EZCR#105-FRIED TUNA PUMPKIN NOODLES

Fried noodle is quick to prepare especially during busy days or when the ‘lazy bug’ comes and you are not in the mood to cook anything more.  Many people will recommend to eat out but when most of your family members are already having their first two meals of the day outside, they would love to enjoy a meal of home-cooked food when they reached home.

This fried noodle was what I prepared for my family when the above situation happens.   I came up with this noodle for dinner with whatever available ingredients in hand.  I didn’t measure the exact portion of each ingredients, so it’s ‘agak-agak’ only. 

The fried tuna beehoon is light and tasty but didn’t look tempting all because of the pumpkin colour, otherwise it would look but it tastes good.

Ingredients

[serves 3]

½ packet of rice vermicelli [beehoon] – soaked for 5-10 minutes, drained

1 can tuna flakes – drain away the oil

Some shredded mushrooms

Some shredded cabbage

Some shredded pumpkin

Some pumpkin puree

Some spring onions – cut into sections

Some chopped Chinese celery [optional]

Seasoning

Salt, pepper and cooking wine to taste

1. Heat a non-stick wok with some oil [depends on the portion of ingredients], fry mushrooms, tuna, spring onions until aromatic.  Add in cabbage to fry, then pour in some water.  Add in pumpkin pureed if using.
2. Bring to boil, add seasoning to taste.
3. Add in beehoon, toss well and more water if it is too dry.  Add in pumpkin, cover to cook for 5 minutes.  Uncover wok,  lightly toss noodles  to mix well the ingredients.
4. Dish up to serve with cut chillies, garnish with chopped celery or coriander leaves or spring onions.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

EZCR#102-FRIED CHICKEN WITH ASSORTED VEGETABLES

A word of caution, this kind of dishes is not suitable for small eaters unless you it as a One Dish Meal.  Just a small portion of each ingredient, you can end up with a big portion to serve many.

Luckily, we are 3 great eaters and managed to finish it in a meal.

The fried chicken pieces are tender, tasty and goes well with the assorted ingredients.  Do not overcook the celery and lotus roots to keep them crunchy. You can substitute the vegetables with other vegetables like asparagus, fresh mushrooms, snow peas etc.  Best to serve this dish immediately.

Ingredients

[serves 3-4]

1 large deboned chicken whole leg - cut thick strips

2 dried mushrooms - soaked and sliced

2 stems of celery - sliced slantwise

1 small section of lotus root - sliced thinly and blanched

50 gm red carrots - sliced

1 red chilli - sliced

2 cloves garlic - sliced

1 stalk spring onions - cut sections

Seasoning

1 tbsp each of light soy sauce and wine

dash of pepper and msg

1 tbsp fermented black beans [tau see] -  rinsed and drained

1. Marinate chicken pieces with 1 tbsp each of light soy sauce, wine and 1/4 tsp sugar.  Mix well, then add 1 tbsp of egg, stir to mix and add in 1 tbsp cornstarch.  Mix well.
2. Heat a non stick wok with 1 tbsp oil, pan fry chicken pieces until brown.  Dish up.
3. Using the same wok, saute garlic, red chill  and some spring onions until aromatic.  Add in the mushrooms and stir fry for a minute before adding the vegetables and seasoning [except the tau see] and some water. 
4. Quickly, stir fry to mix then add in the chicken pieces and tau see.  Toss well and dish up when all ingredients are cooked.
5. Dish up to serve immediately.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

EZCR#101-STEAMED CHICKEN GLUTINOUS RICE

This recipe is adapted from a Lotus Leaf Wrap Chicken Glutinous Rice recipe.  I have modified the recipe by not using lotus leaf and substituting a portion of the glutinous rice with plain rice.  I know there are many people who love to eat rice dumplings but suffer from glutinous rice intolerance.  This steamed rice with a small portion of glutinous rice may be suitable for them.

The steamed rice is fragrant, tasty and delicious, suitable as a One Dish Meal.  It is perfect to serve this with any vegetable soup or pickled vegetable [cucumber, carrots or cabbage].

Ingredients
[serves 3-4]

200 gm rice – washed and drained

100 gm glutinous rice – soaked for several hours and drained

1 large deboned chicken whole leg – cut into thick strips

3 dried mushrooms – soaked and cut strips

1 tbsp dried prawns – rinsed and drained

2-3 shallots – peeled and sliced

Marinade – 1 tbsp wine, dash of salt, pepper and msg

Seasoning

3 tbsp each of light soy sauce and wine

¼ tsp msg

Dash of pepper and salt to taste

1. Marinate chicken with marinade.
2. Heat 1-2 tbsp oil in a non stick wok, sauté shallots until fragrant and crispy. Push aside, sauté dried prawns and mushrooms until fragrant, then add in chicken pieces. Stir fry to mix well. 
3. Add in glutinous rice, stir fry until rice turns translucent, then add in plain rice and seasoning. Stir fry to mix well for several minutes. Off heat. 
4. Dish up rice into 3 steaming cans. Add in enough water to cook rice [about less than 1 cm above rice level or depends on quality of rice used]. 
5. Steam rice for at least 30 minutes or until cooked through. Leave rice for about 5-10 minutes. 
6. Transfer to a serving plate, invert can to dislodge rice. Serve immediately.

EZCR#100 - BRAISED CHICKEN WITH WOLFBERRIES [KEI CHEE]

This is again an easy and simple chicken dish yet tasty and delicious.  It is especially suitable for Autumn season where fresh dates can be used to cook this dish.  I have substituted it with red dates.

The combination of red dates, wolfberries and shaoxing wine bring about an aromatic dish, great to serve with rice.  The meaty chicken pieces are sweet and savoury with the aroma of the wine.  
For this dish, no water is added.  The thick gravy is a combination of light soy sauce, wine and juices from the chicken meat.  Awesome and simple fried chicken dish, Chinese style.

Ingredients

1 large deboned chicken whole leg with skin and fats removed – cut into bite size pieces

5-6 red dates – rinsed, seeded and sliced

1 tbsp wolfberries [kei chee] – rinsed and soak in 1 tbsp wine

20 gm shredded ginger

1 tbsp chopped garlic

1 tbsp oil

Seasoning

1 tbsp light soy sauce

¼ tsp sugar or dash of msg

50 ml shaoxing wine

1. Heat oil in a non stick wok, sauté shredded ginger, garlic and sliced red dates until aromatic.
2. Add in the chicken pieces and continue to fry until the meat changed colour to white and firm. Add in Shaoxing wine. 
3. Add in the seasoning, stir fry to mix well. 
4. Add in kei chee then cover to let it continue cooking for 5-10 minutes. No water is needed to cook the chicken pieces. 
5. Uncover, dish up and serve hot.