sesame oil

Easy Does It # 6 – Express Ramen

>
>
Dear Friend’s
Although most of my followers are culinary professionals, there is also a large segment of followers who are just starting to enjoy cooking on a slightly higher than basic level. I have therefore decided to publish, under the moniker “Easy Does It“, from time to time some very basic recipe variations of dishes which otherwise might seem complicated to some folks. I will break them down to the easiest, most simple instructions, so that those of you who are intimidated by elaborate recipes will be able to prepare these dishes properly, adjusted to your taste and liking, right from the get-go.
Enjoy :-)
>
>
In the foodie world everybody act’s as if ramen has been invented yesterday morning. In reality, it has been around forever, being a very special and revered dish in it’s original form. However, since the instant variety has been invented, it has been the stable of millions of students and other young folks around the world. It is simple to prepare, costs only pennies and is filling and tasty.
I have made many different types of ramen soups over the past few decades, starting out with the instant form as a young kid. Gradually I started adding “stuff” to my soups, roast pork, chicken, beef, any kind of seafood, herbs, vegetables, cooked eggs, whisked eggs, poached eggs, you name it, it has found its way into my ramen. But even when I make it from scratch, I still use store bought ramen noodles. Some Asian specialty shops have good quality ramen, so if you can, splurge a little on quality. In a pinch, angel hair pasta cooked al dente, with a bit of baking soda added to the water, is a reasonable fine substitute.
However, today I want to show you how to make a simple ramen from the instant variety. Discard the seasoning packages that comes in the packs. Use a good home made pork stock (substitute with chicken stock if you prefer), season with miso, grated ginger, garlic paste, sea salt, soy sauce, sesame oil and sake.

Bon Appetit ! どうぞめしあがれ (Douzo Meshiagare)
>

to serve, add egg yolk to the soup (substitute with cooked egg if you prefer)

Express Ramen

: cook instant ramen noodles in boiling salt water for one minute, strain, coat with sesame oil

: heat chicken broth to a simmer, add noodles, garlic paste, miso, soy sauce, sake, sea salt and grated ginger

: add bok choy and cooked shrimp let everything heat through without simmering, check/adjust seasoning

: to serve, add egg yolk to the soup (substitute with cooked egg if you prefer)

: Express Ramen

: Express Ramen

>
>

>
>
Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog, please be so kind and click on the video on the bottom of this page.
(You don’t have to watch it, just click once) Thank you 🙂
>
>
>
>
>
>

Pork And Spinach Dumplings With Bok Choy And Straw Mushrooms In Chili Broth

>
>
I used to go through the trouble of making my own dumpling wrappers and steamed bun dough for my Asian dishes. A few weeks ago I had dinner at my neighborhood Chinese restaurant and I asked the owner if he would be willing to sell me some of the fresh wrappers for Jiaozi (steamed or boiled dumplings) and Baozi (steamed buns). To my big surprise, he agreed! Since then, I usually go at least once a week and get me some fresh wrappers for the days meal. Why not get them fresh, good quality, cheap and ready made if you can. However, I still like to make my own fillings, somehow I prefer to know exactly what’s in them 🙂
The filling for the boiled dumplings I prepared today consisted of the following:
Ground pork, chopped blanched spinach, whisked egg white, chopped water chestnuts (for crunch), salt, cayenne, sesame oil. Putt about one teaspoon of filling onto each wrapper, moist edge with water, fold over and squeeze the edges shut. Add to salted boiling water, reduce to simmer and cook until done. drain and add to soup or eat plain with a dipping sauce.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
>

Pork And Spinach Dumplings With Bok Choy And Straw Mushroom In Chili Broth

: saute garlic paste in peanut oil

: add chicken broth, pricked chilis and straw mushroom

: add grated ginger, let simmer 15 minutes

: add bok choy, drizzle with sesame oil

: meanwhile, cook dumplings in salted water

: strain dumplings, put in bowl, top with soup, drizzle with sesame oil, sprinkle with fried garlic

: Pork And Spinach Dumplings With Bok Choy And Straw Mushrooms In Chili Broth

: Pork And Spinach Dumplings With Bok Choy And Straw Mushrooms In Chili Broth

: Pork And Spinach Dumplings With Bok Choy And Straw Mushrooms In Chili Broth

>
>

Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog, please be so kind and click on the video on the bottom of this page.
(You don’t have to watch it, just click once) Thank you 🙂
>
>
>
>
>

Chinese Style Ginger & Garlic Crabs

>
>
Last night’s dinner was truly special.
Special food, special digestive (very old cognac) and most of all, special friends.
This is the first Chinese recipe I ever learned, way back in 1974 while working on Royal Viking Sky. My assistant was a Chinese fellow named Chang. Whenever we were in Vancouver, instead of going ashore, he took his fishing line and a few pieces of chopped up fish and went up to the aft deck to fish for crabs. In these days there were very few cruise ships and fewer still went to Alaska during the three months summer season. So, crabs and other seafood were still plentyful and as I remember from watching him fishing once, all it took for him was to lower the fishing line with a bit of fish on the hook into the water, wait maybe a minute, then pull it out with the biggest crab attached to it. It took him less then an hour to fill three buckets of the freshest, largest crabs you have ever seen. He kept them alive in the cooler until the next evening, then he cooked them for a few of us for a late dinner. He supplied the food, I supplied the beer – everybody happy 🙂

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
>
>
Saute very finely slivered garlic and very finely julienned ginger in peanut oil until garlic starts to turn yellow. Deglace with sherry wine, add seafood stock or clam juice, sea salt and cayenne pepper. Add crabs, cover tigtly and steam until crabs are just done. Remove crab into serving dish. Thicken stock with corn starch slurry. Using a wire whisk, stir sauce slowly in one direction, add egg whites. Remove from heat, add sesame oil and scallions. Check/adjust seasoning. Ladle sauce over crabs. Enjoy 🙂
>

Chinese Ginger & Garlic Crabs

Fresh Crabs

Gale, Junior and Moses

>
>
>
>
>

Lettuce Cups With Spicy Chicken And Dirty Rice Sticks

>
>
Lettuce cups are widely used in Asia and are usually filled with plain, sesame oil coated rice-, egg- or cellophane- noodles amongst other goodies such as duck, shrimp, tofu, etc. I like my noodles to have a bit more taste and substance, so I usually use a stir fried mixture of noodles and other “stuff”. Here I used dirty rice sticks, along with spicy chicken and a wonderful tasty hoi sin dressing. The result was both eye-pleasing and tasty 🙂

Click here for Dirty Rice Sticks recipe
>

Lettuce Cups With Spicy Chicken And Dirty Rice Sticks

Lettuce Cup With Spicy Chicken And Dirty Rice Sticks

: season diced chicken leg with five spice powder, salt, cayenne and soy sauce, saute until golden

: mix hoi sin, honey, ketchup, lime sauce, garlic paste, salt and pepper

: prep lettuce cups

: fill with dirty rice sticks

: top with chicken

: drizzle with hoi sin dressing, sprinkle with fresh coriander and sesame seeds

: Lettuce Cups With Spicy Chicken And Dirty Rice Sticks

: Lettuce Cup With Spicy Chicken And Dirty Rice Sticks

: Lettuce Cup With Spicy Chicken And Dirty Rice Sticks

>
>
Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog, please be so kind and click on the video on the bottom of this page.
(You don’t have to watch it, just click once) Thank you 🙂
>
>
>
>
>

Stir Fried Crimini & Bok Choy In Special Sauce

>
>
The seasoning for this dish is composed of some of my basic, always present larder items : Sriracha, hoi sin sauce, ketchup, roasted garlic puree, maggi seasoning, sesame oil, white wine or sherry wine. The ratio of each individual item can vary from dish to dish, from main ingredient to main ingredient, but all together it makes for a great, versatile, delicious and simple sauce. If the dish is dry by nature, you might want to add a bit of stock to thin the sauce a bit.
(Don’t scoff at the ketchup ! It adds acidity, sweetness and color) 🙂

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
>

Stir Fried Crimini & Bok Choy In Special Sauce

: stir fry crimini until starting to brown

: add onion and garlic puree, saute until fragrant

: add white part of bok choy, saute two minutes

: add bok choy leaves, red pepper julienne, sauce ingredients

: saute one minute, check/adjust seasoning

: serve with Chinese steamed rice, sprinkle with scallions and sesame seeds

: Stir Fried Crimini & Bok Choy In Special Sauce

: Stir Fried Crimini & Bok Choy In Special Sauce

>
>
Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog, please be so kind and click on the video on the bottom of this page.
(You don’t have to watch it, just click once) Thank you 🙂
>
>
>
>
?

Chinese Salt & Pepper Scallops With Egg Fried Rice

>
>

This was one of Maria’s favorite dishes. Whenever we went to have chinese food at a restaurant or when she wanted to have something special at home, she would ask for salt & pepper scallops or salt & pepper shrimp.
So, enjoying this meal tonight was a bittersweet affair. I really loved the food, but it is so damn tough to be reminded of a lost loved one all day long, by everything one see’s, hear’s and does, even by the food one eat’s. At least I had Bella next to me , sharing the food and giving me good company 🙂
>
For the scallops, season with kosher salt, five spice powder, white pepper, ground szechuan peppercorn and granulated garlic. Mix egg white and rice flour into a thin batter, dredge scallops in it and saute in peanut oil until cooked almost through. Remove and rest on absorbent paper until serving.
>
For the rice, saute garlic paste, finely diced onion and grated ginger in peanut oil until fragrant. Add day-old rice and fry until rice starts to puff. Make a well, add more peanut oil and scramble some whisked eggs in it until set. Add sliced scallion, kosher salt, white pepper and sesame oil. Stir fry until all ingredients are well mixed. Check seasoning. Adjust if necessary.
>
To serve, top the rice with scallops and sprinkle with finely sliced scallions

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good ! (even when it’s sad sometimes)
>

Chinese Salt & Pepper Scallops With Egg Fried Rice

: Egg fried rice

: Chinese Salt & Pepper Scallops With Egg Fried Rice

: Chinese Salt & Pepper Scallops With Egg Fried Rice

: Chinese Salt & Pepper Scallops With Egg Fried Rice

>
>
Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog, please be so kind and click on the video below. ( You don’t have to watch it, just click once ) Thank you 🙂
>
>
>
>

Breakfast Of Champions # 26 – ” Shrimp & Bok Choy Congee “

>
Here is how it’s supposed to be :

You have a big, substantial breakfast, go to your job and work hart, have a quick, light, healthy lunch, keep on working until it is time to go home, have a light, healthy dinner with a small glass of red wine, go to bed early, sleep at least 8 hours, get up and do it all over again 🙂

Here is what’s really happening :

You have a quick, sugary, unhealthy breakfast, go to your job and work hart, have a quick, unhealthy lunch, keep on working until it is time to go home, have a heavy, calorie and fat-laden dinner, with a bottle or two of red wine, go to bed late, don’t sleep enough, get up and do it all over again 😦
>
So, today, after a long and deep sleep, I tried to start the right way, with a healthy, tasty, substantial breakfast.
I will keep you posted how it will develop from here for the rest of the day…………
>

>

>

Ingredients :

Cooked Fan, (steamed chines rice)
Seafood stock, substitute with chicken stock or canned clam juice
Shrimp, peeled and deveined
Bok choy, blanched
Garlic, paste
Garlic, slivered, fried
Onions, finely julienned, fried
Ginger, grated,
Bean sprouts,
Scallions, coarsely sliced
Peanut oil,
Chili oil,
Sesame oil,
Kosher salt,
Cayenne pepper,

Method :

Simmer rice with in stock, salt and pepper until a porridge like texture is achieved. In the meantime, fry onions and garlic separately until golden. Remove to absorbent paper. Reserve. Saute Shrimp, garlic paste and grated ginger until fragrant and shrimp about halfway cooked. When congee has reached the desired texture, add the shrimp, bock choy and scallions, simmer until heated through, about one minute. Adjust seasoning if necessary. To plate, drizzle with sesame oil and chili oil, sprinkle with fried onions, fried garlic, bean sprouts and scallions.

More Congee Recipes Here

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
>
>
>
>

” Ojinguh Bokkeum ” Korean Style Stir Fried Squid

>
>
Traditionally in Korea , one uses much larger squid and scores the surface in a criss cross pattern. I personally prefer the smaller squid I used here today, the texture is so much different and, dare I say, better. It is a simple stir fry preparation. Please make sure your pan is very hot and please don’t boil your squid. A few short seconds simmering in the sauce will suffice. I also suggest that you mix all the Ingredients for the sauce and check the taste before you add it to the pan so your squid get in and out of the pan as quickly as possible. >
>

” Ojinguh Bokkeum ” Korean Style Stir Fried Squid>

>
>

: ” Ojinguh Bokkeum ” Korean Style Stir Fried Squid

>
>
Ingredient’s :

Squid, cleaned, cut to size, including tentacles
Chilis, medium hot, sliced
Scallions, cut into one inch length
Onion, cut into paysanne
Garlic, paste
Ginger, grated
Oyster sauce,
Soy sauce,
Sesame oil,
Chili flakes,
Peanut oil,
Sesame seeds,
Sriracha,
Ketchup, (for color and a touch of sweetness)
Kosher salt,
Cayenne pepper,

Method :

Season all vegetables and squid with salt and pepper. Saute onion , garlic and ginger until fragrant, add vegetables, saute for a few second, add squid, saute for a few seconds. Add sauce, bring to a simmer, remove from heat at once. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Serve with rice, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good ! . . . .
>
>
>
>

Asian Style Chicken Wings in Oyster Sauce

>
>

Asian Style Chicken Wings

.
This is one of the dishes I could eat three times a week without getting tired of it anytime soon.
Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack. Feed me anytime with this stuff and I’ll be happy 🙂
>
>

: Asian Style Chicken Wings

>
Ingredient’s :

Chicken wings,
Bok choy, cut into large pieces
Red peppers, cut into triangles, keep stems and leaf’s seperate
Dry shiitake mushrooms, soaked in warm water
Onions, large diced
Garlic, paste
Ginger, grated
Peanut oil,
Chicken stock,
Sherry wine,
Oyster sauce,
Hoisin sauce,
Soy sauce,
Sesame oil,
Kosher salt,
Cayenne pepper,

Method :

Saute seasoned wings in peanut oil until almost cooked trough. Remove from heat to absorbent paper. Saute onions, peppers, bok choy stems, garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add sauces and sesame oil, wings, shiitake, scallions and bok choy leaves. Mix well, serve with fan. (chinese steamed rice)

Recipe for “Fan”

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

>
>
>

Sexy Legs

.
.
Who needs a side dish with this stuff ?
Not me, that’s for sure.
Prep time : 3 minutes
Cooking time : 50 – 70 minutes, depending on size of legs.

Season with kosher salt, sriracha sauce, granulated garlic and soy sauce.
Roast on rack at 390 ” until temperature on bone has reached 160 “.
Let rest for 10 minutes. Enjoy with a couple of cold beers while watching tv 🙂

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

>
>