Pancit Canton

(Adapted from Recipezaar)

3 dried chinese mushrooms (shiitake or black)
1 cup warm water
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 onion, sliced
1 - 1.5 lbs meat (* see note)
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup cabbage, shredded
1 cup green beans, julienned (or cut frozen ones)
2 carrots, julienned
8oz (1 pkg) pancit noodles (Chinese wheat noodles)
1/2 Tbsp fish sauce
pepper
green onions, sliced
lemon wedges

Soak mushrooms in warm water for 30 mins. Remove from water, discard tough stems & slice caps. Set aside, retaining soaking water as well.

Heat oil in a large wok or skillet. Add onions, saute until tender. Add garlic and cook another 30 seconds.

If using raw meat, add now and cook until browned. If using leftovers/pre-cooked, just stir to heat through.

Add soy sauce and stir to deglaze pan. Add chicken broth & bring to a boil.

Add cabbage, green beans, carrots & mushrooms. Cook until vegetables are tender-crisp, 5-8 mins.

Add noodles, pressing into the liquid and mixing gently to avoid breakage. Cook until noodles are done and liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. At this point, keep an eye on the noodles, if they need more liquid, add some of the mushroom water.

Remove from heat. Stir in fish sauce. Season with pepper, garnish with green onions and lemon wedges. Serve.

This is a great dish to eat as leftovers the second day. So yummy!

* Note: Use 1 to 1.5 lbs of pork, chicken or shrimp, or any combination of those. Leftover/pre-cooked meat is great too!

Chinese-Style Fried Rice

I've been craving fried rice from my local chinese restaurant lately, but figured it couldn't be that hard to make at home! This is adapted from several internet recipes I've found.

3 Tbsp oil (something flavourless like canola, sunflower, peanut)
1 medium onion, diced
2 eggs, beaten
splash of soy sauce
splash of sesame oil
1-2 cups cooked boneless meat (chicken, pork, even shrimp are really good in this)
1-2 carrots, finely diced
1/2 cup frozen peas
4 cups cooked rice (great way to use leftover rice!)
3-4 green onions, chopped
2 cups bean sprouts
2 Tbsp soy sauce

Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok or large frying pan. Add onions and cook until they are beginning to brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Remove from wok.

Mix eggs with a splash of soy and splash of sesame oil. Add another tbsp oil to the hot wok, swirl to coat. Add egg and scramble, then remove from pan when cooked.

Add another tbsp of oil to the pan, add meat, carrots, peas and cooked onions, stir fry for 2-3 mins.

Add rice, green onions and bean sprouts, tossing to mix well. Cook another 3-5 mins.

Add soy sauce and stir. Fold in cooked egg carefully and cook another 1-2 minutes. Serve!

Moroccan-Style Couscous

This dish was inspired by a meal I had at a local Moroccan restaurant. By itself, couscous is rather blah, but this is a delicious side that can easily be adapted to suit your own palate. This will serve four easily as a side, two as a main (more if you add lots of vegetables to it!)

1 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp paprika
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

2 1/2 cups water
1 Tbsp butter
2 cups uncooked couscous

3 Tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp salt
1/4 c lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Heat the olive oil over medium heat. Saute onion until almost translucent, then add garlic at the very end. Add spices, stir for 30 seconds, and remove from heat. Set aside.

Bring water and butter to a boil. Add couscous, stir, cover with a lid and remove from heat. Let sit 5 minutes until all liquid is absorbed.

Fluff couscous with a fork, and fold in onions, parsley, salt, lemon juice, olive oil and chickpeas. Adjust seasonings to taste.

To make this side into a full meal, add sauteed or roasted vegetables such as zucchini, carrots, eggplant, peppers, cherry tomatoes, etc. Roasted or grilled chicken or lamb would also make a great meat addition, either mixed in or on the side.

Cucur Udang (Prawn Fritters)

Adapted from Seasaltwithfood.

This is a delicious, simple Malaysian fritter recipe that doesn't look like much before it's cooked, but comes out crispy on the outside, chewy in the middle, and oh so tasty! These are simple to make small for appies, or a little bigger as a side dish with a lovely soup. I got about 12 big (about palm-sized) fritters out of this!

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp ground turmeric

1 tsp salt

1 cup water (maybe a little more)

1/2 cup green onions, roughly chopped (you could also use chives, or shallots!)

2 cups bean sprouts, rinsed well (really, really well!) and shaken dry

1/4 to 1/3 lb raw prawns, shelled and chopped roughly (or whole, if you prefer!)

Oil for frying

Combine the flour, baking powder, turmeric and salt into a mixing bowl. Add water and mix it with a spoon to make a fairly thick batter. Stir in the chives, bean sprouts and prawns. Add more water if the batter seems too thick - it should be smooth, but not like a chunk of dough. The consistency should be like a really thick pancake batter.

Heat about an inch of oil in a frying pan to about 375 degrees.

Using a large spoon, take a scoop of batter, and gently drop it into the oil. Repeat. Cook 3-4 minutes until golden brown, and flip to cook the other side, another 2-3 minutes until golden brown and crispy.

Drain fritters on paper towel. Cool for 5-10 minutes, and then dig in! These are excellent served with a seasoned mayonnaise dip - we made ours with mayo, chile paste and a little chopped cilantro. These are also really delicious several hours later at room temperature! Next time I make some, I'm making extras to snack on after dinner!

Homemade Hummus

This is a really good basic hummus recipe, the lemon and garlic flavours aren't too strong. This recipe could easily be enhanced with more garlic, more lemon, dried red chile flakes, or whatever your heart desires. I added a couple teaspoons of red chili flakes when I made it, and it added just the right amount of spice for it to be interesting. It's also lovely to serve garnished with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of chopped fresh parsley on top.

2 cups chick peas (1 med. can), drained and rinsed
1/3 cup tahini
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 tsp salt
2 cloves garlic, halved

In a food processor, combine all ingredients and puree for 5 minutes or until smooth. Adjust ingredients to taste, and serve with pitas, vegetables, crackers, etc.

Greek-Style Lemon Potatoes

These potatoes are a superb accompaniment to any meal! They roast up with a beautiful slightly-crunchy exterior, and the lemon flavour is fresh without being completely overwhelming.

4-5 medium potatoes, peeled
1/3 c lemon juice
1/4 c olive oil
1 Tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped (1/2 Tbsp dried)
1 Tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped (1/2 Tbsp dried)
salt & pepper

Cut potatoes into large chunks (4-6 pieces each). Parboil for about 5 minutes, until they are just beginning to cook and are no longer hard around the edges. Drain and set aside. Preheat oven to 400.

Whisk together lemon juice, olive oil, oregano and parsley. Add a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Pour about 3/4 of this mixture over the potatoes and toss to coat. Spread evenly in a pan or baking dish, and roast for 30-40 minutes, shaking every 10 minutes, until tender inside and crispy outside. Just before serving, drizzle with the remaining lemon mixture, and season with a little more salt & pepper.

These potatoes also reheat quite well, if you are making them for a potluck or just want to roast them ahead of time, you can do all but drizzle them with the reserved lemon mixture. Simply reheat at 425 for 10-15 minutes until sizzling hot, season and serve!

Asian Lettuce Wraps

A slightly modified version of this recipe from Allrecipes.com. A classic Chinese food restaurant makes this in my home town, but I can't find it out here on the "Wet Coast," so I decided to make it myself. It's definitely one of my Top Ten meals, we make it about once a month.

• 4 cups water
• 2 cups uncooked white rice
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 package firm tofu, drained and cubed
• 2 carrots, shredded
• 4 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 1 head iceberg lettuce leaves, separated

Directions:

1. In a saucepan combine the water and rice. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes, until water is absorbed. Set aside and keep warm.

2. While rice is cooking, heat oil in a large wok over medium-high heat. Stir fry the ground chicken, green onions, and garlic for 5 to 7 minutes, or until lightly browned. Add the tofu, carrot, hoisin and soy sauce, stirring frequently until heated through. Remove from heat, and stir in the red chili flakes.

3. Add cooked rice to the stir fry mixture in the wok, mix well.

4. To serve: spoon a small amount of the rice and stir fry mixture into a lettuce leaf, wrapping the lettuce leaf (like a tortilla) to enclose the filling.

Notes: some enjoy drizzling extra hoisin sauce or soy sauce onto the mixture before closing the lettuce leaf. MAKES EIGHT SERVINGS.