About my menus

The quantity of ingredients used in my recipes is usually for 3-4 persons.

Each dinner-menu consists of 3 courses: 1 soup  + 1 main dish + 1 vegetable

For health reason (my husband's cholesterol level is marginally high) I avoid dairy products and eggs and only use olive oil.

I never use artificial broth. If a recipe needs broth (chicken or beef) and I have no time to make my own, I replace it with water.

I try to use as much as possible fresh vegetables instead of tin/can ones. However, sometimes for practical reasons (to gain time) I would buy pulses (kidney beans, butter beans, garbanzo, etc) in can.

Soups:

Amount of water required: 6 rice bowls (see photo below) which makes about 4-5 serving bowls.

I recommend scalding meat in boiled water for a few minutes (to remove grease) before preparing the soup.

Rice bowl (250 ml)

Main dishes:

We have a vegeterain main dish at least twice a week and a vegetarian meal once a week.

Vegetables:

I order organic vegetables from Hong Chi Homestead (a Social Enterprise which is run by Hong Chi Association) and I also buy from wet markets and supermarkets. I prefer to buy seasonal vegetables rather than those which are not in season. Our vegetables are either parboiled and pan-fried or stir-fried (in a wok - Chinese style) with ginger and garlic.

Steamed-Rice:

I alternate brown rice and white rice. I add 1 whole clove of garlic in the rice cooker to give flavour.

Fruit / Desserts: It is said and I believe it that fruit are best eaten between meals (or at least 1 hour before).   We usually don't have cakes/dessert in the evening (unless special occasion).

  

Bread:

I make my own bread. Clik here for recipe.

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.