Firecracker Shrimps 黃金炸蝦卷 – For Chinese New Year 賀年食品

Chinese New Year is just around the corner.  This year, it falls on January 28th.  Check out my previous blog posts for other Chinese New Year dishes and treats that I shared.  Or, click here to for more popular Chinese New Year recipes that I compiled last year.



Today, I wanted to share with you these delicious Firecracker Shrimps 黃金炸蝦卷!  You can serve them as an appetizer or as an entrée.  These Firecracker Shrimps are fried to golden brown perfection.  They are crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.  The marinade for these shrimps adds so much wonderful flavors to these little golden gems.



I served them with a sweet chili sauce, but you can dip them in whatever sauce that you like.  A Chili Mayo, Roasted Garlic Mayo, or even homemade ketchup would be nice too. 



These Firecracker Shrimps are perfect for the Chinese New Year.  During the Chinese New Year, we like to serve dishes that represent good health, good fortune, or other well wishes.  As for this particular dish, it represents happiness for the family and wealth.  The pronunciation of shrimp in Chinese sounds similar to laughter (ha).  So, the more you eat, the happier you’ll get!  Also, the shape and the golden color of these Firecracker Shrimps resemble the golden nuggets that ancient Chinese used.  Now, you know why you should make this dish for Chinese New Year!  



I hope you enjoy today’s recipe and tutorial.  Please stay tuned for more fun and delicious recipe next week! 預祝大家金銀滿屋, 日日笑哈哈!



 
 
Ingredients and Tools Used:
Egg Roll Wrapper (Click here for more information)
Microplane (Click here for more information)
Sambal Oelek Chili Paste (Click here for more information)
Light Soy Sauce (Click here for more information)
Sweet Chili Sauce (Click here for more information)
Rice Vinegar (Click here for more information)
Corn Starch (Click here for more information)
Sesame Oil (Click here for more information)
Asian Spider Strainer (Click here for more information)
 

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail–Easy Entertaining Recipe and a Giveaway

I hope you’ve enjoyed the easy entertaining recipes I’ve been posting so far.  With Thanksgiving and many holiday celebrations just around the corner, I have another scrumptious recipe to share with you today; plus a giveaway that you don’t want to miss.  A while ago, I entered GitaDini’s Giveaway on their Facebook Fan Page and won this Stacko Serving Stand as shown in my pictures.  Isn’t it gorgeous?  I have been using it for a while in parties and family gatherings.  Everyone loved it and asked me where I got this stand.  Today, you’re in luck because I’ll be giving one away to a lucky uTry.it reader, courtesy of GitaDini.



This Stacko Serving Stand is so festive because of the multiple colors cones and cups.  The size of the stand is 16” in height and 16” in diameter.  It comes with 18 cups and 18 cones, all in single portioned size.  I always love single portions for entertaining, which make it convenient to serve with different types of food and hygienic.  The best part is that the plastic cups and cones are dishwasher-safe, which makes cleaning up a breeze as well.  Honestly, with a serving stand this gorgeous, I wish to have parties and gatherings in my place everyday so I can simply displace and show off this stand on my serving table/counter everyday! 




This Stacko Serving Stand is very versatile and your serving options are endless.  From appetizer, small bites to desserts, this Stacko Serving Stand can do it all.   Okay, I should say, this Stacko Serving Stand can hold them all, because I’m the one who’s cooking.  hahaha….Want to see what I’ve been serving on this gorgeous stand?  Let me show you one by one.  From the picture above, I serve some fresh veggies sticks.  You can use whatever veggies you want or in season.  These veggies sticks are healthy and refreshing party snacks.  



Up next, my Fall favorite recipe, Candied Pecans.   I always have these candied pecans on hand as they are simply addictive and perfect for parties and snacks.  Please click here for the recipe.




Up next, my new party favorites, Portobello Mushroom and Avocado Oven Fries.  These are a cinch to make and very healthy and flavorful!  Please click here for the recipe.



In my opinion, it’s not a party until we bring out the shrimp cocktails!  (check out my post here on How to Easily Peel and Devein Shrimps) These shrimp cocktails are better than the usual ones because they are Roasted Shrimp Cocktails!  The roasting really concentrate the wonderful shrimp flavors, plus, I added some fresh thyme for some earthy and lemony freshness.  You can go to the bottom of this post for the recipe.  See how convenience these cones and cups are (see picture below)?  I added the cocktail sauce on the bottom of the cones before “hanging” the shrimps onto them.  So, each person gets his/her own dipping sauce.   Double-dipping is highly recommended and encouraged here!  I did the same for the veggie sticks above but with a ranch dressing instead.



You can also serve desserts and drinks with this Stacko Serving Stand.  I made these Meyer Lemon Sorbet with Fresh Thyme here (see picture below).  It is the perfect compliment with the thyme I used in the roasted shrimps and super refreshing as well.  Please click here for the sorbet recipe.  Besides what I’ve shown here, you can also serve ice cream, sushi hand rolls, wraps, mixed fruit, etc.  




This giveaway is now closed!

This Stacko Serving Stand is perfect for your Thanksgiving party, celebrations and gatherings.  You can check out GitaDini’s website here and order your own.  Or, if you want to try your luck and win it in my giveaway, here’s how to enter.

Giveaway Details:

1 (One) uTry.it readers will win a Stacko Serving Stand ($30 Value).

This Giveaway is open to my Readers with a Mainland U.S. shipping address.  Deadline to enter is November 22nd, 2013 by midnight PST. Winner will be selected through Random.org and announce shortly after the giveaway is closed. Prize will be shipped out directly by GitaDini.

To enter this giveaway, simply leave a comment below telling me what your favorite party food is.  Be sure to include your email address in the comment so we can contact you if you're the lucky winner.

For extra entries, do any or all of the following (simply leave a separate comment for each extra entry):

1) “Like” GitaDini on their Facebook Page, click here.
2) "Like" uTry.it's Facebook Page, click here.
3) Pin a picture from this post onto your Pinterest board and leave a comment with the link to your Pin.
4) Follow GitaDini on Pinterest, click here.
5) Add me to your Google+ circle here.
6) Share this giveaway on your Facebook page (with a link back to this post please)
7) Share this giveaway on Twitter (with a link back to this post please)


Disclaimer: As mentioned, I won this Stancko Serving Stand a while ago from GitaDini’s Facebook Fan Page giveaway.  I also received compensation for my time to write this post and review.  And GitaDini is sponsoring the prize for this giveaway.  All opinions are 100% my own and always will be. 

 



P.S.: Please click here to read about How to Easily Peel and Devein Shrimps.

How to Easily Peel and Devein Shrimps

My family loves shrimps, especially the Kiddos.  So, I prepare them quite often.  Today, I want to share with you on How to Easily Peel and Devein Shrimp.  I know peeled shrimps are widely available in market these days.  But I often found that the whole/unpeel ones are usually more fresh and cheaper. 

Here’s what you need to do (see picture below).  First, separate the head from the body by snapping off the head.  Do NOT throw away the heads.  You paid for them already (unless you get those without heads) and they are the key ingredient in making flavorful seafood stocks.



With a pair of small kitchen scissors, cut along the shell on the back of the shrimp, starting from the head side toward the tail.



You’ll be able to easily open the shells.  Again, you can save the shells along with the shrimp heads for your seafood stock.  This shrimp (see picture below) is particularly clean.



The shells can be easily peeled off at this point.  You can peel the whole shell off, or leave the tails on, depending on what your recipe calls for.



If you spotted the vein (see picture below), gently pull it out with your fingers.  Trust me, you do NOT want to eat the veins in your shrimps.  The veins are actually the digestive tracks of the shrimps.  I bet you've got the picture by now, if you haven’t already known that.



Last but not least, give the shrimps a quick rinse and they are ready to go.  I hope you enjoy today’s tutorial and tips.  Stay tuned for some yummy shrimp recipes in the near future.

Din Tai Fung Restaurant Review

Still remember my Little Boy with the Din Tai Fung statue picture above?  Yes, as I promised, here goes my Din Tai Fung restaurant review.  The very first time I dined at Din Tai Fung was back in my college days, when I travelled to Taiwan with a few good friends and my Brother.  My friend’s Aunt who lived in Taiwan at the time took us around for sight seeing, shopping, and food tasting (I’m forever grateful for the hospitality!)  The day before we visited Din Tai Fung for lunch, we were “warned” about the long lines and be sure to get there early, otherwise some items would be sold out way before noon.  I didn’t know what the fuzz was all about until I tried my very first Juicy Pork Dumpling (小籠包)!  My world was never the same again!  No exaggeration, by the way.



The picture above shows the famous Juicy Pork Dumpling from Din Tai Fung.  I know, they might not look like much, nor anything spectacular from the picture.  (Sorry, the pictures from this post were taken from my Android Phone, not my regular camera.  So the picture didn’t do justice for these Juicy Pork Dumplings at all!)  But I assure you, go try them when you get a chance.  They are truly an art in every little package and I’m going to tell you why in just a minute.  And yes, there’s always a line at this restaurant, and the wait could be long if you don’t arrive early.  But then, these Juicy Pork Dumplings are totally worth the wait.




Before we get into the details of these dumplings, here’s picture that shows you the people waiting for seats outside of Din Tai Fung.  Yup, a pretty nice outdoor waiting area and it’s always packed too.  There are two locations in Arcadia, California and they are right across the street from each other.  After discovering the new location, I’ve always go to the newer one for easier parking.  Click here for the address and hours.  The new location closes from 3 pm to 5 pm for a break between lunch and dinner.  I always make sure to arrive before 5:30pm to avoid a long wait.  Yes, the seats do get filled up that fast!



Now back to the dumplings!  Each dumpling has a thin and tender dough wrapping the juicy minced pork filling inside.  There’s a small dish of fresh ginger, julienned, for each person.  You simply pour the black vinegar over the ginger and that’s your dipping sauce.  A very simple sauce, yet it compliments perfectly with these rich and juicy dumplings.




See how thin the dough/skin is (look at the picture below).  And if you look closer, you’ll also see the “soup” inside.  Yes, that’s how juicy these dumplings are.  And it’s not easy to make the dough so thin and tender, yet the soup stay intact even when you pick the dumplings up with a pair of chopsticks.  This is why I said earlier that each dumpling is really a work of art!  When you bite into these dumplings, the soup inside will burst inside your mouth.  So, be careful not to eat them when they’re still piping hot.  These Juicy Pork Dumplings are really succulent treats.



I must be too busy eating and didn’t take a picture when I pick up my dumplings with the chopsticks.  But look at this picture below, it’s a picture from the brochure/menu of  the restaurant.  So now, you’ve got the idea.  And yes, I did pick up each dumplings with my chopsticks  and transfer them onto my spoon/bowl.  And you guessed it right, they didn’t break at all during the transfer!  We always place two orders for these dumplings along with other dishes as my Baby Girl can finish 5 of these juicy dumplings on her own, plus noodles, and other things we order.  These dumplings are 'must-try' when you visit.  Din Tai Fung also offers a varieties of dumplings besides the pork ones; such as Juicy Pork & Crab Dumplings (another one of my favorite), Shrimp & Pork Dumplings, Fish Dumplings, Chicken Dumplings, and Vegetarian Dumplings.



The one item that got sold out all the time is the Small Dumplings with Soup.  It’s only served on weekends for limited quantities.  I’ve only tasted them back in Taiwan but not in the L.A. branches.  You know I’m not a morning person, right? 

Besides dumplings, we also ordered Shrimp Noodle Soup, see picture below.  That’s my Little Boy’s favorite and he would asks for this every time when we visit.



The picture below shows the House Beef Noodle Soup.  This is the first time we tried this one and it’s pretty good, especially if you want something lighter in taste and not as heavy.  We usually order A Braised Beef Noodle Soup that is in a deep brown flavorful soup base that is slightly spicy.  So, this clear soup version was a nice change.  The beef is very tender and the soup is very soothing.



This one below is the Pork Chop Fried Rice.  We’ve ordered this one many times and it’s one of our favorites as well.  We’ve also tried the Shrimp Fried Rice before but didn’t order that this time because we already have the Shrimp Noodle Soup.  But all their fried rice are nicely done.  Besides a variety of dumplings, soup, noodle soup, and fried rice, Din Tai Fung also offers Noodles with sauces, fried noodles, a varieties of sautéed vegetables, vegetarian dishes, and desserts.  The only thing that is considered somewhat negative is their portion, they tend to be smaller compared to most Chinese restaurants.  The good news is, you can try a varieties of dishes this way.    You would want to try everything when you’re there.  And so far, I haven’t tasted anything that I don’t like with all my visits.




Hope you’ll give Din Tai Fung a try if you’re in the area or plan to visit soon.  Below is their contact information and link to their website for your reference.





P.S.:  My first "unofficial" lunch date with my Hubby was at Din Tai Fung, back in 2002.  Talk about life changing dumplings!  Maybe that's why, these little Juicy Dumplings are always so special to me.


Click here to Din Tai Fung’s Website

Location #1:
Address: 1108 S. Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, CA 91007
Tel: 626-574-7068
Location #2:
Address: 1088 S. Baldwin Avenue, Arcadia, CA 91007
Tel: 626-446-8588

Restaurant Review Disclaimer: uTry.it restaurant reviews are solely based on our experience at each restaurant we visit.   They were just our opinions.  uTry.it and its owner were not compensated in any way to dine at these restaurants nor to write reviews.

Roasted Shrimp Salad with Thyme and Lemon Frico

Are you all still eating light and doing more exercise to keep up with your New Year Resolutions?  Oh, it's just a friendly reminder!  You don’t need to feel guilty if you have already forgotten all about the resolutions.  After all, I don’t really make resolutions anymore since years ago.  Besides, eating well and exercising more should be a second nature and a daily habit... not just for the first month of the year.  Yeah, sadly, that’s the length of time that most people (including me) really follow through with their new year resolutions.  So, let’s make eating well a year round thing, and not just for the sake of resolution, shall we?  By the way, eating well doesn’t mean scarifying flavors either, that is a big-mistake/wrong-impression on eating healthy.  May I introduce you to this scrumptious Roasted Shrimp Salad with Thyme and Lemon Frico?  Don’t worry, I will still post sweets and treats recipes that I made.  I believe moderation is the key on those, don’t you agree?



Back to this salad, have you ever tried a frico?  It is a (Italian) cheese crisp.  It consists of a wafer of shredded cheese, baked or fried until crisp (I baked).  The cheeses often used are Montasio, Parmesan or Mozzarella.  I used Parmigiano-Reggiano, and jazz it up with some fresh lemon zest and fresh thyme leaves.  They make the best garnish on soup, salad, stew, or anything that you love to add a nice salty crunch.  Besides looking gorgeous, the frico tastes wonderful as well. It’s salty and cheesy; the thyme leaves add a hint of earthiness and the lemon zest brightens up the whole crisp.  The texture is super crunchy, yet, melt in your mouth the moment you bite into one.  It’s magical.



Let me show you how I make them.

1) Grade some Parmigiano-Reggiano

2) Add lemon zest and thyme leave and mix well

3) Spoon them onto silpat or parchment lined baking sheets.  Slightly flatten them with the back of a spoon.

4) Bake at 375 degree F for 8 to 10 minutes and let them cool on the pan over a wiring rack until cool. 



Super simple to prepare, isn’t it?  The flavor is complex and beautiful.  They paired well with this Roasted Shrimp Salad.  In this salad, I used juicy and crispy Fuji Apples, roasted zucchinis that are tender, and crunchy roasted shrimps and super rich and creamy avocados.  The dressing is simple, a little lemon juice, agave, salt and pepper, and 2 tablespoons of Japanese Mayo; yes, that’s all you needed and that’s all I used.  You don’t want too much Mayo in your dressing because as you toss the salad together, the ripped avocado will break up a little and creates the most creamy “dressing”, hence the slightly greenish color of the salad. 



You can serve this salad on a plate as an entree, or in a small cup as an elegant appetizer.  Either way, your eyes and tummy will thank you.  And oh, you’re very welcome.  Until next time, take care and let’s all eat better together.

Yuzu Shrimp and Halibut Ceviche

Ceviche is a dish typically made from fresh raw fish marinated in citrus juices such as lemon or lime, and sometimes spiced with onion, salt, cilantro, and chili pepper.  I got some beautiful Halibut from my In-Laws and first thing that came in mind was to make a ceviche!   It’s fresh, clean, flavorful and fun to eat.  Best of all, it requires no “cooking” and best serve chilled.  This is such a perfect summer dish to enjoy!  



Although it required no heating up the stove to “cook” the fish, the acid from the citrus juice actually “cooks” the fish.  You’ll see the flesh of the fish turns from translucent to white color when it’s done.  Pretty amazing, huh?  It’s the best summer party dish because you can prepare the ceviche the day before you plan to serve it.  Don’t you just love dishes that you can make ahead for gatherings and parties?  I definitely do.



Instead of using traditional lime and lemons juice to marinate the ceviche, I used Yuzu juice and Meyer Lemon juice.  I adore both of these citrus and they were a wonderful combination in this ceviche.  Many ceviche calls for raw onion but I didn’t want the strong flavor to overpower the sophisticated and clean flavor of the Halibut.  Therefore, I used a shallot instead for the milder oniony flavor and it works well.  If you’re into spicy food, feel free to add a finely chopped Jalapeño for a spicy kick.  I serve them as a side salad for a family gathering.  You can definitely serve this with some Tortilla chips to scoop with and present it as an appetizer.   

Spinach Pesto Spaghetti with Grilled Shrimps using Barilla Whole Grain Pasta and a $100 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway

A few years ago, I switched to serving brown rice to my family instead of white rice. The reason was simple: more fiber and better nutrition for my family. Whole grains are packed with nutrients including protein, fiber, B vitamins, antioxidants, and trace minerals (iron, zinc, copper, and magnesium). Nothing is more important to me than keeping my family healthy by eating right. (Oh, maybe one thing, feeding them nutritious AND scrumptious food! ) Since I’m the “chef” of the house, it is my responsibility to feed my family well with a balanced diet and nutritious food. I’m sure this is the same for many of you out there.

 

My little boy loves noodles and pasta a lot more than rice. Therefore, I’ve been making more pasta dishes than ever. For the same reasons I switched to serving brown rice, I’ve switched to serving whole grain pasta as well. I love Barilla® Whole Grain pasta. It’s a great way to get whole grains into my family’s diet. I enjoy preparing pasta dishes more and more these days. They are quick and easy to prepare (which is perfect for our busy schedules), and my kids enjoy them so much. Nothing is more satisfying than seeing my kids enjoy the nutritious food that I prepared for them.

 

Barilla® Whole Grain is made with 51% whole wheat. It’s all-natural and is an excellent source of fiber, delivering three times the fiber of regular pasta. I love Barilla® Whole Grain pasta because the texture has more of a bite to it than regular pasta. Also, it has a hint of nutty flavor regular pasta don’t have. Best of all, there is a taste guarantee from Barilla® Whole Grain pasta. If you don’t love it, you get a free box of Barilla® blue box pasta. How cool is that? That’s how confidence they are with their whole grain products! But I can guaranteed that you’re going to love Barilla® Whole Grain pasta!

 

Check out Barilla’s website. There are many quick and easy recipes for you to try. With the help of the Whole Grain Dinner Kit, it’s easy to put healthy and extraordinary meals on your table. Check out all these fun shapes that are available from the Barilla® Whole Grain pasta here.

 

In this Spinach Pesto Spaghetti with Grilled Shrimp recipe, I’ve used Barilla Whole Grain Thin Spaghetti. They were al dente in just 6 minutes! You can totally get this dish on the table in less than 30 minutes, much faster than ordering take-out! I’m totally loving it. Plus, you know you’re serving your family something scrumptious, healthy and all-natural. Way better than take-out, in my opinion.

 

The spinach pesto is super quick to prepare as well. The nutty flavor from the whole grain pasta works perfectly with the pine nuts in the spinach pesto. With a hint of lemon juice and lemon zest to brighten up the flavor, it’s amazingly scrumptious. Give this recipe a try; I’m sure your family will love it as much as my family does.

 

With the help of Barilla® Whole Grain pasta, eating right and feeding my family with healthy and nutritious food has never been easier. I hope you’ll give Barilla® Whole Grain pasta a try too and let me know what you think.

 



Giveaway 

To all my dear readers, here’s a wonderful giveaway for you. One lucky uTry.it reader will win a $100 Amazon.com gift card, courtesy of BlogHer and Barilla®. Cool, right? To enter, simply leave a comment on this post and tell me “What do you love about Barilla® Whole Grain?” As simple as that. Please read the giveaway rules below for an extra chance to win.

SWEEPSTAKES/GIVEAWAY RULES
No duplicate comments.
You may receive (2) total entries by selecting from the following entry methods:

a) Leave a comment in response to the sweepstakes prompt on this post.
b) Tweet about this promotion @BarillaUS with the following unique term in your message, #BarillaWG, and link to your Tweet in a comment on this post.
c) Blog about this promotion and leave the URL to your post in a comment on this post.
d) For those with no Twitter or blog, read the official rules to learn about an alternate form of entry.

This giveaway is open to US Residents age 18 or older.
Winners will be selected via a random drawing, and will be notified by e-mail.
You have 72 hours to get back to me, otherwise a new winner will be selected.
The Official Rules are available here.

This sweepstakes runs from 2/21/12-3/30/12.

Be sure to visit the Barilla® Whole Grain round-up page on BlogHer.com where you can read other bloggers’ reviews and find more chances to win!

This Giveaway is now closed. Thank you for those who participated.

Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post by BlogHer and Barilla®. All opinions are my own and always will be.

Health and General Disclaimers

Join GoodLife Eats for the Surprisingly Nutritious Spaghetti Link-Up sponsored by Barilla pasta.