Steamed Scallion Rolls(葱油花卷)

Ingredients

All purpose flour - 5.5 to 6 cups
Milk - 1 cup
Warm water - 1 cup
Active dry yeast - 2 tsp
Sugar - 1 TBSP
Green onion - 3 stalks, finely chopped
Olive Oil - 2 TBSP
Salt - 2 tsp

Steps

1. Add milk, warm water, yeast and sugar to bread machine, then add flour. Turn on Dough cycle to let it complete the whole cycle.
2. Divide the dough in halves. Use rolling pin to roll out into rectangular sheet, about 1/4 inch thick. Drizzle 1 tbsp oil, then scatter salt and green onion evenly over the top. Roll tightly to form a log and cut every 2 inch. Put a chopstick over the center and press down. Then rotate the dough by 90 degrees, place it over the chopstick and pinch both ends together. Put it on the counter surface and press the chopstick down to tightly seal the bottom. Remove the chopstick.

3. Place rolls inside a steamer lined with cheese cloth, and let them sit covered for 30 minutes or until volume increases by 50%. Place the steamer pot on high heat. Bring water to a boil, then steam the rolls for 8 minutes. Remove from heat and stand for 3 more minutes before opening the lid.

No knead Dutch Oven Sourdough Bread

Tried this recipe. I baked 25min+20min. Next time I should bake longer with open lid to have a thicker crust.

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups warm water
2 teaspoons instant yeast
1 tablespoon honey
5 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 cup plain Greek yogurt

Steps

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine the water, yeast, honey, flour, salt, and yogurt. Using the dough hook, mix until the flour is completely incorporated. Alternately, you can mix the dough with a wooden spoon until it comes together. Cover the bowl with a wet towel or plastic wrap and let sit at room temperature 2 hours or until it doubles size.

2. If time allows, punch the down, cover the bowl, and transfer the bowl of dough to the fridge and let sit overnight. This will help develop a stronger "sourdough" flavor.
3. Generously dust a work surface with flour. Scrape the dough out of the bowl. It should be loose and sticky. Form the dough into a ball and place in a parchment lined 4 quart or larger dutch oven. Allow to rise 1 hour or until doubled in size.

4. Preheat to 475 degrees F. Bake, covered for 20-25 minutes. Using oven mitts, remove the hot lid and continue baking until the bread is a deep, golden brown, about 20-30 minutes more. Remove from the oven. Carefully lift the bread out of the pot and place it on a rack to cool completely, about 2 hours. Don't slice into the bread right out of the oven, the bread continues to cook as it cools.

Sweet and Sour Chicken(甜酸鸡肉)

Ingredients

Chicken - 1 to 1.5 lbs, boneless, diced to 1 inch pieces
Corn starch - 3 TBSP
Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil - 3-4 TBSP

[Sauce]
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Apple cider vinegar 1/2 cup
Ketchup -1/4 cup
Soy sauce - 2 TBSP
Sesame oil - 1 TBSP
Brown sugar - 1 TBSP packed
Garlic powder - 1 tsp

Cold water - 2 TBSP
Corn starch - 1 TBSP
[Garnish]
Green onions, chopped, optional
Sesame seeds, optional

Steps

1. In a large Ziploc bag, add the chicken, cornstarch, salt and pepper to taste, seal, and shake to coat chicken evenly.

2. In a medium saucepan, add all ingredients for sauce except water and cornstarch, whisk to combine, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
3. In a small bowl, add the water, cornstarch, and stir to combine.
4. Add the water and cornstarch mixture to saucepan, reduce heat to low, and allow sauce to simmer for about 5 minutes while you make the chicken; whisk intermittently.

5. In a large skillet, add oil and chicken, and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until chicken has cooked through. 

6. After chicken has cooked though, reduce heat to low, add the sauce, stir to coat evenly, and allow it to simmer for a minute or two.
7. Optionally garnish with green onions, sesame seeds, and serve immediately.

Sweet Potato Fries

Ingredients

sweet potato - 16 oz
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Black pepper - 1/4 tsp
Paprika - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp

Steps

1. Slice sweet potato to same size sticks (between 1/4 inch to 1/2 inch).
2. Place sweet potato slices in a mixing bowl, add all other ingredients, toss to coat evenly.

3. Transfer coated slices to air fryer. Cook at 380°F for 20-25 minutes until tender and crispy. Shake the fryer basket a few times in between to make sure fries are cooked evenly.

Quick Lentil Feta Bruschetta

A soccer mom brought this to a party. I loved its simplicity and great taste. Good party treat!

Ingredients

Trader Joe’s Ready-to-Eat Steamed Lentils - 1 pack, 17.6 oz
Trader Joe’s Fresh Bruschetta Sauce - 2 containers, 14.5 oz each
Trader Joe’s Crumbled Feta cheese  - 1 container, 6 oz

Steps

Combine Lentils, Bruschetta, and crumbled Feta cheese in a bowl. Stir ingredients together until well combined, and serve immediately, or may be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Steamed pork ribs with crushed rice (粉蒸排骨)

Ingredients

Baby back ribs - approx 2 lbs, cut into 2 inch long pieces

[Marinate sauce]

Ginger - 2 tsp, shredded

Garlic - 1 TBSP, minced

Soy sauce - 1 TBSP

Dark soy sauce - 1 TBSP

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Black bean sauce - 1 TBSP

[Crushed Rice coating]

Glutinous rice - 1/2 cup

White rice - 1/2 cup

Star anise - 1

Cinnamon stick - 1/2 stick

Sichuan Pepper (Zanthoxylum)  - 1/2 tps

[Garnish]

Green onion - 1tsp, fresh chopped

Steps

1. Put ribs and all ingredients in marinate sauce into a Ziploc bag, seal and shake well. Put in fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

2. Add all ingredients in Crushed rice coating to a frying pan under medium heat. Keep stir it until rice slightly golden. After the rice cool down, discard the Zanthoxylum, anise and cinnamon. Put cooked rice in a blender to ground into coarse powder.

3. Coat back ribs evenly with crushed rice and place in a shallow bowl. Optional, mix 2 tablespoons water with the leftover marinade sauce and pour onto ribs. Place the steam rack inside the Instant Pot. Fill water to the 2-cup mark. Place the bowl with back ribs on the steam rack. Cover the lid and turn the pressure valve to the Seal position. Press the “Steam” button and set 50 minutes of cook time.

4. When it is done, take out the dish and garnish with chopped green onions.

Fried Fish Filet

Ingredients

Swai Fillet
Garlic salt
White pepper
Flour

Steps

1. Pat dry fish filet with paper towel. Sprinkle both side with garlic salt, white pepper.

2. Coat both side with flour.

3. Add enough oil in a frying pan that will cover one side of the fillet, frying fillet under medium low heat until both sides are golden.

 4. Serve with rice or fries.

Teriyaki Salmon

Ingredients

Salmon - 1 lb
Teriyaki sauce - 3 oz
Soy sauce - 2 TBSP
Olive oil -1 TBSP
Mirin sauce - 1 tsp
Sake - 1 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Oyster sauce - 1 tsp

Steps

1. Mix all ingredients except salmon and oyster sauce, and marinate salmon with it for 1 - 2 hours.

2. Coat a frying pan with olive oil and fry salmon over medium heat for 3 minutes.

3. Turn Salmon over and fry for another 3 minutes.

4. Brush oyster sauce on both sides of salmon and serve.

Braised Pork Hock with Rock Candy (冰糖猪蹄)

Ingredients

Pork Hock - 3-4 lbs
Green onion - 3 stalks, cut in large pieces
Ginger - 5 - 6 slices
Cooking wine - 3 TBSP
Soy sauce - 4 TBSP
Dark soy sauce - 6 TBSP
Rock Candy - 1/4 cup

Steps

1. Place the hock inside InstantPot and fill with water to cover the meet. Press “Sauté” function with no cover, boil for 10 minutes, drain and rinse off.
2. Put hock back into the InstantPot. Add all ingredients. Cover the lid and place the pressure valve to “Seal” position. Press “Manual” button and set 50 minutes of cooking time.

3. Take out the hock, Press "Saute" function with no cover to reduce the remaining sauce and then pour the sauce over the hock. 

Baked Mac and Cheese

A huge step up from the box Mac and cheese. It is simplified version of the recipe found online.  

Ingredients

Elbow macaroni- 16 oz  cooked (or other tubular pasta)
Olive oil - 1 TBSP
Unsalted butter - 6 TBSP
All purpose flour - 1/3 cup
Whole milk - 4 cups
Shredded cheese - 6 cups
Salt and pepper to taste
For topping
Panko crumbs - 1 1/2 cups, I used the Homemade "Panko"
Butter - 4 TBSP melted
Parmesan cheese - 1/2 cup
Paprika - 1/4 tsp

Step

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 13x9 baking dish and set aside.
2. Cook the pasta one minute shy of al dente according to the package instructions. Remove from heat, drain, and place in a large bowl.

3. Drizzle pasta with olive oil and stir to coat pasta. Set aside to cool while preparing cheese sauce.
4. Melt butter in a pot. Whisk in flour over medium heat and continue whisking for about 1 minute until bubbly and golden.
5. Gradually whisk in the milk until nice and smooth. Continue whisking until you see bubbles on the surface and then continue cooking and whisking for another 2 minutes. Whisk in salt and pepper.
6. Add two cups of shredded cheese and whisk until smooth. Add another two cups of shredded cheese and continue whisking until creamy and smooth. Sauce should be nice and thick.
7. Stir in the cooled pasta until combined and pasta is fully coated with the cheese sauce.
8. Pour half of the mac and cheese into the prepared baking dish. Top with remaining 2 cups of shredded cheese and then the remaining mac and cheese.

9. In a small bowl, combine panko crumbs, Parmesan cheese, melted butter and paprika. Sprinkle over the top and bake until bubbly and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve immediately.

Homemade “Panko“

Panko is a Japanese-style breadcrumb traditionally used as a coating for deep-fried foods. “The biggest difference between panko and standard breadcrumbs is that panko is made from bread without crusts. Panko’s crust-less bread is coarsely ground into airy, large flakes that give fried foods a light, crunchy coating. The flakes tend to stay crispier longer than standard breadcrumbs because they don’t absorb as much grease. ", according to Internet. Since I just need some crunchy crust for my baked Mac and Cheese without a grocery store run, this homemade recipe will do.

Ingredients

1 loaf white bread or other bread

Steps

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
2. Remove the crusts from a loaf of bread.
3. Gently crumble it into coarse crumbs either with your hands, or a food processor.
4. Spread crumbs onto a cookie sheet.

5. Dry bread crumbs in the oven 7-10 minutes stirring after the first 5 minutes.
6. Cool completely and store a cool dry place for up to 3 months.

Steamed baby back ribs with glutinous rice (糯米蒸排骨)

Ingredients

Baby back ribs - 2-3 lbs
Green onion - 1 stalk cut into big pieces

Ginger - 3-5 slices

Dark soy sauce - 1 TBSP

Soy sauce - 1 TBSP

Water - 1 TBSP

Corn Starch - 1 TBSP

Sugar - 1 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Glutinous rice - 1/2 Cup

Steps
1. Clean baby ribs and cut into pieces between bones. Put baby ribs and marinate ingredients into a Ziploc bag, seal it and shake well in a fridge over night.

2. Soak glutinous rice in cold water overnight. Drain the rice and coat the ribs with rice and place on a bowl.

3. In InstantPot, add 2 cups of water and put the bowl on a steaming rack. Cover the lid and make sure the valve at the close position. Choose “steam” function for 60 minutes.