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)

Mango Shaved Ice

My Kids fell in love with shaved ice the very first time I took them to one of those fancy shaved ice places.  You can pretty much order different flavored shaved ice, along with different toppings such as fresh fruit, sprinkles, candies and mochi.  They usually charge you by an arm or a leg...oh, I meant by weight! 

On the other hand, my kids also loved the more traditional Hawaiian version of shaved ice, especially my Son.  He had it at a charity event at school.  I can totally see why the kids love shaved ice so much.  It's cool, usually colorful with the syrup/flavorings, you can hold it in your hand and it's totally okay to make a mess type of treat, etc.



If you've been following my blog for a while, or if you know me personally, you probably knew that flavored syrup and artificial coloring aren't things that I would like to see in my food, nor the kids' food.  I love big flavors, but not from artificial stuffs that I can't pronounce.  So, as I created the homemade version of shaved ice, all natural, organic, and healthy ingredients are on top of the list.



During our Spring break, we went to San Francisco for vacation.  My Hubby's cousin took us to the Google Store and I purchased the Android ice cube tray (see picture below and click here for product information).  Since my fridge have the ice cube dispenser, I used this ice cube tray for "flavored ice" instead.  To be more specific, mango juice ice cubes.



Simply pour your favorite mango juice, or mango nectar, into the tray. Let them freeze until completely hardened.  And you've got mango juice ice cubes.  Not only they are perfect in this mango shaved ice recipe, you can also add them to your mango juice or cocktails.  Your drink will stay nice and chilled without getting diluted by regular ice cubes.



Since I'm making quite a lot of shaved ice and I only have one ice cube tray, I made some extra mango juice ice cubes in a more efficient way.  Simply pour the mango juice into freezer safe containers, cover and freeze for 3 to 4 hours, depending on the size.  I took the container out and cut the mango ice into cubes before they are completely frozen because that's way easier to cut.  Then you can freeze the cut out cubes until they are completely hardened afterwards.




Besides my little helpers, I have some special kitchen tools to help me out with this Mango Shaved ice.  My kids had been requesting for shaved ice for a while.  Instead of spending $6 to $8 a bowl at the shave ice store, the little machine below is quite a good bargain.  I tried the manual snow cone machine in the past and they don't quite really work, except that you get a pretty good upper arm workout out from those.  But for shaved ice, this little machines works beautifully. Simply drop the ice cubes, or mango ice cubes in this case, and twist the lid to turn on the machine and you've got mango shaved ice.  I can't resist but to get the paper snow cone cups and straws as well.  They are just adorable and so much fun to use.  I say, they are perfect for summer parties too.  You can check out the machine here, and the cups set here.




You can serve the Mango Shaved Ice the traditional way, in the paper cone and a straw.  You don't need to add any syrup as the mango ice cubes are already sweet enough and very flavorful.




However, it's always nice to add a little more fresh fruit on top of the shaved ice, just like those in the fancy shaved ice cafes.  My favorite Ataulfo Mangos are in season now, so, that's what I added, along with some fresh strawberries.




Of course, you can top with anything that you fancy for.  I love to keep it simple and use what I have in the fridge and in season. 

I hope you enjoy today's post and recipe.  Stay tuned for more fun recipes in the future and stay cool!





Tools and Props Used in this Post:

Android Ice Cube Tray (Click here for more information)
Snow Cone Machine (Click here for more information)
Snow Cone Cups and Straws (Click here for more information)
Pyrex Baking Dish with Lid (Click here for more information)
Small Cutting Board with handle (Click here for more information)
Small Bamboo Spoon (Click here to see similar product)
Ice Cream/Snow Cone Stand (Click here for more information)

Asparagus Ribbon Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette

One of my favorite Spring vegetables is asparagus.  I usually prepare them on the grill, make Green Gazpacho cold soup or roast them in the oven.  And lately, I fall in love with eating them raw as in this Asparagus Ribbon Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette.  They are shaved to ribbon thin and the acidic vinaigrette helps soften them a little.  So, the texture of the asparagus holds up and is crisp-tender.  Really refreshing and delightful to eat.       
 


Preparing the Lemon Vinaigrette couldn’t be any easier.  It consists of lemon juice, Dijon mustard, a little bit agave to balance out the tartness, extra virgin olive oil (I used a Meyer lemon infused olive oil), kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.  It compliment the flavors of the fresh asparagus very well.



I top the salad with a few shaved parmigiano reggiano and toasted pine nuts.  You can use any other nuts that you like but I love the buttery pine nuts and the slightly salty and very flavorful parmigiano reggiano here.  Each bite is perfect and leave me craving for more!



Here’s how I prepare this salad:
1) In a small pan, toast the pine nuts on low heat until golden brown.  Be careful not to burn them, toss them frequently.  Set aside and let cool.

2) Gently wash and pat dry the asparagus.  Trip off about 1-inch off the root. 
3) With a vegetable peeler, peel off the outer layer on the bottom 5 to 6-inches.  Discard the peels. 



4) With the vegetable peeler, shave along the long strands of the asparagus from tip to end.  Place asparagus ribbons in a large mixing bowl, set aside.
5) In a medium mixing bowl, whisk lemon juice, mustard, agave together. 
6) While whisking, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until vinaigrette emulsified.  Add salt and pepper, to taste.  Gently toss enough vinaigrette to moisten the asparagus ribbons.  You might not need all the vinaigrette.  You can toss in the pine nuts, or sprinkle them on top.  With a vegetable peeler, shave a few parmigiano reggiano on top and enjoy!



As simple as this!  I hope you enjoy today’s post and recipe.   Give it a try and I’m sure you’ll love this salad a lot too.  Stay tuned for more refreshing Spring and Summer time recipes to come!



Props used in this post:

Core Bamboo 3-Piece Cutlery Set (Click here to see product information)

Wood Print Photography Backdrop (Click here to see similar product)
Libbey County Fair Drinking Jars (Click here to see product information)
Core Bamboo Cutting Board (Click here to see product information)
Aqus Striped Paper Straws (Click here to see product information)
Salad Plate (Click here to see similar product)

Spaghetti with Fresh Clams in White Wine Sauce

My kids love pastas and noodles.  This Spaghetti with Fresh Clams in White Wine Sauce is by far the most request pasta dish in our house.  The only reason why I'm not cooking it once a week was because I need to get live fresh clams for this dish.  Otherwise, you bet I would.  Yes, it said white wine sauce.  But don't worry, it's only a small amount and the alcohol will evaporate off in the cooking process.




I love preparing different pastas for the kids as they are generally faster cooking than Chinese cuisine.  This dish is definitely a fast cooking one.  The only time consuming step is the wait time.  You might wonder what wait time?  Well, I'm referring to soaking the clams in cold water along with a tablespoon of flour so that the live clams will spit out all the sands.  This is an important step so you don't get sandy clams in your pasta.  So, I usually get the clams early in the morning or even the day before so they are ready when you're ready to cook.




I also included some important tips in cooking with live clams in the recipe below.  If you came across any question, feel free to ask me in the comment session below.

If you plan to make this dish, just make sure you get live clams and not frozen ones because they'll make all the difference in the world.  The natural sweetness from the fresh clams is simply amazing!  So, if you're getting bored with your tomato based pasta at home, give this recipe a try.  I'm sure you and your family will love it.






Props used in this post: 
Core Bamboo 3-Piece Cutlery Set  (Click here to see product information)
Wood Print Photography Backdrop (Click here to see similar product)
Core Bamboo Cutting Board (Click here to see product information)
Gourmet Setting Flatware Treble (Click here to see product information)

Lunasia Chinese Cuisine (凱旋宮) Dim Sum Restaurant Review

Last week, we visited San Francisco (S.F.) for the kids’ Spring Break vacation, more about that in the next posts.  We do have some friends and relatives residing in S.F.  So, naturally, I asked one of them to recommend a good Chinese restaurant to us.  Her reply was a little shocking to me.  She said the Chinese restaurants in S.F. are not quite up to par and they would travel to Los Angeles (L.A.) when they want good Chinese food.  I haven’t been to San Francisco for a while so I took her words for it.  So, today’s Dim Sum restaurant review is from one of my favorite Chinese restaurant located in….guess where?  L.A. of course!  Sorry to those folks in S.F., but after trying one of the “better” Chinese restaurants in S.F., I do have to agree with my friend that L.A. has better Chinese restaurants, over all.  



Lunasia is one of my favorite Chinese restaurants for Dim Sum.  Dim Sum (點心) refers to a style of Cantonese food prepared as small bite-sized or individual portions of food traditionally served in small steamer baskets or on small plates.  Eating dim sum at a restaurant is usually known in Cantonese as going to "drink tea" (yum cha, 飲茶), as tea is typically served with dim sum.  The picture above is the tea menu available at Lunasia.  Each one is unique and pairs well with the food.



The picture above is the Pork Dumplings (鹹水角).  This is one of my favorite things to order at Dim Sum restaurants because of the unique flavors and texture. Also, it’s a lot of work to make them at home.  The dough is made out of gluten rice flour so it’s sticky and chewy.  The dumpling is filled with pork, some pickled veggies and this one comes with shrimps as well.  Then the whole thing is deep fried (something I seldom do in home cooking) to obtain the crispy shells.  The picture below shows you the inside of the dumpling.



Next, we have Pan-Fried Turnip Cake (香煎蘿蔔糕), see picture below.  Since I do make my own during the Chinese New Year, I do prefer my own version because I put more fillings into them.  Don’t get me wrong, these are quite good compared to many other restaurants out there.  Also, I don’t make them often as there are quite some steps involved.  So, this is a very good option when we crave for the turnip cakes.



The one in the picture below is the Home Style Chicken Wrap (順德大良雞卷), comes with a sweet and spicy sauce underneath.  The fillings obviously is made with ground chicken, and mixed with some mushrooms.  Then it’s wrapped in bean curd skin  (腐皮) and fried.  The flavor was great and it was quite delicious.  It has the balance of savory, sweet and spicy all in one bite.  The only drawback was that there were only two of us, and this is quite a lot of meat to consume.  So, order this if you have a bigger party to share with.



Next, we tried the Braised Mushroom with Brown Sauce (烤夫), see the picture below.  It’s a very famous dish originated from Shang-Hai (上海).  In addition to the braised mushrooms, there are also wheat gluten (麵筋), and black fungus in this dish, served with a sweet and savory brown sauce.  My Hubby (the Shang-Hai-nese) said this was very authentic and yummy.     



Up next is one of my favorite vegetarian Dim Sum dishes, Veggie Bean Curd Wrap (羅漢腐皮卷).  The fillings were bean sprouts, carrots, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots, all wrapped with Bean Curd and fried to crispy perfection, while the veggies inside are still juicy and tender.  I highly recommended this one.



The picture below is Egg Roll Rice Noodle (街邊炸兩腸粉).  This name was taken from the restaurant’s online menu.  However, the “Egg Roll” doesn't quite fit with the actual dish here.  This is actually the Chinese savory doughnut (油炸鬼), not egg roll, wrapped with a thin layer of rice noodle.  The sauce is a very low sodium soy base sauce, topped with toasted sesame seed.  And it’s perfect to dip into a little Hoi Sin Sauce (海鮮醬), that's serve on the side.  The savory doughnut inside is still crisp and the rice noodle wrapper should be silky smooth and tender.  hm….I love this one!  And not too many restaurants offer this dish anymore because the savory doughnut is another difficult item to make. 



Can you believe the two of us ate so much food, and it was for lunch!?  Yes, we did.  And up next are Shang Hai Pork Dumplings (上海小籠包).  Shhhhh….but I do like those from (here) way better!  But when you crave for these along with other dim sum, go ahead and order these.  These are very decent, in deed.



Last but not least, you can’t go to Dim Sum without ordering Jumbo Shrimp Har Gow (蝦餃皇), a.k.a. Shrimp Dumplings!  These were some of the best Har Gow I've had at Dim Sum.  As the wrapper outside is super thin, the shrimp filling is juicy and super bouncy, just how a great shrimp dumpling should be! 
 


To put things into perspective, check out the picture below to see a comparison of the size of the Har Gow and my fist!  Yup, they don’t call these Jumbo Har Gow for no reason! 



If you’re interested in visiting Lunasia for Dim Sum, you can find more information below.  Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy today’s post.  Take care and eat well!

Lunasia Chinese Cuisine (凱旋宮)
Address and Phone number:
500 West Main Street Suite A
Alhambra, CA 91801
(626) 308-3222

Restaurant Website:
http://www.lunasiachinesecuisine.com/lunasia

Restaurant Hours:
Dim Sum: Monday - Friday 10am - 3pm
Saturday, Sunday and Holidays 9am - 3pm
Dinner: Monday - Sunday 5pm – 10pm
 
 
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.