Southeast Asia Mushroom Soup

After my recent visit to Bali I often find myself missing the taste of Southeast Asia. Especially their fresh, light, tangy, chilli soup. So today I am making this soup to ease my crave. In terms of mushroom, you can use any type of mushroom you like. I have dried Shiitake Mushroom and dried Black Fungus/Mushroom at home so I decided to rehydrate both and used it in my soup. Black fungus may not sound appetizing but it is pack with goodness. It improves circulation, lower cholesterol, help in treating dryness for example dry throat, dry cough and anti viral and it is tasteless on its own.

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 2 spring onion (white bit), finely chopped
• 4 gloves garlic, minced
• 1 shallot or half small brown onion, finely chop
• 5 dried Shiitake mushroom, rehydrate, squeeze out liquid and sliced
• a handful of black fungus, rehydrate, squeeze out liquid and cut into 2
• 1 - 2 red chilli, seeds removed and finely chopped
• 1 litre vegetable stock, I used homemade vegie stock
• Juice of 1 lime (depending on your taste)
• 5 kaffir lime leaves, stem removed
• 1 carrot, cubed
• a handful of green beans, cut to about 2 cm length
• salt and pepper to taste
• Fried shallots - to garnish (How to make your own Crispy Fried Shallot - Click Here)

Method:

1.  Heat oil in a saucepan that can hold 1 litre or more liquid.
2. Saute spring onion, garlic and shallot until aromatic and lightly brown. About 5 minutes.
3. Add chilli and stir well. Add in sliced mushroom and black fungus cook for further 3 minutes.
4. Pour in the stock, lime juice and Kaffir lime leaves and bring to boil. 
5. Once boil add in carrot and bean and season to taste.
6. The soup is ready to be serve when the vegetables are tender. 
7. Garnish with deep fried shallots.
8. Serve with warm steam rice and sweet soy sauce. YUM!

Wat Tan Hor / Cantonese Style Flat Noodles in Egg Gravy

Say hello to my childhood favourite.

Melbourne weather has been very cold lately and Wat Tan Hor will be a prefect fit for this cold weather. So here I am, dishing up wat tan hor to warm the body up.

Ingredients:

Charred Flat Noodles

• 350g Flat Noodles (Kuey Teow) - available at asian grocery
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 - 1 tsp cooking caramel (optional) - available at asian grocery

Egg Gravy

• 1 tbsp cooking oil 
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 slices of ginger
• 15g pork or chicken (marinate with a generous pinch of salt, pepper, sugar and corn flour, 1/4 tsp of light soy sauce, sesame oil or vegetable oil and Chinese cooking wine)
• 10 prawns, peeled and deveined
• a small packet of fish cakes, sliced 0.5cm thick 
• 10 slices of squid
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• a pinch of sugar
• a dash of white pepper
• 2 cups of stock (I used homemade pork bone stock)
• salt to taste
• 2 tsp corn flour, diluted with 1/8 water
• 2 stalks of choy sum, chop 2 inch length
• 2 eggs, lightly whisk

Methods:

1. Soak flat noodles in warm water to separate the clumps then drain thoroughly. Instruction will be on packages
2. Mix 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1 tbsp light soy sauce and 1 tsp cooking caramel to the flat noodles.
3. Char flat noodles in a smoking hot wok for a few minutes. Try not to move the flat noodles so that it charred and did not break into pieces. Set aside and keep warm.
4. Heat cooking oil. Saute garlic and ginger until golden and aromatic. Then add in marinated meat, prawn, fish cake and squid. Stir fry briefly. 
5. Now, add in the seasonings - oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sugar, white pepper and salt. Mix well and add in stock. Bring it to simmer. Check the seasoning. 
6. Add in diluted corn flour. Simmer for few minutes until thickened. Add in choy sum. 
7. Turn off heat and pour in lightly whisk eggs. Quickly stir the eggs to scramble it.
8. Check the seasoning again before dish out. 
9. Wat Tan Hor usually serve with green pickle chilli but I don't have it at home so I cut some red chillies and mince garlic and mix with light soy sauce, fish sauce and lemon juice.

Flat noodles mix with light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and cooking caramel

TIPS:
If you are using fresh prawn you can save the prawns heads and shells to turn into prawn stock

Egg Drop Minced Pork Ball Soup

As the weather gets colder, I will be naturally craving for warm soups and since I still have some leftover mince pork in to fridge I have decided to make Egg Drop Meat Ball Soup for dinner tonight couple with Stir Fry Beef and Broccoli.

For this soup I have used my homemade chicken broth/stock .This time around thyme is subtracted and red dates and goji berries are added.

I have also used homemade Crispy Fried Shallots Oil for flavours and aroma.

Ingredients :

Egg Drop Soup

4 cups homemade chicken broth /stock (Depending on your love towards soup)
1 tomato, sliced to 8
3 - 4 eggs, lightly beaten
Salt and White pepper to taste
Drops of Crispy Fried Shallots oil or sesame oil (optional) 


Minced Pork Ball

250g minced pork
1 1/2 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp crispy fried shallots oil (Optional)
Dashes of white pepper


Methods:

1. Bring to boil the chicken broth. Add in minced pork ball and bring the chicken to boil once again.
2. Add white pepper, salt and tomato.
3. Stir the soup and turn off the heat. Swirl the beaten eggs into the soup and immediately stir around with a pair of chopsticks.
4. Cover the pot with lid for 2 minutes. Add drops of crispy fries shallots oil and crispy shallots before serving. 

Traditional Beef Casserole

Hello.. I have finally done with all my wedding related stuff and I am ready to start blogging again. Lets start with a post of Traditional Beef Casserole.

Ingredients:

1 kg chuck steak, cut into 3cm cubes
2 tablespoon season flour (I seasoned plain flour with salt and pepper to taste)
6 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium brown onion, chopped
2 medium carrot, halves and sliced thickly
2 celery stalks, trimmed, sliced thickly
3 garlic gloves, crushed
1 bouquet garni
1 cup red wine
1 cup beef stock (I used salt-reduced)
400g diced tomatoes
salt, pepper and sugar to taste


Methods:

1. Preheat oven to 160 degree Celsius (140 degree Celsius fan forced). 
2. Toss beef in seasoned flour until well coated; shake away excess flour.
3. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium high heat in a large casserole pot. Cook the beef in two batches. Add another 2 teaspoons of olive oil for second batch. Remove beef from pot.
4. Add remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil and saute onion, carrot and leek for 2 minutes or until browned lightly.Add garlic, saute until garlic aromatic.
5. Add wine into the pot, stirring and bring to boil over medium high heat. Reduced wine for about half.
6. Return all the beef and any juices to the pot with the stock, tomatoes and bouquet garni, stir to combine and bring to boil. Cover and place in oven for 2 hours or until the beef tender.
7. Discard bouquet garni. Served casserole.

This traditional casserole can be served with bread, rice or mashed potatoes. 

Everything is in and ready to be boiled before it goes into oven, covered. 

Yummy.....

End results!!

 

Enjoy !!

Meatballs (Pork) Congee

On a busy day, easy, simple, hot and delicious meal is something I'm looking for, especially when the wheather is cold. 

Ingredients:

• 250g minced pork (marinade with 1 1/2 light soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp corn starch and a dash of white pepper for 10 minutes)
• 1 cup rice, rinse and drain
• 13 cups water
• 2 tbsp dried shrimp
• 2 tbsp anchovies
• 5 red dates
• 7 dried scallops
• light soy sauce to taste
• a pinch of sugar or to taste
• salt and white pepper to taste
• century egg (garnish)
• spring onion (garnish)
• salted egg (garnish)

Method:

1. Put together rice, dried shrimps, anchovies, red dates, dries scallops and water, to pot. Bring to boil. Once boil, leave the lid partially open and reduce heat to medium. Let it boil for 30 minutes. Remember to stir the bottom of the pot occasionally to avoid the rice from sticking to the base.Add in hot water if it is too dry.
2. In the meantime, take 1/2 tbsp of marinated minced pork and mould into ball/round shape. 
3. When the congee has cooked to your preferred consistency, add in light soy sauce, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir well.
4. Then, put meatballs into congee and increase heat. Allow meatball to cook for 3 minutes. 
5. Add more seasoning if require.
6. Serve hot and garnish with spring onion and century egg. If you are serving your congee with salted egg, go easy with the salt during seasoning.

The Not Very Mexican Eggs

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OK... It's about time to pull my socks up. Why? Partly because the weather is getting cold in this part of the world... and mostly because I seriously have to dedicate more of my time to keep this blog updated. I have been cooking and trying recipes, however, I am still struggling to find to time to post it in the blog.

So yea... I cooked this not very Mexican eggs  this morning. Why not very Mexican because I skip the red chillies and replace cannellini beans with baked beans. I LOVE baked beans. Although this Mexican eggs is holding it's 'not very' title, this is a recipe worth trying because it is easy, quick, delicious, not too heavy nor light and you will want to come back for more.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:-

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 250g / 2 Chorizo, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped (Optional)
• 4 tomatoes, chopped (Due to my laziness I used 400g canned diced tomatoes)
• 2 medium red capsicium, seeded and chopped
• 2 red small chilies, finely chopped (Optional)
• 400g cannelini beans, rinsed and drained (I substitute with 420g baked beans, it's OK if you can't completely drain the tomato sauce)
• 1 - 2 tbsp dried flakes parsley (If you are using fresh parsley - 1/4 cup chopped)
• 4 eggs, poached
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 4 slices of toast, to serve

Steps:

1. Heat oil in a frying pan on high. Cook chorizo for 2-3 mins, turning until slightly brown. Push the chorizos aside, add in garlic in the center of the pan, lightly stir the garlic until fragrant. Then, mix together with chorizo. Continue turning the chorizos until brown. 
2. Add tomatoes, capsicums and chilli (if you are using any). Cook / mix well for 5-8 mins or until the tomatoes collapsed and capsicums are soft. 
3. Add parsley and beans and stir to combine. Heat on low for 1 min or until beans are warmed through.Add salt and pepper to taste before serving.
4. Meanwhile, to POACH eggs, half-fill a saucepan with water. Heat on medium until boiling, Reduce heat to low or until just gentle bubbling. Crack an egg into a small bowl. Whirl water with spoon to create a little funnel then slip egg into the whirlpool. 
5. Poach for 3-4 mins, gently spooning over water until white is set and yolk runny. 
6. Using a slotted spoon, remove egg and drain on paper towel. Repeat with remaining eggs.
7. Spoon bean mixture onto serving plates and top with poached egg. Serve with toast and butter.

And yeay its NOM NOM time again !!!

Basic Chicken Stock

I love basic stocks. I make one whole pot of stock on the weekend and refrigerate it so that I can gradually use them in my cooking throughout the week. If you have been following my blog you would have realise I am allergy to all sorts of MSG and I am trying to make my food to be tasty in the most non-chemical way.

So, here's the basic chicken stock recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2kg chicken bones ( I use chicken carcass which only cost me AUD1 for 3)
• 2 onions or leeks, quartered
• 2 clove garlic,crushed
• 2 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 2 thyme sprigs
• a dash of white pepper

Steps:

1. Place all ingredients in a large/deep pot. Cover with cold water and slowly bring to boil on medium heat.
2. Reduce heat to low and add 1 cup of cold water. Smmer for 3 - 4 hours on medium low heat. \
3. Skimming fat and scu from surface.
4. Add extra water if necessary to make sure bones are always covered. 
5. After 3-4 hours, the liquid should be reduce by half. Strain the pot. Pour into whatever container you desire, allow to cool then freeze what you do not use.

Easy!!!! Trust me!!!

TIPS:

• Do not allow stock to boil or it will make your stock turn cloudy.
• If you are too lazy to get any other ingredients listed, make sure you use essential ingredient such as chicken bones, onions and carrots.

Fish with Salted Vegetable Soup

This soup is pretty easy to cook. It is a healthy soup because it has vegetables, fish slices, most important of all oil free and msg free.

Ingredients:-

• 1/2 cup dried anchovies, rinsed
• 2 dried scallop, rinsed (optional)
• 1/2 bulb garlic, remove papery skin
• 1 litre water
• 350g sliced fish (rinsed, sliced to 1cm thick, soak in a salted water for at least 20 minutes)
• 300g packed pickled Green Mustard or Salted Vegetable, remove from stem
• 2 tomatoes, quartered
• some lettuce or other leafy vegetables (optional)
• Salt 
• Ground white pepper to taste
• 1 stalk spring onion, sliced 
• 1 stalk coriander

Methods:

1. Add dried anchovies, dried scallop and garlic into a big pot filled with water. Cover. Bring to boil then lower heat and simmer for 45 minutes. Discard the dried anchovies, dried scallop and garlic when the soup base is ready.
2. Meanwhile, soak fish in salted water and prepare the rest of the ingredients.
3. About 40 minutes before serving, bring the ready soup base to boil. Add the salted vegetable and simmer for 15 minutes, covered. 
4. Then add the drained fish slices in and briefly stir. Bring to boil. Add tomatoes, stir and bring to boil. Turn off heat and add in lettuce. Make sure it is covered by the soup. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Garnish with spring onion and coriander before serving.

TIPS:

• Why soak fish piece in salted water: To reduce the fishy smell and make the fish meat stronger so that it doesn't break ups during the cooking process

Lotus Root and Peanut Soup

Lotus root have been found to be rich in dietary fiver, vitamin C, Thiamin, Vitamin B6, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper and Manganes while very low in saturated fat. Lotus root is one of the common vegetables use by chinese for soups, stir fry dishes and even dessert. The natural sweetness of lotus root could further enhance the 'sweetness' in the soup.

Ingredients:-

• 1.5 litre water
• 400g spare ribs OR chicken pieces with bone-in OR chicken feet
• 400g sliced lotus root (I used frozen lotus root)
• 1 cup raw peanuts, scalded with hot water (I prefer skin off)
• 3 dried scallops (optional)
• 1/2 bulb garlic, only remove the papery skin
• 8-10 red dates
• salt to taste
• ground white pepper to taste

Method:-

1. Add  lotus root, peanuts, dried scallop garlic and red dates into a big pot with 1.5 litre of water at high heat. Bring to boil.
2. Blanch spare ribs with boiling water. Drain and add them into the big pot when the water is boil and bring to boil again after you add the ribs. 
3. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 2 hours.
4. Add salt and pepper before serving. Serve hot.

Easy Sesame Noodle

Need a quick, easy and uncomplicated lunch or dinner ??? Try this :)

Ingredients:

•  200g noodle (I use dried Chinese noodle. You can use any dried noodle of your choice)
• 1/4 cup light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced or 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar (add in half first then taste) or 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp chili oil (optional)
• 2 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil or peanut oil
• 2 tbsp hot water
• 2 stalks spring onion, thinly sliced, 1 inch long (Optional)
• 1/2 Zucchini, shredded (Optional)
• 1/2 carrot, shredded (Optional)

NOTE: The measurement of ingredients above is according to my liking. Please feel free to adjust the quantity to suit yours. You can add any other vegetables you like such as rocket, lettuce, etc

Method:

1. Cook noodle according to the package direction. If you are using chinese noodle, the direction may tell you to drain and put noodles into cold water . I think it is not necessary to put noodle into cold water for this dish.
2. Meanwhile, mix all the other ingredients together except for spring onion, zucchini and carrot in a large bowl.
3. Pour drain noodles, zuchinni and carrot into bowl with soy sauce mixture and toss until all evenly coated.
4. Sprinkle with spring onion and serve.

Oriental Corn on the Cob and Chicken Soup

This is not a thick and creamy soup. This recipe produces a clear 'sweet' broth using sweet corn on cob. I am using chicken for this soup but you can replace with pork ribs. I have some dried red dates in my pantry so I pop them into. If you don't have any then don't worry about it.

Ingredients:

• 500g chicken parts with bone (I use drumsticks), clean
• 5 chicken feet (optional), remove claw and clean
• 2 fresh corns on the cob, remove leaves, silk, stalk and chop to chunks
• 1 inch ginger, peel
• 1 bulb garlic, removes papery skin only
• 7 red dates (optional)
• 2 litre water
• salt, sugar, pepper to taste

Method:

1. Combine all ingredient (except for salt, pepper and sugar) and 2 litre water in a stock pot at high heat. Cover the lid.
2. When the water boils, reduce heat to medium, let the soup simmer for an hour and a half. If you need to add more water simmer for another half an hour after you add water. 
3. Add in salt, sugar and pepper, let it simmer for another 15 minutes and serve. 

Sweet Banana with Tapioca Pearl

This is the traditional home make dessert. It can be serve warm or chilled and guess what, it is a very easy dessert to make.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoon tapioca pearl or known as sago
• 2 cups water
• 1 pandan leaf or 1-2 drop of pandan extract/essence
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup brown sugar or plam sugar
• 1 cup coconut milk or milk
• 1 large banana, sliced about 1cm thick

Method:

1. Rinse and drain tapioca pearl. Then, boil the tapioca flour in medium size saucepan with 2 cups water. Add in salt and pandan leaf/extract/essence. Let the tapioca simmer until it is tranparents. Constantly stir so that it doesn't stick at the bottom of pan.
2. Once its transparent which may take about 15 minutes, add sugar and stir until dissolve.
3. Add in slice banana and add coconut mik little by little. Let simmer for 10 minutes or until the banana soft. 
4. Adjust sweetness and serve.

Chorizo and Tomato Salad

CookBook Challenge Week-35

Ingredients:

• 1 raw chorizo sausage, sliced
• 2 large ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 french shallot / 2 shallots, finely slice
• 2 cloves garlic, finely slice
• Juice of 1 lemon
• salt and black pepper
• Olive oil

Method:-

1. Fry the sliced chorizo in a pan over a medium heat with a tbsp of olive oil. Stir them occasionally.
2. At the mean time, prepare tomatoes and shallot. Put them in a bowl with a good pinch of salt and pepper, a tbsp of olive oil and half of lemon juice. Toss everything together.
3. By now, your chorizo should be getting crispy, with lots of fat cooking out from it. Add garlic to the pan, stir occasionally. As soon as the garlic fragrant, remove from heat and splash lemon juice to stop the cooking. Stir.
4. Spoon chorizo, oil and garlic over tomatoes and shallot. Toss the salad and serve

TIPS:

• IF there is still leftover fat in the pan, store it in the jar and chill. Use it to rub over chicken before roasting... yummy...

Tomato and Egg Drop Soup

CookBook Challenge Week - 34

I often look for warm soup in cold and windy wheather and I really love home-style soup which is easy to prepare. I would say this is a delicious and nutritional soup.

Ingredients:
3 cups chicken broth or any homemede stock
2 eggs, lightly beaten
2 tomatoes, slice into 6
1 tsp sesame oil
Salt and white pepper to taste
1/2 tsp sugar
15g Bean vermicelli / glass noodle (optional), ready according to direction at the packaging
Coriander and spring onion (cut diagonally 1 inch) 

Methods:-

1. Bring broth or stock to boil.
2. Add in sesame oil, salt, pepper and sugar. Stir. At this point you can add in ginger slice if you use any.
3. Add in tomatoes. Cook for about 1 minute.
4. Very slowly pour in the eggs in a steady stream. Use fork to gently stir the egg in clock wise until the form thin streams. 
5. It will be ready to serve when the egg turn yellowish. You may stir glass noodle at this point.
6. Serve. Garnish with coriander and spring onion.

TIPS

• You may add cornstarch to your soup : 1 tsp cornstarch to 2 tsp water
• Add a slice of fresh ginger, This is good for colds and flu

Pan Mee with Meat Sauce (pictures only)

Garlic oil

Pan Mee Soup

Dry Pan Mee

Pan Mee with Meat Sauce

Pan mee means flat noodle.

This cooking involves few steps therefore I will group them in steps which means individual steps will have their own selection of ingredients. This maybe a bit tedious but it is really worth trying.





STEP 1:
Soup base/Broth
Ingredient:-
• 4 cups of water
• 1 cups of anchovies (ikan bilis)
• 2 dries scallop (optional)
• ½ bulb of garlic, with skin
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything in the pot. Let it boil in high heat then turn to low heat, leave it there for 40 minutes or until it soup fragrant or while you preparing other ingredient.


STEP 2:
Garlic Oil: to mix into soup (before serving) and pan mee’s dough
Ingredients:-
• ½ bulb garlic, finely chopped
• 1 small shallots, finely chopped or sliced
• 3 – 4 tbsp cooking oil

Mix all 3 ingredients into a bowl, put into microwave for 3 to 4 minutes or until the garlic and shallots caramelized. You may even caramelized them using pan, add the cooking oil into pan at low heat and add in the garlic and shallots. But of course the microwave thingy is more convenient.


STEP 3:-
Pan mee’s dough
Ingredient:-
• 2 cups flour (enough for 2 serving)
• 1 egg
• ¾ cups of water, however you may need less than this amount
• About ½ tsp of salt
• 2 tbsp garlic oil from STEP 2

Add flour into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the middle.

Pour in egg, half of the water salt and garlic oil into the well and mix the ingredient in the well.

Then, slowly mix /fold the flour into the well. You may use your hand or fork.

Knead until you get nice firm smooth dough. Be careful not to add to much water.
Set aside. You may want to cover the dough so that the surface doesn’t crack up.


STEP 4:-
Meat sauce
Ingredients:-
• 250g minced pork or chicken, I run out of minced so I use pork belly instead, sliced about 1 cm -> Marinade with some salt, pepper, soy sauce and starch.
• 2 cups Cup Mushroom, sliced quartered
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped/minced
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• ½ tsp dark soy sauce
• 3 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp cooking wine / shao xing
• ½ cup water
• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat wok/pan with oil and sesame oil. When it’s slightly smoky add in garlic and sauté until fragrant. Then add in mushroom and stir well.

Add in minced pork or chicken or pork belly, stir for a minute or until the meat look slightly caramelized. Then, stir in oyster sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, pepper, sugar and cooking wine. Stir well until fragrant.

Add water and let it boil. Simmer for 10 minutes and take it out.


NOW, THE MOMENT OF TRUTH = ASSEMBLING OF PAN MEE
• Spring onions, chop, separate the white part and green part.
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Anchovies, fried, I fried before I start making the meat sauce. So that I could use the same wok.

1.Drain the soup base / broth you make earlier into another pot and bring it to boil

2.Halves the noodle dough and roll it to about 1 cm thick.

3.Start tearing the dough (any shape) into pieces into the boiling broth. Scoop up the pieces in a bowl or 2 bowls. I make one soup Pan Mee and dry Pan mee. (the dough will emerge at the surface once they are cooked)

4.Add garlic oil and white parts of spring onion bring it to boil again. You may add in vegetables if you like. Add salt and pepper to taste. Divide the soup to 2 bowl one with pan mee in it and an empty bowl.


For soup pan mee: scoop meat sauce put onto of pan mee garnish with green parts of spring onion and fried anchovies

For dry pan mee: scoop meat sauce put onto pan mee garnish with green parts of spring onion , fried anchovies and some garlic oil. You may dash in chili oil. Serve your dry pan mee with soup. Poach egg can be add to dry pan mee too.

PICTURES ?????? Due to some technical error please click here

Delicious Chicken Congee

Ingredients:-
1 cup Jasmine rice
10 cups water and/or chicken stock
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp light soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Marinates for chicken
•1 chicken Maryland
•1 tsp ginger, peeled and finely chopped
•3 garlic cloves, crushed
•11/2 tsp sesame oil
•1/2 tsp salt
•½ tsp castor sugar /white sugar
•2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (optional)


1.Wash and drain the rice in a pot. Add 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp sesame oil; mix well and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Add water/stock to the rice. Bring it to a boil. Turn down the heat to medium low, stirring occasionally. Simmer for 20 minutes.

2.Place the chickens in a bowl with all the marinade ingredients for 15 to 30 minutes.

3.Add the chicken to the congee. Cook for 5 - 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked. Take the chicken out and set aside to cool.

4.Allow the congee to simmer for another 30 minutes or so or until it reaches the consistency you prefer.

5.Shred the cooked chicken and add back into the pot and stir in 1 tsp of light soy sauce, let it simmer for awhile and finally salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with spring onions or slice century egg

Chicken and Bok Choy soup

While I was blogging for the chicken and mushroom soup, I remembered a light soup that i made a week ago when my house ran out most of the food except for a whole chicken and bok choy. This soup is similar to the chicken and mushroom soup and it is much lighter... and full of chicken flavour... yummy!!!!!!

What you need:-

1 whole chicken (1.2 to 1.3 kg)
about 500g of bok choy
6 honey dates
2 cloves of garlic (finely chop)
1 piece of ginger
12 cups / 3L of water or cover the chicken
1/2 tsp of seasalt (or any salt) - adjust according to your taste
a dash of white pepper


1. Clean the chicken, pat dry and set aside.
2. Wash the bok choy and cut to half to separate the leaves and stem
3. Put in the whole chicken, ginger, honey dates and garlic into pot.
4. Bring to boil at moderate high heat, cover the lid, lower the heat and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes. Check of the chicken is cook.
5. Add sea salt and pepper and adjust to you taste.
6. Add in the bok choy's stem first before you add in the leaves and cook till it is done. Serve hot.

* You may cut the chicken into pieces before serving however cut it before you add in seasoning and bok choy. Add back the cut chicken into pot and proceed with seasoning and bok choy cooking.

Chicken and Mushroom Soup

This is a very simple and nutritious soup.....

What you need :-

1 whole chicken (About 1.2 to 1.3 kg)
10 dried chinese mushrooms
1 piece of old ginger ( you can put 2 or 3 pieces)
2 cloves garlic (can be added like that or finely chop)
2 tsp salt or seasalt (Adjust to suit your taste)
1/3 tsp white pepper
6 tbsp rice wine
1 tbsp of sesame seed oil
2 stalks of spring onion (garnish)

1. Clean up the whole chicken and pat dry. Set aside.

2. Soak dried mushrooms in warm water to allow it to re-hydrate and score the caps.

3. Wash and cut the spring onions into smaller section (1 cm).

4. Place the whole chicken with the mushrooms, garlics and ginger in the pot.

5. Add water to cover the whole chicken and bring the to boil at moderate high heat.

6. After boiled, lower the heat, cover the pot and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes.

7. Before add in the seasoning and spring onions poke a skewer or fork to the chicken's breast or thigh to make sure the juice run clear (Chicken is cook)

8. Add in salt, pepper, rice wine, sesame oil and spring onions. Cover the lid and turn off the heat. Let it set for 3 minutes before serving.