Side dishes

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This is a good ice breaker for a party.  People will ask how did you make this because of the unusual coloring, like stained glass.  The flavor comes from all the Chinese spices.  You can make egg salad or even deviled eggs.

Ingredients:

1 dozen eggs

1 T vinegar

1 t salt

2 " piece of ginger, smashed

1/4 c black tea leaves

2 T Chinese 5 spice

3 whole star anise

1/4 c soy sauce

1/4 c sugar

2T Hawaiian  or coarse salt

1 cinnamon stick

String

Cheesecloth

Directions:

Put eggs in a medium sized pot and cover with water.  Remove eggs.  Bring water to a boil, add 1 T vinegar and 1 t salt.  Carefully lower eggs in water and bring back to a boil.  Cook 8 minutes.  Place eggs in icy water till cool.  Drain.  Gently crack each egg all over with the back of a spoon.  In a large pot, add 8 cups of water.  Make a spice bag by putting ginger, tea leaves, star anise and cinnamon stick in a 6"square of cheesecloth.  Gather and tie.  Add soy sauce, sugar and salt to pot, stir well.  Add spice bag and eggs.  Bring to a boil, simmer for 1 hour.  When done, discard spice bag, put eggs in a container and cover with the liquid.  Eggs may be kept in liquid for about a week.  To serve, carefully remove shells and cut in half lengthwise.

Fried Tofu In Sauce is crispy on the outside and soft on the inside.  It is coated with a soy- sugar sauce and is a good side dish to any meal.

Ingredients:

1 container firm tofu

2 eggs

1/4 c flour plus more for rolling tofu

Sauce:

2 T oil

1 T ginger, minced

1 T green onions plus more for garnish

1/4 c soy sauce

2 t sugar

1 t salt

1/2 c chicken stock

1 T cornstarch

2 T water

Directions:

Remove tofu from container and place on plate lined with 2-3 sheets of paper towels.  Let sit for about half an hour to drain water.  May change towels in between.  Cut tofu in 1" cubes.  Put some flour in a shallow dish and coat each piece with flour.  Set aside.  In a medium sized bowl, make batter by adding 1/4 c flour and beating in 2 eggs till smooth.  Heat oil for deep frying.  Dip each tofu into batter and drop into oil.  Fry till golden brown.  Drain on paper towels.  In  large skillet, heat 2 T oil, then saute ginger and green onions.  Add soy sauce, sugar, salt and stock and bring to a boil.  Add tofu and mix well.  Mix cornstarch and water and add to pan, cooking 1-2 minutes till slightly thickened.  Plate and garnish with green onions.

These are made with soft boiled eggs that can be cut to show the bright runny yolk.  They are soaked with a mixture of soy sauce and other ingredients to give a golden brown exterior and is slightly sweet.  You can eat it as is or use it to top noodles, plain or fried rice.

Ingredients:

6 eggs

1 t salt

2 t vinegar

Sliced chilis-jalapeno, Thai, serrano, etc

2 stalks green onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c water

1/4 c soy sauce

3 T sugar

1 t toasted sesame seeds

Directions:

Add salt and vinegar to one quart of water.  Bring to a rolling boil and gently lower eggs into water.  Cook exactly 6 minutes.  Transfer to a bowl of icy water and cool completely.  Peel carefully.  Mix the rest of ingredients in a small bowl, dissolving sugar.  Place eggs in a small container and pour sauce over.   Refrigerate one or two days, turning to color all sides of the eggs.  Slice in half lengthwise and place on noodles or rice.

 Pork with oong choy (also known as water spinach, morning glory, or kangkong) is a delicious stir-fry dish popular in many Asian cuisines, especially Chinese, Thai, and Filipino cooking. The combination of tender pork and the slightly crunchy, hollow-stemmed oong choy makes for a flavorful, savory dish. 

Ingredients:

1 T oil

1/2 pound pork

1 T Ham Ha (shrimp paste)

1 T garlic

1 bunch oongchoy (cut in 2 inch pieces)

Directions:

Heat skillet add oil. Saute garlic, add pork and brown well. Remove meat and pour out excess oil. Put back meat and stir in ham ha. Add oong choy and cook till limp and well mixed.

 This recipe is quick and easy to make and only takes a few minutes. It can be used as an appetizer, side dish or can be part of a light meal. Even children can be taught how to make this.  

Ingredients: 

1 pkg soft or silken tofu 

2 T minced ginger

1/4 t sesame oil 

2 T soy sauce 

1/2 c chopped green onions

1/4 c furikake  

Directions:

Open tofu box and drain. Transfer to cutting board and cut tofu in half crosswise. Cut into 20-25, 1 1/4 " cubes. Transfer to a serving dish. Mix soy sauce, ginger and sesame oil together. Pour sauce evenly over tofu. Spread green onions over. Sprinkle furikake over. Ready to serve. 

This is a popular appetizer sold everywhere in Vietnam and can be bought in fast food shops, Vietnamese restaurants and even at craft fairs in Hawaii.

They are easy to make with simple ingredients.

 Ingredients: 

 8 1/2" round rice wrappers 

1/2 lb shrimp (20/25), peeled and deveined

 Iceberg, leafy or Romaine lettuce, broken into pieces 

1 c fresh mint leaves 

1 c fresh Thai basil leaves 

1 pkg Wai Wai rice noodles or any thin rice noodles (17.5 oz) 

1 pkg bean sprouts (9 oz)    

Directions: 

Soak 1 layer of noodles for 1/2 hour till limp.  Boil 2 c water and put noodles in till soft (about a minute).  Drain and set aside. 

 Boil 1 1/2 c water and cook shrimp a few minutes until they just turn pink; do not overcook. Drain and cool.  slit in half lengthwise, put together as one shrimp and arrange on plate.  Fill a large round pan 1/2 way with water and set aside. Cover work surface with plastic wrap for ease in cleanup.  Place all ingredients in an arc around you, leaving space in center for wrapping. Dip one wrapper in water, just to wet each side.  Place on plastic wrap,  In center of wrap arrange 2 half shrimps pink side down crosswise, place lettuce over, then some rice noodles, bean sprouts, mint and basil.  Carefully roll forward twice as tightly as possible, fold each end to center, then continue rolling till the end.  Shrimp may shift and you may have to reposition.  Another way is to place the shrimp on the wrapper after adding herbs.  This way the shrimp won't shift and you can really see the shrimp in the finished product.  Place finished rolls on a platter, seam side down.  If skins burst some, cut a piece to fit, overlapping and pressing to seal.  You won't notice the double wrap too much.  Place on platter.  Some water may be rubbed on if it sticks or damp paper towel strips may be place in between.  If you're going to store it for awhile, wrap each roll in plastic wrap, then each person can unwrap his own.  Eat with dipping sauce.  

Sauce:

1/4 c hoisin sauce 

1/3 c peanut butter, smooth or chunky

1 t garlic, minced 

1 t sesame oil 

1 T lime juice 

1 t Vietnamese chili garlic sauce 

1/4 c water 

Whisk everything together till smooth. 

 Almost every country has some version of thin, crepe like pastry skin with various fillings.  Filipinos call it lumpia, Chinese call it egg rolls or spring rolls, Indians call it samosa.  In Hawaii, everyone is familiar with lumpia and love the crunchy rolls filled with meat and vegetables and dipped in a sweet, tangy sauce.  It can be an appetizer or snack and is often made for special occasions, parties and any get togethers.  

Ingredients: 

2 T oil 

1 c onions, sliced 

6 garlic cloves, minced

1 c carrots, shredded 

4 c head cabbage, shredded

1 lb hamburger 

1 t pepper

2 T fish sauce

2 T oyster sauce 

1/2 c cilantro, chopped

1/2 c green onion, sliced into 1/4" pieces

9 oz pkg beansprouts 

1 pkg Wai Wai thin rice noodles (or any thin rice noodles), soaked 30 minutes, drained, then cut into 3 " pieces 

2 pkg spring roll wrappers

Oil for frying  

Directions:

 Heat a wok or large frying pan and add oil.  Saute onions till translucent and stir in garlic for a minute.   Add carrots and cabbage, cook about 5 minutes.   Add hamburger and stir about 10 minutes until browned.  Add pepper, fish sauce, oyster sauce, cilantro, green onion, beansprouts and noodles and mix well.  Pour filling into a colander with a bowl under to drain off any oil and liquid.  Cool.  Wrap  lumpia following video directions, sealing with water.  Fry in skillet with 1" of hot oil.  Put several layers of paper towel in a deep bowl and place fried lumpia standing up to drain excess oil.  Serve hot with commercial sweet chili sauce or follow my homemade version.
 

Dipping sauce:

2 c sugar 

1/4 c water

1/2 c vinegar 

2-4 T chili garlic sauce
Mix everything together in a small saucepan.  Stir until mixture boils.  Simmer 5-7 minutes  until  sauce thickens.  

This is an easy dish using various types of mushrooms with caps and stems.  You can use regular white mushrooms, shiitake, baby bella or portabella.  Various ingredients are used for the filling including the stems.  These are one bite appetizers for the smaller mushrooms.

Ingredients:

1 lb fresh mushrooms

1 can tuna, drained

1/4 lb imitation crab, chopped

1/2 t garlic powder

1/2 t salt

1/4 t pepper

1/4 c mayonnaise

1/4 c bread crumbs

2 T onions, chopped

1 T green onions, chopped

Grated cheese, your choice

Directions:

Wash mushrooms of dirt and debris.  Remove stems and chop.  Put into bowl with the rest of the ingredients except cheese.  Put mushrooms upside down on foil lined tray.  Fill caps with stuffing.  Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.

 A delicious snack or appetizer that can be a meal in itself.  Good ice breakers for parties,  picnics, sleepovers, watching television or midnight snacks.

Ingredients:

Tortilla chips 

Sour cream

Guacamole (How to make the guacamole):  https://youtu.be/iLM1xOgk_Do 

Hot melted cheese sauce

Browned hamburger meat seasoned with taco seasoning

Tomatoes, diced

Onions, diced

Olives, sliced 

Jalapenos, sliced (optional)

Directions:

There are no specific amounts to use.  Build individual plates or a large platter for a group of people.  Start with chips, drizzle with plenty of hot cheese sauce, and add hamburger, tomatoes, onions, olives and jalapenos.  Serve with sour cream and guacamole on the side. 

This is instant pizza ready in less than half an hour.  No need to make the yeast dough.  English muffins provide the base and the fillings are up to you.  Simple to make, kids enjoy putting these together.  Good for snacks, breakfast, lunch or dinner.  There is no set rule for toppings, each person has their choice of meats or veggies.

Ingredients:

English muffins

Extra virgin olive oil

Marinara, pasta sauce or plain tomato sauce with sprinkling of Italian seasoning

Various toppings:  pepperoni, olives, chopped tomatoes, chopped bell peppers, cooked hamburger, etc.

Directions:

Slice muffins crosswise in half and place cut side up on a tray.  Brush with olive oil.  Bake at preheated 400 degrees for 5 minutes to develop a crust.  Remove and spoon some sauce over, sprinkle with cheese, then toppings.

Bake for 10 more minutes.

Bitter melon is slightly bitter but loved by most Chinese.  We were brought up eating the stuffed melon and were encouraged to at least take one bite to get used to the taste.  I was the same but now I love the flavor and cook it in several different ways.  It is a tropical vine that is related to the zucchini, squash, pumpkin and cucumber.  It is high in vitamin C and A and has antioxidant properties .  It is low in calories and high in protein.  The pork hash in this dish balances the bitter taste and makes it more enjoyable to eat.

Ingredients:

1 Bittermelon, about 10" long, cut in 1 1/2" pieces crosswise, seeds removed

1/2 lb ground pork

1 t cornstarch

1 egg

2 dried mushrooms, soaked and minced

1 T choong choy, washed well, soaked to rid salt, and chopped fine

1 t Chinese wine

1 T soy sauce

1/2 t white pepper

1 t sugar

1 t sesame oil

2 water chestnuts, minced

1 T green onions, chopped

Sauce:

1 T oil

1 T garlic, minced

1 T ginger, minced

2 T Chinese salted black beans, rinsed and soaked 5 minutes

1 T oyster sauce

1 t sugar

1 t sesame oil

1 T cornstarch

1/4 c water + liquid from cooked bitter melon

Directions:

Mix all ingredients and stuff in melon, mounding high on top of melon.  Arrange in dish and steam for 30 minutes.   

Sauce preparation:

Heat pot, add oil and saute ginger and garlic.  Mash black beans a little with the back of a spoon.  Add beans and other ingredients except cornstarch and water.  Mix cornstarch and water and add to pot.  Stir until slightly thickened, adding more liquid from cooked melon.  If too thick, add little more water.  Pour sauce over bitter melon.  Garnish with green onions.

A popular Korean appetizer that is delicious and loved by children and adults.  Quick to make with minimal ingredients.  No cooking, deboning or shredding the fish.  Originally made with dried salted codfish but now seasoned pollack sticks are used.  The addition of seaweed, pine nuts and honey give this condiment a hint of sweetness and makes a great appetizer.

Ingredients:

1 lb pollack sticks

2 T honey

1/4 c oil (canola or vegetable)

1/4 c sesame oil

2 T soy sauce

1/4 c Korean chili flakes

2 T toasted sesame seeds

1/2 c pine nuts

1 pkg Korean seasoned seaweed (0.23 oz), torn into pieces

Directions:

Put all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well.  May eat right away or wait a few days for all the flavors to soak in.