stir fried nien gao (rice cakes)

 stir fried nien gao

1 lb pork shoulder or lion, julienned or other meat
1 T water
1 1/2 T soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp white pepper
2 tsp vegetable oil
2 tsp corn starch

1.5 lbs rice cake / nien gao
12 oz baby bok choy, kale or other leafy green, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
5 scallions, cut on a diagonal
3 T vegetable oil
2 T shaoxing wine or rice vinegar
3/4 -- 1 cup water
1 tsp sesame oil
1 T dark soy sauce
1 T soy sauce
3 tsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1 T Chinese sha cha sauce

• Marinate the julienned pork with the water, light soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, vegetable oil, and cornstarch. Allow to sit for 20-30 minutes, while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
• Rinse the rice cakes and drain. If using fresh or frozen rice cakes, you do not have to soak or thaw them. Only soak (according to package instructions) if using dried rice cakes.
• Thoroughly wash the baby bok choy (or napa cabbage). Drain, shaking off excess water. If using baby bok choy, separate into individual leaves. If using napa cabbage, cut the large leaves into smaller bite-sized pieces. Also prepare the garlic and scallions.
• Place your wok over high heat until it begins to smoke lightly. Add the vegetable oil to coat the wok, and add the pork and garlic. Cook until the pork turns opaque. If using mushrooms, add them now and stir-fry for 1 minute.
• Stir in the scallions, bok choy/cabbage, and Shaoxing wine. Stir-fry for 30 seconds, and move everything to the center of the wok to create an even “bed” of vegetables and meat. Distribute the rice cakes on top (this prevents them from sticking to the wok).
• Add water (or mushroom soaking water for extra flavor). Depending on how hot your stove gets, you can add 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup. Cover, and cook for 2 minutes to steam the rice cakes and cook the vegetables.
• Remove the cover, and add the sesame oil, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, white pepper, and sugar. Stir-fry everything together for 1 minute over medium heat. Taste, and season with additional salt if necessary. Continue stir-frying until the rice cakes are coated in sauce, cooked through but still chewy. Plate and serve!

red bean nien gao (mochi cake)

happy chinese new year. This is about the only thing my family ever did/does to celebrate :)

red bean nien gao
makes one 9x13 pan, or 2 loaves

1 lb sweet glutinous rice flour (e.g. Mochiko, or the bag with the green text in Asian stores)
3 eggs
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 cups milk or water
1 cup sugar
1 can sweetened red bean
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and grease a 9x13 pan or 2 loaf pans with oil. Sprinkle some of the rice flour on the pan(s) as well.

Mix together all the ingredients except the red bean paste.

Stir in the red bean paste and walnuts, if using.

Pour into pan(s) and bake for 45-60 mins. Cake is done when you can insert a knife cleanly.

Slice into squares or rectanges (like a lemon bar) and serve. Best warm or at room temperature. Great to toast in the oven in the morning, too!

simple sesame noodles

so easy, so yummy.

sesame noodles
10 servings

1 lb spaghetti or linguine noodles
1/4 + 1/8 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp sugar
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp rice vinegar
4 1/2 tbsp pure sesame oil
1 tsp hot chili oil (optional)
6 tbsp canola oil 
 6 whole green onions, sliced thin

Whisk all ingredients (except noodles and green onions) together in a bowl. Taste and adjust ingredients as needed.

Pour sauce over warm noodles and toss to coat.

Sprinkle with green onions and toss.

sesame noodles

We're trying to cook some more vegetarian dishes in our house, but we also want our food to taste yummy - like this meal. :)

sesame noodles
serves 8

1 lb spagheti, soba or Chinese egg noodles
1/4 cup rice vinegar
6 tbsp sesame paste, almond butter or peanut butter
6 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp honey
2 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp or more chili-garlic sauce (optional)
1 1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 1/2 cup celery, thinly sliced on bias
1 1/2 cup bell pepper, thinly sliced
1 pkg frozen shelled edamame (for vegetarian version)
1/2 lb shredded chicken (for non-veg version)
4 scallion, thinly sliced
6 sprigs cilantro, chopped

Bring a large pot of water to boil over high heat. Cook the noodles until tender yet firm. Drain the noodles and run cold water over them until cooled down. Drain again.

In a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, sesame paste or nut butter, honey, sesame oil and chili-garlic sauce until smooth, or combine in a jar and shake until smooth.

Put the noodles in a large bowl along with the chopped vegetables and chicken, if using. Add 3/4 of the sauce on top and toss well to distribute the sauce evenly throughout. Top with scallions and cilantro and mix again. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled. Add more sauce if needed.

Chinese red bean soup with QQ balls

Chinese people eat this sweetened bean soup as a dessert, and the Taiwanese add little chewy (QQ), sticky rice flour dumplings for extra goodness and fun.

red bean soup
makes 12 servings

2 cups red adzuki beans
3/4 cup sugar
2 pieces tangerine or orange peel (optional)

for the QQ (tong shui)
1/2 cup glutinous rice flour
3 tbsp water

Soak the red beans in cold water for 2 hours.

Discard the water, add the beans to a medium or large pot and add water until it reaches 2 in above the beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low Add the optional orange peel and then cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add additional water as necessary.

After 2 hours, the beans should be breaking, but still somewhat firm. Add sugar to the soup and stir or wait to let it dissolve.

Once dissolved, let the soup cook down for up to 30 mins until it reaches your desired consistency.

To make the QQ balls:

Mix the water and rice flour together to form a paste that holds together. If the paste is too dry and does not form a cohesive blob or mass when pressed together, add sprinkles of water a bit at a time until it does. The firmer the paste, the more QQ or chewy the balls will be.

Use your palms to form a log out of the paste, about the diameter of your fingers, or however large you want it. Break off little bits of the dough and round out each bit to form a ball.

Gently place the balls into the gently boiling soup. Once they float (within a few mins), your soup is ready to be eaten. If you overboil these, it's ok, but they will expand and absorb water, becoming less QQ.

Asian chicken lettuce wraps

These aren't that authentic, but still delicious!

Asian lettuce wraps
makes 4 servings

18 bibb, butter or ice berg lettuce leaves
1 lb boneless chicken, diced
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
6 oz mushrooms, chopped
1 cup bean sprouts (optional)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp ginger, minced
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 dash Asian chile pepper sauce (optional)
1 8 oz can water chestnuts, drained and chopped OR 3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
1 cup cashews (optional)

green onions, chopped
cilantro, chopped

Rinse whole lettuce leaves and pat dry, being careful not to tear them. Set aside.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook and stir chicken until cooked on all sides. Stir in onion and vegetables until tender. Stir in hoisin sauce, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and vinegar. Add water chestnuts, sesame oil and cashews.

Arrange lettuce leaves around the outer edge of a large serving platter and pile meat mixture in the center.

Serve in lettuce wraps and garnish with cilantro and green onions.

soy ginger scallion whole steamed fish

This dish is probably my favorite of a multi-course Chinese banquet. I never thought I'd be able to do it on my own, but this turned out just like the real thing.

whole steamed fish with soy, ginger and scallion
makes 2 (or 4 side) servings

1 (1 1/2 lb) whole white fish (such as sea bass, branzino or flounder), cleaned with head and tail intact
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2"x 1/2" piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely julienned
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine
1 scallion, julienned
4 sprigs cilantro
1/2 cup canola oil

Rinse the fish in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Season the fish inside and out with salt and pepper. Place the fish on a heatproof plate that is both large enough to accommodate it (a glass pie plate works well) and will also fit inside your steamer, bending the fish slightly if it is too long. Stuff half of the ginger inside the cavity of the fish and spread the remaining ginger on top of the fish.

Pour water into a wok or stockpot and set a steamer in the wok or on the rim of the stockpot. Make sure the water does not touch the bottom of the steamer. Bring the water to a boil over high heat.

Place the plate holding the fish in the steamer, cover, and steam for about 8 minutes, until the fish flakes easily when tested with the tip of a knife.

While the fish is steaming, in a small bowl, stir together the soy sauce, wine, and 1 tablespoon of water. Set aside.

When the fish is ready, carefully remove the plate from the steamer and pour off any accumulated liquid. Lay the scallion and cilantro along the top of the fish. In a small sauté pan, heat the oil over high heat until it is hot but not smoking. Remove the oil from the heat and pour it directly over the scallion and cilantro to "cook" them. Drizzle the soy mixture over the fish and serve immediately.

asian pulled pork buns

Asian pulled pork buns
makes 12 servings

For sauce: 

1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce

1/2 cup hoisin sauce

3 tbsp ketchup or sriracha sauce

3 tbsp rice vinegar

1/4 cup honey

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tbsp peeled and grated fresh ginger

2 tsp dark sesame oil

1 1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder

 1 pork shoulder

½ bunch green onions, sliced thin

½ bunch cilantro, chopped

Chinese mantou or American potato sandwich buns

Put sauce ingredients into a jar and shake to combine.

Add 1/4-1/2 of the sauce, along with the meat to the slow cooker and add water to cover meat completely. Cover with lid and cook the meat on low for 8 hours (or high for 4 hours).

When the pork is done, remove it from the slow cooker with a slotted spoon and shred the pork, removing any skin, fat and bones.

Return the meat to the pot or large bowl and stir it in the remaining sauce.

Serve the meat inside a bun, and topped with a few green onions and cilantro sprigs.

chicken ginger congee

our family would eat this almost every weekend for breakfast.

chicken ginger congee
makes 6 servings

1 1/2 lbs bone-in chicken legs or thighs, skin removed and trimmed of excess fat
1 cup long grain white rice, frozen
6 cups water
4 cups chicken broth
1 (1 in.) piece ginger, skin on and sliced into 4 pieces
2 tsp salt
sesame oil or fish sauce, to taste
pinch ground white pepper
cilantro, chopped
scallions, chopped

Combine all the first 6 ingredients into a pot and bring to a boil. Turn heat to medium-low and continue cooking at a lively simmer for 1 hour.

Add a splash of fish sauce or sesame oil to the pot and stir.

Serve topped with cilantro and scallions.

ginger clam soup

I made this for lunch today before our giant and slightly heavier Christmas dinner. If I remember, I will probably do this every Christmas lunch.

ginger clam soup
makes 3-4 servings

1 lb winter melon (optional)
1 lb clams
3-4 slices ginger
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp cooking wine
scallions and cilantro (optional)

Soak clams in salt water and a little bit of corn meal to remove sand.

Peel winter melon, remove seeds and dice.

Pour water to cover winter melon and cook until soft.

When water boils, add clams, shredded ginger and salt. Once clams open, turn off the fire and pour cooking wine.

Serve with sliced scallions and cilantro, if desired.

nuomi fan

I've made this every Christmas for the last 3 or 4 years, making it our family's first real Christmas tradition. 

nuomi fan (sticky rice with Chinese sausage)
makes 8-10 side servings

3 cups Chinese or Japanese short-grain sticky ("sweet") rice
1 cup Chinese dried black mushrooms or dried shiitake mushrooms
5 Chinese sausages (6-8 oz total)
1 tbsp peanut oil
1 tbsp minced peeled fresh ginger
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions (1 bunch)
1 1/2 cups bottled peeled cooked whole chestnuts, coarsely chopped or raw peanuts
1/3 cup Chinese rice wine or Sherry
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp Asian sesame oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
2 cups chicken broth

Cover rice with cold water by 1 inch in a large bowl and soak at least 2 hours. Drain in a sieve and rinse well under cold running water.

Soak mushrooms in warm water 30 minutes, then drain, squeezing excess liquid back into bowl, and keep liquid. Rinse mushrooms to remove any grit, then discard stems and coarsely chop caps. Quarter sausages lengthwise and cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

Heat a 4-6 quart heavy pot over high heat until just smoking. Add peanut oil and heat, swirling in wok, until just smoking. Add ginger and scallion and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add sausage and stir-fry 1 minute, then add mushrooms and stir-fry 1 minute. Add chestnuts and stir-fry 1 minute. Stir in rice wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, salt, and white pepper and remove from heat. Add drained rice and stir to coat.

And add broth (broth will not completely cover rice) and drained mushroom liquid. Bring to a simmer, stir once, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook 25 minutes more, then remove from heat. Stir from bottom to distribute ingredients and let stand, covered, 10 minutes before serving.

chinese winter melon soup

For something clean, light and soothing, especially to go along with a heavier meal.

winter melon soup
makes 3-4 servings

1 cup winter melon (1/2 lb)
2 cups chicken broth
5 Chinese dried black mushrooms, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped (optional)
2-3 slices ginger
1/4 cup cooked ham, diced
salt and pepper, to taste
1 green onion, chopped

Reconstitute the Chinese dried mushrooms by soaking in hot water for 20 - 30 minutes until softened. Squeeze out any excess water and chop coarsely. 

Wash the winter melon, remove the green skin, seeds, and the pulp. Cut into 2-inch pieces.


Place the winter melon in a pot of water, bring to a boil, and simmer for approximately 20 minutes or until the winter melon is tender.


Add the chicken broth, mushrooms, ginger, cooked ham and carrots, if using. Add seasonings as desired. Simmer for about 20 minutes. Add green onion for garnish. Serve hot.

Variations: If winter melon is unavailable, this dish can also be made with a seeded and peeled cucumber. 

soy marinated tofu

This was actually my first time cooking tofu, and it was amazing, and an even better version of one of the kids' favorite dishes from Tasty Hand Pulled Noodles in Chinatown.

soy marinated tofu

3 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoon olive oil

2 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup

4 teaspoons rice vinegar or white wine vinegar

1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or a good pinch of ground ginger

4 teaspoons hoisin sauce, optional

One 16-ounce tub extra-firm tofu

1 or 2 scallions, thinly sliced, optional

1. Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a small bowl and stir together.

2. Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Blot well between clean tea towels or several layers of paper towels, then cut each slice through the thickness again to make 1/4-inch-thick slices. Blot briefly again.

3. Cut each slice into 2 squares. Place in a shallow pan and drizzle with the marinade. Gently turn the tofu pieces over so that both sides are coated with marinade. Let stand for 10 minutes or so.

4. Heat a wide nonstick skillet. Transfer the tofu and marinade into the skillet. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring gently and frequently, until the tofu is nicely browned on most sides.

Scatter scallions over the tofu if desired, and serve at once.

garlic green bean stir fry

This was my best attempt so far at recreating Chinese restaurant style green beans.

p.s. cutting the green beans makes it easy for kids to eat, and our kids totally ate these up.

garlic green bean stir fry
makes 8 servings

1 lb fresh green beans, cut into 2 in lengths
2 tbsp peanut oil
2 tbsp chopped garlic (I used ~6 cloves)
1 large yellow onion, cut in half top to bottom, then into slivers
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp water (plus more if you check and the pan seems dry)
2 tbsp oyster sauce

Heat the wok or heavy frying pan over high heat for 1-2 mins, until too hot to hold hand over. Add the oil and heat about 30 secs more, then add the garlic and onion and cook for 20-30 secs more, stirring the whole time.

Add beans and salt and cook about 2 mins, stirring several times. Then add water, cover wok, and let beans steam for 5 mins. (I checked once to see if pan seemed dry and added about 1 tsp more)

Uncover the pan and add oyster sauce, then cook 2 mins more, stirring so all the beans are uniformly covered with sauce. Beans should still be slightly crisp when done. Serve hot.

moo goo gai pan

perfect for when you'd like something ethnic, yet something also kind of plain.

moo goo gai pan
makes 6 servings

1 tbsp egg white (optional)
1 tbsp corn starch (optional)
1 tbsp vegtable oil
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
2 cups chopped broccoli florets
1 (8 oz) can sliced bamboo shoots, drained
1 (8 oz) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
1 (15 oz) can whole straw or enoki mushrooms, drained
1 tbsp vegetable oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp minced ginger
1 lb skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into strips
 2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp rice wine
1/2 cup chicken broth

Optional step: velvet your chicken (how restaurants make their meat so tender and soft). Combine 1 tbsp egg white (f you don't want to use eggs, just toss with cornstarch instead) and 1 tbsp corn starch into a slurry, toss with the chicken and refrigerate for at least 30 mins.

Stir together the cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine and chicken broth in a small bowl.

Heat 1 tbsp of vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat until it begins to smoke. Stir in the broccoli and saute for a couple minutes. Add 2-4 tbsp water, and let broccoli steam until water is evaporated and broccoli tender. Add mushrooms and saute until just starting to soften. Stir in bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, and canned mushrooms. Cook and stir util all of the vegetables are hot. Remove from skillet/wok and set aside. Wipe out wok.

Heat the remaining tbsp of vegetable oil in the wok until it begins to smoke. Stir in the garlic and ginger and cook for a few seconds until fragrant. Add the chicken, and cook unti lthe chicken has lightly browned on the edges and is no longer pink in the center, about 5 mins. Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Boil for about 30 seconds until the sauce thickens and is no longer cloudy. Return the vegetables to the wok and toss with the sauce.

Serve over rice.

homemade soy milk

I have been craving everything Chinese as of late, and this was one of them. Nothing beats homemade do jiang!

homemade soy milk
makes 6 quarts (24 cups)
 
1 1/2 lbs  soybeans
7 quarts (6 1/2 liter) water
Sugar, to taste

Rinse the soybeans thoroughly with water and soak them overnight with water. The next day, discard the water and rinse the soybeans a few times. If you want, remove the soybean skins as much as you can (I roll them through my hands and pick out any skins that are already or starting to come off). Drain and set aside.

In a blender, add the soy beans (in batches). Add some water to the soybeans and blend well. Transfer the blended soybeans and water into a big 8-quart stock pot. Repeat the same until all soybeans are blended.

Bring the soybean mixture to boil on medium height. Stir occasionally to avoid the soybeans from sticking to the bottom of the pot. As soon as it boils, lower the heat to medium-low and skim the foam off the top of the liquid. Continue to simmer for about 30 – 45 minutes or until the soy milk reduces to your desired consistency.

Turn off the heat once the soy milk is done. Use a cheese cloth or paper or cloth coffee filter to filter out the soybean residue. Squeeze the residue and make sure that all soy milk is fully extracted. Discard the residue. Add sugar to taste before serving the soy milk (I used about 1/2 - 3/4 cup).

P.S. the leftover soy bean pulp can be used to make soy flour (if you have loads of time), which is also gluten free.

chinese coconut taro tapioca

I came across this recipe and immediately wanted it. I've made it twice in the past month, and will most likely make it again this week!

coconut taro tapioca pudding
makes 12 servings

4 cups water 1 cup small, white tapioca pearls  6 cups water 2 cups raw taro root, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes 1 (13.5 ounce) can coconut milk 2/3 cup rock/lump sugar In a saucepan with a lid, bring 4 cups of water to a boil, and stir in the tapioca pearls (pearls will swell in size). Reduce heat to a simmer, and cook the tapioca until pearls begin to soften, about 7 minutes. Cover the pan, and let the tapioca pearls stand for 10 to 15 minutes, until the centers are clear. Gently drain the excess water, and set the pearls aside. Bring 6 cups of water to a boil in a large saucepan and stir in the taro root. Reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer the taro until soft, about 10 minutes. Add coconut milk and rock sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar, and simmer for 20 more minutes to blend the coconut milk and taro. Gently stir in the soft tapioca pearls until well combined. Serve warm.

beef stir fry

A go-to recipe, when I usually run out of ideas and have random veggies. And then we sit down for dinner and everyone is always so pleased. :) (I usually just use the recipe for sauce and add in whatever veggies we have)

beef stir-fry

makes 4 servings

2 tablespoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons white sugar

6 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 cup white wine

1 pound boneless beef round  or pepper steak, cut into thin strips

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups broccoli florets

2 carrots, thinly sliced

6 oz snow peas

2 tablespoons chopped onion

1 (8 ounce) can sliced water chestnuts or bamboo shoots,

1 cup Chinese cabbage

2 large heads bok choy, chopped

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Combine cornstarch, sugar, soy sauce, and wine in a small bowl until smooth. Toss beef in sauce to coat.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Saute garlic until fragrant. Cook and stir broccoli, carrots, pea pods, and onion for 1 minute. Stir in water chestnuts, Chinese cabbage, and bok choy; cover and simmer until vegetables are tender, about 4 minutes. Remove from skillet and keep warm.

In same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Cook and stir beef until desired degree of doneness, about 2 minutes per side for medium. Return vegetables to skillet; cook and stir until heated through, about 3 minutes. Serve over rice.