Chicken Masala

Chicken Marsala is one of my favor dish when I go to Italian restaurant.  I  love the sweet Marsala wine as perfume ingredient in the sauce.  I add in meaty mushroom to give dishes more texture.   Then milk for smooth cream taste and a touch tangy mustard to balance out the richness.   It's a very nice and comfort dish that I like to sever at fall or winter.  

 

Preparation:10 minutes.       

Cooking time:  10- 15 minutes.

Serve 2-3 people.

 

Ingredient:

 

1.  8- 10  slices chicken tenderloin.

 

2.    Baby portabella mushroom sliced.

 

3.  2 scallion diced.

 

 

Flavor:

 

Chicken marinate:

 
1.  1 teaspoon Italian season.

 

2.  1 table spoon Marsala.

 

3   1 tablespoon vegetable oil.

 

4.  Salt and black pepper.

 

5.  1/2cup all purpose flour.

 

* White meat from chicken are light in flavor and lack off oil and water consistency.  It's very easy you will overcook the meat.  That's why Chinese always marinate it first, give the flavor, add in any sort of liquid component, and oil. Flour is lightly coated to give nice color and keep chicken tender from browning, also is a thick ingredient for the sauce.  Now,  you have better control when you add in more ingredient during the cooking process.   

Sauce:

 1.  3-4 garlic rough chopped.

 

2.  1/4 cup Marsala wine.

 

3.  1/2 cup milk.

 

4.  1 tablespoon mustard.

 

5.  Salt, black and red pepper.

 

Add Italian season, Marsala wine and oil to chicken, massage the meat a little, chicken will absorb all the ingredients.  Then lightly coated flour ready for pan.

Heat the pan hot on high first, add in the oil light enough to coat all the bottom of pan, right after chicken.  When the chicken turn golden brown turn to another side. ( If the bottom of pan is getting dry, add in a little more oil).  Cook chicken 2 side golden brown then take it out by the side. ( Finish inside cooking later with sauce).

Reduce heat low, add in more oil if necessary.  Keep adding in mushroom, garlic and salt.  Turn the heat back to medium high, saute mushroom and garlic until soft and fragrance about 5 minutes.  Add in wine stir a little, then milk, black and red pepper, check the salt level, bring it to simmer.  Put chicken back in to the sauce.  Bath chicken about 1 minute on each side.  Sprinkle dice scallion on top before serving.

 

Braised ground pork and hot broiled egg on rice

Italian has bolognese. Mexican has chill.  Lu Ro Fan ( Braised ground pork on rice ) is the dish will represent Taiwan the island of Formosa.  Everyone love it, simple ingredients but savor in flavor. I remember my grand mom used to making this dish about 10 o'clock in the morning and let it simmer to noon. The aroma circles in the air around the house.  My brother and I would get so excite and couldn't wait. The thing about this dish is the longer it cook the better it gets.   There is no way you can rush it!  I try so many cooking technique, add in different spice to make it better. It turns out nothing like grand mom's. Ten yeas later, I finally nail Grand mom's taste, after I become a mom.   I image what grand mom would do? Grand mom didn't go to cooking school, she wasn't working in the fancy restaurant either. I found out the secret was nothing, but love and patient. I would love keep this dish for generations.

 

 

Preparation time: 10-15 minutes.
Cooking time: 1 1/2 hours at least,  2 hours is good.


Ingredient:

1. 2 pound 90% lean coast ground pork.

2. 1/2pound less then 80% coast ground pork.

* Coast ground pork will remain the texture after the long hours of cooking! The ground pork or beef you see in the American supermarket usually are fine grounded. Most of ground pork in Chinese supermarket are coast grounded. If you are not sure, just ask nicely for butcher's help or you don't might the texture at all!  Some chef use pork shoulder, dice pork to 0.5cm little pieces, they keep the skin too.  The texture are more meaty, but more work!

3. 4-5 medium sundry mushroom soak in the worm water until it soft then squeeze out the water and finely chopped, remain the water for add in the sauce later.

4. 1/2 cup fry shallot or fry onion from the can finely chopped.

*  The finely chopped mushroom and fry shallot become a secret ingredient, because it flavor the dish, but you won't see it!  use the food processor will save lots of time.

5. 8 hard broiled eggs, shell removed.

Flavor:

1. 1 cup good soy sauce.

2. 1/2 cup sake or light rum.

3. 1 tablespoon sugar.

4. 800 c.c water. ( 1 inch above the pork and eggs. )

Medium heat, add 1/2 cup water, saute the pork fat, cook until the water vapor then the oil render out, use pork its own fat gradually add in the lean pork, mushroom keep sauteing till pork turn color white and fragrance, add in fry shallot or fry onion, soy sauce, wine, sugar, water and mushroom water. check the salt level, use sugar as balance ingredient. The flavor should be savor but not crazy salty. ( You can adjust the water too, but not to much. Add in the hard broiled eggs, bring it to broil, then turn the heat low, simmer with little bubbles, this way pork will get the nice color, cover the lid cook about at least 1 hours is good. 2 hours will be great! Sever on top of rice, pasta, mash potato or on the chips with cheese. It's a comfort food you will never get tired of it.

Clam with Broccoli in Soy Sauce, Balamic Vinegar an d Basil

Taiwan is a island with the fresh sea food all year around.  Most of local restaurant keep fish, shrimp, and crab alive in the tank.  You can pick up your favorite and choose the way you want to cook.  There's nothing fancy or complicated cooking technique.  It's just simply fresh and flavorful directly from the sea to your table. 

 

 

 

 

Preparation time: 10 minutes.

Cooking time: 5 minutes.

 

Ingredient:

 

1.  1 pound clam wash the dirt away with brush.

 

2.  1 broccoli cut into bite size.

 

Flavor:

 

1.   4 clove garlic minced.

 

2.   4 thin slice ginger then minced.

 

3.   1 red hot chill, clean the seed and diced. (If you like it spicy)

 

4.   2 tablespoon soy sauce.

 

5.   2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, plus 1 teaspoon more for finish.

 

6.   1 tablespoon sugar.

 

7.   1 tablespoon tapioca starch or corn starch.

 

8.   1/4 cup water.

 

9.   A pinch white pepper. 

 

10.   1/4 cup sake or dry white wine.

 

11.  1 cup of basil leaves.

 

Mix soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, sugar, tapioca or corn starch, water, white pepper in a bowl.

 

High heat, add in oil, garlic, and ginger saute until the fragance come out, add in clam, broccoli mix well then wine.  Cove with lid cook clam until shell open about 3- 5 minutes.  make sure the sauce mixture mix well right before you add in the pan. Swirl the pan instead of over mix the clam which meat will fall apart from shell.  Bring it to the broil then turn heat off right away, add in basil, drizzle last touch of balsamic vinegar.

 

Great with rice or pasta.  Good with beer too!

Hummus with fire Roast Pepper and Cucumber

I have lot of hummus at all different parties, nothing beats Dalida's. She is a Lebanese lady also a great cook too. Her hummus is light and creamy, fruity intense extra virgin oil touch you tongue at first than the fresh chick peas speak for itself. Of course I get the recipe from her. I give it a little twist which I pair it with fire smoky roast pepper and crunch refreshing cucumber for more texture. I guess I will make her proud. 

　
















Preparation time:  overnight soaked chick peas and 10-15 minutes to put everything together.

Make about 1 1/2 cups hummus.

Ingredient:

1. 8 ounce chick peas.

2. 1 American cucumber peeled few stripes, and cut it about 1cm thick.

3. 1 can fire roast red pepper in vinegar water, cut into 1/2 inch square.

Flavor

1. 1 clove garlic rough chopped.

2. 1 teaspoon Tahini (sesame paste), and 1 teaspoon oil from the top of sesame paste.

3.  1 tablespoon good extra virgin oil.

4. Half lemon zest and juice.

5. I teaspoon lemoncholo. ( If you have it )

6. Salt, white and black pepper.

7. I teaspoon cilantro finely chopped.

Soak chick peas and garlic in the water about 1 inch high over night, keep it in the cool place at room temperature.(over soaking in worn temperature too long, peas might go bad).  save 1/4 cup for decorate.

Use medium high heat, steam chick peas with its own remain water about 30 minutes. Let it cool down for easy handle, then move into the food processor add in sesame paste, sesame oil, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt, white and black pepper, water( if you need to add in more).  keep blending until smooth like paste, lemoncelo will make this so bright if you have it.  Sprinkle the remain chick peas and cilantro, drip extra virgin olive oil on top of the dish.  Sever it cold.  It's a good summer appetizer, no guilty charge.

Naughty nutty bacon 魅力十足的培根

If you are a pork lover when you hear the word" bacon". I guess you will have eye open wide with excitement, mouth watering with the joyful salty goodness. I make it even naughtier. I brush it with sweet honey, and tangy Dijon mustard mixture, then top it with crushed nuts, if you would like, sprinkle some spicy cayenne peppers. You will enjoy without a word.  

Cooking time: 20 minutes.

Makes: 12 strips.

Ingredient:

1. 1 pack thick cut bacon.

　
Flavor:

1. 2 tablespoon real good honey.

2. 1-2 tablespoon Dijon mustard.

3. 1/2 cup roasted almond or your favorite nuts from can, crushed in the zip bag with a puncher.

Preheat oven 400 degree.

Put the large size foil paper on the tray with rack, laid the bacons on the rack, into the oven about 15-17 minutes, depend on how crisp you like.

Mix the honey and Dijon mustard well together, set aside.

Let the bacon cool down for easy handle, brush honey mustard mixture and pat it on the nuts. Serve it for breakfast or snack or any time you want it !

* Do you know 1 pack of thick cut bacon exit out 1/2 cup oil. Does it make you feel less guilty when you eat it?

You can save the bacon drips, use as flavor mix with healthy oil such as vegetable oil then saute with color greens, or pan fry egg or make some pasta. It will be yummy too !

如果你是一位豬肉的愛好者, 當你聽到培根這兩個字時, 眼睛一定會為之一亮, 嘴裡就會充滿喜悅的香鹹味道.  我把它變的讓你更無法拒絕了.  我混合甜美蜂蜜和氣味撲鼻的黃色芥茉醬, 然後輕輕的刷上培根, 接著再沾上搗碎的堅果類.  如果你喜歡的話, 再撒上一些紅辣椒粉, 好吃到讓你用無法言語形容.

烹調時間: 20 minutes.

製作: 20條的培根.

材料: 1包20條裝的厚片培根.

調味料: 

1.  2 大匙的蜂蜜.

2.  2 匙的黃色芥茉醬.

3.  11/2 杯烤過的杏仁或是你各人喜歡的堅果類, 然後用槌子將它搗碎.  

烤箱先遇熱至攝氏205度. 

將錫箔紙墊在大型的烤盤上, 並且放上烤架.  放上培根在烤架上, 如烤箱大約12-17 分鐘左右, 就看你喜歡的酥脆成度是如何.  

將蜂蜜和黃色芥末醬混在一起拌勻, 擱置一旁. 

讓培根稍微冷卻後, 會比較容易著手, 然後刷上蜂蜜和黃色芥末醬的混合液, 再按上搗碎後的堅果.  適合拿來當早餐, 或是點心, 或是任何一個你想要的時候也行.  

* 你知道嗎？ 一包厚片的培根取出大約 1/2杯的油脂.  這樣有沒有讓你在吃的時候, 覺得沒有那麼嚴重的罪惡感.  

你可以用這些培根留下來的多餘油脂, 搭配健康的蔬菜油, 然後來炒深綠的色青菜,  或是拿來炒蛋, 拌麵, 都是會很好吃的！~

Steamed Tilapia with Ginger and Scallion

I love that this cooks in less than 10 minutes; short and neat, like magic! It's perfect for entertaining.  Sometime I use the whole fish when I have foodies come over.  I always get that WOW effect, fresh and full of flavors.  It's very impressive.

No steamer?  Every Chinese family knows how to steam, but 8 out of 10 of us don't have a steamer.  Just remember the steam method : choose a wok or pot wide and deep enough to put in your food with lid.  Place a rack or a small bowl ( not plastic,) on the bottom of pot,  fill in the water.  Put the food on a plate, and then sit the plate on the rack or bowl.  The plate of food shouldn't touch the water.  Be sure there is a gap between plate and the pot, so steam can come up to cook the food.  Cover with the lid, try not to open the lid too many times during the steaming process, which will keep the temperature steady.

* It's important to know steam is as hot as an oven, always open the lid away from your side for safety.*

Preparation time:  5 minutes.

Cooking time: 8 minutes.

Ingredient:

1.  4 slices tilapia.  (  Cod, sea bass, halibut are good too! )

*The bigger, thicker fish take a little bit longer, Use a chopstick to test if the fish is it done or not.  if it goes through easily on the thicker part of fish without pressing in, that fish is done.  Avoid over cooking the fish. Some will be tough.

Flavor:

1.  1 tablespoon oyster sauce.

2.  1 tablespoon sake or vodka, or dry white wine is fine.

3.  1/2 cup thin sliced scallion.

4.  1/2 cup thin sliced ginger.

5.  Salt and black pepper.

6.  1 red hot chili thin sliced for color.

7.  2 tablespoon sesame oil mix with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil.                                                                                       


*Picture as left:  Dark sesame oil;
  right: Japanese sake ( rice wine)

7. 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil plus 2 tablespoon vegetable oil ( sesame oil has low heating point, by mixing vegetable oil to bring the temperature high, so it won't burn out).

Set the steam pot ready, fill in the water, cover the lid, high heat, bring to broil. 

Place fish on the plate, then mix oyster sauce with wine together. Pour it on top of the fish.

When the water boils, kill the heat or turn it down for safety,  put the fish in the pot, close tight with the lid, turn heat back to high, and steam about 8 minutes.

Turn the heat to low, open the lid, spread the scallion, ginger, and red hot chili, sprinkle salt and black pepper all over the fish. in a sauce pan, heat up the sesame and vegetable oil to smoking hot point.  Kill the heat, drizzle on top of fish, especially the scallion and ginger. Serve it hot.

* This sauce is wonderful with rice, flat pasta (such as linguine) or a piece of bread!

Teriyaki Salmon

Fish a la meuniere is a French fish dish bathed in butter. The fish comes out tender and flaky. The Chinese bath fish in soy sauce, and the fish is savory and meaty. My Grand Mom made this dish at least once a week with what ever fresh fish she could get that day. Now, this is my little boy's favorite dish. He never gets tired of it!   

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Preparation time: 5 minutes.
Cooking time:  10-15 minutes.
Serve 4 people.


Ingredients:

1.   2 large steak size salmon, or 4 cross cut salmon, season lightly with salt and black pepper.

2.   2-3 scallion chopped as 2 inch length, use white parts for saute, green part for color finish in the end. ( You can use 1 small size onion, thin sliced too)

3.   1/4 cup carrot, thin sliced same size as the scallions.

4.   1/2 cup thin sliced onion.


Flavor:

1.   5 thin slices ginger about 2 inch in length .

2.   1/4 cup soy sauce.

3.   1/4 cup sake or dry white wine.

4.   1 tablespoon sugar.

5.   1 teaspoon honey.

6.   1 cup water.

7.   2 tablespoon corn tapioca flour or corn starch mix with same among of water.

8.  Salt, White and cayenne red pepper.

Lightly coat the saute pan with vegetable oil, high heat to bring it to the smoky point, lay in the salmon, skin side down, and just leave it.   When you see the fish color change to white on the bottom side, shake the pan, salmon will be sealed on one side and easy to flip.

After flipping the salmon, check the oil level form in the pan, if the bottom of pan is dry you can add 1 tablespoon oil, also add in the ginger, carrot and scallion or onion, saute it in the same pan until their is released.  (Don't touch the fish). Add in the soy sauce, wine, sugar and honey. Swirl around the pan with handle to mix all the sauce well.  Use a spoon to bathe fish on the top side which couldn't reach the sauce about 4-5 minutes. ( If you like the fish skin crispy, just skip this step. )  Test it with a chopstick for denseness.  If it is easy to go through, then it's done.

Take out the fish then finish the sauce.  Check the saltiness, one hand slowly add in the mixed corn starch water,  other hand  use a spoon of egg beater to mix the sauce well, when it reach the thick consistence, stop adding the flour mixture.  Sprinkle in the green parts of the scallion for color.

Drizzle sauce on top of fish and serve home style with rice, or use Boston lettuce leaves to wrap everything with rice. It's another fun way to eat!

Personally, I like meaty fish such as salmon, shark, or tuna for this savory flavor.  Bon Appetit!