Polenta Casserole

I had never eaten polenta much before I made this casserole.  I bought some polenta, and needed to find a way to use it, so I decided to think of it like I would any other mexican food.  I think it turned out really good!
INGREDIENTS:

Polenta (Mine comes in a box with two bags inside.  One bag uses 4 cups of water.  So adjust your amount  so that you use enough to use 4 cups of water.)
1 can refried beans
About 2 cups grated cheese (I used cheddar, but you could use a white cheese too)
1/2 pound of ground beef or pork
2 cans of diced tomatoes (I can't buy canned tomatoes, so I just cut up about 3 cups of tomatoes and sautee)
2 cloves of garlic minced
1/2 cup of chopped onion
2  or 3 chopped hot chili peppers
2 tsp. chili powder
2 tsp. paprika
1/2 tsp. cumin
Chicken bouillion cube or powder--to taste
1 cup water

DIRECTIONS:
Brown meat in a frying pan.  When meat is almost browned, add the garlic, onion and peppers.  Saute until they are soft.  Add the tomatoes.  If you are using fresh tomatoes, saute until they are broken down and soft. Canned tomatoes just need to be heated through.   Add the chili powder, paprika, and cumin.  Mix well.  Add water and chicken bouillion.  Let simmer
In another pan, cook the polenta according to the package directions.  Mine says to cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly.  I don't have that much strength, so I probably only cook it 3 minutes, but it seems fine.  :)  Spread the polenta in a 9X13 pan.  Spread the refried beans on top.  Next layer the cheese on top of the beans.  Pour the hot meat mixture over the cheese.  Bake in the oven for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

I like to serve this with some pickled cucumbers and possibly a little pickled onion.  To pickle them, I make a dressing of olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  You can add a little fresh chopped garlic and some dried basil if you want.  Beat this mixture until it thickens slightly.  Then pour it over the vegetables and serve.

Two Chinese Dishes

Since coming to China, I've been experimenting a little with chinese cooking.  I will freely admit that I'm not the best chinese cuisine cook.  I love to eat chinese food, but I can't quite get the knack of cooking it.  But these two dishes have turned out pretty well, so I wanted to record them so that I remember how to cook them.  :)

Squash, Chicken and Bell Peppers

1 squash cut in quarter size pieces. Total of about 1 1/2 cups. (I use a squash that is popular here that is like the Mexican squash, or Italian grey that is sold in the U.S.)

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast cut in cubes

1 Bell pepper cut in cube size pieces

2 cloves of garlic crushed and chopped

Combine the following:
2 TB oyster flavor sauce
2 TB chili garlic paste
2 TB light soy sauce
Salt to taste

Heat a wok or other pan until hot, then add about 3 TB cooking oil.  Add the chicken and stir fry until cooked through.  Add the squash and bell peppers and continue to stir fry until tender.  Add the garlic and stir fry another minute.  Then add the sauces and stir fry another minute or so.  Serve hot!

Beef, Mushrooms and Peas

1 small beef steak cut in domino sized pieces
1 Cup of fresh mushrooms sliced (I have used different kinds of mushrooms, they are all good)  :)
11/2 cups of fresh snow peas
2 cloves of garlic peeled, crushed, and chopped
Salt to taste

Combine the following:
3 TB oyster flavor sauce
2 TB light soy sauce

Heat wok or other pan.  When hot, add about 3 TB of cooking oil.  Add the beef and stir fry for a minute or so, or until it is almost cooked through.  Add the mushrooms and continue to stir fry for another few minutes, or until the mushrooms become tender.  Add the peas and garlic and stir fry until the peas are tender.  Add the sauce, and stir fry another minute until sauce is hot and the food is coated.  Serve hot with rice.

Cooking Chinese

I've lately come up with a couple of chinese food recipes that are winners.  I'll post both here.

Zuchinni, Bell Peppers, and Chicken

1 medium Italian grey squash  (or zuchinni if you can't find the Italian grey) sliced an halved.
1 chicken breast cut in cubes
1 bell pepper cut in cubes
2 cloves of garlic minced
2 TB chili garlic paste
2 TB oyster flavor sauce
1 TB light soy sauce

Heat a wok or other pan until hot, and add a couple of TB of oil.  Stir fry the chicken until just cooked through.  Add the zuchinni and cook another couple of minutes, stirring constantly.   Add the peppers and cook until tender.  Add the garlic and stir fry another minute or so.  Combine the sauces and pour over the mixture.  Stir fry until the ingredients are well coated, and the sauce is hot and bubbly.

Beef, Mushrooms, and Snow Peas with Oyster Flavor Sauce

1 small piece of beef (steak or roast) thinly sliced "domino" sized
1 C thinly sliced mushrooms (I use shitake)
1 C (or more) of snow peas
2 cloves garlic minced
2 TB oyster flavor sauce
2 TB light soy sauce

Heat a wok or other pan, and add about 2 TB oil.  Stir fry the beef until almost cooked through.  Add the mushrooms and cook until tender.  Then add the peas and cook another couple of minutes.  Add the garlic and stir fry for another minute.  Combine sauces and add to pan.  Stir fry until the meat and vegetables are coated and the sauce is hot and bubbly.

Note:  If your sauces ever seem too runny, you can mix a little corn starch in water and add a little bit at a time until you reach the desired consistency.  Make sure you stir constantly while adding the corn starch.  Also keep in mind that sauces tend to thicken as they cool, so don't add too much corn starch.