Flat Rice Noodles for Birthday

It is an old custom in China to prepare birthday noodles every time this special occasion comes at home. Unfortunately, where I stay, I can’t seem to find real egg noodles to cook this recipe. I however thought of using the plain flat rice noodles which I have so much in stock and this is the result. Not bad...

INGREDIENTS:

500 g Flat rice noodles

250 g Pork

250 g Chicken breast

¼ cup Shrimps (unshelled and deveined)

3 pcs. Eggs (beaten)

¼ cup Peanuts (with skin, salted and fried)

1/3 cup Carrots (julienned thinly)

1 tbsp. Green onions (minced finely)

1 tbsp. Garlic (minced)

1 pc. Onion (medium, diced)

1/3 tsp. Iodized salt

¼ tsp. Black pepper (powder)

4 pcs. Shiitake mushrooms (hydrated in ½ cup water, keep water for use in cooking and cut mushrooms thinly sliced)

1 pc. Red bell pepper (julienned)

1 pc. Onion (peeled, whole, for meat preparation)

1 tsp. Garlic (minced for meat preparation)

1/8 tsp. Black pepper (for meat preparation, powder)

¼ tsp. Iodized salt (for meat preparation)

2 pcs. Ginger (fresh, thinly sliced about a teaspoon)

1 cup Water (for meat preparation)

3 cups Water for cooking noodle

1 cup Water (extra for cooking other ingredient)

2 tbsp. Safflower oil for sautéing

1/8 cup Premium dark soy sauce

2 tbsp. Oyster flavoured sauce

Cooking Instruction:

Heat a small amount of oil (about a tablespoon) in a suitable Teflon pan and make an omelette out of the eggs in the recipe. Spread the egg in a wide area of the pan to produce a thin omelette. Slice the omelette into thin strips and set aside.

In a suitable pan, place the whole onion, garlic, black pepper, salt, water and the chicken and pork. Cover and heat to boiling at high heat. Then simmer until the chicken and pork are cooked and chicken is easily flaked. Remove the pork and chicken from the broth to cool and set aside the broth. Shred the chicken breast and slice the pork into thin strips.

In a large saucepan, place the 3 cups of water and add about a tablespoon of cooking oil and boil. Once the water starts to a rolling boil, add the noodles and stir occasionally until the noodles are cooked to the desired firmness. Remove from the water and rinse with tap water to stop the cooking. Place noodle in a strainer and set aside.

In a wok, heat the oil and sauté the garlic and onion until the garlic turns golden brown and the onion starts to caramelize. Toss in the shrimps and stir fry until all the shrimps turn orange red. Remove the shrimps and set aside. Add the shredded chicken and pork slices and stir well, continue cooking for about two minutes. Add the soy sauce and oyster sauce, mix well. Toss in the peanuts, shiitake mushrooms, and omelette and mix well. Add the excess water from hydrating the mushroom and the broth from the meat preparation as well as the 1 cup extra water. Boil and simmer for about 20-30 minutes to have the flavour blend well. Toss back the shrimps and simmer for an additional 2 minutes and then toss in the bell pepper and carrots. Add salt and black pepper to taste. Toss in the flat noodles and serve immediately.

Dongpo Pork

During the ancient Song Dynasty in China, a famous writer named Su Dongpo was vanished to the province of Hangzhou in a life of poverty for offending the emperor. While in the said area, he invented Dongpo Pork which became one of that place’s great recipes. Dongpo pork has that unique mouth feel and texture because of the carefully cooked fat. This will show the importance of fat in food appreciation. Sometimes we need to include some fat in our diet once in awhile. People in fact still enjoy it to this day. Many variations on the recipe had been made and I have mine to add to the versions... Try this out and I promise you’ll like it. Let me share my version of this interesting recipe with you...

Ingredients:

1 kg. Pork belly (deboned)

½ cup Water

4 tbsp. Premium dark soy sauce

1 tbsp. Oyster flavoured sauce

1 bulb Garlic (finely minced)

1 pc. Onion (medium sized, peeled, whole)

2 ½ tbsp. Sugar

2 tbsp. Mirin wine

3 pieces Shiitake mushrooms (soaked in about 1/4 cup water, keep water for later use))

½ cup Green onion (minced finely)

1/8 tsp. Five spice powder

¼ tsp. Black pepper (powder)

1 tbsp. Sesame oil

Cooking Instruction:

In a suitable pressure cooker, place the pork, water, sugar, soy sauce, garlic, onion, mirin, shiitake mushrooms, the excess water from hydrating the shiitake mushrooms, and the five spice powder. Cover and pressure cook under low flame for about 20-25 minutes. After the required time, turn off the flame and allow the pressure to dissipate naturally. Do not force dissipation of pressure by venting. When the pressure has subsided, open and remove the meat from the pressure cooker and set aside, to the remaining sauce inside the pressure cooker add the green onions and rekindle the flame to bring it to slight simmering boil for about two minutes to slightly blanch the green onions. Add the sesame oil and mix well. Turn off the flame and set aside the sauce.

Carve the meat with a very sharp knife and plate. Place some of the sauce over the meat and garnish with some of the mushrooms. Enjoy with rice or steamed plain buns as the ancients did several thousand years ago.

Pork with Tofu and Shiitake Mushrooms

I find tofu interesting food item. It is a very versatile ingredient. It can be used in a variety of ways providing healthful source of protein. In this recipe I used tofu not as an extension of the pork in the recipe but to provide additional flavour and to contribute that unique variation in texture of the food. I hope everyone finds this one interesting.

Ingredients:

½ kg Pork (cut into cubes)

250 g Tofu (firm, cut into rectangular slabs)

5 pcs. Dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked in about 1 cup water to hydrate, cut into quarters and save the excess water for use in tenderizing the meat)

4 tbsp. Premium dark soy sauce

1 bulb Garlic (minced)

1 pc. Onion (medium sized, skinned, whole)

¼ tbsp. Black pepper (powder)

2 tbsp. Oyster flavour sauce

½ cup Water

1 tbsp. Safflower oil

1 tbsp. Sesame oil

1 tbsp. Cornstarch

3 tbsp. Water (for thickening the sauce)

Salt (to taste)

Cooking Instruction:

In a suitable Teflon coated frying pan, heat the oil and fry the tofu slabs on all sides until the surface becomes golden brown.

In a suitable pressure cooker, place the pork, fried tofu, onion, garlic, black pepper, excess water from hydrating the shiitake mushrooms, soy sauce and additional water. Pressure cook for about 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, extinguish the flame and allow the vessel to have its pressure reduced by natural cooling. Do not force pressure release by opening the pressure release valve. This way, additional cooking time is afforded to further tenderize the meat. When the pressure is equalized, open the pressure cooker and skim the fat from the broth to reduce fat content. The broth should be about a cup of liquid only. If the liquid is in excess, it can be boiled further without the lid to reduce to desired volume. If meat is too tender to withstand further cooking, it can be lifted carefully out of the broth and set aside while broth is reduced.

When broth is of correct volume, in a suitable cup, place the cornstarch and the water. Mix well to suspend uniformly the starch, add oyster sauce and sesame oil. Mix well and pour onto the still boiling broth to effectively thicken it. Once starch is cooked immediately extinguish the flame as overcooking sesame oil reduces its flavour.

If the pork was removed it can be tossed in at this point. Mixing the sauce with the pork is best affected by lifting the pressure cooker and swirling the contents. Do not use ladle or spatula as this will shred the meat because it is very soft and delicate. Serve and enjoy with rice or steamed buns

Pasta with Ground Beef and Shitake Mushroom in Cheese Sauce

Pasta is a favourite by many including me. I cannot turn off an offer of pasta and I’ll eat much of it because they’re so yummy. I like creating pasta dishes too. Here is one of my creations which I hope people will like. I use few of the mushrooms as fresh Shitake are has strong flavour. Any suggestions will be welcome...

Ingredients:

400 g Durum Spaghetti Pasta

250 g Ground Lean Beef

5 pcs Fresh Shitake Mushrooms (cut into strips)

1 cup Grated Cheese

½ cup White Wine

1 cup Water (for sauce)

1 tbsp. Garlic (minced)

1 pc. Medium Sized Onion (minced)

¼ tsp. Black Pepper (ground)

2 tbsp Olive Oil (extra virgin)

1 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce

3 tbsp Cooking Oil (for cooking pasta in water)

1 tbsp Cornstarch

1 cup Water (for suspending cornstarch)

3 cups Water (for cooking pasta)

Salt (to taste)

Cooking Instructions:

In a cooking pot, place water and the cooking oil and heat to boil. When water boils, add the pasta and stir slightly to minimize sticking. Simmer until al dente or to the desired firmness. Strain and set aside. Cover the pasta so as not to have it dry and stick together.

In a suitable sauce pan, heat the olive oil, and sauté the garlic and onion until garlic browns and onion starts to caramelize. Add the beef and cook until it blanches. Add the mushroom and stir. Add the cheese and stir to distribute on the sauce. Add the white wine and water for the sauce and boil. Cover and simmer until half of the water evaporates (this will ensure beef is well cooked and flavour has blended well, be sure to stir it from time to time to ensure that the cheese does not burn on the bottom of the pan and that the cheese will be evenly distributed on the sauce). Add the Worcestershire sauce and salt to taste. Add black pepper.

In a suitable cup, place the cornstarch and add the water and mix well to suspend the cornstarch. Add to the simmering mixture and mix well to cook the starch. The sauce will thicken. Add salt to taste and toss in the pasta and mix well or alternatively place pasta on plate and pour the sauce over and serve. Enjoy.

Oyster Cake

Oysters are delicious and very nutritious. This is one of my favourite seafood items. You can prepare them in a variety of appetizing ways. One of my favourite is ‘Oyster Cake’. Since I’m fond of Chinese food, let me share to you how I make interesting oyster cake. The unique texture imparted by sweet potato starch (you can buy this item from Chinese specialty shops) is truly amazing. Try out this recipe and place your comments on this post.


Ingredients:

1 cup Raw Oyster Meat
1 cup Mung Bean Sprouts
½ cup Green Onion (minced)
1/2 cup Bush Peas (sliced thinly)
½ cup Carrot (coarse grated or finely julienned)
½ tsp. Black Pepper (ground)
¼ tsp. Iodized Salt
1 ½ cup Sweet Potato Starch
1 tsp. Sesame Oil
1/3 cup Water
1 tsp Garlic (minced)
¼ cup Onion (sliced thinly)
Safflower Oil (for frying)

Cooking Procedure:
In a suitable bowl, combine starch, iodized salt, black pepper, water, garlic, and onion. Mix well and then toss in the carrots, green onion, bush peas and mung bean sprouts. Again mix well and then toss in the oysters. Fold to combine uniformly.

In a suitable frying pan (preferably Teflon pan) heat a small quantity of the cooking oil. When the oil is near its smoke point, put the oyster batter in and fry one side under low flame. When the surface starts to cook and not runny anymore. Turn over the oyster cake to cook the other side. Put additional oil to cook properly and to have that nice flavour. Serve immediately.

You can enjoy the dish more with the following dressing recipe.

½ cup Vinegar
1 tsp. (Garlic minced)

Combine the vinegar and garlic and let stand for about 5 minutes before use. Preparing this before cooking the oyster will allow more garlic flavour to infuse on the vinegar. Enjoy!!!