Chinese Egg Tarts

I guess by now, it is pretty obvious that I love eggs. There are endless possibilities, both savory and sweet. The recipes are also usually pretty simple as well, which makes it even better - minimal effort with still great taste and results. I did however take a short cut by using tart shells instead of making my own. I will definitely invest the time at some point, but this was a last minute little dessert craving I had...I am pregnant after all!

INGREDIENTS

2 Eggs
1/2 cup Milk
1/3 cup Sugar
1 tsp. Vanilla Extract
8 Tart Shells

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven for 350 C.

In a medium bowl, beat eggs. Add milk, sugar and vanilla extract and continue to beat vigorously. You may want to use an electric mixer, but that's up to your discretion.

When all the bubbles have disappeared, pour into tart shells.

Bake for 25 minutes.

Taiwanese Tea Eggs

To continue with the Taiwanese theme that we had for lunch yesterday, I wanted to make tea eggs. Apparently, they even sell these types of eggs at 7-eleven stores in Taiwan. It's always interesting to see what is considered fast food in different countries. Again, I was surprised at how easy it actually was to make these eggs. I do however wish that I had decided to start the process a little earlier to allow for more time for the sauce to seep into the eggs.

INGREDIENTS

12 Eggs
1/4 cup Dark Soy Sauce
1 large Black Tea bag
2 to 3 Star Anises

DIRECTIONS

Put eggs in a pot and fill with water until eggs almost covered.

Add dark soy sauce, tea bag, star anises and bring to a boil. Cover pot.

Boil for approximately 15 minutes until eggs are mostly cooked, then take each egg and crack the shells with a metal spoon. After all the eggs are cracked, continue to simmer for at least one hour (the longer the better).

Prior to eating, remove all shells and return eggs into the sauce briefly before serving.

Chinese Steamed Egg

Steamed egg is considered a comfort food for me. In my household, steamed egg is pretty much a surefire hit on any night. We love eggs!! It is also probably one of the easiest dishes to make, but it can also be considered one of the hardest if you want to get the perfect consistency, texture...etc. From my experimenting, this is how I got the best results so the eggs aren't too runny or too overcooked. Essentially, you want the texture to be like a smooth tofu. If you have any other suggestions on how to get the perfect consistency and texture, please comment! I would love to discover any other hidden secrets!

INGREDIENTS

2 Eggs
100 ml Chicken Broth
200 ml Water
1tbsp. Dried Shrimp
1-2 oz. Cellophane Noodles (about a handful)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. Scallion oil (add hot oil to minced scallions)
1 tbsp. Soy Sauce

DIRECTIONS

(Try to take eggs out of the refrigerator a little earlier so they are almost room temperature). Add water to bottom half of steamer pot and boil water.

In a small bowl, add hot water to soak the cellophane noodles. Do not allow to completely cook. When softened, pour out the water and set aside.

In a bowl, beat eggs. Add chicken broth, water, salt and sugar and continue to beat until ingredients are mixed together.

In a wide bowl (which will fit in the steamer), spread all the cellophane noodles along the bottom of the bowl. Sprinkle dried shrimp all across the noodles.

Pour egg mixture in the bowl on top of the noodles and dried shrimp. Cover the dish with either plastic wrap or a plate. When water is boiling, put in steamer and allow to steam at medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes.

When eggs are cooked, pour scallion oil and soy sauce on top and serve!