paste with 1 1/2 - 2 tablespoons of curry powder if needed.

Silken tofu has a creamy, custard-like texture that makes it perfect substitute for standard mayonnaise. Use tofu mayonnaise instead of mayonnaise in sandwiches and salads, or even as a condiment to go with tea eggs. The recipe calls for cayenne pepper, but you can replace this with a small amount of chili paste if desired.

Pork-stuffed Bitter Melon is made with fuzzy or hairy melon (also called Mo Qua), a gourd that looks like a zucchini covered with baby fuzz. In this recipe the melon is stuffed with marinated pork and cellophane noodles and braised with mushrooms. You'll find fuzzy melon at Asian markets. This recipe comes from cookbook author Stephen Wong, who notes that cucumbers can be substituted if bitter melon is unavailable.

_{Bitter Melon photo © copyright by Rhonda Parkinson, licensed to About.com, Inc.}

Looking for something different to hand out to the ghosts and goblins that gather on your doorstep this Halloween? A trip to an Asian candy store can be a great source of inspiration! Asian candy comes in an intriguing mix of flavors, from sweet and sour to salty or spicy. Just remember to treat yourself and your family as well.

_{Asian Candy photo © copyright by Rhonda Parkinson, licensed to About.com, Inc.}