FRIED CUCUMBER EGG

Fried Cucumber Egg

is a simple dish

having different textures in one dish!

These are the ingredients:

Fried Cucumber Egg

1 small cucumber

1 egg, beatened

some dried cloud ears, soaked, cleaned & cut smaller

2 garlic, mashed with chopper

1" carrot, sliced thinly

1 Tbsp cooking oil

oyster sauce

salt & sugar to taste

1) wash cucumber, slice off part of the skin

2) cut lengthwise into 1/4, slice away the seeds & cut diagonally

3) heat up a little oil & fry the egg, remove from heat & cut into smaller pieces

4) heat up remaining oil & fry garlic until fragrant

5) add cucumber, cloud ear, egg and carrots to fry

6) add some water & allow to simmer little while

7) add seasoning & dish up.

Note:

Do not cook the vegetable too long as it will be soften!

TONKIN JASMINE

Tonkin Jasmine
Scientific name: Telosma Cordata
is commonly known as
夜香花 or 夜来香
in Chinese

It is said in www.huabaike.com that it could improve vision,
reduce eye redness and irritation.

It is a flower but usually cooked and eaten as a vegetable.

It is only available from May to August every year.

2 common methods of cooking is

1) fry with egg

2) boil soup with minced pork

ZUCCHINI FRITTERS

Zucchini Fritters

I have never tasted Zucchini.
By its appearance, I thought it is another species of cucumber.

The vegetable seller told me it is nice to eat,
simply fry it will do.
So I bought one piece, yellow colour one.

Many of my Facebook friends gave suggestions of how to cook this.
My niece Linda Su suggested Fritters.
And here it is: Zucchini Fritters!

After I googled, I realized that it has 10 health benefits!

Here is an extract from Pinterest:

This recipe is found in www.justataste.com

Zucchini Fritters

1 zucchini 7" length, shredded

3 Tbsp all-purpose flour

2 eggs, lightly beaten

3 sprigs scallions, cut into small pieces

1 Tbsp oil

salt & pepper to taste

1. mix some salt to the shredded zucchini, and allow it to stand for 15min

2. squeeze out as much liquid from the zucchini as possible

3. transfer the zucchini to a large bowl, mix in flour, egg and cut scallions

4. add seasoning to taste

5. heat up oil in a pan

6. once the oil is hot, scoop 2 Tbsp mounds of batter into the pan, press lightly

7. cook for 2-3min, then flip over and cook another 2 min until brown and cooked through.

8. serve warm when it is crispy.

PICKLED VEGETABLE

PICKLED VEGETABLE

is easy to prepare and nice to eat.

So colourful and appetizing that you would like to have a 2nd helping.

It is best served in a barbecue or buffet

where meat is plenty and vegetables are few.

It is so refreshing to take a bite into it!

I have tried making this sweetened with honey.

It is yummy, but 1/2 your bottle of honey is gone!

Perhaps you can try this basic recipe & do the adjustments next time.

Pickled Vegetable

1 cucumber

1/2 carrot

1 big onion

1/4 pineapple

1 red chilli

1/2-1 lemon, juiced

4 Tbsp sugar

1. peel away part of the skin from the cucumber, and cut it into 1/4s lengthwise.  Slice away the     seeds, then slice diagonally.

2. slice carrots into thin strips

3. combine cucumber & carrots, marinate with salt

4. slice thinly onions and chilli

5. cut pineapple into pieces

6. when cucumber is soft (about 15min), wash away the salt & squeeze dry

7. combine cucumber, carrots, onions, chilli and pineapple in a big bowl

8. add sugar and lime juice, adjust to you liking. Toss or mix with chopsticks

9. let sit for 15min and chill before serving

Notes:
1. lemon juice can be replaced with apple cider or vinegar
2. sugar can be replaced partially with honey
3. feel free to adjust the taste to your liking

GREEN GREEN MUSTARD

Mustard Green has a bitter taste

so many people do not like it.

I love to eat mustard green

whether preserved of fresh

I love them all.

This is one way of cooking mustard green

which I learnt from my sister in law, Yvonne Ang

If you like mustard green like me

you can try this recipe:

Green Green Mustard
1 small plant mustard green, washed & cut into bite size
1 handful of shrimps, shelled
few slices of ginger
1" carrot, cut into little cubes
1/2 egg, beaten
2 Tbsp cooking oil
1/2 chicken cube, for flavour
salt & pepper to taste
Thickener: 1.5 Tbsp corn flour + 2 Tbsp water

Method:

1. bring 1/2 pot water to a boil

2. add a little oil & salt to the boiling water, then add the mustard pieces

3. allow to boil until the mustard is cooked, strained

4. heat up the remaining oil in a pan

5. add ginger slices and fry until fragrant

6. add shrimps & carrots

7. add 3/4 cup water and bring to a boil

8. add cooked mustard green, chicken cube, salt & pepper to taste

9. stir in thickener, adjust the consistency

10. stir in beaten egg

11. dish up and serve hot

MINCED PORK WITH POTATO

Minced Pork with Potato

Soft and 'powdery' potato 

and tender minced pork 

in thick gravy is a common dish on our dining table.

It is easy to cook and satisfying.

If you look carefully

there are few slices of ginger among the potato,

making it more flavourful.

Seasoning includes salt, pepper, soya sauce, oyster sauce and sugar.

Dark soya sauce is optional.

LONG BEANS FRIED EGGs

Long Beans Fried Eggs

is a dish that I grow up with.

Those days, long beans were cheap, some were also home grown.

 Eggs from own chicken! 

If you know how to fry onions and eggs,

you will know how to cook this.

Long Beans Fried Eggs

4-5 lengths long beans

1/2 onions

2 eggs

salt & pepper to taste

1. clean & cut long beans into short lengths

2. shred onions thinly

3. lightly beat the eggs

4. heat up 1-2 Tbsp oil in the pan

5. add onions to fry until fragrant

6. add long beans and fry until soft

7. add salt & pepper to taste and spread evenly in the pan

8. pour egg over the vegetables

9. turn over to cook the other side when the eggs start to set

10. dish out when slightly brown on both sides

11. enjoy

THAI BASIL BRINJALS

魚香茄子

Brinjals or eggplant,

when softened absorbs the taste from the gravy.

In this dish, Thai Basil and chilli have been added, to enhance its flavour.

A little preserved soya beans or Tau joo may be added.

I choose to omit it

because I prefer the original flavour of  minced pork.

How to maintain the purple colour of the brinjals?

You can either

(i) boil fully submerged in rolling boiling water, or

(ii) deep fried in oil like the restaurants do

Thai Basil Brinjals

1 brinjal, cut into 2" chunks & quartered lengthwise

3 Tbsp minced pork or chicken

2 tsp garlic, minced

few slices of old ginger

some cut chillies, I use small chilli padi

some thai basil leaves

seasoning: soya sauce, salt, pepper and sugar

1) bring water to a rolling boil

2) add brinjals & press down to submerge completely, boil for 2-3min, strain

3) heat up some oil in a pan, add ginger and garlic to fry until fragrant

4) add minced pork, continue stirring

5) add brinjals & seasoning to taste. A little water if necessary

6) before dishing up, add chillies and basil

7) serve hot!

CHINESE WATERCRESS SOUP

Chinese Watercress Soup
西洋菜汤

Can be cooked in many ways.

You can cook it sweet and refreshing

With only 2 simple ingredients, watercress & honey dates.

It Can be served as a dessert

A more elaborate and thick soup

With pork ribs, dried cutle fish and red dates

Here, I am cooking a simple and light soup

With 3 ingredients.

Do not be discouraged when you see only 3 ingredients,

namely watercress, pork ribs and red dates.

They are sufficient for an appetising and refreshing soup.

Of course, old ginger may be added too
if you like its gingery taste.

As for the watercress

Some like to have the whole bunch inside the soup, thick stem and young shoots.

Whereas I like mine, tender and nice

So that I can finish eating the whole lot! Yummy

Chinese Watercress Soup
1/2 kg pork ribs
1/2 kg watercress
8 red dates, slit and pit removed
Salt to taste, optional (I do not add)
1" old ginger, smashed (optional)

1) heat up 1/2 pot of water
2) add everything in and bring it to a boil
3) Allow to simmer for an hour or two (best 2 hours)
4) serve hot

FOOCHOW ANGCHOW JIAN BIANG

福州煎饼

FOOCHOW JIAN BIANG

Recently when I was in Kuala Lumpur

my Brother in Law, Doa Ming

brought us to a Foochow Coffee Shop for breakfast.

It was there that I tasted 

a Foochow Bao 

made of angchow chicken.

I love it so much that I started experimenting,

trying to come out with a better version,

hence this

Foochow Angchow Jian Biang.

It is crispy on the outside,

flavourful on the inside.

I love it.

The filling is juicy and delicious.

Here is the recipe if you are keen.

I started by cooking the filling first.

Filling

(A) 1 Tbsp plain flour

       100ml water

(B) 300g chicken meat, cut into cubes

      100g mengkuang, sliced thinly

      1 Tbsp old ginger, minced

      1 plant Chinese Celery

      2-3 Tbsp cooking oil

      1/2 tsp sesame oil

      2 tsp sugar

      2 tsp angchow

      1 tsp salt

      pepper to taste

Method

1) combine plain flour & water & cook to thicken.

     leave aside until required

2) heat up cooking oil, add ginger & fry until fragrant

3) add sesame oil and mengkuang, continue frying

4) add chicken

5) add angchow and the rest of the seasoning and continue cooking

6) some water may be added if it is too dry

7) when chicken is cooked, add the flour sauce to thicken

8) let cool until required

Bread Dough

150g bread flour

40g cake flour

1/2 tsp salt

30g sugar

1/2 tsp dry yeast

30g water

40g fresh milk

10g cream

40g egg

20g butter

1) all ingredients into the bread machine, bread dough cycle 1.5 hours

2) divide dough into 6-8 balls

3) press flat and wrap the filling

4) place on a parchment to proof until double, about an hour

5) heat up a pan at low heat, and place the buns into the pan, cover it

     Make sure the heat is low so that it will not burn. 

6) when the buns turn golden brown, flip over to cook the other side, cover again.

7) serve warm if you want it crispy

HEALTHY KIM CHI

Cabbage well stacked into the bottle,  all  juice poured in.
Covered, and leave for 24 hours at room temperature

Ready to enjoy

450g Napa cabbage
1/4 cup sea salt
1 cup warm water
1/2 yellow onion
1/2 ripe apple
1/2 ripe pear
1 cup water
1/4 cup chilli flake (ko chook ah rhoo)
some warm water
1 Tsp minced garlic
1 Tsp minced ginger
3-4 spring onion-sliced

Method:
1) separate cabbage leaves & chop into bite size
2) dissolve salt in 1 cup warm water & pour onto cabbage
3) toss cabbage & leave aside for at least 4 hours
4) combine chilli flake with some warm water to form a paste
5) blend together yellow onion, apple & pear in one cup water
6) when the cabbage is ready, rinse to remove salt. Squeeze out excess water
7) Place cabbage in a large bowl & add the rest of the ingredients
8) wear hand gloves, give everything a thorough toss & rubdown
9) transfer seasoned cabbage into a large glass bottle, pressing down when          
    stacking the cabbage inside the bottle
10) pour in all the juice, make sure to leave 2" of room from the cap
11) cap tightly and leave at room temperature for 24 hours
12) next day transfer to fridge & enjoy anytime.

Recipe taken from 
http://drbenkim.com/how-make-kim-chi.html

SWEET TAKUWA

If you like pickles you may like this!

It is crunchy, juicy and sweet!

Good as an appetiser, wonderful as a side dish!

You can never have too much!

If you like to make some for yourself.....

1 kg daikon (radish)

1.5 Tablespoon salt

1.75 cup sugar

1/2 cup white vinegar

pinch of tumeric extract (optional)

Method:

1) peel and slice radish into rounds

2) combine salt, sugar & vinegar & pour over the sliced diakon

3) let it soak overnight, stir occasionally

4) next day, squeeze the diakon and pack into glass bottles

5) boil the liquid and remove scum if there is any

6) add a pinch of tumeric extract to give yellow colour if prefer

7) boil until the water is clear, remove and let cool

8) pour cooled juice into the bottles to soak the diakon.

9) leave these bottles in the fridge for 2 weeks

10) enjoy!