I used to be a meat lover. I almost ate meat with every meal. Later on, in order to have a health diet, I gradually changed my eating habits. I prefer vegetables and fruit now. Although I normally eat more vegetables now, I still eat all kinds of meat as well. And I eat less meat than I used to. There is no doubt that meat is very important for our health, such as beef. Beef has a high iron content and is helpful to enrich the blood, which is particularly very good for women. I learned the following dish-----“fried beef slices with onions” from my aunt one year and a half ago. I don’t remember very well. But it seems to be the first or second dish that I have ever learned. Now let me share the cooking procedures with you!

Ingredients:

Beef:160grams

onions, dried black edible fungus, dried mushrooms, carrots, green onions, starch: appropriate amount

Step One: Cut the beef into slices after washing it.(Mom told me that the butcher had advised her not to wash the beef before cooking. The reason for that was to maintain the flavor of the beef! I didn’t know whether it was right. Anyway, I insisted on washing for the sake of hygiene.) Then season the beef slices with a little rice wine ,soy sauce, salt and sugar for 20 minutes. After that, add appropriate amount of starch to the beef slices and mix them thoroughly with chopsticks. Leave them to rest for about 15 minutes. In the meantime, cut carrots into strips. Slice up an onion. Cut up green onions. Soak dried mushrooms and dried black edible fungus in warm water for 2 hours in advance. Then remove to a colander to drain off water. Set aside to dry.

Step Two: Heat the pan prior to pouring some cooking oil. Then add prepared onions, carrots, mushrooms, black edible fungus to the pan. Stir-fry the vegetables over high heat until the onions become a little soft. Add a little salt to them and mix them together. Turn off the heat and remove all of the vegetables onto a plate.

Step Three: Clean the pan with water before cook the following beef. Preheat the pan. Pour some cooking oil into the pan. After heat the oil, place a clove of crushed garlic and a piece of ginger in the pan. When you smell the pleasant smell which garlic and ginger give off, add seasoned beef slices into the pan. Give them a quick stir until the beef slices change colour. Then put carrots, onions, mushrooms and black edible fungus cooked during Step Two in the pan.Continue to stir-fry them together for a few seconds. At last, sprinkle some chopped green onions on the top. Now we can scoop up. Eat the dish while it’s hot.

I remember after I learned how to cook the dish at that time and practised several times by myself, I went to cook for one of my good friends. He had cooked a lot for me before. In return for this, I cooked a meal for him. After he tasted a piece of beef, he gave praise to me and then ate the dish up. I felt so happy and satisfied. He was better at cooking than me at that time. There was a time when I thought cooking was annoying and difficult to learn. So I admired those people who can cook. Later on, after I learned how to cook, it’s completely not as difficult as I imagined.You can make it if you put in your effort. The thing to remember is that practice makes perfect. And I also find that cooking can be a kind of pleasure.