Saturday 16 November 2019

Egg Foo Yong


Sauce:
3/4 cup chicken stock or water
1 t. soya sauce
1/2 tsp. salt
 T cornstarch in 1/4 cup cold water
peas (optional)

Bring chicken stock to boil.  Add soya sauce, salt and then cornstarch mixture.  Lower heat and cook for 2 minutes until sauce is smooth and clear.  Keep warm at low heat ntil ready to sere with Egg Foo Yong.

Egg Mixture:

9 eggs
1/2 cup oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp accent
pepper to taste
1 lb bean sprouts
1 cup celery shredded
1 cup fresh mushrooms 
2 green onions, shredded or 1/2 Spanish onion 1 cup choice or mix of the following: shredded barbecue pork, shredded chicken, 1 can crab meat, 1 can shrimp

Rise bean sprouts in cold water, drain.  Beat eggs well with fork; set aside.  Heat oil and season with salt, accent and pepper.  Stir fry celery, mushrooms and bean sprouts.  Add green onions and choice of meats and seafoods.  Fry until meat is pink or seafood is almost cooked.  Fold mixture into bowl of beaten eggs.  Ladle eggs mixture into heated fry pan, with boil on bottom, 1/2 cup at a time and fry like an omelette (cook for about 2 minutes until gold and flip over to cook for another minute).  Keep cooked egg pancakes warm in moderate oven until ready to serve.  Arrange neatly on a platter.  Pour hot sauce over top to serve.

Note: This is the recipe I got in the 1970's when I took a Chinese Food Cooking course in the Calgary Board of Education Night Class with that name.  It was reprinted in  Bow Valley's Best I Love Homemaking Cookbook (1989).

Friday 15 November 2019

Christmas Tree Buns

... roll the buns and place on the tray ...
... make sure to leave lots of room for the dough to rise ...
Moiya has gone to Calgary to hug and cuddle the new little Elizabeth Wood at Matthew and Stacey's house.

I don't know if she will be called Elizabeth or any of the lovely nicknames that go along with Elizabeth:Lizzie, Beth, Betty, Eliza -- the list is endless.

Before Moiya left Salmon Arm, she was in the middle of making something with a Christmas tree theme for a weekend party.

She settled on a Christmas tree made out of cheese buns.

Now this is a lot of work, but it really made me laugh.

There is not much cheaper to play with than bread dough.

I asked Moiya for the recipe.
When the buns are finished proofing,
they will look like this.

She said that it is just Marina's cheese bun recipe.

Well, thankfully she sent me pictures of steps, one, two and three.

It does look like Moiya is using parchment paper.

I don't know when parchment paper because a staple in my pantry.

Perhaps 10 years ago?

Having the tree on parchment paper looks like the secret.

... I can almost smell that fresh warm air above the buns...
As well, Moiya put little stars on the top bun, by rolling tiny piece of dough and then artfully making them into a star.

She did a couple of extra buns in case the first one didn't work out.

Now why she did any of this I will never know since the first person in the buffet line will ruin that art of the creation and it will just be a pan of buns after 10 people have taken one.

Still, it is something I would have tried.

Something I may still try.

Arta

Friday 1 November 2019

Fresh Cranberry Salsa Dip

Fresh Cranberry Salsa Dip


Description
The perfect sweet & savory holiday appetizer: bright and tangy cranberries combine with spicy jalapenos and are cooled by creamy cream cheese.

Ingredients
·       12 oz bag fresh cranberries, washed
·       2 jalapenos, minced (adjust according to taste)
·       1/2 cup sliced green onions, roughly chopped
·       1/4 cup chopped cilantro, roughly chopped
·       1/2 tablespoon lime or lemon juice
·       1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
·       1/2 cup sugar, more to taste if desired
·       2 8-ounce packages cream cheese, at room temperature

Instructions
1.    Place cranberries, jalapenos, green onions and cilantro in a food processor and process until fine. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in lime juice, salt, and sugar. Chill in fridge for about 2 hours or more. To serve, spread cream cheese evenly in a pie plate or other shallow serving dish. Spread salsa on top and serve with crackers.

Notes
·       Feel free to adjust this basic recipe to taste. I like to be heavy-handed with the onion and cilantro, and if you like a kick, add more jalapeno peppers! One recipe makes enough for 2 blocks of cream cheese. Often I’ll just serve it over one block at a time and save the extra salsa for another night.