Tom Yum

Tom Yum Noodle Soup - a Thai style hot and sour soup with shrimp, tomatoes, and shiitake mushrooms.

Asian Avocado Dip

With the recent sales on avocado and my desire for some sort of dip or dressing, I thought I could make something similar to Asian Dressing, but thickened with avocado so we could use it more like a dip. (Although it still works as a thick, yummy dressing.) I also used quite a bit of ginger because it's yummy. :) To make the dip, just throw everything into a food processor or blender and process or blend until desired consistency reached. I used a food processor, and a blender would result in a slightly thinner feeling, but smoother dip.

What's your favorite Asian flavor?

Asian Avocado Dip

by CJ Huang

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: none
Total time: 5 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
28 grams	1 ounce	2 tablespoons		rice vinegar	Lemon or lime juice also make good substitutes.
31 grams	1.125 ounces	2 tablespoons		soy sauce
8 grams	1/4 ounce	2 teaspoons		sesame oil
6 grams	1/4 ounce	1 teaspoon		honey mustard
3 grams	1/8 ounce	1 teaspoon		onion, powdered
13 grams	1/2 ounce	2 tablespoons		sesame seeds, toasted
13 grams	1/2 ounce	2 teaspoons		honey
11 grams	3/8 ounce	2 teaspoons	2 cloves	garlic, minced
55 grams	1.875 ounces			ginger	Sliced, grated, or minced will make the blending/processing easier.
3 grams	1/8 ounce			chili pepper flakes
			1	avocado

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Place all materials into food processor and process until desired texture reached.

Shared with: Full Plate Thursday, Artsy Fartsy Party, Thursday Favorite Things, BFF Open House, Traffic Jam, Meal Plan Monday, Handmade and Otherwise, Fiesta Friday, Saturday Sparks

Sticky Rice Rolls (飯糰)

Ever since my mom made us some Fan Tuan (飯糰), or Sticky Rice Rolls, Bert has been asking me to make him some. If you're like most people, you probably don't know what I'm talking about. Fan Tuan are a part of Chinese cuisine made by compressing glutinous rice around you tiao (油條), also known as a Chinese cruller or Chinese doughnut, and translated as a Chinese oil stick or Chinese fried breadstick. I wanted to make the more traditional savory version of these sticky rice rolls, so I included zha cai (榨菜) or pickled mustard stems and rou song (肉鬆) or shredded pork floss. However, I deviated from the traditional and used pork cracklins instead of you tiao. They're a lot easier to find around these parts, for one. Plus, they still provide that nice crunchy texture like the you tiao would. I've also had some Fan Tuan made with crumbled tortilla chips as a healthier alternative. If you have the materials on hand, these sticky rice rolls are actually fairly quick and easy to make. Just spread some rice (like making sushi rolls) on a piece of plastic wrap and then place your fillings down the middle and compress it all into a roll. I used a sushi mat to help form the roll. Leave the plastic wrap on until eating time to prevent the rice from drying out and hardening as well as a mess! It's certainly not the most photogenic food, but it does make up for it in yumminess. Enjoy with a nice cup of soy milk!

What's an unphotogenic food that more than makes up for it in yumminess?

Sticky Rice Rolls (飯糰)

by CJ Huang

Chewy sticky rice surrounding crunchy cracklins, shredded pork floss, and pickled veggies makes for some scrumptiously yummy, although not quite conventional sticky rice rolls.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
842 grams	29.75 ounces			glutinous rice, soaked at least overnight and then drained
100 grams	3.5 ounces		1 small package	pickled vegetables (榨菜)
25 grams	7/8 ounce			pork cracklins
	1 ounce			shredded pork floss (肉鬆)

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Steam glutinous rice until kernels turn translucent. I like to use a bamboo steamer lined with cheesecloth or a flour sack towel.
	3. Place a layer of the sticky rice on plastic wrap. I like to place the plastic wrap on top of a bamboo sushi mat to help with step 4. Place some of each filling on top of the rice.
	4. Roll everything together, leaving the plastic wrap around the rice. You'll want to compress the roll at least a bit so it doesn't fall apart when you eat it. Serve with soy milk.

Shared with: Full Plate Thursday, Artsy Fartsy Party, Thursday Favorite Things, BFF Open House, Traffic Jam, Saturday Sparks, Meal Plan Monday, Handmade and Otherwise, Fiesta Friday, What's for Dinner?, Over the Moon, Hearth and Soul, Farm Fresh Tuesday, Tuesdays at Our Home, Your Whims Wednesday, Homestead Blog Hop, Party in Your PJs

DIY Soy Milk

Since I'm not currently eating dairy, I needed to find an alternative to add to my favorite Chai tea. Even though there's a lot of alternatives these days, I'm most familiar with soy milk. Plus, I already had all the required materials on hand - all two of them! Can you guess what they are? Yep - soy beans and water. Really, that's it! I also added a bit of sugar, but you could easily leave it out. Or you could add in whatever flavors you like - chocolate, vanilla, etc. Once you've gathered your materials, just throw everything into the blender, and blend! The longer you blend, the smaller your soy bean pieces will get, and the stronger your soy milk will be. After blending, pour everything into a filter. I like to use a flour sack towel, and cheesecloth works too. I'll sometimes take the grounds and put those back into the blender with more water to get a bit more soy milk. You can do it a few times, but each time will be weaker than the previous time. Usually 2-4 times is good. However, it also depends on how strong you like your soy milk. I've found, generally speaking, the stuff you find at the Asian grocery will be stronger than the stuff at the American grocery. This soy milk tastes much more like the Asian variety. Once you've filtered the soy milk, bring it to a boil, and you're finished! I like adding sugar while heating, but you could also add your flavorings while blending.

What's your favorite milk alternative?

DIY Soy Milk

by CJ Huang

Ever wondered how to make your own soy milk? Find out how! It's simple and requires only two ingredients.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: 1/2 gallon

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
454 grams	1 pound			soy beans, presoaked	I think I started with about 1 cup of dried soy beans.
				water	The amount you use is variable. I usually just fill the blender mostly full after adding the beans. You can also start by making a strong soy milk and then diluting it down later.
				sugar or other flavorings	optional

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Place pre-soaked soy beans into blender and add water. I usually fill the blender most of the way.
	3. Blend until everything's all mixed up.
	4. Strain solids out. You can then put the solids back into the blender with more water to get more soy milk, but each time will result in a weaker soy milk. Bring your soy milk to a boil, and then simmer, stirring occasionally. I like to add the sugar here.

Shared with: Full Plate Thursday, Artsy Fartsy Party, Thursday Favorite Things, BFF Open House, Friendship Friday, Meal Plan Monday, Saturday Sparks, Fiesta Friday, Handmade and Otherwise, Traffic Jam, What's for Dinner?, Over the Moon, Inspire Me Monday, Tuesdays at Our Home, Inspire Me Monday, Hearth and Soul, Inspire Me Monday, Farm Fresh Tuesday, Your Whims Wednesday, Party in Your PJs, Homestead Blog Hop

Lemony Pasta with Capers and Greens

A quick, light, and refreshing pasta with tilapia, greens, and a bit of lemon.

Sesame Crusted Tuna

We recently saw some tuna steaks for sale, and since we'd never purchased any before, we decided to make an exploratory purchase. The first thing we wanted to try? Sesame Crusted Tuna Steaks! Making these steaks was pretty easy too. I thought I'd need to dredge the tuna in something before searing, but the tuna does a surprisingly good job of keeping the sesame seeds stuck. All you've got to do is press them into the tuna slightly if you feel like it. Even without pressing the sesame seeds into the tuna, the vast majority of the seeds will stay stuck. As part of this meal, I also made a ginger carrot topping or dressing. Feel free to serve it on the side, on top, as a dip, or not at all! Although, if you decide to leave it out, I would recommend mixing the other ingredients and using it as a sauce so you'll have a more flavorful tuna. :) Give this Sesame Crusted Tuna a try and surprise yourself with how easy it is to make!

What's a dish you thought was a lot more complicated than it actually is?

Sesame Crusted Tuna

by CJ Huang

Easy and yummy - try this sesame crusted tuna steak with an Asian inspired ginger carrot sauce!

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: 2 servings

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
60 grams	2.125 ounces		1	carrot, chopped
		1 tablespoon		ginger, minced or grated
		2 tablespoons		green onions, sliced
		1 tablespoon		rice vinegar
		2 teaspoons		sesame oil
		1 teaspoon		soy sauce
38 grams	1.25 ounces	1/4 cup		sesame seeds
			2	tuna steaks	I cut each steak into two pieces, and I can't remember why!

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Process together carrots, ginger, green onions, sesame oil, and soy sauce until smooth.
	3. Press tuna steaks into sesame seeds to coat. Repeat for each side.
	4. Cook in a greased pan for 1-2 minutes on each side (for medium rare).

Linked to: Full Plate Thursday, Friendship Friday, BFF Open House, Saturday Sparks, Meal Plan Monday, Handmade and Otherwise, Fiesta Friday, What's for Dinner?, Inspire Me Monday, Over the Moon, Hearth and Soul, Inspire Me Monday, Tuesdays at Our Home, Fabulous Party, Inspire Me Monday, Farm Fresh Tuesdays, Wine'd Down Wednesday, Your Whims Wednesday, Party in Your PJs, Homestead Blog Hop

Ginger Tofu

I had some tofu leftover, and I needed another side, but looking around I didn't have too much else. What to do? Maybe something like a stir-fry? But I wanted something crispier, so I opted for pan frying. If you're in a rush, you can serve these tofu sticks with a sauce (like me). But if you marinate the tofu beforehand, you'll get more flavor penetration. Either way works - just depends on your preferences. This gingery tofu is so simple you can go from raw materials to the table in 15 minutes! Just cut, cook, pour on some sauce, and you'll have some flavorful crispy, gingery tofu sticks!

What's your favorite way to enjoy tofu?

Ginger Tofu

by CJ Huang

Flavorful, gingery tofu sticks with a tender inside and a crispy exterior.

Prep time: 5 minutes + optional marinating time
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes + optional marinating time
Yield: 4 servings

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
	1 pound			tofu, cut into sticks	Mine were about 3/4 x 3/4 x 3 inches.
		1/2 tablespoon		ginger, powdered, minced, or grated
		1 teaspoon		sesame oil
			2 cloves	garlic, minced
		1 tablespoon		soy sauce
		1 teaspoon		corn starch	optional

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Combine all materials, making sure to cover tofu in sauce. Marinate if desired.
	3. Pan fry tofu sticks until outside crispy.

Linking to: Inspire Me Monday, Wine'd Down Wednesday, Your Whims Wednesday, Homestead Blog Hop, Party in Your PJs, Full Plate Thursday, Farm Fresh Tuesday, Reader Tip Tuesday, Making a Home, Artsy Fartsy Party, Thursday Favorite Things, BFF Open House, Friendship Friday, Meal Plan Monday, Saturday Sparks, Handmade and Otherwise, Fiesta Friday, Inspire Me Monday, What's for Dinner?, Over the Moon, Inspire Me Monday, Hearth and Soul, Tuesdays at Our Home, Artsy Fartsy Party, Thursday Favorite Things

Elderberry Syrup

With so many bugs going around lately, I thought I'd make some elderberry syrup. Homemade elderberry syrup's a great natural and effective alternative to various medications, and at $15+ for a small bottle of elderberry syrup at the store, it's also a lot less expensive! You can definitely make much more for less, and you can make yours even better by using local, raw honey. With their high Vitamin A, B, and C content, elderberries can stimulate the immune system, helping prevent illness as well as a speedy recovery.

This elderberry syrup's super easy to make too! Just simmer the materials until you've got a nice infusion, then concentrate it by letting some water evaporate off. Let it cool a bit (so you don't "cook" your raw honey) and mix it into the honey. Stir a spoonful into tea or just take it undiluted. Your immune system will thank you! :)

What are some natural or alternative methods you use to keep yourself healthy?

Elderberry Syrup

by CJ Huang

An effective and healthy immune booster, make this easy elderberry syrup inexpensively at home. It's yummy too!

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 55 minutes
Total time: 60 minutes + cooling time
Yield: 4 cups

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
		1 cup		dried elderberries	Or substitute 2 cups fresh elderberies.
		2 tablespoons		ginger	I used grated.
			4	cinnamon sticks
		6 cups		water
		1.5 cups		honey	Raw, local honey is preferred.

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Combine all materials except honey and simmer until volume reduces by about half.
	3. Strain mixture, and allow to cool. Once it has cooled, stir into honey.

Linked to: Inspire Me Monday, Wine'd Down Wednesday, Your Whims Wednesday, Party in Your PJs, Homestead Blog Hop, Full Plate Thursday, Artsy Fartsy Party, Thursday Favorite Things, Friendship Friday, BFF Open House, Traffic Jam, Saturday Sparks, Fiesta Friday, Handmade and Otherwise, What's for Dinner?, Inspire Me Monday, Over the Moon, Hearth and Soul, Tuesdays at Our Home, Inspire Me Monday, Fabulous Party

Spanish Okra

I'd gotten some okra, planning to make some Fried Okra. Then I got back and didn't feel like frying the okra. What to do? I looked around at what materials I had around and decided to make some Spanish Okra. I know okra's got a reputation for having a slimy goo when cooked. It's useful for thickening up dishes, but James likes to avoid the slimy feeling. Slicing the okra into small pieces, cooking with higher heat, and cooking alongside acidic ingredients all help decrease the goo, and they're all methods used in this recipe!

Do you like your okra thick and slimy or do you prefer to cook the slime out?

Spanish Okra

by CJ Huang

Okra, sliced and then simmered with tomatoes and onions for a Spanish Okra. Chili powder gives this dish an extra kick!

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 15 minutes
Yield: 8 servings

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
193 grams	6.75 ounces		1	onion, diced
370 grams	13.125 ounces		1 can	tomatoes
421 grams	14 ounces		4 cups	okra, sliced	Fresh or frozen both work. I used frozen.
		1 tablespoon		chili powder

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Combine all materials, and cook until okra heated through and onion cooked.

Linked to: Your Whims Wednesday, Homestead Blog Hop, Artsy Fartsy Party, Traffic Jam, Friendship Friday, Meal Plan Monday, Fiesta Friday, Saturday Sparks, Inspire Me Monday, What's for Dinner?, Over the Moon, Tuesdays at Our Home, Inspire Me Monday, Hearth and Soul, Fabulous Party

Nutty Asian Chicken Strips

Chicken strips coated with crunchy peanuts and dipped in a savory ginger and lime sauce.