Char Siew Fried Rice

Ingredients

2 bowls cooked rice (left overnight)

1/4 bowl char siew - diced

1/4 bowl small prawns

2 eggs

1 green chili

1/4 bowl frozen green peas

1/4 bowl frozen sweet corn

1 tsp minced garlic

2 tsp minced shallot

2 tbsp soy sauce

salt and pepper to taste

cooking oil

Method

1. Heat oil in a wok and fry the eggs, scrambling it a bit.  Set aside.
2. With the remaining oil, fry shallots and garlic till fragrant.  Add chili, char siew, prawns, green peas and sweet corn and stir fry for a while.
3. Add cooked rice to the mixture and stir fry for a few minutes.  Add soy sauce, salt and pepper.  Check seasonings.
4. Sprinkle some fried shallots over the rice and serve warm.

Baked Char Siew

Ingredients
2 lb pork shoulder
6 satay sticks - soaked in water for 20 mins

Seasonings
2 tbsp honey, mix with 1 tbsp water
4 tbsp oyster sauce
5 tbsp ketchup
3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbs dark soy sauce
5 tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 tsp five-spice powder
1 tbsp cooking wine
5 cloves of garlic - smashed lightly and peeled

Method

1. Cut the pork into strips about 3cm thickness.  Put pork strips into a big bowl and add in all the seasonings.  Use a fork to poke through the meat to allow seasonings to marinate the inner side as well.  Marinate at least 2 hours or preferably overnight.
2. Braise the pork strips in a pan together with the marinade under low heat for 5 mins.
3. Preheat oven to 450F.  Use a stick to poke through every individual strip so that it will not shrink too much while baking.  Place pork strips on a baking tray lined with aluminium foil and bake for 25 mins.  Remove from oven.  Rotate  and brush marinade on the pork strips.   
4. Reduce heat to 350F and roast for 15-20 mins or until the surface is slightly crispy.
5. Remove the baked char siew from the oven.  Cut into slices and drizzle marinade over them.
6. Serve with sliced cucumber and chilli sauce.

Pickled Green Chilli

Ingredients

15 to 20 fresh green chillies

1/2 bowl white vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

boiling water

Method

1. Wash and cut green chillis into small pieces and place in a bowl.
2. Add boiling water to the bowl and let it sit for 15 secs and stir to remove as many seeds as possible.
3. Drain and discard the seeds and water.  Add vinegar, salt and sugar and stir to mix evenly.
4. Transfer to a glass bottle.  Let it cool and put the bottle into the fridge.
5. Pickled green chilli is ready after 2 days.

Braised Salmon with Salted Vegetables

Ingredients

1 pc salmon steak

1 small bunch of salted vegetables -soaked for 5 mins and drained.

1 tomato - cut into quarters

2 slices of ginger

1 tsp minced garlic

1/2 white onion - sliced

2 chili padi

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tbsp soy sauce

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup water

1/2 tsp sesame oil

cooking oil

 cornstarch solution

Method

1. Marinate the salmon steak with salt and pepper for 30 mins or more.
2. Heat up oil in a pan, brown the salmon skin.  Remove and set aside.
3. With the remaining oil, saute the onion, ginger and garlic till aromatic. Add the tomato, salted vegetables, chilli padi and soy sauce and stir fry for a while more.
4. Add sugar and water. Cover and cook for 10 mins under low heat.
5. Add salmon to the pan. Cover and cook for 5 mins or until salmon is cooked.  Check seasonings and stir cornstarch solution into the pan and drizzle seasame oil over the dish.
6. Garnish with parsley and serve warm.

Pearl Barley with Beancurd and Gingko Nut Dessert 白果腐竹惹米糖水

Ingredients

2 tbsp barley

2 pcs dried beancurd

20 gingko nuts - shells removed

2 tbsp rock sugar

2 pcs of pandan leaves - tied to a knot

1 pot of water

Method

1. Pound the beancurd sheet lightly and soak in water for 20 mins to soften it.  Drain and set aside.
2. Boil a pot of water and add pandan leaves, barley and gingko nuts.  Boil on medium heat for 15 mins and continue to simmer on low heat for 45 mins.
3. Add softened beancurd sheet and rock sugar and continue to boil for another 20 mins or more, until all ingredients are softened to your preference.
4. Check sweetness and add more sugar if needed.  Remove the pandan leaves and serve it warm.

Spicy Szechuan Peppercorn Chicken Wings (香辣鸡翅)

Ingredients

6 pcs chicken wings

12 dried chilli

2 tbsp szechuan peppercorns

2 green chilli - deseeded and cut into strips

2 clove garlic - chopped coarsely

2 tbsp chilli oil

1 tsp white sugar

1./2 tsp salt

rice wine

Seasonings for chicken wings

2 tbsp soy sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Chop chicken wings into drummettes and mid-joint together with wing tip.  Then chop drummettes into halves.  Chop mid-joint 3/4 part, leaving 1/4 part intact with the tip.
2. Marinate chicken wings with seasonings for at least an hour.  Coat with flour before deep frying.
3. Heat up oil in a wok.  Deep fry the chicken wings until brown. Remove from oil and deep fry a second time to make them more crispy.  Remove from wok and set aside.
4. Heat up oil in a pan.  Saute the garlic, green onion, dried chilli and green chilli for a while.  Add the szechuanese peppercorns and stir fry for 1 min or until aromatic.  
5. Add the chicken wings to the pan.  Add sugar, salt and rice wine.  Mix well.
6. Drizzle chilli oil and mix well.  Transfer to a plate and serve immediately.

 Hub prepared a large pan of super tasty spicy chicken wings for a picnic with friends

Miso Tofu Soup

Ingredients

1 small pot dashi soup stock 

1 block soft tofu - cut into small cubes

6 pcs of preserved seaweed - soaked for 10 mins and drained

1 tbsp miso paste

1 stalk green onion - chopped finely

Method

1. Bring dashi soup stock to a boil.  Add the seaweed and boil on medium low heat for 20 to 30 mins or until seaweed is softened.
2. Add the tofu into the soup and simmer for a few minutes.
3. Scoop out some soup from the pot and dissolve miso paste into it.  Return the miso mixture to the pot, stirring to mix well.  Add green onions and turn off the heat.
4. Soup is ready to be served.

How to make dashi soup stock
Ingredients
1 small pot of water
2/3 oz katsuobushi (dried bonito) flakes

Heat up water in a pot of water on medium heat.  Just before the water boils, add the bonito flakes.  Once the water boils, skim off any foam on the surface.  Switch off heat and strain the broth.  Stock is ready for use.

Deep Fried Grouper

 Ingredients
1 lb grouper steak
1 small green bell pepper - cut into bite-sized pcs
1 large tomato - cut into bite-sized pcs
1 white onion - cut into bite-sized pcs
2 cloves garlic - minced
4 tbsp tomato ketchup
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp black vinegar
4 tbsp water
salt and pepper to taste
cooking oil

Method

1. Marinate fish with salt and pepper for 30 mins.
2. Heat up oil in a wok.  Deep fry the fish until cooked.  Set aside.
3. With some oil in the wok, saute the white onion and garlic till fragrant.  Add tomato and bell pepper and stir fry for a while.  Add ketchup, sugar and water.
4. Return the fish to the wok and add black vinegar.
5. Ready to serve.

Tomato Fried Egg

Ingredients

4 eggs
1 large tomato
1 stalk green onion - cut finely
3 tbsp of ketchup
3 tbsp of water
1/2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste
cooking oil

Method

1. Boil a small pot of water.  Make a cross-section cut on the skin of the tomato and put in the boiling water for about 2 mins.  Peel away the skin and cut into cubes.
2. Beat the eggs in a bowl.  Add a pinch of salt and peper and green onion.
3. Heat up cooking oil in a pan over medium high heat, stir fry the eggs for about 2 mins.  Push the fried eggs to one side of the wok.
4. Stir fry the tomato for about 2 mins.  Add ketchup, sugar and water.  Mix well with the eggs. 
5. Check seasonings and add salt if necessary.  Ready to serve.

Soy Sauce Chicken Wing with Tofu Puff

Ingredients

6 to 8 pcs of chicken wing - scalded

6 to 8 pcs of puffy tofu - scalded and squeezed dry

1 pc of fresh tofu - cut into big cubes

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 tbsp dark soy paste

1 bowl rice wine

2 tbsp rock sugar

6 cloves garlic - unpeeled and pound lightly

2 stalk green onion - cut into about 2 inch length

cooking oil

Herbal ingredients

2 pcs star anise seed

4 pcs chuan xiong

3 pcs gan chao

1 tsp five spice powder

Seasonings for chicken wing

1 tbsp soy sauce

salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Marinate chicken wings with seasonings for 30 mins.  Heat up oil in a pan.  Brown the chicken.  Remove from pan and set aside.
2. With the remaining oil, saute the garlic and green onion till fragrant.  Return chicken wings to pan.
3. Add sugar, soy sauce and rice wine and quickly stir fry for a while.  Add all the herbal ingredients and dark soy paste.
4. Add the chicken wings, tofu puff and tofu and bring to a boil.  Continue to simmer with medium low heat for 25 mins. Check seasonings and add salt if necessary.  Garnish with some blanced broccoli.  Serve warm.

Yam Rice

Ingredients

1 cup rice grain - washed and drained

1 1/2  cups water to cook rice

1 bowl of yam - peeled and cut into cubes

1 tbsp dried shrimps - soaked and drained

1 pc skinless pork belly - scalded and cut into thin strips

3 pcs of dried mushrooms - soaked, stem removed and cut into thin strips

2 shallots - peeled and chopped

cooking oil

Seasonings

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp dark soy sauce

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1/4 tsp five spice powder

salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Heat up oil in wok and stir fry the yam till fragrant or lightly brown.  Set aside.
2. Stir fry the pork belly and dried shrimps till fragrant or lightly brown.  Set aside.
3. With the remaining oil, saute the shallots till fragrant.  Add in the mushrooms and continue to stir fry for a while more.  Pour in the rice and the seasonings and mix well.
4. Transfer the rice to a rice cooker and add water to cook.  Halfway through the cooking, add in all other ingredients and continue to cook until the timer is up.
5. Mix the ingredients evenly into the rice mixture.  Check seasonings and add salt or soy sauce to the mixture if necessary.
6. Serve warm with a sprinkle of fried shallots and chopped green onion.

Baked Rosemary Chicken with Vegetables

Ingredients

Half Chicken

2 medium potato - peeled and cut into small cubes

1 carrot - peeled and cut into small cubes

1 small bell pepper - cut into small pcs

1 red onion - cut into small pcs

1 tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 tbsp dried rosemary
3 cloves whole garlic - peeled
salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Rub chicken with oil, rosemary, salt and pepper and marinate for 2 hours or more.
2. Preheat oven to 400F.  Place chicken in a baking tray.  Mix all the vegetables with the remaining marinade from chicken and place in the same tray.
3. Bake for 40 mins till chicken is cooked and vegetables are tender.
4. Remove from oven and serve warm.

Salted Vegetable Soup with Meatballs

Ingredients
some salted vegetables - washed and soaked for 5 mins
1 small bowl of minced meat
1 tomato - cut into quarters
1 pc of soft tofu - cut into big cubes
2 small red chilli
2 cloves garlic
2 slices of ginger
3 bowls chicken stock

Seasonings for minced meat
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp huatiao wine
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp cornstarch

Method

1. Marinate the minced meat and set aside for 30 mins.  Shape them into bite-sized balls.
2. Boil the chicken stock in a pot.  Add the salted vegetable, ginger and garlic and simmer for 15 mins.
3. Add the minced meat, tofu and tomato and continue to cook for another 15 mins under low heat.  Serve hot.

Salmon in Curry Sauce

Ingredients

2 salmon steak

1 small green bell pepper - cut into bite-sized pcs

1 small red bell pepper - cut into bite-sized pcs

1 tomato - cut into bite-sized pcs

4 pcs of dried red chilli

1 shalllot - minced

2 cloves garlic - minced

1 small pc of ginger - minced

1 cup coconut milk or fresh milk

salt and pepper to taste

cooking oil

Mix together for gravy sauce

2 tbsp red curry paste

2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp salt
5 tbsp water

Method

1. Season the salmon steak with salt and pepper for 30 mins.
2. Heat up a frying pan and add oil.  Brown the salmon skin.  Remove salmon and set aside.
3. With the remaining oil, saute the shallots, ginger and garlic and dried chilli till fragrant.
4. Pour the gravy mixture and stir fry for a while. 
5. Add 1 cup of milk and bring to a boil.
6. Add the salmon, tomato and bell pepper and continue to simmer for 7 to 10 mins under low heat or till salmon is cooked.
7. Check seasonings and add salt to taste if necessary.  Serve hot.

Steamed Half Chicken

Ingredients

1/2 chicken - abt 1.5 to 2 lbs (i use free-range chicken)

1 cucumber

1 small piece of dang gui

2 stalks of green onion

3 pieces of ginger slices

4 cloves garlic - lightly pounded

1 tsp salt
1 tbsp brandy

Method

1. Wash the chicken.  Place it on a big metal plate.  Season it with salt, including the cavity.  Stuff the cavity with green onion, ginger, garlic and dang gui.
2. Prepare a wok for steaming.  Place a metal rack and add enough water and bring it to a boil.  Once the water boils, place the chicken in the wok and cover with a lid.  Steam for 18 mins on medium high heat.
3. Remove chicken from wok and when slightly cooled, rub sesame oil and brandy onto the chicken.   Set aside to let it rest to room temperature.
4. Chop into bite-sized pieces and serve with garlic chilli sauce and sliced cucumber.
5. Pour any excess water from the plate into a small pot.  Add 1 cup of water to it and bring it to a boil.  Add wolfberries and cut green onions and serve it as a soup.

Pan Fried Salmon with Lemon and Butter

Ingredients

2 pcs of salmon fillet

1 slice of butter

1/2 tbsp olive oil

flour for coating

juice of 1/2 lemon

salt and pepper to taste

Sauce

juice of 1/2 lemon

5 tbsp of plain yogurt

Method

1. Wash and pat dry the salmon fillet.  Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper for 30 mins.
2. Heat up a non-stick pan.  Add oil and butter to the pan.
3. Coat the fillet with flour and pan fry for a few minutes on each side.
4. Place the pan fried fillet on a serving plate.  Drizzle the sauce over the fish and serve warm.

Blackberry Jam

Ingredients

8 cups blackberry, washed and stems removed

4 cups sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinammon

Method

1. Place all ingredients except brandy in a large pot.  Mash the blackberry as much as possible and bring to a boil.
2. Reduce heat to medium low and continue stirring to prevent it from burning and remove any foam as you stir.
3. Simmer until the mixture is slightly thick for about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the consistency of the jam you preferred.  Add brandy to the pot and stir to mix well.
4. Boil the jars and lids in a pot of boiling water for 5 mins. Remove them from the pot using a tong.
5. Ladle the jam into the sterilized jars leaving slightly more than 1cm space on top.  Cover with lid and let it cool.
6. When cooled, store them in the fridge and enjoy the luscious and super delicious jam within 6 months.

Note: I use normal jars for storage.

our annual activity for summer.....picking these wild blackberries and making jam out of them