Veena's Market Vindaloo with Zucchini Raitha

My experiment with Veena's Market Vindaloo was a huge success! Pork shoulder was very tender and tasty. If you want to have authentic Indian food at home, Veena's Indian recipe Kits is the answer! Clear instructions with packets labeled a child could follow.

Few mishaps cause not used to following recipes: 1) I didn't realize you have to marinade the pork overnight! 2) I threw the whole packet of chili powder in, oops. Thank goodness I made some zucchini raitha to cool our scorching tongues, not complaining, we loved it and helped clear our sinus. Demonstrating the use of a cast iron wok to fry/sear meats prior to stewing in my clay pot. Stir fried lots of veggies to go with Vindaloo. Enjoyed this meal tremendously. I rushed back from my beach walk, so excited to try.

Stir fried spices and onions.

Added marindaded pork shoulder.

Grated zucchini, mixed in yoghurt, mint, tiny sprinkle of Gomasio (Japanese black & tan sesame seeds & salt.)

Fried rapini, red bell peppers. Claypot with Vindaloo and pot of basmati rice.

A very authentic Indian dinner.

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Repurposed Rainbow Appetizer to Yummy Curry Dinner!

Rainbow Appetizer ingredients leftover from my cooking class yesterday were shouting to be repurposed into a curry dinner for tonight! Even had leftover diced garlic, ginger and some scallions. I didn't even have to pull out my chopping board. Notice, I didn't even have any rice or carbs! So light and refreshing.

Using same technique I teach in class: fry veggies first cause they don't stick to your wok like meat does. I used Earthy Delight's Tea Seed Oil. Oh, I added some red kidney beans to bulk it up. Do you see my lovely, unique batik wok mitt on the handles? It has a magnet so it stays on the handle when you take your hand off.  We designed this and has a patent pending. Everyone loves this cute concept and enjoy choosing their fav design. I pick up material whenever I go on my Asia travels.

Added dash of tamari, sherry and sprinkled MySpiceSage hot curry powder, plated it.

Reheated precooked ground turkey in the wok, added scallions and sprinkled curry powder.

Notice my cast iron wok and portable butane gas stove setup on top of my electric stove! I leave this permanently OUT so it's convenient. If you don't see it, you won't use it. I use my wok to cook most anything or just for reheating leftovers instead of using the microwave.

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Wok Star class at Jungle Walls Miami

Thanks Peter, Jungle Walls Miami for hosting another enjoyable cooking class.

Thanks everyone for coming to my Wok Star cooking class today! Thanks to new Wok Star Maggie who came to pick up her Wok Star Kit and took this group shot for us. Most other shots taken by Carl Hildebrand on my iPhone.

A delicious Rainbow Lettuce Wrap appetizer and Gancia Prosecco greet guests when they arrive.

Jenna looks so proud of the sauce for the Shrimp, asparagus, baby bok choy & carrot stir fry. She was surprised how high the heat was and thought her shrimp was burning but turned out crunchy on the outside and juicy inside.

Howard is going to be very popular with his dates, showing off his new Stir fry technique! I think he liked the food, he went for thirds he told me.

Jenna got this class for Howard's birthday prez, what a sweet sister. Notice the mint 'stick' behind them? We plucked some off to sprinkle into the Rainbow Lettuce Appetizer.

The AMAZING Jungle Walls Miami lookin' good. Peter can custom make any hydroponic plant wall!

Jonathan is already a Wok Star but brought his daughter, Ivy Marie cause she wants to be a professional chef!

Peter Kastan and Barney enjoying a cold, refreshing Fiji Water, it was a scorcher today.

Shrimp, asparagus, baby bok choy and carrot stir fry in cast iron wok and gas stove setup. A typical one-dish dinner for busy weeknights.

Sexy Dejha enjoying her shrimp stir fry.

Ivy Marie showing off her stir fry skills. She stir fried zucchini, yellow squash and red bell peppers for the Tilapia in spicy brown bean sauce. It was a hit! The Tilapia is melt-in-your-mouth tender and absorbs all the flavors from the sauce.

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Stir Fry Summer Veggies

There are no rules when it comes to combining different veggies for a stir fry. I even like soft & crunchy together. I always think of more things to add to a post, so do check back or get a feed for updates!

Here are a few tips to help you. Don't be afraid to experiment. You just can't go wrong. See how brightly colored the veggies are when you stir fry them in a cast iron wok?

Fried snow peas & red bell peppers in one batch, then bi-color sweet corn with scallions in another batch. Fry in a little oil (I use canola oil or Tea Seed Oil) & garlic and ginger. Add a dash of sherry & tamari (I use San-J Intl. brand), that simple. Both the oil(only customers in Miami) and tamari as well as many other seasonings come free in your Wok Star Kit. For me, it's so important to use fresh ingredients and good brands to bring out the best in your food.

Every diet promotes eating more veggies and a simple stir fry can transform your veggies from boring to scrumptious! The recent documentary Forks Over Knives is all about eating a whole foods, plant based diet! Roger Ebert's review concludes with this wonderful comment, "Animal protein is not necessary, or should be used sparingly as Asians did, as a flavoring and not a main course." Here's my other post about this documentary.

Tip 1: Don't fry too much in one batch because it lowers the heat in your wok.
Tip 2: Drain your veggies & start your stir fry with DRY ingredients to keep everything crunchy!
Tip 3: If you don't have a good cast iron wok, use a stainless steel pot (so veggies don't spill out of flat pan)rather than non-stick (this is the worst material for stir frying, makes your veggies soupy!)

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Turnip, Pork Soup (Cook Like A Wok Star 3.0)

Turnip, Chinese Mushroom, Pork Soup. I had with a little red rice.

While making this Turnip, Chinese Mushroom and Pork Soup, the smells and all the tasting was such a tease! I couldn't stop diving into it and had an early lunch! Today's 'thought process' and part of Cook Like A Wok Star series was how to use the same ingredients to make a soup and also a stew! I even videotaped some of this and I'm learning how to edit and piece it together. I'll let you know when I upload to youtube, don't laugh at my attempt, at least I'm trying.

I'm very excited to be invited to join #LetsLunch, a group of wonderful food bloggers I met through twitter! You can see my twitter feed in the sidebar. Someone thinks up a category and everyone goes off and creates a dish, take photos and writes a blog post and link to each other. Today's liquid lunch is a tribute to @geokaren who's had to have surgery and wasn't able to eat solids. Keep checking back for the latest updates at the bottom of this post!

I love using my cast iron wok to stir fry my veggies and meat prior to transferring to a claypot to make soup! This wok is the best material for getting the veggies crunchy and also to sear the marinaded sliced pork shoulder. Because I don't teach using 'recipes', this is a very rough guideline to the ingredients and seasonings I used. I'll be using these same ingredients to make a stew right after posting this, so I hope you'll come back for that.

Korean turnip, Chinese mushrooms rehydrating, carrots, ginger, garlic, scallions

Leave chopped veggies on cutting board. I added in onions.

Chicken broth, tamari, sherry & pepper seasonings to flavor the soup.

TSPC: tamari, sherry, pepper, cornstarch to marinade sliced pork shoulder
4 basic seasonings I use to marinade protein or make sauce.

Stir fry veggies in my cast iron wok with a little oil, garlic, ginger.
Frying your veggies first saves you a cleanup step!

Stir fry pork with a little oil and garlic, ginger in my cast iron wok.
Add pork to claypot, done!

Do visit these other fabulous bloggers and their liquid lunches:
(I took the liberty of copying this list from Cheryl's list!)

Cheryl's Miso Bacon Corn Chowder at A Tiger in the Kitchen. Congratulations to Cheryl on her recent book, A Memoir of Food and Family!

Caitlin‘s Spring Greens Soup with Homemade Baguette at Caitlin Shetterly

Ellise‘s Cucumber-Avocado Gazpacho at Cowgirl Chef

Linda‘s Crack Pie-Inspired Shake at Free Range Cookies

Mai‘s Peanut Butter-Espresso Smoothie at Cooking in The Fruit Bowl

Rashda‘s Spring Pea & Mint Soup at Hot Curries & Cold Beer

Steff‘s Gazpacho at The Kitchen Trials

Stir Fry Gas Stove: Tips & Techniques

If you purchased my Wok Star Kit with round bottom cast iron wok and using with the Stir Fry Gas Stove set up, here are handy tips to get you started. If you have an electric stove and wished you have gas, this little Stir Fry Stove is the answer! It's cheap and portable, I explain all the reasons why this is the perfect solution for wok cooking!

If you're having "problems", I've got a few things for you to try below. I put them in quotes because they were not a problem, just folks aren't used to using it when it's new.

3 EASY STEPS TO YOUR STIR FRY GAS STOVE:

Left is ON & OFF lever. Right is IGNITION, FLAME adjuster.

1. Take the red cap off the cartridge. Open the flap on the right of stove. Align cartridge with BIG ARROW and notch to a flat steel sticking out on the stove. Push left lever down to ON. You'll see the cartridge move forward into the rod.
2. Turn round switch firmly to the left all the way down hard till you hear a CLICK sound. This ignites and starts the flame. Close the flap when cooking.

3. Start heating your wok on high heat but you can adjust flame height with this switch. When done cooking, flip left lever to OFF to release the cartridge.

TIPS:
1. If you don't hear your food sizzling in your wok, it means your gas is LOW.
Always buy a batch of refills so you're never out in your Wok Star moment, ha!

2. Remove your portable gas stove if you set it on top of your electric stove when you use your broiler or oven to prevent the heat from ruining the bottom of your portable stove.

3. I noticed some of you set your stove on your counter which is fine, just make sure you don't have it too close to any overhead cabinets or curtains!

4. I prefer setting my portable stove on my electric stove because the overhead vent will still work right above your wok. Remember, leave your wok and stove setup OUT at all times so it's convenient. If you keep putting away, it becomes an obstacle to cook.


PROBLEMS?

Please be patient. I've had someone tell me 3 handy guys couldn't get the stove to work but I took one look and could see the cartridge was not aligned. It came on like a charm. It's a matter of practice and using it.

1. If your stove is not igniting when you turn the dial:
Are you turning the dial all the way down hard to the left till you hear a CLICK? If you don't use it often, you may not remember how to turn it on, it happens.

2. Is there "gas" in your cartridge?
Shake it, if you cannot hear any swishing in the can, you may be low, so there's not enough pressure to start the burner. Buy new cartridge and get a few so you have some backup.
3. Is your cartridge aligned with the steel rod sticking out? See above.
If it's not aligned properly and you flip the lever down, it won't turn on because it's a safety catch.

4. If you've done all the above and still doesn't work? See above.
Simply press the 'reset' red button just ONCE on the LEFT side of the cartridge looking at it front on. Viola!

Please try these before you call me, not because I don't want to talk to you but so you don't feel pressure.

Seasoning Cast Iron Wok, Salt Pork Experiment(updated)

I was experimenting seasoning a new cast iron wok with cured salt pork. Wow, tons of fat. I wanted to see the difference in seasoning if any between animal fat and canola oil. I'll use this wok for my own use at home. I may also reseason a wok that an unnamed venue had put in a dishwasher! I nearly had a heart attack, it ripped off all my patina, it's not the same. It went down to bare metal, ouch.

NOTE ON CLEANING A CAST IRON WOK : Please do NOT put your wok in a dishwasher. The cleaner is way too strong and ruins all the wonderful patina you've been building UP! Just soak in a little hot water while you're eating and then it takes only 2 seconds to swish out with a green scrubber or sink brush. The more you use your cast iron wok, it becomes a NATURAL non-stick surface and requires less oil and less cleaning.

I don't use pork fat so my Jewish clients won't have to worry.

Seasoning a cast iron wok from China if not done correctly, can make you very sick, I've read many horror stories. But, it's also not that hard to do, just time consuming. I've changed my technique a little with the help from many youtube commenters! They sure don't scrimp at telling you their thoughts. Here's my husband's amusing video on Care and Feeding of your Wok, over 60,000 views!

I want folks to have FUN right away (yes, instant gratification in the western world.) Spending time 'seasoning' a wok is just another obstacle and chore to someone's success.

Lodge do sell their cast iron woks and pans already 'seasoned'. However, theirs are heavy (15 lbs.), I've had numerous folks complain they do not want to lift their wok/pan on a daily basis, it doesn't make cooking fun. Heavy does not mean better or function better. Folks who end up getting my cast iron wok love it. It's so light and make their cooking enjoyable instead of a weight lifting exercise!

Well, the result of seasoning with pork fat was not very satisfactory for me personally.

MY REASONS AND TIPS:

1. You have to wait for the hunk of fat to dissolve, it took a lot longer. I found it quite dangerous with splattering.

2. The pool of fat prevented the heat from "burning"(seasoning) the cast iron wok. You have to pour out the fat first.

3. Make sure you have a glass or plastic container BEFORE you start seasoning.

4. Wait for fat to cool PRIOR to pouring into a glass or plastic container to prevent cracking or melting the container!

5. Do NOT throw lard down the drain which can clog and make everything back up.

I still prefer just using vegetable oil to season. It's quick, cleaner and not so smoky.

It's such an important topic that my friend and top Asian food blogger, Bee Yinn Low of rasa malaysia asked me to write this section in her new cookbook: Easy Chinese Recipes: Family Favorites From Dim Sum to Kung Pao

Curry Yoki Salmon with Salad (Wok Star series 2.0)

I'm adding this to Cook Like a Wok Star series because I'm using my wok to cook salmon in a unique way! If you think of using your wok in a unique way, I'd love to hear it. In Cook Like a Wok Star 1.0, I used my wok to lightly parboil broccoli prior to stir frying.

My thought process for this dish? I wanted to do something other than grilled salmon. So, I used a "breaded" technique but with yoki (seasoned cassava flour) and Myspicesage.com curry powder. Yup, curry again! Stir frying the curry yoki salmon in my cast iron wok gave it a nice, crispy texture. The yoki burned quite quickly so i have to watch it more closely.

Presented on a bed of field greens & topped with a few cubes of pineapple. They gave a juicy sweetness that I love with fish.

Stir fried curry yoki salmon in my cast iron wok!

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Cook Like a Wok Star 1.0

Cook like a Wok Star is a series of quick, short posts to get you cooking in your wok, give you ideas for simple weeknight dinners and hopefully with leftovers for lunches too!

Even if you don't have my cast iron wok set or know my NO-recipe technique, I hope these posts will inspire and encourage you to use your wok for cooking most anything and not just for an Asian stir fry!

I tend to think of more things to add after my posts, so do subscribe to get the updates...here's my first one, enjoy...

A wok is a perfect shape and size for big batch cooking.

It's fast and keeps its flavor, texture & color.

I lightly stir fried with Tea seed oil, garlic & ginger.

You don't even need to do that if you don't want to.

Par boil a big head of broccoli in my cast iron wok!

I marinaded skirt steak 2 ways and stuck under broiler.

Satay sauce & Stubbs BBQ sauce are both thick sauces so they cling to the meat. I used 2 different marinades on one skirt steak for variation. I know when it's done by just the aroma, no timing needed! Flip over, slather more sauce & that's it!

Grilled Satay Skirt Steak, penne with broccoli
Looks like a typical western dinner but with Asian flair!

Made enough for hubby's lunch & our dinner!

During the week, I'll use these and different ingredients to pull together a dinner, so much FUN! Sometimes, I'll add a light balsamic salad dressing, sometimes sauce from the skirt steak marinade. But, my favorite is just stir frying my veggies with a a dash of tamari and sherry. So crunchy and full of flavor.

Love to hear what inspires your weeknight dinners without using any recipes and better yet cooked in a wok?!

Here are more ways to help you succeed at being a Wok Star!
Wok Up Your Own Creations

Stir Frying Without Recipes

Seasonal Foods

WOK STAR KIT KICKSTARTS CHINESE NEW YEAR HEALTHY RESOLUT

Buddha's Delight, a Wok Star's modern twist!

Chinese New Year this year falls on February 3rd, and it's the Year of the Rabbit. My husband is one, so it's his year to shine. If you've missed the western new year's resolutions to eat healthier, you can kick start it with our Chinese New Year and a new approach to cooking with my Wok Star Kit. My Kit has the both the tools and techniques to help you succeed and Be a Wok Star, hence the name of my blog!

My family usually celebrates New Year Eve with a dish of everything like chicken, fish, shrimp, pork and many veggie dishes as well as fried rice and longlife noodles. These dishes symbolize good luck, health and prosperity, you can find out more about this topic in my other New Year posts below.

I wanted to cook Buddha's Delight because it uses both fresh and dried veggies to give different textures and flavors. I hope you'll try this dish even if you don't have any dried ingredients where you live, it's not essential but adds an Asian touch. I've included gourmet morels and sugar snap to give it a modern twist.

Typical vegetables used in this dish are cabbage or lettuce with Chinese mushrooms, toufu, dried bean curd sticks, glass noodles, fungus, hair moss. My husband had two huge helpings before I could take my final shot in a serving bowl, oops, so the dish above was it! I had to set some aside for my sister to try as she's arriving tonight. We're going out New Year's Day to celebrate at Chu's with the traditional dragon dance as well as jazz music, yeah, nothing like a mix of east and west. It's a busy week, also giving a cooking class New Year's Eve at beautiful Lyons Spa who's a new venue hosting my classes this year.

Here's what and how I made my Buddha's Delight with.

Fresh vegetables I had were napa cabbage, sugar snap peas, carrots and scallions.
Fresh garlic and ginger are mandatory to start off any stir fry.

Dried veggies included Chinese mushrooms, morels, fungus, bean curd sheets, goji berries. These need to be rehydrated in warm water to plump them up.
I cooked the dried ingredients in my clay pot, another wonderful piece of cookware which I love using. It makes everything so juicy and tender. Added dash of tamari, sherry and a little black vinegar.

Because there were quite a lot of different veggies, I stir fried them in batches. It's important not to overload your wok, it lowers the temperature of your wok and creates juice, resulting in a 'soupy' stir fry, a very common mistake.
First, I fried napa cabbage with carrots, always starting with garlic and ginger. Added dash of tamari and sherry.
Next, I fried the sugar snap peas with goji berries and added scallions last. Added dash of tamari and sherry.
Last, I recombined the fresh vegetables and dried vegetables from the clay pot.

I served Buddha's Delight right from the hot wok! We had it with some curried grilled leg of lamb. Yes, very untraditional but that's what being a Wok Star is all about.

This Year of the Rabbit, BE A WOK STAR! Kung Hei Fat Choy...

Here are some simple wok dishes to show you eating healthy isn't about deprivation but ADDING flavors and textures to spice up your appetite and palette. These dishes illustrates easy, mostly one-dish dinners and mostly cooked in my cast iron wok.

Crispy Potstickers

Easy Kimchi

Pineapple Fried Rice

Crispy Shrimp

Fried or Grilled Fish

Healthy, Delicious Snacks

CHINESE NEW YEAR EATS:
If you don't want to cook and just want to eat out, here's a great roundup if you live in Miami.

CHINESE NEW YEAR EVENTS:
Miami Dade College's Chinese New Year events.
Feb. 1, 2, 20 (main, big event)
This year, they've expanded to 2 other campuses! Get details here:

IBPS Fo Guang Shan Temple
An amazing lineup of innovative & multicultural performers blending East and West. I hope to see this.
Sunday, Feb.6: 2pm - 3:30pm
9341 NW 57th St, Tamarac, FL 33351
FREE
Details of performances here.

MY OTHER CHINESE NEW YEAR POSTS:

Chinese New Year, Simple Home Dinner:
Roast Duck, Zesty Shrimp & Veggies

Year of Tiger 2010

Year of Ox 2009

Year of Rat 2008

There are hundreds of Asian food blogs, too many to mention but you can see some here.

My friend, Shulie who I 'met' through Twitter has done her homework and posted a list of superb Asian food blogs to celebrate Chinese New Year, honoring some awards.

I love New Asian Cuisine, it's full of resources, chef features, interesting tid bits and recipes from all over the world. Here's their Chinese New Year roundup.