Thursday, December 27, 2007

Steamed fish rolls with Asian pear strips


Steamed Fish Roll with Pear Strips
Ingredients: thin fillets of cod fish (I use a usual thick fillet available in grocery stores, and fillet it thinner - to get rectangular thin fillets); some enoki mushrooms, some bunshimeiji mushrooms, carrot strips, colored pepper strips, Korean Asian pear strips
(note: quantity estimated based on how much your rolled-up fish can accomodate)

Seasoning/marinade: some salt and pepper, cooking wine, sesame oil


Directions:
1. Rub some salt and pepper on the fish
2. Place the strips of mushroom, pepper, carrot, pear on one edge(short side) of the fish; then start rolling lengthwise till the other edge. You will get the rolls looking lilke those above.
3. Place the rolls on a plate suitable for steaming.
4. When water for steaming boils, start steaming for 6mins till the fish are almost cooked (turns opaque) and at the last one minute, dash in some cooking wine and sesame oil (spooned over) the fish, and finish steaming for the last minute
5. Serve immediately


Everyone can do this dish. Definitely worth a try. I use frozen cod fillets but those that are claimed to be flash-frozen to retain freshness, and they were...indeed quite fresh.

Seasoning was kept simple so that nothing overpowers; allowing you to taste the flavor of the fish that has been lightly infused with flavors from the vegetables, mushrooms, and pear. The light crisp of the Asian pear was still retained and not all gone in the process of steaming - added a little crisp texture to the tender moist fish rolls. The Asian pear strips also injected a very very light fruity sweet to the fish rolls. They definitely make these savory steamed fish rolls taste...out of the world...delicious. :)




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Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Snacks and desserts party ideas

If any of those 10 one-dish favorites could make it your 2008, then these snack attacks and dessert indulgence could ease you through to make your entrees complete.

My Top Five Picks on Snacks and Desserts can be your Xmas, New Year or any holiday party idea! They are the easiest while most yummy, in my opinion.

Scallopwiches

Spicy Prawn Balls

Eggless Tiramisu

Mini Chicken Pies

Choc-Strawberries

More snacks and dessert ideas for you -


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Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Chicken noodle - instant noodles with steamed chicken

Steamed chicken noodle/Noodle with steamed chicken

Ingredients: Chicken thigh meat sliced; ginger cut into fine shreds; scallions/spring onions jullienned on the bias, some crushed ginger; red/yellow peppers

Marinade: oyster sauce, cornflour, sesame oil

Method:
1.Marinate chicken for 30 mins
2.Lay the chicken slices on a plate, sprinkle ginger and scallions on top of chicken, add in the additional crushed ginger and put it to steam for about 15-20mins (or until the chicken is cooked)
3. Dish the steamed chicken (with its gravy) over cooked instant noodles (like me...no time...so need to be instant) or cooked rice (when you have more time), and toss the noodles well to let them soak the gravy.
4. Serve with any vegetables of your choice.

For detailed quantity of ingredients and marinade, you can refer to this steamed chicken recipe.


This is another surprise though the name steamed chicken noodle itself may sound so-military, so-bland, and so-unappetizing. Remember...when you steam the marinated chicken with ginger and scallions, you get natural sweetness from the chicken mixing with the marinate seasonings and ginger+scallions. The result is...AWESOME, though nothing fanciful. That chicken clear gravy will line each previously-tasteless noodle strand with moist, and flavor. I wonder if this sounds easy to you but all I had to do was to marinate, assemble the chicken to let it steam; cook the noodles; finally toss them together and I said...PRESTO!

P.S. You can choose the so-much-effort-and-pride-put-in recipe here, or the quick-turn-around-yet-delicious recipe here, to prepare and cook the chicken. I chose the latter.

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Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Clam Pasta - Clam Spaghetti in Bean Sauce



Clam Spaghetti in Bean Sauce
Ingredients:
-1tsp taucheo (preserved/fermented soy beans)
-2tsp crushed ginger
-2cloves garlic, minced
-2tsp sambal belacan
-water
-green onions
-1/2 lb spaghetti, cooked to al-dente, set aside

Directions:
1. Stir fry ginger and garlic at medium heat till fragrant
2. Add tauceho and sambal, and mix well. Add in 2tbsp water so that the paste mixture does not dry up
3. Add in clams to simmer and when the shells open up, add in green onions
4. When ready to serve, add in the pasta, mix well and serve immediately



This dish is a total savory enjoyment - the sauce and the fresh clams, they are IT!

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Thursday, December 06, 2007

Stir Fry Linguine with Shredded Duck



Stir Fry Linguine with Shredded Duck
Ingredients:
Leftover duck, red peppers, scallions/green onions, bean sprouts, linguine cooked and set aside

Directions: Add in shredded leftover duck into pan at medium heat, fry for a while and there will be some "oil/fats" in the duck that oil the pan. Once the pan is lightly oiled, add in all the red peppers, and bean sprouts and stir fry till tender. Then add in scallions/green onions, and linguine the last. Serve immediately.



Does the colors tell you it's tasty?

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