Watercress soup with Conpoy and Wolfberries

This soup is very cooling and has been on my menu for many years. I always make this whenever the weather is cranky or when my family showing signs of heatiness. This soup is so simple to make; your 3 year old kid can do it too!

Ingredient

2 bunch of Watercress

A handful of Conpoy

1 Chicken bone (Keep the Meat for stir fry or Stew)

3L of water

A handful of Wolfberries

Method

1. Soak the dried scallops and wolfberries

2. In a pot, add water and scallops

3. Scald the chicken bone in hot water and add to pot

4. Seperate the stem from the leaves of Watercress and add the stem to pot.

5. under low heat, simmer for 2 hours.

6. After 2 hours, remove the stems and you can either set aside to serve or throw them

7. Add in the leaves and wolfberries and continue to simmer for 30 mins

8. Enjoy!

Crabstick and Parmesan Cheese Omelette

Ingredients

2 Eggs, beaten

4 Crabstick, cut into half lengthwise

Generous shavings of Parmesan Cheese

Oil

Method

1. Heat a wok, pan fry crabstick for 1 min

2. Pour in the eggs

3. When the eggs start to solidify, flip them over and fry the other side for 1 min.

4. Sprinkle generous shavings of parmesan cheese over the omelette.

5. Enjoy!

Steam StingRay (魔鬼鱼)

Ingredients

500g Stingray 魔鬼鱼

5 slices of Ginger, shred
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp light soy
1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
Stalk of Spring onion
80 ml water

Method

1. Clean Stingray and cut into pieces.
2. Steam at high heat with some shredded ginger for 15 minutes.
3. Heat up cooking oil and fry chopped garlic until fragrant.
4. Add in light soy, sesamee oil, salt, sugar, water and stir well and bring to boil.
5. Pour sauce over steamed stingray, sprinkle spring onion on top.
6. Enjoy

Minced Pork with Dong Cai (冬菜肉饼)

Another childhood favourite dish that evokes memories whenever i eat it. It always taste so good especially with good quality 冬菜. This is what gives it the unique flavour. I have never failed to order this whenever i have Teochew Porridge or at Mixed Rice Stalls!

Ingredients

300g Mince Pork

2 tbsp Dong Cai (冬菜)

1 tbsp Light Soy

1 tbsp Sesamee Oil

1 tbsp Hua Teow Chinese Wine

1 Egg

1 Stalk Spring Onion, Chopped

1 Red Chilli, Julien

Pepper to taste

Method

1. Chop up the 冬菜 and rinse water once.

2. Combine all ingredients and marinade for 1 hour in fridge

3. Lay the mixutre flat in a container and steam for 15 mins

4. Enjoy!

Mediterranean Tomato Salad

Ingredients

15 Cherry Tomatoes

1 Pkt cubed Feta Cheese (If you cant find, use normal Cheddar Cheese)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

5 cloves Garlic, thinliy sliced

Few sprigs of Flat Leaf Parsley

Method

1. In a 330 ml bottle (I use bottles of drinks with cap), put in Garlic and fill up with Extra Virgin Olive Oil to make Garlic infused olive oil. (This can keep in the fridge for up to a month)

2. Half the cherry tomatoes

3. Chop up the flat leaf parsley.

4. In a salad bowl, mix tomatoes, feta cheese and flat leaf parsley with generous lugs of Garlic infused olive oil.

5. Enjoy!

Baked Meatball Marinara

Ingredients

Meatballs

700g ground Beef 

300g ground Pork

2 clove of garlic

1 tablespoon of Extra Vrgin olive oil

1 egg

50g Bread crumbs

1 tsp Basil (Fresh is better)

1 tsp Parsley (Fresh is better)

1 tsp Oregano (Fresh is better)

Pepper and Salt

Marinara sauce 

1 Can diced tomatoes

2 Garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 Shallot, chopped
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 Tsp Oregano (Fresh is better)
1 Tsp  Basil (Fresh is better)
1/2 Tsp salt

Method

1. Preheat oven to 200 Degrees C.
2. Mix the meatballs ingredients together, set aside for 2 hours and squeeze them into golf ball size balls
3. Place the meatballs on a greased pan, do not crowd them.
4. Bake for 15 minutes, and then turn. Bake for an additional 15 minutes, turn again and continue to bake until meatballs are browned and cooked through.

5. In a small saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium high heat; add the garlic and shallots and wait for about one minute.
6. Add tomatoes, oregano, basil and salt. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes.
7. Once meatballs are done, add into the sauce, mix well and serve!

8. Enjoy!

Banana Bread

  

After reading Aspiring Bakers #7 Chocolate Delight (May 2011) - Round Up and with my entry there amonst the other aspiring bakers, made my hand itchy again. June's theme is "BREAD SEDUCTION" and i started thinking, 'What bread can seduce me?' Heehee, i remembered a good Banana Bread always brings a smile to my face, especially during the baking process as the aroma can really fill up the house. So this is my entry for Aspiring Bakers #8 for June 2011. For those interested to know more, go to The Sweetylicious

Ingredients

110g Butter

2 Eggs

2 cups Plain flour

1 Tsp Baking Soda

1 cup Mashed Ripe Banana (About 2 Bananas)
1 Banana, Sliced

1 cup Brown Sugar

Method

1. Preheat Oven to 180 Degrees C

2. Mix Butter and Sugar together until creamy

3. Add Bananas and Eggs to the butter

4. Sift Flour and Baking Soda into mixture and combine

5. Pour half mixture into a baking pan 
6. Arrange sliced bananas on surface
7. Pour other half mixture in pan over the bananas.
8. Arrange few slices of banana on surface of bread mixture, pressing them down 1 - 2 cm

9. Bake for 50 mins or until a skewer comes out clean

10. Allow to cool before serving

11. Enjoy!