Category: Recipes

Categories
Asian Food Recipes

Recipe: Instant Pot Pork Belly (Kakuni)

Ingredients:
2 lbs pork belly
3 green onions
1 inch of ginger
1/2 cup water

Kakuni Seasoning liquid:
¼ cup sake
½ cup water
½ cup mirin
½ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons granulated sugar

Optional:  Red Cooked Pork Seasoning liquid
3 tablespoons rock sugar
3 garlic cloves, peeled
2 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 whole star anise
2 tablespoons Chinese dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese light soy sauce
¼ cup Shaoxing rice wine
1 cup water

Directions:

Slice the pork belly.  Slice the green part of the green onions in half.  Slice the ginger into thin slices.  Place ingredients in Instant Pot, and cover with water.  Cook under pressure for 35 minutes.

Release pressure, and discard water, green onions, and ginger.  Rinse the pork belly under warm water. Clean out Instant Pot, and return pork belly.

Pour seasoning liquid over the pork, and put Instant Pot in “saute” mode. Simmer to evaporate the alcohol. When alcohol smell is gone, turn Instant Pot off. After the pot has cooled a bit; cover, lock, and seal the lid.  Cook under high pressure for final 10 minutes. Release pressure, and serve (e.g. over rice).

Categories
Food Recipes

Instant Pot Spareribs

Ingredients:
Rack of pork ribs – ~ 2.5 lbs
Salt and pepper
Garlic powder

Sauce ingredients:
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup Japanese bbq sauce (see below)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Directions:
Cut ribs into sections.  Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder (if available). Mix the sauce in Pyrex cup and pour the sauce into the pot. Layer in the seasoned ribs.  Cover and cook on high pressure for 35 minutes.  Natural release for about 10 minutes (in those 10 minutes, stir fry some veggies).  Remove (falling-off-bone tender) ribs carefully with tongs.

Categories
Recipes

Recipe: Spinach with Garlic

Spinach with Sesame and Garlic Recipe

  • Yield: Serves 2-4.

This is a fun take on spinach, a Korean version, with the spinach wilted in sesame oil with garlic, and sprinkled with toasted sesame seeds. The recipie is from Mark Bittman’s The Best Recipes in the World. In typical Bittman style, the spinach is quick, easy, and good.

If you are using bagged baby spinach, the presoaking is not necessary, as that spinach is pretty clean. Also baby spinach does not need to be chopped. The spinach you get in bunches from the farmers market can have a lot of dirt at the root ball that needs to be washed out before you use the spinach.

Ingredients

  • 3 Tbsp dark sesame oil
  • 1 Tbsp minced garlic
  • 1 lb fresh spinach, soaked in water to clean, drained, excess water squeezed out, large stems removed and discarded, leaves roughly chopped
  • 1 Tbsp sugar
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce (use gluten-free soy sauce for gluten-free version)
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Method

1 If you haven’t already toasted the sesame seeds, do that first. Heat a stick-free skillet on medium high. Add raw sesame seeds and use a spatula or wooden spoon to stir. The seeds may make a popping noise and jump up, almost like popcorn. They will toast very quickly, so stir constantly until they begin to brown and smell like they are toasted. Remove from pan into a separate bowl as soon as they are done.

2 Heat 2 tablespoons of the sesame oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add the garlic. As soon as the garlic begins to sizzle, add the spinach and cook, stirring occassionally, until the spinach is completely wilted. Turn the heat to low.

3 Stir in the sugar and soy sauce. Remove from the heat. Add salt to taste. Serve hot, warm, room temperature, or cold, drizzled with the remaining sesame oil and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Read more: http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/spinach_with_sesame_and_garlic/#ixzz4ZTPmflnr

 

Categories
Food Recipes

Recipe: Steam Eggs

Quick savory, smooth steamed eggs.

Ingredients

  • 3 eggs
  • Water (same volume as eggs)
  • Vegetable or chicken stock (same volume as eggs)
  • Salt, to taste
  • 1 tsp sesame oil (or less)
  • Chopped scallion

Procedure

Crack 3 eggs in a liquid measuring cup and note the volume. Pour the eggs into a large bowl, add salt, and beat for at least 1 minute. Now measure out water at the same volume as the eggs, and add it to the bowl. Do the same with the broth. Whisk in the sesame oil, and make sure everything’s well combined.

Place 4 empty ramekins in a steamer over high heat. (Alternatively, you can also use just 1 shallow, heatproof bowl). Be sure the water will not bubble and touch the ramekins during steaming. Once the water boils, turn the heat down to a slow simmer. Then, divide the egg mixture into the ramekins.

Cover the steamer, turn up the heat to high, and steam for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes have elapsed, shut off the heat but keep the steamer covered. Let stand for 14 minutes with the lid firmly covered. Remove from the steamer, sprinkle with scallions, and serve.

Recipe courtesy of The Woks of Life and Ling.

 

Categories
Food Recipes

Recipe: Coffee Jelly

Coffee Jelly @ Yama Sushi
Homemade coffee jelly

Ingredients

8 oz water
1 tsp instant coffee (or cold brew coffee)
1 tsp unflavored gelatin powder
1 tbl sugar (optional)

Directions

1. In 8 oz cold water, add 1 rounded tsp instant coffee, sprinkle in 1 tsp gelatin, and (optionally) sugar. Stir and let sit for 3-5 minutes for gelatin to hydrate.
2. Place liquid in microwave for one minute on “high” to dissolve the gelatin. Liquid should not boil. About 160° is sufficient to dissolve gelatin.
3. Pour liquid into two serving bowls (4 oz. each), and place in fridge to chill and set gelatin.
4. Top with creamer and whipped cream before serving.

Note 1: Instead of instant coffee, cold brew coffee may be used. Starbucks cold brew coffee contains sugar, which may be preferable.
Note 2: Sugar in the coffee jelly makes the gelatin softer, and more pudding like.

Categories
Asian Food Recipes

Recipe: Stir Fry Cucumbers

Ingredients

2 pounds cucumbers (about 3 large cucumbers), partially peeled to create alternating peeled and unpeeled vertical strips, seeded, and cut on the bias 1/4 inch thick
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

For the Marinated Pork:
1/2 pound ground pork
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
1 teaspoon canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon Asian fish sauce
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

For the Sauce and Stir-Fry:
2 teaspoons water
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon canola or vegetable oil, divided
1/2 to 1 teaspoon of chili flakes, to taste
1/2 head of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
Cooked white rice, for serving

Directions:

1.
Place cucumbers in a large bowl and add the salt. Mix and toss until the cucumbers start to release a little bit of water, about 1 minute. Let stand for 30 minutes.

2.
Meanwhile, For the Marinated Pork: In a small bowl, combine ground pork with the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, oil, fish sauce, and cornstarch. Mix well and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to overnight.

3.
For the Sauce and Stir-Fry: In a small bowl combine the water, soy sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch. Mix well and set aside.

4.
Drain cucumbers and rinse under cold running water. Drain well, then pat dry with paper towels.

5.
In a wok, heat 1 teaspoon canola oil over high heat until smoking. Add marinated pork, spreading it out with a spatula so that it makes a thin layer. Let cook undisturbed for 30 seconds. Using the spatula, break the pork into small pieces. Add chili flakes to taste and continue stir-frying until the pork is cooked through and golden brown. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

6.
Wipe the wok clean and add the remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil and heat over high heat until smoking. Add garlic and cook, stirring, for 10 seconds. Add cucumbers and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Return pork to the wok and stir well. Mix the sauce with a spoon or chopstick and pour it into the wok. Continue cooking and stirring until the cucumbers begin to look glossy, about 30 seconds. Transfer cucmbers a plate and serve with rice.

Categories
Asian Food Recipes

Recipe: Steelhead (or Ahi Tuna) Poke

Steelhead Poke (recipe from Zupan fish monger)

Ingredients

1.5 pound steelhead steaks
1/4 cup gluten free soy sauce
3 tablespoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon sweet sriracha (to taste), or 1/2 tsp. red chili flakes (to taste)
1 scallion, thinly sliced
Scant 1/4 cup sweet onion, thinly sliced
1/4 tsp. salt
Some water
2 teaspoons black sesame seeds, toasted (optional)

Equipment

Glass bowl
Sharp chef knife
Plastic wrap

Instructions

Using a sharp knife, cut fish into cubes. Place in a large bowl. Combine all ingredients:  soy sauce, sesame oil, sweet sriracha sauce, scallion, onions, some water, and salt. Gently mix into fish until thoroughly combined. Cover the poke with plastic wrap and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours, or up to 2 days.

Categories
Food Recipes

Recipe: Macau Almond cookies

Macau Almond Cookie Recipe  澳門杏仁餅
(makes approx 30 cookies, depending on the size of your cookie mold)
Chinese cookie molds

Ingredients:

1/2 cup mung bean flour 綠豆粉 (with skin off) (100g) (see our homemade mung bean flour recipe here)
7/8 cup whole almonds (or 1 cup almond flour) (96g)
3/4 cup icing sugar (94g)
5 1/2 tbsp lard (or shortening) (70g)
1 tbsp water
1 tsp almond extract

Directions:

Oven preheat to 300F
If using whole almonds grind with icing sugar together in food processor until fine smooth flour is formed.
Mix mung bean flour, almond/icing sugar flour in bowl until thoroughly combined.  Cut up lard into small cubes and drop into the flour mixture.  Use your fingers to crumble and rub in the lard until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs.  Add all the almond extract and then the water bit by bit until the mixture comes together and holds when pressed.  (Add more or less water as you feel is necessary.)
Dust the cookie mold with icing sugar until lightly coated all around.  Pack the cookie mixture into the mold lightly but firmly, making sure that all the crevices and corners are packed.  The firmer you pack the cookie, the better it will keep its shape.  The lighter you pack your cookie the more tender and melt in your mouth it will be.  Smooth out the top (or future bottom) of your cookie by a gentle rubbing motion to get rid of excess cookie mixture.
Bang the cookie mold flat on the table to remove the cookies.  Put onto a parchment lined baking tray and bake for 25 mins or until just golden brown with the oven door slightly open.  Switch off heat and close oven door for 5 more minutes to finish off.  Let cool on rack completely.
Store in a air tight container for up to 2 weeks.
Categories
Food Recipes

Recipe: Slow cooker baby back ribs

Ingredients:

1 rack baby back ribs
3 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 Tbsp cider vinegar
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Rub some salt and pepper on ribs.  Mix ketchup, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, and vinegar in bowl.  Apply glaze to ribs with a brush.  Place ribs into two quart crock-pot and cook on high for one hour, set to low and cook for another 6 hours.

Categories
Food Recipes

Recipe: Charlie’s Spareribs

Ingredients:

1.5 cups ketchup
1.5 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate
1 sliced up orange (with the peel)
3 tablespoons chili powder
Minced ginger to taste
No salt needed, as ketchup and soy sauce should be sufficient

Coat spareribs with sauce, cover well with foil, add 1/2 cup water to the pan.  Cook at 300°.  Flip ribs over after 1 hr.  Cook another hour.  Flip again, add sauce.  Heat at 400° for 10-20 minutes (watch to prevent burning).