Eggplant Rollatini with Marinara and Pesto Sauce

This recipe might seem like a lot of work at first, well, that's if you're making everything from scratch. In order to keep it simple and not overworking us housewives, it's ok to use some store-bought ingredients.

Just like two of my great helpers here, store-bought marinara sauce and pesto sauce. These two alone can definitely cut down at least 30 minutes prep time, not mentioning the cleaning work involved.

To further cutting down the workload, you can use the already shredded cheese. I use packaged shredded mozzarella here. However, I have to grate my own parmesan cheese. The reason is that I always stick to aged parmigiano reggiano, and there's no pre-grating version of this. But a bit extra work in exchange for a much more complex savory note, I think it's well worth tiring my hands and my arms in grating the cheese.

Eggplant rollatini with marinara and pesto sauce - 

Ingredients?

• 2 big and round eggplants
• Some salt
• Some olive oil
• 300 grams marinara sauce 
• 3 tablespoons pesto sauce
• 120 grams shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/4 cup grated aged parmigiano reggiano
• Some fresh basil sprigs (for garnish/optional)

Filling:

• 1 cup ricotta cheese
• 1/2 cup grated aged parmigiano reggiano
• 1 egg
• 2 garlic cloves
• 3 tablespoons chopped basil
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

How?

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit/200 degrees Celsius. Brush baking sheet with some olive oil. 

Cut-off both ends for the eggplants. If you can find big, round, and longer eggplants then that's your best choice. The shape makes it much easier to roll later on.

Slice the eggplant to 1/4 inch thick pieces from top down. Because the natural curvy shape of the eggplant, I'm not using the first and the last slices, only use the center part instead.

Lay out the eggplant slices and sprinkle some salt on both sides.

Let it sit for about 10 minutes. You'll start to see some tiny water droplets forming on the eggplant. Wipe off these excess liquid while removing some of the salt on both sides.

Transfer the eggplant slices to the baking dish and into the oven for 10 minutes. Once ready, remove and let the eggplant cool-off, at least till cool enough to handle by hand. 

If you have to move the eggplant slices around while still a bit hot, better use a spatula and scoop from the ends. Otherwise some very soft part might separate while trying to pick up the eggplant with uneven force. 

While waiting for the eggplant to cool-off, prepare all the ingredients listed under the "filling" section. Peel and finely chop the garlic cloves then transfer to a mixing bowl. Break in one egg, also add all other ingredients for the filling.

Mix till all the ingredients are evenly blended together.

Have a baking dish ready, medium size with some depth should work. Pour over some marinara sauce and spoon them evenly on the bottom.

Check and see if the eggplant slices have cooled-off. If so, take one spoonful of the filling to the end of the eggplant slice then start rolling up. Transfer rolled up eggplant to the baking dish, with opening side down. Continue to do so till the baking dish has been fully placed by the eggplant rolls.

Spoon some more marinara sauce all over the eggplant rolls, also spread out about 3 tablespoons of the pesto sauce.

Sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese all over first, then sprinkle 1/4 cup of that high quality aged parmigiano reggiano cheese on top too.

Cover the baking dish with foil then into the oven, bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and switch to high heat. Continue to bake till the cheese on top starts to turn slightly browned. 

Remove from the oven and garnish with fresh basil sprigs.

Remember the edges of the eggplant slices that I didn't use in this recipe? In fact, I ended up dicing them and used in a pasta dish. Besides that, I also used all the leftover marinara sauce and pesto sauce to the pasta dish too.

So in the end I get to enjoy a full-on pasta meal paired with this eggplant rollatini. Not bad for a dinner combo.  

Chinese Braised Noodles with Vegetables and Pork 青菜豬肉煨麵

Do you sometimes find it a bit more work to cook the noodles with another pot and taking over another stove? I do actually, especially when it means there are more stuff to wash. So this Chinese noodles recipe definitely hit the spot for me, not just about the cleaning part, but the flavor is really enjoyable. 

Chinese braised noodles with vegetables and pork 青菜豬肉煨麵 - 

Ingredients (about 5 portions)?

• 5 portions fresh Asian flour noodles
• 1 small bundle pak choi or bok choy
• 8 shiitake mushrooms
• 4 loosely packed cups trimmed bean sprouts
• 1/2 medium carrot
• 2 stalks scallion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

For the pork:

• 275 grams pork threads
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon aged Shaoxing wine

For the soup:

• 3 cups chicken stock
• 3 cups drinkable hot water
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons black vinegar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/8 teaspoons white pepper powder

How?

Make sure to use the flour kind, the white color Asian noodles. Definitely not the yellow ones or the dried Hong Kong crispy noodles. 

Use threaded pork but smaller pieces of matsuzaka pork can be a good substitute. Transfer the pork to a bowl and add in 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of aged Shaoxing wine. Massage the meat with the seasonings and let it marinate while prepping other ingredients.

Destem the pak choi or bok choy. I like to cut it in half for a shorter length, sometimes also slice lengthwise for thinner strips. 

Remove the mushroom stems then slice the cap. Trim the bean sprouts by picking out the skinny ends. Peel and julienne the carrot. Peel and chop the garlic cloves. Destem and section the scallion stalks.

Bring out a big wok and drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Use medium or medium high heat. Add in garlic and scallion, stir-fry till the scallion turns slightly charred, but make sure not to burn the garlic bits. 

Add in the pork and all the marinade. Stir-fry and cook till the meat changes to whiter color. 

Add in carrot and cook for couple minutes. I like to cook the carrot first in order to get a softer texture in the end. If you prefer a crunchier bite, just give it a quick stir-fry instead.

Add in the leafy greens, bean sprouts, and shiitake mushrooms. Cook till the greens have been wilted. 

Add in 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of black vinegar, 2 teaspoons of salt, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar, and 1/8 teaspoon of white pepper powder. Give it a few mixes.

Pour in 3 cups of chicken stock along with 3 cups of hot water. Bring the entire thing to a boil.

Add in fresh Asian noodles.

Spread out the noodles. Adjust the heat to keep these ingredients at a light bubbling stage. Cover the wok with a lid and cook for about 8 more minutes. Note that the actual time varies depending on the type of noodles you use. Basic idea is to cook the noodles till about 70% done here.

Remove the lid. Mix up the ingredients a bit, also make sure the noodles are not sticking or lumping. Continue to cook till the noodles reach desired texture.

The flour on the noodles will help thicken all the liquid inside the wok, creating a thick soup like consistency. It's also like mixing in corn starch water in the end, but turned out much more flavorful since we've been cooking the noodles with flavored soupy ingredients right from the start. 

Also because we added so many vegetables, on top of that there're pork and chicken stock, you can definitely get that natural sweetness, that umami taste throughout.

The noodles are so tasty, I didn't even add chili sauce while eating it, which I normally do for an extra spicy kick. But of course you can still pump it up with any kind of Asian chili sauce. It'll only make the already good stuff even better.

Extended reading:

• Scallion oil noodles for one 蔥油拌麵
• Chili garlic noodles for one
• Taiwanese curry and beef stir-fry noodles 咖哩牛肉炒麵

Eye-Caring and Vitamins Booster Juice

I guess that age has finally come. Some friends started to ask me if I have been experiencing symptoms of presbyopia. Perhaps yes, but I'm not quite sure the focusing issue and tiredness are because of that, or I just over-worked my eyes. 

For sure I need to cut back on phone time, stop checking Instagram and Facebook that often. Need to try to get some quality sleeping hours. Also start taking eye-care tablets. What else can I do, perhaps putting up an eye-caring combo while making juice at home?

Eye-caring and vitamins booster juice -

Ingredients (about 2 to 3 servings)?

• 1 1/2 loosely packed cups papaya
• 1 loosely packed cup carrot
• 1 loosely paced cup spinach
• 1 orange
• 1 green kiwi
• 3 cups cold water
• Some honey (optional)
• 2 walnuts (optional)

How?  

Only using the meaty part for the papaya, that means not the skin and not the seeds. Cut into chunks. Peel and slice the carrot to smaller pieces, destem and section the spinach, peel and separate the orange segments, scoop out the kiwi flesh and not using the skin. 

Add all the prepped ingredients to the blender. 

Along pour in 3 cups of cold water. For a sweeter taste, pour in some honey too. I actually added one tablespoon of honey here. Toss in couple walnuts if available.

Blend, pour, and serve. Use more water for a thinner consistency. However, I'd like to see heavy pulps when having homemade juice, feel much healthier that way.

By the way, for the orange, if you can't find seedless version, use other citrus instead. Just try to get the seedless variety to save up some works in the kitchen. 

Extended reading:

• Mixed fruit and vegetable juice using kale, carrot, blueberry, pear, and apple
• Cucumber and pineapple juice with a touch of mint leaves

Tuna Tataki Coated with Double Roasted White Sesame Seeds

Tuna tataki is like a bit fancy way to enjoy sashimi-grade fish. You take a whole log of sashi-grade tuna, give it a light seasoning then roll in toasted sesame seeds. To further bring out the flavors, a quick sear all around to get a cooked aroma on the outside paired with rare meat in the center.

After slicing and plating, some like to serve it with Japanese seasonings with sliced aromatics on top. To save some troubles, simply use store-bough ponzu sauce to complete the dish. Tuna tataki also goes hand in hand with Japanese sake (don't drink and drive), perhaps one can think of it as Japanese style tapas.

Tuna tataki coated with double roasted white sesame seeds - 

Ingredients?

• 1 log/about 180 grams sushi-grade tuna
• Some olive oil
• Some salt
• 2 tablespoons toasted white sesame seeds
• Some chives (optional)

Sauce:

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons mirin
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger

How?

Pour some toasted white sesame seeds to a plate. I used double roasted white sesame seeds, which has a hand-ground texture like using mortar and pestle. The aroma is quite robust, so I chose to use the white sesame seeds only. If using regular toasted sesame seeds, you can mix in some black sesame seeds too if preferred. 

Rub the sashimi-grade tuna with olive oil then roll onto the sesame seeds to get an even coating on all sides, except for both ends. 

Use a non-stick pan and drizzle 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Switch to medium heat and wait till the oil gets hot. Not warm, we need it hot. 

It's easier to maneuver the fish with your hands, just be careful not to get burned. Transfer the fish to the pan and give it a nice sear all around, except for the ends. It happens really quickly, probably 10 seconds depending on how thick the log you're using.

What I do is by rolling and changing sides for the fish log using my hands, but again, be careful not to get burned. The tuna is ready when the outside turns cooked white color and the center still remains raw or semi-raw. 

Transfer the fish to a plate and into the freezer while we work on the sauce. It'll help firming up the meat and will be easier to slice without breaking the edges later on.

Take a chunk of the ginger and scrape the skin. Grate the ginger to get 1/2 teaspoon of it. Add that along with all other ingredients listed under the "sauce" section to a bowl. Whisk till the sugar has been fully dissolved. Taste and adjust to your liking if needed.

Take the tuna out. Use a sharp knife and slice to single-bite size pieces, like what you get for sashimi. Plate and wait a few more minutes, till the tuna has come back to room temperature, on a slightly colder side is fine.

Pour over the sauce. If using chives, give it a fine chop and garnish on top.

As good as the tuna tataki works with Japanese sake, I actually finished the dish as it is, no drinks involved. Turned out the whole plate became me and Mister's weekend morning snack. A little energy boost before we head out and grab a full late lunch couple hours after.

Wait, I suddenly realized that was one hella expensive "snack" and was gone in like 10 minutes.

Extended reading:

• Salmon crudo in Asian seasonings
• Yellowtail and scallop crudo with ponzu and sriracha

Simplified Mizutaki Using Kombu Dashi 水炊き

Mizutaki 水炊き is a type of Japanese hot pot with chicken as its main ingredients. The stock base varies, I would say using chicken stock results in a thick and umami-burst outcome. But there's also a lighter version using kombu, a type of dried kelp for the soup base. 

As far as this recipe goes, let's try the simple-tasting route but glorified with aromatic Japanese ponzu for the dipping sauce.

Simplified mizutaki using kombu dashi 水炊き -  

Ingredients?

• 1 big piece boneless chicken leg
• 10 oyster mushrooms
• 6 shiitake mushrooms
• 250 grams Chinese cabbage
• 150 grams mizuna (Japanese mustard greens)
• 1 big piece/box fried tofu (soft kind)
• 1/2 daikon radish
• 1/2 carrot
• Some steamed rice (optional)

Stock:

• 1 medium piece kombu
• Some room temperature water

Sauce:

• Some ponzu sauce
• Some grated daikon
• Some chives or scallion

How?

Precook the rice if decide to serve this hot pot meal with it. Otherwise you can simply enjoy the hot pot as it is, or even cook some noodles or udon in the end. 

Fill a medium pot with room temperature water and add in kombu. I used a scissor to cut the kombu to square pieces, so it'll fit inside the pot.

Switch to medium heat and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Not boiling, but close to that temperature point. Once ready, turn-off the heat and set aside for later use.

Slice the boneless chicken leg into medium bite size pieces. I also use skin-on chicken, need some of that oil to further "smoothen" the consistency of the stock.

Destem the shiitake mushrooms, perhaps slice-off some parts on the cap to make a pattern, but not necessary though. This is more like a bit appealing to the eye. Separate the oyster mushrooms, tear them into thinner threads for larger ones.

Peel and slice the carrot to smaller chunks, do the same for daikon. I would cut these two either thinner or smaller so they can turn chopstick-tender sooner during the cooking process.

Destem the leafy greens and slice to shorter sections. Quickly drench the tofu in hot water to draw out excess oil. Drain out excess liquid and set aside.

Pour the store-bought ponzu sauce to serving bowls. Grate some daikon and add to the sauce. Also finely chop some chives or scallion and add to the sauce. You can even chop up some fresh red chilies for a spicy taste.

Back to the hot pot, arrange the ingredients throughout the pot, then transfer the chicken to the center. Pour in kombu stock till just about reaching the top of the ingredients.

Put on the lid and switch to medium heat. Bring the pot to a light bubbling stage, continue to cook for couple more minutes.

Remove the lid and let it cook for one to two more minutes, or till the chicken has been fully cooked-through then the mizutaki will be ready to serve.

If your pot works with an induction cooker, you can even serve the mizutaki right on the spot. The induction cooker can keep the stock hot at all times, and you can only cook the tender leafy greens when needed, just like enjoying a regular shabu shabu.

The ponzu sauce works really well with lighter stock version mizutaki. The fruity and citrusy aroma definitely brighten the natural sweetness from all the ingredients.

In the case of mizutaki with heavier chicken stock base, I'm not so sure if ponzu will match the flavors that well. I might just keep it simple and enjoy the hot pot itself without extra dipping sauce on the side.  

Filipino Adobo Pork - Adding Vinegar Makes Quite a Difference

Cebu might not be the most "Filipino" place in Philippines, but during my visit there, I find myself falling for some of their national dishes, taking adobo pork as one example. The braised pork is actually pretty similar to some of the braised pork versions from Taiwan, but with a big difference in the seasonings used.

Filipino adobo pork requires vinegar, and by all means not just like one tablespoon or few drops of it. For my 425 grams of pork belly used, I actually poured in 1/4 cup of vinegar. Sounds a lot, and I'm not surprised if someone would imagine this dish to be very sourish. However, after cooking down the meat for 30 minutes or so, all that vinegary taste was gone, leaving tender pork as a result, and it was so delicious.

Filipino adobo pork - 

Ingredients?

• 425 grams pork belly
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons black peppercorns
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup cane vinegar or rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup water

How?

Slice the pork belly to medium chunks. Peel and smash the garlic cloves.

Bring out a pot, add in pork belly and turn to medium heat. There's no need to drizzle any oil here, the pork belly will start rendering some fat to the pot.

Continue to sear till both sides turn slightly browned and some fats start to render.

Add in smashed garlics, 2 bay leaves, and 2 teaspoons of black peppercorns. Note that we want the whole peppercorns, not the ground kind. Mix and sear for one minute.

Add in brown sugar, stir and cook for couple minutes.

Pour in soy sauce, cane or rice vinegar, and water. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to keep the mixture at a light bubbling stage. Put the lid on and continue to cook for about 30 minutes.

Remove the lid and stir the mixture. Switch to higher heat if needed. The goal is to reduce and condense the sauce in order to get a slightly sticky and thickened consistency in the end. Mine took about 2 minutes only.

The pork should be ready by now. I chose to serve the adobo pork with quinoa basmati rice and some steamed veggies on the side. 

I think the vinegar really helps in breaking in the meat here, so even after searing and braising, the pork turned out pretty tender in the end while having a concentrated seasoned crust on the outside. It has both the sweet and savory qualities with a bit lingering peppery and herbal note 

There's one other Filipino dish I really enjoyed while visiting Cebu. Sinigang, that's the name. After Googling it, I learnt that the soup was actually more like a stew with a distinct sourness from tamarind. No wonder I like it so much, I'm the person who always ask for tamarind juice whenever the restaurant sells it. 

Give me more time to dig into sinigang recipes, and hopefully I can put up another Filipino recipe that's at least 90% similar to the taste from my travel memories. 

A Warm and Soothing Touch - Soy Milk Zosui

Enjoying soy milk as it is shouldn't be too hard to relate. Some also used it in oatmeal or blending into other drinks. In Taiwan, we also enjoy "savory" soy milk for breakfast, in which the consistency is curdled by vinegar and usually served with various toppings such as preserved mustard greens, dried shrimp, meat floss, and chili oil.

I'm not sure about the western part, but using soy milk in savory dishes doesn't sound like an alien idea to Asians. And this time I'm going to use soy milk as the base for zosui, like porridge or Japanese rice soup. Unlike the usual zosui, the end result will give you a fuller consistency, some sort of warm and soothing touch.

Soy milk zosui - 

Ingredients (about 6 portions)?

• 2 rice measuring cups white rice
• 1 pack/sheet yuba (dried tofu skin)
• 3 cups unsweetened soy milk
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 3 cups drinkable hot water
• 390 grams chicken tenders
• 2 tablespoons Japanese tsuyu
• 1 teaspoon corn starch
• 250 grams tong ho, mizuna, or other aromatic tender leafy greens
• 250 grams spinach
• 150 grams mushroom of your liking
• Few nori sheets
• Some salt

How?

I like to precook the rice and use it the day after, but it's up to you. Once the grains are done, fluff and set aside or store in the fridge till cooking day. 

Slice the yuba or other type of dried tofu skin into thin strips. Trim the mushroom of your choice and slice or tear into suitable size. Trim the ends for the leafy greens and cut into 2 to 3 inch sections.

Remove the tendons from chicken tenders then slice the meat to bite size pieces. Transfer to a bowl along with 2 tablespoons of Japanese tsuyu and 1 teaspoon of corn starch. Give the meat a quick massage and let it marinate while we keep working on the rest steps. 

It doesn't really matter if you're using double condensed or triple condensed tsuyu, since we are going to adjust the final saltiness mainly with salt in the end.

Use a big pot, add in 3 cups of unsweetened soy milk, 3 cups of chicken stock, and 3 cups of drinkable hot water. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to keep it at a light bubbling stage. Taste and season with some salt first, I added 2 teaspoons here.

Note that we are going to use salt for the saltiness in order to keep the zosui lighter color. If using Chinese soy sauce, the whole pot might turn slightly browned in the end. 

Add in cooked rice. Mix and let it cook a bit longer or till the rice appears denser and fuller, about 5 minutes.

Add in chicken and mushrooms. Separate them by swirling the ingredients. Cook for 3 minutes.

Add in all the leafy greens and top with tofu skin strips. Like the picture below, all the greens and tofu skin might seem overflowing the pot at first, but don't worry, these ingredients will start to wilt and shrink dramatically in just about 3 to 4 minutes.

Do a final check on the consistency and saltiness. Add more liquid if needed. I actually added 1 more teaspoon of salt here. Once checked, scoop to serving bowls, tear up some nori sheets and add on top of the zosui.

The nori sheet will further enhance the flavor, a slight addition of umami taste. I prefer big torn pieces, but the nice looking thin strips are good too. 

Extended reading:

• Tomato bamboo shoot and pork zosui 番茄竹筍豬肉雜炊
• Minced beef and vegetable congee 蔬菜牛肉粥
• Salmon and shiso zosui 
• Sweet potato congee 地瓜粥
• Savory Taiwanese congee 台式鹹粥