Stir-Fry

1. Heat oil to medium high in a wok or heavy-bottomed pan.

2. Cut bitter gourd in half lengthwise, remove the seeds and chop into small chunks.

3. Chop boneless chicken breast into bite-sized pieces.

4. Add the bitter gourd pieces to the heat and stir-fry for 1 minute before adding the chicken pieces. Cook the bitter gourd and the chicken together for a few more minutes.

5. Lower the heat and add splashes of soy sauce, chicken broth, minced garlic and grated ginger. Heat until the mixture has thickened and incorporated into the stir-fried pieces.

6. Remove the stir-fry from the heat and serve.

Stuffed and Steamed

1. Cut a bitter gourd in half lengthwise and remove the seeds.

2. Chop chicken into cubes, then mince the chicken cubes in a food processor.

3. Stir together a spoonful of bean paste and chopped garlic.

4. Chop a small amount of green onions and/or water chestnuts. The vegetables should be very finely chopped.

5. Make a stuffing of about 1 cup minced chicken and 1 tablespoon each of the bean-garlic mixture and the chopped vegetables. Sir in small amounts of cornstarch, sugar and soy sauce.

6. Stuff the two bitter gourd halves with the chicken mixture.

7. Boil a small amount of water in a steamer or large pot.

8. Set the stuffed bitter gourds in a steamer basket or metal colander and cover. Lower the heat so the water is simmering.

9. Steam the stuffed bitter gourds for at least 20 minutes or until the gourd has softened. Remove from the steamer basket and serve.

Gado Gado

1. Boil 2 eggs to the soft-boiled stage and chop them coarsely when they have cooled.

2. Make a peanut sauce by sauteing a few cloves of garlic and 2 diced chili peppers in oil, then adding 1 cup of coconut milk, a few tablespoons of peanut butter and a small amount of lime juice and sweet or regular soy sauce to the pan. Stir frequently until the gado gado peanut sauce thickens.

3. Put 2 boneless chicken breasts in boiling water, then cover and remove the pot from heat. Let the breasts poach in the hot water until they are tender, about 15 minutes. Slice the chicken into thin strips once it is cool enough to handle.

4. Prepare vegetables for steaming. Slice bitter gourd in half lengthwise, scoop out the seeds and slice the gourd halves into bite-size pieces. Snap the ends from green beans and slice the beans into 2-inch lengths.

5. Add the bitter gourd pieces to a steamer basket or metal colander set over boiling water in a large pot or steamer. Cover and steam for 3 minutes, then add an equal amount of green beans and steam for an additional 3 minutes.

6. Cut 1 fresh cucumber into bite-size pieces and chop 1 cup of bean sprouts roughly. Do not cook these vegetables.

7. Cook egg noodles in boiling water for 5 minutes. This can be done while the vegetables are steaming. Drain the noodles when they are tender.

8. Set the noodles on a large serving platter, followed by the chicken strips, steamed vegetables, fresh vegetables and chopped boiled eggs. Drizzle the peanut sauce over the top and serve.