Stewed chicken with Chinese sausage

Ingredients:
1/2 chicken (cut into bite-size pieces)
5 button mushrooms
1 pair Chinese sausage (soak with hot water, peel off the skin and sliced)
5 pips garlic (remove skin and leave it whole)
5 shallots (remove skin and leave it whole)
1 tbsp oil
1 cup water (add more if needed)
1 stalk spring onion (cut into sections)

Seasoning:
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp shao hsing wine
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
Dash of pepper

Methods:

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok, saute garlic and shallots until fragrant, then add in chicken and stir-fry well.
2. Add in Chinese sausage, button mushroom, water, seasoning and bring to a boil.
3. Lower the heat and stew, stirring occasionally, add more water if needed and taste for correct seasoning.  If you prefer a more salty or tasty dish, sprinkle a bit of salt or else the seasonings should be enough.
4. Cook till the sauce is thick and chicken are cooked through, then add spring onion, mix well, dish up and serve.

Curried tamarind chicken

This chicken dish which I am going to share is a dish of '3-generations', so to speak! This simple home-cooked dish which was cooked by my late mum-in-law's mother many long years ago, was then brought down to her and finally I get to cook it in my home kitchen, what a blessing! Though this dish comprises of only few simple ingredients, but it takes me quite a while to master it well, especially when comes to strike a good balance to it's curried-sourish-sweet-salty taste and flavour.  

Ingredients:

2 chicken thigh

1 tbsp cooking oil

Marinade & Seasoning:

2 tbsp tamarind

1 cup water

1 tbsp curry powder (watch brand)

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp salt 

3 1/2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tbsp dark soya sauce

Methods:

1. Clean chicken thigh and chop into bite-size pieces and put in a big bowl.
2. Mix the tamarind with 1 cup water to obtain juice.
3. Add all the marinade and seasoning ingredients into the chicken pieces, mix till well combined and leave aside till cooking.
4. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok, add in the chicken pieces and the sauce, stir-fry, then put the lid on.
5. Open the lid to turn over the chicken from time to time till the chicken are cooked and the sauce has thicken. (Add a bit more water if the sauce is too dry and the chicken meat is not fully cooked yet.)
6. Dish on a platter and serve with rice.

Note:  I prefer to have some sauce with the chicken to eat with rice.  I remember when I was helping out with the cooking for my late mum-in-law, she always requested for 'dry' as that's her preference.  The taste of this dish is very appetizing and it's irresistible.   

Deep-fried prawns

Ingredients:
12 medium-size prawns
1/4 tsp chicken stock granules
1/4 tsp grounded pepper
Enough oil for deep-frying

Batter:
3/4 cup plain flour
1/2 tbsp baking powder
Dash of salt and pepper
1 tsp cooking oil
Water

Methods:

1. Peel prawns but with tails intact, deveined and season with grounded pepper and chicken stock granules for half hour.
2. Mix the dry batter ingredients together with water slowly, then add oil, stir till well combined, ensuring there is no lumps  The consistency of the batter should be slightly thick but will still flow from the spoon when tilted.
3. Heat up enough oil in a deep wok till medium heat.
4. Coat prawns with the batter and deep-fry till lightly brown, dish.  Repeat till all is done.
5. Increase the heat, then put all the fried prawns back into the hot oil and quick fry while stirring for 1 minute.
6. Dish, drain on absorbent paper and serve immediately.

Note:  (1) Deep-fried prawns must be served immediately to enjoy the crunchiness of the batter on the outside as well as the soft hot prawns on the inside.  If eaten cold the batter will be softer and the prawn's texture becomes harder and not to mention it won't be as tasty as eaten hot.  (2) Batter for frying prawns differs from one home-cook to another, but I still prefers my own 'Signature' style!

Stir-fried Chinese leek with roast pork and beancurd

Ingredients:
4 stalks Chinese leek
1/2 cup roast pork
1 piece beancurd
1 red chilli
1/2 tbsp garlic (chopped)
3 tbsp cooking oil
1/3 cup water (add more if needed)

Seasoning:
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp chicken stock granules
1/2 tbsp shao hsing wine
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
Dash of sesame oil
Dash of pepper

Methods:

1. Prepare leek by discarding the outer layer hard leaves, cut into sections wash and soak in water for a while, drain.
2. Cut roast pork into slightly thicker slices and red chilli into diamond shape.
3. Cut the beancurd into slightly thicker slices and pan-fry with a bit of oil, drain and put aside for later use.
4. Heat 3 tbsp oil in a wok, fry garlic in medium heat until fragrant, add roast pork and fry well, then add in leeks and stir till well combined.
5. Drizzle shao hsing wine, stir then add water and the remaining seasonings to cook over low heat for about 2 minutes.
6. Add beancurd and red chilli, stir well and cook for a further 3 minutes.
7. Dish and serve with fresh cooked rice.

Stir-fried arrowroot/nga gu with Chinese leek and sausage

This imported bulb-like tuber is only available in the market a month or two before the Lunar New Year.  Yesterday morning, as I was thinking what vegetables to buy and cook for dinner, then all of a sudden I saw this arrowroot or known as 'nga gu' in Chinese, and not having to give any second thought, I grab hold of some and there they are, waiting to be cooked in my home kitchen.  Come to think of it, they really comes in early this year!

I love cooking it with Chinese leek and sausages or even with slice pork or chicken meat. It is a simple dish but yummy.  Here's to share.....

Few simple ingredients:

• 4 bulbs nga gu (peel and sliced)
• 3 stalks Chinese leek (peel off the hard leaves and sliced)
• 2 Chinese sausages (soak with hot water, peel off the skin and sliced)

• 1 tbsp shallots (sliced)
• 1/2 tbsp garlic (chopped)
• 1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1/2 tsp grounded pepper
• 1/4 cup of water 
• Cooking oil

Few simple steps to cook:

1. In a clean wok heat 3 tbsp oil till medium heat, arrange the nga gu slices in batches, turning over till both sides are lightly brown, dish and drain till all is complete.
2. With the left over oil saute shallots and garlic till fragrant, add in Chinese sausages and saute well.
3. Add in Chinese leek, give it a quick stir, then add in nga gu and after few stir, if the dish is too dry, sprinkle a bit of water over and add in oyster sauce.
4. When all are well combined add the rest of the water and let it simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring from time to time.
5. When the dish is almost dry sprinkle the pepper over give it another quick stir to mix and off the heat.
6. Dish and serve hot with rice.

Note:  This arrowroot also makes good and yummy home-made chips.  

Chillies fried chicken drumsticks

Fried chicken is one dish which I believe many would enjoy even if having to eat it often, especially children.  As a home-cook I will not always use the same ingredients for marinating the chicken, so as to have a different flavour, thus enhancing the taste of the fried chicken to give new boost to our taste buds from time to time.  Another point is that I will either use wings, drumsticks, thighs, mixed meat of the chicken, boneless chicken thigh, fried with special sauce to coat the fried chicken and many other styles of cooking it. It has always been exciting when comes to making a dish out of "CHICKEN."

What you need:

4 chicken drumstick

Marinade:

1 egg

2 tbsp corn flour

1/2 tsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp chicken stock granules

Seasoning (mix well)

1 tsp five spice powder

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tsp chicken stock granules

1/2 tsp sugar

Chillies ingredients:

1  1/2 tbsp ginger (chopped)

1 tbsp red chilli (chopped)

1 1/2 tbsp spring onion (chopped)

3 bird's eye chillies (diced)

Methods:

1. Marinate the chicken drumstick with the marinade ingredients for at least half day in the fridge.  Turn over and rub the marinade onto the drumstick to let the ingredients seeps through it few times.
2. Put enough oil in a deep wok, deep fry the marinated chicken drumsticks in medium-low heat till golden and cooked.
3. Dish and drain on absorbent paper.
4. In a clean wok, heat 1 tbsp cooking oil, saute the chillies ingredients until fragrant, add in fried chicken and seasoning and stir till well combined. 
5. Dish and serve.

Stir-fried asparagus with prawns

Ingredients:
1 bundle asparagus
1/2 cup prawns (peeled and deveined)
3 pip garlic (chopped)
1 tbsp cooking oil
1 to 2 tbsp water

Seasoning:
1 tsp chicken stock granules

Methods:

1. Wash, cut into sections and peel off the woody outside part near to the stem end.
2. Put 1 tbsp cooking oil in a heated wok, saute chopped garlic till fragrant.
3. Add in prawns, give it a quick stir, then add in asparagus and drizzle over seasoning and stir till well mixed.
4. Add in water and stir fry for a further one minute, then dish and serve.

Note: Both the prawns and asparagus doesn't take long to cook, thus we need to stir-fry it quickly to prevent from over-cooking the dish.