Winter Melon

 

Winter Melon

 

Winter Melon is one of the popular vegetables in China. It’s good to cook in soup, or cook with meat or shrimp.

Before you cook winter melon, you have to get rid of its hair first. Be really carefully when remove hair, your skin can be really itchy if you touch it.

Seeds need to be removed, too.

Winter Melon          Winter Melon

Winter Melon showing in pictures is a mini winter melon. Most of them are huge, about same size of a big watermelon.

For more info., please check with wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winter_melon

 

豆沙蛋黄月饼

 

豆沙蛋黄月饼

 

我其实不是很爱吃月饼,不过,既然是过节,总是要应一下景的,所以,只要有时间,我还是会包几个月饼和家人、朋友分享的。

材料:豆沙蛋黄月饼豆沙蛋黄月饼

皮:100 克面粉,5 克奶粉,75 克转化糖浆,25 克油,1 克碱水。

馅:豆沙馅,咸蛋黄

其他:月饼模具,表面刷料:一个蛋黄,一勺蛋清和一勺水豆沙蛋黄月饼豆沙蛋黄月饼

打散搅匀

做法:

1、糖浆、油和碱水混合拌匀。

油我用的是色拉油,不要用味道太重的油。豆沙蛋黄月饼豆沙蛋黄月饼

2、面粉过筛,和奶粉一起拌入,和成柔软的面团。

通用的标准是面团要和耳垂一样柔软。

3、面团静置 1 个小时左右。豆沙蛋黄月饼豆沙蛋黄月饼

4、炒锅烧热,不用放油,中小火放入豆沙馅略炒,至豆沙馅可以成型即可。

商店卖的豆沙馅一般都偏甜,而且比较稀,不太适合直接拿来做馅,都要炒干一些才能用。豆沙蛋黄月饼

5、炒好的豆沙馅盛出放凉。

6、把面团和豆沙馅按重量分好。

我的模具比较小,所以我的皮是 15 克一个,豆沙馅是 30 克一个,蛋黄用的是整个的。

豆沙蛋黄月饼          豆沙蛋黄月饼        豆沙蛋黄月饼

7、用豆沙馅把蛋黄包起来,然后团成球。

8、面皮略微捏扁,用手和手指慢慢推挤,把月饼包起来,团成球,沾少许面粉,放入模具挤压成型。

豆沙蛋黄月饼        豆沙蛋黄月饼        豆沙蛋黄月饼

9、烤箱预热 350 华氏度(160 摄氏度)。豆沙蛋黄月饼

10、月饼表面喷一层水,放入烤箱烤 5 分钟,然后拿出,刷上刷料,再烤 15 分钟即可。

11、烤好的月饼密封回油 1- 2 天即可食用。

 

豆沙蛋黄月饼

 

 

Moon Cake with Red Bean Paste and Egg Yolk

 

Moon Cake with Red Bean Paste and Egg Yolk

 

This is one the traditional moon cake for Mid-Autumn Festival. Moon cake is not really my favorite, but you have to have it for the festival. So every year, I try to bake some to share with friends.

Ingredients:Moon Cake with Red Bean Paste and Egg YolkMoon Cake with Red Bean Paste and Egg Yolk

Dough: 100 gram all-purpose flour, 5 gram dry milk, 75 gram homemade syrup, 25 gram cooking oil, 1 gram potassium carbonate solution.

Filling: red bean paste, salted egg yolk

Topping: 1 raw egg yolk, 1 tsp egg white, 1 tsp water, mix well.Moon Cake with Red Bean Paste and Egg YolkMoon Cake with Red Bean Paste and Egg Yolk

Tool: moon cake mold

Method:

Dough:

1. Mix syrup, cooking oil and potassium carbonate solution, beat until mix well.Moon Cake with Red Bean Paste and Egg YolkMoon Cake with Red Bean Paste and Egg Yolk

I used homemade syrup which was made just for moon cake, recipe will follow. If you don’t have it, you can use store-bought, but recommend darker color and thick ones.

2. Sift flour, add with dry milk into syrup mixture, mix well until form a smooth dough.

3. Set aside for about 1 hour.

Filling:Moon Cake with Red Bean Paste and Egg YolkMoon Cake with Red Bean Paste and Egg Yolk

1. Heat up skillet, no oil need, pour red bean paste in.

2. Stir fry red bean paste on medium low heat until you think it’s thick enough to shape.

3. Transfer to a container, let it cool.

Wrapping:Moon Cake with Red Bean Paste and Egg Yolk

1. Decide the size and weight for each portion. My mold is small, so divided the dough into 12 equal pieces, about 15 gram each, red bean paste was 30 gram.

2. Separate dough and red bean paste.

3. Flat red bean paste (or break it), roll it over the egg yolk, form a ball with egg yolk inside.

4. Flat dough, use your fingers and hand to push/squeeze to make the dough cover filling completely.

Dough is really soft and tender, easy to operate.

Moon Cake with Red Bean Paste and Egg Yolk         Moon Cake with Red Bean Paste and Egg Yolk        Moon Cake with Red Bean Paste and Egg Yolk

Moon Cake with Red Bean Paste and Egg Yolk         Moon Cake with Red Bean Paste and Egg Yolk        Moon Cake with Red Bean Paste and Egg Yolk

5. Put the moon cake ball with a thin flour coating in mold to shape it.

6. Pre-heat oven to 350ºF.Moon Cake with Red Bean Paste and Egg Yolk

7. Sprinkle moon cake with water, bake for 5 minutes, then take out, thinly coated with topping, bake for another 15 minutes.

8. After moon cakes are cool, put in a sealed container, set for at least one day then serve.

Fresh baked moon cake has hard shell. Shell with turn tender after settling. Normally takes at least a day, sometime 2-3 days.

 

Moon Cake with Red Bean Paste and Egg Yolk

 

 

Stir Fried Asparagus with Preserved Pork

Stir Fried Asparagus with Preserved Pork

I’m not a big asparagus person, but once a while, I miss it. I use to stir fry it with eggs. But I noticed that it makes eggs looks darker in my lunch box next day. So I decided to cook it with meat this time.

Ingredients:Stir Fried Asparagus with Preserved Pork

Asparagus, onion, wood ear, preserved pork, seasoning to taste.

Method:

1. Soak wood ear in water for at least 1 hour, then clean and drain good.Stir Fried Asparagus with Preserved Pork

2. Chop asparagus into inch-long sticks.

3. Slice preserved pork into thin slices.

4. Chop onion into cubes.

5. Heat up skillet, no oil needed, set on medium high heat.Stir Fried Asparagus with Preserved Pork

6. Cook preserved pork for several minutes until the fat start looking clear.

7. Add onion to skillet, cook for several minutes until onion start getting tender.

8. Add some cooking wine and vinegar into skillet, mix well.Stir Fried Asparagus with Preserved Pork

9. Add asparagus and wood ear, keep cooking for several minutes.

10. Add salt, pepper, and a pinch sugar into skillet, stir well.

11. Transfer to plate and serve.

Stir Fried Asparagus with Preserved Pork

To view this recipe in Chinese, please click here.

腊肉炒芦笋

腊肉炒芦笋

我一向都喜欢用鸡蛋来炒芦笋,不过我发现剩菜里面的鸡蛋颜色会变暗。所以,这次我决定用肉来炒。

材料:腊肉炒芦笋

腊肉,芦笋,洋葱,木耳,调味料。

做法:

1、木耳用水泡发,清理干净,沥干水分待用。

2、芦笋切寸段,腊肉切片,洋葱切块。

3、炒锅烧热,不用放油,中大火把腊肉炒至肥肉透明,然后倒入洋葱略微炒软,加少许料酒、醋,炒匀。

腊肉炒芦笋          腊肉炒芦笋          腊肉炒芦笋

4、锅里加入芦笋和木耳略炒,加盐、胡椒和少许糖,炒匀即可出锅。

腊肉炒芦笋

查看英文版菜谱,请点击这里

Preserved Pork

 

Preserved Pork

 

Preserved Pork is very popular in South China. This is one of the main way to prevent meat from going bad before refrigerator exists.

To make preserved pork, most people would use pig belly. First, season pork with salt and pepper for 1-3 days, then add other seasoning such as rice wine, soybean oil, etc., then smoke it or air-dry it.

Of course, different area has different way to preserve meat. In country, lots of families hang treated pork above their stoves until they are ready to cook it.

I make it at home. Because I live in South, winter temperature is not low enough to let it air-dry, I have to let it sit in my refrigerator for days to let it dry. It’s not the original taste, but close enough.

Don’t be scared of the color, it comes from soybean oil.

番茄蛋花汤

 

番茄蛋花汤

 

我一向都喜欢鸡蛋,各种做法都喜欢。所以汤里面,蛋花汤是我的最爱,简单又好做。

材料:番茄蛋花汤

番茄,鸡蛋,豆腐,淀粉,调味料。

做法:

1、烧一锅开水。

2、豆腐切小块,在开水里面焯一下,捞出待用。番茄蛋花汤

3、番茄用开水烫一下,1 分钟左右即可,剥皮切块。

4、锅里重新烧水,加入盐、糖和白胡椒。

糖要多放一点,这个汤的味道是酸甜的。

5、水开之后倒入番茄块和豆腐块,煮至水开。番茄蛋花汤

6、淀粉加水调匀,倒进锅里,同时快速搅拌。

7、鸡蛋打散,水开之后慢慢倒进锅里,快速搅拌到蛋穗浮起。

8、水再开之后停火,加几滴香麻油,搅匀。

 

番茄蛋花汤

 

 

Egg Drop Soup with Tomato and Tofu

 

Egg  Drop Soup with Tomato and Tofu

 

Egg drop soup is one of my favorite soups. It’s quick and easy, and I can add any kind of vegetables into it to give it more flavor and color.

Ingredients:Egg  Drop Soup with Tomato and Tofu

2 medium size tomatoes, 2 eggs, 1 small block tofu, corn starch, seasoning to taste.

Method:

1. Chop tofu into small tubes.

2. Put tofu tubes into boiling water, bring water to boil again, drain tofu well, set aside.

3. Drop tomatoes into hot water for about 1 minute, take out, then peel and chop into tubes.Egg  Drop Soup with Tomato and Tofu

4. Pour water in sauce pan, bring to boil, add seasoning to your taste.

I normally use salt, sugar and white pepper. I use much more sugar then normal, so the soup would taste sour and sweet.

5. Pour tomato tubes and tofu tubes into pan, bring to boil.

6. Mix about 1 tbsp corn starch and 2 tbsp water, stir quickly while pouring batter into pan.

7. Beat eggs well, stir quickly while slowly pouring into pan.Egg  Drop Soup with Tomato and Tofu

Always pour starch batter before eggs, so egg drops will float.

8. Add several drops of sesame oil into pan, remove from heat.

9. Transfer into bowl, serve when warm.

 

Egg Drop Soup with Tomato and Tofu

 

Crystal Moon Cake with Egg Custard

 

Crystal Moon Cake with Egg Custard

 

Moon cake is the traditional food for Mid-Autumn Festival. Crystal Moon Cake is a new kind moon cake came to market several years ago. I think young ones like this type of moon cake better.

Ingredients:Crystal Moon Cake with Egg CustardCrystal Moon Cake with Egg Custard

Dough: 45 gram sticky rice flour, 35 gram white rice flour, 20 gram wheat starch, 185 gram milk, 50 gram sugar powder, 20 ml cooking oil.

Filling: 2 eggs, 2 tbsp sugar, 2 tbsp custard powder, 120 ml milk, 5o gram flour, 40 gram butter.Crystal Moon Cake with Egg Custard

Else: moon cake mold, cooked sticky rice flour.

Method:

Dough:

1. Mix milk, cooking oil and sugar, stir until mix well.

Try not use heavy-taste/smell oil, such as olive oil, I used vegetable oil.

2. Add sticky rice flour, white rice flour and wheat starch into liquid mixture, stir until its smooth.

3. Steam batter for about 10 minutes, stir well, then steam for another 10 minutes.Crystal Moon Cake with Egg Custard

4. Use fork/chopsticks stir the dough really good, then set aside to let it cool.

5. Punch dough with hands until it’s smooth when it’s not hot.

The dough is sticky, I normally wrap it with shrink wrap then punch it.

Filling:

1. Mix egg and sugar, beat well.

2. Add custard powder into egg mixture, stir until smooth.Crystal Moon Cake with Egg Custard

3. Add milk into egg mixture, mix well.

4. Sift flour, then add into egg mixture, stir until smooth.

5. Chop butter into small chunk pieces, add into mixture.

6. Steam mixture for about 1o minutes, stir several times during steaming.

You can use a 2-layer boiling pan.

7. Set filling aside until it’s cool.

Moon Cake:

1. Separate dough and filling into even amount pieces, I normally do 20 gram each, by the mold I use.

2. Roll each piece into a ball.

3. Flat the dough ball, use your finger to push/squeeze it so you can cover the filling ball with it. Then roll it into a bigger ball.

Crystal Moon Cake with Egg Custard    Crystal Moon Cake with Egg Custard    Crystal Moon Cake with Egg Custard    Crystal Moon Cake with Egg Custard

4. Make sure the moon cake ball is lightly coated with cooked sticky rice flour, then put it into mold, press lightly, turn mold over to release moon cake.

You can cook the sticky rice flour yourself, it’s simple: heat up skillet on medium heat, no oil added, constantly stir sticky rice flour until it turns lightly lightly brown. Then set aside to let it cool.

Crystal Moon Cake with Egg Custard         Crystal Moon Cake with Egg Custard          Crystal Moon Cake with Egg Custard

 5. Put moon cake in refrigerator for several hours or overnight, then it’s ready to serve.

 

Crystal Moon Cake with Egg Custard

 

冰皮奶黄月饼

 

冰皮月饼

 

据说冰皮月饼在国内已经火了几年了,据说很多人都很喜欢吃,据说还有很多人没有吃过,据说有人喜欢冰皮月饼多过传统月饼。。。。。。

材料:冰皮月饼冰皮月饼

皮:45 克糯米粉,35 克粘米粉,20 克澄面(小麦淀粉),185 克牛奶,50 克糖粉,20 毫升色拉油

馅:2 个鸡蛋,2 大勺糖,2 大勺蛋黄粉,120 毫升牛奶,50 克面粉,40 克黄油

其他:糕粉(熟糯米粉)适量,冰皮月饼模具。冰皮月饼

做法:

皮:

1、牛奶、色拉油和糖粉混合拌匀。

2、所有的面粉倒入牛奶糊拌匀,上屉蒸 20 分钟左右。中间搅拌 2-3 次。冰皮月饼

3、用筷子用力搅拌蒸好的面团,放凉之后用保鲜膜包起揉匀。

大家通用的标准是面团象耳垂一样柔软。

馅:

1、鸡蛋和糖混合拌匀,加入蛋黄粉搅拌均匀。冰皮月饼

2、牛奶加入鸡蛋糊,搅拌均匀。

3、面粉过筛,加入鸡蛋糊,拌匀。

4、黄油切小粒,拌入鸡蛋糊。

5、拌好的面糊隔水蒸 10 分钟左右,中间搅拌几次,放凉待用。

包:冰皮月饼

1、皮和馅各按 20 克称好,揉成球状。

我的模具不大,大的模具分量要适当增加。

2、用手指把皮捏扁,慢慢用手指推压,把馅包进去封口。

皮有些粘,要适量沾些糕粉防粘。

冰皮月饼          冰皮月饼          冰皮月饼

3、包好的月饼沾一层糕粉,抖掉多余的糕粉,然后放入模具,用手轻轻挤压成型,把月饼倒出模具即可。

冰皮月饼          冰皮月饼          冰皮月饼

4、月饼冷藏几个小时即可食用。

 

冰皮月饼