Kabocha Squash

Kabocha (Japanese: カボチャ, 南瓜) is a Japanese variety of winter squash and commonly called Japanese squash. I cook with the skin on and give more fiber to your daily diet. All you need to do is cut the squash in half, spoon the seeds out and cut into 1-inch cubes. The texture is more like potatoes and make you feeling full without other starchy food.

Simple ingredients:

• 1/2 medium size Kabocha squash, cubed
• 2 tsp. brown sugar
• 2 tsp. soy sauce
• 1 cup water
• pinch salt to your taste

Easy to make:

1. In a large saucepan or wok on high heat, combine all above ingredients together and stir occassionally. Cook about 5 minutes or until the sauce reduced.
2. Turn the heat down to medium and simmer until the squash turn soft and sauce is thicken.

Cucumber Buckets

I adopted this idea from a Chinese Food website named 美食杰, including the cucumber bucket and the Tomato Rose. They are great ideas for making appetizers for party or decorating your dishes...So easy!

You may fill the buckets with any of your favorite salad, such as fruit salad (like my pictures), chicken salad, Tuna salad, etc. ...anything that will make your buckets colorful. Variation of the fillings are endless...just have some fun!

Here are the pictures of the steps for making the cucumber buckets:

Here are the steps how to make the pretty eatable rose with Tomato:

Here are the pictures how they turn out:

I did it!
Caution: Everything is eatable...except the toothpicks!

Chocolate Macaroons

It's a gluten FREE French cookies and made from Almond meal. This cookie is crispy outside, soft and chewy inside.

Simple ingredients:

• 3/4 cup Almond meal
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tsp. coco powder
• 2 ex-large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Make it...

1. Line a parchment paper on a large cookie sheet. Lightly spray with non-stick cooking oil.
2. Sift almond meal, 3/4 cup powdered sugar and coco powder into a medium mixing bowl. Mix together well.
3. In a small mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until lightly foamy (about 20 seconds). Add 1/4 cup powdered sugar, beat until holding soft peak and glossy meringue. (Important: ensure to add sugar into the foam egg whites within 25 seconds so that cookies will have the pretty "skirt" on the bottom while baking).
4. Using a spatula, fold almond mixture into the meringue 1/3 at a time until it forms a shiny batter with a thick, ribbon like consistency.
5. Pour the batter into a pastry bag and cut a small hole at the end. Pipe 32 small circles like  Quarter size circles on the parchment paper with 1/4-inch apart.
6. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes until the top is little dry and shinny. Bake in the preheated over at 325 degrees F for 5 minutes, then turn down the temperature to 300 degrees F and baking another 5 minutes. After the cookie are cool, gently put two together with the butter cream filling in the middle.

For the butter cream fillings:

• 1/2 block butter (about 4 Tbsp.), soften
• 3 Tbsp. Cream Cheese, soften
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Combine all together and beat until fluffy. Refrigerator until ready to use.

Purple Cystal Cake 水晶饼

Ingredients for wrapper:

• 1/2 cup Wheat Starch
• 1 Tbsp. Cornstarch
• 1/2 cup hot water
• 1 tsp. salad oil

Mix Wheat starch and corn starch in a mixing bowl, add hot water while mixing with a pair of chopsticks, until become a dough. Then knead in salad oil well. Wrap with plastic wrap to keep moist while preparing the filling.

Sweet Potato filling:  

• 1 medium size purple sweet potato, or regular sweet potato
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp. butter

Steam or microwave the sweet potato until soft. Peel off the skin and mash in a medium saucepan. Turn the stove on medium, mix in butter, milk and sugar until blend well. Set aside to cool.

Put together...

1. Divide the dough to 6 equal pcs, flatten to a round and thin wrap. Put 2 Tbsp. filling together in a ball. Place in the center of the wrap and gather the edge to close.
2. Press down into a medium size mould, then remove from it. Place a small piece of parchment paper under each cake and lay on a bamboo steamer. Steam over boiling water for 5 minutes.
3. Best serve warm. It will turn hard when it is cold. Place on a steamer to warm to soft before serve.

Steamed Buns

Ingredients:

• Fillings can be used from Treasure Purses recipe or Shu Mai recipe. Or the below sweet potato fillings for sweet tooth.
• 1 package of mix flour for buns (can be purchased in Asian grocery stores).
• 1 cup milk, Luke warm
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. cooking oil

Make it...

1. Follow the instructions on the Mixed Flour package to make the dough.
2. Divide the dough into Ping Pong size balls. Flatten to a 3-inch circle. Place 1-2 Tbsp. filling in the center and gather the edge to close. Finish making other doughs the same way and place on bamboo steamer 1/4-inch apart.
3. Steam over boiling water for 10-12 minutes.

Sweet Potato filling:

• 1 medium size purple sweet potato, or regular sweet potato
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp. butter

Steam or microwave the sweet potato until soft. Peel off the skin and mash in a medium saucepan. Turn the stove on medium, mix in butter, milk and sugar until blend well. Set aside to cool.

Treasure Purses

This is similar with Shu Mai. The difference is the filling in the Purses are cooked before wrap them up. It's good idea for using some of your leftover meat, or leftover vegetables.

Simple ingredients:

• 2 eggs, scrambled and chopped
• 1 cup cooked chicken meat, chopped
• 1 cup chopped chives
• 1 cup chopped Napa cabbage
• 1/4 cup shredded carrot
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• salt and ground black pepper to your taste
• Cooking oil
• 1-2 packages of round Gyoza wrapper

Make it...

1. In a saucepan on medium heat, mix chicken, chives, cabbage and carrot with soy sauce, sesame oil, salt and pepper, stir until cooked, then add cooked eggs, mix well and cool.
2. Place 1 Tbsp. of filling mixture in the center of a Gyoza wrapper, gather the edge and twist on the top. Make the rest of wrappers before cooking.
3. Lightly spray non-stick cooking oil on the bamboo steamer, place purses approx. 1/4-in apart. Steam over boiling water for 6 minutes. After cool, tie with soften chives over for decoration.

They can also be pan fried or deep fried.

• Variations of fillings are endless. You can use any of your favorite meat, seafood and vegetables, or meatless for vegetarians.
• The fillings can be used for Steamed Bun, pot stickers, etc.

Epiphany Cake (Galette des rois)

It is a French dessert with the key ingredients  like almond meal, eggs and puff pastry. Best to serve warm ... bonus treat with coffee or espresso.

Simply Ingredients:

• 1 pkg. of puff pastry (normally include 2 sheets), defrost to room temperature
• 1 1/2 blocks butter, soften
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup almond meal
• 1/4 cup flour
• 6 eggs, at room temperature

Easy to make...

1. In a medium mixing bowl, cream butter and powdered sugar with an electric mixture. Then, beat in one egg at a time until beat all 5 eggs in the mixture. Add almond meal and flour, mix well and refrigerate.
2. Place a parchment paper on the bottom of 9x13 baking pan (for easy removal later). Lay one sheet of puff pastry on the cooking parchment, spread the almond mixture over the top evenly, leave a gap of an inch around the edges.Place the 2nd puff pastry sheet on the top and press down the edges so that they are well sealed.
3. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
5. With a sharp  knife, make shallow incisions, spiralling from the top down to the base. Glaze the surface with a beaten egg and place in the oven. Cook for 10 minutes then lower the heat to 350 degrees F and cook for another 30 minutes. Cool on a wire cooling rack.

Ono Pot Stickers 韭菜锅贴

Chinese dumplings are also called Gyoza. They can be boiled, steamed, deep fried or pan fried. When they are pan fried with less oil, they are usually called Pot Stickers, the taste is a little more bold than boiled or steamed. The variation of  fillings are endless. They be chosen from any kinds of ground meat, seafood, vegetables, eggs or meatless for vegetarians. Chives is one of my favorite ingredients.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. ground pork
• 1/3 cup light soy sauce
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup water or chicken broth
• 4 cups chives, chopped finely
• 2 cups Napa cabbage, diced/chopped finely
• 2 tsp. sesame oil
• 2 Tbsp. Mayo
• 2 Tbsp. Ketchup
• 2 packages of Gyoza wrappers, round, at room temperature
• Cooking oil

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine ground pork, soy sauce, sugar and water with a big fork, stir and mix well until liquid blended with the meat. Then mix in sesame oil, ketchup and Mayo. Add finely chopped chives and Napa cabbage. Mix until all blend well.
2. Place about 1 Tbsp. of filling in the middle of a Gyoza wrapper, lightly wet half of the edge, fold over, seal edges, and shape as desired. Repeat to finish the rest of the wrapper and fillings.
3. In a medium or large non-stick omelet pan or wok with a cover, heat 1 Tbsp. cooking oil on medium heat, place 8-12 pot stickers on the bottom of the pan, add 1 Tbsp. water and place the cover to let the heat cook through the center. When the water dry out and bottoms of pot stickers turn crispy brown, they are ready to go on your serving plate.

Tips:

• They can be serviced with Chinese vinegar or pot sticker sauce that sold in the store.
• They also can be frozen until ready to cook. Simply line up the uncooked pot stickers on the small cookie sheet, and place in the freezer section  for an hour. Then, place them in a zipper able storage bag.

Almond Cookies

It's a gluten FREE cookies and made from Almond meal. This cookie is crispy outside, soft and chewy inside. You may add food colors to make you favorite colors.

Simple ingredients:

• 3/4 cup Almond meal
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 2 ex-large egg whites, at room temperature
• 1/4 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

Make it...

1. Line a parchment paper on a large cookie sheet. Lightly spray with non-stick cooking oil.
2. Sift almond meal and 3/4 cup powdered sugar into a medium mixing bowl. Mix together well.
3. In a small mixing bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until lightly foamy. Gradually add 1/4 cup powdered sugar and vanilla. Beat until holding soft peak and glossy meringue.
4. Using a spatula, fold almond mixture into the meringue 1/3 at a time until it forms a shiny batter with a thick, ribbon like consistency.
5. Pour the batter into a pastry bag and cut a small hole at the end. Pipe 32 small circles like  Quarter size circles on the parchment paper with 1/4-inch apart.
6. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes until the top is little dry and shinny. Bake in the preheated over at 325 degrees F for 10 minutes. After the cookie are cool, gently put two together with butter cream filling in the middle.

For the butter cream fillings:

• 1/2 block butter (about 4 Tbsp.), soften
• 3 Tbsp. Cream Cheese, soften
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Combine all together and beat until fluffy. Refrigerator until ready to use.

Stuffed Tofu

You will need...

• 4 Block extra firm tofu 
• 1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and minced
• 1 cup Fish Paste (鱼浆sold at Asian Grocery stores)
• 1cup cornstarch
• 1 cup green onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
• 2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
• 2 Tbsp. Sugar
• pinch of salt to taste
• Vegetable oil for cooking

Make it...

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine shrimp, fish paste, green onion, ginger, cornstarch, soy sauce and sugar together, mix with a fork until all ingredients blend well. Add pinch of salt if you like a little more bold taste. (Tip: you may cook a small bite of filling in the microwave to test if the taste is OK).
2. Cut Tofu into 1-inch square blocks, then empty the center with a melon baller or small spoon. Fill the center with the filling. Fill the rest of the Tofu squares before start cooking.
3. In a large omelet pan or wok on medium high heat, add about 1 Tbsp. cooking oil just enough to cover the bottom of the pan lightly. Place the filling side down 1st and pan fry until turn lightly brown. Turn to other sides, sprinkle little salt and cook until all sides turns golden brown.
4. Serve with steamed rice.

Extra: you may also use my pork filling recipe for Pork Stuffed Tofu.for Pork Stuffed Tofu.

Shrimp Stuffed Eggplants

You will need...

• 4 medium size Asian Eggplants (sold at Asian grocery stores)
• 1 lb. raw shrimp, peeled and minced
• 1 cup Fish Paste (鱼浆sold at Asian Grocery stores)
• 1cup cornstarch
• 1 cup green onion, chopped
• 1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
• 2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
• 2 Tbsp. Sugar
• pinch of salt to taste
• Vegetable oil for cooking

Make it...

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine shrimp, fish paste, green onion, ginger, cornstarch, soy sauce and sugar together, mix with a fork until all ingredients blend well. Add pinch of salt if you like a little more bold taste. (Tip: you may cook a small bite of filling in the microwave to test if the taste is OK).
2. Cut eggplant into 1-inch long section, then split in the center, but not cut all the way down. Open the slit and fill the center with the filling. Fill the rest of the eggplants before start cooking.
3. In a large omelet pan or wok on medium high heat, add about 1 Tbsp. cooking oil just enough to cover the bottom of the pan lightly. Place the filling side down 1st and pan fry until turn lightly brown. Turn to other side, sprinkle little salt and cover to cook until eggplants turn soft.
4. Serve with steamed rice.

 Extra: I used the leftover fillings for stuffed Tofu or Shrimp Shu Mai.

Flaky Pancakes 抓饼

Chinese style pancakes may be served with scrambled eggs for breakfast, or with meat dishes for lunch or dinner.

 

Simple ingredients:

• 3 cups flour
• 6 Tbsp. salad oil or cooking oil
• 1 cup warm water
• 1/2 cup chopped green onion
• salt for taste

 Make it...

1. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup flour and 6 Tbsp. oil, blend well and set aside.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 1/2 cups flour and 1 cup warm water, knead to a dough with smooth surface. Cover and set aside for 30 minutes. Then divide the dough into 6 pcs.
3. Flat one of small dough with rolling pin to a dinner plate shape. Brush 1/6 of oil mixture, sprinkle pinch of salt and 1/6 of chopped onion. Roll up and seal the ends, then twist together to a ball. Set aside and finish with other 5 small doughs in the same way.
4. In a non-stick omelet pan with cover, drop about 1 tsp. cooking oil just enough to cover the bottom of the pan, use medium heat. Flat the prepared dough with rolling pin to a salad plate shape. Place it in the preheat pan and brown one side at a time. Cover to let the heat to cook through and cook until both sides turn golden brown.

Bitter Melon with Shrimp

Just like it sounds, bitter melon has bitter taste. They can be purchased in Asian grocery stores. It's one of the herbal vegetables and good for your health.

Simple ingredients...

• 1 large bitter melon
• 2 Tbsp. cooking oil
• 4 gloves fresh garlic, sliced
• 1 tsp. salty shrimp paste (can be purchased in Asian grocery stores)
• 1-2 cups shrimp

Easy to make...

1. Cut bitter melon in half from the long way, take out the seeds from the center and slice to thin pcs.
2. In a medium saucepan, warm cooking oil on medium-high heat. Add garlic, bitter melon and pinch of salt, stir fry until melon turn little soft. Add shrimp and salty shrimp paste, stir until shrimp cooked.
3. Service with steamed rice or noddle.

Shu Mai 烧卖

You will need...

• 1 lb. ground pork
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 cups green onion, chopped
• 1 cup chicken broth or water, room temperature
• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil (optional)
• 1 tsp. chicken bouillon powder (optional)
• 1 Tbsp. grounded ginger (optional)
• 1-2 packages of store bought round pot sticker wraps, at room temperature

Make it...

1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine pork, soy sauce and sugar, stir with a pair of chopstick or a fork until mix well. Then add 1/2 cup of water at a time, stir until meat mixture blend well. Add green onion and the rest of the ingredients, stir and mix well. Set aside.
2. Place about 1/2 Tbsp. of filling on the center of a wrap, gather the edge in the center and squeeze together. Lightly spray the bamboo steamer with cooking oil. Place Shu Mai 1/4-inch apart.
3. Steam over boiling water for 8 minutes.

 Tip: You can add vegetables into the meat mixture, such as Chinese cabbage, chives, etc. Taste great with seafood like shrimp, too.

Steamed Dumplings 肉包子

This is one of my favorite Chinese dishes at all time. They can be made from different kinds of meat, such as pork, beef or lamb. Also can add vegetables, such as Chinese cabbage, chives, chopped green beans or celery.

For yeast dough...
You will need:

• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 1/4 cups Luke warm milk
• 1 1/2 tsp. active yeast powder
• 3 cups flour
• Pinch of salt

Mix Luke warm milk and sugar in a large mixing bowl, then sprinkle yeast powder over the mixture. Set aside for about 5 minutes until yeast bloom.
Add flour and salt to the yeast mixture, knead until the dough has smooth surface. (Quick tip - I used stand mixture with the dough attachment for mix the dough, only took me about 5 minutes.)
Cover the dough and set at a warm area, until the dough double sized. Meanwhile, make the fillings.

For Fillings...
you will need:

• 1 lb. ground pork
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 3 cups green onion, chopped
• 1 cup chicken broth or water, room temperature
• 1 Tbsp. sesame oil (optional)
• 1 tsp. chicken bouillon powder (optional)
• 1 Tbsp. grounded ginger (optional)

In a medium mixing bowl, combine pork, soy sauce and sugar, stir with a pair of chopstick or a fork until mix well. Then add 1/2 cup of water at a time, stir until meat mixture blend well. Add onion and the rest of the ingredients, stir and mix well. Set aside.

Put together...
After the dough double sizes, divide into golf ball size small dough. Flatten with rolling pin into a 2-3 inches circle. Fill the center with about 1 Tbsp. of filling mixture. Gather the edge to close on the top. Lay each dumpling 1-inch apart on the bamboo steamer. Steam over boiling water for 10 minutes.

Tips...

• It can be made into different shapes, like meat rolls, in Chinese called 肉龙.
• Leftover fillings can be used to make Shu Mai 烧卖 or pot stickers with store brought wraps.

Peach Financiers

Financiers are little French cakes made to an unusual recipe, which has a very simple method. Key ingredients are powdered sugar, almond meal, flour, butter and egg white. Because of their low fat content, financiers are best eaten on the day they are baked, service while they are little warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container once they are cool, but avoid refrigeration. Just like cupcakes, endless variations are possible.

Simple ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup flour
• 1 cup almond meal
• 1 1/2 sticks butter, melted
• 6 egg whites
• 1 can (14 oz.) canned peach slices, drained and chopped
• extra powdered sugar for dusting if you prefer

Easy to make:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Lightly spray non-stick cooking oil on a 12-recess standard muffin pan.
2. Sift sugar and flour into a large mixing bowl, then mix in almond meal.
3. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and mix in melted butter. Stir gently until just combined.
4. In another medium mixing bowl, lightly whisk egg whites until frothy. Stir egg whites into almond mixture. Lightly stir in 3/4th of the chopped peach.
5. Spoon mixture evenly into prepared pan. Top each cake with some of the reserved peach.
6. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpaste inserted in the center of a cake tests clean.
7. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool. Dust with powdered sugar just before serving.

Tips:

• You may use any other your favorite fruits as filling, such as blueberry, strawberry, raisins, cranberry, cherry, apricot, etc.

Leftover Egg Yolks...Make egg crepes...just add

• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 water
• 1/4 stick butter, melted

Mix all ingredients well in a mixing bowl. Pour 1/2 cup of mixture on a lightly oiled crepe pan. Cook on medium heat until both sides turn golden brown.