Aromatic Tea Eggs

Egg prices went down recently in Houston. It's time for some delicious, low-cost tea eggs. When I was growing up in Taiwan, my mom made a pot of tea eggs and I could eat 7 of them in a single setting. Why not 8? No one wants to be 王八蛋 - a foul language in Chinese .

I don't add soy sauce to my tea egg recipe. It kills the aromas from tea and spices. Don't add salt until soaking cycle. (step 6)

Mmm... yummy to marble pattern.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 doz of eggs
1/2 cup of green tea leaves
6 star anise (Chinese Five Spices)
2 cinnamon sticks, 3 inch size
8 cups water, depends on the size of your pot (see step 4)

Directions:

1. Boil eggs until hard, about 5 minutes. Don't over boil.
2. Remove from heat. Soak in cool water.
3. Lightly tap the shells with a metal spoon, but not to crack open.
4. Fill water to slightly cover the eggs, put all ingredients in liquid.
5. Heat to boil, then reduce to simmer. Constantly pouring liquid to top the eggs.
6. Cook until egg shells turn brown. 
7. Turn off heat, top the lid and let soak overnight.

Originally posted on Pbase.

Colorful Bean Soup

This is a time-saving recipe in total time spent, not fast cooking. For the proper flavor, Trinity is required. This recipe eliminated over-night soaking of dry beans and constantly watching over cooking of beans. 

Colorful combination in Midea Pressure Cooker.

Ingredients:
1 cup mixed beans from Whole Foods Bulk Bin #6721
1/2 cup pinto beans
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/3 stalk celery, finely chopped
1/4 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 medium ham hock
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
2 medium bay leaves, crushed
6 cups water

Directions:

1. Make the Trinity in a pan - sauté all vegetables in 1 tbsp of Olive Oil over medium heat until onion turns translucent. Not in the Midea pot, because it would make it bottom really sticky and hard to clean.
2. Rinse dried beans, no soaking required. 
3. Place Trinity in Midea Pressure Cooker with ham hock, rinsed beans, spices and 6 cups of water. Watch the level on the pot, make sure it is below Max line. 
4. Follow the instruction and set to cook 40 minutes on Bean/Chili setting.
5. When ready, remove contents from pot. 
6. Season with sea salt. I put 1 tsp because ham hock is already salted.

This is one delicious and healthy high-fiber soup, great for people with diabetes.

Pot of Greens

I love collard greens. But constantly checking on the pot over long period of 2 hour became annoying. My recent discovery with Midea Pressure Cooker saved me time and energy.

Easy greens as 1-2-3.

Ingredients:
1 bunch of collard greens, cleaned
1/2 can of chicken broth, low sodium
1 ham hock
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 poblano or green bell pepper,  chopped
3 cloves garlic
1 okra, chopped

Directions:

1. Break the collard leaves from the stems and tear leaves by hand, not knife.
2. Put all ingredients into the Midea pot and follow the safety instructions. 
3. Set to steam for 30 minutes. 
4. When ready, release the pressure and open the lid.
5. Season with salt and dashes of Tabasco  hot sauce.

Hot Wings on the Fly

It's Super Bowl Sunday. OMG, I haven't started my potluck dish yet. No worry. Hot Wings on the Fly to the rescue. Here is my simple recipe I created by accident.

Can't find my photo for this recipe

Ingredients:
16 wing pieces (uncooked)
1/2 cup your favorite hot sauce
1/3 cup butter (nothing imitation)

Direction:
Rinse and pat dry the wing pieces.
Bake the wings until cooked (about 25 min) at 450 degrees. They should be crispy, so the sauce will stick.
Melt butter and mix in hot sauce in a large mixing bowl.
Toss the baked wings in the wet mix. Make sure they are evenly coated.
Serve with your favorite veggie sticks with Ranch dressing

Chicken Soup Made of Scraps

It's cold outside. My favorite comfort food is soup. Instead of spending money at the restaurants, I decided to make my own chicken soup. After learning from Ziad at Eatwell Bakery Cafe , I want to try his "nothing but chicken" recipe. Well, I had to clean up my refrigerator last night. I added some other stuff.

I striped this chicken to bones only. I used other parts for entree.

Ingredients:
1 Chicken back and bones from breast part. Don't remove skin. That's for flavoring.
2 Carrots, medium size
1 Celery, stalk
1 Cucumber (I hate to waste a freeze-burnt veggie.)
1/2 Onion
1 piece American Ginseng (optional)
1-3 tbsp Salt, after the soup is done

Procedure:

1. Put everything in the pot and fill with water to cover the ingredients.
2. Set Midea Electrical Pressure Cooker to SOUP setting for 33 minutes.
3. Follow instruction to start the process.
4. When done, release pressure and discard all vegetable solids. 
5. Remove soup and meat from the pot, season with 1 tbsp salt to taste.

Fresh chicken is on sale 58¢ per pound at H-E-B on Beechnut. Time to make some good soup at home and save my money for Houston Rodeo next month.

Beef Stew from Midea Cooker

I thought to give this piece of chuck roast a try after I found a recipe online. I modified to my Midea cooker's requirement. It's easy to follow and delicious.

One-pot cooking. Enjoy it with steamed rice.

Stuff you need:

2 - 3 lb boneless chuck roast. (the marble ones are tender)

1 cup flour

1/2 cup olive oil or cooking oil

1 cup onion, chopped 

1/2 cup celery, chopped 

1/2 cup carrots, diced

2 cups potatoes, cubed

2 tbsp garlic, sliced

5 cups water (just enough to cover the meat)

1 package Beef Stew Seasoning Mix

Do you have these ingredients in your refrigerator?

Direction:

1. Cut the meat into 1 inch cube. It's easier to cut when halfway defrosted.
2. Place flour and cubed meat in a zip lock back and vigorously shake the bag to coat all pieces.
3. Prepare a separate pan or pot to sear the meat 
4. Add oil to medium heated pan. Add meat pieces and turn frequently until all sides are seared.
5. Add onion, carrots, celery and garlic into the pan. Toss until onion is translucent. 
6. Transfer everything from pan to the pressure cooker's inner pot.
7. Fill with potatoes and water. Don't overfill and watch the maximum line. 
8. Cover and set to SOUP for 25 minutes.
9. Follow the standard procedure during and after cooking. 
10. Let stand for a least 30 minutes while release pressure.
11. Uncover and stir thoroughly. Season to taste with hot sauce or pepper.

Note:

Some recipes want you to sautée in the inner pot. But that would ruin the pot's luster. I prefer to use a separate pan, because I used so much oil and trying to cook in a small pot on my first try.

My Midea Pressure Cooker

This is a review based on my recent purchase of Midea Pressure Cooker. A similar review is also posted on BestBuy.com (4-star review).

My golden pot. No, it's not made of gold.

Before I bought this pressure cooker, I had a quick search online. I didn't see any negative review about it, although there isn't many. The price was so good and I took the chance. I didn't regret buying it because I've been using it twice a day during my first week of "trial".

I have tried every setting on this pressure cooker. My favorite is the Soup setting. The pressure builds up and the time starts to ticking. There is an internal weight measuring device to know how long it will need to cook. This 10-cup capacity for rice cooking is huge. So, I don't plan to replace my current 4-cup rice cooker. The rice came out really airy but needs to be consumed within a day. The rice quality degrades after being refrigerated after 2 days.

Below is my breakdown on each setting:

• Brown Rice - 18 minutes to start with 3 cups of rice
• Steam - default at 30 minutes, can be set at 1 to 60 minutes
• Soup - 20 to 45 minutes
• Slow Cook - 8 hours and can't adjust. Not sure if it's defective
• Beans - 30 to 60 minutes

After my first week of trial, I began to find Midea products online. It's a popular brand for kitchen appliances in Hong Kong. I also read the blog about their pressure cookers as well as learned some history and tricks in cooking certain type of food.

My only pet peeve was the instructional manual being highly inefficient and translated badly. There isn't any real recipe on there, only how to get started. I was overwhelmed with warning phrases. Yes. It's really dangerous if you don't obey. But it's far safer than the stove top pressure cooker. I'd rather unplug the cooker to release the pressure than using the lever.

Here are some of my recipes - http://loucancook.blogspot.com/search/label/Midea%20Pressure%20Cooker

I made Dim Sum

Not really. Whenever I have the crave for some dim sum, I steam these ready-to-cook dim sum pieces. They came out just like in the restaurants, without the hassle of driving somewhere to wait in line. Best of all, you cook what you want to eat.

The important thing is buying the correct items. Kimbo Dimsum Hap and Wei-Chuan Pork Mini Buns can be found at Viet Hoa International Market. They can be kept in the freezer for a few months.

Steam these ready-to-cook dimsum pieces bought at Viet Hoa International Market.

Easy steps:

• Traditional flavor is to cook them in bamboo baskets. Alternative is using stainless steel steam pot.
• Wet the baskets and follow instruction on package for water amount.
• Line the baskets with vegetable leaves to prevent sticking and food fall into water. I used bok choy. Alternatives are Napa cabbage, green leave lettuce, kale or waxed paper.
• Steam over high heat for 10 minutes, or directed by the manufacturers. Don't over cook the sticky rice wrapped dim sum. They will not retain the shape when mushy.
• When done, remove baskets from the pot and place on plates. 
• Ready to enjoy.

Fried Honeycomb Tofu

If you don't like the tofu texture, try this easy recipe. Fried frozen tofu with garlic, cilantro and sweet'n'hot dipping sauce makes your dinner appetizer so grand. The Chinese said: 美味無窮!

Fried Honeycombed Tofu adds excitement to your dinner table.

Ingredients:
1 pack hard tofu
3 cups oil for frying

Dipping Sauce:
3 cloves garlic, chopped
6 stems cilantro, chopped
1 cup low sodium soy sauce
Desirable amount of Sriracha

Direction:

1. Cut tofu into pieces of half inch thick.
2. Lay the slices on a clean plate and put them in the freezer overnight.
3. Next day, remove them from the freezer and soak in water.
4. Squeeze out excess water and lay on a layer of paper towel to let dry.
5. Heat oil on medium heat until ready for frying* (about 5 minutes). 
6. Carefully drop the slices into oil. Flip once to have even coverage.
7. Remove from heat when tofu pieces turned light brown.
8. Lay fried tofu on dry paper towel until surface is no longer greasy.
9. Mix the dipping sauce ingredients for dipping or serve with your favorite dipping sauce.

*Ready for Frying: Drop a small piece of tofu. If it dips to the bottom then come right up, it is ready to fry.

Originally posted on Instagram June 15, 2013

Low-Sodium Coleslaw

This is my instant slaw recipe - skipping the marinate.

Got to love it when it's fast. Faster than driving to KFC.

6 cup shredded cabbage
1 tbsp shredded carrot
1 cup mayo
2 tbsp vinegar (prefer apple cider vinegar)
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp Splenda
1/2 tsp celery salt
Dash of ground pepper

1. Sprinkle celery salt on vegetables and rub until soft.
2. Stand for 10 min
3. Squeeze out excess liquid. (If too salty, rinse with drinking water and squeeze out the liquid.)
4. Mix in other ingredients.
5. Toss well.
6. Refrigerate for an hour or marinate overnight.

Salmon Au Miso

This was a self-taught recipe after eating at popular restaurant in Hawaii. Miso was on everything. But when it was roasted, the sweetness brings out from the naturally fermented soy beans. I shared this recipe with my mom. That was why there is a Chinese version.

Ingredients:
2 lb. Fresh Salmon
 2/1 cup Miso, any color or type
 1/4 cup Sake rice wine
 Soy Sauce, Sugar, Salt and pepper to taste

Baked miso has aroma that will blend well with salmon

Direction:

1. Cut salmon into portion sizes 
2. Salt fish with salt, lightly, on both sides. 
3. Let sit for 30 minutes to draw out excess water. 
4. Combine all ingredients and marinate fish overnight. 
5. Bake fish on a sheet pan at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, until edges begin to brown. 

食譜: 味增鮭魚 - Chinese Version

2 lb. 新鮮鮭魚
半杯味增醬
1/4 杯日本米酒或米醋
少許胡椒
少許糖和醬油

1- 把魚切成食用大小。抹一些鹽﹐過半小時後﹐去水。
2- 把魚加入所有的調味料﹐放入塑膠袋密封。
3- 醃泡一夜。第二天晚上﹐連同滷汁一起去烤箱烤。
4- 設定350度﹐烤10-15分鐘。烤到邊緣開始成褐色。


Originally posted on Not-so-Secret Potluck Recipes

Sugar-Free Vietnamese Pickles

If you like the taste of daikon pickle at a Vietnamese restaurant, you could try this recipe without worrying about raising your blood sugar.

Ingredients:
1 cup carrot strips
1 cup daikon strips
1 tbsp salt
2 tbsp Splenda
1 cup vinegar
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 cup water

Refreshing flavor to enjoy at anytime

Directions:

1. Rub the salt on carrot and daikon and let stand for 30 minutes. 
2. Rinse off the salt with drinking water. 
3. Drain completely. 
4. Pour the rest into container 
5. Toss frequently 
6. Ready to serve in 2 hours; better tasting pickles takes overnight

Originally posted on pbase.

Miso Chicken Breast

Ingredients:
1 de-boned chicken breast
1/2 cup Zinfandel
3 tbsp miso paste
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
5 sliced jalapeno

Miso has extra aroma after cooking

Directions:
Marinate all ingredients overnight
Heat oven to 400 degrees.
Bake 20 minutes uncovered.

Turkey Taco

Turkey taco for dinner - it's so easy to make, but a little time consuming in preparing everything initially.

1. Follow the directions on this McCormick Chicken Taco seasoning. 
2. Add extra cumin and oregano. 
3. Shred lettuce, cut some tomatoes and cilantro.
4. Heat corn tortillas and ready to the assembly line. 
5. Top them off with some Taco Bell Fire Sauce to taste like in restaurant. 

Originally from Instagram

Ground turkey @ $2.79/lb. #vegetabletarian #homemade #healthy

Stir Fry Chicken Pieces

Ingredients:
One half chicken breast
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp corn starch
2 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
2 cups of cabbage
2 tsp chili sauce
1/2 cup of chicken broth
dash of salt
dash of pepper

I used Huy Fong Chili Garlic Sauce (from the maker of Sriracha) 

1. Cut chicken into bite size.
2. Mix corn starch and soy sauce into chicken piece in a lunch box.
3. Cover and marinate overnight.
4. Cut cabbage into half inch strips.
5. Heat oil in a wok on high heat for a minute. Don't let it scorch.
6. Stir in cabbage. 
7. Coat them with heated oil and stir, stir, stir until slightly transparent.
8. Add chicken broth, salt and pepper.
9. Lower heat to medium high and cook until slightly soft. Don't overcook.
10. Remove from heat and set aside.
11. Use remaining oil and add 1 tbsp oil, if needed.
12. Stir in chicken pieces. 
13. Coat them with heated oil and stir fry until surface changed to white. About 3 minutes.
14. Mix cooked cabbage, hot sauce into the wok. 
15. Stir fry on high heat for about 2 minutes. Sample the chicken pieces, make sure no longer pink inside.
16. Remove from heat. Ready to serve with steam rice.

Technique of stir frying: Coat the ingredients with heated oil and keep stirring until cooked. This will allow meat to be tender and evenly cooked.
I prefer olive oil is because of flavor and healthy benefits. You can use vegetable oil.

Chicken 6 ways

How can you cook a chicken into 6+ different dishes?

I normally buy a whole chicken, which is cheaper than chicken parts. I cut it into pieces: breast, thighs, legs, wings, back and whatever is in the stomach cavity.

Chicken 6 Ways plus more

Photo above shows:

1. I de-boned the thighs to go on the George Foreman's Grill
2. I parted wing pieces for hot wings.
3. I cut out breast meat from its cage, half for stir fry and half for roast.
4. I boiled the drumsticks for Jambalaya.
5. The rest of bones are in a big pot for chicken broth to season beans, greens etc.
6. Oh. I smashed the cooked chicken liver for pâté or a treat for my cat.

Up next, my first jambalaya. Mmm... yummy.