Jenn's Kitchen Diary

Cantonese Tofu Soup with Mustard Greens

2025-03-28T06:02:14Z

Growing up in a Cantonese household, we had some kind of bone-broth based soup every night. For hundreds of years before the bone broth craze took over the Western world, Asian countries had been making bone broth-based dishes. And I took it for granted. Now that I am an adult and am in charge of my own meals, I have a deep appreciation for the hours of long simmering that are required to extract the flavors of these soups. Cantonese tofu soup with mustard greens is a repeat dish in my family. It reminds me of Wednesday dinners at my dad’s house, with screaming nieces and nephews bouncing up an down.

How to Counteract Bitterness in Mustard Greens

Blanching is very helpful for reducing the bitter flavor that exists in mustard greens. So is simmering mustard greens for a long time after the blanching.

Cantonese tofu soup with mustard greens

A classic Cantonese tofu soup with mustard greens in pork bone broth

Course Soup

Cuisine Cantonese, Chinese

Keyword bone broth, mustard greens soup, tofu soup

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 2 45

Ingredients

2 lbs pork neck bones
3 quarts water
1/2 quart chicken broth
2 inch piece of ginger thinly sliced
1/2 package silken tofu
2 cups mustard greens thinly sliced
1 salted duck egg coarsely chopped

Instructions

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add in neck bones and allow to boil for 7 minutes until impurities start coming out.
Then discard the water, clean the bones by rubbing off impurities. Then fill your pot with 4 quarts of water, 1/2 quart of chicken broth, sliced ginger, salted duck egg, and the cleaned pork bones. Bring to a boil on high heat, then allow to simmer on medium low heat for 2.5 hrs until pork meat has softened.
Meanwhile, bring another large pot of water to boil. Blanch mustard greens for 5-7 minutes. Then remove mustard greens from the water and set aside. Discard the water.
After 2.5 hours of pork bones simmering, add in 1 tbsp of fish sauce, 1 tsp salt, the blanched mustard greens, and silken tofu. Allow to simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Taste for seasoning and add salt to taste. Serve hot.

The post Cantonese Tofu Soup with Mustard Greens appeared first on Jenn's Kitchen Diary.

Braised Osso Bucco with Creamy Polenta

2025-03-28T04:53:33Z

A good braised osso buco with creamy polenta is a crowd-pleasing wow-factor main dish. I love spoiling my guests with indulgent dishes whose flavors unfold with hours of love and cooking. And, luckily, most of the cooking is done passively while in the oven. That sounds like a win-win to me. Also, the side dish is super easy if you go to Trader Joe’s. They make a super convenient cooked polenta log that takes all the work out of polenta making. And the best part is your guests won’t know the difference.

Braised Osso Buco with Creamy Polenta

a classic beef shank braised in tomato sauce

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword creamy polenta, osso bucco

Prep Time 30

Cook Time 2 30

Servings 4 people

Ingredients

Osso Bucco

3 lbs bone in beef shank
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp oil
1 yellow onion finely minced
3 stalks celery finely minced
3 carrots peeled and finely minced
5 cloves garlic finely minced
1 tbsp tomato paste
3 bay leaves
1/2 jar 28 oz crushed tomatoes
1/2 tbsp beef base
1/2 cup dry red wine
2 tsp salt
1/2 quart chicken stock
1 pinch dried rosemary

Creamy Polenta

1 log cooked polenta sliced into 1-inch thick slices
1/2 cup full fat milk
1/3 stick unsalted butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated

Instructions

Osso Bucco

Season beef shanks with salt and pepper. Then heat a dutch oven on medium heat. When the dutch oven is hot, add in oil. Then sear the beef shanks about 5-6 mins each side until golden brown. Remove beef shanks from the dutch oven.
Add in minced celery, carrot, onion, and garlic into the dutch oven. Saute for 5 minutes. Then add in tomato paste. Saute another 3 minutes.
Then add in bay leaves, crushed tomatoes, beef base, dry red wine, salt, chicken stock, and dried rosemary. Mix well together.
Place beef shanks back into the tomato mixture. Place a lid on the dutch oven and insert into a 350 degree oven.
Braise in oven for 2 hrs at 350 degrees.
Remove from the oven and serve with creamy polenta.

Creamy Polenta

With 15 minutes left of cooking on the osso bucco, begin making the polenta by adding the slices of pre-cooked polenta into a medium sauce pan. Add in milk, butter, and salt into the pan. Cook at medium heat, using a whisk to break down the polenta and mix with the milk and butter, about 5-10 minutes. Stir constantly to prevent sticking.
When the polenta is smooth and creamy, turn off the fire. Add in grated Parmigiano Reggiano and whisk thoroughly into the polenta. Then season with salt to taste.

The post Braised Osso Bucco with Creamy Polenta appeared first on Jenn's Kitchen Diary.

Yang Chow Fried Rice

2025-02-13T23:19:46Z

Yang chow fried rice is an easy and classic Cantonese fried rice recipe. I ate this almost every week growing up because it’s a great way to use up leftover jasmine rice. The ingredients are usually very accessible to your average Cantonese family and you can whip it up in under 10 minutes.

Yang Chow Fried Rice

A classic Cantonese fried rice recipe with Chinese sausage, egg, and peas and carrots.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Cantonese, Chinese

Keyword fried rice, yang chow fried rice

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

2 cups jasmine white rice day old
1/2 cups frozen peas and carrots
2 links lap cheung Chinese sausage cut into 1/2 inch rounds
1 tbsp oil
3 cloves garlic minced
2 eggs beaten
1 bunch green onion thinly sliced
1 tbsp Maggi soy sauce

Instructions

Warm up leftover rice in a microwave. Set aside.
Warm up frozen peas and carrots in a microwave for 1 minute. Set aside.
Heat a large skillet on high heat. When it is hot, add in lap Cheung and brown on low heat, about 2-3 minutes each side. Remove sausage from pan when golden brown. Wipe down excess oil from sausage.
Add oil and garlic to the pan. Stir fry rice for 1 minute. Then scoot rice to one side of the pan. Add in beaten egg and cook it for 2 minutes, scrambling it. When egg is cooked through, mix thoroughly into the rice. Add in cooked sausage, green onion, peas and carrots, and Maggi soy sauce. Stir fry another minute. Then serve immediately.

For more Cantonese dishes, check out my Chinese Lotus Root Pork Bone Soup.

The post Yang Chow Fried Rice appeared first on Jenn's Kitchen Diary.

Mushroom and Tofu Stir Fry

2025-02-13T23:00:27Z

Cantonese dishes can be very heavy, with lots of breaded and deep fried meat. So when I want something lighter, I try to add in this mushroom and tofu stir fry dish. If you want to make it a truly vegetarian dish, use a vegetarian oyster sauce. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.

Mushroom and Tofu Stir Fry

Course Entree

Cuisine Cantonese

Keyword stir fry, veggies

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

1 package soft tofu cut into 2×2 pieces
1/4 cup corn starch
2 cups neutral oil for frying
1 package beech mushrooms washed and separated
1 handful trumpet mushrooms or King oyster mushrooms thinly sliced
1 tbsp oil
4 cloves garlic minced
4 cups yu choy washed and cut in half
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce or vegetarian oyster sauce
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp corn starch
1/4 cup water

Instructions

Cut tofu and then pat dry with paper towels. Heat a shallow frying pan on high. When pan is hot, add in 2 cups of oil. Allow oil to become hot and shimmery for about 5 minutes.
Dip each piece of tofu into corn starch and coat thoroughly. Then immediately place into hot oil. The oil should bubble vigorously around the tofu. Otherwise, your oil is too cold. Continue coating pieces of tofu and adding to the frying pan. Make sure that there is space between the tofu. Fry in batches. The tofu is done when it is golden brown. If tofu becomes brown almost immediately, lower your heat. Remove from frying pan and set aside to drain.
Then wash mushrooms by submerging them in a big pot of cold water. Use your fingers to rub off dirt. Drain and set aside. Cut off the ends which contain dirt and impurities. For the beech mushrooms, separate each mushroom from the rest. For the trumpet mushrooms, thinly slice them and set aside.
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Prep yu choy: cut off the bottom 1/4 inch of each piece. Then cut in half. Fill a large mixing bowl with cold water. Submerge the cut yu choy pieces in the cold water. Slosh the vegetables around with your hands and rub the leaves gently. This allows any dirt to come off. Take the vegetables out into a colander and repeat washing 1-2 times, until the water is clean and no more dirt/sediment are coming off the yu choy.
Once the pot of water is boiling, add in yu choy and boil for about 3-5 minutes until slightly softened but still bright green. Then remove from the boiling water and allow to drain in a colander.
Heat a large frying pan on high until hot. Then add in 1 tbsp oil. When oil is shimmery, add in mushrooms and stir fry 3 minutes. When mushrooms begin to soften, add in garlic and stir fry another 2 minutes. Then add in sauce mixture (soy sauce, oyster sauce, low sodium soy sauce, sugar). Then mix together 2 tsp corn starch with 1/4 cup of water until all lumps are smooth. Then add into the mushroom sauce mixture. Allow sauce to boil for about a minute until thickened. Then add in fried tofu and toss gently to coat with sauce.
Place the boiled yu choy onto a serving platter. Arrange onto an even layer. Then top the vegetables with the tofu and mushroom mixture, pouring all the sauce evenly onto the vegetables. Serve immediately.

For other Cantonese recipes, check out my tomato braised spare ribs.

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One-Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

2025-02-13T23:01:00Z

As a busy working mom, I love meal prepping in bulk. During cold weather days, making a big pot of soup can feed my family for several days. Soups and stews are so satisfying, nourishing, and comforting. I love this recipe for one-pot chicken tortilla soup because of how easy it is to make. Just let time and your pot do most of the work for you.

One-pot chicken tortilla soup

Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Keyword chicken tortilla soup

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

Soup

1 tsp salt
1.5 lbs skinless boneless chicken thighs
1 tbsp neutral oil
1/2 onion sliced
3 cloves garlic minced
1 jar red enchilada sauce
2 tsp taco seasoning
1 tbsp chicken bouillon
28 oz crushed tomatoes
1 quart water
1 jar roasted red peppers drained and sliced
2 bay leaves
1 tsp oregano
1 can black beans drained
1 bag frozen corn

Garnishes

6 corn tortillas
1/2 cup Sour cream optional
1 bunch Cilantro chopped optional
1 bunch Green onion chopped optional

Instructions

Season chicken thighs with salt. Heat a stockpot on high heat. Put in oil. When oil is shimmery and pan is hot, sear chicken thighs until golden brown on each side. Then add in onions and garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
Then add in enchilada sauce, taco seasoning, chicken bouillon, crushed tomatoes, water, roasted peppers, bay leaves, and oregano. Bring to a boil and simmer on medium for 45 minutes.
While soup is simmering, preheat an oven to 350 degrees. Place 6 corn tortillas onto a single layer in a baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes, then turn off oven and leave tortillas in the oven for another 5-7 minutes. Then remove from the oven. Tortillas should be crispy and golden brown. Set aside.
After 45 minutes of the soup simmering, remove chicken from the soup and chop up into small cubes. Then add back into the soup. Add in black beans and frozen corn. Allow to simmer for another 5 minutes. Taste for seasoning and seasoned salt to taste.
Optional: garnish with sour cream, green onion, and cilantro
Serve hot with crispy tortillas and garnishes.

For other easy soup recipes, check out my creamy Tuscan sausage soup.

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Mung Bean Dessert Soup

2025-01-05T06:54:32Z

I realize that the idea of a dessert soup may sound strange to some. Moreover, one containing beans may also add another layer of skepticism. But hear me out: Asians have been eating beans for dessert for centuries. They are creamy, full of flavor, and very nutritious. Don’t knock it until you try it. This mung bean dessert soup recipe is a great starter recipe for anyone who dares to venture into making beans for dessert. Enjoy this simple mung bean dessert soup!

Mung Bean Dessert Soup

A dessert soup featuring simmered mung beans and brown sugar.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Chinese

Keyword mung bean dessert soup

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

1/2 cup dried mung beans with skin on
4 quarts water
3/4 cups brown sugar
1 tsp freshly grated orange zest

Instructions

Wash mung beans to remove any impurities. Then place into a large pot. Add water and orange zest. Turn heat on high until it starts to bubble. Then set fire to low and allow to simmer for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until the beans and softened and have started to come apart.
At the end of cooking, add in brown sugar.
Serve hot or cold.

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Beef Chow Fun

2025-01-05T06:53:56Z

Beef chow fun can be found at most Cantonese restaurants. This is the dry version. There are versions that are covered in a gravy. It is a simple dish but can be difficult to execute perfectly. I often find that the beef chow fun dishes that I’ve had at restaurants are too bland or overly oily. To avoid using too much oil, I rely on microwaving the noodles ahead of time to get them softened and separated. That way, there is less sticking and breakage when you stir fry. To achieve a nice umami and full flavor profile, I use a variety of soy sauces and oyster sauce. Hope you enjoy!

Beef Chow Fun

A classic Cantonese recipe of beef chow fun: stir fried flat rice noodle with oyster sauce and soy sauce

Course Main Course

Cuisine Cantonese, Chinese

Keyword beef chow fun, rice noodles, stir fried noodles

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Servings 2 people

Ingredients

1/2 package fresh flat rice noodles
1 tbsp neutral oil
2 oz thinly sliced shabu beef cut into thin strips
4 cloves garlic minced
1 handful green onion cut into 2-inch pieces
1 handful bean sprouts washed and dried
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp xiaoxing wine
1 tsp sugar

Instructions

Take rice noodles out of packaging. Microwave noodles for 30 seconds -1 minute to get them softened. Start to separate the noodles by their cuts. Set aside.
Mix together sauce: dark soy sauce, low sodium soy sauce, oyster sauce, xiaoxing wine, and sugar. Set aside.
Heat a large pan on high heat. Add in oil. When oil is hot and shimmery, add in beef and stir fry for 3 minutes until just cooked through. Then remove from the pan.
Add more oil into the pan and put in garlic. Stir fry for 30 seconds and then add in noodles. Stir fry another minute, then add in sauce. Mix sauce thoroughly into the noodles. Then add in beef, green onion, and bean sprouts. Stir fry 2 minutes until been sprouts and green onion have softened. Then serve immediately.

The post Beef Chow Fun appeared first on Jenn's Kitchen Diary.

Easiest Apple Pie Filling

2024-10-24T05:57:15Z

My daughter has loved cinnamon apples since she was a baby. I used to make home-made baby food for her, and cinnamon apple was her go-to. Now, she has graduated from purees to apple pie filling. Lately, many reports have come out indicating high levels of lead in store-bought cinnamon. So a word of caution: be choosy about where you purchase your cinnamon and only consume a small amount of cinnamon each week. I make these cinnamon apples for my daughter about once a week only. They’re one of her favorite waffle toppings. I use Penzey’s cinnamon, which, according a recent consumer report article, is considered “okay” to use. The article lists the brands that are both and unsafe to use. When it comes to your family’s health, definitely do not take any risks. Spend some extra money and buy the good quality ingredients.

This apple pie filling can be eaten with yogurt, pancakes, waffles, as the actual filling in a pie, or with ice cream. Kids and adults alike will love this.

Easiest Apple Pie Filling

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Keyword apple pie filling

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 14

Servings 1 person

Ingredients

1 large apple-Fuji, cosmic crisp, or honeycrisp peeled, cored and thinly sliced
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup water

Cornstarch slurry

1/2 cup water
2 tsp corn starch

Instructions

Place apple slices into a skillet. Add in brown sugar, cinnamon, and water. Place the lid on top and simmer on medium high for 20-25 minutes until the apples are just tender. Add extra water as needed.
Meanwhile make cornstarch slurry by adding cornstarch to water. Mix well until there are no clumps. Then set aside.
When apples are tender, add in cornstarch slurry. And cook on low for 1-2 minutes until the liquid has thickened. Serve warm with panckes or waffles.

The post Easiest Apple Pie Filling appeared first on Jenn's Kitchen Diary.

Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Thighs

2024-12-29T06:17:29Z

Lemongrass is an incredibly important ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine. Its fragrance helps to combat the strong aroma of meats, and is often used in marinades for Vietnamese barbecue. This Vietnamese lemongrass chicken thighs recipe is a classic use of lemongrass. Serve these with steamed white rice, or even in bun, or Vietnamese vermicelli salad with fish sauce.

How do I use fresh lemongrass?

I prefer to use frozen grated lemongrass for this lemongrass chicken thighs recipe because of its ease, but if fresh lemongrass stalks are all that you have, you will first need to cut off the woody ends that are too hard. You want to use the juicy, more tender bottom 2/3 of the stalk of lemongrass. The tops are usually too hard and will need to be discarded. Of the remaining 2/3 of the stalk, you will need to chop off the woody ends and peel off the outer 2 layers of leaves as they are usually too fibrous. With what you have left, you will either keep it whole and lightly smash it (for soups and curries) or finely mince it (for marinades and sauces).

Vietnamese Lemongrass chicken thighs

Juicy, fragrant, and full of umami, these Vietnamese lemongrass chicken thighs are perfect for easy entertaining.

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Vietnamese

Keyword lemongrass chicken thighs, Vietnamese barbecue

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 45

Marinating Time 8

Servings 8 people

Ingredients

8 bone-in chicken thighs
1/4 cup grated lemongrass
6 cloves garlic minced
1 inch piece of ginger minced
1 tsp salt
1.5 tbsp fish sauce
1.5 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp xiaoxing wine
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp oil

Instructions

Blend ingredients for marinade until completely smooth: lemongrass, garlic, ginger, salt, fish sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, xiaoxing wine, and water.
Thoroughly mix marinade into the chicken and allow to sit overnight in the refrigerator.
Take chicken out of the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature for about 2 hours. This will ensure even cooking. Then remove chicken thighs from marinade. Place onto a lined baking sheet, without overcrowding the baking sheet. Blot the skins with a clean paper towel to remove moisture. Then drizzle skins with 1 tbsp oil.
Place chicken thighs about 6 inches from the top heat source of the oven. Bake chicken thighs at 375 degrees F for 30 minutes. Then broil at 300 degrees for 10 minutes until juices run clear and the skin is crispy.
Serve with steamed white rice.

Serve with my fish sauce recipe, aka nuoc mam.

The post Vietnamese Lemongrass Chicken Thighs appeared first on Jenn's Kitchen Diary.

Tomato Braised Spare Ribs

2024-11-03T20:31:17Z

Sweet and sour pork is a famous Cantonese dish that has made its way into mainstream America. This tomato braised spare ribs recipe is the lighter, more homey cousin to that dish. Cantonese home cooking is different from restaurant-style food. There is less deep frying and much more braising and steaming. My family only made sweet and sour pork for special occasions, but this tomato braised spare rib recipe was a staple for dinner.

This dish reminds me of my maternal grandpa, whom I called “gong gong.” He was a quiet and reserved man with high intellect and empathy. He was also the cook of the house. I remember that my grandpa would cook most of our family’s meals until he became much older, when aunties and my mom would take over. His garlic tomato spare ribs were one of my favorites. I don’t know exactly how he prepared the dish, but whenever I make this garlic tomato spare rib recipe, I am always reminded of him and the flavor of his own dish. When he had a glass of wine or two he would let loose and have this infectious laughter and silly personality.

Tomato Braised Spare Ribs

A sweet, sour, and savory braised pork spare ribs recipe. Perfect for white rice.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Cantonese, Chinese

Keyword braised spareribs, sweet and sour pork, tomato spareribs

Prep Time 1

Cook Time 1 20

Servings 6 people

Ingredients

2.5 lbs pork spare ribs cut into 2 inch pieces
1 gallon water
2 tsp salt
2 tbsp neutral oil
6 cloves garlic minced
1 inch piece ginger sliced
1/4 cup xiaoxing wine
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup dark soy sauce
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp tomato paste
2 tbsp ketchup
5 tomatoes cut into wedges

Instructions

Soak pork spare ribs in water for at least an hour to drain out blood and impurities from the meat. Then remove spare ribs from the water, pat dry, then season pork spareribs with salt.
Then heat a large skillet on high heat. Put in 1 tbsp oil. When oil is shimmery and hot, add in spare ribs in batches to brown. Do not overcrowd pan because that will prevent browning. Allow all sides to brown (3 minutes each side), then remove from the pan. Repeat until all the spare ribs are browned. Then remove from the pan.
Put in another 1 tbsp oil in the pan and saute ginger and garlic until aromatic, about 3 minutes. Do not let the garlic burn. Then add in pork spare ribs and xiaoxing wine to deglaze the pan.
Then add in sugar, dark soy sauce, low sodium soy sauce, oyster sauce, and water. Mix well with the pork spare ribs. Place a lid on top of the skillet and simmer the pork spare ribs for 40-45 minutes, or until the meat is softened.
Then add in tomato paste, tomato ketchup, and tomato wedges. Add 1/4 cup of water and place the lid back on the skillet and turn heat to high. When the sauce is boiling again, turn heat to medium and simmer with lid on for another 7-10 minutes until tomatoes are softened. Take off lid and simmer another 5 minutes to thicken the sauce.
Taste for seasoning and add salt, sugar, or water to taste. Serve with hot steamed white rice.

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