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Showing posts from May, 2010

Crispy Soy And Ginger Chicken Wings

This is my Chinese style Crispy Soy And Ginger Chicken Wings recipe. I marinated the chicken wings with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and ginger juice. The chicken wings were then dipped into a bowl of beaten egg and subsequently, coated with sweet potato flour. The chicken wings turned out crispy, with just the right amount of saltiness from the soy sauce and with lots of ginger flavor. Delicious! Crispy Soy And Ginger Chicken Wings (Printable Recipe) Ingredients 12 (about 950 g) Chicken Wings, tip off 1 Large Egg, lightly beaten Sweet Potato Flour Marinate 1 Tbsp Soy Sauce 2 tsp Dark Soy Sauce 2 Tbsp Shaoxing Wine 60 g Fresh Ginger, pounded for juice (about 3 to 4 Tbsp) 1 ½ tsp Sea Salt Method Marinate the chicken wings for about 3 to 4 hours in the refrigerator. Pour at least 5 cm (2 inches) of oil into a large frying pan over medium heat. Heat until the oil is hot. Dip the chicken wings into the beaten egg and coat them with the sweet potato flour to coat it on ...

Braised Pork Shoulder With Mandarin Pancakes

I did this Braised Pork Shoulder in a slow cooker for about 7 hours! The result was fabulous, the meat was fork tender and delicious. I served it with some homemade Mandarin Pancakes, topped with cucumbers, scallions, chilies, and some sweet and fragrant sauce. The wonderful sauce was derived from the residual liquid from the braised pork, which had to be reduced for another 40 minutes. I have included the Mandarin pancakes recipe here too. Try it and enjoy! Braised Pork Shoulder With Mandarin Pancakes (Printable Recipe) Ingredients 1.2 Kg (about 2 ½ lbs) Pork Shoulder, blanched ½ Cup Dark Soy Sauce 120 g Rock Sugar 10 g Cassia Bark 4 Star Anise 45 g Ginger, unpeeled and smashed lightly 5 Scallions, cut into 3 segments 4 Cups Water Sea Salt to taste Mandarin Pancakes 425 g Plain Flour A pinch of Sea Salt 300 ml Boiling Water 1 tsp Peanut Oil Roasted Sesame Oil 2 Cucumbers, cut into fine strips 3 Red Chilies, seeded and cut into fine strips 3 Scallions, cut into fine strips Reserved Sau...

Fish And Chips

I made some Fish and Chips (commonly known in the UK), using some fresh Halibut fillets and fresh cut potatoes. The batter that coated the fish fillet was light, crunchy, and flavorful. Like all fried food, it’s also a tad oily; but, can’t be helped I supposed. As for the chips/french fries, they were soaked in cold water for at least an hour or overnight to remove the starch so that the fries will be crispier. The fries are then done using a two stage-fry method: the first, fried at 340˚F and the second stage, fried again at 390˚F. They were fantastic, best eaten immediately to enjoy the fries’ maximum crispiness. Recipe adapted from The Dean & DeLuca Cookbook by David Rosengarten with Joel Dean & Georgio DeLuca Fish And Chips (Printable Recipe) 2 Pieces Halibut Fillets, halved Sea Salt All-Purpose Flour Batter ¾ Cup All-Purpose Flour ¾ tsp Sea Salt ½ tsp Freshly Ground Pepper ¼ Cup Milk ¾ Beer 1 Egg 1 Tbsp Melted Butter French Fries/Potato Chips 6 Large Russet Potatoes, peele...

Pizza Margherita

I used ready made pizza crust and prepared tomato sauce to make this simple and yet delicious Pizza Margherita as an after school snack for my kids recently. I used fresh mozzarella and added a few slices of fresh sweet heirloom tomatoes to the pizza. These fresh ingredients made all the difference here, what do you think? It certainly made this express pizza look and taste better I think. Try it, your kids will love it! :-) Pizza Margherita (Printable Recipe) Ingredients 1 (9 inches) Pizza Crust 5 Tbsp Prepared Italian Plum Tomato Sauce 4 (Medium Size) Fresh Mozzarella, sliced thickly 1 Heirloom Tomato, sliced 5 Fresh Basil Leaves, torn or shreds 1 tsp Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper Method Preheat oven to 425˚F. Spread the tomato sauce evenly on the pizza crust. Arrange mozzarella slices on top of the sauce. Then arrange the tomato slices on top of the mozzarella. Drizzle the olive oil and scatter some basil leaves. Sprinkle some sea salt and freshly g...

Prawn Cakes

Here’s a fantastic Prawn Cakes recipe I’d like to share with you. Golden crunchy panko on the outside, the inside is tender and chock full of goodness! The magic mixture here is the chopped prawns, mashed potatoes, coriander, scallions, and Serrano chilies which are all seasoned with fish sauce, sea salt, and some freshly ground white pepper. Sounds good? Even better, it tastes great. I hope you will try making these prawn cakes. Enjoy. Prawns Cakes (Printable Recipe) Ingredients 454 g (1 lb) Frozen Peeled Prawns, thawed and tail off 3 Medium Yellow Flesh Potatoes, peeled, cooked and mashed 3 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Coriander 2 Stalk Scallions, finely sliced 2 Serrano Chilies, seeded and finely chopped 2 Thai Bird's Eye Chilies, finely chopped (optional) 2 Cloves Garlic, peeled and finely chopped 2 Tbsp Fish Sauce ½ tsp Sea Salt ¼ tsp Freshly Ground White Pepper 6 Tbsp Panko (Japanese Bread crumbs) 1 Large Egg Panko (Japanese Bread crumbs) for coating Peanut or Vegetable Oil for frying ...

Momofuku's Shortcakes

This is a sweet and salty Strawberry shortcakes recipe that I had adapted from the Momofuku’s cookbook. I just did a minor tweak to the recipe. I used 1 tsp instead of 1 Tbsp of salt to the mixture. A good decision as the shortcakes turned out perfect, with the right amount of saltiness and was just great with the macerated strawberries and whipped cream. Recipe adapted from Momofuku by David Chang And Peter Meehan Momofuku's Shortcakes (Printable Recipe) Ingredients 1 Large Egg, beaten ½ Cup Heavy Cream 1 ½ Cups All-Purpose Flour ½ Cup Granulated Sugar 1/3 Cup Packed Light Brown Sugar 1 Tbsp Kosher Salt (I used 1 tsp) 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder 8 Tbsp (1 stick) Unsalted Butter, cut into small pieces and chilled ¼ Cup Vegetable Shortening, at room temperature About ½ Cup Confectioners’ Sugar Macerated Strawberries Whipped Cream Method Add the beaten egg into a small measuring cup and spoon off half of it. (Reserved for other use or discard them) Add enough heavy cream to the egg to m...

Fragrant And Hot Chicken

This is the 3rd and the last recipe using the salted chilies for my Hunan recipes series. I have tweaked this particular dish a few times. The original recipe from the cookbook wasn’t what I had envisaged. The meat turned out too dry and bland. So, here is my version of Fragrant and Hot Chicken recipe. My family enjoyed this dish very much. I think you will like it too. Do try the recipe and please send your feedback. Thanks. Fragrant And Hot Chicken (Printable Recipe) Ingredients 1 lb Chicken Legs, boneless, skinless 2 tsp Soy Sauce 1 Tbsp Shaoxing Wine 1 Tbsp Finely Chopped Ginger 1 Clove Garlic, finely chopped 1 ½ tsp Chili Bean Paste 1 Tbsp Chopped Salted Chilies ¼ Cup Water 1 tsp Dark Soy Sauce 2 Scallions, finely sliced Peanut Oil Method Cut the chicken into bite-size cubes. Place the chicken cubes in a bowl and marinate with soy sauce and wine. Heat enough oil for deep-frying in the wok over high heat. Fry the chicken pieces until golden in color. Remove...

Steamed Halibut Cheeks With Chopped Salted Chilies

I made this Steamed Halibut Cheeks With Chopped Salted Chilies especially for my daughter. She doesn’t like steamed fish at all because she dislikes the “fishy” smell, even fish fresh from the tank! Since Halibut is in season now and there are plenty of halibut cheeks available, I decided to have a go at making this to entice her to add some fish to her diet. The cheeks have a delicate white meat with a pure mild flavor and its not fishy at all. So, guess what, she loves it! Recipe adapted from Revolutionary Chinese Cooking by Fuchsia Dunlop Steamed Halibut Cheeks With Chopped Salted Chilies (Printable Recipe) Ingredients 350 g Halibut Cheeks 1 Tbsp Shaoxing Wine ¾ inch Fresh Ginger, unpeeled and smashed 1 Scallion, smashed ½ tsp Black Fermented Black Beans, rinsed 1 ½ tsp Finely chopped Fresh Ginger 4 Tbsp Chopped Salted Chilies 2 Scallions, green part only, finely sliced 2 Tbsp Peanut Oil Method Marinate the halibut cheeks with wine and set aside. Place the smashed ginger and scallio...

YueYang Hot-Dry Noodles-yue yang re gan mian

Okay, this is YueYang Hot-Dry Noodles recipe. Yueyang is located in northeast Hunan Province on the eastern shore of Dongting Lake, and it’s China’s second largest freshwater lake. One of their popular street food is this dry noodle and I love it because, it’s so easy to prepare and taste really good too. Recipe adapted from Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook by Fuchsia Dunlop YueYang Hot-Dry Noodles- yue yang re gan mian (Printable Recipe) Ingredients 1 lb 6 oz Fresh Chinese Noodles or 7 oz Dried Noodles 1 Tbsp Chopped Salted Chilies 4 tsp Sesame Paste 1 tsp Crushed Garlic 2 tsp Light Soy Sauce 1 Tbsp Chili Oil with sediment 2 Tbsp Preserved Mustard Tuber in slivers (or replaced with chopped peanuts) 4 tsp Finely Sliced Scallions 4 tsp Toasted Sesame Seeds Method Cook the noodles in boiling water until soft and supple and drain well. Put the noodles in a large bowl. Add in the chopped salted chilies, sesame paste, garlic, soy sauce, and chili oil and mix well. Divide the mixture into 2 se...

Hunanese Chopped Salted Chilies-duo la jiao

Well, over the next few days I will be sharing some Hunan cuisine recipes with you. I had adapted the recipes from Fuchsia Dunlop’s Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook (Recipes from Hunan Province). According to the Fuchsia, the brilliant red Chopped Salted Chilies is one of the most characteristic colors of Hunanese cooking. The chilies are used in many stir-fried and steamed dishes. So, I thought I should start with this easy preserve chili recipe and an easy noodle recipe using the salted chilies. Recipe adapted from Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook by Fuchsia Dunlop Hunanese Chopped Salted Chilies- duo la jiao (Printable Recipe) Ingredients 1 lb Fresh Red Chilies ¼ Cup Sea Salt Method Wash the chilies and pat dry. Cut off their stems and chopped coarsely with the seeds. Place the chopped chilies in a bowl. Add 3 ½ Tbsp of the salt to the chilies and mix well. Place in a glass jar and cover with the remaining salt. Seal with a tight fitting lid. Leave in a cool place for a couple of weeks...

Chocolate Truffles

This is a super easy Chocolate Truffles recipe that my daughter made for me on Mothers Day. She said she learnt how to make them from a Japanese cooking website. There is no cooking involved here, apart from melting the chocolate. Make sure you use the best or your favorite chocolate for this recipe. Have fun making them. Chocolate Truffles (Printable Recipe) Ingredients 200 g Dark Chocolate, any flavor 6 Tbsp Whipped Cream 2 tsp Vegetable Oil Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder, for coating Boiling Water Method Pour the boiling water in a large mixing bowl. Then place a medium-mixing bowl on top of the boiling water. Add the cream and warm thoroughly. Mix in the chocolate, and stir until melted. Then add the oil and stir until smooth. Cover and freeze just until firm enough to mound in a spoon, about 40 minutes. Line the bottom of a baking sheet with a plastic wrap. Scoop out the filling by tablespoonfuls and drop onto the sheet, spacing them evenly. Cover and freeze until almost firm but stil...

Grilled Chicken Quesadillas

It’s here again, tomorrow is Mothers day. So, I guess a very “Happy Mothers Day!” greetings is in order here for all you wonderful moms out there! Have a great day with your family! :-) So, using the same grilled chicken recipe that I posted yesterday, I made some Grilled Chicken Quesadillas served with guacamole. The quesadillas are filled with the grilled chicken, grilled corn kernels, and topped off with Monterey Jack cheese. Just remember to lightly brush the tortillas with oil before grilling. The quesadillas will turn out just fantástico and delicioso! :-) Grilled Chicken Quesadillas (Printable Recipe) Ingredients 6 (about 7-8 inches in diameter) Fresh Tortillas 3 Pcs Grilled Chicken Breasts, thinly sliced 3 Ears Fresh Sweet Corn, husked 300 g Monterey Jack Cheese, grated 4 Tbsp of Marinate (mixed with 2 Tbsp of Peanut Oil) Guacamole Grilled Chicken Breast 3 Pcs (about 530g) Chicken Breasts, boneless Marinate 3 Tbsp Lime Juice (2 Limes) 2 Thai Bird’s Eye Ch...

Grilled Spicy Chicken Sandwich

The weather here in Vancouver was just perfect recently, not too cold and lots of sunshine. So, I jumped on the opportunity to fire-up the outdoor grill that’s been sitting idle and cooked up a flavorful Vietnamese inspired grilled chicken. Grilled chicken is fantastic on it’s own or as topping for salad, pizza, etc. Today, I'm using it for a Grilled Spicy Chicken Sandwich recipe. The “spicy” here comes from the mango salsa and not the chicken meat. So, just reduce the amount of chilies in the salsa recipe to suit your taste bud. FYI, I will be posting another recipe idea using grilled chicken tomorrow, check it out! Grilled Spicy Chicken Sandwich (Printable Recipe) Ingredients 3 Potato Baguette (halved) or 6 French Sandwich Rolls, split horizontally 3 pcs Grilled Chicken Breast, slice thickly 1 Large Green Leaf Lettuce Mango salsa A handful of Cilantro leaves Sea Salt and Black Pepper, or to taste Grilled Chicken Breast 3 Pcs (about 530g) Chicken Breasts, boneless...

Crash Hot Potatoes

I love these Crash Hot Potatoes. They are so easy to prepare, all ready to be served in less than 30 minutes. I adapted this recipe from Jill Dupleix’s website . I would usually follow Jill’s recipe and bake the potatoes in the oven for about 20 to 25 minutes until crisp and golden. But, since I had intended to prepare these potatoes for breakfast, I tweaked her recipe a little and decided to cook them in the same skillet with the rest of the ingredients. All it needed was about 3 to 5 minutes to cook the potatoes. Great express breakfast treat! Well, I will leave it to you to decide which method you prefer to cook them, enjoy. Recipe adapted from Jill Dupleix's website. Crash Hot Potatoes (Printable Recipe) Ingredients 16-18 Small Potatoes (Preferably Yellow Flesh), skin on Salted Water 1 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 tsp Sea Salt Freshly Ground Black Pepper 1 Tbsp Fennel or Caraway Seeds 1 Tbsp Thyme or Rosemary Sprigs Method Preheat the oven to 230-250˚C (450-480˚F). Add the pot...

Spicy Cucumber Salad

This is Spicy Cucumber Salad. The salad looks very simple; but, it tastes really good. It’s a perfect side dish with any Chinese meals, a little spicy to tingle your palate and it’s very refreshing. Recipe adapted from Sichuan Cookery by Fuchsia Dunlop Spicy Cucumber Salad (Printable Recipe) Ingredients 2 Medium Sized Cucumbers 3 tsp Sea Salt 2 Tbsp Peanut Oil 8 Long Dried Chilies or 16 small Sichuanese Chilies, snipped into 3 cm sections 2 tsp Whole Sichuan Peppercorn 3 tsp Sesame Oil Method Cut the cucumber into 6 cm sections and quarter lengthwise. Remove all the seeds and pulp with a spoon, and then cut evenly into batons the size of potato chips. Sprinkle the cucumber with salt, mix well and set aside for at least 30 minutes, preferably 2 hours or more, to draw out some of their juices. Then drain well and press lightly to get rid of as much water as possible. Pat the cucumber pieces dry with paper towels. Heat a large over a high heat until smoke rises. Add the peanut oil and sw...

Penne Bolognese

I can’t even recollect how many versions of Bolognese sauce I have made thusfar. Well, my kids just love this classic Italian pasta sauce and so, here goes another one. :-) This Penne Bolognese recipe was adapted from Patsy’s Cookbook-Classic Italian Recipes . I think it’s among one of the best Italian cookbooks out there. It’s filled with simple and flavorful recipes which are accompanied with easy to follow instructions. Some of you may notice, I have tried and posted many of her recipes here. Recipe adapted from Patsy’s Cookbook-Classic Italian Recipes Penne Bolognese (Printable Recipe) Ingredients 6-8 Medium White Mushrooms, cleaned and sliced ¼ Cup Olive Oil 1 Small Yellow Onion, finely chopped 3 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped ½ lb Lean Ground Beef 1 16 oz Can Plum Tomatoes, with juice 2 Bay Leaves ¼ Cup Cabernet Sauvignon ¼ Cup Beef Broth Pinch of Oregano 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter 1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste 4 Tbsp Fresh...

Mango With BC Spot Prawns Spring Rolls

Like most people, most weekends I tend to enjoy having a light and simple brunch at home. It could be having some simple savory tarts, pizza, pasta, or just a couple of spring rolls with my kids. This past weekend, I made my version of Mango With BC Spot Prawns Spring Rolls for brunch. Both the mango and Spot prawns are in season now, so they are very fresh and well priced. I served the spring rolls with some Vietnamese chili lime sauce. Simply divine! Mango With BC Spot Prawns Spring Rolls (Printable Recipe) Ingredients 40 Large BC Spot Prawns, cooked and deveined 2 Large Ripe Mango, peeled, pitted and julienned 1 Packet (100 G) Pea Shoots 1 Small Bunch Basil Leaves, picked 1 Small Bunch Fresh Mint Leaves, picked 1 Head Boston Lettuce, separate leaves 20 Sheets Rice Paper, about 6 inches in diameter Vietnamese Chili Lime Sauce 5 Thai Bird’s Eye Chilies, chopped 2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped 4 Tbsp White Sugar 2 Lime, juiced 3 Tbsp Fish Sauce ½ Cup of Warm Water Method Chili Lime Sau...