Beijing Egg & Tomato

While in Beijing, we were amazed by our visit to the Great Wall. We visited the Mutianyu section of the Wall, which seemed immense, but is just a small portion of the Wall that goes on for thousands of miles. In the shadow of the Great Wall, we ate an amazing lunch with so much food. I liked all the dishes, but I especially liked the Egg and Tomato. I learned that it is a common Chinese dish in Beijing, probably because it is so easy to prepare.

Egg and Tomato is just like our very own Egg and Pepper. And the methodology is nearly identical. But in my internet search, I found that it was common to add garlic to Egg and Tomato. It is so delicious. Next time I make Egg and Pepper, I need to add garlic. If you have medium tomatoes, you should use equal number of eggs to tomatoes. But you can always adjust the proportions for your preference.

Egg & Tomato 

• Olive oil
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• 4 eggs
• 4 medium tomatoes

Pour enough oil to lightly coat a skillet. Add the garlic and heat on medium. Cut the tomatoes into eighths. In a bowl, beat the eggs. Add the eggs to the hot skillet and allow to cook until just about done. Remove the eggs to a bowl. Add the cut tomatoes to the skillet and cook until the tomatoes begin to soften. Put the eggs back into the skillet and cook for a few minutes. Enjoy!

Chinese Dessert Soup

While in China in June, we ate excellent food. One unique dish that I loved was a cold sweet soup that was served at a fantastic restaurant in a shopping mall in Beijing. The soup had tapioca pearls, purple sweet potatoes, and red beans. It is also made with coconut milk, which I am enjoying more and more. The version in Beijing also had grass jelly in it, but I have not found any yet in my local Asian market. In searching the internet, I did not find an exact recipe, but I have been able to put together my own version here.

To prepare the red beans, I decided to follow the steps for making red bean paste, but then remove some of the beans when they were fully cooked, but had not yet popped. I did also make some red bean paste for later use. I had never cooked tapioca pearls before, but you might be able to find pre-cook tapioca pearls. I used the larger pearls like the ones in boba teas. Once the red beans and tapioca pearls are done, the rest of the soup comes together quickly. This sweet soup can be served hot or cold, but I think I prefer it cold which makes it a great summer treat.

Chinese Dessert Soup 

• 1 cup red beans
• 1 cup tapioca pearls
• 2 medium purple sweet potatoes
• 3 cups brown sugar, divided
• 1 can coconut milk

Prepare the red beans: Soak the beans overnight in water. Drain the beans and add fresh water for cooking. Simmer the beans for an hour or so. Add more water as needed. Continue simmering until beans become soft. Add one half cup brown sugar and continue to simmer. If needed for taste, add the other half cup brown sugar. When the beans begin to pop, pull out about half a cup of beans and reserve for the soup. With the remaining beans, cook for about 20 minutes more until a paste forms. Use the bean paste as a spread on toast, ice cream topping, or oatmeal add in. The bean paste will last in the refrigerator for a few days or can be frozen for later use.

Prepare the tapioca pearls: Place 7 cups of water in a pot and boil. Add one cup of tapioca pearls. Stir to prevent the pearls from sticking. Cook at a low boil for about 30 minutes until pearls are cooked. Tapioca pearls are white before cooking and will become translucent when done. Rinse the tapioca under cool water.

Prepare the soup: Peel and finely chop the purple potato. Add two cups brown sugar, two cups water, and the chopped potato to a large sauce pan. Cook on medium-high heat for about ten minutes, or until the potato is cooked. Add the can of coconut milk and bring to a boil. Add the tapioca and red beans and stir. Turn off the heat. The soup can be served hot or cold. Enjoy!

Chinese Vinegar Peanuts

In June 2019, a number of family members travelled to China to celebrate the wedding of Mike and Shuyan. We had an amazing time and ate so much amazing food. I would love to try to re-create many of the recipes, but for now, I'll start with the easy recipes. With many meals, cold vinegar peanuts were served. And, yes, we ate them with chop sticks. I found these peanuts to be delicious--sweet, salty, and tangy peanuts. After some internet sleuthing, I was able to come up with the recipe below that I think is a close approximation of these peanuts.

One of the hardest parts about this recipe might be finding raw peanuts. I had no luck in American grocery stores. But, I did find them in my local Asian grocery store. The other item that I had trouble finding was ground coriander seeds. I found coriander seeds in my local African grocery, so just ground the seeds myself. Coriander seed is from the plant that has leaves that we call cilantro, but coriander does not really taste the same as cilantro. Rather, coriander is somewhat citrusy and nutty in flavor. If you cannot find coriander seed, caraway seed might be a good substitute. These peanuts should be stored in the refrigerator because they are best cold.

Chinese Vinegar Peanuts 

• 1/2 pound raw peanuts with skins
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 4 Tbsp. vinegar
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1 tsp. ground coriander seed
• green onion or chives for garnish

Add the oil and peanuts to a skillet and heat on low-medium for 15 to 20 minutes. Stir frequently with a wooden spoon. The peanuts are done when the skins darken. Make sure not to burn the peanuts. Remove the peanuts using a slotted spoon to a plate covered with a paper towel. Allow to cool for a few minutes. In a bowl, combine the vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, garlic powder, and ground coriander seed. Then, add the peanuts to the sauce bowl and stir to coat. Refrigerate for at least an hour. When ready to serve, stir the nuts and garnish with green onion or chives. Enjoy!