Black Sesame Viral Trend

This black sesame recipe is going to be the start of a new viral trend. Inspired by one the most requested Hong Kong recipes, our Homemade Black Sesame Paste, these bliss balls are deeply nutty, sweet and have an addictive earth umami flavor that we just can't get enough of.

The roasting of the black sesame seeds and walnuts gives these black sesame balls a warm comforting flavor, whilst the Chinese red dates, goji berries and honey add sweetness. Hands down, these little balls of awesomeness are one of our favorite ways to replenish our energy.

Recipe Inspiration

Have you ever visited the Sheung Wan district in Hong Kong? These streets are filled with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Shops and small shops selling herbal ingredients.  I was feeling a bit tired and run down so I went to look for a natural way to get my energy back. I tried these little "Baifeng Wan" medicine balls, enclosed in wax balls, to revitalize me.

Oh, my goodness, they tasted horrible! Well maybe not horrible, but certainly not good. They were slightly sweet due to the honey but extra bitter from the herbs. So that got me thinking…

What if there was a way to nourish your body with delicious everyday ingredients that tasted delicious and were a fun to eat on the go? That is how the recipe for these easy no bake energy bliss balls with black sesame seeds was born.

Ingredients & Health Benefits

Black Sesame Seeds (Hei Zhi Ma): nutrient -rich and roasted for a deep nutty flavor. Unhulled sesame seeds have more nutrients than hulled so pick this option, if it is availbale to you. Black colored foods are believed to help nourish Kidney Yin Deficiency and replenish jing (our vital essence).

In TCM, black sesame seeds are believed to help with constipation, combat premature graying and nourish the blood. (1) Whether you like a dollop of black sesame paste in a latte, in a bite sized bliss ball or prefer gluten free black sesame cookies, these nourishing seeds are packed with antioxidants.

Walnuts (Huo Ta Ren): These delicious nuts are earthy, rich and buttery in flavor. According to Giovanni, Walnuts in TCM, may help boost kidney qi and brain health along with other functions. (2) You can substitute with almonds although their function is more to lubricate the intestines and may help benefit the lungs.

Jujubes - (Chinese red dates) - dried whole or you can use ⅓ cup date paste. Chinese red dates may help strengthen digestion and nourish the blood along with being sweet and delicious. (3) As an exchange, try dried medjool dates. They are sweeter so you may want to use less of them or reduce the amount of honey.

Goji Berries (Gou Qi Zi) - Sweet, energizing and delicious in a cup of goji berry and red dates tea.In TCM, this fruit is known as a tonic herb. They may help support kidney yin, liver, boost vitality and prevent aging. (4) All we know is that they are delicious in smoothies, as a topping in yogurt, chia seed puddings and they rock in these Chinese black sesame jing ball recipe. (Just as a quick FYI - Be careful adding goji berries to recipes, IF you are on blood thinners. (5)

Honey - Is sweet and delicious but also helps the black sesame and walnut mixture form into balls. It acts as a binder. In TCM, honey may help strengthen digestion and support spleen qi. (6)

Gut Friendly Spices - warming ginger, cinnamon and cardamon.These dried spices are not required but may help with digestion, warm you up, and add extra flavor to the recipe. You only need a little bit, as you don't want to overpower the deep nutty rich flavor of the black sesame seeds and toasted walnuts.

How to Make Black Sesame Balls

• Rinse and soak jujubes and goji berries in hot water and remove pit from dates.

• Toast the black sesame seeds and walnuts in a dry pan.
• Pulse in food processor until pulverized.

• Add drained jujubes and goji berries to the food processor with the black sesame seeds and walnuts.

• Sprinkle in ginger, cinnamon and cardamon if desired.
• Drizzle in honey and continue to blend in the food processor until the mixture starts to stick together.

• Roll into balls.
• Garnish this gluten-free snack with crushed walnuts, roasted black sesame seeds and goji berries, if desired.

Recipe Tips

• Don't pitch the water used to soak the jujubes and goji berries as this makes for a delicious nourishing hot tea beverage.
• A high-powered blender or small food processor works best for pulverizing and blending the ingredients.
• Stop the food processor occasionally and push down the black sesame seed mixture down to the blades with a spoon or spatula to facilitate the blending of ingredients.
• The amount of honey depends on the size of your dates; how powerful your food processor is and the humidity of your kitchen. You may need less or more honey to form into balls.
• The natural oils in the black sesame seeds and walnuts will make the energy bites look shiny, and your hands when you roll them. In addition, this oil will help the mixture form into balls.

Substitutions and Variations

• Want to make this black sesame recipe vegan? Try maple syrup, instead of honey or add more dates.
• Black sesame bliss balls are naturally gluten-free. If you are celiac, be sure to purchase certified gluten-free ingredients.
• Add different nuts or seeds such as pumpkin seeds, pecans, almonds or even pistachios. Although these nuts and seeds are also a healthy option, they do not have the safe medicinal qualities for boosting kidney and brain health in TCM.
• Go Tropical!  Try adding dried desiccated coconut, dried pineapple or dried mango for a healthy on the go snack.
• Chocolate Lover? Sprinkle with unsweetened cocoa powder or add mini dark chocolate chips before rolling.
• Virgin Black Sesame Seed Snobs like us? Skip the added spices or added flavorings and let the deeply roasted black sesame flavor be the dominant flavor.

Garnish Ideas

• crushed walnuts
• toasted black sesame seeds or white sesame seeds
• dried jujubes
• toasted coconut flakes
• unsweetened cocoa powder

How to Store Black Sesame Energy Balls

Room Temperature: for up to a week in a sealed container.

Refrigerator: for up to 2 weeks in a sealed container.

Freezer: up to 3 months in a sealed container. Allow the black sesame energy balls to come to room temperature for about 15 minutes before enjoying. This is our favorite method.

How to Serve

• Try them with a hot cup of tea or coffee.
• Go all out with a black sesame latte with matcha foam.
• Serve on a cookie tray with your other 60 favorite cookies recipes from around the world.
• Plain is our favorite way to give us a boost of energy.

What is the serving size of black sesame balls?

We suggest one to two black sesame balls per serving. Black sesame seeds are nutrient dense, packed with fiber and have a moderate amount of healthy fats and calories, so it is best to restrict the dosage to 1 to 2 balls.

Kidney Yin Nourishing and Jing Supporting

Ok, we are going to get a little medical nerdy here for a moment. We want to let you know that you can replenish jing and nourish kidney yin through diet and lifestyle changes. If you are experiencing menopausal symptoms or premature aging, hang with us for a bit. We have a solution coming your way.

Did you know that according to TCM, we are born with "jing"?

Jing is the fundamental essence that fuels your growth and development.

There is also "post-natal jing" which is derived from the foods we eat, and it is stored in the kidneys. This post-natal jing fuels us, helps us continue to grow, develop, reproduce and hopefully helps us live a long and prosperous life. However, everyday stress, poor eating habits, chronic illnesses, childbirth and just life in general has a way of using up our jing.

As we grow older, menopausal symptoms like hot flashes, dryness and insomnia are believed to be because of imbalance and the result is kidney yin deficiency. It's due to the gradual reduction in jing and depletion of kidney yin (cooling) and the predominance of Kidney Yang (warming). 

How to Prevent the Depletion of Jing?

In today's busy world, we have a tendency to overdo it until you are completely drained and this causes a reduction of jing which is not good for your health. To prevent the depletion of Jing (in Traditional Chinese Medicine), focus on getting adequate rest, eating a nourishing diet as Food is Medicine, practicing gentle movement like Tai Chi or yoga, and managing stress.

These practices may help conserve the body's essence. Your essence is a finite resource that is both inherited and replenished through nourishment. When you need a little extra nutritional boost, enjoy a black sesame walnut bliss ball or two!

Sources:

1. Zhenxia Xu, Min Li, Nanjie Jiang, Changqing Gui, Yunhai Wang, Yuting An, Xia Xiang, Qianchun Deng, Black sesame seeds: Nutritional value, health benefits, and food industrial applications, Trends in Food Science & Technology, Volume 153, 104740
2. Maciocia, Giovanni (1989). "ch. 3: The Vital Substances", The Foundations of Chinese Medicine. Churchill Livingstone. ISBN 0-443-03980-1
3. Bai, Ming, et. al, 2018/01/01, Characteristics and Application Analysis of Chinese Medicinal Herbs Containing Dates, 10.2991/essd-18.2018.66.
4. Hu Shunkai, et. al., Lycium barbarum (goji berry): A comprehensive review of chemical composition, bioactive compounds, health-promoting activities, and applications in functional foods and beyond, Food Chemistry, Volume 496, Part 1, 2025, 146588.
5. H. Leung, A. Hung, A.C.F. Hui, T.Y.K. Chan, Warfarin overdose due to the possible effects of Lycium barbarum L., Food and Chemical Toxicology, Volume 46, Issue 5, 2008, 1860-1862, ISSN 0278-6915.
6. Mohamed G. Sharaf El-Din, Abdelaziz F.S. Farrag, Liming Wu, Yuan Huang, Kai Wang, Health benefits of honey: A critical review on the homology of medicine and food in traditional and modern contexts, Journal of Traditional Chinese Medical Sciences, Volume 12, Issue 2, 2025, Pages 147-164, ISSN 2095-7548.
7. Scheid V. Traditional Chinese medicine--what are we investigating? The case of menopause. Complement Ther Med. 2007 Mar;15(1):54-68. doi: 10.1016/j.ctim.2005.12.002. Epub 2006 Feb 9. PMID: 17352972; PMCID: PMC2233879.

Basic Ingredients

The beauty of this hearty mung bean soup is that your preferred options for vegetable additions are endless. It's a delicious and frugal way to clean out the refrigerator of those little bits and bobs of vegetables. Feel free to change it up and add what is in your crisper inventory. Next to each ingredient we have noted the food's energy as warming, cooling or neutral according to Traditional Chinese Medicine.

• Whole Mung Beans (cooling) - These magical dried green beans are part of the legume family. They make this soup creamy, comforting, and packed with plant-based protein! This nutrient dense food is sometimes also referred to as green gram, moong, mongo, monggo, mash bean or  绿豆 (lǜ dòu) in Chinese. You can purchase whole dried mung beans at major grocery stores like Whole Foods, Walmart in the International food section or online at Amazon. Mung beans are usually available at most Asian markets in the dried foods section.
• Onion and Garlic (warming) - flavorful aromatics
• Cumin (warming) - gives this soup with mung beans an earthy and delicious flavor.
• Carrots and Celery (neutral and cooling) - or veggies of choice.
• Tomato (cooling) - fresh or canned gives this protein soup a pop of flavor.
• Spinach - (cooling) - or any quick cooking green like Swiss chard or baby kale are delicious for a pop of color and extra nutrients.
• coconut milk - (cooling) - adds a rich creamy flavor to the soup. In TCM, coconut milk is considered a yin food that may help with the cooling, moistening and help tonify yin.

Gut Healthy Ingredients

Bone Broth (warming)- Have you ever had a savory Chinese soup without bones? I know right? Grandmas know best because they are healers. We made homemade bone broth from our leftover Thanksgiving turkey bones. You can substitute with store bought bone broth (we won't tell a soul), beef bone broth, chicken broth, or even vegetable broth to keep this recipe vegan. Bone both adds between 64 to 84 grams of protein per 8 cups bone broth and is a gut friendly addition to the soup. (1)

Ginger (warming) - We used a one-inch knob freshly grated ginger, but you can substitute with ½ teaspoon of dried ginger. Ginger helps wake up your digestive fire by speeding up gastric emptying and promotes smooth muscle contraction in the intestines. This helps get things moving along and a delicious addition to this TCM-inspired soup. (2)

Fennel seeds (warming) - can be found down the spice isle at your local grocery store. Not only does this herb have a mildly sweet anise flavor, like in our balsamic roasted fennel and carrots, but it a powerhouse when it comes to helping digestion. Fennel seeds or ground fennel may help digest food and reduce gas and bloating. (3)

Sweet Potato (neutral or lightly cooling) - lightly sweet and nourishing. According to Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) may help strengthen the spleen and nourish yin.

bay leaves (warming) - is one of our favorite additions to curried ham and lentil  and chicken and rice soup. This dried herb adds a subtle flavor of clove, tea and almost an earthy flavor. It's hard to explain but it makes legumes pop. However, the reason you are going to love it even more is because according to TCM, bay leaf (yue gui shu ye) may help aid in digestion and help ease bloating.

How To Prepare Mung Beans Quickly?

Try our quick boiled water method to soften the mung beans quickly. It reduces the cooking time and more importantly it makes the mungs beans easier to digest. 

• Rinse Beans: Place mungs beans in a colander and rinse. Discard any broken or discolored beans and pitch.
• Boil Water: Bring 3 to 4 cups of water to a boil.
• Soak: Place the whole dried mung beans into a heat safe bowl and pour the boiled water over the mung beans. Cover lightly and let them soak at room temperature for about 2 hours or until they have a little give when you press on a bean.

• Drain and Rinse: After soaking, drain and rinse the beans.

If you do not plan on making the soup until the next day, you can soak the beans in cool water overnight for 8 to 12 hours and rinse them thoroughly.

How to Make Soup with Mung Beans?

• Soak, rinse and drain mung beans
• Sauté the digestive friendly spices and aromatics in the soup pot.

• Add vegetables like carrots, celery and sweet potatoes into the soup pot with the spices.
• Pour in the prepared mung beans into the pot.

• Add bone broth, chicken or vegetable broth to the pot along with bay leaves.
• Toss in the chopped tomatoes.

• Cover and cook over medium high heat for about 50 minutes to an hour until the mung beans start to break apart and are completely tender.

• Season to taste and add the coconut broth.
• Turn off the burner and add the quick cooking spinach or leafy vegetable of choice.
• Enjoy

Recipe Tips

• Chop vegetables the same size so they all cook down together at the same time.
• Soaking the mung beans in hot water for 2 hours or overnight with cool water will help the beans cook faster. In addition, it makes the mung beans easier to digest. 
• If you don't have time to soak the mung beans, you can still make the soup, but it may take longer to cook. 
• Choose good quality coconut milk and vigorously shake the can or heat it up BEFORE adding it to the soup so it does not curdle. Coconut milk without added emulsifiers is prone to a natural separation of the coconut fat from the soup liquid because of the difference in temperature. Don't sweat it if this happens to you. It does not affect the flavor. If you wish, you can blend the soup and the problem will be resolved.
• Add more bone broth or water during the cooking process as the soup cooks and thickens.
• Do not season the mung bean soup with salt until AFTER it is done cooking or it can make the mung beans tough.
• We found it takes over 30 minutes for our Instant Pot or pressure cooker to come to pressure, if you choose this method.
• Stove Top is just as simple but compared to the Instant Pot but it needs to be monitored during the cooking process.

Topping Ideas

• Air fryer tofu croutons - easy recipe instruction in the recipe notes.
• Toasted black sesame seeds
• Fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley.

What to serve with Soup?

1. Rice or quinoa
2. Naan bread, roti, gluten-free crackers or Whole Wheat Focaccia Bread
3. Salads
4. Sandwiches or chicken Caesar lettuce wrap sandwiches
5. Fresh fruit
6. Refrigerator pickles

Benefits of Mung Beans

Did you know? Mung beans feed the good bacteria in your gut, helping keep digestion smooth and your microbiome happy. (4, 5)

Not only that, but this magical green bean is yin nourishing and it's energy is cooling in nature and it may even help reduce menopausal symptoms. Mung beans are a source of phytoestrogens. These special compounds may help balance the changes in estrogen in the body to reduce hot flashes and more. So, it has that going for it! (6, 7)

How to Make Mung Beans Easier to Digest?

Mung beans are one of the easiest legumes to digest and are hidden powerhouses of protein, fiber, iron, B vitamins and folate.  If you suffer from bloating and gas after eating legumes, here are some suggestions to make them even easier to digest…

1. Soak your beans before cooking!
2. Cook the mung beans completely until they are soft and start to break down in the soup.
3. Adding spices like fennel, ginger, cumin and bay leaves to your recipes can help you digest the legumes so they can nourish your body.
4. Start out with a smaller portion of mung beans, if you are new to them. Gradually, increase the amount so your gut has time to adjust.
5. Drink plenty of water as you increase the fiber in your diet to prevent constipation and improve gut health.
6. Pressure cook the mung bean soup. This can help expedite the breakdown of difficulty digesting sugars in legumes.
7. Consider digestive enzyme supplements.

Rice - We used jasmine long grain white rice. When the rice cooks down, it creates a creamy broth texture to complement the red beans and other ingredients. You can also use short, grained white rice. Please do not use basmati rice or instant rice. You will not get that creamy consistency you are looking for. We have not tested the recipe with sticky rice, brown rice, or forbidden black rice.

Azuki Beans (Red Beans) - As you may have read our balancing warming and cooling foods article, azuki beans are neutral in energy making them perfect for anyone. They are very mild and nutty in flavor making them a perfect addition to sweet desserts like snow skin mooncakes or savory addition to a porridge congee.

According to TCM, these magical dried beans can benefit the body by removing dampness and strengthen the kidney and spleen. If you can't find azuki beans, don't sweat it. You can easily substitute red beans with dried kidney beans or cooling green mung beans.

Job's Tears (also known as coix seed, Chinese Pearl Barley and more) have a delicious earthy and nutty flavor and are slightly cooling in nature. They are used often as a dietary supplement to boost the spleen function and to remove dampness from the body. (1) You will need to go to an Asian market or shop online to find job's tears. If you cannot find this ingredient, you can substitute with more red beans or uncooked pearl barley.

Chicken - We used finely chopped chicken breast just purely because that is what we had on hand. Feel free to use bone in chicken thighs or legs but remove any fat or skin first before adding it to the Instant Pot. After the congee is done cooking, remove the chicken from the bones and shred and add it back to the congee soup.

Aromatics and Flavoring Ingredients

Ginger - Peeled and sliced if you want a more mellow flavor. If you want a more pronounced ginger flavor,mince finely.

Chicken Bone Broth - either homemade or store bought to boost your gut health.

Mandarin Orange Peel - Dried (chénpí, 陳皮) can be seen drying in baskets everywhere in Hong Kong because they are used to treat digestive issues and relieve dampness and phlegm. It is believed that the longer the peels age the more intense the flavor and their medicinal effects.

We just went with a fresh mandarin orange peel with pith removed knowing that this would be an easy ingredient for you to find. Alternatively, you can add 1 - 2 droppers of Root + Spring's Aged Tangerine Peel Herbal Tincture and stir into your congee bowl just before serving.

Chinese Red Dates (jujubes) - They add a pop of natural sweetness and are nourishing to the spleen.

Goji Berries (Chinese wolfberry) We also added a tablespoon on goji berries because it is part of our goji berries and red dates herbal tea mixture. However, these are completely optional.

Dried Shiitake Mushrooms - Earthy and so delicious! However, the reason why we added them to the Instant Pot Chicken congee was to help remove accumulated dampness in the body. (2)

How to Make Congee in an Instant Pot

This is a basic overview. Please scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions.

• Rinse rice, job's tears, azuki beans, red dates, and shiitake mushrooms well.

• Add the above ingredients into the instant pot and add in chicken, chicken bone broth, ginger, and mandarin orange peel. If you wish, you can add in 2 chicken bouillon cubes for extra flavor.
• Close and lock the instant pot. Set the porridge function for 40 minutes high pressure.

• Allow natural release for at least 10-15 minutes and then carefully vent.
• Once the metal lock button falls, carefully open the lid. Add in salt and white pepper to taste, stir, serve up a bowl and add your favorite toppings and enjoy.

Asian Congee Toppings

• Green onions
• Fried shallots or garlic
• Soy sauce (coconut aminos or tamari sauce to keep gluten free)
• Sesame oil
• Jammy boiled 6-minute eggs or a fried egg
• Extra ginger
• Garlic chili oil
• Cilantro
• Fried tofu
• Stir fried veggies (garlic pea shoots, bok choy, Chinese broccoli (gai lan), spinach, etc.)
• Leftover proteins from yesterday's dinner
• Chinese Pickles or fermented things like kimchi
• And more…

What is the Difference Between Congee and Porridge?

Congee (also called Jook in Cantonese) is an Asian soup made with cooked down rice as the base. Whereas a porridge can have other types of cooked down grains such as oats, millet, barley, or corn instead of rice. Our Instant Pot Chicken recipe is both a congee and a porridge because it includes both rice and job's tears for the grain.

The Role of the Stomach and Spleen in TCM

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the stomach is responsible for digesting the food and the spleen's function is to transform the nutrients and transport the qi (our Life Force) and blood to nourish the body.

The goal of TCM is to keep your body's Ying and Yang in balance to prevent illness. However, if your body does not get the nutrients it needs to function, it starts to shut down. We could almost say that your spleen is center of health because it can cause both physical and emotional imbalances if it cannot perform its vital role.

If there are no changes to your routines, diet or even the weather outside, everything can stay in balance. However, come late summer, everything starts to change, and the balance is lost. This is time to reground us and prepare our bodies for the next season.

Late Summer Spleen Health 

Late summer corresponds to the earth element. It's an important time of the year to strengthen the stomach and spleen.

Living in a damp environment and/or suffering from spleen qi deficiency are hard on your body and digestive health. If your weakened spleen cannot move the fluids, you may feel extra sluggish, a feeling of heaviness in the limbs, bloating, foggy brain, increased mucus and much more.

3 Main Causes of Dampness in TCM

First, your body must deal with Mother Nature's environmental factors like the extreme heat, excessive rain, and its evil brother humidity. If you spend a lot of time in a rainy or humid environment, the body may not be able to keep up with its role to remove the fluids, resulting in dampness in the body.

Don't even get us started on Hong Kong's super humid summer weather! It's so hot and humid you can't breathe so all the businesses run their air conditioning (air con) so high you can see your breath. This is so hard on your body and the shock of the temperature and humidity changes sends your ying and yang into havoc.

Secondly, to combat that heat and humidity you may have been enjoying far too many cold foods like raw salads, ice cream and iced beverages. If you already have a spleen qi deficiency, eating or drinking cold foods and fluids makes it even more difficult for your spleen to transport the nutrients to where your body needs it.

The stomach and the spleen must work extra hard to heat, transform and transport these cold foods and beverages. If you already have a weakened spleen, it can't perform its job correctly. This can cause extra stress on the body resulting in increased dampness or phlegm. In addition, certain diet choices like dairy, processed foods, alcohol, gluten, fried foods and eating large amounts of mushrooms can also cause internal dampness. Think more warm and nourishing meals like Roasted Butternut and Carrot Soup.

Lastly, let's not forget about the emotional component of excessive worry. Excessive worrying about things you cannot change stresses out the spleen. When your spleen qi is weakened, it cannot perform to role of transporting fluids well. This may result in extra internal dampness in the body.

Food is Medicine

Long gone are the days where you pop a pill for this, that, and everything. Living through chemistry is not a very healthy option. The side effects alone are enough to keep you sick.

Your health starts with prevention! As a clinician, we can validate that it's much easier and cheaper to keep things in balance to prevent illness BEFORE it happens. Listening to your body's clues, eating seasonally, and taking the time to cook nourishing meals for yourself are some of the best tools in your health toolbox.

Harnessing the power of food as medicine is an effective way to recover from long-term illness, boost your immunity before the kids are back to school, and maintain health and vitality as you age.

Ingredients Needed

Bay Scallops (depending on where they were harvested are sometimes also called Atlantic Bay scallop or blue-eyed scallops) are small (about the size of a US dime) and only about ⅓ the size of a sea scallop. They come either fresh or frozen depending on where you live. These are raw and not the dried ones you get at the Chinese Medicine stores in Sheng Wan, Hong Kong or in XO sauced beef noodles.

Spring Veggies like asparagus, peas and carrots add a pop of freshness to this Asian bay scallop stir fry. Feel free to substitute with your favorite seasonal vegetables of choice.

Aromatics such as ginger and garlic are key to this light and flavorful Chinese stir fry. In a pinch, you can substitute with ground spices but fresh is best.

Light Flavorful Chinese Sauce is made with chicken bouillon mixed in water, sesame oil, oyster sauce and cornstarch to thicken. We used a teaspoon of Better than Chicken Bouillon in ⅓ cup water. You can also use a powdered bouillon or a crushed bouillon cube in either chicken or vegetable flavor. Just a tablespoon of oyster sauce will make this Asian recipe and our chicken and mushroom recipe extra flavorful. If you are celiac, there are gluten free options for both oyster sauce and chicken bouillon.

How to Choose the Best Bay Scallops?

If you have the option of purchasing fresh bay scallops that smell fresh like the sea and lightly sweet, are shiny, and firm to the touch - buy the fresh bay scallops. Otherwise, raw frozen bay scallops are a great option - that is exactly what we used. Sometimes, frozen are the better option because they are caught, and flash frozen straight away to maintain freshness.

Frozen scallops can be either wet packed or dry packed.  Wet packed scallops are treated with a preservative so that they stay fresher longer and this can cause problems as they hold onto water and when you try to cook them and then they shrink. Dry scallops do not have any additives, so they keep their natural moisture level and do not shrink when cooked.

Top Tip: Choose dry packed sea scallops over wet sea scallops for the best sear on the scallops.

How to Prepare Frozen Bay Scallops?

Recipe Tip: The most important rule is to get the bay scallops as dry as possible without drawing out any of their natural juices.

Unlike other stir-fried bay scallops' recipes, ours does not include blanching them in hot water, brining with salt or dusting them in cornstarch. These are unnecessary steps that can draw the water out, but it makes them tough and rubbery in the process.

If you want succulent tender scallops, here's how you do it - No special tools or talents needed!

• Remove frozen bay scallops from their original container and place in a covered container in the refrigerator overnight. Bay scallops do not need to be rinsed. Please do not soak them in water because they will get waterlogged. Instead, just let them thaw naturally all by themselves and they will do their magic.

• When you are ready to cook fresh caught or thawed bay scallops, drain any liquid in the bowl they were sitting in.

• Then, lay out a couple layers of paper towel or a tea towel out. In a single layer, spread the bay scallops out on the towel.

• Take another paper towel or tea towel and dab dry.

• Allow them to stay on the towel to dry while prepping the other part of your recipe ingredients.

How to Make a Seafood Vegetable Stir Fry?

• On a towel, pat dry the bay scallops. Leave them on the towel at room temperature for 10 minutes while you prep the other ingredients.
• Remove the tough stems from the asparagus, like we do with our grilled asparagus recipe. Then, chop into 1.5-inch segments.

• Slice the carrots and finely mince ginger and garlic.
• Make the simple Chinese sauce. Add the chicken bouillon powder or paste to water and stir along with sesame oil, oyster sauce and cornstarch.

• Steam the sliced carrots in the pan with a little water and place on the lid for 1 minute or until the water evaporates.
• Add in oil, aromatics, asparagus in with the steamed carrots and stir fry until vegetables are crisp tender. Remove the veggies from the pan.

• Stir fry the bay scallops for 1 minute on one side and flip over for about 30 seconds on the other.

• Quickly add the cooked veggies and Chinese sauce into the pan until the sauce thickens.
• Add the thawed cooked peas to the stir fry and give the Asian bay scallops stir fry a quick toss.

Recipe Tips

• Allowing the bay scallops to dry on a towel for 10 minutes is the first step for success. You can even do this whilst you are chopping your vegetables and making the sauce. This step ensures the bay scallops are at room temperature, so they cook evenly.
• Do NOT soak bay scallops in water or try to do a quick thaw using water.
• Do not marinate sea scallops in cooking wine or any liquids before cooking. It will cause steaming instead of searing in the pan. That is not the effect you are going for.
• Fresh or recently thawed raw scallops need to be cooked within 1 to 2 days of refrigeration.  Do not refreeze thawed bay scallops.
• Choose smaller and similar in diameter sized asparagus vs the thick and larger in diameter ones. This ensures that they cook fast and evenly.
• Carrots take longer to cook than the other veggies. Do a quick carrot steam in the wok or pan with a lid and a little water before adding the other veggies.
• Stir frying on medium-high heat is best.
• Do NOT over crowd the wok or pan so the ingredients can get a good sear.
• Getting everything prepped and ready (mise en place) is important because the actual stir-frying process is going to go fast - less than 5 minutes.
• For the Chinese stir fry sauce to thicken, the pan must be a medium high heat.  After you bring the sauce up to a boil, the sauce will start to thicken. Keep stirring because it takes only a few seconds.

Sweet Guilt Free Treat

I bet you are wondering how this sweet invention came about, right? When you have a huge hankering for a healthier pumpkin latte, but can't afford an overpriced coffeehouse beverage - unique recipes are born! We wanted a guilt free treat with natural sweeteners and no added fat. After countless rounds of testing (and enough caffeine to fuel a rocket), we finally nailed it!

Packed with sun-dried sweet prunes, this coffee sauce not only caffeinates, but it's also high in fiber and sorbitol to get things moving. It's ready in just 20 minutes, can be made a week in advance and it freezes fabulously.

Ways to Use Coffee Sauce

The sky is the limit on the different ways that you can use this dessert sauce. It's so rich with deep caramel sweetness and warming spices, we could eat it by the spoonful. Here are some of our favorite ways to enjoy this pumpkin coffee sauce.

• Use it as a substitute for applesauce in your baked recipes. 
• Drizzle a little on top of a pumpkin affogato dessert.
• Add a pop of flavor to baked pork tenderloin recipes. Slather on a little sauce during the last few minutes of baking.
• Make yourself a delicious cup of hot cocoa and add a few tablespoons of the prune sauce.
• Rise and shine with a dollop of pumpkin spice coffee sauce in your morning oatmeal, yogurt or on top of your coffee pancakes.
• Drizzle a little dessert sauce on spiced pumpkin breads, brownies, and more.
• Spoon a little over gingerbread cake. It has all the flavors of the holiday to take your baked goods to the next level.
• Flavor your hot or iced lattes or even bubble tea.
• Kick up your tiramisu cups with a layer of coffee prune sauce between the espresso-soaked lady fingers and mascarpone cream.
• And the list goes on…

Ingredients

Dried Pitted Prunes - we cut them into quarters so they could easily absorb all the coffee flavors. Not only do they naturally sweeten but they add a delicious caramel-like flavor to the sauce.

Instant Espresso Granules + Boiling Water - You can also use instant coffee or even instant decaffeinated coffee, but you will need to increase the amount to achieve a robust coffee flavor. If you are looking for an easy way to enjoy the coffee flavor, without instant espresso, we love this simple 3 ingredient coffee slush.

Pumpkin Pie Spice - is a combination of ground cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and allspice.

Cinnamon - a little extra ground cinnamon is not only warming but makes recipes taste sweeter.

Light Unsulfured Molasses - gives the sauce that complex sweet holiday caramel flavor. We used Grandma's original unsulfured molasses for this prune recipe and our gingerbread cookies. Be sure to use not to use full flavored or blackstrap molasses as they are too strong. If you do not have molasses, you can add more maple syrup to your desired sweetness level.

Maple Syrup and Vanilla - is a delicious addition to round out the flavors of the coffee and prunes. The vanilla must be a little camera shy as it did not make it into the photo.

Recipe Tips

• Measure the dried prunes by packing them into a US measuring cup. Every prune may be a different size and many of you do not own a scale, so this might be the best measurement for you. If you have a scale, please use between 8 to 9 ounces (226 - 255 grams) of pitted dried prunes.
• Chop the prunes so they can absorb the espresso flavor and plump up.
• Boil the water for the espresso either in a tea kettle, in a pot on the stove top or in the microwave.
• Use a high-speed blender and not a food processor if you want the coffee dessert sauce to be smooth.
• Adjust the additions of maple syrup and molasses to your desired sweetness level.
• Add a shot or two of spiced rum, Frangelico, or Kalua if you are feeling extra saucy! 

How to Store?

Pumpkin spice coffee sauce can be stored in the refrigerator for up to one week in a covered container or frozen for up to 3 months. Place the sauce in the refrigerator overnight to thaw.

What's the difference between coffee sauce vs syrup?

Coffee sauce is thicker and richer, often containing ingredients like mashed fruit or milk for added flavor. We used prunes. In contrast, syrup mainly consists of juice liquids. Coffee sauce is typically used as a topping for desserts or in lattes, while coffee syrup is meant for beverages like cocktails and specialty coffee drinks.

Ingredients

Fresh Okra - Did you know there are over 60 known okra varieties around the world? In the US, the Clemson spineless okra is the most common. There is even a red okra. You can use any type of "fresh" okra you desire. However, you cannot use frozen or previously cooked okra in this recipe because you will end up with slimy okra. More on that later.

Olive oil - or oil of choice to prevent sticking to the grill.

Tajín^® Seasoning - is a gluten-free Mexican seasoning mix made with chili peppers, lime, and sea salt.You can easily exchange this spice mixture with chili powder - so don't worry if you do not have it on your spice rack. Just as an FYI, this post is not sponsored in any way. We just love this spice because it is delicious on cut fruit like pineapple, spices up grilled mango chicken and fun to add to cocktails.

Lime Juice - Adds a pop of brightness to the okra on the grill and prevents it from going from crunchy to slimy.  

How Do You Grill Okra?

• Preheat the grill to medium high heat. Soak wooden skewers (so they do not burn on the grill) or grease your vegetable grill basket.
• Toss fresh whole okra with olive oil, Tajin^® seasoning (or chili powder) and salt and pepper to taste.
• Use 2 skewers and thread on the okra on them or place them on a grill plate. This keeps them secure and easier to turn.

• Grill okra over medium high heat for 2 minutes on each side until lightly charred but still crisp.
• Remove okra from the grill and squeeze over fresh lime juice to taste.

What Temperature Should the Grill Be?

If you are lucky enough to have a working thermostat on your grill, you will want to shoot to around 400°F to 425°F (204°C to 218°C). We give a range as we know it is difficult to target an exact temperature on a grill. This is approximately medium-high heat.

How to Cook Okra That is Not Slimy?

These recipe tips and hacks will help you make the best crispy but tender grilled okra.

• Dry Okra Pods Well After washing:  Make sure they are extra dry before adding any of the seasonings. If they are still wet, they will steam instead of getting a quick sear on the grill. This will result in a soggy okra.
• Keep Okra Whole: Do not remove the ends or cut in half.
• Cook Fast! Use Medium - High Heat! The longer the okra sits on the grill to cook the more potential there is for it to get slimy.
• Give Okra Pods Space to Cook: Don't overcrowd your grill basket or place too many okra pods on your skewers. The grilled okra needs space in between to sear quickly. You may need to cook in batches if your grill space is small.
• Do not overcook your okra. The goal is just until you can pierce your knife into the edge of it. It is nice when they are slightly crisp but have taken on the smokey flavor of the grill. 
• Add lime juice: The acid helps reduce any slimy consistency.

Recipe Variations

• Substitute Tajin^® Seasoning with dried chili powder.
• Add a little lime zest before serving your keto grilled okra.
• Enhance the Tex Mex flavors by adding a little dried ground garlic powder and cumin before grilling.
• Serve with garlic chili oil.

What to Serve with Grilled Okra?

We are all about keeping things simple. If you already have the grill prepped and ready to go, serve crispy okra as a side to dish for yakitori, lamb kabobs, burgers or even feta stuffed mushrooms.

Try these Tajin spiced okra as a low carb appetizer along with Asian beef roll ups to maintain your low carb diet. 

Why Use Spring Roll Wrappers?

Using a readymade spring roll wrapper is what makes these strawberry jam cookies different from all the rest. Spring roll wrappers are thin pastry sheets made with wheat flour and are the perfect size to make cylindrical shaped cookies.

They are light, airy, ultra crispy and delicious is recipes like our sweet banana dessert spring rolls or savory air fryer spring rolls.  Having a few spring roll wrappers stashed in your freezer is a HUGE time saver and simple dessert idea for last minute guests.

Ingredients & Substitutions

Warning! The crispy cookie texture is darn right addictive but with a slight chew at the end keeps you yearning for more. Like 6 cookies later… Yikes! We had to step away from the strawberry pirouette cookies and put them under lock and key. Here is what you need to make them…

1. Spring Roll Wrappers - Available in the freezer section of the grocery store. You can find them at specialty stores, Asian Markets or you can order them frozen online. Please do not confuse these wrappers with rice spring rolls used to make rice paper dumplings. Egg roll wrappers may be a bit too thick and will be too chewy for these strawberry jam roll cookies.  
2. Strawberry Jam - We used our Strawberry Rhubarb Refrigerator Jam and blended it in the food processor to remove any lumps. Feel free to substitute with any type of jam or jelly your little heart desires - or try our Apricot jam.
3. Lemon Zest - Gives this strawberry jam cookie recipe a pop of freshness.
4. Chia Seeds - of course it's optional but we quite like that little extra pop of texture, protein, and fiber. If you like a nutty flavor, feel free to add "finely ground" nuts like walnuts, almonds, or nuts of choice to the strawberry jam mixture. 
5. Oil - light flavored to create that crispy texture and prevent sticking.

How to make Homemade Pirouette Cookies?

• In a bowl, mix strawberry jam with lemon zest and chia seeds.

• Lay one spring roll wrapper sheet flat on a clean surface.
• Spoon about ½ tablespoon of the strawberry jam on lower half of the spring roll wrapper.
• Spread the jam thinly with a pastry brush on ⅔ of the spring roll wrapper.
• On the remaining ⅓ of the wrapper, brush on a thin layer of oil.

• Starting on the strawberry jam side, roll the pastry dough into a thin roll or cylindrical shape or tuile cookie.

• Place the strawberry roll cookies, seam side down, on a lined and greased baking sheet and brush with oil.

• Bake at 425 degrees F (218 degrees C) for 10 - 15 minutes or until lightly golden and crispy. Turn the roll cookies midway in the baking process.

Strawberry Jam Cookies Recipe Tips

1. Puree - Chunky strawberry jam in a food processor or blender so that it is easily spreadable with a brush.
2. Thaw - frozen spring roll wrappers at room temperature for 1 hour or in the refrigerator overnight in their sealed package.
3. Heat - Strawberry jam for just 15 to 20 seconds in the microwave before adding other ingredients. This makes the jam easy to spread on the thin spring roll wrappers.
4. Prevent Cracking - Take out only one spring roll wrapper at a time and store the rest under a damp towel to prevent drying out and cracking.
5. Do Not Overfill! Use only about ½ tablespoon of jam on each spring roll wrapper sheet. Too much filling can cause the delicate pirouette cookies to crack and ooze out the filling.
6. Spread - jam only on the bottom ⅔ rd of the spring roll wrapper. Please leave about ¼ inch around the edges so jam does ooze out the sides of the cigar cookie.
7. Oil - the remaining ⅓ of the spring roll wrapper. This provides 3 functions. First, it helps the roll cookies to get golden brown. Secondly, the oil helps seal the cookie. Lastly, it prevents overfilling of the pasty sheet with too much jam which can result in the cookie bursting at the seams.
8. Line and grease your baking tray - to prevent sticking.
9. Bake roll cookies seam side down.  Then, turn halfway in the cooking process.

How to Serve?

Cookies with strawberry jam are delightful hot right out of the oven with coffee, ginger lemon tea or a Chai Tea Latte. You may also like to serve these cookies as a crunchy garnish for fruit sorbets, matcha nice cream or a pudding -  Hey, why not, right?

Dunk a straw cookie in a bowl of homemade coconut whipped topping or sprinkle these crispy tea time treats with a little powdered sugar. If you are feeling especially naughty, dip a cigar cookie in a little melted chocolate. We promise not to tell a soul.

Pirouette cookies are the perfect addition to a dessert charcuterie board. We like to put these strawberry cookies in a heat safe glass, so we have more room on the board for chocolate covered fruit. Priorities!

How to Store?

Assembled: Not Baked - can be stored in the refrigerator in a sealed container or baggie for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months.

Assembled and Baked - Best enjoyed hot out of the oven for maximal crispiness. Store leftovers at room temperature for up to 24 hours wrapped in aluminum foil. (They are still crispy) You may also refrigerate in a covered container for up to 3 days or freeze for 2 months.

What Does it Taste Like?

This black sesame latte has a creamy velvety texture with a unique nutty and earthy flavor. It's destined to be your favorite beverage to unwind after a busy day.

Black Sesame Drink

Sweet dessert shops, like Tsui Yuen Dessert Shop in Hong Kong, offer a black sesame soup, ice cream and black sesame double steamed milk - a must try if you are ever visiting. But we wanted to enjoy these treats at home.  So, we began with testing the process with different methods and discovered many helpful recipe hints to share with you along the way.

Skip the fancy coffee house flavored lattes and make this delicious dairy free and gluten free alternative. You can make it healthier and more affordable at home. Use a blender, mason jar with a lid, French press or even a handheld frother to make a luscious frothy black sesame latte today. It's time to channel your inner barista skills with this easy latte recipe. Let's get to it!

Basic Ingredients

Black Sesame Seed Paste - This Asian Homemade paste is so much better than storebought.  You can exchange the paste with black sesame tahini or regular tahini but note that the sesame seeds are not roasted, nor sweetened.  Tahini is slightly bitter compared to a deeply roasted black sesame paste. 

Non-Dairy or Dairy of Choice - we used plant-based milk because dairy and lactose plays havoc on our digestive system. Plant - based milks like soy milk, almond milk, hemp milk, oat milk, etc. all work well and are a great vegan alternative.  Each plant-based milk adds a little different flavor profile to the latte. If you do not have a dairy sensitivity, feel free to use regular milk. 

Sweetener of Choice - Our homemade black sesame paste is already sweetened. However, you can add a little honey or none to suit your desired level of sweetness. Try maple syrup or even date paste to keep this sesame latte vegan or alternative sweetener of choice.

Dash of Salt - Optional but it brings out the natural sweetness of the black sesame seeds and balances the flavors.

Equipment Needed?

In the perfect world, we would all have an espresso machine with an integrated frother at home. But, realistically speaking, this is not a perfect world. You don't need all that fancy equipment. If you have one of the following, you have everything you need to make this creamy and delicious black sesame latte at home.

1. Blender
2. Mason jar with a lid - and some strong muscles!
3. Handheld frother
4. Or even a French press

How to Make a Black Sesame Latte?

This recipe can be made either hot or iced (cold) depending on your preference. You can even add a delightful matcha or strawberry cold foam on top which we will cover in the next section.

HOT

• Heat up dairy or non-dairy milk of choice in a pan over low heat. Do not boil!
• Add black sesame paste, sweetener of choice and a dash of salt to the warmed milk and stir.
• Blend the hot black sesame milk until frothy. You can froth the latte with one of these 4 methods.
• Place hot black sesame milk in a blender. Cover and hold a tea towel over the top and blend until frothy.
• Carefully pour the hot sesame milk inside a mason jar with a lid. Close the lid and use a tea towel around it and proceed to shake the $%^& out of it until frothy.
• Use a handheld or portable frother. 
• Serve hot and enjoy!

Recipe Tip: Milk tastes the sweetest between 135-150°F (57-66°C).

COLD

• Heat up the black sesame paste in the microwave for about 15 to 20 seconds or until very soft and easy to stir.
• Add cold milk or non-dairy of choice, heated black sesame paste, sweetener of choice together.
• Froth until creamy in a blender, mason jar with lid or a handheld frother.
• Serve over ice and enjoy!

Recipe Tip: Heating the black sesame paste for 15 to 20 seconds or just until warm and soft makes it easier to incorporate into the dairy or non-dairy of choice.

What is Cold Foam?

Say hello to the new happening trend in the barista world - cold foam. This is an optional ingredient for our black sesame latte. However, it's so darn good - why would you want to skip it?

Cold foam is light and frothy dairy or non-dairy based creamy topping for beverages like iced cappuccino, black sesame latte, Bumblebee coffee or a coconut chai tea latte . These creamy cloudlike delights can be sweetened and have added flavorings like vanilla, cinnamon, pumpkin, chocolate, peppermint, strawberry and matcha - just to name a few.

Cold Foam vs Whipping Cream

You might be wondering, is cold foam just like whipped coconut cream or whipped topping? The answer is no. Cold foam can be formed rather quickly with less effort by getting air suspended within a combination of cream and milk or a non-dairy creamer. By default, cold foam only lasts between 30 minutes to a couple of hours before it starts to deflate back into a liquid state.

Whipped topping on the other hand, has more fat and requires a lot more energy and force to change the lipids structure from a liquid to soft solid state of whipped cream.  Because of the changes made to the structure within the fats, whipped topping can last at least 5 to 7 days in the refrigerator if stored properly.

How to Make Cold Foam Without a Frother?

Yes you can! You can make cold foam with some everyday items you probably already have in your home. The goal is to add air and volume to cream or a non-dairy cream quickly. The everyday blender, a French Press, hand mixer, whisk or even mason jar with a lid are 5 easy tools to use.

Quick Frothing Tip: Use COLD cream, milk, and cool instruments for the best frothing results.

Blender

The blender can easily froth cream on high speed in about 1 minute flat. Pour the COLD cream and additions in the blender. Put on the lid and blend on high for about 1 minute or until the cream doubles in volume. If you wait a few seconds, the foam will start to rise to the top.

French Press

A French press can double the volume of cream in about 30 seconds. Pour the COLD cream into the French press and raise and lower the plunger starting out slow and then advance quickly until you have a thick cream.

Quick Tip: Don't overfill the French press as the cold foam will increase in size.

Mason Jar with Lid

The mason jar with a lid option is simple but effective way to froth cream. Pour the COLD cream and your additions into the mason jar with a lid. Shake vigorously for about 1 to 2 minutes or until the cream doubles in size.

Handheld Frother

A handheld frother is a relatively inexpensive device. If you have one, make sure you put the non-dairy creamer in a tall glass or mug as it will double in volume.

Mixer or Whisk

Using a small hand mixer or a whisk and deep bowl, beat the cream until soft frothy texture is reached. This is the messiest option for sure.

Strawberry Foam

Add a little pop of spring to your black sesame flavored latte with this light and fluffy delicately sweet pink strawberry foam. The nuttiness of black sesame with fresh strawberries is a must try combination. You only need 4 ingredients: strawberries, sugar or alternative sweetener of choice, a little water and cream or liquid non-dairy creamer of choice. Strawberry cold foam is an optional ingredient but a delicious way to celebrate the berry season.

How to Make Strawberry Foam?

• Add chopped strawberries, sugar or sweetener of choice, and a couple of tablespoons of water to a saucepan and cook over medium heat for approximately 10 to 15 minutes or until the strawberries break down.

• Mash the cooked strawberries over a fine mesh strainer to isolate the strawberry syrup. The remaining strawberries are delicious on toast, oatmeal, berry smoothie or even strawberry banana pancakes.

1. Froth cream and milk or your non-dairy barista blend creamer of choice. You can do this with a handheld frother, blender, French Press or even a mason jar with a lid.
2. Add the strawberry syrup to the frothed cream and continue frothing until well blended and a pretty pink color.
3. Add a dollop of strawberry cold foam to the top of a hot or iced black sesame latte and enjoy!

How to Make Matcha Cold Foam?

If you need a little calm focus, adding a little dollop of matcha cold foam to the top of your black sesame latte is the way to go. The green tea has earthy, grassy notes that are a nice complement to the flavored latte.

• Blend matcha with a little water with a whisk. If you plan on adding a sweetener like maple syrup, honey, or sweetener of choice to your matcha cold foam, use warm water. Otherwise, you can use room temperature water or cold water to blend the matcha green tea.

• Froth cream and milk or your non-dairy barista blend creamer of choice. You can do this with a handheld frother, blender, French Press or even a mason jar with a lid.
• Add the matcha mixture to the frothed cream and continue frothing until well blended and a pretty light green color.
• Add a dollop of matcha foam to the top of a hot or iced black sesame latte and enjoy!

Cold Foam Hack: When making a dairy free cold foam, look for plant based non-dairy creamers that for signage "barista Blends" that are made specifically for making cold foam.

How to store?

Plain black sesame latte can be stored in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to a week. You will need to froth again as the creamy texture will return to a liquid state.

Variations in Latte Recipe

• Try a creamy and frothy black sesame latte hot with a sprinkle of roasted sesame seeds on top.
• Make an affogato and pour the latte over black sesame nice cream.
• Pour the black sesame latte over ice and enjoy cold.
• Top with a billowy cloud of strawberry foam
• Pour a creamy matcha cold foam on top.
• Top with both matcha and strawberry cold foam for a triple delight.
• Add in a shot or two of espresso in a glass followed by the black sesame latte.
• Make it into a bubble tea and add a few chewy boba balls (black tapioca pearls)
• Serve black sesame latte over a chai tea latte or your favorite black tea.
• Black sesame pairs well with vanilla, chocolate, and fresh fruits.

What to Serve with a Latte?

Lattes are a special treat all on their own. However served as an afternoon tea are delicious with a sweet treat like Sakura shortbread cookies, Welsh cakes, strawberry jam cookies , or egg tarts. If it is during the Hanami (cherry blossom viewing) season, try serving with a sweet and savory isobeyaki mochi or mung bean daifuku mochi. You may want to try this easy latte with one of our other healthy black sesame desserts.

Decision Time

We love this black sesame latte recipe hot and iced. But we need your help. We can't decide whether we love matcha or strawberry foam or more. Make this recipe today and let us know if the comments if you like one way better than the other.

Basic Ingredients

Soft tofu - Start with well-drained "soft tofu" for the perfect Chinese pancake texture. Unlike "firm tofu" like we used in our tofu turkey meatballs or our whipped tofu ricotta, a "soft tofu" gives the pancakes a silky smooth center.

Cornstarch - Binds all the delicious vegetables together with the tofu.  Clabber Girl brand cornstarch is certified gluten free.

Vegetables and Mushrooms of choice - Choose your favorites based on personal preference and what you have in your crisper. You will need a total of 9 tablespoons of raw veggies. We used bamboo shoots, red bell peppers, green onions, and mushrooms. The best types of vegetables are quick to cook veggies without a high moisture content. Tomatoes are not a good addition as these are too wet. If you choose firm vegetables like carrots, they will need to be cooked until fork tender before putting in the vegetable pancake batter.

Soy Sauce - adds a savory umami flavor to the vegetable pancakes. Please use coconut aminos or tamari sauce to stay gluten free.

Chinese 5 Spice Powder - is a unique spiced made with ground anise, fennel seeds, Szechuan peppercorns, cloves, and cinnamon. This spice blend adds depth and flavor to our Chinese beef noodle soup, vegan radish cake and more.

Orange zest - the secret ingredient that brightens up this Cantonese dim sum recipe. We first had these little Chinese pancakes in the Chi Lin Vegetarian restaurant (a hidden gem) located in the beautiful Nan Lian Garden in Hong Kong (HK) within the Chi Lin Nunnery. This Buddhist Cantonese restaurant uses crushed dried tangerine peel in their tofu pancakes. We substituted orange zest for the dried orange peel as it is easier to find at your local grocery store.

Dipping Sauce Ingredients

Soy Sauce - or Coconut Aminos or tamari sauce to stay gluten free.

Garlic - choose fresh garlic for the best flavor, but you can substitute it with dried ground garlic powder if needed.

Ginger - freshly peeled and grated ginger is best, but you can also substitute it with dried ground ginger. Dried ground ginger is stronger and more concentrated than fresh ginger. For every 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger, you can exchange with ¼ teaspoon dried ground ginger.

Chinese Black Vinegar - (Chinkiang vinegar) or can substitute with a light rice vinegar. The vinegar gives it that addictive tang.

Sesame oil - adds a toasty nutty flavor to the dipping sauce. If you like it spicy, add a little garlic chili oil.

How to make Savory Tofu Pancake Batter?

• Chop vegetables and mushrooms

• Add salt to the tofu to a bowl. Allow it to marinate for about 5 minutes and drain it well.
• Mash the tofu with a fork. Then, add enough cornstarch so it reaches a consistency thicker than ricotta cheese.
• Saute the vegetables and mushrooms until soft and aromatic. Then add soy sauce (coconut aminos), spices and orange zest.
• Add the cooked vegetable mixture into the tofu puree and season to taste.

• Spray or dab non-stick frying pan with oil. On a medium - low heat, add a heaping tablespoon of tofu vegetable pancake batter into your non-stick pan and spread it carefully into a circle shape.
• Saute vegetable pancake on both sides for about 2-3 minutes or until crispy on the outside and golden.

Recipe Tips

• Use soft tofu instead of firm tofu for these savory pancakes. This gives these Chinese pancakes a silky-smooth interior texture.
• Allow the tofu to drain well or use a tofu press.
• Add enough cornstarch so that the consistency is thicker than ricotta cheese. The tofu pancake mixture should be thick enough to hold on the spoon, if you tilt it sideways. Depending on how well you drained your tofu, you may have to add less or more cornstarch to get to this consistency. In addition, every tofu brand has a different water content.
• Be sure to fry the vegetables until soft. After you add the soy sauce, cook until evaporated.
• Use a non-stick pan for the best results.
• Do not add a lot of oil, just enough so the batter does not stick to the pan. This step keeps the savory Asian pancakes light and healthy.
• We suggest keeping space in between the pancakes to make them easier to turn and do not make them too large.
• Be gentle when flipping vegetable pancakes made with tofu as they are fragile. It may take you a couple of tries to perfect the process.
• Lastly, if the pancakes are falling apart, you probably need to add more cornstarch as a binder.