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.

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

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.

Orange Dream Cake

Got this recipe from a coworker who love to bake this cake. She got the recipe from a cookbook. So, here is my version with photos.

Ingredients:
1 Box White Cake Mix and everything you need as required
1 Box Orange Flavored Jello
1 Cup Water, boiling
1/2 cup water, cold

From bottom left: 
Bake the cake as directed on the box.
Spread the frosting on the prepared cake

Orange Frosting: 
1/2 bag of orange flavored Kool-aid
2 tsp water
1 tsp Vanilla
1 tub Cool Whip

Directions:

1. Bake the cake in 1/4 sheet pan as directed on the box. 
2. Leave the cake in the pan. 
3. Cool on the rack. 
4. Pour boiling water into Jello powder, stir until dissolved. Then, add cold water to cool. 
5. Poke holes with thick end of chopstick on the cake. 
6. Spoon Jello liquid over the cake and into the holes. 
7. When cooled completely, ice with orange frosting. 

Courtesy of a cooking pal in Hawaii, originally posted on Sat Nov 12, 2005 2:27 pm 

Fiscal Cliff Deadline Wings

This was the one-of-a-kind hot wing dish - not fried, but baked wings. On 12/31/12, there was nothing to watch on TV, because every news channel was showing the sudden change in personal income tax laws in 2013.

I thought, "gee, if the time really gets bad, let's have some fun with whatever I could find in my kitchen."

My "Fiscal Cliff Deadline Wings" recipe was born.

Ingredients:
8 Chicken Wings, Parted
1/4 tsp Liquid Smoke
1/2 tbsp Paprika
1/2 tsp Crushed Hot Peppers
1/4 tsp Sea Salt
1 Orange, crushed

BBQ Sauce: (if you don't have 1 cup of BBQ Sauce)
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Ketchup
2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce

They go well with toasted garlic bread. You can make it an appetizer or a late night snack.

Directions:

1. Marinate the wings with liquid smoke, paprika, hot peppers and salt in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
2. In a pan, heat the BBQ sauce ingredients and mix in crushed orange and its juice over medium heat until bubbling. Turn to simmer.
3. Heat oven to 400.
4. Lay chicken parts on a greased cooking pan. Bake for 40 min. Flip them and bake for another 10 min.
5. Remove the wings immediately and dunk them into the hot sauce mixture.
6. Toss to coat and ready to serve.