Flavours of the Orient.

Crab Rangoons

Recipe by me

One of my favourite "Asian" food items are crab rangoons. They're just so tasty, a crispy exterior with a creamy, cheesy, crabby interior. Then you dip it into some beautiful chili sauce, oh delish! I love them, and they are just so comforting and leave you with such a warm feeling. About a year ago I had come across a recipe for crab rangoons, before this moment it never crossed my mind that I could make crab rangoons at home. I mean why, they really are so simple.

The other day I had bought a pack of wonton wrappers, and since we had crab meat in the fridge I figured what better way to use both items. I didn't follow a recipe, nor did I look at any for inspiration, I simply set out to the kitchen and grabbed the ingredients that I wanted to put into the mix. I simply made it as I would if I were making wonton's for Wonton soup. It was so simple to put together and they were definitely fantastic. My mom absolutely loved them as well, I can't even tell you how many times in the past few days she has asked me to plop them into the toaster oven for her. That's what I love about them, I made a large batch and they are the perfect food for a quick lunch. They are definitely delicious, mmmm. What I enjoyed most about these though, is that unlike the crab rangoons you get at the restaurant, these ones are baked and not fried. You can give into the temptations without feeling the guilt, it's perfect.

Ingredients:

• 1 package crab
• 2 tsp soy sauce
• Pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp sour cream
• 3 tbsp whipped chive cream cheese
• 2 large green onion stalks
• 1/2 tsp minced ginger
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 package of wonton wrappers - about 30 wrappers
  

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degress F.

In a medium bowl, combine all of your ingredients except wonton wrappers, mix well.

Top one wonton wrapper with 1 tsp of your crab mixture. Moisten edges with water, and fold into a triangle. Press to seal tightly, making sure to remove any excess air bubbles.

Bake for 18-20 minutes.

*Note: these freeze really well. What I do is put them on a plate and place them in a fridge for about an hour. Then I place in a freezer safe bag and keep them for a later use.
Vegetable Honey Tofu Stir-Fry

Recipe taken from here
I've been doing this a lot lately where I take really nice pictures and delete them. I wanted to still post this recipe though because it is indeed very tasty!

Oh my gosh. Seriously this meal was absolutely delicious. While it was cooking it smelt like an Asian restaurant. When I brought it to my mouth it was love at first bite. It was perfect. It was sweet, crunchy, spicy, and just sweet perfection. I ate so much of it, I couldn't stop, it seriously tasted like authentic restaurant food. I had saved just a bit for the next day, and when I opened it, the scent was so overwhelmingly beautiful, it was as if I had just eaten at Cynthia's Chinese Food, but much better. It was healthy, and full of flavour, I loved it, and would certainly make this again.

Ingredients:

• 1 package firm tofu
• 3 tbsp canola oil
• 5 cloves garlic, cut in thirds
• 1 tbsp creamy honey
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp chili garlic sauce, to taste
• 15 baby bok choys
• 2 heads broccoli
• 1 tsp sesame seeds, slightly toasted
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp salt, to taste
• 1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

Directions:

Tofu:

Cut the tofu into 1/2 inch slices. In a wok, heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil. Pan-fry the pieces of tofu on both sides until golden and puffy. The tofu should have a nice fried outer crust and still be moist inside. Transfer the tofu onto paper towels. Once the tofu pieces are cool enough to handle, dice them. Set aside.

Bok Choy:

Stem the vegetables. Slice them in half, lengthwise. Cut and separate the stems from the leaves. Set aside.

Broccoli:

Separate the broccoli florets. Blanch for 3-4 minutes in boiling water then transfer into an ice bath. Drain thoroughly, then pat dry on a paper towel. Do not overcook, as the broccoli will continue to cook with the tofu later.

Assembly time:

In the same wok, add the rest of the oil. Once it's hot, add the garlic. As the garlic becomes slightly golden, add the tofu and stir fry until fragrant. Transfer the tofu to a platter, leaving as much oil as possible in the wok.

Add the bok choy stems. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, then add a tablespoon of soy sauce. Add the remaining bok choy leaves. Toss well, then transfer to a platter.

Return the tofu and garlic to the wok. Add honey. Once the tofu is coated in honey and caramelized, add both black bean sauce and chili garlic sauce and the remaining soy sauce. Stir-fry for about 3-4 minutes. Add the broccoli and bok choy. Stir constantly.

Check seasoning. Add salt and pepper. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro. Drizzle with sesame oil.

Serve immediately with steamed rice. I served this tofu dish with spinach vermicelle.