minced garlic – yummy food share

Vibrant Garlic Chili Long Bean Salad

2025-10-22

Welcome to what might just become your new favorite side dish! If you’re searching for a recipe that is lightning-fast, incredibly simple, yet delivers a powerful punch of flavor and a stunning pop of color to your dinner table, you’ve found it. This dish, centered around crisp, tender long beans, is a masterclass in how a few simple ingredients can create something truly special. Forget long, complicated cooking processes; this is all about blanching, a quick technique that perfectly cooks the beans while keeping them wonderfully crisp and brilliantly green. We’ll toss them in a savory, tangy, and garlicky sauce that you can whip up in minutes. In under 10 minutes, you can have a restaurant-quality vegetable dish that is as healthy as it is delicious. It’s the perfect, effortlessly elegant accompaniment to almost any meal. Let’s gather our ingredients. The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity and flexibility. Don’t worry if you can’t find an ingredient; I’ll provide some easy and common substitutions. For the Salad: Long Beans: 1 lb (about 450g). These are sometimes called yardlong beans or asparagus beans. Their texture is wonderfully tender-crisp. If you can’t find them, regular green beans or slender French beans (haricots verts) are a perfect substitute. Garlic: 3-4 cloves, minced. Feel free to adjust based on how much you love garlic! Red Chili: 1 small fresh red chili, such as a Fresno or a red jalapeño, thinly sliced. For less heat, remove the seeds. If you don’t have fresh chili, a 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes will work beautifully. A drizzle of neutral oil: Such as canola or vegetable oil. This is our little secret for keeping the beans vibrant. A pinch of salt: For the blanching water. For the Dressing: Light Soy Sauce: 2 tablespoons. This is…

Spicy Garlic Zucchini and Shrimp Salad

2025-10-11

Welcome to what might just become your new favorite 20-minute meal! If you’re looking for a dish that is incredibly fast, refreshingly light, and bursting with bold flavors, you’ve come to the right place. This zucchini and shrimp salad is the perfect answer to a busy weeknight or a warm day when you crave something satisfying without spending hours in the kitchen. The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity and its star technique: flash-infusing garlic and chili with sizzling hot oil to create a dressing that is out-of-this-world aromatic. It’s a delightful play on textures and tastes—crisp, cool zucchini “noodles,” tender shrimp, and a dressing that hits all the right notes of savory, tangy, and spicy. Don’t be intimidated by the list of ingredients; it’s surprisingly easy to assemble and even easier to love. Before you get started, let’s gather our ingredients. The dressing is highly adaptable, so feel free to adjust the amounts to match your personal taste. Don’t worry if you can’t find some of the specific Asian ingredients; I’ve included some common and easy-to-find substitutions that work beautifully. For the Salad: 2 medium Zucchini 1/2 lb (about 225g) Shrimp, peeled and deveined For the Dressing: 3-4 cloves Garlic, finely minced 2-3 small Red Chilies, thinly sliced (see note) 2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce (or regular soy sauce/tamari) 1.5 tbsp Chinese Black Vinegar (see note) 1 tsp Sugar 1/4 tsp Salt, or to taste 1 tsp Sesame Oil 2 tbsp Neutral Oil, for heating (like canola, grapeseed, or avocado oil) 1/4 tsp MSG (optional, for an extra umami boost) Notes on Ingredients: Chilies: The original recipe calls for “millet chilies” (小米辣), which are small and potent. Thai bird’s eye chilies are a perfect substitute. If you prefer less heat, a single red Fresno chili will provide…

Vibrant Pork Liver and Pepper Stir Fry

2025-09-24

Get ready for a flavor-packed dish that lands on your table in under 15 minutes! This stir-fry is a fantastic introduction to cooking with pork liver, a true superfood celebrated for its rich reserves of iron, protein, and essential vitamins. Don’t be intimidated by the idea of cooking organ meat; this recipe is surprisingly simple, and the secret lies in a lightning-fast, high-heat cooking method that guarantees an incredibly tender, velvety texture. We’ll pair the savory liver with the sweet, crisp crunch of colorful bell peppers, all brought together in a light, glossy sauce. The result is a dish that is as beautiful to look at as it is delicious to eat. It’s the perfect, nourishing meal for a busy weeknight when you crave something special without spending hours in the kitchen. Before you fire up your wok, let’s gather our ingredients. The list is short and simple, and I’ll offer some easy-to-find alternatives for anything that might not be in your local supermarket. For the Stir Fry: Pork Liver: About ½ pound (225g), or one large piece. If you can’t find pork liver, calf’s liver is a wonderful substitute, and chicken livers will also work beautifully, though they will be smaller and cook even faster. Bell Peppers: 1 yellow and 1 green. The combination of colors is stunning, but feel free to use any color you have on hand, like red or orange. Garlic: 3-4 cloves, finely minced. Cooking Oil: 1-2 tablespoons. A neutral oil with a high smoke point like canola, grapeseed, or avocado oil is best. Cooking Wine: 1 tablespoon. This typically refers to Shaoxing wine, which adds a distinct, fragrant depth. If you can’t find it, a dry sherry is the best substitute. For an alcohol-free version, you can use chicken or vegetable broth with a…

Golden Garlic and Pepper Squash Bites

2025-08-29

If you’re searching for a side dish that is incredibly simple to make but delivers a seriously impressive flavor, you have come to the right place. Meet your new favorite way to eat squash! This recipe transforms a humble vegetable into golden, savory bites that are crispy on the outside and wonderfully soft and sweet on the inside. The best part? It all comes together in about 30 minutes with minimal effort, thanks to the magic of the air fryer. This is the perfect healthy, flavorful, and fast addition to any weeknight meal. The secret lies in a light dusting of starch, which creates an irresistible texture, while minced garlic and black pepper provide a fragrant, savory kick that perfectly complements the natural sweetness of the squash. It’s a sophisticated yet effortless dish that will have everyone asking for the recipe. Before you start, let’s gather everything you’ll need. The ingredient list is short and simple, and you likely have most of these items in your pantry already. I’ve also included some easy substitutions to make this recipe accessible no matter where you are. You will need: Squash: About 1.5 lbs (or 700g), peeled and seeded. Cornstarch: 2 tablespoons. Minced Garlic: 2-3 cloves, or about 1 tablespoon. Salt: 1 teaspoon, or to taste. Black Pepper: ½ teaspoon, freshly ground for the best flavor. Vegetable Oil: 1 tablespoon. Any neutral oil like canola, avocado, or sunflower oil will work. A Few Notes on Ingredients: Which Squash to Use? The original recipe calls for “squash” (南瓜), which is a broad term. For this recipe, I highly recommend using butternut squash or kabocha squash (sometimes called Japanese pumpkin). Both have a firm texture that holds up well to roasting and a lovely sweetness that pairs beautifully with the savory garlic and pepper. You…

Savory Beef and Creamy Taro Stir Fry

2025-03-23

Are you looking for a new weeknight dinner that is both comforting and excitingly different? This stir-fry is your answer. It brings together tender, savory beef and wonderfully creamy taro in a rich, flavorful sauce with a gentle kick of spice. While it might sound exotic, this dish is surprisingly straightforward to prepare, coming together in about an hour with minimal fuss. The magic lies in the beautiful contrast of textures—the melt-in-your-mouth beef alongside the soft, starchy taro that soaks up every drop of the delicious sauce. It’s an easy-to-master recipe that delivers a uniquely satisfying meal, perfect for impressing guests or simply treating yourself to something special. To get started, you’ll need a few key ingredients. Don’t be intimidated by anything unfamiliar; most items can be found in larger supermarkets or an Asian grocery store, and I’ve included simple substitutes for anything tricky. For the Beef and Marinade: Beef: About 1 lb (450g) of a tender cut like sirloin, flank, or rump steak. Cornstarch: 1 tablespoon. Light Soy Sauce: 1 tablespoon. This is the standard soy sauce you likely already have. Dark Soy Sauce: 1 teaspoon. This is mainly for color. If you don’t have it, just use an extra teaspoon of light soy sauce. Oyster Sauce: 1 teaspoon. For a deep, savory flavor. Peanut Oil: 1 tablespoon. You can substitute with any high-smoke-point neutral oil like canola, grapeseed, or sunflower oil. For the Stir-Fry: Baby Taro: About 1 lb (450g). These small, round root vegetables have a creamy texture and nutty flavor when cooked. If you can’t find baby taro, you can use a large taro and cut it into chunks. In a pinch, new potatoes can work, though the flavor will be different. Garlic: 3-4 cloves, minced. Chilies: 2-3 small red chilies, finely sliced. “Xiaomi” chilies are…