Sesame Oil Grilled Aubergine

Ingredients: (serves 3-4)
500g Aubergine (pick those small and long ones)
4 tbsp Sesame Oil
25g Bean curd Skin (Fu Chok, rinsed pre-use)
1 bunch Coriander (finely chopped)
5 cloves Garlic (diced)
2 tbsp Sugar
1 tbsp Salt
1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Sweet Chili
1 tbsp Black Pepper Powder
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil

Method:
1. Wash the aubergines thoroughly, half them lengthwise. On a plate, mix 3 tbsp sesame oil with 1 tbsp sugar and salt. Coat halved aubergines thoroughly with sesame oil. Put to grill for about 30-40 minutes.
2. Slice the bean curd skin finely. Heat the vegetable oil in saucepan, lightly fry the diced garlic until golden brown, remove garlic. Throw in sliced bean curd skin, stir-fry for 2 minutes before adding dark and light soy sauce, sweet chili, sugar and black pepper powder. Continue to stir-fry for another 2 minutes. Add some water if necessary.
3. Add the remaining sesame oil into the saucepan before turning off heat, mix well.
4. Remove aubergine from grill, top with bean curd skin sauce, chopped coriander and fried garlic earlier. Done. Serve hot or cold.

Sweet Vinegar Ribs

This is quite a effort taxing dish to make, but I think the outcome is really worth the effort. For those who like sweet and sour food, this is definitely a must try!


Ingredients: (serves 3-4)
1kg Chinese Spare Ribs
9 tbsp Dark Vinegar
5 tbsp Brown Sugar
3 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
2 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Black Sesame (lightly toasted)
1 tbsp White Sesame (lightly toasted)
1 to 2 tbsp Corn Flour
2-4 tbsp Water
Water
1 egg
Oil for frying
3 cloves Garlic (finely chopped)
3 slice Ginger (finely chopped)

Marinate:
3 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Five Spice Powder
2 tbsp Chinese Shao Xing Cooking Wine
1 tbsp Sea Salt.

Method:
1. Chop the spare ribs into preferred sizes. Marinate with mentioned ingredients for at least 1 hour.
2. Heat oil in a wok, dissolve 2 tbsp corn flour with 4 tbsp water (can add more as long as the proportion is 1:2, make sure the batter is not too thick) and 1 egg. Coat ribs in batter and deep fry until they turn golden brown. Leave on kitchen towel to soak excess oil.
3. Dip all the ribs into hot oil again after all ribs are fried once, this is to release excess oil trapped in the ribs. remove from oil and leave aside.
4. Meanwhile, heat 3 tbsp of oil in a wok, stir in chopped ginger and garlic and fry until fragrant. Throw in the fried spare ribs and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
5. Add into the wok 6 tbsp dark vinegar, 3 tbsp brown sugar, dark and light soy sauce, mix all ingredients well, add water to cover ribs and cover with lid, braise over medium heat for about 30 minutes or until the water has reduced to less than 1/4 of the initial water level.
6. Remove lid, stir the ingredients a thoroughly, add in the remaining brown sugar and vinegar, mix well, add one small bowl of water, cover with lid and braise over high heat until the ingredients start to boil.
7. Remove lid, give the ingredients a good stir, turn off heat, done. Sprinkle with toasted black and white sesame before serving.

Cold Mixed Kuay Teow

Ingredients: (serves 1)
50g Dried Kuay Teow (can opt for fresh ones)
10 g Skinned Peanuts (coarsely chopped and lightly toasted) 3 pc Small Thai Chili (seeded and finely chopped)
2 slices Ginger (finely chopped)
2 cloves Garlic (finely chopped)
3 tbsp Sesame Oil
2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Black Pepper Powder
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Salt
1 small Cucumber (finely chopped or grated, leave in ice cold water) Toasted Black and White Sesame to garnish













Method:
1. If using dried Kuay Teow, boil in hot water until turns white and tender, drain water, soak in ice cold water and leave in fridge.
2. Lightly toast ginger slices in hot pat, add 2 tbsp sesame oil, stir in chopped Thai chili and stir fry for another 2 minutes.
3. Add light and dark soy sauce, sugar, salt and pepper, stir over low heat until everything is well dissolved. Turn off heat.
4. Drain water from Kuay Teow, mix with sauce evenly, add in toasted peanuts, followed by last splash of sesame oil. Top with chilled cucumber. Done, sprinkle with black and white sesame before serving.

Chinese Sausage Salad

This is another very simple dish for those who do not like to spend much time on cooking. I particularly recommend this dish to those Chinese Sausage fans, the correct taste should have a mild scent of chinese sausage's sweetness in every bite, hope everyone likes it. Enjoy!





Ingredients: (serves 2-3)
2 pc Chinese Sausage (sliced thinly diagonally accross)
1 pc Cucumber (skinned, diced and keep in iced water)
2 pc Fresh Tofu (diced)
1 tsp White Sesame
1 tsp Black Sesame
1 tbsp Lemon/ Lime Juice

Method:
1. In a sasucepan or a small pot, lightly toast the black and white sesame until fragrant. Put aside.
2. Similarly, toast the sliced sausages without adding any oil or ingredients. The sausages will turn brown and release its oil. Retain this oil at the end of toasting process.
3. Lightly fry the diced tofu with the oil from the Chinese Sausage earlier until they turn brownish.
4. Mix all ingredients together, pour the last bit of oil from the Chinese Sausage onto the mixture. Give the dish a splash of lemon juice and sweet chili, sprinkle with toasted sesame. Done. Serve hot or cold.

Steamed Tofu and Mushroom with Fermented Tofu Sauce

Ingredients: (serves 4)
450g Fresh Tofu (about 5 pieces, sliced lengthwise)
40g Chinese Black Shitake Mushroom (get those with long stems/legs, pre-soaked with 2 pc lump sugar for at least 3 hours)
25g Skinned Peanuts (diced and toasted pre-use)
1 pc Fermented Tofu
2 cloves Garlic (finely chopped)
2 slices Ginger (finely chopped)
2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
2 tbsp Brow Sugar
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil

Method:

1. Cut the stems of the mushrooms and keep for use, do not throw them away; slice the mushrooms horizontally to get 2 or 3 slices from each mushroom. Arrange tofu slices and mushroom on a plate. (preferably, mix the tofu and mushroom slices with some extra salt and sugar before arranging on plate.)

2. Steam the tofu and mushroom for 20-25 minutes over high heat.

3. Meanwhile, brown the mushroom stems with 1 tbsp brown sugar in a small sauce pan. Add garlic, ginger and vegetable oil and stir-fry until fragrant.

4. Mix fermented tofu, light soy sauce and sugar in a bowl with some water, add in the sauce pan, simmer over low to medium heat to bring to boil. Keep stirring for the meantime.

5. Upon boiling, stir in toasted peanuts, turn off heat immediately, mix well and pour on top of steamed tofu and mushroom. Done, serve hot or warm.

Who says Spinach is only for stir-frying?

Some days back when I was buying some vegetables for dinner I overheard this old lady asking a younger miss how to cook those english spinach that the young lady was going to buy. She answered without hesitating: "Stir-fry". I was a bit let down actually as I was hoping that she would recommend something special or new. Later when I went back home, I decided to make this dish and post it, so that anyone who reads this post would know that, hey spinach can be used for other dishes too.

Long story cut short, there are actually a lot ways to use spinach in cooking, especially in western cuisine. But let's not go there, just stick to the Chinese style cooking, what would you do with a bunch of englih spinach in you refrigerator besides the most fundamental stir-frying? Check this out...

Ingredients: (serves 1 to 2)
2 bunches English Spinach (cleaned and seperate stem and leafs)
10g Dried Anchovies (soaked preuse)
50g Diced Pork meat (cut into thin strips)
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
2 slice Ginger (thinly sliced)
2 cloves Garlic (finely chopped)
2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Black Pepper Powder
1 Egg
3 bowls Water

Marinate:
1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1 tbsp Shao Xing Rice Wine
1 tbsp Sesame Oil
1 tsp Sugar
1 tsp Pepper



Method:
1. Marinade the pork slices with the marinate ingredients for at least 15 minutes.
2. Lightly toast anchovies in a small pot, add garlic and ginger, stir until fragrant, add oil to fry. Stir in marinated pork slices and stir fry for about 2 minutes, add the spinach stems, followed by 1 tbsp light soy sauce and stir fry for another 2 minutes.
3. Add water to cover ingredients, cover with lid and ring to boil on low to medium heat.
4. Remove lid upon boiling, add in spinach leafs and the remaining seasonings. Cover with lid and bring to boil again on high heat.
5. Upon boiling, beat the egg with some hot soup and pour back into the pot quickly. Done. Serve hot with rice.

Back Again... FINALLY!!! (Tomato Soup)

It has been really some time since I last posted any new dish, all thanks to my Design! Well, lucky thing is, everything is finally over now, I will be posting more actively this month as other mates drown themselves in mountains of books and texts trying to finish all their syllabus for their exams. ^^ EVIL! Nevertheless, to celebrate the end of my semester, I will first post 6 dishes that I made over this busy period, followed by other new dishes everyday! Hope that everyone enjoys reading and trying out the dishes. =)





Well, let's start with soups, who does not like soups? =)

This is a simple soup to make which I think is especially suitable for those lone cooks, so don't feel bad if you are cooking and dining alone, I have had many similar sessions as well. =)

Ingredients: (serves 1)

2 medium size Tomato (diced)

2 pc Fresh Tofu (diced, or cut into 9 cubes each)

1/2 Spanish Red Onion (diced)

2 tbsp Tomato Paste (use tomato ketchup if you don't have it)

1 tbsp Dried Basil

1 tbsp Salt

1 tbsp Olive Oil

1 tsp Sugar

1 tsp Pepper

2 bowls Water

Method:

1. Brown red on ion in a small pot together with olive oil and sugar, stir in diced tomato and tomato Paste. Add basil and stir fry until fragrant. Add water, cover with lid and bring to boil.

2. Remove lid, add pepper and salt, throw in the diced tofu, cover with lid again and simmer with low heat until boil. Done. Serve hot.