Zha Jiang Mian 炸醬麵 Recipe

Zha jiang mian 炸醬麵 has always been a favorite, classic, comfort food for me.  I still remember my mom used to call it Chinese spaghetti, although Chinese bolognese is probably a more accurate description.  Either way, similar to spaghetti/bolognese, everyone's favorite rendition is probably his/her mother's recipe that he/she grew up eating, which means you can adjust ingredients and toppings as you see fit.  For me, the zha jiang sauce includes diced bean curd/braised tofu (豆腐干), which is a more Taiwanese twist to the Beijing classic.

Without further ado, here's my base recipe for the zha jiang sauce.  Feel free to customize to your liking!

Ingredients (~6 servings)
1 pound ground pork
3 oz. sweet bean sauce (甜麵醬), or  hoisin sauce
6 oz. yellow bean sauce (豆瓣醬)

1-2 squares bean curd/braised tofu (豆腐干), diced
3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
5 slices ginger, minced
8 cloves garlic, minced
4 stalks scallions, chopped, with green tops and white bottoms separated
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
White pepper, to taste
1 julienned carrot, optional
1 julienned cucumber, optional

Directions
Heat oil in pan, and add ground pork and salt.  Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally, to brown.  Add ginger, garlic, and white bottoms of scallions and cook for another minute.  Add diced bean curd, dark soy sauce, and sesame oil and stir for another minute.  Add the sweet bean sauce and yellow bean sauce.  Simmer until pork is cooked through.  *No matter how you end up substituting ingredients, the key ratio for the sweet bean sauce to the yellow bean sauce is 1:2.

Serve over chewy noodles, and top with green parts of scallions, julienned carrots, and/or julienned cucumbers.

*The meat sauce keeps well, so feel free to freeze extra sauce for a quick reheated meal on another day!

Zebra Layer Cake Recipe

I was inspired by a beautiful Instagram photo of a zebra cake and decided to try my hand at recreating it for Valentine's Day.  It was actually not as hard as I thought, and it was pretty rewarding to cut into it and see all the "stripes" and layers.

Like a marble cake or checker cake, obviously you need two batters -- we'll start with a basic yellow cake and a chocolate cake.  The smart and more time efficient way is to use one base cake batter, and then separate half and add cocoa powder to create the chocolate batter.  Sally's Baking Addiction Blog has an easy to follow recipe.

However, I am a chocolate-crazed person and wanted to have a really good chocolate cake, so I made my life slightly more difficult by making two separate cake batters.  The recipe below is what I used.  (Now you have recipes for both chocolate and vanilla cake too!)

Ingredients
Yield: 3 9-inch cake rounds

Chocolate Cake:
1 2/3 cup cake flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (*not Dutch-pressed cocoa powder)
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup warm coffee (or warm water)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Yellow Cake:
2 cups cake flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
2/3 cup milk

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting:
8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
1 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-2 tablespoons milk

Instructions

Chocolate cake:
Mix together dry ingredients until well combined.  In a separate bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil, and vanilla.  Add dry ingredients and mix until smooth.

Yellow cake: 
Cream together butter and sugar until smooth and creamy.  Add eggs one at a time, and then vanilla.  Mix in remaining dry ingredients and mix until smooth.

Cake baking:
Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease and lightly flour three 9-inch cake pans.

To assemble the cake layers, drop a large spoonful of one batter in the center of the pan.  Top with a spoonful of the other batter.  Alternate spoonfuls of batter, slightly shaking the pan to even it out as needed.  Repeat until three cake pans are evenly filled with batter.

  

Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the cakes are baked through (insert toothpick into center; cake is done if toothpick comes out clean).  Allow cakes to completely cool.  



Frosting:
Make sure cream cheese and butter are soft and room temperature for ease of mixing (and to avoid lumpy frosting).  Beat the cream cheese on high speed until completely smooth, ~1 minutes.  Beat in the butter until combined.  Add the confectioners' sugar, cocoa powder, vanilla extract, and milk and mix until smooth.

Cake assembly:
The cakes may have formed a domed top during the baking process.  Once the cakes have completely cooled, slice a thin layer off the tops of each cake to create a flat surface.  Place the bottom layer of the cake on a cake stand and evenly cover the top with frosting.  

Use an angled spatula or a really flat spoon, and frost at an angle.  Smooth all the way to the edge, but avoid lifting the spatula until you reach the edge, or else you will lift up the cake and add crumbs to the frosting.  Add the next layers and repeat.  

To frost the sides, gather frosting on the spatula and smooth onto the sides of the cake.  Again, don't lift the spatula.  Instead, spin the cake plate around.

Optional: garnish with sprinkles, coconut flakes, nuts, whatever you like.

In the pictures below, I only made 2 layers of cake and used the extra batter to make cupcakes.

  

Biscuits Recipe

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
5 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter
1 cup buttermilk

Optional honey butter glaze:
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons honey

Instructions
Biscuits:
Preheat oven to 400F.  Combine dry ingredients.  Cut in cold butter until mixture is crumbly and butter is pea sized.  Make a well in the center and add buttermilk.  Take a wooden spoon and mix in from the edges.  Turn out the dough onto a well-floured surface and knead.  Pat out dough and cut with biscuit cutter.  Bake for 20 minutes.

Honey butter:
Melt butter in a sauce pan, and then stir in honey until well mixed.  Brush tops of finished biscuits with the honey butter...or just pour it all over the biscuits...the more honey butter, the better!

Shredded Brussels Sprouts Salad Recipe

Ingredients
1 pound brussels sprouts
1/2 cup chopped dates (or other sweet fruits, e.g., pomegranate seeds, dried cranberries, etc.)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (or other nuts for crunch)
1 shallot, minced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lemon, juiced
3 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Other optional ingredients: avocado, cheese

Instructions
Wash and then thinly slice brussels sprouts.  Roughly chop dates and walnuts.  Place in a large bowl with sprouts.  In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, shallots, and garlic, and season with salt and pepper.   When ready to serve, pour dressing over salad and toss to combine.

Banana Bread Recipe

Ingredients
1 stick of butter, melted (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream or plain Greek yogurt
3 ripe bananas, mashed
Optional: chocolate chips, walnuts 



Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F.  Grease or spray a 9-inch loaf pan.

Whisk together the melted butter and sugars.  Add eggs one at a time, and then add vanilla.  Whisk until smooth.  Add flour, baking soda, and salt and mix until combined.  Fold in mashed bananas and sour cream/yogurt.  (Add any optional mix-ins, like chocolate chips and walnuts.)  Pour batter into pan and bake 60 minutes or until crust is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Chocolate Mint Chip Cookies

I love the chocolate-mint combination, and one of my favorite chocolate mint candies is Andes.  So I decided to make chocolate chocolate chip cookies and stuff them with Andes.  But below I've included a chocolate mint chip recipe, and you can obviously substitute and work in any variations to your liking.  Enjoy!



Ingredients
1 cup butter (2 sticks), cold and cut into small cubes
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups mint flavored chips

Instructions
Preheat oven to 360°F.  Cream butter and sugar for ~4 minutes until smooth.  Add eggs one at a time, mixing well.  Add vanilla.  Stir in flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt.  Stir in chocolate chips and mint chips.  Drop large spoonfuls onto cookie shoot lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 10-14 minutes.

*I skipped the mint chips and instead stuffed one piece of Andes chocolate inside each cookie.

Green Tea Shortbread Cookies Recipe

It's almost Christmas, and I'm in holiday baking mode.  However, I personally don't like sugar cookies and frosting, so I decided to make green tea cookies for my "green," festive cookie contribution.  As a chocolate lover, I also spread Nutella on the bottom of each cookie and made them into matcha-Nutella cookie sandwiches.  Get creative!



Ingredients
2 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup powdered sugar
2 tablespoons unsweetened green tea powder (matcha)
2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon almond extract or vanilla extract

Instructions
Cream together butter and sugar until smooth, then add almond extract.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, salt, and matcha and add to the butter mixture.  Lightly roll out the dough and shape into 2 discs.  Chill the dough for an hour or two in the refrigerator, or until completely firm.

When ready, roll out the dough to desired thickness (~1/8 inch) on a floured board.  Cut with cookie cutters into desired shape.  Arrange on parchment paper-lined baking sheets.

Bake in a preheated 325°F oven for about 15 minutes for smaller cookies, or until lightly golden at the edges.

Hot Fudge Sauce Recipe

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter
2 ounces unsweetened chocolate
1/2 cup Dutch processed cocoa, sifted
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon salt, optional

Instructions
Melt butter and chocolate in a heavy saucepan over low heat.  Stir constantly, making sure it doesn't burn.  Add half of the heavy cream and all of the cocoa.  Turn heat to medium low and stir until there are no lumps (sifting cocoa makes this easier).  Stir in the remaining cream until smooth and thick.  Remove from heat and mix in vanilla and salt.

Chocolate Chip Walnut Cookie Skillet Recipe

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 stick butter, softened
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips
3/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1/2 cup walnut pieces
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, optional

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375F.  Cream together the butter, dark and granulated sugars, and half of the salt until no large lumps remain.  Stir in the eggs and vanilla.  Then and the flour and baking soda and mix well, until the dough comes together.  Stir in ~3/4 of the chocolate chips and walnuts.

Scrape batter into a 10" cast iron skillet.  Pat batter into skillet, making an even layer so that the dough extends to the sides of the pan.  Scatter the remaining chocolate chips and walnuts on top, and sprinkle with remaining sea salt.

Bake until outer edges slightly browned, about 20 minutes.  Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Ice Cream Sandwich Recipe

Ingredients
1/2 sticks butter, melted and cooled slightly, + more room temperature butter for pan
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 pints ice cream

Instructions
Heat oven to 350F.  Butter 13x18" rimmed baking sheet and line with parchment paper (buttering the pan makes the parchment paper stick so it doesn't move around when you pour on the batter).

Combine all dry ingredients.  In a separate bowl, whisk together melted butter and sugar until creamy.  Add eggs, one at a time, and beat until smooth.  Add vanilla.  Combine with the flour mixture and beat until smooth.

Scrape batter into pan, and using an offset spatula, smooth batter into a thin, even layer.  leave a small border of parchment paper around the edges.

Bake until cookie is set, about 10 minutes.  Transfer to a rack to cool completely.  Optional: evenly poke holes into the cookie like the good ol' fashioned ice cream sandwiches you find in stores.  I used a chopstick, but you can also use a meat thermometer.

When ready to assemble, remove ice cream from freezer and let soften slightly, but move quickly, as you can't work with melted, liquidy ice cream.  If you have time, I would actually suggest preparing the ice cream ahead of time: find a casserole dish or pan with some depth that is about half the size of your baking sheet that will be used to make the cookie.  Line the dish with parchment paper or plastic wrap, and then evenly spread the ice cream in the dish, creating an even layer about 1 inch thick.  Freeze until hard again, at least one hour. 

To assemble, cut the cookie in half.  If ice cream is already prepared, place layer of ice cream on top of one of the cookie halves (cut ice cream to size, as needed) and then place other cookie half on top.   If ice cream is not already prepared in shape, quickly spread a layer of ice cream on top of one of the cookie halves and top with the other.  Immediately wrap the big sandwich tightly in parchment paper to keep the shape, and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours.


Then, cut to size to serve.


My first time making these turned out okay, but not great, and definitely a bit ugly.  I did not spread the batter thinly enough, so the cookie sandwich was a bit fat.  I was also too lazy to actually measure out the size of the cookies and just eyeballed everything for the holes and the cutting, which led to uneven sized sandwiches.  Lesson learned...but at least they're edible!

Buttermilk Fried Chicken Recipe

Fried chicken...the all American classic.  Serve it with some waffles and make it brunch!

Ingredients

3 1/2 pounds chicken (I like to use a mix of drumsticks and thighs only)

2-3 cups buttermilk

3 tablespoons kosher salt, more as needed

1-2 teaspoon ground black pepper, more as needed

1-2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more as needed

1 teaspoons Slap Ya Mama cajun seasoning, optional

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

3 cups neutral oil, like canola

Directions

Marinate the chicken with 2 tablespoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon Slap Ya Mama, if using.  Cover all pieces in buttermilk and let marinate for at least an hour and up to a day.

Combine flour, breadcrumbs, and remaining salt, pepper, and seasoning in a large bowl or a large paper bag/container large enough to fit the flour and chicken.  When ready to cook, remove chicken from the marinade and toss well in the flour mixture.

Pour oil into a large, heavy-bottomed wok or cast-iron skillet with high sides and a lid, to a depth of a few inches.  Heat oil over medium-high heat to 350F.

Shake off excess flour from chicken and fry skin-side down, for about 5-10 minutes, covered by the lid.  Remove the lid, turn over the chicken pieces, and cook for another 5-10 minutes until cooked through and a deep, golden brown.

*If you have a deep fryer, you're a lucky duck and should use it.

Transfer chicken to a paper-towel lined tray or plate.

Sausage, Egg, and Cheese Hash Casserole Recipe

This is a quick and easy crowd pleaser if you need to entertain a large party.

Ingredients
1 pound Italian sausage (e.g., hot Italian sausage or sweet Italian sausage)
1 medium white onion, peeled and diced
1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 eggs
1/3 cup milk
1 bag (~20 ounce) frozen hash browns, slightly thawed
2 cups (8 ounce) shredded cheese (e.g., cheddar)
Salt and pepper to taste
Optional toppings: sliced scallions, avocado

Directions
Preheat oven to 375F.

Add the sausage to a medium pan and cook over medium-high heat until browned, crumbing the sausage as it cooks.  Remove sausage and transfer to a large bowl.  Add the onion, red pepper, and garlic to the same pan, and saute until soft.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add vegetable mixture to the mixing bowl with the sausage.  Add the hash browns and half of the cheese to the mixing bowl.  Mix well.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk until combined.  Lightly season with pepper.  Add mixture to the hashbrown mixture, and stir to combine.  Pour into a 9x13-inch baking dish, and top with the remaining cheese.

Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.  Then remove the aluminum foil and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes, or until potatoes begin to slightly brown.  Remove from oven and garnish with green onions and/or sliced avocado and serve.

Belgian Waffles Recipe

I love waffles.  I'll take waffles over pancakes any day.  But I'm particular about my waffles; I love the crunch and then the airy interior.  I don't like the super soft and flimsy waffles...if I wanted that, I might as well just eat a pancake.  So here's a recipe for Belgian waffles -- thick waffles that are crispy and chewy at the same time.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup sugar

3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

2 large eggs, separated

1 1/2 cups milk

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Combine flour, sugar, and baking powder.  In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.  In a third bowl, beat egg yolks, and then add milk, melted butter, and vanilla, and mix well.  Stir in dry ingredients.  Finally, fold in egg whites into the batter.

Bake in a preheated waffle iron until golden brown.  (Be sure to butter the waffle iron or use enough cooking spray for ease of removal when done.)

Korean Fried Chicken Recipe

Ingredients
Chicken and batter:
1 to 1.5 pounds chicken wings
1/2 cup corn starch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cold water
1/4 cup vodka
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Dressing:
3 tablespoons Korean gojuchang red pepper paste
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon hot water
2 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon white bottoms of scallions

Garnish:
White sesame seeds
Green tops of scallions

Instructions
Combine 1 teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, half of corn starch and baking powder and mix well.  Add chicken wings and toss until every surface is coated.  Refrigerate and marinate for at least 30 minutes.

In the meantime, combine all dressing ingredients and heat over low heat and keep warm.

When ready to fry, pour oil into a large, heavy pot to a depth of about 1.5 inches.  Heat to 350 degrees F.  Combine remaining cornstarch, baking powder, flour, and another teaspoon of salt into a large bowl and mix.  Add water and vodka and whisk until a smooth batter is formed.  It should have the consistency of thin paint and not be too thick.

Add wings to batter.  Let excess batter drip off and lower into hot oil.  Fry and rotate to cook evenly.  Cook until golden brown and crisp, about 8 minutes.  Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.



Coat wings in the warm dressing.  Garnish with sesame seeds and green scallions.

Baked Oatmeal Bars Recipe

Baked oatmeal bars are simple to make and versatile to serve -- oatmeal makes it breakfast/brunch appropriate, and the chocolate and fruit make it a delicious snack and dessert.  This is as healthy as it gets for chocolatey desserts!

Ingredients

2.5 cups all natural oats

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 cups milk

1 large egg

2 tablespoon butter, 

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup berries, e.g., sliced strawberries, blueberries

1 ripe banana, sliced

1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1/2 cup walnuts, optional

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375F.  Lightly butter an 8x8 casserole dish.  Mix the dry ingredients, berries, and chocolate in the casserole dish.  Top with the sliced bananas.  In a separate bowl, mix the milk, egg, butter, and vanilla.  Pour onto the oatmeal mixture, making sure the oats are soaked evenly.  Bake for 35 minutes.

  

Nachos Recipe

Be it Cinco de Mayo or just any ol' gathering, nachos are always crowd pleasers, and super easy to put together.

Ingredients
1 large bag of tortilla chips
1 pound ground beef
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 tomatoes, diced
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
1 jalapeno, diced
1 can black beans (or beans of choice)
1 whole avocado, pitted and diced
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste
Sour cream, optional
Scallions, optional
Cilantro, optional

Instructions
Heat olive oil in a skillet and add half the onion and the ground beef.  Add salt and seasonings, and stir to combine.  Cook until brown, then add the beans and half the jalapeno.  Reduce heat to low and simmer until cooked through.

To make the pico de gallo, combine the other half of the onion with the tomato, other half of the jalapeno, half the lime juice, and salt and pepper to taste.  Add cilantro if using.  Cheat version: buy store-bought salsa.

To make the guacamole, dice the avocado and mix with the remaining lime juice and cilantro (and jalapeno, if desired).  Smash avocado pieces to desired consistency.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Variation: leave diced avocado as is instead of making guacamole.

To build the nachos, place a layer of tortilla chips on a platter.  Top with a layer of the beef/bean mixture and cheddar cheese.  Then top with another layer of chips, another layer of beef/bean mixture, and the Monterey Jack cheese.  Continue to layer.
    

Melt cheese in the oven at 325F for a few minutes, or microwave in 45 second increments until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Top with pico de gallo, guacamole, scallions, cilantro, sour cream.

Lamington Recipe

For those who don't know what a lamington is or haven't had the good fortune of trying one before, a lamington is a sponge cake filled with jam, dipped in chocolate, and rolled in shredded coconut.  It originates from Australia, and I rarely see it here in the States; even the many Aussie cafes in NYC don't have them regularly (trust me, I've searched).  So yesterday for Valentine's Day, I decided to take matters into my own hands and make a batch for my very Aussie husband.  Fortunately it was pretty fool proof and turned out a-okay, in my humble opinion.

Ingredients

Cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
2 large eggs
1/2 cup milk

Chocolate Frosting:
2 cups confectioners sugar, sifted
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup milk

Other:
2 cups shredded, dried coconut
Jam (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.  Butter and flour the bottom and  sides of an 8x8 inch square cake pan.

In a large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt.  In a separate bowl (with electric mixer), beat the butter until soft.  Add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well.  Add vanilla extract.  Slowly add flour mixture and milk and mix well.

Spread batter into prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Cool the cake for about 10 minutes.  Remove cake from baking pan.  Slice entire cake in half to create two layers, and spread jam over entire bottom layer.  Place top layer back on top, sandwiching the jam, and then cut cake into 16 squares (roughly 2" each).

For the chocolate frosting, mix the powdered sugar, cocoa powder, butter, and milk in a heatproof bowl.  Place bowl over a saucepan of hot water.  Stir and mix well, until frosting is of a pouring consistency,

To assemble, place the coconut on a large plate.  Dip each cake square into the chocolate frosting, and then roll the cakes in the coconut.  Transfer lamingtons to a wire rack to set.

Rice Cake (Traditional) 年糕 Recipe

Rice cakes 年糕 (nian gao) literally translates to "year cake," and cake (糕 gao) is a homonym in Chinese to the character for high (高), so this dessert is typically enjoyed during the New Year as a wish to reach new heights (年年高升 nian nian gao sheng, "rise high each year").

The dessert is usually first steamed and then battered in an egg wash and pan-fried, but it can also be enjoyed as is or in dessert soups.

Ingredients

1 pack (16 oz) sweet rice flour (I buy Mochiko brand)

2 1/4 cups water, divided

1 1/2 cup dark brown sugar

2 1/4 tablespoons cooking oil

1 egg, beaten (for pan frying batter)

Instructions

In a pot, dissolve the sugar in half of the water over med-low heat.  In the meantime, combine the flour with the remaining water and oil and mix.  Add the hot sugar water mixture to the flour and mix well.  Pour the mixture back into the pot and stir constantly over low heat, making sure the bottom and sides don't burn, until it's a thick, pudding-like consistency.  Pour into a foil pan or glass bowl and steam for 50-60 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean from the center.

I had extra goji berries from my baked rice cake, so I did some decorating

When ready to serve, cut into small pieces and dip into egg wash.  Pan fry on all sides.  The batter and pan-frying gives the dessert a crispy exterior and chewy interior.

Rice Cake (Baked) 烤年糕 Recipe

Sweet rice cakes (年糕 nian gao) are a traditional Chinese New Year dessert, but this is a less traditional take on the delicious dessert.  Like the traditional rice cake, it's made with rice flour, so it has that wonderful chewiness, but it's baked like a cake, so you get a nice crunch on the edges.  On top of that, you get to top it with whatever toppings you like.  Red bean paste for me is a must, but everything else is optional.  That said, the more toppings, the prettier the dessert!

Ingredients

1 pack (16 oz.) sweet rice flour (I buy Mochiko brand)

3 eggs (beaten)

3/4 cup cooking oil

3/4 cup sugar(granulated or light brown sugar)

2 1/2 cups milk

1 can red bean paste

1 teaspoon black sesame seeds (optional)

1 teaspoon coconut flakes (optional)

1 teaspoon goji berries (optional)

1 teaspoon chopped dates (optional)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F.  Mix together rice flour, eggs, oil, milk, and sugar.  Pour into a baking pan.

Top with teaspoonfuls of red bean paste and liberally sprinkle other toppings on top.  Bake for 35 minutes or until the edges are a light brown color.

Steamed Pork Belly 梅乾菜扣肉 (Mei Gan Cai Kou Rou) Recipe

Ingredients

5-6 oz dried preserved mustard greens 梅乾菜 (mei gan cai)

1  1/2 pounds pork belly

2 slices ginger

2 star anise

1 teaspoon + 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

1 1/2 tablespoons rock sugar

1 teaspoon minced ginger

2 tablespoons rice wine

1/2 cup chicken broth

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Instructions

The most time consuming part is cleaning the dried mustard greens, which you will need to soak for 5-6 hours and then wash and drain multiple times until the sand and dirt is gone.  (If you can't find the dried mustard greens or don't want to deal with the fuss, you can also replace with another leafy pickled vegetable, but be aware of salt level and tailor your sauces accordingly.)

Put the pork belly, ginger, and star anise in a large pot and cover with cold water.  Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for ~10 minutes to cleanse the pork.  When done, heat a tablespoon of oil in a wok and add the pork, skin side first until brown.  Turn and brown other sides.  Once browned, add a teaspoon of dark soy sauce and a tablespoon of water and coat the pork.  Turn off heat and let pork cool in the wok and sauce.  Remove pork from wok and cut into bites-sized pieces.  Place in a shallow bowl.

In the wok, add a tablespoon of oil and melt the sugar.  Add the minced ginger and cook for 30 seconds.  Then add the washed preserved vegetables and stir for a few minutes.  Add remaining dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, rice wine, and chicken broth.  Bring to a boil and then turn off the heat.  Spoon vegetable mixture over sliced pork.

Put bowl in a steamer and steam for 1 hour.  When done, pour off any excess liquid into wok to make the sauce.  Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer, and add a tablespoon of cornstarch to thicken, as needed.

When ready to serve, place serving plate over bowl of pork and vegetables and flip it over onto the plate (so pork is on top).  Pour sauce over the dish.  Serve with rice.