Rice Dumplings with Pork and Salted Egg Yolks Wrapped in Bamboo Leaves

中文菜谱：咸鸭黄板栗肉粽

May 30th is the Chinese Dragon Boat Festival in 2017.  The festival is set according to the lunar calendar, so it comes on different days every year.  Mostly it is either May or June.

Rice dumplings are the most traditional food to have on this day.  I make rice dumplings every year too.  It is fun to make them; even more fun to eat them!

Ingredients：

3 cups of sweet rice
dried bamboo leaves
1to 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
salt to taste
water
2  to 3 bags of roasted chestnuts (3.5oz/bag)
12 slated duck egg yolks (available in the frozen food aisle in most Asian grocery store)
1/2 pound chickpeas
 

For the pork marinate：

1 to 2 pounds pork belly
1 to 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 /2 to 1 teaspoons sugar
1 to 2 tablespoon rice cooking wine
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 teaspoon five spice powder
salt to taste

Directions:

Cut the pork into 1 by 2 inches cubes.  Add dark soy sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, rice cooking wine, ground white pepper, five spice powder and salt.  Mix well and cover with plastic wrap.  Refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours.

Thaw salted duck yolks and cut each one into halves.  They add texture and flavors to the dumplings.

Add sweet rice along with seasonings to a large bowl.  Add water just to cover the rice.  Let them sit for a couple hours.

Boil the chickpeas until they are soft but not mushy

Fold every two bamboo leaves into a cone shape; add a tablespoon of sweet rice and chickpeas.

Add pork, roasted chestnut, duck egg yolk and chestnut.

Add another couple tablespoons of sweet rice and chickpeas on top

Wrap it up

All done

Add water.  Cook on high heat until it comes to boil.  Cover with lid and reduce the heat to simmer.

Cook the dumplings in simmering boiling water for two hours before serving.

Drain well and you can either serve them hot or cold.

Unwrap the dumplings right before you are ready to eat.  Sweet rice is perfectly cooked.  The dumplings are savory with all the seasonings and marinated pork inside.  The duck egg yolks and roasted chestnuts add texture and tons of rich flavors too.

Bon Appétit! 

Grilled Skewed Beef with Onion and Chili Peppers

中文： 香辣烤牛肉串

I have done grilled skewed beef for so many times that I can do it right with my eyes closed O(∩_∩)O~  however, I am never getting tired of BBQ, neither is my husband.  We grill and BBQ at any chances when the weather allows. 

Ingredients：

2 pounds of chuck eye roast
1/4 to 1/3 low sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons oyster sauce
2 to 3 tablespoons rice cooking wine
1 to 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ginger powder
1 clove of garlic, peeled and minced with garlic presser   
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 egg white
2 teaspoon corn starch
1/2 cup chicken stock/ water or as needed
freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste
2 to 3 tablespoons white sesame seeds
red pepper flakes
cumin
extra white sesame seeds

Directions：

Dice the chuck eye beef into 1/2 by 1/2 inch cubes.  Add the beef to a medium bowl, along with soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice cooking wine, sugar, paprika, ginger powder, minced garlic, onion, egg white, corn starch, black pepper, salt and white sesame seeds.  Mix with a pair of chopsticks or a wooden spoon while slowly adding chicken stock / water.

Cover with plastic and allow the beef to marinate in refrigerator for 2 days.

Remove the beef from fridge half hour prior to the grilling time. 

Skew the beef together with stainless skewers

Start the grill and wait until the interior temperature reaches 400F/204C.

Spray the grill rack with oil.  Add skewed beef.  Spray the beef with a little bit oil too so that they won’t stick to the grill racks.

Cast iron grill racks are a lot like cast iron pans.  The more you use them, the more they get seasoned.

Flip the beef over.  Caramelization is starting.

Keep grilling and flipping until both sides are golden brown.

Mix cumin, pepper flakes and white sesame seeds in a small bowl.

Sprinkle the mixed spiced over grilled beef.

And now it is done.  What you need now is a can of cold beer!

O(∩_∩)O~

Chicken Soup with Oyster Mushrooms and Chinese Yam

中文：淮山蘑菇炖鸡汤

What Asian people mean by chicken soup is quite different from American chicken soup.  Our chicken soup is more like broth with diced chicken in it with added herbs or vegetables.  Southern Chinese are known for their delicious and wide variety of soups. 

The soups my grandma usually made in her kitchen were chicken soup and pork rib soup.  I grew up eating them and now they are two of the most frequent soups I make in my kitchen too. 

The combinations between chicken and vegetables added to the soup can be endless.  You can literally put in anything you like.  Don’t be afraid and get creative.  You might have some amazing soups invented! O(∩_∩)O~

I use Chinese yam and oyster mushrooms today.  They both have mild flavors so that the taste of chicken will not be over powered. 

Ingredients：

1 free range organic chicken
1 large piece of fresh Chinese yam (available in Asian grocery stores)
1 piece of ginger root, smashed or crushed
2 to 3 tablespoons pearl barleys
1 handful dried longan fruit
8 to 12 jujube dates
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 tablespoon rice cooking wine
1/2 to 1 teaspoon rock sugar
3 to 3 1/2 quarts of water
salt to taste

Directions：

Rinse the chicken under running water.  Dice it with a cleaver knife.  Try to find the chicken with yellow fat which will help to make beautiful bright yellow chicken soup.

Peel the Chinese yam and dice it into 1 by 1 inch cubes.  Chinese yam is a very popular ingredient in Asian soup because people believe it is good for health and human digesting system.  Plus, it taste good too!

(Some people might develop minor allergic reaction when exposed to Chinese yam liquid.  My husband does too.  Don’t panic if your skin itches if you peel Chinese yam with bare hands.  Be sure to put on gloves before handling it.  )

Dice the oyster mushroom roughly the same size as Chinese yam.

Fill a cast iron soup pot with water.  Add chicken.  Cook over high heat until the water boils.  Allow it to continue boiling for a few more minutes.  With a spoon, skim off scum that is clouding on top. 

Add ginger root, pearl barleys and rice cooking wine.

Cover the pot with lid and reduce the heat to simmer for about one and a half hours.  Adjust the simmer time accordingly. 

I use a Le Creuset 4 1/4 quart soup pot here.  It is perfect for stewing and simmering.  And it can go straight from stove to table, looking astonish.

After simmering about one and a half hours, increase the heat to high.

Add jujube dates, dried longan fruit, diced Chinese yam, ground white pepper, rock sugar and salt to taste.

Stew over medium heat for another 20 minutes or so.  Add diced oyster mushrooms.

After 2 to 3 minutes, the soup is done.  Remove from heat.

A pot of good chicken soup can be judged by its light golden color.  And this is definitely good O(∩_∩)O~

Serve immediately. 

When cooked, the Chinese yam has a similar texture to potato.  It is starchy and creamy at the same time.  Chicken soup and oyster mushrooms add extra flavors to the yam too.

Sometimes I serve Asian soups over induction cooktop on dinner table.  It can be kept piping hot this way through the whole dinner.  And it can also be transformed into hot pot in no time when needed.  

Venison Ravioli

中文：鹿肉RAVIOLI

A friend of mine loves to hunt and I get some amazing game meat from her now and then.  How wonderful is that? O(∩_∩)O~ 

I made spicy venison chili and spicy skewed venison before.  So I decide to make some Asian fusion style venison ravioli this time.

 Deep fried ravioli go really great with grated parmesan cheese and hot sauce.

I deep fry half of the ravioli and boil the other half.  That is how we always eat them back home in southern China.

Dough ingredients：

2 cups semolina flour
2/3 to 3/4 cup liquid (egg + water)
salt
egg wash (to glue dough sheets together)
 

For the fillings：

1 pound ground venison
1 large egg
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 to 2 tablespoon rice cooking wine
4 to 5 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 to 4 teaspoons corn starch
3 to 4 teaspoons sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon sugar
finely grated ginger
chicken stock (preferably homemade)
salt to taste

Directions：

Add semolina flour, egg, water and salt to a bowl.  Mix with hands until all ingredients come together.  Transfer to a well dusted large wooden board and knead until the dough becomes stretchy and elastic. 

Cover with greased plastic wrap.  Allow the dough to rest for at least 30 minutes.

Now let’s start with venison fillings.

Add venison, egg, onion, oyster sauce, rice cooking wine, soy sauce, corn starch, sesame oil, ground white pepper, sugar, ginger and salt to a medium/ large bowl.  With a pair of chopsticks in one hand, bowl in the other, whisk towards one direction like crazy.  Yes, that is right; whisk like crazy and the chopsticks are the best tool for the job here.

Gradually add chicken stock while whisking.  Add no more than a couple tablespoons each time.  Keep whisking and the meat will absorb any extra liquid.  Add chicken stock to the meat is a well known trick to make fillings juicy and tender in China.

With a large rolling pin , roll the dough into a large thin dough sheet and then run it through Kitchenaid pasta attachment several times until the sheet becomes smooth.  For the final time, dial the thickness to 5.

Dust ravioli mold with some flour

Place one layer of dough sheet on top the mold.  Gently press the pasta sheet into the depressions of the mold.  Spoon venison fillings into pasta pockets; brush the pasta edge with egg wash. 

Cover with another layer of pasta sheet.  Gently press down with fingers to get rid of extra air that might have been trapped in the pockets.

With a dual wheel pastry cutter , roll and cut between pasta pockets.

Deep fry them until golden brown.

Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese.

Serve immediately.

I love dipping them into hot sauce.

Venison is very lean.  But it can be very tender and juicy too.

Actually I only deep fry half of the ravioli.  I boil the other half, and serve them with chicken stock, chili oil sauce, sesame oil, chopped green onion, chopped pickled daikon and crushed toasted peanuts, just the way we like back home in Southern China.

It is absolutely perfect for breakfast and lunch. O(∩_∩)O~

Asian Sweet Rice Pudding with Red Bean Paste & 2017 Chinese New Year Party

中文：莲子豆沙八宝饭 & 2017 年夜饭

It seems true that either sweet rice or red / green bean paste is well accepted in America.  Insteresting…  Maybe that is because people haven’t realized how good they are and how many amazing desserts there are when sweet rice and red beans are combined together. 

I make Asian sweet rice pudding with red bean paste every year for our Chinese New Year party.  It is a kind of tradition to present it on dinner table on the last day of lunar year.  It means better life will come with a new lunar year. 

But that is not the reason why I love it.  I love it simply because it tastes great!  And I know a lot of friends will agree with me O(∩_∩)O~

Ingredients：

1 cup sweet rice (sticky rice)
water for cooking the rice (about 1 1/2 cups)
red bean paste
1 handful of lotus seeds
1 to 2 teaspoon lard/pork fat
sugar to taste
honey for topping
dried fruits of your choice (I use raisins and dried cranberries)
water for boiling lotus seeds (about 1 quart)

Directions：

Red bean paste is available in most Asian grocery stores.  They are usually sweetened.  So taste it first before you decide how much sugar you need to add to the pudding.  

I make my red bean paste from scratch.  I divide it into small batches.  Pack, seal and freeze in Ziploc bags. 

In a small pot, add water and lotus seeds.  Cook over medium low heat until the seeds become soft.  It might take between 1 and 1 1/2 hours.  Drain well.

Soak sweet rice in water for at least 1 hour.  Drain and add the rice to a medium bowl.  Add water. Steam over medium heat for about 40 to 50 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in pork fat and sugar when the rice is still piping hot. 

Soak the raisins and cranberries with water.

Grease thoroughly the inside of a round shape bowl.  Add cooked lotus seeds, raisins, and cranberries to the bottom. 

Add a layer of cooked sweet rice, followed by a layer of red bean paste, and then another layer of cooked sweet rice.

Steam over medium heat for about 30 minutes.

Remove from heat and flip the pudding upside down in a plate.  Remove the bowl.

Top with honey and serve immediately.

The pudding goes really well with Chinese tea.

I hosted a Chinese Lunar New Year party at my house.  And I served traditional Chinese food O(∩_∩)O~ 

I was really busy in the kitchen.  I could only squeeze no more than one minutes to point and shoot the dishes.  Most of them are a little blurry.  My bad O(∩_∩)O~

I printed a copy of menu and put it on the table so that everyone knew exactly what they are.  My guests that day were all Chinese.  Sorry I didn’t prepare English menu.

Beef shank and tendon stew with daikon.  The recipe can be found here

BBQ baby back ribs

Duck braised in soy sauce

Hot and spicy diced chicken

Pork head cheese

Mini egg dumplings

Mung beans noodles in hot and spicy chili oil sauce

Sweet rice pudding with red bean paste

Sichuan style pickled Jerusalem artichoke:

Stir-fried Sichuan style pickled string beans and ground pork

The other one is stir-fried diced lotus roots with chili paste

Pickled radish

Cucumber and wood mushroom salad

Sweet rice cake with red beans and coconut milk

It is a must have dish on lunar celebrating dinner table.

Pizzelles

I added black sesame seeds to make a bit Asian style

Sweet rice cake balls with black sesame and brown sugar

My friend brought another traditional dish: braised pork belly with soy sauce.  She added quail eggs and bamboo shoots to make it extra flavorful.

Another friend brought a duck stew with mushrooms and dakon.  Yum!  I refilled my bowl twice O(∩_∩)O~

Steamed garlic shrimp with fine noodles was from my friend’s husband.  Thumbs up for it too!

A cup of cappuccino was a perfect ending for this great gathering. 

Wish you all a happy 2017 O(∩_∩)O~