THERMAL COOKER - GINGKO NUT CHICKEN PORRIDGE

Some facts about Gingko Tree - regarded as the symbol of longevity, love, bearer or hope and the immeasurable past.  A sacred tree of the east, commonly planted in temple gardens, near shrines and worshipped like God in Japan and China.

Some facts about Gingko Nut - has many health attributes such as: improves brain function by increasing brain cell ability to make use of glucose, thereby improving brain nerve cell transmission, - a tonic to increase sexual energy and when cooked is said to stabilise sperm production, - used as an astringent for heart and lungs, asthma and for regulating urinary frequency, diarrhoea, skin disease, fever and many ailments [information obtained from my selected cookbook for this month Cookbook Countdown Event#6 - Home Cooking June 2001 issue].

Here is a therapeutic and flavoursome savoury porridge using Gingko nut from the cookbook.  A nutritious porridge for light meal.

Recipe slightly modified.

Ingredients

[serves 3]

150 gm fragrant rice - washed and drained

1/4 tsp oil + 1/2 tsp salt

1-2 sticks dried beancurd [foo chook]

30 gingko nuts - shelled and skinned

1/2 dried squids - washed or 50 gm small scallops [soaked 1 hour before use]

1 chicken whole leg - cut bite size pieces

1.5 - 1.8 litres water

salt, msg and pepper to taste

1. Marinate rice with salt and oil for 20 minutes or more.
2. Soak foo chook until soft and break into smaller pieces.
3. Bring water to boil with rice in the inner pot for 10 minutes or until rice grains are soft.  Add in the remaining ingredients, bring to boil.
4. Add seasoning to taste, cover pot with lid and transfer to outer pot of Thermal cooker, close cover and leave it to cook for 1 hour or so.
5. Serve hot in individual bowls with some chopped spring onions.
6. If using normal pot, combine rice and other ingredients with water.  Bring to boil, then lower heat and let it simmer for 1-2 hours or until rice grains swell with the ends blossomed out.  Texture should be smooth.  Serve hot.

I am sharing this post with Cookbook Countdown hosted by 

Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

HEALTHY CRISPY ANCHOVIES WITH PEANUTS

This is another version of fried crispy anchovies and peanuts [spicy or non-spicy] cooked in a healthy way. The anchovies and peanuts are roasted in the oven instead of deep fried. It can be spicy or non-spicy according to your own preference. It’s easy to prepare and yummy serve with porridge or Nasi Lemak. Click here on Oven Baked Crispy Anchovies

There is another version of this dish [my mum’s recipe]. The ingredients are deep fried and then fried with chilli paste and sugar. Click here to see my mum's version.

Ingredients

100 gm anchovies [ikan bilis] – rinsed and drained

200 gm peanuts – rinsed and drained

1 tbsp oil

2 tsp chilli paste [chilli boh]

Sugar and salt to taste

1. Remove the bones and black part - wash several times till water is clear. Set aside on colander to drain off excess water.
2. Spread anchovies evenly on a baking tray. Spread peanuts evenly on a baking tray.
3. Baked anchovies and peanuts separately in preheated oven at 180 degrees C on middle rack for 10-15 minutes.
4. Halfway through baking, toss and spread anchovies and peanuts evenly to ensure even baking. 
5. Increase oven temperature to 200 degrees C and bake for a further 5-10 minutes or until anchovies are golden brown and crispy.
6. Remove and set aside.
7. Heat oil in a non-stick wok, sauté chilli paste until aromatic. Mix in peanuts and anchovies, sugar and salt to taste. Mix well.
8. Off heat, leave to cool before storing in airtight container or serve immediately.
9. For the non-spicy version, mix crispy anchovies and peanuts with sugar and salt after roasting. Store in airtight container.
   
   

FRIED SHREDDED PORK WITH SWEET PASTE

This is a quick stir fry pork dish so easy to prepare yet it is so delicious with rice or porridge.  If you notice from the recipe, there is no water added to cook the meat yet the meat is so tender [no marinating is needed, too]. It is suitable as an accompaniment dish for Bento meals.   A dish suitable for the young and old.
Stir fried over high heat, the meat cooks fast and so aromatic with the fragrant spring onions. Remember to add as much spring onions as possible to bring out the sweetness of meat.  Simply awesome.

The red sweet sauce which I used is 'tian mian jiang', the kind of sauce use in wet popiah rolls.

Recipe adapted from Yum Yum Magazine No. 67

Ingredients

200 gm pork tenderloin - shredded 
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tbsp chopped garlic
3 stalks spring onions - cut 1 inch lengths
Seasoning
1/2 tbsp fermented soy bean paste [taucheong]
1 tbsp red sweet sauce [tian mian jiang]
1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
dash of sesame seed oil

1. Heat oil in a non-stick wok, saute garlic until aromatic.
2. Add in the shredded meat, stir fry until meat turns pale and the meat will release some juice.  
3. Add in the seasoning and continue to stir fry over high heat until the meat is almost dry.
4. Lastly add in the spring onions, stir to mix well.
5. Dish up to serve immediately. 
   
   
   
   
   

This post is linked to Cook Your Books Event #29 [December 2015] hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

EZCR#39 - STIR FRY PICKLED MUSTARD WITH FRENCH BEANS

Can you imagine how these two vegetables [kiam chye and French beans] blend in a stir fried dish? It is surprisingly good that I have cooked it several times to convince myself that this dish is good before I share it here. 

It is perfect to go with rice or porridge. Do give this a try especially when you have little bits of these ingredients left in your fridge and didn’t know how to get rid of them. You will love it if you like to have some simple yet tasty Chinese food. 

Simple dishes like this is worth giving it a try.  

The vegetables are cooked until just crunchy and tasted sweet, savoury and sourish. Cooked with the lightly marinated minced meat, not much seasoning is needed.

Ingredients

100 gm minced meat marinated with some light soy sauce, pepper, wine and sesame oil

150 gm pickled mustard leaves – soaked for 10 minutes and thinly sliced or coarsely chopped

150 gm French beans – cut small pieces

1 red chilli – seeded and cut strips

1 tbsp chopped ginger and garlic

Some spring onions

Seasoning

1 tbsp wine

1 tsp sugar

Dash of pepper and sesame seed oil

1. Heat wok with ½ tbsp oil, fry minced meat and fry until cooked. Add in chopped ginger and garlic, fry until fragrant.
2. Add in pickled mustard [kiam chye] to fry for several minutes. Add in French beans, red chilli and seasoning.
3. Stir fry to mix well and until cooked through [no water is needed to cook this dish]. Lastly stir in the spring onions.
4. Dish up to serve with porridge.
   
   
   
   
   
   

EZCR#38 - BRAISED PORK BELLY WITH DRIED CARROT STRIPS

I had this dish at a village restaurant [operated by local villages] on top of the hill in Longyan, China which is quite similar to Braised Mui Choy with Pork Belly.  This dish tasted very good with the use of dried carrot strips instead of mui choy.   

So when I saw the dried carrot strips sold by the villagers outside the restaurant, I bought some from them.  It costs about RM 10 per 1/2 kg.  In China, 1 kati is only 500 gm and not like 600 gm in Malaysia.  However, 500 gm of this dried carrot strips is quite a lot.  It is not salty and has the natural sweetness of the carrots.

Ingredients

300 gm pork belly - cut bite size pieces
2 cloves garlic – chopped

3 shallots – chopped
150 gm dried carrot strips - soaked until plump up and squeezed dry

Seasoning

1 tsp salt and pepper

2 tsp sugar, dark soy sauce and sesame seed oil

3 tbsp light soy sauce

1 cup water or enough to cover ingredients

1. Heat a non-stick wok without oil, pan fry pork belly pieces with brown and oil oozes out.  Push aside, using the oil from the pork belly, sauté chopped garlic and shallots until fragrant and slightly brown.
2. Add in the dried carrot strips, stir to combine ingredients.
3. Add in the seasoning and continue to fry for several minutes on medium heat. Add in water, bring to boil then lower heat to simmer.  Cover wok while simmering.  
4. Add in more water if gravy has dry up but meat is not tender yet.
5. Continue to cook until meat is tender and sauce almost dry.
6. Dish up, garnish with spring onions to serve.

 

DRIED OYSTERS AND MEAT BALLS PORRIDGE

Another tasty porridge which is an easy, complete meal for all.  This is a homey porridge that is easy to prepare yet it is flavourful and tasty. Served with shredded ginger and chopped spring onions, add flavor and fragrance to this simple porridge.
I added some crispy Chinese crullers to this porridge. Nice.

Recipe adapted from Feminine Magazine No. 552 [Secret Recipes] – slightly modified
Ingredients
[serves 2-3]
Ingredients A
1 cup rice – wash and drain
10 cups water
3-4 dried oysters – washed and soaked for 5 minutes [keep whole or sliced]
3-4 dried scallops – washed and soaked for 5 minutes [I omit]
Ingredients B – mix together
100 – 150 gm minced meat marinade with some salt and pepper to taste
½ tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp water
Ingredients C
1 tsp sesame seed oil
½ tsp salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients D
Some shredded ginger
Some chopped spring onions

1. Cook ingredients A [about 30 minutes - medium  heat] until smooth.
2. Shape ingredients B into small balls, put into porridge to cook.  Season with ingredients C.
3. Cover for a few minutes.
4. Scoop porridge into serving bowls, sprinkle with ingredients D.   Serve hot.
5. Add crispy Chinese crullers if preferred.
   
   
   
   
   

I am submitting this post to Cook Your Books Event #28 [November 2015] hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours