Roasted Chicken Wings

There are so many versions/flavours of roast chicken wings which I have in hand. This sometimes makes it difficult to decide  which to do first.  Anyway, a simple one this time where the marinating ingredients are easily available in any kitchen.

 

I'm making quite a number cos' it's for a family gathering over the weekend but the recipe here is for making 10 pieces chicken wings.  Moreover, the chicken seller has offered a discount too.

Ingredients

10 pieces chicken wings - cleaned and pat dry

a few tablespoons of honey

Marinating Sauce [Mix Together] for chicken

3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp BBQ sauce [Can replace with worchester sauce]

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp shaoxing wine

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp oil

dash of pepper to taste

salt to taste

1. Mix marinating ingredients in a bowl.  Taste to adjust seasoning.
2. Add in cleaned and dried chicken wings.  Mix well to coat with sauce.
3. Transfer to a container, cover and refrigerate for at least 1-2 hours or overnight.
4. Line baking tray with aluminium foil.   Grease lightly with some oil.
5. Arrange the wings in the tray and bake in preheated oven at 200 degrees C for 15 minutes.
6. Turn over chicken wings, baste with balance marinating sauce and continue to bake for another 10 minutes.
7. Turn over chicken wings again and brush with some honey.  Baked/grill for another 5-10 minutes or until chicken wings are cooked and well glazed.
8. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.

 


I'm sharing this post with Muhibbah Malaysian Monday [November/Decemebr 2012] hosted by Suresh of 3 hungry tummies

Wakame, Meatballs and Tofu Soup

A neighbour gave me a packet of wakame [seaweed with mixed vegetables] from Taiwan.  A tablespoon of it is more than enough to cook a pot of soup for the family of 3.  The easiest way is to add it to boiling water, break in an egg and add seasoning to taste.  

 

See here for more information about Wakame.

Rehydrated Wakame

For a change, I made some meatballs with fish paste, added tofu  to the soup and that's it, a simple, tasty and hot soup for a cold raining night [has been raining almost all evenings in our area].

Ingredients for Homemade Meatballs

100 gm fish paste [I used Spanish Mackerel fish]

100 gm minced meat

2 tbsp of finely chopped carrot
salt, pepper and sesame oil to taste

• Marinate with 1/2 tsp each of salt, pepper and sesame oil.  Mix well and add 1 tsp cornstarch.  Stir in one direction until paste is sticky thick, then slap it against the side of bowl for several times.  Transfer to a clean container, cover and refrigerate until later use. 
• Form in round balls before cooking.

Other Ingredients for Soup

700 ml water or soup stock

1 tbsp dried wakame

1 piece soft tofu - cut cubes

1 spring onion - chopped

1 tsp fried garlic crisps with a little oil

salt, msg and pepper to taste

 

 

1. Bring water or stock to boil.  Add in meatballs to boiling stock, then add in the wakame.
2. Cook for a minute then add in tofu cubes.  Let soup comes to boil again.
3. Add seasoning to taste.  Boil soup for another minute.
4. Serve hot with some chopped spring onions and fried garlic crisps.

Notes: [see here for more information on Wakame]

What is Wakame? Wakame is a thin and stringy seaweed, deep green in color and used in making seaweed salad and miso soup. Wakame is common in Japanese and other Asian cuisines.

While nori, the seaweed used for rolling sushi, is usually sold dried, wakame can be found either dried or fresh, in a refrigerated, and sealed package. When refrigerated, the wakame is preserved with sea salt and is partially dry so that it’s moist to the touch, but not dehydrated and brittle like nori sheets.

Along with the increased popularity of both the raw food diet (also called living foods) and macrobiotic diets, wakame, has gained in popularity in the west. Proponents of both macrobiotic and raw foods diet extol the life-giving and healthful properties of wakame along with other seaweeds.

I'm sharing this post with The Spanish Wok- The TSK Butler Soup Kitchen 

Monthly Blogger Event November 2012.

and also Muhibbah Malaysian Monday [November-December 2012] hosted by Suresh of 3 hungry tummies

EZ Braised Herbal Roast Trotter

A pork dish which is always a favourite of my nephews.  Instead of the normal pig trotter used for braising, this dish uses roasted pig trotter which is easy to prepare and quick to cook.  The crispy skin of the roasted pork when braised becomes spongy and not that fatty.

Ingredients

2 roasted pig trotter - chopped into chunky pieces

5-6 dried red chillies - washed

5-6 slices of dong quai

1 piece 3 cm length cinnamon stick

2 star anise

some light soy sauce

some dark soy sauce for colour [optional]

some palm sugar to taste

enough water to cover meat pieces

1. Chopped roasted pig trotter into chunky pieces
2. Place meat pieces in a heavy based pot.  Add in dried red chillies, dongquai, cinnamon stick and star anise.
3. Pour in water enough to cover the meat pieces.  Bring it to a rolling boil.
4. Add in light soy sauce, palm sugar and dark soy sauce to taste.
5. Bring it to a boil again, turn to low heat, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes or until meat pieces are tender but chewy.
6. Serve hot with plain white rice.

Note

- do not add too much light soy sauce because roasted pork is already quite salty.

I'm submitting this post to Muhibbah Malaysian Monday hosted by Sharon of  Test with Skewer

 

Gyoza [Pan Fried Japanese Dumplings]

Gyoza for a Sunday light snack with the family.

Very simple ingredients yet yummy gyoza [meat dumplings] served with shredded fresh ginger/black vinegar sauce or teriyaki sauce [stir mix 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce with 1 tsp sesame oil].

Ingredients

[makes 40 pieces]

350 gm minced meat

1/2 cupped finely chopped blanched white cabbage

1 tbsp grated ginger

1 tsp chopped garlic

1 tbsp light soya sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp cornflour

40 pieces round gyoza skin wrapper or wanton skin - store bought about 1-2 packets

[I used white gyoza skin wrapper]

1. Using a big bowl, combine all the ingredients.  Stir in 1 direction while you mix them.  Stir until a sticky paste develops.  Refrigerate for 15-30  minutes.
2. Arrange gyoza wrappers on a plate and a scoop a heaped teaspoon of the minced meat mixture onto one half of the wrapper.  Lightly brush the edge of the other half of the wrapper with water.  Make a few pleats on the dry side and fold to enclose the filling.  Press the edges together to seal well.  
3. Heat a non stick pan with a little oil over medium heat for a minute. Remove pan from heat and arrange the dumplings in the pan.
4. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until the base is lightly browned.  Add 1/4-1/2 cup water, then cover the pan with a lid.  Cook for 3-4 minutes and add more water if necessary [to get a softer skin].
5. Dish out the dumplings and allow to stand for 1-2 minutes or until the dumplings come away from the pan easily.  Repeat the cooking process for the balance uncooked dumplings. 
6. Serve with dipping sauce.

Tip:

- to remove the cooked gyoza from pan, invert a flat plate to cover the dumplings then place your hand on the centre of plate, flip pan over and you will see the browned side of the dumplings.

I'm submitting this to Muhibbah Malaysian Monday November 2012 hosted by 

Traditional Style Pork Soup [Bak Ngee Th'ng]

An all time favourite soup - pork pottage [rou geng] for the dinner table which is not difficult to prepare with only 2 main ingredients [pork and vegetables].  It can be prepared ahead of dinner time.  Apart from pork, fish fillets can also be used.

Ingredients

[serves 2-3]

150 gm pork meat [muscle meat] - cut thin slices,  marinate with:

1 tsp light soy sauce

1/4 tsp each of salt, msg and pepper

1 tsp sesame oil

4 tbsp sweet potato flour [can use tapioca flour and wheat starch 50:50]

100 gm cabbage - washed and cut shreds

750 ml water
some chopped spring onions

Seasoning For Soup

1 tsp light soy sauce

1/2 tsp each of salt
1/4 tsp pepper and msg

1 tsp sesame oil

 

 

 

 

1. Season meat slices with marinade for at least 20 minutes.  Toss marinated pork slices in flour.  Tip off excess flour and place on a plate.  Leave for 5-10 minutes.
2. Bring water to boil in a soup pot.  Drop in pork slices and let it cook for about 5 minutes [need not stir].  The pork slices will float to the top when cooked.  Use a serrated ladle to dish out pork slices and spread on a plate.  Leave to cool in a fridge [this will make the pork slices very chewy].
3. Add seasoning and adjust to taste.  Put in the cabbage to cook until soft.
4. Return the pork slices to soup.  Stir and serve garnish with spring onions.

 

I'm sharing this post with Muhibbah Malaysian Monday October 2012 hosted by Sharon at Test with Skewer

and  The Spanish Wok, TSK Butler Soup Kitchen Blogger Event October 2012.

Peanut Minced Meat Claypot Rice

Another claypot rice  suitable as One Dish Meal for a simple lunch or dinner.  Lovely to serve with a bowl of leafy green vegetable soup [refer here for soup recipes].
Ingredients

[serves 3-5]

300 gm rice - wash and drain

450 ml water

1 can braised peanuts - drain away liquid
some chopped spring onions
some cut red chillies in soy sauce [accompaniment]
150 gm minced meat

3 dried mushroom - soaked and cut small cubes
Marinate with:
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp each of sugar, sesame oil and cornflour

1/2 tsp each of dark soy sauce and pepper powder

Seasoning for Rice - combine together

1/2 tsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp each of light soy sauce and oyster sauce

2 tbsp hot water

1. Marinate meat and mushroom.  Leave in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
2. Wash rice in several changes of water and place in a claypot with 450 ml water [I used basmathi rice].   Leave to soak for about 30 minutes before cooking.
3. Cook, covered over medium heat until water is almost absorbed [about 5-10 minutes]. Drizzle in the seasoning sauce. Add in the meat and mushroom and braised peanuts all over the rice. 
   Lower heat to the lowest and cover to complete cooking the rice and meat for another 10-15 minutes.  Check rice after 10 minutes to prevent it from sticking at the base of claypot [or give it a good stir for even cooking].  Cover claypot to complete the cooking for a further 5 minutes on the lowest heat possible.
4. Remove from heat, uncover and top with cut spring onions.  Serve immediately.

 

 

I'm sharing this post with Muhibbah Malaysian Monday October 2012 hosted by Sharon of Test with Skewer