Chinese Food - Chinese Dumplings - How to Make Them

The lowly dumpling. In Western-style cooking it is a simple staple, a source of carbohydrates and a great comfort food. However, made in the Chinese way, it is an artistic creation from the kitchen. Chinese Dumplings (Jiao Zi or Gow Gee, in the Mandarin dialect) are a mixture made of dough filled with meat, chicken and/or vegetables. It is frequently dished up as part of dim sum. The correct preparation calls for plenty of time, patience and effort but the end result, when done properly, are definitely worth it.

Ingredients

Dough:

360 g white flour
240 - 350 ml water
1 tsp salt

You will need to buy the right variety of Chinese flour, which can be either rice flour or wheat flour. Normal plain white flour has a completely different consistency when mixed with water and cooked.

Make sure that the water is extremely cold, in fact nearly freezing. Mix the salt and flour together and add 240ml of the water. Blend well into a smooth dough adding extra water if the consistency is too dry. Knead well and make sure that the end result is a smooth ball. If you inadvertently add too much water, just balance it with a little more flour. Cover the dough and let it rest for at least half an hour.

Filling:

1 lb lean minced meat (beef, pork or chicken)
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp brandy
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp white pepper

Mix all the filling ingredients carefully to make sure that the meat doesn't end up as a mush.

This recipe should make 60 Chinese dumplings, so divide the dough into 60 pieces and roll each piece until it is about 7.5 cm (3 inches) in diameter.

Put about a tablespoonful of the meat mixture onto one disc and fold in half, sealing with a little water and pinching the edges together until you have a half moon shape. If you have one of those gadgets which does this for you, wet the edges of the dough disc, place it on the dumpling maker, spoon in the filling and press the edges of the dumpling maker together.

Chinese dumplings can be boiled or fried

To boil, bring a large pan of water to the boil and add half the dumplings. When the water boils again add 120 ml cold water and bring back to the boil. At this point add the other half of the dumplings and another 120ml cold water. Stir the dumplings very carefully to stop them from sticking together. Bring to the boil for a third time and the dumplings should be ready.

At this point you can fry the dumplings in a wok with hot oil. You will need to keep them on the move to prevent them from sticking and to make sure that both sides take a little colour.

To Serve

Serve the dumplings with a dipping sauce of equal amounts of soy sauce and dark vinegar, to which you can add a little chopped red chilli if you like a bit of spice.

Chinese dumplings are often served at New Year banquet as they are a symbol of wealth and good luck for the coming year but as part of a dim sum selection, you can eat them with pleasure whenever you want to.

Liz Canham

As well as a love of Asian Food and Cookery, Liz seeks to help newcomers to the world of internet marketing with tools, tips and training from her Liz-e-Biz.com website.

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Roasted Beef Ribs in Maple-Barbeque Sauce

You can use "Texas beef ribs" in this recipe. Plan on letting the ribs marinate for 48 hours and serve with coleslaw, corn bread, and plenty of ice-cold beer. But the ribs will still be delicious if they marinate for only 8 hours.

This barbecue sauce can be as mild or as spicy as you like; add hot pepper sauce accordingly. It also works well with pork, chicken, or shrimp.

The Barbecue Sauce:
1¾ cups ketchup
½ cup pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ cup chopped scallions or fresh chives
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground allspice
Dash hot pepper sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
The Ribs:
3½ to 4 pounds beef ribs, cut into individual ribs

Method :
Prepare the barbecue sauce: In a medium-size bowl, mix all the ingredients for the barbecue sauce and taste for seasoning. The sauce could have a good balance of sweet and savory, with the flavor of the spice present. Adjust as needed.

Place the ribs in a large bowl and coat the top, bottom, an sides with the sauce. Cover and refrigerate, turning the ribs and basting every few hours or so, for 8 or up to 48 hours.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Remove the ribs from the sauce, reserving the sauce, and place them in a large shallow roasting pan, bone-side down. Brush the ribs with a bit of the sauce.

Roast the rib for 30 minutes. Turn the ribs over, baste with additional sauce, and roast another 30 minutes. Turn the ribs again, baste with the remaining sauce, and roast, basting every 15 minutes or so, until tender, another 45 minutes to 1 hour. If the sauce begins to dry out in the bottom of the roasting pan, add ¼ to ½ cup water to dilute the sauce and keep it from burning. Most of the sauce will caramelize directly to the ribs. Serve hot or at room temperature, makes 4 servings.

By Lok Wai Siang

Lok Wai Siang is an accomplished niche website developer and author.

To learn more about online recipes, visit http://www.asianfood-recipe.com for current articles and discussions.

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Juice Recipes For Weight Loss - Recipe and 7 Tips For Juicing the Weight Right Off!

Trying to lose and keep off weight is no easy challenge. In fact it's quite the commitment. That being said, often times it is the right decision to the start of a healthy way of life. It's not something that can be forced on you though. Losing weight is something that you have to want in order to make change a reality. In other words, you can't just try to lose weight without the real heart behind it. Juicing isn't the sort of diet that goes in and out of popularity. The reason is because it's not a fad diet. It's an important part of a healthy lifestyle.

Luckily trying a juice diet is a great way to start shedding quick pounds to help motivate you to take it to the next level. In fact, once you start, juicing for weight loss will become a part of your daily routine. All it requires is the small investment of a juicing machine and a book full of delicious recipes. You'll never need to stop at the smoothie stand or drink store bought juice which has a fraction of the nutrients you need on a daily basis.

For example, look at this delicious recipe you can try out:

This is known as the Bahama Sunset:

4 Servings

1 c. strawberries, slice in half
1½ c. orange juice
1 whole mango, peeled, seeded, and chopped into small chunks
2 kiwi, peeled and cut into chunks
1 to 2 tablespoons honey
½ c. seltzer

With a blender on the puree setting, puree all, except the seltzer, until creamy and smooth. Pour into four glasses and stir in the seltzer Serve over ice if you'd like to make it a cold treat.

Doesn't that look delicious? Juice recipes for weight loss are getting more and more popular each and every day and that's because of the nutrients and vitamins each drink contains not to mention how filling they are!

Here are 7 tips that will get you on your way to juicing for weight loss.

1. Buy a Terrific Juicer. Remember just because it costs more doesn't mean it's better!

2. Try substituting an entire meal with a glass of fresh juice. Even one meal like this a day will decrease your calorie count greatly and help your weight melt away.

3. Fresh Juice is higher in carbohydrates because of all of the natural sugars so when on a low carb diet, you might want to reduce the number of fresh juice drinks you're consuming daily.

4. Stay away from appetite stimulants when using juice recipes for weight loss since they will make your body chemistry unbalanced and make juicing less effective.

5. If you want to get rid of food cravings try a fresh juice with parsley and carrot juice since these are natural appetite suppressants and will leave you satisfied.

6. If you are experiencing water retention try increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables such as watermelon juice, cucumber juice, cranberry juice, celery asparagus which are natural diuretics.

7. Leftover pulp is extremely good for you.In fact it is a great source of fiber and vitamins. Try putting it in the juice as well or if you like your juice strained, incorporate it into a soup or type of baked good.

Remember juice recipes for weight loss are a great and simple way to get healthier and feel good doing it. It's one of the easiest ways to change your diet for the better without trying a fad diet that will only yield temporary results!

By Eric Baglio

For more juice recipes for weight loss and tips on juicing for weight loss, visit our website at http://www.juicerecipesforweightloss.net

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Eric_Baglio

note : You can visit http://your-health-solution.blogspot.com/search/label/weight%20loss

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Delicious and Different Chicken Entrees

Today, doctors encourage us to eat less red meat and more poultry. If you are constantly looking for new ways to get your family to eat more chicken, here are a couple of recipes for you. Chicken with olives gives a different twist to the ever popular boneless, skinless, chicken breasts. And Crescent Chicken Wreaths combines chicken with tasty crescent rolls for a real treat. This recipe helps to sneak some broccoli into your family's meals and is a good way to use up leftover chicken.

CRESCENT CHICKEN WREATH

2 tubes (8 oz each) refrigerated crescent rolls

1 cup shredded low-fat cheddar cheese

2/3 cup cream of chicken soup, undiluted

1/3 cup chopped broccoli

1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper

1/4 cup water chestnuts, chopped

3/4-1 cup cooked cubed chicken

2 tbsp chopped onion

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange crescent rolls on a 12-inch pizza pan, forming a ring with the pointed ends facing the outer edge of the pan. The wide ends should overlap. Combine the remaining ingredients and spoon over the wide ends of the rolls. Fold points over filling and tuck under wide ends. The filling will be visible. Bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown.

CHICKEN WITH OLIVES

1 red bell pepper

1 orange bell pepper

1yellow bell pepper

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 tps olive oil, divided

2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

2 garlic cloves, minced

3 tbsp chopped pitted kalamata olives

3 tbsp chopped pitted green olives

2 tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice

Preheat broiler. Cut bell peppers in halves, lengthwise, remove seeds and membrames. Place pepper halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet and flatten with hand. Broil 10 minutes or until blackened. Place in a zip-top bag and seal. Let stand for 10 minutes. Remove from bag, peel and chop.

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook 5 minutes on each side or until no longer pink in center. Remove from pan; keep warm.

Add 1 teaspoon oil, rosemary, and garlic to pan; saute until garlic begins to brown. Stir in bell peppers, olives, and lemon juice. Cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated, stirring constantly.

Yield: 6 servings of 1 piece of chicken and 1/3 cup of sauce

Per serving: 159 calories, 3 g carbs, 27 g proteins

Enjoy!

By Linda Carol Wilson

For more of Linda's recipes and diabetic information go to http://diabeticenjoyingfood.squarespace.com She also shares vintage recipes at grandmasvintagerecipes.blogspot.com

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Lightning Quick Complete Meal Recipe - Baked Chicken, Baked Potato, Buttery Corn and Sweet Carrots

Do you find yourself bringing fast food home because you don't have time to cook a good home-cooked meal? Are you in a rut with your meal plan and keep eating the same thing over and over again? Here's a quick-and-easy complete meal that goes from freezer to table in a very short amount of time. Oh yeah, and it's delicious!

Stop by your local grocery store and pick up the following items on your way home:

• Four chicken breasts (frozen or fresh)

• Four medium Russet Potatoes

• One can of whole kernel corn

• One can of sliced carrots

• Butter or margarine

• Barbecue sauce

• Sour cream

• Montreal or Cajun seasoning

• Cinnamon

Follow these steps in order and your meal will appear before your eyes in no time:

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line a glass casserole dish with aluminum foil.

2. Place chicken breasts in dish in a single layer. Pour barbecue sauce over each piece of chicken and coat using a pastry brush. Sprinkle with seasoning of your choice. Place in oven and set kitchen timer for 25-30 minutes. Be careful not to overcook as chicken will be dry.

3. Take potatoes and poke multiple holes in each using a fork. Place on microwave safe plate and place in microwave. Microwave on high for 12 minutes. Note that times will vary from microwave-to-microwave so consult your manual.

4. While chicken and potatoes are cooking, open the can of corn and the can of carrots. Drain about half the water from each can. Place contents of each can in separate microwave safe bowls. Place one tablespoon of butter or margarine in each bowl. Sprinkle carrots with cinnamon.

5. Set the table while waiting for the potatoes to finish. Once potatoes are done, remove them from microwave. Put corn in microwave and heat for 1:30 minutes. When corn is done, remove and place carrots in microwave and heat for 1:30 minutes. Cut potatoes in half and add generous amounts of butter and sour cream to each half. Season with salt and black pepper.

6. At this point, the chicken should be almost cooked so pour the drinks and call your family to the table. Remove the chicken from the oven when the timer expires. Check to make sure the chicken is fully cooked.

In about thirty minutes you should have a complete delicious and nutritious meal that you and your family can enjoy. What a fantastic way to break out of the old routine! Happy eating!

By Charlie Thibodeaux

About the Author: Charlie Thibodeaux is a native Louisianian and Cajun. He runs a Cajun recipes website offering tons of great Cajun cooking recipes as well as many Creole recipes.

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Egg Salad Sandwich Recipe

This is a very nutritious and healthy recipe. It is also versatile regarding what ingredients you put into it to enhance the flavor as well as the texture.

This sandwich can be tuned to your particular tastes, but here is my basic recipe. This is a good filling for sandwiches and you can eat very well for a little investment. I haven't had this in quite a while but after writing this, I think I'll make some.

Basic ingredients:

6 - eggs hard boiled

3 - 4 tablespoons of mayonnaise

1/4 - cup of thinly sliced celery sticks

1/4 - cup of thinly sliced green onion

Put eggs in a mixing bowl and crush with a fork, I like the finished product kind of chunky. Add salt and pepper, I like it hot so I use red cayenne. Take 3 tablespoons mayo and mix with eggs, use more mayo if you like it creamier. Then add the celery and onions and mix thoroughly but don't whip as it will get too creamy. Put in refrigerator for a minimum of 1 hour, to let the flavor permeate the mixture.

Personally I like it on toast, but you can use it for a salad if you are so inclined. Either way you are going to love it. The first sentence above states basic, that's because you can put relish instead of the onions and celery. Depending on what you like, you can substitute most anything. And of course if your significant other doesn't share your same tastes, then I guess it would be all yours.

By F. Allen Putt

Thank you for reading this recipe and if you would like more recipe ideas visit http://www.successfulcookingfroma-z.com - I'll be continually adding new recipes that are tasty and easy to prepare.

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At a Loose End, Mackerel With Mustard Sauce

A couple of years ago my brother took early retirement and after he finished doing all the jobs around the house he had always meant to do, if he ever found the time. He started on the garden; his wife however wasn't best pleased, since she considered the garden to be her domain. Nevertheless she put up with it, she also accepted that he would help with the shopping, but what she wasn't prepared to allow was any interference in the running of the household.

So she came up with a cunning plan to get him out of her hair, she bought him a fishing rod, all the equipment to go with it and suggested that he join a fishing club, which as far as I am aware he did. Although I never did hear how he got on with the fishing club, I did hear how he got on when he went on a sea fishing trip off the Northeast coast. It was amazing and to someone as new to fishing as my brother was, it must have seemed a fisherman's dream come true. In one short trip alone he caught one hundred and seventeen mackerel, all by hand, no nets involved.

He gutted and cleaned the lot, gave a quite a few of them away to friends and family tried various recipes and even bought a smoker so that he smoke some of them. The rest he put in the deep freeze for future consumption and since he did another couple of trips I assume his deep freeze is still well stocked with mackerel as well as other fruits of the sea.

Mackerel is a health, fairly oily fish; full of omega 3, which is good for you and English mustard has the bite needed to make an excellent contrast with this rich fish. So why not try the recipe below I think you will enjoy it.

Mackerel with mustard Sauce.

4 fresh mackerel

Salt and ground black pepper

1 ½ oz of butter

2 oz of finely chopped onion

For the Mustard Sauce

½ oz of butter

½ oz of flour

I large teaspoon of ready made English mustard

A pinch of sugar

½ pint of water

4 tablespoons of milk

1 oz of grated cheese

Method

To bone the mackerel yourself: gut and clean, remove the head, tail, fins and any tiny spines, cut open to the backbone from belly to tail. Open out slightly and place on a board with skin side up, Bang along the backbone until fish is flat. Turn over and you will find that the backbone just pulls out, remove any long bones remaining. Wash fish and pat dry.

Lay fish in a large flat dish, season with salt and pepper, cover with foil and bake in a moderate oven, Gas 6, 400ºF, 200ºC, for 15 minutes.

While it is in the oven melt butter in a small pan and cook onions until they are tender, put to one side.

Now make the sauce using another pan, melt butter, remove pan from heat and beat in the flour and mustard, add sugar and blend in water.

Return to the heat and bring to the boil, simmer for five minutes stirring often. Remove pan from heat and add milk and half of the cheese.

Take the dish out of the oven, scatter cooked onions over the top and pour sauce over. Sprinkle with the rest of the cheese and brown under a hot grill.

Fred Watson April 2008

By Fred Watson

Fred Watson published his first book, a fantasy adventure novel aimed at the 8-12 age group, in September 2006. A grandfather of four, he loves to write for all age groups and continues on a regular basis to add new stories to his website. Footprint Publishing

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