Tsuji Ura Senbei- Fortune Cookies with Egg White

I always thought that fortune cookies were from China, but I was wrong! The concept was actually brought from Japan to the U.S.! We have a culture to take a fortune paper at a shrine, and cookies that are in this shape.

I've never liked the taste of fortune cookies, but enjoy reading what it tells me.

Try to make fortune cookies that I like to eat!

My mom makes these cookies whenever she has egg whites to use. We call them "egg white cookies" but they actually have a fancy name "langue de chat". I love these cookies!

Ready in: 40 minutes to make 7 cookies

Ingredients per 1 egg white (makes 7 cookies):
1 egg white
3 tablespoons of sugar
3 tablespoons of flour
3 drops of vanilla essence
2 tablespoons of melted butter and 1 tablespoon of water, optional

Required Equipment:
Fortune paper
Baking pan
Parchment paper
Electric hand mixer, or whisk
A mug
Muffin cups

Step 1: Heat up your oven at 375F

Step 2: Put egg white and sugar in a bowl, and whip it

Step 3: Add flour, and whip it

Step 4: Add vanilla essence, butter and water, and ix it well.

Step 5: Scoop the batter with a tablespoon, and spread it onto parchment paper that is on a baking pan. Make sure you only bake 2-3 cookies at the time to be able to fold them while they are still hot, and each cookie is about 3 inch diameter.

Step 6: Bake them for 8-10 minutes, and flip cookies over as soon as you take them out of the oven. Very quickly, you place your message paper and fold it into half.
<Tip> If your cookies crack, add a bit of water into the batter for the next batch.

Step 7: Using the edge of a mug, make it into a fortune cookie shape, and keep it in a muffin cup to hold the shape. 

Harumaki- Non- Deep Fried Spring Roll

Deep fried sprin rolls are nice and crunchy, but this non-deep fried recipe must feel you good eating "healthy"!

Ready in: 50 minutes, including 30 minutes in oven

Ingredients for 10 rolls:
1/2 carrot- cut into 1" strip
Hand-full of dried mushrooms
Some bambooshoots, if you can find
100g of ground pork, if you want
1 cup of cooked vermicelli
Hand-full of chives
Any other vegetables
Seasonings
3 tablespoons of oyster sauce
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 tablespoons of sake
Salt and pepper
1 teaspoon of minced ginger
Sesame oil to fry everything
Paper
10 spring roll paper
Cornstarch + water as a glue
<Serving with>
Sweet chili sauce
or
1 tabespoon of ketchap
3 tablespoons of vinegar
2 tablespoons of sugar

*Prepare your oven for 400F.
*Soak dried mushrooms in water for 30 minutes.

Step 1: Cook vegetables in a pan, and season them.

I use 2 different types of dried mushrooms

Step 2: Make a roll.

Roll it just like a burrito

Make a mixture of water and cornstarch, and use it as a glue

Step 3: Place them on a oven pan, and brush oil on top of them. Cook them for 30 minutes.

Shyumai- Steamed Dumpling (Dim Sum)

Sumai is very similar to Gyoza. They both are popular in Dim Sum.

Ready in: 30 minutes

Ingredients for two:

200g of ground pork

3 chopped green onions

3 chopped dried mushrooms (Leave them in water to make soft)

5 chopped Nappa cabbage leaves

2 teaspoons of minced ginger

2 teaspoons of minced garlic

1 tablespoon of sesame oil

1 tablespoon of oyster flavored sauce

1 tablespoon of soy sauce
1 tablespoon of flour

Salt and black pepper

1 pack of dumpling paper

<To serve>

Mustard, vinegar, soy sauce

<Important> Your dumpling will be hard if you use less Nappa cabbage. 

Step 1: Cut dumpling paper, and make noodles with it.

Step 2: In a bowl, place all the ingredients, and mix them well.

Divide into small balls.

Step 3: Add some flour onto noodles, and wrap the balls with them. 

Step 4: Place them in a steamer, and steam for about 10 minutes.

Make sure your dumpling doesn't become watery.

Sauce: Soy sauce + Vinegar