Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup (台湾牛肉麵)

Hi there ..... I am still alive .... it seems forever since I have posted a recipe on my blog. No worries, I have not given up or neglected you. I have just been busy ..... very busy. Damian was off for a whole week ... so he took me out every single day. It was really fun ... I enjoyed every single moment as it was just the two of us during the day. The boys were at daycare. You know, once you become a parent, those moments are very rare.Too rare actually .... anyhow, it makes you treasure those rare moments even more. At least I do.

Tonight's dinner was a super hit, as I have made my killer Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup. All my boys love it. Timothy loves his noodles, which makes him love this dish even more. They ate so much !!!! I had just enough soup left to pack the little boys some lunch ... but I had three beef shanks left, which I am going to slice very thin tomorrow and serve as a cold appetizer. Mmm, just thinking of it, makes me hungry again. I would say, that this dish is my ultimate Chinese comfort food. It makes your house smell so yummy !!! Try it out, you won't regret it at all !!!!!!

Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup (台湾牛肉麵)

3 - 5 beef shanks
1 tablespoon oil
1″ ginger, peeled and sliced
5 medium cloves garlic, minced
5 - 6 small shallots, halved & cut into slices
2 - 3 scallions, roughly chopped
3 - 5 star anise

1 small cinnamon stick
2 tablespoon chili bean sauce (豆瓣醬), I like the ones made in Taiwan
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup dark soy sauce
1 beef leg bone segment
3 large tomato, cut into bite-sized chunks
2 carrots, cut into bite-sized chunks
1/2 cup rose cooking wine
2 -3 rock sugar pieces
2 pickled red chili peppers, sliced lengthwise, seeds intact
fresh ground black pepper
4 bundles fresh Taiwanese noodles (the classic choice is wheat noodles shaped like linguine)

Step 1:

Blanche the beef shank pieces & beef leg bone segment in hot water for about 5 minutes or until medium rare to get the blood out. Drain. This makes the broth clearer and a little less rich.

Step 2:

Heat oil in a 5 quart pot over medium heat, and saute the ginger, garlic, scallions, cilantro and star anise until fragrant.

Step 3:

Add beef shank pieces and chili bean sauce, and saute a few minutes, to brown the beef a little.

Step 4:

Add rose cooking wine, light and dark soy sauces, stir, and cook for 2 minutes.

Step 5:

Add beef bone segment and all remaining ingredients (except noodles). Add water until just covered.

Step 6:

Bring to boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low or medium-low and simmer gently, partly covered, for 2.5 hours, or until the beef shank is tender.

Step 7:

Meanwhile, cook and drain noodles.

Step 8:

When soup is done, serve in bowls over noodles.

Optional: serve with boiled napa cabbage, pickled mustard greens, or fresh chopped cilantro.

Enjoy !!!

Traditional Chinese Watercress Soup (西洋菜湯)

My dear husband is off this week, so I have been spending lots of quality time with him + on top, I have fried my lap top's hardware. How I did it, is still a mystery to all of us. Weird huh ? I lost everything .... really everything. 2 years worth of things. Well, not really as I have backed up six months ago - but still. It was such a good laptop, so fast, so mobile and so good looking. Oh well, I really hope that Damian's co-worker will be able to fix it. It is so weird being forced to one particular station. It's been such a long time since I have used a real stationed computer, I totally forgot to turn on the monitor. I have been starring the computer screen for so long, nothing happened - it was all black. I freaked out - just to amuse my husband. Yeah yeah, this is what happens to you when you have been using a laptop only for more than 4 years. Funny eh ?

Traditional Chinese Watercress Soup(西洋菜湯)

1/2 lb boneless lean pork
1 tablespoon dried northern/eastern Apricots Kernel (南北杏)
4-5 large dried honey dates (蜜枣)
2 bunches fresh watercress (西洋菜)

2 Chinese carrots, peeled and cut into bite sizes

Step 1:
Blanche lean pork in separate bowl with boiling water, afterwards rinse it clean under running water to remove any dirt and debris from the blanching.

Step 2:
Rinse the fresh watercress thoroughly for several times.

Step 3:
Mix all the ingredients in a pot, cover with plenty of water and bring it to boil. Simmer over low heat for 2 - 3 hours until broth changes colour.

Step 4:
Add salt to taste and serve.

Enjoy !

Traditional German Butter Cake

Traditional German Butter Cake is often served in the afternoon when having Coffee & Cake time with close friends and neighbours. I remember this recipe so deeply as it tastes so buttery, sweet and I learnt this cake as my very first baking recipe back in Grade 1. A perfect cake for any special occasions !! Traditionally, you would make this with some yeast but over the years, I have adjusted this recipe, as I am personally not a big fan of the yeast smell and taste. A simple but yet very satisfying recipe anyone would love !!!

Traditional German Butter Cake

Base
2 eggs
75g caster sugar
150 ml melted unsalted butter
140 g plain flour
2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon almond extract
100 ml whole milk

Topping
75g unsalted butter
75g caster sugar
1,5 tablespoon all purpose flour
75g flaked almonds
1 tablespoon whole milk

Step 1:
Make the base: whip sugar and eggs until thick and pale. Stir in butter, then add half of the milk, half of the flour-baking powder mixture, stir, and add in the rest of the milk and flour. Stir well and pour into a 1,3 litre tin. Cook the base in 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Step 2:

Mean while make the topping: Place all ingredients in to a pan and let come to boil. Take the half baked cake out of the oven, spread the topping on the cake and bake until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean and the top is cooked golden.

Enjoy !!!

Blueberry Muffins

What is better than waking up to the smell of freshly baked breakfast muffins? Actually, anything baked in your own home is just as good. But today, I am choosing to make blueberry muffins. Once my boys were in bed @ 8 pm, I decided to surprise them in the morning with some freshly baked blueberry muffins. Mmm, doesn't that just make you hungry ?? I thought, why not spoil those three Wan boys of mine. After all, that is my job !!! I love surprising them with baked goods, you should see their eyes in the morning. Ethan and Timothy have a really good nose, they can smell it the minute they wake up. It's so cute to watch them rushing through their morning routines. So worth it !!!!

Blueberry Muffins, adapted from Martha Stewart

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan
2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pan
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 1/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk (I used buttermilk instead, as I find the muffins way moisture!)
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Step 1:

Preheat oven to 375° F. Generously butter a standard 12-cup muffin pan and dust with flour, tapping out excess; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Working over the bowl, toss blueberries in a fine sieve with about 1 1/2 teaspoons flour mixture to light coat; set aside the flour mixture and the blueberries.

Step 2:

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or using a handheld mixer, beat butter and 1 cup sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until combined. Mix in vanilla.

Step 3:

With the mixer on low speed, add reserved flour mixture, beating until just combined. Add milk, beating until just combined. Do not over mix. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the blueberries. Divide batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups. If desired, in a small bowl, mix together remaining 1/4 cup sugar and nutmeg. Sprinkle sugar mixture on top of muffin batter.

Step 4:

Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until muffins are golden brown and a cake tester inserted in the centre of one muffin comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Turn muffins on their sides in their cups, and let cool. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Enjoy !!!

Steamed Halibut Steak with Chinese Black Bean Sauce & Tofu (豉汁蒸魚)

They had fresh halibut steaks on sale at Osaka/T&T Supermarket. Love their crazy Tuesday & Wednesday Sale .... if you watch it closely on their website, you can get some really good deals. In my case, I got to buy fresh halibut steaks for 7.99 $/lb. That is really cheap. I try to cook fish once a week as I find it very important for the boys to not always have meat. Steaming your meal is so much healthier and very easy to follow.

Steamed Halibut Steak with Chinese Black Bean Sauce & Tofu

(豉汁蒸魚)

2 medium slices of fresh halibut steaks, rinsed & patted dry

1 box medium firm smooth tofu, sliced

Chinese Black Bean Sauce:

2 tablespoons fermented black beans, smash it with the end of your knife handle to release the flavour(I like the Yang Jiang Brand of black beans)
1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine (or dry sherry)
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon minced ginger/garlic mixture
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon cooking oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon minced cilantro/green onion mixture
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon grated orange peel
Optional – sliced jalepeno peppers to taste

Step 1:
Combine all the ingredients for the Chinese black bean sauce. Transfer tofu slices on a shallow, heatproof pan that will fit inside your wok (a pie plate or 9” cake pan works great). Carefully place the fresh halibut slices on the top of the tofu. Spread the black bean sauce over the fresh halibut slices.

Step 2:
Set steaming rack inside of wok and fill with water almost up to height of rack. Turn heat to high and when water is boiling, turn heat to medium-high. Set pan on top of a steaming rack in wok. Steam on med-high heat for 18-20 minutes until halibut steaks. Make sure that when you are steaming that you don’t run out of water in the wok. Replenish with additional water, if needed.

Enjoy !!

Outrageous Brownies

I love Ina Garten's outrageous brownies, depending what baking form you use and how long you bake them, they would either come out fuggy or nice and fluffy like a cake. I personally prefer brownies that taste like cake, nice and fluffy. Some other people might like it all gluey and fuggy. Most of the time, I bake them 9 x 13 glass square dish and bake it up to an hour. That way they turn out all like a cake. Today I baked them in muffin tins, as I need to give them away as a little Thank-You gift to our optician lady, Heidi @ Osaka Today in Aberdeen Centre. I went through a dramatic & outrageous experience at Eye Star in Richmond Centre. Never go there, they will just ruin your glasses like they did with Ethan's glasses. Horrible. It went from a little bend to completely not wearable. His nose pad was all broken and the wire that holds the nose pad, fully scratched. I should have just known better and not brought it there to get it adjusted. However, it was late, my boys were tired and just finished their hair cuts, so I thought, mind as well, get it all done in one spot. BIG MISTAKE !!!! She took over an hour, got very nervous as I must have been breathing over her neck and according to her, the reason why she can't fix it, is that I was too fussy. I lost it, after all, she is the professional, right ? It should not take her an hour + brake the nose pad and scratch the wires. That wasn't just it, she was so afraid and was not able to argue any longer, she called the security on me to have me escorted out the store. I must have completely gone mental by then. I did not leave the store instead I talked to the security and showed them Ethan's glasses. He was so shocked and asked that lady to repair it for me - at least so he will be able to wear it. She was not given a choice. I felt so angry at her. I have never ever had this kind of experience ever before. Not even, when growing up in Germany. Anyhow, today I can just laugh about it and b/c I reported her to BC Association of Opticians and they have suspended her license until further notice. TOO BAD !!! She better polish up her resume as I will make sure she will not work any longer in the service industry. With a big smile poor Heidi had to repair her mess but Heidi took only less than 10 minutes to do so. Ethan's glasses are practically like new, I just need to bring them in for one day to have it spray painted. We all love Heidi. Exceptional service and prices. Whenever you need a pair of glasses, you should try Heidi @ Osaka Optical in Aberdeen Centre. Do mention my name or simply say the mommy of the ET siblings. She will give you a sweet deal.

Outrageous Brownies, adapted from Ina Garten

1 pound unsalted butter
1 pound plus 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
6 extra-large eggs
3 tablespoons instant coffee granules
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups chopped walnuts

Step 1:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Step 2:
Butter and flour a 12 x 18 x 1-inch baking sheet.

Step 3:
Melt together the butter, 1 pound of chocolate chips, and the unsweetened chocolate in a medium bowl over simmering water. Allow to cool slightly. In a large bowl, stir (do not beat) together the eggs, coffee granules, vanilla, and sugar. Stir the warm chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and allow to cool to room temperature.

Step 4:
In a medium bowl, sift together 1 cup of flour, the baking powder, and salt. Add to the cooled chocolate mixture. Toss the walnuts and 12 ounces of chocolate chips in a medium bowl with 1/4 cup of flour, then add them to the chocolate batter. Pour into the baking sheet.

Step 5:
Bake for 20 minutes, then rap the baking sheet against the oven shelf to force the air to escape from between the pan and the brownie dough. Bake for about 15 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean. Do not over bake! Allow to cool thoroughly, refrigerate, and cut into 20 large squares.

Enjoy !!

Indonesian Chicken Curry

Craving curry ... can't never have enough curry, even though I just had Indian curry yesterday for lunch. Horrible, I go through those phases, where I just want super tasty food. I make my curry super mild, as I am easing my little boys to eating curry as well. So far they don't mind it at all. I guess, I can call myself lucky, as they eat anything I cook. *Knock on wood!!*

Indonesian Chicken Curry

3 lbs chicken drumsticks
2 Chinese carrots, peeled and cut into bite sizes

2 medium sized Yukon potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sizes

1 can good-quality coconut milk
2 Tbsp. fresh finely chopped lemongrass (can also be purchased frozen at Asian food stores)
4-5 lime leaves

1 onion, peeled and quartered
4 cloves garlic
1 thumb-size piece galangal (or ginger)
1-3 red chillies, depending on how hot you like your curry (de-seeded if less heat is desired) OR substitute chili sauce
3/4 Tbsp. tamarind paste
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. dark soy sauce
4 Tbsp. fish sauce
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 heaping Tbsp. ground coriander
1 Tbsp. ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cloves
1 tsp. shrimp paste (available by the jar at Asian food stores) OR substitute 1 Tbsp. more fish sauce
2 whole star anise (use the Asian one, available at Asian food stores)

Step 1:
Blanche chicken drumsticks in separate bowl with boiling water, afterwards rinse it clean under running water to remove any dirt and debris from the blanching.

Step 2:
Place all sauce ingredients - except whole star anise - in a food processor. Process well to form a thick curry paste or sauce. If you don't have a food processor, simply chop onion and herbs finely and combine with the coconut milk, spices, and other ingredients. These herbs and spices can also be ground together with a pestle & mortar.

Step 3:
Do a taste test for salt and spice, adding more fish sauce if not salty enough. If not spicy enough, add more fresh chili, or chili sauce. If too sour, add a little more brown sugar.

Step 4:
Place sauce in a wok or large, deep-sided frying pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken (or beef) pieces, plus the whole star anise, and stir well.

Step 5:
Continue stirring occasionally as you bring the curry to a boil. Then reduce heat to a simmer. Do not cover the wok/frying pan, as you want the sauce to reduce and become thicker.

Step 6:
Allow the curry to simmer (stirring occasionally) for up to one hour, or until meat is cooked and tender. The sauce will reduce, so that it is almost like a coating on the meat (plus there will be a little sauce leftover in the wok/pan).

Step 7:
Serve directly from the wok with Thai jasmine-scented rice. Enjoy !!!!

Chinese-Style Mushroom & Hairy Gourd/Mo Gua (節瓜) Soup

I just came home from my weekly grocery shopping. Today, they had plenty of different types of mushrooms on sale at my local Chinese grocery store. My kids love mushrooms, all kind of mushrooms. You must know, I am not a big mushroom eater myself. I must have over eaten on them when growing up. Whenever I see mushrooms, I feel like gagging except when it is enoki mushrooms. I really don't understand why. Anyhow, as always I have put my boys tastes ahead of mine. Mushroom soup it is, I mean it is so healthy. On my lazy days, I would just add frozen udon noodles to eat with it. If you are having a hard time finding Mo Gua, add a small bag of pre-washed baby spinach. It tastes just as good.

Chinese-Style Mushroom & Hairy Gourd/Mo Gua (節瓜) Soup

3 cups thinly sliced mixed mushrooms (Enoki, Oyster & Korean Kings Mushroom)
1 hairy Gourd also known as Mo Gua (節瓜), peeled and cubed into bite sizes
4 chicken drumsticks, substitute with 1 box medium firm smooth tofu, cut into 1/2-inch pieces if you decide to cook it with no meat at all
2 thin slices of peeled ginger

1 peeled garlic

2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon black sesame oil
1 tablespoon green onion/cilantro mixture

Step 1:
Blanche chicken drumsticks in separate bowl with boiling water, afterwards rinse it clean under running water to remove any dirt and debris from the blanching.

Step 2:
Combine all other ingredients in large soup pot and add enough water to cover everything. Bring to boil over medium-high heat and cook it for up to 10 minutes. Season soup to taste with salt/pepper & green onion/cilantro mixture. Ladle soup into bowls and serve.

Enjoy !!

Crème brulée

Eating crème brulée is so satisfying, yummy and delicious. I made them for my mother-in-law's mother's day dinner. Always a hit and really east to make. If you don't' own a torch, simply turn your oven to a high broil and watch the sugar dissolve and turning brownish.

Last week has been crazy for me .... I needed to take Ethan to a paediatric ophthalmology appointment, then find his perfect new pair of glasses. Not an easy task at all, let me tell you about that. Kids glasses have gone all fancy these days ... not the way I remembered when I got my first pair of glasses when I was a teenager. After I spent a whole day glass shopping with Ethan, we settled for a Japanese semi-rimless titanium frame, photo chromatic and anti-glare lenses etc ....... my gosh, I spent a mini fortune for his first pair of glasses, but most importantly, he was super happy and let's not forget, he looks so cute with it.

Crème brulée, adapted by Ina Garten

1 extra-large egg
4 extra-large egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon for each serving
3 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (I used a Vanilla bean instead !!!)
1 tablespoon orange liqueur (recommended: Grand Marnier)

Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

Step 2:
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the egg, egg yolks, and 1/2 cup of the sugar together on low speed until just combined. Meanwhile, scald the cream in a small saucepan until it's very hot to the touch but not boiled. With the mixer on low speed, slowly add the cream to the eggs. Add the vanilla and orange liqueur and pour into 6 to 8-ounce ramekins until almost full.

Step 3:
Place the ramekins in a baking pan and carefully pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the custards are set when gently shaken. Remove the custards from the water bath, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until firm.

Step 4:
To serve, spread 1 tablespoon of sugar evenly on the top of each ramekin and heat with a kitchen blowtorch until the sugar carmelizes evenly. Allow to sit at room temperature for a minute until the caramelized sugar hardens.

Serve & Enjoy !!!!

Farfalle Pasta Salad with Corn and Lyona Sausage

It is such a grayish & rainy day, so I thought I try to prep the boys' mood up with some nice spring looking pasta salad. An easy and tasty pasta salad to go with some sandwiches for lunch, sounds good to me. I really don't feel like going out in such weather, so much better to stay home. Bonding with the boys and cleaning. It's never ending in this house, I am always cleaning something. I am very German that way, I like it dust free, neat and orderly. Can't help it, even though Damian always calls me anal that way. Mean eh ? Oh well, he is who I married almost 11 years ago .... I guess, I got used to him by now.

Farfalle Pasta Salad with Corn and Lyona Sausage

5 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons red wine or balsamic vinegar
1 - 2 large garlic cloves, grated
1 1/2 cups fresh corn kernels (cut from 3 ears) or frozen, thawed
1 1/2 tablespoon green onions/cilantro mixture
1 box farfalle pasta, freshly cooked
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup lyona sausage, finely chopped

Step 1:
Whisk 4 tablespoons oil, vinegar, basil and garlic in large bowl to blend.

Step 2:

Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat.

Step 3:

Add corn; sauté 3 minutes. Add corn to dressing in bowl.

Step 4:

Add pasta and green onions/cilantro mixture, lyona suasage & cheese to bowl and toss to blend.

Step 5:

Season salad with salt and pepper.

Serve & enjoy !