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。

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。

Prawn Salad with Baby Spinach and Tangerine

INGREDIENTS:

1 dozen Prawns, deveined

2 Tangerines, peeled and divided

3 cups Baby Spinach

4 tablespoons Olive Oil

1/2 Lemon of Juice

Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTION:

1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil.  Add about 2 tablespoons of salt.  Add the prawns and blanch until the prawns turn orange and curl up.  Drain immediately.  Remove the shells and set them aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add the rest of the ingredients and the prawns.  Gently toss the salad until well combine.

Roasted Beet Root and Blood Orange Salad | 紅菜頭血橙沙律

The other day I found some blood oranges at the supermarket. Without hesitation, I got a couple of them. They were sweet and beautiful. Adding them into a salad gave an exotic looking and certainly brought some colour to the ordinary green.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Blood Orange, medium

2 Beets, small

1/8 Red Onion

2 cups Baby Arugula

DRESSING:

2 tablespoon Whole Grain Dijon Mustard

4 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 teaspoon White Vinegar

1 tablespoon Raw Honey

small pinch of Sea Salt

材料：

2 個  血橙，中型

2 個  紅菜頭，小型

1/8 個  紅洋蔥

2 杯  芝麻菜

汁料：

2 湯匙  全粒芥末籽醬

4 湯匙  初榨橄欖油

1 茶匙  白醋

1 湯匙  純蜜糖

少撮  海鹽

INSTRUCTIONS：

1. Pre-heat an oven to 450F.  Clean beets with a brush; pat dry.  Wrap the beets with foil and roast the in the oven for about 20 minutes, or until they are soften.

(Roasting time vary.  It depends on the size of the beets)

2. Remove the skins of the blood oranges; cut the oranges into rounds or semi-circles; set aside.

3. Thinly slice the onion.

4. Arrange the vegetable ingredients on a serving plate.

5. In a mixing bowl, mix the dressing together until well blended, and then spoon it evenly over the vegetables.  Serve immediately.

做法：

1. 預熱焗爐至450F。擦洗紅菜頭、抹乾，用剔紙包好。放進焗爐烤若20分鐘或至其變軟身。

(烤焗時間會因紅菜頭大小會有明顯出入)

2. 切去橙皮；將橙切成圓片狀或半圓形。

3. 洋蔥切幼絲。

4. 蔬菜排盤。

5. 在一只碗內，把汁料拌勻；用匙把其平均舀上蔬菜上。即成。

Spicy and Sour Marinated Cabbage

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 Fermented Cabbage

SEASONING:

1 teaspoon Korean Red Chill Flakes

1 teaspoon Sesame Seed, toasted

1 teaspoon Sugar

1 tablespoon White Rice Vinegar

a few drop Sesame Oil

DIRECTION:

1. Cut the cabbage into bite size.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients.  Gently mix everything with hand until the cabbage is well coated with the seasoning.  Chill for 15 minutes before serving.

Homemade Soy Milk from scratch (without soy milk maker) 自製豆漿 (無需豆漿機)

It seems like everyone is staying at home because of pandemic. Other than plating seeds, cooking dinner, and doing homework with my son, I added making dessert and snacks to my to do list. I need to keep myself busy and occupied. Making homemade soy milk is one of the best activity. Actually, it is very easy to make. The soy milk tastes much more flavourful than the store bought.

The soy pulp is the side produce of this soy milk. I attached a link here to give some idea of how to use it in different recipes. I also use it as fertilizer for my plants. Nothing goes to waste. 

INGREDIENTS:

 6 cups Soy Beans (dried)

Water *(see the note in step 2)

Small pinch of Salt

Sugar to taste (optional)

INGREDIENTS:

1. Soak the beans in water over the night or at least 10 hours.  Drain the water and rinse the beans; drain again.

2. With the ratio of 1 part of beans to 3 parts of water, process the soaked beans until smooth puree.

3. I used a magic bullet, but a food processor is much more efficient.

4. Set a tea towel over a strainer, and then place a big pot underneath.  The setting should be like the picture above.

5. Then pour the soy puree over the towel batch by batch and allow the soy milk filter through the towel.

6. Gently twist to squeeze out the soy milk.  Save the soy pulp for other recipes.  The pulp is very healthy and absolutely delicious.  You can check this link to see how to utilize the soy pulp (okara).

7. Skim off the foam on the surface.  Heat up the soy milk over medium heat; stirring constantly.

8. When the 'green odour' of the soy milk is gone, and the soy milk is thoroughly heat up for at least 10 minutes.  The soy milk is ready.

9. Enjoy it with a little bit sugar or plain, or even make it into savoury dish with scallion and Chinese doughnut.

Barley Lentil Rice with Cranberry and Pine Nut

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups Pot Barley

1 cup Green Lentils

1/3 cup Long Grain Basmati Rice

1 cup Cranberries, dried

4-5 Pecans, crushed

1/4 cup Pine Nuts

1/3 teaspoon Curry Powder

1/3 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder

1/3 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Olive Oil

DIRECTION:

1. Combine barley, lentils, basmati rice in a pot.  Rinse a few times until the water is no longer milky. Drain and then add double amount of the water.

2. Add cranberries, pecans, pine nuts, curry powder, garam masala and salt in the pot.  Bring the liquid to a boil over high heat.  When the water starts to bubble, reduce the heat to the lowest and put the lid on.  Let it cook for 20 minutes.  Turn off the heat and leave it for another 10 minutes without opening  the lid.

3. When the time is up, open the lid and add olive oil.  Gently fluff the barley lentil rice with a spatular.  Serve immediately.

Marinated Young Cabbage with Fermented Soybean Sauce 黃豆醬伴白菜

The look of soybean paste

INGREDIENTS:

2 Young Cabbage

1 heap spoon Chinese Fermented Bean Sauce

1 tablespoon White Sesame Seeds, toasted

1 teaspoon Sesame Oil

DIRECTION:

1. Cut off the end of the cabbage and loosen the leaves.  Soak and rinse the cabbage in water until clean; drain.

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Add about 1.5 tablespoons salt.  Add cabbage.  Blanch until it is slightly soft; about 20-30 seconds.  Quickly remove cabbage from the hot water and plunge it into cold water to stop the cooking process.  Gently squeeze out the water from the cabbage and set it in a mixing bowl.

3. In the mixing bowl, add fermented bean sauce, sesame seeds and sesame oil.  Toss it gently with hand until well coated.  Serve it 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。

Coconut and Lime Seafood Soup

Coconut and lime is a good pair, both in sweet or savoury. This soup is a very quick meal since the seafood takes very little time to cook through. If you like spicy, just add more chilli. 

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup Coconut Milk (Not coconut cream)

1 cup Chicken Stock

4 cups Water

1 dozen Mussels (I used frozen)

2 dozen Prawns

2 pieces Cod Fish (I used frozen), cut into big chunks

10 Button Mushrooms, sliced

1 small Onion, sliced

1 Lime

1 Red Chili, cut into small arounds (optional)

1 handful Cilantro, rinsed

Salt to taste

DIRECTION:

1. In a soup pot, combine coconut milk, chicken stock and water.  Bring it to a boil over high heat.

2. Add mushrooms and onion.  Let it to boil for 10 minutes for the flavour to develop into the soup base.

3. According to the order follow, add mussels, cod fish, and prawns.  Let the soup comes to the boil again.  Then, add cilantro and squeeze the lime juice in.  Add chili if you are using.  Season the soup with salt to taste.  Remove the soup from the heat immediately and serve.

Vegetable Pancake

These pancakes are packed with vegetables.  They are healthy to serve as a full meal.  In our family, we eat them as breakfast and also dinner.  The dipping sauce is essential for the addition of the flavour.  But if you are in a rush like my husband, you can always substitute the delicious dipping sauce for ketchup.

INGREDIENTS:

6 Green Onions, thinly sliced

5-6 Garlic Scrape, thinly sliced

2 White Potatoes, cut into sticks

1 Purple Yam, peeled and cut into sticks

1 pack of Seafood Mushrooms, roughly chopped

3/4 cup All Purpose Flour

3 Eggs

3/4 cup Water

1 teaspoon Salt

1/4 cup Vegetable Oil

DIPPING SAUCE:

2 tablespoons Light Soy Sauce

1 tablespoon Rice Vinegar

1 teaspoon Mirin

DIRECTION:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the vegetables.  Add eggs, water and oil; mix throughly.

2. Add flour; gently mix until the vegetables are well coated with batter.

3. Add about 2 tablespoons of oil in a non stick pan.  Spoon the mixture in the pan evenly.  You can make a large pancake, or many small ones.  I like mine are pancake size.  It is easier to handle when eating.

4. Fry over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until it is golden brown.  Turn it over; fry the other side for another 5 minutes.  Transfer the pancake to a serving plate.  Repeat this process until finishing up the batter.

5. To serve, combine the dipping sauce ingredients.  Serve it with the pancakes.

Papaya Sweet Soup with Lotus Seed and White Fungus

It is one of the popular dessert in Hong Kong that people usually enjoy eating it through the year.  Since the white fungus is consider as 'natural collagen' due to the high amount of protein, women love to eat it regularly.  The rock sugar and lotus seeds can help nourishing dry skins or sore throat.  In summer, people like to chill this clear looking dessert before eating so that it can cool off the body from the heat.

I used the dried lotus seeds in this recipe, but it is always better if you are using fresh lotus seeds.  Remember to remove the green core that has a bitter taste.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Papaya, ripen

10-15 Lotus Seeds, core removed (I used dried lotus seeds here)

2 White Fungus

2 tablespoons Goji Berries

1/3 cup Rock Sugar (adjust it to your preference)

8 cups Water

DIRECTION:

1, Soak the white fungus in water until it is rehydrated; about 30 minutes.  Discard the yellow hard core.  Gently tear the fungus into large pieces; set aside.

2. Peel off the skin of papaya.  Cut it lengthwise and scoop out the seeds.  Cut the papaya into chunks; set them aside.

3. Bring the water to a boil.  Add lotus seeds and rock sugar.  Boil for another 15 minutes.

4. Add papaya, white fungus and goji berries.  Bring it to a boil again and then turn the heat to medium.  Continuously boil for another 20 minutes and it is done.  It is delicious to serve it both cold or hot.

Homemade Smooth Egg Tofu

INGREDIENTS:

3 Eggs (about 125 ml)

80 ml Soy Milk, unsweetened

(click here to check out the recipe for homemade soy milk)

Bonito Flakes (for serve)

Soy Sauce (for serving)

1 tablespoon Mirin (for serving)

DIRECTION:

1. Pre heat the steamer to medium-high heat.

2. . Whisk the eggs together until smooth.  Add soy milk; continuously whisk until mix evenly.

3. . Oil the glass container that for steaming.  Slowly pour the egg mixture in it through a fine server to get rid of the foam.

4. Cover the container with another plater or foil.  Steam for 15 minutes, or until it is solid.  To serve, drizzle soy sauce and mirin and sprinkle bonito on top.

Simmered Buttery Kabocha 黑糖味醂南瓜

Ingredients:

1 Kabocha

4 tablespoons Brown Sugar

2 tablespoon Mirin

2 tablespoons Butter

1/4 teaspoon Salt

Direction:

1. Cut the Kabocha in half and scoop out the seeds.

2. Cut off some of the thick skins. 

3. Cut the Kabocha into large cubes. 

4. In a medium pot, melt the butter over high heat.

5. Add Kabocha cubes and stir fry them until they are coated with butter.

6. Add brown sugar, marin and salt; stir well.

7. With the lid on, cook them over medium-low heat for about 13-15 minutes.  Gently stir them half way through to prevent them from burning.  Serve with steamed rice.  Store them in the fridge up to one week. 

Mapo Dofu (Tofu) 麻婆豆腐

INGREDIENTS:

2 blocks Tofu

1.5 lbs Ground Pork

3 heap tablespoons Soy Bean Paste

4 tablespoons Water

2/3 teaspoon Salt

2 tablespoons Sugar

1 teaspoon Corn Starch

4 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

Green Onion (if prefer)

DIRECTION:

Oven Baked Crispy Chicken Thigh (using black bean pulp)

When making soy milk, there is always some side product - soy pulp.  This pulp not only has a high amount of protein fibre, it is also delicious.  You can use it to make meat balls, cookies, and also replace bread crumbs.

Two days ago I got lots of black bean pulp after making soy milk.  So I mixed the pulp with some seasoning and used it as bread crumbs.  The result is crispy and delicious.  If you want a change for the use of bread crumbs, try to think of this recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

8 Chicken Thighs, skin-on

1 Egg, beaten

2-3 tablespoons Cornstarch

Vegetable Oil

MARINADE:

2 tablespoons Cumin, ground

2 tablespoons Soy Sauce

2 tablespoons Chinese Cooking Rice Wine

1/2 teaspoon White Pepper Powder

1/3 teaspoon Sugar

1/3 teaspoon Salt

BLACK BEAN PULP SEASONING:

1.5 cups Black Bean Pulp

1/3 teaspoon Salt

1/3 teaspoon Paprika

1/2 teaspoon Cumin, ground

1/4 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

DIRECTION:

1. Rinse the chicken thighs; pat dry.  Combine the chicken with the marinade; mix well.  Leave it to marinate for 30 minutes.

2. In the mean time, add all the black bean pulp seasoning ingredients in a pan.  Slowly toast the ingredients over medium-low heat until the mixture is dry.  The pulp may initially stick to the pan; scape it with a spatula if needed.  Allow the pulp to cool.

3. Coat each chicken thigh with a thin layer of cornstarch.  Then coat it with the bean egg.  Last, coat it with the toasted bean pulp.  Gently lay the chicken on parchment paper on a roasting pan.

4. Roast the chicken in the pre-heat oven at 360F for 25 minutes, or until the chicken thighs cooked through.

Strawberry Banana Almond Milkshake

My son often mentions he wants to cook with me, and he said he is ready for more challenging work other than just spooning and mixing.  So last week, I bought a dog knife for him so that he can start to cut fruits and vegetables.

The Dog Knife literally took its name from its look. The blade is designed for young children so it's sharp enough to cut vegetables and fruits but not sharp enough to cut their fingers easily.  It still needs full supervision to be used.

My son was so excited to be able to have his own knife.  After learning how to handle a knife, he decided to make a milkshake with the fresh fruits we have.  He was so excited that he made this milkshake two days in a row.  His proud smile says everything.

INGREDIEMTS: (3 servings)

2 Bananas, peeled

8 Strawberries, hulled

2.5 cups Almond Milk, unsweetened

2 teaspoons Sugar (optional)

DIRECTION:

1. Cut the strawberries in half.

2. Cut the bananas into chunks.

3. Add sugar if desired.

4. Pour in almond milk.

5. With a wand blender, process until the mixture is smooth.

Korean Braised Tofu with Chilli Soy Sauce

INGREDIENTS:

1 pack Firm Tofu

3 tablespoon Vegetable Oil

SAUCE:

 3 tablespoon Soy Sauce

2 tablespoons Water

2 tablespoons Sesame Oil

2 teaspoons Sugar

2 teaspoons Korean Red Chilli Flakes

1 tablespoon Sesame Seeds, toasted

1 Garlic Cloves, minced

2 stalks Green Onion, finely sliced

DIRECTION:

1. Tofu cut into equal size pieces.  Pat dry with paper towel.

2. Heat up vegetable oil in a non-stick pan.  Carefully add the tofu pieces.  Fry them over medium heat until they are golden; about 3-4 minutes.  Flip the tofu pieces to the other side and fry for another 3-4 minutes.  Transfer them to a serving plate.

3. In a small bowl, mix all the sauce ingredients together.  Spoon it evenly over the tofu before serving.