Deep Fried Bean Curd with Savoury Sauce

Just cooked this tonight and was a big hit! The ginger and sesame oil makes this dish so tasty. Try it!

Ingredients:
4 pcs. bean curd
1/8 kg. ground beef
2 small stalk spring onion
1/4 cup ginger
2 dried shitake mushrooms
2 oyster mushrooms
1/2 cup corn starch

Marinade:
1/2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil

Seasoning:
1/2 cup stock
1 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsps. soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce

1. Cut bean curd into 4 thin layers. Dry with paper towels.
2. Soak mushrooms.
3. Using the marinade mixture, marinade the ground beef for 20 minutes
3. Mince the ginger, spring onions and mushrooms
4. Combine minced ingredients with ground beef.
5. Coat bean curd with corn starch.
6. With 4 tbsp. oil, fry the beef mixture until brown.
7. Fry bean curd until both sides are golden brown in the same pan you fried the beef.
8. Remove bean curd from pan and put the beef mixture on top
9. Return the bean curd with beef to the same pan. Add Seasoning and bring to a boil.
10. Dish up and serve.

Clay Pot Bean Curd

Got this recipe from the book Egg and Bean Curd. There are a number of really good recipes in this book and I've been trying each and everyone of them. One thing that I really enjoy about Chinese cooking is that you can easily modify the recipe to your liking and it still will give you your desired flavor.

For this recipe, make sure that you have a clay pot ready. It's amazing how cooking with this pot actually enhances the flavor of the dish!

Ingredients:
1 pack of fried bean curd (for Phil. residents, I was able to get this from SM Makati) or 1 long bean curd fried til golden brown
3 dried shitake mushrooms
1/2 carrot (I sometimes take this out... not really our favorite veggie)
4 pcs. chicken
2 stalks spring onion
4 pcs. dried oyster mushrooms
1/4 cup button mushrooms


Marinade:
1 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tbsp of corn starch dissolved in 1/2 tbsp of water

Seasoning:
2 tbsps oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
pinch of pepper
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 tbsp of corn starch dissolved in 1/2 tbsp of water

1. Marinade chicken using the marinade mix for 30 minutes.
2. Soak shitake and oyster mushrooms until soft. Remove stem.
3. Boil carrot until done and slice.
4. Section spring onion
5. Heat 2 tbsps of oil. Stir fry shitake, oyster and button mushrooms. Add the chicken until it turns whittish. You can sprinkle some salt and pepper if you wish.
6. Add in carrot and Seasoning mixture.
7. Return bean curd to the wok and cook until the flavor of the sauce us absorbed.
8. When the sauce is reduced by half, pour the food into a claypot, add sectioned spring onion.
9. Reboil and serve with freshly cooked rice.

Note: You can also add vermicelli noodles but make sure there are double the amount of sauce. The noodles will absorb the sauce and will make the dish dry.

ENJOY!

Yogurt Honey Muffins

BAKING! I realized that I have been baking since I was 15 years old! Judging by the recipes that I have in my parents house and the loads of baking materials that are kept in the cabinets... unused of course, I've been baking inedible cookies and breads half of my life already. :-)

I've been experimenting with different cookies and muffins lately. Some successful, some of them met my trash can early enough. One of my favorites is the Yogurt Honey Muffins I made a couple of weeks ago. They are soft inside and healthy. You can make them into big muffins or make loads of mini muffins. Plus, you can put cream cheese (not the healthiest but completely yummy!) and some marmalade to make it the perfect breakfast or snack.

Got this recipe from an old recipe book I have given by my friend Yannie.

Makes 12 muffins
Ingredients:
4 tbsps butter
5 tbsps thin honey
1 cup plain yogurt
1 large egg, at room temperature
grated rind of 1 lemon
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsps. baking soda
1/8 tsp grated nutmeg

Procedure:
1. Pre-heat oven to 375F. Grease a 12 cup muffin pan or use paper liners. (I used paper liners but when I bake these again, I will just grease the pan and flour it a bit.)
2. In a saucepan, melt the butter and honey. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
3. In a bowl, whisk together the yogurt, egg, lemon rind and juice. Add the butter and honey mixture. Set aside.
4. In another bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. (Whole wheat flour can't be sifted well, I just make sure that other than the wheat, all lumps are crushed).
5. Fold the dry ingredients into the yogurt mixture just to blend. Don't overmix.
6. Fill the prepared cups 2/3 full. Bake until the tops spring back when touched lightly, 20-25 minutes. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes before unmolding. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Note: if you are using a 6 muffin pan, bake for 10 to 15 minutes. For mini muffin pans, 5 to 8 minutes.

Mushroom Patties

Since I have not eaten a burger for a year now, I've been wanting to make my own mushroom patty so I have searched the web for a recipe that will suit my liking. Unfortunately, nothing came close. So, I've decided to make my own and I'm loving it... of course Edgar loved it too. :-) It's healthy and yummy! What more can you ask for?

Ingredients:
3 cups of different kinds of mushrooms (shitake, oysters and button mushrooms) chopped
1/4 cup butter
3 tsps mushroom seasoning
1 medium sized carrots diced to small pieces
3 tbsps spring onions chopped
1 medium sized onions chopped
8 cloves of garlic diced
1 cup of spinach leaves
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
3 tsps of soy sauce
2 large eggs
1 cup of breadcrumbs
salt and pepper


Procedure:
1. Saute the chopped mushrooms in melted butter until tender. Add mushroom seasoning for flavor.
2. Remove from fire and let cool.
3. Combine carrots, onions, spring onions, garlic, spinach and parmesan cheese in one bowl. Mix well.
4. Pour in the mushrooms to your carrots mixture.
4. Add in the soy sauce, eggs and bread crumbs. Season with salt and pepper. Mix until the mixture is thick enough to be made into a patty.
5. Form into burger patties. Fry or grill and enjoy with your favorite hamburger buns. :-)

I made a lot already so I can just put them in the freezer and grill or fry as I want them

Mixed Vegetables with Japanese Dressing

If you feel like having vegetables with a Japanese dish taste, try this really appetizing recipe. It's healthy and very tasty.

Got this recipe from Asian Vegetarian Recipes Periplus Mini Cookbooks (of course, I've tweaked it a bit). :-)

Preparation time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: around 20 minutes
For 4 people

Ingredients:
10 dried shitake mushrooms
1/2 cup boiling water
1/3 cup Kikkoman
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
1/3 cup mirin - available in japanese groceries or in the Asian section of your favorite supermarkets
2 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic (add more if you love a more garlic taste)
1 tbsp mushroom seasoning - available in the Asian section of the supermarkets
1 c. of oyster mushrooms
2 pcs. medium carrots
1/2 cup cauliflower
1 red bell pepper
1 bunch spinach
salt and pepper

1. Soak shitake mushrooms in boiling water for 10 minutes. Drain but leave 1/4 c. of used mushroom water.
2. Cut the mushrooms in quarters.
3. Mix Kikkoman, ginger, mirin, white sugar and reserved mushroom water.
4. Add the mushrooms and stir well.
5. In a wok, sautee garlic and add the oyster mushrooms and mushroom seasoning.
6. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and pepper.
7. Add carrots, cauliflower and bell pepper
8. Pour prepared liquid and bring to a boil.
9. Add spinach and simmer for 5 minutes.
10. Serve hot with steam rice.

Enjoy!

Meatless Marinara Sauce

This recipe is a must-try for people looking to have a easy and delicious marinara sauce without the meaty taste.

I got this recipe for Everything Cooking For Two book but altered a bit. There are a number of interesting recipes there that I'm hoping to try in the next few days.

Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 45 minutes (30 minutes for simmering)
Good for two people

2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp of minced garlic - (could be lesser if you don't want much of a garlicky taste)
1 medium red onion chopped
1/2 c chopped parsley
1 tsp. chili powder
1 can of canned whole tomatoes - (I used Italian canned tomatoes that I got from Galileo but any canned tomatoes will work)
salt and pepper

1. Sautee garlic in olive oil for 2 minutes.
2. Add onion, parsley and chili powder. Sautee for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper.
3. Pour in the tomatoes. Let simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Puree in a blender and adjust salt and pepper depending on your taste

Top with parmesan cheese and you're set. Enjoy!

Braised Chicken with Ginger and Sesame Oil

Here's another recipe that I got from Yummy Magazine November 2007 issue. I cooked this last night and Ed, being the ginger lover that he is, loved this dish. I don't eat meat but I still enjoyed the sauce topped on my rice.

The recipe in the mag is for 4 people but I adjusted it for me and Edgar.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
150 grams ginger sliced
1/4 kilo chicken (I used chicken breasts)
1 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 chicken broth cube
salt to taste
spring onions to garnish

1. Heat up the sesame oil in a wok and saute the ginger until fragrant.
2. Add the chicken pieces and soy sauce.
3. Brown the chicken.
4. Add water and the broth cube.
5. Simmer in low heat for 20 minutes.
6. Add salt to taste.
3. Once the chicken is light brown,