Prawns/Shrimp in Black Bean Sauce

It’s been a little while since I cooked a regular dinner at home since I’ve been mostly spending my time childrearing and my mother in law has been doing most of the cooking (apart from baking). So when my father in law suggested I make dinner, I thought it was probably a good idea since I hadn’t blogged about something savory in a while too. I was also craving a couple of dishes that I grew up with that I hadn’t cooked in a while.

This recipe is from my mom. My in laws commented how they thought it was interesting that there were tomatoes in a black bean dish but this is the way that my mom has always made it. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any peppers on hand so I couldn’t include them. The dish seemed to be a hit since both hubby and my father In law commented that they liked it, which is always nice to hear especially since hubby barely ever comments on anything I make.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. Prawns/Shrimp
1 tbsp. Dried Black Beans
1 Tomato (chopped into small pieces)
1 Onion (chopped into small pieces)
1/2 Green Pepper (or any other colour Pepper – cut in strips)
1 clove Garlic (minced)
1 tsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Sesame Oil
1 tsp. Black Pepper
2 tsp. Oil
1 tbsp. Corn Starch
Corn Starch Slurry (1 tbsp. Corn Starch, 1 tbsp. Sugar, 1 tsp. Pepper and 2 tbsp. Water)

DIRECTIONS:

In a small bowl, marinate the prawns/shrimp with sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil and black pepper. Allow to chill in the refrigerator for at least half an hour as you prepare everything else (chopping veggies and mixing together corn starch slurry).

Wash the black beans and add a little hot water to allow them to soften. When they are softened, mash them with the back of a spoon, then set aside.

Heat up wok and add 1 tsp. oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onion. Stir fry until the onion is slightly softened and browned, then add the tomato and peppers. Once the tomato has softened and the pepper is slightly browned, remove ingredients from wok.

Remove prawns/shrimp from the refrigerator and coat with cornstarch.

Heat up wok again and add 1 tsp. oil and garlic. Stir fry until slightly browned, then add prawns/shrimp. Allow to cook for a minute before adding the cornstarch slurry and black beans. Add a little bit of water if it appears not to have enough sauce.

When the prawns/shrimp are cooked, return the vegetables to the wok and stir fry until all combined. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Remove from wok and serve!

Hong Kong Style Russian Borscht Soup

I often have "Russian Borscht" soup along with my meal when I go to a Hong Kong style cafe. I am sure it is a far cry from the authentic Russian Borscht soup that is supposed to be a hearty beetroot vegetable soup. Nevertheless, it seems to be a staple in Hong Kong style cafes, and I have always wanted to try making it at home.

I thought the soup turned out very good, and everyone who tried this soup seemed to enjoy it. I had made a large pot and expected to have lots of leftovers, but it was actually all gone by the next day.

INGREDIENTS:

4 strips Beef Brisket, Beef Bones or Oxtail
3 stalks Celery (diced)
3 Potatoes (cut in chunks)
1 Onion (cut in chunks)
3 Tomatoes (cut in chunks)
1 Carrot (cut in chunks)
1/2 Cabbage (cut in chunks)
4 cloves Garlic
10 to 15 White Peppercorns
3 Bay Leaves
1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 lemon
salt, sugar, white pepper to taste
2 cups Beef or Vegetable Stock
approximately 2.5 L Water

DIRECTIONS:

Blanch beef brisket (beef bones or oxtail) for 3 minutes to remove blood. Trim away any fat from the meat.

Add beef brisket (beef bones) into a large pot of boiling water, together with beef stock.

Heat up wok and add a teaspoon of oil Sauté 1 clove of garlic, then add carrots. Once they are browned, add to the pot along with the heart of the cabbage, white peppercorns and bay leaves. Cook for 90 minutes, or until the meat is tender. Remove heart of the cabbage from the pot.

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté 1 clove of garlic until aromatic. Add onion, celery and cabbage, then sauté until softened. Add these three ingredients to the pot.

Repeat process with the tomatoes, allowing tomatoes to be softened. Repeat process again with the potatoes, allowing potatoes to be browned before adding to the pot.

Bring to the boil, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour.

When all the ingredients become tender, season well with salt, sugar, white pepper and lemon juice to taste.

Serve hot in a bowl.

Penne Soup with Ham

Traditionally, this dish is made with macaroni and is a popular breakfast item at Hong Kong style cafes. Unfortunately, I did not have any macaroni at home so I settled for penne. I also did not have peas and corn, which is generally what is also included in this dish, and decided to substitute it with some mushrooms. Nevertheless, I find this pasta soup very comforting and extremely easy to make.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 cup Penne (or any type of pasta)
2 cans Chicken Stock
1/2 cup Water
1/2 lb. Ham (cut into small pieces)
1 cup Mushrooms
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
2 tsp. Sesame Oil

DIRECTIONS:

Cook the penne according to the package instructions. Drain well and set aside.

Use a large pot, add chicken stock and water. Bring it to a boil. Add macaroni, ham, and mushrooms. When it comes to a boil again, season with salt and pepper.

Drizzle a bit of sesame oil on top. Serve in individual bowls topped with a fried egg (optional).

Honey Walnut Shrimp

All of the festivities surrounding Chinese New Year were definitely exhausting this year. I guess we were trying to make it as festive as possible with our little boy experiencing his first Chinese New Year. Of course, as with any festivity, there were lots of dinners and food in general around. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to join in all of the cooking as I was on mommy duty but I managed to make a few things.

This was a dish I decided to make for one of the Chinese New Year family dinners that we hosted this year. We had ordered this dish at restaurants in the past and everyone always seemed to enjoy it so I thought I'd take a crack at it. I would say that it ended up being a crowd pleaser since there was nothing left afterwards.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. Shrimp
1/2 cup Walnuts
3 tbsp. Mayonnaise
1/2 tbsp. Honey
2 tbsp. Condensed Milk
1 tbsp Half and Half Cream
1 tsp. Lemon juice
1 Egg White
1/2 cup Corn Starch (for coating the shrimp)
Oil for frying

For the Walnuts:
1/3 cup Sugar
1/3 cup Honey
1/2 cup Water
Oil for frying

DIRECTIONS:

Peel and deveine the shrimp. Pat dry with paper towels, add the egg white, mix well with the shrimp and set aside.

In a small pot, bring about half a pot of water to a boil. Add the walnuts and allow to boil for a few minutes. This will remove the skin. Drain and set aside.

Bring the 1/2 cup of the water to a boil, then add in the sugar and 1/3 cup of honey. Keep stirring until it turns thick and golden color, then add the walnuts. Coat the walnuts in the mixture, then remove from pot.

Heat up oil for frying in a wok. Add the walnuts into the hot oil and briefly fry not allowing them to burn. Remove and place walnuts on parchment paper to dry.

Coat the shrimp with a thick layer of corn starch, then fry in the hot oil until golden brown. Remove shrimp from the wok and drain on paper towels.

In a bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, honey, condensed milk, half and half cream and lemon juice. Add shrimp and walnuts, then toss to combine in the mayonnaise sauce.

Transfer to a serving plate and serve!

Baked Chicken on Rice in Portugese Style

This is a dish that you'd find in most Hong Kong style cafes. I'm really not sure exactly why this dish is "Portugese Style". I'll just assume that a coconuty curry sauce is "Portugese Style" according to Hong Kong style cafes. In any case, it's quite tasty so I'll go along with it.

This was a spur of a moment dish that I made after noticing that there was chicken in the fridge. Me and hubby had recently been to a Hong Kong style cafe, and he seemed to quite like this dish. He is partial to coconut-flavoured dishes though. I was actually quite content with the final product. Hubby's only critique was that he wished I had used dark meat instead of breast meat. I will definitely keep that in mind next time!

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. Chicken Breast (or thigh)(cut into small pieces)
2 Potatoes (chopped)
1 Carrot (chopped)
1 Onion (chopped)
1 cup Cheese (grated) (I used mozzarella, but I'd probably mix with cheddar next time)
1 tsp. Turmeric Powder
1/2 tsp. Cumin Powder
2 to 3 tbsp. Curry Powder
1 can Coconut Milk
1 can Chicken Stock
1 tsp. minced garlic
4 bowls fried rice
1 Egg (whisked)
2 tsp. Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Cornstarch
1 tsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Shaoxing Wine
1/8 tsp. Salt
1/2 tsp. Ginger (freshly grated)
1 tsp. Pepper
2 tsp. Oil
Cornstarch Slurry (1 tbsp. Cornstarch with 2 tbsp. Water)

DIRECTIONS:

In a large bowl, marinate chicken with the soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, shaoxing wine, salt, grated ginger and pepper for 20 minutes. Preheat oven to 390 F.

Heat 1 tsp. oil on saucepan and sauté the minced garlic. Toss in onion and sauté until translucent. Add marinated chicken and cook over medium heat, until lightly brown. Add potatoes and carrots, stir until evenly heat all ingredients.

Sprinkle turmeric powder, cumin powder and curry powder. Stir fry until aromatic. Pour chicken stock and bring to a boil. Slow heat to medium-low and cook until the potatoes turn soft. Add half of the can of coconut milk and bring to boil again. Once the sauce comes to a boil, reduce heat and allow to simmer.

While the sauce is simmering, heat up another wok. Add 1 tsp. oil, then add rice and stir fry until the grains of rice appear to be separated. Add whisked egg to the rice. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.

Transfer fried rice to a baking dish. Pour the other half of the can of coconut milk over the rice.

Once the sauce has simmered for approximately half an hour, add cornstarch slurry and continue to simmer until it is to your desired consistency. Taste and adjust accordingly.

Spoon chicken and vegetables onto the rice. Pour sauce on top using your own discretion as to how saucy you want the dish to be. Sprinkle cheese all over the top.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until cheese turns golden brown. Serve hot.

Pan-Fried Soy Sauce Rice Noodle Rolls

Baby Jory is now beginning to giggle, which is probably why it is so hard to rip myself away to blog. I could spend hours just playing Peekaboo with the little boy and watching him laugh...

My parents gave me a package of rice noodle rolls recently, which made me curious to find out how to recreate this dim sum dish. I experimented a bit with some soy sauces and I thought the end product was pretty similar to the kind that you would find at a restaurant that serves dim sum. To add a bit more texture, you could also add some green onions and bean sprouts.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb Rice Noodle Rolls
1 tbs. Soy Sauce
1 tbs. Dark Soy Sauce
1 tbs. Kecap Manis
1/4 piece of Brown Candy
1 tsp. Sesame Oil
1 tsp. Oil
1 clove Garlic (minced)
2 tbsp. Dried Shrimp

DIRECTIONS:

In a small bowl, melt the brown candy with a bit of hot water. You may need to put it in the microwave for a minute so that it is completely dilluted. Once it is dilluted, add the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, kecap manis and sesame oil. Stir and set aside.

Heat up wok and add oil. Once oil is hot, add garlic and dried shrimp. Stirfry until slightly browned, then add the rice noodle rolls. Allow the rice noodle rolls to become slightly browned, then add the sauce mixture. Combine and allow the sauce to seep into the noodles.

Remove from wok and serve with Hoisin Sauce (mixed with a little Kecap Manis and Sesame Oil) and Peanut Butter (dilluted with a little water).

Chicken Congee

This recipe is another classic recipe that I got from my mom. Whenever I'm sick, I find that I crave this congee. There is definitely something about homemade congee from mom when you are not feeling well! Hopefully, Jory will feel the same about some of my dishes when he grows up!

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups Long Grain Rice
2 cans Chicken Broth (14.5 oz cans)
6 cups Water
2 Chicken Thighs (can actually use any part of the chicken though)
1 tsp. Salt
1 tbsp. Soy Sauce
1 tbsp. Pepper
1 tsp. Scallion oil (add hot oil to minced scallions)
1 tsp. Dried Shrimp

DIRECTIONS:

In a large pot, wash the long grain rice.

Add water and chicken broth to the pot. You may want to add more water if you don't like your congee to be too thick. Bring to a boil.

Add chicken, salt, soy sauce, pepper, scallion oil and dried shrimp. Lower heat to medium and simmer for at least an hour.

Add water as needed for the consistency that you prefer. Also, adjust seasoning as you may want to add a bit more salt or soy sauce.

Once the congee is at the correct consistency and saltiness, ladle into bowls and serve!

Mapo Tofu

I would like to apologize again for my lack of posts in the last while. It just has been really hard to find the time to cook, particularly to try out new recipes. Jory is now a whopping two months and 3 weeks old. He is reaching out for toys now, and we spend the mornings "talking" to each other. Basically, he tries to mimic some of the sounds he hears...and he smiles a lot in the mornings...extremely cute! It just melts my heart. It's probably why I haven't had too much time to blog...too much time staring at baby!

This recipe is another recipe passed down from my mom. There are so many versions of this dish that it's hard to figure out exactly what is supposed to go into it otherwise than the tofu itself. I like it pretty simple. You could definitely add lots of other ingredients such as diced chinese mushrooms and green onions. Actually, my mom usually adds green onions but I'm just not a huge fan of them. Feel free to include them.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Package Smooth Tofu (cut in cubes)
1/2 lb. Ground Pork
1 clove Garlic (minced)
1 tbsp. Ground Bean Sauce
1 tbsp. Chili Bean Sauce
1 tbsp. + 1 tsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Corn Starch
1 tbsp. Soy Sauce
1 tbsp. Sesame Oil
1 tsp. Black Pepper
1 tsp. Oil
Cornstarch Slurry (1 tbsp. Corn Starch, 1 tbsp. Sugar, 1 tsp. Pepper and 2 tbsp. Water)

DIRECTIONS:

Marinade ground pork with corn starch, soy sauce, sesame oil, 1 tsp. sugar and black pepper, then set aside.

Heat up wok and add oil. Once oil is hot, add garlic. Stirfry garlic until slightly browned, then add ground bean sauce, chili bean sauce and sugar.

Once the sauces are blended, add the ground pork. When the ground pork is cooked, gently add the tofu and blend carefully.

Once the tofu is blended, add the cornstarch slurry and allow the sauce to thicken. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. You may need to add a little sugar as the two sauces are salty.

Remove from wok and serve!

Stir Fried Long Beans with Pork

Long beans is another one of the veggies that I really like. I actually like them cooked enough so they are quite tender, but if you like them to still have a little bit of a snap, I would fry them for only a short time.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb. Long Beans (cut into 1" pieces)
1/2 lb. Ground Pork
1 tbsp. Ground Bean Sauce
1 tbsp. Chili Bean Sauce
2 Bird's Eye Chilies
1 tbsp. Dried Shrimp
2 tbsp. + 1 tsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Corn Starch
1 tbsp. Soy Sauce
1 tbsp. Sesame Oil
1 tsp. Black Pepper
1 clove Garlic (minced)
1/4 cup Oil
(Cornstarch Slurry: 1 tbsp. Corn Starch, 1 tbsp. Sugar, 1 tsp. Pepper and 2 tbsp. Water)

DIRECTIONS:

Marinade ground pork with corn starch, soy sauce, sesame oil, 1 tsp. sugar and black pepper, then set aside.

Heat up wok and add 1/4 cup of oil. Once oil is hot, add long beans. Ensure beans are dry or there will be a lot of splatter. Also, try to spread beans on wok so that there is one layer. You may want to fry them in a couple of batches. Once the beans are slightly browned and tender, remove from wok and set aside.

Pour out majority of oil from the wok until there is only about a tsp. left. Add garlic and dried shrimp and saute until slighly browned and fragrant. Add ground bean sauce, chili bean sauce and sugar, then mix until combined.

Add ground pork and bird's eye chilies to the wok. When the pork is cooked, return long beans to the wok. Add corn starch slurry and combine all ingredients.

Taste and adjust as necessary. May need more sugar as both bean sauces are salty.

Remove from wok and serve!

Watercress Soup

Watercress is my favourite leafy green, and if you know me, you know that there aren't too many leafy greens that I actually enjoy. I'm really not sure what it is about watercress that is appealing to me but it's been my favourite for as long as I can remember. Luckily, hubby's aunt is actually related to one of the most prominent watercress growers in town, so we will randomly get large amounts of it.

Once Jory will be old enough to eat solids, I'm hoping he will enjoy watercress as much as I do, and he won't mind that I make dishes with it all the time.

INGREDIENTS:

3 Bunches of Watercress
1 lb. Pork Bones
6 Dried Dates
2 tbsp. Chinese Almonds
1 piece Dried Orange Peel
2 tsp. Salt
2 tsp. Sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Bring a pot of water to a boil, then blanch pork bones and drain.

Refill pot with water and bring to a boil. Return pork bones to the pot, then add watercress (make sure water is boiling when you add the watercress). Add dried dates, chinese almonds, and dried orange peel.

Reduce to medium heat and allow to simmer for 2 to 3 hours.

Season with salt and sugar. Adjust as necessary, then serve.

Pickled Plum Spare Ribs

This has truly been a transition period in my life, and I'm happy to report that I am slowly returning to activities that I have not able to fit in (such as blogging). Every day, it amazes me at how quickly Jory is growing. I know all the sacrifices are worth it when I look at my beautiful little baby boy.

This recipe is another dish that my mom makes regularly. I love that there is a little tanginess from the pickled plums. Do be careful though, it is easy for this dish to end up salty since the pickled plums are jarred in salt water. It doesn't hurt to add a couple more spoonfuls of sugar.

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs. Pork Spare Ribs (cut to 1-inch pieces)
4 Pickled Plums
2 tbsp. Ground Bean sauce
1 tbsp. Soy Sauce
2 tbsp. Vinegar
1 tbsp. Sesame Oil
3 tbsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Pepper
1 tsp. Corn Starch
2 to 3 Bird's Eye Chilies

DIRECTIONS:

Add water to bottom half of steamer pot and boil water.

Rinse pickled plums as they are jarred in salt water. Once cleaned, in a small bowl, smoosh the pickled plums.

In a container that fits inside the steamer mix together the spare ribs with the smooshed pickled plums, ground bean sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, vinegar, sugar, pepper, corn starch and chilies.

Steam for approximately 20 to 25 minutes, then serve with rice.

Baked Pork Chops in Tomato Sauce

Mother in law was away on a day trip today, so it was up to us to fend for ourselves. I therefore took the opportunity to make a nice meal for the remainder of the family. It was hard to juggle everything though, and I found myself in the kitchen every time I found a free moment to marinade and prep in any way possible to make the process easier before dinnertime.

I have always loved baked pork chop on rice when I go out to eat at Hong Kong style cafes. Unfortunately, I did not have any leftover rice available so I could not include the rice today's version. Fried rice is just not right when it is made with fresh rice. Generally, I would make this dish with fried rice (fried with egg, peas, diced carrots, corn and diced mushrooms) and bake everything all together.

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs. Pork Chops (approximately 8 slices, bone out)
2 Eggs (beaten)
Mozzarella Cheese (or Parmesan, Cheddar), to taste
1 cup Panko Bread Crumbs

Marinade:

2 tbsp. Soy Sauce
2 tsp. Sugar
2 tsp. Corn Starch
2 tsp. Shaoxing Wine
2 tsp. Ginger (minced)
1 tbsp. Sesame Oil
2 tsp. Black Pepper

Sauce:

1 Onion (roughly chopped)
2 Tomatoes (cut into small chunks)
2 cloves Garlic (minced)
1 can Tomato Paste
2 tbsp. Ketchup
2 tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
2 tsp. Black Pepper
1 tbsp. Soy Sauce
2 tbsp. Sugar
1 tbsp. Brown Sugar
2 tbsp. Milk

DIRECTIONS:

Beat the pork chops with a mallet to tenderize the meat.

Marinade the pork chops with all of the marinade ingredients and set aside for at least half an hour.


Dredge the pork chops, one at a time, in the beaten eggs and then in the Panko bread crumbs.

Heat up oil in a wok for deep frying. Once the oil is hot, lower the heat to medium. Deep fry the pork chops until golden brown on both sides and then set aside in a oven proof dish that will be large enough to hold both the pork chops and the sauce.

Preheat oven to 400F.

In a saucepan or pot, saute the garlic and onions in oil until slightly browned. Add the chopped tomatoes. When the tomatoes begin to soften, add the tomato paste, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, soy sauce, sugar and brown sugar. Add a little water if the sauce is too thick. Reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes.

Pour the sauce evenly over the pork chops. Sprinkle a layer of cheese over the top.

Bake in the oven for approximately 10 minutes or until the cheese is slightly browned on top.

Sesame Oil Chicken

When I saw this recipe on the Rasa Malaysia website, I knew I had to make it since the author made reference to it being a dish often served to new mothers, during the confinement month after birth, which is my current situation. As the author of Rasa Malaysia noted, "Chinese believe that ginger and sesame oil are “heaty” ingredients that help strengthen and nourish the body of new mothers and will speed up recovery after child birth". I also have to say that it felt great to be back in the kitchen doing something "normal". Hubby seemed to enjoy this dish although I actually thought more ginger could be added.

Adapted from Rasa Malaysia
INGREDIENTS

3 Chicken Drumsticks (chop into 3-4 pieces each, bone-in)
3 inches knob of Ginger (peeled and cut into thin strips)
1 1/2 tbsp. Soy Sauce plus 1 tsp. for corn starch slurry
1/2 tbsp. Oyster Sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing Wine
2 tbsp. Sesame Oil
1/2 cup Water
2 tsp. White Pepper Powder plus 1 tsp. for corn starch slurry
1 tsp. Corn Starch
1 tsp. Sugar

DIRECTIONS:

In a small bowl, combine 1 1/2 tbsp. soy sauce, oyster sauce, shaoxing wine and 2 tsp. white pepper powder.

In another small bowl, combine 1 tsp. soy sauce, corn starch, sugar, and 1 tsp. white pepper powder.

Heat up a wok over high heat and add the sesame oil. When the oil is fully heated, add the ginger strips and stir fry until light brown or aromatic.

Add chicken to the and stir fry for about 10 to 15 seconds before adding the sauce mixture. Continue to stir-fry until the chicken is 70 percent cooked.

Add water, then cover the wok with the lid and turn the heat to medium to low heat and let the chicken cook for a few minutes and the meat becomes tender.

Add corn starch slurry and allow to thicken.

Dish out and serve.

Singapore Fried Rice Noodles

During a recent visit to the OBGYN, I was informed that the baby is in the correct positioning, and that I am basically ready to have this baby at any time! Frightening...yes...it also leaves me with visions of my water breaking in the middle of cooking one of my theme nights...yikes! I guess we will soon see what happens. So if there is a gap in my blog entries, you can pretty much guess what is happening...

While I acknowledge Singapore Fried Rice Noodles isn't actually a Singaporean dish, but rather a Chinese dish with Singaporean influences, I couldn't help but include it in this week's theme. I guess the combination of both curry and noodles couldn't be resisted!

adapted from Rasa Malaysia
INGREDIENTS

2 cloves Garlic (minced)
1 tbsp. Ginger (minced)
8 dried or fresh Shiitake Mushrooms
12 ounces dry Rice Vermicelli
1 medium onion (sliced)
1 cup Bean Sprouts
1 cup Carrots (sliced)
2 stalks of Green Onions (cut into 2-inch pieces)
1 pound Char Siu (Chinese Barbecued Pork), cut into matchsticks
4 Eggs
5 tbsp. Oil
3 tbsp. Oyster Sauce

For sauce:

3 tbsp. Madras Curry Powder
2 cloves Garlic (minced)
1 tbsp. Ginger (minced)
1 cup Chicken Broth
4 tbsp. Soy Sauce
4 tsp. Sugar
2 tsp. Hot Chili Paste
2 tbsp. Oil

DIRECTIONS

If using dried shiitake mushrooms, soak them in hot water for half an hour. Drain, then cut off the stems. Slice the mushrooms thinly.

Put the rice vermicelli in a large bowl and soak in enough hot water to cover, until the noodles are soft. Drain noodles and set aside.

In a small pot, heat up 2 tbsp. of oil over medium heat. Add the curry powder, the ginger, and the minced garlic, and saute until fragrant. Add the chicken broth, soy sauce, sugar, and chili paste. Stir to combine and then cover and cook for 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat and set aside.

In a small bowl, beat the eggs with a fork. Heat 1 tbsp. of oil and a large wok and fry eggs. When eggs are cooked, remove from wok and cut into strips once cooled.

Heat 2 tbsp. of oil in a large wok over high heat. Add in the remaining garlic and ginger, and stir-fry until the garlic starts to become golden. Add in the onion, sprouts, green onions, carrots and mushrooms. Stir-fry for 3 minutes, until the vegetables start to soften. Set the vegetables aside in a bowl.

Heat the last 2 tbsp. of oil in the wok over high heat. Add in the char siu and stir-fry. Add in the noodles, the vegetables and the eggs. Pour sauce mixture and the oyster sauce, then mix the ingredients thoroughly to coat all the noodles and incorporate all the vegetables and eggs.

Pork with Pickled Cabbage Noodle Soup

I've always found noodle soup to be very comforting food. I could actually have it pretty much every day, particularly during the colder months of the year. Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the hubby. He's actually not a noodle fan at all, particularly not noodle in soup. He'll have the odd bowl of Vietnamese beef noodle soup, but that's really it. So much to my chagrin, I can't say that I'll be blogging a whole lot about noodles and/or noodles in soup. I can only hope that the little one who is on his way to the world right now, may have more similar tastes in food, since he is feeding directly from me right now.

When I saw the Tan Tan Men recipe on Noodle Fever's website, I thought it would be a great recipe to adapt to one of my favorite lunch items to order, pork with pickled cabbage noodle soup. Plus, I was able to add a bit of spice to it, which is usually absent in the one that I order at lunchtime, but feel free to leave out the chili powder and bird's eye chilies.

adapted from Noodle Fever's Tan Tan Men Recipe
INGREDIENTS

Pork Broth

2 lbs. Meaty Pork Bones
Water to cover
3 slices of Ginger
1 tbsp. Black Peppercorns
2 Star Anises
¼ cup Chinese Rice Wine (Michiu)
Salt to taste
1 package of Oriental Flour Noodles (thin or thick - whatever you prefer)
Baby Bok Choy

Pork Topping

1 lbs. Lean Ground Pork
1 tbsp. Ginger (minced)
2 Bird's Eye Chilies (finely sliced)
2 cloves of Garlic (minced)
2 tbsp. Chili Bean Paste
1 tbsp Chinese Sesame Paste
400 Grams Pickled Cabbage (rinse, squeezing out moisture or they will be too salty)
1 tsp. Chili Powder (optional)
2 Bird's Eye Chilies (finely sliced - optional)
1 tsp. Corn Starch
2 tbsp. Soy Sauce
2 tbsp. Sesame Oil
3 tsp. Sugar
2 tsp. Black Pepper
1 tbsp Oil

DIRECTIONS

Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. Add pork bones and cook until they are no longer bloody. As soon as there is no more redness, drain into a strainer and rinse pork bones with water.

Return pork bones to pot and fill pot with water until bones are covered. Add ginger, peppercorns and star anises and bring to a boil. Once water is boiling, add the rice wine. Lower heat and simmer for at least an hour (preferably at least a couple of hours).

Add salt, tasting to ensure it is flavourful enough.

Marinate lean ground pork with corn starch, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and black pepper.

In another bowl, mix sauce ingredients together: chili bean paste, sesame paste and chili powder. If it seems a little gloppy, add a little water and/or sesame oil (the sesame paste can be very glutinous).

Heat up wok and add oil. Add ginger and garlic until fragrant.

Add lean ground pork, breaking up any large pieces with a wok spatula.

When the pork is mostly cooked, add bird's eye chilies and the sauce mixture. Stir until everything is combined well..

Add the pickled cabbage continuing to stir until pork is cooked through. Taste and adjust as needed (may need sugar depending on the saltiness of the pickled cabbage). Turn heat to low and cover to keep warm.

In another pot, boil water. Cook noodles according to the instructions of the packaging. If your pot is large enough, add baby bok choy. If pot is not large enough, you will have to boil them separately. Strain both.

To serve, place noodles and baby bok choy in a bowl, add the topping, then add broth.

Stir Fried Pickled Turnips with Pork

This is another dish that I grew up with that I love! I can literally sit at the dinner table and pick at the pickled turnips until I’ve eaten practically the whole thing. It is basically a comfort food for me. This is also one of the first dishes that I asked my mom to teach me to cook. Hopefully, I’m doing her proud!

INGREDIENTS

1 Lb. lean Pork (strips)
1 cup of Carrots (strips)
1 cup of Pickled Turnips
2 cloves of Garlic (minced)
2 Bird’s Eye Chilies
1 tsp. Corn Starch
2 tbsp. Soy Sauce
2 tbsp. Sesame Oil
3 tsp. Sugar
2 tsp. Black Pepper
2 tsp. Dark Soy Sauce
2 tsp. Oil

DIRECTIONS

Soak picked turnips in hot water (you may want to do this in advance).

Marinade pork with corn starch, 1 tbsp. soy sauce, 1 tbsp. sesame oil, 1 tsp. sugar and 1 tsp. black pepper.

Rinse pickled turnips and squeeze out as much of the moisture as possible. You may want to taste a turnip to see if enough of the saltiness has been removed. As the turnip pieces may be too thick, cut into thinner strips. Marinate turnips with 1 tbsp. soy sauce, 1 tbsp. sesame oil, 1 tsp. sugar, 1 tsp. black pepper and 1 tsp. dark soy sauce.

Heat up wok and add 1 tsp. oil. Stir fry 1 clove of garlic until browned, then add pickled turnips. Sprinkle 1 tsp. sugar on top. Add a little water to cover most of the turnips. When turnips are a little softened, add carrots. When water has evaporated, remove turnips and carrots from wok.

Heat up wok again and add 1 tsp. oil. Stir fry 1 clove of garlic until browned. Add marinated pork and stir fry until mostly cooked, then add bird’s eye chilies. Once pork is cooked, return pickled turnips and carrots to the wok. Add 1 tsp dark soy sauce and continue to stir fry until everything is combined. Taste and adjust as necessary (you may need a little more sugar or a little more dark soy sauce).

Remove from wok and serve!

Pineapple Chicken

I have always loved pineapples! Hubby makes fun of me all the time because of my love for this fruit. During our honeymoon in Hawaii, I think I somewhat overdosed on pineapples since there was an abundance of them over there. It just seemed like the safe thing to order! So I managed to have pineapple juice with practically every meal; we had pineapple sorbet; I even had pineapple upside down cheesecake! Not to mention I ate the fruit all on its own whenever it was available. I guess it was actually pretty ironic when we went to the Dole Plantation and I stuck my head in an adult size pineapple board to take a picture!

In terms of this dish, this is one of my favorite recipes from my mom. I’ve made a couple of little adjustments to her original recipe just to make it even more “pineapple-y” than it was. Basically, instead of using water, I’ve decided to use pineapple juice. You could also add a couple of bird’s eye chilies to spice it up a bit. I don’t always add it in just for hubby and my mother in law’s sake.

INGREDIENTS

1 Lb. Chicken Thighs (deboned)
1 can of Pineapple (save all the Pineapple juice)
2 cloves of Garlic (minced)
2 Bird’s Eye Chilies (optional)
1 tsp. Corn Starch
1 tbsp. Soy Sauce
1 tbsp. Sesame Oil
1 tsp. Sugar
1 tsp. Black Pepper
2 tsp. Oil
½ tsp. salt
2 tbsp. Ground Bean Paste
(Cornstarch Slurry: 1 tbsp. Corn Starch, 1 tbsp. Sugar and remainder of half of the Pineapple juice from the can)

DIRECTIONS

Marinade chicken with corn starch, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and black pepper.

Open can of pineapples, pour juice into another container and cut pineapple into chunks.

Heat up wok and add 1 tsp. oil. Stir fry 1 clove of garlic until browned, then add pineapple. Sprinkle salt over the pineapples. Allow pineapples to brown a little bit, then remove from wok.

Heat up wok again and add 1 tsp. oil. Stir fry 1 clove of garlic until browned, then add ground bean paste (it can burn quickly), quickly followed by adding the marinated chicken. Allow chicken to brown on both sides, then add half of the pineapple juice from the can. If the chicken is not mostly covered, add a little water to compensate. Lower heat and cover wok.

Check chicken in approximately 10 minutes. Depending on the size of the pieces of chicken, you may have to cook for longer. When chicken is cooked, return pineapples to the wok. Add corn starch slurry and chilies (if using). When sauce is thickened, taste and adjust as necessary (you may need more sugar since some juices from canned pineapple can be more sour than others).

Removed from wok and serve with rice!

Chinese Steamed Egg

Steamed egg is considered a comfort food for me. In my household, steamed egg is pretty much a surefire hit on any night. We love eggs!! It is also probably one of the easiest dishes to make, but it can also be considered one of the hardest if you want to get the perfect consistency, texture...etc. From my experimenting, this is how I got the best results so the eggs aren't too runny or too overcooked. Essentially, you want the texture to be like a smooth tofu. If you have any other suggestions on how to get the perfect consistency and texture, please comment! I would love to discover any other hidden secrets!

INGREDIENTS

2 Eggs
100 ml Chicken Broth
200 ml Water
1tbsp. Dried Shrimp
1-2 oz. Cellophane Noodles (about a handful)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. Scallion oil (add hot oil to minced scallions)
1 tbsp. Soy Sauce

DIRECTIONS

(Try to take eggs out of the refrigerator a little earlier so they are almost room temperature). Add water to bottom half of steamer pot and boil water.

In a small bowl, add hot water to soak the cellophane noodles. Do not allow to completely cook. When softened, pour out the water and set aside.

In a bowl, beat eggs. Add chicken broth, water, salt and sugar and continue to beat until ingredients are mixed together.

In a wide bowl (which will fit in the steamer), spread all the cellophane noodles along the bottom of the bowl. Sprinkle dried shrimp all across the noodles.

Pour egg mixture in the bowl on top of the noodles and dried shrimp. Cover the dish with either plastic wrap or a plate. When water is boiling, put in steamer and allow to steam at medium heat for 10 to 15 minutes.

When eggs are cooked, pour scallion oil and soy sauce on top and serve!

Ma Lai Goh (Steamed Cake)

I've always loved Ma Lai Goh. As a kid, as soon as I would see it being wheeled around at dim sum, I would force my parents to order a piece. As I have been experimenting (and desserts are a must when pregnant), I thought I would give this classic chinese dessert recipe a shot. In terms of the result, I thought it could actually be a little sweeter, and I would probably add a little more vanilla as well, but the texture was actually quite good and it definitely still hit the spot and curbed my craving.

INGREDIENTS

5 eggs
1 and a 1/2 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup evaporated milk
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. of vanilla
1/2 cup melted butter
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups All Purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder

DIRECTIONS

Using a steamer pot, fill the bottom with water and boil water. Line a 10" pan with plastic wrap.

In a large bowl, mix eggs, brown sugar and evaporated milk until ingredients are combined and mixture is thick. In another container, combine vanilla, melted butter and baking soda. Combine these ingredients with egg mixture.

Sift in flour and baking powder and fold into mixture until everything is combined and smooth.

Pour batter into lined pan and steam over high heat for 30 minutes. Allow to cool, slice and serve!