Stir-fried Kiam Chye

This is one favorite dish served on most Chinese dining table, quite frequently.  It goes well with either rice or porridge.  Each family have their own way of preparing this dish.  I came across an online recipe not so long ago, and decided to give a hand on it.  Wow!!! Love it!

Ingredients:

2 leaves kiam chye/pickled mustard greens (washed, soaked and sliced thinly)

1 small bowl sliced chicken breast

2 bird's eye chili (sliced)

1 large tomatoes (washed and cut)

1/2 thumb sized ginger (peeled and thinly julienned) 

1 tsp. chopped garlic (not in the picture)

2 tbsp. cooking oil

Seasonings: (amount add to taste)

Oyster sauce 

Light soy sauce

Sugar

Ground white pepper

Water (according to your preference)

Cornstarch slurry (1/2 tsp. cornflour + 1 tbsp. water)

Methods:

1. In a heated wok add cooking oil. Saute ginger and garlic until fragrant.  Add the chicken, stir fry for a quick minute, then add in the kiam chye and bird's eye chili.  Stir to combine.  Lastly add in tomato and all the seasonings, except the cornstarch slurry.  Stir to combine and taste for correct seasoning. Continue to let it cook for another minute, add in the cornstarch slurry, stir to mix and switch off heat.
2. Remove onto a serving plate and the dish is ready to be served!

This appetizing recipe is adapted from 'E - Touch Recipes' with slight adjustments to suit my cooking preference.

Steamed Soup Dumplings

This Soup Dumplings or commonly known as Wontons are a familiar dish in my home kitchen.  The Dumplings or Wontons are usually wrapped with meat and other ingredients and cooked in soup.  I love frying the wrapped Wontons in oil as well.  This time around, I try out this Soup Dumplings in individual bowls, and it's Simple Yet Yummylicious!

Ingredients: (serves 2)

250 g. minced chicken (mixture of thighs and breast)

1 sprig spring onion (cut finely)

1 tbsp. cooking oil

7 pieces dumpling skin (1 bowl with 4 pieces and another with 3)

Seasoning:

1/2 tsp. minced ginger

1/2 tsp. minced garlic

3/4 tbsp. oyster sauce

3/4 tbsp. sesame oil

1 tbsp. Shaoxing Wine

1 tsp. chicken stock granules

Dash of grounded white pepper

Chicken broth:

5 tablespoon water + 1/2 teaspoon chicken stock granules

(you can use store bought chicken broth)

Methods:

1. In a bowl add minced chicken and mix in all the seasonings.  Add spring onion and 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, mix well again and set aside.
2. Grease some oil at the bottom of the bowl or ramekin.  Wet dumpling skin with some water and place it in the bowl, followed by a layer of meat mixture and dumpling skin.  Then again repeat with meat mixture and another dumpling skin on top.  Total 4 dumpling skin and 3 layers of meat mixture. (For infor, I made 1 bowl/ramekin with 4 dumpling skin and another bowl with only 3 pieces.)
3. Lastly, add in 3 tablespoons of chicken broth to one of the bowl/ramekin with 4 dumpling skin, and 2 tablespoons to the other.
4. Steam at high heat for about 15 minutes.
5. Serve hot immediately topped with crispy shallots and garlic and some spring onion, and with my homemade Thai Sweet Chili Sauce.
6. Enjoy!

This delicious recipe is adapted from 'Anncoo Journal' with slight adjustments to suit my cooking preferences.

Fried fish in light sauce, shallot and ginger oil

Ingredients:

1 whole black pomfret (cleaned and pat dry with kitchen towel)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. chicken stock granules

2 tsp. cornflour

1 thumb sized ginger (peeled and thinly julienned)

5 shallots (peeled and thinly sliced)

Enough cooking oil

Sauce: (mix in a small bowl)

1/2 cup water

1 tsp sugar

3 tbsp. light soy sauce

Methods:

1. In a heated wok, add enough cooking oil for frying the shallot and ginger.  I fried them separately and dish onto a plate, then set aside.  Remove the oil onto a bowl.  Leave the wok for later use.
2. Add the salt and chicken stock granules to both sides of the fish and massage evenly.  Sprinkle cornflour to both sides of the fish to lightly coat the fish and shake off excess flour, if any.
3. In a medium heated wok, shallow fry the fish till golden brown on both sides, dish onto a serving dish and set aside.
4. In the same wok from (1), add 3 tablespoon of the shallot and ginger oil from (1) and once heated up, lower heat and pour in the sauce.  Stir till sugar dissolves and smell the caramelised aroma.  Pour the hot sauce over the fish and add the crispy fried shallots and ginger on top.
5. Serve with hot fluffy cooked rice. Enjoy!

This delicious recipe is adapted from Rosalia Chua with slight adjustments to suit my cooking preference.

Eggs Chicken Dumplings or Wontons

Making Wontons for meals have always been a favorite of my family.  Normally, we will use wonton skin to wrap, but recently, I came across an online recipe which uses eggs instead.  Having all the ingredients in my fridge, I decided to make this delicious and comforting dish.

Ingredients:

4 eggs (beaten)

Dash of salt

250 g. minced chicken (self minced with combination of thighs and breast)

2-3 dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked and sliced)

3 leaves of Chinese cabbage (washed and cut into pieces)

Cooking oil

Meat Marinade:

3/4 tbsp. light soy sauce

Dashes of ground white pepper

1 sprig spring onion (washed and chopped)

Sauce: (mix)

1 tbsp. light soy sauce

1 tbsp. oyster sauce

1/2 tbsp. cornstarch

1 bowl water (adjust according to preference)

Methods:

1. In a bowl, add minced chicken.  Add in the meat marinade and mix until well combined.
2. In a large bowl, crack in the eggs, add a dash of salt and whisk with a fork.
3. In a heated saucepan, add a tablespoon of cooking oil, swirl to coat the pan. Pour in a spoonful of egg, add the minced chicken on the second third side of the egg, use a spatula to flip one side of the egg over the meat, and flip it over another time, to securely cover it.  Remove into a plate and set aside.  Repeat with the remaining eggs and meat until all the ingredients are used up.  (You can make the egg dumplings bigger or smaller according to your own preference).
4. Using the same pan, add a tablespoon of cooking oil, saute garlic and mushrooms until fragrant, then add in the Chinese cabbage and give it a few stir to combine.  Then layer the egg dumplings over the top of the cabbage and mushrooms.  Pour the sauce mixture over the top.  Let it simmer until everything comes together.  The egg dumplings will soak up all that rich and fragrant broth.
5. Remove from heat and dish over a serving deep plate.
6. Serve with a bowl of fluffy warm rice.  It's so Yummylicious!

I adapted this yummylicious recipe from 'Cook n Plate' with slight adjustments to suit my cooking preference.

Chicken Soup

Chicken Soup is light and refreshing.  This time around, I am adding red carrot, fresh water chestnuts, corn and  dried lotus seeds.  This bowl of soup is 'Simple Yet Yummylicious!'

Ingredients: (serves 2)

2 chicken drumsticks (cleaned and remove excess fat)

1 chicken thighs (cleaned and remove excess fat)

1 corn (peeled and cut into thick sections)

6 fresh water chestnuts (peeled and leave whole)

1 large carrot (peeled and cut into chunks)

1/4 cup dried lotus seeds (washed, soaked, drained and remove bitter core/germ)

Water

Chicken stock granules (for seasoning - to taste)

Methods:

1. Blanch the chicken with hot water, drain and transfer into a pot with simmering water.
2. Add in corn, carrot, water chestnuts and lotus seeds.  Bring it to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until everything is cooked.
4. Season with chicken stock granules.
5. Serve warm.

Red Velvet Cupcakes

 

Ingredients:

180 g. plain flour (sifted)

100 g. caster sugar

113 g. unsalted butter (softened)

2 eggs

1/2 cup buttermilk (1/2 cup milk + 1/2 tbsp. white vinegar)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tbsp. cocoa powder

1 tbsp. red food coloring

1 tsp. white vinegar

Methods:

1. In a bowl, whisk plain flour, cocoa powder and salt.
2. In a stand mixer bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs, then vanilla, and beat until combined.
3. Stir red food coloring into buttermilk.
4. Add dry mix (1) and red buttermilk in turns, starting and ending with flour.
5. Mix vinegar and baking soda (it fizzes), fold in the batter quickly.
6. Fill in a lined muffin pan (with cupcake liners) 2/3 full.
7. Bake 18-20 minutes until a wooden skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
8. Cool completely.
9. Enjoy these delicious, soft and fluffy Cupcakes.

This recipe is adapted from '2day's Delights' with a slight adjustment on the amount of sugar used.  Add more sugar if you have a sweet tooth.

Stir-fried Kai Lan with Lap Cheong

Kai Lan (Gai Lan) or Chinese broccoli is one of my favorite leafy vegetables.  The thick stems are crunchy and delicious.  I will normally just simple stir-fry it with chopped garlic and season with dashes of chicken stock granules.

Recently, I came across an online recipe from 'Janet's Home Cooking' and since I have leftover lap cheong (Chinese sausage) in my fridge, I decided to stir-fry it with lap cheong.  It's deliciously yummy ~ thumbs up!~

Ingredients:

4 stalks kai lan

1 piece lap cheong

3 cloves garlic (peeled and sliced)

Oyster sauce - for seasoning (to taste)

2-3 tbsp. water (add more if your prefers a bit more sauce)

1 1/2 tbsp. cooking oil

Methods:

1. To prepare kai lan: washed, cut into bite-size pieces, separate leaves from stems, and set aside.
2. To prepare lap cheong: peel off the casing, sliced and soak in hot water for about 2 minutes. This is to remove the saltiness.  Drain and set aside.
3. In a heated wok, add cooking oil, saute garlic and add in the stem and lap cheong, and stir-fry for 2 minutes.  Then add the leaves and continue to stir to combine. Add in water and season with oyster sauce.  Once the kai lan is cooked, remove from heat onto a serving plate.
4. Dinner is served!

I cooked this dish according to my own method as well as the seasoning.