Tag: appetizer
Okonomiyaki Waffle Fries
Okonomiyaki Waffle Fries
Yes, I was under the influence when this creation happened. I had a bag of waffle fries and wanted to do more then dunk them in ketchup or cover them with cheese. While I was staring at the condiments in my refrigerator, I came across my Japanese mayo and okonomiyaki sauce. Ding! Ding! Ding! A light went off.(Yes, my light in my head goes ding ding ding.) I had all of the other ingredient toppings that would go on top of an okonomiyaki. All I have to say is Best Fries Ever!!!
Ingredients
- 1 lb waffle fries baked or fried
Toppings
- 1 large egg fried sunny side up
- 2 strips bacon cooked and crumbled
- Japanese kewpie mayo
- okonomyaki sauce
- bonito flakes
- nori flakes crumbled
- green onions chopped
Instructions
- Top your waffle fries with the fried egg and bacon first. Then squeeze the mayo and okonomiyaki sauce over the fries. Then top it with green onions, bonito flakes, and crushed nori flakes.
Spam Musubi
Spam Musubi
Hawaiian’s love Spam. Spam found it’s way to Hawaii after WW2. All Spam really is is ground pork shoulder with hotdog seasoning. This recipe has it’s roots in Japan, where sushi rice is rolled into balls and wrapped in nori; called omusubi. It is said that Japanese soldiers in interment camps created the recipe. Today, you can find musubi everywhere in Hawaii; even at gas stations in plastic containers ready to eat.There are many different variations of Spam musubi. Some have the Spam slices cooked in the soy/sugar sauce, almost making the slices candied. Others will have the sauce brushed on the rice block, then placing the Spam on top. Some recipes will have the Spam rice block wrapped in only an inch of the nori. This particular recipe has the block completely covered in the nori. If you don’t have a musubi press, cut the top and bottoms out of the Spam can and use that as your mold for the rice.
Ingredients
- 2 cups steamed rice steamed with 6 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 can Spam sliced into 6-8 slices
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3-4 sheets nori
Instructions
- Mix together the soy sauce and sugar. Set aside.
- Slice the Spam into either 6 or 8 slices.
- Heat up the cooking oil on a griddle over medium high heat. Add the spam slices. Cook for 3 minutes a side.
- Pour in the soy/sugar sauce. Cook the spam slices for another 2 minutes a side, making sure the spam is coated in the sauce. Remove from the pan.
- Portion out the rice into 6 or 8 portions, depending on how many spam slices you have. Using a musubi press, press down one portion of the rice.
- The rice block should be firm and hold shape. This will only work if the rice is freshly steamed.
- Add a slice of the spam on top of a rice block.
- Slice a sheet of nori in half.
- Put a slab of rice/spam on the center of the sheet. Fold up each side up, sealing with water.
- Keep them whole if eating as a main course or slice in half if eating as an appetizer.
Tod Mun Goong (Thai Shrimp Cakes)
Tod Mun Goong (Thai Shrimp Cakes)
These shrimp cakes are really good! Crunchy and spicy with a spicy sweet and sour vinegar sauce to dip them in. They are similar in preparation to Thai fish cakes. Any size of shrimp will work, as long as they are peeled and deveined. You can make these into patties or balls. I happened to make mine twice the size of what they normally are, yielding 10. If you‘d like, make them a little smaller so you yield 16-20. If you want them to be in ball form, use a cookie dropper to make them uniform.
Equipment
- food processor
Ingredients
Shrimp Cakes
- 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup coconut milk
- 3 tbsp red curry paste
- 4 kaffir lime leaves thinly julienned
- 1/2 cup long beans diced
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- vegetable oil for frying
Dipping Sauce
- 1/4 cup vinegar
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 4 Thai chilies finely chopped
- 2 tbsp roasted peanuts crushed
- 1 tbsp cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Mix all of the dipping sauce ingredients together. Set aside.
- Heat up coconut milk and curry paste in a small sauce pan.
- Simmer for 5 minutes. Set aside and let cool.
- Add the shrimp and egg to a food processor.
- Process until smooth.
- Mix together the shrimp mix, red curry sauce, lime leaves, long beans, sugar, and fish sauce. Cover in plastic wrap and set in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
- Equally portion out the shrimp cake mix. Patty and coat in panko bread crumbs.
- Heat up 1/4” deep ov vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add in the shrimp cakes, making sure to not overcrowd their pan.
- Cook for 4-5 minutes a side. Drain on paper towel.
