Sesame oil and ginger chicken

No matter how often I eat comfort foods, I never got get sick of them. Due to the ease of preparation and cooking in comfort foods, I never got sick of them as well. Yes, cooking has become somewhat a chore in the past one month as I had to deal with the move, packing, unpacking and some bits of disorientation, all at the same time. Fortunately for comfort foods, I'm still able to find some joy in enjoying my own simple cooking and when it is definitely not a cooking chore.

Sesame oil and ginger chicken
Ingredients:
-~ 8-12 pieces small chicken drumlets/wings, marinated in 1tbsp oyster sauce at least 2hrs
- 4 caps fresh shitake mushrooms, cut to halfs or comparable to size of drumlets/wings
- 2 garlic, minced
- 2 scallions, julienned to strips
- 4 thumb-sized young ginger cut to fine strips
- 1tbsp sesame oil
- white pepper to taste

Seasonings:
- 1tbsp sesame oil
- 1tsp cooking rice wine
- 2tbsp some water or adjust accordingly

Directions:
1. Heat 1tbsp sesame oil in pan/wok at low-medium heat
2. Add in garlic, scallions and ginger to the pan/wok, fry till aromatic
3. Add in chicken and mushrooms, then fry at medium-high heat for about 3-4mins.
4. Add in seasonings, mix and fry well, then turn to simmer till chicken is cooked. This will take about 3-5mins (if using small chicken parts)
5. When ready to serve, dash in white pepper, dashes of more sesame oil, and sprinkle of cooking rice wine, then immediately turn off the heat.



There are many ways and variations to cook the dish and this happens to be another of my version - where sesame oil and ginger are the stars that make the chicken shine!

Other easy chicken recipes that you won't chicken-out in the face of it, has got to be steamed chicken with ginger and braised chicken with assorted mushrooms.

What is your comfort food or comfort foods?

Tag: comfort food, chicken

Seafood Soba "Braised E-Fu Noodles" style

Seafood Soba "Braised E-Fu Noodles" style
modified from recipe Wat Dan Hor - Fried Rice Noodle with Egg Gravy)

Ingredients:
-soba, cooked/boiled in water. Set aside.

Gravy:
-Medley of seafood (calamari, bay scallops, prawns)
-Yu-choy, cleaned and cut into sections of stalks/stems and leaves (Note: can use bok choy or bok choy sum if you wish)
- some canned straw or button mushrooms
-1/2tsp crushed garlic
-1/2tsp crushed ginger
-1tbsp oyster sauce
-1/2cup chicken broth
-1-2 eggs
-pepper and salt to taste
-oil for cooking
-water

Method:
1.Heat oil, add in garlic, ginger and saute seafood till cooked. Set aside.
2. There will be some seafood "juices" left in the wok/pan. Add in mushrooms, and vegetables, add in oyster sauce and fry briskly.
3.Pour in broth and bring to the boil. Simmer 3mins.
4. Add in the cooked seafood, and cooked soba noodles. Season to taste and mix well. (Note:Do no cook soba noodles for too long since they are already cooked in advance and may become softer if cooked longer)
5. After this entire mixture comes to a second simmer, turn off the heat. Add in whisked egg slowly (Note: The heat remaining in the wok/pan of cooked ingredients will cook the egg just to smooth and silky)



Tag: seafood, e fu noodles,egg noodles

Bittergourd + tips to remove bitterness + recipes

White bittergourd or a hybrid white pearl...

In my memory, I have always seen and eaten bittergourd which are green; and have braised or stir fry them, GREEN.

Green bittergourd

I have no idea why most bittergourds are white in Taiwan - perhaps white mean un-bitter? They wanna trick us!? :O For example, where papayas, mangoes, and bananas are concerned, GREEN means unripe - thus sour, or bitter.



Well, well, well...white bittergourd is no where, un-bitter. You just use the same tips and techniques to reduce the bitterness in white or green bittergourds, if you do not like them too bitter. To reduce bitterness, add some salt into water, and soak strips/pieces of bittergourd in the water(~5mins). The longer you soak, the less bitter it will be. Find tips on bittergourds, and bittergourd recipes here and here.


Tag: bittergourd

Prawn stock, shrimp stock

This is one of the those fabulous "deemed-useless" ingredients to flavor up soups or broths.

You can also use them in stir fry dishes and even stir fry noodles. Next time you clean the prawns, think thrice about throwing the heads into the garbage bag. They are USEFUL!

In a pot of water, drop in prawn heads and boil them. Use the stock base for your dishes.


Tag: prawns, prawn stock, shrimp, shrimp stock

Stir fry pork with ginger

Stir Fry Pork with Ginger
Ingredients:
pork tenderloins, sliced thinly, seasoned with salt and some corn flour
2tbsp dark soy sauce
1tsp oyster sauce
2 gloves garlic, minced
1 ginger, sliced thinly
4-5tsp minced ginger
sesame oil
cooking wine

Directions:
1. Heat oil in frying pan and fry the garlic and sliced ginger till fragrant
2. Add in pork slices and fry till 70% cooked. Set aside.
3. In the same pan, add in minced ginger, dark soy sauce, and oyster sauce and mix well. When start to simmer, add in the pork again and lightly stir fry till cooked. (Note: cook it fast so that the pork will not be too tough when consumed)
4. At the end of cooking, dash in some sesame oil and cooking wine for more aroma in the dish
5. Garnish with ginger fries


Tender juicy pork slices immersed in natural pork flavors and the full zest of ginger




Another dish or reason(would you need any?) to ask for more rice :)


Tag: ginger, deep fried ginger, pork

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. :)




Tag: fish, seafood, korean asian pear

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 -


Tag:snack ideas

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.

Tag: steamed chicken, instant noodles

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!

Tag: seafood, clams, fermented soybeans, pasta

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?

Tag: roasted duck, stir fry noodles

Fried fish in soy sauce and ginger

Fried fish in soy and ginger
Ingredients:
-2 fish fillets; fillet across the fish(width-wise), pat fish fillet dry using kitchen towels and season with salt and pepper
- scallions

Sauce:
-3tbsp dark soy suce
-drizzle of cooking wine
-drizzle of sesame oil
-1tsp crushed ginger

Coating:
- some all-purpose flour mixed with corn flour


Directions:
1. Heat oil at medium-high in frying pan. When ready to fry, coat the fish evenly with flour mixture, and slide down into the pan from the sides (sliding action is to prevent oil splatter on yourself). Since I was using a wide-based pan when even the oil is not sufficient to cover the entire fillet, the trick is to fry each side of fish for 2-3mins at medium-high heat. Do not turn fish frequently. When done, set aside on plate
2. In a clean sauce pan or the above frying pan(drained alway majority of the oil used to fry the fish), add in sauce ingredients and simmer at low heat till aromatic.
3. When slightly reduced, pour sauce over fish and serve.



Cooked to perfection - slightly crispy lightly crusted outside, yet cooked and moist on the inside. With that traditional Chinese-style sauce of dark soy and ginger, MORE RICE, please!



Tag: fish, seafood

Deep fried ginger, ginger fries

While thinly sliced ginger can be added to vegetable and meat stir-fry dishes, thin strips of ginger can also be deep-fried. Hey, ginger fries! Move over...french fries and whatever sweet potato fries :P


This will be THE perfect golden to look our for, in deep-fried ginger strips. The trick is to julienne to thin strips, and deep-fry them in medium-high heat till they turn golden. Do not turn your eyes away while deep-frying - monitor them carefully and strain them out of the hot oil once these ginger strips turn color.



Perfect as a garnish and adds a hint of spice in chicken and pork dishes.

Banana Peanut Butter Wonton Pockets

Woooo hoooo...what's that ? A volcano about to erupt. Can't you see the transparent "lava" flowing to the foot of the volcano ?



This little sweet snack is created entirely from leftovers. Leftover wonton skin, unused almond butter, and overly ripe bananas.

Leftovers can really stretch one's creativity, and thanks to Leftover Tuesday (it's at #10 now) - it resulted in these Banana and Peanut Butter Wontons/Pockets.


Creamy filling inside...warm light snack!

Banana and Peanut Butter Wontons Pockets
Ingredients: wonton wrappers, peanut butter, banana
Directions: Mash the ripe bananas with the peanut butter in a mixing bowl. Using 2 pieces of wonton wrappers, scoop 1tsp on one wrapper and sandwich with the 2nd wrapper. Deep-fry or bake!


Look at the crispy slightly-browned edges

There is always something about moist-in-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside that gives the perfect balance in texture and taste layering.

Enjoy!

Tag: wontons, sweet wontons, snacks

Spicy Prawn Ball on Deep-Fried Basil

Spicy Prawn Ball on Deep-Fried Basil
Ingredients:
-12-16 shelled prawns
-2tsp curry powder
-1/2 tsp Tom Yum paste
-1tsp brown sugar
-1 egg white
-basil leaves, deep-fried



Directions:
A- Deep-frying basil : Heat 2 cups oil in wok until almost smoking and drop in handfuls of leaves so they turn brilliant green and crisp in seconds. Lift onto paper towels with a slotted spoon. Serve quickly, sprinkled over other dishes just before serving so the leaves don't have time to lose their crispness. Or pass a bowl of them around on their own for a new sensation in flavour and texture.

B- Prawn balls
1. Chop the shrimps with cleaver till reduced to chunky paste
2. In a mixing bowl, add in all ingredients and mix well in one direction (to make it stay in shape during mixing)
3. Shape paste into small rounds
4. Set frying plan over medium-high heat and fry for 45secs-2mins(depending on size of balls) till golden brown (Note: don't overcorwd the frying pan. Do in batches)
5. Drain well on paper towels and serve hot



Faintly aromatic with the use of curry powder. This will be a crowd pleaser and surprise treat of appetizer :)



Get ready your toothpicks or mini-cocktail skewers!

Attack!

Tag: prawns, prawn ball, seafood

Minced Pork Soba with Wontons

Soba

+


Wontons

+

Minced pork with black vinegar


= y

Let me score that for you...Minced Pork Soba with Wontons !


Maths is straightforward. 1+1 = 2 and nothing else (don't tell me it's eleven, please?)
Don't agree? Give me your answer for y then.


It was such a pleasant surprise. The nutty flavor of soba blends well with the minced pork sauce concocted here. Check out that recipe. For making wontons, you can check it out here.


Tag: wonton, boiled dumplings, minced pork, linguine

Black Pepper Basil Beef

Black Pepper Basil Beef
Ingredients:
-Beef sirloin (slice and fillet against the grain)
-Handful of fresh basil
-Black pepper

Marinate:
-2tsp oyster sauce
-1tsp dark soy
-1tsp sesame oil
-1tbsp black pepper
-cornflour
-egg

Directions:
1. Marinate beef slices for at least 2hrs in the fridge.
2. Heat pan with oil at low-medium heat. Add in marinated beef and stir fry beef slices over medium-high heat till athey start to turn color
3. Add basil leaves to beef and complete cooking about 2mins
4. Dish up and serve immediately


Good basil flavor and fragrance, well-balanced with the black pepper marinated beef

In cooked recipes it is generally added at the last moment, as cooking quickly destroys the meal. In other food cultures such as in Taiwan, fresh basil leaves are added into thick soups (羹湯, pronounced geng tang). They also eat fried chicken with deep-fried basil leaves.

The Thais also use basil in stir-fries eg. in a dish like Kai Pad Bai Kaprow- Thai Basil chicken.


What are the basil flavors in this? Lemony...peppery...vanilla



It's so yummy! You must try this. You don't have to get your ingredients from any specialty store.

Tag: basil beef, basil, beef