BBQ Pork Steamed Buns

I am obsessed with these bbq pork steamed buns! They are reminiscent of the siopao I used to get from this little Filipino bakery years ago! They are slightly sweet, slightly tangy, and oh so fluffy! I know that I always say that things are easy to make but that's because it is! Lol. Purchasing pre-packaged mix helps tremendously with this recipe, but if you would like to make the dough from scratch, feel free to check out my recipe here.


INGREDIENTS:

(approximately) 2.4 pound pork shoulder butt roast (seasoned well with salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder)

1 cup of freshly chopped pineapple

1 jar of your favorite bbq sauce (I prefer Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory and Brown Sugar)

1/4 cup of hot water

1 Tablespoon of brown sugar (optional)

black pepper

FOR THE DOUGH

1 package of dumpling (banh bao) flour--you will need to follow the directions according to the packaging, so make sure you have the ingredients for your mix.


YOU WILL ALSO NEED:
12 parchment squares

Steamer

vinegar


INGREDIENTS FOR BBQ PULLED PORK:

1. With your crockpot on high, add in a layer of bbq sauce and HALF of your chopped pineapple. Add in your seasoned pork shoulder butt roast, fat side up.
2. Cover the pork with another layer of bbq sauce and the rest of your chopped pineapple.
3. Add in 1/4 cup of hot water, cover, and cook on HIGH for 4 hours.
4. After 4 hours, remove lid, flip pork over, and cook on HIGH for another 2 hours.
5. Once pork is fork tender, remove pork from crockpot and shred it.
6. Drain the juices/pineapple from the crockpot using a colander. Discard the pineapple and save the sauce. Taste check for seasoning. Add a Tablespoon of brown sugar(optional) and two big pinches of black pepper. Mix well. Pour the sauce over your shredded pork and mix well. Refrigerate until cold.

MAKE THE DOUGH:

1. Follow the directions on the packaging for your steamed buns/banh bao/dumpling mix.
2. Roll out your dough into a 16 inch long log and divide equally into 12 pieces.
3. Flatten out the dough into a circle (the circumference should cover your palm), making sure that the middle of the dough is thicker than the outer part.
4. Using an ice cream scoop, place a scoop of bbq pulled pork into the middle of the dough. Bring the sides up and pinch to seal. Make sure to keep any unused dough under a clean wash cloth to prevent drying them out. Place filled dough on a piece of parchment square and repeat with the rest of the dough until finished.

STEAM THE BUNS:

1. Place some water into your pot and pour a couple of Tablespoons of vinegar in there. Add your steamer compartments on top of your pot. Cover with lid and bring water to a quick rolling boil. Turn down heat to medium. Wipe down the inner compartment and make sure it's dry before adding in the formed buns. It's also important to not have the boiling water touch the base of the compartment. That will lead to soggy buns.
2. Place some of your buns into the dry steamer, being careful not to overcrowd them. You may have to work in batches. Steam the buns for 10 minutes. Remove the lid, wipe it down, cover again, and steam for an additional 10 minutes (total time: 20 minutes). Repeat with the rest of the buns until all have been steamed.

NOTES:

Once your buns are done steaming, do not leave them in the steamer. The bottoms will get soggy! Remove them from the steamer and allow them to cool down completely before individually wrapping them in saran wrap. These can be refrigerated (for up to 3-5 days) and then reheated in the microwave until warm.

Nom Pao/Banh Bao (Steamed Bun with Meat Filling)

INGREDIENTS FOR THE DOUGH:

1 cup of lukewarm WHOLE milk

2 teaspoons of active dry yeast

1/3 cup of sugar (add a Tablespoon more if you like your buns a tad sweeter)

4 cups of cake flour (may sub for all purpose flour)

2 teaspoons of Alsa baking powder or Rumford baking powder

2 Tablespoons of tapioca starch

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1 Tablespoon of vegetable oil

INGREDIENTS FOR THE FILLING:

1 pound of ground turkey (may sub for ground pork or chicken)

1/4 cup of minced woodear mushroom (may sub for any mushroom)

1/3 cup of finely chopped sweet onion

1 green onion chopped

2 teaspoons of sugar

1/2 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of msg (optional)

1/2 teaspoon of white pepper

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

1 Tablespoon of fish sauce

1 Tablespoon of oyster sauce

1 egg

3 Tablespoons of plain breadcrumbs

YOU WILL ALSO NEED:

4 hard boiled eggs, each quartered (to make 16 pieces)

a steamer

16 parchment squares

water

vinegar

ice cream scoop (optional)

MAKE THE FILLING:

Into a large mixing combine all of the ingredients for the filling together and mix well. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

TO MAKE THE DOUGH:
1. Warm up milk until lukewarm (make sure it's not too hot!). Add in your sugar and active dry yeast. Stir and set aside until foamy.
2. Into a large mixing bowl, add in your cake flour, salt, tapioca starch, and baking powder. Stir until combined.
3. Make a well in the center of your dry ingredients, stir milk and yeast mixture, and pour it into your your large mixing bowl.
4. Using a wooden spoon, stir for about 30 seconds and then add in your vegetable oil. Stir again.
5. Dump your dough onto a clean work surface and knead by hand for an additional 3-5 minutes, until nice and smooth. Sprinkle in more flour as needed.
6. Put a bit of vegetable oil into the same large mixing bowl as earlier, and lightly coat the bowl all over. Add in your dough, toss to coat and cover with saran wrap (directly on the surface of the dough) for about an hour or until doubled in size.
7. Place dough onto clean surface, poke it all over with your fingers, and gently roll it into a log (about 16 inches long). Divide the dough into 8 equal sized pieces and cover with a clean dish towel until ready to use.

HOW TO ASSEMBLE:
1. Take one of your dough pieces and cut it in half. Place the other piece back under your dish towel. Flatten your dough using your hands, and then bring the dough under itself to create a smooth rounded ball. Place ball on counter and using a rolling pin, roll it out flat, making sure it's thick in the middle and thinner as you go out.
2. Place about two Tablespoons of meat filling (use an ice cream scoop for even sized fillings) in the middle of your dough then add a piece of egg on top. Bring up the dough up over the egg and meat filling, and pinch to seal. Place shaped dough onto a parchment square and repeat steps with the other pieces of dough.
3. Put enough water into your pot for steaming. How much you use will depend on how big your steamer is. Add in 1/4 cup of vinegar. Add on your steamer compartments. (I stack two on top of each other, but only place the buns in the top compartment only.) Cover with a lid. With your stove on medium high heat, bring the water to a rolling boil and allow the steamer to get nice and hot for a 5 full minutes.
4. Place your shaped buns into the hot steamer (you may need to work in batches) and steam for about 25 minutes or until filling is cooked through. Serve hot or wait for them to cool down, saran wrap, and place them into the fridge for up to two days. These microwave really well! :)

NOTES:

-You may sub for all purpose flour but using cake flour will yield in a much softer and whiter bun.
-You may make ahead: scoop out your meat filling onto baking sheet fitted with foil, freeze, and then place shaped filling into ziplock baggies until ready to
use!

Spam and Egg Kimbap

My kids LOVE this stuff! You can can call these spam and egg kimbap, or simply, a deconstructed spam and egg musubi. These are super easy to put together and make great school lunches, not to mention, they aren't messy when your kids start to eat them! It's a win-win!

Feel free to switch up the fillings with whatever you'd like. It also tastes great with some raw tuna and avocado slices, too! Just make sure to have some soy sauce on hand for dipping. YOU'RE WELCOME! :)

INGREDIENTS:
(the following makes 4-5 whole kimbaps or 40-50 sliced pieces of kimbap)

one can of 25% less sodium spam

2 extra large eggs

TO MARINADE THE SPAM:

1/4 cup of hot water

2 Tablespoons of packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon of onion powder

1/4 teaspoon of black pepper

1 Tablespoon of Maggie seasoning or soy sauce

2 teaspoons of Mirin

2 teaspoons of sesame oil

FOR THE RICE FILLING:

4 cups of cooked rice

2 Tablespoons of sushi vinegar

1 Tablespoon of furikake rice seasoning

3 teaspoons of olive oil

pinch of salt

pinch of pepper

YOU WILL ALSO NEED:

5 pieces of Nori (roasted seaweed)

olive oil

bamboo sushi mat (optional)

sesame seeds (for garnish)

small bowl of water

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Remove spam from can and slice into 6, 1/4 inch thick slices. (You will only need half a can of spam for this recipe, but I always keep the other half to use the following day.)
2. Make your marinade for your spam. Into a shallow dish, add in your cut spam and then pour your marinade on top. Marinade at room temp for 30 minutes.
3. Into a small bowl, whisk together your extra large eggs. Season with salt and pepper.
4. Into a hot pan on medium heat, add in some olive oil. Pour in your eggs. Swirl the pan around to evenly distribute the eggs. Once the bottom is cooked, use a flat spatula to carefully turn over the eggs. Cook for additional minute, or until cooked through. Transfer cooked eggs onto a cutting board and slice into thin strips. Set aside.
5. Fry your spam: Into a hot pan on medium high heat, add in half of your spam. (Use all of the spam if cooking for a large group.) Fry until golden brown. Flip spam over and add in some of your marinade--you want just enough liquid in there to create some gooey sauce. Cook until liquid has evaporated and spam is cooked to your liking. Remove from heat, and slice up spam into strips. (Place any uncooked spam (in marinade) into the fridge for later use.
6. Into a large mixing bowl, add in 4 cups of cooked rice and season with sushi vinegar, furikake, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside.

HOW TO ASSEMBLE SPAM AND EGG KIMBAP:

Lay a sheet of seaweed (shiny side down) on your bamboo sushi mat. Top with two scoops of seasoned rice (3/4 cup to 1 cup of rice), making sure to leave at least a 1/2 inch border on the top and bottom of your seaweed sheet. Dip your fingers into the bowl of water to press down on the rice, making sure it is even and flat. Add in two slices of egg, followed by two slices of spam. Roll your seaweed over the spam and egg, keeping it nice and tight. Roll the bamboo sushi mat over your finished kimbap, and hold it tightly for several seconds. Using a pastry brush, lightly coat the kimbap with olive oil or sesame oil. Slice the ends off (and then eat them!). Slice equally into 8-10 pieces. Garnish with more furikake or sesame seeds. Serve immediately or eat in one day!

Homemade Breadsticks

I have a confession to make: I'm a known "carbaholic." I love all things bread, and homemade bread (or should I say, breadsticks), is definitely the way to my heart. These breadsticks are the perfect mate to your favorite pasta dish. And guess what?! They are soft, chewy, and are practically fool-proof. Not to mention...kids really enjoy shaping out the breadsticks; It's a great way to get the kids involved in the kitchen!

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup of warm water

2 tsp of active dry yeast

2 Tablespoons of sugar

2 1/2 cups of all propose flour

1 Tablespoon of vital wheat gluten

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

1 tsp plus 1/4 tsp of salt

YOU WILL ALSO NEED:
melted coconut oil (may sub for butter)

garlic powder

INSTRUCTIONS:
1. Sprinkle the yeast into your warm water. Stir. Add in your sugar. Stir, again. Set this mixture aside and allow the yeast to "bloom" or become foamy (about 5 minutes). Meanwhile, prepare your dry ingredients.

2. Into a large mixing bowl, add in your flour and vital wheat gluten. Mix well.

3. Once your yeast and water mixture has become foamy, add that into your dry ingredients along with 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. Using a spatula or wooden spoon, mix for about 30 seconds and then add in your salt. Mix for 1 minute more.

4. Place your dough onto a lightly floured surface, and quickly knead your dough for 2-3 minutes until it forms a nice, smooth ball. Use additional flour as needed but overall, dough should remain slightly tacky.

5. Place dough into a well oiled mixing bowl, cover with kitchen towel, and place in a warm, draft-free place until it has doubled in size (about an hour).

6. Place your dough onto a lightly floured surface and gently deflate it by giving it a few light punches or simply using the fold-over method a few times.

7. Roll out the dough into a 24-inch long log. Cut into 12 equal sized pieces and gently roll out each piece of dough into 8-inch long breadsticks.

8. Place formed breadsticks, 1-inch apart, onto a large baking sheet fitted with some parchment paper. Cover with kitchen towel and allow them to rise until doubled in size (about 45 minutes to an hour).

PREHEAT OVEN TO 375 DEGREES F.

9. Carefully brush the tops of the breadsticks with some melted coconut oil and then with some garlic powder. Bake for 15 minutes, or until breadsticks turn slightly golden brown. Serve immediately!

NOTES:
-These taste best eaten same day.

-May reheat in microwave for 10 seconds a piece.

-Add 3 Tablespoons of Bakers Special Dry milk to your dry mix if you have it! Otherwise, follow directions as written.

-Do not rush bread making! Make sure dough has properly risen before moving onto next step.

-There is such a thing as "over-proofing." In other words, don't let your dough rise for too long or it will result in heavy, brick-hard breadsticks.

-If it's a warm day, your bread may rise faster. Check your dough after 30 minutes to ensure you don't over-proof. If it's cold, it may take you longer than an hour for your dough to rise.

Linda's Chipotle Salsa

If you are a lover of salsa, then this recipe is for you! My best friend Linda has been dubbed the "salsa queen" by all of her friends. For a long time, every time she was set to show up for a party, everyone would ask her to make her famous salsa.

Well, guess what?? Now's the time to share with you all, her infamous recipe!

Enjoy!!

INGREDIENTS:

4 (14.5 oz) cans of fire roasted tomatoes

1 (7 oz) can of Embasa chipotle peppers

1 whole medium onion, roughly chopped

1 whole jalapeno

1 whole jalapeno, deseeded

2 cloves of garlic

1 whole bunch of cilantro

salt

black pepper

smoked paprika

chili powder

ADDITIONAL ITEMS NEEDED:
Tortilla chips

INSTRUCTIONS:

Place all of the above ingredients into a blender and pulse until smooth. May need to work in batches. Season to taste. Place finished salsa into the fridge for at least one hour, to allow all of the flavors to set.

NOTES:
I use a total of two jalapenos, but deseed only one of them. I like my salsa spicy, so if you don't like it too spicy, I recommend using only one jalapeno (deseeded). Always start with one, and then work your way up to the spice level that
you want!

Spam Musubi

I made a vow, not too long ago, claiming that I will never touch, cook, or eat spam, for as long as I shall live…

that was until 2 months ago, when I walked into a little bakery in Kihei, Hawaii, and tried their spam musubi and since then, my life has taken an unexpected turn; could it be that I've made a mistake? Is spam really this delicious?

What is life?

This recipe will make you love spam.

THE END.

INGREDIENTS:
(Makes 8)

1 can of 25% less sodium Spam (plain/no flavoring)

4-6 pieces of roasted Nori/Seaweed

Furikake (Japanese rice seasoning)

Cooked jasmine rice (you may use sushi rice if you prefer)

FOR THE MARINADE:

1/4 cup of hot water

2 Tbsp of packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp of garlic powder

1/4 tsp of onion powder

1/4 tsp of black pepper

1 Tablespoon of Maggie seasoning or soy sauce

2 tsp of mirin (Japanese rice wine)

2 tsp of sesame oil

jalapeno slices (optional)


YOU WILL ALSO NEED:

some foil

Spam musubi maker (I purchased mine from Daiso)

OR you can also use the Spam container. Clean out the container really well, place a medium-sized piece of saran wrap inside (it should be large enough to cover your finished product), and then begin to assemble the recipe as stated below.

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat your oven to 250 degrees F.

Stack your seaweed on top of each other, place on baking sheet, and roast for about 15 minutes. This part is crucial; it makes the seaweed more brittle, sticks to the rice better, and also makes cutting and eating it easier. You may also toast your seaweed on the stove, on medium low heat, in a dry skillet as well (this method works best if you are not planning to make a lot). Lightly toast the first side for a few minutes, and then flip over to lightly toast the other side. Set aside.
Cut your spam into 8, 1/4 inch thick slices and place into a shallow baking dish. Make your marinade and pour mixture over your spam. Marinade at room temp for 30 minutes, or 10 minutes if you don't have time. With your skillet on medium high heat, fry your spam until browned. Do not add in the juices from your marinade, just yet! Flip your spam over, and then pour in 3/4 of your marinade into the skillet. Continue to cook on medium high heat, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Place cooked spam in baking dish and cover with foil until ready to use.

HOW TO ASSEMBLE:
Take your toasted seaweed and place on top of your foil. Place your musubi holder right on top. Add in two scoops of rice, flatten with rice scooper, sprinkle on 2-3 pinches of furikake, press down firmly with presser, and then add in two pieces of spam. Next, add 2 pieces of jalapeno slices (if using), cover with more rice, more furikake, press down with presser, again, remove holder, and begin to roll your seaweed up and over, making sure you get a really tight grip. Roll up your spam musubi in your foil, press down firmly on all sides, remove from foil, and place on cutting board. Using a serrated knife sprayed with cooking spray (wiped clean with paper towel to remove excess), cut in half. Garnish with jalapeno slices on top. Wrap up your spam musubi in saran wrap if you do not plan on eating immediately. May keep at room temp for up to two days.

Deep Fried Mac n' Cheese Balls

You guys are in luck, because these deep fried mac n' cheese balls are fat free AND low in cholesterol!

JUST KIDDING.

Sorry to burst your bubble, but these are definitely something that I would only recommend making once every couple of months, haha. They are crunchy, gooey, creamy, and oh-so cheesy!


INGREDIENTS:

refrigerated (preferably overnight or 3-4 hours minimum) leftover mac n cheese (recipe here)

4-6 ounces of panko bread crumbs (lightly seasoned, optional)

1-2 egg(s) lightly beaten

vegetable oil

YOU WILL ALSO NEED:
wax paper


INSTRUCTIONS:
Place a piece of wax paper on a baking sheet. Remove your refrigerated/cold, mac n' cheese out of the fridge, and shape into tiny balls. Put your shaped balls on your baking sheet. Place your panko into a gallon sized, ziplock baggie. Toss your mac n' cheese balls in your egg mixture, and then add them into your ziplock with the panko. Seal, and thoroughly, toss to coat. Heat up your vegetable oil. Once your thermometer reads 350, go ahead and drop your balls in and fry until golden brown, turning them frequently for even browning. Drain on paper towels and serve immediately!

Pickled Mangos

When I was younger, one of the reasons that I looked forward to going to Cambodian New Year was for the pickled mangos. I didn't mind waiting in a long line, paying for a couple of salty spicy mangos packed tightly in a clear zip lock baggie. I remember asking friends out of politeness if they wanted any and then hoping...no...PRAYING that they'd say "no." But of course they'd ALWAYS say, "yes." And then, my mind would be flooded with thoughts like, "man, I should've spit in it." Hindsight sure is a bitch.

The following is my take on how to make pickled mangos. It's not too salty, not too sweet, but HELLA SPICY and HELLA GOOD. Man, reminiscing about pickled mangos has definitely brought back the Tacoma girl in me because I've never written the word "hella" that many times, EVER.

Ingredients:


6 Green mangos, peeled and sliced(do NOT use ripened mangos)
1/4 cup of salt

For the sugar water:


6 cups of water
1/3 cup of sugar
1 tsp of red chili flakes(optional)

For the chili paste(dip):


1 Tbsp of salt
1 Tbsp of sugar
5 Thai fresh chili peppers
1/2 tsp of chili flakes
1 tsp of garlic powder

To make the chili paste: Combine all of the ingredients above into a mortar and pestle. Pound it until it becomes a paste. Set aside.

Take your sliced mangos and place them in a large, shallow bowl. Try not to stack too much on top of each other. Sprinkle your salt over the mangos and toss to coat. Let them sit for a MINIMUM of 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

While you're waiting for the liquid to draw out of your mangos, make your sugar water. Add your water, along with your sugar, into a saucepan. Bring it to a quick rolling boil. Remove the pan from the heat(add in your chili flakes if using), and allow it to come to room temperature.

Boil a large pot of water and place the pot in the sink. After your 1 hour is up, CAREFULLY add your mangos into the hot/boiling water, and wash/rinse them off for about 1 minute. Drain well.

Allow your mangos to dry(for at least an hour)on two wire racks fitted over two baking sheets. You may use paper towels instead.

PACK your dried mangos(snuggly), into a container. Pour in your cooled sugar water. Cover tightly with a lid, and allow it to sit at room temperature for 2 full days. After 2 days, place your mangos into the fridge and wait 2 more days. It should take ABOUT 4 days total. Eat within 2 weeks.

Note: You may cut the recipe in half.

Watch the tutorial here to see how I cut and slice my mangos!

Three Cheese and Spinach Phyllo Rolls

I don't know about you guys, but sometimes I get intense cravings for something crunchy AND buttery! And in those desperate, dark hours...I turn to phyllo dough! So simple and so easy...all you have to do is thaw it out overnight, and voila'! It's ready to be used! I'm pretty sure it's foolproof too, because I've used almost EVERYTHING as a filling, and it always comes out delicious!

In my phyllo rolls, I like to add a touch of saltiness by using thin slices of prosciutto. You can add regular ham, turkey, or even omit the meat in it, altogether!

Ingredients:

Half of a small shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves of chopped garlic
8 ounces of baby spinach
1 1/2 cups of chopped mushrooms
3 Tbsp of cream cheese
3 Tbsp of Japanese style Panko bread crumbs
1 cup of freshly grated sharp cheddar
1 cup of freshly grated mozzarella
some chopped chives or green onion
1 and a half slices of prosciutto
olive oil
salt and black pepper to taste
10 sheets of phyllo dough(thaw them overnight in the fridge)
some melted butter
Butter flavored baking spray

Start off by adding in some olive oil into a hot skillet. Add in your chopped shallots, along with a small pinch of salt. Cook until soft and tender. Add in your spinach, chopped mushrooms, and your cream cheese. Cover and allow to cook until wilted. Remove lid, stir, and then remove from heat.

Place your spinach mixture into a colander to drain any excess liquid. Then, add in your bread crumbs and mix well. Next, add in your cheeses along with chopped chives, and mix well, again. Set this aside.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Take one sheet of phyllo dough(with the long side facing you), and place it on a baking sheet. Using a pastry brush, spread a generous layer of melted butter, right on top. Repeat with the remaining phyllo sheets 9 MORE TIMES, but instead, use some BUTTER FLAVORED COOKING SPRAY, to cut back on some calories.

Next, take your prosciutto and place them horizontally, at the long end, closest to you. Place your spinach mixture, right on top of the prosciutto. Make sure to leave at least a half inch border on the short sides of the phyllo. This will keep most of your filling from oozing out, while baking. Begin to roll it up(jelly roll style), until nice and tight. Don't forget to brush on some melted butter to the outsides, as you are rolling up. Make sure you end with with the roll, SEAM SIDE DOWN.

Using a sharp and serrated knife, begin to make 1 inch slashes across the dough. Try not to cut all the way through...you don't want too much cheese to ooze out during baking.

Place into oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from baking sheet, place it on cooling rack, and allow it to rest for 15 minutes before cutting into it. Slice, and serve immediately!

Watch my video here to see just how easy it is to make!