Korokke (Meat Croquette)

Korokke is Japanese croquette with vegetables and meat. I recalled I used to eat korokke all the time when I was working in Malaysia.I wonder why mostly all Japanese restaurant in New York don't have korokke in their menu..Well,maybe people here are more health consciences or maybe they prefer french fries than korokke.. Usually I store plenty of potatoes at home..Previously I make some begedal (potatoes cutlet) and hubby loves it.So this time I try something different from begedal.To my surprised hubby like korokke rather than begedal.He like the crispness of panko on the outer layer.. if you are looking for more croquette information,hop over HERE!!

Ingredients:

3 lbs potatoes,peeled,boiled and mashed

1 large onion,peeled and cut small

1 stalk scallion,washed and cut small

salt to taste

ground white pepper to taste

1 lb minced meat (pork ,beef or chicken)

2 cup panko(Japanese bread crumb)

2 eggs,lightly beaten + 2 tbsp water

1 cup rice flour

enough oil for frying

Method:

1:Sauteed minced meat and onion in skillet for 5 minutes.Mashed boiled potatoes in a large bowl.Combine salt, ground pepper,cooked minced meat,cut scallion and onion together,mix well.

2:Divide potatoes mixture into 12-15 pieces.Shape potatoes mixture into ball,slightly press the ball shape potatoes into a cylinder or disk shape.If the potatoes is too soft,placed the shaped potatoes into fridge for 30 minutes or longer.

3:Prepare egg mixture in a bowl .Roll shaped potatoes onto rice flour,then dip into egg mixture before coated with panko.

4:Prepare fryer or deep skillet at medium heat with oil.Placed panko croquette onto the hot oil.Fry croquette both side until golden brown.

5:Removed cooked croquette from fryer and placed on paper towel to drain off the excess oil.

6:Serve warm as snack or with meal.

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Salmon and Tofu Wrapped with Nori in Miso Sauce

I have some leftover small pieces of cut salmon from making sushi.Well ,I'm not sure what to do with it but suddenly I come out with this idea of mixing salmon with tofu since I store plenty of tofu in fridge for raining day. I also store few extra packet of nori in my pantry.It's a good idea to wrap chopped tofu and salmon with nori in order to hold those ingredients when steaming at high heat.I used miso paste to make some sauce for these healthy delicacy..What a great light and healthy snack,right?

Ingredients:
(A)
1/2 block soft tofu(bean curd),chopped
350 gm or more fresh salmon,cut small
1 stalk scallion,washed and cut small
1 egg
1 tsp ground white pepper
1 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
1 tsp fine salt
--------------------------------------------------
4 pieces nori
2 tbsp rice

Sauce:(B)

1 tbsp miso paste
4-5 tbsp water
1 egg
1 tsp mirin
1 tsp sesame oil


Method:

1:Combine all ingredients (A) in a medium bowl and mix well.Lay a piece of nori on a clean board or plate.Scoop 2-3 tbsp ingredients (A) in the center of nori and roll up in oblong shape.Use some rice to stick both end to hold the roll before cut into 4-6 pieces.Use a aluminum plate to steam the roll
2:Prepare steamer at high heat.When water rolling boil,place roll onto the steamer.Steam for 15-30 minutes or until c00ked.
3:Meanwhile ,prepare skillet at medium heat,add in miso paste,water and mirin,stir well.When the sauce bubbly boil ,crack egg into the sauce,stir the egg immediately and mix well.Remove the sauce from heat before pour over the cooked roll
4:Serve the roll warm.

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Steam Sticky Rice(Loh Mai Fan)

Recently I bought a 10 pound bag of glutinous rice from Asian market.Actually I plan to make some Malaysia local kuih like seri muka and other local kuih but due to my laziness,I changed my plan to make some easy and simple "Loh Mai Fan" since I already soaked the rice.Well, usually I like to add extra more ingredients into "loh mai fan" but I ran out of dried oyster,Chinese sausage and dried scallop,but unfortunately this "loh mai fan" is nothing special at all. A simple and editable "loh mai fan" is not bad at all.I really enjoy this food since I miss this kind of dim sum food while living in non-authentic Chinese food area.Beggar can't be choosy ,right?

Ingredients:

1 pound glutinous rice,soaked overnight

15 ears shitake mushroom,soaked till soft and removed the stump

2 large pieces boneless chicken breast,about 2 pound,sliced

4-6 kani(crab stick)

Seasoning:

5 cloves garlic,peeled and chopped

1 tbsp 5 spices powder(5 heong fan)

2 tbsp thick soy sauce(caramel soy sauce)

2 tbsp chicken bouillon powder

3 tbsp soy sauce or to taste

2 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp ground pepper powder

1 cup water

3 tbsp oil

Method:

1:Heat large skillet or wok at medium high heat with oil and garlic.Fry garlic for 30 seconds before add in chicken and mushroom.

2:Keep stirring chicken and mushroom for 1 minute before add in rice and all seasoning except crab stick.Mix all ingredients well .Check the seasoning before remove from heat.

3:Prepare steamer with water at high heat.Prepare 4 medium small rice bowl(prefer stainless or ceramic).Place crab stick on the bottom of the bowl before scoop rice mixture into the bowl to the top,press lightly to ensure all the mixture hold together.Repeat the same procedure until the rice mixture finish.

4:When water in steamer rolling boil,place the prepare rice mixture in bowl into the steamer and steam for 45 minutes or longer until cook.If the rice mixture is too dry add some water or chicken stock into it.

5:Remove "loh mai fan" from steamer and serve warm with chili sauce.

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Nian Gao/ Kuih Bakul

First of all ,I would like to wish all my dear readers,friends and family a "Happy Chinese New Year" or "Gong Xi Fah Zai" and Happy Valentine Day!! May this coming Tiger year bring more luck and more $$$ to you!! Don't forget to get and gave extra love during this coming VD!! Well, actually I don't intend to make nian gao for this CNY but I suddenly remember that I have to visit friends during this festival,so nian gao is a good gift to give ,right? Yesterday was my 2nd attempt making nian gao but this time I wonder why the surface is not smooth,maybe it's the heat or the container or the banana leave problem? I remember last year I didn't line banana leave over the pan and the surface is better than this time..Well what is the reason? hmmm... Anyway...the nian gao still taste good and texture is not bad at all..Check out my 1st attempt nian gao HERE!!

Ingredients:

600 gm sugar
600 ml water
600 gm glutinous rice flour (sifted)
3 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

1: Dissolve 300 gm sugar in a dry pot over low heat till it caramelizes.( Do not stir).Add 300 ml of water and mix well.
2: Add the remaining sugar into the mixture,stir constantly till the sugar dissolves.Set aside to cool completely. Prepare large pot or steamer with water for steaming at high heat.Steam banana leave to get softer body, cut or trim banana leaves before place banana leave as liner over aluminum pan .
3:Combine glutinous rice flour and the remaining water.Add caramel on glutinous rice flour mixture together in a large bowl to incorporate until smooth.Whisk the mixture if possible.If it's too dry add in extra 50 ml water.Sieve the mixture ,to remove lump and bubble build up.
4: Pour batter into aluminum pan to 3/4 full.( Do not fill to the rim as the batter might overflow when steaming)
5:Place aluminium pan in the steamer when water has boiled.Steam over high heat for 30 minutes .Then reduce heat to medium and steam for another 30 minutes. Increase time for steaming if making bigger cake.
6:Remove cooked nian gao from steamer and let it's cool down completely before remove banana leaves from the nian gao.

in steamer

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Orange Chicken 陈皮鸡

Orange Chicken is one of the popular Chinese-American dish of Hunan origin.It's a dish commonly found anywhere anytime where there is a Chinese take out restaurant available .This dish is also similar with Sesame Chicken and General Tso Chicken .Basically all this dish used the same method of cooking,the only different is the flavor of the sauce.Some Chinese restaurant prefer to use dark meat(thigh or whole leg) because it's taste better and moist and some prefer to used white meat(boneless breast) because of health conscience.

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs or 2 large pieces boneless white meat chicken,cut strip about 1 1/2 inch
1/4 cup corn flour + 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp seasalt
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp ground white pepper
1 egg
enough oil for deep fry
1 head broccoli,cut floret,wash and steamed



Sauce:

3 cloves garlic,peeled and chopped
5 tbsp water or orange juice
3 tbsp corn starch + cold water,dissolve
3 tbsp soy sauce or to taste
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar or white sugar is OK
3 tbsp Chinese fermented rice wine
1 orange,peel the skin only (thin not the white part)
1 tbsp pepper crush(optional)
Method:

1:Marinated cut chicken with salt,sugar and ground pepper for 30 minutes or longer.
2:Heat fryer or deep aluminum skillet with oil at 350 F.Beat egg into marinated chicken ,mix well.Coat chicken with flour mixture well,shake excess flour before place into hot oil,fry batches until lightly golden brown .Remove cooked chicken from oil,set aside.
3:Heat skillet with 2 tbsp oil,peeled orange and chopped garlic.Fry garlic until fragrant before pour in all the sauce ingredients except corn flour dissolved.When sauce is bubbly ,add in corn flour mixture.Check the seasoning before pour in fried chicken,mix well and dish our immediately.
4:Meanwhile steam broccoli in microwave for 2 minutes.Display steamed broccoli around the plate with cooked orange chicken.Serve warm with rice or noodle.

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Homemade Pineapple Tart

Chinese New Year is around the corner but I didn't start any baking until yesterday .I guess since living in US and A with limited friends and relatives,to celebrate Chinese New Year is no-exist for me.Furthermore ,Chinese New Year is not an official holiday here but still many ethnic Chinese who live in Chinatown will hold large celebrations like Dragon dance , buy presents, decoration, material, food, and clothing.I was surprised this year Chinese New Year fall on the same day as Valentine Day.Well since Chinese New Year begins according to the Chinese lunar calendar which consists of both Gregorian and lunar-solar calendar systems,no wonder it's will fall as the same day as Valentine Day! This year I didn't bake or make lot of cookies or cake..I recalled last year I used ready mix pineapple flour and pineapple filling for pineapple tart but this year I decided to make pineapple filling and dough from scratch.To my surprised the outcome is really amazing .It's much better than the one I bought from bakery store! Actually making pineapple filling and dough yourself is not really hard.It's cost efficient and easy ,not to said it's really delicious,full of exotic pineapple flavor! Happy Baking!

Dough Ingredients:
(A)
2 sticks(250 gm)unsalted butter,room temperature( or margarine )
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3 egg yolks
(B)
2 cups all purpose flour
4 tbsp corn flour
1 egg yolk + 1 tbsp water for brushing

Filling:
2 fresh pineapple,peeled ,removed eyes and grated or blend until fine
2 cups sugar
1/4 tsp pineapple essence
Method:
1:Peel the pineapples, dig out the eyes and chop into chunks before blend or grated.Place grated pineapple into a large stock pot and cook at medium heat until almost dry.Stir constantly ,add in sugar stirring often until it is thicken.Add sugar as sweet as you desire.The jam is done when the pineapple mixture has changed color from bright yellow to brownish ochre and most of the liquid has evaporated, leaving a dense but moist jam.Remove from heat and let it cool completely.
2:Sieve (B) in a bowl and set aside.Beat (A) in mixer until creamy and light.Add in (B) into (A),mix well to form into a smooth dough.
3:Prepare parchment paper over baking sheet.Use your desire mould to shape the tart from the dough and press out the pattern.
4:Take a scant teaspoon of pineapple jam (more or less, as desired) and form a ball, then press into the hollow of each tart. Pat the sides of the jam to create a small dome.Or scoop 1/2 tsp filling onto the center of the shape dough before roll up.Repeat the same procedure until all dough done.
5:Preheat oven to 350 F.Brush yolk mixture on the dough .Bake for 15-20 or until lightly golden brown. Remove cookies from sheets and cool on a rack.
two different two of shape
I didn't cook the pineapple filling dry enough so when it's comes out of oven the filling smear all over the parchment paper
Dough

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Broiled Chilean Seabass with Sake

Don't we all like Chilean Seabass? Don't mistaken Chilean Seabass as Black Seabass,Grouper ,Giant Seabass,White Seabass or Japanese Seabass.I 'm a big fan of Chilean Seabass because the meat is really soft like silk,tender and smooth,not to said it's really costly that the reason I don't buy often..Well,if you never try this fish before you should try once.Trust me this fish is really super delicious ,not to said it's easy to cook at home.Not every restaurant carry this fish in their menu.Mostly all the Chilean Seabass sold in market are in pre-cut frozen form.Currently there is a lot of controversy about Chilean Sea Bass,it's also called the Patagonian toothfish and you can read more about this controversy HERE and HERE !!. The best way to cook this fish is pan-fried or broiled.The key to have juicy and soft meat of this fish is not to overcooked it!!

Ingredients:

2 pieces pre-cut Chilean Seabass,remove scales and thawed

2 tbsp butter

3-4 tbsp sake

2 tbsp mirin(sweet rice wine)

3 tbsp seafood soy sauce(regular light soy sauce is OK too)

1 lemon,cut
some cut cilantro

Method;

1:Pre-heat oven to 425 F at broil setting.Prepare aluminum foil over baking tray or baking dish.Apply some butter on the tray or dish.

2:Lay Chilean Seabass on the grease tray.Bake Chilean Seabass in oven for 15-20 minutes or until it's liquid run clear.(Do not over broiled)

3:Remove fish from tray to serving plate immediately.Mix soy sauce,sake and mirin in a small bowl,drizzle 2tbsp or more soy sauce mixture on the fish.Cut lemon wedges on the side.

4:Sprinkle some cilantro and squeesh lemon juice on the fish before serve warm.

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