EZCR#134-FRY TOFU PUFFS WITH CAPSICUM

A very appetising vegetarian dish that tastes savoury, sourish and sweet. It is a quick stir fry tofu puffs dish where the tofu puffs are blanched in hot water to soften and to remove some excess oil.

The tofu puffs are soft and absorb the flavours of seasoning liquid while still maintaining its chewy texture.  Ginger here, gives this dish a unique fragrance.  Very tasty. 

Ingredients

[serves 2-3]

100 gm tofu puffs - blanched and cut into half diagonally

50 gm red carrots - peeled and cut slices

1 green capsicum - seeded and cut diamond shapes

1 red chilli or capsicum - seeded and cut diamond shapes

some shredded ginger

some water for sauce

1/2 tbsp cooking oil

Seasoning

1 tbsp each light soy sauce and oyster sauce

dash of mushroom stock granules

1/2 tsp sugar 

2 tbsp vinegar or black vinegar

some cooking wine [optional]

1. Soak tofu puffs in boiling water for 5-10 minutes.  Drain away the water.  When cooled, squeeze out excess water before cutting into half, diagonally.
2. Prepare the other ingredients as stated.
3. Heat up wok, add oil and saute ginger until aromatic.  Add in tofu puffs and carrots.  Stir fry for a minute, add in seasoning sauce.  Stir to mix and add in some water.  Bring to boil to cook the puffs.  Taste to adjust seasoning.
4. Lastly, add in the capsicum or chillies.  Stir until cooked and sauce is reduced.
5. Dish up to serve.

TASTY FRIED YELLOW NOODLES WITH TOMATOES

This is a Chinese grandmother style home-cooked fried yellow noodles.  Not my grandma or mum.  My family style fried yellow noodles is without tomatoes or mushrooms.  We used prawns, meat slices and a must have ingredient is crispy fried shallots popularly known for this noodle 'Hokkien Char'.   It is awesome.

This means that we can fry yellow noodles according to this recipe either with prawns, meat, tomatoes and mushrooms and serve it with sambal belacan or cut chillies.

Ingredients

[serves 2 ]

200 gm yellow noodles - rinsed with tap water in a colander

2 stalks of chai sim or bok choy - cut

1-2 tomatoes - cut wedges

2-3 dried mushrooms - soaked and cut

50 gm meat slices

1 big onion - peeled and sliced

some water

Seasoning

2 tbsp oyster sauce

1/2 tbsp light soy sauce to taste

dash of msg and pepper to taste

1. Marinate meat slices with some soy sauce, water and cornstarch.  Set aside.
2. Heat 1-2 tbsp oil in a non stick wok, fry mushrooms until aromatic.  Add in meat slices, continue to stir fry until meat turns white.
3. Add in onions and tomatoes.  Stir fry to mix all the ingredients before adding water and seasoning.  Bring to boil.
4. Place yellow noodles on top, cover with lid and leave to cook for 1-2 minutes or until water is reduced [most important step is to cover lid to braise noodles].
5. Remove lid, stir to mix noodles with ingredients, add in vegetables.
6. Fry until vegetables are cooked.
7. Dish up to serve.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

FRIED TOFU WITH CHIVES

Glad that I tried this simple dish.  Just 2 ingredients and a simple dipping sauce, it is surprisingly satisfying dish.  I can eat lots of this alone.

Recipe adapted from cook show on you-tube [a Chinese version]. I hope I got it right but if I am wrong, it is still alright because I did enjoy this dish.  If you love tofu and enjoy eating chives, do give this a try.

Ingredients
[serves 2]
2 blocks tofu [best to get the traditional tofu] - cut into 1/2 inch thick slices
a bunch of chives - cut small bits
salt to taste
50 ml boiling water

1. Cut tofu, set aside.
2. Cut chives, place is a serving bowl.
3. Deep fry tofu pieces in batches until golden brown and edges are crispy.  Dish up on serving plate.
4. Bring water to boil, pour over cut chives.  Add in salt to taste.
5. To serve, dip fried tofu pieces in chives.

EZCR#132-ANG CHOW FRENCH BEANS

ANG CHOW FRENCH BEANS aka [STIR FRY FRENCH BEANS WITH RED YEAST RICE RESIDUM].  If you are familiar with red yeast rice residum [ang chow in Hokkien dialect], you may like to try out this recipe for a change. 

This is a healthy, good dish.  Aromatic and tasty stir fry French beans. I have skipped the waterchestnuts but with it would be great as waterchestnuts is sweet and crunchy.

You can cook this as a vegetarian dish by substituting the minced meat with dried gluten pieces and omit the chopped garlic.  I believe it would be a great vegetarian dish.

Ingredients

[serves 2-3]

200 gm French beans - cut 1 cm sections

30 gm carrots - cut small cubes

50 gm minced meat

1/2 tbsp each of chopped ginger and garlic

2-3 water chestnuts - peeled and diced [omit]

100 ml water

Seasoning

1 tbsp red yeast rice residum 

1 tbsp cooking wine

1/4 tsp salt

dash of msg

1. Marinate the minced meat with some salt and pepper.
2. Heat a non stick wok, saute chopped garlic and ginger until fragrant.  Add in minced meat.  Stir until firm.
3. Add in carrots and ang chow.  Stir fry to mix the ingredients well.  Add in seasoning and water.  Bring to boil.
4. Add in French beans, cover to cook for 1-2 minutes or until beans turn bright greenish in colour.
5. Remove cover, stir to mix well.  Cook until water is almost dry, drizzle in some sesame seed oil.
6. Dish up to serve.
   
   
   
   
   

BRAISED TAUPAU WITH TOMATOES AND MUSHROOMS

I planned to prepare this vegetarian dish when I was on vegetarian diet in September.  There were so many recipes to try but just couldn't find the time.  Anyway, it is nothing wrong to add some meatless dishes in our daily meals often.

This recipe is quite similar to the earlier dish [here] I prepared but with addition of mushrooms and the fresh beancurd pieces [taupau] are seasoned with some oyster sauce and black pepper before frying.

Another tasty, appetising and delicious vegetarian dish to try if you like meatless dishes.  Savoury, sweet and sourish dish.
Great with steaming hot rice.
Ingredients

6 pieces fresh beancurd sheet [tau pau] - pan fried

1 tomato - diced
2 Ernygii mushrooms - diced

some chopped ginger
enough water to cover ingredients

Seasoning [combined]

1-2 tbsp tomato sauce

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tbsp black vinegar
salt to taste

1. Open up the fresh beancurd pieces.  Spread some oyster sauce over it.  Sprinkle some black pepper.  Fold and lightly coat with cornflour.
2. Pan fry them in a non stick wok with oil over medium low heat until slightly brown.  Remove.
3. Using the same wok without oil, fry mushrooms until aromatic before adding tomatoes, seasoning and water. Bring to boil, add in the fried tau pau.  Taste to adjust seasoning.
4. Braise until sauce is thick. Before dishing, add in chopped ginger.  
5. Mix well. Dish up to serve.