Pork and Chinese Chives Glass Noodles 豆瓣韭菜豬肉粉絲

Time to indulge this heavy-tasting and strong-scented glass noodles all by myself!

The thing is Mister doesn't like the taste of Chinese chives. On top of that, he can't really take much heat. So I made this slightly spicy glass noodles with lots of Chinese chives with one person in mind, me!

Pork and Chinese chives glass noodles 豆瓣韭菜豬肉粉絲 - 

Ingredients (about 2 portions)?

• 320 grams ground pork
• 2 stalks Chinese chives
• 1 baby Chinese cabbage
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup water
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 small chunk ginger
• 2 servings glass noodles
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon spicy fermented bean paste
• Some corn starch and water mixture
• Some chili sauce (optional)
• Some rice vinegar (optional)

How?

Peel and chop the garlic cloves. Scrape then chop the ginger. Destem then cut the Chinese chives to shorter sections. Destem and slice the baby Chinese cabbage to thinner strips.

Have a pot ready, drizzle 2 tablespoons of preferred cooking oil, I used olive oil here. Also add in garlic and ginger. Switch to medium heat and cook till aromatic but not burning the garlic bits.

Add in ground pork and stir-fry till color changes to white-ish. Add in 1/4 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of spicy fermented bean paste. Mix and cook till aromatic and the sauce has been slightly reduced.

Pour in 2 cups of chicken stock plus 1 cup of water. Bring to a boil. Taste and season with more soy sauce if preferred. Also add in 1/4 teaspoon of sugar. Cook for one or two more minutes.

Add in baby Chinese cabbage strips and most of the Chinese chives. Bring to a boil again. Skim-off any foamy bits on top during this step.

Add in glass noodles and cook till the texture is ready. I used 100% rice glass noodles so it'll soften rather quickly. Just give it a bite test if unsure.

Once ready, add in the remaining Chinese chives. Use low heat and wait for one more minute. Have some corn starch and water mixture ready. Pour in the mixture while stirring the soup at the same time to prevent lumps. We are aiming for slightly thickened consistency but not not gooey in the end.

It should be ready to serve. You can add more chili sauce or rice vinegar to boost up the taste. I personally added tons of rice vinegar, making it almost or even more sourish than the sour and spicy soup, super satisfying. 

Man was I happy about this glass noodles. I get to enjoy such a hearty meal tailored solely to my own preference. Let's just call it happy tummy happy wife.

Wait, so what does Mister get to eat for lunch when I'm having glass noodles? I guess he was happy with some hamburger and fries, an occasional break from all the healthy homemade meals. We all get what we crave once a while, a secret to a somewhat satisfying marriage.    

Other recipes using glass noodles:

• Hot and sour glass noodles for one (the less fiery looking kind)
• Vietnamese steamed egg meatloaf 

No Alcohol No Heavy Cream Tiramisu (Quality Eggs Will Do)

Two things worth celebrating. First, I can finally make a tiramisu without alcohol nor heavy whipping cream. The result was still creamy and luscious. Second thing that makes me happy is there's no leftover mascarpone.

Most of the time when I'm working with recipe using mascarpone, I always ended with some unused portion. However, this time I was able to find just the right package and a perfect recipe calling for the exact amount, so I get to used every last bits of mascarpone. No more leftover mascarpone.

No alcohol no heavy cream tiramisu - 

Ingredients?

• 4 medium or 3 large eggs
• 500 grams mascarpone
• 16 to 20 lady fingers
• 1 cup strong coffee
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Some cocoa powder

How?

Remove the eggs and mascarpone from the fridge and rest under room temperature for 5 to 10 minutes before using them. 

Brew the coffee first then pour into a wider surfaced container, at least wide enough that you can dip in the whole lady finger.

Separate the egg yolk and the egg white. For the yolks, also add in 500 grams of mascarpone and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix till blended.

As for the egg white, beat till frothy. I used stand mixer with medium high speed, took about 4 minutes to achieve that consistency.

Gradually add in the sugar while mixing/beating the egg white at the same time. Once all the sugar has been added, keep mixing/beating till the egg white can keep a soft peak form, should take few more minutes.

Introduce the yolk mixture to the white. Gently fold them together till evenly blended.

Have your tiramisu container ready. I used glass container just so I can see the layers from the side, kind of amusing and satisfying doing so. 

Dip the lady fingers in coffee till semi-soaked, it'll happen really quickly, shouldn't need to soak more than three seconds on each side. You'll know when the lady fingers turn all soggy and start to fall apart. Lay down one single layer of coffee dipped lady fingers on the bottom of the chosen container.

Spread half of the mascarpone mixture on top, also slightly even it out.

Do another layer of coffee-dipped lady fingers on top of the mascarpone then spread the remaining mascarpone all over. Even out and cover with lid or foil. Into the fridge for few hours, preferably overnight.

Just right before serving, sift some cocoa powder on top, then the no alcohol no heavy cream tiramisu will be ready to serve. 

I'm never a fan of tiramisu with coffee liqueur in it, so this no alcohol recipe just fits my need. And the no heavy cream part kind of make the whole process easier too. 

And look at that creamy layer! Even without heavy whipping cream, this tiramisu still turned out quite nice.

By the way, it's normal if you see some liquid on the bottom of the remaining tiramisu. I simply treated it as extra sauce when enjoying the tiramisu, still luscious and satisfying.

Extra recipe using mascarpone:

• Whipped brie with mascarpone, honey, and pink peppercorn

What to Do With Leftover Wonton or Dumpling Skin? How About Wonton Skin Soup?

I don't want to say impossible, but how about at least 90% of the time when making wontons or dumplings, it's very hard to achieve the perfect ratio for the filling and the wrapper, so that you get zero leftover ingredients in the end. To me, it's the few wrappers that are usually being left behind. So what are you going to do with it, especially when it's only about like 20, 10, or even single digit number of wrappers left?

Let's not waste the wonton skin or dumpling wrappers. First you can store them in the freezer, and only need to defrost them one day ahead in the fridge before use. When it comes to the actual cooking time, how about turning the leftover ingredient into a comforting Asian soup?

Wonton skin soup - 

Ingredients (about 6 portions)?

• 20 wonton skin
• 450 grams ground pork
• 4 eggs
• 1 bundle/about 250 grams crown daisy leaves (tong hao)
• 2 stalks scallion
• 1 small chunk ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• Some black pepper
• Some Japanese tsuyu
• 8 cups water
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

How?

Destem and chop the scallion, separate the green and the white part. Scrape then finely chop the ginger. Trim-off the ends then cut into shorter sections for the crown daisy leaves. You can also use other soft and aromatic leafy greens, such as Japanese mizuna.

As for the wonton or dumpling skin, slice in half if the size is too big, doesn't matter triangular or rectangular shape.

Take out a big pot and drizzle two tablespoons of preferred cooking oil. Switch to medium heat. Add in the white section of scallion along with chopped ginger. We will need about 4 tablespoons of chopped scallion white here. If not enough, use some green part. 

And it's about 1 tablespoon chopped ginger here. Also add 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook till aromatic. Add in ground pork and cook till the meat turns to a whiter color.

Pour in 8 cups of water and bring to a boil. Keep it boiling for another minute then adjust the heat to keep the pot at a medium/small boiling stage.

Add in soft leafy greens and cook till wilted.

It's time to add in the wonton or dumpling skin. Cook till soft or desired texture. Taste and season with enough Japanese tsuyu. The amount of tsuyu varies especially there are like double condensed, triple condensed, and many other versions. Just season to your own taste.

Once the flavor has been checked. Switch to low heat. Beat 4 eggs on the side then pour in the eggs while slowly stirring the soup at the same time. Aiming for silky beaten egg throughout the soup.

Scoop and crack some black pepper on top. Garnish with some chopped scallion greens and serve right away.

Now you know what to do next time with leftover wonton skin or dumpling wrappers.

By the way, I personally prefer using leftover wonton skin more than dumpling wrappers. Because wonton skin has this velvety texture, and very smooth to the touch once fully cooked, which works better in this rather lightly flavored stock.

Extended reading:

• Less oil fried cream cheese wontons
• Shrimp and pork wontons in vinegar and chili oil sauce

Dried Anchovies and Pea Shoots Congee 小魚乾大豆苗鹹粥

I wouldn't have thought that the congee or the stock used here can be so umami-packed. Well, I did add the entire pack of dried anchovies plus 4 cups of chicken stock, but still surprised by its flavor. Yet the entire congee looks so healthy, indeed it is nutritous with all the veggies used. I can't ask for more, a healthy and balanced meal packed with flavors.

Dried anchovies and pea shoots congee 小魚乾大豆苗鹹粥 - 

Ingredients (about 5 to 6 portions)?

• 2 loosely packed cups dried anchovies 小魚乾
• 1 1/2 cups uncooked white rice (about 2 rice-measuring cups)
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 6 cups water
• 1 bundle pea shoots
• 1 medium carrot
• 6 shiitake mushrooms
• 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Some salt
• Some white pepper powder

How?

Rinse the uncooked white rice to wash away excess starch then set aside for later use.

Trim the soft leafy greens of your choice. I used pea shoots here so I also tear some thicker stems to thinner strips. Peel and juilienne the carrot. Destem then slice the shiitake mushrooms.

Bring out a big pot, drizzle 2 to 3 tablespoons of preferred cooking oil then switch to medium heat. Once warmed up, add in dried anchovies and cook till slightly browned and aromatic.

Pour in 4 cups of chicken stock along with 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil then keep the entire thing at a light bubbling stage for five more minutes. Skim-off any foamy bits on top throughout the cooking process.

Add in rinsed rice, also add in the carrot and shiitake mushrooms.

Keep cooking till the rice reaches desired texture, also until the congee reaches desired soupy consistency. Mine took about 20 minutes.

Add in leafy greens and continue to cook till just wilted.

Taste and season with salt if needed. I didn't use any for my pot of congee here. But do add a few pinches of white pepper powder for a gentle hint of aroma. The congee is now ready to serve. 

I was going to use other soft leafy greens for this congee recipe, such as amaranth, some also call it Chinese spinach. However the vendor told me amaranth wasn't in season, so I changed to pea shoots instead. Ended up pea shoots work even better I think.

But don't let the choice of vegetable bothers you too much. As long as it's tender, I think even baby salad greens can be used here. Just remember don't cook the congee too long once you added the leafy greens. Try to preserve that vibrant green color even after plating. The longer you cook, the darker and "smushier" the vegetables will be.

Extended reading:

• Savoury Chinese congee using Jinhua ham and vegetables 金華火腿鹹味臘八粥
• Soy milk zosui
• Tomato bamboo shoot and pork zosui 番茄竹筍豬肉雜炊
• Minced beef and vegetable congee 蔬菜牛肉粥

Mini Sweet Potato Casserole Topped with shredded cheese 起司地瓜燒

Regular sweet potato or the fancy Japanese purple sweet potato (murasaki imo), I was literally standing in front of these two options at the supermarket for a minute. Both can yield a sweet and smooth casserole for my little afternoon treat. What persuaded me in the end is that there was this one chunky sweet potato, just the right size, and that means I only need to peel this one single sweet potato only instead of many smaller purple variety.

Mini sweet potato casserole topped with shredded cheese - 

Ingredients (for 2 big or 4 small servings)?

• 560 grams sweet potato
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 2 to 4 teaspoons heavy whipping cream
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 100 grams shredded cheese (mozzarella and Cheddar preferred)

How?

Peel and slice the sweet potato into chunks.

Steam the sweet potato till fork tender. Mine took about 30 minutes.

Once ready, use a fork to mash the steamed sweet potato, just like what you'd do with mashed potato.

After this first round of mashing, add 1 tablespoon of unsalted butter, 2 teaspoon of sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon of salt. Also start with 2 teaspoons of heavy whipping cream and mash till evenly blended with the sweet potato. 

Check the consistency, if seemed too thick, blend in more heavy whipping cream, up to 4 teaspoons total. Also do a quick taste test and see if more sugar is needed for your preference. Once all set, mash again through a wire sieve if not too troublesome. This will give you an even smoother texture in the end.

Spread the sweet potato paste to ramekins, filled up to 80% full then top the remaining space with shredded cheese.

Into the oven and switch to high heat. Bake till the cheese has been melted and slightly browned. Remove from the oven and serve right away.

So on top of my initial hesitation between the regular sweet potato and the fancy Japanese purple sweet potato, I also had a hard time picking shredded cheese. My best choice would be mozzarella and Cheddar blend. However, I also have to look closer to the label and trying to get the most natural product as possible.

That left me with only one option, shredded mozzarella. Even though milky and satisfying, but I definitely think with additional salty Cheddar, the sweetness from the sweet potato will become more pronounced. So it's up to you, I would still choose whatever healthier product as possible. Just keep in mind that if you can find great mozzarella and Cheddar blend, that's the way to go.

Savory way to enjoy sweet potato:

• Sweet potato congee 地瓜粥

Napa Cabbage and Meatballs in Jinhua Ham Chicken Thick Soup

Not quite an actual soup recipe, but more so something with slightly thickened chicken stock flavored with Jinhua ham. So instead of enjoying it along like a soup, I personally prefer to add a few ladles on top of steamed rice, making it a full on heart-warming meal.

Napa cabbage and meatballs in Jinhua ham chicken thick soup - 

Ingredients?

• 320 grams coarse and slightly fatty ground pork
• 320 grams lean ground pork
• 4 Chinese water chestnut 荸薺
• 2 medium pieces fried bean curd skin 炸豆腐皮
• 1/2 medium napa cabbage
• 6 shiitake mushroom
• 1 piece bone-in Jinhua ham 
• 1 stalk scallion
• 1 small chunk ginger
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 6 cups water
• Some salt
• Some corn starch water mixture (optional)

How?

Trim-off the end of napa cabbage, section the remaining to medium size pieces. Bring a big pot of water to a boil and cook the napa cabbage for few minutes. You'll know when the naba cabbage is about semi-softened. Drain and set aside for later use.

Destem and chop the scallion. Save a small amount of chopped scallion greens for garnish in the end, transfer others to a big bowl. Scrape and grate the ginger, add about 1 teaspoon of grated ginger to the bowl too.

Peel and chop the Chinese water chestnuts. Add the water chestnut along with both ground pork to the bowl. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Mix the pork and the ingredients in the bowl till evenly blended.

Use the pork mixture and form into medium sized meatballs. I also toss the meatballs back and forth between my palms to help drawing out some air trapped within. It'll help firming up the meatballs too. My recipe will yield about 8 medium sized meatballs.

Rinse the Jinhua ham under hot water and use the back of the knife to scrape the meat. You might get some grayish bits, so it's like pre-cleaning the ham before using it. Mine was quite clean and nothing came out.

Bring out a big pot and pour in 4 cups of chicken stock and 6 cups of water. Toss in the prepped ham too. Bring to a boil then adjust the heat to keep it at a gentle bubbling stage. Continue to cook this way for 30 minutes in order to draw out more flavor from the ham.

Rinse the fried tofu skin under hot water, which will help drawing out excess oil. Once done, slice the fried tofu skin to medium size pieces. Destem the shiitake mushrooms, halve or quarter the cap if the mushrooms are too big.

Meanwhile, after 30 minutes cooking the Jinhua ham in stock, add in prepped napa cabbage and continue to cook for 15 more minutes. Then add in the meatballs, prepped fried tofu skin, and shiitake mushrooms. Continue to cook 20 minutes.

After quite some time, remove the ham and give the stock a taste. Season with more salt if needed. However, Jinhua ham should make the stock a bit salty already, so the amount of additional salt needed depends. In fact, I didn't add any for my pot here.

Switch to low heat and wait till the stock cool-down a little. Have some corn starch and drinkable water mixture ready. Mix that into the pot while stirring the stock at the same time. This will help thickening the stock. Use more if thicker consistency is preferred.

Once the consistency and flavor have been checked. Garnish with some saved chopped scallion greens and serve.

See how I simply scooped the thick soup to brown rice? Such combo can be so comforting. The flavor is light but yet packed with umami thanks to the chicken stock and Jinhua ham.

About Jinhua ham, if you can find quality pieces and sealed nicely, go ahead buy some and store them in the freezer. I always have one or two pieces of Jinhua ham in the fridge, it's a bit like saving Parmigiano Reggiano rinds too, which can be great when added to western sauce and soup.

Other recipes using Jinhua Ham:

• Savoury Chinese congee using Jinhua ham and vegetables 金華火腿鹹味臘八粥
• Braised Chinese cabbage with Jinhua ham 金華火腿煨白菜

Braised Chicken with Abalone 鮑魚悶雞

The price range for canned abalone can differ dramatically. As low as less than $10 USD or $100 or more can be possible. Well, we're not trying to bankrupt ourselves, and this recipe requires some braising time with chicken. 

So there is no need to get big and chunky supreme abalones. Just use the cheaper one, ideally with each individual abalone size no bigger than a small chicken egg. That way you can braise the abalone as a whole without making a dent in the wallet.

Braised chicken with abalone 鮑魚悶雞 - 

Ingredients?

• 1 canned abalone (425 grams total but 200 grams solid)
• 700 grams bone-in skin-on dark chicken meat (about 10 drumettes)
• 1 stalk scallion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 3 slices 2mm-thick ginger 
• 1 teaspoon crystal sugar
• 1 tablespoons preferred cooking oil

Marinade:

• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon aged Shaoxing wine
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil

How?

Marinate the small chicken drumsticks, or drumettes with all the ingredients listed under the "marinade" section. Massage the sauce into the meat then let the chicken marinate for 30 minutes.

Peel the garlic cloves. Scrape-off the ginger skin then slice to 2mm thick pieces. Destem the scallion then section the white part, diagonal cut the green part for garnish in the end.

Use a clay pot, drizzle 2 tablespoons of preferred cooking oil and switch to medium heat. I used olive oil, which is my basic oil for cooking.

Once the temperate rises, add in garlic, white section of the scallion, and ginger slices. Sear till aromatic and the garlics turn slightly browned.

Add in the chicken but not the marinade juice. Sear till slightly browned. Flip once the bottom part has been colored and continue to sear other sides.

Then it's time to pour in all the remaining marinade. Also 1/3 cup of the canned abalone juice, it'll highly enhance the flavor of the dish. Bring the whole thing to a boil then lower the heat to keep it as a light bubbling stage.

Add 1 teaspoon of crystal sugar and cook till the sugar has been fully dissolved into the sauce. Continue to cook 10 minutes.

Time to add the abalones, but no more juice from the can. Continue to cook for 10 more minutes or till reduced a bit.

Top with scallion greens and serve the braised chicken with abalone in the same clay pot used in cooking. It'll hold up the residual heat quite well, so you get to enjoy a hot or very warm dish all the way.

Don't discard the remaining abalone juice. You can utilize that in any other soupy Asian dishes, especially the kind that needs a umami boost. 

If you really don't have any use of canned abalone juice at the moment, go ahead and freeze them into ice cubes or in a seal-tight container. Some people do that with homemade stock too. There will always be a time calling for a flavor-boost.

Extended reading:

• Garlic butter abalone 大蒜奶油鮑魚片