by TheLastWonton | Jun 16, 2010 | Appetizers & Snacks, Asian, Beef, Pork & Lamb, Breakfast & Brunch, Hawaiian, Main Dishes, Recipes, Sides, Soups & Stews
MY HAWAIIAN KITCHEN
Delectable memoirs of living on the slopes of Mt. Hualalai high above the famed Kona Coast on the beguiling Big Island of Hawaii.
The word ‘wonton’ come from the Chinese phrase meaning, ‘swallowing clouds’. I love that. Set those tender little morsels afloat in savory broth infused with fragrant seasonings and the whole darn thing tastes like heaven.
.Dear Journal – You know how you remember every little thing about some moments in time? Stormy skies painted the day. Big menacing, black-gray clouds brooded over the ocean. It drizzled on and off, with the ominous promise of more inclemency where ever you looked. Wind gusts, dark seas, dramatic scuttling skies. A stay-at-home-and-make-something-yummy day. Every once in awhile the clouds would part and shards of tropical sunshine turned the misty clouds that hung about our mountainside a delicious golden color. Windows were thrown open, Hapa was playing on the stereo at top volume and I was tootling about the kitchen making wonton soup when it happened ……huge billowy, twirling white-gray clouds purposefully meandered right into my living room. I kid you not. Clouds, right there in my house! I stopped in my tracks, arrested by the strangeness, the thrill of the moment. Then intently I rushed into the fog, hungry to feel it, to be in it, to be embraced by the sky. Cool. White. Ethereal. Clouds swirled and swayed to the island tunes. We met, we danced, we had a moment in time, me and those clouds that were born in the heavens above a tropical island so perfect they couldn’t help but come down for a visit. I touched and laughed and danced with the Hawaiian sky. And then, ever so quickly, as if they realized they weren’t supposed to be there, they were gone. I ran to the door to look to see where they were going, but, well, there was nothing to watch but the passing of a cloudy afternoon on the Big Island. You know how you remember every little thing about some moments in time?
Wonton filling:
½ pound ground pork
2 tablespoons shoyu (soy sauce)
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
½ teaspoon hot chile paste
2 green onions, finely chopped
Good splash of rice wine vinegar
1 plump garlic clove, minced
½ teaspoon Asian sesame oil
Pinch of Hawaiian salt
About 24-30 wonton wrappers
1 – 2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
2 bunches green onions, chopped
6 cups homemade or really good quality chicken stock
2-3 cups thinly sliced bok choy leaves and stalks
Combine all filling ingredients in a bowl, mixing well. Lay 1 wonton wrapper out in front of you on a flat surface. Moisten edges of wonton wrapper by brushing with water. Place a teaspoon of filling in the center. Fold the wonton in half like a triangle, pressing gently to keep filling tight and pressing edges to seal. Seal that baby really good so it doesn’t open up and loose it’s goodies. Dampen the 2 widest corners with a dab of water and bring them together around the filling so they overlap. Press to seal. Place wonton on cookie sheet that has been lightly dusted with cornstarch, and repeat with remaining wrappers. Wontons can be made ahead, covered and chilled up to 24 hours, until ready to use.
PHOTO CREDIT TASTE.COM.AU
Heat vegetable and sesame oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Toss in chopped green onions and stir fry for 2-4 minutes until starting to caramelize. You need to get some caramelization on those onions to give the soup a wonderful depth. Add chicken stock and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat , add bok choy and simmer 3-4 minutes. Add wontons and simmer, stirring occasionally until wontons float, and are cooked through, about 3-5 minutes. Ladle broth and wontons into soup bowls and serve hot with a sprinkling of chopped fresh cilantro. Slurp, slurp.
by TheLastWonton | Jun 15, 2010 | Appetizers & Snacks, Breakfast & Brunch, Chicken & Poultry, Hawaiian, Main Dishes, Mexican, Sides
MY HAWAIIAN KITCHEN
Delectable memoirs of living on the slopes of Mt. Hualalai high above the famed Kona Coast on the beguiling Big Island of Hawaii.
Dear Journal – We were vacationing in Betty’s cottage in Holualoa and having the gang over for dinner. I love Holualoa. It’s lushness enthralls me. Always. This particular evening the darkening post-sunset sky was alarmingly beautiful with streaks of gold and a kind of neon orange spraying the fuschia, purple and hot pink clouds with warmth. Those colors seemed to paint the evening itself with yummy anticipation. I waited with excited patience for our Hawaiian friends to wend their way, in the growing darkness, down the garden path past the monstera and over-loaded lemon tree, past the ghostly silhouettes of grandfather palms and birds of paradise, past the lilikoi and cherry guava trees to knock, knock, knock on the front door. Everyone was bringing a little something to contribute, potluck style. I had banana daiquiris ready to go and some Creamy Chicken ‘Chiladas baking. Great energy and scrumptious pupus were topped off with animated chatter and some good belly laughs. As the evening wound down and good-byes were in order, I bade my wonderful guests aloha and watched them weave back up the garden path, bathed in silvery moonlight. As I waved good night I was filled with that delicious, happy, warm, soulful satisfaction that comes only from the combination of a spectacular sunset sky, a picture book cottage tucked into a lush tropical garden jungle, old friends with good stories and a feast of Hawaiian proportions. Oh yes and having my Creamy Chicken ‘Chiladas dish practically licked clean. Good night Hawaii.
3 tablespoons butter
1 smallish Maui, Vidalia, Walla Walla or other sweet onion, thinly sliced
3 ½ cups shredded cooked chicken
8 ounce package cream cheese, softened
Few dashes chili pepper water (only in Hawaii!) or hot pepper sauce (like Tabasco)
Hawaiian salt, freshly ground black pepper
Oil
10 – 6-inch flour tortillas
1 cup tomatillo (green) salsa
1 small tin (4 ounces) diced mild green chiles
3 green onions, chopped
1/3 cup black olives, chopped
2 cups grated Monterey Jack
Lime wedges
Extra chili pepper water or hot pepper sauce for dousing
Preheat over to 375F. Grease 9 x 13” baking dish. Melt butter in large skillet over very low heat. Add onion and cook over medium high heat until onion is soft and starting to get golden brown, about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to low and add chicken and cream cheese. Mix lightly with fork or wooden spoon. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
Heat just ¼ -inch oil in medium skillet over medium high heat. With tongs, dip tortillas one at a time into oil and fry several seconds until they blister and become limp, flipping to cook both sides of the tortillas. Drain on paper towel lined plate. Set aside until cool enough to handle.
Spoon a good 1/3 cup of filling down centre of each tortilla. Roll tightly and set seam side down in prepared baking dish. In a small bowl mix together salsa, diced green chiles, green onions and olives. Spread salsa mixture evenly over tops of enchiladas and sprinkle with grated cheese. Bake uncovered until heated through about 25 – 30 minutes. Squeeze lime juice over just before serving and serve alongside a full bottle of Hawaiian chili pepper water or your favorite red or green pepper sauce.
by TheLastWonton | Jun 13, 2010 | Appetizers & Snacks, Baking & Desserts, Breakfast & Brunch
Our forests here in the Okanagan are very happy these days. Why? Spring rains. May often brings those first few sneak peaks of summertime hot days just to get us ready to swelter. But, uh uh, not this year. Cool breezes, big dramatic skies and every kind of rain imagineable. From glorious downpours to drizzley tickle your face showers and everything in between. What do we get out of the deal? A lot of green, and cozy-up days that scream for comfort food.
I don’t know about you, but I’m one of those people that is not so secretly thrilled at an excuse to comfort my spirit, cravings and tummy. After that it comes down to options, and there are so many. Yesterday as the early morning rain pitter pattered on my kitchen skylights I wanted to be swept back……. home…..long past. I jumped on the first thing that came to mind. Yeasty baked goodness. Just like mom used to make.
But, needless to say, I was too impatient to wait. Yeast can be very demanding that way.
Then it hit me, wham bam! Angel Biscuits. I haven’t made them in years, and at the moment I can’t for the life of me figure out why. To sum it up, glorious, tender yeasty goodness in mere minutes. Yes please. I think you’re going to thank me for this one for years to come!
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Here we go…………………..Soften the yeast in a bit of warm sugared water for 5 minutes or so til it gets all poofy and happy.
Once you’ve got all your wet and dry ingredients mixed up good, knead the dough for 5 to 6 minutes.
Time to grab your rolling pin and roll the dough out to just over 1 inch thickness, then with floured cutter or glass cut into small biscuits.
Gently plop biscuits onto greased baking sheet and set aside for about 10 minutes while your oven heats to 400F.
Bake biscuits for 12-15 minutes until your house is filled with that fresh baked yeasty goodness.
Tear into those babies as soon as they’re cool enough that they won’t burn your fingertips.
Yesterday we had ours slathered with butter and Roger’s golden syrup (which I could put on just about anything!). With a side of thick-cut, crispy-soft, fried bacon and creamy scrambled eggs with bits of carmelized Vidalia onion and sauteed fresh jalapeno inside. I found out that if you slide your bacon through a puddle of golden syrup on your plate and then pop it on top of a piece of biscuit you’ve damn near achieved some kind of comfort food nirvana.
Next time it rains, you know what to do……….
ANGEL BISCUITS – Makes 18-24 little biscuits
1 package traditional yeast (2 1/2 teaspoons)
¼ cup nice warm water
1 teaspspoon sugar
2 ½ cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
½ cup butter or margarine
1 cup buttermilk
Soften yeast in warm water with 1 teaspoon sugar and set aside for about 5 minutes. In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients. Work butter into dry ingredients with your hands until evenly distributed. Add yeast and buttermilk, mixing well. Turn dough out onto floured surface and knead for about 5-6 minutes. Roll dough out with a rolling pin to about 1 inch thickness. Cut with small biscuit cutter or glass. Place biscuits on greased baking sheet and set aside. Preheat oven to 400F. Bake 12-15 minutes until deliciously golden brown. Serve warm-from-the-oven-with lotsa’ butter, honey, golden syrup, jelly or jam.
by TheLastWonton | Jun 12, 2010 | BBQ, Beef, Pork & Lamb, Drinks & Cocktails, Main Dishes, Recipes
‘Cue June. The days are getting gloriously longer, things that grow are getting riper, Fathers are waiting to get pampered, July and August will soon follow and it’s time to get the heck out of the kitchen and into the backyard to play with a little fire. BARBECUE!!
The rebel cry rises up and echoes through the valley, “Put a cork in it! Your Shiraz that is.”
“What?!” say all you devout wine enthusiasts. Really though, you have to admit that most often nothing goes better with barbecued goodies than a tall, cold, frothy one. Right?
Summer, grilling and beer. Kismet!
What makes it ultimately more fun these days is that there are so many delicious choices when it comes to beer. Mouthwatering dilemmas indeed. From hoppy pale ambers to toasty golden, red brews to deep, dark delicious, peppery stouts and porters. Not only are these diverse flavours perfect for sipping while you’re ‘cueing, they can add layers of delectable flavors to your grill recipes.
Continued here from my Castanet.net Article GRILLIN' AND CHILLIN'
by TheLastWonton | Jun 12, 2010 | BBQ, Beef, Pork & Lamb, Main Dishes, Recipes, Sauces, Dips & Condiments
‘Cue June. The days are getting gloriously longer, things that grow are getting riper, Fathers are waiting to get pampered, July and August will soon follow and it’s time to get the heck out of the kitchen and into the backyard to play with a little fire. BARBECUE!!
The rebel cry rises up and echoes through the valley, “Put a cork in it! Your Shiraz that is.”
“What?!” say all you devout wine enthusiasts. Really though, you have to admit that most often nothing goes better with barbecued goodies than a tall, cold, frothy one. Right?
Summer, grilling and beer. Kismet!
What makes it ultimately more fun these days is that there are so many delicious choices when it comes to beer. Mouthwatering dilemmas indeed. From hoppy pale ambers to toasty golden, red brews to deep, dark delicious, peppery stouts and porters. Not only are these diverse flavours perfect for sipping while you’re ‘cueing, they can add layers of delectable flavors to your grill recipes.
The burning question of the day, “what should we make?” I know, I know………Beer Brined Grilled Pork Chops. Now we’re talkin’!
“What’s brining?”, you ask. It’s an age old trick that chefs and those in the know use to keep meat and poultry perfectly juicy, flavourful and succulent. Bravo, that’s definitely what we want our chops to be. Take my word for it, once you brine, you’ll never look back.
We’re not going to get complicated here, grilling is about letting the flavours heat up and speak for themselves. Barbecues are all about fun. So get outside, fire it up, get that grill smoke rising up into the tall Okanagan skies and indulge in as much scrumptious backyard bliss as you can because Labour Day rolls around way too quickly. And don’t forget just play it by beer. Cheers!
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BEER BRINED PORK CHOPS with Fiery Apple Sauce
Big, aromatic flavours from the inside out and incredibly tender, juicy chops. Best served with frosty mugs of your favorite Honey Beer; like Killer Bee Dark Honey Ale, Shaftsbury Easy Honey Pale Ale, Rickard’s Honey Brown, Granville Island Cypress Honey Lager, or, or, or…….
2 cups of water
2 cups dark lager or ale
¼ cup coarse sea salt, or Kosher salt
3 green onions, chopped into about 2-inch lengths
¼ cup dark brown sugar
3 tablespoons molasses
2 teaspoons Sambal Oelek, or other Asian chile paste
6, 1 ¼ -inch bone-in centre-cut loin chops
Fiery Applesauce:
6 Granny Smith, Honeycrisp, Fuji or your favorite apple – peeled, cored and chopped
1 cup water
¼ cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 – 2 teaspoons Sambal Oelek or other Asian chile paste (how fiery do you want it?)
6 plump garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Combine 2 cups water, dark lager or ale, salt, green onions, ¼ cup dark brown sugar, molasses and 2 teaspoons Asian chile paste in large resealable bag. Seal bag and mix, mix, mix until sugar and salt pretty much dissolve. Add chops to bag, reseal. Let chops laze in all that flavour for at least 4 hours and up to 8 hours, in the fridge.
Make applesauce by combining chopped apples, 1 cup water, ¼ cup dark brown sugar and lemon juice in a pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Turn down the heat so the apples simmer and cook, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes. Cover and cook another 7-10 minutes. You want the water to evaporate and the apples to become a thick, chunky sauce. Remove from heat and stir in 1-2 teaspoons Asian chile paste. Set aside.
Preheat BBQ to medium-high. Remove chops from brine and pat dry with paper towels. Combine minced garlic, black pepper, olive oil and 1 teaspoon brown sugar. Rub spice mixture on both sides of chops. Grill pork chops, covered, turning once, until meat is done to tender, juicy perfection, but ever so slightly pink in the middle, about 10 minutes per side (145F–150F on an instant-read thermometer). Transfer chops to platter, tent with foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve with warm, fiery applesauce. Raise your frosty mugs high, “Here’s to Summer in the Okanagan. Cheers!”
