Recipe by Susan: Shrimp Wraps

This is something my mother-in-law did for dinner sounds good I will have to try it.

Last night I shelled medium size raw shrimp and marinated them in sesame oil, minced garlic, and lemon juice for an hour in the fridge.

I threaded them on (soaked) wooden skewers, 6 each, and breaded them with panko.

Then I made a dipping sauce of:
ponzu soy sauce
rice vinegar
chili flakes
squeezed garlic
minced ginger
lemon juice.
sugar
fish sauce (a little)

I separated a head of romaine and took the middle leaves - not the tough outer ones or the small inner ones.

I cooked the shrimp in a little oil until crusty on both sides and then we took a leaf and laid a skewer on it, wrapped the edges of the leaf around the shrimp and withdrew the skewer. Dip, bite, dip, bite.

They were wonderful.

Asian pork Chops

¼ cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon of sesame oil
2 cloves garlic
½ cup chopped onion
3 tablespoons chopped Ginger
2 tablespoons water
2 stocks of chopped green onions
6-8 boneless Pork Chops ¼ inch think

Combine soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, garlic, onion, ginger, and water. Put in microwave for 1 min. After you take it out of the microwave add the honey and 1 stock of chopped green onions. Mix well. Add mixture to a gallon ziplock bag.

Pound the pork chops into thinner slices, using a meat mallet.

Add the meat to the ziplock bag and marinate in the refrigerator for 3 hours.

Grill the pork for 2-3 min on each side or until done on medium heat.

Add the rest of the green onions on top of the pork slices and enjoy.

TheMuddyShoe - Pho

Pho

Broth
3lbs Beef Soup bones
2 lbs of chicken bones (legs and wings are good)
1 turkey leg (optional)
7 oxtail pieces (optional) (usually 2 per person)
1 Large white onion
8oz Ginger
1 ½ oz star anise
6 whole cloves
Salt to taste

Bowl Toppings

Cilantro (chopped)
bean sprouts
White onion (sliced thin)
Green Onion (chopped)
Basil
lime
jalapeño
Sriracha
Hoisin Sauce
rice noodles (I like large or x-large noodles)

Protein Toppings

1/3 pound beef sirloin, slightly frozen, then sliced paper-thin across the grain
Firm tofu cut into rectangles
Imitation Crab
Chicken Slices
Turkey Slices
Beef meatballs (bò viên)

Ok first thing is you are going to need to toast the onion and ginger. So peel the onion and cut in half. Also peel the ginger and cut in half. You can toast them anyway you want. If you have a grill use it. I like fire so I use my cooking torch which takes a bit longer but fun. The onion and ginger should be lightly toasted. You should also toast the anise and cloves in a pan just for a few min to bring out the flavor.

At this time you will also want to soak the rice noodles at least 3 hours before eating.

You are going to need a big pot so get a 12 quart pot or bigger. Put the soup bones, chicken, onion, ginger, ½ oz of star anise, 6 cloves, and a teaspoon of salt. Fill the pot with water (10 quarts approx.) to 1 inch from the top. Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. It should bubble but not boil. Now wait for about 10 hours. After about 4 hours you will want to add the rest of the star anise and the ox tails to the broth. You are going to get a huge layer of fat on the top the easy way to get rid of it is to after 10 hours of boiling let it cool and stick it in the refrigerator the next morning you can scrap of the top. You can also skim the top to remove the fat. When you serve Pho turn the heat up so the broth is at a full boil, ladle out the soup where it is at a rolling boil there will be less fat in that area.

Note: When I make pho I boil my soup on low for 24 hours and I use a huge pot. I also double or triple the recipe so I can feed an army. I add my oxtails 6 hours before we are ready to eat.

Note: if you added oxtails to your pho please remove them from the broth (6 hour cooking time) the meat should be falling off the bone. If you haven’t had oxtails you should try it they are absolutely delicious.

Cooking the noodles: I like to cook the noodles one bowl at a time; this will require you to purchase a Stainless Steel Single Mesh Deep Noodle Strainer. Amazon has them for nine dollars so it’s a cheap kitchen utensil. Boil some water in a pot that fits your noodle strainer. Grab a handful of noodles and put it in the noodle strainer and dip it into the hot water. Soak for 1-2 min it will cook pretty fast so you have to watch it. The noodles should be a tad bit firm but not crunchy.

Then put the noodles in a bowl you should use a ceramic bowl they say it keeps the soup warmer longer. Add Cilantro (chopped), bean sprouts, White onion (thinly sliced), Green Onion (chopped), Basil, lime, Sriracha, and hoisin sauce. You want to experiment and add what you like there are no rule on what to add to your pho.

Invite some friends over and have some soup.

The muddy shoe and the recipes

The Muddy Shoe’s focus is on recipes that are true to my family spirit, but using ingredients that are local or easily available in the usual grocery marts. There are, however, a few necessary ingredients that are not so common. In these cases, I encourage you to venture into your local Asian market. Most larger cities have at least one, and these days there are generally several to choose between. These markets can be very different from the run-of-the-mill groceries, but their funkiness and charm will draw you back time and time again. If you need help finding what you need, don’t hesitate to ask. If you do not have a local Asian market, you can order most products online, or you can email me and I can get you what you need if I can find it.

The reason behind creating recipes with ingredients which are easy to find dates back to 32 years ago. When my parents first arrived in the United States, there was a lack of Asian markets. All they had for supplies was the local supermarket, which had few to no Asian ingredients so they had to make substitutions to their recipes. We did make a few road trips every year to California for the thriving Asian community and markets there, and always returned with many products ranging from rice noodles to shrimp paste. These trips were great, but not exactly convenient. As time went on, my parents changed the original recipes by substituting different ingredients for local or American items. When I learned how to cook from my parents, I learned the new recipes which were never written down. Now when it comes time for me to cook something I generally take a few liberties and subtract and add a few ingredients for my own tastes. Some turned out better, others should never have been attempted, but cooking is a process and it’s the process that I have enjoyed. This collection of recipes is a combination of the Asian influence and the American. In the future I plan on listing two versions of some recipes – my parents’ and my own.

So remember that these recipes are just a starting point; experiment often and if you come up with something different, share it. Send it to me and I will post it for everyone to try. I will attempt to make every dish that I get emailed. So have fun cooking and please send me your recipes. They don’t have to be Asian food either. I love cooking in general so whatever it is I will try it. Although I am allergic to mangos so I won’t be eating any dishes with that deadly fruit. Have fun cooking!

themuddyshoe - Mini Banh Bao

Mini Banh Bao

Dough
4 cups self-rising flour
1 ½ cup milk
½ cup white sugar

Filling

2 pounds ground pork
2 cups imitation crab (chopped)
10 dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked) (chopped)
1 cup white onion, finely chopped
4 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Chinese Five Spice

Take the Shiitake mushroom and soak in warm water for 2 hours till it becomes soft. Once soft chop the mushroom to little cubes.

Combine flour and sugar, and then add the milk, mix until it becomes dough. The dough should not be sticky to the touch. It will be a bit stick when you roll it out a little flour to keep it from sticking. Once you have the dough let it rest for 30 min.

Combine the pork, crab, mushrooms, onion, oyster sauce, salt, pepper, and Chinese five spice. Use a mixer to whip the meat for 5 to 10 min.

Prep a steamer

Separate the dough into 1-inch balls. Roll the dough balls out till it’s a 4 inch circle. Put 1 ½ tablespoon of the meat mixture in the center. Put egg yolk around the edges to make sure you get a good seal. You are now going pleat the edge of the dough around and around, gathering edges together on top. Pinch and twist to seal the top.

The Banh Bao will grow to double its size so when you place them in the steamer give them some space. You should steam the Banh Bao for 12-15min. These are mini Banh Bao so they cook pretty fast.

If you have left over filling form into balls make some chick soup and add the pork balls to soup and you have another meal. You can also freeze the pork balls for use later.

How to fold Banh Bao Video

themuddyshoe - Chinese Five Spice Powder

1 part Szechwan pepper
1 part star anise
1/2 parts cloves
1/2 parts cinnamon
1/2 parts salt
1/4 parts white pepper
1 1/4 parts fennel seeds

So you can make a little or a lot as long as you keep the portions the same. Put all the ingredients in a spice grinder. I use a coffee grinder that i use just to grind spices otherwise your coffee taste a bit funny. Grind till a powered and remember a little goes a long way. Have fun

themuddyshoe - Foil Wrap Chicken

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs cut into bite-size pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 (1-inch) chunks of fresh ginger, pressed through a garlic press
3/4 cup hoisin sauce
Pinch of sugar
3 teaspoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1/4 cup sesame seeds toasted
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five spice (optional).

In a zip lock bag, combine chicken with the rest of ingredients. Shake and let marinate in refrigerator 2-3 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Take a roll of heavy duty aluminum foil, cut off 6-inch square pieces. (30 or so squares)

Place a heaping tablespoon of chicken mixture in the middle of a foil square. Fold in half diagonally to create a triangle. Fold the edge of each open side of the triangle over three times to seal well. Flip back each bottom corner.











































Place filled foil triangles on baking sheet. Bake 15-20 minutes, and serve.



Serve with rice or Udon Noodles for a great meal.

It went splosh

The time had come for the first bike ride in Seattle since moving here in December.

We started the adventure by heading to REI and spending way too much money for bike stuff, new pedals for my wife, shoes, gloves and other assorted bike gear. I should mention that REI was having a sale so that meant we would spend more money. After the shopping trip I came home to prep the bikes. I attached the crankbrothers - candy to my wife’s bike; I also replaced the tube in her tires and dug out the Arizona thorns that seemed to be all over her tire tread, I also oiled the chain. I then showed my wife how to get in and out of the crankbrothers - candy which made her nervous at first. We completed a test ride around the neighborhood and made a few last min adjustments to the bikes.

The day of the ride was here and as my son described it, the day was “switchie” which meant that it could be raining, sunny, or just cloudy or all the above. We set off to find a nice easy trail for this is the first time my wife was using egg-beaters and also going off road. My wife is more of a road biker then a mountain biker; she is always willing to try something new.

The trail was smooth at first and then it started to get a bit muddy. As I prepared to tackle the mud I peddle faster as not to get stuck in it, mud seemed to fly all over the place and I was like a school boy all over again. The trail seemed to be dry again which made me long for some more mud to fly through, and then I got my wish as I turned the corner the trail was completely coved in mud I decided to go straight down the middle as it seemed like the best option at the time, as I peddled faster and faster to get through the mud I could see solid land just a few feet ahead. Then the inevitable happened I was stuck with no place to go, so I had no choice but to unhook from my bike. I put my foot down onto what I thought was solid ground as it turns out I was wrong. My foot sank in the soft mud all the way to my ankle as I stood there one foot hooked to my bike the other coved in mud I couldn’t help but to laugh and smile. It’s been a long time since I had been mountain biking and at that moment I remembered why I started. The sheer joy of getting dirty and discovering new places with my friends is what it was all about. I remembered my Saturdays filled with getting the bikes ready, and meeting my friends. We would start early in the morning and end late in the day laughing and smiling the whole day. We would pack a lunch and set off in a general direction with no idea where we would end up. As I got older I just couldn’t find the time to get out and bike with my friends.

So as I pushed my bike out of the mud and waited for my wife to catch up, I just looked at the sight of my one muddy shoe. I was thinking how lucky I am that as much as things change in my life I am still able to go biking with my friend and have a blast. We did finish the trail without further incident and as we packed the bikes up on the truck we made plans to go out next week. So here is to growing old and making time for what’s important.