Roasted Butternut Squash Soup ｜ 烤葫蘆南瓜湯

Compare to the non-roasted version, roasted butternut squash instead brings a tremendous different in the flavour.  The caramelized squash enhances the natural sweetness and roasty taste in the soup.

This classic soup is so easy to make and many people are properly eat it throughout fall and winter.  

To fasten the roasting process, I diced the butternut squash and roast it with other ingredients until they are caramelized.  In this way, all ingredients will be ready at the same time and simplify the cooking process.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

烤葫蘆南瓜湯

Ingredients:

1 Butternut Squash

1 Onion

1 cup Carrot

2 sprigs, Sage

1 canned Chicken Soup

2 cups Water

1/4 cup Heavy Cream, plus more to serve

Olive Oil

Salt

How to make it:

1. Rinse the butternut squash; dry it.

2. Half the squash lengthwise.  Scoop out and discard the seeds.

3. Cut off and discard the skin.

4. Dice the squash; set it in a mixing bowl.

5. Skin the onion; cut the onion into 2 cm slices.  Add it to the mixing bowl.

6. Dice the carrot.

7. Slice the sage.

8. In the mixing bowl, combine the carrot, squash, onion, sage.  Drizzle olive oil and mix it until the ingredients are evenly coated.

9. Add the mixture on a roasting pan.  Roast it in the pre-heated at 420F for about 20 minutes or until it is caramelized.  Remove it from the oven.

10. Add the mixture in a pot.  Pour in chicken stock and 2 cups of water.

11. Blend the soup until smooth and make sure no chunks of vegetables left.

12. Heat up the soup over high heat; stirring constantly.

13. Add heavy cream.

14.  Continuously cook until the soup heat through.  Serve immediately.

15.  Add some more cream when serve if desire.

Soba Noodles with Ginger and Green Onion Oil

 

Ingredients:

1 bundle Soba Noodles

5 Green Onion, thinly sliced

3 tablespoons Ginger, finely chopped

4 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped

4 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

Direction:

1. To make the oil, combine ginger, garlic, green onion, and salt in a large bowl. Heat up the oil over medium-high until it reaches the cooking point. Immediately pour it over the oil.

2. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add soba noodles. Boil over high heat until they are soften. Drain well. Mix the noodles with the oil.

Spicy Green Mango

Ingredients:

1 Mango

1 teaspoon Red Chili Powder

1 tablespoon Sugar

1 teaspoon Water

Direction:

1. Peel and pit the mango; cut the flesh into chunks.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients; mix well. Serve immediately.

Simple Garlicky Okra

Ingredient:

20 Okras

1 head Garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup Soy Sauce

4 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

Direction:

1. Bring a boil of water to a boil. Add okras; boil them over high heat for 5 minutes. Drain. Place them on a serving plate.

2. Drizzle the soy sauce over the okras. Top them with chopped garlic.

3. In a fry pot, heat up the vegetable oil until it reaches the smoking point. Pour it slowly over the garlic. It’s ready to serve.

Summer Avocado Corn Salad

Avocado Corn Salad

INGREDIENTS:

3 Avocados, pitted and cubed

3 Corn

1/2 cup Cherry Tomatoes, halved

1/4 Red Onion, sliced

1/3 cup Parsley, finely chopped

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

1 Lime, juiced

Salt and Pepper to taste

DIRECTION:

1. Remove the kernels from the corn. Boil a pot of water. Boil the corn until cooked. Run the corn under cold water to cool off. Drain.

2. In a large mixing bowl, add all ingredients. Gently mix to combine.

Pan-fried Eggplant with Soy

Ingredients:

2 Eggplants, halved lengthwise

3 tablespoons Soy Sauce

1.5 tablespoons Sugar

3 tablespoons Ginger, grated

2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

Sesame Seed for garnish (optional)

Direction:

1. In a small bowl, whisk together all ingredients except the vegetable oil and eggplants.

2. Add oil in a non stick pan. Place the eggplants in the pan with skin side up.  Turn on the heat to medium. Fry them for about 5 minutes.

3. Pour the sauce over the eggplant. Continue to fry until the sauce is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top if using. Enjoy.

Summer Marinated Tomato

Ingredients:

2 large Tomatoes, ripen

1/4 cup Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped

1/3 cup Basil, thinly sliced

2 Garlic Cloves, minced

4 tablespoons Olive Oil

2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar

Salt and Pepper to taste

Direction:

1. In a large container, combine all ingredients. Close the lid. Shake it victoriously for about 15 seconds. It’s ready.

Easy Balsamic Glazed Mushroom and Rice

Ingredients:

4 cups Button Mushrooms

1/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar

3 tablespoons Water

2 tablespoons Brown Sugar

1/3 teaspoon Salt

Direction:

1. In a large pot, combine all the ingredients. Bring it to a boil over high heat. Continue to boil until the sauce thicken. Perfect to serve it with steamed rice.

Keto Chinese Stir-fried Mushroom and Tofu

INGREDIENTS:

20 Button Mushrooms

1 block Pressed Tofu

1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar

2 tablespoons Soy Sauce

1 tablespoon Chinese Cooking Rice Wine

4 tablespoons Coconut Oil

DIRECTION:

1. Cut mushrooms into slices. Cut press tofu into thin slices. 

2. Heat up coconut oil over high heat. Add tofu and mushroom. Fry for a minute. Drizzle cooking wine, soy sauce and cider vinegar.  Stir well. Turn off the heat. Serve immediately. 

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.

Three Steps Vegan Pulled Pork

INGREDIENTS:

4 King Mushrooms

1/2 teaspoon Smoked Paprika

3 tablespoons Barbecue Sauce of your choice

1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil

DIRECTION:

1. Shred the mushrooms with a folk.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients.

3. Pour the mixture evenly on a roasting pan. Roast it at 220F for 20 minutes.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Scrambled egg with Tomato on Tofu 蕃茄炒蛋配豆腐

For sure we limit our grocery shopping to the minimum during the pandemic. Now we will only go once a week. In the first week, we usually eat like a king because the food is newly stocked up. However, the food becomes scarce and cooking becomes tricky when it comes to the second week. This week is just the week that we have only two tomatoes, a few eggs, and a block of tofu left in the fridge. Along with a can of spam, I cooked this dish to add some extra nutrient to our diet. It is super easy to make and I hope you will enjoy this recipe. 

INGREDIENTS:

4 Eggs

2 Tomatoes

1 Block Tofu

3 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

1/3 teaspoon Salt

1 tablespoon Sugar

12 teaspoon Cornstarch

DIRECTION:

1. Drain the tofu; cut it into small blocks. Reheat them in the microwave and then place them on the serving plate. Set aside.

2. Cut the tomatoes into wedges; whisk the eggs.

3. Heat up oil over high heat. Add egg. Fry until it is coagulated.

4. Add tomatoes, salt, and sugar. Continue to stir fry until the tomatoes are heated up.

5. Mix a little water with the cornstarch. Stir it into the tomato mixture. Cook a bit more until the sauce is thicken. Turn off the heat.

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.

Marinated Spinach Stems 涼拌菠菜頭

It is a recipe using the unwanted part of the vegetables, limiting the food waste. A lot of people don't know that spinach heads are just like the leaves. They are flavourful and nutritious. By marinating them with a little soy sauce, they become a presentable side dish again.

INGREDIENTS:

Spinach Heads (using the food waste from the Chinese Spinach)

1 tablespoon Soy Sauce

1 teaspoon Sesame Oil

1 teaspoon Mirin

a pinch of Sesame Seeds

DIRECTION:

1. Bring a small pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add spinach heads. Boil for about 1 minutes; Drain the water. Immediately run the cold water over the spinach heads to stop the cooking. Drain again.

2. In a small bowl, mix together the rest of the ingredients. Add spinach heads. Mix again and it is ready. Serve it with steamed rice.