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Rania's Recipes: Short Ribs, Chinese Vegetables, Fortune Cookies

If you like Chinese food and wanted to learn how to make it yourself, here's three recipes from Rania Harris to get you started.

Braised Short Ribs with Chinese Barbecue Sauce

  • 6 pounds short ribs, boneless
  • ¼ cup oil
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
  • 2 onions, peeled and chopped
  • 2 cups barbecue sauce (see recipe below)
  • 2-3 inch piece ginger root, peeled and grated
  • Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • a large roasting pan

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.

Place the ribs in a large roasting pan with 2 cups water. Season with salt and pepper. Roast in the preheated oven for 25 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, turn the ribs over and return them to the oven to roast for another 25 minutes. Remove them from the oven a second time and drain any juices, reserve, and set aside.

Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees.

Heat the oil in a skillet and add the garlic and onions. Sauté until softened. Add the reserved meat juices, barbecue sauce, and ginger and heat through. Pour the sauce over the ribs, cover with foil, and roast for about 2 hours or until the ribs are tender.

Serves 8-10

Chinese Barbecue Sauce

  • 6 minced fresh garlic cloves
  • 1 – 3-inch piece fresh ginger, minced
  • 1 cup hoisin sauce
  • ½ cup sherry wine
  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ½ teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
  • 3 teaspoons red food coloring

Directions:

Mix all ingredients in a heavy saucepan until the sugar is dissolved.

Place over medium high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and allow to simmer on top of the stove until it is thick, and slightly reduced.

Stir-Fried Chinese Vegetables

  • ¼ cup peanut oil
  • 1 onion, cut into ¼-inch wedges
  • 2 tablespoons grated ginger root
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
  • 2 red bell peppers, cut into vertical slices
  • 2 yellow bell peppers, cut into vertical slices
  • ½ pound sugar snaps, trimmed
  • ½ pound snow peas, trimmed
  • 1 cup frozen edamame, defrosted
  • 1 bunch radish, each one cut in half
  • 6 baby bok choy, each one cut in half
  • ¼ cup bottled spicy Thai sauce (or more to taste)

Directions:

Heat a wok over high heat until a bead of water evaporates on contact. Pour in the oil and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and toss until slightly soft. Add the ginger, garlic, red pepper flakes, and bell peppers and toss until the peppers have softened, about 2 minutes. Add the sugar snaps, snow peas, edamame, radish, and baby bok choy and toss until hot, about 3 minutes. Add the spicy Thai sauce to taste; toss and serve immediately.

Serves 8-10

Chocolate and Gold Fortune Cookies

  • 16 purchased Chinese fortune cookies
  • 5 ounces semisweet chocolate
  • Edible gold dust, to decorate

Directions:

Melt the chocolate in a metal bowl over simmering water, being careful not to scorch it. Stir with a rubber spatula until completely melted and smooth.

Let the chocolate cool slightly then, holding a cookie firmly between your thumb and index finger, dip the bottom of it half way into the melted chocolate. Lay on a sheet of parchment and repeat with the remaining cookies. Sprinkle with gold dust before the chocolate sets. Store in an airtight container and use within 2 weeks of making.

Makes 16 cookies

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