Fried String Beans with Minced Pork

Ingredients
1 pack of string beans (washed and cut into strips of approx 2 inches)
$10 minced pork (around 1/3 cup)
1 tbs minced garlic
2 red chili (seeded and diced)


Marinade
2 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
some white pepper
1 tsp oil
2 tsp water
1 tsp cornstarch


Sauce

2 tbs chinese olives (see photo) 


Method
1. Marinade pork with 'marinade' ingredients for 30 mins.
2. Boil a big pot of water. Add the string beans and let boil for a few mins. Remove beans and put in a big pot of ice water (this process is to preserve the green colour of the beans).  Drain and set aside.
3. Heat wok with little oil. Add the minced garlic and fry until fragrant. Add the Chinese olives and minced pork. Fry for 5 mins. Add the string beans to the minced pork. Fry for another few mins until the beans are soft. Add the red chili and a little salt to taste. Serve.

Steamed Tofu with Garlic and Dried Shrimp

This is a really easy and tasty menu.

Ingredients


1 box of silken tofu (sliced)
2 tbs of dried shrimp (soaked)
2 tbs of minced garlic


Marinade


1/2 tsp chicken powder
sesame oil


Sauce


2 tbs green onion (chopped)
2 tbs light soy sauce
2 tbs water
1 tsp cornstarch


Method


1. Mix the minced dried shrimp and garlic. Heat wok with little oil and fry the mixture for a few minutes. Dish out. Add chicken powder and  sesame oil. Mix and set aside.
2. Place tofu on dish. Sprinkle the minced dried shrimp and garlic mixture on top of tofu. Steam for 8 mins.
3. In a small pot heat the sauce ingredients until it thickens.
4. When tofu is steamed, pour away the excess water. Pour sauce over the tofu. Serve.

Tomato Soup

This is a really yummy tomato soup recommended by my friend Eden (a great cook!)


Ingredients


8 large tomatoes (use the good quality imported ones), peeled, seeded and diced
2 cans of Campbell tomato soup
2 cans of water
1 large carton of chicken broth
2 onions (diced)
6-8 cloves of garlic (minced)
Some basil and parsley
Salt and pepper to taste
Some olive oil 
1 tbs mixed herbs


Method


1. Heat the pot with a little oil and fry the garlic and onion until fragrant.
2. Add tomatoes and cook until soft.
3. Add basil, parsley, pepper and salt to tomatoes and cook for another 2 mins.
4. In a separate pot, boil chicken stock, tomato soup and water. When boiled, add the cooked tomatoes to soup. Add some olive oil and mixed herbs. Cook for 30 mins. Serve

Congee Combo

It's so hard to find good congee that is MSG free so I prefer to have homemade congee together with this fried '粒粒' - a perfect combo.

(A) Congee with lean pork, salted egg and preserved egg


Ingredients 


1/2 cup uncooked rice                                                                                      
$20 lean pork

1 beancurd sheet (washed) - see photo of beancurd sheet 
1 salted egg (boiled and diced)
1 preserved egg (diced)
1 small piece of dried tangerine peel (soaked. Scrap away the white inner layer with a spoon)
3 litres of water
1 tbs oil
1 tsp salt
2 dried scallops (soaked and shredded)


Method


1. Wash the rice and mix it with oil and water. Put the rice in freezer overnight.
2. Boil some water and scald the lean pork.            
3. Boil water in big pot. When water boils, add the frozen rice, dried scallop (can also add the water used to soak the dried scallop), lean pork, beancurd sheet and eggs. Boil over medium to high heat for around 45 mins. 
4. Remove lean pork from the congee. When cool, shred the lean pork. Marinade with some sesame oil and Maggie sauce or light soya sauce. Place approximately 2 tbs of shredded lean pork in each serving bowl. Add the cooked congee to serving bowl. Can add some salt to taste. Serve.

(B) Fried 粒粒


Ingredients


1 cup of long green beans (washed and diced)
4 pieces of dried bean curd (diced)
1 cup of cooked fresh corn kernals
10 pieces of preserved vegetables (soaked and diced) - "CHOI PO"
2 tbs dried shrimp (soaked)


Sauce
1/2 tsp chicken powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tbs hoisin sauce
sesame oil


Method


1. Heat wok with little oil and fry each ingredient (except green bean) separately. Dish up and set aside.
2. Heat wok with little oil. Fry the green bean. Add chicken powder. When almost cooked, add all other ingredients together with the hoisin sauce and salt. Fry. Add sesame oil and dish up. Serve.

Lotus Leaf Rice

Ingredients


Cooked rice - 3 bowls
Chinese mushroom (diced) - 5
Dried shrimps (soaked) 2 tbs
Dried scallops (soaked and shredded. keep the water used to soak the dried scallops) - 1
Mixed vegetables (scald) - 1/2 cup
Chinese bbq pork (diced) - 1/2 cup
Shrimps - 1/2 cup
Lotus leaf
Egg (beaten) - 1
Ginger (minced) - 2 tsp


Sauce


Light soy sauce - 3 tsp
Salt 1/2 tsp
Oyster sauce - 2 tsp
Sesame oil - 1 tsp
Water used for soaking dried scallops - 2 tbs


1. Wash lotus leave and steam for 5 mins. Set aside for later use.
2. Stir fry mushroom, dried scallop, dried shrimp, bbq pork, shrimp and mixed vegetables. Set aside
3. Fry egg. Set aside
4. Heat wok with little oil. Add minced ginger and fry rice. Add all the fried ingredients to the rice and fry for a few minutes. Add sauce and continue frying for a minute. Dish up and put in centre of lotus leaf. Wrap the rice in lotus leaf and steam for 20 mins. Serve

Homemade 'Starbucks' matcha cappuccino

Ingredients


1. 2 tsp matcha powder
2. 1/3 cup of hot water
3. 1/2 cup of milk
4. 1 tsp honey
5. Pinch of cinnamon (optional)


Method


1. Make match tea (please refer to matcha for matcha brewing instructions).


2. Pour matcha into a cup. Add a little bit of honey (I used 1 tsp but you can add more depending on your preference). 


3. Warm and froth the milk (I used my Nespresso frother and highly recommend it because it's very easy to use). Pour into matcha. I added a pinch of cinnamon but if you do not like cinnamon, you can skip it. Serve


p.s. Also tried using soya milk but the taste was a bit strange. I still prefer my cappuccino with milk :)

Braised Beef in Tomato Sauce (Taiwan Style)

Ingredients


Beef shank - 2 lbs
Onion (diced)  - 2
Garlic (diced) - 3
Ginger (sliced) 5
Shallots (diced) - 3
Carrot (cut into bite size) - 2
Tomatoes (skinned and cut into bite size) - 4






Sauce


Marinade pack - 1 
Preserved beancurd (mashed) - 2
Red wine - 3 tbs
Oyster sauce - 2 tbs
Light and dark soy sauce - 1 tbs each
Chicken broth - 1 large box (1 litre)






Method


1. Boil beef shank for 30 mins in pot of hot water together with some ginger and green onion. Cut into slices (around 1/2 inch).
2. In a large pot, heat little oil. Add onion, shallots, ginger and fry to fragrant. Add garlic and continue to fry. Add beef, carrots and tomatoes and fry. Add chicken broth to cover the beef and if not enough to cover the beef, add water. Add preserved beancurd, wine, oyster sauce and soy sauce to beef. Put the marinade in a fish bag and add to the beef. Stew for 1.5 hours. Serve

Brewing Matcha

1. Using a bamboo tea scoop, place 1 1/2 to 2 teascoops of matcha into the tea bowl. 

2. Add about 1/3 cup of hot (but not boiling) water to the matcha. 

3. Briskly whisk the tea and hot water using a bamboo tea whisk. Begin slowly to dissolve the matcha, then move very briskly back and forth as fast as you can in the middle of the tea bowl. The whisk should be vertical and barely touching the bottom of the bowl. When a soft light foam has developed, slowly lift the whisk from the center of the bowl. Serve

The matcha is so fragrant that even Muffin can't resists! :)

Sapa, Vietnam

Vietnam is a country with great food, scenery, friendly people and interesting attractions. We traveled to Vietnam last year and spent 6 days in the northern part of Vietnam visiting Hanoi and Sapa. The latter was the highlight of our trip. Sapa lies in the north west of Vietnam near the Chinese border and is an 8 hour overnight train ride from Hanoi.  The moment we boarded the ‘Hogwarts Express’ like train, (if you are familiar with Harry Potter, you will know what I mean), I knew we had made the right decision to visit Sapa.  Although the ride was a little bumpy, it was quite fun. As the train leaves Hanoi, you will pass by some of the local residents in Hanoi and will be surprised by the short distance between the train and the resident (I think we were close enough to shake hands with them!!).

In 8 hours time, the scenery changed from old buildings and busy streets to dramatic scenery with terraced rice paddies, colorful hill tribe people carrying baskets of leaves and goodies on their backs.

After a nice hot breakfast, we started our trekking to the Cat Cat village. There are many local tours in Sapa and we booked ours through a local tour operator in Hanoi. I would highly recommend you book a tour guide whether via the hotel or local tour operator because some of the treks required permits and it is just so much easier to have a guide to take you through the treks.

The trek took us up and down steep rocky trails over streams and rivers and as it was wet season, we had to walk through muddy fields. But it was all worth it (as you can see from the pictures below). Some bloggers complained about the locals being pushy in selling their goods but when you visit their homes, I think it’s totally understandable. The living conditions were poor and you could see kids running around bare feet. Some could not even afford a pair of pants to keep them warm. Our guide brought us to one of the local families. We saw a big pot of rice that looked as if it was cooked for days and were told that the rice will last the family of 12 for the whole day. So how can you blame them for being a bit aggressive to earn some money for a pair of shoes? Moreover, I found their sales pitch was tolerable. The kids always had a smile and kept repeating, “We are friends. We are friends. Can you buy from me??”  We bought a few bracelets from them and I still have them with me (not to wear but to remind how fortunate and blessed I am).

Chiangmai

Chiangmai is situated in northern Thailand and has lots of beautiful mountains, fields and waterfalls. I visited Chiangmai for 4 days and mainly to visit the Elephant Nature Park. The park is established by a very kind-hearted lady, Lek and has provided a sanctuary for over 34 distressed elephants from all over Thailand.  I signed up for a one day volunteer visit where I learned about reality of how elephants are (mis)treated in Asia (particularly Thailand) and spent a day with the elephants.  I have never been so up close and personal with elephants. After a day at the park, I absolutely fell in love with elephants. It was sad to learn that many places like Bangkok, force train elephants by poking their eyes and stabbing the elephants in order to force the elephants to do tricks. 

Unlike other elephant farms/parks, do not expect to see elephant shows or go on elephant rides but at the park. On the contrary, at the Elephant Nature Park, you can see the elephants roaming around freely and you get to feed and bathe them which was much more enjoyable than seeing elephants dancing in tutus.  

I highly recommend the Elephant Nature Park to any of you who plan to visit Chiangmai. It was a great experience and I will hope to go back one day.

Here are some pictures I took of those cute elephants...

We love to bath....

We are family...

Another highlight of our trip was the hotel. We stayed at the Veranda Chiangmai which is part of the Small Luxury Hotel Group. The hotel is very far from town but that was what we liked about it. It was very exclusive and service was great.

Our Room

Fried Fish Cake (Thai Style)

Fried Fish Cake (Thai Style)

(A) Fish Cake

Ingredients

Fish paste - 500 grams

Marinade

Fish sauce - 1 tbs

Lemongrass powder - 1 tsp

Red curry paste - 2 tbs

Salt and pepper - pinch

Kaffir lime leaves (cut into strips) - 3 pieces

Corriander (diced) - 2 tsp

Method

1. Combine fish paste with the marinade. Stir paste clockwise 10 times.

2. Sprinkle some cornstarch onto hands then form small patties of the fish paste.

3. Heat wok and add some oil. Fry the fish patties until golden brown on both sides.

(B) Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

Red chili (diced) - 1 piece

Brown sugar - 2 tbs

Corriander (diced) - 1 tsp

Lime juice - 2 tbs

Fish sauce - 1 tbs

Water - 2 tbs

Method

Mix all ingredients together. Serve with fish cakes.

Stir Fry Eggplant

Stir Fry Eggplant

This is a simple but very delicious dish. Eggplant can soak up a lot of oil so to make this dish less oily, I tried steaming the eggplant before steaming and it turned out great.

Ingredients

Eggplant (sliced) -2 pieces

Garlic (diced) - 4 pieces

Sauce

Chicken powder - 2 tsp

Salt - pinch

Sesame oil - pinch

Chili sauce - 2 tsp

Method

1. Place sliced egg plant on a dish and steam for 10-12 mins.

2. Heat wok with a little oil. Add garlic and chili sauce. Fry until fragrant. Add steamed eggplant. Fry for a minute. Add chicken powder and sesame oil. Fry for another 30 seconds. Dish up and serve.

Steamed Tofu with Chinese Ham and Mushroom

Steamed Tofu with 

Chinese Ham and Mushrooms

Ingredients

Silk tofu 2 pieces

Chinese mushroom (soaked and sliced) 4 pieces

Chinese ham (scald and sliced) a few slices

Sauce

Stock 1/2 cup

Oyster sauce 1 tbs

Light soy sauce 1 tsp

Some sesame oil

Cornstarch 1 tsp

Method

1. Slice beancurd and place on dish.

2. Arrange ham and mushroom slices between each slice of tofu. Steam for 8 mins. Pour away the water.

3. Cook sauce over medium heat and pour over beancurd. Serve

Mango Coconut Mochi

Mango Coconut Mochi

Ingredients (Makes approx. 16)

Glutinous rice flour 140 gm

Rice flour 15 gm

Sugar 80 gm

Water 50 gm

Coconut Paste 200gm

Fresh Mango (blended) 150 gm

Vegetable Oil 1 tbs

Shredded Coconut 1/4 cup

Diced mango 1/2 cup

Method

1. In a large bowl mix together the glutinous rice flour and flour.

2. In a sauce pan, boil the water and dissolve the sugar. Add the blended mango, coconut paste and oil.  Bring to a boil then add to the flour mixture. Mix until the mixture forms a dough. Pour into a lightly greased dish and steam 20 minutes.

3. Remove the dish of the steamed dough and place dish in a large plate of ice water until the dough has cooled.

4. Divide the dough into 16 pieces and put 2-3 pieces of fresh mango and form a ball. Dip each mochi ball into the shredded coconut. For easier handling of the dough, wear disposable plastic gloves.

Matcha Tofu Pudding

Match Tofu Pudding

Ingredients (Serving : 2)

First layer (white) :

1/2 cup of unsweetened soya milk

1 tsp sugar (if you like it sweeter, can increase the sugar)

2 tsp gelatine

3 tbs water

Second layer (green) :

1/2 cup of unsweetened soya milk

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp matcha powder

2 tsp gelatine

3 tbs water

Method

A. First layer

1. Boil the soya milk under low heat. Add the sugar to the milk and cook slowly. Turn off heat when the sugar has melted.  Set aside.

2. Sprinkle gelatine over the water and let it stand for a few minutes. Heat the gelatine water over a bowl of hot water until all gelatine has dissolved.

3. Pour gelatine water into the milk. Let it cool for 5 minutes.

4. Pour into serving cups. Refrigerate until the pudding has set.

B.  Second layer (make after the first layer has set)

1. Boil the soya milk under low heat. Add the sugar to the milk and cook slowly. Turn off heat when sugar has melted. Add the matcha tea powder and whisk until the matcha has dissolved into the milk.

2. Repeat steps 2 and 3 above.

3. Once the matcha mixture has cooled, pour into the serving cups with the already set soya milk pudding to form the second layer. Refrigerate until the pudding has set.