Simple Chinese Corn Soup Recipe

I want to share this with my dear BFFL who requested for a 'lazy-people's-recipe'.
This is a simple ordinary Chinese soup recipe yet wholesome, delicious, warm, perfect for a cold weather.



Ingredients (Portion ~ 10 small bowls):
chicken/pork bones (or you can use chicken stock if your mom's not watching)
6-8 pieces of dried longan (from asian grocers)
6-8 pieces of dries red dates (from asian grocers)
Corn (equally good with raw papaya, chinese cucumber, radish)- cut to pieces
Salt to taste (~2 tsp)

Instruction:

1. Bring a big pot of water (3/4 filled) to boil then add in meat (bones). Be sure that water is boiling before adding in bones/meat to avoid murky soup.
2. Add in corn, dates and longan.
3. Boil for at least 1 hour on medium heat. Add salt then serve.

Cooking time : 1 hour
Difficulty level : N/A...a chimp can do it, so can you!

PongTeh Bak Recipe (Nyonya braised pork Dish)

Daddy came for a short (2 days) visit here in Lund, Sweden after his business trip in Copenhagen, Denmakr (30 minutes away from where I live). I decided to make some home cooked meal to welcome his arrival couple of days ago (since he's rather picky with his food, tak boleh tahan angmo food)...tsk...

So anyways I decided to make ponteh bak (this is a typical Nyonya recipe works fine with chicken too, tastier if the meat is fatty). I remember this was one of my favourite dish prepared by granny.. She knew, and everytime we went visiting her she would make this for me....

Ingredients:
Pork Belly (sliced)/ Chicken (wings/ thighs/drumstick, cut) - portion for 4
Potatoes, peeled, cut into 1x1" cube pieces
Shitake mushroom, 5-6 pieces (soaked in warm water for 2 hours/ until soft, cut in half/quarters)
1 tbsp minced garlic
3 tbsp minced red onion/ small onions
1.5 tbsp salty bean paste ('teochew')
1 tbsp soy sauce
2x thumb size palm sugar ('gula melaka')
2-3 small cups of water
few sheets of dried beancurd skin, soaked till soft (optional)

Instruction:

1. Heat up wok with 3 tbsp of cooking oil. Stir in minced garlic and onion (minced as fine as possible to avoid chunky texture in gravy). Fry until fragrant/ changed colour, then add in meat and the bean paste. Stir well for a couple of minutes til meat changes colour. (high heat)
   
2. Next, add in potatoes and mushrooms and stir well together to allow flavours absorbed into ingredients. Then add water, enough to submerge ingredients, and add soy sauce. Bring to a boil, add in palm sugar. (Allow to boil on high heat for about 10 minutes/ until 1/4 water evaporates).
3. Then lower heat, Cover wok/pot with a lid and let it simmer for over 1 hour. You want the potatoes to be soft but not mushy.
4. Serve with a plate of warm rice, drenched with gravy.

*optional: add in beancurd skin only towards the end.



Prep + cook time : ~1.5-2 hours
Difficulty level : Moderate

EggTarts Recipe

I love eggtarts, but I never knew how to make them. Matter of fact, I am terrible at seldom do Baking. But this recipe is EXTREMELY easy. CREDITS to a dear Singaporean friend who's an amazing cook, her blog is inspiring! (source: http://singlishswenglish.blogspot.com/)

Here's all you'll need:

premade frozen butter pastries
eggs
whipped cream
sugar
vanilla essence
tart mold - foil
THAT's IT!

Instructions:

1. Use rolling pin to slightly roll-out defrosted pastry sheets. Then roll the (rectangle) sheets (lenght-side) into a long tube-like shape (see picture). Cute pastry into ~1 inch long cylinders.
2. Whilst pastry 'cylinders' facing upright, flatten with palm (you should see the swirl-pattern on the pastry) and roll out pastry until approx 3 inch in diameter (or enough to cover base of tart mold). Do the same for all the other pieces, and place pastry sheets firmly and neatly onto the molds.
3. Next to make the eggtart filling : add 3-4 eggs into a bowl + 2.5 dl cream + 0.5 -0.75 g sugar + 2 drops vanilla essence. Mixwell until sugar fully dissolves.
4. Pour mixture into pastry, and then bake in (preheated) oven at 180 degrees for approx 25-35 minutes. Voila!

Difficulty Level : Easy

Stir-fried japanese egg tofu recipe

Another usual wholesome homecooked meal.
All you need are the following:

2-3 egg tofu
250 g mince meat (pork/ chicken)
oil for frying
white pepper
oyster sauce
sesame oil
cooking sherry (optional)
salt pepper (for taste)
1 tbsp corn starch (dissolve in 2tbsp water)
1 tbsp garlic (minced)
1 tsp ginger (minced)
1 onion chopped
veg (capsicum/ mushrooms/ beans/ baby corn/ veg that gives crunch)
green onion for garnish

Instructions:

1. marinate mince meat with a tsp white pepper, 1 tbsp oyster sauce and half tsp sesame oil (optional). set aside for 30 minutes.
   
2. cut tofu to about half inch thickness. heat oil in wok/pan and gently slide in tofu pieces and deepfry both sides (only put in tofu when oil is hot enough otherwise you'll get scrambled tofu). take out tofu (drain oil) and set aside to cool.
3. heat 2 tbsp oil, add garlic and ginger fry til fragrant then add in onion. continue to fry until onions are translucent. Add in minced meat stir for awhile then add in veg. Add a dash of salt and pepper (to taste) and 1 tbsp cooking sherry.
   
4. Continue to fry for about 2 -3 minutes then add in half cup water and cornstarch solution. Stir well for a couple of minutes.
   
5. Add in tofu and gently mix well. Serve hot on rice and garnish.
   

prep+ cook time = 1 hour
difficulty level = easy

CharSiu Pao (BBQ pork steamed buns) Recipe

This is my first time trying to make these Chinese steamed buns. This brings back good memories from recess back in primary school. I used to have them (for 60 cents) for almost every lunch time. Those soft steamy buns and delicious, juicy meat fillings always warmed my tiny tummy back when I was merely 8y/o, weighing only 20 kgs.
Its not a fancy recipe cos I cheated by using a premixed 'special flour for buns' (which you can get at asian grocers).

Ingredients for buns (makes about a dozen):
500g 'special bun flour'
250 ml warm water
5 g fry yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp oil

Fillings:
1 tbsp oil
2 tbsp water
chopped BBQ pork
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
3 1 tsp sugar
1 tsp LKK's charsiu sauce
1 tbsp cornstarch (dissolve in 2 tbsp water)

Instructions:

1. Dissolve sugar and yeast in water and add into flour. add in oil, mix well and knead dough. Allow dough to rise in a bowl for about 30 minutes (cover bowl)
   
2. At the mean time, to make the fillings heat oil in pan and fry green onion. Add water, soy sauce, oyster sauce, dissolved cornstarch and bring to a boil until sticky consistency. Then add in chopped pork and mix well. Set aside to cool.
3. When dough from (1) has risen, use rolling pin to roll out rough piece by piece (dont roll out too flat). place a tbsp of filling and start folding in dough and give it a good twist at the top (as in picture).
   
4. Bring water to a boil and place buns on steaming trays. Steam for min. 15 minutes before removing. Let cool before serving.

Prep time : 1 hour
Difficulty: moderate

CharSiu (Chinese BBQ Pork) Recipe

I love CharSiu pork. you can have it with rice, in a bun, for rice-roll(previous recipe). It's nothing fancy, Just marinate your pork (loin / belly if you prefer fatty texture) for 2 days and then pop it into the oven and bake. Well it's nicer if you roast/ grill it to give it a slight charred flavor.

Ingredients:
500g pork
a few slices of ginger
green onion
chopped garlic
1tsp red food colouring (optional)
1 tbsp cooking wine (keeps meat tender)
1-2 tbsp sugar
1-2 tbsp light soy sauce
1-2 tbsp hoisin sauce (I also use LKK's charsiu sauce)
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp five-spice powder

Instructions:

1. marinate the pork with all the ingredients, give the meat a good rub, seal it tight in a bag/ container for 1-2 nights.
2. preheat oven at 250 degrees, bake for 45 minutes (turn meat over halfway through; or bake 30 minutes and then grill on skewers until slightly charred.
3. slice meat and serve with rice (additional sauce can be poured over meat), or keep meat for other recipes, like 'charsiu pao (BBQ pork steam buns)'.

Bon appetit!

Difficulty level: easy

Ayam Tempra (Malaysian-Nyonya Chicken) Recipe

Ayam Tempra, one of my many favourite Nyonya dishes - must try!
I'm glad to be born into a baba/nyonya family, being able to experience its culinary wonders, the authentic flavours and aromas that never fail to satisfy my tastebuds. I remember visiting grandma over the weekends every now and then, meal time (plus the in-between snackstime) was always my favourite time of the day.
I learnt this recipe from a dear aunt of mine some time back, and it's a very simple recipe. It requires simple ingredients, but you'll need to get the techniques right, heating and timing. It's mostly a savoury dish, but at the same time slightly sweet OR sour (to your own liking).

So here's what you'll need:

0.5 - 1kg Chicken meat, cut into pieces (I prefer to use tender parts of the chicken meat with bones/ fats, eg. wings, drumstick. thighs. Try to avoid the breasts as it carries less flavour and brings less richness to the dish. I used chicken thighs and cut them into several pieces)
2x2" fresh Ginger, thinly sliced
2 big onions, sliced into longstrips (Red onions tastes best)
2 large fresh red chilies, sliced (add more if you like spicy)
1 stk lemon grass, cut into two parts and slightly pounded
1/2 green lime
3 tbsp cooking oil
2 cups water
1-2 tbsp sugar
2-3 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp thick dark soy sauce/karamel sauce
1/2 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Begin by heating the oil in a wok/ large sauce pan. When oil is hot put in ginger slices and stir fry until you smell the fragrance. (always keep wok at high heat, but careful not to burn the ingredients). Once you smell the ginger and it looks slightly brown, add in the onions and chillies. Stir them thoroughly on high heat for about 1-2 minutes/ until you smell the aroma, then add in the lemon grass and stir for a few more seconds.
2. Add in chicken and stir fry for 2-3 minutes (still on high heat). Add a few squeeze of lime juice + 1 tbsp light soy sauce and keep stirring until chicken is brown and you see the oil starts oozing out from the chicken fats. (this step is to ensure you get the flavours into the meat before you continue on the next step, otherwise you'll get dull tasting meat).
3. Now add in water (water should be JUST enough to submerge all ingredients.stil keeping wok at high heat). Add the light and dark soy sauces, sugar and salt. boil on high heat for 2-5 minutes minutes (or until 1/4 of water has evaporated) then add remaining lime juice (adjust acidity to liking. if you like more sour, add lime, if u like sweeter add sugar. keep tasting until u get the taste you like).
4. Cover wok and simmer for 15-20 minutes on very low heat. Serve with warm rice.You wanna give your rice a good drench with the gravy! :)

MMmmm..Mmm! YuuuummMmY, the Aroma in my kitchen is heavenly right now, I wish you could smell it!! Absolute mouth watering. I'm gonna have mine with some fresh cabbage kimchi i've prepared a few days ago. Smaklig Måltid ;)


Prepr + Cooking time : 50 min- 1 hr
Difficulty level : moderate

Cantonese 'cheong fun' (Steamed Rice-Rolls) Recipe

This is a dish I've always loved. It's my absolute must-have when I go for dimsums. This is a recipe shared by a friend and I didnt know it was possible to make it at home since I've only seen it done with special steaming machines and techniques at the hawkers'.

I'm not gonna lie, if it's your first time making this, it might be a little tricky. Needless to say, I failed to make it aesthetically pleasant the first few times. But practice makes perfect, if you love this dish, it's worth the effort.

Cooking tools:
flour sieve
oil brush
steaming trays
steamer
a flat tool (wide icing spreader works) to assist in rolling of rice rolls

Ingredients (makes 2-3 portion):
220ml cold water 70g sieved rice flour 1 tbsp wheat starch (note: NOT wheat flour) 1 tbsp corn starch 1/4 tsp salt 2-3 tbsp veg oil
oil for brushing
toasted sesame seeds/ fried shallots for garnish
(for the filling, you can choose to use either BBQ pork 'chasiu', fresh prawns (cooked and peeled), or dried shrimps with green onions). The easiest one to make would be the fried shrimps + green onions.

Sauce for dipping (varies depending on desired consistency/ taste):
5 tsp soy sauce
5 tsp warmwater
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp sesame oil

Instructions:

1. Add water in a bowl/pot + rice flour + wheat starch + corn starch + salt + oil, stir thoroughly until no clumps and then cover and leave aside for at least 1 hour before use.
   
2. Prepare the chasiu (I will share the recipe for homemade chasiu some other time, otherwise you can buy ready made ones) dice them into tiny bits. (you can substitute chasiu for cleaned and cooked prawns or wash dried shrimps and chop green onions)
3. Prepare steaming tray : brush oil on surface before pouring in mixture from (1). This is quite tricky (trial and error to get the right thickness/ consistency you like), you dont want it too thick so pour a thin layer just enough to cover the surface of the tray. Sprinkle fillings (pork/ prawns/ dried shrimps+greenonions) generously over the tray
   
4. Steam in the steamer for approximate 7-8 minutes. Remove and let cool for about 1- 2 minutes. Then comes the trickiest part - Rolling & Plating. Brush a little oil on the flat tool before using it to gently and slowly lifting as you roll the thin sheet across the tray.
5. You can plate it and serve as it is or cut them in parts (~1-2inches) and panfry them until crispy.
6. Garnish and serve with dipping sauce mixture.

Voila!

Difficulty level : moderate - tricky
Prep. time : 1.5 hours + 7 minutes steam time per tray

Mussels in White-wine Sauce Recipe

This is an easy-to-make dish with mussels. Before you make the dish you might want to bake/buy a loaf of good bread. I enjoy dipping plain bread or even garlic bread with this dish.
You'll need the following (serves 2 - 3):

1/2 dl olive oil
Approx 1 kg mussels
1/3 leeks, sliced
1 carrot, sliced
4 -5 schallotts
4 - 5 garlic cloves, pounded
3-4 dl white wine
5 dl cooking cream
1 pc bay leaf
salt & pepper
thyme
(optional: green onion for garnish)

Instructions:

1. Put olive oil into heated sauce pan/ pot and stir in shallots and garlic until slight brown. Mix carrot, leeks and mussels, add in white wine and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
2. Pour in cooking cream then add seasonings + herbs
3. Simmer about 15-20 minutes on low heat, or until carrots are soft.
4. Serve with bread.
   

Difficulty level : easy
Prep time : 30-45 min.

Chilled Potato Salad Recipe

This is a simple recipe from mom. Delicious on its own, or with BBQs.

You'll need the following :

Potatoes
Carrots
Cucumber
Mayonaise
Salt
White Pepper
Sugar
Raisins

Instructions:

1. Boil the potatoes until soft. drain water and submerge in cold water for a few seconds, potatoes' skin should slide right out easily by just gently rubbing it off with your fingers. Mash the potatoes with a potato masher.
2. Skin and then shred carrots and cucumber (use only the hard part of cucumber and remove the centre cos it's the bitter part). Mix into the mashed potatoes
3. Add in mayonaise until desired consistency (if you like it chunkier, dont mash your potatoes too much and add less mayo).
4. Add a pinch of salt, sugar and pepper to taste. (and if you're like me, you might like to add some raisins/ sultanas.
   
5. Mix well and refrigerate before serving.

Difficulty level: too easy
Prep time : 30 minutes

Korean Glass-Noodles ('JabChae') Recipe

This is a recipe that both my partner and I absolutely enjoy. It is simple and tasty and you can have it as a side dish with warm rice, or just eat it as it is. Here's how it will look like:

To make this dish, you'll need the following (portion for approx.4):

Ingredients (varies to your liking):

cooking oil
2 bunches of starch (glass) noodles
thin strips of beef slices
1 big carrot/2 medium carrots
5-6 pcs shitake (chinese) mushrooms (soaked two hours and then sliced)
2 stalks of spring (green) onions (cut greens into 5-7cm long strips)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 big onion (thinly sliced into long strips)
additional thinly sliced (optional) - white mushrooms, needle(enoki)mushrooms, capsicum, beans, blanched spinach, woodear mushrooms, tamagoyaki (japanese sweet omelet) etc.

Seasonings & Garnish:
soy sauce
sugar
sesame oil
roasted sesame seeds
black peppar (grounded)

Instructions:

1. Bring a big pot of water to boil and add in the starch noodles for about 5 minutes (taste one strand to see if it's done, you want it chewy and just right). Drain boiling water (do not soak in cold water) and put the noodles in a large bowl. Add 1-2tbsp of sesame oil and soy sauce and give it a thorough toss (the oil will prevent the noodles from clumping while being set aside). roughly cut the noodle bunches in a few parts, dont have to be too particular, just enough to enable ease of mixing in the veg later.
2. Next heat a pan and add ~1tbsp of cooking oil then add in the carrot (+ other veg that takes longer time to soften), fry for about 2-3 minutes or until the desired texture. Remove from pan and add into the same large bowl.
3. Then fry the green onions until slightly fragrant/browned. Remove and add into the same large bowl.
   
4. Add a little more oil into the frying pan (if needed), toss in the onions and fry till fragrant and translucent. Put in additional remaining veg and fry for abit (dont overcook the veg, you want a slight crunchy texture). Remove and add into large bowl.
5. Add beef strips, garlic, and shitake mushrooms into pan, add 1 tbsp of sesame oil, 1 tbsp soysauce 1/2 tsp of sugar, stirfry until fragrant. Remove and add into large bowl and turn off stove.
   
6. Add 2-3 tbsp of sesame oil + 2 tbsp sugar + 3-4 tbsp of soy sauce into the bowl + few dashes of black peppar. All that's left now is thoroughly mixing in the veg with noodles (use your hands for best results).
7. Garnish with sesame seeds (and tamagoyaki) then serve warm.
   

So if you're craving for some authentic classical korean dish, this is a must try- simple and appetizing. Eat it as a main dish or as sides.

Difficulty level : easy
Time estimated : within 1 hour