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. 

Steamed Tofu with Dried Shrimp and Shallot

I'm kinda on a diet these days. Don't mock me. I just thought that it would be good to shed a couple of pounds to fit better into my clothes. Besides, I've always love tofu. Be it in a soup or stir-fry or ... in the form of a cheesecake. 

Ingredients:

1 piece                           silken tofu

1 stalk                            scallion, chopped

2 tablespoon                   dried shrimp, soaked and drain

3 pieces                          shallot, sliced thinly

1 tablespoon                   light soy sauce

1 teaspoon                      sugar

1 tablespoon                   cooking oil 

Method:

Steam the tofu on high heat for about 3 to 4 minutes. 

In a separate saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil on medium high heat. Add in the pre-soaked dried shrimp and fry for about 2 minutes. Add in the sliced shallot and fry until golden brown. 

Mix in 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of sugar and 2 tablespoon of the water that was used for soaking the dried shrimp. Mix quickly and turn off the heat. 

Spoon the mixture over the steamed tofu and top with chopped scallion. 

Steamed Fish Hong Kong Style

Part of my banquet feast, this dish, sadly didn't quite look like it in the picture above. Blame it on my poor photography skills if you must. I on the other hand am not so bothered by the look of it since I know how delicious this is. Believe it or not, I loved it so much that I had this twice in a row this week.

Serves 2 - 3
Ingredients:

1 medium                       pomfret, snapper or garoupa
5 stalks                          scallion
4 slices                          old ginger
1/2 teaspoon                 sugar
6 tablespoons                light soy sauce
3 tablespoons                cooking oil

Method:

Cut the green part of the scallion into 2 inches long each. Shred the white part of the scallion thinly and set aside in a bowl of water.

Place the green part of the scallion on a plate and place the fish on top. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of sugar and drizzle 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce on the fish. Place the sliced ginger on top of the fish and in the gut.

Cover and steamed on high heat for about 9 minutes or until the fish's eyes are fully popped.

Remove the fish from the steamer. Season with 5 tablespoons of light soy sauce and top it with the shredded white scallion.

Heat 3 tablespoon of cooking oil in a small pot. Pour the scorching hot oil over the fish, intentionally over the white scallion and serve.

Braised Chinese Mushroom with Spinach

I was in the mood of cooking up a Chinese banquet feast for myself. It was just one of those days that I wanted to feel a little special by having a table of full of dishes and I get to pretend that I've been invited to a banquet dinner. LOL. The dish would have been perfect if sea cucumber were included but unfortunately I didn't get to prepare that in time. As some of you may know, preparing sea cucumber is a tedious and time-consuming affair. Nah, don't think I can hold out that long.

Serves 3 - 4

Ingredients:

1 packet                 spinach, washed and drained
8 - 12 pieces          dried chinese mushroom, soaked, squeezed dry and stemmed
1 cup                      liquid from soaking the mushroom
1 tablespoon          chinese wine
1 tablespoon          oyster sauce
1 tablespoon           light soy sauce
1 teaspoon             sesame oil
1 teaspoon             sugar
1 teaspoon             cornstarch
1 tablespoon          cooking oil

Method:

Heat a pot with a tablespoon of cooking oil on medium high heat. Add in the prepared mushroom and give it a quick stir for about 2 to 3 minutes.

Mix all the seasoning excluding the cornstarch together. Pour the sauce mixture into the pot and bring to boil.

Lower heat and simmer covered for about 20 to 25 minutes. If using sea cucumber, add more water and increase the time to 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a big pot of water to boil. Blanch the spinach for about a minute and drain. Arrange neatly on a plate.

Mix 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water. Pour into the pot of mushroom when done. Stir rapidly and turn off the heat.

Pour the mushroom and sauce onto the blanched spinach and serve.

Kimchi Fried Rice

Kimchi Fried Rice just sounds like the ideal way of getting rid of the two big boxes of kimchi that have been sitting in the refrigerator for the past couple of months. Just in case you wonder, these were handmade by yours truly during my trip to Korea back in September. I've read somewhere online that sour kimchi made for a better fried rice but sour or not, this still tasted pretty neat I must say.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 cups                       cooked rice, overnight and left in the refrigerator covered
1/2 cup                      kimchi, chopped
1/2                            onion, chopped
2 cloves                     garlic, minced
2 tablespoons            cooking oil
2                               fresh eggs
1 teaspoon                light soy sauce
2 stalk                       green onion, chopped
pinch                         sea salt

Method:

Heat the wok on medium high heat with 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Saute the onions with a pinch of salt till it turns translucent.

Add in the minced garlic and fry till fragrant.

Stir in the chopped kimchi and fry for about 3 minutes.

Add in the rice and 1 teaspoon of light soy sauce. Break the rice using the back of your spatula and fry on high heat for about 5 minutes.

Turn off the heat and mix in the chopped green onions.

Serve with a sunny side up per person, mixing the runny yolk into the rice while eating.