S’Mores Pies

You may plan to lose weight in the coming year like me. But there is another day to go before 2008 coming. So, why don't we just have some treat before cutting down the calories and changing diet. HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYBODY!

Ingredients
6 Mini Graham Cracker Pie Crust
1 LB Marshmallow Fluff
6 tsp Chocolate Syrup/Fudge (divided)
1tsp Cocoa Powder

Lay out the pie crusts like an assembly line
Put 1tsp of chocolate syrup/fudge in each pie (just enough to coat the bottom)
Top with about ¼ to 1/3 cup of marshmallow fluff
Sprinkle the cocoa powder on top to garnish by using a small sieve and serve

Serve 6 people

TIPS
Use 2 cereal spoons and dip them into the hot water before spooning out the marshmallow. This will get the marshmallow into the pie crust easier.

COCA COLA CHICKEN WINGS

Ingredients
2 LB Chicken Drumsticks & Wings (padded dry with paper towel)
2 Can Coke

Seasonings
1 tsp Salt
½ tsp Black Pepper
2tbsp Superior Dark Soy Sauce
1tbsp Corn Starch
1 ½ tbsp Water


Bring soda to a boil in a bid deep skillet
Add all seasonings and chicken in, except corn starch and water
Let the meat cook at high heat uncovered
In a mixing bowl, mix corn starch and water to slurry
Stir in the slurry into the pot of chicken

Keep stirring regularly in between so that the chicken is cooked and brown evenly
Cook about 15-20 minutes until chicken is thoroughly cooked and serve

Serves 4-6 people

TIPS
Save the leftover sauce for cooking next time
Can be served as finger food or entrée
If served as entrée, great to serve with white rice
If you like the chicken to be crunchy and crispy, bake it at 400F oven for about another 10-15 minutes

The quantity of the sauce is good even you double the amount of chicken.

Virgin “Rising Sun”

Ingredient
1 Cup Frozen Strawberries
2 tbsp Lemon Juice
2 Quart Passion Fruit Juice

Put lemon juice, then the frozen strawberries into the blender
Pulse ground the mixture a few times before turning on to full speed to puree

To serve, put 1-2 tbsp of puree strawberries at the bottom of the serving glass
Pour the passion fruit juice on top of the back of the spoon to create the layer

Serve 6-10 people

TIPS
This can be served in brunch, cocktail party or any occasions.
To kick it up, add a little bit of vodka or some fruit liquor.
If you can’t find any passion fruit juice, you can replace with any kind of light color juice, such as orange and grapefruit juice.

Flaky Hot Hot Dogs

New Year is coming in 2 more days. If you are thinking of throwing a New Year party, consider some finger food, like this one.

Ingredient
2 Rolls Croissant Dough
8 Slices Jalapeño Cheddar Cheese
8 Hot Dogs

Seasonings
1tbsp Oil

Preheat a skillet at medium high heat and add oil
Brown up the hot dogs
Preheat oven at 375F

While waiting, unroll the dough
Do not separate the dough in triangles
Leave the triangles intact and slightly press the dough between the triangles together so that when you roll the dough, it will not fall apart on you
Put a slice of cheese on each piece of dough
Put a hot dot at one end of the dough and roll it up
Transfer to baking sheet
Repeat the last 4 steps for the rest

Bake the flaky hot dogs in the oven for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown and serve

Serve 4-8 people

Tour with me in Hong Kong & China

Click on the pictures and go directly to the album at http://chingschinese.shutterfly.com/action/.

Check out more pictures at http://chingschinese.shutterfly.com/action/

I finally finished uploading all my pictures in the last tour back to my home, Hong Kong and 2 days in Mainland China. It took me a full day to do all the uploading 'cos I took tons and tons of pictures this time.

I lived in Hong Kong since I was born. But I never knew how to appreciate everything around me. Until I moved to the States, I found that a lot of things used to be available or I could see every day in Hong Kong are not there or the same in the States. I don't mean that I don't appreciate the things here. But it is just different. I guess the main reason is where you were raised, your heart belongs there.

You know people are always so fascinated with the lifestyle in NYC. When I go back to Hong Kong, I finally understand that fascination. If you love NYC, you will love Hong Kong even more because it is much, much busier, fashionable and quicker.

When I was there this time, I finally realized that Hong Kong is really a kaliedoscope. I never thought to use this word to describe it 'cos I never knew how to appreciate how many different things from all over the world that you can buy just in a 1,066-sq-km area, but not in any country in the world.

And it is like a melting pot that you can find the food, buildings, cultures and a lot of things in both western and eastern styles at the same time.

Anyway, I hope you will enjoy the pictures as much as I do. When I get more in the future, I will definitely put more up there to share with you. http://chingschinese.shutterfly.com/action/

Key Lime Pie Cheesecake

Ingredient
1 Graham Cracker Pie Crust
2 Bars (8oz each) Cream Cheese (in room temperature)
1 Pack Lime Flavored Gelatin
1 Lime (cut in 8 wedges)

1 Cup Hot Water

In a mixing bowl, stir gelatin and hot water together until gelatin is melted
Transfer the mixture into the blender
Add cream cheese, one bar at a time
Blend until all well mixed
Pour the cheesecake mixture into the crust
Chill in the fridge for an hour
Put the lime wedges in the middle of the cheesecake kind of like a flower
Chill for another 3 hours and serve

Serve 6-8 people

“WON-TON” FLOWER CUPS WITH VANILLA CREAM CHEESE PUDDING

Last Thanksgiving, I made this dessert and brought it over to my husband’s family dinner. It was a big hit and his niece loves it.

Ingredient
1 Pack Won Ton Wrap
2 Bars (8oz each) Hannaford Pasteurized Cream Cheese (room temp)
6 (3.5oz each) Ready-to-use Vanilla Pudding
2 tbsp Caramel Sauce (optional)

2 Texas Muffin Baking Pan (12 cups each)

Preheat oven at 350°F at Bake for 10 minutes

Push a piece of won ton wrap into a muffin cup to form a cup shape
Bake for 8 minutes until golden brown
Take the shells out and put them on a big serving plate
Repeat the last 3 steps until all wraps are cooked

Use hand-mixer to mix cream cheese, pudding and caramel sauce until smooth
Put about 2 tbsp of cream cheese-pudding mix into the flower cups and serve

Serve 15+ people

TIPS
Won Ton wrap is at the fridge section, usually next to the fresh vegetables.
Different ovens have different character. Always pay attention of what you smell. Your nose always tells you if it is cooked.
Want more caramel flavor, replace it with caramel-vanilla pudding.

Salt & Pepper Edammame Snack

Ingredients:
1 LB Frozen Edammame (thawed & strained)

Seasonings:
1tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper

Preheat a non-stick skillet at medium high heat
Add edammame
Stir regularly to let the moisture to evaporate
Add salt and pepper about 15 minutes later
Stir to combine
Taste to adjust flavor
Cook until beans start to brown (about another 5-10 minutes) and serve

Totally about 20-25 minutes

Serve 4-6 people

TIPS
Stir regularly
If you are taking this to visit someone else, wrap them in the aluminum foil and make it like a bag. When you arrive, ask your host to let you to pop the bag into the oven at 250F to heat it up about 10 minutes.
Great to serve it when it is warm.
You can substitute with other seasonings, such as cajun, Italian, grill and so forth.
Edammame are available in the frozen/organiz section in your store.