Stir fried mixed vegetables

The best thing about stir frying is being able to mix any ingredients and still have a tasty dish. This dish is cooked using leftover vegetables.

Ingredients

Broccoli

Cauliflower

Cabbage

1 tomato

Kewpie roasted sesame sauce

Cut the broccoli into bite size pieces

Cut the cauliflower into bite size pieces

Cut the cabbage into bite size pieces

Cut the tomato into wedges

Parboil the cauliflower first

Next parboil the broccoli

Heat up a little oil and fry some chopped garlic and salt

Add the cabbage and mix well with the oil

I found some bacon chips in the freezer so I am throwing that in

Add the cauliflower, broccoli and tomato and mix well

Add 2 tbsp kewpie roasted sesame dressing, salt and pepper.

Dish up and serve

Pork rib with wai san curry

I used wai san instead of potatoes because it is less fattening and the taste is almost the same. However, it takes a bit longer to cook compared to potatoes.

Ingredients

1 large fresh wai san (equivalent to 4 potatoes)

1 kg meaty pork ribs

2 packs of homemade chili paste.  

Take the chili paste out of the bag whilst it is still frozen otherwise the paste will stick to the bag.

Add 2 tbsp meat curry powder and a little water to the defrosted chili paste

 Mix thoroughly

Wash the ribs with salt to reduce the pork smell

Rinse until the water is clear

Heat some oil in the pan

Put in the chili paste and stir until it is fragrant.

If needed add a little water to prevent the chili being burnt

Put in the pork pieces

Mix thoroughly with the chili paste

Add enough water to partially cover the pork

Cover and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes

Peel and cut the wai san into fairly big pieces

Add the wai san to the curry

Add the coconut milk powder and more water if needed

Season with salt and a pinch of sugar

Cover and simmer on low heat until pork and wai san are cooked

Char siew chicken drumsticks

Char siew is actually barbecued pork which is sweet, sticky and fragrant. When I was at the market today I found another brand of char siew sauce which I want to try. Since I don’t have any pork belly in the freezer I am using chicken drumsticks instead. What’s the verdict? It is very good and much better than other brands that I have used before. I like to use prepacked sauces because when I live overseas I can still cook these dishes when it may be difficult to get the right ingredients to make the sauces.

 Ingredients 

6 chicken drumsticks

This is the brand that I just found in the market. It is manufactured in Klang (my home town) which is why I am excited to try it out. The cooking instruction says to cook in the wok but I am cooking it in the air fryer instead.

Pull the skin back and make a slit on both sides of the flesh

This is so that the marinate can coat the meat under the skin

It also helps the chicken to cook faster and evenly

Pour the char siew sauce onto the chicken and mix thoroughly

Leave to marinate for 3 hours or overnight

Heat up the air fryer for 1 minute

Put the chicken into the fryer (remember to pull the skin to cover the meat)

Set the timer for 20 minutes

Turn the chicken over after 10 minutes

Brush more marinate on the chicken

Check if the chicken is completely cooked by pushing a chopstick into the thickest part of the drumstick

Cook a little longer if necessary

Dish up and serve as a side dish or with salad as a main meal

Fresh cordyceps 冬虫草 and pork ribs soup

I use fresh Cordyceps militaris for this soup because it is cheaper than the dried cordyceps from the herbalist shops. In fact, a study suggested that fresh Cordyceps militaris was superior to dried ones for enhancing immunity. Whenever I cook this soup the little one will ask me why I cook worm in the soup but she loves eating it because it is crunchy.

Cordyceps (虫草参) is a kind of vegetable root that look like maggots. It is a type of mushrooms which grow wildly on certain caterpillars in the high mountain regions of China. Cordyceps is used to treat respiratory disorders, kidney disorders, liver disorders, male sexual problems, anemia, irregular heartbeat and high cholesterol. It is also used as a tonic for those recovering from an illness or an operation or after giving birth and for rejuvenation and stamina among the elderly. Wild Cordyceps sinensis are the most powerful in its healing properties but they are quite expensive and difficult to buy in many parts of the world. Therefore, many manufacturers do not use Cordyceps sinensis but the cultivated forms of the fungus such as Cordyceps militaris.

Ingredients 

Pork ribs

100 gm cordyceps

Remember to blanch the pork bones to remove the scum

Put the blanched pork into the boiling water and cook on high for 1 hour

Add the cordyceps, yuk chuk, dates, kei chi and season with salt and pepper

Cook on low for another 4 hours

Ikan asam pedas or sour and spicy fish (阿叁鱼)

If you are like me with family members who have different tastes then you need to cater for their different likes and dislikes. In this dish I use 2 different types of fish because some prefer fish with bones and some prefer without bones. Spicy and sourish food tends to increase the appetite so it is best to serve this dish with other non-fattening dishes.

Ingredients

2 ikan selar (Bigeye scad)

1 block ikan tenggiri (Spanish mackerel)

10 ladies fingers (okra)

2 tomatoes

Nowadays I am too lazy to make my own chilli paste (too many things to wash up)

This is my favourite brand that I use for certain spicy dishes

Remove the top and bottom of the ladies fingers

Cut the tomatoes into wedges

I am adding my home made chilli boh to make it a bit spicier

Heat up 1 tbsp oil and fry the chilli boh for 1 minute

Add the asam pedas paste and 200 ml water

Mix thoroughly

I am adding laksa leaves (daun kesum) and bunga kantan (torch ginger flower) which I have in the freezer

Fresh herbs like laksa leaves and torch ginger flower heightens the flavour

Put in 1 tsp sugar and salt to taste

Put in the fish and cook for 5 minutes

Turn the fish over to cook the other side

Add the ladies fingers, cover and cook for 5 minutes

Add the tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes

Dish up and serve with steamed rice or quinoa if on carb free diet