Braised Pork Belly with Tau Pok and Tau Kwa

Ingredients

2 tbsp Oil

2 tbsp Sugar

6 clove Garlic

2 tbsp Light Soy

4 tbsp Dark Soy

1/2 tsp Salt

225ml Water

600g Pork Belly, Hair removed

10 Tau Po, small

2 Tau Kwa

2 Hard boil eggs

Method

1. In a wok, heat up the oil and add in sugar and caramelize to a light golden brown

2. Add Garlic and cook a moment.

3. Add light and Dark Soy, Salt and water and bring to a boil

4. Add Pork Belly and cook on high for 20 mins

5. Add in Tau Pok, Tau Kwa and Eggs

6. Bring to a low flame, and simmer for 30 mins

7. Slice up the Pork Belly

8. Enjoy!

Simple Roast Chicken

Ingredients

1 Chicken
1 Lemon
2 Tbsp Dried Thyme
2 Tbsp Sea Salt
Pinch of Pepper
Dash of EV Olive oil

Method

1. Wash and pat dry chicken, place in a roasting pan
2. Pre-heat Oven to 180 Degrees
3. Rub EV Olive oil all over the chicken
4. Rub Sea salt and dried thyme all over the chicken
5. Slice Lemon into half, squeeze the juice into the cavity and stuff the lemon halves inside.
6. Roast for 1.5 hours to 2 hours (Depending on size of chicken)
7. Enjoy

Drunken Prawns (醉虾)

This is one dish i will always have if i go to a chinese a-la-carte buffet restaurant or an international buffet that has counters preparing this dish using very fresh and live jumping prawns. If its on the menu  at a restaurant or a Zhi Char Stall, it will cost between $20 to $30!  I remember having this dish at M Hotel Singapore during its Hotpot Buffet . It was so fresh and juicy. So, i tried to re-create this dish at home to sastify my craving.

Ingredients

4 tbsp Chinese wine
1 tsp wolfberries
3 spring onion white stalks
few slices of ginger
15 Prawns

Method

1. Soak the Prawns in the Chinese Wine for about 30 mins. (If using Live Prawns, the prawns will drink the wine for better results)

2. Lay spring onions stalks in a tray

3. Lay the prawns on top of the spring onions, pouring in all the wine that was soaking the prawns as well

4. Julien some ginger and place them on top of the prawns together with the wolfberries

5. Steam for about 5 to 7 minutes. They are done once they turn Pink/Orange.

6. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Butter Cookies

I love cookies, just that i haven't found any recipe that's so easy to make. This is such a fool-proof recipe, i think even a 5 year old can bake. If you do not like Cinnamon, just omit it from the recipe! If you like other spice, feel free to replace with same quantity of your favourite spice. (You may even want to add savoury herbs like Rosemary)

Ingredients

225g butter, softened

110g caster sugar

275g plain flour

1 teaspoon Cinnamon

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C

2. Cream the butter in a large bowl until soft.

3. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.

4. Sift in the flour and cinnamon and form a dough.

5. Using your hands, roll the dough into balls and place them slightly apart on a baking tray and bake in the oven for 14 minutes.

6. Enjoy!

Pork Cordon Bleu with Broccoli

I first stumble on this was when i went to India in late 90's. Over at Kochi, it was a popular dish at this hotel called Taj Malabar Hotel. But they use chicken instead of pork. I again tasted this when i went to Visakhapatnam in 2004 at this hotel called Dolphin Hotel. Again it was chicken cordon bleu. (They used chicken breast which made the dish a bit dry)

Recently, when i was in Thailand, Pattaya in 2009 and Phuket in 2010, i had the oppurtunity to taste Pork Cordon Bleu. Both times, it was at a fusion restaurant. In Pattaya, it was at Walking Street. In Phuket, it was along Patong Beach. I love the pork version better then the chicken so i experimented and enjoyed this dish when i'm home in Singapore. Here is the recipe.

Ingredients 

(Makes 1 Pork Cordon Bleu)

2 slices Pork Loin Patty about 1 inch thickness

1 slice of Ham

1 slice of cheese

1 Packet Breadcrumbs (I can make 4 Pork Cordon Bleu)

1 Egg

Few florets of Broccoli

Method

1. Using the back of your cleaver, flatten the pork loin patty. (They should expand in size to about 1.5 times)

2. Lay 1 patty on a plate, line the ham and cheese on top of it.

3. Lay the other patty over, sealing the ham and cheese in-between the patties

4. Place the pork into the egg liquid

4. Coat the pork with breadcrumbs and pan fry the patty till golden brown

5. While pan-frying, blanch the broccoli florets for about 5 mins in hot water, remove and place in ice bath

6. Serve the Pork Cordon Bleu with Broccoli and enjoy!

Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

1 Pumpkin, (Best if you have Buttersquash)
Milk
EV Olive Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

Method

1. Cut up pumpkin into 1 inch cubes and steam for 10 minutes
2. Blend the pumpkin into a paste
3. Pour the paste into a stockpot, add in milk to form the consistency that you like. (How thick or watery depends on you)
4. Bring the soup to a boil, add salt and pepper to taste
5. Enjoy

*Croutons are homemade too, not store bought. If you are interested, can send me a msg and i share with you.

Char Siew 叉烧

Ingredients

500g pork collar
70g sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
300 ml water

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients into a ziplock bag and marinate for minimum 2 hours, best 24 hours.
2. Empty the marinade into a non-stick pan, bring to a boil.
3. Add in pork collar and lower the flame and simmer meat until tender and sauce thickens. (approx 30 mins)

4. Remove pork collar, allow to rest for about 10 mins.

5. While resting, keep the sauce warm, if not it will harden.

6. Slice up your meat and drizzle the sauce over the char siew.

7. Enjoy