Oven Baked Crispy Chicken Thigh (using black bean pulp)

When making soy milk, there is always some side product - soy pulp.  This pulp not only has a high amount of protein fibre, it is also delicious.  You can use it to make meat balls, cookies, and also replace bread crumbs.

Two days ago I got lots of black bean pulp after making soy milk.  So I mixed the pulp with some seasoning and used it as bread crumbs.  The result is crispy and delicious.  If you want a change for the use of bread crumbs, try to think of this recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

8 Chicken Thighs, skin-on

1 Egg, beaten

2-3 tablespoons Cornstarch

Vegetable Oil

MARINADE:

2 tablespoons Cumin, ground

2 tablespoons Soy Sauce

2 tablespoons Chinese Cooking Rice Wine

1/2 teaspoon White Pepper Powder

1/3 teaspoon Sugar

1/3 teaspoon Salt

BLACK BEAN PULP SEASONING:

1.5 cups Black Bean Pulp

1/3 teaspoon Salt

1/3 teaspoon Paprika

1/2 teaspoon Cumin, ground

1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

DIRECTION:

1. Rinse the chicken thighs; pat dry.  Combine the chicken with the marinade; mix well.  Leave it to marinate for 30 minutes.

2. In the mean time, add all the black bean pulp seasoning ingredients in a pan.  Slowly toast the ingredients over medium-low heat until the mixture is dry.  The pulp may initially stick to the pan; scape it with a spatula if needed.  Allow the pulp to cool.

3. Coat each chicken thigh with a thin layer of cornstarch.  Then coat it with the bean egg.  Last, coat it with the toasted bean pulp.  Gently lay the chicken on parchment paper on a roasting pan.

4. Roast the chicken in the pre-heat oven at 360F for 25 minutes, or until the chicken thighs cooked through.

Simple Saag Paneer

INGREDIENTS:

1 black Paneer, cubed

6 stalks Spinach, fresh

1 Yellow Onion, small, finely chopped

1 Tomato, finely chopped

2-inches long Ginger, peeled and finely chopped

7 Garlic Cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1 tablespoon Ground Cumin

1 tablespoon Ground Turmeric

1.5 tablespoons Garam Masala

1 teaspoon Chilli Flakes

1/3 teaspoon Salt

1/2 cup Greek Yogurt, plain

DIRECTION:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat.  Add spinach.  Cook the spinach until softened; about 5 minutes.  Drain well; finely chop the spinach.  Set it aside.

2. Heat up about 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a non-stick pan.  Add cubed paneer and fry until they are golden brown over medium heat.  Transfer them to a plate; set aside.

3. Add another tablespoon of vegetable oil in the pan.  Add chopped garlic, ginger and onion.  Fry them over medium heat until fragrant.

4. Turn up the heat to high.  Add spinach, tomato, cumin, turmeric, masala, chili flakes and salt.  Continuously cook the mixture until the chopped tomato is soft and most of the liquid is gone.

5. Reduce the heat to medium again.  Stir in the yogurt and add the panner back to the spinach.  Cook until the panner heats through.  Quickly transfer the spinach mix to the serving plate.  Serve it with steamed rice.

Pork Ribs in Fresh Tomato Sauce 洋蔥蕃茄炒豬腓骨

INGREDIENTS:

3 Tomatoes, cut into wedges

1 Onion, peeled and sliced

10 pcs Pork Ribs, about 2-3 inches long

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

2 tablespoons Chinese Cooking Rice Wine

2 tablespoons Sugar

1 teaspoon Cornstarch

MARINADE:

3 tablespoons Soy Sauce

1/2 teaspoon White pepper Powder

2 tablespoons Chinese Cooking Rice Wine

1 teaspoon Sugar

1/3 teaspoon Salt

1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil

DIRECTION:

1. Rinse the ribs; pat dry.  Mix them with the marinade and leave them for 30 minutes.

2. In a large pan, heat up oil over high heat.  Add the ribs and stir fry until they are half cooked; about 10 minutes.

3. Drizzle over the cooking wine.  Then, add tomatoes and onion.  Continuously stir fry until the pork is cooked through and the tomatoes become soft; about 5 minutes.

4. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with a few spoons of the tomato sauce in the pot; stir well.  Slowly stir the cornstarch mixture into the pot.  When the sauce has thickened, turn off the heat and transfer the pork onto the serving plate.  Serve it with steamed rice.

Tangy Okra with Dried Shrimp

The lime juice and dried shrimp bring out the exotic flavour of the okra.  If you want a change from simply blanched okra, try this recipe.  You can serve it right away, but it tastes better after letting the sauce steep into the okra for a couple of hours.

INGREDIENTS:

20 Okra, rinsed

1/2 cup Dried Shrimp

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

1 Lime of juice

4 Garlic Cloves, peeled and minced

1 teaspoon Chinese Chilli Flakes

2 tablespoons Soy Sauce

1/2 teaspoon Sugar

DIRECTION:

1. Set a small pot of water to a boil over high heat.  Add okra; blanch them for 2 minutes; drain them.  Transfer them to a serving plate.

2. In a small pan, heat up the vegetable oil over high heat.  Add dried shrimp and allow it to fry for about 2 minutes.  Add minced garlic and chilli flakes; fry for another minute.  Remove the oil from the heat.  Add sugar, soy sauce and lime juice; stir well.  Spoon the shrimp mixture over the okra.

Pine Tip Mayonnaise Dip

They are called pine tips, but they actually grow from fir trees instead of pine.  Pine tip is one of the delicious wild edibles my son enjoys eating.  Every spring when the bright green pine firs start to emerge from their brown and papery skins, we are excited.  Before collecting pine tips, you should give it a taste test to see if you like the flavour.  While many people like that citrus and piney flavour, some others find it too strong or bitter.  And the taste of pine tips can be very different from tree to tree.  Try to look for the tips that are still half wrapped inside the brownish case.

This recipe is dead simple that I actually don't even think it is necessary to write an article.  However, it is a tasty recipe and everyone likes tasty food.  So, I believe there is a need to share this delicious gift from Mother Nature.

We eat this pine tip mayonnaise as a dip with vegetable sticks or French fries, but it is also tasty to serve as a spread on ham sandwich. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Mayonnaise (I used full fat)

12-15 Pine Tips

1 tablespoon Sugar

1/8 teaspoon Salt

DIRECTION:

1. Soak the pine tips in water to remove the papery case; drain well.  Finely chop the pine tips.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients together and mix thoroughly.  It can be serve as a dip or sandwich spread.