Recipes Archives - Page 11 of 51

Mango Sticky Rice-Nuked!

By threejamigos | June 24, 2021 | Comments 0 Comment

Raise your hand if you have had Mango Sticky Rice. Just trying to gauge in the pantheon of delicious desserts, where Mango Sticky Rice lands. I live in a bubble in the Bay Area where you can be in an Asian restaurant or supermarket be it Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, in minutes. Mango Sticky Rice is a mainstay dessert. I use to think it was intimidating to make at home but it really isn’t. Now, making the rice in the microwave takes any trepidation down to zero!

The ultimate mango dessert, Mango Bingsoo from UDessert Story

Vegan and Gluten-Free, Shazam!

Asian desserts generally are not too sweet. If I had to pick predominant flavors, I’d say mango, coconut, almond, and sesame are pretty popular. Sticky rice is a cornerstone, as is Tapioca (hello, boba). Many Asians are lactose intolerant so dairy is not a major player in Asian cuisine. Mango Sticky Rice is a win-win-win, coconut milk is used for the sauce and flavoring component, sticky rice-the base, so, no butter, eggs or wheat. Vegan, gluten-free, and dairy-free-mindblowing.

Stuck on Sticky Rice

The foundation of this dessert is sticky or glutinous rice which can be found in most Asian stores. I use either Sweet Rice from Koda Farms or Thai Three Ladies Sweet Rice (the OG for this dessert). Normally, the rice is steamed, which is a long process, and then flavored with sweetened coconut milk.

I came across an article on Epicurious that featured Chrissy Teigen’s Mom and her cookbook. One of the recipes included is Mango Sticky Rice made easy, and not to mention quicker, in the microwave. This recipe is a mash-up of her recipe and my own recipe. My original post also has tips on what rice to buy and coconut milk, call it a mango sticky rice primer.

I used my Anyday Microwave Cookware, which worked like a charm-one bowl cooking, very convenient. Soak the rice for 10 minutes or up to 60 minutes in the same container you will use in the microwave. I inadvertently soaked the rice longer than 60 minutes (chatting with a neighbor) and the rice was a bit soft. I tried it again and soaked the rice for only 20 minutes and I washed the rice first (which isn’t in the Epicurious version), definitely recommend washing your rice.

Microwave Magic

Once the rice has soaked, cover the bowl with a vented lid or plastic wrap and place it in the microwave.

Cook for 3 minutes on high power, take it out, and stir the rice bringing the bottom rice up to the top, like a scooping motion.

There was still quite a bit of liquid left and the color of the grains was still opaque. So I placed it back in the microwave and cooked for another 3 minutes. After the additional 3 minutes, the liquid had been absorbed in the rice. The grains were a mix of translucent and opaque and had a bit of a bite, so I stuck it in for another minute.

This was 30 seconds too long along, the grains were a little too soft, the combination of a too-long soak and overzealous nuking.

I have a 700-watt Spacesaver GE Microwave, it’s on the low-end power-wise. Adjust time and power level based on the wattage of your microwave. The key is to get to know your microwave and how it cooks. Just keep in the back of your mind that the dish will only take 6-8 minutes so start fine-tuning the amount of time you microwave the rice at the 5-6 minute mark.

The Sauce

The coconut milk sauce is quick and easy to prepare. Use full-fat coconut milk, for the best flavor and consistency. Don’t let the milk boil, you just need it hot enough to dissolve the sugar. I hold some of the sauce back to serve on the side. Pepper’s recipe calls for 1-1/2 teaspoons of salt, I couldn’t bring myself to put that much salt. I used 1 teaspoon of Kosher salt which I thought was fine. I added 2 tablespoons of sugar which brought it more in line with my original post.

Pour the hot coconut milk over the cooked rice. Don’t be alarmed if it looks like a wet gloppy mess, stir well and let it sit for 10-15 minutes so the rice absorbs the milk.

So time savings? The original recipe calls for soaking the rice for 2-8 hours and steaming for 25 minutes. The microwave recipe calls for soaking the rice for 10-60 minutes and nuking it for 7-8 minutes. Hmm, don’t need to be a CPA to figure out the time savings. Enjoy!

Microwave Mango Sticky Rice

A delicious dessert with its roots in Southeast Asia, Mango Sticky Rice is both gluten-free and dairy free. Made quick and easy in the microwave.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Asian, Asian-American

Keyword coconut, Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Mango Sticky Rice, Thai Dessert

Prep Time 45

Cook Time 7

Ingredients

½ cup unsweetened shredded coconut Toast and reserve for garnish.
1½ cups Thai sticky rice Three Ladies Thai Glutinous Rice or Sweet (Glutinious) Rice from Koda Farms
1 can 13.5-ounce full-fat coconut milk
¼ cup sugar + 1-2 tablespoons Sweeten to taste, if you have a sweet tooth, add additional 1 tablesppon of sugar.
1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon reg salt
2 large ripe mangoes peeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
Toasted sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
Mint leaves for garnish (optional)

Instructions

In a dry skillet, toast the coconut over medium-low heat, stirring, until lightly browned and fragrant, 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a small dish and set aside.
Wash rice to remove excess starch, rinse twice. Drain well and place sticky rice in a microwave-safe bowl and cover with 1¾ cups warm water. Let sit for 20 minutes.
Cover bowl with an upside-down plate or plastic wrap. Microwave on high for 3 minutes. Carefully stir the rice from top to bottom, then cover and cook the rice for another 3 minutes. Repeat the process, stirring and microwaving 3 minutes at a time*, until all the water has been absorbed and the rice has turned translucent (this means it’s cooked). Set aside to cool slightly.
In a medium saucepan, heat coconut milk just until it starts to bubble. Reduce the heat to a simmer, add the sugar and salt, and stir until they dissolve. Remove from the heat, pour 1-1/4 cups of hot sweetened coconut milk over the warm sticky rice, and stir to combine. Let sit for 5-10 minutes so the rice can absorb the coconut milk. Pour rest of coconut milk into a serving container.
Place a scoop of rice in a shallow bowl or plate. Top with slices of mango. Serve with reserved coconut sauce on the side. Garnish with toasted coconut, sesame seeds and mint leaf.
This is a substantial dessert, serve small portions or sharable portions. I often garnish with sliced strawberries too.

Notes

This makes quite a bit of rice, the recipe can be halved.

Tomato Gochujang Cream Pasta: The Joy of Cooking and Baking

By threejamigos | May 22, 2021 | Comments 2 comments

Gosh, she is going to think I am a stalker! I read an article in the NYT about pastry chefs and how they are coping with the pandemic. The restaurant industry has been hit hard but many have found ways to adapt to the new norm. I am struck by the creativeness and ingenuity, not to mention the pastries-YUM, that have been born during COVID.

One of the pastry chefs featured in the article is Joy Cho. Her resume, boys and girls, is that of a heavyweight-pastry chef at Gramercy Tavern, Ivy League education…and yet she found herself out of a job when the pandemic hit. THIS led to her booming Brooklyn home business of absolutely scrumptious Glazed Sour Cream Gem Cakes. Inspired by a Brownie Bundt Cake pan, these Gem Cakes are all the rage…in Brooklyn. Lucky for us she shared her recipe on Epicurious so those of us who are geographically challenged could try them.

The Gem cupcakes (in my case) were a big hit with the fam and friends so I set my sights on a couple of other recipes she created. Tomato Gochujang Cream Pasta was first on the list followed by Banana Mochi Cake.

The Real Deal

This Tomato Gochujang Cream Pasta fusion is an explosion of flavors, spicy and sweet from the Gochujang, acidity from the tomatoes, saltiness, and umami from Parmesan Cheese-all bound together by butter and cream. It’s delicious. She bakes, she cooks, SuperCho spreading joy everywhere.

Not familiar with Gochujang? Think of it as the Korean counterpart to Miso, the Japanese all-purpose condiment. Made of red chilies, glutinous rice, fermented soybeans, and sweeteners. It’s complex and delicious. You can find it at most Asian markets or online. Look for the spice level icon! It runs the gamut from mild to hair on fire heat level.

Slide the cherry tomatoes into the oven and while they are roasting, start your sauce. Gochujang and tomato paste are browned in a pan, don’t skimp, you want the sauce to deepen in color and really caramelize. It reminds me of cooking Indian food, flavor is coaxed from spices and aromatics by frying them first. Add cream and stock to the Gochujang and tomato paste, reduce it, and then add the Parmesan Cheese.

Finally, add the roasted tomatoes and a bit of honey (really rounds out the sauce nicely so don’t skip it). It’s all about getting the most flavor out of each ingredient and then binding them together. Serve the sauce over rigatoni but feel free to pick any shape hearty enough to stand up to this thick, rich sauce.

This is so good. Put it on your pasta bucket list. NOW

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5 from 3 votes

Tomato Gochujang Cream Pasta

A spicy, rich, delicious pasta dish made with tomatoes and Gochujang (Red Pepper Paste). The Korean twist on this pasta dish will have you asking for seconds.

Course noodles, One dish meals

Cuisine Asian-American

Keyword cherry tomatoes, gochujang, joy cho, pasta

Prep Time 30

Servings 4

Ingredients

Roasted Tomatoes

1 pint cherry tomatoes
1 ½ tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Sauce

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 clove garlic minced
⅓ cup tomato paste
2-3 tablespoons gochujang Korean red chile paste, depending on your spice preference
¾ cup heavy cream
¾ cup chicken broth
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 T Honey or Agave Syrup to taste

Pasta

8 ounces dry rigatoni pasta shape of choice, should be able to stand up to a thick sauce

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place cherry tomatoes on a foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle the tomatoes with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast the tomatoes for 20 to 25 minutes, until they soften and begin to burst.
While tomatoes are roasting, prepare sauce. In a large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat and add minced garlic. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently, until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and gochujang to the pot. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook the mixture for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the tomato paste and gochujang caramelize. It will begin to brown and stick to the bottom of the pot in places, so reduce the heat if they begin to burn.
Add the heavy cream and chicken broth and bring the sauce to a simmer. Continue simmering, stirring frequently, until the sauce begins to thicken and the tomato paste and gochujang are fully dissolved, 3 to 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium-low and stir in the Parmesan and several generous cranks of freshly ground black pepper. Season the sauce with salt to taste and a couple drizzles of honey.
Continue to reduce the sauce until it thickens, about 5 minutes, then gently stir in the roasted tomatoes.
Cook the pasta according to package instructions. Reserve some pasta water to thin the sauce if it seems a little thick.
Drain the pasta, then toss it in the warm sauce and serve immediately with a few more cranks of black pepper and Parmesan Cheese. Garnish with a few sprigs of parsley or basil.

Lemon and Almond Streamliner Cake-Off the Rails Delicious

By threejamigos | May 15, 2021 | Comments 3 comments

Mui is back from Minneapolis for a visit, she arrived Saturday just in time for Mother’s Day! For the first time in over a year my brother, two out of five kids, Mom, Wes, and I celebrated Mom’s 98th birthday and Mother’s Day in person. Without a doubt, the past year has been hard on everyone but so much more so on our elderly community and communities of color. My mom’s cognitive decline is apparent, I can’t help but think the isolation and inactivity contributed greatly to this.

But I am thankful that we were able to get together to celebrate another milestone with her. Luckily, she still enjoys a good meal! This was a family affair, my brother made homemade pasta and bread, while we made a delicious sauce for his pasta.

What kind of celebration would it be without dessert? We chose the Lemon and Almond Streamliner Cake from a lovely book called Vintage Cakes by Julie Richardson. The recipe from the 1960s inspired by the sleek railroad cars of the 1930s. Plus, mom loves lemons, it was a perfect choice.

The Streamliner is a single-layer cake made with almond paste and buttermilk and topped with satiny, luscious lemon custard, the star of this cake. The buttermilk heightens the lemon flavor and the almond paste adds both flavor and texture. Really delicious.

Sugar Pearls of Wisdom

We pause for baker-splaining. I am a gadget freak so if I were you I would take some of my “wish list” items with a grain of salt…do you really need a donut pan, butter curl maker, a 5×5 inch pan? Probably not. But, if you asked me what items are absolutely essential in your kitchen…I would say, a scale and a thermometer. A scale takes the guesswork out of baking. Thermometers do the same, I have a Themoworks pen and I love it. You don’t need to go that crazy, a nice instant read will work. Really, essential kitchen items…that, and a strawberry corer, lol.

Back to Cake

Make the custard first so it is chilling in the fridge while you make the cake. Use your instant thermometer (see, told you). Egg-based puddings and custards can curdle if cooked beyond 185 degrees. We wanted the custard thick enough to hold a design on the cake so we shot for a smidge over 180 degrees. Once your custard gets to between 175-180, take it off the heat but do not strain immediately, give it a couple of minutes. The heat from the pot should push it to ~180. If you do not have a thermometer, test custard by coating the back of a spoon. Draw a line thru the custard, the line should stay, that’s when it is thick enough. But really, if it is a bit runny, it is still going to be delicious

The batter for the cake does fill a 9×2 inch round to an alarmingly high level…but it has not overflowed the times I have made this cake. For peace of mind, if you have a taller 9-inch pan, use it.

Break up the almond paste before adding it to other ingredients. You don’t want lumps of almond paste in your finished cake.

Finishing touches

Once your cake has cooled and the custard has finished chilling. Place your cake on a turntable (makes it infinitely easier to swirl). Frost the cake with a thin layer of custard on the sides and top. For the top, if you are good with a piping bag and have a big tip, pipe a spiral. Or method 2, spread the remaining custard on top and create a smooth even layer. With an offset spatula, start from the center of your cake holding the offset at about a 45-degree angle, apply light pressure and spin your turntable and move the spatula towards the outer edge. Ta-da, a beautiful spiral top. An easy badass cake design. Enjoy!

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5 from 1 vote

Lemon and Almond Streamliner Cake

Course Cake

Cuisine American

Keyword almond, almond paste, lemon, Lemon and Almond Streamliner Cake, streamliner cake, vintage cakes

Equipment

9" inch round cake pan

Ingredients

Custard

Zest of 2 lemons
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup sugar
4 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup lemon juice about 3 lemons
1/2 cup unsalted butter cut into small cubes

Cake

1 1/4 cups sifted cake flour
11/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup almond paste, room temperature 6 oz. Break into pieces to make it easier to blend.
10 tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature 5 oz.
2/3 cup sugar
3 tbsp canola oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
3 eggs at room temperature
2/3 cup buttermilk at room temperature

Instructions

For the custard:
Combine the zest, milk, and 1/4 cup sugar in a medium saucepan and heat over medium-low heat until just hot.
In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, the remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and the salt until well-combined, then whisk in the cornstarch and lemon juice.
Slowly whisk about 1/3 of the hot mixture into the yolk mixture. Pour the yolk mixture back into the saucepan of hot milk, whisking steadily, until the custard begins to thicken and bubble for one minute. Note: Helpful to have an instant thermometer. Egg-based puddings and custards can curdle if cooked beyond 185 degrees. We wanted the custard thick enough to hold a design on the cake so we shot for a smidge over 180 degrees. Once your custard gets to between 175-180, take it off the heat but do not strain immediately, give it a couple of minutes. The heat from the pot should push it to 180.
Strain the custard through a fine mesh into a clean bowl, and whisk in the butter until melted. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the surface of the custard and refrigerate for two hours.
For the cake:
Center an oven rack, and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 inch round cake pan and line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper.
Sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, then whisk to combine well.
Using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, combine the almond paste, butter, sugar, canola oil, and vanilla on low speed until blended. Increase the speed to high, and cream until very light and fluffy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Stop the mixer frequently to scrape the paddle and sides of the bowl.
Blend in the eggs one at a time, adding the next one as soon as the previous one has disappeared into the batter. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour in three parts, alternating with the buttermilk in two parts, begin and end with flour. After each addition, mix until just barely blended, and scrape the sides of the bowl.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Rap the pan firmly on the counter to release any air bubbles. Place the pan in the center of the oven and bake until the cake is a deep golden color and a wooden pick comes out barely clean, about 42 to 45 minutes. The batter will fill the pan but shouldn't overflow while baking. BUT, just in case, you might want to put foil underneath the pan.
Cool the cake in pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, flip the cake out onto the wire rack, remove the parchment paper, and flip the cake back to right side up. Cool to room temperature.
Place cake on a serving plate and frost the sides of the cake lightly with the lemon custard. Frost the top of the cake with remaining custard, then let the cake set in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Any leftover cake keeps in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Butter Mochi, Microwave Magic

By threejamigos | May 4, 2021 | Comments 11 comments

Yes, on the Mochi treat trail once again. Aside from being delicious, Mochi is pretty darn easy to make thanks to Mochiko Sweet Rice Flour. I have been playing around with recipes that find their roots in Hawaiian Butter Mochi. Sweet Rice flour, butter, eggs, sugar, and different liquids (milk, coconut milk, fruit nectars….) combined and baked into delightful bars or muffins. A bit cakey, a bit chewy yet forgiving, sweet but not cloyingly so, and maddingly addictive. The Butter Mochi Muffins is by far the most popular recipe on 3jamigos. But…

There Is A New Kid In Town

A recipe for Butter Mochi on No Recipes had me running to my kitchen. Whaddya know, these little gems are made in a microwave. Unlike baked Hawaiian Butter Mochi treats, this one is texturally similar to classic mochi found in Japanese Manju Shops. (Worth a visit! Shuei-Do in San Jose or Benkyodo in San Francisco). The riff of adding butter, sugar, and milk is genius. You end up with a soft, chewy, smooth, slightly sweet, buttery, insanely delicious treat.

Shortcuts: Momofuku, Microwave, and Mochiko

The microwave makes this a quick and easy treat. I’ve been playing around with cooking in the microwave ever since I bought a set of Cook Anyday Microwave cookware. Yes I know, I could have used the pyrex glass dish I have but…damn, that Dave Chang of Momofuku is really good at getting you to buy stuff, lol. And really, you can never have too many bowls. I listen to his podcast and its offshoot, Recipe Club. and I find myself laughing A LOT. A good thing during these crazy times.

Traditionally, Mochi starts with glutinous rice that is soaked, steamed, and laboriously POUNDED into a sticky mass that is used to form those cute little balls and squares you take for granted at the Manju Shop. Luckily, we can start with Mochiko or Sweet Rice Flour-no soaking or pounding. Just put everything in a bowl and stir. How easy is that? Along with the microwave, you will be cranking out batches of Butter Mochi in minutes.

Combine Mochiko flour and sugar in a large glass bowl (or microwavable bowl). Add one-third of the milk, stir to make a smooth paste, gradually add the rest of the milk, and stir well for a lump-free batter. Place bowl in the microwave and nuke for two and a half minutes. The mochi will look thicker and form some lumps. Remove the bowl and add the butter. Stir until the butter is fully incorporated and the mixture is smooth again. The recipe calls for cultured butter which has a slight tang. I used Trader Joe’s French Cultured Butter. You could probably use European-style butter like Kerrygold Irish Butter. I also used salted butter which I think enhances the flavor.

Put it back in the microwave for another three and a half minutes. Carefully (it’s hot!) remove the bowl from the microwave and knead the dough with a wooden spoon or silicone spatula NOT your hands. This helps create that translucent, elastic texture.

If it doesn’t get that translucent look or isn’t very elastic, try microwaving it another minute. Transfer the Mochi into a small square pan lined with parchment. The recipe calls for a five-by-five-inch pan. Hmmm, not a size I have so I improvised. Place pan (box in my case) in the fridge to chill.

The final step is cutting the Butter Mochi. It will be really sticky. To keep the pieces from sticking dust with potato starch or cornstarch. Sorry folks, powdered sugar will not work as it will absorb moisture from the mochi and turn gummy. Serve. Mochi can be stored at room temperature for a day or in the fridge for longer. Bring to room temp before serving.

And one mor-chi tip

I made a second batch using coconut milk. For folks that are milk intolerant, this would work well. Win-win. Reduce the first microwave time to 2 minutes. It solidified a little quicker than the regular milk version which made stirring in the butter a little harder. You do lose a bit of the pure butter flavor but the coconut milk is a nice complement. Play around with the microwave times for your machine. For the second microwave session, I’d go 3 minutes first and check before zapping it further.

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5 from 3 votes

Butter Mochi

Butter Mochi made in the microwave! Soft, chewy, buttery, a hint of sweetness, this Japanese treat is easy to make and delicious!

Course Dessert

Cuisine Asian

Keyword brown butter, butter mochi, Dessert, mochiko, sweet rice flour

Prep Time 7

Cook Time 7

Ingredients

100 grams mochiko
90 grams granulated sugar a little less than 1/2 cup
1 cup whole milk or coconut milk
3 tablespoons Cultured Butter (45 grams) TJ's French Cultured Butter or Kerrygold Salted Irish Butter. I like the bit of salt.
Potato starch or cornstarch for dusting

Instructions

Line a 5-inch square pan with parchment paper. Use any small pan, 4x6 (lol, does anyone have a pan this size?)
Add the mochiko and sugar to a large microwave-safe bowl, and then add about 1/3 of the milk. Stir the mixture together until there are no lumps. Add the remaining milk and continue stirring until it is smooth.
Put the bowl, uncovered, in the microwave and set it to cook for 2:30. If you have a 600 watt microwave, use full power. Adjust accordingly.
Remove the bowl from the microwave and stir the mixture until it's mostly smooth.
Add the butter and stir until fully melted and incorporated.
Microwave uncovered for another 3:00-3:30. Get to know your microwave!
Carefully remove the bowl from the microwave. Use a silicone spatula to knead the mochi together. The mochi is very hot, do not get it on your hands as you stir. The mixture will get very sticky and turn a translucent yellowish-white color as you knead it. If this doesn't happen, microwave it for another minute or two.
Transfer it to the prepared parchment-lined pan and press the butter mochi into the corners and flatten off the top.
Chill the mochi in the refrigerator for a few hours to firm it up. Unmold the butter mochi and peel off the parchment paper. Use a sharp knife to cut it into approximately 1" squares and then dust each piece liberally with potato starch. Brush the excess starch off and serve.

Soy Sauce Fried Noodles (Just Noodlin’ Around, 豉油王炒麵)

By threejamigos | April 28, 2021 | Comments 4 comments

One of my favorite dishes, when we are out for dim sum, is Hong Kong Style Chow Mein or Soy Sauce Fried Noodles (豉油王炒麵). This is Cantonese soul food. Thin egg noodles fried with onions, scallions, and bean sprouts. It is deceptively simple. How does a dish with so few ingredients, taste so good? It’s the balance, skinny noodles dry-fried to retain their chew and texture; stir-fried onions for sweetness and texture, scallions for flavor and color, and last but not least, bean sprouts for textural crunch. There aren’t any big pieces of meat or greens that disrupt the balance of the dish. Everything is julienned or in slivers to compliment the noodles.

Like Yin and Yang, balanced and harmonious. It flies under the radar due to its simplicity and is the perfect side dish. These noodles are your bestie, your essential wingman, Goose to Maverick.

The seasonings are few, soy sauce, oyster sauce, a bit of sugar for balance, and that’s pretty much it. This means, start with great sauces, ones you like. My favorites? LKK oyster sauce, it is my go-to brand (Woman and Little Boy in a Boat). It’s the only oyster sauce I have in my pantry.
Soy Sauces are a different matter, there are so many. Different in style, use, and taste. Literally, I have over 12 different soy sauces, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese, and even Hawaiian.

SOY, Let’s Break It Down

In Cantonese cuisine, the dark soy sauce is actually not as salty as light soy sauce. Sugar or molasses is added to the base sauce for flavor, color and to balance the saltiness. It is used during marinating or cooking. Light Soy Sauce, is the first press of soybeans and is salty. It is the go-to sauce, to marinade, cook, and to use on the table, like salt. The soy sauce found on the table in Chinese restaurants is light soy sauce or often Kikkoman, which falls between light and dark soy sauce. A good all-purpose soy sauce. Koon Chun, a Hong Kong legacy company makes wonderful Light and Dark Soy Sauces (My Dad’s favorite)

For these noodles, it’s imperative you use soy sauces you like since it is a predominant flavor ingredient. This dish requires 2 different soy sauces, light soy (shēng chōu, 生抽) and dark soy (Lǎo chōu, 老抽). The literal translation is “new sauce” for light soy and “old sauce” for dark soy. The dark and light soy is most prevalent in Canton, southeast China (ME!).

My favorites for this dish are Pearl River Bridge Light Soy Sauce and LKK Dark Soy Sauce. A great alternative is Korean Soy Sauce. I would use Sempio 701 which has a briny, rich, savory taste with a hint of sweetness. The Soup Soy seen in the picture (end left) is light soy and used mainly when making soup. It provides salt and umami without coloring your stocks. I use Aloha Soy Sauce for my marinades for bbq and any Hawaiian recipe (I have lots, love Hawaiian food-onolicious)

The NOODS

The other half of the equation is the noodles in this dish, so pick the right one!

Choose noodles that are THIN, ie. Cantonese style or Hong Kong-style noodles. Preferably egg noodles. Fresh or dry (I like fresh), I repeat THIN noodles. Look for Fresh Steamed, or fresh Hong Kong or Cantonese-style noodles.
Don’t follow the cooking directions! You want to undercook these noodles so they don’t break or get mushy when frying.
To ensure you don’t overcook the noodles. Separate the noodles and place them in a colander over the sink. Pour boiling water over the noodles and let them drain and dry. Voila noodles ready for pan-frying. Alternatively, put the noodles in boiling water for no more than 30 seconds after it comes to a boil. Remove and drain well.

Better to undercook your noodles!!! Made with Lau has a great video for making Hong Kong Style Noodles. This recipe is essentially his with a couple of tweaks and notes. Great site for down home Cantonese food from a pro!

Once the wok is hot, add 1 tablespoon oil to pan, add noodles. On high heat, keep moving the noodles around to dry and crisp the noodles. Stir fry for 2 0r 3 minutes. Then flip the noodles over (big flip), drizzle another tablespoon of oil down the side of the wok or pan. Continue to fry and move the noodles around. The goal is a mix of both crisp and soft noodles. Add sprouts and onions to the wok and fry until heated through and a bit wilted. You want the sprouts to retain their crunch. Alternatively, you could quick-fry the green onions and sprouts separately and add them to the noodles with the yellow onions and scallion roots. If you really like the vegetables to stay crisp, fry the noodles and add sauce mixture before adding the vegetables.

These are my favorite, a classic, Soy Sauce Fried Noodles!

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5 from 2 votes

Soy Sauce Fried Noodles Hong Kong Style Chow Mein

Classic noodle dish found in Dim Sum restaurants and Chinese delis. Simplicity perfected

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine Asian

Keyword Hong Kong style Noodles, Stir-fried Noodles

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 10

Ingredients

16 oz Hong Kong style pan fried noodles unsteamed or steamed I’m lazy I get steamed
1/2 yellow onion cut into thin slices, lengthwise
5 stalks green onion (or Chinese Chives) Cut into 1.5 inch pieces and then julienned.
6-8 oz bean sprouts Washed and drained
3 tbsp peanut oil or vegetable oil of choice

Sauce

1.5 tbsp dark soy sauce
1.5 tbsp light soy sauce
1.5 tbsp oyster sauce
0.5 tbsp shaoxing wine
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp water
1 tsp sesame oil to taste

Instructions

Prep Noodles

Steam noodles, drain, cool. Please DON’T over cook your noodles!!! This is the takeaway.
For fresh, steamed noodles, bring pot of water to a boil. Drop in noodles (separated), bring the water back to a boil and take them out-pronto! Leave them in colander to drain and dry out a little.
If you're using dried noodles, cook according to the package's instructions, erring on the more al-dente side, and rinse with cold water afterwards to stop the cooking. Drain well.

Veggies

Cut green onions into about 1.5 inch pieces. Separate the light and the green sections. The light part will be cooked first with the yellow onion.
Cut yellow onion in half, and julienne half (thinly slice lengthwise)
Rinse and drain bean sprouts

Sauce

Combine soy sauces, oyster sauce, sugar, and water in a bowl, stir until the sugar dissolves. Set aside.

Frying Time

On high, heat wok, to around 350-400°F, basically smokin hot.
When the wok is hot, add oil (1 tbsp) and heat to 350-400°F. The oil should be "shimmering" - rippling, but not smoking. If it's smoking, the wok is too hot. Little wisps of smoke is okay.
Saute’ green onion whites and onions for about 1 minute and reserve.
Heat the wok again and add 1 T oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the noodles.
Move the noodles around the pan gently. DO NOT flip them yet, move the noodles around so parts get crispy. Cook for about 3 minutes moving the noodles carefully.
Turn the top noodles over so the noodles are on the bottom, add 1 T oil along the perimeter of the pan to help develop a nice crisp. Let the noodles cook on this side for another 3 minutes, occasionally prodding and moving the noodles.
The noodles will not stick to the pan if they are not overcooked. Lifting the noodles as you fry helps release moisture.
Add bean sprouts and stir fry for 30-45 seconds. Use tongs or cooking chopsticks to help you move the noodles around. Place the noodles over the sprouts to help cook them. Better to undercook sprouts, you want to retain their crunch!
Add sautéed onion-green onion mixture and mix to incorporate and heat onions. No more than a minute.
Add sauce by pouring it in a steady stream all over the noodles and vegetables. Keep moving and lifting the noodles to coat with sauce and release any extra moisture.
Add sesame oil and continue to mix and separate the noodles for another 1-2 minutes. If the noodles seem to be getting a bit soft, take them off the heat. The oil does not need to cook.
Taste the noodles, season with salt and dark soy if the noodles are not dark enough. Add white pepper if you like.
Garnish julienned green onion shreds. Serve immediately.

Mayak Eggs to Momofuku Eggs-Eggtraordinary

By threejamigos | April 19, 2021 | Comments 0 Comment

Originally this post was going to just be about the latest Korean craze, Mayak Eggs (마약계란). Tik Toks, Reels, IG Stories, folks “egging” everyone on to try Mayak Eggs. The eggs are cooked Ramen Style (we’ll get into that later) and soaked in a bath of soy sauce, sweetener, chilis, garlic, and green onions. Yep, pretty darn tasty, a flavor explosion of sweet, salty, spicy, and garlicky.

Egg-a-Licious

Ramen Style eggs are cooked in a pretty specific way. Bring water to a boil and carefully drop your eggs in the boiling water. Let them boil for 6 minutes before immediately plunging them into an ice bath to stop the cooking. The end result is a soft-boiled egg, where the egg white is cooked through but still tender and the yolk is just beginning to set around the edges. The center of the yolk is oozy, unctuous, and scrumptious, perfect in a bowl of ramen.

I have a confession to make…

I didn’t cook my Mayak Eggs this way. A couple of years ago, (you all know I LOVE kitchen gadgets right? Donut pan, meat grinder, Instant Pot….) I bought an egg cooker. Yep, a good for only one thing gadget, cooking eggs. So I used it for my Mayak Eggs.

Well, I am not going to tell you to go buy an egg-cooker (don’t do it) so I needed to make Six Minute Ramen Eggs for myself. I still had Mayak Eggs in the fridge so I decided to make Dave Chang’s Momofuku Ramen Eggs. His recipe was part of Food52’s 10 all-time favs, so this was an easy call.

6 Things You Need to Know

Both these recipes are incredibly EASY.
Both are riffs on a soy sauce-based brine to flavor the eggs
Plan to make them in advance as the eggs need to sit in the brines for awhile
Mayak means drug in Korean. Yes, they are addicting-that good
The longer the eggs are left in the brine the more color and flavor they will absorb

I saved the best for the last…

The hardest, most frustrating THING will be peeling those damn eggs!

Key points before the deep dive into the unappealing task of peeling.

Do You Mayak?

The sauce for the Mayak Eggs is delicious on rice or noodles. The soy sauce and sweetener (you can use corn syrup, rice syrup, or honey) balance each other so it is okay to leave the eggs in the brine/sauce to store. The aromatics, garlic, chilis, scallions pump up the flavors in the sauce and take the eggs to a whole new level. Absolutely delish. Mayak Eggs can be served as a banchan (side dish) or as a topping on a bowl of rice (my fav) or noodles. I tossed one in my bowl of Congee, along with a splash of the sauce this morning. Delicious.

For less spicy eggs, de-seed and/or de-vein the chilis or reduce the number of chilis. You can definitely play with this sauce and make it your own. Add a little fish sauce for a briny flavor or a Ponzu instead for citrus notes. Go crazy, it’s all good.

Dave is a Good Egg

Momofuku Eggs are closer to a traditional ramen egg. Not only great with ramen or Udon, but also delicious as part of a rice bowl like Taiwanese Pork Belly Rice Bowl or Buta no Kakuni (Japanese Pork Belly) or Simple Minced Pork Bowl. The brine is salty. Marinade your eggs for no more than 4 hours and use a low-sodium soy sauce. Once made, the eggs can be stored sans sauce in an airtight container. For a sweeter egg, add another tablespoon of sugar.

It’s the Big Egg…Here’s the Hard Part…Peeling

The goal is to end up with a smooth, pristine, beautiful egg…after peeling it. The eggs are a little softer than a hard-boiled egg adding another layer of difficulty. Peeling without leaving little divots in the eggs, not an easy task.

Boil enough water such that the water level is one inch over the eggs.
Add 1 tablespoon vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt to the water. ( I see just as many recipes that don’t include this-optional)
When the water comes to a boil, carefully lower the eggs into it.
For the first minute of boiling, stir the eggs around the pot, this helps center the yolk.
Boil (not crazy boil, gentle rolling boil) for 6 minutes for a runny yolk, an additional minute for a jammy egg.
Have an ice bath ready to transfer the eggs into.
Allow eggs to cool for 5 minutes in the ice bath.
Crack the eggshell by tapping on it with a spoon. Carefully peel the eggshell off along with the membrane between the shell and egg. It helps to peel the egg in water or under running water.
Invert your teaspoon so the bottom is facing you, and slide it under the eggshell and membrane, lift the spoon to separate the shell from the egg.
Rinse any shell fragments off eggs and place them in brine. Done!

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Mayak Eggs

Delicious and easy, Mayak Eggs are the perfect rice or noodle bowl accompaniment

Course Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Asian-American

Keyword appetizer, egg, Mayak eggs, momofuku egg, ramen egg

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 6

Servings 6 servings10

Ingredients

Cookin' Da Eggs

4-6 eggs room temperature
2 tsp salt
1 tbsp white vinegar

Da Marinade

1/2 cup soy sauce I use Sempio 701 Soy Sauce for this dish
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup rice syrup corn syrup or honey
3 garlic cloves chopped
3 to 4 green onions chopped
1 green chili chopped (optional)
1 red chili chopped (optional)
1 tbsp sesame seeds

Instructions

Cookin Da Eggs

Heat enough water to cover 6 eggs by 1 inch in a pot. Add salt and vinegar and bring it to a rolling boil. Using a slotted spoon add eggs to water. Cook the eggs for 6 minutes for runny yolk or up to 10 minutes (Nooo, don't do it!) for hard-boiled eggs. While eggs are cooking, make a water bath of ice and water in a medium-size bowl. When the eggs are done, Immediately transfer them to the ice water bath. Cool for 5-7 minutes before peeling.

Da Sauce (marinade)

Combine soy, water, and sweetener and stir to blend. Add garlic, green onions, chilies and sesame seeds, stir.
Peel the eggs carefully without damaging them (easier said than done) and place in an air-tight container. Pour the sauce mixture over the eggs, cover and store in a refrigerator for at least 6 hours to overnight before serving.
It will last 5 to 7 days in fridge!
Drizzle with sesame oil! Serve with hot steamed rice.

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Momofuku Marinated Ramen Egg

Momofuku 6-minute eggs perfect topping on ramen or by itself as a snack

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Asian

Keyword egg, ramen egg

Prep Time 5

Ingredients

6 tablespoons warm water
1 tablespoon sugar addtional tablespoon for a sweeter egg
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
3/4 cup soy sauce low-sodium or Tamari
4-6 large eggs

Instructions

In a medium bowl, whisk together the water and sugar to dissolve the sugar, then stir in the sherry vinegar and soy sauce.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Carefully put the eggs into the boiling water and cook for exactly 6 minutes and 50 seconds, stirring slowly for the first 1 minute. Meanwhile, fill a large bowl with cold water and ice. When the eggs are done, transfer them to the ice bath.
Once the eggs are cool, (5-7 minutes) peel them in the water. See notes above.
Transfer the eggs to the soy sauce mixture and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to 4 hours, making sure they are completely submerged or occasionally rotate eggs.
Remove the eggs from the sweet and salty marinade. You can save the soy sauce mix for another round of eggs, if you wish. Refrigerate eggs in a tightly sealed container.

Glazed Sour Cream Gem Cakes-Chodazzled

By threejamigos | April 13, 2021 | Comments 1 comment

Skipping across my feed lately have been a series of articles on chefs adapting to life during the pandemic. As we know, the food industry has been hit particularly hard by COVID-19. Restaurants, bakeries, caterers have worked hard to adapt to the harsh reality of the pandemic. It hasn’t been easy and we have lost so many restaurants and businesses it’s depressing. There are some bright spots though and Joy Cho is one of them. Her Glazed Sour Cream Gem Cakes has taken Brooklyn by storm.

Laid off from her position at the Grammercy Tavern (she has CHOPS people) she created these wonderful little cakes in her Brooklyn home. The cakes went viral and let’s just say ordering a box of these babies is like trying to score a table at the French Laundry pre-COVID, without the last name of Newsom (JUST KIDDING).

Lucky for those of us who don’t live in Brooklyn, Ms. Cho’s recipe for her ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS Gem Cakes is available on Epicurious. It immediately went viral, I stumbled upon it and yep, got busy in the kitchen.

A Gem of a Recipe

These are crazy good and pretty easy to make. Here’s what makes these gems stand out.

All-purpose Flour and Sweet Rice Flour- The combination of the two flours is the best of both worlds. Tender, cakey, moist, with a bit of springiness. They have a nice balance of cakiness and chewiness. Using just sweet rice flour would result in a denser, chewier texture, a classic mochi dessert without any sort of crumb. All AP flour will give you a regular old cupcake and come on peeps, we are looking for something FRESH.

Butter, eggs and sour cream – The trifecta of fat that adds richness, flavor, moisture, and tenderness to the cake.

Be sure to keep a light hand which means don’t overmix the batter. Your batter should be light and fluffy. Finish incorporating the flour by folding the ingredients together by hand. You want to retain the air bubbles in the batter to keep the cakes light. Overmixing develops the gluten in the AP flour which makes the cakes tough. The batter may look a little curdled at some points but keep gently folding and the batter will come together. Promise.

The original Gem Cakes are baked in a brownie bundt pan. I made them in a standard muffin tin which worked out well (don’t you think?).

Bake until the cakes are golden brown. If you like your cakes a bit crispier on the outside bake a couple of minutes longer.

A Sparkling Finish

Genius Glaze – The glaze for the little cakes is a simple powdered sugar, a little bit of milk, and any flavor your heart desires. The original recipe includes strawberry matcha and milk tea glazes. Strawberry jam is used for the glaze, while the matcha and milk tea glazes start with powders. Not having milk tea powder, I went with two jam flavors, strawberry and blackberry and a black sesame seed icing using black sesame powder I found at the Asian grocery store. You can make your own by grinding roasted black sesame seeds into a powder.

Dippity Do-Da-Dippity-Damn These are Delicious

While the cakes cool, make your glazes. Speed is of the essence with the glaze as it sets pretty quickly. Glaze your cakes by inverting the cupcakes and dipping them into the icing. Rotate the cakes in a circular motion. You will get drips down the side which adds to the appeal. Set them on a wire rack and garnish each cake immediately after glazing before it hardens.

For the black sesame icing, I started with a tablespoon of black sesame powder, start with less, and add to taste. My next batch will include a Citron-flavored glaze made with Citron Tea which is popular in Korea. The array of freeze-dried fruits that can be crushed and used to flavor frostings and icings would also work well (just like Eric Kim’s Lofthouse Cookie frosting-so good). You may need a smidge more milk to thin the glaze made with powders. Use your imagination, the sky’s the limit. I’m thinking Mocha glaze with cocoa nibs to garnish.

Garnish adds that visual zing, nuts, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, citrus zest, so once again, be creative. These cakes are scrumptious-make some now. Or if you are going to Brooklyn soon, please, be a GEM and bring me a box!

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5 from 2 votes

Glazed Sour Cream Gem Cakes

Scrumptious mini cakes from the amazing Brooklyn pastry chef, Joy Cho.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Asian-American

Keyword joy cho, Sour Cream Gem Cakes, sweet rice flour

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 20

Ingredients

Nonstick vegetable oil spray such as PAM for baking (for pan)
1/2 scant cup (60 g) all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1/3 heaping cup (60 g) glutinous sweet rice flour (such as Koda Farms Blue Star Mochiko)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2/3 scant cup (130 g) granulated sugar
2 large eggs room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream room temperature
3 Tbsp whole milk, room temperature
Milk Tea Glaze, Matcha Glaze, or Strawberry Jam Glaze (for serving) or your choice
Flaky sea salt toasted unsweetened shredded coconut, lemon zest, or sesame seeds (for

Instructions

Place a rack in center of oven; preheat to 325°. Lightly coat 20 molds of 2 brownie Bundt pans or the cups of a standard 12-cup muffin pan or 2 standard 6-cup muffin pans with nonstick spray; lightly dust with flour, tapping out excess. Whisk rice flour, baking powder, baking soda, kosher salt, and all-purpose flour in a medium bowl to combine. Get yourself a scale, so much easier!
Beat butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed just until smooth. Add granulated sugar and beat until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula. With motor running, add eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate and scraping down sides of bowl a&er each addition. Add vanilla and beat just to combine. (Mixture may look slightly curdled at this point, but don’t worry, it will come together in the end.)
Sift in half of dry ingredients and beat on low speed just until a few dry patches remain. Scrape down sides of bowl and add sour cream and milk; beat just until incorporated. Sift in remaining dry ingredients and beat until combined. Finish by hand to avoid overmixing.
Divide batter among prepared pans (about 2 Tbsp. per mold for Bundt pans or about 3 Tbsp. per cup for muffin pan). Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until a tester inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean, 14–16 minutes for Bundts, 17–20 minutes for muffins. Let cakes cool in pan 10 minutes, then gently loosen cakes with a small offset spatula and turn out onto wire racks; let cool completely.
Dip tops of cakes in glaze of choice; set back on racks, letting excess glaze drip down sides. Double-glaze cakes if you like.
Sprinkle cakes with toppings as desired (e.g., a pinch of flaked salt-like Maldon on Milk Tea Glaze, coconut or sesame seeds on Matcha Glaze, and lemon or orange zest on Strawberry Jam Glaze).
Do ahead: Like doughnuts, gem cakes are best enjoyed the day they are baked but can be made 2 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

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5 from 2 votes

Glaze for Gem Cakes

The perfect finish for Joy Cho's Glazed Sour Cream Gem Cakes

Course Dessert

Cuisine Asian-American

Keyword Icing for Glazed Sour Cream Gem Cakes

Prep Time 5

Ingredients

Base for Glaze

1⅓ cups 160 g powdered sugar
2 Tbsp. whole milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
Kosher salt

Jam Glaze

3 Tbsp. strawberry or OTHER FAVORITE JAM preferably seedless (push through a sieve before measuring if jam has large pieces of fruit)

Black Sesame Glaze

1 tbsp Black Sesame Powder or grind roasted black sesame seeds to a powder.
1 tsp milk If the glaze seems a little too thick

Freeze Dried Fruits

15 gms freeze-dried fruit Start with about half-cup of freeze-dried fruit, crush and strain for seeds. Approximately 1 tbsp of fruit
1 tsp milk If the glaze seems a little too thick

Instructions

While the cakes cool, whisk powdered sugar, milk, jam, or powder and a few pinches salt in a medium bowl until smooth. The consistency should be viscous but not overly thick; adjust with more powdered sugar or milk as needed.

Just Another Mochi Muffin (Guava!)

By threejamigos | April 4, 2021 | Comments 9 comments

Yes, my romance with mochi muffins continues.

Right next door to Shuei-Do, my favorite manju shop in Japantown, San Jose, is a Poke Shop, Aloha Fresh. As much as I like Poke, I love going for their butter mochi. They kick it up a notch by offering different flavors like guava, lilikoi, or a brownie macadamia nut version …all are absolutely onolicious. Butter Mochi at Aloha Fresh is limited to the weekends but lucky for me and you, Shuei-Do also makes a yummy Butter Mochi. Between the two – you are covered for your mochi fix.

But what if you can’t get to Japantown?

You can make your own AND it’s pretty darn easy.

Mochi desserts run the gamut from chewy, bouncy, creamy to moist, a little chewy, and cakey (is that a word?) texture. I wanted a tropical flavor, buttery, crisp on the outside, chewy on the inside treat. A recipe for Blood Orange Mochi Muffins from Cooking Therapy served as inspiration. In place of blood orange juice, I used Guava Nectar. The muffins were delicious and I plan to try different nectars like Hawaiian Sun’s POG, passionfruit, orange, and guava juice next time.

The batter comes together quickly, this is almost one bowl, one wooden spoon, easy territory. The addition of butter is that Hawaiian tweak that makes it so delicious. Fill well-greased muffin tins about 3/4 full. Bake for 45 minutes, or a little longer for a crispier edge. It will lose that crispness with time though. Store at room temp for 2-3 days max. Pop them in a toaster oven to crisp them a little bit. Do not refrigerate. You can freeze them without the icing. Thaw and crisp in the oven. These muffins are moist, chewy, a little squishy, yummy, and addictive.

Ice, Ice Mochi

Making the icing is easy. Whisk the dry ingredients with coconut milk, vanilla, a pinch of salt, and juice. The icing should be loose enough to dip each muffin top into but thick enough to adhere to the surface with only a bit of dripping. After dipping one muffin you can adjust the sugar or liquid for the right consistency. Sprinkle topping of your choice, coconut shreds, orange zest, sesame seeds, or a bit of flaky salt. Let the muffins sit for a couple of minutes so the icing can set, then serve.

Love mochi? Here are more recipes using sweet rice flour! Butter Mochi Muffins, Peanut Butter Mochi, and Chocolate Mochi Donuts.

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4.75 from 4 votes

Tropical Mochi Muffins

A delicious, gluten-free mochi muffin, chewy, moist, and flavored with guava nectar and citrus.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Asian-American, Hawaiian

Keyword butter mochi, mochi muffin

Prep Time 10

Ingredients

½ cup butter melted, if using unsalted butter, add 1/4 tsp salt to dry ingredients
¾ cup granulated sugar
1 cup coconut cream or full fat coconut milk
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs room temperature
Zest of 1 orange preferably Cara Cara oranges
1 cup guava nectar substitute mango, passion fruit, or tropical fruit blend nectar or orange juice (Cara Cara)
2 cups sweet rice flour
2 tsp baking powder

Guava Icing

2 tbsp Guava Nectar Substitute mango, passionfruit, or tropical blend, or orange juice.
2 tbsp coconut milk
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Zest of 1 orange optional
poppy seeds, shredded coconut, black sesame seeds, orange zest garnish

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease one 12-cup standard muffin tin.
Sift the sweet rice flour and baking powder into a small bowl and set aside.
Add melted butter, sugar, and coconut milk to a large bowl. Mix until combined.
Add the vanilla extract and eggs. Mix until combined.
Add the guava nectar and zest. Mix until combined.
Into the wet ingredients. Mix until a wet batter forms. It should be a pretty loose consistency.
Scoop batter into the muffin pan. Tap the muffin pan 1-2 times on a flat surface to get rid of the air bubbles.
Bake for 40-45 minutes until the edges start to brown. For a crispier edge, bake 45-50 minutes. Don't go much longer as it may make the inside drier and a little tougher.
Cool for 10 minutes in the muffin pan before removing.

Icing

While the muffins cool, make your icing. Place powdered sugar In a small bowl. Add coconut cream or milk, nectar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt. Stir with a whisk until completely blended.
When muffins have cooled, remove from pan. Dip the top of each muffin into the icing and place on a wire rack. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, poppy seeds, shredded coconut. The consistency of the icing should be thin enough to dip but thick enough that it doesn't all run off the muffin top. A little bit will roll down the side of the muffin. That's okay!
The icing is optional. If you don't use it, sprinkle the muffins with sesame seeds or flaked coconut before baking.

Notes

This recipe can be easily halved!

Icing is optional.

I like using coconut cream instead of milk. I think the muffins are little denser, richer and chewier with cream instead of milk. Don't use lite coconut milk.

Play with flavors. Any nectar or juice would work. If you can find Hawaiian Sun Juice Drinks they have a variety of flavors including island favorite, POG (Passionfruit. Orange and Guava).

That’s a WRAP! Manduvision (Homemade Dumpling Wrappers)

By threejamigos | March 7, 2021 | Comments 0 Comment

I cannot tell a lie. Most of the time, (we are talking 99.99 percent of the time) we use commercially available wrappers when making dumplings. Wrappers can be found in most Asian stores and your larger supermarkets. Asian markets will have a plethora of choices, you will have to sift through the different kinds of wrappers by shape- round versus square, thickness-depends on what dumpling you are making, and by brands. At non-Asian markets, I have seen Dynasty, Azumaya, and Nasoya. I would go with Nasoya (potsticker) and Dynasty (wonton) first.

Whichever brand is available, do the test. Pick up a package and bend the wrappers at a corner. They should separate and not break. This is a freshness test. If they break, put them back, go home and make your own…really.

That’s A Wrap

At Asian markets, there is no shortage of wrappers to choose from. Choose round wrappers for mandu and potstickers. For mandu I would use a medium thickness, generally labeled as dumpling wrappers. Potsticker wrappers are thicker, good for frying and then steaming but too thick for soup dumplings. I tend to stay away from potsticker wrappers, they are super thick.

Wonton wrappers are square and come in different degrees of thickness. From pretty darn thick to Hong Kong-style which is extra thin. My preference is Hong Kong Noodle Co. Thin Wraps. Not too thin, not too thick, just right. Great for soup or fried wontons.

Yep, my go-to wrappers. But do the freshness test on these too cause you just never know.

But I Digress

This post is supposed to be out making your OWN dumpling wrappers. It’s pretty easy, it might take a little practice to get them right and to get speedy. But doesn’t everything worth doing take practice? I’ll be candid, probably not making my own wonton wrappers, the commercial ones are bomb. But potstickers and mandu? You betcha.

YES, You Can!

I perused some of my favorite sites and decided to try a recipe that used AP flour, potato starch, salt and water. That’s it. Alot of recipes call for just flour, water and salt. I wanted to see if the potato starch texturally made a difference, I think it adds a bit of chew and tenderness to the wrapper. Nothing scientific to my conclusion but I can say the wrapper is delicious and just what I was looking for.

Super easy to put together. This is a hot water dough, which helps speed up the process. Throw the dry ingredients in a large bowl, stir to combine, and then add the hot water. Use a dough whisk or wooden spoon to stir the water into the dry mix. It may seem like too little water but just be patient, it will come together.

Switch to using your hands to smoosh the shaggy stuff together to form a ball. Don’t worry, it will look rough. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead the dough on your counter. Knead until the dough becomes smooth, soft, and pliable.

See? Smooth, pretty dough after about 5 minutes of kneading. Put the dough ball back in the bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Let the dough sit for 40-45 minutes. This allows the gluten to relax so it won’t contract when you roll the wrappers out.

Divide the dough into two and shape each into logs around 6-8 inches long. Work with one log at a time. Cover the rest of the dough so it doesn’t dry out. OR, a neat trick to making your logs -> Take the ball of dough and poke your thumb through the center creating a center hole, like a donut. Gently pull out from the center hole creating a bigger hole so it forms a ring. Keep stretching and pulling until the ring is around 1.25 inches in thickness and stop. Cut crosswise through the dough creating two logs. Ta-da!

Let’s Roll!

Cut each log into 10 equal pieces approximately 1/2 inch thick. For regular size dumplings, you are looking for pieces that weigh about 12-14 gms each. The pieces will look like little discs. Working with a piece at a time, covering the rest, flatten the disc with your hand. Then, using a small rolling pin roll the dough once, give it a quarter turn and roll again. You should have a rough circle. Pick up the outside edge further away from you and elevate it slightly, push the rolling pin onto the wrapper towards the center of it. Rotate the dough another quarter turn and roll again. Repeat going around the entire wrapper. Essentially you are flattening the wrapper, making it thinner especially on the edges. You should end up with a circle about 3.5 inches in diameter.

To make dumplings like Kimchi Mandu. Place a heaping tablespoon of filling in the center on a wrapper. Fold into a semicircle and pressing the air out of the inside of each dumpling and sealing the edges. If you are using fresh dough you won’t need to wet the edges much if at all. Commercial wrappers will need some moisture, use water or an egg wash on the edges to seal. Rolling and wrapping video!

Proceed to Filling! My mom’s wontons here. Kimchi Mandu here

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Dumpling Wrappers (Potstickers or Mandu)

Fresh, amazing potsticker or mandu wrappers need only 4 ingredients and a bit of practice to master. Homemade wrappers have a nice chew and thickness that you don;t get with commercial ones. Try it, it's fun!

Course Appetizer, Main Course, One dish meals

Cuisine Asian

Keyword Wrappers for potstickers and mandu

Prep Time 30

Resting time 45

Total Time 1 15

Equipment

6-10 inch small diameter rolling pin

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup All-purpose flour AP like Gold Medal will work or Asian AP Flour for dumplings and noodles. Moderate protein content
1 Tbs. Potato starch sub cornstarch
1/4 tsp. Salt
1/2 cup Hot water not boiling, approximately 105-110 degres,

Instructions

In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, potato starch, and salt. Make a well in the middle of dry ingredients mixture, pour in hot water. Slowly incorporate with a dough whisk or wooden spoon.
As you mix, the flour-water will begin to look shaggy. At this point switch and use your hands to form a dough ball.
When there are no dry bits left in mixing bowl, take the dough out of the mixing bowl and start kneading thewith both hands on a flat surface.
Knead dough 3-5 minutes until it’s soft and smooth.
Place dough back in the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let it rest for 40-45 minutes.
Divide dough in half and shape each piece into a 6” to 7” log. Cut logs in half and then cut into 1/2” wide pieces, you should end up with 10 equal pieces from each log and 20 equal pieces total.
Work with one piece of dough at a time, cover the remaining pieces with a damp towel to prevent it from getting too dry. Slightly flatten each disc with your palm.
Using a rolling pin, flatten dough by rolling once, then turn the dough a quarter turn and roll.
The next step is creating the final 3 1/2” circle that is slightly thinner around the edges and thicker in the middle. Keep your pin on the surface and roll towards the center of the circle and back. Rotate dough as you are rolling to create an even circle.
Place dumpling wrapper on a flour dusted plate and dust each dumpling wrappers so they won’t stick together. Cover dumpling wrapper with a plastic wrapper to prevent drying.
Repeat with remaining rounds.

Notes

Fresh wrappers are very pliable and moist and require minimal moisture to seal. The wrappers can be frozen but it is easier to fold dumplings with fresh wrappers and freeze the dumplings.
Enjoy!