How to wrap wonton dumplings - Video

Does this remind you of traditional Chinese gold ingots (金元宝, pronounced jin yuan bao) ?
 
Now, it is time to "showcase" how these little wontons, dumplings gems are wrapped (Click "Play" in the video clip below). I promise I would in this post. Though I enjoy gyoza for its crisp dumpling bottom, I absolutely love boiled dumplings and favor them for the simplicity of preparation and cooking. With boiled dumplings, I can dump them in all kinds of soups and create so many comfort meals such as Wontons in Chicken Soup, Spicy Wontons - Wontons in Korean Stew and Wontons in Cabbage Soup. Of course, the dumpling fillings can have thousands of variations ( I exaggerated, or did I?). So you can imagine the variety of exciting comforting meals you can have. Click "Play" in the video clip below.


Tag: wontons, boiled dumplings

Mushy Fava (Broad) Beans with Green Onions

Like malt vinegar, mushy peas remind me of fish and chips. When my friend made this Mushy Fava (Broad) Beans dish, fish and chips just came to mind. The texture is...as the name suggests...M-O-O-S-H-E-E....(mushy) but this Chinese way of cooking does not make the dish any way less superior than the mushy peas made usually with peas and cream.


My entry for My Legume Love Affair #17 is Mushy Fava (Broad) Beans. Pop by the MLLA host lineup here.

Mushy Fava (Broad) Beans
Ingredients: About 2-3 cups cooked(frozen) shelled broad beans, thawed (note: previously in this broad bean recipe, the shells were still intact); 1 tablespoon chopped green onions, pinch of salt, 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar, 1-2 tablespoons water to simmer

Directions:
1. In a heated wok of cooking oil, add green onions and fry till fragrant, followed by broad beans and fry till broad beans turn slightly soft. Use the spatula to mash the beans in the wok, and mash it evenly by turning and "wokking" through at the same time.
2. Add some water to simmer in covered wok for 2 to 3 minutes. When water dries off, add pinch of salt and sugar, mix well, dish up and serve immediately. So good...you can eat it on its own!


Other broad bean recipe:
Stir Fry Broad Beans - Shanghai style

Have a great Thanksgiving.

Tag: beans, legume, broad beans, fava beans

Pumpkin or Acorn Squash Stir Fry

The variety of pumpkin and squash in the supermarkets or grocery stores confuses me a lot. Even the name "pumpkin" and "squash" confuse me. Is pumpkin = squash? Is pumpkin  part of squash family, or maybe the other way round? I know there is Google Search but there are times (at this minute) when I just do not want to do it. I am sure my fellow blogger friends would be able to stimulate and open up my mind more, on pumpkin and squash. I have already learn from them, that some pumpkins are more suitable for baking while others, more suitable for cooking. And some, suitable for Savory Pumpkin Cake.

Stir-Fry Acorn Squash*
Ingredients: 1 small acorn squash, remove seeds (note: keep the seeds aside for roasting**), peeled, then cubed; 2 stalk green onions, cut into small pieces; pinch of ground cumin, salt and pepper, to taste

Directions: Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a pan. Add green onions and fry till fragrant. Add in cubed squash, pinch of cumin and mix well. Cover the pan and allow to simmer at low heat till squash softens. Add some water, if mixture too dry and continue to simmer at low heat. Add salt and pepper, to taste. Serve when squash completely cooks through.

*If unsure, ask! And the friendly staff at Whole Foods recommended Acorn Squash for stir-frying. It works!
** Roasted Pumpkin Seeds


Penzeys Fall Spices Giveaway is ON! To learn how you can be a winner, go read their special announcement. Well, I'm thinking...Fall pumpkins and Fall spices...what a great match!

Tag: pumpkin, stir fry, squash

Spiced Okra with Tomatoes

Turmeric is definitely a spice that I have used more often now, because of my likes all around Indian food. Remember Spicy Green Beans, Spicy Green Beans with Carrots, Cabbage Curry and Curried Potato and Mushrooms? Love them with turmeric! And for Think Spice event, hosted at Bengali Cuisine in November, I have this easy tomato okra recipe that makes use of spices such as turmeric, cumin and black pepper. Turmeric.....AHhhhhhhhh...this spice has touted health benefits too.


Spiced Okra with Tomatoes
Ingredients: 3 gloves garlic, minced; 3 shallots, thinly sliced, 1 medium-sized tomato; okra, sliced into cubes; salt, to taste; 1/4 tsp of ground cumin; 1/4 tsp of turmeric; 1 tsp curry powder; ground black pepper, to taste

Directions: Heat 1tbsp of oil in a frying pan. Add garlic and shallots and saute till fragrant. Add tomatoes and okra, mix well; add cumin turmeric, curry powder, then some water, and allow it to simmer at low heat for 10-15 minutes. When mixture(okra) start to turn tender, add salt and black pepper to taste and continue to simmer till gravy is mostly absorbed into the okra. Serve with steamed rice.



Tag: okra, turmeric

Kale: Stir Fry Kale with Garlic (Chinese Style)

I should be ashamed of myself that despite living in the US of A for more than 2 years, I have not tried KALE. What is that? Nothing fascinating, ok. Just green leafy vegetables that I would have never thought of putting into my grocery basket. Well, they are really not that popular, I remember. I did not recall them being as extensively used as compared to celery, fennel, lettuce in most of the cooking shows I have watched. And even if I have seen or heard about kale, this vegetable has registered as being a "tough" one - difficult to cook.


Stir Fry Kale with Garlic (Chinese Style)
Ingredients: bunch of kale, leaves only; garlic gloves, finely minced; salt, white pepper
Directions: In a heated pan, add some canola oil. Then add in garlic and fry till fragrant. Add in kale leaves and stir fry quickly, mixing well. Add 3-4 tbsps of water , cover the pan and allow kale to simmer (so that leaves soften and cook). When leaves softened, add a pinch of salt to taste, then add in some white pepper, stir briskly.

Kale leaves take a longer time to turn tender compared to most of the Chinese vegetables such as Bok Choy, Choy Sum and Gai Lan. To some, kale might be an acquired taste (as they may taste somewhat bitter and strong). But as the Chinese saying goes - 苦口良药, which means "bitter is good medicine" and in fact, kale is super- healthy: its bitter taste because of iron content; and it has load of good vitamins.

This was my first attempt at kale and what lies ahead is more exploration into this nutritious green. The more I experiment with this vegetable, I find better ways to cook it. Stir-frying is not one of the easiest. So, what is ?

My first attempt at kale is going to Weekend Herb Blogging host of the week, Winnie of Healthy Green Kitchen. For recaps and round-ups, check out Cook Almost Anything.

Tag: kale, stir fry, vegetable

Coffee-drip, brewed,pressed or "innovative" ?

Always amazed by Japanese innovation in almost... ...everything. Go figure.


Tag: coffee

Garlic-Herb Butter Crostini

A hearty bowl of minestrone or pumpkin soup would pair so well with these garlic crostini (means "little toasts" in Italian), paving a perfect way to brunch-ing at home, especially when you just want one comforting meal in between breakfast and lunch. That makes Monthly Mingle - Brunch at What's for Lunch, Honey.


You do not need a full-range oven for this. A small little toaster oven will do the job. And even a better deal - you can use "old" baguette (bread) and inject new life into that dry loaf of mass.



Garlic-Herb Butter Crostini
Ingredients: Baguette, thinly sliced; unsalted butter; garlic, finely minced; dried herbs (basil, oregano), salt
Directions: Preheat toaster oven at "Bake". When the butter is slightly soft (at room temperature), add in the minced garlic and herbs, then mix them thoroughly into the butter. Spread the garlic-herb butter on one side of the bread slice, then place the bread slices (slathered side up) onto a tray laid with Al foil. Set oven to "Toast" and toast for about 12-15minutes till the bread becomes toasted, golden brown.



Enjoy *crunch crunch*  ...


Tag: soup, garlic crostini

Vegetarian Rice Vermicelli

With many vegetable dishes, I like to make them into "one-dish-ers" that are easy and tasty. If you have cooked excess of Cabbage and Carrot Curry and got bored with eating the leftovers with rice the next day, the next alternative is of course...N-O-O-D-L-E-S  ! (Oh, what a cheat!) . Well, it is really a cheat. A cheat-sheet to create a vegetarian rice vermicelli dish. How many of you fry your rice vermicelli with cabbage? Me! me! Mua! Me! me!...OK...I heard you. Me too. :D


In a healthier way, I always prefer to "fry" rice vermicelli till cooked through by simmering them in water-based gravy (bland? add in spices, seasonings, herbs to flavor), rather than cook it in oil. By the time the gravy evaporates and gets absorbed into the vermicelli, the end-product: moist, soft rice vermicelli that is non-greasy. So, if you have got recipes with light (meaning, non-starchy) gravy - try to improvise and simmer rice vermicelli in them till all the gravy is absorbed and is being mixed well with the vermicelli.

Curried Cabbage and Carrot Rice Vermicelli
Ingredients: cabbage, finely shredded; carrot, finely shredded; white pepper; rice vermicelli, soaked in warm water for 5 - 8 minutes to soften
Directions: Follow instructions for Cabbage and Carrot Curry, and after curry is cooked, add in rice vermicelli, mix well into the curry. Simmer at low heat till the curry is absorbed by the vermicelli and thoroughly mixed.

Who says vegetarian food needs to be greasy to taste good? This vegetarian rice vermicelli dish goes to Presto Pasta Night at Once Upon a Feast.

Tag: rice vermicelli, vegetarian

Kitchen cookware and dinnerware is now my shopping addiction

I was talking to my friend the other day about the gradual change in my shopping habits. Bags and shoes used to be my "addiction". However, ever since I had this food blog and learn to enjoy cooking, I love to look at kitchen-related products when I shop. Kitchen utensils and cookware, kitchen appliances, and even dinnerware sets. How about Corelle Dinnerware Sets as the first item in a wish-list? Imagine I could use these plates and bowls for the sake of food photography and styling. Well, that is just part of the reason. I do need a new set of Corelle Dinnerware Sets if I get my own kitchen in my new house, eventually. I do feel home-proud if I get to entertain my family and friends with good food on nice, classic dinnerware. And I do trust Corelle Dinnerware Sets because they are lightweight, and break-resistant. Corelle plates and bowls are also dishwasher-, microwave- and oven-safe, so this makes them very easy to use and maintain.


I may not be able to get a new kitchen in time for the coming holidays - so, I know I will not be entertaining much. But, if I can get good deals from Shop.com anytime now, I know I will not hesitate.

Bok Choy with Carrots and Shitake Mushrooms

While to blanch a plate of vegetables is a no brainer, to stir-fry that same plate of vegetables does need a little more care and "heart" if you do not want yours to turn out of greasy and droopy, like what you get in some food stalls and take-outs. I love to use garlic - for aroma; carrots - for color; shitake mushrooms - for added nutrition and depth in flavor. While Mark Bittman, New York Times does his with shitake and oyster sauce (emphasizing on getting the real good oyster sauce and nothing artificial), how about you? How do you stir fry vegetables in the simplest flavorful way?


Bok Choy with Carrots and Shitake

Ingredients: bok choy, separate into stems and leaves, then cut the stems into smaller pieces; carrots, thinly sliced; shitake mushrooms, use caps and slice the caps into smaller pieces; garlic, minced; pinch of salt and white pepper

Directions: Add a little oil in a heated pan. When oil is slightly hot, add garlic and fry till fragrant. Then add in carrots, bok choy stems, mushrooms and fry briskly till slightly softened. Add the bok choy leaves, fry briskly. Cover the pan and allow it to simmer a while (so that the steam can cook the vegetables mixture). Stir fry thoroughly. If mixture is too dry, add in 1 -2tbsp of water. Add pinch of salt and white pepper, to taste.

Tag: vegetables, stir fry.


Bok Choy With Carrots and Shitake