Korean Steamed Eggplant

INGREDIENTS:

2 Eggplants

SAUCE:

4 Garlic Cloves, minced

2 tablespoons Fish Sauce

3 tablespoons Soy Sauce

2 teaspoons Sesame Oil

1 teaspoon Sesame Seeds

1 teaspoon Chilli Flakes

DIRECTION:

1. Pre-heat the steamer over high heat. Steam eggplants until they are softened, about 10 minutes. Allow them to cool off.

2. In a mixing bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients.

3. When the eggplants are cool enough to handle, peel them into thick slices. Gently mix them with the sauce with hand. Serve immediately.

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。

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. 

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.

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.

Bocconcini, Basil, and Tomato Salad | 水牛芝士九層塔蕃茄沙律

An impressive and super easy salad to prepare.  The freshly chopped basil and tomato perfectly marinade to each other, bringing the classic summer salad flavour.  With the bouncy bocconcini, it is just the cheer in the cold month.

INGREDIENTS:

2/3 cups Bocconcini

1 cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved

10-15 Black Olives (Kalamata and Nicoise)

10 pcs Basil Leaves, roughly chopped

1/4 cup Flat Leaf Parsley, leaves only, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon White Vinegar

5 tablespoons tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
pinch of Salt

材料：
2/3 杯  水牛芝士
1 杯  車厘茄，切半
10-15 粒 黑橄欖
10-15 片  九層塔葉，切碎
1/4 杯  香芹，葉部份，切碎
1 茶匙  白醋
5 湯匙  初搾橄欖油
少撮  鹽

METHODS:
1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients.  Toss to combine.  Chill for 15-20 minutes before serving, if desired.

做法：
1. 在一只大碗內加入所有材料；拌勻。可雪15-20分鐘再食用。

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.

Lentil rice

A few months ago, my family has started to reduce the meat consumption.  So I've tried to add various types of pulses in our diet to make up the protein.  Lentils are by far our most favourite other than chickpea.  I add them in salad, soup, and rice.  This recipe is rather simple.  You just need to make a batch of lentils and a batch of rice, and then combine the two.  For the lentils, we like Puy lentils since they hold their shapes better and they give a firmer bit.  Otherwise, green lentils are also a good option in this recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups Basmati Brown Rice

 6 cups cups Water

1 cup Green Lentils

Salt to taste

DIRECTION:

1. Rinse lentils until running water drain.  In a pot, combine lentils and two cups of water together; add 1/4 teaspoon of salt.  Cover it with the lid.  Bring it to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to a simmer.  Let it cook for 15 minutes and the liquid is absorbed.  Remove the pot from the heat; set it aside.

2. Rinse brown rice under running water twice; drain well.  In another pot, add the rice and 4 cups of water.  Add a pinch of salt.  Bring the pot to a boil over high heat.  When the liquid reduces in half, cover the lid.  Turn the heat too low.  Continue to cook for 25 minutes until the rice is fluffy and the liquid is totally absorbed.

3. To serve, combine the lentils and brown rice. 

Scrambled Egg with Green Onion 香蔥炒蛋

Another budget friendly recipe that is perfect during pandemic. Because now we will only do grocery  biweekly, we need to think wisely about what type of vegetables we purchase, of which have a longer shelf life. Napa, broccoli, carrot, kale are on the list. For sure, green onion is also one of them. With you wrap the green onion with a damped paper towel, it can stay green and fresh for more than a week in the fridge. I use the green onion to make scrambled eggs, adding a little fibre and green to the diet.

INGREDIENTS:

5 stalk Green Onion

8 Eggs

1/3 teaspoon Salt

1/3 teaspoon Sugar

1/3 teaspoon White Ground Pepper

3 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

DIRECTION:

1. Whisk the eggs together; cut the green onion into rounds.

2. Heat up vegetable oil over high heat. Add green onion and fry it for 30 seconds.

3. Add the egg. Scramble until the egg coagulates. Turn off the heat. Serve it with steamed rice or sandwich bread. Or just as it is.

Chinese Marinated Spinach 中式涼拌菠菜

Spinach is inexpensive and nutritious so I cook it quite often. This recipe is one of them. It makes a wonderful side dish in summer time, accompanying a bowl of steamed rice. The seasoning below is just a guideline; adjust it if needed.

INGREDIENST:

A bundle of Spinach

4 tablespoons Soy Sauce

2 tablespoons Mirin

2 tablespoons Sesame Oil

1 teaspoon Sesame Seeds

DIRECTION:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add Spinach in a few batches. Boil until the spinach just wilted; about 1 minute. Submerge the spinach in the cold water to stop the cooking process.

2. Squeeze out the excess water from the spinach in a few batches. Place it in a mixing bowl.

3. Add the remaining ingredients. With hand, Mix until the spinach is coated with the sauce. It is ready. Serve it with steamed rice.

Spicy Marinated Egg

These marinated eggs make a very comfort breakfast or late snacks for me. One or two eggs are enough to finish a large bowl of rice. That’s why they also have a name, called ‘rice thief’. I think it’s so true. I usually make 7-8 at a time so that they can last for a week (I keep them in the fridge).

When you serve, make sure you serve with some of the soy sauce and onion, and drizzle some good quality of sesame oil over the rice. Yum! I hope you enjoy this recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

8 Eggs

1 Onion

5 tablespoons Red Chili Flakes

1 tablespoon Chili Powder

1 cup Light Soy Sauce

1/4 cup Sugar

Sesame Oil (to serve)

DIRECTION:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add eggs; boil them for 6 minutes. Drain the water. Submerge the eggs in cold water until they are completely cool off. Carefully shell the eggs.

2. Peel the onion. Then, cut it into dices.

3. In a large zip lock bag, add the onion and the rest of the ingredients. Rub it until it is mixed evenly. Add the eggs. Zip the back. Refrigerate the eggs at least 12 hours before using them. Enjoy them with a bowl of steamed rice.

Stir fried Lettuce Stem 快炒萵筍

Lettuce stem is crunchy and sweet. It taste wonderfully when it is stir fried. Since it has a mild flavour, I like to spice it up with star anise, bay leaves and chilli.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Lettuce Stems

1 Red Chili, cut into round

4 Star Anises

3 Bay Leaves

6 Ginger Slices

1 tablespoon Chinese Shaoxing Wine

4 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1/4 teaspoon Sugar

DIRECTION:

1. Peel off the hard skin of lettuce stems; cut the lettuce stems into sticks.

2. Heat up vegetable oil over high heat. Add star anises, bay leaves, ginger, and red chilli. Fry until fragrant; about 2 minutes.

3. Add lettuce stems. Stir fry it until it is slightly soften; about 5 minutes.

4. Drizzle it with cooking wine. Add sugar and salt. Stir fry for another 5 minutes and it is ready.

Potato Pancake 簡易薯仔薄餅

This pancake is little crispy outside and soft and chewy in the inside. We serve it as side dish at home along with steamed rice.

INGREDIENTS:

2 Potatoes (any kind)

1/2 Onion

2 Green Onion, cut into small pieces (optional)

1/4 cup Sweet Potato Starch (Tapioca starch)

1/2 teaspoon Salt

Vegetable Oil (for frying)

DIPPING SAUCE:

3 tablespoons Chinese Black Vinegar

2 tablespoons Soy Sauce

2 tablespoons Mirin

2 tablespoons Water

DIRECTION:

1. Grate the potatoes.

2. Grate the onion.

3. Add sweet potato starch and salt.

4. Add green onion, if using.

5. Mix well.

6. Heat up two tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the potato batter. Fry until crispy; about 3 minutes.

7. Flip the pancakes over, and fry the other side for another 3 minutes or until crispy.

8. Transfer the pancake to the serving plate.

9. To make the dipping sauce, combine all the ingredients for the dipping sauce. Serve it with the pancake.

Pickled Daikon Side Dish 醃辣蘿蔔

INGREDIENTS：

1 Daikon

1 tablespoon White Sesame Seeds

1 tablespoon Chili Powder

3 tablespoons Soy Sauce

3 tablespoons White Vinegar

2 tablespoons Sugar

2 tablespoons Sesame Oil

Salt

DIRECTION:

1. Scrub clean the diakon. Cut it into cubes. Place them into a bowl.

2. Add about 2 tablespoons of salt. Rub to combine it. Leave it for about an hour. You will see there has a lot of water releases. Drain the water.

3. Wrap the diakon and store in the fridge over night. Drain the released water again. Repeat the process for another two days.

4. On the forth days, rinse the diakon; drain well. Add the rest of the ingredients in the bowl; mix well. and it is ready. Serve it with steamed rice.

Soybean Sprout Side Dish 涼拌荳芽

Soybean sprouts is a budget meal I often serve at the end of the month. A large full bag is just less than two dollars. But it is nutritious and easy to cook. I usually marinate a big batch of beansprouts and keep them in the fridge for several days. It actually tastes better the next day!

If you like spicy, add some chilli powder into the dish to give it some kick.

INGREDIENTS:

1 lbs Soybean Sprouts

1 tablespoon Roasted Sesame Seeds

2 tablespoons Sesame Oil

2 tablespoons Soy Sauce

1 teaspoon Fish Sauce

1 Garlic Cloves, minced

DIRECTION:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add bean sprouts. Blanch them for one minutes. Drain and quickly rinse them under cool water. Drain again.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients, including the bean sprouts. With hands, mix until the bean sprouts can coated with the seasoning. It is ready.

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 Chayote with Spices 青炒香料合掌瓜

Growing up in Hong Kong, the spices I most often use in stir-frying are garlic and ginger, if you count them as spices. But of course I know in some provinces in China, the use of star anise and bay leaves are equally common. Last week, I came across a Chinese cooking video, in which the lady was cooking lettuce stems with spices and chopped chilli. It was absolutely mouthwatering.  However, I am the only person who like spicy food at home so chill is a 'no, no" in my cooking.

For this recipe, I highly encourage you to sprinkle a handful of chopped chilli when stir-frying. The heat can certainly bring extra depth of the flavour of the chayotes.

The look of chayotes

INGREDIENTS:

3 Chayotes

2 Carrots, peeled

2 Bay Leaves

1 tablespoon Gloves Cloves

2-3 pieces Ginger

3 Star Anises

1 teaspoon Sugar

2 tablespoons Chinese Cooking Rice Wine

4 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

1/2 teaspoon Salt

DIRECTION:

1. Combined all the spices together; set aside.

2. Cut chayotes into about 1/2 cm pieces; cut the carrot in the same manner.

3. Heat up vegetable oil along with the spices over medium heat.

4. When the spices are fragrant, add chayotes and carrots. Stir fry for about 5 minutes.

5. Drizzle in the rice wine and allow it to evaporate. Add sugar and salt. Continue to stir fry until the chayotes are slightly soften, about 10 minutes. Transfer them to a serving plate.

Korean Raw Beef

INGREDIENTS:

8 ounces Beef Tenderloin

1 Asian Pear

1 tablespoon Sugar

MARINADE:

6 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 Green Onion, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons Soy Sauce

1 tablespoon Honey

2 tablespoons Sesame Oil

1 tablespoon Sesame Seeds, toasted

1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper, freshly ground

small handful of Pine Nuts

DIRECTION:

1. Mix the sugar with the water until the sugar is dissolved.

2. Peel the asian pear. Then cut it into sticks. Submerge the sticks into the sugary water; set aside.

2. Cut the beef into about 1/2 cm slices. Put them in a large mixing bowl.

3. Add the rest of the seasoning ingredients.

4. Mix well. Let it marinate it for 5 minutes.

5. Drain the pear sticks and set them in a serving bowl. Top them with the marinated beef. Serve immediately. It is great to serve it with steamed rice.

Strawberry Spinach Salad

INGREDIENTS:

1 dozen Strawberries, steamed removed

4 cups Baby Spinach

DRESSING:

1/4 cup Olive Oil

3 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

1 tablespoon Sugar

pinch of Black Pepper

pinch of Salt

DIRECTION:

1. In a mixing bowl, add dressing ingredients and whisk to combine.

2. Add baby spinach.  Cut strawberries and add them to the spinach.  Gently toss the salad until the leaves and fruit are well coated with the dressing.  Serve immediately.