Category Archives: Uncategorized

banana, bread, Cake, Uncategorized

Walnut Banana Bread

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Banana is one of my husband’s favorite fruit. But sometimes, He forgot to eat them, and banana got ripe very quickly. So I would use them to make smoothie or cake or bread.

This summer when we went back to my hometown, we brought so many walnut back. My mom just cracked them and store the shell-removed walnut in 2 large containers. My husband likes walnut, so he adds some in his yogurt. Yet, we still have a lot. So I tried to bake something with walnut and banana.

Ingredients:

Bananas 2

butter 1/2 cup

white sugar 1 cup

eggs 2

vanilla 1/2 tsp

flour 1 cup

baking soda 1 tsp

salt 1/2 tsp

cinnamon powder 1/2 tsp

chopped & toasted walnut 1 cup

 

  1. Preheat oven to 170 Degree C.
  2. Cream butter and sugar together till light and fluffy.
  3. Add in 2 beaten eggs and vanilla. Stir well.
  4. Add in mashed bananas. Mix them together.
  5. Sieve in all the dry ingredients: flour, baking soda, salt and cinnamon powder. Mix till combined.
  6. Butter spray the loaf pan. Dust it with flour.
  7. Pour all the batter into the pan.
  8. Into the oven for 50-60 mins. Check with a toothpick. If it comes out clean then it’s done.

Let it cool down for a little while.

Cut it and you will find it’s very moistened and firm.

Full of walnut and banana flavor. Very nice!

Pork, Ribs, Uncategorized

Sweet & Sour Ribs （糖醋排骨）

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  1. Wash ribs in water. Put all the ribs in a deep pot. Add in enough water. Bring it to boil for 3-5 mins. Take out all the ribs and rinse under water.
  2. Heat a pan with a little oil. Stir fry drained ribs till they turn a bit brownish.
  3. Add in ginger slices and green onion. Stir fry till aromatic.
  4. Drizzle in 1 tbsp cooking wine. Stir fry till ribs dry again.
  5. Prepare sauce: 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce, 2 tbsp vinegar, 3 Tbsp rock sugar (you can reduce or add more sugar according to your taste). Pour sauce into the pan.
  6. Stir fry to let the ribs be coated with sauce.
  7. Pour in enough hot water can cover all the ingredients. Turn to low heat and simmer for 30-40 mins.
  8. Lid off. Turn to high heat and reduce the sauce.
  9. When sauce is about to dry, spread in white sesame. Quickly stir fry evenly.
  10. Garnish with chopped spring onion.

https://flic.kr/p/2gEfmaB

I know for sure that my husband will love it.

https://flic.kr/p/2gEeDuc

I prepared his bento with this delicious ribs. And the sauce made rice very tasty too.

My husband loved them so so much!

Beef, Uncategorized

Red Wine Oxtail Stew

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I actually wrote a blog about red wine oxtail stew. But somehow it disappeared. Today, I cooked it again. So I rewrote it.

  1. Prepare oxtail. I used about 600g, 4 pieces. Place them in a big bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Dust them with flour. Just let them be coated with a thin flour layer is enough.
  2. Heat a pan. Add in oil. Fry oxtail with patience till each side turns beautifully golden brown. Transfer them into a deep pot.
  3. Prepare vegetables. I used 2 carrots (chopped into small chunks), 1 onion (diced), 1/4 head of cabbage (chopped into medium slices), and 3 chopped cloves of garlic.
  4. Use the same pan (the one used to fry oxtail) to fry vegetables. Fry for, let’s say 2 mins, or till they become slightly soft. Add in 2 tbsp flour, later while slow cooking, it will thicken the soup. Stir fry evenly.
  5. Season with salt and pepper.
  6. Add in 2 tbsp tomato paste. Stir evenly and pour into 1/2 cup wine. Boil a bit to let the alcohol evaporate.
  7. Transfer everything into the deep pot. Add in 2 bay leaves, 1 star anise. Turn to high heat to boil it. Then turn to low heat and slow cook for 3 hours. Try to have a taste to see if it needs seasoning again before serving.

I also prepare mashed potato to be served with stew. Prepare 2 medium potatoes, wash, peel and chop them. Boil till fully cooked. Mash them with a fork. Season with salt and pepper. Also add in 1 tbsp butter. Mix them well.

Butter potato paste as the base, place oxtail stew over it.

https://flic.kr/p/2gu659F

I also saved some to make my hubby’s bento.

He really loved the hot buttery mashed potato and the oxtail stew. He kept saying “tai had chi le” means “very delicious”. 🙂

Chicken, Potato, Uncategorized, Vegetables

Bento for Hubby (His First Day at Work)

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My husband got a new job. YAY~!

And today is his first day to go to work. That also means we cannot have lunch together at home. Since I need to teach in the afternoon or evening, we cannot have dinner together either. He will have his lunch at canteen. So I decided to cook lunch and spare his part in a lunchbox. All he needs to do is to reheat it when he’s off work.

I cooked his favorite chicken teriyaki today. And with potato pancakes.

Chicken teriyaki is not that difficult. 3 main steps: 1. Sear the whole boneless chicken leg till tow sides turn golden brown. 2. Sauce part: 2 tsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp sweet cooking wine, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, 2 tsp honey. Add in enough water covers chicken. 3. Boil for 15-20 mins and reduce the sauce with high heat.

Cut the chicken into strips. And pour the sauce over it. Rice will absorb the flavor.

Potato pancake:

2 medium potato,  (Peeled and shredded into thin strips. Boil in hot water for 1 min and drain)

1 cup flour

1 egg

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup water

Mix them in a big bowl.

Scoop batter with a spoon and fry till golden and crispy.

I cut them into halves before placing them into the lunch box.

To let him have more veggies, I also add cucumber slices, cherry tomato and boiled baby corn.

My husband finished them all.

Uncategorized

Oven-roasted Cheesy Scallops

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  1. Clean scallops. Because I used frozen ones. So I thaw them first. Then separate the meat and the shell. Clean the shell with a brush to remove all the dirt.
  2. Place all the scallops in a plate. Drizzle in a little cooking wine. Steam for about 5 mins.
  3. Pour the water out from the shell if any.
  4. Prepare the sauce: 1/2 1 tbsp chili sauce,  1 tsp chopped garlic, 2 tsp chopped onion, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp salt. Mix well.
  5. Drop sauce onto the scallop meat. Then top with mayonnaise and cheese. And dried herbs you like.

Preheat oven to 180 Degree C.

Bake for 10-15 mins.

https://flic.kr/p/2g86pNi

Yum!

Uncategorized

Trip to Harbin

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This June, while my husband and I went back to China to visit my family, we also went to Harbin for a short trip with my sister and mom.

Harbin is located in northeastern China. It’s the capital of Heilong Jiang province, which is also the northern most province in China. The best season to visit Harbin is actually winter, cos it will be the white world and it’s famous for ice sculptures.

Summer is the second best season to visit Harbin. You can escape the hot summer and enjoy the cool air there.

Saint Sophia Cathedral is the landmark of Harbin.

It was built in 1907. It’s definitely one of the most beautiful church in China.

Unfortunately, it was under maintenance during our trip. So we were not able to go inside.

It’s a breathtaking architecture  no matter in the day or at the dawn or in the evening.

Another place you don’t want to miss in Harbin is Zhongyang Street. We actually rent an apartment there to stay. It’s quite convenient for us to experience all the activities (orchestra performances, parade, night market, etc) there because we just need to go stairs.

Due to historical and geographical reasons, Harbin is greatly influenced by Russia. You will see many many Russian style buildings there.

Not only in Zhongyang Street but across the whole Harbin.

There are also many stores selling Russian products in Zhongyang Street. And Russian restaurants too.

We had a very nice Russian dinner there. Russian Borsch and Dalieba (Russian rye bread) are the must-try dishes there.

Walk along the Zhongyang Street to the end and there is the Songhua River. Very beautiful view from there. Many people hang out. Local people sing and dance there.

There is a flood control monument in front of the river. On the other side of the river is the Sun Island. You can take ferry to cross the river and get there.

Sun Island has many places to go. If you are a fish lover, you can go to polar aquarium. If you are into Russian culture, you can go to Russian village.

Laodaowai is a place for architecture lover to go. It’s famous for Baroque architectures.

It’s also a spot full of restaurants with various Chinese cuisine.

Northeastern food is also one of my favorite. Here are some Northeastern food (Dongbei Cai) you shouldn’t miss:

Harbin Sausage (can be found everywhere in Harbin)

Guo Bao Rou

La Pi

Stew (There is a saying in China: Give northeastern people a pot, they can make stew with anything. Their stew is very delicious. You can choose pork, ribs, chicken. Special one is goose)

And the special drink Kvass. (Ge Wa Si. It’s brewed from Da Lie Ba. the rye bread. My husband never had it before. When we were in Harbin, He drank at least one bottle each day. Some restaurants even serve their own homemade kvass, which is nice too.)

Except the weather (lowest temperature is around 9 degree C, and highest is 20+ in June), food, architectures, one important reason I love Harbin is the people there. They are very friendly and humorous.

In China, one type of sitcom called Xiao Pin is very popular. And many comedians are from Northeastern China. The dialect there is very special. Usually, Chinese people from different places have their own dialect, but northeastern dialect is probably the most “powerful” one, by which I mean it’s very easy to be affected the northeastern dialect. Many many Non-northeastern people have the experience that after spending some time with a north easterner, their accent starts to change and becomes more like northeastern dialect. Taxi drivers chatted with us and jokes just came out naturally. Restaurant owners welcomed us warmly.

I love Harbin.

Oh, I forgot to mention Madier Ice Cream (Modern popsicle) is also famous in Harbin. Very rich. We all loved its flavor. Even in winter, you can also find it everywhere in Harbin.

Fruits, Uncategorized

Honey Lemon

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Main ingredients are honey and lemon. To make it not taste bitter, I remove the lemon peel and the white part. If you think it’s too troublesome and totally fine with the little bitter taste. You can leave them.

  1. Wash lemon under water. Place them in a big bowl. Sprinkle some salt. Rub them with two hands. Then rinse under water. Dry them with kitchen towel.
  2. Cut lemons into slices or wedges or chunks. If the peel is on, thin slices will be better.
  3. Prepare a bottle. Boil it in hot water for mins to sterilize. Then let it dry in the air.
  4. 1 spoonful honey in and based at the bottom. Lemons over it. Then honey layer again, lemon again. Repeat till the bottle is full.

5. Store it in the fridge.

It can be used to make drinks.

Pork, Uncategorized, wrap

粽子 (Zong Zi, Sticky Rice Dumpling)

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This year, Dragon Boat Festival is on June 7, which is  next Friday. I never tried to make sticky rice dumpling (Zong zi) by myself even though I like them very much. I saw there were bamboo leaves for zongzi on the supermarket’s shelf and thought maybe I can try making zongzi this year.

The preparation should be done on the night before.

From left to right: glutinous rice, red bean, preserved dates, pork & shiitake mushroom, bamboo leaves.

Bamboo leaves should be soaked in water overnight. Cut off the leaf stalk before wrapping.

 

Because my husband likes meat zongzi, which is salty, while I like sweet ones. So I have to prepare 2 fillings.

I wrapped a lot of zongzi, please feel free to deduct the ingredients.

 

For the savory ones:

pork belly 200 g (cut into slices)

Shiitake 4 (cut into slices).

Put pork and shiitake into a small bowl. Add in 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 pinch salt, 2 tsp dark soy sauce, 2 tsp oyster sauce and 1 tsp five spice powder. Mix them well. Put into fridge overnight.

glutinous rice 500g

red bean 1 cup

Wash them under water. Then soak them overnight. You can mix them before soaking or after.

Drain glutinous rice and red bean. Put them in a big bowl. Drizzle in 1 tbsp light soy sauce and 1 tbsp sesame oil. Mix well.

 

For the sweet ones:

glutinous rice 500g

red bean 1 cup

Soak overnight too.

Mix them before using. If you want Zong Zi to taste sweeter, you can also add in sugar.

 

Wrapping sticky rice dumplings is not as difficult as I expected, unless if you want to make them very neat and pretty. My rule is as long as I can wrap the filling , rice inside and I can tie them with twine, it will be a big success. 🙂

 

For the savory ones with pork inside:

Use bamboo leaves (1 or 2 ) to make a funnel shape at one end. Add into 1 tbsp rice, then 1 or 2 slices of pork and shiitake. Top with another 1 tbsp rice. Cover it with the rest bamboo leaf and wrap with twine.

Please remember to use the light soy sauce and sesame oil marinated rice.

Same procedures are applied to the sweet ones.  Just replace the pork with preserved dates and use the normal rice.

Wrap them tightly with twine. You can use different colors of twine to different types.

Boil them for 3 hours. If yours are bigger then mine, please cook longer. Better boil them separately due to different flavor.

https://flic.kr/p/2g4MUyh

Well, my sticky rice dumplings are a bit….. ugly and diverse in shapes. 🙂

Actually, I think zongzi is delicious even if there were only plain sticky rice inside.

So I can never say no to zongzi. 🙂

 

Pasta, Uncategorized

Meat Sauce Pasta Recipe

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  1. Heat a pan with 1 tablespoon oil inside. Saute chopped 2 cloves of garlic and 1 small chopped onion till aromatic.
  2. Add in Minced beef. stir fry till beef is no more pinkish. Set beef aside.
  3. Because I didn’t have any tomato puree, so I used fresh tomato instead. I used medium tomatoes and 1 cup cherry tomatoes. Cut a cross at the bottom, soak them in hot water for a little while. Then peel them and dice them.
  4. Use the same pan. Add in a little extra oil. Put tomato dices in. Sprinkle in salt, pepper, mixed herbs, 2 tablespoon tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon sugar. Simmer a bit to let the tomatoes melt a little. Dissolve 1 tablespoon flour in 3-4 tablespoon water. Add into tomato. So the sauce will be creamy.
  5. Add beef into tomato. Stir to let them mix well. Season with a little more salt and pepper if you need to.
  6. Pour the sauce over cooked pasta. And ready to serve.

https://flic.kr/p/QoxupA

Uncategorized, Vegetables

Pan-fried Brussel Sprouts

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My first try on Brussel sprouts was not bad, so I expected more from them.

This time, I tried to fry them with a pan and to make them side dish for steak.

  1. Boil Brussel Sprouts in water for 3 mins. Don’t forget to add in some salt in the water before boiling.
  2. Rinse them under water. Then trim off the bottom and cut into halves.
  3. Heat a pan. Drop in 1 tbsp butter. When butter melts, add in Brussel sprouts. Stir fry for 2 mins.
  4. Sprinkle 2 tsp sugar. Quickly stir and let the vegi get caramelized.
  5. Season with salt and black pepper. And serve with steak.

https://flic.kr/p/T6iZY1