Steamed Vegetable Buns

Ingredients:

• 4 cups flour
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 3 tbsp yeast
• 1/2 cup hot milk
• 3/4 cup hot water
• 4 cloves garlic (minced)
• 2 tbsp ginger (minced)
• 1 cup onions (finely chopped)
• 1 carrot (minced)
• 3 cups cabbage (finely chopped)
• 1 zucchini (finely chopped)
• 2 cups mushrooms (finely chopped)
• 1 1/2 cups bean sprouts(chopped)
• 3 tbsp oil
• 3 tbsp dry wine
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons chili paste
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp water
• 24 pieces wax paper or aluminum foil (3"x3")

Procedure:

Mix 3 1/2 cups flour, sugar and yeast in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine milk and water. Using a thermometer to verify temperature between 120 and 130 degrees. Add milk mixture to flour and stir until flour clumps. Turn dough onto lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic. Let rest for 15 minutes. Knead lightly for 1 minutes. Place dough in lightly greased large bowl to rise till doubled about 30-45 minutes.

FILLING:

Meanwhile, combine wine, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and chili paste in small bowl. Combine cornstarch and water in another small bowl. In hot wok add peanut oil. Stir fry garlic, ginger, and onions for 30 seconds. Add carrots, cabbage, zucchini and bean sprouts. Stir-fry 3 minutes. Add mushrooms and stir-fry for 4 minutes. Add soy sauce mixture and stir till bubbly. Briefly stir cornstarch and water; add to vegetables, stirring quickly while mixture thickens. Cook 1 minute and remove from heat to cool.

BUNS:

When dough is doubled, punch down. Turn onto lightly floured surface and knead for 5 minutes. Split dough into quarters. Roll each quarter into 3-inch long cylinder. Split each cylinder into 6 pieces. Flatten and strech pieces to 3 1/2 to 4 inch circles. Place 1 tablespoon of filling in the center. Take up sides and pinch together in the middle. Place on wax paper with pinched side down on steamer rack. Place filled steamer rack and remaining filled buns in oven with 1 1/2 cups of boiling water to rise for 30 minutes. Steam for 20 minutes.

Fettuccine with Tomato Avocado Sauce

Ingredients:

•       1  tbsp     Olive oil      
•       1  med     Onion; finely chopped      
•       2  Garlic cloves; minced      
•       1  Fresh hot chili pepper seeded and minced      
•       4  med tomatoes cut into 1/2-inch cubes      
•       3/4  tsp  salt      
•       1/8  ts  Freshly ground black pepper      
•       1/2  c   Chopped fresh cilantro (optional)     
•       12  oz     Fettuccine made without eggs      
•       2  med     Ripe avocados peeled, stone removed, and cut into 3/4" cubes      
•       3  tbsp     Extra virgin olive oil      
•       2  tbsp     Freshly squeezed lime juice      

Procedure:
           
      1.     Heat the 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, garlic, and chile pepper, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, salt, and pepper and cook, stirring often, until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.
   
      2.     Remove from the heat, and stir in the cilantro. Keep warm. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan of lightly salted boiling water, cook the noodles until just tender, about 8 minutes. Drain well and transfer to a warmed serving bowl.
   
      3.     Add the tomato sauce, avocados, extra-virgin olive oil, and lime juice. Toss to mix well, and serve immediately.

Squash in Coconut Milk

Ingredients:

• 1 head garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons of ginger root, crushed and minced
• 2 pieces long chili peppers
• 2 tablespoons of shrimp paste
• 2 cups coconut milk
• 3 pieces tomatoes, diced
• 1/4 kilo shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 4 tablespoons of cooking or olive oil
• 1 kilo squash, cut into cubes (1"x1")
• 1 cups coconut cream 2 tablespoons of fish sauce

Procedure:

1. On a big pan, heat oil. Stir fry garlic, onions until light brown then add ginger, cook until onions become translucent.
2. Add the tomatoes, squash, chicken stock, shrimp paste and the coconut milk. Let boil then simmer for 10 to 15 minutes or until the liquid has reduced and the squash becomes tender.
3. Add the coconut cream, long chilli peppers and the shrimps. Bring again to a boil and simmer for a few more minutes.
4. Serve hot with plain rice.

Gourmet Spinach Soup

Ingredients

• 5  T     Butter, sweet 
• 1/4  lb     Mushrooms, fresh; washed, dried, trimmed & diced      
• 1       Scallion; chopped 
• 5  T     Flour, all-purpose
• 2  c     Chicken broth      
• 2  c     Milk      
• 1/2  ts     Salt; (opt)      
• Pepper, black      
• Nutmeg, ground; (opt)      
• 1/4  lb     Cream cheese; softened & cut into cubes      
• 1  c     Swiss cheese; grated      
• 3/4  lb     Spinach, fresh      

Procedure:
           

1. Wash spinach; trim, cook, and chop.
2. Melt the butter in a large saucepan. In it slowly saute the mushrooms and scallion until tender. Add flour and stir just until flour is cooked, a couple of minutes.
3. Whisk in first chicken broth and then milk, stirring until thickened. Add salt if desired, pepper, nutmeg if desired, cream cheese and Swiss cheese; stir until melted. Then stir in spinach. Heat and stir very gently.
4. Season to taste. Serve hot.
   

Crispy Kangkong (Crispy Swamp Cabbage)

Ingredients

• 4 bunches kangkong leaves, cleaned
• 3 cups corn starch
• 5 cups cooking oil
• salt to taste
• 1-1/2 cup water
• 1 cup flour
• 1 pc boiled egg, grated medium

Procedure:

1. Clean kangkong and draw off leaves thoroughly.
2. Remove leaves from stem. Set aside.
3. Combine cornstarch, flour, egg, MSG, salt and water ( batter mixture ) in a clean mixing bowl.
4. Mix until smooth in consistency.
5. Heat oil to 250°F and reduce fire to medium. Dip leaves one by one in batter and deep fry until crispy.
6. Put fried leaves in a plate lined with table tissue to drain oil from kangkong leaves.
7. Serve with sauce on the side.