Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Curry Fried Rice

Ingredients
2 cups of cooked rice
200 g chicken breast meat - marinate with salt n pepper
some prawns - marinate with salt and pepper
some pineapple (diced)
a handful of roasted cashew nut
2 eggs (beaten)
1 tomato (chopped into pieces)
bell pepper (diced)
white onion (diced)
garlic (minced)
1 tbsp curry powder
some baby corn (canned)
salt and pepper to taste

Steamed Glutinous Rice


Serves 2 pax
Ingredients
1 cup glutinous rice
1 1/2 cup water
1 tsp dried prawns - soaked and drained
1 small slice of pork belly - scalded and cut into small pieces
1 chinese sausage - sliced
3 dried mushroom - soak and julienned
1 tsp shallots - minced
1 tsp garlic - minced
3 tbsp of soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Method
  1. Wash the glutinous rice with water. Drain excess water off. Set aside.
  2. Fry the pork belly, dried prawns and sausage till fragrant. Remove from pan and set aside.
  3. With the remaining oil, fry the shallot and garlic till fragrant. Add the mushrooms and continue to stir fry for another minute.
  4. Add the rice to the wok. Season with some salt, pepper and soy sauce. Mix well.
  5. Transfer to the rice cooker. Add water.
  6. When the rice is cooked halfway through, Add in the rest of the ingredients - dried prawns, fatty pork and chinese sausage. (alternatively, these ingredients can be added together with the rice mixture in the earlier stage. adding later will enhance the crispiness of the ingredients)
  7. Garnish with a sprinkle of fried shallots and serve warm.

Chye Sim with oyster sauce

Ingredients
1 bunch of chye sim - washed and cut
1 tbsp of fried shallots (preferably with some oil if using fresh shallots and not ready sold ones)
1 tbsp of oyster sauce
salt to taste

Method
  1. Blanch the chye sim in boiling water for a few minutes. Add a little salt to the water when boiling.
  2. Drain off excess water and lay them on a plate.
  3. Add oyster sauce. Garnish with fried shallots. Serve immediately.

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Pot Stickers


Ingredients
3 cups Napa cabbage - chopped
I packet gyoza skin
300 g minced meat
2 egg white
4 tbsp of light soy sauce
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp freshly grated ginger
6 tbsp cut green onion
salt and pepper to taste

Method
  1. Place chopped cabbage in a siever to drain away excess water.
  2. Add salt to the cabbage to dry the moisture (for 20 mins). Squeeze out any excess water. Set aside the wilted cabbage for later use.
  3. Marinate the minced meat with soy sauce, egg white, garlic, ginger green onion, salt and pepper.
  4. Add cabbage to the meat mixture.
  5. Cover with plastic wrap. Place in fridge for at least 30 mins.
  6. Place a tbsp of meat mixture onto the centre of the gyoza skin.
  7. When folding, start from centre to push out the air bubbles. Dab some water on the outer edge of the skin to seal it.
  8. Heat up some oil in a frying pan. Lay the potstickers flat onto the pan and fry for about 5 mins.
  9. Add 1/2 cup of water or stock to the pan. Turn to low heat and cover the pan.
  10. Cook for about 8 mins until the water almost dries out.
  11. Open the lid and switch to high heat and cook till all the water is dried out.
  12. Serve warm with the dipping sauce.
Dipping Sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
some finely julienned ginger

Deep Fried Garlic Pork Ribs 蒜香排骨

Ingredients
1 lb pork ribs (with some fatty meat)
3 cloves garlic - chopped coarsely
1 red chilli - cut into small pcs
1 stalk green onion - cut into small pcs
1 tbsp huatiao wine
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ground peppercorn
rice flour for coating
cooking oil

Seasonings for pork ribs
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp huatiao wine
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp minced garlic
dash of garlic powder
dash of pepper
1 egg

Method
  1. Marinate the pork ribs with seasonings for 1 hour or more. 
  2. Heat up oil in wok.  Deep fry the garlic till golden brown.  Remove from wok and set aside.  Coat the marinated pork ribs with rice flour and deep fry till golden brown.  Rermove from wok and set aside.
  3. Leave 2 tbsp of remaining oil in wok and stir fry the chilli and green onions for a while.
  4. Return the pork ribs to the wok. Drizzle some huatiao wine. Add in the fried garlic and mix well.
  5. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and ground peppercorn.
  6. Dish up and serve immediately

Pan Fried Cod Fish Steak

Ingredients
3 pieces of cod fish steak
1 small pc ginger - julienned
1 stalk green onion - sliced
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 red chilli - cut
2 tbsp of light soy sauce
1/4 tsp of chicken powder
some flour to coat
salt and pepper to taste

Method
  1. Marinate the fish with chicken powder, salt and pepper. Coat with some flour.
  2. Heat up a pan. Fry the ginger till golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside.
  3. Pan fry the fish till golden brown. Remove from pan and place them on a plate.
  4. With the remaining oil, stir fry garlic till fragrant, add the chillies, green onion and soy sauce and continue to stir fry for a while more.
  5. Pour the sauce over the fish. Garnish with the fried ginger and serve warm.

Baked Salmon with Oyster Mushroom

Ingredients
1 lb fresh salmon fillet
1 packet of oyster mushroom
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp of huatiao wine
2 slices of ginger
salt and pepper to taste

Method
  1. Marinate the salmon fillet with salt and pepper for 30 mins or more.
  2. Heat up some olive oil in a pan and fry the salmon, skin side down for a 2 minutes or till skin is browned.
  3. Prepare a baking pan and place the salmon in the pan. Add the oyster mushrooms, ginger slices, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, hautiao wine and some salt.
  4. Preheat oven to 375 F
  5. Place salmon in oven and bake for about 10-12 minutes or till salmon is cooked.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Soy Sauce Potato

Ingredients
200 g minced pork meat
2 large potatoes - peeled and sliced
1 clove garlic - minced
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 cup water
1 tsp sesame oil
salt and pepper to taste
cooking oil

 Method
  1. Heat up oil in a pan. Stir fry garlic until fragrant.
  2. Add minced meat and soy sauce and continue to stir fry for a while.
  3. Add potatoes and enough water till it covers the potatoes.
  4. Cover pan with lid and bring to a boil.  Switch to low heat and let it simmer for 15 mins or until the potatoes are tender.
  5. Add a dash of sesame oil, salt and pepper to taste. Garnish with some parsley and serve warm.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Pumpkin Carrot Soup

Ingredients
200g pork ribs
200g of pumpkin - peeled, washed and cut into cubes
2 stalks of carrot -peeled and cut into cubes
10 red dates
2 slices of ginger
1 clove of garlic - whole
2.5 litres water

Method
  1. Scald the pork ribs. Bring the water to a boil in a pot. When boiling, add in the pork ribs, ginger slices and garlic.
  2. Add in the red dates. Lower heat and simmer for 1 hour.
  3. Add in the carrots and continue to simmer for 10 mins.
  4. Add pumpkin and continue to simmer for 10 mins.
  5. Add salt to taste.

Stir Fried Beansprout with Cuttlefish

Ingredients
3 cups of mung bean sprouts (tail removed)
1 small pc dried cuttlefish- cut into small pcs
1 tsp dried prawns - soaked in water and drained
1 pc of fresh tofu (cut into slices)
1 tsp of minced garlic
1 tsp of minced ginger
some sliced green onions
some red chilli (optional)

Seasonings
1/4 tsp of chicken powder (optional)
2 tbsp of huatiao wine
1 tbsp of light soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Method
  1. Heat oil in a wok. Add some salt to the cut tofu. Pan fry the tofu until golden brown. Set aside.
  2. With the remaining oil, stir fry the cuttlefish and dried prawns until fragrant.
  3. Add shallots and garlic and stir fry for a while, then add the sliced green onions and mix well.
  4. Add bean sprouts and fry for a minute longer or until vegetables are slightly tender but still crisp.
  5. Return tofu to the wok. Add seasonings to taste and serve immediately.

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Braised Sea Cucumber with Pork Belly & Mushrooms

Ingredients
3 large soaked sea cucumber - rinsed and cut into big pcs
1 lb pork belly - parboiled and cut into big pcs
8 dried mushrooms - soaked to soften and stem removed

4 slices of ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced shallot
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine
cornstarch solution
cooking oil

Seasonings for pork belly
1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1/4 tsp pepper

For sauce (combine)
1 cup chicken stock (or water if not available)
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tbsp thick soy sauce
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper

Method
  1. Marinate pork belly with dark soy sauce and pepper. Set aside for 30 mins.
  2. Heat up a wok and add 1 tbsp of oil. Add 2 slices ginger and stir fry for a while.
  3. Add sea cucumber and stir fry for a while more.  Drizzle rice wine and stir-fry quickly for a few minutes.
  4. Remove the sea cucumber from wok and set aside.
  5. With remaining oil in wok, stir fry shallots and garlic until fragrant.
  6. Add remaining ginger slices, pork belly and mushrooms and stir-fry for a few minutes.
  7. Pour in sauce ingredients and return the sea cucumber to the wok.
  8. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook under low heat for 30 minutes or until sea cucumber and pork belly are tender.
  9. Add the green vegetables to the wok. Cover for about 2 mins.
  10. Stir in some cornstarch solution to thicken the sauce.  Serve warm.
How to treat dried sea cucumber
Wash and soak the dried sea cucumber overnight. Pour away the water and wash the sea cucumber. Add enough water in a pot to cover them. Add some ginger slices to remove the fishy odour. Bring the water to a boil. After boiling for about 10 mins, pour the water away and add in fresh cold water to soak them again. Continue the procedure for another 2 days. By the 3rd day, the sea cucumber should have expanded to several times its original size and becomes soft again. Drain and keep in the freezer until ready to use.

Huai Shan Soup

Ingredients
4 pieces pork ribs
I stalk fresh Huai Shan (Dioscorea)- peeled and cut into big cubes
handful of yu zhu (polygonatum odoratum)
handful of gou ju zhi (wolfberries)
2 slices of ginger
salt to taste
1 pot water

Method
  1. Parboil the pork ribs and transfer to a slow cooker.
  2. Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Transter the boiling water to the slow cooker.  Add ginger slices, huai shan and yuzhu.  Switch to high heat and cook for 5 hours or if on low heat for 8 hours. 
  3. Before serving, add some wolfberries and sprinkle some salt to taste.

Black Bean Soup

Ingredients
1 cup of black beans (rice cup) - washed and soaked for 2 hours or more
4 pieces of pork ribs
handful of walnuts
handful of wolfberry
2 black dates
4 pcs beiqi
6 pcs dried huai shan (dioscorea)
1 pc dang gui
1 pc du zhong - abt 8cm big
6 pcs dang shen (codonopsis pilosula)
salt to taste

Method
  1. Parboil the pork ribs and transfer to a slow cooker.
  2. Place the soaked black beans and the rest of the ingredients in the slow cooker.
  3. Add a pot of boiling water to the slow cooker.
  4. Cook with high heat for 5 hours or low heat for 8 hours.
  5. Add salt to taste before serving.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Steamed Tofu with Minced Meat and Mushrooms

adapted from www.mykitchensnippets
Ingredients
1 piece of soft tofu
1/2 bowl ground pork meat
1/4 bowl green peas
8 white button mushroom - sliced thinly
1 small carrot - cut into small cubes
1 green onion - to garnish
2 cloves of garlic - minced
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp of cornstarch
salt and pepper to taste

Seasonings for minced meat
1/2 tbsp of oyster sauce
1 tbsp of soy sauce
1/4 tsp chicken powder

  1. Marinate the meat and set aside for 15 minutes or more.
  2. In a steamer, steam the tofu for about 5 minutes. Remove the excess water and set aside
  3. Heat up the oil in a pan. Add the garlic and saute until fragrant.
  4. Add the meat and carrots and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
  5. Add in mushroom and green peas, stir fry for a minute.  Add sugar, soy sauce and pepper and immediately stir in some water.
  6. Bring it up to a boil. Add the cornstarch solution and cook until sauce thicken.
  7. Check seasoning.  Pour the sauce over the tofu and garnish with green onions and serve warm.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Pan Fried Alaskan Cod Fillet

Ingredients
1 lb alaksan cod fillet (wash and pat dry)
1 plate of mixed vegetables - red and green leaf lettuce, spinach
few slices of red onion rings
toasted black sesame seeds
sugar and salt to taste
1 piece of ginger - julienned
cooking oil

Seasonings for fillet
dash of pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp chicken powder,
 flour to coat

Method
  1. Marinate cod fillet with seasonings for 30 mins or more.
  2. Heat up some oil in a pan and saute ginger till golden brown. Remove from pan and set aside for later use.
  3. Coat the fillet with some flour and pan fry until golden brown. Set aside.
  4. With the remaining oil, stir fry the onion till fragrant. Add the rest of the vegetables and continue frying for 1 - 2 mins.
  5. Add some salt and sugar to taste.
  6. Trasnfer the cooked vegetables to a serving plate.
  7. Place the fillet on top of the vegetables.
  8. Sprinkle with the fried ginger and toasted black sesame seeds before serving.

Baked Red Snapper

adapted fm recipe card by Tina Sparks, seafood manager - Top (Federal Way)

Ingredients
1 lb snapper fillets
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 jalepeno - cut into small pcs
1 cup plum tomatoes (chopped)
1/2 cup onion - chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic - minced
3 tbsp fresh parsley - chopped
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried thyme
 1/4 cup water
1 tbsp red wine vinegar (optional)
1 small bay leaf

Method
  1. Place fillets in a baking dish and drizzle with lemon juice. Top with jalepeno and set aside.
  2. In a small pot, combine olive oil , tomatoes, onions and garlic. Heat over medium heat for 5 minutes.
  3. Stir in parsley and the next six ingredients. Cook for 6 more minutes or until the vegetables are tender. Discard the bay leaf.
  4. Pour tomato mixture over the snapper.
  5. Preheat broiler and broil 6 to 8 minutes or until the fillets flake.

Monday, April 12, 2010

Fried Spring Rolls

adapted from www.mykitchensnippets.com

Makes 18 spring rolls
Ingredients
1 Jicama (turnip) - peeled and julienned finely
3 carrots - peel and julienned finely
some black fungus - soaked and cut into thin strips
6 shallots - sliced
2 tbsp of dried prawns- soaked in rice wine and drained
3 spring onions - slice thinly
3 cloves of garlic - chopped finely
some cornstarch solution - for sealing
some spring roll wrappers (pack of 25 pcs qty)

Seasonings
2 tbsp of oyster sauce
3 tbsp of soy sauce
1/2 tsp of sugar
1/4 tsp of chicken powder
Salt & pepper to taste

Method
  1. Thaw the frozen spring roll wrappers. (half hour before using)
  2. Heat up the wok with 1 tbsp of oil. Add in dried prawns and stir fry until fragrant. Remove from wok and set aside for later use.
  3. With the remaining oil, fry the shallots and garlic until fragrant.
  4. Add in black fungus, carrots and jicama. Stir fry for a few minutes.
  5. Add in all the seasonings and 1/2 cup of water. Continue cooking for another few minutes.(when the fillings are cooked and the jicama is crunchy to the taste).
  6. Check seasonings and lastly add in spring onions. Set aside to cool.
  7. Peel off a piece of wrapper and place it on a flat surface. Place 2 tbsp of cooked filling in the center of the wrapper, pull over both ends and roll up the wrapper. Brush the end with some cornstarch solution to seal. Heat up some oil in a frying pan and deep fry the spring rolls until golden brown. Drain the oil and serve with some sweet chilli sauce.