Shrimp with Lobster Sauce

The name of this dish has nothing to do with lobster. It is a popular Chinese dish made with white sauce traditionally used in Chinese cooking. Most Chinese sauces are made with soy sauce and oyster sauce, but the white sauce has a very mild taste and has a base consisting of chicken stock, egg white and thickened with cornstarch. The sauce does not contain any lobster, and I think that lobster is too expensive to create a sauce just for this dish. Maybe the seasoning of this dish is similar to the seasoning that is used to make lobster and that is the reason why it has its name. I like to make this dish because it is quick meal and very healthy.  

Ingredients:

12 oz. large raw shrimp, shelled and deveined

4 oz. ground chicken or pork

1 inch of fresh ginger, peeled and minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 green onions, separate the white part and green part, sliced

1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots

1 cup chicken broth

1 egg white

Season with:

1 tbs cooking wine

Salt, sugar and white pepper, to taste

Thickening sauce ingredients:

1 tbs cornstarch with 2 tbs water

Serve with cooked rice.

Directions:

Lightly season the shrimp with salt and sugar, to taste.

In a wok, heat up the oil on medium heat. When the oil is hot, add in the ginger and garlic. Stir-fry until aromatic, about 2 minutes. Stir in the white part of the green onion. Stir in ground chicken cook for 1 minutes

Add shrimp into the wok and stir-fry until half-cooked or the surface turns opaque. Pour in the chicken broth and Chinese cooking wine. Let contents boil.

Add the frozen vegetables and stir to combine. Add the white pepper, salt, and sugar, to taste.

Add the cornstarch and water; mix well. When the chicken broth is boiling, gently pour in the cornstarch mixture while stirring. Bring mixture back to a boil; swirl the beaten egg and immediately pour into the wok. When the egg white begins to form into silken threads, quickly turn off the heat.

Stir in the green onions.  Serve over the cooked rice.

Quick Easy Donut Holes

I came to know and love donuts after a few years while living in Chicago. Dunkin’ Donuts stores are everywhere in the City of Chicago. I think a donut or donut hole is a comfort food; no one can refuse a cup of coffee and a donut in on a deep, cold winter day in Chicago. As my memory recalls, there is always a donut shop at a bus or train stop. I used to enter the donut shop to buy a cinnamon sugar coated donut or simple glazed one while waiting for the bus to arrive. Police men and women are frequent customers at the donut shop. Even though a donut is not a healthy comfort food, it connects with a simple life for so many people. The most commonly used ingredients for making donut dough are flour, yeast, eggs, and butter. Afterwards, deep fry the batter. This method to make donuts, or, today, donut holes results in an extremely light dough. However, in this recipe as in many of my easy baking methods, I use the self-rising flour with nonfat Greek yogurt. The result surprises me quite a bit that the donut holes are still light and fluffy. This is the fastest and easiest way to dispel the urge for donut holes, and it tastes like the donut holes at a donut shop.

 

Ingredients:

1 cup self-rising flour

5.3 oz nonfat Greek yogurt

1 egg

1/4 cup milk 

Other ingredients:

Oil for deep frying

Powdered sugar

Butter

Cocoa powder

Cinnamon powder

Directions:

Combine yogurt, egg, and milk in a bowl and whisk well.

Add the flour and whisk to combine. The batter should be thick.

Preheat oil in deep sauté pan or deep pot. 

Use a small ice cream scoop, sprayed with some oil to prevent the batter from sticking in the ice cream scoop, to drop the batter into the hot oil.

Donut holes will float on top of the oil in a few seconds. Deep fry the donut holes until golden brown on all sides (gently turn the donut holes to get them evenly brown).

Use a sieve spoon to transfer the donut holes onto paper towels to absorb the oil. 

Simple glaze:

1 tbs sugar with 2 tsp cinnamon powder

1/2 cup powder sugar with 2 tbs melted butter

2 tbs melted butter with 1 tbs cocoa powder

The above simple glaze is proportioned for this recipe. You can make more glaze to your liking. Roll the donut holes into the glaze as soon as you can after deep frying.

Spicy Garlic Eggplant

This is a quick, easily prepared and addictive side dish, or it can even be a main meal for vegans. There are many different types of aubergine or eggplants, both in terms of shape and color. The taste also varies with some boasting a mild flavor with no bitterness. Probably the most common varieties worldwide are large, pear-shaped, and dark purple colored. The Asian eggplant is long and finger-thin with light color. This recipe is best using the Japanese eggplant, but even the Italian one or those commonly sold in American supermarkets will work well too. The spicy sauce is what I create at home for most of my stir-fry dishes. The variation of spiciness is up to each cook or family to spicy up or down.

Ingredients:

1 eggplant

1 tbs salt

1 tbs vinegar

Sauce ingredients:

2 tbs soy sauce

2 tbs Hoisin sauce

1 sriracha sauce

1 tbs cooking wine

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp mushroom seasoning

1 tsp sesame oil

Other ingredients:

4 garlic cloves minced

1 piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

5 green onions, sliced and separate the white and green part

3 dry hot chilli

3 tbs oil

3 tbs chopped cilantro

2 tbs cornstarch

 

Serve with cooked rice

 

Directions:

Dice the eggplant into 1 inch cubes.

Soak eggplant in a water with salt and vinegar for 30 minutes and drain. Add cornstarch.

Whisk the sauce in a bowl and set aside.

Heat the sauté pan or wok with oil until almost smoking (really hot). Stir in the eggplant and stir eggplant until all sides are charred and golden brown. 

Stir in garlic, ginger, dry chilli, and the white part of scallions (green onions). Cook for 2 minutes.

Add sauce and simmer until all the eggplants are coated with sauce. Adjust the seasoning to your liking.

Stir in the green part of scallions (green onions) and chopped cilantro. Turn the heat off and serve.

Easy Hummingbird Cake

According to Wikipedia, Hummingbird cake is a combination of banana and pineapple spice cake and is common in the Southern United States. It also known as is created on the island of Jamaica by the nation’s native bird.  I seldom make carrot, banana cake and muffin. This cake tastes more like carrot cake because it contains walnuts and has a cream cheese frosting.  Hummingbird cake is moist because of the bananas and pineapple. It becomes a Southern classic household favorite. There are many easy recipes to create hummingbird cake. However, in my blog I just want to share an easy way to make this cake. I also cut down in half on this recipe’s ingredients to make it even easier for people who want to make a smaller cake. As with many of my cakes or muffins recipes, this cake will use the same methods. I serve this cake to all my friends, and they love it. Now, it will be yours to love also.

Ingredients:

Dry ingredients:

1 ½ cups self-rising flour

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

1/4 tsp nutmeg

Wet ingredients:

2 eggs

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1/4 cup pineapple juice (either from a can or juice from fresh pineapple)

Other ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

1/2 cup fresh or canned pineapple (chopped to fine pieces)

1 cup mashed ripened bananas

Cream cheese frosting:

4 oz. cream cheese (room temperature)

3 tbs softened butter

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp vanilla, salt, a little milk, if needed

Equipment:

8” x 8” square or round cake pan

 

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350°F (149°C).

Grease and flour the cake pan with 1 tbs of all-purpose flour.

Whisk the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.

In a blender, combine all the wet ingredients, and blend well.

Pour the blended wet ingredients into the dry ingredients mixture  and whisk until completely combined. Add chopped pineapple, bananas, and walnuts or pecans.

Spread batter evenly into the prepared cake pan.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove cakes from the oven and allow to cool completely in the pans set on a wire rack. 

Once completely cooled, remove cakes from pan and spread the frosting over the cake.

While the cake is baking, you can make the frosting.

In a medium bowl, use a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment to beat the cream cheese and butter together on high speed until smooth and creamy. Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, milk, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then switch to high speed and beat for 2 minutes. Taste to your liking. 

Tip:

Refrigerate the cake at least 30 minutes before serving.

Yogurt and Fruit Muffins

If eating healthy, fluffy, and delicious food is what people are looking to change the way to enjoy our breakfasts, then the recipe here is the one. I have been making muffins for as long as I have been creating this blog. This recipe for muffins is my favorite one to share with all of you. The reason I state that this muffin is healthy is that it contains nonfat Greek yogurt and many favorite frozen or fresh fruit. The yogurt makes the muffins moist, and the fruit in this recipe gives them tremendous flavor. I also add dry cranberries and raisins to this recipe for my personal taste. With my easy method of making muffin, I think everyone can use his or her imagination to create their own yogurt fruit muffins.

 

Ingredients:

Dry ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

Wet ingredients:

1 egg

One 5.3 oz. nonfat Greek yogurt

1/4 cup oil

2 tbs orange juice

1/3 to 1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

Other ingredients:

1 cup combination of fresh or frozen fruit (your choice)

Blueberries, strawberries, peach, plum, etc.., diced

1/4 cup dry fruit, such as raisin or cranberries

1 tbs Demerara Sugar

 

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.

Line a medium-size 6 muffin tin with paper muffin tin liners.

Stir together the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Make a well in the center.

In a blender, combine all the wet ingredients and blend well. 

Pour the wet ingredients all at once into the well in the flour mixture. Mix quickly and lightly with a fork or spatula until moistened, but do not over beat. 

The batter should be lumpy. 

Add the fruit into the batter and mix well.

Sprinkle the Demerara Sugar on top.

Divide the batter equally into the paper muffin tin liners (about two thirds full).

Bake for 25 minutes, or until golden brown. 

Tips:

You can use self-rising flour for this recipe as well as with many of my muffin recipes. Because of the yogurt, add baking soda to the self-rising flour.

I soak the dry fruit with orange juice or any juice that is available to you. You can discard the soaking liquid because it will not affect the results of the muffins.

• 
  

The Ant and the Grasshopper

The ANT AND THE 
GRASSHOPPER

This one is a little different ...

Two Different Versions ... 
Two Different Morals

OLD VERSION

The ant works hard in the withering heat all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the ant is warm and well fed.

The grasshopper has no food or shelter, so he dies out in the cold.

MORAL OF THE OLD STORY:

Be responsible for yourself!

MODERN VERSION

The ant works hard in the withering heat and the rain all summer long, building his house and laying up supplies for the winter.

The grasshopper thinks the ant is a fool and laughs and dances and plays the summer away.

Come winter, the shivering grasshopper calls a press conference and demands to know why the ant should be allowed to be warm and well fed while he is cold and starving..

CBS, NBC, PBS, CNN,  and ABC show up to provide pictures of the shivering grasshopper next to a video of the ant in his comfortable home with a table filled with food. America is stunned by the sharp contrast.

How can this be, that in a country of such wealth, this poor grasshopper 
is allowed to suffer so?

Kermit the Frog appears on Oprah with the grasshopper and everybody cries when they sing, 'It's Not Easy Being Green'

Occupy the Anthill stages a demonstration in front of the ant's house where the news stations film the Black Lives Matter group singing, We shall overcome.

Then Reverend Al Sharpton has the group kneel down to pray for the grasshopper while he damns the ants. He later appears on MSNBC to complain that rich people do not care.

Former President Obama condemns the ant and blames Donald Trump, President Bush 43, President Bush 41, President Reagan, Christopher Columbus, and the Pope for the grasshopper's plight.

 Nancy Pelosi & Chuck Schumer exclaim in an interview on The View 
that the ant has gotten rich off the back of the grasshopper, and both call for an immediate tax hike on the ant to make him pay his fair share.

 Finally, the EEOC drafts the Economic Equity & Anti-Grasshopper Act 
retroactive to the beginning of the summer.

The ant is fined for failing to hire a proportionate number of green bugs and, having; nothing left to pay his retroactive taxes, his home is confiscated by the Government Green Czar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and given to the grasshopper.

The story ends as we see the grasshopper and his free-loading friends finishing up the last bits of the ant's food while the government house he is in, which, as you recall, just happens to be the ant's old house, 
crumbles around them because the grasshopper doesn't maintain it.

 The ant has disappeared in the snow, never to be seen again.

 The grasshopper is found dead in a drug related incident, and the house, now abandoned, is taken over by a gang of spiders who terrorize the ramshackle, once prosperous and peaceful, neighborhood.

 The entire Nation collapses bringing the rest of the free world with it.

 MORAL OF THE STORY:

 Be careful how you vote in 2020.

Cassava Cooked in an Instant Pot

Cassava is one of my favorite starchy root vegetables or tubers. Some other countries, such as Vietnam call it Yuca. This root vegetable has a nutty flavor and contains many good proteins and vitamins, such as C, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin. The recipe that I will share today is one of my childhood memory snacks that my mom used to make for us kids. The traditional method to make this is to steam Yuca over high heat and to baste with coconut milk, which usually will take at least 30 to 45 minutes to complete. Now, with the invention of the instant pot, this recipe can be ready in 8 minutes, and the cook does not have to be present to baste the cassava. Let us enjoy this easy and delicious cassava cooked in coconut milk for breakfast or anytime of the day.

 Ingredients:
1 lb. frozen cassava or Yuca (about 10 pieces)
1 cup coconut milk
1 tsp salt (more or less)
1 tbs sugar (more or less)
Other ingredients:
A few pandan leaves (optional)
Equipment:
One 4 quart instant pot

Directions:
Place frozen cassava into the instant pot.
Add sugar and salt into the coconut milk and stir well. Adjust the salt and sugar to your liking.
Pour the coconut milk into the instant pot.
Secure the lid. Use the pressure cook setting for 8 minutes. Let the instant pot release steam for about 15 minutes.
Now, the pot will still have some coconut milk left. Turn on the sauté mode and let cook until the
the milk evaporates in about 1 minute.
Enjoy!!

Tip: The cassava can be served with the coconut milk left over with some crushed peanuts.

.