Fish and Clams Tomato Stew

2 TB butter
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onions
oil
A dozen small clams
Parsley
2 cups clam or fish broth
1/2 cup white wine
1 can of diced tomatoes
2 Cod or swai fillets, cut in half
1 TB oyster sauce
Dash of sriracha
salt to taste

Heat a large deep skillet on medium heat. Add the butter, oil, garlic and onions. Cook until the onions are soft. Add the clams, parsley, broth, wine, tomatoes and stir to combine. Arrange the fillets in the broth, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes. Uncover, stir in the oyster sauce and sriracha. Add salt to taste. Serve with rice.

Easy Ground Pork Buns

I have to credit my mom for coming up with this short cut to making delicious ground pork buns. The buns may not look instagram-worthy, but they are easy enough to make on a weekday night.

The amount of each ingredient for the filling is estimated. I sort of just toss things in based on past experience and instinct.

Buns:
1 can of refrigerated pillsbury original biscuits, not baked

Filling:
1 lb ground pork
6 mushrooms finely chopped (I used a food processor)
4 finely chopped or minced garlic
1/2 cup chopped napa cabbage
1/4 cup of hoisin
1/4 cup of soy sauce
dash of chili sesame oil

Directions:
1) Put all the filling in a large bowl and mix them together.

2) Sprinkle flour on a cutting board or some other flat surface. Open the can of biscuits. One by one, place a biscuit dough on the cutting board and press it down with the palm of your hand. Take a rolling pin and roll out the dough until it feels thin while maintaining its circular shape.

3) Place a spoonful of filling in the middle of each rolled out biscuit dough. One at a time, place the dough with the filling onto the palm of your hand and then use the other hand to pinch the dough shut so the filling is completely incased in dough.

4) Put nonstick baking paper into your steamer and then put the buns on top. Don’t crowd! Steam for about 10-15 or until the inside is fully cooked.

5) Optional step: heat up a small pan with a thin layer of oil. Lightly fry the bottom of the steamed buns.

Leftover filling: I typically always have filling leftover, so I use them with wonton wrappers and make wonton soup!

Balsamic Soy Marinated Pork Loin – Crockpot

Marinade
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1.5lb boneless pork loins

Spice Rub
ground sage
salt
pepper
onion powder
garlic powder

1/2 cup of water

Directions
1. Mix the first three marinade ingredients. Add the marinade and pork to a ziplock bag. Marinade for a day.
2. Mix the spice rub ingredients. Take the pork out of the marinade and rub on the spices. Add the pork to a crockpot with 1 cup of water. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours. Serve with rice.

Cilantro Garlic Chili Shrimp

 

Ingredients:
8 oz shrimp (peeled and deveined)
salt
pepper
olive oil
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon Chinese chili paste

Directions:
1. Pat the shrimp dry, sprinkle with salt and pepper, drizzle on olive oil. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Let the shrimp sit in the marinade for at least 30 minutes.

2. Heat a griddle on medium high heat. Add the shrimp, but do not overlap them. Flip them after about 3 minutes or when the side turns pink. Be careful not to overcook.

Ground Sirloin Burger

Ingredients

1 lb ground sirloin
1/2 a packet of NOH Hawaiian Style Teri-Burger
sprinkle of black pepper
1 TB Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 teaspoon of mayonnaise (to keep the burger moist)

Toppings:

Sautéed Onions
Romaine Lettuce
Swiss Cheese
Tomatoes
Mayonnaise (with garlic and lemon juice mixed in)
Bread

Directions:

1. Mix the ground sirloin with all the ingredients. Form patties with hands and make a small indentation in the middle of each patty.
2. Spray a griddle with oil and turn to high heat. Wait until the griddle is hot before adding the patties. You will know it is ready if the patties make a sizzling noise. When the patties are on the griddle, add a little olive oil to each indentation. When one side of the burger turns brown, flip the burger.
3. Cook until your desired temperature. Even when this burger is well done, it will still be juicy.
4. Add toppings to your liking!

Vegetarian Rice Cakes (Nian Gao) with Napa Cabbage

I remember trying rice cakes for the first time when I was visiting China, and I instantly fell in love with it’s soft, almost gnocchi-like texture.  Since I’ve moved to a city with a huge asian grocery store,  I found myself suddenly craving that dish.  I bought dry rice cakes and napa cabbage, but couldn’t find a recipe online that didn’t require pork.  So I turned to my most trusted advisor, my mom, and she knew exactly what to do.

Note: The amount of each ingredient is an estimate…you know how your mother and grandmother seem to just “sense” it.

Ingredients (Serving 1-2):

oil
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 TB chopped green onions
salt
2 cups chopped napa cabbage
1 cup rice cakes (if you’re using dry rice cakes, they must be soaked in water overnight)
1/4 cup chicken broth
1 tsp. soy sauce
dash of sesame oil

Directions:
1. Heat oil in a large pan. Add mushrooms and green onions, cook until tender. Sprinkle with salt and set aside.
2. In the same pan, add some oil and napa cabbage. Cook for about 3 minutes, add the rice cakes on top and chicken broth. Cover, turn heat to medium, cook until rices cakes are tender. Add salt to taste, add the cooked mushrooms. Stir in soy sauce and sesame oil.

Crockpot Pork Roast with Diced Tomatoes

Ingredients:

1.5lb Pork Roast
ground rosemary
pepper
dried thyme
1 cup chopped celery
1 14.5oz can beef broth
1 14.5oz can diced tomatoes with basil, garlic, and oregano
1 8oz can tomato sauce
salt

Directions:

1. Rub pork roast with rosemary, pepper, and thyme. Let it sit for a few minutes.
2. Add celery to crockpot. Lay the roast over the celery. Add all the canned ingredients and a dash of salt. Slightly stir.
3. Turn to low and cook for 6-7 hours.

Serve with rice or serve as soup.

Mild Buffalo Wings

I have a weak will when it comes to wings of any kind. Buffalo wings in particular are my guilty pleasure.  I adapted the recipe from Punchbowl, making it less burning-my-mouth.  The image is from the day after I baked them, so it doesn’t do these lovelies justice.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup flour
• 1 teaspoons cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 20 chicken wings
• 1/2 cup melted butter
• 1/2 cup hot red pepper sauce
• Blue cheese or ranch dressing (for dipping)

Directions:

1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and lightly grease with cooking spray (VERY IMPORTANT).

2. Place the flour, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and salt into a resealable plastic bag then shake to mix. Add the chicken wings, seal, and toss until well coated with the flour mixture. Place the wings onto the prepared baking sheet, and place in the refrigerator. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

3. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

4. Whisk the melted butter and hot sauce together in a small bowl. Dip the wings into the butter mixture and place back on the baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and crispy on the outside, about 45 minutes. Turn the wings over halfway during cooking so they cook evenly.

5. Serve with dressing.

Simple Condiments and Spices to make Food Pop

Chili Mayo Sauce

I bite into a burger or sandwich and wonder what is missing. The meat is perfectly cooked, I got all the trimmings, there’s even bacon, but why does it still taste dull? That’s where condiments and spices come in. Nothing fancy required. Just a dash of chili powder or an already made salad dressing can add a ray of sunshine for the tastebuds.

Here’s a few I’ve discovered:

• Thousand Island Dressing aka “Anything Dressing” adds a sweet and tangy dimension to burgers and sandwiches
• Mayonnaise + ketchup + dash of red wine vinegar for burgers
• Tzatziki sauce is a creamy and refreshing addition to any sandwich
• Ranch – I like adding some to my mac n’ cheese
• Guacamole – versatile and delicious on anything
• Cajun spice for eggs, potatoes, and seafood
• Red pepper flakes to add a kick to any sautéed dish
• Sour cream + Mayonnaise + Chili powder + dash of lime juice for any seafood dish
• Pesto!
• Sour cream + maple syrup for sweet potatoes
• Dijon mustard

 

Baked Spinach Stuffed Turkey Burger

Ingredients

20oz package of Extra Lean Ground Turkey (I used Jennie-O)
1 cup spinach, chopped
2 dashes of worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup of Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup of shredded mozzarella
1 egg
salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Combine all of the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Use hands to knead the ingredients together, about 1 minute. Form into four round patties. (Note: Patties will be very soft)

3. Brush the top part of an oven boiler pan with olive oil. Arrange the patties on the boiler pan. Bake 30 minutes, turning once. Top each patty with a slice of cheese during the last few minutes to let it melt.

Serve on a bed of sliced avocado and your usual trimmings.  Maybe even try with this burger sauce: http://yumdom.com/better-burger-sauce/234830!