Steamed Chicken with Chicken Essence

Hi all,

Its been well...3 years since my last post. Woah time flies, my son is now 3 years old. Haha...now you know why I have not been updating this blog.

A life of a working mom isn't easy. I have to juggle between work and home. My boy, M is so sticky to me till I wish I can have some time out myself.

With such a hectic life, I was not able to cook proper meals for Mr W and my boy, M. So I am struggling to ensure both the men in the house have nutritious meal as and when I can cook.

Recently I learnt about this dish from a colleague of mine. Simple dish. Just steam away! Is it that easy? Yes.

For those who doesn't like chicken essence or too many bottles to spare. This is a recipe to the rescue. This dish will not taste anything like the chicken essence. So don't worry.

Ingredients (Serve 3-4)

2 boneless chicken thighs
6 to 8 red dates
Wolfberries or Goji berries
1 bottle of chicken essence

Optional
Black fungus
Shiitake Mushroom

Method

1. If you are using black fungus or shiitake mushroom. Soak them till they soften. Set aside.

2. Slice the red dates and remove the seeds if you wish. Set aside.

3. Remove the skin and excess fats off the chicken thighs. Slice them into portions.

4. Set the chicken pieces on the plate with the red dates, black fungus and mushrooms. Pour the chicken essence over the chicken. Add the wolfberries/goji berries on top.

5. Place the dish into the steamer and let it steam for 20 to 30 minutes.

You may add scallions or parsley as garnish and serve.

Serve it with a bowl of rice. There...easy as A B C.
Remember to eat it when its hot.

It is nutritious and it tastes nothing like the chicken essence in the bottle.
Best of all...for those who dislike drinking chicken essence, you have a way to consume and not waste those bottles and bottles of chicken essence.

Cheers!

Oven Grilled Miso Chicken

Chicken is the most frequent cooked meat in my household. So I need to think of different methods to prepare this poultry.

I have oven baked with simple salt and pepper, you can refer to Oven Baked Chicken for the recipe. Simple and hearty meal with Chicken Stew. These are just a few recipe for your consideration. 

As for today, I'm going into Japanese cuisine, using white miso paste to marinate the boneless chicken thighs. This goes well with a bowl of steam rice. 

Of course, by the look of the photo before, I have made it into a Japanese-Western cuisine - baked baby potatoes and sautéed mushrooms.

A fusion of Western and Japanese

Ingredients
4 boneless chicken thighs
8 baby potatoes

Marinate
1/4 cup of white miso paste
3 tbsp mirin
3 tbsp sake
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp soya sauce

Method
1. Combine all ingredients in the Marinate, mix well and set aside. 
2. Wash the chicken thighs and trim off excess fats on the chicken thighs. *I left the skin on. Pat them dry.
3.  Marinate the chicken thighs for at least 3 hours, or overnight. 
4. Pre heat oven at 215°c. Drizzle some olive oil on the baking tray.
5. Wipe excess marinate from the chicken and arrange them skin side up. 
6. Coat all the baby potatoes with the marinate and place them around the chicken. 
7. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes at 215°c, turn the chicken over and bake for another 10 to 15 minutes. 

Once done, slice the grilled chicken and enjoy it with a bowl of steam rice...as for me, I had mine with potatoes and sautéed mushrooms. 

Old Cucumber Soup 老黄瓜汤

The weather in Singapore is so crazily hot and I guess to brew a pot of soup to cool the body heat. 

It's a brownish colour wrinkled cucumber. It is known to help regulate the inner body temperature. And some believe it has anti-aging agent! 

So let's brew Old Cucumber Soup 老黄瓜汤. 

Note: Most people add dried cuttlefish or dried oyster to sweeten the soup but I didn't add them mainly because I was unable to get it. So I increase the amount of pork bones, dried scallops and hours of simmer, the soup is still very flavourful.

For those who likes some vegetables, you may add in chopped carrots or sweet corns.

Serves 4

Cook time at least 2 hours

Ingredients

- 1 old cucumber

- 2 litre of water

- 8 red dates

- 10 conpoy/dried scallops

- 500g pork soft bones

- 3 skinless chicken thighs

- salt to taste

Directions 

- Scrub the skin of the old cucumber clean and cut it in half. Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and wash it clean. Cut it into wedges.

- In a small pot, parboil them. Rinse and set aside. 

- Remove the skin and excess fats of the chicken thighs. Rinse and set aside.

- Place the old cucumber wedges, red dates, conpoy, blanched pork soft bones in a 2 litre pot of water. 

- Bring it to a boil, lower the heat and add in the skinless chicken thighs. 

- Simmer the soup over low heat for 2 hours.

- Season it with salt to taste, if necessary.

- Serve hot.