Chinese Crab Rangoon with Mango Chutney Sauce (Bake or Fry!)

Ah, crab rangoon! It's not originally from China, but somehow, it has become one of the biggest symbols of Chinese food in America. I love the idea of fried wontons, but the way they serve it in the restaurant here is a bit too sweet for me. I've decided to put a few personal touches into this interesting dish.
Ok, I've gathered some basic ingredients and here we go:

Ingredients:
Wonton Wrapper (1 pack)
Fresh Crab Lump Meat
Philly Cream Cheese (the onion and chive kind-1 pack)
1 Large Egg
Spring Onion (a few stalks)

Dipping Sauce: (Mix all together and set side in a small bowl)

Mango Chutney (5 tablespoons. Available in most asian supermarkets. I bought mine at a local grocery store)
Sesame Oil (2 teaspoons)
Tabasco Sauce or Sriracha Chilli Sauce (1 teaspoon)
Rice vinegar (3 tablespoons)

Step 1: Wash and chop up some green onion.

Step 2: Mix onion, cream cheese and crab meat together. Season with a bit of salt and pepper.

Step 3: Fill a wonton wrapper with crab filling as shown below. Squeeze gently around the edges with a bit of cold water to seal the dumplings. Now, they are ready to bake or fry, your choice (see options below):

Option A: To bake them (a healthier choice-I personally prefer  frying them in oil):
- Brush a bit of melted butter and bake for about 10 minutes in the oven (preheated to 250 degrees)

Option B: To fry them (crispier!):
- Fry them in hot oil (medium heat) for about 3-5 minutes until golden brown.
- Serve immediately with dipping sauce!

 

Happy Chinese New Year!

"Cafe World" comes to LIFE: French Onion Soup!

 

Third dish from Facebook's "Cafe World" menu! This dish is classy and a bit romantic in my opinion. Not only is the soup obviously gorgeous, the beautiful fragrance just fills the whole house! 

Just in time for Valentine's Day, my friend!

OK, lets get cooking!

Ingredients:
- Balsamic Vinegar (1 tablespoon)
- Butter (4 tablespoons)
- Swiss Gruyere Cheese (10 slices)
- Mozzarella Cheese (1/2 cup)
- 1 Large or 2 Small Red Onions
- 2-3 Medium Sweet Yellow Onions
- Beef Broth (about 24 oz)
- Chicken Broth (about 48 oz)
- White Wine (1 cup)
- French Bread (4 thick slices-toasted and cut a little smaller to fit the crock's opening) 

"Flavor" Pack (use a tea infuser if using dry herbs. see picture below)
- Fresh Parsley (use dried if not available - 3 tablespoons)
- Fresh Thyme Leaves (use dried if not available - 2 tablespoons)
- 1 Dried Bay Leaf

Step 1: Chop up the onions into thin strips. Watch out for the fingers!

Step 2: Over medium heat, melt butter in a pot and dump in onions. Sprinkle a bit of salt and let the onions caramelize. Keep stirring for about 25 mins. It is ok to let it go brown.

Step 3: Slowly add in beef broth, chicken broth and white wine. Put in "Flavor" Pack or bundle up fresh herbs into the pot for about 20 mins. Keep stirring gently.

Step 4: Turn heat to low, remove herbs. Add vinegar, a bit of salt and pepper to taste. By now, the kichen should smell pretty good!

Step 5: Preheat oven to broil. Scoop soup into large oven-safe crocks with a ladle. Arrange bread on top (toasty side up) and add the cheeses. Sprinkle a bit of paprika on top.

Step 6: Broil for about 5 minutes until it's golden brown and forms a melty seal on top. Serve immediately!

Happy Valentine's Day!!

Blue Cheese Sauce Fettucine with Shrimp

I love shrimp. A creamy sauce with succulent shrimp is perfect for dinner time. This simple dish is a great idea for a romantic dinner or a rather formal party meal with your friends and family!

Here's how I made it tonight:

Serves 3-4 people
Ingredients:
Fresh Shrimp (medium to large - about 1/2 lb)
Fresh Leek (2 cups -chopped to small pieces)
Pecans (chopped - 1/4 cup)
Cooking Wine (1/2 cup)
Vegetable Stock (1/2 cup)
Milk or Buttermilk (1/4 cup)
Soft Cream Cheese (1 container, about 8oz)
Blue Cheese Crumble (1/2 cup)
Garlic (2 cloves, chopped to small pieces)

Step 1: In a big pot, cook fettuccine. Drain and set aside.

Step 2: While pasta is cooking, prepare the shrimp. Rinse and peel the shrimp and set aside. No need to season, the sauce will be flavorful enough.

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Step 3: Saute leeks, pecans and garlic with a little olive oil over medium heat.

Step 4: When leeks are softened, add shrimp to the pan.

Step 5: Turn heat to LOW, slowly add milk, vegetable stock, cooking wine and cream cheese to the pan. Keep stirring until cream cheese is completely dissolved. Tips: Allow shrimp to soak in the rich sauce for a few minutes after turning off heat. Do not overcook shrimp. Heat must be low at this step, this sauce burns easily.

Step 6: Remove from heat, toss with fettuccine and blue cheese and serve immediately!

Bon appetit!