Chinese Egg Custard Tarts (蛋挞)

Chinese Egg Custard Tarts (蛋挞) actually originated from a Portuguese pastry (Pastel De Nata) which was introduced to Hong Kong in the early 1940s through a small Portuguese colony in Macau. Although I did try the Pastel De Nata while I was in Macau, I still prefer our own Cantonese styled version of the egg custard tarts. 

In Hong Kong, there are many variations of the 蛋挞 including the traditional egg custard, the milk custard, honey-egg and even ones garnished with the Asian delicacy of bird's nest (I am sure there are many more variations since my last visit to my hometown). Often found in Dim Sum Restaurants under the dessert section of the menu, I've always ordered it as part of the main course for brunch. 

There are definitely no Asian cha chan teng (asian dim sum restaurants) found here in Tamarindo, Costa Rica and having lived here for just over a year, I have started to have random cravings for Asian foods like the Chinese Egg Custard Tarts. 

Though it took a whole night to master the crust (not to mention having to miss a sunset surf session), I finally made it and ... look like having Asian Dim Sum could be a possibility here in Tama!

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Only took a million tries to get this one right!

Ingredients:

Crust
1     cup flour
1     cup softened butter
1.5  cups cane sugar
1     large egg

Egg Custard Filling

9     medium sized eggs
8     ml milk
4     drops vanilla extract
1.5  cups water 
1.5  cups cane sugar

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Instructions:

Crust
1. In a small bowl, mix flour, sugar and butter. 
2. Add egg and vanilla extract.
3. Mix well until the texture of dough is slightly moist and not oily like cookie dough. Add flour if it is still too oily. 
4. Pull dough and make a large ball shape.
5. Using a flat bottom of a plastic cup or measuring cup, flatten the ball until it makes approximately 5 inches in diameter.
6. Press the flattened dough into a muffin/cupcake mould and press the dough along the edges to create a 'cup' filling the cupcake mould. 

Egg Custard
7. Bring water almost to a boil, add in sugar to melt. Let cool to room temperature. 
8. Add eggs, milk and vanilla extract. 
9. Filter the mixture through a strainer 4-5 times to ensure a smooth consistency. 
10. Pour the egg mixture into each mould carefully. 
11. Preheat a small toaster oven for 5 minutes at 325*.
12. Bake at 325* for 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and/or filling no longer jiggles. 
13. Let cool for 10 minutes. 
14. Serve and Enjoy!

Got lazy and made a giant Egg Tart with the leftover remaining egg mixture and dough.

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❤ ❤ Made with ingredients found in Tamarindo, Costa Rica ❤ ❤

Braised Oxtail with Spinach Noodles

Ingredients:

1       package of Chicken feet (from Super Compro to make chicken broth)
4.5    lbs Oxtails trimmed of fat
1       large onion (thinly sliced)
8       large cloves of garlic
8       whole pieces of Star Anise
6       slices of fresh ginger (1/4 inch thick)

2       cups chicken broth
1/2    cups soy sauce
3       tablespoons of cane sugar
1       tablespoon of Hoi Sin Sauce (oyster sauce)

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INSTRUCTIONS:

Homemade Chicken Broth 
1. In a medium sized pot, place the entire package of chicken feet with water and bring to a boil. 

Oxtails
2. In a large crock pot, arrange the oxtails in a single layer as much as possible. 
3. Add onion, garlic, star anise and ginger to the crock pot. 
4. In a separate bowl, combine soy sauce, cane sugar and oyster sauce. Add mixture to the crock pot. 
5. Add in the 2 cups of chicken broth to the crock pot or until the oxtails are completely immersed. 
6. Turn on the crock pot on high heat and leave to slow cook for 5 hours or until oxtails are tender. 

... 5 hours later ... 

7. Let cool uncovered until cold. 
8. Place in fridge with cover overnight or at least 1 day to separate the fat to the surface. 

Day 2

9. Spoon off and discard the fat sitting at the surface from the sauce. 
10. Reheat the oxtails on the stove over low heat and transfer them to a large plate or bowl. 
11. Take some of the sauce and bring to a boil, add in noodles of choice (spinach noodles in photo). 
12. Add in cauliflower or Bok Choy if available to the noodles, cook lightly or until slightly soft. 
13. Add vegetables, noodles to the Oxtail with the broth. 
14. Serve and enjoy!

Servings: 2-3 Small servings after an amazing sunset surf session. 

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July 1, 2015 - Company Breakfast
Sueño Del Mar, Langosta, CR

1 year. It took me just a little over one year living in Costa Rica to finally start missing certain flavors from home - mostly flavors I was raised on ... mom's cooking. But it took meeting the first of my own kind, this Canadian chick from the west coast who reminds me so much of my family and especially one aunt back in home particular - Auntie Joyce. She's the first CBC I have met who lives here and also the one who inspired me to start making various foods from our culture all over again. Since dim sum and even the simplest of foods like pho is so hard to find down here, the only solution is to do it ourselves, everything from scratch.

In the short time that we have met, we have had so many exciting discussions - many of which clearly involved ... food from our culture. Fun times included going out to supermarkets and small shops to find Asian ingredients or to come up with substitute for things we easily take for granted in Canada and so hard to find here - if it even exists. Thanks Donna for randomly walking down the beach with that cute little Pacho puppy of yours - in less than a week, we met, we work together and now ... we can even get fat together ... or ... at least get our office fat from being our guinea pigs :) 

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"Better on your hips than ours!"
❤ ❤

Chocolate Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1    Cup Flour
1/4 Cup Cocoa Powder
1    Teaspoon Baking Powder

3    Extremely ripe bananas
2    Eggs
1/2 Cup Butter (or 1 stick)
3/4 Cup Sugar
1    Teaspoon Vanilla Extract

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Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 350° F.
2. In a small bowl, combine dry ingredients (flour, cocoa powder, baking powder)
3. In a separate bowl, mash bananas and combine with eggs, butter, sugar and vanilla extract. 
4. Add dry ingredients to the banana mixture until smooth. 
5. Grease a non-stick 9 x 5 x 3 inch loaf pan with non-stick cooking spray.
6. Pour mixture into the loaf pan and bake for 1 hour and 5 minutes. 
7. Let cool for 10 minutes and serve. 

Servings: 7 Happy coworkers on a Monday morning. 

Enjoy!

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"Better on your hips than ours!"
❤ ❤