STIR FRY KIAM CHYE WITH MINCED MEAT

Preserved salted vegetable [kiam chye] is one of my favourite vegetables.  At times I do crave for it.  I love this vegetable in soups, stir fried or braised.  It is always as appetising whichever way it is cooked.

This is a simple dish with 2 main ingredients [minced meat and preserved salted vegetables].  It's easy to prepare but nice to serve with porridge and rice.
For this dish, there is no necessary to season with salt but sugar or chicken stock granules needs to be added to bring out the flavours.

Ingredients
250 gm preserved salted vegetables [kiam chye] - rinsed and soaked for 15 to 20 minutes
1 red chilli - seeded and sliced
1/2 tbsp chopped ginger and garlic
1 cup water
1 tbsp oil

150 gm minced pork marinate with 1 tsp each of light soy sauce, cornstarch and sesame seed oil;dash of pepper  

1. Prepare ingredients are stated.
2. Heat a non stick pan with oil, saute garlic and ginger until light brown, add in the minced meat.  Stir fry until fragrant or meat turns white.
3. Add in kiam chye and red chilli, continue to stir fry until ingredients are well mix and almost cooked.
4. Add in seasoning and water, bring to boil and lower heat to simmer until ingredients are tender and sauce reduced. 
5. Dish up to serve with porridge or rice.
   
   
   
    
   

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.
   
   
   
   

CURRY PRAWNS

Who says you need to cook curry in large portion? Love to try some  spicy fried prawns quick and easy?  This recipe is the answer. 

I tried and loves it.  Quick, simple, tasty and not too spicy prawn dish.  If you like it more spicy with extra Oomph, just add some chilli boh or pepper.  I believe it would be NICE, too.

You can cook the curry dry or with some gravy.  

Ingredients

[serves 2-3]

8 – 12 medium large prawns – trim the head and tail – rinsed and drained

1-2 springs of curry leaves

1 yellow onion – peeled and chopped

2 tbsp fish curry powder mixed into a paste with some water

1 tsp chilli boh or some pepper [optional]

100-150 ml water

Seasoning

1 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp salt and sugar to taste

1-2 tbsp oil

1. Heat oil in a non stick pan, sauté chopped onions and curry leaves until fragrant.  Add in curry paste.  Stir constantly until aromatic before adding the prawns. 
2. Stir well and fry until prawn shells turned pink and almost cooked.  Pour in the water, bring to boil for 5 minutes or until the sauce is reduced. Taste to adjust seasoning.
3. 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.