Recipe Index (by Ingredients)

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Recipes that include sesame oil

Chinese Cucumber Salad (with any type of cucumber)

Wednesday, August 26, 2020

I posted a Taiwanese Cucumber Salad recipe 10 years ago! It is one of my most loved dishes, meaning my kids love it, Lon loves it, all my guests love it. It’s such a great side dish that I use it very, very often and I get requests for the recipe every time.

During the pandemic, I started looking at my recipes in a new way. I realized that the old recipe might deter some from trying it because the traditional method works best with Taiwanese cucumbers or Persian Cucumbers. They are slim, thin-skinned, and seedless cucumbers. But, those cucumbers are hard to find and not necessarily at everyone’s local supermarket. They weren’t available to me for the last several months either. So, I’ve re-written this recipe to work for standard conventional cucumbers or English Hothouse cucumbers. If the skin is thick, use this method, which starts with peeling the cucumbers. If you have a thin-skinned, seedless cucumber, use the old method.

~made with conventional cucumbers~

Just so you know, in actuality, I’ve been using this method for years because sometimes I just happen to have standard conventional cucumbers in the fridge and that’s what I use. It just never occurred to me to re-write the recipe but the pandemic has made me more aware of the value of versatility in a recipe.

~Spicy version~

Chinese Cucumber Salad

Ingredients –

  • 2 large cucumbers (around 2 lbs)
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons white vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • chili oil to taste (optional)

Instructions –

  1. Peel the cucumbers. Slice in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Discard peels and seeds.
  2. Slice into 1/4″ thick pieces and place in a storage container (that has a lid).
  3. Sprinkle with sugar and salt. Cover tightly and shake the container to coat the cucumbers in sugar and salt. Put it in the fridge for at least 2 hours (up to the day before you want to eat it).
  4. Drain the cucumbers (these will let out quite a bit of water). Add vinegar and sesame oil. Cover tightly and shake again. Place it back in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (up to a few hours).
  5. When you’re ready to serve, add garlic. Drizzle chili oil if you want it to be spicy. Cover and give it a good shake. Serve.
  6. The cucumbers will be most refreshing the first day but left-overs can be kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
~made with very large kirbies~
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Quick – Pickled Broccoli Stems

Wednesday, January 11, 2017

broccoli stem salad

So, I heard that some people throw out the broccoli stems. What? You only want the florets so you just chuck the whole stem? Promise me you’ll never do that again! Broccoli stems are delicious and crunchy and so amazing pickled! My kids love Quick-Pickled Broccoli Stems!

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Three Cup Tofu

Saturday, June 8, 2013

There’s this pretty well-known Taiwanese dish called Three Cup Chicken. The flavorful dish of dark meat chicken is flavored with sugar, soy sauce, and sesame oil with a strong dose of Chinese/Thai Basil.  My mom came up with a vegetarian version, Three Cup Tofu with the same flavor profile and it’s even easier to make. I was planning on posting Three Cup Chicken first, since it’s the original dish. That would have made more sense but alas, my body was just not willing to work with me on this…

Three Cup Tofu 3

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Basic Wontons (with Video)

Friday, May 17, 2013

Boy, have we come a long way since 2008. Some of you have been with us since we got married and we’re about to celebrate our Five-year Anniversary! Since then, we’ve definitely moved away from doing as many restaurant reviews (though worthy ones will still appear) and focused strongly on the recipes. It seemed that’s what you, our readers wanted. As we continually look to improve I sometimes backtrack to important recipes like this one where I feel compelled to improve the content. I originally posted this basic wonton recipe on October 29, 2008 and all I wrote was this:

“The traditional basic wonton is made with a pork filling and I decided to do just that, nothing fancy or inventive, just a good basic wonton.”

Basic Wontons title pic

…and of course the recipe followed, which I left basically unchanged (just a little wording adjustments and changed pics). I still use this exact same recipe all the time. It’s a classic. I wanted to update the old photos as I often do and more importantly, I needed to add a video to better illustrate how to fold a wonton. The video is so much better than words in this case!

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Taiwanese Ro Gung

Friday, November 30, 2012

This Taiwanese specialty called Ro Gung seems to be a lesser known dish as I couldn’t find anything in my google search. (Does anyone know if this is known by another name?) The gist of this soup is that it’s a cornstarch thickened soup with soft pork and fish paste dumplings… ok blobs. That probably doesn’t sound enticing to those that don’t already know it (though I can hear my Taiwanese peeps cheering). On top of that, it’s not an attractive dish. (That cilantro garnish was my only hope for color.)  What it is, is delicious! Seriously, one of my favorite foods! And for food geeks, it is a flavor profile that is unique to Taiwanese food.

Taiwanese Ro Gung with Title

 

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Bean Curd and Watercress Salad

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

I know it has been a long time since I’ve blogged! And, NO little cousin Jeffrey, the blog is not dead. Give me some time! Caya is just under 15 weeks old and she does not like to nap. She takes up all my time all day long!

My mom made this Bean Curd and Watercress Salad all the way back in April for Sophia’s (my brother’s girlfriend) birthday. I loved it and it’s been on my mind since. The watercress has a squishy crunch to it. The bean curd is tender but firm. Together, the alternating texture and flavor is addictive and so cooling on a hot summer day.

Bean Curd and Watercress Salad 3

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Pork, Shrimp, and Chive Dumplings (with video)

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

I’ve been trying to make foods that freeze well so that we have a stock pile of food for after the baby arrives. I’ve heard that the first few months are tough. No time for cleaning. No time for laundry. Certainly, no time to make elaborate meals. Knowing me and Lon, we won’t be satisfied with ordering take-out. We want the home-made and wholesome meals we’re used to. I’ve already frozen some lasagna and some scones but time is running out and I need to get more in that freezer.

dumplings with chopsticks

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Vegetarian Yellow Sparrow

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Soo Hwang Chue sounds a little better in Chinese than it does translated into Vegetarian Yellow Sparrow, and like the Lion’s Head Casserole, these don’t really look like birds. Naming issues aside, it’s a fabulous dish. It takes a little prep work and a bit of finesse, so it’s one of those dishes that you want to make for your special vegetarian friend to show them that you went the extra bit for them. It’s full of so many nutritious ingredients like shitake mushrooms, black fungus, and lily buds, all considered to have medicinal properties to enrich good health. The edamame, dry bean curd, and  bean curd sheets round-out this dish with an abundant source of protein. In my opinion, this is the perfect vegetarian dish.

Vegetarian Yellow Sparrow

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Taiwanese Cucumber Salad

Friday, July 16, 2010

This is turning out to be a record hot summer, when even mornings and evenings may not bring about a cool breeze. My long morning walks with Ice have been cut really short, and I dread riding the subway in fear of the 5 minutes on the platform. It started out as a great excuse for extra ice cream, but then I turned to lemonade, watermelon, grass jelly, anything for relief.

I called my mom, complaining about the heat, and leave it to mom for some more great ideas. She says, come over, I’ll make you my cucumber salad. We’ll have it with some cold noodles with peanut sauce, and we’ll go buy Do Fu Hwa for you to take home. Then it occurred to me. I never shared my mom’s Taiwanese Cucumber Salad, a summer staple at our house. How could I have let this go un-published for so long?

Taiwanese cucumber salad title

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Eel with Yellow Chives

Saturday, May 29, 2010

When I went to mom’s to learn Tee Pong (Red Cooked Picnic Shoulder), there was a theme that day. I was learning my grandfather’s favorite dishes, and after that fatty pig centerpiece, his next favorite was Eel with Yellow Chives. And just to let you know, he always finished every meal with oranges.

My grandpa insisted on eating these favorite dishes so much that my mom had to make it constantly, and we ordered it at restaurants too. Now, long after my grandfather passed away (in 1996), I realized that my mom hasn’t made Eel with Yellow Chives in years. I asked my mom why and she said it’s kind of a pain to make. Fresh eel requires a lot of cleaning. She also told me that sometimes she would be lazy and by frozen packs of prepped eel strips, ready-to-use, but in the last few years, she hasn’t seen it at the market. The yellow chives require some cleaning too.

Eel with Yellow Chives 2

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