Crispy Layer Pancake

Exotic Pancake

I'm not sure the word of pancake is accurate to describe this food. I might just call it for now until I find the right word.

I grew up in the North of China, the main food source is flour, so the housewives create various styles and tastes with the flour. For instance, steam, bake, boil and pan fry are the common methods to be used. 

For me, flour is an incredible food source, evokes all my memories of home. With a tiny magical touch, I could sense the flavour of my childhood.

The friends we met today are all from North, I thought this pancake will be such appropriate of the occasion.

The image is 6 pancakes.

Ingredient

1/3 cups flour dust

3 Tbsp olive oil

1/2 Tbsp sea salt

1 Tbsp five spice powder

Paste mixture

4 Cups white flour

2 Cups water

Method

1. Mix the mixture together, give a 5 mins massage, cover with the food wrap, leave it in the fridge for 2 hours or overnight.
2. Spread the flour dust on the cooking board, place the paste and roll in to a 3 mm thickness square.
3. Brush the oil on the pastry evenly, then brush the salt and five spice powder evenly as well. 
4. Roll the two opposite sides toward each other until there is no gap.
5. Place the pastry roll horizontal, roll it up from the right hand side this time, the final shape should looks like a ball. 
6. Flatten the ball with the roller into a 4 mm thickness round shape.
7. Brush the non stick pan with the oil, and cook each side of the pancake for 5 mins on a low heat.
8. Use the kitchen paper to remove the extra oil, then serve until bit cool down.

Tip

It could be served with any dipping sauce or none, tear up the pancake for best result. The multi-layer effect will give you a big surprise.

BBQ Ribs

Homemade Yummy Ribs

This is also the food I brought to my friend's place today. It was the today's winning dish. I have received lots of compliments. 

I got this recipe from my mum. We used to have BBQ Ribs at the restaurants, but the taste is alway too greasy. Mum has experienced a few times at home final comes out with this ultimate home cook recipe. 

I was in an rush this afternoon, please ignore my rough plate decoration.

Ingredient

1 kg pork ribs

Sauce

1 head garlic

3 slices ginger

4 Tbsp honey

1 teaspoon fish sauce

4 Tbsp soy sauce

2 Tbsp black pepper

3 Tbsp white wine

Chili (optional)

Method

Blend the sauce ingredient, pour on the pork ribs.

Marinate overnight, flip the ribs several times before roast.

Pre heat the oven

take out the ribs and wrap up with the foil.

180 degree roast for 1 hour and 20 mins.

Remove the foil, brush the extra sauce constantly.

200 degree roast for 20 mins each side.

Take out the ribs and carefully cut into strips, brush the sauce on the cutting edge and roast for an extra 10 mins.

Tip

No one needs the tip of BBQ ribs, just dig in.

Seaweed Salad

BBQ Side Dish

We had a BBQ today at a friend's place, I made this seaweed and pressed tofu salad to add a touch of freshness.
The cooked dry seaweed is extra crunchy than the fresh one, it also contains rich vitamins and minerals which is super healthy for the detox diet. Combining the pressed tofu gives not only the tender texture but also the rich protein that our body needs.

Ingredients
500 gram dry seaweed ( purchased from Asian Super market )
500 gram pressed tofu ( from Asian Super market )


Salad Dressing
A
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 Tbsp suger

B

5 Thai fine chopped picked chilis
1/3 head squashed garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil

Method

1. Put the dry seaweed in the cold water pot, boil to cook for 10 mins, then strain well.
2. Cook the pressed tofu in the same way.
3. Roll the seaweed and pressed tofu and slice into fine strips
4. Pour the sauce A into the salad, toss several times.
5. Heat the sauce pan with sauce B for 1min and pour into the salad, give a toss, then serve.

Tip
Fresh chili is the alternative option if you cannot find Thai picked chilis. For the best result, marinate for 2 hours in the fridge before serve. 

Summer Time Smoothie

Berries Smoothie

Today is extremely hot, instead of having a glass of ice cold coke, I decided to make the icy beverage healthy and tasty. I like all types of berry not just because it is antioxidant, but also the taste is not too sweet, this freshness and sourness is my favourite smoothie choice. 

Ingredients

3/4 cups mixed frozen berries

1/3 cups greek yogurt

1 kiwi fruit

325 ml cold slim milk

Ice (optional)

Method

Blend the ingredients for 1 min, pour in 4 whisky glasses.

Tip

This is an really simple smoothie, I recommend to drink 250 ml after exercise, this will fuel the muscles, energise your body.

Chinese New Year Dumplings

Chinese New Year 10 February 2013

Northern New Year Tradition-Dumplings

This is my first time making the seaweed-stuffing dumpling. I got the recipe from one of my friend who grew up in the coast area. The taste of seaweed dumpling turns out really surprised me. It is beyond words, so fresh and sweet, almost like I am tasting the flavour of sea. I think this is a must try recipe for all dumpling lovers.

I made a chives’ stuffing for my husband in case he doesn’t like the seaweed dumpling. Surely he did really enjoy the seaweed ones. He is a huge chive fan. The chives’ stuffing is a popular recipe in Chinese family for years. Especially engages with the prawn meat, it will intensify the meaty flavour, creates a rich grassy smell, people either love it or hate it. But it is definitely a worth try recipe if you never taste chives before. Probably you will love it like I do.

Traditional Chinese dumpling is boiled to cook, the pan-fried dumpling is bit oily, and it will cover the freshness of vegetables. But for people who do not like the soggy texture, the pan-fried could be your alternative choice.

Ingredients 
1/3 kg pork mince and 1/3 kg fine chopped prawn meat

2 and half cups of fine chopped seaweeds

3 cups of fine chopped chives

50 dumpling wrappers (Asian food market)

50 ml cold water

Hot water

Condiments

3 head of spring onion

1 oz ginger

1 tsp sea salt

1 tsp suger

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp white pepper powder

1 tsp five spices powder

2 Tbsp white wine

Dipping Sauce

1 tsp chill oil

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 head of raw garlic (optional)

Method

1. Put all condiments into the blender for half minute, until it looks like the thick sauce. 
2. Pour the condiments in the pork mince and prawn meat, mix well, marinade for half hour.
3. Equal the pork mince into half, one mix with the seaweeds, and another one mix with the chives.
4. Carefully wrap the mixture with the dumpling wrapper, seal the edge with a touch of cold water. Place the dumpling on a tray with some flour dust, this prevents the dumplings of sticky bottom.
5. Boil the dumplings in a hot water pot (medium to large size). Only boil 15 dumplings at once for 5 mins.  Strain them then serve with the balsamic vinegar, the chill oil and raw garlic is optional. 

Caution: boil too many dumplings at the same time could cause the dumplings be tore apart.

This is a traditional Northern Chinese New Year meal. All the family members gather around the table participating the process. The influence of dumplings for Chinese people is far more than just the delicious taste. It is biggest family feast. The laughs, the chatting  also the smells of dumpling is the reward for a year hard work. People wrap the stuffing as the hopes, lucks and sweetness. All the sprites will fuel people go through the upcoming year.

Homemade Beef Sandwich

Homemade Beef Sandwich

This is my all-time favourite sandwich. 

In weekdays I tend to buy the bread from supermarket. But for the special occasion, I'd like to bake my own bread for an wow presentation.

 I will attach the recipe of this bread in this blog, in case some of you are interested in bakery. Welcome to give a try. I'm sure it will be the perfect match with any sandwich stuffing.

Bread Recipe ( for 6 serve)

Ingredients

500g bread flour

2 Tbsp dry yeast

1 Teaspoon baking soda

6 Tbsp cooking oil

250g warm water

Method:

1. Put all the ingredients in the bread maker, let the paste rise to double size. 
2. Equally divide the paste in to 6, shape each one into a ball.
3. Use the paste roller to roll those ball to the 20mm thickness bread paste.
4. Bake the bread paste for 5mins each side in a dry and clean flat pan on low heat.
5. Before finish cook all the paste, turn on the oven on 50 degrees.
6. Check both side of the bread until it golden brown. 
7. Put the bread in the oven for 15 mins, it helps the texture more crispy.

Stuffing Beef Recipe

Ingredients

Part 1

2 Tbsp cooking oil

1 sliced onion

2 sliced garlic

3 pieces of ginger slice

2 sliced chills

Part 2

400g sliced beef
half bottle of beer

2 Tbsp grounded cumin seeds

1 Tbsp salt

Method:

1. Hot the fry pan with the oil on high heat.
2. Put all the part 1 ingredients in the pan, and stir it till the onion translucent. ( keep on high heat )
3. Put the beef in the pan, quickly stir until the meat is half way cooked.
4. Pour the beer on the meat, then let the meat absorb the flavour of the beer. 
5. When the beer evaporated, put the salt and grounded cumin seeds in the pan, then give it one last quick stir. 
6. Turn off the heat.

Tips

The stuffing could be served with some fine sliced lettuce and tomato. Add this recipe to your lunch or picnic menu, you will be surprised how popular this sandwich could be. 

This is my highly recommendation.

Braised Beef

Braised Beef

Cooked by Joanna Wu

Photographed by Joanna Wu

Recipe

Prep time 15 mins

Cook time 3 hours

Ingredients

1 kg beef shoulder

5 slices of ginger

1/3 spring onion

4 Tbsp soy sauce

4 Tbsp dark soy sauce

1 Teaspoon Balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp salt

2 Tbsp suger

4 Tbsp Chinese five spices powder

2 bay leaves

Sauce

4 Tbsp Balsamic vinegar

1 crushed garlic

Method

1. Wash the meat first, and then boil it for 10 mins, and wash it again.
2. Put all the ingredients and the meat in a stew bowl, and cover it with hot water.
3. Low heat cook for 3 hours, until the meat gets soft.
4. Soak the meat in the stew bowl overnight.
5. Take the meat out of the soup, put in the refrigerator for couple of hours. It could tighten the texture of the meat, make it easy for cut in shape.
6. Serve with the sauce and garnish.

Tips

This dish is an entree, could be served as the topping of grilled bread, the crunchy texture will be the perfect match with the soft and tender meat.

It also could be served with any vegetable salad, drizzle bit sesame oil to add the exotic flavour.