EZ VEGETARIAN FRIED MUI CHOY

This fried mui choy was actually prepared as a steaming ingredient for another dish with eggplants.  But I thought it could be served as it is too with porridge or rice.  So I am sharing it as a separate post for future reference.  For this portion, I can used it to steam eggplant or with minced meat.

Steamed Eggplant with Fried Mui Choy

Preserved Vegetables [Mui Choy 梅乾菜]

Recipe adapted from Bo Bo Vegan You-tube Video with slight modifications

Ingredients

150 gm salty mui choy - soaked in water with some salt for 30 minutes and rinsed under running water before cutting into small pieces

some chopped ginger and garlic

1 red chilli - cut small pieces

1/2 cup water or more

Seasoning

sugar to taste

some light soy sauce 

dash of pepper

1. Rinse then soak mui choy in water with some salt for 30 minutes.  Rinse 2-3 times in a large bowl of water to ensure the sand are removed.  Squeezed dry and cut.
2. Heat up a wok, add oil saute ginger and garlic [omit garlic if serving dish for religious reason] over medium heat until aromatic.   Add red chilli, continue to fry.
3. Add mui choy and seasoning, continue to fry for 1-2 minutes.  Add water, bring to boil.  Lower heat to simmer for 2-3 minutes [not until dry if you prefer the vegetables with some liquid sauce].
4. Dish up to serve with porridge or rice or for steaming with other ingredients such as eggplants or minced meat if prefered.

FRIED TAUKWA WITH TAU SEE

This is another simple and easy homey recipe which I tried.  Surprisingly good and tasty dish to serve with piping hot plain porridge especially for me cos' I love soya products.

If you prefer this dish to be more spicy, used small red and green chillies like I did or you can substitute with the less spicy type of chillies and capsicum.

The  salty black beans are tasty and it is always good with the porridge.   Do try this dish if firm beancurd is one of your favorite food ingredients, you will like it.  You can omit the garlic if serving this as vegetarian dish.

Recipe adapted from Yum Yum Magazine No. 60 with slight modifications 

Ingredients

3-4 pieces hard beancurd [taukwa] – pan fried till golden brown and cubed

½ tbsp oil

1 tbsp each chopped ginger and garlic

1 tbsp each chopped green and red chillies or 3 small red chillies and 3 small green chillies [chopped]

2 tbsp fermented black beans [tau see] – rinsed and drained

Some chopped spring onions/coriander leaves for garnishing

Seasoning

½ tbsp light soy sauce

½ tsp sugar

½ tsp sesame seeds

1. Heat up oil in a non-stick wok, sauté chopped ginger, garlic and chillies until aromatic.
2. Add in the fried beancurd and fermented black beans.  Stir fry to mix, add in the seasoning.
3. Quickly stir fry to mix ingredients well.  Toss in the spring onions.
4. Dish up to serve. 
    
   
   
   I'm linking this post to  Cookbook Countdown Event #12 hosted by Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking [Makan2] Foray

THERMAL COOKER - CENTURY EGG PORRIDGE WITH SALTY CHICKEN

Since last month, Sundays will also be busy days of the week for me now.  This is all because I have accepted a request to be a committee member of a group which requires our contribution [time]. For the time being, if I wish to eat at home, my meal has to be simple.  

My thermal cooker comes in handy during such times.  Cooking porridge in it is quick and easy.  By meal time, my family can have a pot of porridge that is still hot or warm.

Recipe adapted from Yum Yum Magazine Issue No. 72 [my selected cookbook for August Cookbook Countdown Event#8] - slightly modified

Ingredients

[serves 2-3]

1 chicken - keep whole with skin intact - seasoning with 1 tsp salt

1 century egg - shell removed and cut into pieces

1 piece fried tofu skin [fu zhuk] - soaked

some chopped spring onions

some crispy fried garlic

150 gm rice - washed and drained

10 cups water

Seasoning

salt, msg and pepper to taste

dash of sesame seed oil

1. Bring water and rice to boil in thermal cooker pot, then add in chicken, century egg and tofu skin.
2. Add in seasoning. Simmer for a further 15 minutes.
3. Transfer pot to outer pot, close lid and leave it to continue cooking until serving time.
4. Remove chicken chop or shred the meat and serve porridge with chopped spring onions and crispy garlic.
5. Reheat porridge if you like it hot.
   
   
   

This post is linked to Cookbook Countdown #8 hosted by Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

THERMAL COOKER - OYSTER PORK AND CENTURY EGG PORRIDGE

There are numerous versions of oyster porridge with a combination of various ingredients.  This is another version which differs from my earlier posting on oyster porridge.  Here all ingredients are boiled together without any frying.

It is a comfort food for busy days, make much easier with the use of thermal cooker [cooking by heat retention system].

This porridge is as tasty and a healthier version too.  Served with crispy yau char kwai [Chinese crullers], shredded ginger and spring onions make it an appetising porridge suitable for the old and young.

Ingredients

[serves 2-3]

150 gm rice - washed and soaked for 30 minutes

1 tbsp glutinous rice- washed and soaked for 30 minutes

100 gm minced pork

10 gm dried oysters - washed and halved

1 century eggs - shelled and chopped

1.2 litres water

Seasoning

1 tsp salt

dash of msg and pepper

1/2 tsp sesame oil

Garnishing

some shredded ginger

some chopped spring onions or coriander

some deep fried yau char kwai [Chinese crullers]

1. Marinate minced pork with some salt, pepper and sesame oil.  Shape into small balls.
2. Put rice, glutinous rice and oysters in the inner pot with water.  Bring to boil for 15 minutes.
3. Add in meatballs, bring to boil and in seasoning to taste and century eggs.  Cover lid and transfer to outer pot.  Close lid and leave to cook for at least an hour or until the rice grains have blossomed.
4. Scoop into serving bowls with garnishing and serve with crullers.

THERMAL COOKER - GINGKO NUT CHICKEN PORRIDGE

Some facts about Gingko Tree - regarded as the symbol of longevity, love, bearer or hope and the immeasurable past.  A sacred tree of the east, commonly planted in temple gardens, near shrines and worshipped like God in Japan and China.

Some facts about Gingko Nut - has many health attributes such as: improves brain function by increasing brain cell ability to make use of glucose, thereby improving brain nerve cell transmission, - a tonic to increase sexual energy and when cooked is said to stabilise sperm production, - used as an astringent for heart and lungs, asthma and for regulating urinary frequency, diarrhoea, skin disease, fever and many ailments [information obtained from my selected cookbook for this month Cookbook Countdown Event#6 - Home Cooking June 2001 issue].

Here is a therapeutic and flavoursome savoury porridge using Gingko nut from the cookbook.  A nutritious porridge for light meal.

Recipe slightly modified.

Ingredients

[serves 3]

150 gm fragrant rice - washed and drained

1/4 tsp oil + 1/2 tsp salt

1-2 sticks dried beancurd [foo chook]

30 gingko nuts - shelled and skinned

1/2 dried squids - washed or 50 gm small scallops [soaked 1 hour before use]

1 chicken whole leg - cut bite size pieces

1.5 - 1.8 litres water

salt, msg and pepper to taste

1. Marinate rice with salt and oil for 20 minutes or more.
2. Soak foo chook until soft and break into smaller pieces.
3. Bring water to boil with rice in the inner pot for 10 minutes or until rice grains are soft.  Add in the remaining ingredients, bring to boil.
4. Add seasoning to taste, cover pot with lid and transfer to outer pot of Thermal cooker, close cover and leave it to cook for 1 hour or so.
5. Serve hot in individual bowls with some chopped spring onions.
6. If using normal pot, combine rice and other ingredients with water.  Bring to boil, then lower heat and let it simmer for 1-2 hours or until rice grains swell with the ends blossomed out.  Texture should be smooth.  Serve hot.

I am sharing this post with Cookbook Countdown hosted by 

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

HEALTHY CRISPY ANCHOVIES WITH PEANUTS

This is another version of fried crispy anchovies and peanuts [spicy or non-spicy] cooked in a healthy way. The anchovies and peanuts are roasted in the oven instead of deep fried. It can be spicy or non-spicy according to your own preference. It’s easy to prepare and yummy serve with porridge or Nasi Lemak. Click here on Oven Baked Crispy Anchovies

There is another version of this dish [my mum’s recipe]. The ingredients are deep fried and then fried with chilli paste and sugar. Click here to see my mum's version.

Ingredients

100 gm anchovies [ikan bilis] – rinsed and drained

200 gm peanuts – rinsed and drained

1 tbsp oil

2 tsp chilli paste [chilli boh]

Sugar and salt to taste

1. Remove the bones and black part - wash several times till water is clear. Set aside on colander to drain off excess water.
2. Spread anchovies evenly on a baking tray. Spread peanuts evenly on a baking tray.
3. Baked anchovies and peanuts separately in preheated oven at 180 degrees C on middle rack for 10-15 minutes.
4. Halfway through baking, toss and spread anchovies and peanuts evenly to ensure even baking. 
5. Increase oven temperature to 200 degrees C and bake for a further 5-10 minutes or until anchovies are golden brown and crispy.
6. Remove and set aside.
7. Heat oil in a non-stick wok, sauté chilli paste until aromatic. Mix in peanuts and anchovies, sugar and salt to taste. Mix well.
8. Off heat, leave to cool before storing in airtight container or serve immediately.
9. For the non-spicy version, mix crispy anchovies and peanuts with sugar and salt after roasting. Store in airtight container.