Kung Pao Stir Fry Chicken

The mayhem is finally over at work and I can start pushing myself to blog about the long-due recipes. Don't get me wrong, I have been religiously cooking, just not blogging about it. Today's recipe is a simple kung pao stir fry, something that I managed to create with barely any ingredients left in the fridge. The key to the dish is to use a little black vinegar, to create that hint of tanginess in the dish.

Serves 2
Ingredients:

2                         boneless chicken thigh or chicken fillet, cubed
8                         dried chilli, washed and deseed
2 stalks               scallion, cut into 2 inch length
2 slices                old ginger
1 clove                garlic, minced
2 tablespoons      cashew nuts, roasted
1 tablespoon       cooking oil

Marinade for the chicken:

1 tablespoon      cornstarch
1 tablespoon      light soy sauce
1 tablespoon      chinese wine
1 teaspoon         cooking oil

Ingredients for the sauce mixture:

1 tablespoon     light soy sauce
1 teaspoon        dark soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon  sugar
1 teaspoon        cornstarch   
1/2 teaspoon     black vinegar
3 tablespoons   water

Method:

Marinate the cubed chicken with the sauce marinade and set aside for at least 30 minutes.

Heat a pan with 1 tablespoons of cooking oil. Add in the sliced ginger, minced garlic and fry till fragrant. Add in the dried chilli and fry until it smells spicy before adding the chicken.

Stir fry the chicken till 70% cooked and add in the cashewnuts and the sauce mixture. Continue frying until the sauce reduces and thickens. Turn off the heat and mix in the scallions before dishing out.

Cereal Prawn

 





Prawns are one of the many auspicious food that are served during the Lunar New Year. Its Cantonese pronounciation - Har, sounds like laughter and it symbolises a year of happiness and joy ahead.

 

I believe that my dearest Mum would like the family to experience more happiness during the year of the snake. That's probably the reason why she bought a good 10kg worth of prawns back from the fishing port. There are only five of us at home by the way. Needless to say, I was given the task to create some different prawn dishes over the next few days. Here's one.

 

Serves 5

Ingredients:

 

10 large                   prawns, washed and trimmed slightly

2 stalk                     curry leaves, plucked from the stem and washed

4                              chill padi, sliced thinly (reduced to 2 stalks if you can't take too spicy)

2 tablespoons          butter

2 packets                 instant cereal with milk powder and sugar

                                ground white pepper

                                salt

 

Method:

Deep fry the prawn with the shell intact, till 80% cooked. Set aside.

 

Heat butter in a frying pan on medium-high heat. Add in the curry leaves and chopped chilli padi. Fry till fragrant.

 

Add in the instant cereal, salt and pepper. Mix thoroughly.

 

Add in the fried prawns and stir fry for another minute.

Serve immediately.

 

 

 

Chinese Fried Rice

I've had some much leftover rice and barely enough ingredients in the refrigerator to cook a proper dish that a simple fried rice seems like the best way to get rid of those ingredients. I've used chinese sausages for today's recipe but this can easily be replaced by luncheon meat, hot dogs, ham, prawn or even leftover meats such as char siew or chicken. 

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 cups                        overnight rice, left in the refrigerator

3 cloves                      garlic, minced

2                                eggs, beaten

2                                chinese sausages, diced 

1 bunch                      long beans, diced (can be replaced with green peas)

1 medium                   carrot, diced 

2 stalk                        scallion, chopped

1 tablespoon               oyster sauce

1 tablespoon              light soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon             ground white pepper

2 tablespoons            cooking oil 

Method:

Heat a wok with 2 tablespoons of cooking oil on high heat. Add in the minced garlic and fry till fragrant. 

Add in the chopped long beans, carrots and chinese sausages. Stir fry quickly for about a minute or two. 

Push the ingredients to the side of the wok. Pour the beaten egg into the middle of the wok and very quickly, add in the overnight rice, using the back of the spatula to break it, mixing it with the uncooked egg while doing do. Stir fry on high heat for another 4 minutes. 

Mix in 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce and ground white pepper. Mix evenly. 

Turn off the heat and mix in the chopped scallion. 

Stir Fried Pork with Ginger and Spring Onion

I haven't had this dish for the longest time and thought that it will go perfectly with that pot of porridge that I was simmering over the stove. Although it was my first attempt, it was surprisingly well received by my sister. But then again, what could go wrong with tender juicy meat slices coated in thick flavoursome sauce? For those craving variety, do note that this recipe can also be used with beef slices or pork liver.

Ingredients:

1                          pork fillet, sliced thinly against the grain
2 cloves               garlic, minced
6 slices                 old ginger
4 stalks                 spring onion, cut into 2 inches length
1 tablespoon         cooking oil

Marinade:
1 tablespoon          oyster sauce
1 tablespoon          cornflour
1 teaspoon             sesame oil
1 tablespoon          light soy sauce
dash                      ground white pepper

Sauce:
1 tablespoon          light soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon       dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon             sugar
3 tablespoons         rice wine
1 tablespoon          water

Method:

Marinate the meat slices with oyster sauce, cornflour, light soy sauce, sesame oil and white pepper for at least 30 minutes.

Heat a wok with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Add in the sliced ginger and fry for about 30 seconds. Add in the minced garlic and fry till fragrant.

Stir in the marinated meat slices and fry for about 2 minutes on high. Add in the prepared sauce and continue frying till the meat slices are cooked, approx. 2 to 3 minutes. Do not overcook the meat as it will become tough, especially for pork liver.

Add in the spring onion, stir and serve.

Stir Fried Celery with Shrimp

I've had plently of celery and carrots left from making a bolognese sauce and there wasn't a better way to finish it up than frying it. As with any Chinese stir fry dishes, high heat is a definite must in order to achieve that crunchy tasty result at the end. Goes superbly well with a bowl of steamed rice.

Ingredients:

4 stalk                             celery, sliced
2 small                             carrots, sliced
2 cloves                           garlic, minced
4 slices                            ginger
2 tablespoons                  chinese shaoxing or hua tiao wine
10                                   medium shrimp
1/4 teaspoon                   chicken powder
1 tablespoon                   cooking oil
1 tablespoon                   water

Method:

Heat a wok on high and add in 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Add in the minced garlic and sliced ginger and fry till fragrant.

Stir in the shrimp and add in 2 tablespoons of chinese wine. Stir fry for 30 seconds or until the shrimp turn slightly pink.

Add in the prepared celery and carrot with 1 tablespoon of water and stir fry for another minute. Add in the chicken powder and serve.

Tteokbokki (Korean Rice Cake)

I have been craving for some mean Tteokbokki (Korean rice cake) for a very long time. The last time I had a really good version was in a small family-run Korean restaurant located in a small dark alley in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong. I seriously doubt I will be flying HK anytime soon so I've decided to make them on my own. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get hold of some Korean fish cake so I've made a vegetarian version instead. If you are lucky enough to get some, do add them in alongside the other ingredients.

Serves 2
Ingredients:

250g                                    rice cake, rinsed
2 cups                                 dashi stock (I used water with dashi stock flavouring)
1/2                                      yellow onion, sliced
1/2                                      carrot, sliced thinly
1 clove                                garlic, minced
1 tablespoon                        soy sauce
2 tablespoons                      Gochujang (red pepper paste)
2 tablespoons                      sugar
1/4                                      leek, sliced thinly
1 teaspoon                          roasted white or black sesame

Method:

Place 2 cups of dashi stock in a saucepan and bring to boil. Mix in 2 tablespoons of Gochujang, 2 tablespoons of sugar, 1 tablespoons of soy sauce and 1 clove of minced garlic. Bring to boil for 5 minutes.

Add in the sliced onion, sliced carrot and rice cake and bring the heat down to low. Stir continuously until the sauce thicken and reduced.

Mix in the sliced leek and stir another minute. Serve with a teaspoon of roasted sesame seeds.

Stir Fried Garlic Sprouts with Dried Shrimp

Garlic sprouts are crunchy, super sweet and I especially love it when it's lightly stir-fried. In this recipe, I've added some dried shrimps that has been marinated in Chinese wine to give the dish that little extra oomph. The same recipe can also be used to fry long beans, french beans and even cabbages or asparagus, so do give it a try according to your liking.

Ingredients:
1 packet                      garlic sprouts, peeled and cut into 2-inches long
2 cloves                       garlic, minced
1 tablespoon                cooking oil
1 tablespoon                dried shrimp, soaked in water
1 tablespoon                Chinese wine such as hua tiao or shao xing
1 teaspoon                   chicken powder

Method:

Drain the dried shrimp from the water, reserving the water for later use.

Add 1 tablespoon of Chinese wine to the pre-soaked shrimp and set aside for 5 minutes.

Heat a wok or pan with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Add in the pre-marinated dried shrimp and fry until fragrant. Add in the minced garlic and fry until it turns golden brown.

Mix in the garlic sprouts, 3 tablespoons of the shrimp water and 1 teaspoon of chicken powder. Mix evenly and cover with a lid.

Remove lid after 2 minutes, fry lightly and serve.

Black Pepper Beef with Bell Peppers

I love cooking with bell peppers. Not only are they crunchy and easy to cook, I also love the fact that they are loaded with tons of Vitamin C. A great way to cook bell peppers is of course the ever-popular black pepper beef. I am making the black pepper sauce from scratch in this recipe but an easy way to cook this dish is to use the bottled black pepper sauce available from Lee Kum Kee. Both tasted equally good so I will leave that to your preference.

Ingredients:
400g                  sliced beef fillet
1                        red bell pepper, sliced            
1                        green bell pepper, sliced
1                        yellow onion, sliced
2 cloves             garlic, sliced
1 tablespoon      ground black peppercorns (or black pepper)
1 tablespoon      cooking oil

Marinate:
1 tablespoons    light soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon  sugar
1/2 tablespoon  cooking oil
2 tablespoon     water
1 teaspoon        cornstarch
1 teaspoon        black pepper

Sauce:
1 tablespoon    light soy sauce
1 tablespoon    dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon       sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon    chicken powder
1 tablespoon    oyster sauce
2 tablespoons   water

Method:

Marinate the beef with the marinate ingredients above and keep in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes.

Mix the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.

Heat a wok with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Add in the sliced garlic and fry till fragrant.

Add in the sliced onion and 1 tablespoon of ground black peppercorns. Fry for a minute and add in the beef slices.

Stir fry for a minute and add in the sliced bell peppers and sauce ingredients. Cook till the sauce reduces or thicken with cornstarch. Dish out and serve.

Stir Fried Dou Miao

I'm an aficionado of super easy recipes and this dish is no exception as well. 4 ingredients and 3 minutes is all you need. Seriously. Set your timer and give it a try if you must!

Ingredients:
1 packet                  dou miao, rinsed
2 cloves                   garlic, minced
1 tablespoon            cooking oil
1 teaspoon               chicken powder

Method:

Heat a wok with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Add in the garlic and fry till fragrant.

Add in the rinsed dou miao and 1 teaspoon of chicken powder and fry for one and a half minute on high heat.

Dish out and serve.

Stir Fried Broccoli with Shrimp

I NEED vegetables on my table. Be it a simple plate of poached kailan or some easy stir fried bean sprouts, I'm easy to please. One of my favourite vegetable dish is stir fried broccoli and I personally think that shrimps / prawns make a perfect combination with its vibrant pink colour and fresh seafood taste.

Ingredients:
1 head                 broccoli, cut into florets
1 clove                garlic, minced
8 small                shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon       cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon       chicken powder
2 tablespoons      water

Method:

Heat a wok with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Add in 1 clove of minced garlic and fry till fragrant.

Add the shrimps and stir fry another half a minute.

Mix in the broccoli with 2 tablespoons of water. Cover the wok for about a minute.

Remove the cover and stir in 1/2 teaspoon of chicken powder. Mix evenly and serve.

Poached Spinach in Chicken Broth

Poached Spinach in Chicken Broth is probably one of the top sellers in most Cantonese restaurants. I clearly remembered how I got hold of this recipe: with a pen in hand and my mobile phone on the other, calling up my Cantonese restaurant chef on a Sunday, asking him for specific instructions. It was a pretty amusing moment, as he was panicking from receiving a call from me on a non-working day. Sorry Chef! The original recipe requires the salted egg white to be stirred into the soup but I prefer to cook and chopped it up instead. Some will prefer to include a beaten egg at the end of the cooking process but that is according to your preference.
Ingredients:

1 packet                      spinach, rinsed, drained and cut into 3 inches long
3 cloves                       garlic, sliced thinly (my chef uses whole garlic instead)
1                                 salted egg, boiled and diced
1                                 century egg, diced
1                                 egg, beaten (optional)
1 tablespoon               cooking oil
1/2 cup                       chicken stock or water with 1/2 bouillion cube
1 tablespoon               chinese wine, preferably hua diao

Method:

Heat a wok or pot with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Add in the sliced garlic and fry until golden brown.

Pour in the chicken stock and bring to boil.

Add in the spinach, diced century egg and salted egg and cook for another minute.

Add in the beaten egg, if desired and stir continously.

Switch off the heat and add in 1 tablespoon of chinese wine.

Fried Kangkong with Shrimp Paste

Instead of frying KangKong with sambal belachan the local way (simply because I ran out of sambal belachan), I cooked a similar version using shrimp paste instead. According to a recent cooking program that I've watched on television, this is apparently the Taiwanese way of cooking this dish. For those who can't take heat, do reduce the usage of chilli padis accordingly. I don't think I'll need to emphasize on the simplicity of this dish, ever.

Ingredients:

1 bunch                    kangkong, washed and cut into 4 inches long
2 cloves                    garlic, minced
1 teaspoon               shrimp paste
6                              chilli padi, sliced
1 tablespoon            cooking oil
2 tablespoons           water

Method:

Heat a wok on high heat with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Add in the minced garlic and fry until fragrant.

Add in the sliced chilli padi, 1 teaspoon of shrimp paste and fry lightly for about 20 seconds. Add in the washed Kang Kong, 2 tablespoons of water and mix evenly. Cover with lid for about a minute.

Dish out and serve.

Stir Fried Petai with Anchovies

A common dish found in grilled seafood or Nasi Padang stalls, petai is usually a little more expensive as compared to the other vegetable dishes. It is not an expensive ingredient to begin with but the process of cutting the beans up into half one by one (to ensure that there are no hidden pests), is pretty exhausting and hence the price tag. Often fried with sambal, I've created another version with chilli padi instead (simply because I ran out of sambal). Don't worry, I promised that the taste hasn't in anyway been compromised.

Ingredients:

1 packet                  petai, cut into halves lengthwise
1 medium                 red onion, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons          dried anchovies (ikan billis), washed and drained
5 stalk                     chilli padi, sliced
1 tablespoon            cooking oil
1 teaspoon               sugar
1/4 teaspoon            salt
2 tablespoons           water

Method:

Heat a frying pan with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil on medium-high heat. Add in the dried anchovies and fry till the anchovies are crispy and golden brown in colour.

Add in the sliced red onion and sliced chilli padi and give it a quick stir.

Stir in the prepared petai beans, 2 tablespoons of water, 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Stir fry for another minute and serve with steamed rice.

Stir-Fried Asparagus and Scallop in XO Sauce

We had some gigantic hokkiado scallops at home and Mum suggested frying them with a newly bought bottle of XO sauce, and so I obliged. The trick to this tasty easy stir-fry is to make sure you fry with a wok using super high heat. The high heat seals in the flavour somehow and ensure you get crunchy delicious vegetables.

Serves 4
Ingredients:

1 clove              garlic, minced
3 slices              old ginger
10                     fresh scallops
1 packet           asparagus, cut into 3-inch long
1 packet           baby corn, cut into halves
1 small              carrot, sliced
1 teaspoon        sesame oil
1 teaspoon        cornflour
1 tablespoon     cooking oil
2 tablespoons   XO sauce
2 tablespoons   water
                        salt and white pepper to season

Method:

Marinate the scallops with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil, salt, white pepper and 1 teaspoon of cornflour for 10 minutes while you prepare the vegetables.

Heat a wok with high heat and add in 1 tablespoon of cooking oil. Add in the minced garlic, sliced ginger and fry till fragrant.

Add in 2 tablespoons of XO sauce, the prepared vegetables, 2 tablespoons of water and fry for a minute. Add in the scallops and fry on high heat for another 3 minutes or until the scallops are 80% cooked. Serve hot.

Fried Bee Hoon

Fried bee hoon is a much-loved staple for me. Be it the oily fried bee hoon with pig trotters or the simple vegetarian fried bee hoon (vegetarian I meant meatless and not strict vegetarian) that goes superbly well with curry, I am a fan no less. The trick to the version with the pig trotters is removing the thick layer of oil which may be too overwhelming for some. My brother for instance, absolutely detest that. To do so, simply chill the can of pig trotters in the fridge and remove the white layer of fat before cooking. For the benefit of others who are not fans of pig trotters, I've included another recipe for a simple vegetarian fried bee hoon. Enjoy.

Fried Bee Hoon with Pig Trotters

Ingredients:
200g                  bee hoon, soaked in water for at least 15 minutes
1 can                  pig trotters, chilled with fat removed and bones removed
3                        eggs, beaten
5                        shallots, sliced thinly
3 cloves              garlic, minced
2 tablespoons     oyster sauce
1 cup                  water
1 teaspoon          white ground pepper
1 tablespoon       cooking oil

Method:

Heat the wok with 1 tablespoon of oil and fry the sliced shallots for 1 minute. Add in the minced garlic and fry till both are fragrant and golden brown in colour.

Push the aromatics aside and pour in beaten eggs. Scramble them and push them aside.

Add in the can of pig trotters and break the meat and chestnuts into smaller pieces with your spatula. Mix all the ingredients in the wok together.

Add in the pre-soaked bee hoon and mix evenly.

Mix 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce with 1 cup of water and pour oven the bee hoon. Mix evenly and let the bee hoon soak up the liquid. Lastly, mix in 1 teaspoon of ground white pepper evenly, and serve.


Vegetarian Fried Bee Hoon

Ingredients:

200g                bee hoon, soaked into water for at least 15 minutes
3 cloves           garlic, minced
1                     carrot, shredded
1/4 head          cabbage, shredded
2 tablespoons  oyster sauce (your choice of either vegetarian or non-vegetarian)
1 cup              water
1 teaspoon      ground white pepper
2 tablespoons  cooking oil

Method:

Heat a wok with 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Add in the minced garlic and fry till fragrant.

Add in the shredded carrot and cabbage and stir fry for 2 minutes or until they are half cooked.

Mix in the bee hoon evenly and pour in the oyster sauce and water. Continue mixing them until the bee hoon is cooked evenly. Add in 1 teaspoon of ground white pepper and serve.

Winter Melon with Dried Shrimp

The supermarkets never sell winter melon in smaller cuts and I'll always be left with nothing less than a huge chunk of it after cooking. Many a times, the leftovers will be used for making winter melon tea but I've decided to experiment and fry it like a vegetable. I used the same recipe that I fry peeled cucumbers with and was surprised when I found out much later that this was actually a classic Beijing vegetable dish.

When cooking this dish, do go light on the chicken powder as you won't want to overwhelm that awesome sea taste from the dried shrimp.

Ingredients:

1 piece             winter melon, skin and seeds removed, cut into smaller pieces
2 tablespoon    dried shrimp, soaked in 1 cup of water for at least 10 minutes
1 clove             garlic, chopped
1 piece             shallot, minced
1 slice              ginger, minced 
1/3 teaspoon    chicken powder
1 tablespoon     vegetable oil
1 teaspoon       cornstarch (optional)

Method:

Heat oil in frying pan. Add in the minced garlic, shallot and ginger, and fry till fragrant. Add in the winter melon and fry for a minute.

Add in the dried shrimp together with the water it was soaked in. Bring to boil and lower heat to simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken powder and thicken with cornstarch mixed with water.