Food Geeks' Corner

Braised Pork Belly (Dong Po Rou)

2020-09-15T22:26:00.000-07:00

Recipe: Braised Pork Belly (东坡肉 Dong Po Rou)

INGREDIENTS

2 pounds of pork belly
3 stalks scallions
2 thumb sized ginger, sliced
1/2 cup light soy sauce
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1/2 cup Shaoxing wine
Water (just enough water to submerge pork pieces after adding all the seasonings)
4-5 oz rock sugar

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Blanch pork belly in a pot of boiling water. Boil for about 2 minutes or until impurities surface. Remove pork from pot, rinse under tap water and pat dry. Cut pork into 3"x3" pieces. Tie pork pieces tightly with cooking string. This step is done to prevent meat from falling apart during braising.

2. In a medium pot, lay scallions evenly on the bottom completely covering the bottom of the pot.

3. Evenly layer ginger slices over scallions, leaving some spaces in between. Then, put pork pieces in skin side down.

4. Add in water, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and rock sugar. Bring to a boil and immediately lower the heat to medium low, then cover to simmer for about 45 minutes.

5. After simmering for 45 minutes, turn pork pieces over (skin side up) and continue to simmer for another 45 minutes - 1 hour or until pork is tender to your liking. (Note: taste the braising sauce and adjust if desired - adding more soy sauce or rock sugar or both)

6. To serve, transfer pork pieces to a bowl with some braising sauce. Best served with steamed rice or steamed bun.

Note: I added hard boiled eggs half way through to make braised eggs. This is not the traditional way how Dong Po Rou is made. However, it won't affect the taste of the dish greatly. I managed to save time making 2 dishes in one pot. If you happen to have a lot of braising liquid left, you may consider reuse them for braised eggs. Remaining braising liquid can be stored in an airtight container, in fridge up to 3 days.

Garlic Butter Shrimp With Zucchini Pasta

2020-07-28T16:23:00.000-07:00

Recipe: Garlic Butter Shrimp With Zucchini Pasta

INGREDIENTS

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 - 5 medium sized zucchinis, peeled and stripped
10 - 12 cherry tomatoes, halved (can be substituted with other tomato, cubed)
4 cloves garlic, grated
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup water/stock
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/4 cup Parmesan, shredded
1 lemon wedge (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Cut zucchinis lengthwise into long thin strips resembling spaghetti or fettuccine. You may use Julienne peeler, vegetable spiralizer/slicer to achieve this look.

2. Season shrimp with salt and pepper, set aside.

3. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat, lightly sauté grated garlic until fragrant. Be sure not to burn the garlic.

4. Add shrimp, cook and stir occasionally for 2 minutes or until light pink (half cooked).

5. Add a little water or stock (I used seafood stock which I previously reserved from my seafood boil).

5. Add garlic powder, onion powder and lemon zest. Stir to mix well.

6. Stir in zucchini and tomatoes and bring to a boil. Cook for about 2 minutes or until shrimp are just cooked and zucchini is softened.

7. Add Parmesan, squeeze some lemon juice in and garnished with parsley, if desired. Serve warm.

Crispy Roast Pork Belly

2020-07-24T19:22:00.001-07:00

Recipe: Crispy Roast Pork Belly

INGREDIENTS

1 slab of skin-on pork belly (1.5 - 2 lbs)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
1 tablespoon Shoaxing wine (or dry sherry)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 cup or 8 oz rock salt for layering

INSTRUCTIONS

Preparation

1. Scrape pork belly skin with knife to remove impurities. Rinse and pat dry with paper towel.

2. Use a skin pricker, tip of knife, a sharp metal skewer, an ice pick or anything that is pointy and sharp to prick lots of holes in the skin. Avoid piercing too deep into the skin.

3. Rub Shoaxing wine, Chinese five spice powder, salt and white pepper on the flesh side of the pork belly. Be sure to evenly coat all flesh area with seasoning. Avoid getting seasoning on the skin side.

4. Transfer pork belly to a plate with the skin side up. Dab skin dry with paper towel and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight up to 24 hours uncovered.

Cooking Method

1. Remove pork belly from the refrigerator and dab skin dry with paper towel. With the skin side up, wrap foil around pork snugly by folding up all 4 sides to create an enclosed container leaving the skin side exposed. Make sure the sides are 2 inches higher than pork skin to hold rock salt in.

2. Transfer pork to a sheet pan then apply vinegar to the skin evenly. Cover pork skin evenly with rock salt.

3. Roast in a preheated oven at 350°F/180°C for 1hour.

4. Remove pork from oven, unfold foil and remove rock salt from skin. Scrape and clean off any remaining salt on the pork. Discard salt.

5. Transfer pork back to the oven and broil on medium/high for 15 - 20 minutes or until skin becomes crispy and golden brown. (See picture) Alternatively, you may roast at 465°F/240°C for another 35-40 minutes.

6. Remove pork from oven. Let rest for 10 minutes.

7. Slice pork into 1/2 inch thickness when it is cool enough to handle. (See picture)

8. Serve with Hoisin sauce, chili sauce or yellow mustard if desired.

Cajun Seafood

2020-07-21T19:52:00.001-07:00

Recipe: Cajun Seafood

INGREDIENTS (2 servings)

10 - 12 jumbo shrimps (or 1 lb crawfish)
1 lb Alaskan crab legs, cut into smaller pieces (or your choice of crab)
8 - 10 little neck clams (or your choice of clam)
8 mini potatoes or 2 large potatoes, chunked (optional)
2 - 4 ears fresh corn, husks removed, halved (optional)
1 stick unsalted butter (4 tablespoons)
1 head garlic, grated
1 lemon, wedged
Water just enough to submerge the ingredients)

Seasonings

1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 teaspoon Old bay seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne powder
2 tablespoons hot sauce (preferably original Louisiana hot sauce)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large stockpot filled with 5 - 8 cups of cold water, add potatoes and corns. Bring water to a boil over high heat then reduce heat to medium. Cook for about 10 minutes. Add in all the shrimps, crabs and clams, cook for another 5 minutes or until all seafood is fully cooked. Total cooking time is about 15 minutes.

2. While seafood are cooking, pre-mix all seasonings in a bowl. Melt 1 stick unsalted butter in a deep skillet over medium high heat. Add grated garlic, lightly saute (not brown), then stir in the premixed seasonings, follow by 1 - 1 1/2 cups of stock reserved from the seafood boil. Stir to mix well while bringing sauce to a boil. Turn off heat when mixture becomes saucy. Taste the sauce and adjust to your liking if desired.

3. Once all seafood is cooked, drained and removed from stockpot. Then transfer to the deep skillet where you prepare your hot sauce. Toss to evenly coat all corns, potatoes and seafood with sauce.

4. Transfer to a large platter. Serve warm with lemon wedges and hot sauce.

Notes: Clean and rinse all shell fish a few times before cooking. If necessary, you may use a clean tooth brush to scrub off any additional sand or oceanic attachments.

Tips: Soak clams in fresh water (mixed with a teaspoon of salt) for about 20 minutes up to an hour. This will encourage the clams to spit out more sand. Rinse a couple of times before cooking.

Braised Chicken Thigh With Radish

2020-07-18T11:19:00.000-07:00

Recipe: Braised Chicken Thigh With Radish (4 - 5 servings)

INGREDIENTS

4 - 5 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 lbs)
2 stalks scallions
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 thumb sized ginger, sliced
1 shallot, finely chopped
8 - 10 radishes, halved
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 cup water or just enough to submerge chicken thighs and radishes
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
Thinly sliced scallion for garnish (optional)

Seasonings for chicken

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon fish sauce (optional)
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or rice wine

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Marinate chicken with seasonings and let it sit for at least half an hour or up to 5 hours.

2. Heat up cooking oil in a wok or a deep skillet over high heat. Add ginger, shallot and garlic, cook and stir for about 1 minute or until fragrant.

3. Add chicken thighs to wok/skillet, sear skin side down and cook until lightly brown. Turn over and continue to cook for 1 minute or so. Then stir in the radish chunks, cook for about 1 minute.

4. Add water, scallion, dark soy sauce and sugar. Make sure there is enough water to submerge the chicken and radish chunks. Let mixture come to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cover and let braise for 30 minutes. Add water as needed, stir occasionally to make sure ingredients are evenly coated in seasoning. Note: Taste the gravy after more water is added. If taste is diluted, you may add a little more soy sauce, oyster sauce or sprinkle of salt to your liking.

4. Braise until meat is tender and radish is soft enough for a fork to pierce through. Simmer further to thicken up the gravy or simply add corn starch solution.

5. Transfer to a plate and garnish with scallion. Serve warm with steamed rice.

Steamed Sticky Rice With Pork Belly

2020-07-11T21:22:00.000-07:00

Recipe: Steamed Sticky Rice With Pork Belly (5 servings)

INGREDIENTS

For the braised pork belly/shoulder

1 pound pork belly or pork shoulder, cut into 1/2 - 1 inch thickness cubes
5 - 6 dried Shiitake mushrooms, soak in water until soft, stem removed
10 - 15 dried chestnuts, soak in water, skin removed
1 thumb sized ginger, sliced
2 stalks scallions
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 teaspoon five spice powder
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
5 cups water or just enough to submerge the pork, mushrooms & chestnuts
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or rice wine
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
30g rock sugar
1 tablespoon cooking oil
some cilantro/parsley for garnish (optional)

Note: Other ingredients to consider include peanuts, salty egg yolks, dried scallops and Chinese sausages.

For the rice

2 cups glutinous rice, soak in water for at least 1 - 2 hours, drain
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoon cooking oil

For the dried shrimps

One handful or 3 tablespoons dried shrimps, soak in water, drain
1 tablespoon cooking oil

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a pot over high heat, fill with room temperature water just enough to submerge pork. Add pork belly/shoulder into pot and bring just to a boil or until impurities surface. Blanching is not essential, it's more of a personal preference to ensure cleaner meat. Drain pot, rinse scum off pork under running tap water. Set aside.

2. In a wok over medium high heat, add 1 tablespoon cooking oil and 2 chopped shallots, saute until they turn light brown. Add 3 cloves chopped garlic, lightly saute, then add soaked and drained glutinous rice. Continue to stir fry until rice is half cooked (about 3-5 minutes or so). Add light soy sauce , dark soy sauce and sesame oil as seasoning. Make sure they are evenly mixed well into rice. Removed from work and set aside.

3. In the same wok over medium heat, add 1 tablespoon cooking oil, stir fry dried shrimp for about 2 minutes. Removed and set aside. (Clean the wok if there is remaining rice sticking on it)

4. Repeat the same process by adding another tablespoon of cooking oil and ginger slices, stir fry until fragrant, then add 3 cloves diced garlic, lightly saute. Turn up the heat, add pork pieces, mushrooms and chestnuts. Continue to stir fry for about 1 minute or so, then gradually add cooking wine, water, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, five spice powder, ground white pepper, scallions and rock sugar. Stir to ensure all seasonings are mixed well. Cover wok with lid and bring to a boil then lower the heat to medium. Let it simmer for 30 minutes or until pork is tender. Check and stir in between to make sure all ingredients are evenly coated in seasoning.

5. Once the braised pork is cooked. Assemble ingredients by putting the mushroom up side down at the center base of the bowl ( I use 5 x 8oz individual metal bowls), then add pork pieces, chestnuts, dried shrimps and top with rice. Press down the rice with the back of a spoon to make it compact. Make sure to leave some room in the bowl and not filled all the way up. Drizzle some sauce from the braised pork belly over the rice.

6. Transfer bowls to steamer and steam for 35 minutes or until rice is fully cooked.

7. Once cooked, remove bowls from steamer. Place bowl up side down on a plate, lift and remove the bowl, the bowl shaped sticky rice should slide off bowl easily. Garnish with parsley (optional) and serve warm. Serve with chili sauce if desired.

Boiled Pork Belly With Cilantro Garlic Sauce

2020-06-06T21:26:00.001-07:00

Recipe: Boiled Pork Belly With Cilantro Garlic Sauce

INGREDIENTS

To boil the pork belly/shoulder

1 pound pork belly or pork shoulder (whole piece)
1 thumb sized ginger, sliced
2 stalks scallions
2 bay leaves
5 cups water
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or rice wine

For the sauce

8 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small bunch of cilantro, finely chopped (40g or 1.5oz)
6 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon fish sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons marin (or 1 teaspoon sugar)
1 tablespoons finely diced fresh chili or red chili flakes (optional or add more if desired)
2 tablespoons chili oil (if desired)
2 - 3 tablespoons broth from boiled pork

For plating

1 cucumber, sliced (optional)

Boiled Pork Shoulder Slices

Boiled Pork Belly Slices

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a stockpot, add 5 cups cold water, sliced ginger, 2 stalks scallion, 2 bay leaves, 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine and 1 pound pork belly/shoulder. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat and simmer for 35 to 45 minutes or until pork is tender. You may test the tenderness by piercing it with a fork. Fork should go through meat easily. Remove pork from stockpot, set aside and let cool. Reserve stock for the sauce.

2. Meanwhile, combine all ingredients for the cilantro garlic sauce in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.

3. Slice pork into 5 mm thickness when it is cool enough to handle.

4. Arrange pork slices neatly on a serving plate along with cucumber slices.

5. Drizzle cilantro garlic sauce over pork slices or serve it as a condiment on the side.

Easy Carrot Top Omelette

2020-05-26T23:12:00.000-07:00

Recipe: Easy Carrot Top Omelette

INGREDIENTS (4 servings)

4 large eggs, whisked
4 tablespoons finely chopped carrot top (leaf part only)
2 tablespoons butter (or 1 tablespoon olive oil)
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup heavy cream or milk (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs with cream, salt and pepper until blended.

2. Melt butter in a nonstick pan or skillet over medium high heat. Pour egg mixture into pan. Tilt pan to let egg mixture evenly spread in the pan.

3. Evenly sprinkle chopped carrot top on top of egg mixture. Continue to cook until just set, gently flip, cook for 20 more seconds.

4. Transfer omelette to a serving plate, serve warm.

Roasted Carrots

2020-05-26T21:15:00.001-07:00

Recipe: Roasted Carrots

INGREDIENTS

24 baby carrots, top trimmed (About 2 pounds)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salt to taste (1 teaspoon)
Parsley, chopped (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F / 220°C. Lightly coat sheet pan with thin layer of cooking oil to prevent sticking or place a piece of foil for easy clean up.

2. Place carrots in a single layer onto the sheet pan. (Note: Make sure the thickness of each piece is about the same (1 inch thick); Larger carrots can be cut into smaller pieces). Drizzle olive oil over the carrots. Sprinkle salt & pepper sparsely on carrots. Toss pan gently to make sure all carrots are coated evenly with seasoning.

2. Let bake for 20 -25 minutes or until tender. Pierce through with a fork to check the tenderness.

3. Remove from oven, garnish with parsley (optional). Serve warm.

Roasted Buttercup Soup (Pumpkin Soup)

2020-05-23T16:57:00.000-07:00

Recipe: Roasted Buttercup Squash Soup (Pumpkin Soup)

INGREDIENTS (4 bowls or 6 cups)

1 large buttercup squash (about 3 - 4 lbs), seeds removed and wedged
2 carrots
1 onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, grated (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
2 tablespoons olive oil (for drizzling)
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Salt to taste
4 cups bone broth (can be substituted with vegetable broth or chicken broth)
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)
2 tablespoons heavy cream (optional)
Roasted pumpkin seeds, garnish (optional)
Mint leaves, garnish (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 425°F / 220°C. Place buttercup squash wedges and carrots in a sheet pan. (Note: Make sure the thickness of each piece is about the same). Drizzle olive oil over the vegetables. Rub each piece to make sure all sides are lightly coated with olive oil. Sprinkle salt sparsely on the vegetables.

2. Let roast (bake) for 30 minutes until tender. Remove from oven, set aside.

3. Meanwhile in a pan, warm 2 tablespoons butter over medium heat, add chopped onion, saute until translucent. Add garlic then lightly saute for about 1 minute. Remove from pan.

4. Transfer roasted buttercup squash (skin off), carrots, onion and garlic to blender when they are cool enough to handle. Add 1 cup room temperature bone broth. Securely cover the lid and blend on high. (Note: Avoid using boiling hot broth as it will create hot air pressure during blending) Add more broth gradually, just enough for a smooth even blend.

5. Once soup mixture is well blended, transfer it to a large soup pot. Mix well with the remaining cup of broth by stirring often over medium high heat. Add salt and ground pepper to taste. You may add ground cinnamon and ground nutmeg, for more of a warm and nutty flavor. But, this is totally optional. Bring soup to boil and let simmer over medium low heat for 8 - 10 minutes.

6. Add heavy cream (optional) before serving. Transfer to a bowl, add pumpkin seeds and mint leaves as garnish (optional).

Easy Homemade Ice Cream

2020-05-21T16:07:00.000-07:00

Recipe: Easy Homemade Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS

600 ml heavy whipping cream

300 ml sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pour heavy whipping cream into a big bowl. Whisk cream using a hand or stand mixer on medium high speed until thick and stiff peaks form.

2. Turn off the machine and add in sweetened condensed milk. Carefully mix it in with the folding motion. Pour in condensed milk slowly as you mix to make sure it is properly mixed. Do not overly stir the ice cream mixture.

3. Add vanilla extract and stir lightly to mix well. (optional)

4. Transfer ice cream mixture to an air tight container, cover with lid, and freeze for at least 6 hours or overnight before serving.

Watch step by step video instructions here:

Easy Hawaiian Pulled Pork

2020-05-18T14:11:00.000-07:00

Recipe: Easy Hawaiian Pulled Pork

INGREDIENTS

2 1/2 pounds boneless pork butt or pork shoulder
1 1/2 tablespoon Hawaiian Red Alaea Sea Salt (use less salt if desired)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

METHOD

1. Rub vegetable oil over pork butt/shoulder throughly and sprinkle Hawaiian Alaea salt sparsely on each side.

2. On a skillet over medium high heat, sear each side of pork until light brown. (Note: You may skip this step and transfer pork to slow cooker directly. However, it will take longer to cook through. Approximately 7-8 hours total cooking time.)

3. Remove pork from skillet and transfer to slow cooker. Cook on high for 3 hours and switch to low setting. Continue slow cook for another 2-3 hours.

4. Pork should be very tender and easily fall apart after 5 hours of slow cooking. Pierce with a fork to confirm tenderness.

5. Remove from slow cooker onto a plate. Shred pork with 2 forks by pulling apart.

6. Serve with steamed rice or use as a filling for burger, roll, sandwich, or taco.

Hawaiian Pulled Pork Sandwich

INGREDIENTS

Shredded cabbage
Shredded purple cabbage
Pineapple (I used canned pineapple)
Mayonnaise (optional)
Hawaiian rolls (can be substituted with burger buns or bread of your choice)

Hawaiian Pulled Pork Cabbage

INGREDIENTS

Shredded cabbage
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Salt to taste

METHOD

1. Preheat skillet over medium high heat. Add cooking oil, cabbage and garlic and saute.

2. After lightly saute for 30 seconds or so, add pulled pork in and continue to saute until cabbage become softer. Add salt to taste. (Note: Do not add too much salt as the pork is already flavorful on its own)

3. Transfer to a serving dish and serve warm with steamed rice.

Skillet Lemongrass Chicken

2020-05-16T00:02:00.000-07:00

Recipe: Skillet Lemongrass Chicken

INGREDIENTS

1 pound boneless chicken thighs (about 1/2 inch thick)
1 stalk lemongrass, white part only, finely chopped (or 3 tablespoons lemongrass paste)
1 shallot, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
2 tablespoons brown sugar (or 2 tablespoons honey)
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cucumber, sliced (optional)

METHOD

1. Add lemongrass, garlic and shallot in a food processor and blend until smooth in texture. (you may use mortar and pestle for this step)

2. Combine mixture with sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce and black pepper. Stir to mix well. Coat chicken thighs all over with the mixture, cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes. Or you may refrigerate overnight up to 24 hours for best flavor.

3. Preheat skillet over medium high heat. Add cooking oil and chicken thighs. Pan fry for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until chicken turn golden brown or fully cooked.

4. Transfer to a serving dish. Serve warm with cucumber slices and steamed rice.

I like to drizzle sweet and sour dressing (or dipping sauce) over the skillet meat dish like this. This is totally optional. Instead, it can be substituted with freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice.

Sweet and Sour Dressing

1 cup water
3 tablespoons lime juice
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1-2 chili, deseed and coarsely chopped (or 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes)
2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon sugar

METHOD

Add all ingredients into a bowl, stir and mix well. Make sure sugar is fully dissolved in the dressing.

Cheesy Zucchini Fritters (Cheesy Zucchini Pancake)

2020-05-13T16:41:00.002-07:00

Recipe: Cheesy Zucchini Fritters (Cheesy Zucchini Pancake)

INGREDIENTS

2 cups shredded zucchini (2 small zucchinis)
2 stalks green onion, sliced (optional)

1/2 cup all purpose flour (I used gluten free pancake mix, it worked!)

2 large eggs, beaten

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1/2 cup Ricotta cheese (can be substituted with mozzarella cheese)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

2 tablespoons cooking oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Sour cream
Dill or chives (optional)

METHOD

1. Place shredded zucchini in a large bowl. Using a clean paper towel, press and squeeze out the moisture until excess water has been removed. Do this several times squeezing as much moisture out as possible.

2. Add all the ingredients (except for cooking oil, sour cream and dill) into a bowl, mix well until mixture is combined.

3. Heat cooking oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add zucchini batter (about size of an ice cream scoop) to the skillet once oil is hot. Cook for about 2 -3 minutes on each side, or until both sides turn golden brown.

4. Serve warm with sour cream and dill or chives if desired.

Mango Sweet Rice (Mango Sticky Rice)

2020-05-12T00:15:00.000-07:00

Recipe: Mango Sweet Rice (Mango Sticky Rice)

INGREDIENTS

2 ripe mangos, peeled and sliced

1 cup uncooked glutinous rice (or sweet rice)

2-3 stalks Pandan leaves (optional - I got mine from Asian supermarket, freezer section)

1 cup water

1 can coconut milk (400ml)

3-4 tablespoons white sugar (or brown sugar)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon corn starch (or tapioca starch)

1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)

METHOD

Soak rice in water for 30 minutes.
Drain out excess water. Transfer to a saucepan or pot. Add 2/3 cup water and 1/2 can coconut milk, stir well. Add Panda leaves. (Note: You may use rice cooker for this step, if your cooker has the sweet rice cooking option. Adjust coconut milk/water to the suggested water level on your rice cooker and cook as usual)
Bring to boil on medium high heat. Stir a little bit to make sure rice does not stick to the bottom of the pan or pot. Then partially cover with lid to avoid water overflow from boiling. Continue to simmer on medium low heat.
Simmer until coconut water has been absorbed by rice, about 20 minutes or so. Turn off heat and cover with lid while you prepare your coconut sauce. (If you are using rice cooker to cook the rice, keep warm in rice cooker)
In a pot over medium high heat, bring the remaining can of coconut milk to a gentle simmer. Add sugar and salt and keep stirring until they dissolved. Dissolve corn starch in 1//3 cup water, add to the coconut milk and continue to stir until it becomes thicker.
Pour 1/2 cup coconut sauce into the rice when it is still warm, mix well and let sit with lid covered for another 10 minutes.
To serve, place warm rice on a serving dish. Drizzle coconut sauce over and arrange mango slices on top or on the side. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Pan Seared Spiced Tilapia

2020-05-09T23:49:00.000-07:00

Recipe: Pan Seared Spiced Tilapia

INGREDIENTS

3 tilapia fillets (4 ounces each)
1 tablespoon olive oil (or grape seed oil)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon cumin powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon salt

TOMATO SAUCE: (optional - can be substituted with freshly squeezed lime or lemon juice)

1 cup water (Or chicken stock or broth)
2 medium sized tomatoes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 onion, diced
Seasoning with salt and pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

For the fish:

Rinse tilapia fillets in cold water and pat dry with paper towels.

In a small bowl, mix the spices together. Sprinkle them over both sides of the fish to cover thoroughly.

Heat the olive oil and butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Place fillets in and cook for about 4 minutes each side, until fork can pierce through easily on the thickest part.

When fish is done, remove from skillet and serve immediately with tomato sauce (or freshly squeezed lime/lemon juice)

For the sauce:

Heat olive oil in a pan over medium high heat. Add onion in and cook until soften or translucent in spots.

Add tomato in pan, sauté to mix well with onion.

Add water, bring to boil and season with salt and pepper.

Layer over cooked tilapia and serve immediately.

Cabbage Spring Rolls

2020-05-07T23:11:00.001-07:00

Recipe: Cabbage Spring Rolls

INGREDIENTS

1 pound of ground turkey (or ground meat of your choice; you may mix with fish or shrimp paste if desired)

1 head Savoy cabbage or Napa cabbage

1 large egg

2 finely chopped or shredded carrots (1 cup)

2 stalks finely chopped celery (3/4 cup)

1 stalk finely chopped green onion

1 teaspoon grated ginger

2 cloves grated garlic

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1/2 teaspoon sea salt or kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

1/2 cup ice

Instruction

1. Combine all the above ingredients (except for the cabbage and ice) in a bowl and mix well. Set aside.

2. Remove 8 outer leaves from cabbage. Make a cut through each individual leaf at the base where it attaches to the core. Trim out the the woody stem area from the leaf for easy assembling later.

3. In a large bowl, combine 6 cups of water with ice. Set aside, next to the pot where you will be blanching your cabbage leaves later.

4. In a medium pot, bring 3 cups water to boiling. Carefully add cabbage leaves to boiling water, lightly blanch for 20 seconds or until leaves turn just wilted. Remember do not overcook them. To avoid leaves continue to cook through heat after blanching, cool quickly by plunging them in ice water. Remove leaves from water after a minute, lay them flat in kitchen towel, let dry.

5. Assemble rolls on a clean cutting board, take a blanched cabbage leaf, lay it flat with base end toward you. Near the end of the leaf, place 2 tablespoons of filling mixture on the leaf.

6. Roll the base end over the filling. Fold both left and right side over to cover the opening on the edges. Continue rolling toward the end, wrapping tightly with care to avoid tearing. Place finished roll on a dish or pan (Preferably a dish/pan that is around 1 1/2 to 2 inches deep to capture the meat juice from steaming) with the end tucked under the roll, seam side down. Repeat with remaining leaves and fillings.

7. In a steamer or a deep saucepan, bring 4 cups of water to boil. Place the dish/pan filled with cabbage rolls in, covered and steam for 10 - 12 minutes. Remove from steamer once cooked and serve immediately.

To serve, you may cut each roll in half crosswise on a diagonal. Serve with soy sauce, hoisin sauce or chili sauce.

Fresh Mango Salsa

2020-05-03T21:03:00.000-07:00

Recipe: Fresh Mango Salsa

INGREDIENTS

2 ripe mangos, diced
1 - 2 tomatoes, diced (I used 2 cups of cherry tomatoes, halved)
1/4 red onion, diced
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1 large lime, juiced
1 Jalapeno, finely chopped
Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients together, drizzle with lime juice and mix well. Season with salt to taste. It can be served immediately or wait at least 10 minutes for best flavor.

Chinese Style Lemon Chicken (Air Fryer Version)

2020-04-27T00:27:00.001-07:00

Recipe: Chinese Style Lemon Chicken (Air Fryer Version)

INGREDIENTS

CHICKEN:

1 pound of boneless chicken thighs cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon soy sauce (Or 2 tablespoons soy sauce if not using oyster sauce)
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
2 tablespoons Chinese shaoxing wine
1 large egg
6 tablespoons corn starch
6 tablespoons wheat flour
Vegetable oil spray

LEMON SAUCE:

1/2 cup water (Or chicken stock or broth)
1 lemon (Zest of whole lemon & juice of 3/4 - 1 lemon)
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons corn starch

INSTRUCTIONS

FOR THE CHICKEN:

In a large bowl whisk egg white, soy sauce and wine. Add in chicken, mix well and allow to marinate for 20 minutes or so.

Mix corn starch and flour well in a large plate or tray. Pour chicken into the mixture and coat chicken pieces evenly.

Lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking oil. Set temperature to 350°F or 176°C. Shake excess flour off chicken pieces and place them inside the frying basket. Do not over crowd the pieces (Leave some space in between).

Lightly spray chicken pieces with cooking oil.

Fry chicken in batches for about 10 minutes, turning half way (or you may set 5 minutes cooking time for turning and reset 4-5 minutes to continue frying). Fry until golden and cooked through.

Once all batches are cooked, send all chicken pieces back in the basket and fry for another 1-2 minutes.

Transfer to a clean bowl or plate.

FOR THE SAUCE:

Dissolve corn starch in water, add sugar and lemon zest.

Over medium high heat, whisk mixture in a pot, bring to a simmer and stir until thicken.

Add lemon juice and honey in and mix well.

Drizzle sauce over chicken pieces, toss until evenly coated. Serve with steamed rice.

Singapore Style Hainanese Chicken Rice

2013-10-31T14:27:00.000-07:00

Recipe: Singapore Style Hainanese Chicken Rice

INGREDIENTS

Poached Chicken

1 large organic whole chicken (4.5lbs)

4 cloves of garlic

1 thumb size of ginger, bruised

2 shallots, peeled

4-5 stalks of scallion

1 jumbo carrot, chopped

10-12 cups of water (adjust to the size of your stockpot)

1-2 teaspoons of salt

12 cups of ice water

Chicken Sauce

2 tablespoons of soy sauce

2 tablespoons of sesame oil

3 tablespoons of chicken stock

Sprinkle of sugar (mixed well)

Steamed Chicken Rice

2 cups of uncooked rice, washed and drained (preferably Jasmine rice)

2 shallots, finely diced

3 cloves of garlic, finely diced

1 fresh lemon grass, bruised (use only the white part)

1 thumb size of ginger, sliced

5-6 blades of pandan leaf

2 tablespoons of chicken fat (optional)

3 1/4 cups of chicken stock (or cook according to the water measurement on your rice cooker)

3 tablespoons of cooking oil

1 teaspoon of salt

Condiments ::

Ginger Scallion Dipping Sauce

1 thumb size of ginger

1 stalk of scallion

1-2 tablespoons of sesame oil

1 teaspoon of salt, to taste

3-4 tablespoons of chicken stock

Chilli Sauce

5-6 thumb size fresh red chilli, seeded

3 cloves of garlic

1/2 thumb size of ginger

1 teaspoon of salt

1+1/2 tablespoon of sugar, to taste

2 tablespoons of lime juice

4 tablespoons of chicken stock

Other ingredients

1 cucumber, roughly peeled and sliced

Some cilantro for garnish (optional)

METHOD

Chicken:

1. To prepare the chicken, first rub the whole chicken with salt, wash and drain well.

2. Boil the water in a stockpot which fits the chicken (big enough to submerge the whole chicken but not too large).

3. Add carrot, garlic, scallions, shallots & salt to the stockpot.

4. When the water is boiled, put in the chicken, cover and bring the water to boil again. Once it's boiled, let it continue to cook for another 1-2 minutes. After that, lower the heat immediately to simmer for 1 hour or less. (Depends on the size of your chicken)

5. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it from the pot and plunge it into ice water. Leave it in the water until it is ready to serve.

6. Reserve the chicken stock for the condiments, rice, sauce and soup.

Rice:

1. Heat up a wok, add oil, lightly saute garlic, shallot, lemon grass and ginger until aromatic. Then add rice and continue to stir fry for 2-3 minutes.

2. Transfer the rice from the wok to rice cooker. Add chicken stock, chicken fat, pandan leaves and salt. Stir well, cover and cook according to the rice cooker's instruction.

Condiments:

1. Mix all the ingredients in the food processor or blender and grind finely.

2. Transfer to sauce bowl.

To Serve, place the sliced cucumber on a serving plate. Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and arrange them on top of the cucumber slices. Pour in the chicken sauce. Serve with chicken rice, soup and the condiments.

Clam Linguine

2011-07-31T22:08:00.002-07:00

Recipe: Clam Linguine

INGREDIENTS

16 fresh clams (Manila clam Or Littleneck clam)
4 - 6 oz linguine (makes 2 servings)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons shallot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon cooking oil or olive oil (for cooking the linguine)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 small can minced clam (drain clams and reserve liquid, about 1/3 cup liquid) (optional)
Some snipped parsley leaves
Some granted Parmesan cheese (optional)

METHOD

1. To prepare the clams, clean by scrubbing the shell, rinse in cold water and set aside. Note: Soak clams in fresh water for 30 minutes. This will encourage the clams to purge any salt, sand or other grit.

2. Bring a pot of slightly salted water to boil. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil or cooking oil, then add linguine and cook for 3 minutes or as per the packaging instructions. Drain and set aside. (Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water as substitute for clam liquid)

3. In a large saucepan over medium heat, lightly saute garlic and shallot with butter and olive oil.

4. Stir in reserved clam liquid (Or 1/2 cup of reserved Pasta water) and wine. Cover and bring to a boil. Then remove the cover, reduce heat and continue simmer for about 10 minutes or until sauce is reduced to 1/2 cup.

5. Add clams (and minced clams from can) cover with lid, heat through until the clams open up.

6. Remove lid, discard any that do not open, add in linguine.

7. Stir clam mixture with linguine and parsley until well coated.

8. Dish out and serve immediately.

9. Sprinkle with granted Parmesan cheese if desired.

Hot Braised Shrimp

2010-11-02T23:48:00.001-07:00

When it comes to eating shrimp with the shell intact, I prefer using ingredients that are strong in flavor. In this dish, sweet fermented glutinous rice (甜酒酿), also know as sweet wine, has played an important role. With low alcohol content, fermented glutinous rice tastes sweet, tinged with a wine aroma. It brings out the character of the dish. I got mine from our local Chinese supermarket.

Recipe: Hot Braised Shrimp

Ingredients:

12 medium size shrimps (in shell)

3 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)

3 slices of ginger (finely chopped)

2 stalks of scallion (chopped for garnish)

3 tablespoons of sweet fermented glutinous rice (甜酒酿)

1/2 cup of water

1 tablespoon of rice wine

1 tablespoon of sugar

1 teaspoon of white vinegar

1 tablespoon of chili bean sauce

4 tablespoon of tomato sauce

Method:

1. To prepare the shrimps, first remove its head, then cut along/slit its back, take out the vein and with the shell intact.

2. Heat up a wok with oil, add shrimps, lightly sauté both sides of the shrimps (until the shell turns into light orange color, but not quite fully cooked yet), take out and set aside.

3. Heat up the same wok, add a bit of oil, lightly saute garlic and ginger until aromatic. Then add the chili bean sauce, tomato sauce, rice wine, white vinegar, water and lastly sweet fermented glutinous rice and bring to boil.

4. Add shrimps back into the wok, add sugar, stir well with the ingredients.

5. Cover up the wok with the lid and cook for about 20 seconds or until the shrimps are cooked.

6. Sprinkle chopped scallion, dish out and serve hot.

Nyonya Assam Fish

2010-08-29T00:46:00.000-07:00

When I was cleaning my refrigerator last week, I found some assam paste which my mom brought me from Malaysia. Together with the garden picked tomatoes from home, it inspired me to make Nyonya Assam Fish. On the following day, I headed to our local Chinese Supermarket to get the rest of the ingredients. So happy to find the fresh okras which go perfectly well with this dish.

Recipe: Nyonya Assam Fish

INGREDIENTS

2 fish steaks preferably makerel fish (about 1 lbs)

2 tomatoes (cut into wedges)

12 okras (lady fingers)

1 onion (sliced)

1 - 2 sprigs of mint leaves

3 tablespoons of cooking oil

salt to taste

Asam Soup:

2 stalks of lemongrass (sliced)

3 slices of galangal (lengkuas)

1 bud ginger flower (finely chopped)

2 tablespoons of sugar

2 tablespoons of assam paste

Spice Paste:

4 shallots

1 clove garlic

1/2 inch sized of turmeric (kunyit)

1 teaspoon of belacan (shrimp paste)

2 tablespoons of chilli paste

1/2 cup of water

1 tablespoon of sugar

METHOD

1. Grind spice paste in a food processor and set aside.

2. In a pot, bring 4 cups (1000 ml) of water to boil, add in assam soup and bring to boil again on slow flame. Simmer for 30 minutes, extract the liquid.

3. Heat oil and pan fry the spice paste until aromatic.

4. Add in the assam soup and bring to boil.

5. Add tomato wedges and bring to boil.

6. Add fish, okras and salt, cover up with the lid, on low heat shimmer until fish is cooked.

7. Sprinkle mint leaves and onion slices on top and serve hot.