Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup

As I mention earlier in my post, we don’t really have a real Asian market here. The closest one would be in Dallas about 5 to 6 hours drive, so the motivation to cook can be pretty limited too. That had recently changed since our little town finally had a real Chinese/Oriental Market. I was the first to check it out! Yes, that how excited I was. So as I was grabbing everything to put into my basket, I made my way to the cooler section and noticed the Taiwanese noodle. I nearly jumped for joy! I knew right away that I will make it this coming Sunday.
In all honestly, I never had this since I moved to Texas 5 years ago and just thinking about it made my mouth water. The blend of spices with the hot soup and oh so tender beef just compliments the chewy hands pulled noodle to perfection. This noodle soup is so soothing and delicious that it hard to any other noodle to compete with. It one of those noodle that once you have it, you’ll crave for more and more.

3 Pounds of beef shank cut into 2” inches pieces
5-6 Garlic cloves, slightly crushed
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp sesame oil
3 Sliced gingers
5 Slightly crushed scallion, cut halved crosswise
1 Tsp Chinese five-spice powder
4 Star anise
½ Tsp of white pepper
1 Tbsp of beef soup base
½ Tsp of black pepper
1 Tsp of sea salt
4 Dried chilies
¼ Cup chile bean sauce
3 Tbsp of Shaoxing rice wine
2 Tbsp of rock sugar
½ Cup of soy sauce
3 Tbsp of dark soy sauce (add more for darker broth)
5 plus Quart of water

1 Bunch water crest or baby bok choy, broccoli flower
2 Package fresh hand pull Taiwanese noodle (find it in your Asian market)

1. Put all the ingredients together and bring to a hard boil.
2. Remove any scum on the top to make the soup clear.
3. Lower the heat to medium and cook for another 1 ½ hours or until beef shank is tender. If you put tendon in there cook the tendon ½ first.
4. When it done do not cover and let it sit for a couple of hours to fully absorb the flavor. Or make it overnight and refrigerated.
5. To serve, in another pot add water to almost full and bring it to boil. Cook noodle to package instruction.
6. Drain and add the vegetable and soup.

Enjoy.

My Steam Chinese Sponge Cake Dan Gao

This steam Dan Gao or sponge cake is often present itself during the Chinese New Year festival with a red dot on the center. It always the first item I want to eat before anything else. I can’t put my finger on it, but it has a uniqueness that only childhood memories could make you appreciated this cake even more so. It not like your average baked sponge cake. It one more dense and less airy, yet it have it own distinctive taste that just melts in your mouth. I can really eat this cake all day long! Of course it being steam is doesn’t make it less fat content, even though it tasted lighter. Everything is moderation is always best.
Beside the paper cup sponge cake, this is one of my favorite cakes that I often buy when I do happen to go to Hong Kong bakery in Torrance. They make this cake nice and moist and right out of the steamer every time I order them. If you really want to try this out, I know that some Dim Sum place do serve this tasty treat. So next time if you do see it, don’t hesitate to try some!

Ingredients:
3 Cup of cake flour
½ Tsp of baking powder
½ Tsp of almond extract or prefer flavor
½ Tsp of butter/vanilla emulsion
6eggs
1 Cup of granulated sugar
Methods:

1 Put half of water in the steamer and bring to a slow boil.
2 Shift the flour and baking powder together and set aside.
3 In a mixer whip the egg until creamy and then add the sugar, butter/vanilla emulsion and almond extract.
4 When the egg turns pale yellow and double in volume. Slowly add the flower and mix well.
5 Pour the batter into a grease baking pan of desire size and put over hot boiling steamer.
6 Steam for 45 minutes or until the pick comes out clean when poke in the center.

Let cool and serve plain or with fruit topping.

Chendol

I been looking for the recipe for some time now. Chendol is another form of Lod Chong, just a slight difference in texture and much chewier. There are many name for it, but the one I am familiar with is the Thai’s version known as Singapore Lod Chong, using topical starch or mung bean starch instead of the regular rice flour with lime stone water. In Cambodian lotus root starch is their main ingredient. I know that Vietnamese have the same dessert that they put in their rainbow color drink, and I am assuming that they used tropical starch due to it super chewy, clear texture. In all, I think this dessert is awesome in each and every form. I just love the chewy texture combination with creamy coconut flavor that sweet and salty. It just hits the spot for my sweet tooth craving every single time. This refreshing sweetness it great on serve on shave ice, in a coconut milk drink or just alone with drench in coconut milk syrup, you’ll never just have one serving!
Here what I found out after many experiments with the different kind of starch:
Mung bean starch makes it more bouncy and less chewy.
Lotus root starch soft and chewy, almost melt in your melt texture.
Topical starch is very chewy and almost little or no bounce. Have to chew long before digesting.





Ingredients:
1 Cup starch
3 cup water for lotus starch and 3 ½ cup water for the mung bean flour
1 to 2 drops of pandans extract for flavoring and green coloring

Coconut Milk Syrup
1 Can coconut milk
¾ Cup of palm sugar
½ Tsp of salt
Over medium heat add everything and bring to boil. Add the sugar a little at a time taste. Turn off and set aside.

Methods:
1. Mix the water and the flour until blended.
2. Heat over medium heat and stir constantly.
3. When it starting to clump up, lower the heat to low and continue stirring in one direction to keep the consistency going.
4. It is done when it is sticky, shiny and clear. That about a good 15 minutes of stirring.
5. Remove from heat and pour into the lod chong presser. Making sure that the presser is only ½ above ice water.
6. Let it sit in the water for a good 10 minutes then remove and serve with the coconut milk, with or without ice.

Beef Kabob

For this Easter I forgo the traditional ham, lamp and turkey dinner for something that is exotic and closer to home and less complicated. So I decided to do an Asian B.B.Q. with beef and chicken kabob with all the dressing and herbs Khmer style. I grew up loving this beef stick because of it rich tasting and powerful aroma. There is no other beef kabob that can match it in taste or texture and I’ve tried many. Overall, if you into spices and herbs this is one dish you got try at least once. This is one of those dishes that can be used for multi-purposes. I made both chicken and beef with the same marination, but somehow the beef more flavorful and tender. It's great as sandwich meat, as an appetizer or even as the main dishes, whichever way it is just oh so good! Of course I used it as my main dish accompany by papaya salad and a couple of desserts. Simple yet very delicious and interesting to taste bud and everyone seem to love it too. I didn’t have any leftover for this Easter!

Ingredients:

1 Cup minced lemon grass
3 Dried chilies (soak in hot water for an hour until soften)
1 Tsp of turmeric powder
2 Tbsp of oyster sauce
2 Tbsp of fish sauce
¼ Tsp of kosher salt
¼ Cup kaffier lime leave minced
4 Garlic cloves
¼ Cup of coconut milk
2 Tbsp of vegetable oil
1 Tbsp of palm sugar or brown sugar
2 LB beef skirt

Methods:

1. Cut the beef skirt against the grain about 2 inchs long. Set aside.
2. Put all of the ingredients in the food processor and grind to fine.
3. Once it finely grinded poured the puree over the meat and let is sit for at least 6 hours or overnight for great flavor.
4. Soak the skewer in water for 30 minutes before you kabob them.
5. Cook beef for 5 minutes flipping every 2 minutes. For chicken kabob cook for 10 minutes or until done.

Banana Cream Pie

If you love banana cream pie, but don’t want to make one because is just seem so complicated, then you need to try this recipe. This is an easy as pie recipe that can’t go wrong, yet taste so good. For some reason I can never resist banana cream pie! I have tried many versions of banana cream pies and they are all delicious. This is one pie that you can’t really go wrong making or eating! The creaminess of the whip cream combined with banana is oh so perfection that just melt in your mouth….and with some chocolate syrup, you got yourself a perfect crowd pleaser!

Filling

1 Pkg banana flavor pudding
4 Bananas slice thinly

Topping

2 Cup heavy cream
½ Tsp vanilla extract
1/2 Cup powder sugar
Chocolate syrup drizzle on top (optional)

Pie Crust

3 Cups graham cracker crumbs
1 Stick unsalted butter, melted

1. Prepare crust by mixing the graham cracker crumbs, sugar and butter.
Mix thoroughly. And press the mixture into a 9 inch pie pan to form crust.
2. Then prepare the pudding according to instruction, place in the refrigerator to thicken and set.
3. Now mix heavy whipping cream on high speed, slowly adding in the vanilla extract and sugar. Mix until stiff.
4. Carefully pour the pudding on the pie crust little at time. Neatly place the sliced bananas on top of the pudding layer by layer until it all used up.
5. Pour the whip cream into a piping bag, using the big star shape tip and pipe the whipping cream to top the pie off. Play and be creative and make your own design. Have fun.
6. Now put in the refrigerator for a couple hours to set it.
7. Cut into slice serve. For a little kick drizzle with chocolate syrup. There just something so irresistible about the combination of chocolate and banana!

Mung Bean Pudding Dessert

Here another one of the simply yet satisfying your sweet tooth dessert. There not much to this dessert recipe. It is as simple as it gets and taste as good as it should. Yet it one of the most sorts after dessert by most Asian home. I guess the mung bean is supposed to be good for you that it gives a cooling effect to the body. Whatever the reasons are, I just simply can never resist the sticky, gooey texture of this dessert where the combination of the mung bean, sugar and creamy coconut milk just melts in your mouth and satisfying your sugar craving. Of course, there not many versions out there only the thickness that is different. I like mine very thick and gooey with lots of the delicious sweet and salty coconut cream on top of it. I got to admit that the best version that I ever had was the one at this Vietnamese dessert shop on Westminster street somewhere in Westminster, California if I remember correctly. This place makes the best dessert ever! When you walk in there you can smell the sweet aroma of all the dessert and the coconut cream. I just love the thickness of how they make it there and coconut milk is to die for! If you ever happen to be in that area, it a must stop..

Ingredients:

1 Cup of hulled yellow split mung beans (soak in cold water overnight)
4 Cups of water
1 Cup of sugar
2 Tbsp of tapioca starch 3 tbsp of cold water mix together

Coconut Milk Topping

1 Cup of coconut milk
1/2 Tsp of salt
3 Tbsp of sugar
½ Tsp of tapioca starch 1 tbsp of cold water mix together

Methods:

1. Using a steamer, line with cheese cloth and pour the soaked mung bean into it. Make a circle in the middle to have the steam distribute evenly. Cook for a good 25 minutes or until cook. Make sure do not over cook it or it will fall apart.
2. In a pot add the water and sugar and bring it to boil. Stir in the tapioca liquid and stir constantly to prevent burning the bottom of the pot. When it thicken and clear add the cook mung bean and stir lightly to mix.
3. In another small pot heat the coconut milk, sugar and salt to boil. Then add the tapioca liquid in it and stir until it thicken.

Serve hot with coconut milk topping. Great with Chinese’s donut Yao Tiew too!

Sweet & Sour Spareribs

Here a dish that really gets your mouth water just by looking at it. I don’t know what it is, maybe it the coloring or the caramel looking glaze, but it does make you just want to dig in. It doesn’t help that it totally delicious too! Now I for one don’t really care for anything sweet & sour and I was very reluctant about making this one, but alas the picture just makes my mouth water and I gave in. The best part about this recipe it that it not your typical sweet & sour ribs that in the Chinese take out. This one is restaurant style where it is deep fried first to give it that crispy outside and moist and tender inside.
As mention before, in my house we don’t really care for sweet & sour, but this dish really convince them otherwise. They really clean this dish clean! So if you really into sweet & sour or ribs give this recipe a try….you might just love it!

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice wine
3 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp of vinegar
A couple dash of black pepper
1 Tbsp of sesame oil
2 Tbsp of water
½ Tsp of corn starch added about 2 Tbsp of water to it.
Vegetable oil for deep frying
1 Drop of red food coloring or ½ of dark soy sauce (dark soy sauce makes it brown and red makes it red coloring)

Methods:

1. Marinate with the soy sauce and rice wine overnight so that the flavor can set in.
2. The next day take the rib out and place enough vegetable oil and heat to hot. Cook the ribs for about a good 10 minutes or until golden brown and fully cooked. Remove and set aside.
3. In another wok or skillet pour the soy sauce, dark soy, sesame oil, sugar, vinegar and bring to boil and slightly thicken.
4. Now add the ribs and give it a couple of tosses to fully absorb the flavor.
5. Lastly, add the corn starch water and give it a couple more tosses until liquid is fully absorbed and thicken. Give the black pepper a couple of shake and toss once or twice.

Serve hot.