Green onion pancakes

Yields 2 pancakes

1. Whisk flour and 1/8 tsp salt with a fork.
2. Add water a tablespoon at a time
3. Knead for a few minutes until the dough comes together and water is distributed evenly
4. Cover with wet towel and let rest 30 minutes
5. Roll into a thin circle
6. Spread 1 TBSP of oil all over the surface
7. Sprinkle on green onion and salt
8. Roll into a cylinder, then roll into a snail shape
9. Cover and let rest 4 hours or overnight
10. Fry with oil on medium heat, about 3 minutes per side

Soupy Zucchini with Ground Beef

Ingredients

• 2 thinly sliced zucchini
• 1 ground ground beef
• fish sauce
• chicken broth + 1 TBSP cornstarch
• 1 egg + chicken broth

Saute zucchini until really soft
Add ground beef, stirring till cooked
Add corn starch stirred into chicken broth.  Bring to boil
Lower heat and stir in egg beaten into chicken broth

Chinese Steamed Egg with Garlic Oil

Silken egg

• 3 eggs, well beaten
• 100 mL water
• 200 mL chicken broth
• pinch of salt

Topping

• Garlic oil
• Soy sauce
• Sugar
• Green onion chopped

In a deep sauce pan, large enough to fit the dish (used rectangle 6 cup glass dish), boil about 2 inches of water.  Place the serving dish in the water to warm.

Combine the egg, water, chicken broth and salt in a measuring cup.  Carefully pour the egg mixture into the serving dish.

Cover with the lid.  Steam for about 6 minutes until set.  Make sure the water doesn’t splash into the eggs!

Combine a big scoop of garlic oil, about 2 tsp soy sauce and 1/2 tsp sugar.  Pour all over the top of the egg.  Sprinkle green onions over the top.  Serve immediately.

 

Crunchy Green Onion Pancakes

I have memories of my mom making these on Saturday afternoons (she always slept in till about 11) after watching morning cartoons.  I loved the crispy tortilla, the salt and the fluffy egg.  They were my mom’s shortcut Chinese green onion pancakes using flour tortillas as a base and using only two other ingredients, egg and green onions.  Simple but so comforting.  I haven’t eaten these for years, but went back home to pick up little S from my parents’ house, where my mom made her delicious pancakes!

• 4 flour tortillas
• 4 eggs
• 2 green onions, sliced

In an 8 inch pan, heat a good amount of oil on medium.  Fry the first side of the tortilla till slightly browned.  Flip over and crack on egg over the top.  Break up the yolk with chopsticks and spread the egg over the top.  Sprinkle green onions  Once the egg has set a bit, flip the tortilla over and continue to cook until the egg is done.  Sprinkle with salt.  Cut into wedges, like my mom used to.

Ginger scallion dipping sauce for chicken

Used to accompany steam chicken or chicken noodle soup (Asian style)

• 2 green onions, sliced
• 2 inch knob of ginger, finely minced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt to taste

In a small frying pan, add the ginger and garlic. Add oil to the cold pan and turn heat to low. Heat until ginger and garlic are cooked but not browned. Add a pinch of salt and green onions. Cook until onions are softened.

Mom’s Weeknight Chicken Stir Fry

I don’t remember if this is how my mom would cook her chicken stir fry when I was little, but this is how she does it now. Really simple.  With only using chicken and no veggies, the flavor is concentrated, and there is no sauce.

• Chicken thighs, cut into big chunks
• Ginger, thinly sliced
• Garlic, minced
• Sweet Soy Sauce
• Soy Sauce
• Green onions, cut into 2 inch pieces (optional)

Heat a good amount of oil on medium heat.  Add the ginger and garlic and cook till fragrant but not browned

Add chicken and stir-fry till white on the outsides.

Add sweet soy sauce and regular soy sauce (about 1:1 to taste) and continue to stir-fry until fully cooked

Stir in green onions, then serve.

Weeknight Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

• 1 pound flank steak
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 inch chunk fresh ginger, sliced
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp oyster Sauce
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• Pepper to taste
• 1 large bunch broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 tbsp corn starch

Slice flank steak into think slices against the grain.  If time permits, place beef in a bowl and add soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and pepper.

Once ready to prepare, heat oil in a large flat bottomed pan over medium heat.  Cook garlic and ginger until fragrant but not browned.

Increase heat to high and stir fry the beef until the beef is almost cooked through.  Remove from the pan and keep warm.

Add more oil to the pan, and stir fry the broccoli.  Add additional soy sauce and oyster sauce to taste.

Once tender (about 5 minutes, but depend on the size of the broccoli pieces), add the beef and any juices that have developed back into the pan.

Stir corn starch and about 2 tbsp water into a slurry in a small bowl, then add to the beef.  Allow the sauce to come to a boil and thicken.  Remove from heat and adjust taste adding additional soy sauce, oyster sauce and pepper to taste.

Ah Ma’s Fried Rice

Every family and cook has their own version of fried rice.  I loved my mom’s fried rice which has a different flavor profile than most fried rices I have had at restaurants.  She used to make it for lunch on the weekends, most commonly.  She would make some substitutions here and there, but her quintessential fried rice always had 1) broccoli  2)Chinese sausage  and pork 3) dried shiitake mushrooms  4) green onions.  If any of those are missing, it is not my mom’s version.  Almost always, pork was added and often times, my mom would also have dried shrimp in the mix, but I don’t consider these mandatory ingredients. My mom said that this is actually her mother’s version, which is why it is called ‘Ah Ma’s’ fried rice.

I’ve changed up the ingredient list a bit, but it still has the three ingredients that makes it taste like home to me.

• 2 cups cooked brown jasmine rice (day old rice preferred to freshly cooked)
• half small stalk broccoli, chopped into small pieces
• 1/2 zucchini, chopped into small pieces*
• 2 large handfuls of fresh spinach, chiffonade*
• 6-8 medium dried shitake mushrooms, rehydrate and chopped into small pieces
• 2 small Chinese sausages, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
• 3 oz fresh pork, sliced into small pieces
• handful cooked shrimp* or 1 tbsp small dried shrimp, rehydrated
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed in a mortar and pestle
• 3 eggs, slightly beaten
• 2-3 green onions, sliced
• soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste

*ingredients not included in my mom’s traditional version

1. In a large flat bottomed pan, add oil and saute sausage and pork on medium heat.  Cook until fat has rendered
2. Add garlic and veggies. If using, add dried shrimp too.  Season with say sauce to taste
3. Once veggies are cooked, remove from pan
4. Add more oil to the pan and scramble the eggs, adding salt to taste.  Remove from pan once cooked
5. Add more oil, turn up the heat, then add the rice and green onions, stirring constantly, adding soy sauce to taste
6. Once the rice and soy sauce is well combined, add the cooked shrimp and the rest of the cooked ingredients.  Stir to combine.  Add pepper (but not too much) to taste

Here’s another variation that is a little bit more heavy on the veggies and plant protein:

• 2 cups brown rice
• 3/4 cup quinoa
• garlic
• fresh shitake mushrooms
• baby broccoli, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
• 1 Chinese sausage
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2 green onions
• handful of green peas

 

Lion Head Meatballs

First made for Kai Ming’s Chinese New Year Party 2007

*Note this is not mom’s recipe*

Yields 10 large meatballs

• 2 lb ground pork
• 2 TBSP soaked dried shrimp, minced
• 1 can coarsely chopped water chestnuts
• 2 green onions chopped
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 TBSP minced ginger
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 TBSP cornstarch
• 3 TB2P soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• salt/pepper
• flour for dredging
• sesame oil for finishing
• napa cabbage cut into large pieces to trade the meatballs
• chicken broth, enough to cover the meatballs halfway up

1. Gently combine the pork, shrimp, water chestnuts, green onions,4 cloves garlic, 2 TBSP ginger,eggs, cornstarch, soy sauce.   Form into loose balls
2. Dredge in flour and brown on all sides
3. Lay the cabbage down in 2 layers, then place the meatballs on top
4. Add the chicken broth and drizzle on the sesame oil and a little extra soy sauce for color.  Add additional 2 cloves minced garlic and 2 tsp minced ginger into the broth
5. Bake at 350 degrees, basting occasionally till meatballs are cooked (~45 minutes)
6. Transfer to stovetop and reduce sauce till thickened

Three Cup Chicken

Named after the three main ingredients in the sauce:  1.  Soy Sauce  2.  Alcohol (Sake in my recipe)  3.  Sesame Oil

Definitely not a traditional recipe, but I like it!  Some would argue that there isn’t enough sesame flavor since I am using so little sesame oil.  But it’s more economical to cook with regular cooking oil then drizzle the sesame oil at the last minute.

Ingredients:

• 3 boneless chicken thighs, cut into small bite-sized pieces
• 4 slices fresh ginger
• 4 cloves garlic, smashed
• 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 2-3 tablespoons (a small pour around the pan) sake
• small spoon of sugar (optional)
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• large handful of fresh basil, torn in to large pieces

1. Heat your pan with cooking oil, then add ginger and garlic.  Cook until fragrant.
2. Add chicken and cook for about a minute
3. Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce and stir still coated
4. Add the sake, stir, then allow the sauce to thicken and chicken to cook through
5. Add sugar, then stir in the basil.  Cook until the basil is cooked through
6. Take off the heat and drizzle sesame oil. Stir to combine
7. Serve with lots of white rice