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Broccoli and beef with Jade Sauces

May 1st, 2012 . Posted in Jade Sesame Soy Marinade, Jade Sichuan Peanut Sauce | No Comments »
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Beef and Broccoli with Jade saucesAdd  JADE Sesame Soy Marinade or JADE Sichuan Peanut Sauce  to the Chinese stir-fry classic, Broccoli and Beef. It magically boosts the flavor. Throw in some rice noodles to soak up some of the sauces’ concentrated intensity. With the noodles, you have an easy one-dish meal.

Right now there’s beautiful tender Chinese broccoli at the farmers’ market or Asian markets. The dark green stalks with a bloom of white have a slight pungency, much like Italian broccoli raab (aka rapini or broccoli rabe). Look at the cut end of the stalk. Those with a slight translucency are younger and more tender than those with white opaque center. If you can’t find Chinese broccoli or broccoli rabe, use broccolini or even common broccoli. Cut the common broccoli florets and stems into similar-sized slender sticks.

Broccoli and Beef Rice Noodles

Slivers of fresh ginger contribute a lively zest to the noodles, but they aren’t essential. Use chicken or pork as an alternative for the beef.

Makes 2 or 3 main dish servings

8 ounces dried rice noodles (about 1/4-inch wide)

8 ounces beef flank steak, boned pork shoulder, or skinned and boned chicken thighs

1 tablespoon JADE Sesame Soy Marinade or soy sauce

8 to 10 ounces Chinese broccoli (gailon), broccoli raab, broccolini, or common broccoli

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 tablespoons thinly slivered fresh ginger (optional)

6 tablespoons water, or as needed

3 tablespoons JADE Sichuan Peanut Sauce or JADE Sesame Soy Marinade, or to taste

1. In a large bowl, soak the noodles in very hot (not boiling) water until loose and pliable, 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, cut beef across the grain into thin slices, about 3 inches long and 1/2-inch wide. Mix meat with the 1 tablespoon JADE Sesame Soy Marinade. Trim tough ends off the broccoli. Cut the broccoli in 3-inch lengths. If the stalks are thicker than 1/2 inch, cut the pieces lengthwise to make about 1/2 inch thick.

3. Drain noodles, rinse, and drain again. Set a well-seasoned or nonstick 14-inch wok over high heat. When pan is hot, add 2 tablespoons oil and rotate pan to spread oil. Add beef and ginger; stir-fry until meat is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Remove from  the pan. Add the broccoli and 3 tablespoons water. Stir-fry until broccoli is tender-crisp, 2 to 3 minutes.

4. Reduce heat to medium-high. Drizzle 1 tablespoon oil around sides of pan. Add drained and rinsed noodles and 3 tablespoons water. Stir-fry until noodles soften, about 2 minutes. If noodles still seem chewy and firm, add another 1 to 2 tablespoons water and stir-fry until barely tender to bite. Stir in beef and JADE Sichuan Peanut Sauce or JADE Sesame Soy Marinade to taste. Transfer to plates or bowls.

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A salad for all seasons

April 1st, 2012 . Posted in Jade Mekong Ginger Sauce, Jade Sesame Soy Marinade, Jade Sichuan Peanut Sauce, Jade Toasted Sesame Sauce | No Comments »
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With Jade Sichuan Peanut Sauce or Jade Toasted Sesame Sauce it’s easy to produce an ever-changing roster of magnificent salads throughout the year. With spring, salad season starts with an explosion of choices.  Spears of crisp romaine, wavy heads of escarole, red-tinged leaf lettuce, and small leaves of pungent arugula flaunt their fresh beauty in the farmers’ market.

Begin with a base of salad greens. Use what looks best for the season: arugula, mixed baby salad greens, baby spinach leaves, crisp romaine, endive spears, leaf lettuce, or little gems. Add variety and texture with other seasonal vegetables. With the warmth of spring, gardens burst forth with treasures. Look for sugar snap peas, asparagus, sweet carrots, crunchy fennel, and earthy beets. As the season moves to summer, consider cherry tomatoes, cucumbers, kernels of sweet raw corn,  and red bell peppers.  To contribute satisfying protein, scatter tofu croutons  (cubes or pan-fried tofu) over the salad. For the final touch, dress with Jade sauces.

Farmers’ Market Salad with Tofu Croutons

You can easily double the salad for a larger group. And if you’re not into tofu leave it out or add shredded cooked chicken.  You can also dress the salad with JADE Mekong Ginger Sauce or JADE Sesame Soy Marinade, however you may dilute the sauces with rice vinegar to taste  before adding to the salad.

Makes 2 or 3 main-dish servings, 4 to 6 first-course servings

14 to 16 ounces firm tofu
2 tablespoons salad oil, or as needed
8 to 12 cups bite-sized pieces salad greens, rinsed and crisped
1 to 2 cups thinly sliced or slivered carrots, fresh fennel, cucumber, red bell peppers, cooked and peeled beets, raw or cooked asparagus (choose 1 or several)
4 to 9 tablespoons Jade Sichuan Peanut Sauce or Jade Toasted Sesame Sauce, or to taste

1. Rinse tofu and drain in a colander at least 5 minutes. Cut tofu into 1/2-inch cubes and place on a towel. With another towel, blot top of tofu cubes.

2. Set a 12-inch nonstick frying pan over medium heat. When pan is hot, add oil and rotate the pan to spread oil. Set tofu cubes, slightly apart, in pan. (If they don’t fit in a single layer, cook in separate batches, adding more oil if needed.)

3. Pile equal portions of salad greens, vegetables, and tofu croutons on 2 or 3 dinner plates, then drizzle with JADE Sichuan Peanut Sauce to taste.  Or in a large bowl combine the salad greens, vegetables, and tofu. Add about half of the JADE Sichuan Peanut Sauce and toss lightly, distribute on plates.  Then let guests add more dressing to taste.

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Best Peanut Sauce

March 15th, 2012 . Posted in Jade Sichuan Peanut Sauce, News, Uncategorized | No Comments »
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Jade Peanut Sauce

Best Peanut Sauce goes to JADE

Jade Sichuan Peanut Sauce was rated the best Asian peanut sauce in a blind tasting by the Taster’s Choice panel at the San Francisco Chronicle. Our best-selling sauce scored 87 points, enough to qualify a place in the Taster’s Choice Hall of Fame for 2012. We won this same honor in 1994, more than eighteen years ago.

The article confirmed what we always knew. Jade Sichuan Peanut Sauce is the best tasting peanut sauce on the market. Buy it online or a select markets.

Forgive me if you have seen this post before. I recently discovered the permalink for the post wasn’t working. I’m not a techie and can’t figure it out so I’m posting again. Good news is worth repeating.

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Lemon brightens Jade Ginger Beef

March 1st, 2012 . Posted in Jade Jasmine Rice, Jade Mekong Ginger Sauce, Jade Sesame Soy Marinade, Uncategorized | No Comments »
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Braise ground  beef patties in Jade Mekong Ginger Sauce punctuated with fresh lemon slices. The thin citrus slices with their peel contribute a bright bittersweet note to the zesty ginger sauce.

Serve the patties with hot cooked jasmine rice to sop up the sweet-tart sauce.

Jade Lemon-Ginger Beef

Offer lightly cooked sugar-snap peas or snow peas to eat alongside.

Makes 3 servings

Half of 1 large lemon (lemon sliced in half lengthwise)

1 pound ground beef

3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

1 1/2 tablespoons JADE Sesame Soy Marinade or soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/3 cup JADE Mekong Ginger Sauce

1/3 cup water

1 tablespoon sugar, or to taste

Cilantro sprigs

 

1. Thinly slice the lemon half crosswise into half-moon slices. Discard the end pieces and seeds.

2. Mix the beef, onion, JADE Sesame Soy Marinade, and pepper. Form the meat mixture into 3 equal patties, each about 1/2-inch thick.

3. Set a 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil and rotate the pan to spread oil. Add the patties and cook until lightly browned on both sides, about 6 minutes total. Lift off heat and spoon off and discard excess fat.

4. Return the pan to medium heat and add the lemon slices, Jade Mekong Ginger Sauce, water, and 1 tablespoon sugar. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover and cook 5 minutes. Turn the patties over, cover and simmer 3 minutes. With a slotted spatula, transfer patties to plates or serving platter. If desired, add more sugar to sauce to taste. If sauce is thinner than desired, boil uncovered, until it thickens to desired consistency.  Pour sauce and lemons over beef. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.

 

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Best Asian Peanut Sauce

February 8th, 2012 . Posted in Jade Sichuan Peanut Sauce, News, Uncategorized | No Comments »
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Jade Peanut SauceJade Sichuan Peanut Sauce scored first place in a blind tasting of Asian peanut sauces by  the Taster’s Choice panel at the San Francisco Chronicle. Our best-selling sauce scored 87 points, enough to enter the Taster’s Choice Hall of Fame for 2012. Check out the article.

It confirmed what we always knew, Jade Sichuan Peanut Sauce is the best tasting peanut sauce on the market. Look here to find where to buy this delicious sauce in California. Or buy online.

In the same issue, Amanda Gold shares a recipe using peanut sauce, Peanut Sauce-Braised Tofu. Check it out.

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A Stylish Hot Chicken Noodle Salad

February 3rd, 2012 . Posted in Jade Sichuan Peanut Sauce | No Comments »
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Noodles and JADE Sichuan Peanut Sauce pair deliciously in this quick one-bowl meal. Add a topping of stir-fried chicken and serve on a bed of cool crunchy vegetables and you’ll have marvelous hot chicken noodle salad that will become a family favorite.

You can make the salad look stylish with a simple presentation. Line a wide shallow serving bowl with thin shreds of cabbage then sprinkle sweet pepper slivers over the top. Mound boiled noodles on top. Stir-fry chicken and onions until lightly browned, then cloak with spicy peanut sauce. Spoon the hot chicken over the noodles. At the table, with large serving forks, mix the elements together. Pass more peanut sauce to add to taste.

Jade Hot Chicken Noodle Salad

I arranged the salad in a large wide shallow bowl that I use for pasta.  A wide salad bowl might also work. If you don’t have an appropriate serving dish, mix all the elements in a big mixing bowl then distribute onto plates. Or if you use a wok, after cooking the chicken, remove from heat and stir in the noodles and vegetables and lightly mix together, then serve.

Use almost any kind of noodle. I used dried Asian white wheat noodles, but the darker soba noodles also would work. In a pinch, you could even use spaghetti, just adjust the cooking time.

Makes 3 main-dish servings

3 cups thinly shredded napa cabbage or green cabbage

1 cup thinly slivered red bell pepper

8 ounces boned and skinned chicken thighs, fat-trimmed and cut in 1/4-inch thick strips, about 2 inches long

2 teaspoons soy sauce

8 ounces dried Asian wheat noodles

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup thinly sliced onion

1/3 cup water

1/4 cup JADE Sichuan Peanut Sauce, or to taste.

1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro

1. In a large wide shallow serving dish spread the napa cabbage in an even layer. Distribute red pepper slivers over cabbage.

2. Mix the chicken with the soy sauce.

3. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring about 2 1/2 to 3 quarts water to a boil. Add the noodles, stir to separate, and cook until barely tender to bite, 5 to 6 minutes. Drain and rinse with very hot water, drain again. Mound the noodles over the red pepper.

4. Set a 14-inch wok or 12-inch frying pan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the oil and rotate the pan to spread. Add the onion and stir-fry until lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken and stir-fry until lightly browned, about 2 minutes longer. Add the water and stir to loosen browned bits. Stir in JADE Sichuan Peanut Sauce to taste. Mound the chicken and sauce over red pepper. Sprinkle with cilantro. At the table, gently mix the noodles with the chicken and vegetables, then serve. Offer more JADE Sichuan Peanut Sauce to add to taste.

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Celebrate Chinese New Year with JADE Sauces

January 19th, 2012 . Posted in Jade Mekong Ginger Sauce, Jade Sesame Soy Marinade, Jade Sichuan Peanut Sauce, Jade Toasted Sesame Sauce, Uncategorized | No Comments »
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Symbols of prosperity and good luck for the new year

Ring in the Year of the Dragon on January 23, 2012. According to the Chinese lunar calendar this will be year 4709. It’s such a big celebration festivities go on for more than two weeks. Use JADE sauces to make Chinese New Year entertaining easy.

Consider a Chinese hotpot party where guests do the cooking. You just prepare the ingredients and arrange them around a pot of boiling broth. Everyone immerses the bite-sized foods into the bubbling broth to briefly cook. Finish with a delicious dip into a JADE sauce, then eat.

Or consider an Asian small plate party. Seat a few guests around a table or for a bigger party, stage it as a walk-around appetizer party. Guests build a meal from small bites from an array of different dishes. Offer some of these delicious options: JADE Ginger Spareribs, Easy Chicken Satay with JADE Sichuan Peanut Sauce, Sweet Potato Fries and Jade Sichuan Peanut Sauce,

Thai Beef in Lettuce Cups

Thai Beef in Lettuce Cups, or Jade Ginger Pork Sliders.

Jade Ginger Pork Slider

Add a green vegetable simply dressed with JADE Sesame Soy Marinade such as asparagus or baby bok choy. Seat a few guests around a table or for a bigger party, stage it as a walk-around appetizer party.

Any way you choose, JADE Sauces streamlines your party planning.

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Jade Sichuan Peanut Sauce plus ……

January 5th, 2012 . Posted in Jade Sichuan Peanut Sauce | No Comments »
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What’s for dinner?  Start with Jade Sichuan Peanut Sauce and the rest comes intuitively. In just one pan, you cook green beans, followed by ground pork. Add the magic ingredient–JADE Sichuan Peanut Sauce– and presto you have one easy delicious meal.

Serve with hot rice or over a bowl of boiled noodles and you have a quick supper, perfect for nights when you’re at a lost what to cook.

Green Beans with Pork and JADE Peanut Sauce

Makes 2 or 3 servings as a main course

Vary vegetables according to the season. Asparagus, snow peas, and broccolini would all work well as an alternative to the green beans.

12 to 16 ounces green beans

About 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste

About 1/3 cup water, or as needed

8 ounces ground pork

1 small onion (6 oz.), peeled and chopped

3 tablespoons JADE Sichuan Peanut Sauce, or to taste

1. Trim and discard stem ends off the beans and cut the beans in 3-inch lengths,

2. Set a 14-inch wok over high heat. When the pan is hot, add 1 teaspoon oil and rotate pan to spread. Add the salt and the beans. Stir-fry to coat the beans with oil. Add the water, cover and cook, stirring once, until the beans are tender-crisp, about 3 minutes. If the water evaporates before the beans are done, add 1 to 2 more tablespoon water, cover and continue cooking. Transfer the beans to a serving dish.

3. Return the pan to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil and rotate the pan to spread. Add the pork and stir-fry until the meat is loose and crumbly and begins to brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the onion and stir-fry until the pork is browned, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Add JADE Sichuan Peanut Sauce to taste. Spoon the pork mixture over beans.

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Easy vegetarian appetizer

December 1st, 2011 . Posted in Jade Sichuan Peanut Sauce, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
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Easy vegetarian appetizer with Jade Peanut SauceFill slender spears of Belgian endive with spicy tofu mixture seasoned with JADE Sichuan Peanut Sauce. It’s a perfect choice if you’re looking for an easy holiday appetizer for vegetarians or those who want a party nibble they don’t need to feel guilty about. There’s no cooking. Simply finely dice firm pressed tofu and crisp vegetables. Then mix with the magic ingredient that ties the filling together–JADE Sichuan Peanut Sauce. The sauce instantly empowers the neutral-tasting tofu with bold flavor.The firm, crisp Belgian endive spears are a perfect container for the filling. Their slender shape make it easy to eat as an appetizer and their texture holds up well on a buffet table.

A few months ago, I visited California Vegetable Specialties and viewed the labor intensive process of growing endive (say on-deev). In the spring, chicory seeds are sown and grow through the summer in the field until the root is the size of a large carrot. The roots are topped, harvested and placed in cold storage in a warehouse-sized walk-in. When needed, the roots are placed in dark humid “forcing” rooms. The root’s bud grows to produce pale white tight heads of endive. At California Vegetable Specialties, they also produce a red variety that is a cross between white endive and a red Italian chicory known as treviso.

Endive Spears with Sichuan Tofu and Vegetables

You can assemble this appetizer up to 4 hours ahead, cover and chill. For a delicious variation of this appetizer use ground poultry and JADE Mekong Ginger Sauce. Trader Joe’s carries super-firm tofu and the endive. Cut the recipe in half for fewer servings.

Makes about 5 dozen, 18 to 20 appetizer servings

6 to 7 large heads Belgian endive

1 pound pressed tofu (may also be called super-firm or nigari)

3/4 cup finely diced or chopped red or golden bell pepper

1/2 cup finely diced celery

1/2 cup JADE Sichuan Peanut Sauce

1/4 cup thinly sliced green onion

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1. Rinse endive, pat dry, and trim off root ends. Separate leaves.

2. If tofu is packed in water or moist, drain in a colander at least 5 minutes, then pat dry and let stand on towels at least 5 minutes. Chop or dice tofu into about 1/4-inch chunks. In a bowl, mix the tofu, bell pepper, celery, JADE Sichuan Peanut Sauce, green onion, and cilantro.

3. Fill each endive leaf with the tofu mixture and arrange on a platter. Serve or cover and chill up to 2 hours.

Or for more casual service: Spoon the mixture into a serving bowl and surround with endive leaves on a platter. Let diners spoon the tofu mixture into endive leaves to eat.

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New links to Thanksgiving sides

November 13th, 2011 . Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
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If you read the last post about Easy Thanksgiving Sides and had trouble with the links, try again. Hope the problem is corrected. Sorry, about the confusion. Happy Thanksgiving!

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