Shrimp Stuffed Tofu

Shrimp Stuffed Tofu

I seem to be on a tofu kick lately.  Most people say that they don't like tofu because of it's texture and bland flavor.  That always puzzled me because all the tofu dishes I grew up eating, which were home cooked thanks to my mommy, were flavorful and had varied textures depending on the dish.  Tofu acts like a sponge and soaks up any sauce that it is cooked in.  Even the plain ones that are simply deep-fried taste great to me when it is served with dipping sauce.
There are many different types of tofu available (egg tofu, soft, silken, medium, firm, tofu skin, etc.)  Combined with the vast possibilities of cooking method (chilled, steamed, braised, pan-fried, deep-fried, stir-fried, grilled, pressed, frozen-thawed, etc.), the variety of texture grows exponentially.
Maybe I just have weird tastes.  Or maybe most people didn't have the luxury of a cook like my mom to introduce them to tofu and unfortunately came to know poorly prepared tofu.  Even some restaurants do not do their tofu dishes justice.  It sometimes seem like it's just on the menu to be there.
In any case, this one is amongst my favorites.  I love the texture of silky soft tofu with steamed rice.  If you do as well, this is the dish for you.
My mom also sometimes uses ground pork for the stuffing, which I will get into another time.

Shrimp Stuffed Tofu
1 block of soft tofu
fine sea salt
cornstarch for dusting
10-12 large shrimps, shelled
1/3 tsp white pepper
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tbsp minced green onions
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp soy sauce

Prepare tofu:
Cut tofu into 1 1/2 inch cubes.  Make a well in the center of each cube by scooping out the middle with a metal spoon.  I used the spoon to make 4 cuts on the top of each cube, slightly angling the cut towards the center.  Be careful not to break the sides of the tofu.
Lightly sprinkle sea salt over the hollowed tofu cubes.  Turn each cube upside down.  The salt will soak in and the tofu will drain any excess liquid while you prepare the shrimp filling.

Prepare shrimp filling:
Now you may wonder why I would do this by hand, rather than utilize a food processor to pulse the shrimp into a paste.  For one thing, because my momma said so.
And...I find it difficult to maintain enough control with a food processor to keep the shrimp from ending up being too mushy.
Using a heavy meat cleaver or santoku knife, chop the shrimp up into little pieces. Mince the shrimp until the texture is like a thick paste with bits of shrimp mixed in.
Transfer the shrimp into a bowl.  Stir in a pinch of sea salt, 1/2 tsp cornstarch and white pepper.  Mix well.

Flip the tofu cubes hollow-side up again.  Very lightly dust the wells of the tofu with cornstarch.  Don't over do it, otherwise, you'll end up with glue inside the tofu.  This will help the shrimp stuffing stick to the tofu.
Scoop the shrimp filling into each tofu cube.  Place each shrimp-filled cube onto a heat-proof dish with raised sides.
Fill wok (or a large pot that is at least 1-inch wider in circumference than the dish) with 2-3 inches of water.  Place a steam rack in the wok or pot.  Place the dish on top of the rack.  Make sure the water does not reach the top of the dish.
Cover the wok or pot with lid.  Steam for about 10 minutes or until the shrimp turns pink.
Drizzle with sesame oil and soy sauce.  Sprinkle with green onions.
Photograph and post pictures.  Serve with steamed rice and enjoy!

Chinese Sausage Fried Rice with Salty Duck Egg

I had a sudden craving for fried rice the other day, but was fresh out of regular chicken eggs.  I was too lazy and cozy in my little apartment to even run out to the corner store.  Luckily, I had some salted duck eggs from when I made Three Yolk Steamed Eggs.  It coats the rice with a wonderfully rich, umami flavor.  I used thinly sliced chinese sausage as the protein, a little savory sweetness.
I chopped up a tomato and added it at the end.  The freshness of the tangy raw tomato was a nice contrast to the saltiness of the duck egg, not that it was overly salty to begin with.  The ratio of salty duck egg to rice was just perfect.  There was just enough flavor with out being overpowering.  I also think that my wok has finally reached that level of seasoning for my dishes to achieve "wok hay" or "essence of the wok".  I feel like I should celebrate that.  Throw my wok a party or something.

I have always loved the flavor of the yolk in a salty duck egg.  I even prefer the moon cakes that have the salty duck egg in the middle.

Chinese Sausage Fried Rice w/ Salty Duck Egg

Chinese Sausage Fried Rice w/ Salty Duck Egg

2 cups cold, cooked rice

2 links chinese sausage, sliced

1/2 cup peas, fresh or frozen

1 tomato, chopped

1 small onion, diced

1 salted duck egg

2 tsp oil

If the salted duck egg is raw, which is the type I used, separate the whites and the yolk.  Then dice up the yolk, which will be solid.  If the duck egg is cooked, then dice up the whites and the yolks.

Heat up the wok and then add the oil.  My mom always says not to add oil to a cold wok.  Swirl the oil around to wok.  Stir fry the onions and chinese sausage until caramelized.  Add the cold rice and peas.  Stir fry for 2-3 minutes.  Push the rice to the sides, creating a hollow in the middle of the wok.  Add the whites from the salty duck egg to the center of the wok.  If the egg was cooked, just add the whites with the yolks.  Scramble the rice into the egg whites, constantly scrapping at the bottom of the wok to prevent sticking.  Stir fry for about 2 minutes.  Add the yolks.  Stir fry for a minute to make sure everything is thoroughly mixed together.  Add the peas and stir fry until cooked, about 3 minutes.  Add tomatoes and stir fry for 2 minutes.  Turn off heat and serve.

Beats N Eats Food Trucks Meet Up

Update - The Beats N Eats Food Trucks Meet Up has been moved to a new location in Mira Mesa.  Information to follow....
I have to apologize for not disclosing the information to the Beats and Eats Meet-Ups that have been taking place each Tuesday for the past summer months.  I was looking through my posts and realized that I never finished this one.  

The location is at the parking lot in front of the Tabe Kitchen off Murphy Canyon Road by Taco Bell, Happy Car Wash and Express Tire.

3690 Murphy Canyon Road, San Diego, CA

The trucks do not sell beverages at this event out of respect for the convenience store that they are parked in front of.  I always purchased my beverage from the convenience store.  Plus, they allow the food trucks patrons to use their restroom facilities.

Tables are chairs are available outside the convenience store where DJ booth is set up.   

This food truck event, unlike some others, do not have an entrance fee.  There is also DJ Kanoya providing the beats, hence Beats N Eats.   

This shingdig happens every Tuesday from 6:30 pm - 9 pm.  I thought this was only a summer food trucks event, but a very reliable source has told me that they are looking for a new location to continue this.  I hope so, it's so much easier than chasing these trucks down on Twitter.

There are usually 4-5 trucks at this event.  Tabe (the event organizer) and SuperQ seem to be the regulars.  Some of the trucks that I've seen on the rotation are Sweet Treats, Asian Persuasion, India on Wheels (no longer in business), Pierogi, SD Street Eats and the Gooch.  Most of these trucks take credit card for a small transaction fee and/or minimum purchase.  There's also an ATM inside the store.

Makes me wish that I had four stomaches, like a cow, instead of just my measly singular human stomach.  Sigh.

Clockwise: Tabe Kobe Beef Slider, Tabe Beef Short Rib Taco, India on Wheels Samosa, SuperQ Beef Brisket Sandwich (mostly eaten), Sweet Trucks Chocolate Covered Bacon

Asian Persuasion Longanisa Rice Bowl

Sweet Treats Tiramisu

Here's what I've tried so far:

Tabe

Kobe Beef Sliders - A child-sized burger served on a soft dinner roll w/ cheddar cheese and shredded iceberg lettuce.  A pretty good starter or kiddie meal.

Tabe Beef Short Ribs Taco - I love korean bbq'd meat on a taco.  My only complaint is the massive amounts of shredded iceberg lettuce.  I took half of the lettuce off my taco and re-sauced.  

Tabe Asada Fries - Super deliciousness.  Grilled beef marinated in korean bbq sauce over crispy fries.  This is an example of fusion gone right.

SuperQ

SuperQ Beef Brisket Sandwich - This is a meal in a sandwich.  Sorry, I scarfed this down before I even remembered to snap a picture.  It was a huge sandwich.  I-needed-a-nap-afterwards huge.  It's like a sourdough grilled cheese stuffed with tender beef brisket, mac n cheese and sautèed onions.  The brisket was packed full of flavor.  If you like a little spice in your life, ask them to add some jalapeños to your sandwich.  You won't regret it.  Unless you can't do spicy foods, in which case, you will regret it.

BBQ Chicken Salad - This is the most flavorful salad that I have ever had.  Black beans, corn, shredded cheddar cheese, red onions, cucumber, tomatoes, shredded BBQ chicken and ranch served over a mix of greens.  I was stumped as to what was making this salad so packed full of flavor when one of my friends pointed out to me that the chicken is infused with BBQ sauce.  Great big portions and flavor.

Asian Persuasion

Longanisa Rice Bowl - In other words, a longsilog.  And they do it so well.  My egg was a perfect over easy with a runny yolk and nice crispy edges along the whites.  The bite-sized chunks of longanisa were packed full of flavor, as longanisas should be, and had a good sear.  The stir-fried garlic rice had a good wok hay, which means the cook was using a very well-seasoned cooking surface and really high heat.  To achieve wok hay, you have to be able to use really high heat to sear in the flavor of each individual ingredient without burning any of it.  I overheard the girl who took my order speak to the cook in Cantonese.  A chinese cook with true skills is behind this filipino dish.  They actually ran out of this dish one Tuesday at 7pm.

Pierogi

Meat Stuffed Pierogi - There were other items on the menu that were calling to me as well.  Grilled polish sausages, hungarian pancakes and blitzers.  But how could I not try one of the hand-made pierogis from a food truck named Pierogi Truck?   Prior to ordering, I asked what's a pierogi?  One of my friends started explaining to me that it is a pan-fried european dumpling.  The lady from the truck overheard us and stuck her head out to inform us that she does not pan-fry her pierogis.  "It would make the dough tough.  We only boil ours," she said.  Boiling is also the preferred method of cooking for freshly made jiaozi.  Yes, most people probably think that pan-frying is the better way to make them.  However, that's what you do to the store bought frozen jiaozi (which I also love).  But when someone, like say your loving chinese mother (or someone else's loving chinese mother if you don't have one of your own), makes the jiaozi fresh from scratch, the best way to enjoy those as soon as they are made is to boil them. This allows you to really appreciate the texture of the dough.  It is the rest of the batch that are frozen for later use, hence losing that freshly made dough texture, that is pan-fried.  These were boiled, sprinkled with bacon and served with a side of sour cream.  Yums.  Like a european jiaozi. The dough was not too thick, not too thin and had a good "bite" to it.  Much like my momma's.  The filling is juicy, meaty and just plain good.  I could eat about 20 of these in one sitting.  There were also other meatless filling options.

Sweet Treats

Chocolate Covered Bacon - I know, it sounds weird.  But it is one of those weird combinations that are honestly really good.  Someone had made these for a work potluck once and had convinced me to give it a try.  To much of my surprise, I really liked it.  A crispy bacon strip covered in chocolate, probably the same kind that is used for chocolate covered strawberries.  It is not at all greasy.  For some strange reason, the salty sweet combo kinda reminds me of peanut butter and chocolate.  I don't know why no one else gets that.  Try it, it's good.  I promise.

Tiramisu - Pretty good.  I wasn't blown away, just a solid pretty good.  The espresso bean on top was a nice touch.  After all that food, I needed a giant hit of caffeine to keep me awake long enough for the drive home.

India on Wheels

Samosa - I got a potato filled samosa topped with a sweet and savory pesto-like sauce.  It was good.  Too bad they closed down the business.  I guess a vegetarian food truck can only sustain so long when there are competing with meaty, guilty-pleasure fares.

Steamed Fish w/ Ginger and Scallions = Next Day Fish Flake Jook

My favorite fish preparation is steamed with ginger and scallions then drizzled with a soy sauce and oil dressing.  The heated oil brings out the essence of the ginger and scallions.  Kwai Fei Gai is also prepared in a somewhat similar fashion.  That is also my favorite way to cook chicken.  I guess I'm just a sucker for anything that is steamed and dressed with the scallion and ginger oil.  It goes so well over steamed rice.  Mmmm, my mouth waters just thinking about it.

Steaming is the best way to enjoy any fresh salt-water fish with a firm flesh.  I don't recommend this recipe for fresh water fish like trout or catfish.  This method highlights the taste and texture of the fish instead of masking it with stronger flavors.  It is best to use the freshest fish possible.  I have always thought that this dish is the reason why most Chinese restaurants have the live fish tanks.  I would not order this dish from a restaurant without those tanks.

My mom used to make this dish with a whole fish that she gets from the market that same day.  Head and tail included.  Since I was cooking for one, I got a single fillet of sushi grade mahi mahi.  

Steamed Fish w/ Ginger and Scallions

8 oz fillet of firm fleshed, salt water fish (mahi mahi, snapper, sheepshead, etc)

1 stalk scallions, minced

4 inches fresh ginger, julienned or grated

4 tbsp vegetable oil

2 drops sesame oil

2 tbsp soy sauce

Place a steam rack in a wok.

If you don't have a steam rack like that one, you can rig one up with two pairs of chopsticks.  Like so:

Add enough water to the wok until it just stops short of where the plate would be placed on your rack.  Heat to simmer.  

Spread half of the ginger and scallions evenly onto a heat proof plate large enough to fit the fish, but smaller than your wok.  Make sure the plate has sides that comes up. 

Place your fish on top of the ginger and scallions.  Spread the rest of the ginger and scallions on top of your fish.

Place the plate on the rack.  Make sure water level is sufficient.  Cover with wok lid and steam for about 10 minutes.

*If you are steaming a whole fish, make sure the fish is cleaned.  Scour both sides of the fish with 3 parallel slashes and stuff with ginger and scallion mixture as well.  Add an additional 5 minutes of steam time for every 8 oz.

Take plate off rack.  Drizzle with soy sauce.  Take rack off wok.  Drain water and dry wok.  Heat oil in wok.  Carefully pour heated oil over fish.

 

If you have any leftovers, you have all the ingredients to make Fish Flake Jook for breakfast the next morning.  

Fish Flake Jook

From Leftovers:

leftover steamed fish, flaked into bite-sized pieces

leftover steamed rice

water or chicken broth

salt

white pepper

Simmer the leftover rice with twice as much water or broth, stirring frequently until rice is broken up.  Add more water or broth if rice becomes too thick.  I like my jook to be more of a soupy consistency.  Turn off heat.  Stir in fish flakes.  Ladle into bowls.  Add salt and white pepper to taste.

From Scratch:

8 oz fillet of firm fleshed, salt water fish (mahi mahi, snapper, sheepshead, etc), slightly frozen

1 stalk scallions, minced

4 inches fresh ginger, julienned

2 drops sesame oil

2 tsp soy sauce

1 cup uncooked rice

3-4 cups water or chicken broth

salt

white pepper

Thinly slice fish against the grain.  Cut fish into bite-sized chunks.  Mix fish together with scallions, ginger, sesame oil and soy sauce.  Marinate for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator.  

Bring water or broth to boil.  Add rice.  Lower heat to a simmer.  Partially cover by placing lid over pot, but propping one side of the lid up by placing a chopstick underneath one side of the pot.  Stir occasionally.  Cook for about 30 minutes or until rice is soft and broken.

Turn off heat.  Immediately stir in fish.  The residual heat should cook the fish without overcooking it.  Ladle into bowls.  Add salt and white pepper to taste.  Makes 6 servings.

More than just salad

I got some romaine hearts that were on special at Fresh & Easy.  I wasn't thinking salad.  I wasn't thinking grilled.  I was thinking about sauteed.  I was thinking about the way my friend's husband made them.  He is Taishan and an excellent chef, which is good news for my friend because I don't think I've ever seen her cook anything that wasn't Top Ramen.  She does make a very good sou chef, gotta give her credit for that.  When I was visiting one evening, she started washing and chopping 10 minutes before he walked through the door.  After cooking at the restaurant all night long, he started throwing together a simple, yet delicious late night dinner.
The one dish that I still remember is the simplest.  Romaine hearts sauteed with fermented tofu, which tastes kinda like blue cheese made from tofu.  I was skeptical as I watched him prepare this dish.  Up to that point in my life, the only way I've seen romaine hearts prepared has been raw or lightly grilled in a salad.  Plus, fermented tofu???  Really?
He convinced me to give this homestyle dish a try and I was became a convert.   It was light and refreshing.  The fermented tofu added just the right hint of savoriness (I could go fancy and call it "umami") that highlights the seared edges of the romaine.  I am salivating whilst thinking about romaine hearts. Whowouldadunkit?

Umami Romaine Hearts
1 Romaine heart
1/4 cube fermented tofu
1 tsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Step 1: Slice the romaine heart lengthwise into 8 pieces.

Step 2: Heat wok or frying pan with 1 tbsp vegetable oil.

Step 3: Add romaine hearts and garlic to pan.  Cook until leaves are just starting to wilt, turning every now and again.

Step 3: Add fermented tofu.  Just 1/4 cube will do, this stuff is potent!

Step 3: Continue cooking until fermented tofu is melted, about 2 minutes.  De-glaze the pan with about 2 tbsp of water in the final 30 seconds if you want some sauce for that rice to soak up.

Woking - Soy Sauce Noodles w/ Stir-fried Pea Sprouts

Soy Sauce Noodles with Stir-fried Pea Sprouts

My cast iron wok from the Wok Shop in San Francisco arrived last week.  I followed the instructions for seasoning before use.  I wiped the entire surface down with vegetable oil and 'baked' it in the oven at 250 and let it cool.  I repeated that process three times before I actually used the wok, just in case.  To test out my handy work, I decided to make stir-fried pea sprouts and soy sauce wok fried noodles.  Success!  No sticking whatsoever :o)

The wok kit came with a lid and wok ring.  The people at the Wok Shop decided to include a little recipe book and some accessories as well.  The metal spatula, bamboo spoons and wok cleaning brush are great extras.  But can anyone tell me what that little back scratcher-like thing is for?

Soy Sauce Noodles
2 rounds of dried egg noodles
3 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 tsp sesame oil
3 tbsp vegetable or canola oil
1/4 cup minced green onions, green parts only
Cook noodles in boiling water for about 3 minutes, or until the noodles loosen from the 'nest' form.  Strain the noodles and rinse in cold water.  Leave the noodles in the strainer, we want all the excess water to drain away.

In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and vinegar together until the sugar dissolves.  In a big bowl, toss the noodles and the sauce mixture together.
Heat wok.  Add oil once wok is hot.  Add the noodles and stir-fry for about 5 minutes.  Add the green onions and stir-fry for another minute.  Serve.  This is a common breakfast item in Hong Kong.

Stir-fried Pea Sprouts
1 bunch pea sprouts
1 tbsp garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
Heat wok. Add oil once wok is hot.  Stir-fry garlic and pea sprouts over med heat until sprouts are wilted.  Add salt to taste.  Serve.

Tutorial on Fried Rice

I have been asked a couple times about how to make fried rice. I always thought that it was a fairly easy dish because it's basically diced up leftovers heated up with day-old rice. It wasn't until I saw the episode of Sam the Cooking Guy demonstrating how to make fried rice that I realized how easy it is to screw this up.

He made the recipe way more complicated than it had to be. I thought his whole show was based on simple ways to making complicated recipes? No wonder people are confused. Anyway, I digress...

So I've decided to create a tutorial on how to make fried rice. You can make this dish with fresh ingredients or yesterday's leftovers.  I like using leftovers (meatloaf fried rice, anyone?), because everything is already cooked and all you need to do is heat it through.

The most important thing is to start with day-old rice, or at least cold rice. Otherwise, you'll end up with a very mushy mess.

You might want to stir the rice around a bit to separate the clumps.  You don't have to be meticulous about it, but you don't want big lumps of rice either.  The only basic ingredients are the rice and eggs. You can add whatever else you want to your fried rice.   Of course, don't forget a bit of oil so that everything doesn't end up sticking to your cookware.   Order of ingredients to go into the pan is aromatics (garlic or onions) first, then meat, then veggies, and last egg-rice mixture.

Fried Rice
3 cups day-old rice
2-3 cloves of minced garlic (use ginger if making seafood fried rice)
1 1/2 cup choice of meat diced into bite sized pieces
1 cup choice of assorted fresh, frozen or leftover veggies, roughly chopped (if using snow peas, leave whole)
1 small diced onion
2 stalks of finely chopped green onions (parsley or cilantro are also good substitutes)
2-3 drops sesame oil (optional)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
vegetable oil
salt or soy sauce to taste

In a bowl, mix the eggs into the rice until well coated.  Set aside.  Heat wok or large nonstick saucepan.  Add olive/vegetable and sesame oil and heat over medium flame.  
Add onions and cook until translucent.  Remember to always stir constantly when cooking this dish. 
Add garlic and stir for about 1 minute.
Add meat, stir until halfway cooked.
Add veggies. Cook for another 2 minutes or until heated through.
Add egg-rice mixture.
Stir in green onions. Stir until egg is no longer runny. Turn off the heat and add salt or soy sauce to taste.  Makes about 3 servings.