Mediterranean Mung Beans Soup
Never mind the Singaporean heat, we do crave for a good bowl of soup every now and then. And after discovering mung beans, it was hard to resist the succulent idea of making a vellutata of them. Traditionally, mung beans are actually believed to be refreshing for the body, and often used in dessert recipes as a way to cool down your stomach after a meal and prevent inflammations. Of course, I went exactly the opposite direction and made a Mediterranean style soup and hand-blended it to obtain a velvety, creamy result. I’d hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I did. Continue reading “Mediterranean Mung Beans Soup”
Steamed Sea Bass
As a continuation of our steamed recipes, here comes a really simple Chinese-style steamed fish recipe. The fish we’re using here is sea bass, though other kinds of thin white fish fillets such as sole will also work well.
Steaming fish is a bit different from steaming the veggies from previous recipes, as the timing and heat is important. Fish can easily get dry and overcooked. Make sure that the steamer is boiling before you put the fish in, and when it is in there, boil on high heat then mid heat. Continue reading “Steamed Sea Bass”
Steamed Tofu, Minced Pork and Mushrooms
Here comes another steamed recipe for this week – tofu with minced pork and mushrooms this time. This one can be served hot or cold, so is good for spring and summer. In a similar way to the aubergine and mushroom recipes from the previous weeks, the basis of the recipe is to steam the main ingredient for 10-15 minutes and then to pour the sauce on top.
Steamed Enoki Mushrooms with Garlic – a ‘Cooked Salad’ Recipe
In hotter weather, salads are a go-to food. This enoki mushroom recipe is a Chinese cooked salad, which means that like last week’s aubergine recipe, the mushroom is steamed before the sauce goes on, and the mushrooms soak up the flavours as it cools with the sauce.
You can also look into using other sorts of mushrooms, like oyster mushrooms, although it would be best to slice them thinly, as enoki mushrooms are naturally so thin and absorb the flavours easily. Continue reading “Steamed Enoki Mushrooms with Garlic – a ‘Cooked Salad’ Recipe”
Steamed Aubergine with Tahini Sauce – a Chinese Salad
Aubergines (or eggplants) are my favourite – not only healthy, but they are a veggie that can be cooked in so many different ways! Now that the weather is getting warmer, this simple Chinese salad recipe is very tasty – and can be prepared in advance. Not only so, steaming preserves the vitamin content really well.
Continue reading “Steamed Aubergine with Tahini Sauce – a Chinese Salad”
Corn and Red Kidney Beans – a Staple Food from Northern China
When people think about the staple food in China, white rice usually comes to mind, but this is actually not true in Dongbei, the north east of China. Maize (corn) is the traditional staple there, and the most well-known version is a porridge made from maize kernels: Da Zha Zi.
Nutritionally speaking, corn tends to be a little richer than white rice in vitamins, and offers more fiber. To make up for the lower protein content in corn (which is also an issue, if not more so, with rice), this porridge/congee is usually balanced with red kidney beans, and you can also add peanuts to the mix. Continue reading “Corn and Red Kidney Beans – a Staple Food from Northern China”
Chewy Chocolate Meringues
There’s something incredibly feminine about meringues. Maybe it’s the shape in which they are piped, twirling skirts dancing on the oven sheet; maybe it’s their white colour, made bronze at the right places with a fire torch or in the oven. The way you can mess about with them and they would still be unapologetically beautiful.
Steamed Eggs, Tofu, Fish and Prawns – a Protein-Rich Recipe
Egg whites, tofu, white fish and prawns – it’s a protein fix! This recipe is inspired by Chinese steamed eggs, which every child with Chinese parents has probably had. I’ve made this many times, and used to make the consistency a lot smoother by increasing the number of eggs used compare to the fish and prawns, for example, but really prefer this firmer version. Also, this is a steamed recipe, and the taste is a lot lighter and more subtle compared to stir-fries and stews, so I really recommend using some Japanese ingredients such as tsuyu soup stock and mirin. Continue reading “Steamed Eggs, Tofu, Fish and Prawns – a Protein-Rich Recipe”
Peperonata, More Than a Side Dish
I love this dish because it requires few ingredients and provides a lot of flavour. It is a great side dish to present at a dinner party – but I love it solo or with a naughty slice of cheese on top – just like how I’m making it today, with my favourite smoked provola sarda (which I’ve imported from home). I often use bell peppers for this, mixing all colours in, but this time I’m making it using these long red and green peppers, very sweet flavoured and comforting to the palate. This recipe makes enough for two.
Three Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji)
One of the most common questions associated with this Chinese recipe is: why is it called three cup chicken? Simply because it’s mainly flavoured with 3 cups: 1 cup of sesame oil, 1 cup of soy sauce and 1 cup of rice wine. That’s the idea anyway! In reality, you don’t want to use a full cup of everything – otherwise it will be far too oily and sa Continue reading “Three Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji)”
Blender & Basil 