Tilapia Fish & Vinegar/Soy Sauce

If you want to learn how to cook Chinese food, I highly recommend Chinese Cooking Made Easy with Simple Sauces and Dressing by Mu-Tsun Lee. This is one of many Wei-Chuan's Cookbook series and I own 3 so far. The recipes I made from Wei-Chuan's Cookbook were not a disappointment! All were good and tasted authentic. This recipe serves for 2 but I doubled the recipe to cook for my family. I used Tilapia because that's what I have in hand but you can subsitute for cod, halibut or any white fish.

Ingredients:

3/4 lb (340 g) white fish, cut into pieces
3 Tbs soy sauce
1 Tbs black vinegar

1/2 tsp each: sesame oil, sugar, minced garlic, ginger root
2 Tbs chopped green onions
1 hot pepper or chili, sliced
Cornstarch (to lightly coat the fish)
1 Tbs oil

Directions:

1. Pour some cornstarch on a plate, lightly coat the fish, tap off some excess cornstarch and put it in a bowl or plate.

2. Heat 1 Tbs of oil on a non-stick wok or frying pan on med-high heat. Cook the fish for about 10 mins.

3. Combine sesame oil, sugar, minced garlic, ginger root, green onions and chopped chili in a small bowl and pour over the fish. Let it cook for another 5 mins.

4. Serve immediately with a warm bowl of Jasmine rice.




Cook's Tips:

* For a healthier version, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Combine all the ingredients (EXCEPT cornstarch and oil) in an oven safe dish. Cook for 15 mins or until the fish is cooked through. Serve immediately.

* You don't have to follow the recipe exactly. When it comes to making sauces, I always taste and make some adjustments before cooking the sauce. If it's too salty, I add a little more sugar. If it's too sweet, I add a little more salt (or soy sauce for this recipe). You want to have a balance of both.

If I have to pick my favorite Chinese dessert, it’s the egg tarts. There are two kinds of outer casings: short crust pastry and puff pastry. You’ll find traditional egg tarts are made from puff pastry. I found a recipe from All Recipes and thought I should give it a try. The recipe uses the short crust pastry. Nonetheless, the recipe still came out good. The filling taste almost authentic but I might work on a different recipe for the crust next time. I personally like the puff pastry better.

Ingredients:

1 cup confectioners' sugar
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup butter, sliced in small cubes
1 egg, beaten
1 dash vanilla extract

2/3 cup white sugar
1 1/2 cups water
9 eggs, beaten
1 dash vanilla extract
1 cup evaporated milk

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. In a medium bowl, mix together the confectioners' sugar and flour. Mix in butter with a fork until it is in small crumbs. Stir in the egg and vanilla until the mixture forms a dough. The texture should be slightly moist. Refridgerate for 20 minutes in plastic wrap.

3. Shape dough into 1 1/2 inch balls, and press the balls into tart molds so that it covers the bottom, and goes up higher than the sides. Use 2 fingers to shape the edge into an A shape.

4. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

5. Combine the white sugar and water in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Cook until the sugar is dissolved, remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

6. Strain the eggs through a sieve, and whisk into the sugar mixture. Stir in the evaporated milk and vanilla. Strain the filling through a sieve again.

7. Place the tart shells on a large baking sheet and fill the tart shells.

8. Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown and the filling is puffed up a little bit.

Cook's Tips:

* Have all the ingredients in room-temperature before you start baking.

* To easily pour the egg mixture in the tart shell, use a large measuring cup (4 cups or larger) or a small pitcher.

* To avoid spilling your egg tarts - pull the oven rack about 2/3 out. Place the baking sheet and the tart shells. Without burning yourself from the hot oven, carefully pour the egg mixture in the tart shells and slowly slide the oven rack inside.

* If you don't want to use the ball method to shape your tart shells. Roll out the dough to 1/4 inch thickness and use a circular cookie cutter that is about the same size as the tart shells to cut out the dough. Place the cut out dough on the tart shell and shape it with your fingers. Cut out the excess dough if necessary.

* If you have any extra egg mixture, put it in ramikins and bake it as an egg custard dessert!

Guacamole - a favorite party dip!

I love chunky guacamole dip. It's so easy to make and a great snack to serve at parties or gatherings. Avocados are full of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, fiber and folate. Serve this guacamole recipe with tortilla chips or all alone by the spoonful. Heck, you can put it in your sandwhich or burgers if you wish. The lime juice helps preserve the color of the guac and prevent it from browning. The guac doesn't store to well. I noticed it gets brown-ish the next day. If that happens, try scraping off the top layer to reveal the green underneath. Or, tell your peeps to eat it quick!

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

-3 Haas avocados
-1 lime, juiced
-1 teaspoon kosher salt
-1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
-1/2 teaspoon cayenne
-1/2 medium onion, diced
-2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
-1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
-1 clove garlic, minced

Directions:

1. Cut the avocados in half and remove the pits. With the skin still on, dice the avocados in large cubes. Use a spoon to scoop out the avocados and place them into a large bowl.

2. Squeeze the lime juice into the bowl and toss to coat.

3. Add the salt, cumin, and cayenne to the mixture. Using a potato masher or a fork to mash the avocados with the seasonings.

4. Then, fold in the onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and garlic.

5. Let sit at room temperature for 30 mins and then serve.

Cook's Tips:

* For a chunky guacamole dip, use a fork to mash. If you prefer a smoother dip, use a potato masher.

* Roll your limes on the counter to get the most juice out.

* Ripe avocados should be soft, not squishy, and you should be able to flick the little stem off easily.

Grilled Salmon Salad with Avocados

If you want to eat healthy and eat clean, this is an effortless dish you can whip up in minutes. Salmon is considered to be healthy because of their high protein, high Omega-3, and high vitamin D content. Salmon is also a source of lowering cholesterol, heart disease, etc. If you want healthy skin, nails, and hair....consume a lot of fish! You don't want to overload too much, some fish high high mercury levels which is no bueno to your health.

Ingredients:

- 5 oz. Salmon

- 2 Tbs Salmon & Seafood seasoning

- 1 1/2 Tbs Oil

- Spring mix salad

- 1/2 avocados, sliced

- Kraft's Light Balsamic Vinegar dressing

Method:

1. Season the salmon on both sides. On a saute pan, heat the oil on high heat for a minute. Cook the salmon for 1 1/2 minutes on both sides or until golden brown color. Lower the heat to medium and turn about every two minutes until the salmon is cooked thoroughly.

2. Placed the salmon on a bed of salad with slices of avocados. Pour the balsamic vinegar dressing over the salad or you can dip it on the side.

Shakas: Hawaiian Flavors

If you are craving for Japanese-Hawaiian cuisine, come to Shakas located in Monterey Park. It's a small fast food restaurant founded in 1995 by three young entrepreneurs. Luckily, my work is 2 miles away and when I do crave for Shakas, I get their 442nd Combo Plate. It's named after the famous WWII Combat Unit. You get to choose two of the following items: Teriyaki Chicken, Teriyaki Beef, Chicken Curry, Kalua Pork, Sesame Chicken Wings, Honu Pepper Chicken, Char Siu, or Kal Bi. My favorite picks are the Teriyaki Chicken and Kalua Pork. It comes with two sides: Macaroni Salad and Pickled Cabbage. It's a very fulfilling plate and deliciously made. I make sure I have plenty of Siracha hot sauce to eat with this dish.

Shakas Definition: Shaka Brah- Hang Loose, Take it Easy, Enjoy Life and Eat Well.

Shakas

2300 S Garfield Ave # D
Monterey Park, CA 91754-7200

(323) 888-2695