Quick Ginger Garlic Sauce in a food processor

I'm often asked for an easy recipe that turns everyday dish into a fancy restaurant taste. So there are Teriyaki, Sweet and Sour and the list goes on. Then this Ginger Garlic sauce that you can literally use as a salad dressing, dipping sauce and for grilled fish/chicken/veges or even for a steak.
It tastes somewhat like the ginger dressing you get in a salad at a Japanese restaurant but even richer with tomato ketchup/tomato paste. Definitely taste complex yet super easy to make. All you have to do is to throw all the ingredients and let the food processor/blender do the rest of the work for you:):)


Ingredients (4 servings):
• 1/2 cup Soy Sauce
• 1/3 cup Mirin (Sweet Rice Wine, sold in Asian grocery store)
• 2 Tbsp Tomato Ketchup
• 2 Tbsp Tomato paste
• 4 cloves Garlic, peeled
• 3.5 oz (100g OR 2.5 inches) Ginger, peeled
• 1 cup Vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp Sesame oil

Direction:

1. Put everything EXCEPT FOR Vegetable oil and Sesame oil in a food processor or blender
2. Close the lid and run on a high speed until ingredients are well blended to a paste texture
3. Slowly pour Vegetable oil in the processer/blender while still running
4. Slowly pour Sesame oil in the processor/blender while still running
5. Store it in a tight sealed container and a refrigerator

Corn Chowder with Whipped Heavy Cream

It's has been a real interesting summer in San Diego this year. Lots of clouds and even some showers... So we felt like a good chowder in July! I never have heavy whipping cream handy and if I did, I can never use it all up. Solution? Whipped heavy cream in a can!! They can last a lot longer than a whipping cream so I buy them at Costco and always have them in my refrigerator.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp butter
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour
• 5 cups vegetable or chicken stock
• 10-15 second squeeze whipped heavy cream
• 2 Idaho potatoes, peeled and diced
• Half can (1can=15.25oz) whole corn, drained
• Salt and pepper
• 1/4 chopped fresh parsley leaves

Direction:

1. Heat the butter and 1 tbsp olive oil in a soup pot over medium heat
2. Add onions, garlic and thyme and cook until the vegetables are good and soft (approx. 8-10 min)
3. Dust the vegetables with flour and stir to coat everything well
4. Pour vegetable/chicken stock and bring to a boil while stirring
5. Add potatoes and whipped heavy cream by squeezing the can for 10-15 seconds. Bring to a boil and boil hard for approx. 10 min until potatoes break down and thicken the soup
6. Add corn and season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes
7. Ladle the soup into bowls and serve with parsley on top!

30 mininutes Quick Chicken Rolls

My son's preschool had a classroom party recently and I was supposed to bring in a main dish. A several recipes had come across my mind. I knew I had to make it kids friendly, healthy and easy to be served. I had some frozen chicken in a freezer and big bag of carrots/broccoli, so here it is my latest creation. You can use asparagus, green beans to add colors inside along with carrots too. H'orderves or main dish, you can make it any way you like!!

Ingredients (6 servings)

• 4 Chicken breast (or thighs-->no need to butterfly, just pound with a mallet)
• 2 carrots, cut lengthwise
• 28 broccoli florets, boiled or steamed
• 1 cup soysauce
• salt and pepper
  
• flour
• kitchen twine or unwaxed dental floss
• oil
  

Direction:

1. Butterfly chicken.**
   
2. Cover a cutting board with a plastic wrap and place chicken, cover chicken with another plastic wrap on top. Using a meat mallet, gently pound chicken to approx 1/4-1/8 inch thickness.
   
3. Salt and pepper the chicken
   
4. Place 2-3 pieces of carrots in the center and roll up the chicken. Secure it with kitchen twine or unwaxed dental floss (yes this will really work!)
5. In a shallow pan, place chicken and pour soy sauce. Marinade for 10-15 min
6. Pat dry chicken with paper towels and dust lightly with flour
7. Heat oil in a pan and brown the roll until lightly brown (this will add crust for outside)
   
8. Let it rest for a couple of minute
9. Slice and serve each piece with broccoli securing with tooth pick

**To butterfly a chicken breast:

1. Cut the piece of chicken horizontally parallel to the cutting board or surface as follows:
2. Starting from the thickest part of the chicken breast, carefully slice the chicken breast almost completely in half, stopping at a 1/4" from the other side.
3. Open the chicken breast like opening a book.
   

Easy Korean BBQ to spice up your BBQ scene!

We love Korean BBQ but we really don't go out to eat much with our two small children. So I came up with this marinade that will give me the taste just like the restaurant. This time I used a flank steak which is relatively a tough meat to see how tender it gets. The result was a tender and lean "can't believe it's a flank steak" meat! Try this marinade on boneless short ribs or rib eye steak too. This will definitely add another layer to your BBQ scene!

Ingredients: (2 servings)

• 1 lb flank steak (or rib eye steak/boneless short ribs etc..)
  
• Sugar for rubbing meat
  
• 1/4 cup soysauce
• 3 med-large cloves garlic, grated
• 1/2 tbsp sesame seed
• 1/4 onion, grated
• 2 tbsp sesame seed oil
• 2 tbsp sake
• 2 1/4 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1tbsp apple sauce
  

Direction:

1. Rub the steak with sugar and let it rest for 30 min. (This will tenderize the meat)
2. Place the rest of the ingredients in a zip lock bag and mix well
3. Place steak in a marinade zip lock bag
4. Marinade in a refrigerator for at least 1hr
5. Grill or pan fry. Let the steak rest for 5 min covered with a foil before cutting
6. Slice the meat thinly against the grain

Serving suggestion: with garlic rice

• 3 cups of cooked rice
• 1 tbsp olive oil
  
• 3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2-3 tbsp butter
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2-3 tbsp soy sauce
  

1. Heat a pan in a medium heat and cook garlic until slightly brown
2. Bring a pan to a high heat and put butter, let it melt
3. Pour in a cooked rice and season with salt and pepper
4. Stir fry rice for 2-3 min
   
5. Pour say sauce and stir fry for a min or so until rice is well coated and seasoned
   

Polish Pierogis (Polish Style Dumplings)

Peirogis are Polish style dumplings. They can be served as a main meal with many fillings such as potatoes, potatoes/cheese, steamed cabbages, ground meat/onion and so on. With fillings like fruit jams, they become dessert. They can be boiled or deep fried (just like Chinese dumplings, but definitely different in texture and taste!!)

Ingredients for the dough (makes 5 dozen)

· 1 large egg, lightly whisked

· 2 tbsp sour cream

· 1 cup whole milk

· 1 cup water

· 5 cups flour, plus more for dusting and surface

· yellow cornmeal for dusting

Direction:

1. Whisk egg and sour cream together in a medium bowl. Whisk in milk and water.

2. Stir in flour, 1 cup at a time and knead until dough will be loose and sticky

3. Turn out dough onto a floured surface. Using a bench scraper, turn and fold dough to knead, dusting with flour as needed until elastic and no longer sticky (about 8-10 min, but do not add too much flour-->toughen the dough too much)

4. Cover with an inverted bowl and let rest for 1 hour.

5. Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Line a baking sheet a linen towel and dust generously with cornmeal to prevent sticking. Cover the dough with another linen towel to prevent from drying.

6. Roll out 1piece of dough on a lightly floured surface into a 1/8 inch thick round. Cut out circles very close together using a 3 inch cutter or glass.

7. Fill pierogis: place filling** in center of each dough circle.

8. Holding 1 circle in your hand, fold dough over filling. Pinch edges forming a well-sealed crescent. Press edges with a fork to secure the sealed edges.

9. Place pierogis to a cornmeal dusted towel and loosely cover with another towel until cooking.

10. Bring a large pot of water with a generous amount of salt to a boil

11. Transfer pierogis to boiling water in batches. Once they rise to the top surface of water, cook for another 2 min and then transfer them to a platter.

12. Drizzle tops with some melted butter and serve.

**Potato Filling:

· 5 lbs (about 12 medium) peeled and quartered baking potatos

· 8 oz cream cheese at room temperature

· 4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1. Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water and some coarse salt.

2. Bring to a boil, cook until fork-tender. Drain and pass through a ricer.

3. Stir in cream cheese and unsalted butter. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Form the filling mixture into 1inch rounds (about 1tbsp each)

Shrimp with Sweet Chili Sauce

Ingredients (2-3 servings)

• 12 med-large shrimp (raw, peeled and deveined)
• shrimp marinade (1 tsp salt, 1tbsp sake, 1tsp pepper)
• 1 tbsp each minced ginger and garlic
• 1/2 tbsp hot pepper paste 豆板醤
• Sauce: (1cup chicken soup, 4 tbsp ketchup, 1tbsp sugar, 2tbsp sake, 1/2tsp salt
• 1tbsp Mirin, 1tbsp corn starch, 1tsp soy sauce)

Direction:

1) put together all the ingredients for shrimp marinade (except for corn starch) in a bowl and mix until it has a whipped cream texture. Mix in corn starch and shrimp and lightly mix

2) heat 1/4 cup of oil until very hot and stir fry shrimp. set them aside

3) Clean the wok/frying pan and heat 1 tbsp of oil. put in ginger, garlic and hot pepper paste and stir them well. Then add sauce mixture into the pan and check the taste.

4) put the shrimp back in the wok/pan and lightly coat the shrimp with the sauce.

5) when the shrimp is all coated with the sauce, add corn starch/water mixture and boil to thicken the sauce

Teriyaki Rock/Cod Fish

It is almost a mission for me to find a right fish recipe for my family. This recipe was really a last minute creation and it rocked!! By dusting a fish with cornstarch, it later worked as a thickning agent to a sauce. My husband raved this dish as "fish recipe I will go for a second without any doubt!" So try and let me know how you like it!!

Ingredients (2 servings):

· 1 lb rock fish or cod fish fillet

· salt and pepper

· 4-5 tbsp corn starch

· 1 tbsp vegetable oil

· 3/4 cup teriyaki sauce **

Direction:

1. Cut fish into small to medium pieces

2. lightly salt and pepper the fish and dust with a corn starch

3. heat vegetable oil in a medium pan and saute the fish until lightly brown forming a crust on each side

4. pour in a teriyaki sauce and let it cook turning the fish once

5. once the sauce is thicken, turn the stove off and serve it over a cooked rice

** home made teriyaki sauce

Ingredients (makes 2 cups)

· 1 cup store bought teriyaki sauce (I prefer Mr. Yoshida's teriyaki sauce)

· 1 cup orange juice

· 5 tbsp honey

Mix all the ingredients and stir it well.

Store in a refrigerator in a bottle or sealed container and it will last for up to 2 weeks.

Vegetable Chowmein

This chowmein could be a good side dish to any chinese food as supposed to an usual "rice". You can make it vegan, vegetarian or with meat to make many variations.

Ingredients (4 servings):

• 2 pkg Chuka Soba (find in the Asian section of any grocery store, see the pic below)
• 1 pkg Tofu Cutlet (find in refrigerated vegetarian/tofu section of any grocery store) sliced
• ½ pkg shredded carrot (OR 2 carrots julienned)
• 4 celery stalks julienned
• vegetable oil
• 3-4 tbsp soy sauce
• salt&pepper
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce (optional)
• sesame oil (optioinal)

Directions:

1. Cook Chuka Soba according to the package (boil for approx. 3-4min), drain and set aside.(hint: pour some vegetable oil over drained noodle and mix it in. This will prevent noodles from sticking in the pan later!)
2. Stir fry the vegetables and tofu in a little oil. Salt and pepper to the taste.
3. Add cooked noodles and stir all the ingredients together.
4. Flavor with soy sauce(approx 3-4 tbsp), oyster sauce(approx 1tbsp) and a dash of the sesame oil (optional for added flavor)

***Also enjoy your own version of the recipe by adding any type of ingredients, such as back choys, cabbage, pepper, etc.. Also make it with chicken, beef, or ham!

Easy Orange Chicken

My two boys love Orange Chicken and often asks for it. I've tried a packaged sauce that came in a frozen "orange chicken" meal....but it wasn't quite right. I wanted to make this sauce without any preservatives too. I sure still use precooked frozen chickens for a quick meal but the result is so much better with this home made sauce. I've also listed a recipe for a healthier version, with a sauteed chicken (as supposed to a deep fried). For vegetarians, I recommend using fried tofu for a texture and it also goes well with the sauce.

Ingredients (6 servings):

· 2 tbsp oil

· 2 tbsp ginger root, minced

· 2 tsp garlic, minced

· 1 tsp crushed red chili pepper (or eliminate this for children)

· 1/2 cup green onion, chopped

· 2 tbsp rice wine

· 1/2 cup water

· 1 tsp sesame oil

*3 tbsp soy sauce

*3 tbsp water

*10 tbsp sugar

Premix these in a cup--> *10 tbsp rice OR white vinegar

*1 1/2 zest of orange

*2tbsp cornstarch

Direction:

1. Add 1 tbsp oil and heat a wok/frying pan

2. Add ginger and garlic and stir fry until fragrant (10 seconds)

3. Add and stir fry crushed chilies and green onions

4. Add rice wine and stir 3 seconds

5. Add Orange sauce* and bring to boil

6. Add chicken**, stirring gently until the sauce is well coated.

7. Mix corn starch and water until smooth and add to chicken

8. Gently toss the chicken with the sauce until thickened

9. Stir in sesame oil and orange zest

**Chickens for Orange Chicken

Either use 1 bag (about 22 oz) of frozen Orange chicken (without sauce) Heated in the oven according to the direction on package.

OR

To prepare non-buttered sautéed chicken for a healthier choice:

· 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken, chopped into bite sized pieces

· 1 1/2 teaspoon salt

· 1/2 teaspoon white pepper

· oil (for frying)

· 1 tablespoon gingerroot, minced

· 1 teaspoon garlic, minced

· cornstarch for dusting

Direction:

1. Place chicken pieces in a large bowl and stir in egg, salt, pepper, gingerroot, garlic and 1 tbsp oil and mix well.

2. Let it marinate for 20-30 min.

3. Heat up a wok or sauté pan with some oil.

4. Add chicken, small batches at a time and sauté until lightly brown

5. When cooked, remove chicken and drain on a paper towel. Set aside.

Whipped Cream Cheese with Shrimp and Dills on Wheat Baguettes

Looking for a quick and easy appetizer

or planning a romantic evening with your loved one?
This easy appetizer can be made in a few minutes with all the usual ingredients in your refrigerator/freezer.
This is a must have at your next social gathering!

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lbs cooked shrimp
• 2 cups whipped cream cheese
• 1/4 cup green onion chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh/dried dill
• 1 wheat baguettes sliced 1/2 inches thick each

Garnish suggestions:

Instead of putting a small amount of cream cheese mixture
on baguette slices, you can use around sour dough bread
(just like the "soup in a bread bowl" style, only choose a
bread a bit bigger than the size. Hollow out the inside and
pour in the mixture, arrange slices of baguettes/
bread for a larger cloud!)


Direction:

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a medium bowl.
2. Use as much or as little of each ingredient as you like.
3. Try with smoked salmon or roasted peppers! Bon Appetit!

Yellow Corn Tortilla Soup

Corn tortillas are sold in bulk, but I always end up with some left. So now with a little bit of an effort, I no longer waste my corn tortillas! I usually make it in a big pot and freeze some for a rainy or cold winter day. It could also be a great vegetarian dish with a vegetable broth too.



Ingredients (6 servings)

• 3 tablespoon olive oil
• 3 seven-inch corn tortillas, cut into 1" squares
• 1 1/2 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 2 tablespoon (about 1/4 of a medium size) minced onion
• 1 minced chipolte chilli peppers (in adobo sauce)
• 1 lb yellow corn kernels (either fresh or frozen)
• 1 1/2 lbs chopped ripe red tomatoes
• 1/3 cup tomato ketchup
• 2 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
• 1 1/2 cup chicken OR vegetable broth
• 1 cup water
  

Garnish with:

• 24 blue corn tortilla chips
• 2 c shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 c chopped fresh cilantro
  

Directions

1. Over medium-high heat, fry tortilla squares in olive oil until they begin to crisp and turn a golden yellow.
2. Add garlic, onion and jalapeno; cook 1 to 2 minutes, until onion becomes translucent.
   
3. Add half the corn along with all other ingredients (except garnishes), reserving other half of corn to be added at the end.
   
4. Bring the soup to a low, even boil. Boil for 5 minutes.
5. Remove soup from heat. Use a hand-held propeller blade processor to process in batches to the consistency of a course puree OR process in batches in a blender.
6. Return the soup to the burner and add the reserved corn.
   
7. Bring the soup to a boil once again being extremely careful to avoid scorching or burning the soup.
8. Serve, garnished with blue corn tortilla chips, cilantro and sharp cheddar cheese.
   

Moroccan Chicken, Chickpea and Apricot in Crock Pot

Traditionally cooked in Tagine, this fruity and fragrant Moroccan dish can be easily recreated in a Slow Cooker/Crock Pot. This is a perfect dish for a dinner party (you can actually enjoy your company while this cooks in a slow cooker as suppose to a cooking/hosting chaos!)

Ingredients (6 servings):

• 8 bone in (or bone and skin in) chicken thighs OR 8 boneless skinless chicken breasts, chopped into large chunks (or assorted chicken pieces, about 3 lbs)
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and diced
• 3-4 garlic chopped finely
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  
• 1 inch fresh gingerroot, finely chopped
  
• 6 ounces dried apricots (about 15-16 piecies)
• 3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
  
• 2 (14 ounce) cans chopped tomatoes
  
• 1 (14 ounce) cans chickpeas
  
• 3 tablespoons honey
  
• 1/2 pint chicken stock
  
• 4 teaspoons ras el hanout spice mix ** (or make up spice mix below)

1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (optional)

• salt and black pepper
  
• chopped fresh coriander, to serve (Cilantro)

• 
  

Directions

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper, and dust them lightly with four. Heat up olive oil in a frying pan/skillet & brown chicken. Take them out and set them aside.

2. Saute chopped onions, carrot & garlic for 5-10 min.

3. Add chicken stock & gradually mix in flour or cornflour until well mixed & not lumpy.Add honey & tomato paste & mix well.

4. Add herbs spices & finely chopped ginger with salt & pepper to taste.

5. Finally add canned tomatoes & mix well.

6. Pour the above tomato,onion & spice mix into slow cooker or tagine.

7. Add chicken & chickpeas(drained) & mix well.

8. Add dried apricots making sure they are covered by juice.

9. Give it a gentle but good stir to mix everything together well.

10. Crock Pot or Slow Cooker - Cook on high for about 3 to 4 hours OR automatic with keep warm facility for up to 8 hours OR low for 6-8hrs

Serving suggestion:

with Couscous, basmati rice, flat bread, pita bread OR even mashed potatoes!

Easy Couscous:

• 2 cups couscous
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 cumin
• 1/2 saffron (for color)
• Finely chopped parsley

Boil chicken broth in a sauce pan and add garlic powder, cumin and saffron. Pour in couscous and take it off the stove. Stir well with parsley and serve!

**Ras El Hanout Spice Mix (North African Spice Mix)

Ingredients

• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 teaspoons ground cumin
• 3 teaspoons ground turmeric
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 2 teaspoons ground cardamom
  
• 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cloves
  
• 1 teaspoon mace
  
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  
• 1 teaspoon ground celery seed
  
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoon flour

Directions

1. Mix all the spice together in a large bowl and store them in an airtight container.

2. This spice mix should last for up to 6 months.