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。

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.

Stir-fried Broccoli with Garlic | 蒜蓉西蘭花

Stir-frying with a generous amount of smashed garlic and oil and finishing it with the oyster sauce, is the most common way to prepare broccoli in Hong Kong.

My mom doesn't like saucy dishes, so she always cook the broccoli without the sauce.  The tip she has on making crispy but slightly soft broccoli is that, you need to add a little water at a time into the pan while stir-frying.

My own family and myself prefer saucy broccoli, so the version I am going to introduce you here is the latter one.  Hope you enjoy it.

INGREDIENTS:

1 head Broccoli, but into chunks

7 Garlic Cloves, peeled and smashed

1 tablespoon Chinese Cooking Rice Wine

Cornstarch Slur (1/2 teaspoon Cornstarch + 3 tablespoons Water)

pinch of Salt

4 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

材料：

1 頭  西蘭花

7 瓣  蒜頭，去皮，拍碎

1 湯匙  米酒

粟米粉水 (1/2 粟米粉 ＋3 湯匙水)

小撮鹽

4 湯匙  菜油

METHOD:

1. In a wok, add vegetable oil and heat it over high heat.

2. Add broccoli; quickly stir fry for about 1 minute.  Add cooking wine; be carefully it may be smokey and splashy.

3. Stir fry the broccoli until the wine is absorbed. Then, add 1-2 spoons of water and continue the cooking.  When the broccoli started to soften, turn down the heat to medium.

4. Season the broccoli with salt.  Stir in the cornstarch slur and mix until it thickens.  Remove the broccoli from the it and quickly transfer it to the serving plate.

做法：

1. 在鑊中下油，以大火消熱。

2. 下西蘭花；快炒一分鐘。下米酒；煮至其蒸發。

3. 下1-2匙水，繼續快炒至西蘭花開始變軟。

4. 調火至中火。下鹽和粟粉水，煮至稠身，快迅離火。

Lemony Lentil Soup

It is a wonderfully filling and delicious soup that can warm your body up in a cold weather.  It is something that I would make a big pot and bring it to work everyday for lunch.  I know the list of ingredients looks so long, but do not let that intimidates you.  Most of the items are just spices.  I hope you will enjoy this recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Green Lentils, rinsed

1 Yellow Onion, peeled and chunked

2 Carrots, cut into bite size

2 Potatoes or green bananas, cut into bite size

1 Zucchini, cut into bite size

3 Tomatoes, cut into chunked

7-8 Garlic Cloves, peeled and minced

2 cups Canned Diced Tomatoes

1 cup Cilantro, roughly chopped

4 Limes, juiced (can be substitute for lemon)

4 cups Vegetable Broth

2 cups Water

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil (for frying)

1 teaspoon Ground Cumin

1 teaspoon Turmeric Powder

1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Power

1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon

1-2 tablespoons Red Chili (optional)

Salt to taste

DIRECTION:

1. Heat up the oil over high heat.  Add onion and garlic.  Fry until they are fragrant; about 5 minutes.

2. Add lentils, zucchini, potato, tomato and carrot.  Stir fry for about 5-10 minutes.

3. Add diced tomatoes, vegetable broth, water and all the spices.  Bring it to a boil over high heat and then continuously cook for another 15 minutes.

3. Turn off the heat.  Add cilantro and lime juice.  Season the soup with salt to taste.

How to Wilt Swiss Chard | 快炒瑞士甜菜

Stir frying is the easiest and quickest way to prepare Swiss chard and the taste is never disappointing.

There are a few things to note to give the dish a freshly green look:

1. Add sufficient oil

2. Add Swiss chard in batches and don't over crowd it during cooking

3. Cook over high heat and remove it when it just starts to wilt

The nutmeg I added in the recipe is to subtly enhance the flavour and it should not be tasted in the dish.

In the demonstration, I didn't use the stems (I saved them for another dish).  If you are going to cook the whole Swiss chard, you may want to cook the stems for 1-2 minutes before adding the leaves since the stems take longer to cook through.

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

How to Wilt Swiss Chard | 快炒瑞士甜菜

Ingredients:

1 bundle Swiss Chard

3-4 Garlic Cloves

1.5 tablespoons Olive Oil

A small pinch Freshly Ground Nutmeg

Black Pepper to taste

Salt to taste

材料：

1 束   瑞士甜菜

3-4 粒   蒜頭

1.5 湯匙   橄欖油

少許   荳蔻粉

少許   黑胡椒碎

少許   鹽

DIRECTION:

Stir-fried Radish Greens | 蒜香蘿蔔葉

Every Wednesday I will go to visit the farmers' market outside City Hall.  It is a place for the city folks like me to purchase some local vegetables and fruits during the busy week.  I often look for the golden beets, heirloom carrots, and sweet corn.

Yesterday when I was passing a vegetable stand, I saw a lady who was purchasing a big bundle of radishes.  She told the stand-keeper to snap off the greens and just took the radishes with her.  Then, the radish top greens were tossed into a big box under the table.  "What a waste!" I thought to myself.  So I approached the stand-keeper and asked if she would like to give the radish greens to me.

"You have a rabbit?" she asked curiously.

"No, no, no!" I laughed. "It is for myself." I explained.

Then, I told her how I usually prepare radish greens and what they taste like.  She looked very interested and said she recalled a chef who was using radish greens in a cooking show she watched on TV.  She gave me a big bundle of the greens and I made it the side dish for dinner.

Radish greens are actually more nutritious than the radishes, and eating them raw can be even better for our body.  So next time when we purchase radishes or beets, remember to save the green tops.

INGREDIENTS:

1 bunch Radish Leaves

5 Garlic Cloves, peeled and smashed

1 tablespoon Shaoxing Cooking Wine

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

1/3 teaspoon Salt

材料：

1 束  蘿蔔葉

5 瓣  蒜頭，去皮，拍扁

1 湯匙  紹興廚酒

2 湯匙  菜油

1/3 茶匙  鹽

DIRECTION 做法:

1. In a wok, heat up vegetable oil with the garlic cloves over high heat, until the garlic is fragrant.

2. Add radish greens and stir fry until they start to wilt; about 2 minutes.  Add shaoxing wine and season it with salt.  Continue to stir fry for another minute.  Remove it from the heat and serve when it is warm.

1. 在鍋內加入菜油和蒜頭，用大火燒至蒜香四溢。

2. 下蘿蔔葉，炒至其開始變軟；若2分鐘。下紹興酒和鹽調味，繼續多炒1分鐘。離火，趁熱享用。

Stir-fried Mushrooms and Tofu | 蘑菇炒豆腐

I learned this recipe from a talented cook at a daycare which serves only vegetarian food. One of her signature dishes I enjoyed is this stir-fried mushroom and tofu, that was often served with brown rice or barley.  The slightly sweet and sour sauce is absolutely appetizing, and the tofu tastes earthy and smooth.  If you are a tofu lover, you will definitely love this dish.

INGREDIENTS:

12-15 Button Mushrooms, rinsed, sliced

1 block Firm Tofu, cubed

3-5 sprigs Thyme, fresh

5-6 Garlic Cloves, peeled, finely chopped

4 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

Seasoning:

1 tablespoon Balsamic Vinegar

2 teaspoons Sugar

1/3 teaspoon Salt

Cornstarch Slurry (1.5 teaspoons Corn Starch + 1/4 cup Water)

材料：

12-15 顆  蘑菇，沖淨，切塊

1 磚  硬豆腐，切粒

3-5 支  百里香

5-6 瓣  蒜頭，去皮，切碎

4 湯匙  菜油

調味料：

1 湯匙  意大利黑醋

2 茶匙  糖

1/3 茶匙  鹽

粟粉水 (1.5 茶匙 粟粉 ＋1/4 杯 水)

DIRECTION 做法：

1. Add oil and garlic in a pan; heat it over high heat.  Cook until the garlic becomes fragrant and starts to turn colour.

1. 在鑊中下油和蒜粒；以大火燒至香氣四溢。

2. Add mushrooms and thyme; continue to stir fry until the mushrooms become soft.

2. 下蘑菇和百里香，繼續炒至蘑菇變軟。

  

3. It is normal to see the mushrooms release lots of juice  Just continue to cook until the juice evaporates; about 10-15 minutes.

3. 蘑菇開初會滲出大量的水，繼續煮若10-15分鐘或至其收乾水份。

4. Add the seasoning except the cornstarch slurry.

4. 下所有調味料，粟粉水除外。

5. Add tofu.  Gently cook until the tofu is heated through.

5. 下豆腐；小心地炒至其變熱。

6. Reduce the heat to medium.  Stir in the cornstarch slurry. 

6. 把火調低至中火。拌入粟粉水。

7. When the sauce is slightly thickened, remove the pan from the heat.

7. 當汁開始變稠，迅速離火。

8. Serve it with brown rice.

8. 配以糙米飯食用。

Garlicky Tomato Spinach Salad ｜蒜辣車厘茄菠菜沙律

The farmers market near my work has finally opened.  During the morning walk today with the children, we took the opportunity to visit the local farmers and showed the children those beautiful seasonal vegetables.  They were so excited when they saw the yummy fruits and tomatoes they always like.  I bought a small box of mixed cherry tomatoes to make salad for the dinner.  My husband loves to see those colourful vegetables.  To add some kick to the ordinary green salad, I added some minced garlic.

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup of Cherry tomatoes, halved

3 cups Baby spinach

2 sprigs of Basils, leaves only, thinly sliced

5-7 Garlic Cloves, minced

3 tablespoons Olive Oil

2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

材料：

1 杯  車厘茄，切半

3 杯  菠菜

2 枝  九層塔，菜部份

5-7 顆  蒜頭，切幼粒

3 湯匙  橄欖油

2 湯匙  意大利黑醋

DIRECTION 做法:

1. In a large bowl, add all the ingredients.  Gently toss them with hands until they are evenly mixed.  Serve immediately.

1. 在一只大碗內，加入所有材料。用手小心地拌勻；上桌。

Stir-fried Beef and Enoki Mushroom | 金菇炒牛肉

This stir-fried beef and enoki is a quick and simple recipe.  Except the marinade time, it takes only 10 minutes to cook.  You can always marinade the beef ahead and store it in the fridge and cook it the next day when you come back from work.

Note that I used light soy sauce to marinade the beef instead of salt here.  Salt makes the beef become tough after the marination.

Hope you enjoy this recipe.

Stir-fried Beef and Enoki Mushroom

金菇炒牛肉

INGREDIENTS:

300 gram Beef

2 packs Enoki Mushrooms, divided into small portions

2 Garlic Cloves, peels

4 tablespoons Oyster Sauce

3 tablespoons Vegetable Oil (for frying)

1 tablespoon Cornstarch + 1/4 cup Water

材料：

300 克  牛肉

2 包  金菇，分成小撮

2 瓣  蒜頭，去皮

4 湯匙  蠔油

3 湯匙  菜油

1 湯匙 粟粉 ＋1/4 杯水

MARINADE:

4 tablespoons Light Soy Sauce

2 tablespoons Chinese Cooking Rice Wine

1 teaspoon Cornstarch

1 tablespoon Sugar

醃料：

4 湯匙  豉油

2 湯匙  米酒

1 茶匙  粟粉

1 湯匙  糖

DIRECTION 做法:

1. Slice the beef into 1/2 cm thick pieces.

1. 牛肉切成1/2cm 厚片。

2. In a mixing bowl, add beef and marinade; mix well.  Let it stand for 20 minutes.

2. 在一只碗內，加入牛肉片和醃料；拌勻。醃約20分鐘。

3. Add vegetable oil and garlic in a pan.  Heat it up over high heat until the garlic is fragrant and turns slightly brown.

3. 在鑊內下油和蒜頭；用大火爆香。

4. Add beef slices.  Quickly stir fry them until they start to turn colour.

4. 下牛肉片；快炒至其開始變色。

5. Add enoki mushroom and oyster sauce and stir fry for about 30 seconds, or until the enoki starts to wilt.

5. 下金菇和蠔油；快炒約30秒，或至金針開始變軟。

6. Stir in the cornstarch water. 

6. 下粟粉水。

7. Continuously stir fry until the enoki is just soft to touch.  Turn off the heat and transfer the beef and enoki to a serving plate immediately.

7. 繼續炒至金針軟身；離火，上碟。

If the sauce is not thicken enough at this point, transfer the beef and enoki to the serving plate first, and then continue to cook the sauce until it reaches the desired consistency.

如汁不夠濃稠，可先把牛肉和金針排盤，再把汁繼續煮至稠身然後淋上面。

8. Delicious to serve with rice or noodles.

8. 配白飯和淨麵一流。

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

Steamed Spare Ribs with Fermented Black Bean and Garlic ｜豉汁蒸排骨

Whenever I make this dish, it reminds me how my mom worked around the kitchen when I was a child.  My mom is tiny, but she used to own a big cleaver and a chopping block that you can find at the traditional butcher shop.  She would show me how to smash the garlic with the cleaver to remove its skin, and how she minced the garlic and fermented black beans with the big cleaver with a lightning fast motion.  It was just so entertaining to watch her.  The whole family loves her ribs and we would even drizzle the sauce over our bowl of steamed rice to enjoy the flavour.

In this recipe, I didn't add any salt or soy sauce since the fermented black beans are salty.

INGREDIENTS:

2 long Spare Ribs, about 2 pounds

2 tablespoons Fermented Black Bean

6-8 Garlic Cloves, peeled

2 tablespoons Chinese Cooking Rice Wine

1 tablespoon Sugar

1 teaspoon Corn Starch

1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil

材料：

2 條  腓排骨，若2磅

2 湯匙  豆豉

6-8 粒  蒜頭

2 湯匙  米酒

1 湯匙  糖

1 茶匙  粟粉

1 湯匙  菜油

METHODS:

1. Preheat the steamer on high heat.

2. Rinse the spare ribs; pat dry.  Place them in a dish that is for steaming.

3. Rinse the black beans a few times; drain.  Finely dice them with the garlic.  Add the mixture into the ribs.

4. Add the rest of the ingredients into the ribs; mix it until well combined.  Cover the dish with foil.

5. Place the dish in the steamer.  Steam it over high heat for about 20 minutes.  Best served with steamed rice.

做法：

1. 預熱蒸鍋。

2. 排骨洗淨，抹乾，放在蒸煮用的碟上。

3. 沖洗豆豉數次；將其與蒜頭一同剁碎。加入排骨內。

4. 加入剩餘所有材料到排骨中；拌勻。用錫紙把碟包好。

5. 放進蒸鍋內，以大火蒸約20 分鐘。

Silky Fowl and Garlic Soup ｜ 烏雞蒜頭湯

Silky fowl is considered most nutritious among other birds although its appearance may not as competitive.  I still remember I often refused to eat the soup when my mom made it just because it didn't look like a normal "chicken".

In fact, silky fowl tastes sweeter and more flavourful than other chickens and birds.

In Hong Kong, Silky fowl is common made into soup for nourishing our bodies in winter time, especially for people with infirmity.  It is also believed can improve skin after consuming it a period of time.

We don't cook silky fowl often because it is quite pricy here, but I will cook at least twice during the flu season to boost up our immunity.

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

   

INGREDIENS:

1   Silky Fowl, whole

1 head Garlic

150 gram Oyster Mushrooms

Salt to taste

材料：

1 隻   烏雞 (竹絲雞)

1 頭   蒜頭

150 克   蠔菇

調味   鹽

DIRECTION:

Roasted Garlic Tomatoes Mostaccioli (Vegan recipe) | 香蒜蕃茄通心粉 (全素食譜)

Our family practices a vegan diet three times a week, and this savoury dish is on our favourite list.  You can add any kinds of favourite herbs or seasoning in this recipe.

Roasted Garlic Tomatoes Mostaccioli (Vegan recipe)

香蒜蕃茄通心粉 (全素食譜)  

Ingredients: (yield about 3 portions)

4 cup Cherry Tomatoes

1 head Garlic, minced

2 sprigs Basil Leaves

1/3 cup Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Ground Black Pepper

2.5 cups Whole Wheat Mostaccioli

材料：(約3人份)

4 杯   車厘茄

1 頭   蒜頭

2 束   九層塔

1/3 杯   橄欖油

海鹽

黑胡椒碎

2.5 杯   意大利通心粉

DIRECTION:

Roasted Whole Garlic | 香焗蒜頭

Roasted Whole Garlic | 香焗蒜頭  

Ingredients:

1 Garlic Head

2 sprigs Thyme

1 tablespoon Olive Oil

Sea Salt

Ground Black Pepper

材料：

1棵   蒜頭

2 枝   百里香

1 湯匙   橄欖油

海鹽

黑胡椒碎

DIRECTION:

Making a quick Chinese Chives dish at a friend's house ｜快炒韭菜

Making a quick Chinese Chives dish at a friend's house

快炒韭菜

Ingredients:

2-3 handfuls Chinese Chives, rinsed

5-6 Garlic Cloves

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

Salt to taste

DIRECTION:

Perilla Leaf Kimchi ｜紫蘇葉泡菜

If you have ever visited a Korean supermarket, you probably have seen perilla leaves.  They are usually sold in bundles or in packages.  Perilla leaf is a common vegetable that belongs to the mint family, with a mild herby flavour somewhat similar to anise and basil; it is widely used in Korean cuisine as vegetable, kimchi, flavouring, or wrap.

Perilla leaf isn't usually found in Hong Kong cuisine, so I learnt this wonderful leaf late after I moved to downtown Toronto, where Korean cuisine is broadly embraced. 

Funny is that my first experience of perilla leaf wasn't a nice one.  I always noticed the herby note of these vivid green leaves, but I'd never realized how strong it could taste when putting the whole piece of leaf in the mouth, along with the hot rice or spicy marinade.  I remember I swallowed it down hard, followed by a full glass of water and a few bites of other side dishes.

After that, I tried to stay away from perilla leaves, but I still bought them whenever I go to the Korean supermarket, just because I was attracted to their beautiful look.  Once I have them, I have to cook them, right?  Through time, I learned to enjoy its distinct flavour and perilla leaf kimchi has become the Korean recipe I make most often and enjoy most by far.

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

You can buy perilla leaves at Korean supermarkets.

Perilla leaves are available all year around, but their have much better leaves in summer.

Perilla Leaf Kimchi 

紫蘇葉泡菜

Kimchi

Ingredients:

15-20 pcs Perilla Leaves

2 tablespoons Glutinous Flour

1/2 cup Water

4 tablespoons Fish Sauce

2 tablespoons Red Chile Flakes

1 tablespoon Garlic, peeled and minced

1 tablespoon Ginger, peeled and minced

How to make it:

1. Rinse the perilla leaves under cold running water.  Drain and set them aside.

2. In a glass bowl, combine the glutinous rice with 1/2 cup of water.  Mix it well.  Microwave the mixture for about 30 seconds; stir well.  Then return it back to the microwave to heat it for another 25-30 seconds, or until the mixture become gluey.

Don't over heat it, otherwise the mixture will turn lumpy or harden and it will have to start over again.

3. Combine the rest of the ingredients except the perilla leaves into the glutinous mixture.  Stir it until it becomes chilli paste.

4. Spread 1-2 teaspoons of the chilli paste on a perilla leaf.  Then, place another perilla leaf on top, and spread the chilli paste on it again.  Repeat this process until you finish all the perilla leaves.

5. Store the perilla leaves in an air-tight container.  Leave it at room temperature for two days before serving it.  Transfer the rest to the fridge and it can keep up to 4 days.

6. To serve, wrap a small bite of rice with a perilla leaf, and then put the whole thing in the mouth.