Chinese Pork and Rice

We found this recipe in a really old Betty Crocker cookbook. My husband lived in Taiwan for two years and he is always trying to replicate the delicious Chinese food he ate there. This recipe where the rice is fried in oil comes as close as he can get to making fried rice like they do in Asia. We really liked the taste of this rice but next time I think I want to add more vegetables, maybe slivered carrots or small broccoli pieces.

Chinese Pork and Rice

Betty Crocker's Good and Easy Cookbook

(I don't know the year as the title page is missing but the book is old and the pictures are definitely retro.)

2/3 c uncooked rice

2 T cooking oil

1 t salt

1 1/2 c boiling water

1 bouillon cube

2 t soy sauce

1 medium onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

1 c diced cooked pork

Cook rice in hot oil until golden brown. Add salt, water, bouillon cube, soy sauce. Cover; cook 20 minutes. Add rest of ingredients and 1/4 cup more water, if necessary. Cover tightly, cook 10 minutes more.

(4 servings)

Chocolate-Filled Ebilskivers

My husband's family introduced me to this lovely little Danish pancake called an 'Ebilskiver'. They have been making these pancakes for years thanks to their sweet Grandma Kjar and her Danish roots. I've even heard that the family record is eating 32 in one sitting, although I wouldn't recommend attempting to beat that record.

We received this pan as a wedding gift from a friend and have always enjoyed making the original recipe and serving it with syrup or a little butter and sugar. The other night as a surprise for my chocolate-loving husband I decided to try a variation of the traditional recipe. After pouring the batter I put two Wilton brand chocolate wafers in the pancake and then cooked/turned the pancake as usual. The result was a yummy, chocolatey treat!

I've also found a couple other recipe variations on Natalie's site and Williams Sonoma that I'm looking forward to making.

Here is Williams Sonoma's pancake batter ingredients and instructions per the cinnamon-bun filled pancake recipe. Our recipe is very similar.

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 Tbs. granulated sugar

4 eggs, separated

2 cups milk

4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for cooking

To make the pancakes, in a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt and granulated sugar. In another bowl, lightly whisk the egg yolks, then whisk in the milk and the 4 Tbs. melted butter. Whisk the egg yolk mixture into the flour mixture until well combined; the batter will be lumpy. Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff but not dry peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the whites into the batter in two additions. Put 1/8 tsp. melted butter in each well of a filled-pancake pan. Set over medium heat and heat until the butter begins to bubble. Pour 2 Tbs. batter into each well. Cook until the bottoms are golden brown and crispy, about 3 minutes. Using 2 skewers, flip the pancakes over and cook until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes more. Transfer the pancakes to a plate. Repeat with the remaining batter.

*Jayne's Notes: I used olive oil instead of butter to oil my pan. I also found that I had to regrease the pan between batches to avoid sticking. These treats with the added chocolate can even be served as a finger-food dessert.