Tuesday 24 April 2018

Stir fried leek with char siew

I always fried leeks with siew yuk (Chinese roast pork) until a fellow foodie blogger suggested that I try using char siew instead of siew yuk. It turned out very nice albeit a little sweet so may need to add a bit more salt.

Ingredients

3 medium size leeks
1 strip of char siew (sliced)






Wash the leek properly especially the leaf end because there will be dirt trapped between the leaves
Slice the leek slantwise




Heat up 2 tbsp oil and fry the chopped garlic until slightly brown
Add the leeks and stir until it is thoroughly coated with the oil




Add a 1 tsp light soy sauce and a little water
Season with a dash of pepper and salt
Mix thoroughly


Put in the char siew and mix thoroughly
Add a little bit more water if necessary
Dish up and serve when the leeks are soft


Thursday 19 April 2018

Lotus root and braised peanut soup

Today I am using canned braised peanuts instead of raw ones because I don’t want to stock up on raw peanuts since we are moving to Taiwan soon. It is actually quite nice because the nuts are softer than when I use the raw ones.

Ingredients

1 small size lotus root
5 medium size pieces of pork bones
1 can braised peanuts




Peel and slice the lotus root







Remember to blanch the pork bones to remove the scum






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





Add the yuk chuk, dates, kei chi and season with salt and pepper
Cook on auto for another for another 3 hours






Add the braised peanuts and cook for another hour
It is ready to serve

Thursday 12 April 2018

Stir fried beef with capsicum and onion

Everyone is tired of eating chicken and pork so decided to do a beef stir fry with capsicums and onions. Surprisingly it turned out quite tasty so will have to remember this recipe for future use.

Ingredients

½ an onion
1 small red capsicum
1 small green capsicum
150 gm sliced beef



Marinate the beef with:
½ tsp light soy sauce
½ tsp sesame oil
1 tsp corn starch flour
Salt and pepper





Dice the vegetables






Heat 2 tbsp cooking oil in the wok
Add the onion and fry until fragrant





Put in the capsicums and stir until almost cooked
Remove and keep aside






Add 1 tbsp oil into the wok
Put in the beef and mix thoroughly in the oil





When the beef has changed colour return the cooked vegetables to the wok
Add a little water and mix thoroughly
Dish up and serve immediately

Sunday 8 April 2018

Jiu hu char (鱿鱼炒)

Almost all Penang nyonya families will serve jiu hu char for all festivals. Jiu hu see is shredded cuttlefish which is the special ingredient in jiu hu char. Thus I am preparing this dish for prayers during cheng beng (qingming/清明) since it is a favourite with the deceased members of my family.

Ingredients

2 small sengkuang (sweeter)
1 carrots
6 dried mushrooms
50 gm shredded cuttlefish (jiu hu see)




Soak and slice the mushrooms thinly then marinate:
½ tsp light soy sauce
½ tsp oyster sauce
½ tsp sesame oil
½ tsp sugar
Dash of pepper


Wash and soak the shredded cuttlefish to remove the saltiness




Julienne the sengkuang and carrots
Mix them thoroughly so that it is easier to stir fry





Heat up 2 tbsp cooking oil and 1 tsp sesame oil
Put in the mushrooms and mix well in the oil





Add 2 tsp chopped garlic and fry until fragrant






Add the shredded cuttlefish and mix thoroughly







Add the carrot and sengkuang







Stir until the vegetables are well coated with the oil
Add a little water at a time to prevent the vegetables getting burnt
Season with salt, pepper and a little chicken stock





Cover and cook on low fire for 1 hour
Check frequently to make sure that there is enough water to help it cook




The flavour and taste will be better if you leave it for a few hours before serving
It is best eaten wrapped with fresh lettuce leaves with a dash of chilli sauce

Monday 2 April 2018

The four ‘rooms’ with bacon

The four ‘rooms’ refers to the four different types of mushrooms that I use. You can use any other types of mushrooms for this dish. Mushrooms taste fantastic when fried with kewpie roasted sesame dressing.

Ingredients

1 pack white shimeji mushrooms
1 pack brown shimeji mushrooms
1 pack eryngii mushrooms
1 pack enoki mushrooms
3 bacon slices


Cut the eryngii mushroom stems into 2 or 3 segments
Slice the stem into bite size pieces
The thickness can vary depending on your preference




Cut off the roots of the enoki and shimeji mushrooms
Do not wash the mushrooms otherwise it will become soggy
Slice the bacon




Briefly blanch the eryngii mushrooms as it will lock the water inside the mushrooms so they won’t get soggy during stir-frying and result in a firm and silky texture






Heat a little oil in the pan and fry the bacon







Add the chopped garlic when the bacon is slightly crispy






Add the shimeji mushrooms and mix well





Put in the eryngii and enoki mushrooms
Add 2 tbsp kewpie roasted sesame dressing, salt and pepper.
Mix thoroughly then dish up and serve