Teriyaki Salmon

It's Friday again! This has been a busy week and I'm glad I had the chance of having vegetable+fruit juice three times (1litre each time). Surprisingly, it tastes really good and I have much more clarity than usual.

In the effort of eating healthy, we eat fish once or twice a week and usually Friday is one of it. Here's a teriyaki salmon recipe I always use.

Summary of recipe:

Prep:

1. Prepare 350-400gm of salmon, cut into 2-3 serving portions. Pat dry.

2. Season salmon with sea salt and pepper for a few minutes.

3. Coat salmon with flour - thinly is ok.

4. In a bowl, mix 1 Tbsp Sake/rice wine, 1 Tbsp mirin, 1 Tbsp sugar, 2 Tbsp soy sauce.

Sear:

5. In a pan, using medium heat, swirl in 1/2 Tbsp oil.

6. Sear salmon (skin down) on the pan for 3 minutes each side. The flour coating keeps the salmon's natural flavor within.

7. Swirl in 1Tbsp of butter.

8. When both sides of salmon are medium brown, add 1Tbsp of Sake or rice wine, place a lid over the pan and let it steam for 3 minutes.

9. Remove salmon from pan.

Sauce: 

10. Add prepared sauce mixture into hot pan.

11. Return salmon into the pan and as sauce thickens, spoon sauce onto the fish.

12. Turn off heat when sauce is thick. Plate and serve warm.

Recipe source: http://justonecookbook.com/blog/recipes/teriyaki-salmon-recipe/

Fruit pulp muffin

Recently, we bought a juicer and we've been juicing all kinds of fruits and vegetables. The aim is to stay healthier and at the same time avoid preservatives in store-bought juices. With juicing comes pulps. We've been throwing away the pulps previously; until this week, I could not bear to waste it any more I decided to do something with it. Here goes...

Summary of recipe:

Preheat oven to 200 degree Celcius.
1. Measure the following dry ingredients in a mixing bowl:

• 2 cups plain flour
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3/4 cup sugar

2. In a separate bowl/cup, mix and stir together the liquids:

• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

3. Mix the liquids + 1 cup of fruit pulp into the dry ingredients with a spatula. 

4. Scoop batter into lined muffin pans. Bake for 25 mins or until stick comes out clean.

Recipe source: http://www.minimomist.com/2011/04/orange-juice-and-muffins/

鮮竹卷 Beancurd rolls

This is a common offer in dimsum or yumcha restaurants. I always like to order this one - anything that's wrapped in bean curd skin is usually good.  I've made them a little bigger than the usual size as my thoughts are to make it functional and quick! 

Summary of recipe:

1. Mix to marinate the following ingredients and set it aside:

• 250gm minced pork or chicken
• 125gm shrimp, shelled, deveined and chopped
• 4 water chestnuts, chopped
• 2cm piece of ginger, grated
• 1 1/2 Tbsp light soy
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• dash of rice wine
• 1 egg yolk

2. Prepare the sauce and set it aside:

• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• dash of rice wine + drops of vodka if you like
• dash of pepper
  
  And separately, 1/2 tsp chopped garlic + 1/2 tsp minced ginger.

3. Prepare bean curd skin to wrap the mince, seal packet with egg white. 

4. Pan fry the rolls until all sides are brown. No need to ensure they're cooked through at this stage. Blot the rolls of excess oil, place in a deeper wide dish. 

5. Using the earlier pan, drain excess oil, pan fry 1/2 tsp chopped garlic and 1/2 tsp minced ginger. Add in the sauce and let it boil.

6. Pour sauce into the bowl with the rolls, place bowl into a steamer and steam for 8 minutes.

Recipe source: http://3hungrytummies.blogspot.co.nz/2013/07/fu-jok-guen-beancurd-skin-rolls-yum-cha.html

Steak

1. Marinate steak with soy sauce, sesame oil and wine.

2. Sear steak on cast iron pan, both sides.

3. Put into oven (175 deg Celcius) for 4-8 mins depending on desired doneness.

入口即化杏仁餅 Melt-in-the-mouth Almond cookies

Oh my craving for simple cookies! This almond cookie is easy to make and it melts in the mouth, especially when it's warm.

Summary of recipe:

Preheat oven to 180 deg Celcius.

1. Measure the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl:

- 120gm ground almond

- 180gm plain flour

- 120gm sugar

- 1/4 tsp salt

- 1 tsp baking powder

- 1 tsp baking soda

2. Use a hand or stand mixer, mix the above ingredients first, then drizzle in 150ml (or less) vegetable oil.

3. Use a spatula to 'group' the dough together so it becomes easy to shape into balls.

4. Use a 1tsp-measuring spoon to scoop out the dough and make it into a ball shape. Place on parchment paper on a tray.

5. Bake for 15mins.

Recipe source: http://justonecookbook.com/blog/recipes/almond-cookies/

Garlic soy meatballs

Menu planning may sound boring to some but I've found it to be an opportunity to get creative with ingredients on hand. I bought a variety of meats on Saturday and decided to use the portion of minced pork on meatballs. I remember the deep fried meatballs grandmother always served at her dinner parties and mom would also make them as treats once in a while.

Here's a recipe that's first pan fried, then simmered with garlicky soy sauce for glaze. I made it into a fusion meal on salad greens.

Summary of recipe:

1. Prepare the mince:

Mix the below ingredients in a bowl:

• 200gm minced pork or chicken
• 50gm chopped shrimps
• 1/4 cup chopped water chestnuts
• 1 spring onion (white parts only), minced
• 1/2 tsp grated ginger
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 1 Tbsp light soy
• 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
• dash of white pepper
• dash of Chinese cooking wine
• 1/2 an egg, lightly beaten*
• about 2 or 3 Tbsp corn flour*

2. Prepare the sauce:

Mix the below in a bowl:

• 1/2 cup of chicken stock
• 1 1/2 Tbsp light soy
• 1 Tbsp dark soy
• 3 Tbsp sugar or honey
• dash of sesame oil

Separately:

- 1 garlic, chopped

Cook:

1. Shape the mince into meatballs or patties**.
2. Pan fry the meatballs or patties with just enough oil for meat to not stick on pan. Remove from pan when golden on both sides.
3. With remaining oil in pan, sauté chopped garlic for a minute.
4. Add the sauce and cook for another minute.
5. Return the meatballs or patties to the pan and simmer until sauce is reduced; turn meatballs or patties to glaze.
   
   Optional:
6. Arrange a bed of salad greens and place the meatballs or patties on top.
7. Garnish with toasted almond flakes.

*I used 1 egg and 4 Tbsp of corn flour.

**I spooned the mince mix directly into the pan.

Adapted from recipe source: http://3hungrytummies.blogspot.co.nz/2011/12/sticky-soy-and-garlic-meatballs.html

Chawanmushi

C always likes to order chawanmushi when dining at Japanese restaurants. So I thought, what's so difficult to make steam eggs? After a few failed attempts earlier (read: rough surface on egg), I was very happy to have found a chawanmushi recipe written by a Japanese. I tell ya, the art of Japanese cooking is ever so delicate. The trick to smooth steamed egg is to cover the bowl and steam in very low simmer; and of course, precise preparations in ingredients.

Summary of recipe:

Prepare ingredients:

1. Soak 2 dried Shitake mushrooms. Slice into thin strips or quarters.
2. Marinate 4 shrimps (deveined and shelled) with some sake or rice wine for 10 minutes.
3. Marinate 1 chicken tender (cut into strips) with some sake or rice wine for 10 minutes.
4. Prepare any other ingredients you'd like to include in the chawanmushi, e.g., surimi, Japanese fish cake, gingko nuts, shimeji mushrooms, etc.
5. Divide everything into 2 chawanmushi cups or small bowls*.

Meanwhile, boil some water in a large pot. The water should reach half the height of your chawanmushi cups. No wire rack is needed for inside the pot. Once the water is rolling boiled, turn the heat to the lowest so it's just a very slow simmer. 

Prepare egg liquid:

1. Beat 2 eggs in a bowl. 
2. Add 1 cup of chicken or dashi stock.
3. Season with 1 tsp mirin, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp soy sauce.
4. Strain this mixture into another bowl.
5. Pour egg liquid slowly into the prepared chawanmushi cups and ensure there are no bubbles.
6. Cover the chawanmushi cups with its cover or use alluminium foils.
7. Gently place the chawanmushi cups into the pot of hot water. Place pot cover and steam for 25 minutes**.

*I used two tumbler wine glasses and one of it cracked! So I wouldn't recommend using them. This recipe may yield 2 or 3 cups depending on the size.

** If you're not using any shrimp or chicken, you'd need to steam it for only 15-20 minutes.

It was really smooth and tasted just like the ones in good Japanese restaurants! Didn't take a picture (!) but it is close to the one shown at recipe source except I didn't put any of the roe or sea urchin toppings. 

Picture update - 3 perfect 1 fail:

Recipe source: http://justonecookbook.com/blog/recipes/chawanmushi-with-shrimp/