01-APR-2010
Chicken Cashew
I love cashew nuts. And after attempting Kung Pao chicken, I have some left over cashews and also some left over bell peppers of yesterday's sweet and sour pork ribs!
and learn the secret of tenderizing meat and making it succulent to the taste bud.
Oo la la....another success..and no more restaurant food!
01-APR-2010
Fried Brinjal and Long Beans
I took the recipe fr 2 websites and combined the ingredients, plus and minus.
http://thefoodsite.net/2008/12/stir-fried-spicy-brinjal-eggplant/
http://rasamalaysia.com/sambal-eggplant-aubergine-brinjal/
Slice the brinjals and long beans
Chop some garlic and red chilli finely
Dry shrimps
Fry the garlic, shrimps and chilli
Add in the long beans and brinjal
Add sugar, salt and fish sauce
I added in a spoon of sambal paste fr the bottle as I didn't have time to make fresh ones..
I like my vegies juicy and crunchy, so I cooked them quick....
I love the chopped chilli and garlic...thinking of garlic makes me drool already....
31-MAR-2010
Sweet and Sour Pork
This is my favourite dish. However I took out the wrong bag fr the freezer so it ended up sweet and sour pork ribs! Served with white rice and of course a dish of fried vegetables :D
This lady has a lot of recipes which I like and why not, she is willing to share, I will try to cook it.
However due to my depleted kitchen resources, I had to make several trips to the supermarket to get them!
What I like is at least I found the right way to make batter to fry food. Now it's cruncy, not mushy like previously.
The sauce is suppose to be the secret ingredient. However I didn't make enough- more pork ribs vs sauce so I couldn't savour the aroma/taste. Will need to cook this dish again. This time with just lean meat minus bones!
31-MAR-2010
Sweet & Sour Pork II
Don't like bell peppers but for the colour I added in. :D
30-MAR-2010
Kung Pao Chicken
I passed the test fr Mr Fussy Pot (other half). It sounded complicated but it's the typical Sichuan fried chicken + Chili + cashew nuts.....one of my favourite dishes.
Preparation required a bit of multi-tasking and ingredients :D.
Ingredients:
1 1/2 boneless & skinless chicken breast (or 3 boneless & skinless chicken drumsticks)
3 tablespoons roasted peanuts (I used cashew nuts)
8-12 dried red chilies (deseeded and cut into halves)
3 tablespoons cooking oil
5 slices peeled fresh ginger
2 gloves garlic (sliced diagonally)
1 stalk scallion (chopped)
For the marinate:
1 tablespoon corn starch
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
1 teaspoon oil
For the sauce:
1 1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon black vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon corn starch
Method:
Cut the chicken meat into small cubes, rinse in water, pat dry with water and marinate with the ingredients above for 30 minutes.
Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Heat up a wok with one tablespoon cooking oil and stir-fry the marinated chicken until they are 70% cook. Dish out and set aside.
Clean the wok and add in the remaining 2 tablespoons of cooking oil until it smokes.
Add in the ginger and garlic slices and do a quick stir before adding in the dried red chilies.
Stir fry the dried red chilies until aromatic and they smell spicy, then add in the chicken meat.
Do a quick stir before adding in the roasted peanuts and continue to stir a few times.
Add in the sauce and stir continuously until the chicken meat is nicely coated with the sauce.
Add in the scallions and stir evenly.
Dish out and serve hot with steamed white rice.
30-MAR-2010
Fried Kangkong (water spinach)
Ingredients:
1 bunch of Kangkong/1lb (water spinach/water convolvulus), wash well with water, cut to approx. 2-3 inches
2-3 tb oil
1 ts sugar
add in some ikan bilis stock/belacan
some dried shrimps (soaked)
garlic
chili
Fry the garlic and chili and add in the dried shrimps.
Add in salt, stock to taste
Add in the Kangkong and fry until ready.
Get a good wok. I fried mine in a pot so it ended up `boiled'.....still taste ok but not the same.
29-MAR-2010
Braised Chicken With Chinese Mushroom And Carrots
But with me I just chopped the chicken drumstick into 3 pieces, too lazy to debone them.
And used the following recipe as a guideline and like chinese cooking you can improvise the content according to taste.
It was interesting to add the mushroom water as part of the sauce base..gives it that extra ummph taste....
The corn starch thickened the base....
Ingredients
500g chicken thigh fillets cut into cubes
3 carrots cut into cubes
10 Chinese mushrooms.
Half a shallot
4 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 tsp of ginger
1 tsp of Chinese cooking wine (ShaoXing cooking wine)
2 tbsp of light soy sauce
3 tbsp of dark soy sauce
1 tbsp of oyster sauce
1/2 tsp of sesame oil
180ml of chicken broth
4-5 Star anise
2 dashes of white pepper
1 tbsp of corn flour diluted with water
2 chillies chopped finely (optional)
Directions
Begin with soaking the Chinese Mushroom with boiling hot water for at least an hour. De-stalk it and keep the soaking water.
Marinate chicken with light soy sauce, pepper, sesame oil for 15 mins.
Heat oil, add in shallot, garlic and ginger and fry until fragrant.
Add chicken, chinese cooking wine, star anise and chilli and stir fry for about 5 minutes.
Add carrot, chinese mushroom, dark soy sauce and oyster sauce. Stir well.
Pour chicken broth and the about half a cup of soaking water from the mushroom and mix well.
Leave everything to simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add corn flour mix and let it cook for another 10 minutes.
Pour and serve hot
25-MAR-2010
Stir Fried Lotus Root and Mushroom
I was thinking of cooking a dish out of the lotus root we bought fr the market last weekend. Lotus root goes well with the chinese mushrooms.
Don't ask me the exact ingredients, more or less give and take with the basic to suit your taste bud.
I did browse through the internet for some ideas, unable to retrive the exact recipe as I couldn't locate the link. So this will do, moreover I also altered by adding more of this and that....
Couple of chinese mushroom (soak them with water to soften it)
Diced carrots ( I boiled them first to soften it)
Sliced Lotus root
2 slices of ginger
1 tb of Oyster Sauce
1 tb soy sauce
sugar (a few teaspoons)
salt
pinch of MSG (optional)
Dash of chicken essence/chicken stock
Sesame oil
Corn Starch for thickening (I obmitted as mine was dry! LOL)
Throw in all the ingredients and add in the sauce and FRY.....
Add in some water to avoid burning ( I cooked mine in a pot)
Don't over cook as the lotus root tastes nice cruncy and retains the juices.
If you wish you can take them out first and then cook the mushrooms longer.
Voila....healthy food. At the end of the cooking just add in the sesame oil
20-JUL-2010
Lotus and fresh mushroom
Did the same method but used fresh mushrooms
25-MAR-2010
Sambal Prawn
It's basic and very straight forward. I suppose I could do the `sambal' but I was short of time, spending too much time baking and rather exhausted. I took the short-cut and used the sauce from the bottle.
Only added in some garlic, diced onions, chili.
Fry them and later throw in the prawns and paste...voila....yummy dish.
25-MAR-2010
Fried Fish Fillet
Need to clear the stock fr the freezer. Straight fr the box to hot boiling oil.
24-MAR-2010
Meat Patties
How to make them:
Ingredients:
(serves 4)
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon butter
400g ground beef (I used pork, normally you can mix meat - half pork/beef)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/2 teaspoon salt
some pepper to season
4 tablespoons bread crumbs (keeps the meat juicies)
3 tablespoons milk
sauce:
mix 2 tablespoons ketchup with 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
Method:
Saute onion with butter, until onions turn transparent, set aside, let cool completely.
Soak the breadcrumb in milk, mix a little and set aside.
Place ground beef in a bowl, add beaten egg, salt and pepper. Mix well. Add in the cooked onion and breadcrumb mixture. Mix the mixture with hands until it becomes sticky.
Make four meat balls and toss each ball from one hand to the other hand a few times. This helps to prevent the meat patty from breaking into pieces during frying.
Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the meat patties over medium heat for 1~2 mins. Turn over and fry for another 1~2 mins. When both sides are lightly browned cover the pan with a lid and turn to Low heat. Allow to cook for about 7~8 mins. Remove the lid and cook until both sides are evenly browned. You can insert a toothpick or a skewer into the centre of the beef patty. If the juice runs clear the patties are done.
Dish out the patties and serve with the the sauce.
Recipe source: Happy Home Baking
