All posts tagged: Taiwanese

Pineapple and Shrimp Fried Rice

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Sweet, tangy, with a hint of spice, this pineapple and shrimp fried rice is great for summer lunch and so easy to make! Before I moved to the US, I never understand why in many literature, summer night is a time that’s most enjoyable. As in Asia, summer night is usually hot, humid, and sometimes suffocating. Pineapple and shrimp fried rice is a dish represents summer in Asia for me. The tropical fruit fragrant paired with the umami from the ocean reminds me of those holidays on the beach Pineapple and Shrimp Fried Rice Recipe Yield: 2 bento Prep time: 10 minutes (including marination time) Cook time: 10 minutes Ingredients: 5-6 large shrimps, cut into bite size 1 tablespoon cooking rice wine or masala wine A pinch of salt 1/2 cup diced pineapple (it can be fresh, canned, or frozen) 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 2.5 cups cold cooked rice 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon ketchup 2-3 teaspoons sriratcha sauce 1/4 cup of frozen edamame or peas Method: Marinate shrimps with cooking rice wine and …

Braised Pork Belly with Meigan Cai

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Ever since I bought a pack of Meigan cai, or pickled Chinese mustard, I feel the urge of making braised pork whenever I see meigan cai. I guess this stuff is addictive! Meigan cai is dried and pickled Chinese mustard. It is known in Taiwan as a ingredient of Hakka dish, but in fact it’s quite popular in the whole south-eastern China. Chinese mustard is a magical plant for me. There are at least five types of popular pickles are made from it. Each pickle go through different phases of process, and thus each has their special flavor. Since Meigan cai is the pickle which takes longest time to make among the Chinese mustard pickle family, it has a very deep, intense, and mild flavor. To “wake up” your meigan cai, you need to soak it in clean water till it turns soft, and then fry it to bring out its fragrance. Even though Meigan cai is generally fermented with salt, sugar, and chili pepper, there are still some minor differences in taste and flavor …

Repurpose Pickles for Salad Dressings!

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I try to have as many vegetable as possible in my bento, thus I’m actively searching for different seasonings to create new flavors in my vegetable dishes. Recently I’m exploring various Taiwanese pickles from Asian grocery stores. When I was in Taiwan, I used to eat these pickles alone with rice porridge. Now I don’t eat rice porridge often, and I found these pickles very flavorful, so I use them as seasonings and pair with different vegetables. Pickled bamboo shoot is one of my favorite. It is mildly spicy and full of fermented acidity. I used it as a salad dressing to mix with blanched cauliflower and thinly-sliced cherry radish. With few drops of lemon juice, its flavor is so refreshing and can serve as a cold entree or a reheat-able bento side dish. Repurpose Pickles for Salad Dressing What you need: The pickle A medium bowl A whisk or a pair of chopstick for stirring A courageous mind What to do: Adjust the taste and texture of the pickle to make it become an …

Taiwanese Braised Pork Belly & Extra Firm Tofu

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My ultimate comfort food is Taiwanese braised pork. Whenever I open the cover of a pot of Taiwanese braised pork, for a moment I almost feel that I’m in the lively wet market in Taipei, enjoying hot and yummy food. Normally I use extra firm tofu from Asian grocery stores, but since I found the high protein tofu from Trader Joe’s, I was so addicted to its natural soy flavor and started using it exclusively . By adding Sichuan peppercorn, my braised pork has a little kick of spice, which makes it more addictive. Enjoy! Taiwanese Braised Pork Belly Recipe Yield: 8-10 bento Prep time: 10 minutes Cooking time: 40-50 minutes Ingredients: 3-4 pork belly strips, around 1lb Warm water 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 2 scallion, cut into chunks 3-4 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon Sichuan pepper corn powder 2-3 chili peppers 1/4 cup brown sugar 1/3 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup cooking rice wine 2 tbsp dark soy sauce 14 oz extra firm tofu, diced 3-4 hard boiled egg (optional) Method: In a medium …

Sunrise Turmeric Carrot Scramble Egg

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Have you ever seen sunrise in the mountains? Today’s bento is inspired by the beautiful scene of sunrise in Jade mountain, the highest mountain in Taiwan. At first, the mountains are still dark and purple. Only the snow-capped top is visible. But slowly, you can see the golden sun starts to shine and brighten the sky with beautiful orange shades. Whenever I think of that scene, I feel empowered and hopeful. The sun will come out and the darkness will fade away. The ☀️ in the bento is my carrot and turmeric egg ball. As for the mountain which is capped by snow, It’s purple rice ball cooked with coconut milk and then garnished with shredded coconut. Turmeric Carrot Scramble Egg/Egg Ball Recipe Yield: 2 bento Prep time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 5 minutes Ingredients: 1.5 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 cup grated carrot Pinch of salt 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder 2 large eggs, whisked with a pinch of salt Method: Use medium flame to heat the pan with oil, and stir fry grated carrot with …