Congee

Happy New Year!!!

It's been super cold the past few days. The coldest was 27F. Brrr... But I'm luving the cold if I can stay home. Plus, it's a nice change to the hot Texas heat.

So last Friday (January 6th), I happened to check the radar since it was pouring out. Then I saw it... snow in Sugar Land? Really? I was excited and Camden was too. We decided to venture out... in the cold... in the rain... in search of... SNOW!!!

It was about 45 minutes drive and once we got there, it was nothing but rain... sleet. Bummer. We stopped by Whole Foods instead and bought some pastries for treats and manchego cheese for future dinner. Still was a good trip. Just wish we saw snow flakes.

Since the temperature was dropping, I decided to put my slower cooker to good use. Thursday was making the chicken broth. Friday was cooking congee. After I posted the congee photo on my Facebook page, a lot of my friends asked what it was. Think of it as porridge. Creamy with no cream or milk added. It's an Asian dish with variation of added garnishes. I ate a bowl with pieces of fish with peanuts once and didn't care for the taste. Congee with ground pork was pretty tasty. The one I made last Friday was just chicken broth with Jasmin rice and cauliflower. Just because I've been wanting cauliflower soup for awhile now.

I was told to blend cooked rice in broth in a blender to make it creamy so no slow cooker is required. But the whole point of using a slow cooker is to spend less time in the kitchen. I prefer the dump-it-and-forget-it recipes. Easy pleasy. For my congee, I set the slow cooker on HIGH at around 9am. As soon as I saw the congee bubbling, around noon, I turned it to LOW until 5:30pm dinner.

And be creative with the garnishes and added proteins. My kids ate their congee with grilled hot dogs and potato chips. The top photo was my breakfast congee... over easy egg, scallion, cilantros, fried onions with a lot of hot sauce. Because I like my savory dishes spiceee.

Congee
serve 4-6

6-8 cups chicken broth
3/4 to 1 cup uncooked Jasmin rice
half cauliflower head, roughly chopped
1 inch peeled fresh ginger or 1-3 teaspoons ground ginger (add more for spicier taste)
1 teaspoon black peppers

Garnishes
fried onion
fried garlic
thinly sliced scallions
roughly chopped cilantros
fish sauce
hot sauce

Protein Options
fried or over easy eggs
shredded cooked chickens
crumbled cooked bacons (crunchy and in bits)
thinly slice beef

1. Add all of the ingredients into the slower cooker.
2. Set it on LOW for 6 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours.
3. Stir and serve congee with garnishes and protein options. Add fish sauce and hot sauce to taste.

Congee is extremely hot right out of the slow cooker. Be careful when serving to kids. I spoon my kids' congee in bowls and let them sit out for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Allergy Info: My congee recipe is free from or can be made without dairy, egg (if not garnish with fried egg), corn, wheat, legumes (peanuts and soy), or nuts. If you have fish allergy, use sea salt to taste. If you can have legumes, soy sauce is a good alternative. Read the ingredients listed for pre packaged garnishes such as fried onions or hot sauce, as it may contain soy oil and/or corn derivatives. Or thinly sliced onions or garlic in hot oil until crispy. No hot sauce, no problems. Sprinkle ground hot peppers.

Fried Sushi Rice Balls

Life has been keeping me super busy. After my parents went back to Thailand last month, all I've been doing is cleaning. On top of that, my husband still has a hard time landing a job, so we are on extra, extra "saving money" mode.

Before the laid off and downsizing our home, I already taught my kids to save on everything. Buy things when they are on sales. Turn off the lights when they leave the room. Instead of buying water bottles, use washable bottles. Plus, no plastic goes to wasteland. When it comes to leftover, reinvent them.

So for this post, I have you... deep-fried sushi rice balls. My dilemma is the leftover sushi rice. I saw a cooking show once where a chef cooked rice balls in his food truck. That made me wonder... if I could use the leftover sushi rice to make rice balls.

I came up with this recipe by trail and errors. But you know what, I got it right the first time!!! Not bad!!! You can double and triple the recipe to feed the crowds. Feel free to test the size of the rice balls too. I usually make them using a small scooper. Anyway, it really doesn't matter the size. Trust me. Who doesn't like fried food?!?!?

Fried Sushi Rice Balls
serves 3-4, depending on the size

2 large eggs, divided
2 cups (12 oz.) cooked short or medium grain rice
1 3/4 cups (7 oz.) panko breadcrumbs
1/2 Tablespoons onion powder
1/2 Tablespoons garlic powder
honey mustard dipping sauce

1. Line a baking pan with a nonstick mat. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the egg.
3. Mix in the breadcrumbs and cooked rice.
4. Using an ice cream scooper (any size you want), form the rice into balls.
5. Place them on the prepared pan and keep them in the fridge until ready to fry them.
6. When ready, add oil to a heavy bottom pot with a deep-fried thermometer, about 2 inch deep.
7. While the oil is heating up, line a baking pan with a wiring rack.
8. Beat the egg in a small bowl. Set aside.
9. On a large plate, mix together the breadcrumb, onion and garlic powder. Set aside.
10. Once the oil's temperature reaches 350F degrees, dip the rice ball into the egg then coat it with breadcrumb mixture.
11. Carefully drop it into hot oil and fry it until golden brown on all sides, about 1 minute.
12. Continue with the rest of rice balls, making sure to fry them in batches and keeping the temperature at 350F degrees.
13. Serve warm with honey mustard dipping sauce.

STORING: Because the rice balls are fried food, it's best to eat them the day they are made. Alternatively, keep them in a container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in a microwave. They won't be crunchy but still tasty.

Allergy Info: These rice balls are free from or can made without dairy, corn, legumes (peanuts and soy), nuts, and fish.

Classic BBQ Spareribs

Since Chinese New Year is coming up soon (Feb 8th), I would like to post a recipe that I tested many years ago, Classic BBQ Spareribs. I don't have a lot of say about this recipe, except that it is better than ordering a take out.

When my mom visited us three years ago, I made these BBQ spareribs for dinner. She luvs the sweet and salty taste, and she kept mentioning the smoky aromatic from the grill was awesome. Since she's currently staying with us, she asked me to make her some more.

The taste of sweet honey combined well with the salty soy sauce. With no food color, the spareribs still have the deep dark red color from the burnt sugar. Hey, who wants to eat red dye. These are betta for ya!!! The recipe calls for a lot of Asian ingredients. If you don't have them, no worries. I'll help you make do with typical Asian ingredients like soy sauce.

Now, let's talk about cooking these spareribs. I personally don't like an outdoor grill. Well, I like to eat anything off the grill but to have me grill anything outdoor is out of the question. I'm afraid of an open flame and propane tank. With my husband's help, my family's are able to enjoy these BBQ ribs. Without my husband's grill expertise, I'll have to rely on a broiler or a slow cooker. That's everything outdoor grill, by the way, not just ribs.

Classic BBQ Spareribs
adapted from The Chinese Takeout Cookbook
serves 6-8

3 Tablespoons honey
2 Tablespoons Chinese rice wine
2 Tablespoons ketchup
1 Tablespoon oyster sauce
1 Tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 teaspoons garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1 rack of spareribs, about 3 pounds

Alternatively, skip the following ingredients if you cannot find them. Skip Chinese rice wine and no need to add an alternative. Omit the oyster sauce and add dark soy sauce of the same amount. If you don't have dark soy sauce, use regular or low sodium soy sauce instead. Be sure to use a really good ketchup like Whole Foods 365 or Sir Kensington brand. I find these ketchups to be the most flavorful.

1. In a large bowl (with lid), whisk all of the ingredients together to make a marinade. Set aside.
2. Prepare the spareribs by cutting them into 2-3 ribs.
3. Coat the ribs with the marinade.
4. Cover and place the whole bowl in the fridge overnight.
5. When ready, grill the ribs using a charcoal or an outdoor gas grill. NOTE: My husband grilled these in both charcoal and gas grill. Both cooking methods make delicious ribs.
6. Enjoy them while they are hot with jasmin or sticky rice or any sides.

STORING: Place the leftover BBQ spareribs in a container in the fridge for up to a week or freeze them for up to 3 months.

Allergy Info: These classic BBQ spareribs are free from dairy, egg, corn, wheat, and fish. Be sure to use wheat free (or gluten free) and/or corn free ingredients. For honey, be sure it is from wild flower fed bees as some honey is from bees that are fed corn syrup.

Teriyaki Dinner (with homemade teriyaki sauce)

After searching for a clean teriyaki sauce for a year, I've realized that there just wasn't one.

From my cookbook library, I found a teriyaki sauce in Japanese Cooking. The teriyaki sauce recipe includes soy sauce, brown sugar, chicken stock, and mirin. When I tested this recipe, I didn't have chicken stock or mirin on hand. But I went ahead and tested it with only two ingredients: soy sauce and light brown sugar.

How did teriyaki sauce turn out? Well, so good that I promised myself to blog about it. Hey, that's what I'm doing now. The teriyaki sauce has a perfect balance of sweet and salty. The liquid is thick and caramel like texture.

My kids luv to eat at the local Japanese grill. Since we don't eat out much, I want to see if I can make their teriyaki meals: chicken and shrimp teriyaki serve with steamed veggies and rice. So I went at it, using my homemade teriyaki sauce. The teriyaki dinner was additive. In fact, it's been my go-to, last minute dinner plan.

Because GMO has been found in soy beans, be sure to use organic soy sauce. The amount serving of teriyaki sauce and teriyaki dinner is really up to you. I usually buy bone-in and skin-on chicken thighs. I save the bones and skins to make udon noodle soup or chicken broth. It's also helpful to grill more than enough chickens or shrimps because I can always save them for the next day lunch.

To make the perfect fried rice, make sure the steamed rice is cooled and dried in the fridge overnight. I usually freeze cooked Jasmin rice for future fried rice. Add over easy or scrambled eggs and I have another easy meal.
 

Teriyaki Sauce

inspired by Japanese Cooking's Teriyaki Sauce
 

1 part of organic soy sauce

1 part of light brown sugar

(i.e. 1 cup of organic soy sauce to 1 cup of light brown sugar) 

1. Place both ingredients in a small sauce pan.
2. Bring it to a boil, until the sugar is melted, about 2 minutes.

STORING: Place the teriyaki sauce in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 months. Microwave the sauce for about 10 seconds to soften it.
 

 

Teriyaki Dinner

 

safflower or any cooking oil

chicken thighs, skinned and boned

shrimps, peeled and deveined

streamed rice, cooled and dried overnight 

1. Heat the grilled pan on a medium heat.
2. Brush or spray the chickens and shrimps with oil.
3. Grill the chicken and shrimps, until they are longer pink.
4. Slice the chickens or shrimps if desired.
5. Place the teriyaki sauce in the frying pan.
6. Heat the sauce over a medium-low heat until it is bubbling.
7. Turn off the heat and place the chickens and shrimps over the sauce.
8. Coat well and serve with steamed rice.
9. To make fried rice, place oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat.
10. Place the rice in the pan. TIP: Add any diced vegetable, such as carrots, at this time.
11. Drizzle about 1-2 tablespoon of teriyaki sauce over the rice.
12. Stir to coat the rice with the sauce.
13. Let the rice heat up thoroughly. TIP: Be sure to scrape off the rice at the bottom of the frying pan. That is my favorite part of fried rice.
14. Serve with grilled chickens or shrimps. Enjoy!!! TIP: My kids luv to eat fried rice with soft egg, a great brunch alternative.

STORING: If you happen to have a leftover, keep the teriyaki dinner in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

 

Allergy Info: This teriyaki sauce is free from or can make without dairy, eggs, corn, nuts, and fish. Use gluten free soy sauce if you are sensitive to gluten. For teriyaki dinner, use proteins that best fit your allergy free diet.

Udon Chicken Noodle Soup

When my aunts came for a week of visit two months ago, I was picking their brains about Asian cooking. Most of the time, my Asian meals are really plain... something kids friendly. When my aunts cooked us the Vietnamese noodle soup (or Pho), I was super impressed with the flavor. Then Na Lek told me that I can even add udon noodles to make it into a thick noodle soup. Then it darned on me that the thick soup was my favorite breakfast when I was young. Yes, I actually ate soup for breakfast.

During the coldest week in the Autumn, I decided to test the udon noodle soup. I read many recipes to check and see the timing of cooking chicken thighs. After that, I tested the recipe by simply starting with the chicken broth.

I cooked the udon noodles before but not this way. I also made La Naa (a Thai noodle dish) many times before, so I adapted the same techniques. When I served my kids the soup, their reaction was "I can eat this every day." YES!!! But I decided to tweak the recipe to add more proteins. Instead of using tapioca starch, I added egg yolks. The soup came out very creamy and thick, perfect for wintery day.

NOTE: When buying fresh, frozen, or dried udon noodles, look for the ones that are made with either wheat or gluten free flour with water and salt. There shouldn't really be other ingredients added. Some udon noodles don't even have salt added which is a big plus if you are cutting down on sodium.

Udon Chicken Noodle Soup
serve 4-6

6 cups water
3 pieces of chicken thighs (skin and bones in)
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
4-6 serving of udon noodles
3 Tablespoon tapioca starch or 2-3 egg yolks
Fish sauce to taste
Garnish: fried eggs, chopped cilantro, chopped spring onions, fried garlic, fried peppers or hot sauce

1.  In a large pot, bring water to a boil.
2. Add chicken thighs, salt, black pepper, and ginger.
3. Bring the water to a boil then simmer for 30 minutes.
4. Take out about 1/2 cup of the broth and set aside the chicken thighs.
5. Add the udon noodles and cook them according to the direction on the package.
   NOTE: Thaw the noodles in the boiling broth. After the noodles are cooked, cut them into an inch long. If the noodles are fresh or dry, cut or break them into an inch long before adding them into the broth.
6. While the noodles are cooking, shred the chicken thighs, discarding the skins and bones.
7. Follow these instructions if using tapioca starch.
   a. Whisk the tapioca into the reserved cool broth. Set aside.
   b. Once the noodles are cooked, add the tapioca broth into the boiling soup.
   c. Proceed to Step 9.
8. Follow these instructions if using egg yolks.
   a. Place the egg yolks in a small bowl and whisk them. Set aside.
   b. Once the noodles are cooked, slowly add the hot broth into the egg yolks while whisking. NOTE: This technique is called tempering the egg yolks. The egg yolks are cooked slowly and become creamy and not scrambled.
   c. Add the egg yolk broth into the boiling soup.
   d. Proceed to Step 9.
9. Place the shredded chickens back into the broth.
10. Bring the broth into a gentle boil. Then turn off the heat.
11. Add fish sauce to taste.
12. Spoon the soup into a single serving bowl. Garnish if desired. Enjoy!!!

STORING: Keep the udon chicken noodle soup in a container in a fridge for up to 3 days. Warm the soup in a microwave or on a stove top. If the soup is too thick, add a little bit of chicken broth or water to dilute.

Allergy Info: This udon chicken noodle soup is free from or can be made without dairy, corn, legumes (soy), and nuts. If you are allergic to fish, omit the fish sauce and add sea salt instead. For gluten free diet, be sure to use gluten free noodles. If you are allergic to eggs, thicken the soup with tapioca flour instead of egg yolks.

Chicken Broth

Seriously, the only chicken broth I knew of was from the prepackaged carton. I didn't know how I was living without store bought chicken broth. Until... you guess it... Camden's allergy free diet. I couldn't eat anything without making it myself. Chicken broth quickly went on my to-cook list because I couldn't live without a piping hot noodle soup (Pho).

At first I wasn't sure how to go about making the chicken broth. After searching online, I realize that chicken broth was pretty much chicken bones simmer in boiling water for hours. I didn't have time to slave in the kitchen. With baby Camden to care for and homeschooling Brek, I didn't want to spend another minute in the kitchen if I didn't have to.

So I came up with a plan and put my BFF (a.k.a. my slow cooker) to work. It was a perfect solution to not having to slave in the kitchen. No need to check it. Just let my BFF did all the work. Turned it on in the morning, and chicken broth was ready by dinnertime.

The chicken broth freezes well too. I'd make them in advance, let it cool down overnight in the fridge, skim out the fats, then freeze it up. I even freeze it in ice cube tray to add it to my sauces.

I usually buy chicken thighs with bones and skins. The meat is use for another meals while the bones and skins are for the chicken broth. My BFF is a 5 quart slow cooker. This is my version of chicken broth. Feel free to add other flavors like onions and/or garlic. My kids and I prefer the broth simple with a hint of celery.

Chicken Broth
makes about 4-5 quarts

6 - 8 chicken thighs bones, fats, and skins
2-3 celery stalks
2-3 carrots
1-2 Tablespoons sea salt
1-2 teaspoons ground black peppers
water

optional add-in: 1 small onion, 3 garlic cloves, a handful of cilantros, 1-inch peeled ginger, or star anise (great Pho flavor)

1. Place all of the ingredients, except water, in a 5 quarts slow cooker.
2. Add water, leaving about an inch from the rim.
3. Turn the slow cooker to a High setting.
4. Let it runs until the broth is bubbling, about 4-6 hours.
5. When ready, discard the chicken bones, fats, skins, and veggies.
6. The chicken broth is now ready for used or strain the broth into several containers. Let the broth cool down before putting it in the fridge. The next day, skim off the fats that are floated on the top.

STORING: This chicken broth keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days. Transfer the broth to several freezable plastic bags or in ice cube trays. It keeps frozen for up to 3 months.

Allergy Info: This chicken broth is free from or can be made without dairy, eggs, corn, legumes (soy), wheat, nuts, or fish.

Slow-Cook Pulled Pork (dry spice rub)

I've been watching cooking shows nearly every day. I luv, luv, luv Bobby Flay, Anne Burrell, and Ina Garten. Their recipes are pretty flexible to modify. After I tested so many of their recipes, I decided that they are the best chefs on Food Network.

With that said, I watched Bobby's BBQ Addiction and noticed that he didn't really measure his spices. He would said the amount but he just sprinkled the spices on to the bowl. So when it comes to dry rub, anything goes. Really!!! No jokes!!! It is just ratio on what I want to taste on my meat. I really don't like cumin. It's sort of stinky to me. When making my dry spice rub, I tend not to add too much.

So take all the spices out of your pantry and decide what do you want to make. Here's what I usually do. I have in front of me: sea salt, grounded black peppers, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, paprika, light brown sugar. Using a kitchen scale, I measure each ingredient in ratio. If I want Asian flavor, I would change it up by adding grounded star anise or ginger and omit cumin.

This is an alternative way to get away from slaving in the kitchen, especially on a hot summer day. Thinking ahead, you can make your own dry spice rub. Put them in a cute little bottle for a homemade present. The dry spice rub can be kept in an air tight container at a room temperature indefinitely.

Slow-Cook Pulled Pork (dry spice rub)
serves 8

4 to 5 pounds pork shoulder
2 parts (2 oz.) light or dark brown sugar
1 part (1 oz.) sea salt
1/2 part (0.5 oz.) of the following: grounded black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder
1/4 part (0.2 oz.) of the following: cumin, paprika

1. Place the pork shoulder on a large cutting board. Trim off the fats.
2. Mix all of the ingredients in a medium size bowl.
3. Generously, rub the dry spice on to the pork shoulder.
4. Put the pork shoulder in the slow cooker's pot fats side up. 
5. Place the pot in the refrigerator over night. NOTE: If time is limited, go ahead and plug in the slow cooker. The flavor is still there, just not as strong.
6. In the morning, plug in the slower cooker and turn it on HIGH.
7. Let the pork cook until dinner time, about 6 to 7 hours. NOTE: I usually turn on the slow cooker at 10am and the dinner is around 5pm.
8. Shred the pulled pork with a fork, discard any fats. Serve and enjoy!

TIPS: There are so many ways I serve this pulled pork: pulled pork tortilla wrap, quesadilla, bao's filling, pulled pork lettuce wrap, or pulled pork sandwich. The possibilities are endless.

Any leftover can be freeze up to six months. No need to defrost them for pizza toppings.

Click here to search for my bread alternative recipes to serve with the pulled pork.

Allergy Info: This dry spice rub is free from or can be made without dairy, eggs, corn, legumes (soy), wheat, nuts, and fish.

Deep-Fried Chicken Wings

What is not to like about deep-fried food? Chicken wings, anyone? I usually baked the chicken wings, but Brek didn't like them. They weren't crunchy, and the skins were too chewy for him.

I decided to do a little homework on how to cook chicken wings better. I read cookbooks and watched cooking shows on how to deep-fry chickens. Not wings. Just the pieces of chickens. Then I decided to adapt the techniques to make my version of deep-fried chicken wings.

Can you say "WOW"? Brek devoured all the chicken wingetts, and Camden stuffed his tummy with all of the drumettes. I was a proud mommy. I luv seeing my kids eating homemade meals and really enjoying them.

What was the technique that I picked up from cookbooks and cooking shows? Really simple. Making sure the oil is at the right temperature, 375F degree. That's about it. Nothing fancy at all. The most common oil I noticed was either canola oil or peanut oil. I tested many types of oil for deep-frying and I fell in luv with the safflower oil. I personally don't like canola oil as it always leave that stinky after deep-frying smell. Just remember to use the oil with high smoke point.

I use heavy bottom pot to deep-fry the wings. If you have a deep-fryer, that would work very well. I have one, but I have to use too many bottles of oil in the fryer. Plus, it takes too much room on my kitchen counter top. Here's my frugal kitchen tip. I always deep-fry something sweets a few times on different days. Give these deep-fry sweets a try: palm sugar puffed rice, banana and apple fritters, or sesame seeds rice balls. After I use the oil to deep fry something sweet, I use the same oil to deep-fry something savory before I throw out the oil. Always thinking!!!

Feel free to make more wings. Since July 4th is just around the corner, why not make these chicken wings and enjoy the fireworks with a happy tummy. Let's get greasy and messy in the kitchen!!!

Deep-fried Chicken Wings
serves 2 to 3

12 chicken wings
oil for deep-frying

1. Preheat the oven to 225F degree.
2. Place the wiring rack inside the baking tray. Put them in the oven, getting ready to keep the wings warm.
3. Pour the oil into a heavy bottom pot. Attach a deep-fry thermometer, and add the oil, about 2 inches deep.
4. Heat the oil to 375F degree.
5. While the oil is heating up, cut the chicken wings into pieces: tips, wingettes, and drumettes.
6. Separate the wing parts into the same-size piles for an even cooking. TIP: Freeze the tips for future use, such as chicken broth.
7. Once the temperature reaches 375F degree, deep-fry the wing parts as followed: wingettes for 8 minutes and drumettes for 10 minutes. NOTE: Deep-fry a few wings at a time, about 7-8 pieces. The oil temperature will drop when the chicken wings are placed in the oil. Keep the oil temperature between 350F-375F degree.
8. Using a tong, take the wings out of the oil to a prepared wiring rack. Keep the cooked chicken wings warm in the oven. Continue to deep-fry the rest of the wings.
9. Enjoy them warm with the honey mustard sauce, BBQ sauce, or hot sauce. My kids actually enjoy them plain.

Allergy Info: These deep-fried chicken wings are free from or can be make without dairy, egg, corn, legumes (soy), wheat, nuts, or fish.

Chicken Nuggets (3 ways)

When I saw the chicken nuggets recipe from Home Cooking In Montana blog, I couldn't wait to make a few for Brek. At that time, Camden was still allergic to dairy, chicken eggs, and corn, and he was still breastfeeding. So I was still on his strict allergy free diet. I also didn't eat out at all because there just wasn't anything that was corn free. I really missed eating chicken nuggets for lunch.

I tested the chicken nuggets recipe using quail eggs with all of the dairy and corn free ingredients. The chicken nuggets were easy to make and were very tasty, reminding me of the restaurant version. I tweaked the original recipe a bit by adding the ground black pepper and paprika but omit the ground celery seeds. But the nuggets were missing the crunch on the outer layers. I tried to make them with my homemade breadcrumbs, but the nuggets turned out soggy.

While searching for the new corn free products, I came  across Edward and Son's website. The allergy information on their site pointed out that the extra crispy Japanese-style crumbs was corn free. I wasn't sure if that statement was true because one of the ingredients was "yeast", a red flag for corn. I heard a lot about panko breadcrumbs on cooking shows, especially how crunchy they were when using them to deep-fried something savory. I bought a box anyway to test for its taste, texture, and Camden's corn tolerant to it.

I loved it. The crunch was exactly what I was trying to achieve. And Camden had no corn reaction to it. Keep in mind that Camden only had corn intolerant so please research this product before using. I started to subscribe Edward and Son's extra crispy Japanese-style crumbs from Amazon because buying more is a whole lot cheaper than buying one container at the Whole Foods.

Since I started the corn free diet, I stopped buying a package of ground meat. I was afraid of contamination. I make my own ground chicken like the way my mom used to make it when I was young. It's a work out but at least the ground chicken is clean and no funny business in it. All I do is slice the chicken breast into cubes. Then with a big knife (clever would work well), I run it back and forth on the meat. Basically, just keep going until the chicken is well minced. Ground chicken can also be made, using the food processor, but remember to not turn the chicken into paste. If that happens, no worries because now you have the main ingredient for the chicken lunch meat recipe.

I've made these chicken nuggets many times, and the original recipe makes about 30 nuggets. That's a lot of nuggets!!! Since I cooked the nuggets using panko breadcrumbs, they taste better after they are cooked. My recipe make just enough for my kids, and some days I even have leftover nuggets for the next day brunch. Feel free to double or triple my recipe.

Chicken Nuggets
adapted from Home Cooking in Montana's homemade chicken nuggets
serves 2, makes about 8-10 nuggets

Ground Chickens
8-10 oz ground chicken breasts (from 1-2 breasts)
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1 large egg (or 5 quail eggs)

Breadcrumbs
1/2 cup panko breadcrumb
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon onion powder

1 large egg (or 5 quail eggs)
oil for pan frying

1. After the ground chicken is ready on the cutting board, sprinkle it with the salt, onion powder, ground black pepper, and paprika.
2. Fold the chicken over the spices and run a knife back and forth a few times until the spices are mixed in.
3. In a small bowl, whisk the egg.
4. Using your clean hand, mix the ground chicken meat into the egg.
5. Divide the ground chicken into 8 to 10 equal size meatballs by using a small scooper. Set aside.
6. On a plate, mix together the breadcrumbs, salt, and onion powder. Set aside.
7. Whisk the egg in a bowl until it is homogenized (no stringy egg visible).
8. Heat the frying pan at medium-low heat.
9. Add the oil, just enough to coat the whole pan. 
10. Dip each ground chicken meatball into the egg mixture, allowing excess egg mixture to drip back into the bowl.
11. Roll them in the breadcrumb mixture.
12. When the oil is heated, place the uncooked nuggets on the pan then quickly flatten it with a fork. NOTE: When cooking the nuggets, try to get them into the pan at the same time.
13. Cook the nuggets for 3 minutes.
14. Flip it over and cook for another 3 minutes.
15. Enjoy them warm with the honey mustard sauce. Any leftover nuggets can be stored in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Warm them up in the oven or microwave.

TIPS: When I am pressed for time (or just plain lazy to make ground chicken), I would make chicken strips instead. Just slice the chicken breasts into strips. I only need bread crumb mixture and a large egg. The cooking method is the same as making the nuggets, but the chicken strips cook about 1-2 minutes per side, depending on the thickness of each strip.

Another cooking method is flatten the whole chicken breast so that it has the same thickness. Use the same cooking method as the chicken strips. However, the chicken breast can be a bit thick, so I usually cook it about 4-5 minutes per side. See, one recipe and three ways to make delish chicken.

Allergy Info: These chicken nuggets are free from or can be made without dairy, corn, legumes (soy), nuts, and fish. I've made these nuggets without the eggs by coating the ground chicken right into the breadcrumb mixture, and they came out as delicious and crunchy. If eggs aren't used, then these nuggets are also egg free. For gluten free, use gluten free breadcrumbs.

Ham and Cheese Popovers

So every morning, I would bake or cook a brunch for my kids. From waffles to pancakes. Tortilla breakfast wrap is a great option when I have extra homemade flour tortilla. Fill it with scrambled eggs and candied bacons. Lotsa goodness and yummy factors!!!

One night while flipping through a cookbook, I saw a recipe with a batter baked in a muffin pan. After I reviewed the ingredients and methods of baking them, the recipe reminded me of the popovers recipe. I decided to bake my kids some popovers the next morning. I looked up three recipes and tweaked them to come up with my own. I decided to go with less flour and more eggs.

The success of making popovers is to make sure the over is super hot and to preheat the ramekins or muffin pan. Some recipes stated that ingredients needed to be at a room temperature. I didn't do that when I was making my ham and cheese popovers, and they all turned out well. So remember, super hot over and preheated ramekins or muffin pan.

I came up with ham and cheese filling because of two things. First, I had extra black forest ham that I really needed to just use it up. And second, I had to use manchego cheese because of Brek's dairy allergy to cow's dairy products.

I was super happy with the result. The bread was hallow when split open (see photo). There was a crunchy cheese at the bottom of the bread (see photo). I believe I finally found my go-to popover recipe. I will have fun testing my popovers recipe with different fillings. Oh, the best thing with these popovers is that it is super easy to put together. Seriously, who wants to slave in the kitchen in the morning?



Ham and Cheese Popovers
makes 6 regular muffin size

Filling
1/2 cup (1.4 oz) shredded manchego cheese
1/4 cup (1.3 oz) black forest ham, diced

Batter
2 large eggs
1/2 cup (4 oz) coconut milk
1/2 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 cup (2.5 oz) all-purpose flour


1. Preheat the oven to 425F degree.
2. Once the oven is preheated, place the 6 small ramekins (or regular muffin pan) in the oven to preheat, about 5 minutes. TIP: If using ramekins, place them on a baking tray for easy handling.
3. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until the mixture is creamy.
4. Whisk in the milk and sugar.
5. Add the flour and mix just until combine.
6. Take out the preheated ramekins.
7. Spray them with vegetable oil.
8. Divide the diced ham and shredded cheese evenly into the bowls. NOTE: Remember the ramekins are hot. Use oven mitten or a thick towel when touching the bowls.
9. Divide the batter evenly on top of the ham and cheese, about 1/4 cup in each ramekin.
10. Bake for 20 minutes. NOTE: Whatever you do, DO NOT open the oven. Keep the oven super hot so the bread will rise or pop over. Use the oven light to see the baking process.
11. Lower the oven heat to 375F degree and bake 10 more minutes. 
12. Enjoy these popovers with maple syrup on the side. NOTE: Be careful with the ramekins as they are super hot. Go ahead and take out the popovers before serving them to your kids.

Allergy Info: These ham and cheese popovers are free from or can be made without dairy (not sheep), corn, legumes (soy), nuts (not coconut), and fish.

Steamed Bao

Here's the thing about being on an allergy free diet, especially to corn or to soy. Cannot eat out without a risk of getting a food allergy reaction. When I had cravings, oh boy, you betcha I wasn't in good company. One of many meals I missed when I couldn't eat out was dim sum. I luv the little dishes and the fun of picking out my favorite dishes. Of course, these little dishes definitely come with MSG and so many other ingredients I cannot pronounce. But I really wanted to eat the little dishes without getting Camden's sick. So for my 2012 New Year's resolution, I wanted to master the art of making dim sum.

After searching, scanning, and reading many dim sum recipes in cookbooks and on the internet, I came across a few recipes that looked promising. I highly recommend a cute children's book called Dim Sum for Everyone by Grace Lin. Check out the back of the cover and the back pages where there are drawings of ingredients and little dishes. For cookbooks, I highly recommend Dim Sum: The art of Chinese Tea Lunch by Ellen Leong Blonder. The ingredients are easy to find in Asian markets, and her instructions are easy to follow.

Of course, making the dim sum to eat at once was impossible. Too many techniques. Too many little dishes. I did it a few times, and it took a lot of planning. Did I master the art of making dim sum? Not even close. These little dishes are really difficult to master. BUT I did accomplish a few things like steaming bao buns. Since I already master the art of making bread (from my 2011 New Year's resolution), making bao buns is like boiling water. Yup, it's that easy.

Steamed bao is one of Brek's favorite homemade breads. When my mom came to live with us last year, I made steamed bao for dinner one night. Between steamed bao and chicken lunch meat, she was very impressed. She kept asking me how did I managed to pull these off. Well, I told her, I can pretty much bake and cook anything. It's the matter of researching the recipes and techniques, and taking the time to test the recipes.

Are you wonder what is the difference between the pizza dough and the bao dough? Baking powder and among other things. The ingredients are what make the difference texture in the steamed bao. So let's start measuring, mixing, and kneading the dough.

Steamed Bao
adapted from Dim Sum: The art of Chinese Tea Lunch by Ellen Leong Blonder
makes 15 buns (2 to 2.5 oz each)

Starter ingredients:
1 cup (8 oz) warm water (105° to 115°F)
2 teaspoons yeast (Red Star)
1/2 cup (2 oz) granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups (6 oz) all-purpose flour

Dough ingredients:
2 cups (8 oz) all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 Tablespoon (0.5 oz) coconut oil
1 Tablespoon (0.5 oz) rice vinegar

1. To make a starter, mix all of the starter ingredients together in a large bowl. Set aside until the mixture is foamy, about 5 to 10 minutes, depending on a room temperature.
2. In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Whisk the oil and vinegar into the starter mixture.
4. Add the flour mixture to the starter mixture.
5. Knead the dough on the non-stick mat until it comes together, about 3-4 minutes. (See my pizza dough recipe's step 5 for the kneading technique.)
6. Place the dough back into a bowl.
7. Cover the bowl with a towel and let the dough rises in a warm and draft-free place until double in size, about an hour. NOTE: I usually make the dough in the morning, then I'd let the dough sit at the room temperature until I am ready to make dinner. 
8. In the meantime, cut out 15 one-inch square of parchment papers and set aside.
9. When the dough is ready, punch it down and knead it for a minute.
10. Divide the dough into 15 equal parts or using the kitchen scale, measure the dough to 2 to 2.5 ounce each.
11. Shape each dough into a ball by continuously fold the side of the dough to the middle. Keep doing this step until the dough feels smooth on top.
12. To steam the bao dough without a filling, place it on a parchment paper and place it in the steamer. NOTE: The steamed bao will double in size. Make sure the dough are about an inch apart when placing them in a steamer. 
13. To steam the bao dough with a filling, flatting the dough with your finger, add the filling, then pinch the edges to seal. Place the dough seam side down on a parchment paper and place it in the steamer.
14. Steam the dough for 12 minutes. NOTE: Start the clock when the steam is visible.  
15. Serve the bao warm. Keep them in the steamer to keep warm. Store the leftover bao in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat them using a steamer.

TIPS: You can pretty much use any steamer to steam the bao. I use the stacked steamer. For presentation, I place them in the bamboo steamer before serving. The stacked steamer can be purchased at the Asian grocery stores, and it is really inexpensive. I bought a medium-size steamer for about $30.

The possibilities to having different steamed bao versions are endless. Split the unfilled bao in half, then add any favorite filling, from deli meat to pulled pork, just like you would use with regular sandwich bread.

Allergy Info: The steamed bao is free from or can be made without dairy, eggs, corn, legumes (soy), nuts, and fish. Make the filling according to your allergy free diet.

Chicken Lunch Meat

The hardest part of being on a food allergy diet was finding allergy free prepackaged food. I mean, seriously, must I make everything from scratch all the time? The answer is YES. Finding one product without corn is like finding a needle in a haystack. Literally.

I had the hardest time finding corn free lunch meat. Once I found lunchmeat with questionable ingredient: lactic acid (non dairy). I thought it was corn free. After calling a company and spoke to the customer service staff, the non dairy lactic acid actually came from corn.

During my free time, you will find me scanning a cookbook after a cookbook. My house is full of cookbooks. I've bought them at Half Price Books. I've borrowed them from the library. It was my luck when I scanned through Into the Vietnamese Kitchen by Andrea Nguyen. In this cookbook, there was a recipe called multi purpose meat paste. I remember the precooked pork rolls that are sold in Asian markets, but those pork rolls have MSG and other ingredients that I cannot pronounced. After reading the ingredients listed for this recipe and instruction on how to make it, I was pretty sure this recipe was for the pork roll.

So one weekend, I braved myself and made the rolls, using chicken meat. I was dumbfounded at how easy it was to make the chicken rolls. Plus, it was a perfect substitute for lunch meat too. My mom even told me that she amazed with the familiar taste of the chicken rolls. Remember, it is always made with cleaned ingredients that I can pronounce. Another product that I successfully made from scratch. Take that one off to-make list. I haven't tried this recipe with pork, beef, or fish. I'm pretty sure it can be done. One day I'll give other meat a try with this recipe. I've made this chicken lunch meat with just chicken breasts many times. Still taste great and perfect as an on-the-go lunch meat.

Chicken Lunch Meat
adapted from Into the Vietnamese Kitchen by Andrea Nguyen
makes 4 rolls

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 Tablespoon baking powder
2 Tablespoons tapioca starch
1 Tablespoon sugar
5 Tablespoons fish sauce
3 Tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Cut the chicken meat into chucks.
2. In a large bowl (with a cover), combine the rest of the ingredients.
3. Add the chickens and coat well.
4. Cover the bowl and place it in the refrigerator to marinade for 8 hours or overnight.
5. Using a food processor, grind the chicken meat into paste.
6. Divide the chicken paste into four equal parts.
7. For each roll, place the chicken paste on to the banana leaf and form it into a big log. Note: Banana leaf is sold at Asian market in a freezer section. Thaw before use but keep them frozen. If banana leaf is unavailable, place the meat paste right on to the foil and roll into log as directed.
8. Roll the banana leaf over the chicken paste and shape into a fat log.
9. Place the banana leaf over the foil and roll it tightly. NOTE: At this point, the chicken paste rolls can be kept in the freezer for up to a year.
10. To cook it, bring the water in a 4-quart pot to a boil.
11. Add the chicken paste roll (still wrapped in foil) into the water. It should float in the boiling water.
12. Cook it for 30 minutes, turning once. NOTE: Sometimes the roll is stubborn and won't flip over. Use the tongs to keep it in placed. The roll will plum up when cook. Don't poke a hole or anything like that. It won't burst. Promise. The roll shrinks after it cools down.
13. Once cooked, remove the roll and place it on a plate. Let cool.
14. Unwrap the foil and the banana leaf.
15. Slice the chicken lunch meat thinly. Enjoy them with bread, noodle soup, or just eat them as snack. Keep the cooked chicken lunch meat in a container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Allergy Info: My chicken sandwich lunch meat is free from or can be made without dairy, eggs, corn, legumes (soy), nuts, and wheat.

UPDATE: For those of you have corn sensitivity, I want to let you know that some or maybe all banana leaves maybe dusted with corn starch. I recently bought another brand. After washing the banana leaves and separating them before I refreeze them again, I noticed white paste when I was setting them out to dry. I wasn't 100% sure if the white paste was corn starch and never called the company to confirm. But my instinct told me that it had to be something starch. With that said, you can still make the chicken lunch meat. Just use double foil when rolling up the chicken paste. The lunch meat won't have the aroma from the banana leaf but at least you will be able to eat them without getting corn allergic reaction.

School Lunches

Photo 1. Human Body

As soon as August rolled in, I started to see a lot of blogs about school lunches. So I decided to write a blog about my son's lunches.

I homeschool my kids, but Brek's been going to a private school for homeschoolers on Tuesday and Thursday. On the days he stays home, he works on the assignments with me and his daddy.

It is very difficult for me to think of what to pack for Brek's lunch. I'm so thankful that he only goes to school two days per week because I cannot imagine packing his lunch every day.

Photo 2. Superhero Sandwiches

The first year Brek attended school, he was in 3rd grade.

School lunch wasn't available, and it had something to do with a licensed commercial kitchen that the school staff didn't have access to. Microwave was available and was very helpful if I had to send lunches that needed to warm up.

I really didn't know what to pack for Brek's lunch during his first school year. As it turned out, he mainly had boring sandwiches for lunch. They were probably soggy in a plastic bag. Poor kid.

Before Brek started 4th grade, I was determined to pack him a better lunch. I searched online for school lunches and noticed how some bloggers used really cool lunchboxes.

Photo 3. Hot Dog Rolls

The lunchbox that caught my attention the most was from the PlanetBox. It's stainless steel, and it's like a laptop with different size segmented containers. As soon as they were on sales, I bought two Rovers. Money well spent.

Each time I pack his lunch, I can see how the food is arranged in different colors. So his lunch might be regular sandwiches, but they were in fun shapes. This was the time when I started to document his lunches by taking pictures and posted them on my personal Facebook page as future references.

Photo 4. Brisket Steamed Bao

When Brek entered 5th grade, I noticed that superhero shape sandwiches were not cool any more. He wanted the food he would normally eat at home. This meant that I had to pack him lunches that he would need to be heated up in a microwave.

If at all possible, I tried to come up with a theme lunch. Just to make it fun. Instead of farm animals or superhero shapes, I would stick with mathematical shapes like square or circle. Sometimes I sneaked in fun shaped sandwiches anyway. Just because....

Photo 5. Turkey Manchego Cheese Panini

This year, Brek is in 6th grade. (I still have teary eyes just thinking how big he's gotten.) I bought him a bigger size PlanetBox called Launch. The main lunch segmented container is bigger which gives me more room to pack him more of the main meal.

I always ask Brek what he wants for school lunch. Let's face it. If I pack something he doesn't like, he probably won't eat it. That would be a waste of my time and a hungry kid during school day.

I also check his lunchbox to see the leftovers. If his lunchbox is empty, whatever I pack for him that day is worth repeating. And if I see anything left in his lunchbox that is not eaten, I usually ask him what is wrong with it. Most of the time, he says he's full or he doesn't like it. Beets can be pretty spicy, so I don't mind if he doesn't eat it. I still add them as part of his lunch, hoping he would at least take a bite. And he always takes ONE bite.

Photo 6. Smoked Salmon Sushi Rolls

Over this summer, I found out that Brek has dairy intolerance. To compensate for the non dairy sweets, I'd make him something sweeter for his lunch. Chocolate in his lunchbox is a must... for caffeine fixed, especially on a test day.

Remember that if the food is difficult to eat, you can bet he won't eat it. Slice fruits or vegetables into slices, coins, or sticks so they are easy to handle. Cut sandwiches into small pieces for an easy pick-me up.

Hope you are inspired to make your own lunch or for your love one. Let me know what is in your lunchbox lately.

Photo 7. Quesadilla

Photo 1. Human Body: pizza bones, crunchy radishes, carrots, and chips, bloody color from pomegranate seeds, CRUNCH bar (leftover from Halloween treats)

Photo 2. Superhero: This was Brek's first day of school lunch (4th grade). Packing lunch comes with experience. Notice the lack of colors in this one. The colors improved with time. I bought many pressed cookie cutters. More fun than just a regular cookie cutter.

Photo 3. Hot Dog Rolls: I made the rolls using the bao dough. They were baked until golden brown. I also baked ham and manchego cheese rolls using the bao dough too.

Photo 4. Brisket Steamed Bao: The brisket was leftover from dinner. I steamed bao bun as a bread alternative to the sandwich white bread.

Photo 5. Turkey Manchego Cheese Panini: This was Brek's first day of school lunch (6th grade). Instead of having a boring sandwich, I pressed it in the grilled pan to have the pretty grilled mark.
Pretty presentation helps. Homemade flour tortilla.

Photo 6. Smoked Salmon Sushi Rolls: Brek's favorite lunch is smoked salmon sushi rolls. I gave him more sushi rolls than I did last year. Since this was sea food theme, I added shrimp chips to stays in the sea food theme. Shrimp chips are available at Asia markets but read the label to avoid MSG.

Photo 7. Quesadilla: For this quesadilla, I added shredded goat cheddar cheese with crab meat. I coated pretzels with non dairy melted chocolate then added all natural sprinkles to make them more colorful. The silicon cupcake liners were used to hold the sweets and veggies. Plus, they made his lunch looked pretty colorful.

Allergy Info: As of this writing, Brek has dairy intolerance to cow's products. He can have goat or sheep's milk product. Be sure to prepare lunches according to your food allergy diet.