Baby Spinach and Pear Salad | 菠菜香梨沙律

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups Baby Spinach

1 Asian Pear

1/4 cup Walnuts, roasted

Drizzle of Olive Oil

1 tablespoon Agave Syrup (or honey)

Sea Salt to taste

材料：

2 杯  菠菜苗

1 個  啤梨

1/4 杯  合核，烤過

適量  橄欖油

1 湯匙  龍舌蘭蜜 (或蜜糖)

少撮  海鹽

DIRECTION 做法：

1. All all ingredients in a large bowl.  Toss to combine and serve it immediately.

1. 在一只大碗內下所有材料。輕輕拌勻便可食用。

Creamy Garlic Vegetable Dip | 蒜香美乃滋沾醬

INGREDIENTS:

6 tablespoons Mayonnaise, low fat

1 head Garlic, peeled and minced

1/4 cup Milk, 2%

1 tablespoon Dijon Mustard

1 teaspoon Oregano, dried

 sprinkle of Sea Salt

材料：

6 湯匙  美乃滋，低脂

1 頭  蒜頭，去皮，磨蓉

1/4 杯  牛奶，2%

1 湯匙  芥末醬

1 茶匙  奧勒崗，乾燥

少撮  海鹽

DIRECTION 做法:

1. Whisk all ingredients together until smooth and well combined.  Chill it before serving.

1. 把所有材料攪勻至幼滑。雪凍後才享用。

Blueberry Yogurt Pancake 藍莓乳酪班㦸

INGREDIENTS:

(make about 10 -15 pancakes)

5 Eggs

1 cup Milk

1 cube Yogurt (I used strawberry, but vanilla or plain is fine)

2 tablespoons Vanilla Extract

1/2 cup Butter, melted

1 tablespoon Baking Powder

20 Blueberries, flesh

2 cups Flour

DIRECTION:

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs together. Add in milk, yogurt, vanilla, and melted butter; mix again.

2. Add baking powder and flour. Gently mix until it becomes batter. Do not over mix it; otherwise the pancakes come out too hard.

3. Add the blueberries. Gently mix it again. Leave the batter for about 10 minutes.

4. Heat up a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add a few spoonfuls of the batter. Let it cook until there are some bubbles forming on the surface. Flip the pancake over and cook for another 3 minutes. Transfer it to a plate. Repeat the process until the batter finished. Serve the pancake with the syrup or jams of your choice.

*Since we add the butter to the batter, there is no need to add extra butter when cooking the pancakes. As long as you heat up the pan before adding the batter, the pancakes won't stick to the pan. 

Stuffed Tofu Puff with Minced Fish 魚肉釀豆腐

INGREDIENTS:

100 gram Minced Fish

15 Tofu Puff

SAUCE:

4 tablespoons Soy Sauce

2 tablespoons Sugar

1.5 teaspoons Cornstarch

1/3 cup Water

The look of minced fish. You can purchase it at Asian market.

The look of tofu puff.

DIRECTION:

1. Cut each tofu puff in half with scissor.

2. Using a finger, carefully make a hold in the middle of it.

3. Fill the hole with a portion of minced fish.

4. Repeat the process until you finish the minced fish and tofu puffs.

5. Add about 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat. Place the tofu puff in the pan with minced fish facing downward. Let them fry for about 5-7 minutes.

6. Flip the tofu puffs onto the other side. Fry for another 5 minutes. Transfer them onto a serving plate.

7. Mix the sauce ingredients. Add the mixture in the same pan. Cook over high heat until it thickens to your liking; stirring constantly. Pour it over the tofu puffs.

Chinese Stir fried Potato 快炒土豆絲

This stir fry potato should taste crunchy and acidic. It can be a side dish or appetizer. I found it taste better when it is cold.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Waxy Potatoes

1/3 teaspoon Salt

2 tablespoon Vinegar

1/2 teaspoon Sugar

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

DIRECTION:

1. Peel the potatoes. Cut them into thin sticks and submerge them in the cold water. Rinse off the starch and drain.

2. Heat up vegetable oil over high heat. Add potato sticks. Quickly stir fry for about 5 minutes.

3. Add salt, sugar and vinegar. Stir fry until the vinegar is evaporated. Transfer the potato to the serving plate.

This dish is also delicious when it is cold. 

Three Steps Vegan Pulled Pork

INGREDIENTS:

4 King Mushrooms

1/2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika

3 tablespoons Barbecue Sauce of your choice

1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil

DIRECTION:

1. Shred the mushrooms with a folk.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients.

3. Pour the mixture evenly on a roasting pan. Roast it at 220F for 20 minutes.

Stir-fried Long Bean and Egg 豆角炒蛋

INGREDIENTS:

1 bundle Long Beans

6 Eggs

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Sugar

1 tablespoon Chinese Cooking Rice Wine

3 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

DIRECTION:

1. Cut and discard both ends of the long beans; cut the beans into small rounds. Whisk the eggs

2. Heat up vegetable oil over high heat. Add long beans. Stir fry until they are slightly soften; about 2 minutes.

3. Drizzle cooking wine. Add sugar and salt; stir well.

4. Add the egg. Continuously stir fry until the egg is coagulated; about 1 minutes. Turn off the heat.

Apple Crumble

During the pandemic, my son gets a lot of free time after his homework. I've tried to keep him busy with different activity. This morning, we decided to make an apple crumble for breakfast. "Don't tell Daddy. We are going to make this for breakfast to surprise him," my eight-year-old son whispers to me. We both woke up super early and creeped into the kitchen, starting to make the crumble. The cinnamon scent filled the air and it warmed our hearts in the very cold morning. Hope you enjoy this recipe.

INGREDIENTS FOR APPLE FILLING:

2 Apples

5 tablespoons Brown Sugar

1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

1/4 cup Water

1/8 teaspoon Salt

INGREDIENTS FOR TOPPING:

3/4 cup All Purpose Flour

1/4 cup Cold Butter, cubed

DIRECTION:

1. Peel and core the apples; cut the apples into small chunks.

2. In a small pot, add apples and brown sugar.

3. Add cinnamon, vanilla, and salt.

4. Pour in water.

5. Bring it to a boil over high heat.

6. Continue to boil until the apples soften and the liquid becomes sticky; about 20 minutes.

7. Meanwhile, in a mixing bowl, add flour and cubed butter. Rub the butter into the flour with finger tips, until the butter becomes pea size.

It should become like this.

8. When the apple filling is done, spoon it into a baking dish. Set aside.

9. Get a handful of the flour mixture. Squeeze to pack it into a large block.

10. Then, greenly break it onto the apple filling. The topping should be half powdery, half crumbly.

11. Place the baking dish on a baking tray. Place it in the pre-heated over at 350C for 20 minutes.

It is ready.

Stir-fried Chinese Bitter Melon and Ribs 涼瓜炒排骨

When I was a kid, I didn't like bitter melon a bit. I thought it is too bitter for my taste. As I grew older, I started to enjoy this slightly bitter after taste. And I learned that bitter melon is actually very healthy. Just like any dark green vegetables, it contains a lot of vitamins. Though, you still don't want it to be too bitter. One of the trick is boiling it for 10 minutes and add some sugar while stir-frying it. Hope you enjoy this recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Bitter Melons

300 grams Spare Ribs, cut into small pieces

3 tablespoons Chinese Preserved Black Beans

1 Head Garlic

1/2 teaspoon Salt

2 tablespoons Chinese Cooking Rice Wine

1 tablespoon Sugar

1 teaspoon Cornstarch

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil, (more for stir-frying)

DIRECTION: 

1. Rinse the preserved black beans; peel garlic. Chop them until they are fine.

2. In a mixing bowl, add chopped garlic, chopped black beans, spare ribs, and salt; mix well. Leave it to marinate for about 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cut the bitter melons lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds. Cut the melon into about 1 cm slices.

4. Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add bitter melons. Boil them until they are cooked, about 10 minutes. Drain well. Run the bitter melon under running water to stop the cooking process; drain again.

5. Heat up about 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil over high heat. Add the ribs and stir fry until they are nearly cooked through, about 10-12 minutes.

6. Drizzle cooking wine; add sugar.

7. Add the cooked melon. Continuously stir-fry until the melons heat through.

8. Sprinkle over the cornstarch; stir until the sauce is thicken. Turn off the heat. Serve it with steamed rice.

Marinated Sweet Soy Bean in Soy 鹵黃豆

When I was a kids, these soy beans were sold in a small package as a snacks. They are sweet and salty, and they give a satisfying chewiness. For sure, they made a tasty and healthy snacks. Now, I make them as a side dish, accompanying them with steamed rice for lunch or dinner. I hope you enjoy this recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups Soy Beans

1 cup Light Soy Sauce

1 cup Sugar

2 cups Water

DIRECTION:

1. Rinse soy beans. Soak them for at least 8 hours or overnight. Discard the ones float on the surface. Drain well.

2. In a large pot, add soy beans. Add sugar, soy sauce, and water. Bring it to a boil over high heat. 

3. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Leave the pot half opened. Continuously boil the beans until the liquid  becomes very sticky; about an hour. Skim out the foam on the surface if necessary.

4. Turn off the heat. Allow the beans to cool. Store them in an air-tight container in the fridge. It can last for about 3 weeks.

Smooth Scrambled Egg and Beef on Rice 滑蛋牛肉飯

INGREDIENTS:

250 gram Beef

8 Eggs

3 bowls Cooked Rice

6 tablespoons Vegetable Oil (for frying) 

MARINADE:

4 tablespoons Soy Sauce

1 tablespoon Sugar

1 teaspoon Corn Starch

1 tablespoon Chinese Cooking Rice Wine

DIRECTION:

1. Cut the beef into 1/2 cm thin slices across the grains.

2. In a mixing bowl, add the beef and the marinade. Mix well. Let it marinate for 30 minutes in the fridge. 

3. In another bowl, whisk the eggs.

4. Heat up 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil over high heat. Add beef and saute until it turns colour; about 5-7 minutes. (If you want the beef throughly cooked, saute for another 2-3 minutes)

5. Quickly transfer the beef onto the serving plate.

6. Rinse and dry the pan quickly. In the same pan, heat up the rest of the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add egg. Quickly scramble until the egg just starts to coagulate. Turn off the heat. Use the remaining heat to cook the egg until it is just cooked but still a little runny.

7. Pour the egg onto the beef. Serve with steamed rice.

Easy Fruit Salad 夏日雜果沙律

INGREDIENTS:

2 Mexican Mangoes, unripe

2 Kiwis, unripe

2 Bananas

1 big handful of Brazilian Nuts

1 tablespoon Chia Seeds

3 tablespoons Agava Syrup

DIRECTION:

1. Peel the mango; cut it into sticks.

2. Peel the kiwis; cut them into small pieces.

3. Peel the bananas; cut them into thick slices.

4. Roast the Brazilian nuts.

5. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients. Gently mix them together. Serve immediately.

Potato Leek Soup | 薯仔京蔥湯

INGREDIENTS:

2 Leeks, rinsed, cut into 1 cm rounds

3 Potatoes, peeled, cut into small cubes

5 cups Water

1/3 cup Greek Yogurt, plain, 2%

1/2 cup Milk, 2%

2 tablespoons Chinese Cooking Rice Wine

Salt to taste

材料：

2 支  京蔥，切成 1cm 塊

3 個  薯仔，去皮，切成小塊

5 杯  水

1/3 杯  希臘乳酪，原味，2%

1/2 杯  牛奶，2%

2 湯匙  米酒

鹽  調味

DIRECTION:

1. In a soup pot, add potatoes, leeks, and water.  Bring it to a boil over high heat until the potatoes are totally soften and starting to fall apart; about 20 minutes.  Add more water if needed.

2. Use a smasher to break apart the softened potatoes and leeks.  Reduce the heat to medium.  Add milk, yogurt, cooking wine and salt.  Continue to boil until the soup reaches to the desired consistency.

做法：

1. 在一只湯鍋內，加入薯仔，京蔥和水。用大火煮至薯仔完全軟身；若20分鐘。如需要可加水。

2. 用壓薯器把軟身的薯仔和京蔥壓散。把火調至中火。加入牛奶、乳酪、米酒和鹽。繼續煮至濃味和湯變濃；關火。

Baked Crispy White Fish with lemon and Parsley

INGREDIENTS:

3 pcs White Fish Fillets

3 cups Cornflakes, no sugar coating

1/2 cup Parsley, finely chopped

1 Lemon of zest

1/2 Lemon of Juice

1/3 teaspoon White Pepper Powder

1/2 teaspoon Salt

Vegetable Oil

SAUCE: 

1/3 cup Mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Ketchup

1 teaspoon White Vinegar (optional)

DIRECTION:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350F.

2. Crush cornflakes into fine pieces.  Mix them with parsley lemony zest, 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, white pepper and salt together.  The mixture should be gluey.

3. Pat dry the fish and cut it into strips.

4. Coat the fish with a fair amount of the cornflake mixture.  Slightly use both palms to tighten it.  Lay the fish on a baking tray that lined with parchment paper.  Repeat this process to finish all the fish.

5. Bake it for about 25 minutes or until the it is golden and crispy.