You see, I fell in love with the crab rangoon when I moved back to Wisconsin, and one of the first restaurants my wife and I ate at, after we pulled in with the big moving truck, was an American Chinese restaurant that served these deliciously hot bundles of joy.

So instead of making the classic crab rangoon, I thought I would replace the crab and make it a bit more accessible by making a wonderful tasting shrimp rangoon. Not only does it cost less to make, but it also tastes just a good, if not better, than a crab rangoon.

Let’s get started:

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1/2 cup of green onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• 8 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese, room temperature
• Wonton wrappers
• Small bowl of water
• Canola Oil, approximately 3 cups
• Bowl of ice water

Begin by boiling some water, and once boiled, add a generous pinch of salt, and toss in the your shrimp. I realize you can buy precooked shrimp, but something about buying precooked shrimp has always bothered me. Not sure why, but if you want to take the precooked route, by all means go ahead.

Cook the shrimp just until they begin to float to the top. They do not take very long to cook. Once they float, remove them with a slotted spoon and toss them in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking.

Add the shrimp to a food processor and pulse until they are coarsely chopped. Add in the green onion, worcestershire sauce, black  pepper, and cream cheese. Pulse this mixture until everything is incorporated. Remove and clean the blade from the cheese and shrimp mixture.

The next step is to make the rangoons. Take about one tablespoon of the mixture and add them to the middle of a wonton. Brush the edges of the wonton with water, then fold into a triangle, try to remove as much air from the triangle so that only the mixture is well formed, then gently press the edges to seal.  Repeat.

Heat your oil in a pot small pot until it reach 375 degrees. Slowly add in the formed wontons, being careful not to bunch them up, an cook until they are a nice, golden brown. These do not take very long to fry. Remove with a slotted spoon onto a plate lined with paper towel.

Repeat until all of the shrimp rangoons are cooked, but remember to try a couple along the way.

This will be a nice surprise to your guests, and possibly a familiar surprise as well. The real treat is that when biting into them, they will be left with some very nice, and succulent shrimp. Hope you enjoy.

A couple of years later I began doing a lot of cooking as I grew unhappy with the quality of food in Milwaukee. I’m no food snop, don’t get me wrong, but the quality of food and for the cost, I just knew I could make something taste better in my own home for half the cost. Crab rangoons became one of those items.

It was only last week when I made wonton soup for the family where I decided to surprise my wife with a batch of warm shrimp rangoons, not the fake crab. The shrimp added a slightly different texture to them, and in my opinion were better than imitation crab any day.  As I only made about twelve of the shrimp rangoons, I had plenty of cheese and shrimp mixture left, which led me to create this new grilled cheese sandwich.

Lets get started.

Ingredients: [Print this Recipe]

• 1 lb of cooked shrimp, deveined, tails removed
• 1/2 cup of green onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• 8 oz Philadelphia Cream Cheese, room temperature
• 2 slices of ciabatta bread, lightly buttered

Begin by adding the shrimp to a food processor, and pulse it a few times to break it up a little. Remove the shrimp from the processor and add it to a mixing bowl. Add in the green onions, sauces, pepper, and cream cheese, and fold until everything is nicely mixed.

Next, heat a skillet on medium heat. I like to use cast iron, and being mindful to watch the heat. Lightly butter one side of each slice of bread. Lay the slice of bread, butter side down, onto the skillet. Generously add the shrimp rangoon mixture, then top with the other slice of bread, butter side up.

Cook the sandwich on a medium to low heat, lifting a few minutes ahead into cooking to check your nice golden brown color. Once you have achieved your golden brown, carefully flip over, and cook on the other side, until you have a golden brown.

Now your sandwich is ready. To serve, slice in half on the diagonal and plate.

The result is this fantastically, creamy grilled cheese that reminds you not only of a great crab, or should I say shrimp rangoon, but also of that comforting grilled cheese.

So remember, if you are making crab, or shrimp rangoons in the near future, save a bit extra, and make yourself one of these shrimp rangoon grilled cheese sandwiches! Enjoy.

Later that night, he returned a very happy kid. He had his Yankees shirt on, along with some fancy sunglasses, and as he began talking about how cool the stadium was. He was probably just as excited to talk about the Chinese restaurant they had lunch at, and even said he had wonton soup, and that it was the best soup ever!

Now our cousin knows good food, and he knows good Chinese food. A connoisseur of dim sum, and have been a big city native, I knew my kid probably had some of the best Chinese food in New York City.

For the last couple of years, my son reminds me of that time. Not so much of the Yankees, as I think I lured him back into being a Milwaukee Brewers fan, but of the time where he had the wontons, and that was my cue to make him my version, of what I think is a great wonton soup.

We have all had wonton soup, and we pretty much all love it. A nice broth with tender, savory dumplings floating in the broth. I personally really enjoy the soup, and it is one of those items on a Chinese menu that is always ordered. I’ve investigated various broths and dumplings and was determined to make my own this past weekend, and well, my son, he ate the majority of the soup.

Let’s get started.

Ingredients: (Serves 6) [Print this Recipe]

• 1 lb of ground pork, 2 tbsp reserved for stock
• 1/4 tsp dark sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp fish sauce
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup of green onions, finely sliced
• 1/2 tsp corn starch
• 12-18 wonton wrappers, approximately
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tbsp water
• Steamer
• 7 cups of homemade chicken stock, approximately

Begin by adding the pork, sesame oil, fish sauce, white pepper, salt, half of the green onions, and corn starch to a mixing bowl, and do just that, mix. Make sure all of the ingredients have incorporated.

To a smaller bowl, beat the egg, and add the water, and mix.

To make your wonton, lay a wrapper out onto a plate, or in your hand. Add about a tablespoon or less of the mixture into the middle of the wrapper. Lightly brush some of the egg wash along the perimeter of the wrapper. Fold one corner of the wrapper to the opposite side, and pinch to secure. Take the other corner, and do the same, then give it a slight twist.

Repeat this process until the pork mixture is done.

Next get a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Add the dumplings to a parchment paper lined steamer. Place the steamer to the top of the boiling water, cover, and let these steam for about 10 minutes.

During this time, get the chicken stock into a large pot and bring it to a boil, and toss in the ground pork.   Cook the broth for about 5 minutes, or until the ground pork is fully cooked, then remove the pork with a slotted spoon and discard. Toss in the remaining sliced green onions. When the wontons are cooked, add them to the chicken stock, turn off the heat, and let them sit in the broth for about 5 minutes before serving.

To serve, ladle some of the broth, and a few of the dumplings in each bowl.

I think I scored as both my wife, and dumpling loving son genuinely told me that it was probably better than the Chinese restaurant in New York. My son said my broth was better than the place in New York, and the dumpling was a tie. I think I came out a winner on this one. I hope you enjoy.

After trying one of their banh mi which they make fresh on site, I went to the meat department and the pork belly quickly caught my attention. My coworker and I have been talking about pork belly for some time now. We have both been wanting to make our own bacon, but what I also have been wanting to make is that awesome crispy pork that you often find in Chinese restaurants, if you are lucky that is.

The Chinese make their version of crispy pork belly, as do the Filipinos. The Filipino version of crispy pork belly is known as lechon kawali, however, I wanted to get a crispy pork without having to fry anything. After all, there is  plenty of top fat on the pork belly, allowing you to roast the pork to perfection. If yo have never tried this at a restaurant, now is your chance. Not only is this recipe really simple, but it is a great snack that almost anyone who likes pork is going to love.

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs of pork belly
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1/2 tbsp sea salt
• 1/2 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tsp Chinese Five Spice
• 1 tbsp Chinese Black Bean Chili Paste

Begin by scoring your pork belly. With a sharp knife slice into the fat, making cross marks, just deep enough to not cut through the pork. Poke the bottom and side of the pork, making incisions throughout the pork.

Mix the all of the ingredients, with the exception of the salt and vinegar. Place the pork in a large ziplock bag, and pour in the mixed ingredients. Seal and begin massaging the pork, getting the mixture rubbed into the pork. Rub it well. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, but overnight if you can.

When you are ready to cook the pork, remove it from the bag and place fat side up on a large baking sheet covered with foil and lined with a grated baking rack.

Preheat your oven to 425 degrees.

Take some paper towel and completely dry or remove any moisture from the top fat. Sprinkle with the salt and brush the vinegar on top of the fat.

Place the baking sheet with the pork in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. The time pretty much begins to brown and crispy up the pork while some of that goodness drips down onto the pork itself, adding more flavor.

After the 30 minutes, reduce the heat to 350 degrees and cook for one hour.

Remove the sheet from the oven and let cool. When you are ready to serve, cut into bite sized pieces and serve with the following:

Dipping Sauce:

• 1/4 cup of soy sauce
• pinch of red chili flakes
• pinch of black pepper

Not only are these crispy pork belly nuggets addicting, but they are so delicious. I had a whole table of kids gobbling them down, they were that great! Enjoy.

On Christmas Eve, my father-in-law called us up and said that he was ordering Chinese food from Fortune, a local, and actually decent restaurant in the suburbs. He rattled off what he was ordering, and it was the standard fair, so I asked him to ask the lady over the phone for sauteed greens. He jokingly said “sauteed greens?”. Yes, I said, just ask them for the greens that are sauteed with garlic and oyster sauce. When the ordered arrived, we had a lovely bowl of Chinese pea shoots.

If you are looking for some great greens, and greens that are packed with vitamins and nutrients, and have a really great taste, then head to your local Asian market and pick yourself up some pea shoots. You will be glad you did.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp grated ginger
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 lb of Chinese pea shoots
• 1/4 cup of water
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp oyster sauce
• pinch of sugar

Begin by soaking your peas shoots in cold water, picking over any of the bad leaves, or stems. Next, heat a wok, or a large skillet on medium to high heat. Add the oil, toss in the garlic and ginger, and cook just until fragrant. Remove the greens from the water and toss them into the wok. Add in the water, and give them a gentle toss. Continue to toss gently, watching the greens melt down into a delicious pile of goodness. Now is the time to toss in the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and the sugar. Mix well, making sure you incorporate all of the sauces. Plate, and  serve with steamed rice.

Trust me on this one, if you are in need of great greens, this is the one. My five year old simply loved them, and that makes her dad a proud dad at that. Enjoy, and happy new year.

When it comes to the ordering of Chinese food, I typically sit back and enjoy the ride. In all honesty, nothing is too creative, and there always is that standard. Not that this is a good or bad thing, I am just saying the items on a Chinese menu are so long and it is rather difficult to wade through all of them. There is one dish that typically never gets ordered though, and one I have always enjoyed, and that is beef and broccoli.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of beef sirloin, cut into thin strips
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp dark sesame oil
• 1 tbsp cornstarch

In a bowl, whisk all but the beef, making sure the sugar is completely dissolved. Add in the beef and let marinate for 30 minutes, or up to one hour.

As the beef marinates, prepare the following gravy:

• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tsp corn starch

Mix well, and see aside.

• 1 head of broccoli, roughly 1 pound, trimmed, and cut on a diagonal on the stalk, bite sized pieces
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 – 3/4 cup of water
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• 1 cup of canola oil

Heat a wok on medium heat for a few minutes. Add in your oil. Remove the beef from the marinade, and add into wok, being careful not to overcrowd the wok. The goal is to do a nice flash fry, attempting to get a nice thin crust on the beef. This will only take a couple of minutes. Remove the beef and place on paper towels.

Remove the oil, leaving only a couple of tablespoons left. Return the wok back to the heat. Add in your garlic and cook for about 30 seconds.  Toss in your broccoli, and add a bit of salt and pepper.  Add in a half a cup of water, cover, and let the broccoli cook for about two minutes. Remove the cover, and drain the broccoli. Wipe out the wok one more time.

Add the wok back to the heat, add about one tablespoon more of canola oil and bring to temperature. Add the beef back in the wok, add the gravy mixture that has been set aside, and cook quickly, making sure you stir often. Toss in the broccoli, giving another big stir, and get ready to serve.

The gravy, the texture of the beef, and the perfect tenderness of the broccoli really brings a great Chinese dish right to your own home. Big question is what is your favorite Chinese food?

Enjoy.

Not sure if you are like me, but when going to a great Chinese restaurant, I really like to order some of the stir fried greens whether they be bok choy, Chinese broccoli, or cabbage. I love the flavors of oyster sauce and garlic. So this week has already started off to be a hectic week, not only in a work schedule, but also in the family schedule. I knew I needed to be able to make something quick, and easy. I already had rice on hand as my kids love soy sauce and rice, so I decided to make a quick stir fry of bok choy and a killer stir fry sauce that you will probably want to use on all of your stir fry dishes!

Ingredients for the Stir Fry Sauce:

• 3 tbsp of soy sauce
• 3 tbsp of rice wine vinegar
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp of oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp dark sesame oil
• 1 tsp chili paste
• 3 tbsp of brown sugar
• 2 tbsp of sherry cooking wine
• pinch of black pepper

If you do not have these ingredients, pay a visit to your local Asian mart. They are inexpensive and can be used in a lot of different marinades. To make the sauce, combine all of your ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until all fo the sugar dissolves. You can seal this and place in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks as well, which is pretty awesome.

Ingredients for the Bok Choy stir fry:

• 3 bunches of baby bok choy, rinsed, white end cut off
• 3 or more tbsp of stir fry sauce
• 1 tsp of olive oil
• cooked white rice (optional)

Begin by trimming the white ends of the bok choy. Chop the bok choy, or heck, you can leave them whole if you want. It just depends on how you want to present the dish. Heat a large skillet on medium to high heat, adding the olive oil. Add the chopped bok choy, and drizzle about two tablespoons of the stir fry sauce on top of it. Give a good stir, or flip, and let this reduce down. When the white ends are slightly tender, add a couple of more tablespoons of the stir fry sauce, mix, and plate. Simple as that. You can have a killer bok choy stir fry on your plate in no time at all.

Serve with warm, white rice.

This super simple dish has a great and easy marinade, and a ground salt and pepper that you will want to be sprinkling on all kinds of food.

Ingredients:

• 4 thin pork chops
• 3 tbsp of light soy sauce
• pinch of pepper
• 1 tbsp sherry cooking wine
• 1 tsp superfine sugar
• 3 tbsp of cornstarch
• oil for frying
• green onion for garnish
• chili pepper, sliced, for garnish
• 1 tbsp Szechuan peppercorns
• 2 tbsp sea salt
• tiny pinch of Chinese five spice powder

Heat a large skillet on high heat. Add the peppercorns and the salt, and continue to mix for about 5 minutes until the salt turns color, slightly. Remove from the heat and place in a small bowl, adding the tiny pinch of Chinese five spice. Once cooled, either get your mortar out and grind into a fine powder, or get your spice grinder (coffee grinder) out and toss everything in and do the same.

Next, make your marinade. Begin by mixing the sugar, soy sauce, sherry, and pepper in a small bowl. Next, coarsely chop your pork chops. I like taking the medallions and cutting them into various sizes, leaving the bone in tact with enough meat and fat to nibble on. Take a ziplock bag and add in all of the cut up pork pieces, sprinkle with a teaspoon of the ground salt and pepper, and pour the marinade on top of the of the pork. Massage the meat using the outside of the bag, then remove as much air as possible and seal the bag. Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes, or up to overnight.

When you are ready to fry, heat your oil to 350 degrees. As the oil is heating, remove the pork from the bag, not including the marinade, and add to a bowl. Sprinkle the cornstarch on top of the pork pieces, and make sure every piece gets the cornstarch on it.

When you are ready to fry, add the pork in batches and cook for about 4 minutes. Once a light golden brown, remove to a strainer, and repeat the process with the remaining pork. Once you fried all of the pork, add the drained pieces back to the oil and cook for another two minutes. This will change the texture a bit more, as well as the color. Pretty amazing. Remove with yoru spider or tongs and place on some paper towl to let any excess oil drain off. Take a generous pinch of the ground salt and pepper and sprinkle on top of the pieces.

Plate and sprinkle the sliced chilies and green onion on top of the pork. Spoon a bit of the salt and pepper mix on to the plate as well in case you or you guests want a little extra.

This is great as a snack or as a meal and brings a great Chinese dish to your table. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb of fresh shrimp, deveined, shells removed
• 2 large shallots, diced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 cup of chopped pineapple
• 4 Thai chilies, seeds removed, diced
• 1 tbsp honey
• 3 cups of left over rice
• 4 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• chopped peanuts (optional)

Begin by heating a large wok with the olive oil until it begins to lightly smoke. Toss in the garlic, chilies, and shallots and cook for about a minute. Add in the shrimp and cook until light pink. Add in the bell peppers and pineapple, and give a nice stir. Toss in the rice, oyster sauce, honey, and fish sauce, and get your wok moving and grooving, mixing all of the ingredients and warming the rice through.

I presented mine by using half of the pineapple as my serving bowl, topped with some chopped peanuts. It was a real hit. The sweetness of the pineapple and shrimp, and the mild heat from the chilies really balances this dish out, making it a real treat for the dinner table. Needless to say, my kids didn’t want to try it. Oh well, I have to keep trying.