Stewed Milky Chicken with Date and Lotus Seed (Instant Pot Version)｜紅棗蓮子鮮奶燉雞 (壓力煲版)

It is the very nutritious soup that is very good for skin or post-natal nourishment. I made it every winter to boost up our energy. 

Stewed Milky Chicken with Date and Lotus Seed

紅棗蓮子鮮奶燉雞

INGREDIENTS:

2 pcs Chicken Legs, skinless

3 cups Milk, homogenized

1 cup Water

4 tablespoons Chinese Cooking Rice Wine

4 Red Dates

12 Lotus Seeds, cores removed

Salt to taste

DIRECTION:

Red Dates are on the left and lotus seeds are on the right.

1. Soak the dried lotus seeds in water until soften.  Remove the green core in the middle of each with a toothpaste, if there is any.

2. Remove and discard the pit in each red date.

3. In a heat-proof container.  Add chicken, dates, and lotus seeds.

4. Pour in milk.

5. Add water and rice wine.  Cover the container with a lid.

6. In an instant pot, add 3 cups of water and place a low rack on the bottom.  Carefully put the covered container on the rack.

7. Put the lid on the instant pot.  Put the venting knob to seal.  Press the "Manual" button once, and then press the "Pressure" button to adjust the pressure to high.  Press the "+" or "-" button to set the time to 10 minutes.  When the cooking process is done, allow the pressure release naturally.  Remove the container from the instant pot right away.

8. Season the soup with salt.  Serve immediately.

Shredded Potato Warm Salad

INGREDIENTS:

2 Potatoes (any waxy types will do)

4 stalks Celery

1 Carrot

SEASONING:

1/4 teaspoon Salt

1/2 teaspoon Sugar

1 teaspoon Soy Sauce

pinch of White Pepper

1 teaspoon White Sesame

1 tablespoon Sesame Oil

DIRECTION:

1. Peel the potatoes; cut them into sticks. Rinse them under running water to get rid of the starch.

2. Cut carrot and celery into sticks.

3. Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add potato; blanch it for 5 minutes. Scoop it out and run it under the tap water to stop the cooking process.

4. Next, blanch the carrot and celery for 5 minutes. Drain well. Run the carrot and celery under running water to stop the cooking process.

5. In a large mixing bowl, add potato, carrot, and celery. Add the seasoning; mix well. Let it marinate for 10 minutes before serving.

Tomato, Egg and Tofu Soup 蕃茄蛋絲豆腐湯

Sometime you want some soup but feel too lazy to make it. And this recipe is for such occasion. All you need is to scramble the egg and then let the soup to simmer for 15 minutes. Then, you have a bowl of nutritious soup. Hope you enjoy this recipe. 

INGREDIENTS:

2 large Tomatoes, cut into chunks

1 block medium tofu or silken tofu

2 Eggs, beaten

3 cups Water

1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil

Salt to taste

DIRECTION:

1. Heat up vegetable oil over high heat.  Add beaten egg.  Quickly stir fry until it is well cooked.

2. Add water and tomatoes.  Boil the soup until the tomatoes soften; about 15 minutes.  Add tofu.  When the soup comes to a boil again, turn off the heat.  Season with salt to taste.

Pan-fried Sun Dried Oyster with Osmanthus Honey Glaze | 桂花蜜煎金蠔

Pan-fried oyster is a popular dish at new year gathering. It is easy to make, yet look very impressive. It is the dish you certainly will earn lots of "wow".

I hardly see any places sell dried oysters in where I live. These dried oysters are from my mom when she visited me two summers back. I've kept them well in the freezer and try not to finish them too soon.

My husband and my son don't like dried oysters; they said the fishy smell is too strong. They didn't grew up near the sea and certainly don't understand they miss out the umami flavour, I would say.

I hope you will enjoy this recipe.

Pan-fried Sun Dried Oyster with Osmanthus Honey Glaze | 桂花蜜煎金蠔

INGREDIENTS:

4 Sun Dried Oysters

1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil

4 tablespoon Agava Syrup or Honey

1/2 teaspoon Osmanthus Flower, dried

材料：

4 隻  金蠔

1 湯匙  菜油

4 湯匙  蜜糖

1/2 茶匙。

INSTRUCTION:

1. Thaw the dried oysters to room temperature.

2. Gently, rinse the oysters under running water and remove them from the skewer without breaking them.

3. Place them in a pre-heated steamer and steamer for 7 minutes using medium-high heat.

4. Pat dry with a paper towel.

5. Heat up vegetable oil over medium-low heat. Lay in dried oysters, an inch apart. Fry them until both side are golden brown, about 5 minutes each side. Remove them from the heat.

6. In the same pan, add osmanthus, honey, and a teaspoon of water. Heat up until it becomes syrup.

7. Transfer the oysters back to the pan and coat them carefully with the syrup.

8. Transfer the oysters on a serving plate.

Conch, Chestnut, and Pork Bone Soup (instant pot)｜粟子螺頭豬骨湯 (壓力煲)

INGREDIENTS:

8 Conches, dried

20 Chestnuts (I used frozen)

4 Pork Bones

3 Sweet Dates

5 Chinese Yam, dried

2 tablespoons Goji, dried

10 Longan, dried

Salt to taste

材料：

8 隻  乾螺頭

20 粒  粟子 (我這兒用上急凍)

4塊  豬骨

5 片  淮山

2 湯匙  杞子

10 粒  龍眼乾

鹽調味

DIRECTION:

1. Rinse dried conches under running water.

2. Rinse pork bones under running water to remove the small bone pieces.

3. Crack open dried longans and remove the sweet flesh; discard the shells.

4. Prepare the goji.

5. Prepare dried Chinese Yam and sweet dates.

6. Add all ingredients in the instant pot.  Close the seal.  Set up "high pressure" for 30 minutes.  When it is finished boiling, allow it to release the pressure naturally.

7. Enjoy when it is hot.

Conch, Lotus Root, and Pork Bone Soup | 螺頭年藕排骨湯

Last time when my parents came visit, they brought us a bag of dried conche from Hong Kong.  Compared to fresh conches, dried conches have a stronger umami flavour, and they are saltier and chewier.  People generally use them only to flavour soups.  Fresh conches are much tender and sweeter, so people like to add them to the soup along with the dried conches to boost the flavour.

In this recipe, I didn't use fresh conch.  However, I added pork bones and extra carrots to bring up the richness.

I try to keep up with making soup at least once a week for my family, and this soup is the best choice for this bitterly cold Sunday. 

INGREDIERNTS:

6 Conches, dried

1  Lotus Root, about 200 gram

4 Carrots

6 Pork Bone

4 Dates

2 tablespoons Apricot Kernels

7 cups Water

Salt to taste

材料：

6 隻  乾螺頭

1 節  年藕，約200克

4 條  甘筍

6 塊  豬骨

4 粒  蜜棗

2 湯匙  南北杏

7 杯  水

鹽  調味

DIRECTIONS:

1. Rinse the pork bones under running water to remove the small bone pieces; drain.

2. Peel off the skin of the lotus root and cut the root until bite size.

3. Rinse apricot kernels and conches.

4. In a pot, add all ingredients except salt.  Fill the pot with enough water to cover all ingredients; about 7 cups.  Add more water if needed.

5. Bring the water to a boil, and then continuously boil it over medium-high heat for 45 minutes.  Turn off the heat.  Season the soup with salt to taste.

步驟：

1. 洗淨豬骨。

2. 年藕去皮，切小件。

3. 南北杏和乾螺頭沖水。

4. 除卻鹽，將所有材料放進湯窩。 把水用大火燒滾後轉中大火，再繼續煲45分鐘。關火，下鹽調味。

Roasted Lemon and lavender Chicken Wings | 烤檸檬薰衣草雞翼

Roasted Lemon and lavender Chicken Wings

烤檸檬薰衣草雞翼  

Ingredients:

2 pounds Whole Chicken Wings

1/2 pc Lemon of Juice, freshly squeezed

2 tablespoons Honey

Marinade:

1 tablespoon Dried Lavender

2 tablespoons Dark Soy Sauce

3 tablespoons Shaoxing Wine

To taste Ground Black Pepper

To taste Kosher Salt

材料：

2 磅   雞全翼

1/2 個   檸檬, 榨汁

2 湯匙   蜜糖

醃料：

1 湯匙   乾薰衣草

2 湯匙   老抽

3 湯匙   紹興酒

調味   黑胡椒碎

調味   鹽

DIRECTION:

Savoury Egg Pancake | 簡易蛋餅

Savoury Egg Pancake | 簡易蛋餅

Ingredients: (3-4 servings)

5 Shitake Mushrooms

1 Medium Carrot

1/4 cup Edamame

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil (for frying)

1 tablespoon Soy Sauce

1/4 teaspoon Salt

Egg Mixture:

5 Eggs

1 tablespoon Sugar

材料：(3-4人份)

5 隻   新鮮冬菇

1 條   甘筍，中型

1/4 杯   毛豆

2 湯匙   菜油 (炒菜用)

1 湯匙   豉油

1/4 茶匙   鹽

蛋汁：

5 隻   雞蛋

1 湯匙   糖

DIRECTION:

Apple Conch Soup | 蘋果嚮螺湯

Apple conch soup is good for a sore throat or dry cough.  The sweetness in the apples gives a nourishing effect for the throat while the soup provides the fluid the body needs.  After all, it is also a very tasty recipe.

Apple Conch Soup | 蘋果嚮螺湯  

Ingredients:

300 gram Pork

4 Apples

100 gram Sliced Conch

10 gram Chinese Almonds

材料：

300 克   豬肉

4 個   蘋果

100 克   嚮螺片

10 克   南北杏

DIRECTION:

Chinese Scallion Pancake | 蔥油餅

Chinese Scallion Pancake | 蔥油餅  

Ingredients: (yield 3 servings)

300 gram All Purpose Flour

160 ml Warm Water

4 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

2 stalks Green Onions

1/2 teaspoon Salt

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil (for frying)

材料：(3人份)

300 克   麵粉

160 毫升   暖水

4 湯匙   菜油

2 棵   蔥

1/2 茶匙   鹽

2 湯匙   菜油 (煎餅用)

DIRECTION:

Peanut, Lotus Root and Chicken Feet Soup | 花生蓮藕雞腳湯

A pot of good soup is very essential on our dining table in winter.  It helps nourish our dry skin while it warms up our body, as my mom often said.  Usually after lantern festival in late September, when the lotus plants have faded, there are an abundance of lotus roots available in the local markets.  Mom loved to buy them because they were not only nutritious but also inexpensive.

    This recipe was one of the lotus soups she would frequently make.  The collagen from the chicken feet and the starch in lotus root gelatinized the soup, that gave the soup a thick, hearty consistency.  As a child, my brother and I would fight over the peanuts in the soup, or had a chicken feet-eating competition.  Those were very good memories of this wonderful soup. 

The photo above is the traditional way my mom and many other people in Hong Kong ritually serve this soup.  It is a light broth served with some rustic cuts of lotus root, a handful of peanuts, and one or two chicken feet.  People prefer to enjoy the soup served with all these ingredients, although they may not plan to eat them.  This is a common way to enhance the perception of flavour through sight.

    However, light broth isn't very popular in my own family.  My husband and my son like soup with a thicker body.  Wanting them to try some "Chinese flavour", I adapted this recipe using a common Western technique: PUREE!  Excluding the chicken feet, I blended the soup with all the ingredients and then boiled the mixture down to the thickness they liked.  It turned out to be another winter favourite.

    This soup gets a strong nutty flavour from the peanuts, which goes amazingly well with the chicken feet.  Lotus root itself has a very mild flavour, but you can still taste the sweetness in the soup.

If you can't find any raw peanuts, raw walnuts will be a very good substitute.  Or, you can replace the chicken feet with bones, or even pig knuckles.

Peanut, Lotus Root and Chicken Feet Soup

花生蓮藕雞腳湯

Ingredients:

3-4 Segments of Lotus Root

1/3 cup Raw Peanut

10-15 Chicken Feet

Salt to taste

材料：

3-4 節   蓬藕

1/3 杯   生花生

10-15 隻   雞腳

調味   鹽

DIRECTION:

Deep Fried Shrimp and Pork Wonton Ghost ｜ 萬聖節鮮蝦豬肉炸雲吞

When my son was still little, I used to make a lot more cute looking food for him.  Now I am always busy with school and stuff around the house.  There isn't much energy to make food fancy.

But I know Halloween is a big thing for children.  So no matter how tired I was, I made these cute little wonton ghosts for him to celebrate Halloween.  He was delighted.

My husband said the wontons looked like ghosts rather than monsters, and my son said they looked like fish.  It was so hilarious.  Anyways, I am happy to be able to come up with this healthy treat for him for Halloween. 

 Deep Fried Shrimp and Pork Wonton Ghost

萬聖節鮮蝦豬肉炸雲吞

Ingredients:

200 gram Pork, ground

10 Shrimp

25-30 pcs Wonton Wrappers

1 sheet of Nori

7-8 cloves Garlic, peeled and minced

Vegetable Oil (for deep frying)

Marinade for the pork filling:

6 tablespoons Soy Sauce

1/3 teaspoon White Pepper, ground

4 tablespoons Chinese Rice Wine

2 tablespoons Sugar

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

Direction:

1. Peel away the head, shell, and the legs of the shrimp.  Insert a toothpick into the second section of the shrimp under the vein and gently pull the vein out.  Rinse the shrimp.

2. Cut the shrimp into small pieces.

3. In a mixing bowl, combine ground pork, shrimp, minced garlic, and marinade; mix well.  Leave it for about 15 minutes.

4. Cut the nori into about 3 cm x 2 cm pieces; set aside.

5, With a straw, cut out two small holes as the eyes.

6. Lay a wonton wrapper on a working surface.  Place a nori on top of the holes.

7. Spoon a small portion of the pork filling onto the nori.

8. Wet four edges with some water.

9. Fold and seal the wonton diagonally.

10. Wet the left and right sides with some water, and fold the edges from the far corners to the center.

11.  Gently shape the wonton into a ball shape.

The front should be like this.

12. Place the wontons on parchment paper.

13. To cook, heat up a small pot of oil over medium heat.  Add the wontons one by one.  Use a spatula to move them to make sure they are not sticking on the bottom.

14. When the wontons float to the top, let them cook for another minute before transfering them onto a paper towel.

15. Soak up the excess oil on a paper towel.

16. Serve the wontons with ketchup.

I also made a pot of chicken broth with mushroom and bok choy to serve along side.  It warms up our body while adding extra vegetables to the meal.

If you don't like deep fry, simply boil the dumplings until they are flow onto the surface and served it with warm chicken broth.

Thanks for stopping by.  I hope you enjoy this recipe.

Warning: my son turned into a monster after eating the monster wontons.