Crispy Radish Balls

Ingredients:

1 daikon radish

2/3 cup garbanzo bean flour

cilantro

green onion

ginger

five spice powder

salt

Step 1

Grate the radish as fine as possible.

Thinly chop some cilantro and green onions while waiting for the radish to drain excess water.

Grab a handful of grated radish and squeeze out any excess water into a bowl. 

*Save the radish liquid for later use.* 

Transfer the ingredients to a larger bowl to make the radish balls:

grated radish w/o water

chopped cilantro and green onions

2/3 cup garbanzo bean flour

grated ginger

1 tsp five spice powder

a pinch of salt

Mix all the ingredients together. If the radish mixture appears to be dry, start with adding 1 tbs radish liquid back into the mixture. (I added 3 tbs)

Step 2

Roll the mixture into 1 inch balls between your palms. Set aside.

Step 3

Heat some oil in a pan. Make sure the amount of oil in the pan should be enough to have the balls mostly emerged.  (I used a small pan. So I can use less oil.)

Gently put the radish balls in the oil. Fry them over medium high heat until evenly browned. (Turn the balls often to brown evenly)

Traditional Beijing Salty Sweet Bean Paste Noodle

Ingredients: (Serving size 3)

2 cucumbers

8 shiitake mushrooms

1 firm tofu

5 green onions (1 bunch)

4 cloves garlic

bean sprouts (or other micro vegetable sprouts)

grated ginger

olive oil

rice cooking wine

salty soy bean paste

sweet noodle paste (see pictures below)

asian style wide noodles

3 secrects of this noodle dish:

1. 绍兴料酒

Shao Xing rice cooking wine

2. 黄酱( a salty fermented soy bean paste)

 pronounce: Huang Jiang 

direct translation: yellow paste

on the left

3. 甜面酱 (a sweet fermented soy bean paste)

pronounce: Tian Mian Jiang

direct translation: sweet noodle paste

on the right

As long as we use these 3 ingredients, we can change other vegetables in the dish and still make authentic Traditional Beijing Soy Bean Paste Noodle.

1. Heat up a pan with oil (larger amount is better). Add cubed firm tofu. Cook 5 mins until they start to brown on one side. 

2. Add chopped shiitake mushrooms, greated ginger and minced garlic. Cook 5 mins.

3. Add cubed cucumbers, 6 tbsp rice wine, 1 tbsp salty bean paste, 1 tbsp sweet bean paste.

Mix them well and cook 10 mins. Stir every 2 mins. 

4. Add chopped green onions 1 min before killing the heat.

5. Pour these veggies over the noodles. Top with some fresh bean sprouts.

Flavored Oil - Green Onion Flavor

Ingredients: 4 bunches of green onions. 1 medium yellow onion. Olive oil.

Chop up the ingredients to 1 inch long pieces. Set aside or wipe with paper towel to remove excess water.

Put them in a medium size skillet. Add olive oil about 2/3 of the height of the onions. The onions will be cooked down very fast.

Put them over medium low heat. This is the key of making this rich flavor oil. High heat will burn the onions, leave them soggy and taste like spoiled onions. Medium low heat drains out the water of them slowly but makes them crispy and brown in the end. 

Let it cook for at least 50 mins or until most of the onions are brown and crispy. It may take over an hour if you want them to be perfectly crispy. 

Save them in a jar and enjoy them over noodles with salt and pepper. 

Gluten Free Veggie Pancakes

Ingredients: (make about 6 pancakes)

1 cup oat flour
1 cup water 

1/2 medium onion

1/4 large tomato

1/4 green bell pepper

5 small shiitake mushrooms

2 large kale leaves

1 green onion
3 cloves garlic 

1 tsp minced ginger

1/4 tsp tumeric

1 tsp red chili powder

salt to taste

Finely chop all the veggies. Mix them with seasonings, water and gluten-free flour, such as oat flour and garbanzo bean flour. Let it sit for 15 mins before cooking.

Heat a skillet with oil and pour the batter into it. You can use the back of a spoon to flatten the batter since the veggie chunks make it hard to get a good shape.

Creative Easy Onion Pancakes

Ingredients: Dumpling wraps, green onions, salt, olive oil.

1. Two dumpling wraps, put green onions in between, use a little bit water to close them together(same as closing an envelope).

2. Fry them in the oil until each side is brown and crisp.

3. Sprinkle some salt on top.

Super easy, super fast, and super tasty!

Reverse Green Onion Pasta

Green onion is not just a seasoning. Let's start reversing your old way of thinking. Let green onion be the leader of the dish. This is based off a traditional Chinese recipe (onion oil noodles/pancakes).

Ingredients: 5 bunches green onions, minced garlic, leeks, 1 medium size zucchini, pasta/noodles, salt, olive oil. 

1. Chop 4 bunches of green onions, 1 inch long,

Chop 1 medium size zucchini,

Chop 1 small leeks into very thin slices, about 1/8 inch,

Mince 1 bulb of garlic.

Sautee them together in a pan about 5 mins.

2. Stir in cooked pasta. Stir fry about 3 mins.

3. Thinly chop another bunch of green onions, 1/4 inch.

Sprinkle them at the last minute. 

Add salt. 

Stir. 

Remove from  the heat.