Thai Tea

Hong shared this recipe with us after making a batch and gifting it to us for Thi's birthday. It's delicious and we like to dilute it a little then use oat milk instead of creme or milk.

Ingredients

• 8 cups water
• 2 cups of Thai tea mix
• 1 1/4 cups sugar

Directions

1. Put all ingredients into a big pot and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.
2. Boil for 4-5 minutes.
3. Turn off stove and let site for 30 minutes.
4. Pour through a fabric strainer.
5. Chill and serve on ice.
6. Optional: Add half and half, milk, or alternative milk to taste.

Hawaiian Banana Bread

I tend to prefer banana bread with white sugar versus brown sugar because the banana flavor comes out more. I noticed this is the key difference between banana recipes from Hawaii and the mainland so I made this recipe and it's delicious. The flavor reminds me of Vietnamese banana bread pudding I grew up eating.

Yields: 2 loaves
*I halved it since I made this during a pandemic and needed to limit valuable ingredients such as egg, flour and sugar and put the batter into 3 mini loaves because I can't find my regular loaf tin.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup butter
• 2 cup sugar
• 6-7 ripe bananas, mashed
• 4 eggs, well beaten
• 2 1/2 cups, all purpose flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tsp baking soda

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Prepare 2 loaf pans, by greasing with butter. Set aside.
3. In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.
4. Add masked bananas and eggs. Mix well.
5. Whisk/sift together the flour, salt, and baking soda.
6. Slowly add to the creamed mixture.
7. Mix gently until just combined. Do not over mix.
8. Pour batter evenly into 2 prepared loaf pans.
9. Bake for 45-50 minutes. (About 35 minutes for the 3 mini pans)
10. Test doneness with a toothpick. If it comes out clean, it is done!

Chinese Braised Chicken with Mushrooms (Yang's Braised Chicken Copycat)

Prep Time 3-4 hours

Cook Time 35-40 minutes

Servings 6-8

Ingredients

• 2 lbs (about 6-8) chicken thighs, deboned, and cube into 2 in. pieces
• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 4 1/2 oz thinly sliced Chinese black mushrooms, stems removed (About 8-10 mushrooms.  Rinse Chinese black mushrooms in cold water and place in bowl.  Add 2 1/2 cups cold water and rehydrate for 2-3 hours.  Reserve 2 cup of the soaking liquid.)
• 1 oz thinly sliced ginger
• 1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp shaoxing cooking wine
• Optional: 1 jalapeño, sliced

For Chicken Marinade

• 2 tbsp corn starch
• 1/2 tsp shaoxing cooking wine
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce

Instructions

1. Marinade the chicken.  In a bowl, mix together the chicken, 1/2 tsp shaoxing cooking wine, 2 tbsp light soy sauce.  Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
2. Add 2 tbsp canola oil to a 6 qt sauce pan (or dutch oven) and heat on medium high.  When oil is hot, add sliced ginger and cook until fragrant.  NOTE: If adding jalapeños, add them with the ginger.
3. Add chicken and lightly brown.
4. Add mushroom, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, shaoxing cooking wine, salt, reserved mushroom soaking liquid. Stir until thorough mixed and bring to boil.
5. Once boiling, cover, and reduce heat to low.  Braise for 25 minutes.
6. Serve immediately over rice.

Overnight Coconut Chia Seed Pudding

Servings 8 - 3.25 oz cups

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup chia seeds
• 2 cups coconut milk beverage
• 2 tbsp sweetener (I like agave nectar)

Instructions

1. Add chia seeds to a mixing bowl.
2. Add coconut milk beverage to chia seeds and mix until all seeds are incorporated into the coconut milk.
3. Place mixture in the refrigerator overnight.
4. The next day, stir the mixture again and serve.

Notes

• Instead of coconut milk beverage, you can substitute almond milk.  You can even try adding in 2 tsp of vanilla extract or almond extract to change things up.