Menu 2

Chinese White Cabbage with Tofu Soup

Sautéed Eggplants

Vegetables of the Day 

1) Chinese White Cabbage with Tofu Soup

Ingredients:

• 1/2 catty (300 g) spareribs or lean pork
• 1 block of solid bean curd, ngaahng (hard) dauh-fuh*
• 300 g Chinese white cabbage, baahk-choi**
• 6 bowls of water
• 1 slice ginger
• ½ tsp salt

* photo on post 4/06/11
** photo on Vegetables Page

Steps:

1. Wash the bean curd clean.
2. Wash pork ribs clean, cut them into small pieces, scald them in boiling water and drain.
3. Wash Chinese white cabbage and cut into short lengths.
4. Bringing water to a boil, put spareribs and ginger slice in to boil over medium heat for ½ hour.
5. Put the bean curd in to boil for 15 minutes
6. Add the Chinese white cabbage in and boil for another 10-15 minutes.
7. Add salt to taste before serving.

2) Sautéed Eggplants

Ingredients:

• 500 g eggplants sliced thickly
• 2 tbsp rice wine (Shaoxing)
• 2 tbsp fermented bean paste, dauh-báan-jeung*
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp white wine
• 1 cup + 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into bite-size pieces
• 1 tsp ground white sesame seeds, roasted
• ½ tsp sesame oil

 * see photo on post 4/6/11

Steps:

1. Soak the eggplant in a bowl of water for a few minutes. Drain water and wipe thoroughly the eggplants with paper towels.
2. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat. When oil is hot drop the eggplants into the pan. Fry for about 3 minutes on both sides or until the flesh is soft.
3. Transfer the eggplants onto a rack lined with paper towels (cut side down) to drain. Discard oil.
4. Heat 1 tbsp oil in the pan over medium-high heat and add the green bell pepper. Stir-fry for 20 minutes or until the pepper is bright green.
5. Add the eggplants, and the fermented bean paste combined with rice wine, white wine, and sugar. Gently toss the vegetables to coat with the sauce. Transfer to a serving dish. 
6. Roast the ground sesame seeds and garnish the dish.  Pour sesame oil on top.

 3) Shanghai white cabbage (siú-tòhng-choi) 

Ingredients:

• 1 catty of Shanghai white cabbage, siú-tòhng-choi
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 tsp salt 

Steps:

1. Wash vegetables clean.
2. In a large saucepan, bring water with salt, garlic and vegetable oil to a boil. Add vegetables in and boil for a few minutes until tender but still bright green.
3. Drain and serve in a plate.

Steamed Fish

Steamed fish / Jîng-yùh (hùnhg-sâam-yú)

Ingredients:

• 1 grouper/garoupa (fresh), ask your fishmonger to remove the scales and entrails

One very affordable fish is the golden threadfin bream (hùhng-sâam-yú - which literally means red-shirt-fish). This fish is also commonly used in soups.

• 3 slices ginger, finely shredded
• Spring onion, chopped
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• Optional: coriander leaves (I don't like it too much so I leave it out)

Steps:

1. Wash and pat dry fish with paper towel.
2. Rub fish with salt and place on steaming dish; spread shredded ginger over it.
3. In a large saucepan (large enough to hold a rack to steam the fish) bring the water to a boil and place fish (in the steaming dish) on rack inside. Cover and steam until done. As a general rule we count 1 minute per tael (Chinese Ounce).
4. Remove dish from the saucepan. Spill out liquid in the dish and spread spring onions (and coriander) on fish; dribble light soy sauce over it.
5. Pour hot cooked oil over all. Serve immediately.

Weight conversion:
- 1 catty (gàn) = ~600g = 16 tael (leúng)
- 1 tael (leúng) = 37.5g

Option: You can also place slices of (solid)  bean curd (ngaahng) dauh-fuh around the fish in the steaming dish.

Note: There are many varieties of groupers (sehk-bâan) in Hong Kong. Some of them can be quite expensive and housewifes will generally buy the freshwater grouper called gwai-fâ which are cheaper.

Dried Foods 2: products needed for Menu 1

Here are some of the dried products needed for the recipe posted on March 16.

Chinese yam / Wàaih-sâan

Wolfberries / Géi-jí

Dried longan pulp / Yùhn-yuhk



Black fungus / Wàhn-yíh

Menu 1

Pork with Chinese Yam and Wolfberries Soup

*

Greens, Mushrooms and Vegetarian Chicken

*

Indian lettuce

  

1) Pork with Chinese Yam and Wolfberries Soup

Ingredients: 

• 20 slices (about 100g) of Chinese Yam (wàaih-sâan)*
• 20 g (about 3 tbsp) dried wolfberries (géi-jí)*  also called Goji berries
• 10 dried longan pulp (lùhng-ngáahn-yuhk or yùhn-yuhk )* [literally means: dragon-eye-meat]. 
• 1 tbsp black fungus (wàhn-yíh)*  [literally means: cloud ear]
• 5 dried Chinese mushrooms
• 250 g lean pork
• ¼ dried tangerine peel, (cháhn-pèih)**
• 4 slices of fresh ginger
• Salt to taste

* Photos of dried products on blog posted on March 18.

** Photo of tangering peel on blog posted on Feb. 19.

Steps:

1. Wash the Chinese yam, dried longan pulp and wolfberries clean.
2. Soak black mushrooms and black fungus until soft and wash them clean.
3. Wash the pork clean, scald it in boiling water.
4. Soak dried tangerine peel until soft.
5. In a large pot bring 6 bowls of water to a boil; put all the ingredients in.
6. Bring to a boil again; cook over high heat for ½ hour.
7. Reduce the fire to medium heat and boil for ½ hour more. Reduce the fire to mild heat and boil for another 1 hour.
8. Add salt to taste before serving.

2) Greens, Mushrooms and Vegetarian chicken 

 Ingredients: 

• 150 g straw mushrooms chóu-gû
• 100 g sweet peas
• 100 g long beans
• 1 small carrot
• 1 shallot, finely sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 roll vegetarian chicken sò-gâi*, sliced thickly
• 1 tbsp rice wine
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp of sesame oil
• 1 tbsp boiling water
• Salt and ground black pepper

* see photo in posts dated April 21 & April 30,2011

Steps:

1. Blanch long beans and mushrooms separately. Drain.
2. Heat oil in frying pan; stir fry shallots and garlic golden brown.
3. Add vegetarian chicken. Stir in for a while. Remove from pan and put aside.
4. In the same pan stir-fry sweet peas and carrots for 10 minutes; then add mushrooms and long beans in. Add salt.
5. Cook over low heat for a few minutes or until tender.  Sizzle in wine. Return vegetarian chicken mixture. Simmer over low heat 2-3 minutes longer.  
6. Add sauces and cornstarch blended with sesame oil and water, salt and pepper. 

Note: I buy excellent sò-gâi at "Syuh-gei" a specialist shop located on Yu Chau Street in Sham Shui Po (friend's recommendation).  Vegetarian chicken can also be bought at the wet market and the supermarket.

3) Indian lettuce - yaùh-mahk-choi

Ingredients:

• 300g Indian lettuce*
• 2-3 cloves of garlic
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• Salt  

* see photo of fresh Indian lettuce on Vegetables Page.

Steps:

1. Wash lettuce well; drain.
2. Heat oil in frying pan.
3. Add Indian lettuce; stir-fry with garlic until soft but still bright green.
4. Add salt to taste.
5. Transfer to a dish and serve hot.  

Minestrone

Although spring is supposed to be here I still enjoy having a warm soup, especially on those cooler days. Here below is my minestrone recipe. This is not a Chinese soup but you can give it a Chinese flavour by adding "local" greens such as leek/big spring onion (daaih-syun), white turnip/oriental radish (lòh-baahk), or kohlrabi (gaai-láan-táu), etc.

This wholesome dish with lots of vegetables, beans and pasta is simply delicious. Ideal for vegetarian!

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 stick of celery, chopped
• 400 g chopped tomatoes (1 can or fresh ripe tomatoes)
• 2 jade melon- cheui-yuhk-gwâ, chopped
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 cup red wine (optional)
• 2 l. water
• 200 g (1 can) cannellini beans (like kidney beans but white)
• A few leaves of spinach, bô-choi
• 50 g linguini + 50 g spaghetti
• Salt & ground black pepper

Steps:

1. Heat olive oil in a large pan. Add chopped onions, garlic, carrots, and celery. Stir-fry until slightly golden. Cover and simmer for 10-15 minutes.
2. Add the tomatoes, jade melon, bay leaf and red wine. Simmer lightly for about 30 minutes. 
3. Add the water. Bring to the boil; reduce heat; add beans, spinach, and pasta.  Stir and cook for 7-8 minutes or until pasta is cooked (al dente).
4. Season with salt and ground black pepper. Discard the bay leaf before serving.

Minestrone with jade melon, carrot, spinach, etc

Mustard Greens Soup



Fresh Mustard Greens (gaai-choi)

Mustard Greens Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 catty (600g) mustard greens - gaai-choi, cut stems into chunks (if too thick)
• 1 ginger, sliced
• ½ catty lean pork (shank), sliced
• Salt & white pepper to taste

 Steps:

1.  Blanch pork.
2. Prepare mustard greens
3. In a large pan bring 6 cups of water to a boil. Add ginger and pork. Bring to the boil again and cook for ½ hour. 
4. Add mustard greens. Cook for another ½ hour.
5. Add salt and white pepper

Mustard Greens Soup

Note: Mustard Greens are said to bring heat (yang energy) and therefore to help promote circulation and to relieve congestion. Mustard greens taste is quite pungent, a bit stronger than cabbage (same family).



Wet Markets

I love wet markets.  Read more >> 


France (Vienne- Isère)

   

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Peng Chau

  

 

Dried Foods 1: products used in recipe (March 1)

Here are 2 dried foods used in recipe posted on March 1.





Honey (Brown) Dates



Dried Shrimps

Chayotes...other dishes

I would like to share 2 other recipes using Chayote or "Chouchou"!   

1) Sauteed Chayote with Dried Shrimps

Ingredients:

• 500 g chayote / faht-sáu-guâ - peeled, cored, and cut into chunks
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp dried shrimps / hâ-máih (see photo on next blog)
• 2 cloves of garlic, sliced thinly
• Salt and ground black pepper 

Steps:

1. Wash clean the dried shrimps. Soak them in cold water for 10 minutes. Drain and rinse.
2. Heat oil over medium heat and stir-fry the garlic until tender; then add chayote. Cook chayote, stirring occasionally until crisp-tender (5-8 minutes).
3. Add shrimps.  Simmer until chayote is tender.
4. Season with salt and pepper.

Sauteed Chayote

2) Pork Soup with Chayote, Corn and Carrot

Ingredients:

• 1 chayote / faht-sáu-guâ
• 1 corn (on the cob)
• 1 large carrot
• 1 tbsp sweet-bitter apricot kernels / nàahm-bâk-hahng (see photo in previous blog)
• 500 g pork bones  or lean pork
• 3 dried brown/honey dates / maht-jóu  (see photo in next blog)
• Salt

Steps:

1. Wash pork bones clean and scald in boiling water for 5 minutes.  Rinse and drain.
2. Peel carrot and chayote and cut into large pieces.  Wash corn, carrot and chayote.
3. Bring water to a boil in pan; put pork bones (or lean pork), carrot, dates, corn, and chayote in pan and when it boils again lower temperature; simmer for 1 hour.
4. Add kernels. Lower heat and simmer for another hour.
5. Add salt before serving. 

Soup with Chayote 

I usually use lean pork (shank) instead of pork bones as it is less fatty.