STEAMED MINCED PORK WITH CAI CHOY

This looks a simple, easy dish but turns out to be surprisingly good.  It is savoury, tasty and aromatic.  The minced meat if full of flavours, while the Szechuan vege is still crunchy.   A lovely, appetising dish to go with porridge. 

 I had it with steaming hot plain rice.  When I first tasted this dish, I hope my family can accept the savoury taste. But when I ate it with rice, it turns out perfect, tasty and the savoury taste is just nice.

Remember to try out this dish if you are cooking porridge.

Recipe adapted from My White Kitchen with modifications

Ingredients

1 small bulb of Szechuan vegetable [cai choy] - rinsed and soak for 5-10 minutes, sliced or cut thick strips

200 gm minced pork - marinate with 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame seed oil, dash of pepper and 1 tsp cornflour

1. Place marinated minced meat on steaming plate.
2. Mix in the sliced cai choy or place them over the meat.
3. Steam over high heat for 15-20 minutes.
4. Remove, garnish with crispy fried garlic and chopped spring onions.
5. Serve hot with rice.
   
   
   

HERBAL CHICKEN SOUP

Occasionally, I will crave to have a bowl of hot herbal soup.  The fragrance of the Chinese herbs can sometimes be irresistible though it may taste a little bitter.  Anyway, this is a light herbal soup great to serve with hot steaming rice.

 Ingredients

450 gm  free range chicken - skin removed, cut bite size pieces - blanched and rinsed

8 red dates

2 slices huai san

6-7 strips yuzhuk

1 tbsp kei chee [wolfberries]

5-6 sections of tong sum

4-5 sections of pak kei

4-5 sections of dang quai

800 ml water

salt and chicken stock granules to taste

 

 

1.  Place tong sum, pak kei and dang quai in a spice bag.  Secured with a string.
2. Bring water to boil, add in herbs' bag, huai san, red dates and yuzhuk.  Boil for 15-20 minutes then add in blanched chicken'.
3. Add in blanched chicken pieces.  Bring to boil again, then add in kei chee,  simmer over low heat for 30 minutes or until chicken is tender and soup aromatic.
4. Season with some salt and chicken granules to taste.
5. Serve hot with steaming hot rice.

 

 

STEAMED TOFU WITH CHAI POR SAUCE

One of the simplest recipe but this dish is nice.  The fried cai por sauce is fragrant and tasty.  A good steaming sauce for the bland, soft tofu.  I enjoyed it very much.

This is a small portion but you can always increase the portion if preparing for more people. You can prepared it way ahead of meal time and steamed just before serving.

Recipe adapted from My White Kitchen with modifications

Ingredient

1-2 pieces tofu - keep whole or sliced

some chopped spring onions - for garnishing

Steaming Sauce

20 gm salty cai por - rinsed

20 gm sweet cai por - rinsed

1 tbsp each of chopped shallots and garlic

some chopped red chilli

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1. Place tofu slices on steaming plate.
2. Heat a non stick pan, add 1/2 tbsp, saute shallots and garlic until fragrant.  Add in chopped cai por and red chilli.
3. Continue to fry until aromatic.  Add in oyster sauce.
4. Dish out and place over tofu slices.
5. Steam over high heat for 5-10 minutes.
6. Remove, garnish with spring onions.  Serve hot.
   
   

SWEET SOUR CHICKEN FILLET

This recipe is adapted from a TV cook show.  The original recipe uses pork tenderloin slices which are deep fried and then cooked with the other ingredients with a sweet and sour seasoning.

As I happened to have some chicken breast fillets in hand, I had substituted the pork slices with chicken fillets.

I had used pan fried method instead of deep frying the meat fillets which requires only minimal amount of oil if using a non stick pan.

This dish turns out perfect, tasty sweet and sour but not overwhelming.  The fried chicken fillets are tender and moist.

Ingredients

150 gm chicken breast fillet - sliced

1/2 green capsicum - cut diamond shape

1/2 yellow capsicum - cut diamond shape

1/2 red chilli - seeded and cut [can use red capsicum]

some spring onions - cut sections

some chopped garlic

1/2 tbsp oil

Seasoning [combined]

1 tbsp each of vinegar, wine,tomato sauce, sugar and water

a pinch of salt

1. Marinate chicken fillet with some light soy sauce, dash of pepper and cornstarch.  Mix in some oil and set aside.
2. Add oil to a non stick pan, pan fry the chicken slices in batches until both sides are golden brown and cooked.  Dish up.
3. Using the same pan, saute garlic and spring onions until aromatic.  Add in the remaining ingredients, stir to mix and add in the fried meat slices and pour in the seasoning.
4. Keep stirring to coat well with the seasoning sauce.
5. Dish up to serve with rice.
   
   
   
   

EZCR#125 - FRAGRANT PINEAPPLE PORK

A dish even a novice cook can prepare, yet you may not realize it because is it that good.  This dish is  really tasty, delicious and appetising.  Just this one dish is enough to go with a plate of plain white rice.

The meat slices are quick to cook and tender if you use pork tenderloin.  The pineapple slices are soft and sweet, while the capsicums are still crunchy if not overcooked.  The seasoning blends well with all the ingredients, tasting sweet and sourish.

Ingredients

200 gm pork tenderloin - sliced thinly

150 gm pineapple - cut 1 cm thick slices

1 tomato - cut wedges

1/4 green capsicum - cut wedges

1/4 yellow capsicum - cut wedges

1 red chilli - seeded and cut thick strips [you can use red capsicum if available]

50 ml water

Seasoning

1 tbsp each light soy sauce, cooking wine and Apple Cider vinegar

1/2-1 tsp brown sugar 

1. Marinate meat slices with 1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce, dash of pepper and sugar [an add 1 tbsp beaten egg if preferred].  Mix  before adding 1/2 tbsp of cornstarch.  Mix well.
2. Pour 1/2 tbsp oil in a non stick pan.  Add in the marinated meat slices.  Stir continuously to ensure meat slices are evenly cooked.  Dish up.
3. Using the same pan, add in the pineapple slices and fry till soft, then return fried meat to pan. Add tomato wedges and seasoning. Stir to mix well.
4. Lastly add in the remaining ingredients and some water.  Stir fry for another 1-2 minutes.
5. Dish up to serve with rice.
   
   
   
   
   

STIR FRY CHICKEN WITH BLACK FUNGUS

This is a stir fry dish if you use chicken breast but if like here, I have used free change chicken, there is a need to braise it after stir fry so as to tenderise the meat well.

This dish can be prepared ahead of meal time and just reheat before serving.  The chicken meat and black fungus absorb the flavours of sesame seed oil which is fragrant combined with the remaining seasoning.

Recipe adapted from My White Kitchen with modifications

Ingredients

300 gm free range chicken - cut into chunky pieces

1/2 bowl soaked black fungus

2 pips garlic - sliced

some shredded ginger

some shredded red chillies

1 stalk spring onions - cut sections

Seasoning

2 tbsp sesame seed oil

2 tbsp cooking wine

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1/2 tsp dark soy sauce

1/2 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

250 ml water

some cornstarch water [optional]

1. Heat a non stick wok, add in shredded ginger and garlic, saute until aromatic and lightly brown before adding chicken pieces.  Stir well.
2. Add in the seasoning, bring to boil and coats the chicken pieces well. Add in the black fungus and some shredded red chillies.  Stir well.
3. Pour in water, bring to boil, lower heat, cover to simmer chicken until meat is tender and sauce reduced to thick or thicken with so cornstarch water.
4. Lastly, add in spring onions.  Dish up to serve with rice.
5. Garnish with remaining red chillies and spring onions.