Chinese New Year Recipes 2010

EIGHT PRECIOUS RICE PUDDING

Use of glutinous rice in sweets is of such prominence that one of its Chinese names is “sweet” rice (rice that is used in sweets, not itself sweet in taste.)
One of the best known desserts made with glutinous rice is named Eight Precious Rice Pudding, Eight Treasure Rice Pudding, or Eight Jewel Rice Pudding. It is a steamed dish decorated with eight kinds of nuts, seeds, and dried, honeyed or candied fruit that represent eight precious stones. Eight is a lucky number in China as the word for "eight" and "fortune" are similar. Sometimes a coin is inserted into the pudding, and the lucky person who finds it will have fortune for the rest of the year.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups glutinous rice
3 tablespoons oil
1 cup sweet bean paste filling (do sa)
1/4 cup sugar
Assorted dried and candied fruit (choose 8 from suggested list below)
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon butter

Preparation:
1. Put rice in pot with water level 3/4 inch above rice. Cover and bring to boil. Turn off heat, and let sit, covered for 20 minutes. Stir in sugar and remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Mix well. Set aside.
2. Grease medium-sized bowl heavily with 1 tablespoon oil. Place the candied fruits and raisins in a decorative pattern on the bottom of the bowl; floral shapes are common.
3. Spread a layer of rice mixture over fruits carefully so as not to spoil the design. Spoon a layer of red bean paste over the rice. Cover with another layer of rice. Pack tight.
4. Place bowl on rack in pot or in steamer. Cover. Steam over boiling water 1 hour. Remove pudding carefully by running flexible spatula around edge. Put serving plate over bowl and invert bowl.
5. Mix the milk, cornstarch and extract with a cup of water. Bring to the boil and stir until it thickens, then add the butter. Pour over the hot pudding and serve.

Approximate nutrient analysis: per person when serving 10 people. Calories- 262 cal, Carbohydrate- 55 g, Protein- 4 g, Sodium- 87 mg, Total fat- 3 g, Saturated fat- 2 g, Cholesterol- 7 mg.

Candied orange or lemon peel
Candied walnuts
Dates
Dried apricots
Dried cranberries
California Golden Raisins
Lotus seeds
Maraschino cherries
Raisins
Red dates
Whole almonds

Shrimp Toasts

One 3.5 oz package toasted rice crackers (not cakes!)
1 egg white

1 pound raw, medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (can purchase this way which will save a lot of time)
1 egg
2 T heavy cream
1 T shao hsing wine or sherry or vodka
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon corn starch
1/2 cup finely chopped water chestnuts
2 scallions, minced
1 teaspoon minced gingerroot (optional)
1 egg yolk
2 T water

Beat egg white with a fork. With a pastry brush, apply a light coating of egg white to each rice cracker. Place on cookie tray. Bake 7 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool.

Dry shrimp well and place in food processor. Puree until just chopped. Add whole egg, cream, wine, salt and cornstarch. Process until just mixed. Stir in water chestnuts and scallions, plus ginger if desired.

Place a spoonful of pureed shrimp on each cracker, mounding slightly. Beat egg yolk with water. Brush top of each shrimp toast with egg wash. Bake 12-14 minutes at 350 degrees until shrimp is cooked through.
makes 48.

Steamed Beef Balls with Tangerine Peel
You can buy dried tangerine peel at the Asian food store, but we always made our own. Just save the skins after peeling a tangerine. place in a covered basket to let dry, then in spice bottle. Grandma says it is important to scrape the white inner part of the peel, so as to remove the bitterness.

1 pound lean ground beef (sirloin)
1 T ginger root, peeled and minced
2 green onions, cut into 1” pieces, then minced
I piece dried tangerine peel, ~ 1” x1”, soaked in water, inner white scraped off, minced fine
2 T cornstarch
1 t salt
½ t sugar
¼ t black pepper

Combine all ingredients. Let flavors blend 15 minutes. Form into 16 round balls. Place on pie pan. Steam over high heat 7-8 minutes.

Fish in a Bamboo Leaf
Makes 4 servings

1-½ pounds firm white fish fillets, such as sea bass or red snapper,
each about ¾ inch thick
2 dried bamboo leaves or parchment paper
3 green onions, julienned

Sauce
2 teaspoons chopped ginger 1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons black bean garlic sauce 2 teaspoons sesame seed oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce 1-tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons chili bean sauce ¼ cup chicken broth
2 teaspoons black bean sauce 2 teaspoons cornstarch

Soak bamboo leaves in hot water for 30 minutes. Cut each leaf in half crosswise.
Cut fish crosswise to make 2-inch by 3-inch pieces.

Combine sauce ingredients and microwave on high for one minute (or heat and boil for 1 minute until thickened)

Fold each leaf half into a cone. Secure with wooden pick. Stuff each cone with ¼th of the fish, a heaping tablespoon of the sauce, and ¼th of the green onions.

Place fish in a steamer. Cover and steam over high heat for 6 to 8 minutes until fish are opaque.
(Alternative: can wrap in a square of parchment paper and steam)