Red Bean Sticky Black Rice Tapioca Coconut Soup...

Happy Chinese Lantern Festival aka Spring Lantern Festival!🏮 Today marks the final day of the traditional Chinese New Year celebrations- the end of 16 fun days! 🤗🎋 Common food eaten is tang yuan- glutinous rice balls filled with red bean or black sesame paste. I didn't make rice balls but another sweet- a delicious soup in the name of red beans, adding glutinous black rice and tapioca. Made creamy with coconut milk and a bit of sugar, it is a great alternative sweet finale to wrap up CNY! Plus its rich in protein, dietary fiber, iron and other nutrients. Just five ingredients and you are on your way to sweet comfort heaven with every spoonful- creamy mauve studded with red, purple and clear pearls, a Chinese dessert house fave! For the purist traditional red bean dessert, check out my Simple Red Bean Soup Dessert.

Red Bean Sticky Black Rice Tapioca Coconut Soup
Serves 8 to 10 (~1 cup each)

3/4 cup red adzuki beans (rinsed)
3/4 cup black glutinous rice (rinsed)
2 litres water
3/4 cup small tapioca pearls (sago)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 cup rock sugar or brown sugar
1 can (400 ml) coconut cream

Soak rice and beans overnight. This helps soften and lessens the cooking time. Bring water to the boil, add in black glutinous rice and red beans. Bring to the boil again, reduce to low heat, cover and cook for 1 hour 30 minutes, until both ingredients have soften. Cook the tapioca until semi-translucent. Add in salt, sugar, and coconut cream. Stir well. Bring to the boil over medium heat, add in tapioca and mix well. Bring to the boil again, then off the heat, cover and let tapioca soak for 7-8 minutes until fully translucent. Add more water for viscosity. Serve hot, warm or cold. Note: overnight the mixture will thicken, add water and adjust sweetness to desired taste.

A trio of Chinese dessert harmony!

Cook the tapioca until semi-translucent. 

Add in salt, sugar, and coconut cream. Stir well. Bring to the boil over medium heat, add in tapioca and mix well.

Bring to the boil again, then off the heat, cover and let tapioca soak for 7-8 minutes until fully translucent. 

The combo turns out a creamy mauve soup studded with red, purple and clear pearls.  

A great sweet ending to wrap up Chinese New Year celebrations!

Flashback on CNY Family Reunion Dinner at my parents place. Upon arrival, a family joint prayer by burning incense proceeds. Incense sticks are lit up, held between clasped hands, wishes and prayers are silently chanted while performing a sequence of three standing bows. Then the sticks are placed into the rice bowl and left to burn until finished. We do this first looking to the sky facing the window for overall blessings and then again in front of a mini altar dedicated to our ancestors, or a food offering display. This is to pay respect to the loved ones who've passed on as well as asking for protection and good luck for the gods above.

"Bi Sun"-- prayer to the heavenly Gods and our ancestors. 

Tang yuan are glutinous rice balls stuffed with a sweet filling- such as sesame paste, red bean paste or peanut butter. It symbolizes family togetherness and is auspicious to eat on the eve of Chinese New Year to solidify family harmony for the year and also at the end of the 16 day celebration. My dad instead for our reunion dinner (eve) made our family tradition recipe from his mom, my late ma ma using plain sticky rice balls cooked in chicken soup with shredded nappa cabbage, sliced Chinese sausages, dried shrimps and minced orange peel. It isn't my favourite, but the memories of my grandma helming the kitchen every year rolling and cooking this, makes it a special food always in the hearts of my siblings and I!

My dad's family tradition recipe for savoury tang yuan.

Wishing you all a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous Year of the Earth Pig!

Shanghai Noodles with Pork and Bak Choy...

Chinese New Year is celebrated for 16 days including the Eve with 20% of the population around the world alongside Korea, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia. This post is lots late in the just over 2 weeks occasion. Due to severe weather conditions I had to cancel my Chinese New Year cooking class (on the 6th) and deferred it to the following week. When I thought about what to cook with the seniors, noodles came foremost to mind. It was my wish to them for a long life (long strands of noodles symbolize longevity) with some pork thrown in ode to the year of the pig. Shanghai noodles fit the bill, more sweet in profile to also send wishes of sweeter things to come. I came across Chef Martin Yan's Shanghai Noodles with Pork and Bak Choy and adapted it for the class. Marbled Soy Sauce Eggs brewed with or without the tea leaves made a perfect side. The egg's shape- round and full represents abundance, harmony and good luck.   

Chewy wheat and egg E Fu Noodles (yee mein) are the proper noodles to make longevity dishes. However, I used thick wheat noodles to make it easier for toting downtown via TTC. Either works beautifully in this Shanghai noodle dish. If you like yee mein, check out my most recent post, cooking it with Cantonese-Style Lobster.

Sold in circular dried formats, find E Fu Noodles on the shelf near the refrigerated section.

Shanghai Noodles with Pork and Bak Choy (adapted by Martin Yan) 
Serves 4 to 6

1 lb. Shanghai-style thick noodles
¼ to 1/2 lb. ground pork

Marinade:
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. cornstarch

Seasonings:
2 Tbsp. sweet bean sauce or hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. oil
2 quarter-sized slices peeled ginger, cut into thin strips
1/3 cup Szechuan preserved vegetables, rinsed and chopped
2 Tbsp. cooking wine
3 heads baby bak choy, each cut lengthwise into 8 segments
2 green onions, trimmed and cut into thein 2-inch-long strips

Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling water, according to package directions. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain again.

Combine the soy sauce, cornstarch, and pork in a bowl, mixing until well coated. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Stir the bean sauce/hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil together in a small bowl until well blended. 

Loosen the strands before cooking or it will clump together.

Heat a wok over high heat until hot and add the oil. Add the ginger and preserved vegetables and cook, stirring until fragrant, about ten seconds. Add the pork and stir-fry until no longer pink, about two minutes. Stir in cooking wine. Add the bak choy and stir fry until tender, about two minutes. Add the noodles, green onions and seasoning, and toss gently until heated through.

This was a test dinner night with the family, to ensure the noodles cooked up just right before making them next day in class. Alongside, we had Pork Ribs and Pickled Mustard Soup, Mixed Mushrooms Beancurd Rolls and Marbled Soy Eggs.

Onto my Seniors Chinese Cooking Class... Noodles underway...

I love seeing the learners get hands-on! These ladies were stir-fry experts!

Let's Get Crackin'....

Cracking the hard boil eggs' shells before simmering in soy sauce brew for at least one hour.

The aromatics of star anise, five spice powder and cinnamon sticks.

Digging in time! Oodles and Oodles on Noodles...

Look at that perfect cracklin'... For recipe and step-by-step, check out my Marbled Tea Eggs.

Gung Hey Fat Choy everyone! 

May you live a happy and long life!

Marbled Tea Eggs

Full Recipe:

Shanghai Noodles with Pork and Bak Choy (adapted by Martin Yan)
Serves 4 to 6

1 lb. Shanghai-style thick noodles
¼ to 1/2 lb. ground pork

Marinade:
1 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. cornstarch

Seasonings:
2 Tbsp. sweet bean sauce or hoisin sauce
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. sesame oil
1 Tbsp. oil
2 quarter-sized slices peeled ginger, cut into thin strips
1/3 cup Szechuan preserved vegetables, rinsed and chopped
2 Tbsp. cooking wine
3 heads baby bak choy, each cut lengthwise into 8 segments
2 green onions, trimmed and cut into thein 2-inch-long strips

Cook the noodles in a large pot of boiling water, according to package directions. Drain, rinse under cold water, and drain again.

Combine the soy sauce, cornstarch, and pork in a bowl, mixing until well coated. Let stand for 10 minutes.

Stir the bean sauce/hoisin sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil together in a small bowl until well blended.

Heat a wok over high heat until hot and add the oil. Add the ginger and preserved vegetables and cook, stirring until fragrant, about ten seconds. Add the pork and stir-fry until no longer pink, about two minutes. Stir in cooking wine. Add the bak choy and stir fry until tender, about two minutes. Add the noodles, green onions and seasoning, and toss gently until heated through.

Cantonese-Style Lobster E-Fu Noodles (Yee Mein)...

Red is for Valentine's Day and for Chinese New Year too! With both happy occasions overlapping this year (Chinese New Year was on February 5th but is celebrated for 15 days), and a request from my kids to cook something red for V Day dinner, I couldn't think of a better dish than lobsters Cantonese-style with yee mein. I had just cooked Shanghai noodles with pork and bak choy (recipe up on next post) with seniors in my Chinese cooking class this week ode to CNY. It is my wish to them for longevity (a symbol with noodles). Yee mein (E-Fu noodles) are often braised simply with shiitake mushrooms and offered as a final dish at wedding and birthday banquets to impart "a happy long life" send-off. Just entering the Lunar new year, lobster, the lovely culinary crustacean of the dragon symbolizes strength and good luck as it turns vibrant red when cooked. Cantonese Lobsters with Ginger and Green Onions is a gourmet classic and serving it brings high energy, longevity, respect and prosperity to inaugurate the new year of the Pig! Adding long noodles ups the ante with all the auspicious good blessings! And as it turned out tonight, also a triple meaning made extra special for love in the air Valentine's day for my dear husband and dear kids.

I love E-Fu noodles aka yee mein. Made from wheat flour, these flat egg noodles have a springy texture when quickly boiled from its deep fried format. The lovely strands absorbs its surrounding flavours well.

Lobster and Noodles-- a harmonious duo!

Cantonese-Style Lobster E-Fu Noodles

Serves 4 to 6

2 pkgs. (220 g) dried E-Fu noodles (look for it on the dry shelf near the refrigerated noodles)
1/4 cup Shaoxing or cooking wine
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 lobsters, about 1-1/4 lbs. each (choose fiesty, lively lobsters for optimal freshness) 

1/2 tsp. ground white pepper
1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup cornstarch
oil for frying

3 garlic cloves, minced
2 slices ginger
2 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces with green slivered
2 red hot chili peppers, finely sliced 

2 cups chicken broth

Cook noodles according to package instructions. Combine wine and soy sauce. Set aside.

Sold in circular dried formats, find these on the shelf near the refrigerated noodles section.

Prepare the aromatics.

Add 1 inch of water to a pot or wok fitted with a steamer attachment and bring to a boil. Add lobsters (remove rubber band from claws first) and steam for 4 minutes (doing this first helps loosen the meat off the shells). Remove and transfer to cutting board. Allow to cool slightly.

Twist off tail and claws from lobsters. Cut off the smaller legs. Lift off the head while carefully keeping entrails intact (this is the tomalley). Using a heavy chef's knife or cleaver, split tails in half lengthwise, then into thirds crosswise forming six pieces. Transfer to a large bowl. Cut both knuckles from each claw and add to bowl with tails. Remove small side of claw by breaking it off by hand and add to bowl. Smash with side of cleaver or cut each claw in half exposing meat and add to bowl. For step-by-step photos on how-to dissect see my POST.

A nice chunk of tomalley (liver and pancreas)

Cleaver hacking in session.

For step-by-step photos on how-to dissect see my POST.

Steam the heads first for ten minutes until cooked through. This is best way to keep entrails intact. Set aside.

Heat oil to 375°F in a dry large skillet/wok, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain temperature. Season lobster with salt and pepper. Add cornstarch to bowl with lobster and toss until pieces are well-coated. Carefully add lobster pieces to hot oil one piece at a time until half of them have been added. Fry, agitating occasionally with a metal spider, until the cornstarch coating is crisp and pale golden brown, about 1-1/2 minutes. Repeat with remaining lobster pieces.

Pour off all but 1 Tbsp. oil and return wok to high heat until lightly smoking. Add ginger, garlic, white ends of green onions, chilies and cook, stirring and tossing constantly, until fragrant and very gently softened, about one minute. Return lobster to pan (large pieces like claws which takes longer to cook first) and toss to coat. Pour wine mixture into wok. 

Toss two minutes, then add noodles. Pour over chicken broth. Cook, stirring and tossing noodles until well coated. Toss with slivered green onions and serve hot.

Voila! With a lovely green side of Stir-fry Snow Pea Leaves in Garlic.

Mmm... longevity noodles! Can't wait to dig in.

Happy Campers! 
Happy New Year and Valentine's Day my boyz! All rolled into tonight's meal of 💖

Or make the classic Cantonese-Style Lobsters with Ginger and Green Onions sans noodles.

Cantonese Lobsters with Ginger and Green Onions

Full Recipe:

Cantonese-Style Lobster E-Fu Noodles

Serves 4 to 6

2 pkgs. (220 g) dried E-Fu noodles (look for it on the dry shelf near the refrigerated noodles)
1/4 cup Shaoxing or cooking wine
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 lobsters, about 1-1/4 lbs. each (choose fiesty, lively lobsters for optimal freshness) 

1/2 tsp. ground white pepper
1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup cornstarch
oil for frying

3 garlic cloves, minced
2 slices ginger
2 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces with green slivered
2 red hot chili peppers, finely sliced 

2 cups chicken broth

Cook noodles according to package instructions. Combine wine and soy sauce. Set aside.

Add 1 inch of water to a pot or wok fitted with a steamer attachment and bring to a boil. Add lobsters (remove rubber band from claws first) and steam for 4 minutes (doing this first helps loosen the meat off the shells). Remove and transfer to cutting board. Allow to cool slightly.

Twist off tail and claws from lobsters. Cut off the smaller legs. Lift off the head while carefully keeping entrails intact (this is the tomalley). Using a heavy chef's knife or cleaver, split tails in half lengthwise, then into thirds crosswise forming six pieces. Transfer to a large bowl. Cut both knuckles from each claw and add to bowl with tails. Remove small side of claw by breaking it off by hand and add to bowl. Smash with side of cleaver or cut each claw in half exposing meat and add to bowl. For step-by-step photos on how-to see my POST.

Steam the heads first for ten minutes until cooked through. This is best way to keep entrails intact. Set aside.

Heat oil to 375°F in a large wok, adjusting heat as necessary to maintain temperature. Season lobster with salt and pepper. Add cornstarch to bowl with lobster and toss until pieces are well-coated. Carefully add lobster pieces to hot oil one piece at a time until half of them have been added. Fry, agitating occasionally with a metal spider, until the cornstarch coating is crisp and pale golden brown, about 1-1/2 minutes. Repeat with remaining lobster pieces.

Pour off all but 1 Tbsp. oil and return wok to high heat until lightly smoking. Add ginger, garlic, white ends of green onions, chilies and cook, stirring and tossing constantly, until fragrant and very gently softened, about one minute. Return lobster to pan and toss to coat. Pour wine mixture into wok. Toss two minutes, then add noodles. Pour over chicken broth. Cook, stirring and tossing noodles until well coated. Toss with slivered green onions and serve hot.

Steamed Ribs With Black Beans... And Miso Too

If you are a dim sum fan, most likely you've had steamed ribs with black beans. But why have a restaurant small dish of it (cause there's never enough to go around) when you can make a large plate to feed the entire family, and at any meal of the day. I also have a quick miso-marinated version for a super delish and easy way to get addictive ribs on the table. The fun and also frustrating part is cleaning the meat off the little bones. Taught steamed ribs at my seniors' cooking class alongside Pork Rib Soup with Pickled Mustard Greens. Two pork recipes...

... As a prelude homage to Chinese New Year cause it's the Year of The Pig!

Testing the steamed ribs recipe from home the night before my seniors' Chinese cooking class. 

 The spread along with the soup ingredients in class.

Some use hydrated tangerine peel but I like to use fresh orange peel. 

Steamed Ribs in Black Bean Sauce 
Serves 4 

1-1/2 lb. pork side or back riblets, cut into individual mini bone sections 

Marinade: 
1 Tbsp. light soy sauce 
1 tsp. sesame oil 
2 Tbsp. Chinese cooking wine 
1-1/2 Tbsp. sugar 
Dashes of ground white pepper 
1/2 tsp. chicken seasoning 
1 Tbsp. cornstarch 
3 Tbsp. fermented black bean sauce (brand Lee Kum Kee) 
6 cloves garlic, minced 
3 slices ginger, thinly slivered 
1 to 2 red chilies, sliced (optional) 
1 small piece fresh orange peel, thinly sliced then chopped (optional) 
2 green onions, green parts only, chopped 

Marinate ribs with the marinate ingredients, adding cornstarch last for 20 minutes in steaming dish. Pour out excess marinade. 

Marinating in a bit of cornstarch helps smooth out the gritty taste of pork.

Prepping the aromatics for the ribs- garlic, ginger, green onions, red chilies and orange peel.

Note the pickled mustard greens in the bowl chopped for the soup.

Mix black bean sauce, garlic, ginger, chilies and orange peel (both optional) with the ribs. Sprinkle all over with green onions. Steam on rack in skillet, covered with 3 inches water on high heat for 15 minutes or until done. Serve hot.

One plate with chilies and orange peel, the other without.

I love this savoury and tangy pork ribs soup with pickled mustard greens which also appears on Vietnamese tables. It is a great starter to an Asian meal whetting the palate with the sour notes of tomato and pickle-ly mustard greens and with the finishing topping of aromatic sautéed green onions. My family loves this sour soup, nibbling clean the meat off the little riblets and I'm sure it'll be a hit with yours!

Marinating ribs in fish sauce, sugar and soy sauce overnight in a bag for my cooking class.

Pork Rib Soup with Pickled Mustard Greens

Such rave reviews from the seniors. They absolutely adored the tanginess! Double thumbs up!

I love sharing and introducing useful kitchen gadgets, like this hot plate-lifting contraption.

Such a useful tool to remove hot plates from the steamer.

Steam about 15 minutes and ready to eat!

My mom taught me this quick and dirty ribs recipe inspired by umami Japanese miso.

Steamed Miso-Marinated Pork Ribs
Serves 4

Marinate for an hour, 1-1/2 lb. chopped pork riblets in 3 Tbsp. miso (I use red miso), 2 Tbsp. mirin, 2 Tbsp. sake/Chinese cooking wine, 1 tsp. light soy sauce, 2 minced garlic cloves and 2 Tbsp. chopped green onions on steaming plate.

Steam on a rack in a covered skillet with 3 inches water on high heat for 15 minutes or until done. Serve hot.

I shared the dish on a social post and my childhood school mate and fitness pal Kevin Chan picked it up. He made a version for his family using white miso and sliced hydrated dried shiitake mushrooms. Looks comforting and divine.

Photo Credit: Kevin Chan

Full Recipe:

Steamed Ribs in Black Bean Sauce
Serves 4

1-1/2 lb. pork side or back riblets, cut into individual mini bone sections

Marinade:
1 Tbsp. light soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil
2 Tbsp. Chinese cooking wine
1-1/2 Tbsp. sugar
Dashes of ground white pepper
1/2 tsp. chicken seasoning
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
3 Tbsp. fermented black bean sauce (brand Lee Kum Kee)
6 cloves garlic, minced
3 slices ginger, thinly slivered
1 to 2 red chilies, sliced (optional)
1 small piece fresh orange peel, thinly sliced then chopped (optional)
2 green onions, green parts only, chopped

Marinate ribs with the marinate ingredients, adding cornstarch last for 20 minutes in steaming dish. Pour out excess marinade. Mix black bean sauce, garlic, ginger, chilies and orange peel (both optional) with the ribs. Sprinkle all over with green onions. Steam on rack in skillet, covered with 3 inches water on high heat for 15 minutes or until done. Serve hot.