Italian Plum Torte

 

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour

1 stick (1/2 cup) unsalted butter - softened to room temperature

3/4 to 1 cup or more granulated sugar

1 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

2 large eggs

20 or more prunes (small plums), halved and pitted

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp or more cinnamon powder

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Brush some butter on a 9 inch baking pan.
2. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until light in colour.
3. Add salt, baking powder and eggs and beat well.
4. Add flour gradually and mix till combined.
5. Pour batter into the pan.
6. Cover the top of the batter with plum halves, skin side up.
7. Mix sugar and the cinnamon powder.  Sprinkle sugar and cinnamon mixture.
8. Bake the plum torte until the cake is golden and cooked, about 40 to 50 minutes.
9. Let the cake cool slightly and cut into pieces and serve.

Pan Fried Vegetable Dumplings

 

Ingredients

1 packet spinach dough wrappers

quarter of a cabbage - cut into small pieces

3 dried mushrooms - washed, soaked in water, drained and chopped - reserve mushroom water

1 carrot - peeled and chopped

1 tbsp chopped ginger

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Sauce

1 tbsp rice wine

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp salt

dash of pepper

Method

1. Heat up oil and fry ginger till aromatic.  Add all the chopped vegetable sand stir fry over high heat.
2. Drizzle sauce and fry to mix well.  
3. When mixture is cooked till tender, transfer to a bowl and let it cool to room temperature.
4. Prepare the wrapper.  Place a spoonful of vegetable mixture onto the wrapper and wrapped into dumplings.
5. Heat up 1 tbsp of oil in a non stick pan and fry the dumplings for about 5 minutes until lightly browned.
6. Serve warm.

Steamed Cherry Clams

Ingredients

6 cherry clams - washed and cleaned

1 tbsp chopped ginger

1 stalk green onion - chopped

1 tbsp oil

Method

1. Bring water to a boil in a steamer.
2. Place plate of cleaned clams into the steamer and steam till the shells open, about 5 minutes.
3. Place ginger and chopped scallions in a small bowl and drizzle with hot oil.
4. When the clams are cooked, place the ginger mixture onto each clam and enjoy!

Chinese Spinach with Eggs ( 三色蛋苋菜)

 

Ingredients

One pack of chinese spinach - break into leaves and stems, remove tough stems

5 cloves garlic - peeled

1 cup of chicken stock

1 tbsp oil

1 salted egg - cooked, peeled and cut into small pieces

1 century egg - peeled and cut into small pieces

1 egg - break into a bowl and lightly beaten

salt to taste

Method

1. Heat up oil in pan.  Fry garlic cloves till aromatic.
2. Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.
3. Add vegetables and cook till tender but still green.
4. Add in salted eggs and century eggs and cook for one minute.
5. Add salt to taste.
6. Pour beaten egg into the pan and lightly stir to distribute the egg.
7. Ladle into a serving plate and serve.

Braised opo squash with fish fillet

Ingredients

1/2 lb fish fillet

1 oppo squash

1 tsp chopped garlic

1 cup chicken stock

salt and pepper to taste

vegetable oil

Method

1. Season the fish fillet with salt and pepper.
2. Peel and cut the squash into large cubes.
3. Heat up 1 tbsp oil in a pot.  Fry the garlic till fragrant.  Add in cubed squash.  Add chicken stock and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low.  Cover and let it sommer for 10 m minutes or until squash is tender.
4. Heat up 1 tbsp oil in a pan.  Pan fry the fish fillet, few minutes on each side.
5. When the squash is ready, place the fish fillet into the pot and enjoy this healthy and tasty meal.

Stir Fried Oyster Mushroom

 

Ingredients

3 oyster mushroom

2 red sweet bell pepper - remove seeds and sliced thinly

2 orange sweet bell pepper - remove seeds and sliced thinly

1 inch ginger - peeled and julienned

2 tbsp vegetable oil

cornstarch solution

few tbsp of water as needed

Sauce

1 tbsp shaoxing wine

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp vegetarian oyster sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

dash of pepper

1 tsp sugar

Method

1. Clean mushroom with a damp towel.  Slice the mushroom and make diagonal cuts on the sliced mushroom.
2. Heat up oil on medium.  Fry ginger slices till lightly brown.  Add sliced mushrooms and stir fry over high heat for a while.
3. Add bell peppers and continue to stir fry.
4. Drizzle sauce and fry to mix well.
5. Add some water if it is too dry.
6. Stir in cornstarch solution and do a quick fry before serving.

Baked Char Siew Chicken

 

Ingredients

1 lb deboned chicken thigh

toasted sesame seeds

Marinade

1 tbsp honey with 1 tbsp water

2 tbsp oyster sauce

3 tbsp ketchup

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp five spice powder

1 tbsp rice wine

3 cloves garlic - peeled and lightly smashed

Method

1. Marinate chicken thigh pieces with the sauce for 3 hours or more.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.  Place the chicken meat on a baking sheet lined with aluminium foil.
3. Bake chicken for 20 minutes.
4. Remove from oven.  Slice and top with toasted sesame seeds.
5. Serve warm.

Thai Tofu Salad

 

Ingredients

1 block of fresh firm tofu - cut into cubes

1/3 cup sour plum sauce

3 tbsp of thai sweet chili sauce

cooking oil for frying tofu

Thai sweet and sour marinade

1/4 of red onion -  sliced

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp fish sauce

1 chili padi - remove seeds and cut

parsley - roughly chopped   

Vegetable garnish

shredded carrot

shredded cucumber

 

Method

1. Wash tofu and pat dry.  Sprinkle some tapioca flour and coat tofu with it.
2. Heat up oil.  On medium heat, fry tofu till lightly browned and crispy on the outside.  Drain and arrange on serving plate.
3. Combine plum sauce and sweet chili sauce.  Stir to mix.
4. Coat shredded carrot and cucumber with the sauce and place on top of the fried tofu.
5. Pour the thai marinade over the dish.
6. Sprinkle fried peanuts and serve this tasty tofu appetizer.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

Dan Dan Noodles

 

Our friend gave us a jar of aromatic and spicy homemade sichuan chili paste and here is my easy homecooked version of dandan noodles.

Ingredients (serves 2)

Noodles

1/2 lb medium thick fresh noodles

Pork toppings

1 tbsp peanut oil

1 tsp minced ginger

2 tbsp sui mi ya cai

1/4 lb ground pork

1 tsp sweet bean sauce

1 tbsp shaoxing wine

1 tsp dark soy sauce 

Sauce

1 tbsp sesame paste

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp chinkiang vinegar

1/2 tsp sugar

2 tbsp chili oil

3 tbsp boiling water plus more if needed

1 tbsp of homemade szechuan chili paste 

Garnishings

leafy greens

crushed fried peanuts

chopped green onions

Method

1. To prepare the pork toppings, heat oil in a pan over medium high heat until hot.  Add pork and cook until lightly browned. 
2. Lower heat to medium.  Add minced ginger and fry for a while till aromatic.
3. Add sui mi ya cai, shaoxing wine and sugar.  Fry to combine well and cooked until pork is nicely browned.  Set aside for use later.
4. To make the sauce, mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl and place each portion into the bowls.
5. Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Blanch the leafy greens.  Set aside.
6. Using the same pot of water, cook the fresh noodles according to package instructions.
7. When noodles is ready, drain it and place on top of sauce.  Stir to incorporate sauce into the noodles.
8. Add blanched leafy greens.  Add pork toppings, chopped green onion and fried peanuts.
9. Drizzle 1 tbsp chili paste oil and enjoy the tasty, spicy noodles!