Stir Fry Sticky Rice Balls

Sticky Rice is very popular in Asian food. They are little chewy and sticky than other kinds of rice. You should use less water to cook so that will not to soft. Since they are sticky, it is easy to scoop and make it to a cute rice ball. Chinese sausage gives this dish more Asian flavor and shine.

 

Simple ingredients:

• 1 cup sticky rice (glutinous rice)
• 1/4 cup raw peanuts
• 1 Chinese sausage, cut into small cubes
• 1 Tbsp. cooking oil
• 1-2 green onion, diced
• 1/4 cup frozen peas
• 2 Tbsp. Oyster Sauce
• Salt and ground black pepper to your taste

Easy to make:

1. Cook the rice and raw peanuts together in a rice cooker.
2. In a wok, warm cooking oil on medium heat, add sausage and green onions, stir until sausages are cooked. Then, add peas, oyster sauce, salt and pepper, stir and mix well. Add cooked rice and peanuts, stir fry until all ingredients well blend.

 



Chicken Marsala Stir Fry

There are many chicken Marsala recipes on the web and they all look delicious. I add soy sauce in this Asian style chicken Marsala. They are simple, easy, tender and tasty. I prefer to use boneless and skinless thighs, but you may substitute with chicken breast for more protein.

Simple ingredients:

• 4-6 boneless and skinless chicken thighs, sliced or cubed
• 1 small box mushrooms, sliced
• 1 yellow onion, sliced
• 1/4 cup frozen peas
• 2 Tbsp. cooking oil
• 1/4 cup Marsala cooking wine
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. sugar
• salt and ground black pepper to your taste

Easy to make:

1. Heat a large wok on stove on high, add cooking oil and onion, saute until onion turn soft.
2. Add sliced chicken, salt and pepper and brown all sides.
3. Add Marsala, soy sauce and sugar, stir and blend all seasonings well.
4. Add mushroom and peas, stir until mushroom cooked and turn soft. Don't add any water for better tasting. Serve with steamed rice.

Best Bisquick Cookies

I found this recipe from Pinterest and adopted from plainchicken.com. Just like someone pinned "best ever" Bisquick cookies and I try it...so true! They are the BEST...and the Easiest ever, too. Since I have some white chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, dried cranberries, almond and sunflower seeds left in my kitchen, I add them into this cookie dough and turn out...GREAT!

Simple ingredients:

• 1/2 butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 egg
• 2 3/4 cups Bisquick
• 1 cup chips as you prefer, such as chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, butterscotch chips, caramel chips, etc.
• 1/2 cup chopped nuts of any kinds (optional)
• 1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries (optional)

Easy to make:

1. In a large bowl, mix butter, sugar, vanilla and egg together until well blend and smooth.
2. Stir in Bisquick, chips, nuts and dried cranberries.
3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line parchment paper over a large cookie sheet.
4. Drop dough by rounded Tablespoonfuls onto cookies sheet, about 1-inch apart.
5. Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
6. Remove from cookie sheet to cooling rack to cool.

Package cookies with the clear plastic party bags with colorful ribbons...great ideas for bake sales, Christmas Gifts, or just because you want to share with someone...they are inexpensive, too.

Chocolate Cookie Dough Cupcakes

This is not a diet cupcake and that's why it is soooooo yummy...moist chocolate cupcake is filled with a mini chocolate chip cookie dough, and top with vanilla yogurt cream cheese frosting...just eat one a day and stay healthy.

For the cupcakes: (make 36 servings)

• 1 package refrigerated mini chocolate chip cookie dough (48 counts)

Dry ingredients...

• 2 cups sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 3/4 cup coco powder
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 1 tsp. salt

Wet ingredients...

• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup dark roasted black coffee
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract

1. Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl, mix with an electric mixer on low speed until well blend. (stand mixer is great to do the job right).
2. Add all wet ingredients to the mixed dry ingredients. Whisk on medium speed about 2-3 minutes all ingredients blend well. The batter should be thin.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake liners in muffin pans and spray with no-stick cooking oil. Place one mini cookie dough in the center of each cupcake liner. Pour the cake batter in each cups 3/4 full.
4. Bake 12 minutes until a toothpick comes out of center of the cupcake is clean. Cool in the pan while preparing the frosting.

Vanilla Yogurt Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 stick butter, at room temperature
• 1 (6 oz.) vanilla yogurt
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• Optional: 1/2 cup cookie crumbs

Whisk all frosting ingredients together with an electric mixer until well blend, smooth and fluffy. Pipe on each cupcakes as your designs.

Remedy Tea for Constipation

This simple and easy remedy tea for constipation is passed on from Chinese ancestors, and WORKS!

For better results, here are the MUST-to-do lists...

• Vinegar- must use the superior mature vinegar and you may purchase it at Asian grocery stores. Other types of vinegars may not work if you have serious constipation problems.
• Honey - must use the Pure honey, not the artificial honey.
• Drink it in the morning with empty stomach.
• Drink it down at one time as quick as you can.
• Be consistent and drink this tea every morning and you will visit restroom before noon :)

Simple ingredients:

• 1 cup warm or hot water (or 1/2 cup more for lighter taste)
• 1 Tbsp. pure honey
• 1 Tbsp. superior mature vinegar

Mix water, honey and vinegar with a spoon in a mug until honey melted and blend in the drink. Cool until able to drink it.

Other tips for treating constipation:

• Self massage at night before you go to sleep. Lie down on the bed and relax. Massage your lower abdomen with both hands (one hand on the top of the other one),  clockwise 40-100 times, then counter clockwise 40-100 times. Then, grab your lower belly with both hands and shake about 10 times. Well, it may sound weird, but it's really works!

Peanut Butter Cupcakes

Creamy, fluffy and easy to make for peanut butter lovers!

For cupcakes:

• 1 box classic yellow cake mix
• 1 small box chocolate pudding mix
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 3/4 cup cooking oil
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1 cup warm water
• 1 cup peanut butter chips, chopped

In a large mixing bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, eggs, sour cream and oil together. Whisk with an electric mixer, add water little at a time. Continue to whisk on medium speed about 5 minutes until fluffy. Fold in peanut butter chips.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake liners in muffin pans and lightly spray with no-stick cooking oil. Fill each muffin  cup with batter 1/2-3/4 full. ( I use the extra batter to make some mini cupcakes with mini muffin pan).

Bake for 18 minutes. Cool.

 

For peanut butter cream topping:

• 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 cup whipped cream
• 4 Tbsp. butter, at room temperature

Whisk all topping ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl with an electric mixer until well blend and cream. Pipe on cooled cupcakes, dust with coco powder and decorate with a drop of jelly/jam.

0 Calories Noddle

Oh, yeah! Believe it or not...this Shirataki (Yam Noddle) has zero (0) calories! They can be purchased in Asian grocery stores, refrigerator section. Some of them have 5-10 calories. The texture of these clear noddles are crunchy than the flour noddles. You can add them to your soup or stir fry with veggies or/and meat. Just like when I cook other Asian stir fry dishes, I don't measure the seasonings with measuring spoons...just feel free to add your favorite seasoning to your taste. Simple, easy, tasty and low calories.

Simple ingredients:

• 1 bag (16 oz.) shirataki noddle, drain the water
• 1 Tbsp. cooking oil
• 1 tsp. chicken bouillon powder
• seasonings choose from: salt, garlic, oyster sauce, sugar, black pepper, chill pepper, ginger, etc.
• any vegetables at your choice
• any cooked meat at your choice

Easy to make:

• In a large wok or saucepan, heat cooking oil until warm. Add cooked meat, veggies, and seasonings from your choice. Stir fry 1 minute until blend well. Add Shirataki noddle, stir fry about 2 minutes until all ingredients well blend.

 

Red Velvet Party

Use one of my favorite Red Velvet Cake recipe, I made 4 different ways:

• 24 cupcakes - take to a birthday party
• 12 minis cupcakes and 6 poppers - take to work to share with my co-workers
• 1 parfait - just for me after dinner :)

Take a little more time to put them together, but it's easy!

For the Cake batter:

• 1 box Red Velvet cake mix
• 1 small box chocolate pudding mix
• 4 eggs
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 3/4 cup cooking oil
• 1 cup warm water

Mix all above ingredients together in a large mixing bowl with an electric mixer or stand mixer. Whisk until well blend and fluffy.

For Vanilla Yogurt Cream Cheese Frosting:

• 2 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, at room temperature
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 (6 oz.) vanilla yogurt
• 1 cup whipped cream

Whisk all topping ingredients together in a medium mixing bowl until well blend and smooth. Set in the refrigerator until ready to use.

For cupcakes:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line 24 cupcake liners in muffin pans and lightly spray with no-stick cooking oil. Fill each cupcake liners with the cake batter 1/2 full. Bake for 18 minutes. Remove from oven and cool in the pans.
• Top with Vanilla Yogurt Cream Cheese frosting and decorate with your favorite cake decor.

For mini cupcakes, popper and parfait:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly spray a 24-counts mini muffin pan with no-stick cooking oil. Fill each cup with 1 Tbsp. of cake batter. Bake for 10 minutes. Cool completely.
• Assemble each popper by using 2 mini cupcakes: cut tops off  each cupcakes horizontally, spread or pipe about 1 Tbsp. frosting on the cut side of 1 cupcake top. Form a sandwich by placing cut side of second cupcake top on the frosting. Press lightly.
• Assemble Parfait by using the bottom of each min cupcakes left from popper, layer with yogurt, nuts, cookie crumbs, and frosting top. Place a mini red velvet cake on the top to decorate.

Extra flavor cupcakes:

For chocolate lovers - Fold in 1 cup chopped chocolate chips in the cake batter, give you more chocolate flavor.

For Cheesecake lovers - drop 1 table spoon of basic cheesecake batter in the center of each cupcake batter before bake in the oven. All you need to do is: whisk 1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 egg and 1 tsp. vanilla extract together until smooth. (note: cream cheese and egg should be at room temperature).

Easy Meat Pastry 肉酥饼

When I am making Lumpia or Gyoza, there are often some meat filling left. They could use to make Easy Chinese Buns with canned biscuits if I have some left in my refrigerator. When I really don't have any pre-made wrappers left at home, I use below quick pastry wrapper recipe to make these flaky meat pastry.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup cold water
• 2 Tbsp. cooking oil
• Pinch of salt

Easy to make:

1. Mix all above ingredients together and knead to a dough. Wrap with plastic wrapper and set aside for 20 minutes.
2. Cut the dough into 16 pieces, flatten each piece with a rolling pin into a thin, flat circle. Place meat filling in the center, bring the edge together and seal.
3. Pay fry in hot cooking oil at meat heat until both sides turn golden brown.

Asian Sweet Potato Salad

This simple, easy and quick salad can be satisfied to any sweet potato lovers. You don't need to measure with spoons or cups, just feel free to make to your own taste.

Simple ingredients:

• Raw sweet potato, cut into cubes
• Cooking oil, enough for pan fry
• Mayonnaise
• Salt, ground black pepper, sugar
• Sesame seeds to sprinkle (optional)

Easy to make:

1. Pan fry cubed sweet potato in a saucepan on high heat until turn golden brown and soft. Take them out and drain the extra oil on a paper towel. Cool.
2. Mix cooled sweet potato with mayonnaise. Sprinkle salt, pepper and sugar to your taste. Ready to serve!

PS. If you don't have sweet potato, you may substitute with potato.