Rice Cake - Nian Gao - a Chinese treat!

• 1 lb. glutinous rice flour (1/2lb. of the "red" bag and 1/2lb. of the "green" bag)
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 2.5 cups milk
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• raisins and/or dates

Directions

1. Beat eggs with sugar and slowly add glutinous rice flour and milk.
2. Stir the mixture until the ingredients are fully blended with each other before adding baking soda.
3. Add oil gradually while stirring continuously.
4. Stop when oil no longer appears as a separate layer from the rest of ingredients.
5. Add vanilla extract last.
6. Stir and make sure there is no air bubble.
7. Place Flexipan of choice on Perforated Baking Sheet
8. Pour batter into Flexipan of choice
9. Sprinkle with raisins and/or dates
10. Bake at 325°F for approx. 45 minutes. (Cake should be lightly browned and solid when you move it.)

*Note:  in the Asian section of your grocery store, you should be able to find bags of rice flour.  Typically, you will find a red bag and a green bag.  Use 1/2 lb. of each to create the best consistency for this cake.  If you can't find it, other rice flour will work, it just may be a different consistency.

Ji Song ~ 鸡松 ~ a Chinese Hors d'oeuvre ~ Chicken Lettuce Wrap ~ Method #2

This is one of my favorite dishes, but it is often sooo over-priced at restaurants and really, it's quite simple to make at home . . .

Method #2 allows you to "cook" even on hot days without the oven or stove! It's on my "too hot to cook" menu!

Ingredients:

3-5 green onions, finely sliced

1/2 cup celery (diced, optional)

1 can water chestnuts (diced, optional)

2 lbs. ground turkey, chicken, or pork

2 1/2 tsp. Demarle At Home Herb Blend (of choice ~ I prefer something w/garlic in it.)

1/2 tsp. salt

4 cups steamed white rice (optional)

1 or 2 heads of lettuce of choice

Hoisin Sauce

Cilantro for garnish (optional)

Tools:

~ Octagonal Silpat

~ Round Mold (any size)

~ Set of 3 Spatulas

~ Bamboo Cutting Board

~ Demarle Difference Paring Knife

~ Magnetic Measuring Trio

Method #2:

Put first six ingredients in Round Mold and cover with Octagonal Silpat. Microwave on High for 2 min.

Take it out and break it up with spatula. Put back in (with octagonal silpat) for another minute.

Take it out, break it up, and put it back in for another minute.

Take it out, break it up and put it back in for another minute.

Take it out, break it up and put it back in for another minute (or two). Repeat until "browned" enough for your taste.

Squeeze mold to drain out grease.

Note: you can make steamed rice in the microwave using your Round Mold (any size) and Octagonal Silpat!

Spoon rice onto lettuce leaf, then a layer of meat mixture, and top off with a drizzle of hoisin sauce and garnish with cilantro. Enjoy!

This is a great method to use when making ground beef for tacos . . .

Ji Song ~ 鸡松 ~ a Chinese Hors d'oeuvre ~ Chicken Lettuce Wrap ~ Method #1

This is one of my favorite dishes, but it is often sooo over-priced at restaurants and really, it's quite simple to make at home . . .

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp. oil

3-5 green onions, finely sliced

1/2 cup celery (diced, optional)

1 can water chestnuts (diced, optional)

2 lbs. ground turkey, chicken, or pork

2 1/2 tsp. Demarle At Home Herb Blend (of choice ~ I prefer something w/garlic in it.)

1/2 tsp. salt

4 cups steamed white rice (optional)

1 or 2 heads of lettuce of choice

Hoisin Sauce

Cilantro for garnish (optional)

Tools:

~ Large Flared Saute Pan

~ Polyamide Spatula

~ Cooling Rack

~ Bamboo Cutting Board

~ Demarle Difference Paring Knife

~ Magnetic Measuring Trio

Method #1

Heat oil in pan on medium heat; add green onions; saute for approx. 1 min. Add next four ingredients and saute until cooked through and/or browned; drain (the juice makes a really good soup base; so you might want to keep it! Email me if you'd like to know how to make great soup with it!).

Note: you can make steamed rice in the microwave using your Round Mold (any size) and Octagonal Silpat!

Spoon rice onto lettuce leaf, then a layer of meat mixture, and top off with a drizzle of hoisin sauce and garnish with cilantro. Enjoy!

Crab Cream Cheese Wonton

These are so simple and really, the filling could be anything you want! This is what I did . . .

Ingredients:

Wonton Wrappers

Canned Crab Meat

Cream Cheese

Sour Cream

Seasoning Salt

Dried Cilantro

Onion Powder

Place wonton wrappers in Mini Tartlet, Medium Tartlet, or Mini Muffin Tray (on Perforated Baking Sheet). Mix remaining ingredients in bowl. Spoon a tsp. of mixture into each wonton wrapper. With wet fingers, close the wrappers around the mixture. Bake at 350 F for approx. 15 min. until golden brown and filling is hot.

What's for Dinner? Spicy Chicken Wings

This was so delicious!! Chinese Spicy Chicken Wings and Sweet Potato Fries!

Spicy Chicken Wings - adapted from "Creative Chinese Oven Cooking" by Hsueh-Hsia Chen

Ingredients:
12 Chicken Wings, upper part
1t. - 1T Chili powder
2T ketchup
1/2 T sugar
1T each: sesame oil, soy sauce, minced garlic

Marinate chicken wings in last six ingredients for at least 3 hours or overnight.

Place Flexipat on Perforated Baking Sheet. Set chicken on Flexipat. Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes or until golden brown and done.


Sweet Potato Fries: Slice potato with Santoku Knife on Bamboo Cutting Board and toss with olive oil on Silpat (on the Perforated Baking Sheet). Salt to taste and bake at same temp and time as chicken . . .

Delicious Spinach!

By Alisa Gaylord

Tools:
Large Round Mold
Octagonal Silpat

Place in Large Round Mold: 2 cloves of garlic (diced), 1 tablespoon butter, squeeze of fresh lemon (just a touch), place spinach on top. Microwave for 1.5 minutes, toss ingredients together and ready to plate!

One bunch of spinach is perfect for family of 4 and much more cost effective than buying a bag.

Chinese Steamed Eggs

My Mother-In-Law always steamed us the most wonderful egg breakfast dish in bamboo steamers in China ~ a healthy and delicious way to start the day!

I have adapted her recipe to be used with our Large Round Mold and the Octagonal Silpat in the microwave . . . (In smaller portions, you can also use the Small or Medium Round Molds, the Daisy Mold, the Twist Mold, the Oval Mold, or the Fluted Bundt Mold.)

The steamed eggs made an excellent bed for our sausage that I fried in our 10" Gourmet Frying Pan - yes, it's stainless and cleaned up like a breeze! When you have a high-grade stainless piece, it acts like a non-stick pan - no need to be afraid of using our stainless pieces!

Do you recognize the fresh, home-made bread in the back? Check out Shelley's Honey Oatmeal Bread recipe below . . .

Everybody likes their eggs in different consistencies, so the amounts below are not scientific; I don't measure, I just dump and stir . . . so feel free to experiment to your own taste! It's hard to mess this up, so just go for it!

Crack 4 to 6 eggs in the mold of choice and whisk lightly.

Add about 1/4 cup of water (I just hold the mold under the faucet for a few seconds).

Add approx. 2 Tbsp. of oil of choice (for flavor).

Salt and pepper to taste.

Optional:

Add scallions, green onions, garlic, peppers, cayenne, and/or soy sauce (in place of salt).

Place Octagonal Silpat on mold and put in microwave on High for approx. 4 min.

Unmold and garnish with cilantro and/or green onions/scallions. Enjoy!

"Dan Ta" - A Chinese Treat!

Dan Ta Recipe:

1 package Pillsbury Pie Crust or Puff Pastry

1/2 cup Hot Water

1/4 cup sugar

2 Eggs

1/2 tsp. (clear) vanilla

1/2 tsp. white vinegar

Dissolve sugar in hot water and let cool. Add remaining ingredients; whisk and then strain. Set aside. Roll out dough on Roul'Pat and cut Medium sized tartlets; use the shaper to put them into the Medium Tartlet Tray (make sure tray is on the Perforated Baking Sheet). Fill the tartlet half-full with egg mixture.

Bake at 375 F for about 15 minutes.