Fish Soup

Ingredients
200g sliced batang fish fillet
some fish bone
1 tomato cut into wedges
Tofu cut into cubes(optional)
Local lettuce (optional)
spring onion chopped(optional)
Parsley chopped (optional)

Seasoning
2 tsp onion oil
500ml water
2 tbsp fish sauce/1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp chinese wine
pepper

Marinade
1 tsp salt
1 tsp corn flour
Sprinkle of pepper

Method
1. Marinade fish slices, leave aside.

2. When the water boil add in the fish bone. Turn to medium fire and boil the bone for 10min.

3. Remove the bone, add in onion oil.

4. Add tomato and when the water boils add in the fish slices.

5. Gently stir so that the slices do not stick together.

6. When the fish is 3/4 cooked, add in the fish sauce, chinese wine and sprinkle of pepper.

7. Let the water boil for 2 mins then switch off flame. Add in spring onion.

8.Serve hot with rice or pour on bowl of rice to make it into teochew type fish porridge.

Claypot Pork & Liver with ginger and spring onion

Ingredients
300g pork
100g liver
4 slices of ginger
2 stalks spring onion cut into 4cm length
1 garlic chopped
2 tbsp oil

Marinade
2 tsp soya sauce
Sprinkle of pepper
2 tsp corn flour

Seasoning
2 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp dark soya sauce
Pepper

Method
1. Marinade the pork and liver separately with 1 tsp or soya sauce and 1 tsp of corn flour each.

2. Heat oil in claypot, add garlic and ginger. Fry the garlic and ginger till fragrant, add sliced pork.

3. Close the cover for 2 min, then stir the pork till 3/4 cooked. Add seasoning and mix well.

4. Add in the spring onion and the liver. Turn up the heat and close the cover. After 1 min, switch off the flame.

5. Open the cover and mix the liver and spring onion well with the seasoning and replace the cover.

Note:
1)The remaining heat in the claypot will cook the liver. Overcooking the liver will make it tough.
2)The liver can be replace with sliced firm bean curd (tau kwa).
3)You can also fry chicken or fish instead of pork, but in both cases you will not add dark sauce and for fish, you substitute the soya sauce with salt.

Fried Kway Teow ( No pork no lard version)

Ingredients ( For 4 person)
500g Kway Teow noodles

300g Yellow noodles

3 Fish cake sliced thinly

100g prawns

1 Chinese wax sausage sliced (optional)

1 bowl of bean sprouts

1 garlic chopped

3 tbsp oil

1/2 bowl water

Seasoning

3 Tbsp soya sauce

1 tbsp dark soya sauce

1 tbsp sweet sauce

Method

1. Heat oil, add garlic. Fry for 1 min, add fishcake, kway teow and yellow noodles.

2. Add half of the water to the noodles and mixed evenly, while cutting up the noodles to shorter strands.

3. Fry for 2 min, then add the rest of the water and prawn fry till the prawn is almost cooked.

4. Make a well and pour in the egg. Scramble and mix with the noodles. Add in the bean sprout and fry for another 2 mins.

5. Add in the seasonings, making sure all the noodles get the seasonings, then switch off flame.

Note:

1)Use medium flame throughout so that the noodles will not get burnt.

2)Do not add in the seasonings too early or else the noodles will end up a little sour.

Fried Hokkien Mee (No pork version)

This morning made hokkien mee （炒福建面）for breakfast. The whole process took me half an hour including cooking and cutting. For those people who do not know, Fried hokkien mee is a local delicacy. It is one hawker food you don't want to miss. Ok with no further ado, I will bring you the recipe.Ingredients( serves 4)
500g Thick Vermicilli
300g Yellow noodles
4 prawns or more deveined
1 squid cut into rings
1 fish cake sliced thinly
1/2 chicken breast sliced thinly
Chye Sim (optional)
1 garlic chopped
1 onion sliced thinly
1 egg beaten
1 bowl water/stock
3 tbsp oil
4 tbsp soya sauce

Marinade
Oyster sauce
Soya sauce
Pepper
1 tsp corn flour ( for chicken only)

Garnish
Chilli sliced thinly
Lime cut into half

Method
1.Marinade chicken with 1 tsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp soya sauce,pepper and corn flour. Marinade the squid and prawn with 1 tsp oyster sauce, 1 tsp soya sauce. Set the items aside for 5 mins.

2.Heat the oil and add the onion and garlic. Fry for 1 min, add in chicken and fry for 2 mins, add fish cake and fry for 1 min.

3.Add in the yellow noodles, then thick vermicilli. Add half a bowl of water and make sure the yellow noodles and vermicilli are well mixed.

4. Add in the prawn and squid and the other half bowl of water. Fry till all ingredients are cooked.

5. Add in 4 tbsp of soya sauce. Make sure the soya sauce are mixed well, make a well in the middle of the noodles and add the egg.

6. Scramble the egg and mix well with the noodles. Switch off flame.

7. The noodles can be served with some sliced chilli placed on top as garnish. The lime juice is to be added to the noodles before eating.


Note: The authentic hokkien mee version is not with chicken but with pork belly. But I decided to use the healthier version. This version of the recipe can be used by muslim considering it is cooked without pork.

Steam fish with garlic

Ingredients

1 slice of threadfin 1 slice of ginger

3 tbsp soya sauce

2 tsp onion oil

1 garlic chopped

1 tomato cut into wedges

50ml hot water

Spring onion (optional)

Parsley (optional)

Method

1. Put a slice of ginger onto the plate.

2. Place the fish on top of the ginger.

3. Add chopped garlic on top of the fish.

4. Add onion oil and hot water on the fish.

5. Put the fish into the steamer and replace the cover.

6.When the steam appears, wait for 5 mins and switch off the flame.

7.Add spring onion and cover the cover.

6. The fish can be served now.

Note:

1)Water in the steamer must be room temperature when you start.

2)You can use any other kind of white fish if you can't get threadfin.

Chicken Feet & Peanut Soup

Ingredients (Serves 4)

10 chicken feet

6 red dates with seeds removed

400g peanuts

2L water

Salt

Method

1. Boil water in a earthen pot/claypot.
2. Add red dates and peanuts.
3. Bring to a boil then simmer for 1 hour.
4. Bring the water to a boil and add the chicken feet, when the water boils, turn down to flame to low.
5. Cook for another 1 hour, add salt to taste and the soup is ready to be served.

Fish/ Fish Head Curry

Ingredients

1 fish head/2 pieces of any type of fish/2 whole fishes
1 Brinjal cut into 4cm cubes
4 ladys Finger cut into 3 pieces
1 tomato cut into wedges
1/2 onion cut into wedges
3 tbsp fish curry powder mixed into paste
3 bowls of water
1 small stalk of curry leaf
2 tbsp oil/ghee
1 tbsp thick coconut milk

Method
1. Heat up oil in the pot and add in onion. Fry till fragrant, add in curry leaves and curry paste.
2. Fry the mixture for 1 min and add in water. Switch to strong fire.
3. Add in the brinjal and tomato.
4. When the water boil, add in the fish, then switch to medium flame.
5. After 5 mins, add in ladysfinger.
6. Simmer for another 10mins, add in salt to taste and 1 or 2 tbsp of thick coconut milk.
7. Mix the coconut milk well and switch it off. Serve with plain rice or Briyani rice.

Fish in coconut milk and tumeric

I have some left over coconut milk from making nasi lemak previously. So I decided to try to finish it up. Today for lunch, I tried making "Fish in coconut milk and tumeric". The recipe was picked up from a cooking show. It is rather easy to make and not spicy which is just right for serving up for a family with kids.

Ingredient

3 slices of Mackerel, ikan tengiri or any white fish

1 tomato cut into wedges

3 tbsp of packet coconut milk diluted with 1 cup of water

3 tbsp thick coconut milk

Half onion sliced

2 slices of ginger julienned

1 green chilli julienned

1 garlic chopped

1 small stalk curry leaves

2 tsp salt

2 tsp tumeric powder

2 tbsp oil/ghee

Method

1. Marinade fish with 1 tsp tumeric powder, 1 tsp salt, some chopped garlic and leave aside for 10mins.

2. Heat oil and fry onion, ginger, chilli, garlic and curry leaves.

3. Add diluted coconut milk and 1 tsp of tumeric powder and bring to a boil. Add fish and lower heat and cook for 10 mins.

4. When the fish is ready, add tomato and 1 tsp of salt.

5. Cook for another 3 mins and add thick coconut milk. Switch off the fire after another 2 mins.

A Little Indian Flavour

Feeling a little bit sick of the chinese food, so today made chicken briyani rice for dinner. The origin of Briyani Rice is said to be from the Indian army where the soldiers have to move from one place to another leaving no time for making meals. So they only have one main meal a day, which is dinner. The marinade chicken and rice layered on top of the chicken will be put in a pot. The pot will be tied to the side of an elephant together with a stove. By the time the army reach the camp site in the evening, the food will be ready.

The rice I am cooking is going to be the easy version. The original called for the rice to be cooked in a pot, but I will be using a rice cooker to save effort.

Briyani Rice

Ingredients
2 cups rice
Water or broth
4 cloves
4 cardamon
1/2 stick cinnamon
1/2 star anise
1 tsp tumeric power
1 tsp salt
half onion sliced
2 tbsp oil or ghee

Method

1. Heat the oil, fry the onion for 2 mins, then add in cloves, cardamon, cinnamon and star anise. Next add in the washed rice and mix the rice with the spices and onion.

2. Pour the well mixed rice and spices into the rice cooker and add water or broth to the 2 cups mark.

3. Add salt and tumeric powder then close the cover and cook rice.

4. You can add sultanas and cashew nut to the cooked rice too. As garnish you could add parsley and fried onion.

Briyani chicken

Ingredient

2 chicken legs

Half onion sliced

2 tbsp oil/ghee

Marinade

3 tbsp yogurt

1 tsp meat curry paste/garam masala

1 tsp salt

1/2 stick cinnamon

Method

1. Marinade chicken leg with marinade mixture for 1 hour.

2. Heat oil and fry onion until fragrant. Add cinammon stick and fry for another min.

3. Add the chicken and the rest of the marinade mixture and bring to boil then turn down to low fire and cook for half an hour.

4. Serve with the briyani rice.

Meditarranean Feast!

Yesterday, I promised the kids a mediterranean feast tonight. I intend to make cusines from different countries at least once a week, and explain the culture and stories about that particular country where the cusine originated from while we sample it. Tonight I made Chicken casserole and tomato rice. Though tomato rice is not a particular dish originating from the mediterranean, the dish composition is close enough to what they eat.

Chicken Casserole

Ingredients

2 chicken legs

1 carrot cut into big pieces

2 potatoes cut into quarters

2 celery cut into big pieces

1/2 big onion sliced

Water

Half a lemon

1 tbsp Olive oil

1/2 tsp Black peppercorn

Parsley chopped

1 tsp salt

3 tsp corn flour

Method

1. Heat up the olive oil in a pot. Add the onion and fry for 1 min, add in the chicken, carrot, potatoes and celery. Add half a lemon of lemon juice and peppercorn.

2. Add water enough to cover 3/4 of the chicken leg. Bring to a boil then turn to low fire for 30 to 40 mins.

3. When the ingredients are cooked, add in salt to taste and pasley. Mix corn flour with some water. Turn up the fire to boiling point and add in the corn flour and stir to thicken the sauce. Switch off the fire and serve hot.

Tomato rice ( For 3 person)

Ingredients

2 tomatoes pureed

1/2 onion cut into quarter

1 cinnamon

salt

water

1 1/2 cup rice

1 tbsp olive oil

Method

1. Heat olive oil in a pan and fry the onion and cinnamon. Add in the rice and fry till it crackles.

2. Remove the rice from the pan and put into a rice cooker.

3. Add in tomato puree and add in water. Remember to less the amount of water that we normally add to cook the rice according to the amount of puree added.

4. Close the cover and cook the rice.

5. Rice can be served with chicken casserole, or curry.

Pork and Liver Mee Suah

This morning I made pork and liver mee suah（猪肝瘦肉面线）. Mee suah is a type of chinese noodle made from wheat flour. It's texture is soft and is a suitable for young children and old people who can't bite too well. The best mee suah are hokkien/Amoy mee suah. It is easily cooked and you can actually cook the noodles longer to make it abit soft and gluey. Since my pregnancy, that's the way I like all my noodles done, super soft hehe. This is a very fast to cook dish that can be ready in 20 mins including preparation and cooking. Ok here's the recipe.

Ingredients ( For 2 persons)

100g pork sliced

50g liver sliced

600ml water

2 slices of ginger julienned

1 tsp sesame oil

2 tsp soya sauce

2 tsp corn flour

1 tsp salt

Pinch of pepper

1 tsp of Shao Xing chinese wine

Mee suah 2 pieces

Garnish

spring onion chopped

parsley chopped

Method

1. Marinade pork with soya sauce, pepper and 1tsp corn flour. Marinade liver with 1 tsp cornflour.

2. Bring 300 ml of water to a boil and put in the mee suah. Add sesame oil and 1/2 tsp salt to the water.Cook till the noodle is soft, if you like it softer, boil it a little longer.

3.Drain the hot water, add 300ml water to the noodles and bring to a boil.

4. Add in the ginger and pork. Add salt, pepper and wine to taste.

5. Add in liver and boil for 1 min before switching off the fire.

6. Add in the spring onion and parsley to garnish.

7. Pour the noodle soup into a bowl.

A sumptuous and nutritious breakfast.

Note: Do not over cook the liver, or else the liver will turn tough. After the fire is switch off, the heat will continue to cook the liver.

Bittergourd and Pork ribs with black bean paste

Ingredient
1 tsp of black bean paste with garlic
half a bittergourd
1 tsp cooking oil
300g Pork Ribs/Spareribs
1 garlic chopped
3/4 cup water
Marinade
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tsp chinese rice wine
1 pinch of pepper
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp corn flour

Method
1. Marinade the pork ribs with the marinade mixture. Set aside.
2. Clear the seeds from the bittergourd. Cut the bittergourd into long rectangular pieces around 6cm by 3 cm. Add 1 tsp of salt into the water and soak the cut bittergourd in it for 5 mins.
3.Heat the oil in a pot, fry garlic and add in the black bean paste.
4. Add in the pork ribs and bittergourd and stir fry for 2 minutes till the ingredients get all the bean paste.
5. Add water and wait for it to boil then switch to small fire.
6. Stew the pork ribs and bittergourd for 40minutes.
7. Remove from fire and serve hot with rice.


Note: 1)Soak the bittergourd in salt water to remove some of the bitter taste.
2)The bittergourd should not be cut into too small a piece because we are stewing it for long period of time, if it's too small, it will disintegrate into the sauce.

The smell of this dish just makes your appetite grows!

Pork & Century egg Congee

Ok havent been in this blog for a long long time. Had been in hospitalised, then bed rest and finally able to walk around abit more. Anyway, morning sickness seem to have subsided some, so now I have more energy to think up some nice food for everyone. Today made "Pork and Century egg porridge" ( 皮蛋瘦肉粥） for Dh for breakfast.

Recipe for Pork and Century egg porridge(Congee)

Ingredients

1 century egg cut into cubes

50g sliced pork

half cup of rice

500ml water

1 tsp onion oil

1/2 tsp of salt

1 stalk of spring onion chopped

1 tsp of fried onion

Method

1. Put the washed rice in a claypot/pot, add water, onion oil, a pinch of salt.

2. Bring the water into a boil and turn to small fire and cook for half hour until the rice has turn soft and mashy.

3. Add the pork and salt to taste.

4.Scoop out the porridge into a bowl, add century egg, fried onion and spring onion to garnish.

5.Add some pepper if desire.

The finished product: tasty pork and century egg Congee

Vegetarian Bak Kut Teh

Bak Kut Teh or Pork Rib Tea （肉骨茶） is a soup that is a local delicacy. It is said that this soup originate from the creation of poor coolies in Southeast Asia. They are very poor and whenever able will gather whatever herbs they could get hold of and make into soup together with pork rib. The herbal soup is delicious and is said to boost their constitution. There are many version of pork rib tea, herbal type and the teochew more peppery version. But here I will introduce the herbal version but vegetarian style. If you want you could substitute the bean items with pork ribs.

Ingredients

3 sticks of Tau Kee ( Bean Stick) soaked for half hour

1 can Button Mushrooms

Other Vegetarian ingredients like tau pok, mock meat (optional)

Soup Base

1/2 piece shu di (chinese herb)

1 slice danggui (chinese herb)

1 stalk of dang sheng (chinese herb)

1 piece of bei qi/huang qi(chinese herb)

1/2 stick of cinnamon

1 star anise

1 honey date

1 tsp of white peppercorn

1 tbsp of black sauce

1 tbsp soya sauce to taste

4 Cloves garlic (optional)

Method

1. Boil 800 ml of water, add in the ingredients for soup base and bring to a boil, then switch to small fire for 40 minutes.

2. Add in the tau kee and cook for another half hour, then add in the button mushrooms and soya sauce to taste, bring to a boil.

3. Switch off the fire and serve the soup hot with rice.

Note: 1)You can add in 2 cloves of garlic into the soup base if you want but garlic will not be added to strict vegan dish .
2) If want to use pork ribs instead, add the pork ribs into the soup base when it boils and cook at low fire for 45 minutes.