Korean Pancake - Pa Jeon/Pa Jun

updated from archives

A few years ago when I was visiting Steven's parents, his mom made some Korean pancakes for us. They were so good, I just had to ask her for the recipe. Then I was shocked to see her pull out a packaged mix from the pantry. I always thought that homemade always trumps convenience but that may not be the case with pajeon. After looking at the ingredients in the package, which was mainly flour, I thought I could go home and recreate it. But Steven's mom warned me that she's tried doing that too and the pancakes didn't taste the same. Well, she was right, and with my first attempt, my pancakes were dense and gummy.

After my original post over a year ago, I asked readers to share their pe jeon secrets and you guys offered some pretty good suggestions. I decreased the number of eggs from 2 to 1 and substituted some rice flour for all purpose flour. The resulting pancakes were excellent and the closest I've come to replicating the ones made from a package. But if you have access to an Asian market, I would go for the mix because it's easy and the results are consistent.

Unlike American pancakes, which are fluffy and usually topped with fruit or syrup, Korean pancakes are crispy on the outside, soft and tender on the inside, and packed with delicious morsels of seafood and vegetables. The pancake we ordered at the Korean BBQ restaurant in LA was probably 75% seafood. I used a seafood mix I got from a local Asian market that was a mix of imitation crab meat, octopus, squid, shrimp, and cooked oysters. Trader Joe's carries a seafood mix of squid, scallops, and shrimp or feel free to use only shrimp if that's what's available to you. Omit the seafood entirely and up the veggies for a vegetarian version. A lot of readers also suggested adding kimchi juice for added flavor but I rarely have kimchi around.

Pa Jeon/Pa Jun - Korean Pancake with Seafood and Vegetables
makes 3 10 inch pancakes

1 1/2 C all-purpose flour
1/2 C rice flour (not glutinous rice flour)
2 C water
1 egg
1/2 tsp kosher salt
8 oz chopped seafood mix or shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
1 carrot, grated
1 zucchini, grated
3 green onions, thinly sliced
or substitute a handful of Chinese chives cut into 2 inches

In a large bowl add the all-purpose flour, rice flour, and salt. Whisk to combine. Add the egg and start with 1 1/2 cups of water. Whisk until smooth. If the batter is looking too thick, add a little more water. The consistency should be like heavy cream, not too watery. Add in the chopped seafood (if using), grated vegetables, and green onions or chives.

Heat a tablespoon and half of vegetable oil in a nonstick or cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Use plenty of oil, enough oil to cover the bottom of the pan, for a crispy pancake. Ladle one third of the mixture into the pan and spread it evenly in the pan. Cook until the bottom is crisp and golden brown. Flip and cook on the second side until crisp and golden brown. Repeat with the rest of the batter.

Cut the pancakes into 8 wedges and serve with dipping sauce.

For the spicy dipping sauce, I mix equal parts chili sauce (sambal oelek) with soy paste which is like a thickened soy sauce, Kim Lan makes our favorite. A more appropriate chili sauce would be gochujang (Korean chili bean paste, the Chinese equivalent is dou ban jiang). Adjust the spiciness according to your own tastes.

Buffalo Wings

I am not the biggest fan of football but Super Bowl Sunday is almost like a national holiday so I can't let it go unmentioned. Did you know it's the second largest food consumption day of the year? (The first being Thanksgiving of course) So today and tomorrow, I'll be posting some Super Bowl favorites because even though I may not enjoy watching the game, I sure love the food that comes with it. And no sports party is complete without the required buffalo wings.

First created in Anchor Bar in Buffalo, NY, hence the name, authentic wings are deep fried then covered with a sauce made with butter/margarine and hot sauce. It's generally agreed that Frank's Red Hot is the most authentic sauce to use but stay away from the Frank's bottled buffalo sauce since that kind has weird margarine mixed in. The ratio of hot sauce to butter you use depends on how hot you want your wings. I like my wings pretty hot so I like to use a 2:1 ratio of Frank's to butter with a shakes of Tabasco. I chose to lightly flour then pan fry the wings slowly over moderate heat, the same method I used for the salt and pepper chicken wings. Purists will say that without the deep fryer, these can no longer be called buffalo wings but this method yields a nice crispy skin and uses much less fat.

Buffalo Wings

2 lbs. chicken wings, wingtips removed, cut into wingettes and drumettes
1/4 C flour
Frank's Red Hot Original (to taste; I used 4 Tbsp)
Melted butter (to taste; I used 2 Tbsp)

Serve with
Celery sticks and Blue Cheese Dressing

Lightly dredge the wings with some flour.

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the wings and cook them slowly over medium heat until they are cooked through and golden brown on all sides. Turn them frequently in order to brown them on all sides and prop them next to each other so they don't roll around. Cook them until the juices run clear and the internal temperature is 180 degrees F, about 15 to 20 minutes.

Alternatively you can sear the wings over medium high heat and finish them in then oven (350 for roughly 15 minutes).

Meanwhile, melt your butter and mix in the Frank's hot sauce. It's really a matter of taste so play around with how you like your sauce.

After the wings are cooked, put them in a bowl and toss them with the toss. Serve immediately with celery sticks and blue cheese dressing.

For something more substantial try Buffalo Chicken Drumsticks

Come back tomorrow for Super Bowl Chili.

Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings with Chilies, Garlic, and Thai Basil

Since I never deep fry at home, I love to order deep fried stuff when I go out. The dish that I almost always get at Chinese restaurants is salt and pepper pork chops, jiao yan pai gu. Small pieces of pork chops are flavored with salt and pepper, lightly dredged in flour, and deep fried until crispy. It gets even better when some restaurants top the dish with stir fried chopped chilies, thin slices of golden fried garlic, and deep fried thai basil leaves. I wanted to recreate this dish at home with chicken wings. By pan frying the chicken wings, I was able to get a nice crispy skin then I cooked the chilies, garlic slices, and basil leaves briefly in the hot oil and tossed that with the wings. The garlic isn't as fragrant and crispy as the deep fried stuff but the flavor is still there. In addition to black and white pepper, you add some ground szechuan peppercorns when seasoning the wings or finish the dish with a sprinkling of szechuan peppercorn salt for an interesting kick.

Quick Tip:
After purchasing a bunch of basil, snip the ends of the stems off as you would with cut flowers and store the basil in a glass of water by a bright window. I've been able to keep basil happy like this for over 2 weeks now.

Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings with Chilies, Garlic, and Thai Basil

2 lbs chicken wings, cut into wingettes and drumettes
1/4 C flour
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp white pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 jalapenos, seeds and pith removed and cut into a 1/4 in dice
3 cloves of garlic, cut into thin slices
Handful or two of thai basil leaves, larger leaves torn in half

Season the chicken wings with salt, white pepper, and black pepper (it's best if the black pepper is freshly ground). Lightly dredge in flour. If the wings aren't seasoned enough at this stage, you can season them more after cooking.

Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken wings and brown on all sides. Cover the pan and let the chicken wings cook over medium low to medium heat. If the pan gets too dry add a little water. Cook for about 15 minutes. Remove the cover and begin to crisp up the chicken again. The chicken wings are fully cooked when no blood coming out of the bones, juices are clear, and the internal temperature 180 degrees F. Remove the chicken wings to a rack to keep them crispy.

By now a lot of fat will have rendered from the skin. Drain the fat from the pan, reserving about 1 - 2 tablespoons. Return the pan to medium heat. Add the garlic slices and cook until they start to turn a little golden. Add the diced jalapenos and saute briefly. Off heat, add the thai basil leaves and toss the leaves with the rest of the hot ingredients. Toss the chicken wings with the chilies and basil leaves. Transfer to a platter and serve. Add more pepper and salt if it needs additional seasoning. I always like to add a little more freshly ground black pepper.

Garlic Bread

Scarpetta is the Italian word for wiping up the rest of your pasta sauce with a piece of bread. I'm glad there's a term for it because I love ending my meal with a piece of crusty bread and the bit of lingering sauce on my plate. What makes it even better is if it's a piece of garlic bread slathered with butter and toasted to golden perfection.

Garlic Bread
1 large loaf of Italian (or French) bread
1 stick of butter, at room temperature
Roughly 1/2 head of garlic (more or less depending on how much you like)
1/4 tsp dried Italian herbs
1 Tbsp of chopped Italian parsley (I used chives instead)
Optional: A few tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese (as much or as little as you'd like)

Optional Step: To cut the harshness of raw garlic, you can dry toast it in a skillet. The garlic will not be as smooth and creamy as roasted garlic but it will be a little mellower. Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add the garlic cloves with skins on to the skillet and toast, shaking occasionally, until the skins are golden brown. When the cloves are cool enough to handle, peel the garlic and use as you would raw garlic in this recipe.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Slice the loaf of bread in half horizontally.

Put the garlic cloves through a press or smash and finely mince them. Add the garlic, parsley, crumble in the Italian herbs with the softened room temperature butter and mix until combined. Spread the butter to both sides of the bread. If you don't use all of it, you can always freeze it for another time.

Bake the bread until it is warmed through, about 10 minutes. Sprinkle the Parmesan on top if using, then broil the bread until the garlic butter side is golden brown. Keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't burn. Time will depend on the strength of your broiler, anywhere from 1 to 3 minutes.

Variation: Roasted Garlic Bread

I like this roasted garlic variation more than the original garlic bread. Roasted garlic is sweeter, mellower, and smoother than raw garlic. You can even use the whole head of garlic rather than just half the head. The softened cloves make a delicious puree that's mixed with the butter. Add the herbs as you would normally and use the roasted garlic butter on your bread and bake in the same way.

How to roast garlic:
Slice off the top of a head of garlic exposing the cloves. Drizzle a bit of olive oil on the cloves, sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper and wrap the whole head in some aluminum foil. Roast in a 400 degree oven for about half an hour or until the garlic is soft and and brown. Squeeze out the cloves and use in pasta, on pizza, baked in bread, or spread on bread, etc.



More Garlic Bread Links
Elise's soft garlic bread looks delicious as well
Heidi adds lemon zest and chives to her Dad's garlic bread recipe

Fish Cake or Faux Crab Cake

Where have I been? Eating my way around Vancouver, B.C. the past few days. I love that city so much; the weather was beautiful, the people were nice, and oh the food. It almost feels like home away from home but Seattle will always hold a special place in my heart. I'm still a little tired so just a short recipe today of something I made before I left for my trip. Actually there are so many photos and recipes in my "to post" folder, I call it my "blog clog." One of these days I'm going to have to sit down and publish everything *gulp*.

Anyway onto these yummy fish cakes. Steven said, "Hmm... these cakes remind me of something." Couldn't quite put his finger on it but eventually we figured out that the texture of pollock was reminiscent of crab leg meat. These fish cakes are essentially faux crab cakes! (Faux crab cake sounds a lot better than imitation crab cake, which sounds distressingly fake and rubbery with a hint of artificial pink.) You can substitute another white fish for pollock, like cod or tilapia, but the texture won't be the same.

First the fish is cooked through by steaming with salt, pepper, lemon juice and white wine. You can also poach or roast the fish but I chose to steam it because I felt like it would prevent the fish from drying out without leeching out flavor. When making Chinese steamed whole fish, I add a little rice wine to cut the fishiness, so this is why I added a little white wine to the fish in this recipe. I love the airy crunchiness of panko bread crumbs so much that they have replaced regular dried bread crumbs in every application. So in goes some panko. Only the green parts of the scallions are used because the green top is milder and can be used more like an herb, whereas the white bottom is more like an onion, and the stronger flavor would be too overwhelming. After adding the rest of the ingredients, the cakes are chilled to prevent them from falling apart while cooking. Finally, they are dredged in flour and pan fried to a beautifully browned and crisp crust.

Fish Cake or Faux Crab Cake
1 lb pollock (or another white fish)
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice (juice from half a lemon)
2 tbsp white wine
1/4 C chopped scallions (green part only)
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 egg, beaten
1/4 C mayo
1/4 C panko, or more if needed
1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning (optional)
1/4 C flour
3 Tbsp vegetable oil

Tartar sauce for serving (optional)

Salt and pepper the fish, drizzle with lemon juice and steam until the fish is throughly cooked and flakes easily, about 5 - 10 minutes.

Drain the liquid. Break up the fish, leaving some large clumps and wait for the fish to cool to room temperature. Meanwhile in a small bowl mix the egg and mayo.

Once the fish has cooled, add the chopped scallion and parsley, panko, Old Bay (if using) and the mayo-egg mixture, and gently fold everything together. If the mixture looks too wet, add a little more panko.

Divide the mix into 4 portions and form into thick cakes. Cover and chill for 30 minutes or overnight.

After the chill, add the flour to a plate and dredge both sides of the cakes with flour. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Cook the cakes until the outsides are crisp and browned, about 4 - 5 minutes per side.

Serve with tartar sauce if you'd like.


Variation:
Replace the fish for lump crab meat and voila! you have a (real) crab cake.

BBQ Chicken Quesadilla

The last few days have been unbearably hot, with yesterday being one of the top 10 hottest days ever recorded here in Seattle. I was too lethargic to do get up and do anything other than lay on the couch and complain about the heat. Pardon the silence on this blog, as I haven't been cooking much or blogging. But like Jaden, there are so many old recipes I still haven't gotten around to posting, so now is a good time to do so.

BBQ Chicken Quesadilla was a very popular menu item at my favorite lunch spot near the UW, Honeybee's Cafe (which sadly closed two years ago). It's been a long time since I've had a Honeybee's quesadilla, but from what I can remember, the original quesadilla had grilled chicken, tomatoes, Monterey Jack cheese, tomatoes, green onions, and BBQ sauce in a tomato flour tortilla. This quesadilla is very flexible the only constants are: tortilla, chicken, your favorite BBQ sauce (Cook's Illustrated likes Bull's Eye Original), and cheese. The rest of the ingredients depend on what you have on hand. So here rather than offering an exact recipe, it's just a few tips on making a yummy quesadilla, which I learned from watching America's Test Kitchen.

Barbeque Chicken Quesadilla

Flour Tortillas
Chicken, cut up into large chunks (You can use grilled chicken, leftover roast chicken or bbq chicken, doesn't really matter)
Coarsley grated cheese (Cheddar, Monterey, Pepper Jack, or a combo)
Thinly sliced green onions or red onions
Fresh tomatoes or fresh tomato salsa, drained (if using this then omit the onions)
Corn (frozen is almost as good as fresh)
BBQ Sauce
Freshly ground black pepper
Few dashes of Tabasco if you like it hot
Lime juice, just a little bit (omit if using fresh tomato salsa)

- Toast your corn
Toasting the corn brings out a nice roasted, toasty flavor and evaporates the moisture so it doesn't leak into the quesadilla. This is an essential ingredient in all of my quesadilas now. (Frozen corn also doubles as a handy ice pack if you ever jam your finger in a door like Steven. :( Ouch!)

Heat a small nonstick skillet pan over high or medium high heat (no oil!) and add your corn. Shake the pan occasionally until you see the corn turn a dark brown in spots and pop out of your pan. Yes it will literally jump out of the skillet. Set aside for the filling.

- Make your quesadillas
There's a lot of flexibility here with what goes in so you can be the judge of that. Just don't make them too stuffed otherwise it'll be too hard to flip.

Also, rather than making the quesadilla with one tortilla on the bottom and one on the top and forming a sandwich (this is too hard to flip, stuff will fall out). Add your filling to only half the tortilla (leave a 1/2 in border around the edge) then you flip the other half over and make a half moon shape. This way, less yummy filling falls out. You can also cook two of these in a pan.

- Cooking the quesadilla
If you add the oil directly to the pan it won't evenly distribute to cover the entire quesadilla and sometimes you end up using too much oil leading to overly greasy quesadillas and oily fingers.

So instead, use a pastry brush and brush the tortilla a thin layer of vegetable oil. This ensures that the quesadilla will be evenly covered using the least amount of oil as possible. Optional step: sprinkle a little bit of salt over the oil so it will be even more crisp (I always forget to do this).

Cook the quesadilla over medium heat, oil side down, until the bottoms are crisp and golden brown, it'll will take a few minutes. Then brush the top of the quesadilla with some more oil and carefully flip them over. The second side will take less time because the pan will be hotter.

Slide them out and let it sit for 2 - 3 minutes for the cheese to set. Then cut into wedges and serve.

Links:
I'm not the only Seattleite who can't stand the heat, Pea made an absolutely drool-worthy ice cream.

Pork Picadillo Empanadas

Originally I wanted to bake something for Meeta's birthday, then the plan switched to making ricotta pancakes; the idea being a "virtual" birthday breakfast. I used an Everyday Food recipe and while they had the right idea, the recipe was seriously lacking. I definitely couldn't share a dish I wasn't proud of for Meeta's event so I wanted to make something else. Since the Monthly Mingle is a party theme, I finally went with some savory empanadas for an snack/appetizer. Happy Birthday Meeta, I hope you had a great day. :)

Notes:
- I'm not really sure what the baking powder did, made the crust lighter I suppose. Next time I will omit it and see what happens.
- Some recipes didn't call for baking powder but used vinegar instead. I'm not sure what that would do, maybe make the crust tender also?
- I didn't really figure out how to crimp the edges of the empanada, like Deb, her's are so gorgeous. Maybe next time I'll figure it out.
- I think I may not have rolled out the dough thin enough. If you roll out the wrappers to 1/8-in thick I suspect you may be able to get more empanadas out of the recipe.

Pork Picadillo Empanadas
Filling
About 2 C pork picadillo

Dough
Adapted from Mark Bittman's The Best Recipes in the World

1 3/4 C flour
1/4 C finely ground cornmeal (original recipe called for masa harina which I didn't have)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 egg, lightly beaten
6 tbsp butter, cold
3 – 5 tbsp milk
Egg wash: 1 egg lightly beaten

Mix the flour, cornmeal, salt, and baking powder in a bowl. Using a food processor, pastry blender, or two forks, cut the butter into the dry ingredients until it resembles coarse meal and the butter pieces are no bigger than a pea.

In the center of the dry ingredients, make a well and pour in the beaten egg and 3 tbsp of milk. Bring the dough together, if it is too dry and resists, add some more milk.

Turn the mixture onto a work surface and gently knead (only enough to bring it together, don't overwork the dough) and bring the dough into a cohesive mass. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Divide the dough in half and each half into 8 or 9 even pieces. I got about 18 4-in wrappers out of the dough. Roll each piece out into about a 4in wrapper. Plop about a mounded tablespoon of filling in the center. Fold and seal the crescent, and crimp the edges with a fork (I skipped this) or crimp it in a decorative way (couldn't figure out how to do this).

Brush each empanada with some beaten egg and poke some holes on top for the steam to escape. Bake at 375ºF for about 30 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown.

Cha Shao Shu

I’m too intimidated to make my own pastry dough so I always take a shortcut and use store-bought puff pastry. I had a pastry sheet left over from Valentine’s day and some extra cha shao filling from making cha shao bao so I made some quick cha shao pastries, one of my favorite dim sum items. The Chinese use lard in their pastries so the buttery taste of puff pastry is not typical to Chinese baked goods (but I don't have hours to devote to making authentic pastry, maybe some other day).

When I told Steven I planned on making these, he was pretty apathetic, saying he didn't care too much for them. Well it was a different story when they came out of the oven. Since he ended up liking them so much, I lamented I didn't make more but I guess it's a good thing I only made 6 since eating so much puff pastry can't be too healthy.

I halved my original recipe for the filling so this adjusted recipe will be enough for 9 pastries. You can eat any leftover filling with some rice. The filling is pretty darn good, I ate a little bit while it was cooling.

Cha Shao Filling
1 C chopped cha shao
2 green onions, bottom half only, sliced thinly
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp oyster sauce
1 1/2 tsp hoisin sauce
1 1/2 tsp Shao Hsing rice wine
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
1/8 tsp white pepper
2 Tbsp to 1/4 C water, depending on how saucy you want the filling
1 tsp corn starch
Vegetable oil

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, sugar, and white pepper.

In a separate bowl, mix the water and cornstarch.

Heat a scant teaspoon of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat and stir fry the green onion (white part only) for about 30 seconds to a minute, or until fragrant. Then add the cha shao and the sauce and cook for a minute, until the mixture is bubbly. Then add the cornstarch water and stir together. Cook until the mixture bubbles again and thickens, about a minute.

Cool to room temp before using.

Cha Shao Shu
1 sheet of store bought puff pastry (Pepperidge Farm)
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp white sesame seeds
Cha shao filling

Defrost the puff pastry sheet according to package instructions.

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

The puff pastry sheet is folded in thirds, so cut along the folds for 3 equal pieces of puff pastry. Then cut each third into 3 pieces, for a total of 9 squares of puff pastry.

Roll out each puff pastry square into a rectangle about 3 by 4 in. You don't need to roll it very much, the squares are about 3 x 3 in to begin with.

With the short side facing towards you, scoop a heaping tablespoon of filling onto the puff pastry. Fold the pastry over the filling and seal the 3 edges.


Brush the pastries with some beaten egg and sprinkle a pinch of white sesame seeds on top.

Bake at 375ºF for about 25 to 30 minutes or until the pastries are fully risen and golden brown. Serve hot.

Makes 9 pastries

Century Egg Tofu

Century egg tofu is my favorite way to enjoy these eggs. Silken tofu and century egg slices are drizzled with soy sauce (or soy paste) and sesame oil and topped with green onions and pork floss.

Soy paste is light soy sauce thickened with starch and sometimes sugar. The brand I use is Kimlan. It is used as dipping sauce because the thick consistency clings more readily to food. Using soy paste prevents the dish from being too runny but light soy sauce can be substituted (use less because it might be saltier) if you don’t have soy paste on hand.

Century Egg Tofu - Pidan Doufu
1 block silken tofu
2 century eggs
1 green onion, thinly sliced.
2 Tbsp rinsed and chopped preserved mustard stems (zha cai), optional
1 tsp vegetable oil
Approximately 1 1/2 Tbsp soy paste, to taste
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
About 3 Tbsp pork floss

Steam the block of silken tofu for 10 – 15 minutes and drain. This helps get rid of excess water in the tofu. Let it cool to room temperature and slice into 1/2 in pieces. Personally I like this dish to be at room temperature but it can be served cold too.

Cut the century eggs into slices. First cut in half lengthwise then each half into quarters and each quarter into 2 or 3 slices.

Heat 1 tsp of vegetable oil over medium heat and cook the zha cai for 1 or 2 minutes (if using). Then take the pan off heat and add the sliced green onions and let the flavor bloom in the hot oil. If not using the zha cai, heat up the oil and once hot, take the pan off heat and add the green onions to the hot oil.

To serve arrange the century egg slices on the tofu slices. Drizzle soy paste and sesame oil over the tofu and egg. Sprinkle the green onion (and zha cai) and pork floss on top.

Greek Meatballs

Steven and I love gyros but making the meat at home is a bit challenging since we don’t have a vertical rotisserie. I figured Greek style meatballs would be the next best thing. We ate them on warm pita breads with chopped lettuce, tomatoes, sautéed onions, and tzatziki sauce; pretty close to a gyro.

Greek Meatballs - Keftedes
1/2 lb lean ground beef
1/2 lb ground lamb
Half a medium onion, finely chopped
1 slice of bread, crust removed, pulsed in a food processor or cut into small cubes
1/4 C milk
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
Zest from 1 lemon
1 egg
1 tsp dried oregano
1 Tbsp fresh dill or mint, finely chopped (I had some dill leftover from the tzatziki sauce)
2 to 3 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 tsp black pepper
About 3/4 tsp salt, to taste

1/2 C or more dried breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil

Heat 1 tsp of vegetable oil in a skillet over medium high heat and cook onions until softened. Remove from heat and stir in minced garlic.

Mix the onions and garlic together with the other ingredients except for the dried bread crumbs and vegetable oil.

To form the meatballs, instead of rolling them individually by hand, use this really cool method I learned from Rachel’s blog, Coconut & Lime:

Sprinkle your work surface with some bread crumbs. Roll about a cup of the meat mixture out into a log then cut into pieces about 1 tbsp for your mini meatballs. Then place the pieces into a wire mesh strainer and sprinkle some more bread crumbs over them. Toss and roll the meatballs around in the strainer over a bowl and you’ll have lightly-coated, perfectly round meatballs. You can reuse the breadcrumbs in the bowl for the rest of the meatballs, then throw away the excess in the end.

Heat about 1 tsp of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. I didn’t use very much oil because the meatballs exuded quite a bit of oil. If you find that your meatballs are dry, add more oil so they don’t dry out or burn. Brown all sides of the meatballs until they are fully cooked, about 10 minutes.

Makes about 20 meatballs.

Links:
Check out Elise's recipe for Greek meatballs
Kalyn also has another recipe for Greek meatballs. The addition of feta is a great idea! I'll have to try that next time.

Tzatziki - Weekend Herb Blogging

For this week’s Weekend Herb Blogging, I’m using the delicate and feathery, dill. Dill, like parsley, is a member of the carrot family. The leaves are used as an herb and the seed is used as a spice. The larger stems are often tough and woody but they can be saved and tossed into a soup for a light flavoring. Dill is used with salmon, soups, vegetables, and rice all over Europe and Asia. It is also one of the main components in Tzatziki sauce.

Tzatziki is a very popular Greek sauce and appetizer. The word is derived from the Turkish word for “chutney.” It is a mixture of strained yogurt, or Greek-style yogurt, cucumbers, seasoned with olive oil, garlic, vinegar or lemon juice, and herbs. The sauce is traditionally served with pita bread as an appetizer and is the condiment of choice for gyros. I used this with some Greek meatballs.

Tzatziki Sauce
16 oz. Greek style yogurt*
1 cucumber, washed and peeled
3 - 4 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 to 2 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1/2 tsp salt

*Greek style yogurt is much thicker and richer than normal yogurt. If you can’t get a hold of it you can make your own. Place some plain yogurt in a cheesecloth, tie up the edges and hang it over a bowl or place the cheesecloth in a strainer over a bowl in the fridge for a few hours.

Cut the cucumber in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a small spoon. Then coarsely grate the cucumber.

Gather the grated cucumber in a cheesecloth or paper towel and squeeze out the excess water, otherwise the tzatziki will be too runny.

Mix the grated cucumber with everything else.


This week’s WHB is hosted by Pat of Up A Creek Without A Patl.

Gruyere Gougeres - A Taste of Yellow

jump to the new blog for gougere recipe

California Rolls - How to Make Sushi Rolls

Sushi is my absolute favorite food but I did not always love it. In my teenage years I was appalled by the thought of eating something raw so I only ate "cooked" sushi, such as the California roll. The California roll represents my stepping stone into the world of sushi and it's something that I am still very fond of.

Maki (sushi roll) is fun and easy to make at home. The only equipment required is a bamboo rolling mat. I purchased mine at an Asian market for a little over $1. Nori (toasted seaweed layer) can be also be purchased at Asian markets. You can experiment with many different ingredients to fill your sushi rolls.

California Roll
4 C cooked sushi rice
6 sheets nori
8 oz imitation crab meat
1 large ripe hass avocado, 1/2 in sticks
1 cucumber, peeled and cut into sticks

bamboo mat
bowl of water
rice paddle/spatula

Optional:
roe
toasted white sesame seeds

Prepare sushi rice.

Cut the avocado and cucumber into strips. I peel the cucumber then cut it in half lengthwise and deseed with a small spoon, then each half into quarters, and finally each quarter in half again for 8 strips of cucumber.

You can use imitation crab chunks or sticks. Sticks are a bit easier to manage but for you can cut each chunk and half and line them up. Although imitation crab meat is usually ready to eat, I like to blanch it in boiling water for 30 seconds to 1 minute to bring it up to a warmer temperature.

Optional step: toasting nori sheets
Hold a sheet of nori with tongs and pass it over a medium heat burner a few seconds each side. Nori burns very easily so be careful when doing this. This will help the nori stay crisp after adding the rice.

Place a sheet of nori shiny side down on a bamboo mat. If there are any lines on the nori they should be horizontal (the longer side of the nori sheet should be horizontal). Spread 2/3 C of sushi rice on 3/4 of the nori; it is easiest to use a paddle or spatula but you can use your hands (wet your hands with water before spreading the rice otherwise it'll stick everywhere). The rice should be spread to the bottom, left, and right edges but not all the way up to the top. Room is left on top for sealing the roll later.

Place filling (cucumber, avocado, and imitation crab strips) on the rice about 3 in from the bottom of the sheet.






Using the bamboo mat, roll the bottom of the sheet tightly over the filling. Continue to roll keeping the mat as tight as possible, pulling back the mat as you go, until you reach the top of the nori sheet where there is no rice. Use some water and dab along the top to wet the nori sheet then finish your roll. The water will help seal the roll.

Using a sharp knife, cut the roll down the middle. Then cut rolls about 1 1/2 wide from the middle to the edges. Usually the edges are uneven, with bits of filling sticking out, so I eat those myself before I serve the sushi (a little snack for the cook) or you can push the filling back in and serve those rolls with the end face down to hide the imperfection.


Yields: 6 maki logs, around 40 rolls
Serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger



Other sushi rolls that I like to make at home are the Philidelphia/Seattle roll (salmon, cream cheese, avocado or cucumber) and the Unagi/roasted eel roll (unagi, egg, cucumber). Feel free to mix and match with whatever you like.

Links:
A different rolling guide and instructional video for making sushi rolls from Food Network.

Another maki sushi link from Coconut & Lime.

Chinese Daikon Cake (Luo Buo Gao)

Daikon is a type of Asian radish that looks like a large white carrot. Commonly used in many Asian cuisines, it is the main ingredient of daikon cakes. Daikon cake is a popular dim sum dish but traditionally, it is served during Chinese New Year. The cakes are first steamed, keeping the cake very tender, then pan fried giving each slice a crispy exterior.

Chinese Daikon Cake (Luo Buo Gao)
2 1/2 to 3 C coarsely shredded daikon (around 1 1/2 to 2 lbs)
1 Chinese sausage, finely diced
3 dried shiitake mushrooms, finely diced
2 Tbsp small dried shrimp, finely diced
1 - 2 green onion stalks, thinly sliced
2 C rice flour (do not use glutinous rice flour)
1 3/4 C water
salt and white pepper
oil

Soak dried mushrooms and dried shrimp in hot water. You can do this in the same bowl or seperate bowls.

Peel and shred daikon. Lightly pack into measuring cups for the most accurate measurement.

Mix rice flour with remaining cup of water.

Heat 2 tsp of oil in a skillet or wok and stir fry chinese sausage, rehydrated shiitakes, shrimp, and green onion for 2 to 3 minutes. Add daikon, 3/4 C water, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp white pepper. Bring to a boil then remove from heat. Meanwhile, grease a square cake pan or loaf pan and start the steamer.

Stir in the rice flour water mixture then spread into the greased pan. Steam for 50 minutes.

Cool or chill overnight. After cooling, cut the cake into 1/4 in slices and pan fry until both sides are golden brown.

Serve with soy sauce or soy sauce paste (thicker version of soy sauce).

Other recipes:
Turnip cakes at mmm-yoso!!!

Roast Red Pepper and Sundried Tomato Tart

I love roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and puff pastry individually but combining them in a tart seemed like a delicious idea. This is another good hors d'oeuvre or appetizer. If I were to make this again I would layer the roasted red pepper on top of the sundried tomatoes, rather than scattering the tomatoes on top, so they don't burn. You can also add some fresh herbs, bacon pieces, and or goat cheese but I decided to keep the flavors simple.

I use the Pepperidge Farm puff pastry sheets because making puff pastry from scratch takes hours and is a hassle. Each box contains 2 square sheets and each sheet yields 9, around 3 x 3 in tarts. When I first made these, I put the peppers and sun-dried tomatoes on unbaked pieces of puff pastry. Then I ran into the problem of sun-dried tomatoes burning and the puff pastry not puffing. So this can be remedied by first prebaking each piece of puff pastry until they're puffed but not entirely golden brown, around 10 minutes (the baking instructions for the puff pastry states 15 minutes at 400ºF is sufficient so I baked for 10 minutes). The toppings are added to the pastry and the tart is finished baking at a lower temperature.

Roasted Red Pepper and Sundried Tomato Tart
1 sheet puff pastry, cut into 3 x 3 in squares
2 roasted red bell peppers, sliced into strips
2 - 3 Tbsp sun dried tomatoes (Trader Joes jar is excellent), minced

Optional:
Fresh herbs
Goat cheese
Bacon

Keep the puff pastry squares chilled until ready to bake.

Roast the bell peppers. You can do this on a gas stove top or roast under the broiler.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Bake the puff pastry for 10 minutes, until each piece is golden. Remove the pastry and lower the oven temperature to 350ºF.

Spead 1/2 tsp to 1 tsp of sundried tomatoes on each piece of puff pastry. Then layer strips of red pepper on top of the tomatoes.

Bake at 350ºF for 5 - 10 minutes, until the tart edges are golden brown.

Serve warm.

Yields 9 tarts

Shrimp and Edamame Dumplings

The mark of a good dim sum restaurant is a good shrimp dumpling. Har gow/xia jiao should be steaming hot, magically translucent, and expertly pleated. The wrapper should be tender and the dumpling should be bursting with fresh, pink shrimp with a slight essence of toasted sesame oil. Unfortunately, there are so many ways to go wrong. If the dumpling falls apart when you go to pick it up, then the wrapper is too fragile but if the wrapper is thick and rubbery, that's no good either. If there is too much bamboo, then they definitely skimped on the shrimp. All in all, a seemingly simple shrimp dumpling can be rather complicated.

My innate curiousity left me wondering how these dumplings are made; in particular, how the wrappers are made because they are so different from the usual dumpling or potsticker wrappers. So I researched some dim sum making and discovered that xia jiao can be made at home, albeit some of the ingredients were not commonplace pantry items. But I'm still missing a piece of the puzzle because as much as I try, I can only come to a close approximation. The dumplings I make are decent, but they're not perfect, like a good dim sum restaurant. Maybe this is a good thing because maybe not everything can be or should be made at home.

In this variation of the shrimp dumpling, I added some soybeans (edamames) to give it some bright green color. The edamames can be omitted and replaced with more shrimp for a traditional dumpling. The secret why the dough becomes translucent after steaming is because it is made with wheat starch.

Shrimp and Edamame Dumplings
Dough:
1 1/4 C wheat starch (You can find wheat starch and tapioca starch at Asian markets)
1/4 C tapicoa starch
1 Tbsp oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 C boiling water

Filling:
8 oz shrimp, shelled and deveined
1/2 C soybeans/edamame (if omitted, replace with 4 oz. shrimp)
2 Tbsp bamboo shoot, minced (this can also be omitted)
1 Tbsp corn starch
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp rice wine (Shao Hsing wine)

Peel, wash, and devein shrimp. Then chop, leaving some pieces small and some larger, and add to a mixing bowl.

Boil edamame for 2 minutes. Squeeze each bean out of the membrane layer that covers each bean. Roughly chop and add to shrimp.

Add minced bamboo, soy sauce, sugar, oyster sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, and corn starch to the filling and mix. Chill in the fridge while making the dough, allowing the flavors to develop.

Add wheat starch, tapioca starch, oil, and salt in a mixing bowl. Add boiling water at once and stir to bring the dough together.

When the dough can be handled, gently knead for 30 seconds to a minute. The dough will white and very smooth.

Break off about 2 tsp to 1 Tbsp of the dough and roll into a ball. Keep the rest of the dough covered. Using the side of a cleaver or the bottom of a pan flatten the dough between two pieces of parchment paper to a 3in circle. If a thinner wrapper is desired, roll the wrapper out after flattening.

Add about 2 tsp of the filling in the center of the wrapper and make pleats along half the wrapper. Overlap sections of the dough to create pleats, using your thumb as a guide. When half the circumference of the wrapper is pleated, seal the dumpling by pressing the pleated side with the unpleated side to form a crescent shape dumpling. If desired a triangular shape can be made by pressing the edges of the wrapper together at three points along the edge of the wrapper towards the center to seal in a triangular purse shape.

Before making the rest of the dumplings, begin boiling water for your steamer. Steam the dumplings for 8 to 10 minutes. The dumplings will become translucent after they cool for a bit after steaming.

Serve immediately.

Storing: These dumplings can be frozen but they must be steamed first. Then steam to reheat.

Yields about 24 dumplings.