Fortune Cookies

Chinese Recipe : Chinese Fortune Cookies

Yield: 25 cookies Ingredients: 1 c. soft margarine 1/2 c. sugar 1 egg 2 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract 3 1/4 c. flour 1/2 tsp. baking powder Directions: Preheat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix margarine, sugar and egg until smooth. Add other ingredients. Mix together to form a ball of dough. Lightly flour wooden board or flat surface with rolling pin, roll half of dough very thin. Use a circle cookie cutter to cut dough. Put a fortune in each one off to one side. Fold circle in half and then half again. Pinch it to close. Bake cookies for about 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

Dumplings

Ingredients (Makes 36 dumplings)
10 Chinese black mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, rinsed, dried, stems discarded, and caps cut into 1/4-inch dice
3/4 pound coarsely ground pork
1/2 pound shrimp, shelled, deveined and diced
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1-1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Pinch of freshly ground white pepper
36 wheat-flour dough skins, 3-1/2 inch square

Cooking Methods

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except for the dough skins and mix until the consistency is smooth and even. Place in a shallow dish and refrigerate, uncovered, for 4 hours or, covered, overnight.

To make the dumplings: Place 4 teaspoons of the filling in the middle of each skin. Hold the filling in place with your fingers and, holding the dumpling in the other hand, gradually turn the dumpling, bringing the dough up around the filling while flattening the filling on the top of the dumpling. This will result in a basket-shaped dumpling, with the dough enclosing the sides of the filling, but with the top open and the filling exposed. Pack down the filling and smooth the top. This will ensure that the dumpling and filling will remain intact during steaming. Tap the dumpling bottom lightly on the work surface to flatten it so it will stand in the steamer. Place the dumplings in a steamer, cover and steam for 7 minutes. Turn off the heat and serve.

Note: Siu mai may be frozen after steaming. Wrapped in plastic wrap, then in foil, they will keep for 2 months. To reheat, defrost, bring to room temperature, and steam for 3 to 5 minutes.

(Source: Daily News)

Do you like dumplings or wonton? Do you know that they are different things? Although I’m not quite sure what is the differences except their shape and cooking methods. As i know, dumlings are usually steamed, fried, or pan-fry while wonton are spoiled and fried. Their ingredient are similar somehow.

Here is the video teaching how to make dumplings:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iOXWSMlSq98

Chinese Recipe : Hong Kong Style Congee Serves 4 to 6Ingredients: 1 cup rice, washed and drained ½ cup glutinous rice, washed and drained 2 tbsp oil 2 century eggs, cut into small pieces 2 hardboiled egg, mashed 10 oz meat, cut into small cubes 1 ¾ oz dried scallops, soaked in water and break in pieces 2 tbsp shredded young ginger Seasoning: 2 tbsp sesame oil Salt and pepper to taste Directions: Mix oil and both varieties of washed rice in a pot and leave for 10 mins. Add 3 quarts of water to the rice and boil for 20 mins. Spoon the rest of the ingredients and continue to simmer on low heat for 20 mins until congee is cooked. Season to taste and remove from heat. Serve garnished with scallions, fried shallots and finely shredded Chinese celery. Have you ever try congee? It is a soup-like rice, when you cook congee, just pour more water than rice does into the cooker, it will makes the rice become watery. It tastes very good with marinated beef or chicken. When the congee almost done, put the beef or chicken in it, stir well until the meat is done. Moreover, it is especially good for people who get sick because it contains lot of nutrients and it is easy to digest. Babies in China do eat congee when their teeth are not yet grown. I think it is something substitue for baby food. Here is the video which teaches you how to make congee, enjoy!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqHkvsL6CfI

Chinese Recipe : Chinese Five-spice Powder

Roast two teaspoons of Szechuan peppercorns in a dry frypan for about three minutes. Grind the peppercorns in a pepper grinder or coffee grinder together with 8 star anise pods. Strain the ground spices to remove any larger bits. Mix together 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves, 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon ground fennel seeds. Grind the completed mixture until it is a very fine powder.

I guess most of you heard about the chinese five spice, because i know they are on the shelf of most of the supermarket, such as Superstore, Safeway and Wal-mart. However, do you know what are the main spices for chinese five spice? I don’t expect anyone would interested to make one, it’s hard to buy the spices in Canada. Well….just as a reference, to let you know more about these spices.

Here is the video to teach how to make a potsticker with five spice powder:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMspAwi9n1Y

Glossary –D

Duck Egg - These eggs are oilier-tasting than chickens’ eggs and can acquire a harmful bacteria as they are usually laid in a dirty spot Great care should be taken with duck eggs. They must always be thoroughly cooked and should never be eaten uncooked nor should they be used for lightly cooked dishes such as poached eggs, scrambled egg, pancakes, etc. The Chinese usually eat salted duck as an accompaniment with congee.

Chinese Recipe - Stir Fried Lettuce with Oyster Sauce

This is a Southern Chinese recipe Ingredients: 2 heads Romaine lettuce 2 tbsps oil 2 garlic cloves, minced 2 tsps dry sherry 1 tsp salt ½ tsp sugar 2 tbsps oyster sauce, or soy sauce Directions: Separate the lettuce into leaves and break into 2 inch pieces Heat the oil in a pan and add the garlic, sherry, salt, sugar and then the lettuce leaves. Cover and cook for 1 minute. Drain the lettuce and arrange on a serving dish. Pour the oyster sauce (or soy sauce) on top of the lettuce and serve hot as a main dish, or cold as a salad. Note: Broccoli or Chinese cabbage (bok choy) may be used in place of the lettuce.

This recipe is pretty easy, but I’m quite sure it is not the way western people cook with romaine lettuce. In my point of view, western people like to have romaine lettuce as a salad but seldom as a dish. Maybe you should try that out and see how it tastes.

I found the video which teaches us to make chicken lettuce wrap, it looks delicious!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXyGuxieMPY

Chinese Recipe : Pork Lo Mein

Ingredients: 1/2 lb. fresh pork butter (can use butterfly chops) Meat Marinade: 2 tsp. cornstarch 1 tsp. sugar 1 tsp. soy sauce 1 tsp. cooking wine Vegetables: 1 tbsp. fresh ginger (cut very fine) 5 or 6 lg. mushrooms 1/2 c. bamboo shoots 1 red bell pepper or carrot 1 sm. onion, cut in wedges 2 green onion, shredded 1 med. zucchini or celery, cut in 1 inch strips Sauce Mixture: 4 tsp. cornstarch 1 c. chicken broth 2 tbsp. oyster sauce or soy sauce 2 cloves garlic, crushed 1/4 tsp. ginger 4 tbsp. peanut oil Seasoning in Noodles: 1 lb. fresh egg noodles 2 tbsp. oil (peanut) 1 tbsp. sesame oil 2 tbsp. oyster sauce or soy sauce 1 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce 1 1/2 tsp. vinegar Preparation: Cut pork into thin strips. Mix with meat marinade for 30 minutes. Slice mushrooms, bamboo shoots, red pepper and zucchini into thin strips. Mix sauce. Parboil noodles for 3 minutes. Rinse and drain. Bring another pot of water to boil and keep hot. Directions: Heat 2 tbsp. oil in wok. Stir fry all vegetables together for 2 to 3 minutes; sprinkle on a little salt and 1 tsp. of sugar; set aside. Add 2 tbsp. oil and stir fry pork until done. Add sauce mixture. Stir until thickened; add the vegetables. Stir until well mixed. Put noodles into hot pot of water for 10 to 15 seconds, just to heat. Drain. Put back in pot, add noodle servings. Serve meat and vegetables over noodles.

The recipe is a bit too long, I hope you guys will not keep this recipe away, because pork lo mein is really tasty and you will love it after you have a try! I don’t see any lo mein on the menu of chinese restaurants. I guess most of you may never try that before. It’s not that hard to make one, so…try it and you can taste the noodle which is totally different from chow mein (fried noodle).

Here is the video to teach you how to make a pork and shirmp lo mein, enjoy~

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79Fp3LOKL4I

Chinese Recipe : Steamed Fish Chinese Style

Ingredients: 1 1/2 lbs. haddock or pollock 2 tsp. finely chopped ginger root 2 tbsp. oil 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. soy sauce 1/4 tsp. sesame oil Directions: Slash fish crosswise 3 times on each side. Mix remaining ingredients and rub fish with mixture. Cover and refrigerate from 40 minutes to 24 hours. Place on microwave roasting rack and pour any remaining marinade over fish. Cover with waxed paper and microwave 8 to 10 minutes, rearranging fish halfway through, or until fish flakes. Let stand 2 to 3 minutes.

I know that in westerm way of cooking, fried and bake fishes are more common. Last week, when i went to Superstore, i bought a rainbow trout, the lady who was working in the cashier asked me what i’m going to do with the fish. I said “i’m going to have a steamed fish.”, she was so suprise and asked me how to make steamed fish. I think I should share the chinese way of cooking with fish to everyone, so more people can try the steamed fish and taste how delicious is it.

It teaches you how to make a steam fish:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGzE5FW_Vek

Chinese Recipe : Tofu Pudding (Tofu Fa)

Ingredients: 300 g Soy bean 12 cups water 3 tbsp corn meal 454g sugar 1 tbsp calcium hydroxide/carbide ( you can find it from Chinese herbal medicine store, tell the storekeeper that it is for making ‘tofu fa’) Directions: Soak the beans over night with another 4 cups of water Use that soaked and drained bean and 12 cups water to make soy milk by food processor. Reserve one cup of soy milk and bring the rest to boil, add sugar and stir well Combine the corn meal, calcium hydroxide and the one cup of soy milk into a 5 litre ‘Corning glass’ pot or other lager and good insulation pot, stir well Pour the boiling soy milk into that pot, cover and rest for about 45 mins at room temperature until set (don’t move the pot after you pour in the hot milk)

I love this dessert a lot!! This dessert is not made with tofu although its name is Tofu Fa (Fa is flower in Chinese). Calcium hydroxide/carbide may sounds like a chemical which is not able to eat, however, it does. Tofu Fa can be serve either cold or hot. With cold tofu fa, you can serve with melted sugar (melt sugar with hot water, stir them well, then put it in the fridge, add them into tofu fa when serve). With hot tofu fa, serve with yellow sugar ( this is a bit different from brown sugar).

Here is the video about how to make tofu, but not tofu fa, sorry that i couldn’t find one >0< :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LMspAwi9n1Y

Glossary–C

Chinese Mushroom - Also called Shiitake mushroom, Chinese black mushroom and forest mushroom (not to be confused with European dried mush­rooms), these are the most widely used mushrooms in Chinese cooking and are grown chiefly in China and Japan. Their fleshy caps are dense, and their stems are tough yet can be used for flavoring before being discarded. Shiitakes can easily replace other mushrooms in recipes. They have a pleasant flavor and absorb the taste of other ingredients. Chinese mushrooms are often sold dried and will keep for up to a year. Rinse well, then soak in hot water for at least 30 minutes. The soaking water can be strained and used to add flavor to a stock. Cut off the stem before using.