Spicy Cabbage with Frozen Tofu

Ingredients:

• Half of a cabbage, cleaned & sliced to large chunks
• 1/2 of frozen tofu, defrosted
• 4 teaspoons of olive oil
• 2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon dried garlic
• 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper or 1 teaspoon chilli oil
• 2 teaspoons of soy sauce

Directions:

1. Defrost/thaw frozen tofu. Once its thawed, cut tofu into 1/2 inch thick slices. 
2. Wash and prepare cabbage, cut into large chunks.
3. In a frying pan, put tofu at the bottom of the pan then the cabbage. Drizzle with olive oil then cover the pan for 3 minutes.
4. Add salt, dried garlic crumbles, cayenne pepper or chilli oil, and soy sauce. Flip the tofu slices. Cook for 5 minutes or until cabbage is at desired tenderness. Serve!

Juiniang (Sweet Rice Wine Dessert)

Ingredients:

• 3 cups Glutinous rice
• 1 juiyao (chinese yeast for brewing rice wine) these comes in individual packets of round balls

Directions:

1. Cook the rice in the rice cooker, make sure not to use too much water. The water should just barely cover the layer of rice. 
2. Once the rice is done, transfer the cooked rice to a bowl. Flip it with a pair of chopsticks until the rice is completely cooled and room temperature. 
3. Using 1 chinese yeast ball, dilute the ball in warm water mixture and stir it until it is completely dissolved.
4. Mix the yeast water mixture with the rice and stir to mix it then transfer the mixture to a glass bowl. Sprinkle some dried osmanthus flower on top. 
5. Create a hole in the center of the rice mixture with a spoon. This will allow us to observe the fermentation progress.
6. Put the lid on the glass bowl and wrap the bowl with plastic food wrap tightly then wrap the bowl with a baby blanket. Place it in a warm area in your kitchen but away from sunlight. Let the wrapped bowl sit for 48 hours.
7. After 48 hours, you should see water in the hole from the fermentation process. It is now ready to serve!

Baked Yams with Rose

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of purple yams or Japanese yellow yams
• 1/2 pound of sugared red bean paste
• 1/2 stick of butter
• 3 teaspoons of honey
• 10 dry rose buds, crushed
• 1 teaspoon hot water

Directions:

1. Wash and clean the yams. In a large pot of boiling water, cook yams for 30 minutes. Let cool and peel skin off. Slice yams vertically down the center only.
2. Preheat oven to 350º. Spread butter in a baking dish then spread red bean paste evenly inside the dish. Lay yams evenly inside the dish. If yams are too long to fit inside the baking dish, slice horizontally. Slice cold butter generously over the yams. Bake for 15 minutes. 
3. In a small pan, warm honey and add rose petals. Add hot water and remaining butter. Do not let boil, just warm and mix well. Remove yams from oven and drizzle sauce evenly on the top then bake yams for another 5 minutes. Serve immediately. 

Chicken Curry Salad

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds of skinless chicken breasts, cut into thick cubes
• Salt and Pepper
• 1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
• 1 cup raisins
• 1 apple, peeled, cored, and diced
• 1 cup celery, chopped
• 2 tablespoons of yellow curry powder
• 1 cube of dry curry sauce mix
• 2 tablespoons of water

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil in a sauté pan. Add salt on chicken pieces and cook, stirring frequently until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Make sure chicken is no longer pink inside. Set aside in a bowl.

2. Add yellow onion and cook until translucent then add 2 heaping tablespoons of yellow curry powder and curry sauce cube. Stir and add water. Add raisin and chicken then mix well.  Let cool.

When ready to serve the salad, add apple and celery. Mix well and enjoy. 

Pickled Radish

Ingredients:

• 1 large white radish, about 1 feet
• Salt
• 3 teaspoons of sugar
• 4 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons of rice vinegar

Directions:

1. Wash and clean the radish. Peel the skin with a vegetable peeler. Slice the radish down the middle then slice diagonally. Slice one of the four sections into thin slices. Place in a large glass or ceramic jar then sprinkle with salt. Slice another section into thin slices and place inside the jar then sprinkle with more salt. Repeat this process with the remaining two sections. Wrap the jar with plastic food wrap and let sit for 24 hours in room temperature.
2. Remove all the radish slices from the jar and place in a large strainer. Wash with water and let drain. After water has completely drained, place all radish slices back into the jar. 
3. Add soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar to the jar. Mix well and wrap well with plastic food wrap. Let marinade in the refrigerator for at least two days. Serve after two days and re-season with salt or sugar to taste.