Black Bean, Lotus Root and Chicken Feet Soup

INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup Black Beans

20 Chicken Feet

1 Lotus Root

Salt

DIRECTION:

1. Soak the black beans for an hour prior to cooking; discard the soaking water.

2. Remove the tips of each chicken feet (it is optional).

3. Peel the lotus root and cut it into chunks. Rinse well.

4. In a soup pot, add all ingredients except salt.  Fill the pot with water that is enough to cover the ingredients.

5. Bring it to a boil over high heat.  Then, continue to boil over medium heat for another 1.5 hours.  Add more water in the middle of cooking when it is needed.  Season the soup with salt to taste.

Iceberg Wedge Salad

INGREDIENTS: (2 servings)

1/2 Iceberg

1 Tomato, deseeded and cut into small chunks

1/4 Red Onion, roughly chopped

4 pcs Bacons (I used maple flavoured bacon to add extra profile)

DRESSING:

2 tablespoons Mayonnaise, full fat

1/4 cup Milk

1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Garlic Clove, minced

DIRECTION:

1. Lay the bacon on a non-stick pan without overlapping them.  Fry them over low heat until they are crispy; turn the bacon over half way through.  Cut the crispy bacon into bite sized pieces.

2. In a small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients. Whisk until it is smooth.

3. Cut the iceberg lettuce into wedges.  Add onion and tomato on top.  Drizzle dressing over it and sprinkle the bacon on top of the lettuce before serving.

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:

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.

Watercress, Green Carrot, and Red Carrot Bone Soup

Green carrot is a common root vegetable that can be found in Asian supermarkets.  It is green in colour (needless to say) and it isn't sweet like the orange carrot we eat often.  But in Hong Kong, people often use it to make pork bone soup, particularly to make it with orange carrots and watercress.

I love this soup and I was always excited when my mom made it.  The aroma of the almond seeds in it fills the air during cooking, and the steam from the pot rises and often fogs all the windows.  It is the soup we eat commonly in winter, and this soup reminds me the cozy winter time with my family.

INGREDIENTS:

1 Green Carrot, peeled and cut into big pieces

4 Carrots, peeled and cut into big pieces

2 bundles Watercress, rinsed

2 tablespoons Almond Seeds

2 tablespoons Dried Apricot Kernels

6 pieces Pork Bones, rinsed

3  Chinese Honey Dates

Salt to taste

DIRECTION:

1. In a soup pot, add all the ingredients except the salt.  Fill the pot with water until the ingredients are totally submerged.

2. Bring it to a boil over high heat.  Then reduce the heat to medium and put the lid on.  Continue to boil it for another 1.5 hours.  Season it with salt to taste.

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.

Stir fried Chrysanthemums Leave with Garlic

INGREDIENTS:

2 bundles Chrysanthemum Leaves

6 Garlic Cloves, peeled and smashed

1 tablespoon Chinese Cooking Rice Wine

1/2 teaspoon Sugar

3 tablespoons Vegetable Oil

1/2 teaspoon Salt

DIRECTION:

1. In a large pan, heat up oil over high heat.  Add garlic cloves and fry until they are fragrant.

2. Add chrysanthemums; stir fry until the leaves start to wilt.  Add cooking wine and sugar.  Continue to cook for another minute.  Quickly transfer the chrysanthemums to the serving plate.