Sour Cabbage Stew (东北酸菜粉丝汆白肉)

A traditional Northern China winter dish. 

Ingredients

[PREPARE THE PORK BELLY]
Water - 4 cups
Pork belly - 1 lb 
Shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine) - 2 TBSP
Ginger - 4 slices
Green onion - 2 stalks
Sichuan pepper (Zanthoxylum 花椒) - 1 tsp
Star anise - 1
Salt - 1/2 tsp
[THE DIPPING SAUCE]
Garlic - 3 cloves (finely minced)
Light soy sauce - 2 TBSP
Sugar - 1/4 tsp
Chili oil (optional, to taste)

[FOR THE REST OF THE DISH]
Pickled Chinese cabbage - 1 lb
Vegetable oil - 2 TBSP
Ginger - 3 slices (julienned)
Green onions - 2 stalks (white part julienned, green parts chopped)
Oyster sauce - 1 TBSP
Chicken stock - 1 cup

Dried sweet potato starch noodles - 3 oz (soaked in water until soft)
White pepper - 1/4 tsp

Salt (to taste)

Steps

1. In a medium pot, add the water, whole pork belly, Shaoxing wine, ginger, green onions, Sichuan pepper, star anise, and salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer for 15 minutes.

2.  Remove pork belly from the pot to let it cool, and save the stock. 

3. Make the dipping sauce by combining the minced garlic, light soy sauce, sugar, and chili oil (if using) in a small bowl. Set aside.
4. Slice the sour cabbage about ¼" thick, transfer to a large metal bowl, and fill with fresh water. Agitate the vegetables in the water with your hands a bit, drain, and thoroughly squeeze out any remaining water from the cabbage. Set aside.

5. Once the pork belly is warm to the touch, slice it into 1/4" slices. Set aside.
6. In a thick-bottomed, relatively shallow pot (a clay pot, stone pot, or cast iron Dutch oven is ideal for retaining heat while eating), heat the vegetable oil, and add the ginger, scallion whites, and the sour cabbage. Stir-fry for 5-7 minutes, until any liquid has evaporated.

7. Strain the liquid used to boil the pork into the pot. Stir in the oyster sauce and chicken stock, and then add the sliced pork belly. Bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes over medium low heat.

8. Add the glass noodles, stir, and cover again. Cook for 2-3 more minutes.
9. Finally, stir in the white pepper and salt to taste. Top with the chopped green parts of the scallions, and serve immediately with the dipping sauce for the pork and the steamed rice.

Buttery Bubble Bread

I tried this soft, salty, and buttery pull-apart bread to serve as dinner roll. Kids like it.  

Ingredients

Active dry yeast - 2 1/4 tsp (1 packet) 
Warm water - 1 cup
Granulated sugar - 1/4 cup
Shortening - 1/2 cup (substituted with butter)
Large egg - 1 (substituted with 1/4 cup yogurt)
Salt - 1/2 tsp
All purpose flour - 4 cups
Butter - 1/2 cup, melted (for dipping)

Butter - 4 TBSP, melted (for topping)
Kosher salt - 2 tsp (for topping)

Steps

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a dough hook attachment, dissolve the yeast in warm water. Let it rest for 5 minutes. 

2. Add the sugar, shortening, egg (or substitute), and salt.
3. Turn the mixer on low and add 1 cup of flour at a time, adding a little more (or less) flour as needed. Knead (with the dough hook of the stand mixer) for 5-6 minutes, or until smooth.
4. Spray a medium bowl with nonstick spray; place the dough in the bowl. Cover  and let dough rise in a warm, draft-free area until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

5. When you are ready, punch the dough, turn it out onto a floured surface, and divide the dough into 30 equal-sized pieces. Mine is about 35g each ball. Form each dough piece into smooth balls.

6. In a medium bowl, melt the stick of butter and dip the dough balls in the butter. Place in a greased 9-inch Bundt pan, pouring any of the leftover butter on top. Cover and let rise until doubled in size, about 45 minutes.

7. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
8. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Remove from the oven and drizzle the 4 tablespoons of melted butter on the bread. Invert the Bundt pan onto a large serving plate.

9. Top with salt. Serve warm.

Garlic Steamed Clam

Easy 15 minute appetizer.

Ingredients

Unsalted butter - 4 TBSP

Fresh minced garlic - 1 TBSP
White wine - 1 cup (or sake)
Lemon juice - 1 TBSP
Fresh Clams - 3 dozens, rinsed and scrubbed
Optional garnish: Chopped fresh parsley, lemon wedges

Steps

1, In a large skillet, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
2. Add wine and lemon juice. Bring to a boil.
3. Add clams and remaining butter. Cover and steam until clams have opened (about 7-8 minutes). Occasionally shake skillet while steaming.

4. Discard any clams that do not open. Sprinkle evenly with parsley and garnish with lemon wedges, if desired. Serve with bread or over a bed of cooked pasta.

Fall Tree Stump Cake

This is 6" Vegan Chocolate Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream frosting.

Dinner Roll

For Thanksgiving, I tried this dinner roll recipe with egg-free adaptation.

Ingredients

All purpose flour - 4 -5 cups
Dry active yeast - 2 TBSP
Granulated sugar - 1/3 cup 
Salt - 1 tsp
Warm milk - 1 and 1/2 cups, 110F
Butter - 5 tbsp, softened
Egg  - 1, substitute with 1/4 cup yogurt or apple sauce
For glazing, 2 TBSP melted butter

Steps

1. Combine 3 cups of flour, yeast, sugar, salt, warm milk, butter, and egg in the bowl of a stand mixer.
Attach the dough hook and turn the mixer on to the lowest speed and mix until flour is incorporated, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
2. Increase speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes.
3. Add 1/2 cup flour and blend with the dough hook until incorporated. And another 1/2 cup flour and repeat, mixing at medium speed for another 2 minutes until a ball of dough is formed.
4. Add additional flour as necessary. The dough should be slightly sticky and soft and pulling away from the edge of the bowl. 

5. Transfer the dough to a lightly greased bowl and cover it. Let rise for 30 minutes at room temperature.

6. Deflate the dough by punching down lightly. Pinch off pieces of the dough and form 24 equal size rolls. Transfer the rolls to a lightly greased quarter baking sheet or 9 x 13 baking dish. Cover and let rise for an additional 30 minutes at room temperature.

7. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake the rolls for 12 to 20 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Check at 12 minute mark, if the rolls are getting too brown, just tent the rolls with foil.

8. Remove rolls and brush hot rolls with the melted butter. Serve immediately or store cooled rolls in a plastic bag for up to 3 days.

Air Fryer Sea Bass

 Easy and yummy.

Ingredients

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

Steps

1. Remove scales from the sea bass. Slice the sea bass into about 1 inch thick pieces. 

2. Mix all other ingredients, and marinate sea bass with it for 1 hour.

3. Set Air fryer to high (400°F). Cook for 5 minutes. It is done if you can easily poke thru the fish fillet with a fork.

Traditional Water Chestnut Cake (马蹄糕)

This is the classic Dim Sum with fresh water chestnut.

Ingredients

Water chestnut powder - 250 g

Yellow cane sugar/yellow rock sugar/brown sugar - 300 g

Fresh water chestnut - 12 -15

Water - 1500 g

Steps

1. Peel and dice the water chestnut into pea size.

2. Mix water chestnut power with 750g water, sieve and set aside.

3. In a sauce pot, add sugar and 750g water, cook until sugar is melt. 

4. Add chopped water chestnut to the pot.

5. Turn heat to low, and pour in a cup of water chestnut mixture from step 2. Keep stirring until the mixture becomes sticky and murky. Turn off heat.

6. Add the rest of the water chestnut mixture from step 2 to the sauce pot slowly, while keep stirring the mixture.

7. Pour the mixture to glass container(s), steam at high heat for 20 - 30 minutes. 

8. After cool down, remove from container, slice and serve directly. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve cold or it can also pan fried and serve hot. 

Pretty in Pink

  This is 8" Green Tea Chiffon Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream frosting. 

Flower Buttercream Cake

 This is 6" Green Tea Chiffon Cake with Swiss Meringue Buttercream frosting. 

Mongolian Beef

Followed this recipe to make the traditional Chinese dish.  You can also add sliced onion and/or bell pepper .

Ingredients

Flank steak - 1 lb, sliced against the grain into 1/4-inch thick slices

Vegetable oil - 2 tsp for marinate + 1/2 cup for frying the beef
Soy sauce - 2 TBSP for marinate + 1/2 cup for cooking
Cornstarch - 2 TBSP for marinate + 1/2 cup for coating

Minced ginger - 1 tsp 

Dried red chili peppers - 5-10 (optional)

Chopped garlic - 4 cloves

Chicken stock or water - 1/2 cup
Brown sugar - 3-4 TBSP
Scallions - 2 stalks (cut into 1-inch long slices)
To thicken the sauce - 1 TBSP cornstarch + 1 TBSP water

Steps

1. Marinate sliced beef with oil, soy sauce, and cornstarch; let it sit for an hour. The beef should still be quite moist after it has marinated. If it looks too dry, add a tablespoon of water to it.

2. Dredge the marinated beef slices in cornstarch until lightly coated. Heat vegetable oil in the wok over high heat. Just before the oil starts to smoke, spread the flank steak pieces evenly in the wok, and let sear for 1 minute; Turn over and let the other side sear for another 30 seconds. The beef should be seared with a crusty coating. Set the beef aside.

3. Drain the oil from the wok, leaving 1 tablespoon behind, and turn the heat to medium-high. Add ginger and dried chili peppers, if using. After about 15 seconds, add the chopped garlic. Stir for another 10 seconds and add the 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce and chicken stock (or water). Bring the sauce to a simmer, add the brown sugar, and stir until dissolved.
4. Let the sauce simmer for about 2 minutes and slowly stir in the cornstarch slurry mixture--until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
5. Add the beef and scallions and toss everything together for another 30 seconds. There should be almost no liquid, as the sauce should be clinging to the beef. If you still have sauce, increase the heat slightly and stir until thickened.

Spare Ribs with Sweet and Sour Sauce(糖醋排骨)

This is another way to make sweet and sour spare ribs.  

Ingredients

Ginger - a few slices

Cooking wine - 2 TBSP

Soy sauce - 2 TBSP

Dark soy sauce - 2 TBSP

Dark vinegar - 3 TBSP

Sugar - 4 tsp

Salt - pinch

Green onion - chopped

Corn starch - 1 TBSP

Steps

1. Place the ribs in pot filled with water to cover the meet, boil for 5 minutes, drain and rinse off.

2. In a fry pan, under medium high heat, add oil and then ginger and spare ribs, fry until the ribs turn golden brown.

 3. Drain the oil, add soy sauce, dark soy sauce, vinegar, cooking wine, sugar and salt, broil for 5 minutes, then turn to low heat and slow cook for 45 minutes. Or to speed it up, I put the ribs with sauce in InstantPot and cooked under high pressure for 15 minutes. Add 1/2 TBSP of vinegar at the end if not sour enough.

4. In a small bowl, mix corn starch with 1 TBSP water, then add the starch water in the pot. The sauce should be sticky, stir to make sure the ribs are all coated with sauce. Sprinkle with green onion and serve.