Broccoli and Scallops

Ingredients

1 small broccoli, ends trimmed and separate to smaller florets

1 carrot - peeled and sliced
10-12 pieces of large scallops
2 slices ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced shallot
2 tbsp roasted cashew nuts
1 tbsp huatiao wine
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
4 tbsp water
salt to taste
cornstarch solution
cooking oil

 Method

1. Heat a pot of water.  Add a little salt and a little oil to the boiling water.  Blanch the broccoli and sliced carrots for a few minutes.  Drain and arrange them on a serving plate.
2. Marinate the scallops with a little salt and pepper. Coat with some cornstarch and blanch for a while. Set aside.
3. Heat up oil in a wok. Stir fry the shallot, ginger and garlic until fragrant. Add the scallops.  Add in huatiao wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce, water and cook for a few minutes till the scallops are cooked.
4. Check seasonings and add salt if needed.  Add some cornstarch to thicken the sauce.
5. Dish up and place on the plate with the vegetables previously arranged.
6. Garnish with cashew nuts and serve warm.

Stir Fried Bittergourd with Silver Fish

Ingredients

1 bittergourd

2 tbsp dried silver fish

2 eggs - beaten

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp minced ginger

1 tsp minced garlic

salt and pepper

Method

1. Cut bittergourd to half (length-wise) and remove the seeds. Slice bittergourd thinly.  Blanch in boiling water with a little salt added for a few minutes.  Drain and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and stir fry the silver fish until brown and crispy.  Set aside.
3. With the remaining oil in pan, saute the ginger and garlic till fragrant.
4. Add bittergourd slices and stir fry over high heat for a few minutes.
5. When the bittergourd is almost cooked, pour the beaten egg over the bittergourd.  Add soy sauce and some pepper.  Stir lightly to mix well.  when the eggs are cooked, add the fried silver fish to the mixture.
6. Dish up and serve warm.

Salmon with Miso Sauce

Ingredients

1 small piece of salmon

olive oil

pepper

Miso sauce

1/2 tsp miso

1/2 tsp sugar

4 tbsp rice wine

Method

1. 
   
   Season the salmon fillet with some pepper and set aside.
2. 
   
   Heat up olive oil in a pan and fry the fillet skin side down with medium heat until browned..
3. 
   
   Flip the fillet over and add the miso sauce to the pan.
4. 
   
   Cover and simmer for about 5 mins.  Tranfer to serving plate and serve warm.

Pak Tong Kou (Steamed White Cake)

Recipe adapted fm http://roseskitchen.wordpress.com

Ingredients

280g rice flour

280g sugar
600ml water
3 pandan leaves, knotted
1 tsp dried yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp cooking oil

Method

1. Add 300ml water to the rice flour and mix well.
2. Boil sugar with 300ml water, salt and pandan leaves. When boiling, pour syrup into rice flour mixture. Stir well and strain mixture. Leave aside to cool.
3. Dissolve 1 tsp yeast in 2 tbsp lukewarm water and add to cooled rice mixture. Stir well, cover and leave to leaven for 11/2 to 2 hours till small tiny bubbles appear.
4. Grease and preheat a 30 cm round tray in steamer.
5. Add 1/2 tbsp oil to leavened mixture, stir well and pour into heated tray. Steam for 20 minutes

Stir Fried Oyster Mushrooms with Chilli Bean Paste

Ingredients

3 stalks of king oyster mushrooms - cut into 1 cm thickness

1 small red bell pepper - cut into 1 inch pieces

1 small green bell pepper - cut into 1 inch pieces

1 small onion - sliced

1 tsp minced garlic

2 tsp of chilli oil

cooking oil

1 1/2 tbsp chilli bean paste

1/2 tsp sugar

Method

1. Saute the mushrooms in a wok without oil until lightly browned and fragrant.  Remove and set aside.
2. Pour some cooking oil and chilli oil in the wok and saute the onion and garlic until fragrant.
3. Add in the bell peppers and chilli bean paste and stir fry for a few minutes.  Add in the mushrooms.
4. Add the sugar and some water and mix well.  Stir in the cornstarch solution to thicken the sauce.
5. Sprinkle some salt to taste as necessary.  Transfer the dish to a serving plate and serve warm.

Pan Fried Halibut Steak

Ingredients

1 pc of halibut steak

1 small green bell pepper - sliced

1 stalk of green onion - cut into 2cm length

1 red chilli - cut into 2vm length

1/4 pc of white onion - sliced

2 slices of ginger

1 tsp of minced garlic

3 tbsp of soy sauce

1 tsp of sesame oil

salt and pepper to taste

cooking oil

Method

1. 
   
   Marinate the fish with salt, pepper and sesame oil for 1 hour.
2. 
   
   Heat up a frying pan with some oil and saute the ginger slices until brown.  Remove and discard.
3. 
   
   Pan fry the fish for 5 mins or more under medium heat on each side until nicely browned and cooked.  Remove from pan and transfer to a serving plate.
4. 
   
   With the remaining oil in the pan, saute the onion, garlic, bell pepper and red chilli for a few minutes until fragrant.  Add in the green onion and soy sauce and mix well. 
5. 
   
   Pour the sauce over the fish and serve warm

Cast Iron Grilled Chicken Drumsticks

Ingredients

6 pieces of deboned chicken drumsticks (abt 1 lb)

2 stalks lemongrass - chopped

3 shallots - peeled and chopped

1 red chilli - chopped

3 cloves garlic - peeled and chopped

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tbsp honey

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp black pepper

our potluck dish for a friend's housewarming party

Method

1. Pound the lemongrass, shallots, chilli, garlic and oil until fine.
2. Add the rest of the ingredients to the pounded ingredients.
3. Marinate the chicken meat with the mixture for 5 hours or more, covered and placed in the refrigerator.
4. Brush the cast iron pan with oil and heat up until hot.
5. Place the chicken meat on the pan and fry for 5 mins on each side until cooked and nicely browned.

Baked Black Cod with Teriyaki Sauce

*rice cup used for measuring

Ingredients

1 lb black cod

1 small cabbage

salt to taste

cornstarch solution

Teriyaki Sauce Mix

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/8 cup mirin

1/2 tsp grated ginger

Method

1. 
   
   In a small saucepan, mix the brown sugar, soy sauce and mirin.  Boil it over low heat until sugar dissolves.  Add the grated ginger to the mixture and let it cool.
2. 
   
   Marinate the black cod fillet with the terriyaki sauce for a few hours. Save the rest of the sauce for later use.
3. 
   
   Wash and slice the cabbage thinly.  Add some salt to the cabbage to get rid of excess water and rawness and leave aside for about 1 hour.  Squeeze out the water and salt and set aside.
4. 
   
   Preheat oven to 400F.  Bake the fillet for 9 mins and broil for another 6 mins till skin becomes crispy.
5. 
   
   Layer the cabbage on a serving plate.  Remove the fillet from the oven and tranfer to the plate.
6. 
   
   Put the remaining sauce from the marinade in a saucepan and put to a boil.  Add some cornstarch solution to thicken it.
7. 
   
   Pour the sauce over the fish and serve warm.

Watercress soup with meatballs

Ingredients

2 bunches of watercress - washed and trimmed

1 small bowl of minced meat

2 small bunch of vermicelli (dong fen) - soaked in water and drained

1 bunch of enoki mushrooms - trimmed and cleaned

2 slices of ginger

2 cloves garlic

Seasonings for meatballs

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp seasame oil

1 tsp huatiao wine

2 tsp dong cai

salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp cornstarch

Method

1. Marinate the meat with seasonings for 1 hour.  Shape them into bite-sized balls.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Add garlic, ginger slices and watercress and boil on medium heat for 20 mins.  Add the meatballs and boil for 5 mins.  Add mushrooms to the soup and boil for another 5 mins.
3. Add dong fen and stir evenly.  Check seasonings and soup is ready to be served.  

Pan fried pork patties

Ingredients

1/2 lb minced meat

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp huatiao wine

2 tbsp chopped white oniion

1 egg - beaten

salt and pepper to taste

flour for coating

cooking oil

Method

1. In a bowl, add all the ingredients together except flour and mix until well combined.
2. Divide the pork mixture into 6 portions and shape each portion into round patties. Lightly roll each patty in the flour to coat.
3. Heat up oil in a pan and fry the patties until brown.  Flip over and pan fry the other side as well.
4. Transfer pork patties to a serving plate when done.  Serve warm.

Sesame Seed Chicken Drummettes (芝麻棒棒腿)

Ingredients

10 chicken drumettes

oil for deep frying

crispy flour or rice flour

white sesame seeds

4 egg yolks (beaten)

Marinade

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp chicken powder
2 tsp sesame oil

Method

1. Loosen the meat from the tip of the drummettes and push down to form a 'fist' shape.
2. Marinate with the seasonings for at least 5 hours or longer, or preferably overnight in the refrigerator.
3. Coat the drummettes with crispy flour or rice flour and dip them into beaten egg yolks.
4. Coat with the sesame seeds and deep fry in medium heat until brown or sizzling subsides.
5. Remove chicken pieces and allow the oil to heat up again.
6. Fry again another few more minutes until crispy and golden brown.
7. Serve hot with pickled cucumbers.

dancing 'rock n roll' drummettes

Rock Melon Sago Dessert

Ingredients

1 rock melon (one half for blending and save the other half for dicing)

1/2 cup sago (tapioca pearls)
5 tbsp sugar (depends on sweetness preference)
½ cup water
1 cup coconut milk

Method

1. Soak sago for 30 minutes, then drain. Heat up a pot of water, add in sago and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and switch off heat.  After 20 mins or more, the sago will be cooked until transparent. Otherwise cook for a while more.  Drain in a sieve and wash under cool running water. Leave aside to cool.
2. Boil together coconut milk, sugar and 1/2 cup water to make syrup and allow cooling. Check the sweetness and add more sugar if preferred.
3. Peel the rock melon, cut in half and discard seeds. Blend half the rock melon to make juice and cut the other half into small cubes or make small balls with a melon baller.
4. Mix the sago, coconut milk, honey dew juice, honey dew cubes and sugar syrup to taste. Serve chilled.

Stir fried okra with belachan chilli

Ingredients

1 packet of okra (abt 1.5 to 2 lb) - cut both ends and sliced

2 tbsp dried prawns or dried silver fish

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp belachan chilli

1 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp minced shallot

1/2 tsp sugar

salt to taste

2-3  tbsp oil

3 tbsp water

Method

1. Heat pan at medium heat with oil,add in dried silver fish and fry until fragrant. Scoop up and set aside.
2. With the remaining oil, saute the shallot and garlic until fragrant. Then add in belachan chilli and okra.
3. Stir-fry okra at high heat,add in salt, sugar and soy sauce and stir fry for a while more.
4. Add 3 tbsp water and check seasonings to taste preference.  Add in the fried silver fish and mix well.
5. Dish out and serve warm immediately.

Bacon Burger with Egg and Avocado

Ingredients

1 burger bun

1 egg

1 slice of bacon

1 avocado

some butter

pepper to taste

Method

1. Fry the bacon in a small saucepan until slightly crispy.  Set aside.  With the bacon oil, fry the egg and sprinkle some pepper onto it and set aside.
2. Slice the avacado into halves.  Remove the seed and peel the skin.
3. Spread a little butter on the inner side of the burger.
4. Assemble all the cooked ingredients into the burger.
5. The burger is ready for a big bite.

Mapo Tofu

adapted fm http://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-ma-po-tofu/

Ingredients

1 block silken tofu

1/4 lb ground pork
1 tbsp Sichuan spicy bean paste (辣豆瓣酱)
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tbsp cooking oil
2 tbsp chili oil
1 tsp Sichuan peppercorns (roasted and ground to powder)
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp fermented black beans (rinsed and pounded)
2 stalks of scallions (chopped into 1-inch length)
2 gloves garlic (chopped)
1/2 cup water
1/2 tsp sugar
Salt to taste

Method

1. Cut the tofu into 1.5 cm square cubes and put into boiling water with some salt for a few minutes.  Remove from boiling water and drain.
2. Heat up a wok and pour in the cooking oil and chili oil. Add the chopped garlic, ground pork, spicy bean paste and stir-fry until the pork is half-done. Then add in chili powder, soy sauce, fermented black beans, sugar and stir-fry until aromatic.
3. Add in the tofu and water; stir gently to blend the tofu (don’t break them) well with the sauce. Lower the heat and simmer for about 3-5 mins or until the sauce thickens.
4. Add in the roasted Sichuan peppercorn powder and chopped scallions. Gently stir and blend well. Dish out and serve hot.