STRESS RELATED HERBAL REMEDY

Unknowingly, stress and depression, 

can actually contribute to 'heat' in the body and upsets the digestive system.

Things are not going your way, 

and you feel stressed.

Sleepless nights make you irritable during the day.

The more you think about it, the more fearful you become.

You may feel your throat dry

and your lips lost its usual colour.

You have no appetite and it soon leads to digestive problems, and irritable bowels.

All these symptoms are rather scary as it can make a person depress,

and lose weight tremendously!

I found that 

Lily Bulb and Lotus Seeds

have been widely used in Traditional Chinese Medicine

for treating problems like these.

Lily Bulb

Lily Bulb 

has a cooling property. 

It is beneficial to the heart and lungs.

TCM use it to moisturise the lungs, soothe the throat and relieve cough.

It is used to calm the spirit,

providing a sense of peace and tranquillising the mind.

Thereby, reduce irritability, 

improve sleep quality 

and alleviating symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome.

Caution:

1) use in moderation

2) overdose can cause diarrhoea

Lotus Seed

Lotus seed is a powerful antioxidant

and help fight inflammation 

and slow down aging process.

It is easily digested, so is suitable for both elderly and kids.

It helps to treat mouth sores,

improve appetite,

strengthen the digestive system,

treat insomnia and sleep disorders.

Caution:

1) may reduce blood sugar level

2) expectant mothers must avoid taking

I have used the following 2 recipes:

 (1) Lily Bulb Porridge

Ingredients:

rice, lily bulb & dried ginger

Method: 

add more water as cooking porridge

(2) Lily Bulb Lotus Seed Soup

20g lily bulb

20g lotus seed 

4 dried scallop

lean pork

1) combine all, add water and simmer over low heat for 2 hours

AH MA EGGCAKE

Ah Ma Eggcake

is easy to make with egg separation method

and steam bake for an hour

Ah Ma Eggcake

(A) 60g butter

      14g corn oil

      90g superfine flour, sifted 

      1/4 tsp salt

      6 egg yolks

      60g milk

(B) 6 egg white

      1/4 tsp cream of tartar

      75g sugar

Method:

1. preheat oven  160'C for steam baking, line cake pan 8"x8"

2. add oil to butter & melt over heat

3. when butter has melted, remove from heat

4. add sifted flour & salt, stir with a whisk 

5. add milk & egg yolks, mix until the mixture is smooth & creamy

6. in another bowl, beat egg whites

7. add cream of tartar, 

8. add sugar in 3 additions while continue beating on high

8. egg white is ready when  it almost reach stiff peaks

9. mix 1/3 egg white to the butter mixture with a spatula

10. in 2 additions, gently fold in the rest of the egg white

11. transfer mixture into prepared cake pan & drop pan on counter top twice

12. steam bake in preheated oven 160'C for 60min    

      

CRISPY VEGETABLE FRITTERS

Crispy Vegetable Fritters

fondly called Bala-bala or Bakwan sayor

is a famous Indonesian Street Food or snack.

This is deep fried!

If you do not mind the fat content

it is a good snack to whip up easily!

Moreover, you can use any vegetable that you can find in your fridge,

e.g. carrots, cabbage, onions, scallions, potatoes, pumpkin etc

Different vegetables will yield different colour bala-bala!

Crispy Vegetable Fritters

250g thinly sliced vegetables

Batter:

70g all purpose flour

30g rice flour

1/2 tsp salt

pepper to taste

1/2 tsp chicken stock granules

150g ice cold water

Method:

1. combine all ingredients in the batter, make sure there is no lumps. Strain it if necessary.

2. mix in the thinly sliced vegetables and leave it in the fridge (keep it cold) 

3. heat up the oil for deep frying

4. when oil is hot, scoop a tablespoon of the batter and drop into the hot oil

5. turn it over when the sides start to brown

6. fry until cooked, leave to drip on a strainer

7. serve warm

CHINESE BRAISED PORK BELLY

Braised Pork Belly
紅燒肉

is a popular dish among the Chinese.

The pork belly melts in your mouth, 

fat but non greasy!

The sweet and savory sauce coupled with the tender meat

is simply irresistible!

It is best served with a bowl of steamed rice

and 

some freshly cut cucumber for the contrast in the texture!

Another way of eating is to add to a plate of boiled beehoon!

Chinese Braised Pork Belly

(A)

500g pork belly, with skin on, cut into large chunks

1 Tbsp cooking oil for frying

(B) 

1 bay leaf

1 star anise

6 cloves garlic, leave it whole with skin intact

1 stalk scallion, use the white part

5 slices old ginger

2 Tbsp Chinese cooking wine

1 & 1/2 Tbsp rock sugar

1 & 1/2 Tbsp light soya sauce

1 Tbsp dark sauce

1/4 tsp pepper

2 cups water

Method:

1. heat up 1 Tbsp cooking oil in a frying pan

2. sear or fry the pork belly, to lightly brown all the sides

3. remove from heat and place in the pressure cooker
4. add the rest of the ingredients and cook until the meat is tender.

Note:

If the gravy is too much, cook it over the stove to reduce

ENGLISH SCONES

English Scones

is crumbly 

and 

has a strong buttery taste if you use a good brand butter.

I love its crumbly texture

I love it even more if it is warmed

and have a good spread butter

Love it?

This recipe is shared by my sister-in-law, Pauline Cheng.

I have made some modification to suit my taste.

English Scones

400g self raising flour (or all purpose flour+3.5 tsp baking powder)

125g cold butter

1/4 tsp salt

4 Tbsp sugar

2 eggs, beaten

100-120g milk

Raisin or cranberry (optional)

1. combine salt, sugar and flour in a mixing bowl

2. rub the fat into the flour mixture

3. add raisins if used

4. mix in beaten egg

5. gradually add the milk, GENTLY mix  to form a soft dough

6. divide dough, and form into 2 disc of 1/2" to 3/4" thick

7. cut to required size and put onto a lined baking tray

8. bake in preheated oven 200-220'C for 10-15min until brown

HOMEMADE CONDENSED MILK

Condense Milk

is a necessity for many of us,

to make tea and coffee.

There aren't many brands available in the market.

Most of them are Enriched Sweetened Creamer made from palm oil.

I have decided to make some for myself

instead of running to the grocer to get the supply.

Homemade Condensed Milk

65g full cream milk powder

40g sugar

25g butter, melted (a good brand will give flavour)

60g boiling water

1. blend sugar until fine

2. add the rest of the ingredients & blend together until no lumps

3. pour into a bottle & refrigerate until required

EGG TOFU

EGG TOFU

Simple ingredients

and packed with goodness.

Easy to make

and can be cooked in any way,

either steamed, fried or braised as you like it to be done!

Egg Tofu

3 eggs

250g soya bean milk

1/4 tsp salt

1) beat eggs, add soya bean milk & salt

2) strain into a steaming dish, remove any bubbles

3) steam until set, 8-10min

4) leave to cool before cutting

COPYCAT SALTED BLACK BEAN FISH

豆豉鲮鱼

Canned Fried Dace With Salted Beans

is

a traditional dish,

popular among the Chinese.

It is best served with a bowl of steamed rice

or porridge.

I name this 

Copycat Salted Black Bean Fish.

If you would like to try making, these are the ingredients:

Copycat Salted Black Bean Fish

4 fish, palm size, cleaned & marinate with a little salt

oil for deep frying

2 Tbsp hot oil
2 Tbsp garlic, minced

1 Tbsp old ginger, minced

3 Tbsp sugar

1-2 Tbsp dark soya sauce (depend on your liking)

100g salted black beans, rinsed once

water, enough to cover the fish

Method:

1. fry fish until crispy and nice, remove & place in a pressure cooker

2. remove the hot oil from the kuali and leave 2 Tbsp oil to cook the sauce

3. add ginger & garlic to fry until fragrant

4. add black beans & some water

5. add the rest of the ingredients & enough water to cover the fish

6. when it starts to boil, remove from heat & pour onto the fish

7. make sure you have enough water to cover the fish

8. pressure cook until ready