Sweet N Sour Textured Soy Protein

This Sweet N Sour Textured Soy Protein was featured during a live cooking presentation last month.

Colorful and Flavorful Vegan Dish

INGREDIENTS

• 12 pc Textured Soy Protein
• 3 Bell Peppers (preferably different colors)
• 2 tbsp Corn Starch
• 1/4 cup Water
• 1 tbsp Ketchup
• 1/2 tbsp Sugar
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
• 2 tbsp Cooking Oil
• 1 tbsp Soy Sauce

DIRECTION:

1. Soak Textured Soy Protein pieces in boiling hot water until soft, about 1 hour.
2. Rinse them with cold water. Repeat the soaking process twice.
3. Cut up bell peppers and set aside.
4. Cut up soaked Textured Soy Protein in halves and set aside.
5. In a wok, pour cooking oil until heated at high heat.
6. Pour cut up bell peppers into the wok and stir frying constantly.
7. Cook until bell peppers have fragrance (browning) but not burned. Sprinkle garlic powder and onion powder while stirring.
8. Put Textured Soy Protein into the wok.
9. Pour soy sauce into the wok and keep stirring.
10. Put sugar and ketchup into the wok.
11. Stir in corn starch water until liquid thickens.
12. Ready to plate.

Option:

You can add cut up onions with the bell peppers

Video https://youtu.be/lhm8y9mZHaE

Shrimp ‘n Pork Dumplings

This recipe is a modified from Eton Chan, Beef and Pork Dumplings at half portion

Inside filling is what matters the most

Ingredients:

A:

• 1/2 pound Ground Pork
• 12 Raw Large Shrimps, peeled & deveined

B:

• 1/2 teaspoon Ginger, Minced
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic, Minced
• 1/2 tablespoon Scallions, Minced

C:

• 1/2 teaspoon Sesame Oil
• 1/8 teaspoon Salt
• 1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 3 tablespoon Soy Sauce
• 2 tablespoon Sugar
• 2 tablespoon Cold Water

D:

• 1/2 pound Cabbage

E:

• 1 pack of Dumpling Wrappers

F:

• 2 cups Mung Bean Sprouts

Instructions:

Blanch Cabbage (D)

1. Peel outer layers of cabbage and cut into quarters. Boil in lightly salted water until tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from pot and cool down. Chop finely and set aside.
2. Mince B Ingredients
3. While cabbage is boiling, peel ginger and mince; trim garlic clove and mince; mince scallion white and yellow parts. Set aside.

Combine

1. Combine all ingredients from A, B, C and D in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly until liquids are absorbed into the meat. Cover and let marinate for 2 hours in fridge.
2. Chop Mung Bean Sprouts and mash well. Mix into marinaded meat mix right before assembly.

Assembly

1. Place about pecan-size meat mix in the middle of a dumpling wrapper. Dap edge of half wrapper with a little water and seal, removing all excess air if possible. To seal, fold dumpling in half to resemble a half moon. Lay single layer on tray and cover with a damp cheesecloth.

Cook

1. Fill water to 2/3 of large pot. Boil on high heat. Place dumplings into boiling water one at a time. Until filled on layer surface of the pot. Use a wooden spoon to separate dumplings from the bottom of pot. Lower heat to medium high. Wait until dumplings float to the top and cook 2 more minutes.
2. Remove dumpling from water with a Skimmer. Place them on a plate. Ready to enjoy.

Pork and Beef Dumplings

This recipe was adapted from Eton Chan, Pork and Beef Dumplings at half portion

Dumplings can be pan fried as Pot Stickers

Ingredients:

A:

• 1 pound Ground Beef
  
• 1 pound Ground Pork

B:

• 1 teaspoon Ginger Root
• 1 teaspoon Garlic
• 1 tablespoon Scallions

C:

• 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
• ¼ teaspoon Kosher Salt
• ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
• ½ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup sugar
• ¼ cup cold water

D:

1 pound cabbage

E:

2 packs of Dumpling Wrappers

Instructions:

1) Peel outer layers of cabbage and cut into quarters and boil in lightly salted water until tender. Remove from pot and cool down. Chop finely and set aside. 

2) While cabbage is boiling, peel ginger and mince; trim garlic clove stem and mince; mince scallion white and yellow parts. Set aside. 

3) Combine all ingredients from A, B, C, and D in a large bowl. Mix thoroughly until liquids are absorbed into the meat. Cover and let marinate a couple hours in fridge. 

4) Assemble dumplings by filling a dumpling wrapper with 1 teaspoon of meat mix. Dap edge of wrapper with a little water and seal, removing all excess air if possible. To seal, fold dumpling in half to resemble a half moon. Lay single layer on tray and freeze.

5) To cook, you can boil them in lightly salted water or pan fry them. 

Okinawan Sweet Potato Pie

HAPPY PIE DAY 3.14! 

Secret Revealed! This is one of our popular desserts in the holiday season.

Ingredients:
5 cups mashed potatoes;
4 eggs; 2 cups sugar;
2 tsp vanilla extract;
Pinch of salt;
1 cup flavored Crisco (Vegetable Shortening);
2 cans evaporated milk;
3 unbaked pie crust.

Directions:
Boil sweet potatoes until soft, peel and mash until no lumps.
Add remainder of ingredients, beat with beater until creamy. Pour into the pie shell.
Cover the edge of the crust with foil strips and not touch the filling.
Bake at 425° for 15 minutes; then, bake at 250° for 40-50 minutes. Test the doneness by sticking in a toothpick.

You can substitute evaporated milk for coconut milk

Vegan Dumpling Recipe

During my recent Virtual Dumpling Party, a guest asked about vegetarian or meatless version of Chinese dumpling. There so many recipes out on the internet. I said I would create one and share it with her.

Whenever I feel like cooking some meatless dish, I look for what I can find in the refrigerator. I don't necessarily buying specific ingredients during my weekly grocery run.

• Question: Can you replace meat with tofu?
• Answer: Yes. But I normally use defrosted frozen tofu to create meat texture. Fresh soft tofu is mushy and fresh hard tofu is hard to mix with other vegetables. (recipe coming soon)

 

Vegan Dumplings made for Pot Stickers

Ingredients:

1 cup Black Fungus 黑木耳, finely chopped
1 cup Napa Cabbage 大白菜, finely chopped
1 cup Mushrooms, chopped (shitake mushroom is ideal, but any mushroom works)
1/2 tablespoon cooking oil to sauté mushroom
1/2 teaspoon Ginger, Minced
1/2 teaspoon Garlic, Minced
1/2 tablespoon Scallions, Minced
1/2 teaspoon Sesame Oil
1/8 teaspoon Salt
1/8 teaspoon Black Pepper

Basic Savory for Dumplings

Steps:

1. Sauté chopped mushrooms in oil over medium heat until soften
2. Remove from heat. Let cool and mix with all other ingredients.
3. Assemble with defrosted dumpling wrappers. Follow instruction on package.
4. You can pan fry like pot stickers or boil as dumplings, depends on quality of dumpling wrapper. If hard to fold and seal, cook them as pot stickers instead.

I hope you enjoy this recipe. Post your comments below. Thank you. 

Beef Liver Grill Onion

If you like beef liver, this fast dinner could be on your table in about 10 minutes. Make sure you buy fresh beef liver already sliced thin.

Slap Ya Mama Cajun spice was the best seasoning on liver

Ingredients:
2 tbsp sliced onion
10 oz sliced beef liver
2 tbsp oil
Dash of Cajun seasoning

Directions:

1. Rinse beef liver until cold water.
2. Place it on a plate and drain out excess water.
3. Heat pan with medium heat.
4. Add oil to pan and wait 2 minutes.
5. Slowly place liver in the pan and cook for 2 minutes. 
6. Place onions around liver.
7. Carefully flip the liver.
8. Stir onion until cooked to desired tenderness.
9. Remove both from pan. 
10. Sprinkle seasoning while still hot. 
11. Ready to serve.

If you don't like the smell of liver, soak it in milk for an hour.

Veggie soup with quinoa

Trying to duplicate my love with the soup at Season's Harvest Cafe in Cypress.

The only difference was the price.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cooked quinoa
1 cup zucchini, sliced
1 cup broccoli
1/4 cup red bell pepper, cubed

Direction:

1. Cook your broth with my Chicken Broth recipe or open a can of beef broth. 
2. Boil the ingredients until zucchini and broccoli are tender.
3. Remove from heat and season with sea salt.
4. Ready to serve.

My version is good as their version.