Chinese Lunar New Year 2023

Buddha Casserole with added ingredients 

                                    CNY Meal

 

Braised abalone with pork belly 

 

Yu seng

Homemade vegetarian version 

         Deep-fried chicken beancurd rolls

            Nian gao signified "年年高升"

                          Baby bok choy

                      Stir-fried jicama

Chinese sausage and cured pork belly sticky rice signified family always stick together. 

Portuguese egg custard tarts from Costco 

                                   CNY goodies 

Buddha Casserole from Costco

My version of Buddha Casserole that I bought from Costco.   I added white radish, napa cabbage, 3 drumsticks, fish maws, lotus roots and cured pork belly into the stock, added more water and simmered for 1 hour and 15 minutes and lastly added their abalone and shrimps and simmered for an additional 15 minutes.  Viola!

It was very good!  We had it for 3 meals.

 

Homemade Guilingao

It is very easy to make guilingao at home.  It is a cooling food and I loved to make it when someone in my family is feeling heaty. 

You just need to buy the guilingao powder from the Asian grocery store.  I used 2 Tbsp. Guilingao powder per 550ml water.  Add guilingao powder into the saucepan, then add in the room temperature water and whisk until blended.   Then placed it on to the stove top and heat it until boiling, keep stirring and watching it as not to let it over boiled, around 5 minutes.  Set it aside and scoop out any bubbles.  Let it cool completely.  It will harden.

To serve,

Scoop some into a bowl.  Top with honey or maple syrup and 1 Tbsp. of heavy cream.  Enjoy!

Keep any leftover guilingao in the refrigerator.

Korean BBQ at Home

I was craving for some Korean BBQ at home, so I just made it.  It's easy to make it at home.  You just have to marinade the meats a day before and then prepare some side dishes to go with the meal.  I was grilling with an indoor grill.

              Short ribs and spicy chicken

                                 Japchea 

           Shrimps and veggies pancakes 

Soy Glazed Potatoes

I love this soy sauce potatoes banchan or side dish that I had at the Korean restaurant so of course I have to recreate it at home.  This is the only way that I can eat until I am content as in the Korean restaurant they only gave you 4 pieces and you probably can only asked for 1free refill, my face is definitely not thick enough to ask for a second refills.  So, I love making this at home!

Since I have been making this more than once, I found an easier way to make it by using an air-fryer.  First you wash and cut the potatoes into pieces and then I coat it in oil and then I air-fry it at 400’F for 20 minutes.  Then, I stir-fry it in a pan with soy sauce, water, brown sugar, dark soy sauce, mirin and let the sauce thicken.  Lastly sprinkle with sesame seeds, mix and enjoy!

If you don’t have an air-fryer, you can do the below method.
I steamed the baby potatoes for 20 minutes first.  Then stir-fried it in oil until slightly crispy, then add soy sauce, water, brown sugar, dark soy sauce, mirin and sesame seeds.  Stir-fried until thicken and serve.

Homemade Tiramisu

This is a cream cheese whipped cream version of the Tiramisu.

I bought an organic lady fingers from Sprouts, it was made in Italy to make this Tiramisu.

I used an older recipe that I had in this blog to make this.  It was quick and easy and yield a satisfying Tiramisu.  I just slightly modified the recipe a little to make this.

 Do you want a slice?

Ingredients:

(A)
1- 8oz (226g) Philadelphia cream cheese
1/3 cup (40g) confectioner sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

(B)
300ml heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup (55g) confectioner sugar

Syrup (C)
3 Tbsp. instant coffee granules
1 tsp. cocoa powder
1 cup warm water
3 tsp. Brandy (or more to suit your taste)

Cocoa powder for dusting as needed
1 packet of Sprouts organic lady fingers



Method:

1. Whip heavy cream until soft peak, add in sugar and whip until stiff peak, set aside.

2. Beat (A) until combined (can use the same beaters you used to whip the cream, don't have to wash). Fold in the whipped cream. Set aside.

3. Dissolved coffee granules and cocoa powder into the warm water. Add in the Brandy. Stir to mix well. Set aside.  Use a shallow bowl that wide enough for the lady finger. 

4. Take one lady finger and dip into the coffee mixture,  flip to the other side and coat well and place it into the glass container or container of choice.  Do the same with other lady fingers until you finish the bottom layer.  Then coat the top with the whipped cream mixture and spread evenly.  Sprinkle all over with cocoa powder.  Then repeat the lady finger procedure to top it all over.  Then whipped cream mixture and coat the top with cocoa powder. 

5.  Cover the container and put it in the refrigerator for at least 5-6 hours before serving (or overnight).  Keep any leftover in the fridge.  Enjoy!