Watercress Pork Ribs soup

I am not very good in brewing soup. Since I am craving for soup and it is the easiest on the stomach. I decided to try cooking one of my favourite soup - Watercress Pork Ribs soup.

I didn't realise it is that easy to have a pot of good soup. The most important ingredient is time.

Ingredients
500g - 600g pork ribs (I usually use a combination of prime ribs/spare ribs & soup bone)
1 bunch of watercress
4 gigantic red dates, soaked (if you are using small dates, use about 10)
4 conpoy, soaked
Salt, to taste

Method
1. In a pot, parboil the pork ribs. Rinse and set aside.
2. Trim and soak the watercress. Rinse and set aside.
3. Using a large pot, add in the pork ribs, conpoy and red dates. Cover them with water till around an inch away from the ingredients.
4. Bring it to a boil. Lower the heat and add in the watercress.
5. Let it simmer for 2 hours or more under low heat.
6. Season with salt to taste, if necessary.

*Note: if you allow the soup to simmer for a longer time, the soup will be bursting with flavours and you can forget all about the salt.

Spinach in Superior Broth with 3 types eggs

Since I have century eggs left after making the steamed tofu with braised sauce, topped with century eggs, I decided to buy a bunch of spinach. While I remember the spinach, I forgot about the salted eggs. Never mind, I will make do with the spinach, century eggs and eggs. I love spinach, who doesn't. Well I know Popeye may prefer this cooking method for spinach. :) Who knows. Hehe. 

Ingredients
A bunch of spinach
1 egg
1 century egg
1 salted egg
1 cup of chicken broth
1 tbsp of wolfberries
2 to 3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

Method
1. Wash the spinach individually and remove the fibrous layer from the stalk. Bend to break the stalk at around 2 to 3 inches. You will be able to see the fibrous layer, pull it backwards to remove them.
2. Separate the stalks and the leaves. Set aside.
3. Peel and dice the century egg and set aside.
4. Remove the black husk of the salted egg and wash it clean before boiling it.  Once the salted egg is hard boiled, peel and dice it. Set aside.
5. Wash the wolfberries and set aside.
6. Heat at the wok with a tsp of oil. Stir fry the garlic to fragrant.
7. Add in the stalks and fry for a few minutes, add in the leaves. Toss it for a while and pour in the chicken broth. Stir the spinach in the broth and allow it to simmer.
8. Once it is almost boiling, add in the century egg, salted egg and wolfberries. Give it a stir.
9. Lightly beat the egg and pour it over the spinach. Allow it to simmer for a few minutes and turn of the heat. Dish up and serve.

This is a simple dish and its so tasty. Although I miss out the salted egg, it is still delicious and most of all healthy.

For those who has high cholesterol, you may wish to use half of a century egg and salted egg.

Cheers!!!

Refreshing Capsicums & Black Fungus with Shrimps

It's been a while since I cooked and also post something on my blog.

While I was at the supermarket, I was thinking of cooking something new and I saw the "traffic lights" (red, yellow & green) capsicums/bell peppers.

I happily came home with the bell peppers, not knowing how best to cook them. Luckily for me, there was my precious black fungus. So I thought perhaps I can try using it. And being the usual lazy me, I added the prawns I bought earlier. This will reduce the hassle of perparing another dish. Hehe...

Ingredients 

3 halves of the traffic lights capsicums each

2 handfuls of dried black fungus

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

9 de shelled & deveined glass prawns

2 tbsp oyster sauce

A dash of hua tiao shaoxing wine

A dash of pepper

2 tsp cornflour with a tbsp water

Directions

1. Soak the black fungus in water for them to pump up and set aside.

2. De seed the bell peppers and silver them. Set aside.

3. Heat the wok with a tbsp oil, add in the garlic. 

4. Once the garlic is fragrant, add in the shrimps. Stir fry for a few seconds.

5. Add in the silvered capsicums and the pump up black fungus. Stir fry.

6. Add in the oyster sauce & hua tiao shaoxing and make sure that the sauce coats al the ingredients in the wok. Add a dash of pepper in. *I added half a bowl of water and close the lid for a few seconds.

7. When the prawns are almost done, add in the cornflour mixture to thicken the sauce.
8. Stir well and dish up. 

盆菜 II

My second 盆菜 for this 2015. I have changed the sequence of some layers and it turned out prettier and more appetizing. Though I did not use a claypot, I was cooking this for only 3 pax, so erm...I used a normal cooking pot. But it turns out good too except it isn't like claypot in keeping it warm. 

Again, the Step By Step Ingredients and Instruction;

Base Layer

Ingredients
4 pieces of skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks
Seasoning A
5 slices of Ginger, shredded (I pounded the ginger)
1 tbsp of Dark Soy Sauce
5 tbsp of Chinese Wine (hua diao or shaoxing)
1 tbsp of Sesame Oil
1 tbsp of Sugar
A dash of Ground White Pepper
Sauce
3 to 4 slices of Ginger, shredded
4 Garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 stalks of Spring Onion, cut into 2 inches length
2 Chinese Coriander with roots, sliced
5 tbsp of Chinese Wine (hua diao or shaoxing)
500g Chicken Stock
2 tbsp of Cornstarch with water

Preparation

1. Marinate the chicken with the seasoning A. Set aside for 15 minutes.
2. Heat some oil in the wok. Stir fry the garlic, ginger, spring onion and Chinese coriander till fragrant. 
3. Add in the marinated chicken. Give it a few toss. Add the stock, chinese wine and cornstarch with water and bring it to a boil. Simmer for a few minutes and stir occasionally. Set aside. 

Second Layer

Ingredients
2 cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
1 Nappa cabbage, roughly cut
1 palm sized Carrot, sliced
Seasoning
1 bowl of chicken broth

Preparation

1. Heat a little oil in the wok. Add in the garlic and stir fry till fragrant.
2. Add in all the vegetables and stir fry for a minute
3. Pour in the broth and stir for another minute. Set aside.

Third Layer

Ingredients

4 cloves of Garlic, finely chopped

3 thinly sliced of Ginger,

5 Shiitake Mushrooms, I quartered my mushroom cos they are huge. Remember to soak them in advance.

1 can of Golden Chef baby abalone (I will increase mine to 2 cans)

6 Sea Cucumbers, Cook in water for 10 minutes. Drain and coarsely sliced

10 Conpoy (dried scallops), Soak in water for 15 minutes 

Seasoning

2 tbsp of Oyster Sauce

1 tbsp of Sugar

2 tbsp of Chinese Wine (hua diao or shaoxing)

1 soup bowl of chicken broth & the water from soaking the conpoy

1/2 tbsp of cornstarch

Preparation

1. Combine the seasoning in a bowl. Mix well. Set aside
2. Heat a little oil in the wok. Add in the garlic and ginger and stir fry till fragrant.
3. Add the mushrooms and stir fry for 2 minutes. 
4. Add in the abalones,sea cucumbers and conpoy in. Stir well. 
5. Pour the bowl of seasoning and bring to a boil. 
6. Pick the abalones in a separate bowl and set aside.

Top Layer

Ingredients

1 Broccoli, cut into flowerets

10 Fresh Scallops

14 Fresh Prawns (I peel off the shells except the heads & tails for easy eating)

Seasoning

Chinese Wine (hua diao or shaoxing)

Preparation

1. Blanch the broccoli and set aside. 
2. Blanch the prawns in a pot of hot water. Once both side of the prawn turn orange, remove them from the pot and set aside. 
3. Place the Base Layer at the bottom of the claypot.
4. Arrange the Second Layer on top of the stewed chicken (Base layer), pour the sauce on it.
5. Pour the Third Layer on top of the vegetable (Second layer).  
6. Arrange the blanched broccoli and prawns, the abalones and the uncooked scallops on top. Pour Chinese Wine over it. *I have been pretty generous with the wine. 
7. Cover the pot with the lid and bring it to a boil. 
8. Turn off the heat. Serve hot. 

There you go! This way the broccoli, prawns, scallops and those vegetables at the second layers will not be overcooked. 

Sze Chuan Ma Po Tofu - 四川麻婆豆腐

This is my second time cooking this. My brothers prefer my cooking over my mom, so whenever I go back to my parents', I will be the cook for the day. hahaa...it pissed my mom sometimes. Oops. 

Anyway my 麻婆豆腐 recipe is here to share:

四川麻婆豆腐 

Ingredients

2 box of chinese tofu

200g minced pork

2 tsp szechuan peppercones, ground *

5 dried dry chilies, coarsely chopped

3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 slices of a inch ginger, finely chopped

1 tsp fermented black beans, mashed

1 tbsp chili bean paste

Corn flour mixture - 2 tsp corn starch with 2 tbsp room temp water, set aside

1 stalk spring onions, chopped

* For a more fragrant peppercorns, toast them in a oven before grounding. Sieve the ground peppercorns before adding them into the wok. 

Seasonings

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp sugar

A pinch of salt, or to taste

Marinate for pork

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground white pepper

2 tsp hua tiao wine

1/2 tsp corn flour

1/2 tsp cooking oil

Preparation

1. Marinate minced pork and set aside for 15 minutes. 
2. Cut tofu to your desired size. Bring water and a tsp salt to a boil, add in the diced tofu.
3. Once the water boils again, simmer over low heat. Drain tofu.
4. Over medium flame, heat oil in wok. Toss in the finely chopped garlic and ginger, fry a few minutes. 
5. Add in the mashed fermented black beans, dried chilies and chili bean paste. Saute till fragrant.
6. Toss in the marinated pork; mash any big meat lumps while stir frying. When the pork is semi-cooked, gently add in the drained tofu. 
7. Lower the flame and carefully stir the tofu into the sauce.
8. Add in the ground szechuan peppercorns and seasonings. Gently mix them well.
9. Thicken with the corn flour mixutre. 
10. Add in half a handful of chopped spring onion and stir. 
11. Dish up and garnish with the remaining chopped spring onion. 

Note: 

1. Add more dried chilies and chili padi if you like it spicy.