Bittergourd with Tofu Soup

Bittergourd is one of our favourite ingredient in cooking.   We cook it a lot during summer when it seems to magically clear the heat and toxins in our body., especially after eating barbecued stuff. 

Ingredients

few pieces of pork ribs - blanched

3 slices of preserved szechuan vegetable

1 bittergourd - deseeded and sliced into pieces (abt 4cm x 2 cm)

1 tomato - quartered

2 slices of ginger

2 cloves unpeeled garlic - smashed

1 box of soft tofu - cut into large pieces

10-12 bowls of water

salt to taste

Pan Fried Sweet Potato

Ingredients

1 large sweet potato - peeled and sliced into 1cm thickness

6-8 tbsp all purpose flour

1/2 cup water

pinch of salt and cinnamon

2 tbsp cooking oil

Pan Fried Mixed Meat Patties

Ingredients
To make patties
1/2 pound minced pork
1/2 pound dace fish paste (from Ranch 99)
12 medium-sized prawns - chopped coarsely
1 tbsp huatiao wine
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp cornstarch
pepper to taste
2 stalks green onion - cut into small pieces
1 egg
5-10 tbsp of panko crumbs
2 tbsp oil
some shredded cabbage and carrot (light salted and drained)

Chicken Cacciatora

Recipe adapted from "Food Of The World".  Cacciatora means 'Hunter's Style'.  The dish is originally from Central Italy but like other italian fare, every region has put its own twist on the recipe.  This one, with tomatoes, is probably the most widely travelled.

Serves 2 - 3 pax

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil

1 medium-sized onion - chopped

3 garlic cloves, crushed

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

12 button mushrooms - thickly sliced

1/2 chicken - cut into pieces

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 can chopped tomatoes (14 oz)

1 tsp brown sugar

1 oregano sprig (i use 1/2 tsp dried oregano)

1 rosemary sprig (i use 1/2 tsp dried rosemary)

1 bay leaf

1 tsp freshly chopped parsley

Fried Vegetarian Bee Hoon

Ingredients

1/2 pkt of bee hoon (Wai Wai brand) - soaked in water for 15 minutes to soften, then drained

6 dried shitake mushrooms - soaked in water to soften, drained and sliced thinly

1 carrot - peeled and cut thinly

handful of dried black fungus - soaked in water to soften, washed, drained and sliced.

handful of cabbage - sliced thinly

handful of fried sweet dried beancurd (sweet tau kee) - soaked in water for 15 minutes and reserved the water

5 pieces of fried tofu puff (tau pok) - cut into half

2 tsp of minced ginger

2 tbsp cooking oil

water

Stir Fried Kai Lan with Oyster Mushroom

Ingredients
1 small bunch of kai lan - washed and drained, separate leaves and stems. roughly peel and slice the stems.
1 packet of fresh oyster mushrooms - washed, patted dry and stems sliced
1 tsp minced ginger
2 tbsp cooking oil
cornstarch solution