CHINESE COOKING FOR ONEChinese is the perfect “singles” food: easy to prepare and almost always inexpensive. It goes well with many other kinds of food and it can become either plain or elegant, depending on the ingredients used. I love Chinese food, but for the time being I practice Chinese dishes for myself, postponing their presentation for company to the moment when I can invent, without being afraid of a failure. Therefore, my secret now is to follow strictly the recipes of whatever Chinese book I fancy, with the hope that sooner or later I will become a natural. Lets hope for the best!

FRIED RICE OF PORK AND SHRIMPS
This dish is so versatile it helps you use whatever you have in the refrigerator. It can stand by itself as a complete dinner for one, or you can make it as part of a Menu.

2 green onions, diced
2 tb sesame oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
1 tsp ground ginger
1 small carrot, peeled and thinly sliced
2 mushrooms, sliced
¼ cup diced cooked pork or ham
½ lb shrimps, peeled and deveined
¼ cup bean sprouts
½ cup chopped lettuce
2 cups cooked cold rice
1 egg beaten
2 tb soy sauce or to taste

Sauté the vegetables and pork and shrimps in the oil. Fry the egg like a pancake, turn to both sides. Slice the egg pancake very thinly and add to the vegetables and meat mixture. Add the rice, the soy sauce, and a little bit more soy sauce if needed, and continue stir-frying for a few minutes. Serve at once. Good for two people. Yummmm.

SWEET AND PUNGENT CHICKEN

½ lb chicken breast, sliced
1 tb olive oil or sesame oil (or mixture of both)
1 green pepper, seeded and sliced
2/3 cup sliced apples
¼ cup chicken broth
2 tsp cornstarch
2 tsp soy sauce
2 tb vinegar
2 tb sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
Serve over hot rice

Brown the chicken in the oil. Add the green pepper, apples and 2 tb of the broth. Sauté for 5 minutes at medium high heat. Meanwhile, blend the remaining 2 tb of the broth with the cornstarch, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, salt and pepper, and mix until smooth. Add slowly to the chicken mixture and cook stirring until it thickens, Serve with rice.