Bourbon Street Chicken

Originally today I was going to share the most authentic and coveted recipe of all...a Chinese Sponge Cake recipe from my Grandmother.  It is one of the few recipes that actually is written down and well documented.  But, as I discovered when I tried to make it, there aren't enough details to get it right without some experimentation first.  So, allow me to play with it a bit more and then get back to you on sharing that one...

Instead, I'm going to share a really tasty but not-so-authentic stir fry recipe so there's a little something for everybody.  This is a dish that you often find at the mall food court where little Asians try to shove chicken samples on a toothpick in your face.  Oddly enough, I never find myself taking those samples nor ordering this dish but I got a hankering to eat it at home recently.

The sauce is sweet and sticky with a good amount of spice that can be adjusted to your liking.  And despite its name (and my love for drunken foods)...contains no bourbon.  Either way, it's really really good.  Good enough that my husband actually agreed to take leftovers to work the next day for lunch.  He NEVER does that!

I happened to use about half as much chicken and then threw in some leftover broccoli that I needed to use up.  I think steamed broccoli a common side dish for this anyway but I wanted mine to be nice and saucy.

Two Years Ago: Chicken Cacciatore

Three Years Ago:  Crockpot 40 Clove Garlic Chicken

Bourbon Street Chicken

Yields: 4 Servings

Ingredients

• 2 lb boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1/4 tsp ginger
• 3/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes (For added heat, add a squirt of Sriracha!)
• 1/4 c apple juice (I use no sugar added)
• 1/3 cup light brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp ketchup
• 1 Tbsp cider vinegar
• 1/2 c water
• 1/3 c low sodium soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch dissolved in a bit of water

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large skillet.  Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned.  Remove and set aside on a plate.
2. Add remaining ingredients and heat until well blended and dissolved.  Add the chicken back in then bring to a hard boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes uncovered.  Add the cornstarch mixture and continue to cook until thickened.
4. Serve over hot rice.

Source: Big Oven

Ginger Chicken Jook (Chinese Rice Porridge)

Jook, congee, or rice porridge.  No matter what you call this authentic Asian soup, it is downright delicious and comforting.  Many people compare it to the Chicken Noodle Soup of the Asian world.

When I was healing from my miscarriage, my Mom made me a big pot of jook.  When the Thanksgiving turkey carcass or Christmas ham bone are picked through, we make jook.  In fact, Turkey jook is the most coveted of all because the turkey bones provide an extra sweet base flavor and it's a rarity enjoyed just once a year.

Sometimes, jook in its cheapest and simplest form is just rice and water.  That also brings back childhood memories of when my Grandma and Mom would make a pot of rice in the rice cooker and then using the hard bits at the bottom, add some water and allow it to become a magical soup.  I was somewhat addicted to this and steamed rice mixed with ice water growing up.  It's a wonder that I didn't become malnourished.

In this case, the inspiration for making this recipe was a roasted chicken carcass that was given to me by my in-laws after our weekly Sunday dinner together.  Anytime they have bones they know I'll take it home because I love making homemade broths and soups out of them.  Why let it go to waste?  That's what the Asian in my is thinking, anyway.  The frugal person in me is thinking of the cost savings that comes from making my own broth (which is SO EASY) at home without any added salt.

This was my first time making jook on my own.  I'd watched family members do it many times before but as usual, there's no recipe and no measurements.  The only measurements used were based on "bowls" (of the Chinese soup variety).  After some searching, I found a good starting recipe and put my own family spin on it so that it was closer to the way that Mom would do it.

I don't know why I was so intimidated to try this before.  Perhaps it is because I had witnessed too many times where the bottom of the jook ends up burning by accident and thus tainting the entire pot with the unwanted burnt flavor.  But my Mom taught me the trick to avoiding that.  She always told me to NEVER stir your jook or else you'd have to keep stirring it.  As long as you have a vigorous simmer going on, that will be enough to move the rice around and prevent it from burning.

With my first bite I was pleasantly surprised.  In fact, don't tell Mom but I think it might have been the best (non-turkey) jook that I've ever eaten.  This recipe used chicken broth versus my family uses just water.  Needless to say, the broth added a boost of flavor that I had not yet known.  It also integrates ginger directly into the soup.  While ginger is a common garnish that is served with jook, I usually skip it because I hate chomping on a big piece of it.  But, I enjoy the subtle flavor it lends so cooking it directly in the jook was perfect to me.  I ate this for 4 days straight and can't wait to get some more bones to make more!

I hope you give it a try and discover this Asian staple for yourself!

Ginger Chicken Jook (Chinese Rice Porridge)

Ingredients

• 6 cups water
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 leftover chicken carcass, with some meat intact and skin removed and trimmed of excess fat
• 1 cup long-grain white rice
• 1 tsp ginger, finely minced
• Salt and white pepper, to taste
• Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish
• Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish
• Thousand year old eggs, for garnish (optional)
• White pepper, sesame oil and soy sauce, for personal seasoning

Directions

1. Place all ingredients except the garnishes in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.  Reduce the meat to medium low and cook at a lively simmer.  Do not stir!  Continue to cook until the rice has completely broken down and the mixture is creamy, about 1 hour.  The soup will continue to thicken as it stands but it will get watery if you stir it too much after cooking.
2. Turn off the heat and remove the carcass to a cutting board.  When it's cool enough to handle, pull off the meat in bite-sized pieces, discarding the cartilage and bones.  Return the chicken pieces to the jook.  Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper as needed.
3. Ladle into bowls.  If desired, season with more white pepper, sesame oil, and/or soy sauce then top with cilantro and scallions.  If you like thousand year old eggs, throw those on top, too.

Source: Slightly modified from Christine Gallary's recipe on Chow.com

Meatless Monday: Sweet and Spicy Tofu with Green Beans

This week I'm going to be sharing some Authentic Chinese and Asian-inspired recipes in honor of the upcoming Chinese New Year.  Because this holiday follows the lunar calendar, it falls on a different date each year sometime between January and February.  This year, February 10th is Chinese New Year and it will be the year of the Snake.

First up is a vegetarian dish for Meatless Monday.  Getting my husband to eat a vegetarian dish let alone one that features tofu is generally a chore.  My cousin once told him that they are "estrogen cakes" and if eaten too much, would cause him to grow boobs.  As crazy as that sounds (and I'm sure he doesn't actually believe it), this is the excuse he uses to NOT eat tofu lol.

But this recipe was different.  The sauce made everything dripping with deliciousness and I wouldn't hesitate to use it again on other meats and vegetables.  It has hoisin sauce (essentially Chinese BBQ) which I always love.  There were definitely fewer complaints from my husband about this dish than normal so that was a win in my book.  I left out the water chestnuts due to personal preference.  It's a texture thing for me...I just don't dig it but feel free to keep it in if you enjoy the wet crunch.

Two Years Ago: Quiche Lorraine

Sweet and Spicy Tofu with Green Bean

Ingredients

• 1 block of tofu, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp hoisin
• 1.5 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp dry cooking sherry
• 2 tsp chili garlic paste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Large handful of fresh green beans, trimmed into 1-2 inch pieces
• 1/2 small onion, sliced into 1-2 inch pieces
• 1/2 can water chestnuts, sliced into 1-2 inch pieces
• 1/2 c low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth 

Directions

1. Heat olive oil and sesame oil in a large saute pan or wok
2. Add tofu; cook until browned on all sides, about 12 minutes.  Remove to a plate lined with paper towels.
3. Add a touch more olive oil to the pan.  Add garlic and onions, saute 1-2 minutes.  Add water chestnuts and green beans, saute 1-2 minutes.
4. Mix hoisin, brown sugar, soy sauce, sherry, chili garlic paste, and broth.  Add to the pan and bring to a simmer.
5. Return tofu to the pan; let cook a few minutes. Reduce heat and let simmer if you want the sauce to thicken.
6. Serve over rice or noodles.

Source: Mary Ellen's Cooking Creations

Guest Post by Whisks & Ruffles: Beef with Black Pepper Sauce

Good morning friends!

As this post goes live, it is currently 7PM on Wednesday in Asia and I am STILL on a plane.  Yep, I left just before 7AM on Tuesday (September 11th...still gets small gasps from people...) and will not arrive to my final destination in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia until nearly 10PM local time (10AM for those in the US Eastern Time Zone).  Aye!

So, while I'm gone, I have several guest posters that I will be featuring here on my site.  I am so extremely thankful for them to be helping me out with posting or I'm pretty sure I'd lose my mind.  I highly encourage you to check out their sites and hopefully you'll follow them regularly as I do, too.

My first guest poster is Angelina of Whisks & Ruffles.  Though she's new to blogging, you can tell she's dedicated to her nurturing her blog because she invested in a custom domain name AND a received a new DSLR to take those beautiful photos that make you drool on your keyboard. A couple of  recipes I would love to try sometime are her Korean Samgyeopsal (Pork Belly) with Ssam Jang (Soybean Past Dipping Sauce) and Pajori (Green Onion Salad) and Fancy 4-Cheese Mac and Cheese (omg am I sucker for a good mac and cheese!).

Angelina volunteered to guest post when I put out a request on my facebook fan page.  When I looked at her profile on facebook, I realized we had a mutual real-life friend in common.  She went to college with my good friend Jackie.  But that's not all we have in common, as you'll see from her introduction below.

By the way, everything she says about growing up in an Asian household and trying to replicate "recipes" is totally true!  If you don't believe me, check out my post on Grandpa N's Char Siu Bao (Chinese BBQ Pork Buns) - See the theme with the recipes scrawled on tiny scraps of paper! - and family recipes tag to see my own (mis)adventures!

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Hello! This is Angelina from Whisks & Ruffles. Like Christine, I’m a twenty-something engineer by day and a cooking wife by night. I love to cook, bake, decorate, party plan, and anything wedding-related! Yes, I’m a newlywed and I just can’t help it! Head over to my site to read on my adventures!

Beef with Black Pepper Sauce

Growing up in an Asian household, I’m always in awe of what my mom whips up in the kitchen. It’s so hard to pin-point her recipes though, since she always seems to eye-ball the ingredients. Her food always tastes so amazing, and it’s difficult for me to replicate, because well… her eye-balling is not the same as my eye-balling I guess... but with time, I became wiser, and I learned. At least I’d like to think so!

Whenever I feel like an easy Asian stir-fry, I use the Beef with Black Pepper recipe I found on the Taiwan Center website as a guide. This recipe actually has been posted on my fridge door for quite some time, but whenever I feel like making this dish, I only use it to remind me of the ingredients, and I find myself eye-balling the amount of sauces I add in.

For my guest post at Christine’s Kitchen Chronicles, I attempted to pin-point my recipes, so that you readers can actually try this at home! As I added ingredients, I actually measured them and wrote them down. Finally, I updated the recipe on my fridge! Hooray!

Here’s the before and after recipes (pardon my Disney magnets)

Ingredients:

• ¾ - 1 Lbs. Beef
• 2 Tbsp. Chopped Garlic
• ½ Large Onion, sliced
• 1 Tbsp. Canola Oil
• 1 Broccoli Bunch

Beef Marinade (mix all together)

• 2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
• ½ Tbsp. Sesame Oil
• 1 Tbsp. Corn Starch
• 1 tsp. Rice Vinegar

Black Pepper Sauce (mix all together):

• 3 Tbsp. Oyster Sauce
• 2 tsp. Sugar
• 4 Tbsp. Water
• 2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
• 1 Tbsp. Freshly Ground Black Pepper (use less if you don’t like your food spicy!)

Directions:

Marinade the beef for about 30 minutes using the marinade recipe above. I used “beef hanging tenders” that’s already pre-sliced, but you can slice your own beef sirloin.

Cut up broccoli and steam. Set aside.

In a large wok, heat up canola oil and toss in chopped garlic and onion. Stir until onions are starting  to brown and garlic becomes fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Introduce the marinated beef and stir-fry for about 3 minutes, until beef is half-cooked.

Pour in the Black Pepper Sauce, and continue to stir-fry for another 3 minutes, until beef is fully cooked.

Serve beef on top of a bed of steamed broccoli from step #2. You can also use Chinese Broccoli (Gai-Lan) or Bok Choy. If you don’t feel like eating veggies you can also skip this part.

I ate my Beef with Black Pepper with a bowl of steamed rice. Delish!

Thank you Christine for letting me guest-post on your blog!

When I ran across the street to buy my last-minute much-needed oyster sauce from a local grocery, I saw some corn on sale, and it reminds me of your Creamed Corn! I wish summer never went away, but Ican’t wait to try this recipe and reminisce the good summer days…

Xo,
Angelina

Guest Post: General Tso's Chicken

Today I've invited my friend Emily to guest post for me.  You'll probably recognize her drool worthy photography from some of my Dinner Club posts as well as our recent Apple Extravaganza from October.  I'm always envious of her skills both in the kitchen and behind the lens.  She's an amazing person and I'm so glad to have her as a friend.  Hopefully this won't be the last that you see of Emily on this blog ;).

If you'd like to guest post, please leave a comment!

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 This officially marks my first food blog post. Ever. Seriously. I’ve taken hundreds of photos of food I’ve cooked…and baked….and grilled….and, sometimes, when I’m feeling rebellious, even fried. But, never once written a blog post. So, as you can imagine I was a bit reluctant to take Christine up on her offer for a guest post, but I’m not one to turn down trying new things. Especially those food-related.

The recipe I’m sharing with you all today is quite the standard: General Tso’s Chicken. I’m sure this one has been done a hundred thousand times over, across blogs, recipe sites and the like. Heck, I would argue that this dish has been over done. However, the reasons I wanted to post this are two-fold:

First, I’m generally anti-fry. I’m more or less a border-line health nut about 80% of the week (the other 20%? Well, that’s what weekends are for!), making this recipe fall squarely outside of my comfort zone. I confess, we own a Fry Daddy (I blame the husband!), but require it never be used inside. There are few things that will make my stomach turn, but waking up to a kitchen with the lingering odor of a McDonald’s only results in my being overcome by the urge to shower. Or exercise. A lot.

Good news! This recipe does NOT require a Fry Daddy. Seriously, nothing ever should. And, yet….

Second, I was quite frankly blown away by the end result. It was border-line restaurant comparable. I’m not kidding. Let’s just say the husband put this recipe in his Top 5, and mandated it have a regular appearance in “The Rotation.” On one condition: that I continue to keep his plate broccoli-free (you see what I have to deal with?). 

And now, for the main event….

General Tso’s Chicken

Ingredients

FOR THE CHICKEN

• 1-½ teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
• 1 whole Large Egg White
• ¼ cups Plus 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
• 1 pound Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
• Canola, Peanut, Or Vegetable Oil For Frying
• Flour to coat the chicken (1/2 - 1 cup, depending on desired coating)

FOR THE SAUCE:

• 1 Tablespoon Peanut, Canola Or Vegetable Oil
• 2 cloves Garlic, Peeled And Minced
• 2 Tablespoons Finely Chopped Fresh Ginger Root
• 1 cup Chicken Broth Or Stock
•  ¼ cups Soy Sauce
• 1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon Chinese Chile-garlic Sauce
• 3 Tablespoons sugar. (The original recipe calls for Raw (turbinado Or Demerara) Sugar, but I’m not sure it matters either way)

FOR SERVING:

•  4 whole Scallions, Thinly Sliced
• Steamed Rice (we’re partial to sushi rice, but I’m sure this would taste phenomenal with sawdust, so it matters not!)
• Steamed Broccoli

Preparation Instructions

1. Prep your chicken: In a mixing bowl, stir together the sesame oil, soy sauce, egg white, and 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of cornstarch until a thick slurry forms. It will look gummy but smooth. Add the chicken pieces and stir until all are evenly coated. At first it may appear that it will not come together but it does! Set chicken aside, covered lightly with plastic wrap, at room temperature for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Begin the sauce: Add the tablespoon of oil to a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan over high heat. Stir the garlic and ginger into the oil and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 1 minute. In a separate bowl, whisk together the remaining sauce ingredients until smooth. Pour into the garlic and ginger, stirring, until the sauce becomes thick and shiny. Once the sauce thickens, lower heat and keep the saucepan over a low burner partially covered to stay warm.
3. To fry the chicken: Heat 1/2-inches of oil in a heavy-bottomed, high-sided frying pan or skillet over high heat. In the meantime, add the flour to your coated chicken, mixing everything together. When the oil is shimmering, add one piece of chicken at a time, taking care not to crowd the pan. Cook chicken for 4 minutes on each side, or until deep golden brown and crisp on both sides.
4. Transfer the fried chicken to a paper towel lined plate and repeat the process until you’ve cooked all the chicken. Then slide all of the fried chicken into the prepared sauce and toss to coat. (If desired, add some steamed broccoli to coat with the sauce also.) Increase the heat to medium, stir and cook just until hot all the way through.
5. Sprinkle with sliced scallions and serve immediately over white rice. Or brown rice. Or sushi rice. You get the idea.

Source: Adapted from Rebecca at on Tasty Kitchen (Original Recipe)

Asian Lettuce Wraps

There are some people that L.O.V.E. the restaurant P. F. Changs.  I, however, am not one of those people.  Personally I find the restaurant to be an overpriced version of any run-of-the-mill Americanized Chinese food and usually, it's way too salty.  But, I do love Asian lettuce wraps...and that's something they serve that's a bit more authentic.  People go gaga over these wraps there...and for good reason!

There's something about the contrasting flavors and textures of this meal: crisp, cool lettuce versus the hot (and if desired, spicy) meat filling.  Essentially, it's Asia's version of the taco.  It's also great for low-carb dieters because there's no tortilla, just a lettuce cup holding all the meaty goodness inside.

Asian Lettuce Wraps

Ingredients

For the sauce:

• 1½ tsp. hoisin sauce
• 1 tsp. soy sauce
• ½ tsp. sesame oil
• 1 tsp. rice wine vinegar
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp. Sriracha hot sauce

For the filling:

• 2 tsp. canola oil
• 1 tsp. minced garlic
• ½ tsp. grated fresh ginger
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 1 lb. ground turkey or chicken
• 2 cups mixed vegetables 
• ½ green apple, finely chopped

To assemble:

• Butter lettuce leaves, washed and separated
• Shredded carrots for topping (optional)

Directions

1. Combine all the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl and mix to blend.
2. To make the filling, heat a skillet on high heat with cooking oil.  Once the pan is hot, add the garlic, ginger and green onions to the pan, and stir fry for a few seconds, just until fragrant.  Add the ground turkey or chicken, breaking into small pieces, and cook until almost cooked through.  Add the vegetables to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes.  Mix in the sauce and cook for about 1 minute until thickened slightly.  Add the apples to the pan and toss to coat.  Immediately remove the pan from the heat.
3. Serve the filling in lettuce “cups” and top with shredded carrots, if desired.

Source: Originally from Steamy Kitchen as adapted by and seen on Annie's Eats

Singapore Mei Fun

Remember my 23 Things in 2011 list?  Yeah...totally not on track for completing that right now since April and May were totally non-productive.  Up until that point though I had been very good about making roughly 2 items off the list per month but (as usual) not as good about blogging about them in a timely manner.  The only reason I'm blogging about this particular recipe now is because my facebook fans voted on it to be my next blog post!

Singapore Mei Fun made my list of things I wanted to make this year because it is one of my favorite dishes that my mom makes.  Interestingly enough, I recently learned from an Asian Heritage Month work event that this dish isn't even authentic Sinaporean food.  Oh well.  It's delicious.  And it's easy!  I think the real secret to making a good Singapore Mei Fun (Rice Noodle) dish is the fact that the noodles are "cooked" by soaking them in water instead of boiling like your typical noodle.  A quick stir fry is all it takes to finish it off!

My mom gave me a "recipe" but as with all of our family's "recipes" they are more loose guidelines of what ingredients and generally how to make the dish.  There's not any specifics of how much or how long so that's where my Google research helped.  Thank goodness for Google to help fill in the gaps.  This was just like Mom's!

One Year Ago: Firecracker Shrimp


Singapore Mei Fun (Curry Noodles)

Yields: 4-6 servings

Ingredients

• 8 ounces rice vermicelli (mei fun - check your Asian aisle at the local grocer)
• 2 tablespoons rice cooking wine 
• 2 teaspoons reduced sodium soy sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar 
• 1/2 teaspoon salt 
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 4 ounces small shrimp, shelled and deveined 
• 1/2 cup finely shredded scallions 
• 1 small onions, sliced
• 1 green bell pepper, sliced
• 1 Tablespoon yellow curry powder 
• 3/4 cup Chicken Broth 
• 4 ounces other meat such as Chicken, Beef, or Chinese Barbecued Pork, cut into julienne
• 1 egg, scrambled, fried, and cut into julienne (optional)

Directions

1. In a large bowl, soak the rice noodles in enough cold water to cover overnight, or until noodles are limp and softened. Drain in a colander and set aside. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, and salt. Set aside.
2. Heat a 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and stir fry the chicken and/or beef until nearly cooked through.  Remove and set aside on a plate.  Add additional 1 tablespoon oil and shrimp, and stir-fry 10 seconds. Add the scallions and stir-fry 30 seconds, or until shrimp have just turned orange but are not cooked through. Transfer the shrimp mixture to a plate and set aside.
3. Add the remaining 2 tablespoon vegetable oil, onions and green pepper, and stir-fry 30 seconds. Add the curry powder and stir-fry 10 seconds, or until fragrant. Restir soy sauce mixture and swirl it into the wok. Add the chicken broth, and 1/3 cup cold water, and bring to a boil over high heat.
4. Add the drained rice noodles and return to a boil, stirring noodles to completely coat in curry mixture (chopsticks work best for this!). Add the meat mixture, and cook, stirring, 1 to 2 minutes, or until shrimp are just cooked through and liquid has been absorbed by the noodles. Add the cooked egg, if desired.  Serve immediately.

Source: Inspired by my Mom and The Wisdom of the Chinese Recipe. Published by Scribner, 1999.  As seen in an Cooking Light message board.

SweetFire Chicken

Have you tried this yet?  I know I was hooked from the moment these sweet and spicy chicken morsels hit my tongue.  I used to knock Panda Express because I figured it was just another bad Americanized Chinese food joint but this is truly another example where you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.

Yes, it's cheap.  Yes, it's not authentic.  But YES, it is DELICIOUS!  As I savored every bite and realized it would be quite a drive for us to get this food often, I thought surely this couldn't be difficult to make at home.  A quick internet search yielded some recipes and a place to begin.  The recipe I ended up finding was precisely what I concocted in my mind when I thought I'd try to DIY.  The only thing I did differently was to add some cornstarch to the flour mix so that it'd help thicken the "sauce" and also some spices for flavoring the chicken.  I also added more pineapple and veggies.  Yum!  You could deep fry the chicken like they do in the restaurant but this offers a slightly healthier option and frankly, we didn't miss the deep-friedness.

Chris was totally delighted by this recipe and asked that it be added to our weekly rotation (which, we don't have a weekly rotation because I rarely ever repeat recipes!).  With much enthusiasm as he wolfed down his portion and went for seconds he boldly declared this dish my "best Chinese dish yet".  In my opinion, it was dead on and it was soooo easy!

With its pineapple, red bell pepper, onions, and chicken in a sweet chili sauce, it's a modern day spicy spin on your regular run of the mill sweet and sour chicken.  But 10 million times better.  An "exotic fusion of flavors" as they call it.  Best Chinese yet.

Two Years Ago:  Quick and Easy Alfredo Sauce - I may not have a weekly menu but this is actually one of them that does make it on my menu often.  Especially on lazy days ;).

SweetFire Chicken

Printer-Friendly Version  

Ingredients

• 2-3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1" chunks
• 1 cup flour
• 2 Tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• 3/4 of a red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
• 1/2 of a small onion, sliced
• 1 1/2 cups fresh pineapple, chopped (can substitute drained canned pineapple chunks)
• 1/2 cup Thai sweet chili sauce
• Vegetable oil

Directions

1. Chop and prepare all ingredients before starting. 
2. Heat oil in pan on stovetop. Mix flour, cornstarch, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper in a gallon ziplock bag. Add chicken pieces and coat evenly. Once pan has heated, add the chicken pieces. Throw out the leftover flour mixture. Cook 4-5 minutes, stirring several times to cook chicken. If the pan surface gets dry, add a little bit more oil.  Once the chicken has browned and cooked, remove and set aside.
3. Add the bell pepper and onions to the pan and stir fry about 3-4 minutes. Add the sweet chili sauce and stir. Then immediately add the cooked chicken and pineapple. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes. Serve over rice immediately.

Source: Modified from So I Married a Triathlete

Chinese Steamed Fish

Well, based on my Google Analytics for the month, fish is pretty much the new black.  Or, it could just be Lent.  So, as Easter is coming up and you're rounding up the last of your Lenten specialties or you just want to try to eat healthier, I encourage to give this a try.

Asian-style steamed fish is one of my favorite things to order at Chinese restaurants.  I made this along with several other Chinese goodies as part of my Chinese New Year celebration.  Fish, or "yu", is symbolic of richness and abundance.  If you eat the fish for Chinese New Year, you will be prosperous.  And, the saying goes that you should leave a little bit on your plate to save for later...so that you have prosperity in the future, too!  I don't know about all the traditional/superstitious mumbo jumbo but prosperity sounds good to me :).

If you're going all out, you'd buy a very fresh piece of intact fish - skin, bones, and *gasp*...head!  In Chinese culture, it's the head (with the fish's clear glassy eyes) that lets you know that it's really fresh.  Heck, you might have even selected it from the tank yourself!  Since I live in Cincinnati and am personally a bit squeamish, I went with filets and it still tasted just like the restaurants to me.  And, less work because you don't have to pick out tiny bones or (if you're like me), discard the skin while you're eating it.  My mom eats the skin though.  And the meat in the head.  She'll fight you for it because she claims the cheek meat is the sweetest.  Don't worry Mom, it's all yours!

This preparation of fish is relatively healthy since it is steamed.  There is a moderate amount of oil used in the "sauce" but you can either reduce the amount used or just not spoon as much of the "sauce" on top of your fish serving when you go to eat it.  The flavor really comes from the ginger and scallions that flavor the oil in addition to the soy sauce.  Yum!

One Year Ago: Slow Cooker Carnitas
Two Years Ago: Cake Balls (Truffles)

Chinese Steamed Fish
Printer-Friendly Version

Ingredients

• 1 pound whole fish (or fillets 1″ or thicker) yields the best results

(A)

• 4 stalks, scallions – cut into 3″ lengths
• 3″ piece of ginger – slice into “coins”
• small bunch of cilantro
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine to pour on fish prior to steaming (or any cooking wine like dry sherry)
• salt and pepper

(B)

• 2 tablespoons rough chopped cilantro
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt + 1/4 teaspoon white pepper (or black pepper if you don’t have white)
• fresh chilli – thinly sliced (optional)

(C)

• 2 stalks, scallions – cut into 3″ lengths
• 2″ piece of ginger – finely julienned to the skinniest, thinnest strips you can possibly manage without a microscope
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil

Equipment: shallow pan to hold fish and large pot or wok for steaming. If you don’t have a fancy steamer or steamer insert, take a shallow-ish bowl and invert to use as a stand. Or…3 shot glasses inverted.

Directions

1. Clean and Stuff: Clean your fish, pat dry. Season generously inside and out with salt and pepper. Take half of (A) and stuff inside the fish. If you are using fillets, skip this.
2. Make your bed: Take the other half of (A) and lay it in a shallow pan. If using fillets, just use all of (A) for the bed. Lay the fish on top of the bed. If fish is too long, cut in half. Pour 1 1/2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine on top of the fish. 
3. Steam: Add 2″ of water to your large pot, cover and boil. When it is boiling, uncover and wipe the inside of the cover clean of any condensation (all this condensation will drip back down on your fish, diluting the flavor) Put your fish pan inside, propped up with a small inverted bowl. Steam the fish on medium (see below for cooking times).

• Whole fish 1 lb: check at 12 minutes, add 2 minutes for every 1/2 lb
• Fillets 1″ and thicker: check at 10 minutes, add 2 minutes for every 1/2″ more thickness
• Fillets less than 1″: check at 7 minutes
• Super thin fillets: check at 5 minutes

1. Check to see if its done at the times indicated.  Poke your chopstick at the flesh near the top fin. If flesh flakes easily near the top fin, then its done. If flesh sticks together still, then add 1-2 more minutes to cooking time. For fillets, just gently poke at the flesh in the middle. Timing really depends on the thickness of your fish.  Also check to make sure you haven’t run out of steaming water.
2. Aromatics: Towards the end of the steaming process, you’ll want to start preparing the aromatics that garnish the finished dish. Take a microwave-safe bowl, add (B) and microwave for 30 seconds. Set aside. When fish is done steaming, carefully lift the fish out onto a serving platter, discarding all of the cooked cilantro/ginger/scallions and the fish juice in the pan. Pour the hot (B) over fish.
3. Now we’ll work with (C): In a separate pan or wok, heat up cooking oil until you see smoke. Add the ginger and scallions, fry for 10 seconds to “pop” the flavors. Pour this cooking oil + herbs over the fish. You’ll hear a very satisfying sizzle!

Source: Steamy Kitchen

Chinese Scallion Pancakes and Asian Beef

Happy Chinese New Year!

















Thursday is Chinese New Year and 2011 is the Year of the Rabbit.  Those born in this Chinese Zodiac year are said to be: Gracious, good friend, kind, sensitive, soft-spoken, amiable, elegant, reserved, cautious, artistic, thorough, tender, self-assured, shy, astute, compassionate, lucky, flexible. Can be moody, detached, superficial, self-indulgent, opportunistic, stubborn.

To celebrate this occasion I was going to share a very personal recipe from my Grandmother.  But, my first trial didn't quite come out the way I would have liked so I want to re-make it before unveiling it to the world.  I want it to be perfect and do Grandma's recipe justice :).  So, stay tuned because you'll get this after the Chinese New Year and it won't make it any less delicious or special.

But no worries, you still get a Chinese recipe to ring in the Chinese New Year.  Scallion pancakes are essentially dough that has green onions mixed into it.  It's then rolled really thin and then pan fried until it is golden brown.  Typically it is then cut into wedges and served with a sweet and spicy soy sauce (kind of like they kind that's served with pot stickers) for dipping.  This is a favorite dish of my brother's.  He refers to it as "Chinese Pizza".  If you want the sauce recipe, see Ming Tsai's version which several bloggers have tried and recommend.

Wanting to somehow turn this into a full meal on its own I wondered wouldn't it be interesting to use the pancakes as burrito-style shell and fill it with meat?  So, I searched for a beef marinade and then put my vision to the test.  It was quite yummy and I'd say this creation was a success.  I'd almost call it a Chinese version of a Gordita but the meat is wrapped in the shell versus stuffed inside.

Looking for more Chinese recipes for your celebration?  Checkout my Chinese tag for ideas but if you really want to impress, I suggest the Chinese Bakery-Style Cake or Bolo Bao with Nai Wong Filling.  For a simpler sweet, try the classic Chinese Almond Cookie.

One Year Ago: Grandma B's Chicken a la King and Cream Biscuits

Chinese Scallion Pancakes
Printer-Friendly Version 

Yields: 8 whole pancakes or about 48 triangular pieces.

Ingredients

• 3 cups (750 mL) all purpose flour
• 1 cup (250 mL) boiling water
• 1/3 cup (90 mL) cold water
• 1 1/2 Tablespoon (22.5 mL) vegetable oil
• 3 teaspoons (15 mL) salt, to taste
• 4 stalks scallion/green onion, chopped

Directions

1. Place flour in a bowl; gradually stir in the boiling water and mix well; let stand for 5 minutes.
2. Slowly add cold water; knead until smooth and dough can be formed into a ball.  Cover with a wet towel and let stand for 15 minutes.
3. Divide dough into 8 portions.  Knead and roll each portion into thin pancakes about 10 inches (25.4 cm) in diameter, then brush with 1/2 Tablespoon  (7.5 mL) oil, sprinkle with 1/8 teaspoons (0.5mL) salt, and 1/2 Tablespoon (7.5 mL) of scallion evenly on top.  
4. Roll the pancake into a long roll with the ends tightly closed.  Coil the roll like a snail and tuck the end into the middle.  Press the roll with your hand then roll it out into a 1/4 inch (6 mm) thin pancake.  Repeat for remaining dough portions.
5. Heat 1 Tablespoon (15 mL) oil in a skillet over low heat.  Add pancakes, cover and cook for 2 minutes.  Turn the pancake over and add 1 Tablespoon (15 mL) of oil around the sides of the pan.  Cook until the pancake is golden brown, lifting and shaking the pan several times during cooking.
6. If using as a burrito shell, serve whole.  Otherwise, cut pancakes into 6-8 triangular pieces.  Serve warm with dipping sauce or fill with desired meat filling.

Source: p 137 of Unnamed Chinese Cookbook

Asian Beef
Printer-Friendly Version

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 3 tablespoons sherry
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon barbeque sauce
• 2 green onions, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger root
• 1 1/2 pounds flank steak

Directions

1. In a small bowl, mix together hoisin sauce, sherry, soy sauce, barbeque sauce, green onions, garlic, and ginger.
2. Cut flank steak across grain on a diagonal into 1/4 inch slices. Place slices in a 1 gallon resealable plastic bag. Pour sauce mixture over slices, and mix well. Refrigerate 2 hours, or overnight. 
3. To cook meat, heat a wok over high with some oil.  Stir fry the beef a few minutes until it is cooked.

Source: Marinade from All Recipes

2010 Recap Part 1: Reader Favorites

Happy 2011!

I thought I'd kick off this (nerd alert: binary!) New Year with a recap of your favorite recipes from 2010.  Because let's face it, I don't just cook and blog for myself.  I do it for you, too!  That's right.  This post is dedicated to all 55 of you that subscribe to me on Google Reader.  All 8 that subscribe via blogger, too.  And, the countless others that follow my blog sans subscription through Google search, my facebook posts, and the like.  Together you checked out my website a whopping 16,635 times!  Whoa!  I'm so honored to have people that *want* to read about my kitchen chronicles and try new recipes with me. 

What I'd love even more is if you began to come out of your shell and start leaving comments on my blog, too.  Let's face it, we all know that my blogging dwindled in the second half of the year and I just couldn't find the motivation to get back on track.  For 2011, I resolve to get back on the blogging band wagon and I need *you* to help hold me accountable.  Cheer me on when you see something you like!  Let me know if you tried something from my blog - successful or not, too!  Together, we can cook great things :).

So now back to Reader Favorite Recipes from 2010.  These recipes are the most popular ones from my website based on number of hits.  Yup, I have this nifty thing called Google Analytics.  It tells me how many people visit my site, what they look at, how long they spend there, and what part of the world they are visiting from.  Neat, huh?  Don't worry my privacy protection fans, it's all aggregated data and so I can't like...internet stalk you or anything :P.

Without further adieu, here are your favorites from 2010.  (And you can see 2009 favorites, here!)

#10: Copy-Cat Chipotle Burrito Bols
(201 pageviews in 2010)

Do you love Chipotle?  Then you'll love these bols. (Yes, not a typo, there's no w.  It's Spanish!)

#9: Spaghetti Meatballs
(213 page views in 2010)


Photo Credit: Amadeo




















You really can't go wrong with this classic Italian dish.  This one comes from Chris' Grandmother who was from Sicily and is one of the few dishes that I will make over and over again.  It freezes well so one batch will provide a good 6 meals for the 2 of us!

#8: Spinach, Sausage, and Cheese Manicotti
(291 page views in 2010)


Photo Credit: Eater's Digest



















I have smart readers that know a good recipe when they see one.  This is another one of those recipes that actually gets repeated in this household.  The method of stuffing the shells *uncooked* is ingenious.  I like to use sausage, spinach, and cheese (as the title of this recipe suggests) but it is adaptable to the filling of your choice.  Bonus: this one freezes well, too!

#7: Grandpa N's Char Siu Bao (Chinese BBQ Pork Bun)
(337 page views in 2010)

A never-before-seen on the web recipe from my family to yours.  This authentic bun recipe was made countless times by my Grandpa for me.  Since Chinese people tend to not write down recipes, it didn't quite taste exactly as I remembered but is a good starting point.  As I tweak (and document!) this recipe over time I hope to someday get it just as Grandpa used to make.  Stay tuned for future iterations and improvements to this recipe!

#6: Red Lobster's Parmesan Crusted Tilapia
(439 page views in 2010)

This one came straight off of Red Lobster's own website so it's not even a copy-cat - it's the real deal!  Tilapia is one of my favorite types of fish and this preparation is yummy.

#5: Mock Bravo Della Casa Salad
(485 page views in 2010)

Me thinks my readers have a thing for copy-cat restaurants based on Top Reader Picks #10, 6, and 5!  This copy-cat salad is based on my husband's favorite from Bravo! Cucina Italian.  It is the only creamy dressing that he'll eat and he ate this recipe too so I'll take it as a stamp of approval.

By the way, what other copy-cat recipes would you like to see on here?  Now's your chance to leave a comment!

#4: Red Velvet Whoopie Pies (626 page views in 2010)

Each time I see this pictures it practically brings tears to my eyes.  This is by far the most beautiful food photograph that I have ever taken in my life...let alone 2010.  It holds a special place in my heart because it was the first (and only) time that I was accepted to the "food porn" website Food Gawker.  I have no doubt that this recipe made the Top 10 because of the traffic it brought to my site.  That and this recipe is actually quite divine!  Here's to hoping my photography skills continue to improve in 2011.

#3: Lasagna
(662 page views in 2010)

[No food photo.  Sad face.]

This recipe was shared by my Aunt Wah to my mom and I practically grew up on this stuff.  No kitchen should go without a tried and true lasagna recipe.  This one uses cottage cheese instead of ricotta and I find I like the texture better...perhaps because it's what I grew up knowing.  Now to just remember to take a picture of this when I make! 


Garfield would approve.



 #2: Chinese Bakery-Style Cake
(1,278 page views in 2010)

Did you all see the page view count on this one?!  It completely blows all others above out of the water and for good reason, too!  I just wish I had better photography skills to truly capture the magnificence of this cake.  As I said previously, authetic Chinese recipes are hard to come by because the cooks just don't write them down.  I got really lucky and found this one online.  I made some minor modifications and shared it with you.  This is the most commented upon recipe in my blog and I can tell you all love it, too.  What's not to love about the sponge cake layers sandwiching fresh fruit and custard before the entire thing is enveloped in fresh whipped cream.  It looks complicated but it's really not so bad.  And, I gaurentee that it's totally worth it.  If you haven't tried this yet, go.  Now.

Drumroll please....

#1: Chinese Bolo Bao with Nai Wong Filling ("Pineapple" Custard Bun)
(1,590 page views in 2010)

No big surprise here!  The King of 2010 Recipes (mostly due to Google search where it indexes #1!) is the Chinese Bolo Bao with Nai Wong Filling.  This is sort of kind of a Christine's Kitchen Chronicles original because I took 2 existing web recipes to recreate a bun Chris knows and loves.  I have to say that nobody that saw or ate this little beauty was disappointed.  It tasted and looked like it came from a real Chinese bakery.  From its sweet crisp topping to its tender bun leading to a silky custard surprise inside, it is 100% goodness.

There you have it, folks.  Your favorite recipes from 2010.  Be sure to stay tuned to Part 2 of this series - MY favorite recipes from the year!  So far so good on getting back on the blogging wagon, huh? :)

Wishing you a fantastic 2011!

Christine

Chinese Bakery-Style Cake

This cake is THE BOMB!  Holy moly you have got to try it.  Chinese Bakery-style cakes are known for their lightness in both texture and sweetness...you can eat many slices and not feel sick :).  The cake itself is a light and moist sponge-cake like texture.  Sandwiched between the two cake layers is a creamy custard and fresh fruit.  The frosting is a fresh whipped cream.  And then you top it all off with more fresh fruit glazed to a glass-like finish.

I originally intended to make this as part of my mom's birthday celebration back in January but they changed the day on me so I didn't have the time to do so.  My Dad's side of the family was getting together for Chinese New Year celebration dinner so I thought what a perfect opportunity to give this one a shot.

It did take some effort (lots of whipping involved...it's times like these that I am so grateful for my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer!) but the end result was delicious and beautiful.  Fresh fruit right now is a bit expensive but looked so pretty on the cake.  I wanted fruits with varying colors so ended up with strawberries, mangos, and green grapes.   I would have used kiwi instead of grapes but my brother is allergic.  Other fruits that would work well are canned peaches, canned mandarin oranges, honeydew, canteloupe, blueberries, red grapes, raspberries...let your mind get wildly creative!  I used my new cake decorating tools to frost the cake and then quickly learned to put a border around the top and bottom of my cake.  I took it a step further and wrote "Happy New Year" in CHINESE!  Man that was a challenge given I had never decorated or written on a cake in English before let alone Chinese...not to mention I can't even really write Chinese with pen and paper, either :).

I come from a family of cooks and therefore picky eaters so this was a true taste test.  My Aunt Cesena immediately recognized the Chinese text as "Happy New Year" (phew, that's a relief!).  My Uncle Ben ate 3 slices and my Aunt Lai, who said she doesn't typically like cake, went for seconds!  My Dad, who's a fruit fan, requested this cake for his birthday next month.  My cousin Donny said that I should sell it for at least $25 a pop (in Chinese bakeries, this type of cake is AT LEAST $20).  I have a feeling there's going to be many future requests for this cake and I'd say this one passed the test :).

A few notes of caution: 1) The original recipe was in metric and Lucy re-wrote it to be in US units.  This resulted in some funky numbers, which you'll see below.  Just estimate it the best that you can!  2) I used red buttercream frosting to write on the cake because I thought it would be easier than using the whipped cream frosting.  The red seemed to bleed a bit.  Also, because it has fresh fruits and other fresh ingredients, this cake is best served fresh on the same day that it is made.

So what are you waiting for?  Go and make this cake!!

PS:  Now taking orders :).

Chinese Bakery-Style Cake
Printer-Friendly Version

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 0.7 cups of all-purpose flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 0.8 cups of granulated sugar (split into 2 even portions)
• 6 large eggs, separated into yolks and whites
• 1.4 tbsp butter, melted
• 1.4 tbsp milk
• 1/2 tsp vanilla

For the Custard Filling*

• 1/4 cup of granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup of all purpose flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1 cup of milk
• 1 large egg
• 1 tsp vanilla

*Note: Used a large box of cook-to-serve (not instant) vanilla pudding instead of creating homemade custard filling.  Tasted great and helped simplify this recipe a little bit.  After cooking the pudding before putting in fridge to chill, lay a sheet of saran wrap of wax paper over the surface so that it won't form a "skin".

For the Stabilized Whipped Cream Frosting

• 2 tsp vanilla flavored instant pudding
• 2 cups (1 pint) of chilled heavy cream
• 2.5 tbsp of confectioner's sugar

For Fruit Filling and Decorating

• Various fruits of different colors and shapes, sliced as desired (I used mango slices, whole grapes, and halved strawberries.  Honeydew, canteloupe, canned peaches, kiwi, blueberries, red grapes etc. would be great, too!)

Directions

To Make the Cake

1. Preheat oven to 340 degrees F. Cut out wax paper or parchment paper to the size of the bottoms of two 8" or 9" round baking pans.  Lightly grease sides of pans and parchment paper.
2. Warm eggs to room temperature.  Separate 6 egg whites into large stand mixer bowl and 6 egg yolks into a separate large mixing bowl.  Be sure to separate carefully because any bit of yolk that gets into the egg whites will make whipping the whites much more difficult.
3. Mix first sugar portion (0.4 cups) with the egg yolks and beat until slightly thick and pale yellow.  Stir in vanilla to the yolk mixture.
4. In large stand mixer bowl, beat egg whites until they are 60% foamy (a little more than halfway to forming stiff peaks). Add the remaining portion of sugar (0.4 cups) in three separate additions while continuing to whip egg whites. Continue until stiff peaks form when the beaters are pulled away from the foam (this is meringue).
5. Gently fold in 1/2 of the meringue into the egg yolk mixture, folding in carefully to minimize volume loss. Gradually add flour and baking powder and mix gently.  Add melted butter and milk to the batter.  Fold in the remaining half of the meringue carefully. 
6. Divide batter into the two prepared pans. Immediately bake for about 20-25 minutes in preheated oven until tops are a light brown and toothpick inserted into center comes out clean. (Bake shorter in a dark, matte, or non-stick pan, and bake longer in a glass, aluminum, or other shiny pan). It's important that you bake the two cake layers immediately after the batter is finished, as the meringue will tend to re-liquefy as it sits around, and you'll get a weird thick layer at the bottom of your cake if you bake it like that.
7. Remove cakes from oven and leave in pan to cool to room temperature.  If assembling cake later in the day, wrap cooled cake layers in saran wrap until ready to assemble.

For the custard filling
(If using cook-to-serve vanilla pudding, skip these steps and just follow the instructions on your package)

1. Mix the sugar, flour, and salt in a medium saucepan. Stir in 3/4 cup of milk and mix until smooth.
2. Bring mixture to a boil at medium heat, whisking constantly. Be careful not to scrape off any clumps that form on the sides and bottoms as it will leave clumps in your custard.
3. Cook another 2 minutes and remove from heat. At this point the mixture should have thickened up dramatically.
4. Mix together egg with remaining 1/4 cup of milk, then combine with the mixture in the saucepan, whisking vigorously to combine. Return to heat and cook until it just starts to boil. There will be a lot of lumps as you first incorporate the egg mixture, but just keep whisking as you heat it up and most of the lumps should disappear.
5. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap directly touching the surface of the custard to prevent any skin from forming on the custard. If you still have any remaining clumps in the custard now would be a good time to put some more elbow grease into the whisking and if you really can't get rid of them just scoop them out :)
6. Chill at least 2 hours in the fridge or overnight if desired.

For the Stablized Whipped Cream Frosting

1. Use stand mixer to beat heavy cream in a large well-chilled stand mixer bowl.  Beat cream on low speed until small bubbles form (about 30 seconds).  Increase speed to medium and beat until beaters leave a trail in the cream (about 30 seconds).  Increase speed to high, moving beaters around bowl. Beat until just before it becomes soft and billowy.
2. Slowly add sugar and instant vanilla pudding at the sides of the bowl while continuing to whip until it is barely stiff.  These ingredients will stabilize the whipped cream and prevent it from separating over time.
3. Use immediately for frosting or refrigerate for later use.

To Assemble the Finished Cake

1. Carefully remove cakes from pans, cutting around edges if necessary.  Peel or cut away the skin of the cakes (the brown parts on the surface) using hands or a long serrated knife. If needed, level the surface of cake with a knife to make surface as flat as possible.
2. Prepare fresh fruits to be placed between the cake layers. I used strawberries, green grapes, and mango slices. Use whatever you have on hand, just cut it up into small bite-sized pieces and make enough to cover the entire surface between the two cake layers. You can also prep fruit to put on top of the cake as decoration at the same time.
3. Make a simple syrup of 2 parts water to 1 part granulated sugar by stirring together in a saucepan and slowly warming it up just until all the sugar dissolves. Squeeze in the juice from half a lemon. Brush each cake with a thin layer of simple syrup on all surfaces. This helps keep the cake moist.
4. Lay the first cake layer down onto plate.  Spread about half of prepared cooled custard onto the top of the cake layer leaving about 1/2" uncovered around the edge of the cake.  Add prepared fruit pieces on top of the custard, covering the entire custard area. Add remaining custard on top of the fruit.
5. Place second cake layer on top of fruit filling. Gently press layers together and if needed, wipe away any excess custard that escapes from the sides.
6. Frost the cake using the stabilized whipped cream topping and a wide blade or a frosting spatula.
7. Be creative about how you want to decorate your cake. I piped out shells along the top and bottom edge of the cake rim. I then garnished with my prepared fruit and wrote in red buttercream frosting.
8. For the finishing touch, you can make a nearly clear glaze that can be brushed on top of your fruit to give them a glass-like finish similar to the fruit on top of fruit tarts. Heat 1/4 cup of fruit preserves (any flavor - apricot is pretty popular) with an equal amount of water. Stir until boiling. Reduce by boiling off the water to alter the consistency of your glaze. If needed, press the boiled preserved through a fine sieve to separate out the fruit and seeds.  While it is still warm, gently brush it over your fruit and let it dry to achieve that beautiful shiny finish.
9. Finally, put your cake into the fridge and chill for a few hours to let the frosting set. It is best served in the same day it was made.

Source: Modified from Edible Memories