Stir-fry Shanghai Bak Choy with Salmon Skin

I have some leftover salmon skin from making salmon sushi. Usually I fried the salmon skin to make roll/maki (most Japanese restaurant do that) ,but this time I just fried and add with stir -fry Shanghai bak choy..It's really taste good and smell fantastic !! I would love to share this simple recipe here with you!! Stir-fry Shanghai Bak Choy with Salmon Skin ..

Ingredients:

1 pound Shanghai Bak Choy (remove each petal and wash thoroughly until soil removed)
1 large piece salmon skin ( about 1 pound salmon) rub with some salt ,fried both side and cut
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp chicken bouillon powder
1 tbsp oyster sauce

2 tbsp water
3 cloves fresh garlic (peel and chopped)

Method:

1:Heat wok or skillet with oil at high heat.When the skillet hot enough,lay salmon skin on it,fry both side until golden brown and crispy.Remove from skillet and cut small,set aside.

2:Use the same skillet or wok ,add in oil and garlic,fry until fragrant,then quick add in Shanghai bak choy ,oyster sauce and chicken bouillon.Give a quick toss few times at high heat,not more than 2 minutes.

3:Add in fried cut salmon skin with cooked Shanghai bak choy,dish out and serve warm.

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Pork Lotus Root Soup

It's been quite sometime ,I make a healthy soup for my daughter. Sorry ,hubby not interested in any Chinese soup no matter how nutritious or healthy it's. He only know American Chinese take out restaurant soup like Hot and Sour,Wonton and Egg Drop Soup. So,I only cook soup that we both loves. One of my favourite soup is Lotus Soup!! I remember when I was young,my mom always make this lotus soup for us. Honestly ,I like this soup the next day after re-heat again and again..It's taste better and smell stronger!!
Ingredients:

3 pieces lotus roots (peel ,sliced and wash)

1 large piece pork in bone for soup ( not ribs) blanch to remove fats

1/2 cup pitted red dates (soaked and wash)

2 pieces candy dates (wash)

5-6 pieces dried cuttlefish (wash)

salt to taste

4 liter water

some cut scallion for garnishing

Method:

1:Blanch pork in bone to remove fats.I used pork in bone because it's lesser fats than ribs. You can ask the butcher to get pork in bone by telling him you want to make soup.Prepare a large stock pot (5 quart) with water at high heat.

2: Peel ,sliced and wash lotus roots,add into the stock pot with pork in bone,cover pot with lid. Let the soup boil with lotus roots and pork in bone for 30 minutes or longer,then add in red dates,candy dates,dried cuttlefish. Reduce heat to medium low,let's the soup simmer for another 1 hour or longer, until soup color changed to light red.(I prefer to cook the soup longer)

3:Add in salt to your taste,then boil for another 15 minutes before shut off the heat.

4: Dish out and sprinkle with some cut scallion before serve warm.

Prepare cut lotus root and pork in bone to cook in stock pot
Washed red dates,candy dates and dried cuttlefish.

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Grilled Chilean Seabass with Ponzu Sauce

Chilean Sea Bass, also known as Patagonian Toothfish (Dissostichus eleginoides), a large, vaguely cod-shaped fish found in cold, deep waters of the southern hemisphere, has been one of the most phenomenally successful introductions of a fish into the North American market in our time. Where this fish was virtually unknown here fifteen years ago, today you can hardly pick up a restaurant menu or shop in a fish market without coming across it. The reasons for its popularity are clear. Chilean sea bass produces good-sized fillets of white meat with a mild flavor, a pleasantly firm texture, and a high fat content that makes it almost impossible to overcook. It has remained relatively inexpensive, especially in the frozen form, and for much of the year it is also available fresh, by air freight. Despite its common English name, Chilean sea bass is unrelated to the true sea basses (many of which go by the name "grouper") nor to other saltwater basses like striped bass. Instead, it belongs to a family found only in the higher latitudes of the southern hemisphere. I know many chef or restaurant banning selling Chilean seabass due to overfishing.I love Chilean Seabass but try to limit from buying too often.Recently hubby request to try out Chilean Seabass,he heard his co-worker talking about this famous fish.Well,this is the 1 st time I bought Chilean seabass in 5 years.Hubby was amazed with the smooth fine texture and taste of this fish..This fish is so simple and easy to prepare .

Ingredients:

I piece Chilean Seabass ,about 0.80 gram (thawed)
1 tbsp premium soy sauce
2 sliced ginger (shredded fine)
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp ponzu sauce
1 tsp sake
1 tbsp tobiko (fish egg)
1 tbsp roasted sesame seeds

Method:

1:Thawed frozen Chilean seabass in fridge for 24 hours. Clean or remove scales by scraping with dull edge of a knife. Preheat oven at 375 F , use broil setting.Prepare aluminium foil over small size baking sheet,spray some oil on it before lay Chilean seabass on it to prevent sticking or easy to remove when cooked.

2:Broil Chilean seabass at the middle top rack of oven for 20 minutes or until cooked.You can see the color changed when cooked.Do not overcooked this delicate fish.

3: Meanwhile prepare a small skillet at medium heat with oil,add in shredded fine ginger,fry until fragrant,then add in sake,let the sake burn out,immediately add in soy sauce and sesame sauce.Shut off the heat,add in ponzu sauce,mix well.

4: When fish ready,remove from baking sheet to a plate,drizzling the combination sauce all over the fish.Garnish with tobiko and sprinkle some roasted sesame seeds on it.

5: Serve immediately when still warm.

This fish is suitable to serve as an appetizer or main course.

Note:

You can find Chilean Seabass at frozen section in any supermarket.

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Braised Pork Belly and Potato in Miso

Months ago I bought a large packet of miso paste to make some Shrimp miso soup and Fried miso udon noodle. Since then the leftover miso paste still sitting in the fridge. I figure if I use the miso paste to braise with pork belly and potatoes,it would be a great dish for dinner.Miso is a part of many Japanese-style meals.Miso is typically salty, but its flavor and aroma depend on various factors in the ingredients and fermentation process. Different varieties of miso have been described as salty, sweet, earthy, fruity, and savory, and there is an extremely wide variety of miso available.

Ingredients:

2 pound pork belly ( cut 2 inch each)

5 potatoes (peel and halves)

5 cloves fresh garlic (peel and chopped)

2 tbsp miso paste

2 tbsp mirin (sweet wine)

1 tsp soy sauce *optional*

1 cup water

1 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

1:Prepare wok or stock pot with oil at medium high heat, add in chopped garlic,fry until fragrant,then add in pork belly.

2:Add in water,miso paste,potatoes and soy sauce, cover the pot with lid.Simmer for 30 minutes or until pork belly are soft and potatoes are tenderly cooked. Stir from time to time if you're not using non-stick pot.


3:Add in mirin and stir the combine ingredients,check the seasoning.Add some water if needed. Braise for another 10-15 minutes before remove from heat.


4: Serve warm with rice or noodle.


Note:

If you're using Idaho potatoes,add into the pork combination after the pork is about 90% cooked ,coz this kind of potatoes is so tender and will disengrated when cooking together for long time.

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Kuih Keria (Fried Sweet Potato Donut)

Whenever I visit Malaysia restaurant in NYC that sell breakfast,I will definitely get some of their special local cake/kuih if it's still available on the display counter. Usually the kuih/cake gone before lunch time!! One of my favourite kuih is Kuih Keria!! Sometimes I'm quite disappointment when my favourite cake/kuih sold off..so I vow to make this kuih myself..The verdict: This kuih is so easy and simple to make ,yet taste so delectable and savoury!!

Ingredients:

500 gm yellow sweet potatoes (peel and boiled until tender soft)

1/2 cup all purpose flour (sieved),plus extra for dusting

1 tsp baking powder

enough oil for frying

Ingredients For Coating:

1/2 cup sugar

4 tbsp water

Method:

1:Peel and boiled sweet potatoes until soft tender.Mashed sweet potatoes and combine with flour and baking flour.If it's too dry,add in 1-2 tbsp water.
2:Knead the dough well ,use rolling pin to roll the dough out to 1 1/2 inch. Dusting some flour on the surface if necessary,then use donut cutter or round cookies cutter to cut the dough shape out.If you use cookies cutter to cut the outer round shape,then use icing pipping tip to cut the hole out.
3: Prepare oil in fryer at medium heat,deep fry sweet potato rings rill golden brown.Dish and drain.

Method For Coating:

1: Use a clean small pot with low heat to cook sugar and water till syrupy and thick.Add fried sweet potato rings and keep stirring till all potato rings are well coated with syrup and eventually crystallized.(Do not use high heat.
2: Serve warm or cold with tea.

Yield about 20 pieces.

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Malaysia Spicy Fruit Salad (Rojak)

Recently a regular reader from my the other kitchen blog email me about my Malaysia spicy fruits salad (rojak) sauce recipe. She try to follow my rojak recipe twice , check it here!! Unfortunately both her attempt failed . Her email prompted me to re-make and re-write my special rojak sauce again in this blog.The key to have great rojak is the SAUCE!! Remember my previous post perfect cut pineapple ? I'm using the cut pineapple and mixed with other fruits to make spicy fruit salad (rojak)!! it's really taste succulent good!! Bring back my yesteryear's memory when I was in Malaysia!!
Ingredients for Sauce:

5 cup refine/granulated sugar( if you want your sauce thicker add more sugar)

1 cup chili boh or Sambal Olek

5-6 chili padi aka thai's bird chili(chopped fine)

2 tbsp sticky shrimp paste (har ko) must have!!

3 tbsp of caramel black thick sauce (I use Yuen Chun brand) don't use the regular thick soy sauce,it's smell raw!!

1 tsp of salt

1 tbsp roasted crushed belacan (shrimp paste)

I lb of fried/roast coarsely crush peanut for sprinkle

Yield about 1 quart

Ingredients for Salad

Pineapple
cucumber
jicama (sengkung)
mango
fried crullar (yauh char kwai)
green or fuji apple

**Peel and cut above vegetables and fruit to your portion,then mix rojak sauce ,only use few tbsp of sauce depend on your salad portion**

Method for Sauce:

1:Prepared a clean medium bowl,combine chili boh/sambal olek ,sugar,salt,roasted belacan,sticky shrimp paste (har koh) and caramel thick soy sauce.Mix all the ingredients in the bowl ,use a spatula or big spoon to stir the mixture until well combine.Keep stirring (about 30 times)until the sauce become thick and gooey ,then add in chopped bird's chili.Check the seasoning (salt and sugar) before store in clean container.(No water needed!!!)

2: Use a clean spoon each time you want to scoop the sauce out.Store the remaining sauce in fridge.Shelf life is about 6 months to a year..

3:Prepare your favourite cut fruits in a plate,add rojak sauce one spoon at a time into your salad.Then sprinkle with roasted crushed peanut on top before serving.

Note:

Pineapple and cucumber are fruit which contains higher liquid than others fruits or vegetables.So it's advisable to consume the salad (rojak) immediately after mixing with the sauce. Add peanuts when you're ready to eat to prevent the peanuts from getting soggy.

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Stir-fry Sweet Snap Peas with Shrimp

I recalled years ago when I was working at East Village,NYC ,every Sunday morning I will shop at flea market near Tompkins Square Park to look for fresh food and fruits.One of the vendor's lady who sell organic vegetables and fruits offered me some fresh sweet snap peas. I have no idea that we can eat the sweet snap peas as it's but she told me,just try it and I was amazed how sweet and succulent is the sweet snap peas!! No wonder it's called sweet peas!!...Sugar snap peas are the result of crossing English peas with snow peas .I loves all peas especially the crispy and crunchy green sweet snap pea!! If you never try this peas before ,go to your local market tomorrow, get some to stir-fry for your family!! I assure you ,you will love it like I do!

Ingredients:

1 pound sweet snap peas ( removed both end but you don't have to if it comes clean) wash and drain

1 small carrot (peel and sliced)

10 pieces tiger shrimp ( clean and deviened)

1 tbsp chicken bouillon powder

1 tbsp oyster sauce

3-4 fresh garlic (peel and chopped)

2 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

1: Prepare skillet at medium high heat with oil and chopped garlic.When garlic fragrant and lightly brown,add in ,carrot and clean shrimp,fry shrimp until curl.
2: Add in sweet snap peas ,oyster sauce and chicken bouillon powder.Quick stir for less in 1 minutes,dish out immediately.Do not over cooked the snap peas!!
3: Serve warm with rice or noodles or eat as it's.

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Perfect Cut Pineapple

Pineapple is abundant in tropical countries like Asia and South America. When we feel like eating fresh pineapple,we can just go to any food court or road side vendor stall to get a pieces or two. But living in US,we don't have this luxury..Either we get the whole pineapple from supermarket or pineapple with juice in can. I know as a Malaysian we sometimes miss eating pineapple or any exotic fresh fruit from home..The best we can do is to cut the pineapple our self ..Actually cutting pineapple is not really difficult at all..I understand some people claimed that pineapple has benefits for some intestinal disorders; others claim that it helps to induce childbirth when a baby is overdue. But for me I eat it because I love the sweet and sourly flavor and juicy texture!
Ready to eat cut pineapple

remove both top and bottom end of the pineapple.

Then use right hand to hold the knife and left hand to hold the pineapple

Remove the shell/skin first-do not cut too deep or else you lost all the great flesh on it.
Then use right hand to hold knife,left hand to hold the fruit tightly.Remove the "eyes" of the fruit until gone.Hold your knife 90 degree angle when cutting. Do not consume the "eyes" !! It's will make your tongue itchy!!

Taaaa....dah!! a prefect cut whole pineapple!! Wash with clean cold water before cut to 8 pieces.

Sometime,I just sprinkle some salt on it to eat or most of the time I mix with spicy fruit salad (rojak)!! Stay tune for my Rojak recipe!! Meanwhile you can enjoy my video of cutting pineapple below! I grab hubby to tape this video when I just start cutting pineapple...He not the best photographer/videographer but I think this video is not bad at all.. Enjoy the show!!




Hope you like the way I cut the pineapple:)

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Braised Preserved Vegetables with Pork Belly (Mui Choy Yoke )

Recently I was in Chinatown food shopping,I requested the seller at the vendor store to get me "sweet" preserved vegetables (mui choy) but he recommended a "salted" mui choy in loose bundle.He even told me salted mui choy taste better than sweet mui choy. Well ,I'm a sucker for anything taste better that I never try before! hehehe!! So I asked for a bundle of salted mui choy,it's approx 1 pound and plan to mix with a pack of sweet mui choy I still have a home. Actually the salted mui choy not really salty provided you must soaked in water for 24 hours,then keep changing the water until it's color changed clear. .I recalled my mom told me to get sweet mui choy if I'm going to cook mui choy yoke .When I mixed both sweet and salted preserved vegetable together ,I don't have to add in soy sauce or salt when cooking.It's really a married in heaven!! This dish is a comfort food for me when I was living in Malaysia. Usually we eat mui choy yoke with congee/porridge..If you miss home or family,try to cook this dish...as easy as ABC!!

Ingredients:

1 lb salted mui choy
1 lb sweet mui choy
3 pound pork belly ( cut 1 1/2 inch each)
6-7 fresh garlic (peel and chopped)
3 tbsp thick caramel soy sauce
2 tbsp sugar
1 cup water
1 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

1:Soaked mui choy in cold water 24 hours.In between keep washing and changing the water to remove soil .Then cut about 1 inch length mui choy,wash with clean water again..Remember to wash mui choy until no soil.Cut pork belly with skin about 1-2 inch each pieces.
2:Prepare pressure cooker at high heat with oil,add in pork belly ,fats and skin facing the pot bottom for 2-3 minutes,then add in chopped garlic.Fry until fragrant,then add in cut and clean mui choy,water ,sugar and thick caramel soy sauce.Cover with lid and notch,let it cook for 25-30 minutes at high heat
3:Remove pressure cooker from heat and slowly remove notch to release steam.Then check the seasoning again,dish out and serve with white rice or porridge.

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