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.