Chinese Dumplings 饺子/锅贴

Filling:
- 1 lb minced pork
- 1 cup chinese/shitake mushroom, soaked until soft and chopped
- 3 spring onions, chopped
- 4 chinese leaf/napa leaves, chopped
- 1 knob of ginger, peeled and minced
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- pinch of sugar
















Mix well and wrap in flour skins.
Boil the wrapped dumplings (饺子/水饺) or fry in frying pan (锅贴)

For the dipping sauce, mix soy sauce, vinegar, and sesame oil.

Blueberry Muffins

These were my ingredients:
- 1/2 cup butter
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 1/2 cups fresh blueberries (bought a box of blueberries for $1 at Haymarket :)
- a husband who loves blueberries

Directions:
1. Sift flour, salt, and baking powder together and mix.
2. Cream sugar and butter. Mix eggs in and beat well.
3. Add milk, vanilla, and flour mixture and mix (not too thoroughly).
4. Dust cranberries with flour and fold into mixture.
5. Fill muffin tin or cups 2/3 full and bake at 350 F for 20-25 minutes.

Stuffed Peppers

Stuffing: couscous mixed with fresh coriander and dried cranberries

Spinach Salad (Korean style)

Mix:
- 2 handfuls of spinach, washed
- 2 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 spring onion, chopped
- 1.5 tbs soy sauce
- sesame oil
- sesame seeds, toasted!

Shepherd's Pie

Spinach Stuffed Chicken

Mix sour cream with cooked spinach and wrap into large strip of chicken and a slice of bacon.

Bake in the oven 15-20 minutes, depending on thickness of chicken.

Steamed Egg 蒸水蛋

The trick to this dish is to get the egg to become solid but very soft and smooth. My mom would have been very proud if she could have tasted it!

- 2 eggs, beaten gently
- 2 cups water
- spring onions, chopped

1. Mix eggs and water into a heat proof bowl and season with salt and pepper.
2. Steam on a metal rack in a wok or big pot with boiling water.
3. Keep the lid closed and the water simmering gently, opening the lid every couple of minutes to let out steam. This will cook the egg very slowly and gently.
4. After about 10 minutes, drop 1 piece of spring onion to check that the egg is solid or jelly like. Sprinkle the rest of the spring onion and steam with lid closed for another 2 or 3 minutes.
5. Season with soya sauce.

Tip: Also good if egg is steamed with dry mini prawns...

Chocolate Slices

Yummy!!!

-8 oz chocolate
-3 oz white chocolate
-1/2 unsalted butter
-90 g digestive biscuits

1. Melt chocolate in a bowl above simmering water while stirring in diced butter.
2. Let it cool down 20 min.
3. Break up biscuits into small pieces and chop up white chocolate.
4. Stir into melted chocolate until combined.
5. Pack gently into tin lined with parchment paper and chill until set.
6. Turn out chocolate and slice with sharp knife.

Prawn Omelette

2 eggs
5 or 6 prawns, peeled and deveined

1. Cut prawn lengthwise in half and pat dry with paper towel.
2. Beat eggs thoroughly and season with salt, pepper, and sugar.
3. Stir-fry prawn in hot oil until cooked (curled up and red).
4. Pour egg into skillet in and around prawn and let it fill the whole skillet.
5. Flip after 2 minutes and cook for 2 more minutes.

Potato Beef Stew

1. Coat beef with flour and brown in a skillet with hot oil.
2. Put all ingredients including beef into slow cooker and let it cook for 5 or 6 hours.

Potato Chickpea Curry

A very quick and easy curry!

1 large or 2 medium potatoes
1 can chickpeas, drained
1 can peeled tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp curry madras
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup cream or milk
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp ginger, chopped
1 onion, diced
2 tbsp oil

1. Peel and cut potatoes into cubes. Boil in water until soft. Drain.
2. Heat up oil in skillet and cook onion, garlic, ginger, and cumin for several minutes.
3. Add curry powder and can of tomatoes (including its liquid). Simmer for several minutes.
4. Add salt, potatoes, chickpeas and continue simmering.
5. Add cream. Stir and simmer for several minutes.