Kimchi Chigae (Kimchi Stew)

Anyeonghasayo! All thanks to my recent obsession with the Korean culture, I found my kitchen fully stocked with a good variety of Korean ingredients. Packed with piquent, tangy flavours, this appetite-whetting kimchi stew is ideal for one of those cold rainy days or whenever the lazy side gets the better of you. Goes superbly with a bowl of steamed rice.

Ingredients:

100g                        pork belly, thinly sliced (I used the sukiyaki type)

1 packet                   silken tofu, cut into small pieces

1/2 medium              yellow onion, sliced

1 stalk                      scallion, cut into 1-inch long

1 cup                        chopped kimchi

1/2 tablespoon          gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)

1/2 tablespoon          sugar

3 cups                       water

1 teaspoon                sesame oil

Method:

Place all ingredients except the tofu and sesame oil in a pot. Bring to boil for 10 minutes. Lower heat and simmer for another 20 minutes, adding the tofu during the last 5 minutes. Drizzle the sesame oil over and serve.

Nigella's Praised Chicken

I can never get enough of Nigella Lawson, and I meant her recipes. Inspired by her TV series on TLC with easy, fuss-free recipes, I tried cooking her mother's Praised chicken. It was as the name states, truly praised. The chicken was so moist and tender, that I finished half a chicken including the breast which I usually won't. It was certainly another hit with Nigella. Thank you!

Ingredients:

1                                chicken, with feet and neck removed
1 medium                   carrot, cut into batonettes
1 stick                        celery, sliced
1 medium                    leek, sliced
1 bunch                       flat-leaf parsley, tied with a string
1 cup                          white wine
1 teaspoon                  dried italian seasoning or any dried herbs that you have on hand
1 teaspoon                  sea salt
1 teaspoon                  freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons             garlic oil (you can fry some garlic in the oil too but be sure to remove them)

Method:

Place the chicken on the chopping board, breast side up. Press down hard on the breast until you hear a crack sound.

Heat a stock pot or dutch iron pot with 2 tablespoons of garlic oil and place in the chicken breast side down, while you prepare the vegetables.

After 5 minutes, turn the chicken oven with the breast side up. Pour in 1 cup of white wine and let it sizzle for about a minute. Toss in the prepared carrot, celery, leek and parsley.

Pour in about a litre of water until it almost covers the chicken. Add in 1 teaspoon of dried herbs and season with sea salt and ground black pepper.

Bring to boil and lower heat to simmer covered, for 90 minutes.

Serve with steamed rice or on its own, with a good hot English mustard and sprinkling of chopped parsley leaves.

Chicken Feet and Peanut Soup

Contrary to the popular belief that good, tasty Chinese soups will usually require a lot of ingredients. This simple chicken feet and peanut soup is here to prove that wrong. What is required though, is plenty of time in order to extract that sweetness from the ingredients. According to your preference, black beans can be added to this soup for extra flavour as well. I've been told by my Mum since young that food must always look decent so I've removed the claws from the chicken feet like the way I will ,with EACH and EVERY tail end of bean sprouts.

Ingredients:

10                  chicken feet, claws removed
3/4 cup           ground nuts, washed
1 medium       dried octopus or cuttlefish
1 teaspoon     salt

Method:

Blanch the chicken feet in boiling water for a minute to remove impurities. Strain and set aside.

Bring a pot of water  (approx. 1.5 to 2 litres) to boil. When the water is boiling, add in the blanched chicken, washed ground nuts and dried octopus.

Lower heat and simmer covered for at least 2 to 3 hours. Season with a teaspoon of salt prior to serving.

Taiwan Braised Pork Rice 台式卤肉饭

When in Rome, do as the Romans do. So when in Taiwan, do remember to eat their fatty, cholesterol-packed but super delicious Braised Pork Rice. I had such a craving for it that I couldn't wait till my next trip to that land of fantabulous food. Some recipes I found include ingredients such as Chinese mushroom or dried shrimp but mine is just a basic, simple recipe that serves me pretty well.

Serves 2
Ingredients:

2 pieces                    pork belly, blanched and cut into small cubes
2 medium                  red onion, sliced thinly
3 cloves                    garlic, minced
1 thumbsized             ginger, minced
2                              eggs, boiled and peeled
2 tablespoons           rice wine
2 tablespoons           dark soya sauce
1 tablespoon             light soya sauce
1 tablespoon             rock sugar
1/2 teaspoon            ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon            five-spiced powder
2 tablespoons           cooking oil
2 cups                      water


Method:

Fry the sliced onion in cooking oil in a saucepan till they are golden brown. Strain the onion and set aside, keeping the oil in the pan.

Reheat the saucepan with oil and add in the minced garlic and ginger. Fry till fragrant.

Add in pork belly which has been blanched in boiling water and cubed. Fry until the pork is thoroughly cooked and its oil released.

Add in 2 tablespoons of dark soy sauce and 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce. Fry for a minute and add in the rice wine. Stir in the ground white pepper, five-spiced powder and rock sugar. Mix well and add in 2 cups or more water, ensuring that the water is 2cm above the meat. Bring to boil.

Lower the heat, add in the pre-fried onions, boiled eggs and simmer for 1 to 2 hours.

Serve with steamed rice and poached green vegetables.

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.

Nikujaga - Japanese Potato Beef Stew

With the pouring rain outside my window and the need to wait for a parcel delivery, I've decided to give visiting the supermarket a miss and cook with whatever is left in the pantry. I found some leftover sukiyaki beef slices in the freezer and Nikujaga - a Japanese beef stew with potato, is what I've decided to simmer on the stove today. Commonly known as the Mom's traditional stew, this dish is a simple stew using three key condiments: soy sauce, mirin and sugar, the exact same ingredients for many Japanese dishes including the famous teriyaki and gyudon.

Ingredients:

200g                  sliced beef
1 medium           yellow onion, sliced
2 medium           potatoes, peeled and quartered
1.5 cups             dashi stock
3 tablespoons     soy sauce
2 tablespoons     mirin
1/2 tablespoon    white sugar
1 tablespoon       vegetable oil

Method:

Heat a pan with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Fry the beef slices till brown and add in the sliced onion and cut potatoes. Fry them until the onions have softened.

Pour in 1.5 cups of dashi stock and bring to boil. Add in 3 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of mirin and 1/2 tablespoon of white sugar. Lower heat to simmer for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Serve with steamed white rice.

Spaghetti Bolognese

My sincerest apologies for the delay in the recipe posts! Yours truly just simply needed a well-deserved holiday break before I rejoin the working force again. Then again, good things are worth waiting for as I present you my self proclaimed renowned Bolognese recipe. A good bolognese is achieved through slow and patient stewing so turn down your fire and let it simmer away to awesomeness! By the way, since this recipe does take up a lot of time, my word of advice: Cook A LOT as they are good to keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. The next time you crave for a bolognese, all you need to do is to heat it up and serve!

Serves 4
Ingredients:

500g                      minced beef
2 slice                    smoked bacon, diced
2 small                   carrot, chopped finely
2 sticks                  celery, chopped finely
1 large                    yellow onion, chopped finely
3 cloves                  garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon        dried Italian herbs seasoning
3 tablespoons         olive oil
2 can                      chopped or crushed tomatoes (not tomato paste!)
1 cup                      water
                               salt and black pepper

To serve:

1 packet                  dried spaghetti
                                parmesan cheese

Method:

Heat a big stock pot and add in 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add in the diced bacon and fry until the bacon are crispy and the oil released.

Add in the chopped onion, carrot, celery, 1/2 tablespoon of dried italian herb seasoning and lower heat to medium. Cook till the onions are translucent in colour and the other vegetables soften.

Stir in the minced beef and break them up with your spatula. When the beef is browned, pour in 2 cans of chopped or crushed tomatoes and 1 cup of water. Season with salt and pepper and bring to boil.

Lower the heat and simmer for 2 hours. Stir them occasionally and add in additional water if the sauce starts to dry out.

Serve with boiled spaghetti and a good shaving of parmesan cheese.

5-minute Gyudon (Beef Bowl)

Another of my favourite 5-minute recipes. Time used for steamed rice excluded! I used Japanese rice for this recipe but if you don't have that ready in your pantry, the usual long grain ones will suffice. Most ingredients like mirin (sweet cooking wine) and dashi (kelp) stock are easily available in leading supermarkets but Mediya will definitely have a wider assortment to choose from.

Ingredients:

1 cup                     white rice, steamed

1/4 cup                  dashi stock

2 tablespoons         soy sauce

2 tablespoons         mirin

1/2 tablespoon       white sugar

200g                      thinly sliced beef

1/2                         yellow onion, sliced

                              Japanese chilli pepper powder (optional)

Method:

Pour the dashi stock into a pot and bring to boil. Add in the sliced onions, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of mirin and 1/2 tablespoon of white sugar.

Cook for 3 minutes until the onions have softened. Stir in the beef and switch off the heat. Pour the cooked ingredients over a bowl of steamed rice. Garnish with the Japaneses chilli pepper powder and serve.

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.

红糟肉

After tasting these unforgettable treats in Taiwan last year, I have been dying to try them in my own kitchen. I googled a little, watched a few Taiwanese cooking programs and tweaked the recipes accordingly, based on instinct. LOL. It was surprisingly good although you may prefer to slice the pork before marinating if you prefer stronger flavours.

Ingredients:

2 pieces               pork belly or pork fillet
2 tablespoons      red wine dregs
1 tablespoon        rice wine
1 tablespoon        minced ginger
1 clove                garlic, minced
2 tablespoons      corn or tapioca flour
1 cup                  cooking oil

Method:

Marinate the pork (sliced or unsliced) with all the seasonings and refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Heat the wok with the oil. Before frying, coat the pork with corn or tapioca flour, shaking off the excess.

Depending on the size of the pork, fry them in the hot oil until it turns light brown in colour. Drain them on kitchen towel and serve.

Fried Pomfret with Ginger

While clearing out the fridge of my CNY leftovers, I found a lot of fresh ingredients lying at the back of the freezer compartment. Mum obviously bought all these for her dear daughter to feed herself while she is away. Among the galore of fresh food, I found a nice firm white pomfret. Ideally, I should be steaming this but since it has been in the freezer for a good two weeks, I ain't taking any chances. Frying can sometimes, in this instance, be doing the fish more justice.

Ingredients:

1                              medium sized pomfret, clean and gutted
1 whole                    old ginger, sliced into thin shreds
1 teaspoon               salt
2 tablespoons           light soy sauce
1/2 tablespoon         white sugar
1/4 cup                    water
2 cups                     cooking oil


Method:

Heat a frying pan or wok with 2 cups of cooking oil. Dry the fish with a kitchen towel and rub salt over it.

When the oil is hot, place in the fish carefully and fry for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. When cooked, remove the fish and place it on a serving plate.

With the same oil, add in the shredded ginger and fry on low heat till they are dry and golden brown in colour. Remove the ginger and set aside for later use.

Remove the oil in the wok, leaving 1 tablespoon behind. On low heat, add in 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce, 1/2 tablespoon of white sugar and 1/4 cup of water. Bring to boil and pour over the fried fish on the serving plate. Garnish with the fried ginger and serve.