Special Chunky Chinese Egg Drop Soup

Nowadays, there is so much convenience with regards to almost everything. Specially food. You can prepare so much variation of food even if you are a novice. But sometimes, for the person who is really into nice cuisine, sometimes it is nice to prepare food from scratch. Nothing compares to home prepared food. There is that certain element that cannot be found in most ready to cook food preparation. Take for example the simple egg drop soup. Various recipes are available in restaurants that are also easily recreated in homes from instant food products. However, their taste will not be at par with the original home cooked variants. Even the ones in restaurant will not match home cooked meals. Especially if the cook at home is skilled that is. Anyway, I just thought of creating this recipe because I crave Chinese inspired soup but not the instant version. I think it came out really nice. I really enjoyed having this soup on a rainy day like today.

Ingredients:

¼ cup Large prawns, cut into cubes.

¼ kg Chicken breast fillet, thinly sliced.

4 pcs. Dried scallop, diced finely

3 pcs. Dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and diced finely, save soaking liquid.

5 pcs. Garlic, minced

1 pc. Onion, medium, thinly sliced

¼ tsp. Black pepper powder

1 tbsp. Sugar

½ cup Mung bean noodles (cut into 1 inch length)

1 1/4 tsp. Iodized salt

3 tbsp. Mirin wine

½ cup Snow peas

5 cups Water

1 ½ tbsp. Cornstarch

½ cup Water (for suspending the starch)

2 pcs. Eggs (beaten)

1 tsp. Sesame oil

3 tbsp. Safflower oil (for sautéing)

Cooking Instruction:

Heat the oil in a large saucepan and sauté the garlic and onion until the garlic is golden brown and the onion starts to caramelize. Add the scallop and prawns. Cook until prawn turns bright red. Add the chicken and the mirin wine. Mix and cook for about two minutes. Add the black pepper, sugar and the mushroom including the excess liquid used for soaking the same. Stir and cook for another two minutes. Add the water and heat until it boils. Lower flame to a gentle simmer and cover. Cook for about 15-20 minutes to fuse the flavours.

In a bowl, place the cornstarch and water. Mix well until it is evenly suspended and free from lumps. Add the sesame oil and mix well. Pour on the cooking mixture and stir the soup well. Increase the flame to start boiling. Pour the beaten eggs and stir immediately. Add the snow peas and cover. Extinguish flame and stand for about 5 minutes. Serve hot. Enjoy with steamed buns...

Pesang Tilapia (Tilapia & Native Pechay Soup)

Pesa is a traditional fish soup recipe in the Philippines which typically is cooked with Dalag (Mudfish). However, I have found out the substituting the more commonly available tilapia will do as well.

Ingredients:

1 kg Tilapia (scales removed, cleaned)

¼ kg Bok Choy

1 cup Safflower oil (for frying the tilapia)

2 tbsp. Safflower oil (for sautéing)

5 cloves Garlic, minced

1 pc. Onion (medium, thinly sliced)

3 slices Ginger, fresh, sliced thinly, about 1 tbsp.

½ tsp. Black pepper powder

¼ cup Patis (native fish sauce)

1 level tbsp. Sugar

3 cups Water

Salt to taste

Cooking Instruction:

Heat 1 cup of oil in a frying pan and fry the fish to brown both sides. Set aside the fried fish on paper towels to remove excess fat.

In another large saucepan, heat oil and sauté the garlic, onion, and ginger until he garlic turns golden brown and the onion starts to caramelize. Add water and place the bok choy. Place on top of the pechay the fish and add all the other ingredients.

Cover and cook for about 5 minutes or until the bok choy is ready. Adjust salt to taste. Serve with bread or with plain steamed rice.

Chicken with Almonds

What other things you can do with chicken when you get tired of the ordinary stuff? The recipe should also be easy to prepare and have unique taste... How about ‘Chicken with Almonds’? Very easily prepared.

Ingredients:

1 kg. Chicken, cut into serving sizes

½ cup Almonds (barbecue flavoured)

4 cloves Garlic, minced

1 pc. Onion, medium, thinly sliced

1 cup Water

¼ tsp. Iodized salt

2 tbsp. Safflower oil

¼ tsp. Black pepper powder

Cooking Instruction:

Reduce the almonds into powder with the use of a suitable blender. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a saucepan and sauté the garlic and onion until the garlic turns golden brown and the onion starts to caramelize. Toss in the chicken and stir. Cook for about five minutes and add the water, salt, and black pepper, mix well. When it starts to boil, lower the flame to a gentle simmer and cover. Cook until chicken is tender and the water is reduced to about ¾ cup. Add the powdered almonds and mix. Continue cooking uncovered to concentrate the sauce to ¼ cup and serve with bread or plain steamed rice. You may additionally garnish the dish with either flaked, or whole almonds. For interesting variation, you may choose not to grind but just chop them. Interesting and tasty...

Menudo (Pork Stew)

In the Philippines, there is a popular dish that you almost always come across when in attending fiestas. Menudo, is a dish that has pork, liver, some vegetables, in tomato sauce. In the northern part of the country you always come across this food not only in fiestas but it is very commonly prepared for regular meals also. Not only that, it seems that most of the eateries normally have this on their menu. As usual, almost everyone has variations of the dish. Here’s mine... One thing more, you must not confuse this recipe with another one of the same name in Mexico.

Ingredients:

1 kg Pork, cut into small cubes.

¼ kg Pork liver, cut into small cubes.

½ kg Potato, cubed

2 pcs. Bell peppers (red and green, cut into squares)

½ cup Carrots, cubed

1 cup Tomato sauce

¼ kg Hotdog, sliced

1 tsp. Cocoa powder

5 pcs. Bay leaves

1 tbsp. Sugar

½ tsp. Black pepper powder

½ tsp. Iodized salt

2 tbsp. Safflower oil for sautéing

½ cup Safflower oil, for frying the potatoes and carrots

2 tbsp. Premium dark soy sauce

5 cloves Garlic, minced

1 pc. Onion, medium, thinly sliced

1 cup Water

¼ cup Citron (kalamansi) juice

Cooking Instruction:

In a large bowl, place the meat and add the citron juice and soy sauce. Mix and marinate, set aside.

Heat ½ cup oil in a frying pan and fry the potato until golden brown, next fry also the carrots until browned. Set aside the fried vegetables on top of paper towels to remove excess fat.

In a large sauce pan, heat the oil and sauté the garlic and onion until the garlic is golden brown and the onion starts to caramelize. Add the sliced hot dogs and stir. Cook for approximately two minutes. Toss in the marinated meat and sugar, black pepper, bay leaf, salt, cocoa powder, stir. Cook for about 5 minutes and add the water. When it starts to boil, lower the heat to have a gentle simmer and cover. Cook until the meat is nearly done. Add more water as needed to achieve cooking. Add the tomato sauce and stir, continue cooking for about 15-20 minutes more or until the sauce is reduced to about 1 ½ cup volume. Enjoy with bread or plain steamed rice.