Chinese Mustard Green Soup with Tofu and Pork (芥菜豆腐肉片湯)

Cantonese style soup is one of the staples on our family table.  Quite often, I prepare the kind that requires long hours of cooking in the double boiler.  The main purpose of those soups is to strengthen our body’s immune system.  But every once in a while, a quick cooking soup is just what we crave for especially this time of year.  This Chinese Mustard Green Soup with Tofu and Pork (芥菜豆腐肉片湯) can help you fight off the “heat” in your body (清熱 in Chinese).   In other words, it really means detox, as many believe.  Detox or not, I’m not too sure.  All I know is that you’re going to feel much better after drinking it.  At least your tummy will thank you.  It's the Memorial long weekend in the States.  So, if you're firing up the grill, you might want to prepare this soup for a little detox (清熱) after consuming all the barbecued food.



I love the flavor and naturally balanced ingredients in this soup.  The fresh ginger root is refreshing, super earthy and slightly spicy.  It provides the right amount of heat that balance well with the coolness of the Chinese Mustard Green, which is a kind of “super food” on the Asian vegetable list.  The tofu and pork provide a great sauce of protein.  I can totally make this soup a meal by itself.



Interested to know how to make it?  Follow me to the kitchen.  I promise, you’ll be drinking soup within 30 minutes. 

1) In a medium bowl mix all pork marinade together along with the pork slices.  Stir well to coat evenly.  Set aside.

2) In a medium pot, bring the chicken broth and ginger to a boil on high heat.  Reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. 

3) & 4) Turn heat to medium high, add mustard greens and tofu. 

5) & 6)  Let the soup return to a boil, stir in marinated pork slices.  When pork is cooked through, remove from heat, add white pepper powder and sesame oil.  Serve hot and enjoy.



Super quick and easy, isn't it?  Instead of eating dessert or junk food, my hubby and I had this as a late night “snack” the other night and it felt so good.  I hope you’ll give this a try as well.  I’m sure you and your family will love it just as much.  After all, you know you’re putting something wholesome and healthy into your body.



Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoy today’s post and recipe.  Stay tuned for more yummy recipe or adventures in future posts. 




Props and Tools used in this post:

Core Bamboo Cutting Board (Click here to see product information)
Assorted Floral Chopsticks (Click here to see similar product)
Curled Handle Ceramic Spoon (Click here to see product information)
Crane Chopsticks Rest (Click here to see product information)
Shoji Paper Roll Up Window Blinds used as backdrop (Click here to see product information)

Cream White Corn Soup with Crispy Prosciutto

I grew up with creamy corn soup since I was little, did you?  It's probably one of my best friends at the dinner table (or late night supper) in my college years as well!  Unfortunately, those that I had devoured without the slightest hint of hesitation were limited to the canned version. ahem....




I have to say, I loved the canned version, too.  That was kind of like comfort food to me.  So, why make it from scratch, you might ask?  It's simply because that's the difference between a pretty good soup, and a totally awesome one!  Yes, try it once with the fresh corns and you'll never turn your head back to the canned isle in the supermarket, ever again!  And really, there isn't a lot more work to do to put this fresh Creamy White Corn Soup together compared to the canned version.  So, that little step of chopping the fresh corn kernels off the cobs is well worth the investment of your time. 




There’s a little secret in making this soup nice and thick, creamy without using too much cream.  Ready for the secret?  The natural starch from the fresh corn.  To be more specific, the starch between the corn kennels and the cobs.  So, make sure to scrape the cob real good to release the starchy power!  Oh, there’s one more thing, my childhood version of this soup didn’t have the fancy crispy prosciutto on top, of course.  But that’s a wonderful addition and simply turning this soup from homemade comforts to somewhat gourmet. 





Want to see how I make this Creamy White Corn Soup with Crispy Prosciutto?  Follow me to the kitchen!

1) Preheat oven to 375 degree F.  Place prosciutto on a silpat/parchment paper lined baking pan. Bake for 9 to 11 minutes.

2) Remove from heat and let cool on wiring rack.

3) Simply make sure each corn kennel is nice and plum, and not dried up.  Don’t be afraid to peek inside the husk.  And only remove the husk right before cooking.  That would keep your corns nice and fresh for the longest time.

4) Cut corn kernels off the cobs.  




5) Make sure to scrape the starch off the cobs as you cut.

6) In a large saucepan, bring the corn and chicken stock to a boil. Lower the heat and let the soup simmer for 5 minutes.  I used a low sodium chicken broth, you can use anything you like, even vegetable stock would be nice in here as well.

7) Remove the soup from heat, with a handheld blender, puree the soup to your prefer consistency. You can also do that with a blender or food processor too.

8) Season the soup with granulated garlic, parsley, white pepper and salt, to taste.



9) In a small bowl, mix the corn starch and water together until smooth and no big lumps.

10) If you used a blender, return soup to the saucepan and reheat.  Slowly add the corn starch slurry while gently stirring the soup.  Let soup return to a boil.

11) Then, remove from heat and stir in the cream.

12) Ladle soup into bowls and crumble cooled prosciutto on top. Enjoy!






You might noticed that I used white corns here.  I think they are sweeter than the yellow ones.  But of course, you can use either, or both.  The natural sweetness from the corns is amazing.  The crispy and salty prosciutto on top compliment this creamy soup perfectly.  I hope you’ll take advantage of the sweet corn season (From May through October) and give this recipe a try.   Do you have a favorite corn recipe?  Don’t forget to share in the comment below.  I would love to try them too.






Props and Tools used in this post:

Small Bamboo Spoon (Click here to see similar product)

Shoji Paper Roll Up Window Blinds used as backdrop (Click here to see product information)

Cuisinart 2-Speed Immersion Hand Blender (Click here for more information)
Silpat Baking Mat (Click here for more information)
OXO Measuring cups (Click here for more information)

Meatballs Tomato Soup with Toast Soldiers

My Kids always amaze me with the things they say and the things they do. I always think that I have the wisest Kids. Don’t believe me? This is what happened the other day.....
 

During one of those usual evenings, I was exhausted from running errands and doing chores during the day.  Still in my comfortable, old, and torn pair of jeans, my Kids and I sat down on the sofa to read one of their favorite story books.  My legs were sore so I have them up on a little stool.  My Little Boy (5 1/2 year old) stared at my knee, where the jeans was torn.  He ran his little fingers on my knee with a serious look and said, "Mom, when I grow up and start earning money, I'll buy you a pair of new jeans without holes."  Then my Baby Girl (4 year old) added, "Yes, a purple pair!" (Since purple is my favorite color.)  That was definitely the wisest and most touching thing I've heard from my Kids.  

I know I’m one lucky Mom that my kids love vegetables, most of the time. But, they are also picky eaters. They go through different “picky” phases all the time. They could love certain vegetables all along, but wouldn't even touch them the next week. Sounds familiar to you? You’re in luck! Picky eaters have finally met their match! With the help of The Wisest Kid in the Whole World™, Campbell’s soup is offering delicious recipes that your kids, or any picky eaters, won’t be able to refuse: Click here to check them out. 


 
Through their recipe session, www.campbellskitchen.com, Campbell’s gives you a fresh way to delight your family, such as Mini Chicken Pot Pies, and fun ways to eat tomato soup or chicken noodle soup, etc. I was delighted to see all of the soup varieties featuring kids’ favorite characters like Super Mario and Phineas & Ferb.



I was inspired to jazz up the tomato soup with some Italian meatballs, topped with cheddar cheese, diced avocado (my Kids favorite green food at the moment), and serve with a couple toast soldiers. I let the kids add the toppings on their own and they had so much fun dunking the toasts into the soup.



Don’t be surprised if your kids want to lick the bowl clean and ask for seconds! 

Do you have the wisest kid at home?  You can visit Campbell's site here to share or type at the widget below.  Don’t forget to check out all the wonderful recipes here.

 

Green Gazpacho

You know Spring is here when you see the gorgeous and vibrant green asparagus at the market stands.  Asparagus is one of my favorite vegetables to prepare and I couldn't help but to grab a few bunches whenever I see them available.  Can you believe we’re having 80+ F. degree in April?  After living in L.A. for so many years, I’m not surprise though.  With the hot weather, it’s very natural that I crave for something light and refreshing, such as gazpacho.  Gazpacho is usually a tomato-based, vegetable soup, traditionally served cold, originating in the southern Spanish region of Andalucía. Gazpacho is widely consumed in Spanish cuisine, as well as in neighboring Portugal, where it is known as gaspacho.  Did you know that my hubby is half Portuguese?  No wonder he likes this soup a lot.  



In this Green Gazpacho, I used asparagus, spinach, Lindsay Naturals’ California Green Ripe Olives, fresh mint leaves, a little lemon juice and some vegetable stock for the soup base.  Then, I top it all off with some sweet and juicy jumbo lump crab meat, a few rounds of Lindsay’s olive for texture, a dollop of crème fraîche for creaminess, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and garnish with a spring of mint.  It was the most refreshing soup I've ever tasted!  If you want to keep it vegetarian, you can skip the crab meat.  But I’m telling you, the sweetness from the crab meat really matches wonderfully with this light and healthy soup.



As I mentioned above, I used Lindsay Naturals’ California Green Ripe Olives in the soup.  They are pretty mild, yet very buttery and smooth.  The taste is slightly salty and nutty.  They are definitely my favorite olives to use.  Make sure you use this kind and not the one from the jar for this recipe as the later ones tend to be too strong and salty for the soup. 



I save a few and cut them in rounds to garnish the soup.  They make a great snack as well and my Daughter is a big fan.  You can serve this soup as an appetizer or a side dish.  How about serving a bigger portion and call it a meal?  That's what I did the other day and it was a satisfying lunch!



Here goes the perfect spoonful of goodness.  A little bit of everything. 



It was a light and refreshing lunch that I’ll be making very often this Spring.




This would be festive and prefect for St. Patrick's Day too!





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Miso Pork Noodle Soup with Soft Boiled Egg (ゆで卵)

I hope all of you had a wonderful and blessed Christmas this year.  Mine was filled with wonderful food, lots of presents, great friends and family.     hm….maybe a few too many cookies and chocolates!    Is there such a thing as too many cookies and chocolate?  hahaha… I guess not.   



Nothing is more comforting than having a bowl of hot noodle soup after the holiday feast. Noodle soup gotta be one of the top 3 of my favorite brunch items. I hope some of you had a chance to make the Roasted Pork Loin with Miso and Asian Pear Glaze in my previous post. Actually, I do make that pork roast from time to time. Because I can use whatever left over to make this Miso Pork Noodle Soup. Plus, my little boy is a big fan of noodle soup, especially when I serve it with the pickled daikon (the yellow half circles you see on the small plate).



This Miso Pork Noodle Soup with Soft Boiled Egg is super simple to make. If you know how to boil water, you can make this noodle soup! No kidding. I love soft boiled eggs, if you are serving them to young kids, elderly or pregnant ladies in the house, just make sure you get the pasteurized eggs so everyone can enjoy a soft boiled with the peace of mind.



The trick to prevent cracking on the egg shells is to place the eggs in the cold water before heating your pot. When it’s the doneness you want (I cooked mine 3 to 4 minutes more after the water comes to a full boil), remove the eggs from the pot and run under cool tap water until the eggs are completely cool to the touch. That way, the eggs shells will peel off nicely and won’t stick to the egg whites.



In this particular noodle soup, I thinly sliced the Roasted Miso Pork Loin I had along with some Japanese fish cakes (they comes in all kinds of shapes and colors).  Add the soft boil egg and some bok choi and you are all set.  The pork slices were still very juicy and tender even after reheating in the miso soup.   My little boy declared he can (and wants to) have this noodle soup every day and won’t get bored! 

Thank you for stopping by today and I wish you all a prosperous 2012!  Happy New Year.  

Smoky Butternut Squash Soup—A Guest Post for Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms

I was thrilled and honored when Jane from Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms invited me to write a guest post for her.  I’ve been following Jane’s blog for many months now and I’ve always enjoyed reading her blog.  If you have not visited her blog yet, you should.  In addition to simple and delicious make-ahead meals recipes, you can also find wonderful giveaways, Linky party/Blog Hop, news, and inspirations from her life stories….etc.  Jane is a busy mom of two, a second grade and preschool teacher, and the author of the wonderful blog Make-Ahead Meals for Busy Moms.  I don’t know how she finds the time to do it all.  All I can say is that I’m very inspired and impressed by her achievements.



Did I mention this is my very first time doing a guest post?  Oh yes, it is.  More fun than I can imagine, too.  When I was testing out recipes for this guest post, I wanted to prepare something seasonal and one that can be made-ahead!    As a busy Mom myself, I can definitely take advantage of making some meals ahead for my family.  This is one of the most tasty recipe for the season.  Best of all, it’s super easy to prepare and it tastes even better after a day or two.  This recipe is definitely a keeper and you can bet that I have a batch in my fridge that I can easily heat up for tonight’s dinner.  With the temperature getting lower and lower, a hot bowl of Smoky Butternut Squash Soup will definitely warm your heart, soul, and tummy as well.  If you haven’t cut a butternut squash before, here’s how.  Just a few simple steps.



First, with a very sharp knife, cut off a small piece of the skin on the bottom of the squash (as shown in picture #2) so the squash can stand flat without moving around.  Then, cut the squash in half like picture #3 above.  Next, cut/peel off the skin around while the squash is standing flat on the cutting board.  You can do the same with the top half of the squash.  Somehow, I find it easier to peel the top half with a vegetable peeler.  Then, split the bottom half of the squash in half (as shown in picture #4) and spoon out the seeds.  Cube the squash and you’re all done.  Just be very careful and the squash can be slippery.  It a lot safer and easier to use a sharp knife to cut the squash.



The smoky flavor in this recipe came from a chipotle pepper that I added.  It adds a lot of smokiness and some heat to the soup.  If you’re serving the soup for younger kids and only want the smokiness but not the heat, you can definitely replace the chipotle with a tablespoon of smoke paprika, which only have smoky flavor but not the heat.  Besides Butternut squash in this recipe, I added a little red yam for sweetness to balance out the heat and smoky flavor.  I also added a little bit of freshly grated ginger for earthiness to round out the overall flavor.  When ready to serve, put a dollop of crème fraîche for creaminess and a teaspoon or so of toasted pine nuts for some crunch.  You can serve this soup as a side dish or bigger portion with toasts or baguette as a meal.  Either way, your tummy and family will thank you. 



You can store this soup in the fridge (without the crème fraîche and nuts, only add those right before serving) for up to a week.  Or, you can store the soup in the freezer for even longer.  Simply heat it up on the stove right before you serve and that is faster than ordering take-outs, and a lot healthier too!  I hope you’re enjoying the cooler temperature that the season brings.  I know I am.  With a healthy soup such as this one, it is satisfying and tasty.  It’s simple enough to make on a weeknight for the family and it’s also elegant enough to serve if you have guests visiting.



Thank you again, Jane, for inviting me to write a guest post for your blog.  It’s been a pleasure and I had so much fun preparing this recipe and photo shoot.  I hope you’ll enjoy this recipe as much as I do.  Thank you everyone for visiting and reading today.  Don’t forget to hop over to Jane’s blog to check it out and have fun.  Until next time, please take care and I’ll see you real soon.

How to Make Won Ton Noodle Soup (鮮蝦雲吞湯麵)—with Step by Step Pictorial

I’m so glad that the temperature is finally getting cooler.  Not only winter clothes can “hide” my body fat a little better, but I can also enjoy my favorite bowl of hot noodle soup without shedding a sweat.    My favorite bowl of noodle soup is the home made Won Ton Noodle Soup (鮮蝦雲吞湯麵).  It’s easier to make than you think.  Another good news is, you can make the Won Ton ahead of time in a large batch because they freeze really well.  You can pull out a few won tons straight from the freezer and get cooking without (and shouldn’t) defrosting them ahead of time.  Let’s get started shall we?  There are just a few main ingredients in this Won Ton Noodle Soup.



First, you’ll need some shrimps, I like to use 31-40 count (which means there are 31 to 40 shrimps in a pound), the texture of this size of shrimp is more bouncy than smaller size ones.  I usually cut them into smaller pieces so they are easier to wrap.  Up next is some ground pork for flavor and as a binding agent.  Also, there are some ready to eat bamboo shoots in chili oil that are already julienned.  Up next,won ton wraps; I’ve tried a few different brands and they are pretty much the same in flavor and quality.  Just make sure to get the thin one for Won Ton and not the thick kind for Chinese dumplings.   I love to serve the won ton noodle soup with Bak Choy, you can use your preferred vegetables.  Last but not least, the chopped green onions.  They are not only for garnish on top, but also add a nice mild oniony flavor to the soup.

Of course, you’ll need noodles for this noodle soup.  The egg noodles shown on the picture below is the authentic fresh egg noodles used in traditional Won Ton Noodle Soup.  They are available in most Asian supermarket in the refrigerator session. Make sure you get this skinny kind, not the wide and flat ones that looks like linguini.  Although the package shown four sessions of noodle, this whole package can easily serves six.  Well, of course, that depends on your appetite as well.



Up next are the marinade ingredients, there are sesame seed oil, Shao Hsing cooking wine, fish sauce, soy sauce, ground white pepper, 1 egg, some corn starch, sugar and kosher salt.  The marinating is simple, just mix everything together with the shrimps, ground pork and bamboo shoots and you’re ready to wrap them up.



Before you start, prepare a lightly floured sheet pan so the wrapped won tons has a place to land.  Also, you’ll need a small bowl of tap water so you can seal the wrappers.  Here goes the step by step instructions as shown in the picture below:

1) Pick up a piece of won won wrap, spoon a heaping teaspoonful of won ton filling onto the center of a piece of won ton wrap.  Make sure you get a little bit of everything, a few pieces of shrimps, some ground pork and bamboo shoots are in the mix.  Dip your finger into the prepared bowl of water and wet all the edges of the won ton wrap. 

2) Fold a corner of the wrap to the opposite side to form a triangle. 

3) Gently press the sides of the wrap to seal the edges. 

4) Pick up the bottom two corners of the filled won ton

5) Wet the tips and press them together. 

6) Place the wrapped won tons onto prepared sheet pan.  Continue to fill won ton wraps until all fillings are used up.



Easy right?  It’s really fun wrapping these little jewels up.  Almost as much fun as eating them, almost.  I can’t wait until my kids are old enough to help out in the wrapping process. Although they already can’t wait to get their hands on them now.



I love spicy food so I usually serve the Won Ton Noodle Soup with some chili oil or chili sauce. The picture below shows one of my favorite chili oil to use.  The English name on the bottle says “hot and spicy sauce”!  hahaha…so helpful, huh?  Anyway, you don’t really need the name as the logo is so distinctive!  Don’t judge, this is a really flavorful chili oil with a nice crunch.  The manufacturer must have toasted the chilies really well before they’re bottled. 



Notice how clear the soup/stock is?  That’s because I cook the won tons and noodles in a separate pot than the stock.  The water used to cook the noodles and won tons would be too starchy and sticky to consume.  So, I never cook the noodle in the stocks directly.  That is an important step to a wonderful bowl of won ton noodle soup.



Since these noodles are fresh egg noodles, they cook up really fast compared to dried noodles.  They are el dente in about 2 to 3 minutes cooking time.  Just like pasta, do not over cook the noodle.  However, the texture of these egg noodles are quite different than Italian pasta.  They are a lot more “bouncy” than pasta, which is a lovely compliment with the won tons.



Yes, I love chili oil in every bite.    Here’s how the won ton looks like when it’s cooked.  The won ton wrap becomes slightly translucent, silky and smooth, so thin that it’s almost invisible.



And below shows the inside of the won ton….the shrimp is naturally sweet, bouncy and flavorful.  There’s a slight crisp from the bamboo shoots.  With a hint of sesame oil and chili oil, every bit is heavenly.  It’s such a heart and stomach warming dish!  With the weather getting colder each day, I know I’ll be enjoying this Won Ton Noodle Soup a lot more often as well.  I hope you’ll try the recipe and let me know how it goes.