Chye Buey - Hokkien Leftover Stew

Chye Buey is the ideal dish to clean out all the food in the fridge left behind from the Lunar New Year celebrations. Roasted duck, roasted meat, roasted chicken, pig trotters, prawns, shellfish, you name it. This is a classic Hokkien stew and is made using three main ingredients: mustard vegetables, tamarind (assam) and dried chilli. The rest is up to your culinary imagination.

Serves 4
Ingredients:

2 cloves           garlic, minced
2 slices             old ginger
1 tablespoon    vegetable oil
4 slices             tamarind
8 pieces           dried chilli (more if you prefer it spicier)
3 bunch            mustard vegetable, washed and cut into smaller pieces
1 litre               water
500g                combination or variation of roasted duck, roasted meat, chicken, pig trotters, prawns

Method:

Heat a pot with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add in the minced garlic and sliced ginger and fry till fragrant. Add in the leftover ingredients and fry for a minute.

Add in 1 litre of water, 8 pieces of dried chilli, 4 tamarind slices and bring to boil. Add in the mustard vegetables and lower heat to simmer for 2 to 3hours. Serve with steamed rice or porridge.

Pig Stomach Vermicelli

The Lunar New Year is a time for family gatherings, red packets and most importantly plenty of sumptuous food. Many Chinese families will be familiar with a common dish served up on the dining table during the festival - Pig Stomach Soup. The key ingredient to this dish is the usage of white peppercorn to give the dish an extra oomph. Often served as a soup by itself, I added vermicelli to make it a complete meal. You may also wish to include some of the abalone slices or sea cucumber that are left over from the reunion dinner.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

300g               pork ribs

1                     pig stomach, whole

1 tablespoon   white peppercorn, crushed (not grind please)

1 teaspoon      salt

1.5 litres          water

1 packet          rice vermicelli

Method:

Blanch the pork ribs and pig stomach in boiling water and set aside. Bring 1.5 litres of water to boil. Add in the pork ribs, pig stomach and 1 tablespoon of crushed white pepper corns. Simmer for 1.5 to 2 hours until the pig stomach is soft.

Remove the pig stomach and slice them into thin slices. Return them to the soup and season with salt.

Bring a pot of water to boil, add in the vermicelli and cook for 30 seconds. Drain and serve with the pig stomach soup.

Thai Green Curry

Curry doesn't necessarily needs tons of time or pounding of spices. One method I realise that simplifies the entire process is the usage of a ready made curry paste. I know some of you may argue the authenticity or the lack of taste for it but I promise you that it is worth a try especially if you have a craving for it but with very little time to spare. Having said that, I still chose to cook chicken curry the traditional way though. This green curry, is really just an exception.

Serves 2
Ingredients:

2                      chicken thigh, skinless and cut into smaller pieces
1 tablespoon     Thai green curry paste
200ml               coconut milk
2 stalks             scallion, chopped
1 tablespoon     vegetable oil
400ml               chicken stock or 1 piece of chicken boullion cube with water
1/2 cup             frozen green peas
1 bunch            french beans, cut into 2 inches long
2 stalk              chilli (chilli padi if you prefer it spicier)

Method:

Heat a pot with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add in the chopped scallions and stir fry for a minute. Add in 1 tablespoon of Thai green curry paste and fry for another minute, taking note not to burn them.

Stir in the chicken thigh pieces and cook for another 2 minutes. Pour in the coconut milk, chicken stock and bring to boil.

Mix in all the prepared vegetables including the chilli and cook for another 5 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked. Serve with a bowl of steamed rice.

Marmite Pasta

Marmite is one of my favourite ingredients and I have no idea how else to finish up that bottle other than with toast, marmite chicken or pork ribs. All thanks to Nigella Lawson, I've found another quick and easy recipe that is ideal for brunch. I am using 2 teaspoons of Marmite for this recipe but you can add on more to taste according to your preference.

Serves 4
Ingredients:

1 packet                pasta
2 tablespoons        butter, unsalted
2 teaspoons           marmite
4 tablespoons        parmesan cheese, grated
                             salt


Method:

Cook pasta according to its packet instruction with salted boiling water. When it is cooked, reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water for later use.

Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan with 2 teaspoons of marmite. Add in the cooked pasta and mix evenly. Loosen the pasta with the reserved pasta water if required. Sprinkle on the grated parmesan cheese and serve.

Tea Smoked Egg 茶燻蛋

I can never resist those cold, appetite whetting 唐心蛋 commonly found in Shanghainese restaurants and often wondered how they managed to make the egg yolk so addictively gooey and sticky. This I realised was from soaking the egg in ice water the moment you remove the eggs from the heat. The ice water cools the egg in a much faster rate and hence creating that much desired texture. I used Oolong tea from Taiwan in this recipe but you are welcome to replace it with any other strong flavoured tea such as Tie Guan Ying.

Ingredients:

5                    fresh eggs
1                    star anise
1                    cinnamon
2 tablespoon  soy sauce
1 tablespoon  dark soy sauce
2 tablespoon  dried tea leaves
2 tablespoon  sugar
1/4 cup          rice, uncooked

Method:

Soak the eggs in a pot of cold water and bring to boil. Let the water boil for an additional 5 minutes. Remove eggs immediately and cool them in a pot of ice water. Let it soak for about 10 minutes.

Peel eggs and soak them in a pot with 1 stick of cinnamon, 1 piece of star anise, 2 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of dark soy sauce and 1 cup of water. Ensure that the marinade covers the eggs completely. Leave the egg to soak in the marinade for at least 1 hour or overnight in the fridge.

Line a wok with aluminium foil and top it with 2 tablespoons of dried tea leaves, 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1/4 cup of uncooked rice. Cover with lid and heat it up. When smoke starts to form, place eggs on a rack into the wok and smoke for 10 to 15 minutes. Serve cold!

Spaghetti Aglio Olio

My definition of an instant meal is not cup noodles but a plate of spaghetti aglio olio. Once you get the hang of it, believe me, it can be as easy as cooking a packet of instant noodles. Seriously, the ingredients (I used dried herbs but you are more than welcome to replace it with the fresh stuff) are usually readily available in any decent kitchen. The amusing thing is the fact that my store can be totally depleted of instant noodles but surprisingly NEVER of the ingredients for this. My twist to this dish is the addition of a little chicken powder to enhance the flavour. Authentic it is not, but tasty it surely is!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 packet             dried spaghetti

4 cloves              garlic, minced

2 tablespoons     extra virgin olive oil

50g                     butter

1 teaspoon          dried red pepper

1 tablespoon       dried parsley

1/2 teaspoon       chicken powder                           

                           salt

Method:

Cook the spaghetti  in salted boiling water according to the packet instruction. When it is cooked, remove pasta from the pot and reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water.

Heat a saucepan and add in 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and 50g of butter. When the butter has melted, stir in the minced garlic and fry until they turn golden, not brown!

Add in 1 teaspoon of dried red pepper, the cooked pasta, 1/2 teaspoon of chicken powder and mix evenly. You may wish to include some of the reserved pasta water to loosen the pasta. Sprinkle with chopped or dried parsley and serve.

Easy Peasy Steamed Minced Pork with Shrimp Paste

This super simple recipe is something that was passed down from my mother when I was barely 10 years old. Yes, I started cooking really young and have been doing so since then. My parents were both super busy with their businesses so my mother 'invented' super easy recipes for me to cook for my brother and myself then. The finished dish is a juicy, flavourful meat pie that is so simple that I can't count the number of people I've fed this with.

Ingredients:

300g                 minced pork
2 tablespoons   water
1/2 tablespoon  shrimp paste

Method:

Add 2 tablespoons of water to the minced meat and mix with hand till the water is absorbed by the meat.

Mix in 1/2 tablespoon of shrimp paste (I use the bottled one from Lee Kum Kee. If you are using traditional shrimp paste from Hong Kong, reduce it to 1/4 tablespoon instead.) evenly.

Steam on high heat for 10 to 13 minutes.

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.

Nigella's Roasted Seafood

All thanks to Nigella's Kitchen (one of my favourite cookbook), a chockfull of seafood goodness can now be yours. Easily. All you need is a little time, no fuss and no mess. The best part of the recipe: It uses up my leftover onions, potatoes and lemons.

Ingredients:

4            jumbo prawns
1            squid, sliced
200g      clams, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes
2            potatoes, cut into 8 pieces with skin intact
1            onion, cut into 8 pieces
1            lemon, cut into 8 pieces
8            garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/4 cup  white wine
1 tbsp     parsley, chopped
              salt and pepper
1/4 cup  extra virgin olive oil

Method:

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celsius. Place the chopped onion, lemon, garlic cloves and potatoes in a roasting pan. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil and roast in oven for 60 minutes.

Remove pan from oven and add in the clams, prawns and squid. Drizzle with 1/4 cup of white wine and season with salt and pepper. Return pan to oven and roast for another 15 minutes. When ready, sprinkle the chopped parsley and serve in the pan. Easy, isn't it?

Mum's Teochew Steamed Fish

I'm sure you are pretty much aware of my ongoing affair with steamed fish. This particular recipe from my mum is so good that I always finish up every last drop of its soup.  With the addition of silken tofu which you don't usually find in steamed fish, this dish has been in many instances, became the only course of food on my table.  I am confident that you will love this as much as I do.

Ingredients:

1 whole            fresh fish, gutted
1 block             silken tofu, cut into smaller pieces
1/2 head           salted mustard, soaked for 10 minutes and cut into smaller pieces
5 slices             old ginger
3                        preserved salted plum
1                        medium tomato, quartered


Method:

Bring the water in the steamer to a boil. Place a piece of the ginger into the cavity of the fish. Place fish on a plate and scatter all the ingredients around and on top of the fish.

Steamed on high heat for 10 to 15 minutes depending on the size of your fish.

Fiery Sambal Udang

Sambal Udang (Prawns with Sambal) is one of my favourite 5-minute dish when I need a quick fix or when I'm super hungry. All you need really, is a good bottle of sambal belachan. The bottled ones are a little lacking in flavour as compared to the homemade version but nonetheless still deliver the heat required. It is also a lot more convenient as its shelf life of a year ensures that you'll always have sambal belachan in the fridge whenever you need it.

One key ingredient in this dish is the usage of tamarind (also known as assam) that gives it a little tangy sour taste. This is often soaked in advance to obtain tamarind water but since we have only got 5 minutes to spare, I have opted to include the tamarind into the dish itself. A reminder though, to always remove it before serving.

Ingredients:

8             large prawns, deveined with head and tail in tact
1             garlic clove, minced
2             shallots, sliced
1 tbsp     sambal belachan
1 slice     dried tamarind (assam)
1 tbsp     vegetable oil
1/4 cup   water

Method:

Heat pan with 1 tablespoon of oil. Add in minced garlic and sliced shallots and fry till fragrant.

Add in 1 tablespoon of sambal belachan, fry slightly and add in the tamarind slice and water.

Add in the prawns and cook till they are pink and the sauce reduced. Remove the slice of tamarind from the pan and serve with a bowl of hot steaming rice.

Kiam Chye Ark or Itek Tim

I had a near full packet of Kiam Chye (salted mustard) left over from steaming a fish and the natural thing to do is boil a pot of soup. Kiam Chye Ark or better known as Itek Tim to the Peranakans is a simple, amazingly flavoursome soup that tastes even better the next day! So if you do have any leftovers, be sure to keep it in the fridge and heat it up again the next day. All you need is a bowl of steamed rice!

Ingredients:

1/2 whole       duck, chopped into smaller pieces
1 packet          salted mustard (kiam chye), soaked and cut into smaller pieces
2                     tomatoes, quartered
6 slices           old ginger
2 slices           tamarind
3                    preserved salted plums
2 litres           water

Method:

Place all ingredients into a stock pot and bring to a boil. Skim off any scum that floats to the surface of the soup. Lower the heat to a simmer for 90 minutes.

扣肉包 (Kong Ba Pau)

My philosophy for food: The higher the cholesterol, the better it tastes. This was until I started gaining that extra few pounds a year ago. Then again, indulgence once in a while is more than reasonable. I have no idea how to make the 馒头(steamed bun) so I've happily bought mine ready-made from the supermarkets. All you need to do is to pop them into the steamer for a quick couple of minutes and they will be (to me at least!)as good as the freshly-made ones. If you find adding the spices a little cumbersome, you can easily replace it with a packet of herbal Bak Kut Teh bag from A1.

Serves 3
Ingredients:

2 pieces         pork belly
5 cloves        garlic, unpeeled
1 piece          cinnamon
1 piece          star anise
2 pieces         cloves
1/2 tsp           5-spice powder
3 tbsp            thick dark soy sauce
2 tbsp            light soy sauce
1 tbsp            vegetable oil
2 cups           water

Method:

Heat a saucepan and add in 1 tablespoon of oil. Add in the garlic cloves and pork belly. Brown the pork belly slightly, about 2 minutes.

Add in 3 tablespoons of dark soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce and 2 cups of water. Add in the spices and 5-spice powder. Bring to boil and lower to simmer for about 50 minutes or until the pork belly soften.

Cut each pork belly into 3 equal sizes and serve with steamed bun.

SoCal Chorizo Potatoes

I had a great summer at Southern California last year and one of my favourite moments was visiting the Venice Beach at Los Angeles. I remember having their famous 'Venice Potatoes' at the sidewalk cafe. They were crispy on the exterior, soft inside with an intense smoked paprika taste. It wasn't until I visited an American brunch restaurant in Hong Kong that I realised the original name of the dish: Chorizo Potatoes. Needless to say, it was an absolute favourite in SoCal.

Serves 2
Ingredients:

2          medium potatoes, sliced thinly
1          chorizo sausage, sliced thinly
1          small onion, sliced thinly
1 tsp    paprika
            salt and pepper
4          eggs

Method:

Heat a pan and add in the sliced chorizo. Fry the chorizo till it releases its paprika flavoured orange oil. Add in the onions, potatoes and seasonings.

Arrange the chorizo on top of the potatoes and onions and press down hard with the spatula. Cook till all the potatoes have soften and crisp up.

Serve with two fried sunny side-ups per person.

Korean Army Stew - Budae Jjigae

This was a result of watching way too much Korean drama. I just HAD to eat something that is commonly featured in those heart wrenching episodes. Many a times, we see instant noodles with packet cheese, or a bowl of hot piping kimchi ramen (Ramen by the way, are just another form of instant noodles in Korea). I wanted to treat myself to something a little better and chose this Korean 'stew' brimming with American ingredients (an interesting creation during the Korean war) instead.

Serves 2
Ingredients:

1/2 can            Spam, sliced
2 whole           frankfurters, sliced
1 bunch           spinach, cut into 2 inches long
1 bunch           mung bean sprouts, with ends removed
1 block            tofu, cut into small pieces
2 cups             chicken stock (or water with 1 chicken bouillon cube)
1 tbsp              sesame oil
2 cloves          garlic, minced
1 tbsp              gochujiang (Korean red pepper paste)
1 piece            Korean instant noodles (only the noodles)

Method:

Add sesame oil into a pot and add in garlic and gochujiang. Fry for about half a minute and add in chicken stock. Add in all ingredients except for the instant noodles. Bring to boil and lower to simmer for about 10 minutes. Add in the instant noodles 3 minutes prior to serving.

Steamed Fish with Fermented Black Beans

Steaming is my kind of 'thing'. Especially when it comes to seafood. Friends are usually not surprised to see me gobble up an entire plate of steamed crab or steamed live prawns all by myself. I think steaming is the best way to enhance the natural sweetness and preserve that 'sea taste' of seafood. I love it even better when it is steamed with very little condiments. This dish however, is an exception, given how savoury and flavoursome the black bean sauce is. Alright, I am also trying to finish up that bottle of fermented black bean sauce sitting on that top shelf in the refrigerator. 

Ingredients:

1 whole            fresh fish 

1 tablespoon     black bean garlic sauce (Ok, I cheated with ready made ones from Lee Kum Kee)

2 cloves            garlic, finely chopped

2 slices              ginger, julienned

3 whole             shallot, finely chopped 

1 stalk               red chilli, sliced

1 stalk               spring onion, sliced 

1/2 tablespoon  vegetable oil

1 bunch             coriander  

Method:

Heat pan and add in 1/2 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add in the ginger, shallot and garlic and fry until fragrant. Lower heat to low fire, add in black bean sauce and mashed the beans.

Place fish on a plate for steaming. Top fish with the prepared sauce and sliced chilli. Steamed on high heat for 10 minutes or until the fish is thoroughly cooked. Mum taught me that a fish is cooked when its eyes are totally popped out. 

Garnish with chopped spring onion, coriander and serve.  

红糟面线 － Chicken Vermicelli with Red Wine Dregs

This dish may look a little peculiar to you but my family literally grew up with this traditional Hock Chew signature. Not only is this hearty noodle soup served every Lunar New Year both at home and at Granny's place, it has also became a common quick fix breakfast or lunch throughout the years. What really gave this dish an extra touch of warmth, is the bottle of homemade 红糟 handed down from my granny. I hope you will feel the homeliness of this family recipe.

Serves 4
Ingredients:

1/2 whole            chicken, chopped into smaller pieces
2 tbsp                  shaoxing or rice wine
3 tbsp                  red wine dregs
10 pieces             dried Chinese mushroom, stem removed, soaked and cut into smaller pieces
4 slices                old ginger
2 tbsp                  sesame oil
3 cups                 chicken stock (you may replace it with water and a piece of chicken bouillon cube)
4 pieces               rice vermicelli

Method:

Add 2 tablespoons of sesame oil into a heated pot or claypot and saute ginger till fragrant. Add in 3 tablespoons of red wine dregs, 2 tablespoons of rice wine and fry for a minute (be careful not to burn the red wine dregs).

Add in chicken and continue stirring for another 2 minutes. Add in pre-soaked chinese mushroom and chicken stock. Bring to boil and lower heat to a simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes.

In another pot of boiling water, blanch the vermicelli for about 1 to 2 minutes and serve with the soup.

My Favourite Eggs Benedict

I have a long standing crush on Eggs Benedict. After taking my first bite 10 years ago, I have never once stopped searching for places offering this creamy savory dish. Eating the dish itself is divinelicious, making it however, is a real test of your culinary skills.

Sadly, one egg was lost during the process of making this dish. The key is not just about using fresh eggs. As much as you would like to add a touch of your magic hand by stirring the egg or shaping the egg, the best option I find, is simply to let it cook by itself. When it's ready, you just need to gently lift it out of the water with a slotted spoon and let the egg do its job. Tedious process? Yes. But the immense satisfaction of having an almost perfect poached egg? It is worth every trouble. Happy poaching!

Serves 2
Ingredients (Hollandaise sauce):

2                    egg yolk
1/2 tbsp          lemon juice
1/4 cup           butter, melted
pinch              cayenne pepper
pinch              salt

Method:

Whisk egg yolk and lemon juice in a bowl until thickened. Place the bowl above a pot of hot water (barely simmering, not boiling water). The bottom of the bowl should not touch the hot water. Whisk rapidly.

Drizzle in the melted butter while you continue to whisk.  The sauce should be thickened and doubled in size. Season with cayenne pepper and salt. Keep aside at a warm place until ready to use.

Ingredients:

2                 English muffin, sliced into halves
4                 Canadian bacon (you can replace this with ham if you prefer)
4                 fresh eggs
1 tbsp         white vinegar
               
Method:

Brown bacon and toast muffin on heated pan. Set aside.

Bring a pot of water to boil and add in 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Add the eggs into the pot, one at a time and allow to cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove gently with slotted spoon.

Place eggs over the cooked bacon and muffin, and top with Hollandaise Sauce.

Beef Fajitas

Alright, this has got to be one of the toughest recipe that I have undertaken so far. It's not THAT difficult, it's just SUPER time consuming and tedious as everything was made from scratch. You can easily take a short cut by opting for a store-bought guacamole and salsa. I thought that since I'm gonna take the time, I might as well go the extra mile (Well, I did buy ready made tortilla from the supermarket though). The trick is to prepare the beef first whilst you get on with the condiments. So, Halo everyone to Mexicano food!

Serves 2
Ingredients (Beef):

400g               flank or skirt steak
3 tablespoon   lemon juice
1 teaspoon      ground cumin
2 cloves          garlic, minced
1 small            onion, minced
2 tablespoon   vegetable oil
1 bunch          cilantro or commonly known as coriander, chopped
pinch              cayenne pepper
                       salt and pepper

Method:

Marinate all ingredients with steak and chill in fridge for a minimum of 2 hours. Grill on high heat till your required doneness.

Ingredients (Guacamole):

1                      avocado, stoned and mashed
1/2                   lime, juiced
1/4 teaspoon    salt
1/4 teaspoon    cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon    ground cumin
1/2 small          onion, diced
1 small             tomato, diced
1/2 tablespoon cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 clove          garlic, minced

Method:

Mix all ingredients together. Sit for 1 hour before serving.

Ingredients (Salsa):

2                       tomatoes
1/4 cup             cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 clove          garlic, minced
1.5 tablespoon  extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon     lime juice or orange juice
1/4 teaspoon     red pepper flakes
                         salt and pepper

Method:

Mix all ingredients together.

Ingredients (Peppers):

1/2                   red pepper, sliced
1/2                   yellow pepper, sliced
1/2                   onion, sliced
1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil

Method:

Stir fry all ingredients on a hot pan until the peppers and onions are soft.

Serve all ingredients together with warmed tortilla, sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese if preferred.

Famous Chocolate Fudge Cake

I've always been a fan of June's Cake Station and Lana's chocolate cake. They are light, moist and chocolatey without being overly sweet. I don't exactly have a sweet tooth to begin with but I do adore an occasional slice of melt-in-your-mouth cocoa divineness.

This is a recipe that I've experimented and adjusted. Just in case you wonder, the sugar content has been reduced significantly to match my family's palate. If you prefer something a little sweeter, you can always increase the amount of icing sugar in the frosting. Don't say I didn't warn you, this is seriously addictive.

Ingredients (Chocolate Cake):

180g plain flour

2 tbsp cocoa powder (non-sweetened)

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

150g sugar

2 eggs

120ml canola oil (yes this is correct, oil.)

150ml milk

2 tbsp golden syrup (available in all leading supermarkets)

Method:

Sift the flour, bicarbonate of soda and cocoa powder into a mixing bowl.

In a separate bowl, beat eggs and add in sugar and golden syrup. Whisk in the oil and milk till smooth. Fold in the dry goods that have been sifted earlier.

Grease your cake tin and line with baking sheet. Pour in the cake mixture and bake on 180 degrees celsius for 30 minutes or until a skewer is clear when inserted into the middle of the cake.

Ingredients (Chocolate Frosting):

100g butter

1 cup icing sugar

1 tbsp cocoa powder

Method:

Cream the butter till soft and add in the icing sugar and cocoa powder. If the frosting is a little too dry, add in 2 tbsp of milk and mix evenly. Spread the frosting on top of the baked chocolate cake and chill in the refrigerator before serving.

Easy Bibimbap

My recent obsession with Korean dramas has spur me into a Korean cooking frenzy. It was no surprise that I will choose to experiment with Bibimbap, one of the most common Korean food known other than the ubiquitous Korean BBQ.

One of the key factor to this dish is getting a good tub of Gochujang (Korean red pepper sauce). Don't worry about this, most reputable supermarket will have a good stock of it. A gentle reminder though, that this should not be confused with Ssamjiang (a mixture of red pepper sauce and bean sauce) commonly used as a condiment for BBQ meat and lettuce.

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

1.5 cups of short grain rice

1 tablespoon Gochujang

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 small carrot, shredded

1 bunch spinach, rinsed and cut into 3 inch long

1 bunch mung bean sprouts, rinsed with ends removed

2 eggs, sunny side up

200g ground beef or thinly sliced beef

2 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

salt

Method:

Rinse rice with water and cook in a rice cooker.

Cook mung bean sprouts in a pot of water with 1 teaspoon of salt for 10 minutes. Drain and mix with 1 clove of minced garlic, a pinch of salt and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Set aside.

Cook spinach in a pot of boiling hot water for 1 minute. Remove and soak in cold water. Drain and squeeze water out from spinach. Mix with 1 clove of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Set aside.

Saute shredded carrot on hot pan with 1/2 tablespoon of sesame oil for one minute. Set aside.

On a hot pan, add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, 2 cloves of minced garlic and fry till fragrant. Add in the beef, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and fry till beef is thoroughly cooked.

To serve, top rice with all ingredients, 1/2 tablespoon of sesame seeds, 1/2 tablespoon of Gochujang per person and a sunny side up. Enjoy.