In the cold winter months, stir-fries always cool down very quickly. Instead of that, it's better to make a hot pot of stew. Stews are not only simple and flexible, but also can be combined with various favorite ingredients to achieve a one-pot effect, saving time and trouble. Here, I've compiled seven home-cooked stews that can be made in rotation for the family.
The first dish is stewed vermicelli with pork and cabbage. Wash the cabbage and cut into cubes, and cut the pork belly into thin slices. Soak the vermicelli in advance, cut the tofu skin into strips and set aside. Then, heat the pan with cold oil, add the pork belly and stir-fry the fat. Add an appropriate amount of star anise, green onion, ginger, garlic, dark soy sauce and light soy sauce, and stir-fry over low heat until fragrant. Next, add the cabbage and stir-fry over high heat until soft. Add hot water that is level with the cabbage, skim off the star anise, add the vermicelli and tofu skin, and simmer over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Finally, add salt and chicken essence to taste, add some chili peppers and coriander according to personal taste.
The second course is potato stew with tomato and beef. Cut the beef into small pieces and blanch in cold water to remove the fishy smell. After boiling, skim off the foam, cook for another 2 minutes, remove and wash. Heat the pan with cold oil, pour in the processed beef, and fry over high heat to dry the surface moisture. Then add green onions, ginger, garlic, and dried chili peppers and stir-fry until fragrant, then add half a spoonful of dark soy sauce and a spoonful of light soy sauce to stir-fry until fragrant. Add enough water at one time, bring to a boil over high heat, then turn to low heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Once the beef is cooked through, add the tomatoes and potatoes and cook it. Finally, reduce the juice on high heat.
The third dish is stewed tofu with duck blood. Slice the duck blood and tofu separately and rinse them with water. Heat the oil in a pan and stir-fry the green onions, ginger and dried chili peppers until fragrant. Then pour in the duck blood and tofu, and add half a bowl of water. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add salt, light soy sauce, pepper and chicken essence to taste, sprinkle with chopped garlic sprouts to increase umami, stir-fry evenly over high heat.
The fourth dish is stewed vermicelli with pork belly and green beans. Remove the head and tail of the green beans and wash them into small pieces, soak the vermicelli in warm water, and cut the pork belly into thin slices for later use. Pour a little oil into a hot pan and stir-fry the pork belly slices until the fat is removed. Then add green onions, ginger, dark soy sauce and light soy sauce and stir-fry over low heat until fragrant. Pour in the green beans and stir-fry over high heat until they turn emerald green, then add water that is level with the ingredients, bring to a boil over high heat, add a little salt and simmer for 5-8 minutes to make the ingredients taste good. Finally, put in the soaked vermicelli, add chicken essence to taste, and then cut off and then remove from the pot.
The fifth course is pumpkin braised pork. Cut the pork belly into small pieces, boil in a pot under cold water and skim off the foam. Cook for another two minutes, remove and wash for later use. Heat the pan without adding oil, put the processed pork belly directly into the pot and stir-fry the excess fat over low heat, then put it out for later use. Leave a little base oil in the pan and add two tablespoons of sugar and stir-fry over low heat until a reddish-brown liquid. Then pour in the pork belly and stir-fry evenly, then add more water. Add ginger, green onion, star anise, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce and sugar to taste. Bring to a boil over high heat and turn to low heat to simmer the meat. Finally, cut the pumpkin into pieces, add salt to taste, simmer the pumpkin over medium heat, and then reduce the juice on high heat.
The sixth dish is a pot of mushroom tofu vermicelli stewed. Heat the pan with cold oil, add the pork belly and stir-fry the fat. Then add green onion, ginger, garlic and chili powder and stir-fry until fragrant (with or without chili powder according to personal taste). Add half a spoonful of dark soy sauce and one spoonful of light soy sauce and stir-fry over high heat until browned. Pour in the tomatoes and stir-fry the soup over high heat, add an appropriate amount of water, and then add the soaked fungus, blanched oyster mushrooms, tofu and soaked vermicelli into the pot. Add salt and pepper powder to taste, then cover and cook for about 5 minutes. Finally, add chicken essence and chives to enhance freshness, then turn off the heat.
These seven home-cooked stews are simple and delicious, and can be rotated according to personal preference and seasonal changes. Not only can it meet the family's needs for food, but it can also bring warmth and nutrition to the family table in winter. Give it a try!