Amaretto Fudge Cheesecake with Kahlua Chocolate Cookie Crust and Ganache

This will be my last post for 2015. So my last recipe is a dessert, which I rarely make, made for my family’s 2015 Christmas dinner. So we’ll end the year on a sweet note and as we enter 2016, best wishes to you and your family for the coming New Year. I hope you’ve enjoyed this year’s recipes and I’ll see you next year with more recipe postings.

The origin of this recipe was the Amaretto Fudge Cheesecake recipe from cooking.com, whose site no longer exists. I made this dessert once before (a few Christmas’ ago) more or less as in the original recipe. My 2015 recipe version definitely came out delicious after making changes to the original, which included drastically reducing the amount of sugar in the filling. I’m not a fan of overly sweet desserts, so I add the minimal amount of sugar, but everyone has different tastes, so feel free to add more. When making the cookie crust, I’ve found that it’s sufficient to use the entire sandwich cookie (including the filling, which many recipes have you remove) with added flavoring (in this case Kahlúa) rather than adding any additional sugar or butter. I’ve also found that it’s not necessary to bake the crust before adding the cheesecake filling, which saves a step in making this dessert. Finally I added a visual and tasty flourish to the cheesecake by topping it with a flavored ganache (Kahlúa again and it hides any filling surface defects after baking).

Enjoy!

Grilled Capsicum Wine Chicken Thighs (燒烤紅油辣椒酒鷄髀, Siu1 Haau1 Hung4 Jau4 Laat6 Ziu1 Zau2 Gai1 Bei2)

Ming Teh Food’s brand Capsicum in Red Oil provides a spicy addition to this grilled wine based chicken recipe. Capsicum is finely ground red chili and is sold bottled in oil. The spiciness of the dish depends upon the amount added to the marinade and is a personal preference, so feel free to increase or decrease the amount used. The spiciness of the chili with the red wine go well together in a soy based marinade. The dish is very easy to make and cooking time is fast if chicken thighs are used.

Enjoy!

Black Bean Chili Oil Snow Pea Lamb Chow Mein (黑豆辣椒油荷蘭豆羊扒炒麵, Hak1 Dau6 Laat6 Ziu1 Jau4 Ho4 Laan4 Dau6 Joeng4 Paa4 Caau2 Min6)

Here’s another lamb loin chop meat recipe, this time using noodles. The dish is slightly spicy through the use of Laoganma brand’s Black Bean Chili Oil. As in the previous lamb loin chop meat recipe, Black Bean Chili Oil Lamb with Bean Curd Sticks (黑豆辣椒油腐竹羊肉, Hak¹ Dau⁶ Laat⁶ Ziu¹ Jau⁴ Fu⁶ Zuk¹ Joeng⁴ Juk⁶), more common (and cheaper) cuts of lamb can be substituted, such as lamb leg or shoulder cut into 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces. Lamb loin chops have two distinct pieces of meat separated by a bone as in a beef T-bone steak. The larger piece of meat is the loin and the smaller is the tenderloin. The two pieces of meat need to be removed from the bone, and then the loin and tenderloin pieces cut thinly using a very sharp knife.

Enjoy!

Black Bean Chili Oil Lamb with Bean Curd Sticks (黑豆辣椒油腐竹羊肉, Hak1 Dau6 Laat6 Ziu1 Jau4 Fu6 Zuk1 Joeng4 Juk6)

Lamb loin chop meat was used to make this tasty dish. More common (and cheaper) cuts of lamb can be substituted, such as lamb leg or shoulder. Lamb loin chops have two distinct pieces of meat separated by a bone as in a beef T-bone steak. The larger piece of meat is the loin and the smaller is the tenderloin. The two pieces of meat need to be removed from the bone, and then the loin and tenderloin pieces cut thinly using a very sharp knife. Meat from the lamb loin chop is very tender and even though there’s more work involved to prepare the meat for this dish, it’s worth the effort to make this dish if you can get the lamb loin chops for a decent price, otherwise use meat from the lamb leg or shoulder. You’ll need to purchase about 1½ lb. (750 g.) of lamb loin chops to get about ¾ lb. (375 g.) of meat after trimming.

 

Enjoy!

Braised Pork Short Ribs with Bitter Melon (燴苦瓜豬排骨, Wui6 Fu2 Gwaa1 Zyu1 Paai4 Gwat1)

Pork short ribs are the spare rib or baby back rib tips, cut into a single 2-inch (5 cm.) wide piece with the intercostal meat (the meat between the ribs) and meat above the bones still attached. I found this cheftalk.com page with the information on what pork short ribs are. There’s a picture of the pork short ribs in the recipe section of this post. I’ve only found this cut of pork at two Asian markets in my area (and not always consistently available), so it’s relatively hard to find. Pork spareribs or baby back ribs cut into 2-inch (5 cm.) pieces can be substituted if you can’t find pork short ribs and there will not be any meat “above” the bone.

Other than the use of pork short ribs, the ingredients are readily available. Fresh bamboo shoots are available at my local Asian market and I use them when I can, but canned can be substituted. The dish is easy to cook since all you have to do is put all the ingredients (minus the bitter melon and green onions) into a Dutch oven to cook with Lee Kum Kee’s brand Black Bean Garlic Sauce. The bitter melon and green onion are added at the end of cooking to keep them from getting overcooked. All you then have to do is eat the finished dish over rice.

Enjoy!

Grilled Barbeque Sauce Pork Rib Eye Chops (燒烤醬豬排, Siu1 Haau1 Zoeng3 Zyu1 Paai4)

This is an easy to make grilled pork chop recipe using Koon Chun brand’s Barbeque Sauce. Hoisin sauce can be substituted if Koon Chun’s Barbeque Sauce is not available. Marinade the pork chops overnight, grill them, and then smoke using your favorite wood in a barbeque grill.

Enjoy!

Abalone Sauce Sockeye Salmon (鮑魚醬紅鱒鮭魚, Baau1 Jyu4 Zoeng3 Hung4 Zyun6 Gwai1 Jyu4)

Here’s another tasty recipe using fresh sockeye salmon and Lee Kum Kee’s brand abalone sauce. The last recipe fresh sockeye salmon recipe, Black Pepper Sauce Sockeye Salmon (黑椒汁紅鱒鮭魚, Hak¹ Ziu¹ Zap¹ Hung⁴ Zyun⁶ Gwai¹ Jyu⁴), used black pepper sauce. The texture to this dish is provided by using bean curd sticks, which when rehydrated, are slightly chewy. Once again, the salmon skin is not removed and becomes crispy when the skin is placed directly onto a hot wok.

Enjoy!

Black Pepper Sauce Sockeye Salmon (黑椒汁紅鱒鮭魚, Hak1 Ziu1 Zap1 Hung4 Zyun6 Gwai1 Jyu4)

Fresh sockeye salmon was available, so I paired it with Lee Kum Kee’s brand Black Pepper Sauce, rather than the more common black bean garlic sauce. The dish is just as tasty using black pepper sauce and is especially tasty when the salmon is fresh and not frozen. The salmon skin is not removed and becomes crispy when the skin is placed directly onto a hot wok. I used green and yellow bell peppers, but you can use any colored bell peppers to make this dish.

Enjoy!

Black Bean Chili Oil Chinese Broccoli Chicken with Fried Tofu (黑豆辣椒油芥蘭油炸豆腐鷄, Hak1 Dau6 Laat6 Ziu1 Jau4 Gaai3 Laan4 Jau4 Zaa3 Dau6 Fu6 Gai1)

I’ve been using Laoganma’s brand of black bean chili sauce in many of my recipes. I went back and looked at the English translation for the ingredient and realized a more accurate translation would be black bean chili oil. So starting with this recipe, I’m using the more accurate translation in the recipe title when using the ingredient.

This is an easy to make chicken and Chinese broccoli dish, which is always a great taste combination. Red bell pepper strips are added for color and all you have to do is buy a package of fried tofu to complete the dish. Black bean garlic sauce can be substituted (Lee Kum Kee is the brand I recommend) if you don’t want to make the dish (mildly) spicy.

Enjoy!

Basil Chicken and Shrimp Green Curry (咖哩紫蘇蝦鷄, Gaa3 Lei1 Zi2 Sou1 Haa1 Gai1)

The tasty seafood-meat combination common in Chinese dishes also works well in a curry, in this case a green curry. Using a prepared curry paste makes this dish quick cooking and easy to prepare. While this recipe uses shrimp and chicken are marinated beforehand, this step can easily be omitted if time is short and the dish will still be tasty. The spiciness of the dish comes from the red chili peppers and can the quantity can be adjusted to personal taste, or omitted altogether. I like my potatoes a little crunchy, so I add them at the end, but if you like them a little softer, add them in with the chicken at the beginning of cooking.

Enjoy!

Fermented Bean Curd with Minced Chili Chicken and Mixed Mushroom Fish Balls (辣豆腐乳菇魚蛋鷄, Laat6 Dau6 Fu6 Jyu5 Gu1 Jyu4 Daan6 Gai1)

Here’s another chicken and mixed mushroom fish ball dish using fermented bean curd as the base of the sauce rather than the curry used in the Basil Tomato Curry Chicken and Mixed Mushroom Fish Balls (咖哩紫蘇番茄菇魚蛋鷄, Gaa³ Lei¹ Zi² Sou¹ Faan¹ Ke⁴ Gu¹ Jyu⁴ Daan⁶ Gai¹) recipe. The fermented bean curd also has ground chili mixed in, but the dish really isn’t very spicy.

Enjoy!

Chicken and Chinese Broccoli Dough Sliced Noodles (芥蘭鷄刀削麵, Gaai3 Laan4 Gai1 Dou1 Soek3 Min6)

Chicken and Chinese broccoli are two of my favorite taste combinations. The ingredients can be made into a dish all by itself, as in the Chinese Broccoli Oyster Sauce Chicken (芥蘭蠔油雞, Gaai³ Laan⁴ Hou⁴ Jau⁴ Gai¹) recipe, or used together with noodles, as in the Chicken and Chinese Broccoli Noodles (芥蘭鷄乾撈麵, Gaai³ Laan⁴ Gai¹ Gon¹ Lou¹ Min⁶) recipe. Both of the previously mentioned recipes use oyster sauce (another favorite ingredient of mine). So this noodle dish uses dough sliced noodles with all the previously mentioned ingredients. Dough sliced noodles are formed by cutting the noodles from a dough ball, so they’re also known as knife-cut noodles. The noodles have a chewy texture and are available in the frozen section of your local Asian market (if you can’t get them fresh). Just thaw the noodles overnight, even though the package instructions tell you not to, and stir fry. A flat noodle can be substituted if dough sliced noodles are not available, but the texture won’t be the same.

Enjoy!

Grilled Korean BBQ Sauce Black Pepper Chicken (韓國燒烤醬黑椒雞胸肉, Hon4 Gwok3 Siu1 Haau1 Zoeng3 Hak1 Ziu1 Gai1 Hung1 Juk6)

This is an easy to make grilled chicken recipe using a bottle of prepared Korean barbeque sauce intended for beef. I’ve got a few bottle of Korean barbeque sauce in my pantry to use when I don’t feel like making my own sauce from scratch. Other ingredients are added to the marinade and the chicken is marinated for 24 hours before the marinade is discarded. Ground black pepper is then used to coat the chicken. If you’re really pressed for time, just use the bottle of Korean barbeque sauce and marinade for at least one hour before discarding the marinade, and coating with ground black pepper. The results won’t taste quite the same, but the chicken will still be tasty.

Enjoy!

Chili Paste with Fermented Soy Bean Mixed Mushroom Fish Ball and Fried Tofu (湖南豆豉辣椒油炸豆腐菇魚蛋, Wu4 Naam4 Dau6 Si6 Laat6 Ziu1 Jau4 Zaa3 Dau6 Fu6 Gu1 Jyu4 Daan6)

This recipe uses a slightly spicy chili paste with mixed mushroom fish balls and fried tofu, together with canned straw mushrooms. The fish balls and fried tofu are available pre-packaged at your local Asian market in the refrigerated section (the fish balls might be frozen). So all you have to do is open the package or open the can to use these ingredients. So making this dish is relatively simple and doesn’t require much preparation time to make.

Enjoy!

Grilled Red Wine Lamb Chops (燒烤紅酒羊扒, Siu1 Haau1 Hung4 Zau2 Joeng4 Paa4)

This is an easy to make grilled lamb chop recipe. The recipe uses the same marinade that was used in the Grilled Red Wine Turkey Wings (燒烤紅酒火雞翼, Siu¹ Haau¹ Hung⁴ Zau² Fo² Gai¹ Jik⁶) recipe. The marinade is very simple and consists mainly of soy sauce and red wine, ingredients that are easily obtainable. While I didn’t add black pepper for this recipe, the lamb chops are even tastier if the lamb is coated with freshly ground pepper before grilling (after discarding the marinade).

Enjoy!

Chicken Abalone Sauce Noodles (鮑魚醬鷄乾撈麵, Baau1 Jyu4 Zoeng3 Gai1 Gon1 Lou1 Min6)

This is actually a variation on the previous noodles in sauce recipes: Noodles in Sauce (乾撈麵, Gon¹ Lou¹ Min⁶), Chicken and Chinese Broccoli Noodles (芥蘭鷄乾撈麵, Gaai³ Laan⁴ Gai¹ Gon¹ Lou¹ Min⁶), and Basil Noodles in Sauce (紫蘇乾撈麵, Zi² Sou¹ Gon¹ Lou¹ Min⁶). Rather than using oyster sauce, as was done in the previously mentioned recipes, abalone sauce was substituted, and the dish used many fresh ingredients that are more often used to make chow mein. I would characterize the taste of the noodles as being more subtle by using abalone instead of oyster sauce. So the next time you reach for the oyster sauce, try substituting abalone instead.

Enjoy!

Red Curry Lamb Stew (燉咖哩羊肉, Dan6 Gaa3 Lei1 Joeng4 Juk6)

Lamb stew meat was available at my local supermarket, so I couldn’t resist buying it to make a curry based dish. When lamb is pre-packaged and labeled as stew meat in the USA, the meat is usually cut from the leg. The convenience of pre-packaged lamb stew meat means that you can purchase the quantity of meat needed for a dish, rather than having to purchase a portion or whole lamb leg to cut into pieces. Using a one dish sized can of curry paste also serves to simplify making this dish. The curry paste is first stir fried and then the coconut milk is added before the rest of the ingredients. The dish actually cooks quite quickly and just about any set of vegetables can be used.

Enjoy!

Chili Oil Bean Curd Mixed Mushroom Fish Balls and Fried Tofu (紅油腐乳油炸豆腐菇魚蛋, Hung4 Jau4 Fu6 Jyu5 Jau4 Zaa3 Dau6 Fu6 Gu1 Jyu4 Daan6)

Fish balls are available in the frozen or refrigerated sections at your local Asian market. All that needs to be done is to thaw the fish balls, if frozen, and then cut them in half. The rest of the ingredients are available packaged or bottled (except for the vegetables), so this dish is pretty easy to make. The chili oil fermented bean curd is the spicy version of fermented bean curd, and the amount can be increased or decreased depending upon personal preference. Plain fermented bean curd can be substituted if spiciness is not desired in the dish.

Enjoy!

Grilled Black Pepper Sauce Beef Loin Steak (燒烤黑椒牛排, Siu1 Haau1 Hak1 Ziu1 Ngau4 Paai4)

Black pepper sauce is the basis for this easy to make beef steak marinade. The steak can be marinated for as little as one hour, but ideally should be done overnight. Just make sure to turn the steak over halfway through the marinade time so that both sides of the steak are coated. If you’re really pressed for time or want to quickly coat the steak at the last minute, the black pepper sauce can just be used all by itself as a barbeque sauce. For the best results, choose a thick cut beef steak for a given weight so as not to overcook the beef.

Enjoy!

Grilled Red Wine Turkey Wings (燒烤紅酒火雞翼, Siu1 Haau1 Hung4 Zau2 Fo2 Gai1 Jik6)

This is an easy to make grilled turkey recipe using just the wings. My local supermarket frequently has turkey parts, rather than a whole turkey, available and turkey wings are one of my favorite parts of the turkey to purchase. The wings cook surprisingly fast once the individual wings are separated and marinated before grilling. I also grill the wing tips, but can easily be omitted and used for stock instead. The marinade is also very simple and consists mainly of soy sauce and red wine, ingredients that are easily obtainable. While I didn’t add black pepper for this recipe, the wings are even tastier if the wings are coated with freshly ground pepper before grilling (after discarding the marinade).

Enjoy!

Basil Tomato Curry Chicken and Mixed Mushroom Fish Balls (咖哩紫蘇番茄菇魚蛋鷄, Gaa3 Lei1 Zi2 Sou1 Faan1 Ke4 Gu1 Jyu4 Daan6 Gai1)

Tomatoes and curry are common ingredients in dishes available at Chinese-American restaurants in the USA. Some of my favorite recipes are: Curry Tomato Beef Tripe (咖哩番茄牛柏葉, Gaa³ Lei¹ Faan¹ Ke⁴ Ngau⁴ Paak³ Jip⁶), Spicy Tomato Beef Curry (咖哩粉番茄牛肉, Gaa³ Lei¹ Fan² Faan¹ Ke⁴ Ngau⁴ Juk⁶), and the curried version of Tomato Beef Chow Mein (番茄牛肉炒麵, Faan¹ Ke⁴ Ngau⁴ Juk⁶ Caau² Min⁶). The previous tomato-curry recipes are beef based, so this recipe uses a chicken and fish ball combination to show that other proteins can be used to make this type of dish. Fish balls can be purchased at your local Asian market. The meat and fish combination also is a classic taste duo used in Chinese dishes. The curried based sauce can also be varied to be made sweet and sour, if desired, but just curry powder is used for this dish.

Enjoy!