Wu tao gou, or taro cakes, are a classic for Chinese New Year and also at dim sum! Gou (or "cake" in Chinese) sounds like the word for "higher", hence why many people eat taro cakes, sweet rice cakes (lin gou), or radish cake (lo bak gou) for the new year to wish for bigger and better things and set high expectations!
Taro is a starchy root vegetable- once cooked, it has a similar texture to a potato. A lot of people might be familiar with taro bubble tea, the bright purple drink, but taro can be used in both sweet and savory dishes. Here, it's cooked with Chinese sausage, dried shrimp, and spices, steamed in the Instant Pot to make it easy, and then pan-fried to make the perfect breakfast or (anytime) snack!
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Risotto is one of those things that I used to think that I could only get at restaurants- creamy, flavorful, potentially expensive if it includes seafood...until I learned how to make it! You can find arborio rice at a lot of grocery stores or online, and it pairs well with a lot of meats or veggies like steak, shrimp, or pumpkin, mushrooms, etc.! It also pairs well with flavors like truffle- thanks to OMG Gourmet for sending this White Truffle oil to try! I added some into my risotto and you can also drizzle some on top because a little goes a long way!
I'm currently doing a giveaway with them here, so check it out if you'd like to win your own bottle to try or try a new olive oil or balsamic vinegar! The holidays may look different this year, but everyone can always do with a warm, comforting meal! I made these easy chicken enchiladas for my family with chipotle peppers in adobo sauce from La Morena!
La Morena peppers are hand-selected and prepared, plus they're the highest quality peppers available, so you get a delicious smoky and spicy flavor even just opening the container up! If you're looking for a spicy, cozy dish, this is for you! You know you've made it when your Asian mom says "Mmm...not too sweet" in approval! I made this carrot cake for my mom on Mother's Day and swapped the typical cream cheese frosting for chocolate ganache because she loves chocolate. It's actually a delicious combo! I decorated the cake with fresh whipped cream, strawberries, walnuts, and stroopwafel pieces, but it's one of those cakes that will look great even kept very simple!
Coffee creamer is not just for coffee anymore!
I used Coconut Cloud Coconut Milk Creamer, which is 100% dairy-free, vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, and non-GMO, in my coffee, which gave it a nice creamy texture with just a light coconut flavor! The creamer is unsweetened, so you can always add more for more of that texture or flavor, and then adjust the sweetness to your liking. Coconut Cloud also states that their creamer can used as a replacement for coconut milk in recipes! This is perfect for times like these when you might not always have fresh milk or coconut milk on hand, but if you are a big coffee drinker, you'll always have creamer to add to your coffee! So I used Coconut Cloud Original Coconut Milk Creamer (they have other flavors too!) to make this refreshing Coconut Milk Pudding! It's reminiscent of panna cotta, but a bit lighter since it doesn't have heavy cream, so it's definitely healthier and you can easily make it vegan by substituting the gelatin with agar agar. I'm so excited to be giving away one Jo Chef Professional Kitchen Torch! Read until the bottom to see the giveaway details!
The Jo Chef torch is super easy to use. It comes with really clear instructions and a nice free silicon pot holder too! You just take it off the stand and fill it with butane in the little hole at the bottom. Figuring out how to fill it with gas was the hardest part, and I recommend thoroughly reading the instructions for this part, but this will depend on the type/size/brand of butane that you use. Once you have added the gas, you turn the red knob until you can hear the gas and then click the red button to ignite. You can turn the knob to change the intensity of the flame. This may take a little practice if you're not comfortable with fire, but it cooks things very quickly and efficiently. And you can easily refill the gas through the hole at the bottom as needed! Once you get used to the flame, you can use the torch to easily brown brulees, sear meats, and roast veggies! I used mine to make this easy s'mores dip with chocolate chips, marshmallows, and graham crackers. I've partnered with Gorton's Seafood to feature their new Natural Catch Grilled Salmon, which is 100% sustainably wild-caught, char-grilled, and free of any artificial and GMO ingredients. It doesn't take too long to cook, so it's perfect for weekday dinners, meal prep, or really, any occasion!
I paired it with this adorable pumpkin-shaped pasta that I found at Marshalls (serious fall vibes) just in time for World Pasta Day! I definitely will take any excuse to eat more pasta! This weekend, I tried FreshZen Foods' products for the first time! They are based in Boston and they make the only plant-based Asian pesto on the market. I love supporting local businesses, so I was stoked to give their products a try, but I was a little confused by the "Asian pesto" name. Essentially, just like pesto, their sauces are almost like a thin paste and can be used on their own, in marinades, etc., but it doesn't have the typical ingredients of pesto- hence, the Asian flair with ginger, scallion, and garlic. The ginger scallion sauce (although I never thought of it as pesto) is actually a sauce I grew up with; it's found commonly in Cantonese cooking and served with steamed fish or roasted meats, but Cantonese cooking also just uses ginger and scallions often in dishes, so this sauce is super versatile for Asian cooking!
The Ginger Scallion sauce is perfect to cut down on prep/chopping time (say if you don't want to chop up all that ginger or scallions yourself), easy to use, and great to keep on hand for quick recipes! FreshZen is actually expanding to being sold at Whole Foods (check them out in Beverly, MA!) and they also hold cooking classes at the Kitchen at Boston Public Market! Salmon is a great source of protein and lots of vitamins and minerals! It's a great entree for dinner and while working with raw fish can be intimidating at first for some people, I hope this recipe makes for an easy and healthy dinner!
If you don't eat or don't want to work with raw meat/fish, the teriyaki glaze can also be used to cook with e.g. tofu or seitan, to glaze vegetables, or to use as a dipping sauce. Just reduce it for less time (until your desired consistency)! Scallion pancakes are the perfect dish, in my opinion! They can be a simple appetizer for a lunch or dinner, you can pair it with scrambled or fried egg to make a breakfast sandwich, sort of like a simpler take on a Chinese jianbing, or you can make them into wraps for lunch like the above photo! Any way you eat them, they're simple and comforting, somewhat healthy with the greens, but still a little bit of a guilty pleasure!
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