Chinese Dumplings/Won Ton Soup

Won Ton is basically, Chinese dumplings filled with spiced minced pork and wrapped in a flour skin. It is usually served in soup or deep fried. My former kids' babysitter makes the best wonton! She would make batches of them and freeze it in freezer bags, and she would often give me some. It is delicious and wholesome--nothing like a freshly home-made wonton!

Ingredients: (makes about 30)
1 lb freshly ground chicken (pork or beef can be used)
1/2 lb prawns, shelled, deveined and minced
1 tsp. wine (or sherry)
1 tsp. salt
some pepper
2-3 drops of sesame seed oil
2 tsp. water
1 tsp. cornstarch
3 tsp. minced scallions
2 tsp. minced ginger root
2 cups chicken stock
1 package store-bought wonton wrappers
fresh vegetables of your choice
Method:
1. Add the ground meat and minced prawns in a large bowl, mix all the ingredients, except the chicken stock together to a smooth paste.
2. Put about a teaspoon of filling in the center of the wonton wrapper. Moisten the top edges, fold it diagonally in half to form a triangle. Make another fold from the bottom up about ½-inch. Bring the two points together, moisten one edge and overlap the corners together by pinching it together.
3. Bring chicken stock to a boil, add a drop of sesame seed oil, season with salt and pepper. Simmer and keep warm. In another pot, heat water to a boil and drop wonton into the water to cook for about 2-5 minutes, until the skins are transparent and cooked. (dumplings will float on top). Remove with a slotted spoon and cook the vegetables.
4.To serve, put the cooked dumplings and vegetables in individual bowl and ladle some soup on top. Serve warm.
Printable Recipe

Fresh Ginger and Lemongrass Ale

Whenever I feel like having a soft drink, I think of gingerale. I love the fizziness and the taste of ginger, but I didn't like the sugar content. I stumbled upon this recipe from CNN's Food Central from Jean-Georges Vongerichten. I've adjusted the sugar and left out the chilli. This will be great for the summer and the upcoming July 4th weekend BBQ!
Ingredients:
1 lb fresh ginger, cut into thin strips
3 stalks lemongrass, removed outer leaves and cut into half
1-2 cups sugar, per taste
1 quart water
soda water
ice cubes
Method:
1. Add ginger to a food processor and puree to smaller pieces. Remove and add to the puree in a heavy saucepan with sugar and water. Bring to fast boil over high heat, then lower heat to simmer for about 15-20 minutes. Remove, strain and chill for many hours in the refrigerator.
To serve: Place about 1/4 cup of the syrup in a glass full of ice. Fill with soda water; taste and add more syrup if you like. Garnish with a lime wedge, then serve.
Prntable Recipe

Bittersweet Chocolate Pots de Crème with Cherries

 

Pots de crème or pot-au-crème translates in French to English as “pot of cream”, as this dessert is served in small-lidded pots. It is basically, chocolate custard that is so smooth and silky and practically melts in your mouth. It is simply divine and wickedly delicious!
Ingredients:
8 egg yolks
1 vanilla bean
3/4 cup sugar
6 ozs. bittersweet chocolate, shaved
1 ¾ cups half and half
2 Tbsp. dark rum
½ cup pitted dark cherries
6 ramekins or wide mouth canning jars
Method:
1. Soak cherries with rum and set aside. Preheat oven to 325°F. In a heavy saucepan, break vanilla bean and add cream and heat over low heat, stirring until a thin film floats across the cream. Remove from heat and discard vanilla bean. Add shaved chocolate and stir until it melted completely.
2. In another bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar till well mixed. Stir in the rum from the cherries and pour egg mixture into the chocolate mixture. Mix well and pour through a sieve and remove foam.
3. Pour slowly into jars or ramekins halfway and press some cherries into mixture, top with more of the chocolate mixture and remove any excess foam.
4. Place ramekins into a large deep baking tray and fill with water up to about 1-inch from the top of the ramekins. Bake in the middle rack for about 45 minutes until it comes out clean when tested with a skewer. Cool completely and serve with shaved chocolate and fresh cherries or cookies.
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Fried Spinach with Potatoes/Aloo Palak

Aloo Palak is basically spinach fried with potatoes and spices. The word, Aloo means potatoes and Palak is spinach. It is a classic Indian dish that is healthy, easy and inexpensive to prepare as a side dish.
Ingredients:
1 lb spinach, fresh or frozen
2 medium or 1 large red potato, peeled and cubed
1 red onion, sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. curry powder
2 small tomato, finely chopped
1 tsp. turmeric powder
2 tsp. cumin powder or 1 tsp. cumin seeds
juice of 1 small fresh lime or lemon
1½ Tbsp. olive oil, ghee, or butter
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1. If you are using frozen spinach, thaw them ahead of time. Tear fresh spinach into large pieces and wash them to remove dirt completely.
2. In a pan, heat oil on medium and fry cumin and curry powder until fragrant. Add garlic and onions and stir to cook until the onions starts to caramelized. Add potatoes, tumeric and fry until the spices coat the potatoes and until it starts to brown on all sides. Add the chopped tomatoes, and cook for another 5 minutes at medium heat.
3. Toss in the spinach, give it a quick stir and cover to cook further until the potatoes are cooked and the spinach has wilted and not overcooked. Increase heat and toss the mixture until water has evaporates and spinach starts to stick to the pan. Remove from heat, cover the pan and let the heat settle inside the pan. Serve with a drizzle of lime or lemon juice on top. Serve with rice or flat bread.
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Ruby Beets with Feta Cheese and Maple Glazed Pecans

Here is a simple and delicious salad that uses beets and cheese. You can add leftovers roasted chicken or turkey and you have a wholesome and satisfying meal.
Ingredients:
5 medium sized beets, scrubbed clean
1 package mixed fresh baby salad greens, washed and drained
¼ cup balsamic vinegar
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup fresh orange juice
4 Tbsp. feta or goat cheese
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
¼ cup pecans
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1. Steam beets with enough water until tender. Drain and cool, peeled and slice in ½-inch slices.
2. Place pecans in a saucepan over medium heat to toast. When it starts to brown, stir in the maple syrup to coat evenly. Remove from heat on freezer paper.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil to make the dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. In individual plates, arrange greens and beets. Sprinkle cheese and pecans over greens. Drizzle with dressing or serve on the side.
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Scrambled Eggs with Chives

Scrambled eggs is one of the first dish that I learned to cook in school. It is an easy and nutritious breakfast.

Ingredients: (serves 2)

4 eggs, beaten
¼ cup milk
1 small bunch fresh chives, chopped finely
1 tomato, sliced and chopped finely
½ tsp. minced garlic
salt and pepper to taste
1 Tbsp. butter

Fresh eggs and chives from our garden

Method:
1. In a bowl, mix eggs, chives, milk and whisk together. Melt butter in pan over medium heat. When the butter starts foaming, pour egg mixture to pan.
2. When the bottom and edges has begun to cook, use a spatula and scrape and lift the edges and let the uncooked eggs to run under the part lifted. Repeat this procedure until the egg is cooked through and curdled. Remove from heat and keep warm.
3. In a smaller pan over medium heat, cook the tomatoes and garlic until the moisture has reduced slightly. Season to taste. Serve with scrambled eggs.
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Lotus Root Soup

     

A bowl of soup is customary to the Chinese as it is designed to digest food, or used medicinally to balance a person's yin-yang. My mother is a firm believer that a meal is not complete without a soup, simple or elaborate. She once quote me a famous saying, "When there is soup there should be rice, the relationship between the both is like water to a boat," from a great Chinese poet, Li Yu. I asked my Chinese teacher about it one day in class and she gave me the full version of this poem. "As long as there is rice, there should be soup. The relationship between soup and rice is like that between water and a boat. When a boat is stranded on a sandy bank only water can wash it back to the river; thus rice goes down better with soup." This is one of my mother's exemplary soup and is also one of my favorite.

Ingredients:

1½-2 lbs. pork neck bones, washed and drained

1½-2 lbs lean pork, washed and drained
1 lotus root, skin scoured and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 piece dried octopus, presoaked with water to soften
10-12 pitted dried red dates (jujube)
½ cup raw skinless peanuts, washed and drained
12 cups water (approximate)
sea salt and pepper to taste
Method:
1. In a large deep pot, add enough water to cover meat and bones. Bring to a fast boil, remove and wash meat in cold running water to remove scum and impurities.
2. Put meat and bones, lotus root, red dates, peanuts and water, making sure water should cover the ingredients completely. Cook without the lid on high for 30 minutes. Replace lid and simmer for another hour and half, until the meat and lotus root are soft and fragrant. Season to taste and serve with rice.
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