Ravioli lasagne

Got the recipe off the Internet. Not difficult. Assemble 1 box of prepared ravioli, pour over half a pasata bottle, scatter on a layer of cheese, toss on some herbs. Repeat till ravioli is used up.

Bake at 200 deg C for ½ hr, then 10 minutes at 210 deg C for 10 minutes till top is golden. Serve but watch out for the bubbling scaldingly hot sauce!

Tau huay (soya bean curd 豆花）

Adapted from this recipe: http://www.ellenaguan.com/2012/03/soy-milk-beancurd-pudding.html

Used store bought sweetened soy milk from the Asian supermarket.

She used 500ml of soy milk and 2 tsp gelatine powder but I doubled to 4 tsp for 1 l of milk. It became a bit too rubbery. Might try 3 tsp gelatine next time.

Going to use canned fruit as the syrup and top with fruit.

Updated with 3 tsp gelatine. Best! Very fall apart wobbly soft.

Other link using agar agar: http://nasilemaklover.blogspot.com.au/2012/03/homemade-tofufah.html

ギョザ Gyoza

Made from scratch using this recipe: http://www.justonecookbook.com/gyoza-wrappers/

Didn't use the cookie cutter but I should have. Ended up with wonky shaped gyoza. Took me quite along time to get the thickness and size right, made worse by initial bad pleating. The wrapper dough was a dream to work with, not too wet nor dry, didnt stick at all.

Ingredients for wrapper (i only managed 34 tho the recipe said 42 to 44. Maybe some of my wrappers were too big)

2 cups flour, sifted

120 -150 ml just boiled water

½ tsp salt

Filling

250g pork

½ can water chestnut, finely diced

¼ cup diced rehydrated shitake

14 prawns, minced

Method

1) Add salt to the water and stir to dissolve. 

2) Add the water slowly to the sifted flour. Use a butter knife and using a cutting motion, incorporate. It may need 120ml or more, I used all. With the last remaining bits, use your hands.

3) Work the dough to see if it's too sticky (add a bit of flour) or dry. Mine was too dry and I simple wet my hands to avoid adding too much water. Knead for 10 to 15 minutes till relatively smooth. Cover with cling wrap and leave to rest for 30 minutes.

4) While the dough is resting, prepare the filling. Add everything together and stir with chopsticks ij one direction only till gluey.

4) Cut the dough into 2 and roll into logs. Cut into sections.

5) Turn cut side up and flatter with your palm. Using a rocking motion and flatten with rolling pin. The centre should be thicker than the edges, so using one hand, put pressure as your roll inwards towards the the centre but release pressure as you roll out. With the other hand, turn ⅛ round. Repeat till you have as round a circle as your like.

6) Fill with filling and crimp.

7) Add oil to a pan and arrange the gyoza, flat side down. The pan can be well filled. When the bottoms are browned, add water to ⅓ up the gyoza and immediately cover. They are cooked when most of the water has evaporated.

8) Serve with black vinegar and finely match-sticked ginger.

Japchae 잡채

I love this since I first tried it. The proper recipe is http://www.maangchi.com/recipe/japchae but this is my clear the pantry interpretation. Layered in a slow cooker inspired pen cai, it was all prep, chuck into pot, and pono slaving over a stove!

Ingredients

1 can young corn, drained

1 can straw mushroom, drain

1 handful black fungus, soaked then chopped

1 handful lilu bulbs, soaked

2 carrots, cut into matchstick

3 leaves cabbage, shredded

1 handful shitake mushrooms, soaked and reserve the soaking liquid

4 cups kombu stock

1 packet sweet potato noodles, soaked till soft

1 packet porkballs, quartered

1 packet hakka balls, quartered

1 tsp sesame seeds, toasted (optional)

Sauce

2 tbsp mirin

2 tbsp sake

2 tbsp oyster sauce

2 tbsp light soya sauce

1 tbsp garlic, minced

1 tbsp sesame seed oil

1 tsp sugar

Method

1) Place the carrots, pork balls and hakka balls, and cabbage at the bottom of the pot.

2) Pour in the kombu, together with the sauce and garlic. Add the reserved shitake soaking liquid.

3) Place the noodles on stage top.

4) Top up with the corn, straw mushrooms, and black fungus.

5) Cover the lid and set to high for 10 minutes. Check after 5 so as to ensure the noodles are cooked but not mushy.

6) Toss everything to mix well. Garnish with sesame seeds if using. Serve immediately.