Easy Cucumber Kimchi, Ooi-kimchi

Ingredients:

• 5-6 Kirby cucumbers or 2-3 English cucumbers
• 1 handful Asian chives
• 4 cups water
• 3 tablespoons salt
• 5 tablespoons Korean chili flakes
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons anchovy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• salt or more anchovy sauce for taste

Directions:

1. Clean cucumbers very well with water. Cut each cucumber into 3-4 sections. Cut each section in half lengthwise, then slice each half into 2-3 sticks.
2. Put all the cucumber sticks in a large bowl. Dissolve 3 tablespoon salt in 4 cups water, bring to boil. Pour the salted boiling water over the cucumbers. Let them soak for 30 minutes. Rinse the cucumbers in cold water just once briefly. Drain them well and set aside.
3. For the kimchi seasoning paste, combine Korean chili flakes, garlic, anchovy sauce, sugar, and ginger. Mix well and let it sit for 5 minutes.
4. In a large bowl, combine the cucumbers and the chives (You can cut the chives to the length similar to cucumber sticks), and the seasoning paste. Toss well to mix and to incorporate them with the seasoning.
5. Transfer the kimchi in an airtight container and let it ferment for 1/2 to 1 day in a room temperature depends on the temperature. After that, store kimchi in a fridge for another 1-2 days before you serve. This cucumber kimchi should be consumed within a month.

Char Siu Bao (Roast Pork Buns)

For the dough:
1 tsp active dry yeast
3 1/2 cups cake flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbsp diced lard or vegetable shortening

Filing:
1 tbsp canola oil
3 scallions, white parts only, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups diced roast pork
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp cornstarch

For the dough: Combine yeast 1 1/4 cups water heated to 115 in a bowl; let sit until foamy, about 10 minutes. Combine flour, sugar, and baking powder in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle. Add yeast mixture, and mix on low speed; add lard one piece at a time, increase speed to medium, and continue mixing until dough forms into a ball, about 5 minutes. Remove bowl from mixer, cover with plastic wrap, and let sit until doubled in size, about 2 hours. 

PEACHY CREAM CHEESE COBBLER

Ingredients:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup of all Purpose flour
1 cup sugar
2 Teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 quarts of fresh peaches , washed, peeled & sliced
8 oz cream cheese, cut into small pieces.

Directions:
Preheat oven 350 degrees.
melt butter and pour into 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish.
in a small bowl mix together the egg,milk,flour,sugar,baking powder, and salt. Pour directly over the butter in the baking dish, but do not stir.
Add the peaches ,arranging in a single layer as much as possible. Sprinkle cream cheese pieces over the peaches. Place in preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes or until top is golden brown and edges are bubbling. ( crust rises up and around the fruit, but fruit will still pop a little out of top)

Colcannon

2 1/2 lb russet potatoes, peeled
8 tbsp unsalted butter, plus more for serving
1/4 medium head green cabbage, cored and thinly shredded
1 cup milk
1/3 cup heavy cream
4 scallions, green parts only, finely chopped
salt and pepper

Place potatoes in a 6-qt saucepan and cover with water by 1 inch; bring to a boil over high heat, and cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain, quarter, and set aside. Return pan to medium-high heat and add butter; when melted, add cabbage and cook, stirring, until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add milk, cream, and scallions, and bring to a boil; add potatoes, and using a potato masher, mash and stir potatoes until smooth and evenly incorporated. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a bowl. Serve hot with large pats of butter on top. Serves 6-8.

Cong You Bing (Scallion Pancakes)

4 cups flour, plus more
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp salt
1/3 cup canola oil
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 cup thinly slice scallions
1 tsp crushed red chile flakes
1/2 tsp ground white pepper

Process 2 cups flour and baking powder in a food processor. With motor running, add 2/3 cup cold water; process until dough forms, about 40 seconds. Transfer to a plate; set aside. Add remaining flour and salt to food processor, and with motor running, add 2/3 cup boiling water; process until dough forms, about 30 seconds. Return reserved dough to food processor; pulse until both dough come together, about 35 seconds. Transfer to a lightly floured work surface; knead until smooth, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a greased bowl, cover; let sit at room temperature for 2 hours.

Halve dough; using a rolling pin, roll 1 dough half into a 10x20 rectangle. Brush with 1 tbsp canola oil and half the sesame oil. Sprinkle with half the scallions, half the chile flakes, and half the white pepper. Beginning with one long side, tightly roll dough like a jelly roll. Cut roll crosswise into 3 pieces, slightly stretch each piece, and starting from one edge, coil piece horizontally, tucking the end underneath. Using your hand, gently flatten coil into a disk; using a rolling pin, flatten into a 5 inch circle. Repeat with remaining pieces and second dough half, 1 tbsp canola oil, remaining sesame oil, scallions, chile flakes, and white pepper. Let pancakes sit for about 10 minutes.

Heat over to 200. Heat 2 tsp canola oil in a 10 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add 1 pancake to skillet cook, swirling skillet and turning once, until golden and crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a baking sheet; place in oven to keep warm. Repeat with remaining oil and pancakes; cut into wedges to serve. Serves 6.

Bacon and Egg Pie

1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
2 9 x11 sheets of frozen puff pastry, thawed and chilled
20 eggs
1 tbsp heavy cream
1 lb sliced bacon, roughly chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat oven to 400. Whisk together ketchup and Worcestershire in a small bowl; set aside. Using a rolling pin, roll one sheet of puff pastry on a floured work surface to form an 11x14 rectangle; transfer to a 9x12 1/2 baking pan and let excess hang over side. Separate 1 of the eggs and place the egg yolk in a small bowl, stir in cream, and set egg wash aside. Place the remaining egg white on top of pastry, crack the eggs ad drop them on top of pastry, spacing them evenly apart, and sprinkle evenly with bacon; drizzle ketchup mixture evenly over eggs and bacon, and season with salt and pepper.

Fold dough hanging over the edge of the pan back over the ingredients and brush with some of the egg wash roll second pastry sheet in a 10x13 rectangle and place on top of eggs and bacon, tucking edges into sides of pan. Cut 4 slits in the top of the pastry with a paring knife, and the brush completely with egg wash. Bake until golden brown and eggs and bacon are cooked through, about 1 hour; cut into squares to serve. Serves 12.

Creamy Spinach and Broccoli Lasagna

Serves 4, 662 Calories per serving

1 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 10-oz pkg frozen leaf spinach
1 10-oz pkg frozen broccoli florets
1 15-oz container part-skim ricotta
6 oz part-skim mozzarella, grated (about 1 1/2 cups)
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
1 cup whole milk
4 oz cream cheese, cut into pieces
Pinch freshly grated or ground nutmeg
8 no-boil lasagna noodles

Heat over to 425. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the onion, 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until very tender, 6-8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

While the onion is cooking, thaw the spinach and broccoli according to package directions. Squeeze the spinach of excess moisture and pat the broccoli dry. Roughly chop both and place in a large bowl. Mix in the ricotta, 1 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Romano.

Add the milk to the onions and whisk in the cream cheese, nutmeg and remaining 1/4 cup Romano. Gently simmer (do not boil), stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes.

Spread 1/2 cup of the sauce on the bottom of an 8-inch square baking dish. Top with 2 1/2 noddles (breaking a necessary to fit). Spread a third (about 1/3 cup) of the remaining sauce over the top. Dollop with a third (about 1 1/3 cups) of the ricotta mixture. Repeat twice.

Sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella, cover tightly with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until the noodles are tender (a sharp knife should go through with no resistance) and the top is golden brown, 8-10 minutes more. Let rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.