This recipe is from my friend Natalya and it’s one of my favorite holiday cookie recipes.

½ cup butter or margarine, softened
1/3 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg, separated
1 cup regular all-purpose flour
¾ cup finely chopped blanched almonds

apricot jam
Confectioners’-sugar frosting (optional)

1. Cream butter
2. Add next 3 ingredients and egg yolk and beat until light
3. Add flour and stir until well blended
4. Wrap dough in waxed paper and chill well
5. Preheat oven to  300 F
6. Divide dough in 3 equal pieces
7. On lightly floured board, shape in rolls about 1” in diameter
8. Cut rolls in ¾” pieces and shape in balls
9. Dip balls first in slightly beaten egg white, then roll in almonds
10. Put on ungreased cookie sheets and press center of each cookie down with forefinger
11. Fill indentations with about ¼ teaspoon apricot jam
12. Bake 20 minutes and remove to rack to cool
13. Decorate jam with a dab of frosting, if desired  Makes about 3 dozen.

Enjoy!

Yes, you read it right, SPAM.  It’s one of those lunch meat in the can, and not email.  Spam fried rice is one of my favorite favorite favorite all-time comfort food.  I grew up eating that in Hong Kong.  My mom would sometimes make it with thick slices of ham instead of Spam.  Same difference. The weather turned this week in New Jersey, and I had a lot of leftover rice in the fridge, so I actually made it this week for dinner.  The kids looooove it, and husband love it too.  Of course, a little guilty pleasure for all of us.

So I almost fell off of my chair when I found that Jaden Hair from Steamy Kitchen actually had a recipe on her blog for Spam fried rice.  What?  Someone actually appreciate my childhood’s unhealthy food?  She did make it a little healthier though, by adding some spinach in it.  It’s a good idea, I may try that next time too.  Her recipe is pretty much the same as mine.  I use a lot more eggs than she does, because my boys and I love fried eggs.  I usually use about 4 eggs.  I also don’t use any Shaoxing wine, just soy sauce for me.  This is the beauty of fried rice.  You can almost edit and adjust what you want to put in or not!

So check it out.  Make your own version of fried rice this week.

Okay, as promised, here’s the Beef Chow Fun recipe.  I am not the best recipe writer, as my eyes are what I use to measure.

Beef Chow Fun has become the kids’ favorite dinner.  They ask for it all the time, so I ended up making it almost every week.  My husband is a huge fan, and he would eat this everyday.

Chow fun refers to this think sheets of rice noodle you get from the grocery store.  This is not the dried thin noodles, and they usually put this together with the open refrigerator along with the tofu section.  I often have to put them in the fridge after the purchase, and you can probably store it for 2-3 days or so.  When you are ready to use it, heat it back up with the microwave.  The goal is to make the noodle soft again.  However, be careful not to overheat it, otherwise it will cook the noodle and turn it into paste.  When it is nice and soft, then cut them into width wise about 1″ thick.  Very IMPORTANT, separate the noodles!!!!  This is one of the most crucial steps.  Separate the noodles so that they don’t stick to each other.  And yes, it’s oily and your hands will be greasy, but this is a step you MUST not skip.

Ingredients: (serves 4)

• Chow fun – 2 packages
• Flank Steaks – thinly sliced, about 1/2 lb
• Medium size onion – sliced about 1″ thick
• Bean Sprout – about 1/2 lb
• 3 Scallion – coarsely chopped (optional)
• Oyster Sauce
• Soy Sauce
• Canola oil or vegetable oil

Seasoning for the beef:

• 1 – 1.5 tablespoon soy sauce
• Corn starch about 1 teaspoon
• Water 2 teaspoon
• Sesame oil 1 teaspoon
• Baking powder 1/4 teaspoon

Direction:

1. Season the flank steak with the seasoning.  15-20 minutes of seasoning is enough, but I always season them a few hours ahead to give it that extra flavor as it soak up all the soy sauce.
2. Prep the noodle as per above instruction.
3. Heat the wok, and heat up about 2 teaspoons of oil.  Put in the beef, and taking care of not to OVER CROWD it.  Half a pound of beef will probably takes 2 times to pan fried.  It is very tempting to keep stirring.  DON’T touch it.  Let it sit for 30 seconds or so, and let it seared.  Flip it when one side is seared and immediately take the beef out of the work and put in a bowl.  Repeat until all the beef is seared.
4. While the flame is still on, and the wok is hot, put in 2 teaspoons of oil and heat up the oil.  Put in the onion and scallion (if using).  Lower the flame to medium and stir fry the onion until tender.  I usually put a little bit of water in with the onion and scallion to help from over browning.
5. When the onions are tender, stir in the bean sprouts for about 1 minute.
6. Put the noodles in and mix well.  Put in some soy sauce and some oyster sauce.  Take care of not too much oyster sauce as it can be very salty.  This type of noodle should be pretty dry, without too much sauce.  This is also the time to taste it, and decide to add more soy sauce and/or oyster sauce.  Add the sauce a little bit at a time to avoid “over saucing”.
7. When everything is heated and taste good, stir in the flank steak.  Give it a good stir and mix it well for about 30 seconds.  Turn off the heat and serve immediately.

That is it.  It sounds complicated, but it actually is pretty easy.  It is a great party food, and a crowd pleaser.  Even though it is very flavorful, I often like mine with a bit of hot spicy oil.  It just gives it that extra kick.  Enjoy!

I am looking for yummy, comfort food recipes, and stumbled across with this recipe blog, called Christine’s Recipes.  The author lives in Australia currently, and loves to cook.  She offers Chinese, Asian, and other western recipes.  I found quite a bit of my familiar food here, and will definitely try them some day.  What I also love is that she offers these recipes in both Chinese and English.  It is very helpful for me, because I don’t necessarily understand all of the ingredient names in Chinese sometimes.

Anyway, there’s an Egg Tart recipe in here.  Egg tarts are one of my all time favorite food.  I especially love it when it is fresh, and still warm.  The smell of egg tarts often reminds me of my childhood in Hong Kong.  Most bakeries sell egg tarts in Hong Kong, so you can always smell the fresh egg tarts every time you pass by a bakery.  This recipe really doesn’t look that complicated.  I am very tempted to try it, maybe I will talk my husband into it.

Noodles or Pasta, which came first?

If you ask the Chinese, most will say noodles were invented way before pasta, and the other would be true if you ask the Italian. The truth is, I don’t know. However, growing up, I was told that Marco Polo went to China around the 13th century, and saw Chinese people eating noodles with ground pork sauce, also known as 雜醬面 and fell in love with the dish. However, when Marco Polo returned to Italy, he forgot/lack all the necessary ingredients, so instead, used a tomato based sauce, and therefore created Spaghetti Bolognese.

Regardless of the history, I love both noodles and pasta. In fact, my kids often call long pasta (spaghetti, linguine, etc.) 面面 (mian mian) and the short pasta (fusilli, penne, etc) pasta. Anyway, the past couple weeks have been very busy in our household, and I know it’s only going to be busier in the coming weeks with all the holiday stuff. So, I’m going to share a pasta recipe my friend Marieanne taught me, it’s extremely simple and quick (30 min or less from start to finish), and it’s a gourmet meal my kids love!

Pasta Carbonara 

Ingredients:

1lb          Thin Spaghetti (I like Barilla)
1 T          Minced garlic (more if you like)
3 oz        Prosciutto or Pancetta, diced or sliced
2              Egg Yolk
1              Whole Egg
1C           Grated parmesan cheese
2 T          Fresh Italian parsley, chopped
3 T          Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

 Direction:

1. Cook Pasta according to package direction until al dente. (about 7-8 min)
2. Beat egg yolk and egg with a folk, mix in grated parmesan cheese until the mixture resemble a thick paste. Add salt and pepper.
3. Heat about 3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil in a large sauté pan, add garlic, and prosciutto, about a min
4. Pour cooked and drained pasta into the sauté pan, toss lightly so the pasta is coated with the olive oil.
5. Transfer the Pasta into the egg mixture, toss quickly so that the egg doesn’t scramble. Season again with salt and pepper if needed. Add parsley and enjoy!

As promised from my previous posting, here is the very popular Baked Nian Gao Recipe. This version is made with coconut milk, which isn’t conventional and adapted for some of my Western friends. You can use this basic recipe and add cooked red beans or red bean paste. Just make sure to use only regular milk instead of the coconut milk.

Ingredients:

• 1 Bag (16oz) Glutinous rice flour (available in Asian supermarkets, currently in a clear plastic bag with green ink
• 1/2 C to 3/4 C  Vegetable Oil
• 3 Large eggs
• 1 can of coconut milk + regular milk to make a total of 2 1/2 C of liquid
• 1 1/2 C to 1 3/4 C of granulated sugar (personal taste)
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 C of coconut flakes, lightly toasted (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Prepare a 9×12 pan by spraying with non stick cooking oil
3. In a separate bowl, pour all ingredients together
4. Use an electric mixer, beat everything on medium speed so not to splatter the rice flour, once everything is incorporated, continue to beat on high speed for about 2 minutes or until all the lumps are out.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan
6. Bake in the 350 oven for about 40 minutes or until the chopstick insert comes out clean
7. Cool for about 5-10 minutes and invert the rice cake onto a plate
8. Sprinkle toasted coconut on top, slice, and enjoy warm.

For a nicer presentation, cut into 1 inch cubes and place in cupcake liners.

This year, like prior years, I will be heading to my sister-in-law for our Thanksgiving dinner.  She announced that she is serving Tea Eggs as one of the appertizers.  I am not complaining since her tea eggs are delicious!  So it got me thinking, what other Chinese twist can I add to our Thanksgiving eating feast?  I can’t say that I am the most inventive cook, but I am good at looking for recipes.  I did find some pretty cool ideas, check them out!

1. About.com has an interesting Roast Turkey recipe using soy sauce, oyster sauce, and five spice powder.
2. Sticky Rice will definitely make a good side dish!  Thank you The Asian Grandmother Cookbook for the wonderful idea.
3. Scallion pancake will be another great appertizer!
4. Leftover turkey will be perfect to make congee, I found this great recipe from It’s Just Money.  I will probably be following some of the ingredients on this recipe, but will most likely just wing it.  It warms up my tummy already just thinking about it.
5. Now this is a new one, Turkey Wonton, using leftover turkey.  I’ve never thought about that, but that sounds like a wonderful idea.  Thank you Homemade Chinese Soups.

Happy Thanksgiving!

My friend and I have decided we will make scallion pancake next weekend and probably some potstickers just because…..I remember scallion pancake as streetfood growing up in Hong Kong, and it’s similar to flatbread and made from dough instead of batter. It’s not the most healthy food of choice, but it is very delicious.

Anyway, in search of a recipe, I found a really nice one from Big, Bold, Beautiful Food and thought I’d share with you.

When you slide the pancake into the hot oil, it bubbles happily and browns to perfection. Served with a simple sauce of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar, it’s the perfect snack.

• 2 cups flour
• 3/4-1 cup hot water
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• Sesame oil
• Scallions, finely chopped
• Vegetable oil for pan-frying

Place flour in bowl. Add water and stir with fork until the dough starts to stick together. On a lightly floured board, knead the dough for five minutes or until satiny smooth. If the dough won’t stay together, add water in small increments. If dough is too wet, slowly add flour. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and let rest for 30 minutes. If you’re not ready to make the pancakes yet, you can put the dough in the fridge for up to a day or so.

Take rested dough and form it out into a cylinder on a floured cutting board. Cut into 6 portions.

Take one piece and keep the rest of the dough covered with plastic wrap and a kitchen towel so it doesn’t dry out.

Flatten out into a disk with the palm of your hand and roll out dough until it’s about 1/8 inch thick and 8 inches in diameter (if it’s smaller, don’t worry about it; if it’s bigger, consider if it will fit into your skillet). Brush top of pancake with sesame oil and distribute green onions. Roll dough into a cylinder and roll again into a coil (kind of like a cinnamon bun). Tuck end of dough underneath. Flatten out into a disk with the palm of your hand and roll out again to make an 8 inch circle, 1/8 inches thick.

Heat 10-inch skillet over medium/medium-high heat. Add 2 tbs. oil minimum and swirl it around; you can put a little more oil too if you’re not oil-adverse, enough so that the pancake will float a little and the oil will go slightly over the sides of the pancake, like pictured below. Add a pancake and cook until golden brown and dry on the edges, about 2-3 minutes, and flip over to cook the other side. When done, drain pancake on paper towels and repeat process with remaining dough.

Cut pancakes into wedges and serve with dipping sauce of soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, and sesame oil:

In our home, comfort food means noodles and dumplings.  On any given day, I have a freezer full of the premade dumplings and dried noodles from the Asian market.  The other day, I decided to make my own dumplings.  No more frozen pot stickers  for my babies!   

Before my daughter came home from school, I made the filling and set it in the refrigerator for an hour so the flavors could meld together. 

That afternoon, we had a terrific mother daughter experience.  My beauty and I sat at the kitchen table and made dumpling together just as I did with my mother 35 years ago.  She lined up the dumpling wrappers and painted the water on the skins with her tiny fingers carefully wetting the entire perimeter.  I filled and folded the pot stickers.  She dipped the finished product into the cornstarch and laid them out onto a cookie sheet in straight rows.  We were a well-oiled machine. 

As we were doing this, a Chinese culture and language lesson popped in.  She started asking questions like how do you say dumpling in Chinese?  What are the words for table and chair?  We counted the dumplings, all 42 of them, first in English then Chinese (actually we counted them twice in Chinese because she had so much fun learning.) 

That night our family enjoyed the dumplings along with some baby bak choy for dinner.  The discussion turned to another Chinese topic, an article in the New York Times from the day before on paper sons from China.

Here is a recipe for some good mother/child Chinese bonding.

Pot Stickers

• 1 package of round flour dumpling skins
• Water
• Cornstarch in shallow bowl or plate

For filling:

• 1 lb ground pork or dark meat chicken
• ½ pound shrimp cut into ¼ inch pieces (about 10 large shrimp)
• 3 leaves of Napa cabbage finely dices (1/4 inch pieces)
• 6 rehydrated diced shitake mushrooms
• 10-15 chopped cilantro leaves  (I used a handful)
• 3 scallion stalks finely chopped
• 3 cloves of minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon shingtao wine
• 1/8 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions:

1.  Mix all filling ingredients together.
2. Fill a small cup with water
3. Fill a small bowl with a little corn starch
4. Take a dumpling wrapper and wet the perimeter with water
5. Fill with a teaspoon of filling
6. Fold dumpling in half at center
7. Make 2 pleats on either sides of the center and seal
8. Dab the bottom of dumpling in the cornstarch and set aside for cooking.
9. Repeat until done.
10. Heat a frying pan on high heat
11. Once hot, add some cooking oil to coat the bottom of the pan
12. Place pot stickers inside and let the bottoms brown, about 2-3 minutes but keep checking as they may burn.
13. Once the bottoms have browned, cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and turn heat down to low. 
14. Pour a ¼ cup of water into the pan and let the dumplings simmer.
15. Once the water has evaporated serve and enjoy.

 *Filling can be made a few hours ahead

** A good butcher will gladly ground dark meat chicken for you.

Just found this recipe from Steamy Chicken, I can’t wait to try it.  I also love this dish, although I always associate it with Malaysian vs Singapore.  The chicken is also very juicy and tender, but I will have to say that my favorite part of this dish is those yummy rice.  I can eat bowls of them.  Actually just thinking about it now makes my mouth water.

My husband does a much simplier version of poached chicken which our kids just loooove and has become our dinner staples.  He serves it with scallion oil sauce which we just had today for dinner.  That, will be another day, for our recipe collection.  As for now, check out this recipe, just scroll down to the very end if you want to skip the stories.