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: Triple Berry Cheesecake!

4th dish from facebook game CAFE WORLD! This recipe is easy! The cheesecake part is light and fluffy, yet with a lot of sweet and tangy berries (blueberries, strawberries and cherries) - not bad for a tasty dessert. This is how I made mine last night with my favorite girl, Rice :)

Ingredients:

1 Vanilla Pie Crust (Graham cracker type - it is GOOD!)
Blueberries (1 pint)
Strawberries (1 pint)
Whole Cherry Pie Filling (1 can - 13oz or so)
Philly Cream Cheese (softened -1 lb)
Sugar (1 cup)
All Purpose Flour (2 teaspoons)
Large Eggs (2)
Vanilla Extract ( 2 teaspoons)
Heavy Cream (1 cup)

Preheat oven to 450 degree
Step 1: Rinse blueberries and strawberries. Let dry and chop strawberries into small pieces.
Step 2: Blend sugar, cream cheese and flour in a mixer. Mix well.
Step 3: Add eggs, vanilla extract and heavy cream. Mix until it's smooth.

Step 5: Layer fresh berries in the bottom of the pie crust.
Step 6: Pour filling over the berries.

Step 7: Put pie into the preheated oven for about 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 225 degrees and bake for another 30 minutes.

Step 8: Take pie out. Cool it on a rack and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Step 9: Open can and pour cherries over cheesecake before serving!
That is it, done! Sweet! Enjoy my friend!!

"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!!