Baked Mussels

This is probably the easiest and best recipe for mussels. The simplicity of ingredients and preparations gives an incredible satisfaction of this dish. I would say this is could be a good menu in any special occasion if you would like to throw a party.
There is one Chinese buffet restaurant nearby where we lived in Washington, but they serve mixed Chinese, Japanese and Italian food. They served this dish special only for dinner and you know the price for dinner is more expensive than lunch. Since I tasted it, I got curious and tried to figure out how the chef of that restaurant made this dish and call it “baked mussels in dynamite sauce” that’s what the label I read on top of the steam table. I went to that restaurant, numerous times just to eat, taste, and stare just to feel what ingredients are in those mussels.
I made some experiment couple of times, tweaks some ingredients I have seen online, but this one is I can say 90 percent closer taste of what that restaurant serves.
Try and let you get kicked out of my yummylicious baked mussels.

Ingredients:

 1 lb. frozen green shells New Zealand mussels
1 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
½ cup Thai spicy mayonnaise
¼ cup evaporated milk
1 cup mozzarella cheese
3 Tbsp. olive oil

 Procedure:

1. Boil water in a large pot enough to cover mussels.
2. When water is boiling, add the mussels and off the heat. Blanch it for 3 minutes, drain and set aside. If you have the fresh mussels, you need to remove the empty side of it.
3. Mix all the rest of the ingredients in a bowl. If you don’t have Thai spicy mayonnaise, you can simply replace it with hot sauce and add some more regular mayonnaise.
4. Scoop the mixture and top it on mussels. 1 teaspoonful of mixture on each piece is enough.
5. Preheat oven to broiler setting.
6. Arrange mussels on a foil-lined pan and bake it for 10-15 minutes.
7. Voila! yummilicious baked mussels.

Mussels in Black bean Sauce

 

The mussel is one among the seafood I love. This recipe is another way of cooking the mussel, so simple yet delicious. If you can see the listed ingredients above, I used sweetened black beans instead of the fermented one because I want to contrast the flavor of oyster sauce and beans. The salty and sweetness of both ingredients perfectly well blended. The hint of cilantro as well added to make a perfect taste.

Try this recipe, and you can’t go wrong with the excellent flavor brought by mussels. Two thumbs up with this dish.

Ingredients:

1.5 lb. New Zealand green shell mussels, washed

3 oz. Sweet Black beans (I used the Japanese brand)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

3 cloves garlic, sliced

Thumb-sized ginger, sliced

¼ cup diced red bell pepper

3 sprigs cilantro

3 Tbsp. oyster sauce

1 cup hot water

Procedure:

1. Heat olive oil in a wok, sauté garlic and ginger until fragrant.

2. Add in the mussels, sauté for 3 minutes.

3. Pour in hot water and season with oyster sauce. Cover it and simmer for few more minutes.

4. Add the black beans and red bell pepper, gradually stirring.

5. Off the heat and add the cilantro leaves. Stir.

6. Serve and enjoy.

Siomai-Filipino Dumpling

I’m a fond of siomai, especially if it’s prepared using fine ingredients and to have it while it’s just right from the steamer.

When I was in my teenage, I worked in one factory in Manila to earn money and help my study. As working at the same time studying my shifts normally during evening shift and worked as a part-time. Siomai is my midnight snack most of the times because there is one convenient and restaurant store open 24 hours just next street where I’m working. Since then, siomai is been in my heart.

I am so particular when using ingredients so I can say this recipe of mine is absolutely delicious.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground pork

1 cup minced shrimps

1 cup finely diced shiitake mushroom

4 stalks green onion, finely chopped

1 tsp. grated fresh ginger

2 clove garlic, minced

½ tsp. chicken powder

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

1 tsp. sesame oil

2 eggs, beaten- 1 for mixture and 1 to seal the wrapper

25 pieces wonton wrapper

Carrot, grated for garnish

Soy sauce and lime for dipping

2 Tbsp. Chinese chili sauce, for dipping

Procedure:

1. Mix all the ingredients, except the wrapper and grated carrot in a large salad bowl.

2. Use your clean hand to mash to incorporate ingredients.

3. In this measurement, I made 25 pieces of siomai.

4. Scoop the meat as filling on a wonton wrapper.

5. Use the beaten egg to wet the sides of the wrapper to seal.

6. Garnish it with a grated carrot on top.

7. Arrange the siomai in a steamer and steam it for 60 minutes or so, depends which type of steamer you use.

8. Serve siomai with soy sauce squeezed with lime or Chinese chili sauce.

Deep fried Spring rolls- Lumpia

This crispy pastry is incredibly delicious. I’ve been obsessed with lumpia since then, today and forever. This pastry can be a snack or side dish; I even eat it with rice. I love the every bite while dipping it in my favorite spicy vinegar sauce.

There so many different variations on lumpia, but among them all, this is my best. How about you which lumpia you love most? Let me know.

Ingredients:

5 cup fresh bean sprouts

1 lb. fresh shrimps, peeled

8 oz. fresh tofu, deep fried and thinly sliced

½ cup carrot, julienne

1 medium size yellow potato, cut into strips

3 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup minced onion

4 stalks green onion, chopped

20 spring roll wrapper

Quart of oil for deep fry

2 Tbsp. for stir fry

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

Salt and pepper

Procedure:

1. Once all the ingredients are ready, heat oil and sauté garlic and onion until fragrant.

2. Add the shrimps and fry until change color.

3. Add in the potato strips and carrot, keep stirring and cook to get tender and crisp.

4. Add the bean sprouts, green onion and season it with soy sauce, a little salt and pepper. Give 3 minutes the sprouts to cook.

5. Lastly, add in the tofu.

6. Let the vegetable to cool before wrapping, in this measurement I made 15 pretty good size of the lumpia.

7. I normally use the square type of wrapper. In wrapping, place the wrapper in diamond position, fill it with vegetables and fold both sides and hand roll slowly and seal the end.

8. Heat the cooking oil in a deep fryer, and fry it by batch until brown and crispy. Lay a paper towel to place the fried lumpia to absorb excess oil.

9. Serve while crispy, and dip it with your favorite sauce.

 

Creamy Lemon Shrimp

This is one of my creations, and I’m so proud of this recipe. The combination of lemon and cream is just amazing. It is very rich in flavor with a hint of cilantro.

I have tried to cook shrimp in many ways but, this catches my heart, just love the elegant taste of cream and lemon. I choose not to peel the shrimps, because I want to keep as much as possible the natural and fresh flavor. Eating it using my hands, peel off the skin and dip in the creamy sauce, increase my appetite more.

Try this flavorful recipe and please let me know how it is.

Ingredients:

1.5 lb. large size fresh shrimps, antennae snipped off, washed

1 Lemon

2 Tbsp. Olive oil

2 Cloves garlic, sliced

½ cup Heavy cream

3 Sprigs cilantro, chopped

Salt and Pepper

Procedure:

1. Heat olive oil in a large skillet, and sauté garlic until fragrant.

2. Add in the shrimps, simmer until turns red color.

3. Pour in the cream and season with salt and pepper, simmer for 5 minutes.

4. Squeeze lemon over the shrimps and sprinkle the chopped cilantro.

5. Stir and off the heat.

6. Serve.

Pan-seared Scallops

Ingredients:


7 pcs large size scallops
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 lemon
3 sprigs cilantro
2 Tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp lemon and pepper powder 
Skewers 


Procedure:
  

1. Season scallops with lemon and pepper powder.
2. Over medium heat, heat oil in the pan and add scallops.
3. Sear both sides until golden browned.
4. Remove from heat and thread scallops onto skewers. 
5. Return in the same pan simmer the soy sauce and lemon juice for 3 minutes. Add in few leaves of cilantro. 
6. Pour in the sauce over scallops. Serve.

Squid with Celery

How do you cook your squid? Here is another recipe that I'm sure that you will enjoy and love the taste of squid with celery. The secret of successful cooking is to have the ingredients complete. When you hit the flavor, you made it right. Alright here we go with the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb squid- Wash the squid under running cold water, remove the clear cartilage pull it out and discard. Cut the head, squeeze and wash it thoroughly until ink get cleared. You can remain the tentacles if you want so.
olive oil
4 cloves minced garlic
red onion chopped
grated fresh ginger
2 long green pepper- cored and seeds removed
small bunch Chinese celery cut in 3 inches long
5 stalks green onion
light soy sauce
ground black pepper

PREPARATION:

1. In a wok, heat the olive oil over high flame.
2. Saute the grated ginger, garlic and onion.
3. Add in the squid, season it with soy sauce and ground black pepper.
4. Simmer for 7 minutes.
5. Add the long green pepper, green onion and Chinese celery.
6. Serve and share to your love ones.

Easy Stir-Fry Egg Noodles with Shrimp (虾仁炸面)

Chao Mian 炸面, is one of my favorite dishes when I was in China. The unique taste of the noodles cooked in sweet and spicy sauce. Chao mian can be cook with pork, chicken or beef. Here in my recipe I used shrimps, try this delicious stir-fried egg noodles.

INGREDIENTS:

225 g egg noodles
100 g shrimps peeled and deveined
100 g sweet sausage sliced
0.70 lb bok choy
1 large leek cut into strips
3 stalks green onion chopped
1 medium carrot cut into strips
1 sweet red onion sliced
3 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 eggs
1 Tbsp. white sugar
2 Tbsp. light soy sauce
1 tsp. chicken powder
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
dash of ground black pepper

PREPARATION:

1. In a wok, heat oil over in high heat. Fry the eggs, stir the eggs while frying.
2. Add in the onions, shrimp and sausage continue frying for 2 minutes.
3. Add the carrots, leeks and bok choy. Stir and fry until vegetables are cooked. Set aside.
4. Turn the heat in medium, same wok add 1 cup of water and soy sauce season it with sugar, chicken powder, red pepper flakes and ground pepper let it to boil.
5. When boiling add the egg noodles, cooked until the noodles absorb the sauce.
6. Pour in the fried vegetables and mix them well. Sprinkle over the chopped green onion.
7. Serve while its hot.