Chicken Lettuce Wrap (PF Chang Copycat)

Ingredients:

1lb ground chicken breast or ground turkey
1/2 onion, minced
salt & pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1″ knob ginger, peeled & minced
2-1/2 TBSP Soy Sauce
1 TBSP + 1 tsp Rice Vinegar
1 TBSP Sesame Oil
1 TBSP Peanut Butter
1/2 TBSP Water
1/2 TBSP Honey
2 tsp chili garlic sauce (or more if you like it hotter)
3 green onions, chopped
1/2-8oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained & chopped
1/4 cup peanuts, chopped
10-12 large outer lettuce leaves, rinsed and patted dry

Directions:1.  Heat a large, non-stick skillet on high. Add chicken, onion, salt & pepper, then cook until chicken is nearly done, stirring often to break up the meat. 

2.  Add garlic and ginger then continue cooking until chicken is no longer pink.
3.  Meanwhile, in bowl, combine soy sauce, rice vinegar, oil, peanut butter, water, honey, chili garlic sauce and pepper. Whisk until smooth. Add into the skillet and stir to combine.
4.  Add green onions and water chestnuts into the skillet then cook for 1-2 minutes until the onions are soft and the water chestnuts are heated through.
5.  Sprinkle with chopped peanuts, and serve with cold lettuce leaves.

**recipe from http://iowagirleats.com/

Simple Egg Tarts (Dan Taat)

Ingredients:
Custard Filling:
3 eggs
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup water

Shell
Package of Ready to Bake Sweetened Tart Shells

Directions:
1.  Mix all filling ingredients together
2.  Let sit until the bubbles are gone
3.  Pour into ready to bake tart shells
4.  Bake at 350 degrees F for about 10-15 minutes or until filling is cooked

**Note:  Makes about 15 egg tarts.  I want to try using pastry puff for the shell as well.  If I get it to work, I'll post about it here.

Vegetable Potstickers

Ingredients:
1/2 lbs Firm Tofu
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup baby bok choy (chopped)
1/4 cup finely chopped water chestnut
1/4 cup finely chopped bamboo shoots
1/4 cup finely chopped garlic chives
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 TBSP soy sauce
1 TBSP Oyster Sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp white pepper
1 TBSP mushroom seasoning salt w/o MSG
Posticker/Gyoza Wraps

Directions:
1.  Drain Tofu.  Cut into cubes and then mash with hands
2.  Add all ingredients together
3.  Place filling into middle of wrap.  Fold wrap and pinch edges to seal together.

**Note:  I used a full container of the tofu and added more vegetables to it.  The amount of veggies added can be based on preference.  Same with the seasoning.  I normally will cook a little bit of the filling to see how it tastes and will add more flavors if I feel like it is needed.  I will do this until I like how the filling tastes.

Chinese Coconut (Cocktail) Buns

Ingredients:

For the Filling:

4 Tbsp (50g) butter, melted

4 Tbsp (50g) sugar

1 egg

3 cups (250g) shredded coconut

Directions:
1. Make dough using Easy Dinner Roll recipe
2. Combine all filling ingredients together and set aside
3. Roll dough into a log shape and cut into 12-24 equal parts, depending on the desired size
4. Take each piece of dough and roll into a ball.  Then, flatten into an oval shape and put on about 2
Tbsp filling.  Shape into an olive shape
5. Put buns onto a greased baking tray (cookie sheet), sealed side and edge face down
6. When buns are made, let rise for 15 minutes
7. Brush the buns with a beaten egg then sprinkle with raw sesame seeds
8. Bake in preheated oven at 180 degrees C (350 F) for about 15 minutes or until golden brown
9. While buns are baking, combine 1 Tbsp sugar with 1 ½ Tbsp water to make sugar syrup
10. When buns are done, remove from oven and brush the top with sugar syrup

Note:  You can also make these like cinnamon rolls.  Instead of using cinnamon sugar, use this filling instead.  Apply the sugar syrup at the end prior to removing from the oven.  Bake at 375 degrees F for about 14-16 minutes

Easy Dinner Roll

Ingredients:

6 cups bread flour

1 heaping Tbsp active yeast

1/3 cup powder milk

¾ cup sugar

1 Tbsp gluten flour

2 cups water, warm

8 Tbsp butter

2 tsp salt

3 eggs

Directions:

1. Mix 2 cups bread flour with yeast, powder milk, sugar, and gluten flour.  Mix well
2. Add warm water and mix well.  Let sit for 5-10 minutes
3. Melt butter.  Add salt and eggs and mix well
4. Add 4 cups bread flour, one at a time and let it mix for another 5 minutes
5. Cover with dish towel and let rise until size doubles, approximately 1 hour
6. Remove dough and shape into rolls.  Let rise again until they double.  
7. Bake at 375 degrees F for about 12 minutes

Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onions Galette

Ingredients:

For the pastry:

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into
pieces
1/4 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup ice water

For the filling:
1 small butternut squash (about one pound)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 to 2 tablespoons butter (if you have only non-stick, the smaller amount will do)
1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced in half-moons
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch of sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
3/4 cup fontina cheese (about 2 1/2 ounces), grated or cut into small bits
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves

Directions:

1. Make pastry: In a bowl, combine the flour and salt. Place the butter in another bowl. Place both bowls in the freezer for 1 hour. Remove the bowls from the freezer and make a well in the center of the flour. Add the butter to the well and, using a pastry blender, cut it in until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Make another well in the center. In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, lemon juice and water and add half of this mixture to the well. With your fingertips, mix in the liquid until large lumps form. Remove the large lumps and repeat with the remaining liquid and flour-butter mixture. Pat the lumps into a ball; do not overwork the dough. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Prepare squash: Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Peel squash, then halve and scoop out seeds. Cut into a 1/2-inch dice. Toss pieces with olive oil and a half-teaspoon of the salt and roast on foil lined (for neatness sake) sheet for 30 minutes or until pieces are tender, turning it midway if your oven bakes unevenly. Set aside to cool slightly.

3. Caramelize onions: While squash is roasting, melt butter in a heavy skillet and cook onion over low heat with the remaining half-teaspoon of salt and pinch of sugar, stirring occasionally, until soft and lightly golden brown, about 20 minutes. Stir in cayenne.

4. Raise the oven temperature to 400 degrees. Mix squash, caramelized onions, cheese and herbs together in a bowl.

5. Assemble galette: On a floured work surface, roll the dough out into a 12-inch round. Transfer to an un-greased baking sheet. Spread squash, onions, cheese and herb mixture over the dough, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border. Fold the border over the squash, onion and cheese mixture, pleating the edge to make it fit. The center will be open.

6. Bake until golden brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven, let stand for 5 minutes, then slide the galette onto a serving plate. Cut into wedges and serve hot, warm or at room temperature. Serves 6.

**NOTE: I used Pastry Puff instead of making the pastry.  I cut the pastry puff into 4 pieces and folded it up on the sides.  This made more personal size pieces.  Also, I used mozzarella cheese instead of what the recipe called for.  YUMMY!!!

Recipe from: http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/2007/10/butternut-squash-and-caramelized-onion-galette/

Dan Dan Mian

Ingredients:

12 oz Chinese Noodles

1/2 lb pork minced

Sauce:

3 tbsp peanut butter or sesame paste

1 1/2 tbsp sesame oil

3 tbsp black rice vinegar

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce

1/4 tsp salt

1 - 1 1/2 tsp sichuan peppercorns roasted (this is to taste.  can leave out if needed)

3 tsp hot chili oil (to taste)

1 tsp granulated sugar (optional)

1/4 cup chicken broth

Garnish:

1/3 cup roasted peanuts chopped

4 green onions chopped

3 bok choy - quartered (optional)

Bean Sprouts (optional)

Directions:

1.  Saute minced pork until well done.  Set aside.

2.  In small mixing bowl, add sauce ingredients.  Start with sesame paste/peanut butter, sesame oil and black rice vinegar.  Whisk to mix then add remaining sauce ingredients.

3.  Chop peanuts and green onions.  (Can add toasted sesame seeds if needed.  Can also leave peppercorns out and serve as a condiment.)

4.  Cook noodles and drain.

5.  Place noodles into bowl and pour sauce over then stir.  Garnish with pork, green onions, peanuts, etc.

**Notes:  I used spaghetti noodles, peanut butter, and all light soy sauce instead of a combination of dark and light.  Also, I've made this without including peppercorns and I still like it.  The other thing is I don't mix all of the sauce with all of the noodles.  I put the noodles in a bowl and then use a spoon to put the sauce on the noodles.