Panda-lala Salad:

On the menu tonight is a salad I created and love to make routinely. My diet is more leaning toward on the vegetarian side so eating salad once a week is the protocol in my family.  I like to mix and match with different variety of lettuces and try different salad dressings. A combination of fruits with lettuces in a salad is always a good choice.

This mouth watering salad is very light. I made the dressing out of balsamic vinegar and olive oil. The balsamic vinegar gives out a touch of citrus flavor which blends perfectly with the sweetness from the Fuji Apple. I used spring mixed as the choice of lettuce because of the varieties, fresh orange/yellow peppers and grape tomatoes are great for presentation. The Lollo Rossa has a sweetish flavor and the Frisee has a bitterness which creates a great contrasting flavor to the salad.  Finally, the dry basil I used in the dressing bring out the enticing aroma awakens the senses and arouses the appetite.

The whole work is unquestionably fresh and delicious. In my years of making salads, this is the best combination of all. Since I am inventor of this salad, I should give it a name. My name is “Lala” and my husband often called me by my nickname, “Panda”, I might as well call this a…“Panda-lala Salad”!  I hope you like my creation.



Ingredients:

**Salad:

1 box of Spring Mixed lettuce

3 scallion green onions

1 small Fuji Apple

1 yellow pepper

1 orange pepper

10 grapes tomatoes

**Dressing:

1 cup balsamic vinegar

1 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon dry basil

2 pinch of black peppers

1 pinch of salt

½ teaspoon sugar

Preparation:

Mix the dressing on a separate bowl. Put all the salad ingredients into a big bowl and mix it evenly with the pre-made dressing. Simple and delicious!

Stir-fried Beef Rice Noodles:

Traditionally, chow mein is a common dish and has been around for many years. Chinese has their ways of creating this chow mein dish. The word “mein” mean noodles and “chow” has the definition of stir-fry in a wok.  In Asia, there are many ways of putting a dish of chow mein together. Some like it with “yellow noodles” as known as mein whereas; some like it with “rice noodles” which called “fun”. In addition, different meats and vegetables can be added to the chow mein and will create different favors. Chow mein has evolved over the years and has become one of the signature dishes in Chinese cuisine.

Chow mein (yellow noodles) and chow fun (rice noodles) can be classified into two main categories. It either stir-fried with sauce called the “wet” style or the “dry” style would be the type you stir-fried with no sauce (aka: lo mein). The option of meat and vegetable is your personal choice. Beef, pork or chicken can be used as the meat portion and broccoli, cauliflower, mushroom and bok choy is a great viariety to use on chow mein - the list could goes on forever. Asain like to slightly deep fry the noodles so it is crunchy at the base and pour the meat and vegetable content over the dry noodles before serving. However, with the American Chinese cuisine, the noodles are usually steam or boil first then mix with the meat and vegetable at the end.  You need to be more specific if you are in a Chinese Restaurant as to which kind of chow mein you want. Evidently, there is a distinct between the two.

For my family, just because I don’t have a commercial kitchen with a huge wok or a deep fryer, I tense to cook my chow mein in a stream and boil approach. I like to be creative and use different options to cook my chow mein. Using different type of noodles (ie; vermicelli, skinny rice noodles, flat fresh/dry noodles and the yellow noodles etc.) for my base and with different kind of meat and vegetable each time. My dinner of choice for tonight is “Ground Beef with Radish and Basil on Rice Noodles”. Cooking time is approx. 30 minutes. It’s so simple and yet so delicious!

Ingredients: (serving for 4)

·         1.5 lbs extra lean ground beef

·         1 pack of dry rice noodle (contain 8 squares)

·         1 small bag (90 grams) of preserved diced radish (aka; Char-Choy)

·         1 bunch of fresh basil (Chinese basil)

·         3 scallion green onions

·         2 teaspoons of olive oil

·         1 clove garlic

·         2 teaspoons of soya sauce

·         3 tablespoons of oyster sauce

·         2 teaspoons of sesame oil

·         1 pinch of salt

·         2 pinch of black pepper

·         1 tablespoon of cornstarch

Preparation:

Bring the rice noodles to boil in a separate pot. Drain out the rice noodles and rinse under cold water for about 3 minutes. On a wok, bring the olive oil and garlic into a sizzle stage. Put the ground beef in and stir-fry it for about 3 minutes. Add the preserved radish and stir-fry for about 2 minutes. Combine with the rest of the spices and 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce in and cook it for another 5 minutes, cover it and let it simmer for 5 minutes until the beef is cooked right through. Put the cornstarch into a rice bowl (Chinese style) and add 1 cup of water and the remaining 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce. Stir it evenly and pour into the wok to create the sauce. Add the drained rice noodles and the green onion and basil at the end. Stir-fry it and mix everything together throughly.

Pan-fried Chicken Wings:

Chicken wings, the most versatile type of meat that can be cooked into many different ways. You can BBQ them, bake them, batter them, stir-fried them, deep fried them etc., but the way I like to prepare them are to marinate then pan-fried on a pan. It’s delicious.

The chicken wings taste great with beer. Many pub style restaurants offered them on their menu with perhaps, one night wings special for .25 cent per piece. This gimmick attracts many customers from the business’ perspective. It’s generally served in buffalo sauce (spicy) or sweet honey garlic as a finger licking appetizer. Yummy!

My family like to eat them because it so favorable and good with rice. I tense to make them a bit saltier so they can eat more rice with this. It’s an appetite enhancement. I cook this dish quite often as it is easy to make and doesn’t take a lots of my time to prepare. This is a “win win” situation.

Ingredients: (serving for 3)

2 lbs of chicken wings (prefer the wingette)

1 clove of garlic

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 tablespoon of olive oil

Preparation:

Marinate the chicken wings with garlic, fish sauce and black pepper for about 20 minutes. Chicken wings can’t be frozen or just thaw out, fresh chicken wings works best. Pan fried the chicken wings on a pan (preferable non-stick pan) with olive oil on medium heat. Chicken wings must be cook slowly to avoid over burn. Keep turning the wings until it becomes golden brown. Approximately cooking time is 20 minutes. This can be served with plain rice and eat it as an appetizer.



Pumpkin Cheese Cake

I know it is relatively late since Thanksgiving has come and gone. However, my craving for a Pumpkin Cheese Cake has never left. Last weekend, I decided to make one my own. I find Pumpkin puree is a good favor to use in cheese cake. After browsing through many dessert recipes on the Internet, I have noticed so many wonderful selections out there for me to learn from. Decision! Decision! Finally, I found the recipe in “JoyofBaking.com” attract me the most.

This is the first time I have ever bake a cheese cake and the outcome is better than I expected. My family loves it and compliment on my baking. One downfall on this is - we cannot finish the whole cheese cake in time before it goes bad. My family is concerning about the calories’ and fat intakes as they are watching out for their figures (…so they said). They request for a “calories free” cheese cake from mom next time. I am happy and looking forward to bake again as this gave me a wonderful experience.

**Joy of Baking’s recipe:

     

      Crust:

·         1 cup graham cracker crumbs

·         ½ cups finely ground ginger cookies

·         1 tablespoon granulated white sugar

·         4-5 tablespoon unsalted butter (melted)

Cheesecake:

·         2/3 cup light brown sugar

·         ½  teaspoon ground cinnamon

·         ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

·         1/8 ground cloves

·         1/8 ground nutmeg

·         ¼ teaspoon salt

·         1 pound (454 gram) cream cheese

·         3 large eggs

·         1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

·         1 cup (210 grams) pure pumpkin puree (canned or homemade)

Topping:

·         1 cup (240 ml) sour cream

·         1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

·         ¼ cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degree and place the rack in the middle. Butter an 8 inch (20 cm) spring form pan.

For crust: Combine the cracker crumbs, ground ginger snap cookies, melted butter and sugar. Press the mixture onto the bottom of the spring form pan. Put in the fridge while you are making the cheesecake filling.

For cheesecake: In a separate bowl, stir to combine the sugar, nutmeg, salt, cinnamon and ginger. Beat the cream cheese with an electric mixture on a separate bowl with low speed until smooth. It’s best to have the cream cheese in room temperate. Gradually add the sugar mixture to the cream cheese. Add one egg at a time while beating the cream cheese with the mixture. Beat everything well for about 5 minutes. Lastly, add the pumpkin puree and vanilla extract. Pour the filling in the spring form pan. Place a cake pan in the oven to moisten the air. Bake the cheese cake for 30 minutes and then reduce to 325 degrees and continue to bake it for 20 minutes until the edges are puffed but the center is still wet and jiggles. Bring the cheese cake out to add topping.

For topping: Whisk the sour cream, sugar and vanilla extract together. Pour the topping over the baked cheese cake and return the cheese cake in the over for another 8 minutes. Remove the cheese cake and set it on the counter to let it cool off. Loosen the cheese cake by running a knife around the inside ring of the pan to prevent cracking. When completely cool, place the cheese cake in the fridge overnight before serving.

Vietnamese Beef Stew

The title of “Beef Stew” seems to shows commonly across many different cooks books. The definition of “Stew” means to cook food by simmering or boiling slowly. Beef Stew is common that everyone can cook for their family. Different varieties tradition of cooking undergone changes all this year and has developed different recipes and their own style of cooking. Some like it to cook with potatoes; cauliflower, carrots or I have seen some put sweet potatoes in beef stew.  This dish considers as easy to cook meal, healthy all-in-one ready to go in a stew form. You can cook a big pot; freeze it, and thaw out for the next day to re-use it again. It’s simple, fast, and full of nutrition and most importantly - the family like it.

Lala's Vietnamese Beef Stew

In the United State, beef stew considers as one of the comfort food. This usually is cook in a slow cooker, slimmer it slowly so it’s more favorable.  In French, “bœuf à la bourguignonne” beef slowly simmering in red wine is more like their signature dish. Overtime, this has become a standard dish for them. Since Vietnam was once rule under the French, they copied many cuisines and altered them into their own cuisine. Vietnamese Beef Stew’s idea was originated by the French. The dish is made with tender beef; simmer it slowly until the beef becomes all tender. Carrots are usually the vegetable of choice in this dish. Some like to add potatoes to the stew to create the starchy texture. In my family, I like to cook this dish often especially in the winter months. This dish gives the warm and comfort feeling.

**Lala’s recipe:

Ingredients: (serving for 4)

•        .805kg boneless briskets (use veal briskets if you want  low fat stew)

•        1 small onion (chopped)

•        1 clove garlic (diced)

•        3 carrots (medium size)

•        1 can tomatoes paste (medium size)

•        2 tsps salt

•        1 tsps black pepper

•        1 tsps five spices power

•        1 tsps soya sauce

•        2 tsps olive oil

Preparation:

Boil the brisket in a separate pot until it’s 50% cooked. Scope the briskets out on a plate. Do not throw the water away. In a separate pot, put the olive oil in and bring the garlic and onions to sizzle. Put the briskets in the pot and pan fried it until it’s 70% cooked. During this process, add the salt, five spices power, soy sauce and pepper in. Mix the carrots and the tomatoes paste very last. Once everything is stirred evenly, add two cups of the remaining boiled brisket water to the pot. Cover the stew and simmer it for about an hour on medium heat or until the carrots are soften and the beef is tendered. This dish can be eaten with rice noodles, rice, or French bread.

Ong Choy with preserved Bean Curd Sauce

Ong Choy (aka – Ipomoea aquatica, Kung Choy, Morning Glory, Water Spinach, Swamp Cabbage etc.) is originated from East Indian, this type of vegetable fall under the member of the Convolvulaceae (morning glory) family. Their different varieties of Ong Choy; some grow in water and some grow in soil. The most common varieties are bright green and grow up to 14 inches tall. This type of vegetable is hollow in the middle; and because it’s hollow in the middle, the Asian call it “Empty Heart Vegetable”. Ong Choy is extremely popular in Southern China, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia.

 

Raw Ong Choy

There are many ways to cook Ong Choy. In SouthEast Asia, Ong Choy is usually stir-fried with shrimp paste, ginger and garlic. Another way of eating this is to have it stir-fry with preserved bean curd sauce. The above two styles of cooking are very popular and common in a Asia. You can get almost evey restuarant as long as they are in season. The favor is quite strong for the stir-fried Ong Choy with shrimp paste dish, not too many people can stand the strong aroma. Mainly Chinese like this dish the most and like to cook it at home. Some people like it just plain stir-fry with garlic and ginger; this cooking method create a lighter favor. The vegetable itself is tasteless; it’s all depending on which sauce and  how you cook it to enhance different favours.  The Vietnamese likes to eat them raw; they shredded the Ong Choy in thin slices and put them in Seafood Noodle Soup (Bun Rieu) as a vegetable add-on.

Ong Choy with preserved Bean Curd Sauce

You can buy Ong Choy in any Asian Market and the price is usually on a higher end comparing to the common vegetables (ie; Bok Choy). In the west, the modern chief likes to eat this like spinach with sautéed butter and garlic or with bacon. For my family, I like to eat this stir-fry either with shrimp paste or with preserved bean curd sauce. 

**Lala’s recipe:

Ingredient: (serving for 4)

•     1 bunch of On Choy (washed and cut in slice to approx.4 inches long)
•     ½ clove of garlic (diced)
•     ¼ cup of preserved bean curd (4 cubes - mashed)
•     1 tsp of salt
•     1 tbsp of sugar
•     1 pinch of black pepper
•     ½ tbsp of fish sauce
•     2 tbsp of olive oil

Preparation:

Bring the Ong Choy to boil in a separate pot. Drained out the water completely, make sure there is no extra water trap in the Ong Choy. Pan fried the garlic in olive oil until sizzling. Mash the preserved bean curd with the sugar. Turn the heat to medium and put the Ong Choy in the wok and slightly stir-fried and mixed the sauce and the Ong Choy together. This must be cook in medium heat or the vegetable will burn. The cooking time for this dish is approx. 20 minutes. 

Lemongrass Curry Chicken:

As per my husband’s request, dinner of choice tonight is “lemongrass curry chicken”. He is such a curry lover and wants to eat curry at least once a week. The recipe originated from Vietnamese cuisine. You can see this dish on the menu of any Vietnamese or Thai Restaurant.

Lemongrass is native of Indian (aka – Takrai, Cymbopogon citrates, Bhustrina Sera, and Bai Mak Nao etc.). It is very popular in Thai and Vietnamese style cooking. Lemongrass fall under the type of aromatic herb and perennial (which means you only need to plant it once and it will comes back yearly). The light lemon flavor blends very well with garlic, curry powder, chilies and cilantro. Because of that, this herb has become very popular in the United States. Lemongrass can also be used for medicinal purposes. It considered as a type of diuretic (cure: Hypertension and Diabetes), toxic and stimulant. It’s also good for digestion, menstrual troubles and nausea.

The way I like to cook with Lemongrass is to dice them into fine pieces and mix with the meat of choice (i.e.: chicken, steak, pork chop etc.,) with diced garlic, salt and pepper. This can be done on BBQ, grill, roast or just stir fried in a wok. Meats that are coated with Lemongrass will bring out the lemony favor.

**Lala’s recipe:

Ingredients: (serving for 4)

·         1 ½ lbs of chicken breast

·         3 scallion of green onions

·         3 stalk of fresh lemongrass (diced) (frozen premade lemongrass will work)

·         ½ of English long cucumber

·         1 large tomato

·         1 small onion

·         1 tps of curry power (prefer Malaysian style)

·         1 clove of garlic

·         2 tbps of olive oil

·         ½ tps of soya sauce

·         ½ tps of fish sauce

·         1 can of instant chicken broth

·         1 pinch of salt

·         1 pinch of black pepper

·         A few shredded carrots and mango for garnish

Preparation:

Marinate the chicken with the curry power, ¼ tps of fish sauce, salt, black pepper for half an hour prior. Pan fried the garlic, onion and lemongrass in olive oil until sizzle. Put the marinated chicken in the wok. Stir fried it until cooked. Place the remaining spices with the chicken. Pour the can of chicken broth in, cover it and let it simmer for about 10 minutes. This can be served with rice or French bread of choice.  Bon Appétit!