Ground Beef, Pressed Tofu & Edamame

I can definitely say this is a lazy dish. :) because there isn't much prepping required if you buy frozen ready to eat edamame.
You can use any tofu.  But traditionally, this dish was cooked with using pressed tofu.  You can find this tofu in any Chinese market.  It is a marinated soy sauce tofu.  

   

Ingredients:

1 lb ground beef
8 square pressed tofu or 2 cups of cubed tofu
1 bag of edamame or 2 cups of edamame

2 minced garlic cloves
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1-2 tbsp oyster sauce (to taste)
1 tbsp rice vinegar + 1 tsp lemon juice or 2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp shaoxing wine
1/2 tsp black peppers
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

Direction:

Add 2 tbsp oil and add the garlic then the ground beef.
Add all the sauces and spices listed above.
Once beef is fully cooked, you can add the pressed tofu and edamame.
Stir fry for about 3 minutes.
Enjoy!

Hawaiian Spam Musubi Fried Rice

3 cups uncooked rice = 9 cups cooked cold rice
2 cups carrots; cubed
1 can sweet corns
1-2 can spam; cubed(I used turkey because I don't eat pork; however, you definitely can use regular spam)
1/2 -1 cup seaweed snack (you can find this in Korean super market; if not you can shred the regular seaweeds paper instead)
1/2 a small onion; cubed
2 minced garlic cloves

3 tbsp sugar total
1 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp chicken bouillon

Stir Fried Spam:
Add 2 tbsp oil and 1 minced garlic to wok.
Add in spam, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 tsp black pepper, 2 tbsp rice vinegar.
Cook spam until spam is caramelized and set it aside once completed.

Stir Fried Veggies:
Add 2 cups carrots and 1/2 an onion to wok with 2 tbsp oil.
Add 1/2 tsp salt
After carrot is soften, Add in 1 can of corns.
Add 1 tbsp vinegar.
Stir fried for about 2 minutes and set it aside once completed.

Stir Fried Rice:
Add 2 tbsp oil, 1 minced garlic, and 7-9 cups cooked cold rice.
Add 2 tsp sugar and 1 tsp chicken bouillon.
Minced the rice and make sure the rice is some what browned/crusted hard.
Add in the spam and veggies.  Continue to mix.
Finally add 1 cup seaweed shredded snack.

You are finished!
If you would like, you can add some lemon juice to enhance the flavor!
:)

Enjoy! and please subscribe to my youtube channel: Beansprouts Kitchen
I get motivated when I see subscribers! I know that there are people enjoying my hard works! :)

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Mee Goreng Recipe

Growing up I have always eaten the instant Mee Goreng.
This is my take on the instant Mee Goreng using fresh ingredients.
The traditional instant Mee Goreng doesn't come with veggies, so I have always added fried egg and extra ingredients.  I'm doing the same thing using chow mein noodles.  I found that it is way tastier when you actually mix the ingredients as you are eating it.  Rather than having the chef pre-mixed the ingredients for you.  Also the bean sprouts release a very distinct taste/smell that can often ruin and overwhelm the core ingredients.  That's why I preferred to cook the bean sprouts separately, so all you can taste from the bean sprouts are crispy fresh flavor.

I hope you will give it a try! and leave a comment below of how you like it! :)

Recipe:

1-1.5 lbs chow mein noodles
1 lb chicken things
1/2 lb shrimps
1 bundle spinach
1/4 lb or 2 cup bean sprouts
4 key limes
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 a small onion chopped cube
4 eggs

2 eggs scrambled and 2 egg cook sunny side up.

Pre-mixed sauce
4 tbsp dark soy sauce
4 tbsp shaoxing wine (optional)
2 tbsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp sriracha (less if you prefer non-spicy)
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp chicken bouillon
2 tbsp sambal chilies
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 key lime juice or 1/2 a regular lime juice

Mix all the listed ingredients above for sauce and set it aside

Boil:
Boil noodles with 1 tsp salt.  Rinse with cold water to prevent noodles sticking to each other. Set aside.
Quickly boil beansprouts for 30 second. Rinse with cold water and set it aside.
Quickly boil spinach for 30 second. Rinse with cold water, squeeze out extra water and set it aside.

Mix beansprouts, spinach and 2 tbsp pre-mixed sauce together.  Set it aside.

Stir fried:
Stir fried chicken thighs with 3 tbsp pre-mixed sauce until fully cooked. Set aside.
Stir fried shrimps with 1 tbsp pre-mixed sauce until fully cooked. Set aside.

Add oil and stir fried with garlics, onions, and premixed sauce.  Then add cold noodles to pan and mix with the ingredients.  Add pre-mixed sauce to your taste.
Then add scrambled eggs to the noodles. You are finished when eggs are fully mixed and cooked.

Present noodles, veggies, meats, and egg as shown above.
Enjoy!

:)

Black Pepper Steak & Corns with Rice

Marinate Steak
1 lb of grill cut steak
Sprinkle salt and black pepper on both sides of steak
Let it marinate at least 30 min.

Stir fried corns
1 can sweet corns or frozen corns
1 minced garlic
2 tbsp dried shrimps (optional)
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp - 1 tsp salt
1 tbsp fish sauce (optional)
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp lemon juice (may substitute with vinegar)
1/4 cup green onions

Additional topping
Green onions
Fried shallots
Red pepper flakes

Stir fried the corns with the ingredients above until fragrant or corns lightly charred.
Add green onions last.

Cook steak according to your liking.
Make sure you have enough oil to make the steak crispy and sizzling.
Let steak rest and cut it into pieces.

Put on a small cast iron and add butter then rice.
Then add steak and corns like the picture above.
Finally, add green onions, shallots, and red pepper flakes.

Enjoy!
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:)
Thank you!

Kung Pao Chicken

Marinating Chicken:
1 lb chicken
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chicken bouillon
1/2 tbsp corn starch
1 tbsp wine (shaoxing wine) this is optional
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp soy sauce

Marinate chicken at least 30 minutes
Follow by cooking the chicken with oil and garlic until fully cooked.

For stir fried ingredients:
2 minced garlic cloves
1/4 an onion (chopped)
1 cup celery (chopped)
1/4 cup sweet pepper (or bell pepper)
10 dry chilies
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar

Corn starch liquid:
1 tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup water

Stir fry all the ingredients all together until light soft.
Finally add the chicken and corn starch liquid.

Add in 1/2 cup roasted peanuts & 1 tsp lemon juice


* you can skip salt and just add more soy sauce
*for even lighter version, you can replace oyster sauce with just soy sauce.

Butter Garlic Shrimps and Scrambled Egg Stir Fried

This is the best :) I had this dish at many Hong Kong/Cantonese restaurants.  This is so simple to make and yet so tasty!

1/2 lbs shrimps

6 eggs (scrambled)

2 tbsp unsalted butter

1-2 garlic cloves (minced) depending on how much you like garlic

1/4 tsp salt on shrimps & 1/4 tsp salt on eggs

1/2 tsp sugar on shrimps

1/2 tsp black pepper on shrimps

First, cook the shrimps with 1 tbsp butter. Then add salt, sugar and black pepper.  Set aside the shrimps.

Then on a clean pan, on low heat, add butter and egg.  Scramble egg lightly until egg is fluffy and almost fully cooked. 

Turn off heat and add in the shrimps.

Wahla!  you completed the most simple and delicious dish!

Enjoy!

Please subscribe to my channel on Youtube for more videos! It is Beansprouts Kitchen!

Thank you!

Japanese style Beef Stew with Egg Omelette

2 lbs of chuck roast beef/ any cut that is for beef stew
3 medium size carrots
2 celery ribs
2 cup mushrooms
1/4 an onion
3 garlic cloves
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 can chopped tomato

1 can chicken broth (may be substitute for 2 cup water)
1 cup water
1/4 cup cooking sake
4 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp miso
1 tsp salt
1 tsp chicken bouillon
10 sugar cubes or 2-3 tsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp red pepper flakes

4 eggs
1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 tsp black pepper

Cut beef into big chunk and broil beef in the oven at 400 degree for 30 minutes to darken the beef.

Grind: 3/4 portion of carrots, 1/2 celery ribs, onion, garlic, tomato paste, can tomato.

Combine beef and grind mixture ingredients above in the pot.

Then add all the seasoning starting from chicken broth, water, sake, soy sauce, miso, salt, bouillon, sugar, and pepper flakes.

Cook the stew on low heat for at least 2-3 hours or until the beef is soft to bite.

30 minutes before beef is completed, add in the rest of the carrots and celery.

15 minutes before after the carrots and celery, add in the mushrooms.

Beef stew should be completed by now.

Mix 4 eggs with milk and fry as omelette style.  4 eggs can make into two portion of the omelettes.

Present beef stew on a plate with rice and egg omelette on top.

Enjoy! :) Please subscribe to my channel on youtube for more recipes :)

Asian Inspired Fish Taco (Alaskan Cod)

If you love crunchy type of food, this is the recipe for you :) You can taste the tobiko eggs popping in your mouth! :)

2 lb Cod (Alaska)

1 & 1/2 cup flour

2 tbsp corn starch

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tbsp garlic powder

1 tsp salt

1/2 tbsp black pepper

2 cup beer (maybe replaced with water)

Mayo condiment:

3 tbsp mayonnaise

1-2 tbsp tobiko eggs

1 tbsp lime juice

Corn tortilla

Japanese seaweed salad

Cucumber 

Carrot

Tobiko

Seaweed 

Sweet ginger (optional)

 Combine the flour, starch, baking powder, garlic powder, salt, black pepper, and beer.  Mix the ingredients until fully resolved. 

Cut cod into a rectangular shape and dip fish into the batter.  Deep fry fish on low heat until fully cook. About 5-7 minutes. 

Mix mayo, tobiko, and lime juice for topping. 

Present tacos with the listed ingredients. 

Enjoy!

Kimchi Fried Rice

If you are a vegetarian, I would highly recommending this dish! :)

1 minced garlic clove
1/2 an onion (cubed)
1-2 cup(s) minced kimchi
3 cups uncooked rice or 9 cups cooked rice
1 egg (poached) Optional
1 sprinkle furikake

1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp chicken bouillon
1 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp gochujang paste (Korean pepper paste)

Add oil to wok.  Following that add garlic, and onion.  Stir fry until fragrant.
Add minced kimchi and kimchi's juice to work until soften.
Add warm rice following that and mix it with the kimchi.

While mixing rice, you can add the spices: salt, sugar, chicken bouillon, black pepper, and soy sauce.

Poach or fry an egg and sprinkle furikake on top of your fried rice.

Enjoy! :)  Let me know in the comment section if you like it :)

Gingers and Shallots Chicken in Clay Pot

Marinating the Chicken:

1 lb chicken thighs

2 tbsp fish sauce 

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

3 tbsp white wine

3 tbsp gingers

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp chicken bouillon

1 tbsp rice vinegar

Cooking Clay Pot:

2 minced garlics

2 shallots

1 tsp black pepper

2 green onions

Step 1:

Combine the ingredients listed in marinate chicken's list. Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes.

Step 2:

Add oil to clay pot.  Add the gingers, garlics, and shallots and slowly add all the chickens to pot.

Cook chicken thighs until they are fully cooked. 

Step 3:

Presented with green onions and shallots. 

Delicious Chicken Katsu with Peas and Carrots Japanese Curry Sauce

This is easy and cheap to make! 

Fried Chicken:

1-1.5 lb chicken thighs (no skin)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

1 cup flour
1 tbsp corn starch

2 eggs

1/2 cup water 

1/2 cup Panko Bread

Oil

Direction:

Mix chicken thighs with salt, garlic powder, black pepper, and pepper flakes.  

Mix flour and corn starch then spread it on a plate. 

Mix eggs with water in a bowl.

Spread panko bread on a plate. 

Dip marinated chicken to flour plate, then to egg bowl, and finally coated it with panko bread.

Let the battered chicken rest on a drying rack in a fridge up to 30 min. 

Fry battered chicken in oil on low heat at least 8 minutes each side if you are not using lots of oil.  If deep fry chicken, then up to 14-16 minutes each chicken thigh.

Curry Sauce:

1/2 tbsp butter

2 minced garlic

1/2 an onion chopped

2 cup carrots chopped cube

3 curry cubes

2 cup water

1 can sweet peas

1 tsp chicken bouillon

1 tsp black pepper

1/2-1 tsp lemon juice or vinegar

Direction:

Stir fry butter with garlic and onion until fragrant.  Add carrots, curry cubes  and 2 cup water.  Add chicken bouillon.  Cook until boiled. Finally add sweet peas, black pepper, and lemon juice. Turn off the heat right after.

Serve with rice.

Enjoy! 

Colorful and Delicious Inari Sushi

This is great for kids and potluck!  Especially during the hot summer days :) I created several ingredients, so you can pick and choose the ingredients that you like! My friends are not raw food eater, so I made tuna and imitation crabs for those who prefer cooked food. Enjoy!

Main ingredients:

2 of the 12 packs inari

3 uncooked rice or 9 cups of cooked rice

1/4 cup rice vinegar

2 can tuna 

2 tbsp mayo

5 sticks of the imitation crab (shredded)

2 tbsp mayo

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 lb sushi grade salmon (seared & cut into cubes)

1/2 lb small shrimps (boiled)

Veggies:

1 avocado

2 lettuce leaves

Seaweed salad

Micro-greens

Tobiko

Carrots (match sticks)

Cucumber

Gingers

Step one: Combine cooked rice and rice vinegar. 

Step two: Prep tuna with mayo, imitation crab with mayo and peppers.  Sear the salmon and cut it into cubes.  Boil the shrimps until they are fully cooked. 

Step three:  Open the inari, add the rice, and your favorite ingredients. 

You can also prep this ahead of time and let people pick and choose their own favorite ingredients. 

Korean Spicy and Cheesy Chicken with Carrots, Corns, and Onions

This dish was very easy to make and delicious! You can eat this with rice or as a snack :)
It is not fattening at all even though you can see the cheese stretching through this picture!
I hope you will enjoy making it!

1 lb chicken thigh with skin

Marinate chicken with:

2 tbsp shaoxing wine

1-4 tbsp gochujang in total (korean chili paste) Depending on your spice preference

3 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tsp korean chili flakes

1 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

Cooking:

2 minced garlic

1/2 a small onion

1 can sweet corn

2 small carrots

2 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp chicken bouillon

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp green onions (optional)

1 small sweet chilli

1/2 tbsp butter

1/4 cup mozzarella cheese (your favorite cheese)

Optional: Iron skillet

Step 1: Prepare chicken thigh into bite size and marinate the chicken at least 1 hour with the listed ingredients. 

Step 2: Add oil and 1 minced garlic to stir fry with carrots and corns.  Sprinkle in the salt, chicken bouillon, and lemon juice. Cooking is completed for carrots and corns when carrots are soft. Set carrots and corns aside.

Step 3: Add oil and 1 minced garlic to stir fry the pre-marinated chicken. Add 1/2 a small onion, chopped. After 3 minutes, you can add in the carrots and corns.  Stir fry until chicken is fully cook. then add in green onions, and chopped sweet chili. 

Step 4: Put on an iron skillet and add butter to skillet.  Add cooked chicken, carrots, onions, corns, and sweet chili to skillet.  Top it off with cheese and cover with lid until cheese is melted. 

Enjoy!

Stir Fried Spinach with Shallots

I had this dish at a popular restaurant in Portland, so I'm trying to recreate this dish. 

Hope you will like it! 

Recipe:

Good amount of oil

2 small bundles of spinach or one big bundle

1 small shallot

1 tbsp fried shallots (optional)

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chicken bouillon

1 tsp lemon juice (optional)

Add oil and quickly stir fried all the ingredients together. 

After the spinach soften, transfer to a plate and sprinkle fried shallots on top.

Enjoy!

Chinese Five Spice Ground Beef

Chinese Five Spice Ground Beef

This dish is delicious and simple to make! I usually make this when I don't have time to cook.  It's my family favorite. The five-spice powder will definitely enhance your taste bud! :)

Enjoy!

1.5- 2 lbs ground beef

1 minced garlic clove

1/2 an onion (mince to cubes)

1/2 tsp five-spice

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp chicken bouillon

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1/2 tsp black pepper

Presentation:

Seaweed flakes

Eggs (sunny side up)

Add oil, garlic and onion until fragrant.

Add ground beef, five-spice, salt, sugar, chicken bouillon, oyster sauce, and black pepper. 

Serve with rice, sprinkle seaweed flakes, and sunny side up egg. 

Lightly Battered Fried Chicken Thighs with Garlic Fried Rice

This is very easy to make and it is delicious! Kids would love this dish :) This dish was inspired by the Filipino fried pork belly.  Since I don't eat pork, I made the chicken version of it. :) Enjoy!

Lightly Battered Fried Chicken Thighs with Garlic Fried Rice

Fried Chicken:

1 lb Chicken thigh with skin 

(Chicken to be marinated with 1 tsp chicken bouillon)

1/2 cup flour

1/2 tbsp corn starch/tapioca starch

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 black pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder 

Marinate the chicken with chicken bouillon for at least 30 min. 

Then combine flour, starch, baking powder, black pepper and garlic power together. 

Transfer chicken into a Ziploc bag and mix it with batters. 

Put the chicken on drying rack and put into freezer for 5 min. 

Then fried chicken in low heat until chicken is golden brown.

Garlic Fried Rice:

4 garlic cloves (minced)

3 cup of uncooked rice = to 6-7 cup of cooked rice 

1 tsp chicken bouillon

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

Add 3 tbsp oil, then add minced garlic for 30 seconds. Add cold cooked rice and chop up the rice until individual gain is separated. Add chicken bouillon, salt, and sugar.  Mix rice until hot. 

Tamarind Sauce:

2 tbsp tamarind sauce

2 tbsp water

2 tsp sugar

1 tbsp fish sauce

Mix all the ingredients above together and serve with fried chicken for dipping. 

Presentation:

2 eggs (sunny side up)

1 cucumber (sliced)

1 garlic clove (thinly sliced) lightly fried

Enjoy!!

Chinese Stir Fried Potato

This dish is delicious especially when you have too much left over raw potatoes! I consider this dish a healthier version from French fried :)

Chinese Stir Fried Potato

2 lbs potatoes 

2 minced garlic cloves

1-2 small sweet pepper

2 tbsp green onion

1 tsp salt

1 tsp chicken bouillon

1 tsp sugar

1-2 tbsp shaoxing wine (may substitute for regular cooking wine)

Prepping potatoes: 

Cut the potatoes thinly into match sticks.  Then soak the potatoes into cold water for at least 10 min. And drain the potatoes.

Cooking: Add minced garlic, and stir fried potatoes. Add the rest of the ingredients: salt, bouillon, sugar, shaoxing wine. Once the potatoes soften and chewy, then you can add sweet peppers and green onions.

Enjoy. 

Mentai: Creamy Butter Tobiko Udon with Squid

This was inspired by the handmade udon restaurant in Los Angeles called Marugame Monzo.  They have a dish called "Mentai Squid Butter Udon".  It was the best udon I ever had.  I recreated it using my memories and imagination.  It turned out delicious, of course not as delicious as the handmade udon, but it is very close to it. 

Enjoy!

5 packages of Udon

1 lb calamari squid 

1 cup whole milk

3 garlics (minced)

1/2 a small onion (cube)

3 tbsp tobiko & some for decorating

2 tbsp butter

1 pint heavy cream

1 to 1.5 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano

1 tsp black pepper

1-2 tsp salt (salt to taste)

1 tsp chicken bouillon

2 tsp lemon juice or regular rice vinegar

some shredded seaweed

Prepping squid: Rinse frozen squids and pineapple cut the squids.  Marinate the squids in whole milk for at least 2 hours to tenderize the squid.  Drain the squids after.  You don't have to rinse it since we are making creamy udon.  A little more of the milk won't hurt :)

Cooking: 1 tbsp butter and 2 cloves minced garlic stir fried with squids. Add 1/2 tsp black pepper. Set a side after 3 min.

                1 tbsp butter, 1 clove minced garlic and 1/2 small onion cubed to stir fried for 2 min. then add heavy cream.  After bringing it to boil, you now add in 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp bouillon, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 3 tbsp tobiko, 2 tsp lemon juice, udon, and 1.5 cup Parmesan. Turn off the heat and set for serving. 

Enjoy! You can decorate like above. 

Korean BBQ Beef Short Ribs

Korean BBQ Beef Short Ribs

I love making this dish. It is delicious and quick to make whenever you don't have time to cook.  You can prep this the night before, and have the beef ready in 15 minutes. I would highly recommend that you invested in a baking rack.  I used it frequently for my proteins like meat or fish.  It saves you from all the BBQ mess and the strong smoky smell if you live in a small apartment like me. 

The caramelized coconut sauce is my way to help enhance the color of the beef when baking or grilling.  This ingredients will give the beef the dark crystallize color. 

I hope you will try the recipe. 

2-4 lbs of beef short ribs

1/2 a small onion

2 tbsp ginger

4 garlic

1 can pear and 1/2 of the juice in the can

1/2 cup regular soy sauce

5 tbsp dark soy sauce

5 tbsp cooking wine

2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp chicken bouillon

1/2 tbsp or 2 tsp black pepper

1-2 tsp salt (salt to taste)

2 tbsp caramelized coconut sauce (may substitute for honey)

Grind onion, ginger, garlic, pear, pear's juice together until smooth. 

Combine all ingredients and sauces together.  Mix until everything is dissolved. 

Use a Ziploc bag and marinate the beef over night or at least 2 hours.

Preheat oven in broil mode for 400 degrees F

Cook the beef ribs until crystallized.  Between 7-10 minutes.  Check beef every 4 minutes to see if beef is cook.  It is depending on how thin the cut is. 

I don't want to have it in bake mode because that will dry out the beef.  Broil mode will create the grill like appearance. 

Enjoy! 

Shrimp Scampi and Chive Pasta/Spaghetti

If you don't like chives, this dish might change your mind about it!  For some reason, this pasta dish really enhanced the sweetness of chives.  I have tried to cook chives with some other ingredients such as noodle soup and simply stir fried... it just wasn't as tasty. 

I hope you will like it!  :)

Shrimp Scampi and Chive Pasta

1 lb thin spaghetti

1/2 lb shrimps (peel and devein shrimps)

4 ounces chive (cut into 3-4 inches long)

4 garlic (minced)

5 tbsp butter

1 cup chicken broth

3 tbsp lemon juice

2-4 tbsp parsley (minced)

1 tsp chicken bouillon

salt and black pepper to taste

Giant shrimps (optional)

Prepping Shrimps:

Stir fried shrimps with 1 minced garlic, 2 tsp butter, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/4 black pepper.

Set shrimps aside when shrimp is fully cooked.

Prepping Chives: 

Stir fried chives with 1 minced garlic, and 1 tsp butter until soft.

Prepping Spaghetti:

Add 1 tsp salt to boiling water.

Boiled spaghetti for about 6-8 min (al dente).

Drain the water, and set aside.

Final product:

Stir fried 2 tbsp butter, 2 minced garlic, 1 cup chicken broth, 3 tbsp lemon juice, 1 tsp chicken bouillon, 2 tbsp parsley.  Add shrimps, chives, and spaghetti.  Mix everything together.

Serve warm, and enjoy!

I really hope you will like it!

Video Below:

Fatty Friday: Beer Batter Fried Salmon Belly

Happy Friday! I love to celebrate my Friday with great delicious food, hence I always call it "Fatty Friday".  It is very easy to make and you should enjoy this with a glass of cold beer!

Beer Batter Fried Salmon Belly

For the batter:  This portion can make up to 4 lb of salmon belly. 
1 & 1/2 cup flour

4 tbsp tapioca or corn starch

1/2 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 cup beer (may substitute for 1 cup of water)
1 cup of water

Combine all the ingredients and deep fried until batter turns gold or orangish.

For the dipping sauce: This sauce portion is for one person.  If you want to make two or more just double the ingredient.
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp black pepper
1 garlic
Combine and mix the sauce.  Enjoy!

Pasta Fever 2: The most delicious Mexican-Inspired Pasta

Roasting the thin spaghetti helps bring out the flavor of the pasta. I found this recipe through Dona Toma.  However, the recipe provided was some what complicated, so I simplified it, added ground beef, added some indigients, and changed the deep fried spaghetti to oven broil spaghetti.  The flavor was there and delicious!  I hope you will like it! :)

Mexican-Inspired Pasta

1 lb spaghetti or angel hair pasta

2-3 small tomatoes

5-6 tomatillos

6 garlic

1 tsp chicken bouillon

sugar, salt, black pepper to taste

1 cup water

4 sprig each: mint, parsley, and cilantro

Prepping the spaghetti:

Spread the noodles on a cookie tray and spray oil on top of the noodles. 

Roast them in broil mode at 380F. 

Remember to check the spaghetti every 2-3 minutes to prevent burn.

We are looking for a golden brown color. 

Sauce Direction:

Prepping the tomatoes:

Cut a X line at the bottom of both tomatoes and tomatillos at 380F until soft.

Remember to flip the tomatoes half way. It is done when the tomatillos turns dark green and dark red.

Prepping the Pasilla-ancho:

Soak the chili in hot water and deseed to prevent it from being too spicy. 

Mix all the tomatoes, tomatillos, 5 garlic, 1 pasilla-ancho, 1 tbsp cumin, 1 tbsp oregano, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar, 

Ground Beef Direction:

Stir fried ground beef and add 1 tsp chicken bouillon, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp black pepper, 1 tsp sugar, 1 garlic, 

Combining the ingredients: 

Boil the noodles by combining ground beef, sauce, roasted spaghetti, 1 cup water, 4 sprig each: mint, parsley, and cilantro.

Pasta is completed at al dente. 

Enjoy!

Thai Bean Thread Noodle Salad (Yam Woon Sen)

If you love fish sauce and slurping noodles, then this recipe is for you.  I hope you will like it!

Thai Bean Thread Noodle Salad (Yam Woon Sen)

1 cup dried shrimps (soak in warm water)

1/2 cup match stick carrots

1/4 cup cilantro

1 cup celery

1/2 lime

3 garlic

1 small shallot

1/2 lb shrimps

1/2 lb beef

1/4 cup green onion

3 tbsp roasted peanuts

2 tbsp fried shallots

3 bags of 1.3 oz/37.5g bean thread noodles

Salt and pepper

Prepping food for salad mixing:

Step 1: Blanch celery for 3 min. then rinse with cold water

Step 2: Soak 3 bean threads in hot (not boiling) water for 5 min. then rinse in cold water

Step 3: Cook ground beef with 1 minced garlic, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp salt, then add 1/2 lb shrimps, 

Sauce Prep: This sauce portion is for 3 bags of 1.3 oz noodles

2 garlics

1/2 portion of the small shallot

3 tbsp fish sauce

1/2 a lime or 2 tbsp lime

2 tsp sugar

1-2 chili peppers (depends on your spicy level)

Combine and mix the ingredients. 

Salad Mixing:

Add celery, noodles, ground beef, the left over shallots, soaked dried shrimps, carrots, cilantro, shrimps, green onion, roasted peanuts, and the sauce.
Enjoy your Thai salad!!

Chicken Fried Trout

I had this dish at a French restaurant with lettuce, and it was so delicious! So I thought I would do it at home for half of the price.  There is no chicken in this dish.  Just the way we flour and fried the trout that is similar to how we fried chicken, hence the original chef must had named it Chicken Fried Trout.  I bought the trouts from Costco, and it was $12 for 4 medium trouts.  Such a great deal right! As for the gribiche sauce, I made my own version.  The restaurant added blue cheese in it I think.  My husband loves it! I hope you will enjoy this dish too. 

Enjoy!

Chicken Fried Trout with Gribiche sauce

For garnish & to eat with:

2 carrots (shredded/peel and soak in 1 tbs rice vinegar)

1 green onion (tear and soak in cold water, so it will curl up)

1/4 an onion (thinly chop)

5 radishes (clean and chop)

3 sprig dills

1 head of lettuce

10 pieces of rice paper to wrap with (opional)

Gribiche sauce:
1 tsp capers
1 sprig dill
2 tsp redwine vinegar
3 tsp mayo
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp sugar
1 crushed garlic
1/4 tsp black pepper
Direction: Mix everything together until sugar dissolved

Fried trout:

1 trout (clean, scale & butterfly)

1 egg mixed with 1/4 cup water

1 cup flour

sprinkle garlic, salt & pepper mix with flour

Direction:  Dip the trout in dry flour, then soak in egg and water mixture, and finally dip in the dry flour again.  Deep fried trout in oil for about 7 to 8 minutes. When finished, add the garnishes stated above on the fish and serve with lettuce and gribiche sauce.

Pasta Fever 1: Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo with Shrimp

This dish is my all time favorite and it's something that I can quickly make to impress someone with little effort. The soft boiled broccoli helps enhance the texture of the dish and gives a light crunch to it. You can also substitute the shrimps with chicken and beef.  Enjoy!

Broccoli Fettuccine Alfredo with Shrimps

Portion: 4-6 people 

1 lb Shrimps

1 lb Broccoli

1 lb Fettuccine

1/4 An onion

2 Garlic

1/2 of Butter (1/4 use for shrimps & 1/4 use for pasta)

1 cup Parmesan

1 pint Heavy cream

1 tsp Sugar

1 tsp Chicken bouillon

2 tsp Salt (1 tsp boil broccoli, 1/2 tsp to shrimps, & 1/2 tsp add to pasta)

Lemon juice to taste

1/4 tsp Black peppers

1/4 tsp Pepper flakes

First boiled the broccoli with 1 tsp salt until soft to bite, then roughly grind the broccoli. 

Stir fried 1 minced garlic, then add shrimps, 1/2 salt, 1 tsp sugar, & 1/4 tsp black peppers.  Set it aside after 3 min of cooking. 

Start to boil pasta for 10 min. 

Heat up the pan and stir fried 1 minced garlic, 1/4 an onion, 1 tsp chicken bouillon, 1/2 tsp salt, lemon juice, heavy cream.  Then add in order, pasta, broccoli, and Parmesan. 

If you like it spicy then add some red pepper flakes. 

I hope you'll like it!

Enjoy!

Noodles Slurping 1: Beef and Green Beans Vermicelli

For a hot summer day, this recipe is perfect for a quick healthy lunch or dinner.  The video might seem overwhelming to you with many steps, but trust me, it's really easy to make! You can also substitute the ground beef with ground chicken or even shrimps!

Also, the fish sauce I demonstrated in the video is something you should memorize since it will come in handy for many of the Vietnamese recipes.  I found that it is easier to make smaller portion of fish sauce. Plus there won't be left over! You can make it fresh every time you cook something that requires fish sauce dressing! I don't know about you, but I hate the idea of having plenty of left over fish sauce dressing that you might not needed.

For green beans, any green beans would do.  You can even use can or frozen green beans.  Whatever that will help you feel comfortable to the idea of cooking!  Can green beans is softer, so you don't have to chop it in half. Also the cooking time will be less since can green beans come precooked/boiled.

I hope you will enjoy it! Let me know if you do make it!

Beef and Green Beans Vermicelli

Portion: 4-6 people

1.5 lb Beef
1 lb Green beans
1/2 an onion
3 garlic (stir fried) 1 garlic (fish sauce)
100 g/ 14.1 oz Vermicelli

Stir Fried Green Beans:
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp chicken bouillon
1 tsp lemon juice

Stir Fried Ground Beef:
1/2 tbsp salt
1 tsp chicken bouillon
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp black pepper

Fish Sauce
5 tbsp fish sauce
9 tbsp water (cooked/filtered water) (please not use tap water)
3 tbsp lime juice
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp sambal oelek
1 garlic

Cooking:
Prep the green beans: trim off both sharp ends of the green beans. Chop onion into small cubes and mince the garlic.

Divide the onions and 3 garlic in half.  Half will be to stir fried with green beans and the other half to stir fried with ground beef.
Combine all the ingredients listed above to stir fried each item.

Vermicelli will be soak in hot water for 5-7 min. after you brought the water to boiling temperature.

Combine all the ingredients for fish sauce.

Lastly, you can combine all the cooked items together and adding fish sauce to your preference, and enjoy! :)

Youtube Video: Please subscribe! :) Thank you!

Korean Cold Spinach

This dish is refreshen especially during the hot summer. It is especially delious with rice! :)

Korean Cold Spinach

Serving Portion: 4
Ingredient:
20 oz/2 bags of Spinach
1 tsp Salt
1-2 tbsp Soy Sauce
2 tsp Sesame Oil
1 tsp Sesame Seeds
1 tsp Pepper Flakes
1 tsp Fried Shallots

Rinse and boil spinach with 1 tsp of salt for about 2 minutes, then rinse the spinach with cold water. Squeeze out dry the spinach.  Then mix the spinach with all the ingredients. Serve cold.

Link to the Youtube guide

Chicken with Perilla Leaves Pesto

Hello Everyone,
My name is Natalie, and I love to share more cooking recipes with everyone.  Hopefully, I can inspire more people to cook!
Below is a Chicken with Perilla Leaves Recipe.  It's something different to your daily taste bud.  I was inspired buy a cook book which they used Shiso leaves for a more minty flavor.
Please let me know how you like it.


Chicken with Perilla Leaves Pesto

Portion: 3-4
Ingredients:
1.5-2 lbs of Chicken
10-15 Perilla leaves
3 Garlics
1-2 tbsp Soy sauce
1/2 cup Olive oil
1/4 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Black pepper
2 tsp Lemon

Prepare and marinate the chicken with Salt and Pepper for about 15-30 minutes.
Combine perilla leaves, garlics, soy sauce, olive oil, and lemon in a grinder.  Mix for about 1 minute or until smooth. Finally, pour the pesto to the chicken and let it sit for another 15 minutes then it will be ready for grilling!
Enjoy!

Youtube Video: Chicken with Perilla Leaves Pesto