BLACK VINEGAR SPARE RIBS

This is a finger licking good spare ribs dish that tastes not sourish but has a lovely sour aroma.  The cooking time is a bit longer but it is worth the long braising time when you enjoy the tasty ribs with rice.

Awesome, homey dish which you must make for your family.   I believe this dish is good with chicken.

'Black vinegar is reputed to have an array of health benefits like other vinegar. Black vinegar has a deep color, rich in flavor and is a tasty ingredient for dipping sauces and braised dishes. Black vinegar is made from unpolished rice, millet, wheat or sorghum. It has long been used in China and Japan as natural treatments for the heart and blood vessels. Black vinegar contains acetic acid, an organic acid that may help to reduce glucose or sugar levels in the blood which can have a preventative effect with an array of cardiovascular diseases, including high blood pressure, artery disease, heart disease and stroke'.  

With the above benefits of black vinegar, we may well use this ingredient often when preparing meat dishes.

Ingredients

300 gm meaty spare ribs – cut into small pieces

1 onion – sliced

1 inch ginger – sliced

½ tbsp chopped garlic

1 stalk spring onions – cut into sections

½ tbsp oil

Enough water

Seasoning

2-3 tbsp black vinegar

½ tsp dark soy sauce

½  tbsp sugar to taste

1 tbsp rock sugar

1 tbsp cooking wine

Salt to taste

1. Fry ginger, garlic, spring onions and onion with oil in a non stick pan until aromatic.
2. Add in pork ribs and stir fry to mix well, then add in the seasoning.
3. Bring to boil before pouring in enough water to cover the ribs.
4. Bring to boil, lower heat and cover to simmer for at least 45-60 minutes or until ribs are tender and sauce is thick. 
5. Serve hot with rice.
   
   
   

MANGO SALAD WITH LEMONGRASS DRESSING

Don't be put off with this salad recipe after looking at the long list of ingredients needed.  First look you may not wish to try.  This was my experience and response when I first looked at the recipe.  I chucked it aside straight away and that was years ago.

Last week, I was clearing my drawer and came across this piece of paper with the recipe.  Since, I had a some time, I took the trouble to read through the ingredients.  Hahaha!, I happened to have all the ingredients needed.  Timing is just right and I made this salad that day itself and I could clear off a can of lychee in the pantry.

Light and refreshing salad.  Crunchy mango, sweet canned lychee flesh and fragrant mint and coriander leaves.  Dressing is not overly savoury or sweet.  Add more lime juice if you want it to be more tangy.

Ingredients

150 gm shelled prawns - blanched to cook and drain

1-2 mango [depending on the size] - peeled and shredded

4 sprigs of fresh mint leaves

4 sprigs coriander leaves

Dressing [ combined]

1 stalks of lemongrass - white part only - thinly sliced

1 red chilli - seeded and sliced

Juice of 5 calamansi lime

1 1/2 tbsp fish sauce

1 1/2 tsp sugar

1. Mix dressing ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Set aside.
2. Prepare the remaining ingredients and toss well with dressing.
3. Chill in the fridge until serving time.
   
   
   
   
   
   

EZCR#95 - BRAISED TOFU WITH FOO YEE

Soya products are my favourite and I don’t mind eating them every day because there are so many ways to cook them and in various flavours from savoury to sweet, spicy to non-spicy.  They can absorb any kind of flavours well.  A simple crispy fried firm beancurd can be so good with a chilli dip and a fried tofu with a splash of light soy sauce is as appetizing.

This one is a good example, just tofu with a simple fermented beancurd sauce, it is tasty and delicious. Yummy, yummy!

I love the chopped garlic which is not sautéed and you can still enjoy its' raw taste.  If you love garlic, I suggest to add more.  The tofu pieces absorb the flavours of the foo yee sauce which is not salty at all but fragrant.

Recipe adapted from a Chinese TV Cook Show

Ingredients

2 blocks of soft beancurd [tofu] – cut into ½ inch thick slices

Some chopped coriander leaves

1-2 tbsp chopped garlic

Seasoning  [blend well]

3 pieces of fermented beancurd [foo yee]

1 tbsp each of light soy sauce, cooking wine and sugar

Dash of sesame seed oil

3 tbsp water

½ tsp cornflour

1. Heat a non stick wok with 1 tbsp oil, pan fry tofu pieces until brown on both sides.
2. Pour seasoning sauce evenly over fried tofu, add in chopped garlic.
3. Add a little more water if sauce is too thick.  Bring it to boil until the sauce coats the tofu pieces.
4. Add in chopped coriander [no need to stir, just shake the wok lightly].
5. Dish up to serve.
   
   
   

EZCR#95 - YAM MUSTARD CHICKEN SOUP

If you love yam, if you love thick soup, if you love mustard leaves [kai choy], then this soup is a must try.  The thickness texture [starchiness] of the soup is not from any thickening but comes from the yam pieces that are boiled till soft and fragrant.

This is a lovely soup with only 3 main ingredients and seasoning.

I like this soup and had it as a light lunch as this soup has carbo, fibre and protein.  Simply easy and yet delicious.

Ingredients

1 large chicken whole leg – skin removed and cut into chunky pieces, blanched and rinsed

150 gm yam – cut chunky pieces

100 gm mustard leaves – stems only and cut into pieces

Some ginger slices

Seasoning

Salt, pepper and cooking wine to taste

800 ml water

1. Bring  water to boil in a soup pot, add in ginger slices.
2. Add in chicken and yam pieces.  Let it boil for 10-15 minutes.
3. Continue to boil until yam pieces are soft, add in mustard stems to cook till tender but still greenish in colour.
4. Add in seasoning to taste.  Scoop into serving bowl.
5. Serve hot.
   
   
   
   

EZCR#94 - TAIWANESE STYLE BRAISED PORK

Sometimes when I look at a recipe especially those with just a handful ingredients and simple seasoning, I was skeptical if it would be worth trying.  Honestly, most times I will give them a try because of its’ simplicity and really I am glad I tried. They did turn out well and good and I ended up jotting down the recipes because they are going to be very useful during my busy days.  

This braised pork dish [Kong Bak in Hokkien dialect] is one simple dish with only 3 main ingredients, some aromatics and seasoning yet it is awesome.  The sauce is perfect to spread over rice, the meat and carrots are tasty, aromatic and tender.   Best of all, it tastes even better after resting which means that this dish can be prepared way ahead of meal time.   That suits me well for busy days. 

I  am not going to  describe further, perhaps the pictures may convince you that this is a delicious pork dish.   I just love the pieces of lean pork with the thin layer of fat which is so good to chew at.  Pork belly can be used for this dish, too.

Recipe adapted from a Chinese TV Cook Show

Ingredients

400 gm pork shoulder meat [pork with some fats] – cut into big cubes

1 white carrot – peeled and cut wedges

1 red carrot- peeled and cut wedges

Some chopped coriander leaves

3 star anise

3-4 bay leaves

300 ml water

1 tsp oil

1 tbsp sugar

Seasoning

3 tbsp light soy sauce

3 tbsp cooking wine

1 tbsp rock sugar

1. Heat a non stick wok with oil, add in sugar to caramelize [dissolve sugar till big bubbles and brown].
2. Add in pork pieces and stir fry quickly to sear and coat the meat well with the caramel.  Add in carrots, star anise, bay leaves and seasoning.  Stir to mix well  until fragrant.
3. Pour in water, bring to boil.  Cover wok, lower heat and simmer for about 30-40 minutes or until meat is tender and sauce reduced to thick. 
4. Dish up, garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve.