Simple Congee ｜簡易白粥

Nothing is better than a bowl of hot plain congee when we are sick.  It is kind of like chicken noodle soup in the American culture.  The recipe is simple.  You just need to boil the rice grains until they break down.

Congee is also a common meal in Hong Kong and it isn't necessarily always eaten plain.  We like to add chicken, fish, ground beef, intestines, or even pig's blood (a type of jelly form that's made of pig's blood).  People also like to eat congee with deep fried pastries and elaborate condiments, like pickles or dips of soy sauce.  I like mine with Chinese preserved olive leaves.

INGREDIENTS：

1 cup Jasmin Rice

6 cups Water

Salt to taste

材料：

1 杯  水仙米

6 杯  水

調味  鹽

DIRECTION:

1. Rinse the rice with a few changes of water until the water becomes clear.

2. In a deep pot, combine rice and water.  Bring it to a boil over high heat, and then reduce the heat to medium-high.  With the lid half opened, continue to boil until the rice totally breaks down; about 40 minutes.  Season it with salt.

做法：

1. 米過水洗淨。

2. 在一只深鍋內，加入米和水。用大火煮滾，再將火調底至中大火。蓋上鍋蓋，鍋蓋要半醃，繼續煮若40分鐘或至把飯煮爛。下鹽調味。

Stir fried Okra and Pork Belly and Sweet Choi Sum Preserved

Pork belly is one of our favourite that we enjoy in any form of cooking.  This simple home dish is combined with vegetable and meat, and is greatly flavoured with the preserved choi sum and pork belly.  You can look for the preserved choi sum in Chinese supermarket and it is usually in the pickle and preserves section.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Pork Belly, sliced into 1/2 cm pieces

20 Okra, cut in half diagonally

1 Sweet Preserved Choi Sum

1 tablespoon Chinese Cooking Wine

1 tablespoon Soy Sauce

1/3 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Sugar

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

DIRECTION:

1. Before cooking, rinse the preserved choi sum under running water to get rid of the sand and sugar.  Then soak it in water for about 20 minutes.  Rinse it carefully again to get rid of the hidden sand.  Roughly cut it into big pieces.

2. Heat up vegetable oil in a pan over high heat.  Add pork belly pieces; stir fry until they turn colour, about 3-5 minutes.  Drizzle cooking wine and allow it to evaporate.

3. Add okra, preserved choi sum, and the rest of the seasoning.  Stir fry for another 5 minutes or until the okra is heated through.  Transfer it to a serving plate.  Serve it with steamed rice.

Vegan Creamy Lemony Spaghetti (Cashew Base) 純素忌廉意粉

I like that this recipe doesn't require pre-soaked cashews, so I can pull the sauce together in nearly no time while the spaghetti is boiling.  Keeping some boiled spaghetti water is recommended.  After adding the sauce into the spaghetti, you may find the sauce is too thick and need to use the water to thin it out.

INGREDIENTS:

4 served Spaghetti, cooked

1 cup Raw Cashew

1/3 cup Water

1/4 cup Olive Oil

1 Lemon of zest and Juice

1/3 teaspoon Salt

DIRECTION:

1. Add all ingredients in a food processor.  Process until the mixture becomes smooth.  If it is too thick, add a few spoonfuls of water to thin it out.  Pour it over the cooked spaghetti; mix well.  Enjoy it immediately.

Egg n Tofu Pretend "Sushi" 純素蛋皮豆腐"壽司"

INGREDIENTS:

4 Eggs

1 block Tofu, medium soft

1 Carrot, finely diced

3 Scallion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons Japanese Mirin (or 1/3 teaspoon Sugar)

1 teaspoon Chinese Cooking Wine

1/3 teaspoon White Pepper Powder

1/3 teaspoon Salt

Vegetable Oil

DIRECTION:

1. In a bowl, whisk together eggs, carrot, scallion, mirin, cooking wine, white pepper, and salt.

2. Tofu pat dry and cut it in cubes.

3. Heat up some vegetable oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat.  Add a spoonful of egg mixture in the pan.  Place a piece of tofu on top and gently press the tofu down with your finger.  Then, add another spoon of egg mixture on top. Allow the egg to fry until firm.

4. Flip the tofu over to fry the other side until it is golden brown.  Then transfer it to a plate.  Repeat this process until all the tofu and egg mixture is finished.  Serve when they are hot.

Soft Tofu with Shiitake Mushroom Sauce 素蠔油花菇配嫩豆腐

A simple yet delicious shiitake mushroom topping that can be paired with a block of silken tofu or steamed rice.

INGREDIENTS:

8 Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms, roughly chopped

1 block Soft Tofu

1.5 inch long Ginger, peeled and finely chopped

4 Garlic Cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1 Stalk Green Onion (optional), thinly cut

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

SEASONING:

2 Tablespoons Chinese Cooking Rice Wine

2 tablespoons Vegan Oyster Sauce

1 teaspoon Corn Starch

1/3 teaspoon White Pepper Powder

2 tablespoons Sugar

1/3 teaspoon Salt

材料：

8 隻  鮮冬菇，切粒

1 磚  嫩豆腐

1.5 吋長  薑，去皮，切幼粒

4 瓣  蒜頭，去皮，切幼粒

1 棵  蔥 (隨意)，切幼粒

2 湯匙  菜油

調味料：

2 湯匙  米酒

2 湯匙  素蠔油

1 茶匙  粟粉

1/3 茶匙  白胡椒粉

2 湯匙  糖

1/3 茶匙  鹽

DIRECTION 做法：

1. Heat up vegetable oil over medium heat.  Add ginger and garlic; fry until fragrant and the garlic turns slightly brown.

2. Add mushrooms; stir fry for about 5 minutes.

3. In a small bowl, mix the seasoning together. Stir it into the mushrooms; continuously stir fry until the liquid is nearly absorbed and the sauce has thickened.  Pour the mushroom over the tofu.  Sprinkle the green onion and serve immediately.

1. 菜油用中燒熱。下薑和蒜粒，煮至香氣四溢和蒜粒轉微黃色。

2. 下冬菇；炒若沒有分鐘。

3. 在一只小碗中加入所有調味料；拌勻然後倒入鍋中。繼續炒冬菇直至汁半收乾。關火；把冬菇放到豆腐上。

It is also very delicious to put on rice.