Right before the pandemic hit we capped off a year of traveling by going to Maui. A celebration for the hubster’s birthday and his early retirement was our excuse to pack our bags and head out for some sun, fun, and food. Little did we know it would be our last trip for quite a while.
Hawaiian Delights
I am a sucker for Hawaiian food. A fusion of Native, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Portuguese, Korean and all of it tweaked so it taste great and is easy to eat while sitting on a beach! Our bucket list of food included Spam Musubi, a hunk of rice topped with a fried slice of SPAM and wrapped in seaweed, Poke’ (seasoned raw fish in a bowl with rice), island style bbq, Huli, Huli Chicken. YUM.
Then there are the sweets, Malasadas (best damn donuts), Haupia (coconut jello) and my favorite, Butter Mochi. Hawaiian Butter Mochi is the island’s answer to Blondies or Brownies but better (I know, them is fighting words). Buttery, gooey, sweet and so satisfying. Like our Spam Musubi quest, we went out of our way to find all things mochi.
This isn’t my first mochi rodeo, I posted a Butter Mochi Muffin recipe a while back that peeps really like (so says Google analytics, lol). Since then it has been off to the “rices” trying recipes with Koda Farms Sweet Rice (glutinous rice flour). Mochi now merits its own category in my recipe index. These muffins started it all, dense, chewy, with a touch of familiar cakiness, and the perfect amount of sugar. They are a great introduction to mochi-based desserts. BONUS: Mochi is gluten-free!
The Muffins that started it all!
Mochi Mania-Island Style
Hawaiian Butter Mochi takes mochi back closer to its Japanese roots, lighter, springier, and less cakey. The recipe calls for coconut milk and regular milk. The regular milk and less mochi flour are the “denseness” buster and gives the mochi its characteristic texture. Butter adds flavor. It is usually baked in a pan and then cut into squares but I decided to bake them in muffin tins. All for the edges folks. Each person ends up with their own gooeylicious mini-cake highlighted by a crispy, buttery edge, and finished with toasty shredded coconut and a sprinkle of Fleur de Sel, soooooo yummy.
Inspired by Aloha Kitchen and the website Catherine Zhang, these Butter Mochi Mini-Cakes are onolicious. I hope you will try them!
The two key ingredients you can find at most Asian stores, sweet rice flour and coconut milk. My go-to brands are Koda Farms Mochiko and Chaokoh or Arroy-D for coconut milk.
The batter will be very pourable due to the use of milk as part of the liquid and less mochi flour.
Don’t be afraid to fill the cups to 7/8. The mini-cakes will puff up but will fall as they are cooling. You will end up with a flat top or sometimes even a slight depression, it’s all good.
This muffin is a mash-up of Hawaiian Butter Mochi and Butter Mochi Muffins! Gooier and less cake-like than my butter mochi muffins. Baked as muffins they have crispy edges and a soft center-onolicious!
Course Dessert, Snack
Cuisine Asian, Fusion
Keyword butter mochi, hawaiian, Mochi, muffin
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 45 minutesminutes
Total Time 1 hourhour
Ingredients
Da Wet Stuff
1/4 cupUnsalted butter55gm
3/4 cupCoconut milk170gm
1 cupWhole milk240gm
2Eggs
Da Dry Stuff
1 3/4 cupGlutinous rice flour225gm
1 cupGranulated sugar200gm
1tspBaking powder
Flaked or shredded coconut for garnish, preferably unsweetened but use what you like
Prep Yo Pan
Butter
Rice flouroptional
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
Generously grease 12-cup muffin tin with butter and dust with rice flour, if you don't have rice flour, skip it. The flour does help the batter rise in the pan and getting crispy edges.
In a large, microwave safe bowl combine the coconut milk and butter, heat in the microwave for 1 minute
Add the milk and 2 eggs, whisk until combined. I like whole milk but you can use 2% milk or alternative milk like oat milk.
In a medium sized bowl combine the glutinous rice flour, sugar and baking powder
Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth
Pour the batter evenly into the 12 muffin cups
Sprinkle with coconut and bake for 45 minutes, or until golden brown
Remove and cool. Muffins will keep for a couple of days on the counter. Pop them in a toaster oven to re-crisp edges. They also freeze pretty well.
Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Snack Cake-Chip off the Cho Block
Rounding out Joy Cho month also known as Cakenado, I made her Chocolate Chip Sour Cream Snack Cake. It all started with her Mochi Banana Bread, which I adore and have made more than once. Following on its heel (yes, I know, cakes don’t have heels) I came across this recipe on a Food Network post. I don’t normally follow Food Network, maybe it was just good karma that it popped up, fortunate since it is delicious, easy to make, and has CHOCOLATE.
Stuck on Sticky Rice Flour
Like the Mochi Banana Bread, it is a combination of all-purpose flour and mochiko or sweet rice flour (sticky rice) that sets this snack cake apart. You get that wonderful bouncy texture from the sweet rice flour and the tender cake with a nice crumb from the all-purpose flour. Based on her mom’s chocolate chip bundt cake and tweaked with her signature addition of sweet rice flour, this really is a decadent, delicious, simple cake. Studded with chocolate chips, this cake will keep chocolate fans happy. Add nuts if you like and serve it with a BIG SCOOP of VANILLA ICE CREAM. Doesn’t that sound good?
Looking for something a little different, ran out of Mochiko? Try her Blueberry Balsamic Glaze Cornbread Cake. Another amazing snacking cake. Cause you never know when you will have a snack attack!
1/2cupplus 2 tablespoons (105 grams) sweet rice floursuch as Mochiko
1teaspoonbaking powder
1/2teaspoonbaking soda
1teaspoonkosher salt
1/2cup1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1cup(200 grams) granulated sugar
2large eggsat room temperature
1teaspoonpure vanilla extract
1/2cupplus 1 tablespoon, (150 grams) full-fat sour creamat room temperature
2tablespoonsmilkat room temperature
Instructions
Position an oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees
Lightly grease an 8-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the sides (to make it easier to remove the cake after baking) and grease the parchment.
Combine the all-purpose flour, sweet rice flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl and whisk until combined.
Beat the butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sugar and cream the mixture until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.
Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula. Add in the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition until combined. Scrape the bowl once more, then beat in the vanilla.
Sift half of the dry ingredients over the egg mixture and beat just until combined. Beat in the sour cream and milk, then sift in the rest of the dry ingredients and beat just until the batter is smooth.
Fold in the chocolate chips.
Spread the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the surface with a small offset spatula.
Sprinkle additional chocolate chips on top. Bake the cake, rotating the pan halfway through, for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes, then gently loosen the edges with a small offset spatula and carefully transfer the cake to a cooling rack.
I am the happy owner of Anyday Cookware, a set of bowls designed for the microwave. A podcast junkie, I am hooked on “All Things Chang”. That is Dave Chang, chef, restauranteur, face, and creator of the Momofuku Empire. He has waxed poetically about microwave cooking and I figure if it is good enough for him…why not?
What I really wanted to do was adapt well-loved dishes to the microwave. Lucky me, dishes that I normally steam, microwave beautifully. Bonus, not only is the cooking time shortened, but the process is simplified. No messing with steamer racks, or a large wok or pan to steam in. You cook in the same bowl you use to prep the dish. How cool is that? If you hate washing dishes like me, this is a HUGE.
I adapted a recipe from the site Made with Lau. Inspired to archive his chef father’s cooking, Randy Lau created Made with Lau featuring videos of his chef-father cooking classic Chinese dishes, in particular Cantonese dishes.
The Lowedown on Lau
His are the dishes of my childhood. The videos are easy to follow and more importantly, the recipes work. His father speaks in Cantonese, so I get to brush up on my Chinese skills, while learning how to make a great dish, win-win! My family is from the same region in China and listening to him feels like being home with my grandparents, aunties, and uncles. Randy does a yeoman’s job translating his Dad’s cooking wisdom and his recipes into English.
The Wrap
After each cooking session, the family gathers around the table to enjoy the fruits of Daddy Lau’s labor. They give the background and history of the dish and additional cooking tips. It is the perfect way to round out each segment. Made with Lau is a gem and I hope you check out their site.
The Dish
Black Bean Spareribs is a family favorite which until now, we only have when we are out for Dim Sum. The spareribs are steamed with chilis, fermented black beans, which have lots of umami, and seasonings. As soon as Made with Lau posted the video recipe I jumped at the chance to try it. My biggest deviation was cooking it in the microwave instead of steaming. Worked like a charm.
Use pork spareribs cut into bite-size pieces or you can cheat and use boneless pieces of pork. Both are equally tasty. Chinese markets carry ribs cut into 1-inch segments so if you are close to an Asian market go for it…don’t cut them yourself. It’s a lot of trouble and invariably you will have shards of bone in the cut ribs-no fun. For boneless, use pork belly or pork butt for this dish. It shouldn’t be too lean, the fat contributes both flavor and tenderness to the dish.
Fermented black beans can be found in Chinese grocery stores. Salted and fermented black soybeans are pungent and full of umami. A little goes a long way but it does keep well in the fridge. There is a black bean sauce in a jar that might be a suitable sub, you would need to adjust for salt and some of the seasonings. I haven’t tried it yet.
This is Cantonese soul food. Serve with steaming bowls of rice and a green veggie dish like stir-fried pea sprouts.
Cantonese dish generally served at teahouse for Dim Sum. Microwaved instead of steamed! Fast, easy and delicious.
Course dim sum, Main Course, Muffins
Cuisine Asian
Keyword Black beans spareribs, Cantonese cooking, dim sum, steamed pork with black beans
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 10 minutesminutes
Ingredients
1lbspare ribs (baby back ribs)cut into 1-1.5 inch pieces or sub 1 lb. pork belly or pork butt cut into bite-sized pieces.
1tbspcornstarchfor rinsing ribs
Bowl 1
0.50tbsplight soy sauce
1tbspoyster sauce
1/2tbspShaoxing wine
1/4tspsalt
1tspsugar
1-2 tbspwater or low sodium chicken stockAdd if using microwave to cook
Bowl 2
1tspdried mandarin orange peeloptional, small thumbnail sized piece
1clovegarlicminced
1tspgingerminced
Bowl-3
1tbspfermented dried black beansrinsed and dried, smooshed
1tspsesame oil
1tbspcornstarchfor pork
0.50tspvegetable oil
Garnish
red chili pepper, deseeded and deveineda few slices, optional
2green onionssliced
Instructions
Place our fermented black beans in a bowl, and rinse them under running water for 15-20 seconds. Gently massage the beans as you do this. Drain the water, and set the bowl aside to let the beans rehydrate for a couple of minutes then smoosh them with the back of a spoon. Set asideSoak orange peel in warm water, set aside for 10-15 min. Once soft, dice.
Slice red chili pepper and green onions. Set aside
Rinse and dry ribs and place in bowl. Add cornstarch to the ribs, and massage the ribs around to evenly mix the cornstarch around the surface of each rib.
Rinse the ribs in running water for 1 to 2 minutes, massaging the ribs as you go. Pour out all of the water, and press and squeeze the ribs against a colander to get rid of excess water.
Wrap the ribs in a thick paper towel, pressing and patting to absorb moisture.
Place ribs in a large microwavable bowl. Make marinade.
Combine salt, sugar, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine in a small bowl. Mince garlic, ginger, orange peel, and add to a second bowl.
Add soy mixture and ginger-garlic mixture to bowl of ribs. Mix and massage the bowl of ribs well. Approximately 45-60 seconds to blend.
Add black beans to the bowl of ribs, mix well.
Add sesame oil and cornstarch. Mix the ribs to evenly coat each rib with cornstarch. Spread out evenly in bowl. Sprinkle chilis on top and drizzle with remaining 1/2 tbsp of oil. Cover with lid, open the vent on lid if it has one, or leave lid slightly ajar on bowl.
Microwave on full strength for 5 minutes. Remove, careful it's hot and stir mixture. If it seems dry or the sauce is too thick add 1-2 tablespoons of water or stock. Scatter green onions on top. Place lid back on and microwave for anouther4-5 minutes.
Remove from microwave and allow to stand for 30-60 seconds. Serve with lots of rice.
Notes
Heat wok on stove, placing a steamer rack in the center of the wok. Add enough boiled water so that it just barely covers the entire steamer rack. Transfer the ribs into the plate you'll be steaming with, being careful not to let any ribs be covered by one another. Add the chili pepper slices, and pour vegetable oil on the ribs.Cover the wok, set the stove to its highest heat setting, and steam the spare ribs for 20 minutes.After 20 minutes, turn the heat off, uncover the wok, garnish with the green onions and serve.
Cornbread Cake with Blueberry Balsamic Glaze-More Joy!
Continuing on my “All Things Joy” thread. Joy Cho, creator of Sour Cream Gem Cakes posted yet another winning snack cake (in Eater this time), a stunning Cornbread Cake with Blueberry Balsamic Glaze. I literally ran to my kitchen to try it. Like her Mochi Banana Bread, this is simple, easy to make, and delicious. Instead of sweet rice flour, cornmeal is added to all-purpose flour along with sour cream and butter to create a moist, tender, rich cake.
Think of it as a sweet, light, fine crumb version of cornbread with a killer glaze. The eye-catching blue-purple topping plays off the yellow cornmeal perfectly, it’s a showstopper. With plump, ripe blueberries at the farmer’s market now, this is a no-brainer recipe to try. In all honesty, I am already thinking of substituting mochi flour for some of the all-purpose flour to add that zingy texture to this cake too. Mochi madness persists.
The cake is simple to make. Combine the dry ingredients, in this case, all-purpose flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and baking soda. Add to the wet ingredients which include butter, sour cream, honey, and eggs. Alternate the dry ingredients and milk adding in two steps. The batter may look a little curdled but it’s fine. Pour into an 8×8 baking pan and bake for about 30 minutes. Shoot for a thermometer reading in the range of 195-200 or a clean toothpick stuck in the center for doneness.
True Grit
Stone ground cornmeal tends to be grittier than conventional supermarket cornmeal. Bob’s Red Mill leaves the germ and bran as well as some of the hull in their cornmeal. I’m not a fan of gritty cornbread so I used Bob’s Red Mill Corn Flour which resulted in a cake-like fine crumb texture. If you like a loose crumb and a little bit of grit cornbread, use the fine-grind stone ground cornmeal. If you are a glutton for grit, use the medium grind…but don’t come crying to me. Conventional supermarket cornmeal (like Albers) does not have the hull or germ so it will not be very gritty, perfect for my kinda cornbread.
Icing on the Cake
Make the glaze while the cake is cooling. Mash blueberries and let it sit and macerate for a couple of minutes and then add powdered sugar. The recipe calls for one cup of sugar, I used an extra 2 tablespoons to thicken it up. The color is delightful and plays off the cornmeal cake. I also added some crushed freeze-dried blueberries to amp up the flavor and color, totally optional. Trader Joe’s has an array of freeze-dried fruits including blueberries.
Yet another simple and delicious cake from Joy Cho. Its berry, berry good.
A delicious, beautiful snack Cake by Joy Cho. Cornbread Cake with Blueberry-Balsamic Glaze.
Course Cake, Dessert
Cuisine American, Asian-American
Keyword blueberry, blueberry balsamic glaze cornbread cake, corn flour, cornbreadcake, cornmeal, joy cho
Prep Time 15 minutesminutes
Cook Time 35 minutesminutes
Servings 12
Ingredients
For the cake:
¾cup(105 grams) all-purpose flour
¼cupplus 2 tablespoons yellow cornmeal (55 grams) if using stone ground corn like Bob's Red MIll, use corn flour
1teaspoonbaking powder
¼teaspoonbaking soda
½teaspoonkosher salt
1stick(113 grams) unsalted butter, softened
¾cup(150 grams) granulated sugar
2teaspoonshoney
2large eggsat room temperature
½teaspoonpure vanilla extract
¼cupplus 2 tablespoons whole milkat room temperature
⅓cup(80 grams) full-fat sour cream, at room temperature
For the glaze:
¼cupfresh blueberries
¼teaspoonbalsamic vinegaror substitute vanilla
1cup(120 grams)powdered sugar, spooned into the measuring cup, and leveled off, plus more as neededI needed an additional 2 tablespoons of sugar
Kosher salt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease an 8-by-8-inch square cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line the bottom with parchment paper, leaving a two-inch overhang on the sides (to make it easier to remove the cake after baking), and grease the parchment.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, beat the butter with an electric hand mixer or in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth. Add the sugar and honey and cream the mixture until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula.
Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition, then beat in the vanilla.
Add half of the dry ingredients to the egg mixture and beat just until combined. Carefully beat in the milk and sour cream, then beat in the rest of the dry ingredients just until the batter is smooth.
Transfer the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with an offset spatula. Bake the cake for 30 to 35 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let the cake cool for 15 minutes, then gently run a knife around the edges to loosen. Using the parchment sling to assist, transfer the cake to a cooling rack.
Make the glaze: Thoroughly mash the blueberries in a medium bowl with the back of a large spoon. Let the berries macerate for a minute or two. Add balsamic vinegar, powdered sugar, and a few pinches of salt to the bowl and whisk until smooth. The consistency of the glaze should be pourable but not overly runny — if needed, add more powdered sugar, a tablespoon at a time.
Set out a rimmed baking sheet. When the cake is completely cool, set the cooling rack (with the cake on it) over the parchment or baking sheet. Pour the glaze over the cake, spreading it to the edges and letting it run down the sides. Allow the glaze to set completely before slicing and serving.
I think of myself as a pie person but lately, I have found myself baking cakes. Not fancy multi-layer show-stopper cakes, simple one layer, easy to make, snacking cakes. That grab-and-go type treat, unfussy, portable, the bar cookie of cakes.
Brooklynite pastry chef, Joy Cho, first caught my attention with her amazing Sour Cream Gem Cakes. Made with sweet rice flour and AP flour, the cakes are tender, moist with a bit of springiness. The rice flour gives it that zing that sets them apart from traditional cakes.
The Joy of Snacking Cakes
Her Mochi Banana Bread and Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Snack Cake are a rift on her Gem Cakes. Baked in an 8×8 pan and cut into squares, they’re the low maintenance but no less yummy cousins to Gem Cakes.
The combination of all-purpose flour and sweet rice flour once again makes them springy yet still tender and moist. The butter and sour cream add flavor and richness. The banana cake calls for just ONE banana. Who doesn’t have one over-ripe banana sitting forlornly on the kitchen counter? No more waiting for more bananas to ripen to make banana bread. The toppings add more texture and flavor. Besides nuts and coconut, try chocolate chips or toffee bits. Doesn’t that sound tasty?
So Berry Good
Strawberries are in season so I tweaked the Mochi Banana Bread to make Mochi Strawberry Pistachio Cake Bars. Delicious, but I still like the banana version best. Substitute the same volume of macerated strawberries for the banana. Sprinkle the top with chopped pistachios. To intensify the strawberry flavor, crush freeze-dried strawberries and add 1 tablespoon to the batter or sprinkle it on top of the finished cake.
Chip Off the Old Block
The Sour Cream Chocolate Chip Cake also has sweet rice flour and all-purpose flour giving it that trademark springy texture. Studded with chocolate chips it definitely satisfies any chocolate cravings. Find it here.
These cakes are in the one bowl realm of simplicity. Combine dry ingredients in a small bowl, wet ingredients in a large bowl, add dry to wet, stir until just combined then STOP. BadaBing-BadaBoom, done. Pour batter into a prepared pan, sprinkle goodies on top, bake, cool, cut. DONE. Eatin’ cake in less than an hour. Yep, easy-peasy.
One of these days when I am in Brooklyn I will try her desserts, on my NYC bucket list. Until then, I hope she continues to share her creations and recipes.
Delicious snack cake made with AP flour and Sweet Rice Flour and one banana, the perfect little treat. The Mochi flour gives the cake a hint of springiness. Delicious.
Heat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8x8-inch baking pan with nonstick cooking spray, line the pan with parchment paper, and grease the parchment.
In a medium bowl, whisk the rice flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.
In a large bowl, mash the banana with a fork; some small chunks are fine. Add both sugars and whisk until combined.
Add the butter, sour cream, egg, and vanilla to the banana mixture and whisk until completely smooth.
Sift the dry ingredients over the wet ingredients, then whisk just until no flour lumps remain. Try not to overmix.
Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a small offset spatula. Sprinkle top with chopped nuts and/or shredded coconut, or any topping you’d like. Toffee chips or chocolate chips come to mind, but that's just me 🙂
Bake for 25 to 27 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely before cutting into squares. This will keep for 2 to 3 days in an airtight container.
Notes
Use these to hold your parchment in place, everyone has metal clips lying around. Keeps parchment from getting in batter by clipping to top rim of baking pan.
Outside my kitchen window grows one of my few garden successes, a lemon tree. While Meyer Lemon trees are ubiquitous here, I have a beautiful Eureka Lemon tree that despite me, produces a ton of lemons year-round. I actually fertilized it this year…I now have a gazillion of lemons. As I stare at my bowl of overflowing lemons this question comes to mind, what do I do with all these lemons?
Lucky for me, I found Melissa Clark’s Lemon Curd recipe on NYT Cooking. Not only did I make a dent in my lemon stash (albeit, a tiny dent) but the recipe calls for making the curd in the microwave, super easy. Win-win. Is it less time and work than the conventional doubler-boiler, on the stove process? Not by much, but I do like the one bowl, incremental cooking and intermittent stirring with the microwave recipe. You don’t have to stand over the stove constantly stirring.
Microwave Mania
I have a 600-watt microwave, the LOW end of the microwave power spectrum (hey, I got it to reheat leftovers, don’t judge me). This is my process. Combine the ingredients using a blender or stick blender and pour blended ingredients into a microwave bowl (like a Cook Anyday bowl!).
The OG recipe directions-microwave at full power in 1-minute increments, stirring between each minute. When it starts to thicken, reduce power to 70% and microwave in 30-second intervals, once again whisking between intervals.
What I did-I started at full power but lengthened the first increment to 2 minutes before taking it out to whisk for the first time (low wattage adjustment). At the 5 minute mark, the curd was still pretty thin, I added one more full power minute before reducing the power to 70%. My lemon curd took another 2-1/2 minutes at 70%, 1 min increment for the first minute, and then 30-second increments, stirring each time. The curd will thicken more as it cools. The cooking process is done when the curd reaches a temperature of 180 with a thermometer or when it coats a spoon or spatula.
Moral of the Story
Adjust times according to your microwave and whisk well!
The Lemon Curd is silky smooth, luscious, and lemony. I used 3/4 cup of sugar and it was fairly tart, if you like it sweeter use one cup of sugar. Different fruits such as passionfruit or grapefruit would work well with this recipe too!
Delicious lemon curd made in the microwave from Melissa Clark and NYT Cooking!
Course Breakfast, Dessert
Cuisine American
Keyword lemon, lemon curd
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time 10 minutesminutes
Ingredients
½cup(113 grams unsalted butter)1 stick
2teaspoonsfinely grated lemon zest
1cup(240 milliliters) freshly squeezed lemon juicefrom 4 to 6 lemons
¾cupto 1 cup (150 grams to 200 grams) granulated sugar
3large eggs
1egg yolk
Pinchof salt
Instructions
Put the butter in a large (at least 6 cup) microwave-safe glass bowl or measuring cup. Cover bowl and set your microwave on 50 percent power, melt the butter. (~1 to 1 1/2 minutes).
Pour butter into a blender and add lemon zest, juice, sugar, eggs, egg yolk and salt. Blend until smooth. You can also use a stick blender. Pour mixture back into the same glass bowl you melted the butter in.
Microwave mixture, on full power, in 1-minute intervals for 5 minutes. Whisk furiously between intervals, especially around the edges of the bowl. It should start to thicken. (If it looks like it’s starting to thicken before 5 minutes, stop and continue to the next step; microwaves can vary.) See post for details.
Reduce power to 70 percent and continue to microwave for another 1 to 2 minutes, stopping to whisk every 30 seconds until the curd thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. (It will continue to thicken as it chills.) An instant-read thermometer should register 180 degrees (yet another reason to get a thermometer)
Whisk well. If you think there are any coagulated bits of egg, strain curd through a fine-mesh sieve into a clean bowl. Or if it looks smooth, you can leave it in its current bowl. Press a piece of plastic wrap against the surface to create an airtight seal and let the curd cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours.
Enjoy! Pair your curd with fresh berries, scones, or fold it into whipped cream for cake filling. Eat it off a teaspoon!
One of our favorite lunch outings is going for Dim Sum or Yum Cha. Dim Sum refers to the dazzling array of bite-size dumplings and morsels while Yum Cha means to drink tea. Yum Cha is a uniquely Chinese experience. In the good old days (pre-COVID), after being seated (after an interminable wait), a procession of carts appear and snake their way around the tables. Each cart holds steamer baskets of dumplings, plates of fried dumplings and egg tarts, chicken feet, black bean spareribs, noodles, and greens.
Let the games begin.
Start by waving your hand to get their attention and then point to the dishes you want. A running tab is kept, stamped for each dish placed on the table. Which, if you have hearty eaters, can run as much as going out for sushi!
Hyatt Regency Hong Kong
In the sweepstakes of little dishes that end up on our table when we go for Dim Sum, Cheung Fun or Rice Noodle Roll is an automatic ticket punch. The noodles have a soft, silky, smooth, texture and are neutral in flavor. This lends itself well to a variety of fillings like shrimp, bbq pork, or minced beef, and sauces. Filled noodle rolls are topped with a sweet, salty soy sauce while rice rolls without fillings are topped with sesame or Hoisin-based sauce (my favorite). These are known as Chee Cheung Fun (猪肠粉). (Funny story, the literal translation is Pig Intestine Noodle owing to their resemblance to said pork anatomy).
Never in a zillion years would I have thought of making Cheung Fun at home UNTIL I came across a recipe to make the noodles in the microwave. I was sold.
Game ON
The first hurdle is the ingredients. The rice noodle batter is a combination of:
Rice flour-plain rice flour NOT glutinous or sweet rice flour! Bob’s Red Mill at Whole Foods or Asian stores will have rice flour
Tapioca starch– also known as tapioca flour (I know, confusing!), derived from the starchy pulp of the cassava root. Used as a thickening agent like cornstarch.
Potato starch– is made from just the starch grains of potato and is NOT the same as potato flour which is cooked whole potatoes, that are dried and ground into flour. Potato starch is used as a thickener like cornstarch. It is used in gluten-free flour blends to provide texture and structure (straight from Bob’s Red Mill site, lol). Bob’s Red Mill sells potato starch as does most Asian markets.
No wheat products…gluten-free, ta-da!
This is How We Roll
Having Some “FUN”
Combine the flour and starches in a mixing bowl, add liquid, stir…dunzo. How easy is that?
The batter has a thin consistency and the starch and water will separate as it sits. Stir or whisk the batter well before pouring it into the cooking dish. I used two microwavable dishes to make the noods. A rectangular 9×6 glass pyrex dish and the shallow round Cook Anyday Microwave-ware bowl. The rectangular dish is the perfect shape to make rolls but doesn’t have a vented lid. You can use the plastic lid but keep it ajar when cooking to allow moisture to escape.
Lightly oil the bottom and 1/4 inch up the sides of your dish to prevent sticking. Brush the dish as needed, you may need to each time you make a roll. Pour about 1/3 cup of batter into the 9×6 dish ( a little less for the round bowl) to create a thin layer on the bottom. The round bowl needed only a generous 1/4 cup to cover the bottom of the bowl.
Microwave Magic
Place vented lid on top and microwave at full strength for 2 min and 10 seconds. My microwave is small and rated at 700 watts, you will need to find your microwave wattage and adjust accordingly either reducing the power or shortening the cooking time on a more powerful microwave. If your microwave has a turntable, use it. I found the noodles cooked more evenly when using the turntable. The noodle is done when it looks translucent and has some bubbles. Cracks in the cooked noodle are caused by either overcooking or using too much batter. Remove from the microwave and place in a cold water bath to cool. It will only need a couple of minutes but makes it much easier to roll.
Using a spatula or dough scraper, start on one edge and lift and roll the sheet to make a roll. For filled rolls, scatter filling on one side of noodle, lift noodle, and roll to cover the filling. The noodle is pretty forgiving so just push, roll. Don’t worry, the rolling hides a lot of imperfections. A bench scraper is the perfect size for the rectangular Pyrex dish, score another point for the Pyrex pan.
The Bling, Fillings and Toppings
Rice noodles are neutral in flavor so it is the perfect foil for lots of different fillings and sauces. Favorite fillings include barbecue pork, shrimp, or a medley of fried egg, Chinese pickles, green onions, cilantro, and bbq pork. Use your imagination, leftover roast duck, roast pork, or go vegetarian, sauteed mushrooms, caramelized onions, corn, the possibilities are unlimited. I have added SPAM in a pinch! Top rolls with a sweet soy sauce, don’t skip it, you could add some chili oil, that’s copasetic. For a little crunch, I top the rolls with fried shallots or onions, totally optional.
Ji Cheung Fun is my favorite rice noodle roll. Roll the noodle into a cylinder since Ji Cheung Fun does not have a filling. Top with sauces, Peanut Sauce, and Hoisin Sauce, a play on sweet and salty flavors. Sprinkle peanuts or sesame seeds on top to add a nice crunch. I also hit it with Chili Crunch Oil…BAM, straight to Yumsville.
Comfort Finale
I rolled my last noodles intending to make a plate of Ji Cheung Fun but I really wasn’t in the mood for it. Instead, I had soup noodles on the brain, so I cut each roll into 1/2 inch wide noodles, placed them in a bowl, and turned my attention to the soup. Luckily, I had heirloom tomatoes from the market, a little bit of beef, and a couple of eggs in the fridge. A warm bowl of Tomato Egg Drop Soupwith Rice Noodles was ready in minutes and hit the spot.
A favorite dim sum dish, steamed rice noodles filled with bbq pork, shrimp or minced beef, served with sweet soy sauce. Made easy in the microwave!
Course Appetizer, dim sum, Side Dish
Cuisine Asian
Keyword Cantonese cooking, Cheung fun, dim sum, ji cheung fun, microwave, rice noodles
Prep Time 45 minutesminutes
Cook Time 3 minutesminutes
Ingredients
Batter
1cuprice flour140g
1/2cuppotato starch90g
1/2cuptapioca starch/flour70g
1tablespoonsugar
1/2teaspoonsalt
1tablespooncanola or vegetable oilplus more for brushing
2cupsroom temperature water470ml
2cupsjust boiled water470ml
Adds-ins
3tablespoonsthinly sliced scallions
3tablespoonschopped cilantro
Toppings
red pepper flakes
toasted sesame seeds
chili oil
Sweetened Cheung Fun Soy Sauce
2-2.5Tbsp light soy sauce adjust to taste
1/4cupwater
1½ tsp sugar
¼ tsp chicken powder
¼ tsp sesame oil
Hoisin Sauce
0.5Tregular soy sauce or dark soyreduce agave to 1/2 t if using dark soy
1.5THoisin Sauce
0.5TSesame oil
1-2Twater
1tAgave syrup or sugar
Peanut Sauce
1tbsppeanut butter1 generous tablespoon
2Twater
1/2tagave or sugar
1/2tsesame oil or chili sesame oil
Cheong Fun Sauce Simplified (variation of Sweetened Cheung Fun Soy Sauce)
1/2cuphot water
2tablespoonssugar
3tablespoonssoy sauce
1/2teaspoonsesame oil.
Instructions
Batter
Whisk together all the flours, sugar, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and 2 cups of room temperature water to the batter and stir to combine. Some of the flour will clump up. Don’t worry–keep stirring and the flour will loosen eventually.
Gradually add the boiled water to the batter. Pour the water in a steady stream with one hand and stir the batter with the other hand. Place a towel underneath the bowl to steady it while you pour and stir.
Set the batter aside. The flour will settle to the bottom in just a few minutes. Make sure to stir the batter before each time you are ready to pour a sheet of cheung fun.
MIcrowave directions:
1 9x6 or 8x8 glass pyrex dish
Rectangular Pyrex ~9x6 glass container, 8x8 glass container or Large shallow Cook Anyday Bowl
Brush bottom and 1/4 inch up sides of glass container or pan with vegetable oil. Stir batter and pour approximately 1/3 cup of batter into Pyrex pan. Loosely cover with lid. Place in microwave and set time for 2 minutes and 10 seconds, full power. (For reference microwave I have is ~700 watts, the low end of power for a microwave)
Set up a pan with cold water large enough to fit Pyrex container you are using to microwave.
When cooking is complete, remove from microwave and immediately place in pan of cold water. Allow pan to sit for a couple of minutes to cool. The rice noodle sheet should look transparent with a couple of bubbles. If there are opaque spots where it still looks white, microwave for additional 15-20 seconds.
Remove container from water bath. Using a bench scraper, run it around the edge of the noodle to loosen. Starting from the edge (short or long) nearest to you, use a bench scraper or spatula, lift and roll the rice noodle away from you. Keep lifting and rolling. Divide the rice noodle roll in to the length desired. For Ji Cheung Fun the pieces are approximately 2 to 2.5 inches in length.
For filled Cheung Fun: Pour batter into dish, scatter a line of filling at about 1/3 line of batter in the pan , from the edge you will begin to roll. See video.
Fillings
Go crazy, rice noodles are very neutral and will compliment almost anything you pair with it.
Have approximately 1/2 pound of filling for this recipe. But if you come up short, make non-filled noods, cut them up for nice big bowl soup.
Shrimp
Use medium sized shrimp, peel and deveined. Toss the cleaned shrimp with 2 tablespoons water, 1/2 teaspoon sugar and 1/8 teaspoon baking soda. After the shrimp have been coated, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours. After 2 hours, rinse the shrimp under a gentle stream of cold running water for 5 minutes to wash away the sugar and baking soda and pat thoroughly dry with a paper towel. This step is sort of optional. The texture is greatly improved but your prep time is increased. But, if you want snappy shrimp-just do it. This is from Woks of Life, boss site.
Marinate the shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil, a pinch of salt, 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch, and 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper. Cover and return to the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Pre-cook your shrimp so they will be ready when you make your noods. Lay the shrimp out in a single layer in a microwaveble dish, the shallow Anyday Bowl works, cover and microwave on full power for 4 - 5 minutes until the shrimp are opague, pink and cooked through. AS always, adjust time for your microwave. These numbers are for my 700 watt Spacesaver, adjust accordingly.
Other stuff
BBQ Pork- Dice or julienne. You can mix in green onions if you like.
Dried Shrimp, found in Asian grocery stores, soak to soften before using.
Shiitake mushrooms Use dried or fresh. Rehydrate dried and dice. Fresh shiitakes should be seasoned sitr fried.
Egg-Straight from wathching the Joe's Rice Roll Video. Scramble an egg and use with the batter. Add 1 -2 tablespoons of egg after pouring batter into pan. Nice effect and great with bbq pork and green onions!
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!
½cupunsweetened shredded coconutToast and reserve for garnish.
1½cupsThai sticky riceThree Ladies Thai Glutinous Rice or Sweet (Glutinious) Rice from Koda Farms
1can13.5-ounce full-fat coconut milk
¼cupsugar + 1-2 tablespoonsSweeten to taste, if you have a sweet tooth, add additional 1 tablesppon of sugar.
1teaspoonkosher saltor 1/2 teaspoon reg salt
2large ripe mangoespeeled, pitted, and thinly sliced
Toasted sesame seedsfor garnish (optional)
Mint leavesfor 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
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
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 minutesminutes
Servings 4
Ingredients
Roasted Tomatoes
1pintcherry tomatoes
1 ½tablespoonsextra-virgin olive oilfor drizzling
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Sauce
3tablespoonsunsalted butter
1clovegarlicminced
⅓cuptomato paste
2-3tablespoonsgochujangKorean red chile paste, depending on your spice preference
¾cupheavy cream
¾cupchicken broth
½ cupfreshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/2THoney or Agave Syrupto taste
Pasta
8ouncesdry rigatonipasta 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.
Microwave Magic
