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.

Tomato, Potato and Beef Bone Soup | 蕃茄薯仔牛骨湯

Tomato, Potato and Beef Bone Soup

蕃茄薯仔牛骨湯

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 pcs Beef Bones, rinsed

6 Tomatoes

4 Potatoes

2 inch Ginger, sliced

7 cups  Water

1 teaspoon Sugar (optional)

Salt to taste

材料：

3-4 件  牛骨，沖淨

6 個  蕃茄

4 個  薯仔

2 吋  薑，切片

7 杯  水

1 茶匙  糖

鹽  調味

DIRECTION 做法:

1. In a pot, add 7 cups of water, ginger, and beef bones.

1. 在一只湯鍋內，下7杯水、薑片、和牛骨。

2. Bring it to a boil.  Then, continue to boil for another 35 minutes over medium-high heat.

2. 水燒滾，然後用中大火繼續煮35分鐘。

3. Skim off the oil and foam on the surface every now and then.

3. 撇去浮起的油和泡。

4. Cut the tomatoes and potatoes into big chucks.

4. 薯仔蕃茄切大件。

5. Add potatoes and tomatoes into the bone broth.

5. 下薯仔蕃茄到牛骨湯。

6. Bring it back to a boil, and then continue to boil for another 20 minutes or until the potatoes soften.

6. 把湯再燒滾。繼續煮20分鐘或直至薯仔軟身。

7. Season it with salt to taste.

7. 下鹽調味。

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.

Papaya, Peanut and Chicken Feet Soup | 木瓜花生雞腳湯

INGREDIENTS:

1 Papaya

1/2 cup Raw Peanuts,  with skin on

20 Chicken Feet

Water

Salt to taste

材料：

1 個  木瓜

1/2 杯  生花生，連衣

20隻  雞腳

水

鹽  調味

DIRECTION:

1. Rinse the chicken feet and cut off the shape crawls.

2. Peel the papaya.  Cut it in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon.  Cut the papaya into big pieces.

3. Rinse the peanuts.

4. In a big pot, add chicken feet and peanuts.  Add water that double the volume of the ingredients.  Bring it to a boil, and then reduce the the heat to medium-high.  With the lid on, continuously cook it for about 35 minutes.

5. Add papaya.  Cook the soup for another 20 minutes.  Season the soup to taste.

做法：

1. 洗淨雞腳；把腳尖去除。

2. 木瓜刨皮。用小匙刮去籽，用刀把果肉切成大塊。

3. 花生洗淨。

4. 把雞腳和花生置於一大鍋；加水。水應是湯料的雙倍份量。把水和湯料煮滾，然後把火調低至中大火。蓋上煲蓋，繼續煮飯35分鐘。

5. 加入木瓜。再把湯煮好分鐘。最後放鹽調味。

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.

Guinness Beef Stew 黑啤燉牛肉

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 kg Beef Brisket (or any cut of your favourite)

4 cups Potatoes, chunked

4 Carrot, chunked

2 Onions, chunked

1 head Garlic, minced

1/3 cup Flour

1.5 Beef Stock

2 cans Guinness

1/4 cup Tomato Paste

2-3 Bay Leaves

1/2 teaspoons Dried Thyme

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil (for frying)

Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTION:

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:

Lemony Chicken Soup ｜檸檬雞肉湯

My son said he wanted to be in the photo with this beautiful looking soup that's made for him. So sweet.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Chicken, whole, skin off

2 Carrots, peeled and cut into chunks

1 Onion, cut into chunks

1 Leeks, cut into big pieces, both white and green parts

8 cups Water

1/2 cup Brown Rice, rinsed

4 Eggs

1/2 Lemon of juice and zest, small

1 bunch Dill, fresh

1 tablespoon of Sugar (to balance the sour)

Salt to taste

small pinch of sugar (optional)

DIRECTION:

1. In a big pot, add water, chicken, carrot, onion, leek, two twigs of dill.  Bring it to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to medium; continue to boil for another hour without covering.

2. Remove all the ingredients from the pot; drain well.

3. Scoop out a cup of chicken soup from the pot and allow it to cool.

4. Meanwhile, add the brown rice to the pot.  Continue to cook over medium heat until the chicken stock reduces in half.

5. Shred the chicken; set aside.

6. In a small bowl, zest and squeeze the lemon; set aside.

7. Then whisk the eggs into the lemon juice.

8. Add a spoonful of egg mixture to the reserved chicken stock one at a time; mix well. The stock should be cool at this point; otherwise the egg will be cooked and the soup will not be milky looking.

9. Slowly add the reserved chicken pot back to the boiling chicken stock.

10. Add the shredded chicken and vegetables back to the pot and stir until heated through.  Season it with salt and sugar.  Remove the soup from the heat.  Add more dill before serving it if desired.

Green Bean Tofu Mix

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups Green Beans, cut in half

1 block Firm Tofu, crumbled

1 tablespoon Mirin Syrup

1/2 teaspoon Curry Powder

Salt to season

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

DIRECTION:

1. Heat up vegetable oil over high heat.  Add tofu.  Stir fry until they are fairly dry; about 10 minutes.

2. Add green bean and curry powder; continue to stir fry for another 10 minutes.  Season with salt to taste.  Remove it from the heat.  Serve immediately.

Braised Beef Brisket with Daikon | 蘿蔔炆牛腩

INGREDIENTS:

2 lbs Beef Brisket, rinsed, pat dried

1 Chinese Daikon, large, peeled and cut into 2 inch chunks

1.5 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

10 gram Ginger, sliced

1 cup Shaoxing Cooking Wine

4 tablespoons Light Soy Sauce

4 Star Anise

1/2 teaspoon Clove Powder

2 tablespoons Sugar

5 cups Water

材料：

2 磅牛腩，沖水，抹乾手份

1 條 白蘿蔔，去皮，切成2吋塊

1.5 湯匙  菜油

10 克  薑，切片

1 杯  紹興酒

4 湯匙  豉油

4 粒  八角

1/2 茶匙  丁香粉

2 湯匙  糖

5 杯 水

METHODS:

1. Cut the beef into 1 inch chunks.  In a non-stick pan, heat up vegetable oil over high heat.  Add beef and lightly brown all sides.  Transfer the beef in the braising pot.

1. 牛腩切成1吋粒。菜油在易潔鍋內用大火加熱。下牛腩；煎至四面變色；上碟。

2. In the braising pot, also add the remaining ingredients except the daikon; stir well.  Bring it to a boil and then reduce the heat to low.  Cook for about 1.5 hours, stirring it occasionally to prevent from sticking and burning.  Skim off the grease every now and then.

2. 把牛腩粒倒入深鍋內，加入剩餘材料 (除卻蘿蔔)。用大火把牛腩粒燒熱，再轉小火。煮約1.5小時，期間不時翻動以防黏鍋。瀘去浮面脂肪。

3. When the liquid reduces to half, add the daikon, plus another 1.5 cups of water.  Continue to simmer it for another 40 minutes, or until the daikon becomes soft.  It is ready.

3. 當汁蒸發掉一半，加入蘿蔔和1.5杯水。繼續炆約40分鐘或至軟身。

The source on the bottom is excellent for noodle soup or on steamed rice.

剩下的牛腩可用作拌麵和白飯。