Dong Cai (冬菜) Steam Minced Pork

Don't really remember I fancy this dish. Every time my mum or my mother-in-law cooks this dish, I would only scoop a little. I prefer mushroom steam minced pork than dong cai steam minced pork. This time round I decided to cook this dish because my husband miss this dish which his mother cook. 

Surprisingly, I love my own version of dong cai steam minced pork. I think mine taste better than my mum's and my MIL's ;p  I really don't know what I did which makes my version more tasty. I just feel that mum's and MIL's version of this dish, the dong cai taste is too strong and cover the sweetness of the meat. I like my version because I can taste the sweetness meat and the dong cai compliments the sweet taste too. For those who love dong cai taste maybe you will not like my version.  

Ingredients:

1) Minced pork about 200 g

2) Dong cai around 1 to 2 teaspoon

3) Ginger juice around 2 teaspoon

4) Oyster sauce around 1 tablespoon

5) Sesame seed oil 

6) Pepper

7) Corn starch around 1 tablespoon

8) 1/4 cup of water 

9) Some chopped spring onion

Steps:

1) Wash the dong cai and squeeze out the water.

2) Marinate the meat with oyster sauce, ginger juice, sesame oil, pepper and corn starch.

3) Add in the water a little at a time and mix it with the meat until all the liquid is absorbed into the meat.

4) Hold the meat in your hand and smash the meat on the plate or bowl. The more times you do it the more springy your meat will be. But be careful not to splash it all over the place. It's a good way to vent your anger or frustration ;p

5) Add in the dong cai and spring onion mix well. Let the meat marinate for at least 1/2 hour. 

6) Steam the meat for around 20 to 25 minutes.

7) When the meat is cooked, you can add some chopped cilantro or some more spring onion on top.

My typical dinner of 1 soup, 1 veggie and 1 meat or fish. When i don't feel like using the pan to stir fry I will steam/ bake fish or meat and my veggie will be poached veggie with oyster sauce. 懒人煮饭法 ;p

Stir fry brussels sprouts with ikan bilis

Bored with eating the usual veggies like kai lan, you cai, xiao bai cai. I seem to remember seeing a blog which have a recipe of stir frying brussels sprouts with meat. Looks interesting! To me brussels sprouts is an ang moh veggie, asians seldom cook this. I should give it a try since I can get it easily at the ang moh supermarket near my place. Hmm but would like to give this dish a twist. Instead of using meat, I would like to use ikan bilis. I just bought a packet and the ikan bilis is bigger than the normal ones so i better don't waste it by using it to make soup stock (cos i usually throw away the ikan bilis).

Instead of just throwing it in to stir fry with the brussels sprouts, I roast the ikan bilis in the oven to make it crispy. Usually people will deep fry it but I just lazy and baking it use less oil so you should know i have to keep a healthy diet and hence the perfect choice for me.

The baked ikan bilis

How to bake the ikan bilis:

1) If you don't mind the high cholesterol in the head of the ikan bilis, you can leave the head on. By taking the head away, you will also pull out the blackish thing at the stomach which will give the ikan bilis a biter taste. Mix the ikan bilis with olive oil and spread them in an even even layer on a baking tray.

2) Preheat the oven to around 200 degree c, than place the tray inside the oven and bake it for 5 to 8 minutes. Must be careful when you reach the 5th minute. Take a peep at the ikan bilis if they are browned and crispy, you can take them out and set aside. If they are not browned yet, you can leave them to bake in the oven.

Ingredients:
1) 1 handful of toasted ikan bilis
2) 15 brussels sprouts cut into quarters
3) 1 tablespoons of minced garlic
4) 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
5) 1 teaspoon of cooking wine
6) 2 tablespoon of water

Method:
1) Heat some oil in the pan. Add in the minced garlic and stir fry until fragrant.
2) Add in the brussels sprouts and stir fry for a while.
3) Add in the oyster sauce and mix well with the brussels sprouts. Than add in the water. Cover the pan with a lid and let it simmer for around 5 minutes.
4) Add in the ikan bilis and sir fry for a while. Add in the cooking wine and mix well.
5) When the brussels sprouts are slightly soften you can transfer them on a plate to be served.

想念妈妈的私房菜Part 2－－－算盘子

算盘子是客家人的菜。一般我们看到的算盘子是比较干的。但是，我家婆煮的算盘子却是有很多的汁，而且她加入的料也不太一样。这算盘子很特别我称为“张家算盘子”，因为是我老公的婆婆传下来的，可说是“祖传秘方”哈哈！我在还没有认识我老公之前，完全没有吃过这道菜。第一次吃的时候正是华人农历新年的时候。我老公家的习俗就是算盘子是过年必有的一道菜。我家婆会煮好大一锅，年初一带到大伯的家让聚集在那儿的其他亲戚大快朵颐。对我老公家来将，这道菜可算是很特别的一道菜。我第一次吃就爱上它！

为了让老公能在异乡尝尝妈妈的味道，我在网上找到了算盘子的食谱。不过，我比较在意的是那一粒一粒用芋头做的算盘子到底怎样做。因为每一次我帮家婆煮算盘子的时候，她已经把一粒粒的算盘子弄好，我只是在旁边帮忙她煮那些酱汁和配料。我在http://ellenaguan.blogspot.com/

2006/08/assorted-hakka-abacus-seeds.html(Cuisine paradise)找到了做法。如果你想要尝试一般外面卖的那种比较干的算盘子，可以参考这个网站。

煮过的芋头算盘子

做这道菜比较多工，但我觉得很值得。我会在煮算盘子的前一天，先把一颗颗的算盘子做好，然后放入冰柜冷藏。其他材料我就当天才准备，这样就不会这么吃力。这也是我家婆教我的。传统的算盘子是用芋头做的。但是看了cuisine paradise的食谱，她很有创意用了南瓜。我比较喜欢吃蕃薯，所以就用日本蕃薯做了一盒。我这次煮的算盘子是芋头和蕃薯算盘子。

未煮的蕃薯算盘子

如何制作算盘子（大概可以做30 至35粒）

材料：

1）芋头一粒（大概300克）

2）生粉 （大概100 －150克）

3）1／4 茶匙胡椒粉

4）1／2 汤匙酱油

5）2 汤匙沙拉油

6）1锅冰水

方法：

1）将芋头削皮，切成片状，然后拿去蒸至软透。
2）乘芋头还热的时候，将它压成泥。
3）慢慢将生粉加入芋泥，把它们搅拌均匀。如果芋泥比较干你可以不需要把生粉加完。加入其他调味料，然后它们揉成面团。
4）用手拿起一撮面团，揉成大概3cm的球状，然后用手指轻轻在它的中间压一下，形成一个凹槽。
5）煮半锅开水，等水煮开后把算盘子丢进水里煮。算盘子浮起来，就代表熟了。
6）把它们捞起马上放进冰水里大概1至2分钟。
7）把水沥干。如果你改天才煮的话，可以把算盘子放进一个盒子里放入冰箱冷藏。

注：
1）煮算盘子的时候，不要一次把太多的算盘子放入水中。要确保它们有足够的空间在水中浮动。
2）把算盘子放入冰水是让它们更有Q度。
3）蕃薯做的算盘子跟用芋头做的方法一样。如果你蒸出来的蕃薯水份比较多，就需要多一点生粉。

炒算盘子的配料：

配料

1）8 颗香菇浸泡后切成细条

2）5、6朵大黑木耳浸泡至软，切成丝

3）8只大蚝干，切成片

4）1只吊片（也称为鱿鱼干），浸泡至软，切成细条

5）猪肉末

6）蒜末1汤匙

7）葱头切成末1汤匙

8）芫荽末

调味料：

1）祥珍牌生晒油 4 至5汤匙（这是我家婆的“秘密武器”。她说其他牌子的不好吃一定要这个牌子。这个比较难找到，她是在 Giant买的。我很幸运，既然让我在网站上买到！！！超高兴！如果你家没有就加入黑酱油。）

2）酱油2汤匙

3）蚝油 1汤匙

4）绍兴酒1汤匙

5）水大概5碗（浸泡冬菇的水包括在内）

6）胡椒粉少许

方法：

1）把少许油加入锅里，将蒜末和葱头末加入锅里爆香。

2）加入香菇炒至香。然后加入肉末炒至散开。

3）加入黑木耳、吊片和蚝干炒一下。

4）把生晒油、酱油、蚝油和绍兴酒加入。将调味料和其他材料炒香。

5）加入水。等水煮开后，加入算盘子。（如果你的算盘子之前放在冰箱里的话，记得拿出来退冰。）

6）盖锅焖大概5分钟。如果你喜欢浓稠酱汁，可以加入太白粉水勾芡。起锅前，加入胡椒粉。

7）盛盘后，加入芫荽末。

想念妈妈的私房菜Part 1－－－榨菜肉片汤

每次我想念妈妈的私房菜就会尝试亲手“炮制”一解思乡情怀。有一天我突然觉得好像对老公不公平，我从来没有问他想念他妈妈（我家婆）的哪道菜，好让我也帮他解解馋。我家婆的私房菜，大部分我都不会做因为从来没机会向她学习；p 。所以我也只能凭着对一些菜肴的味道，材料的记忆，慢慢摸索出烹调的方法。

今天的这道菜，我记得只有在我家婆家吃过。很简单的食材，但味道很棒。可能榨菜实在能让整道汤的味道很浓郁。我第一次喝的时候，还喝了两碗！另一个特别的地方就是我家婆还在汤里加入油豆包。油豆包吸收了汤汁，真是非常美味。

我这次尝试煮这道汤，说成功嘛，也不算太成功，但是我老公说味道有点像。可能他不敢说不好喝吧， 哈哈！我觉得味道淡了点。可能，我买的榨菜比较淡。也有可能榨菜在汤里煮得不够久，所以味道出不来。我会再尝试煮一次（其实是因为，还有剩下的榨菜），让榨菜煮久一点，看看结果如何。

食材：
1）榨菜一颗，切片
2）肉片，大概20片薄片
3）大概5碗的水
4）10 个油豆包
5）酱油
6）蚝油
7）麻油
8）太白粉

步骤：
1）用酱油、太白粉、麻油和蚝油腌一腌肉片。
2）用水冲一冲油豆包。记得要把水挤干。
3）将水煮开，把榨菜片放入水中用中火煮10分钟。
4）然后，加入肉片和油豆包。
5）如果你觉得不够咸，可以加入酱油或盐。如果你觉得太咸，可以加入少许的糖。
6）等到肉片熟了，就可以关火盛盘。
7）我会加入少许胡椒粉。

XO Fish Slice Soup -- Fried Fish Slice or Non Fried? Evaporated milk or No evaporated milk?

The Fried Fish Slice Version

Another dish I miss. The XO 鱼片米粉. There used to have one stall which my husband and I love. I think it is call Holland Village XO 鱼片米粉. It is not at Holland V but at a HDB flat coffee shop at Bukit Merah near the Spring Singapore. But sad to say they shifted somewhere else and I don't know where they are. If you know please tell me!

I bought a cheapo brandy for cooking purpose. It is just nice to try cooking XO 鱼片汤. Whenever I buy salmon for cooking I will ask the person to fillet for me and ask him to give me back the bones so that I can cook fish broth for this dish. However maybe there is not enough bones the fish broth that I cook does not have enough sweetness of a fish broth, but it does have the milky look, which means you can skip adding the evaporated milk if you don't like (like my mum who don't take any diary products). I have tried a healthier version of not frying the fish slices and ginger slices (if you are lazy sometimes, you can skip this too). I fried the fish slices when I can't get very fresh fish. Frying the fish also helps to keep the fish slices from not breaking apart. And i think frying the fish makes the fish taste better. I learnt from a cooking show of frying the ginger slices with sesame seed oil and pour the ginger and oil into the soup to cook so that the it will taste more fragrant. I have also tried that, but I find it too oily. So there are many ways to cooking it. It depends on what you like.

Ingredients for fish broth:
1) Fish bones
2) 10 to 15 Ginger Slices
3) 1 stalk of spring onion
4) Water

Steps:
1) Bring water to boil and add in all the ingredients.
2) Simmer for around 2 hours until the broth turns milky.

Ingredients for XO 鱼片汤:
1) Fish slices
2) 10 to 15 slices of ginger
3) 2 tomatoes cut into quarters
4) A few slices of bitter gourd (optional)
5) Some lettuce (those used for salad) cut into thin strips (optional)
6) Flour & oil (if you want to fry the fish slices)
7) Salt or Bonito powder
8) Brandy or XO
9) Cilantro
10) Evaporated milk

Steps:
1) Marinate the fish slices with some soya sauce and pepper. If you want to fry the fish, you will need to coat the fish with flour. Than heat up some oil in the pan to shallow fry the slices. I prefer to shallow fry than deep fry as it is less oily. If you also want to shallow fry the ginger, you can add in sesame oil and use low heat to fry it until they turn slightly brown.
2) Boil the fish broth again. When it is boiling add in the ginger slices (if you have fried them add in the fried slices and the sesame oil too) ,tomatoes and bitter gourd (if you are using)
3) Let it simmer for around 5 minutes add in the fish slices. and the lettuce.
4) When the soup starts to boil again, you can season the soup with salt or bonito powder and evaporated milk (if you are adding). Add in some Shao Xing wine and Brandy/XO too. You can serve once you are happy with the taste and the fish slices are cooked (if you are not using the fried slices)
5) Add in some chopped cilantro when serving the soup.

The non fried fish slices version

PS: I eat this with rice. You can add in thick bee hoon into the soup and you can have XO 鱼片米粉!

I miss 煮炒 Cze Cha Part 1--生面 Pan Fried noodles

Really miss my fav Cze Zha stall at Tiong Bahru Market aka Seng Poh market. My fav stall is 光辉。Love their 豉汁河粉 （black bean sauce hor fun）and their 咸鱼炒饭(fried rice with salted fish). The thought of it makes me feel so hungry! 

It's a pity that my apartment only has an electric stove. I still prefer the gas stove as I still believe that gas stove can give the wok hei (锅气) which the electric one can't provide. Therefore it is pretty difficult to cook a cze zha dish which have the wok hei. Of course I am not a good cook lah even if have a gas stove might not have the wok hei too ;p. But I think will still make a difference. I will go to Chinatown in the weekend to fulfill my my cze zha craving. But than I still miss the one in S'pore.

But sometimes weekdays my husband and I will feel like eating cze zha. Therefore, I have tried to cook this dish to make him happy. I like to eat 生面 too cos of the crispy noodles! Like eating mamee snack ;p  I have bought a packet of chow mein  found in the chinese supermart. It looks closest to the 生面. As for the liao （料）,it's up to you what you want to add. I just put whatever I have in my fridge. So this time, I have some chicken thigh meat, prawns and cabbage in my fridge so I throw them into my sauce for the noodles. I think adding 韭黄will be nice too! Or you can add choy sum. You can substitute the chicken with pork and add sotong too.  My version of the noodles is not as crispy as those which you eat at the stall this is because I did not deep fry the noodles cos I don;t want it to be too oily. I just shallow fry the noodles until it gets slightly browned. But i think it is nor crispy enough. Maybe next time I have to browned it more until it gets more crispy. One thing to note is that, if you cook the noodles with boiling water to soften it. Than you must make sure that the noodles are drained dry enough, if not the noodles will not be crispy enough if you fry it.

I will challenge the 豉汁河粉next time for a non wok hei (锅气) version ;p. Will update all of you the results of my challenge next week.

Ingredients:
1) One packet of Chow mein
2) Chicken thigh meat cut into chunks
3) Prawns
4) Cabbage cut into thick strips
5) 2 small eggs
6) soya sauce
7) oyster sauce
8) pepper
9) sesame seed oil
10) shao xing wine
11) Corn starch water
12) Minced garlic

Steps:
1) Marinate the chicken with soya sauce, oyster sauce, pepper, wine and sesame seed oil for a while and set aside.
2) Heat the pan with some oil and spread the noodles in a thin layer on the pan. When the noodles turn a bit brown and crispy flip over the other side to brown it too. When the noodles are done, place in on a plate and set aside.
3) Heat the pan with some oil and add in the minced garlic. Stir fry for a while than add in the meat. Cook for a few minutes than add in the prawns and cabbage.
4) Stir fry for a while, than add in water or chicken stock. When the water starts to boil again, add in some soya sauce to taste. Than add in the corn starch water. Cook until the sauce starts to thicken.
5) Than add in the beaten eggs in a circular motion. Don't stir the mixture. Turn off the heat and wait for the eggs to get cooked slowly. This way you will get the 滑蛋 feel.
6) Pour the sauce over the noodles and you can enjoy the 生面！

Japchae (Chap Chae)

Hello sorry for the delay in posting any recipe. I was away in Chicago for the past week. Nice city with fabulous city view. So far this is one of my favourite cities which I have been in US. The hotel which I stay happens to be in a very convenient spot. I can walk to almost any part of the places which I want to visit. And there is also a subway station nearby if I want to travel further. Miss all these accessibilities of a city! Had gone to UNO to eat Chicago famous deep dish pizza. Pretty filling cos of the thick crust. But nevertheless it taste good! 


Have eaten too much unhealthy food when I was in Chicago. Therefore decided to cook more vegetables this week.  I chance upon this recipe when I was looking for other ways to cook vegetables. It was posted on one of my favourite food blog Rasa Malaysia (http://rasamalaysia.com/japchae-chap-chae-recipe/). This is a Korean dish and looks simply healthy! I don't have all the ingredients which is listed in the recipe but I guess this dish is a good way to make use of my creativity to come up with something similar with the ingredients I have in my fridge. Anyway I am trying to get rid of the left over vegetables in my fridge, so this is the perfect recipe!

Ingredients:

1 1 bundle of glass noodles
2 100 to 150g of spinach
3 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
4 2 cloves garlic, minced
5 1/2 small onion, thinly sliced
6 1 stalk celery, cut into thin strips
7 1 small carrot, cut into thin strips
8 1 stalk scallion, cut into 1-inch lengths
9 2 handful of bean sprouts

10 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
11 Salt to taste
12 1 heaping teaspoon toasted white sesame

Sauce:

4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 1/2 tablespoons sugar

Method:

1 Cook the glass noodles in a large pot of boiling water for about 5 minutes. Drain the water and rinse the noodles under cold running water. Cut the noodles using a pair of scissors into about 6-inch lengths. Set aside.

2 Heat up the oil in a wok and add the garlic, onion, spinach, celery, and carrot and cook for about two minutes. Add the scallion and bean sprouts and stir-fry for another minute. Turn the heat to low and add the noodles into the wok, follow by the sesame oil, the Sauce, and salt to taste. Stir to combine well. Dish out, sprinkle with the sesame seeds, and served at room temperature.