Sweet and Sour Fish

Recently, whenever i eat out with my parents, we often order sweet and sour fish for our grandma, soft enough for her to chew and great flavour, which is a big hit for all ages. 
I must admit sweet and sour is not my favourite choice of sauce, but now and again when its on the table... its really is tasty!
I also think its a perfect thing to have on a summery day, and something different on the menu. So asked my mum how to make it, and here i tried to recreate it.

Finally mastered and look like something you find in a chinese take-away.

2-4 cups Veg Oil for deep frying
1lb/450g Fish Fillet (cod, haddock)
1 Tbspn Ginger, finely chopped
2 Onion, chopped
1 cup Mixed Peppers, chopped
4oz Mangetout (optional - blanch in hot water for a couple mins, then plunge in cold water)
half of tin pineapple, chopped

Marinade:
1 tspn salt
1 Large egg white
1 Tbspn cornflour

Sauce:
1 Cup Chicken Stock
1Tbspn Light soy sauce
1Tbspn Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2Tbspn Tomato paste (i used tomato ketchup)
3Tbspn Rice vinegar
3Tbspn Granulated sugar
1Tbspn Cornflour mixed with 2Tbspn water

Method:

1) Rinse the fish fillets and pat dry. Cut into 2inch sqaures. Add the fish to the marinade ingredients, using a pair of chopsticks to mix in the ingredients and adding the cornflour last. Marinate the fish for at least 15 minutes.
2) While the fish is marinating, prepare the sauce and vegetables. In a small bowl, mix together the chicken broth, soy sauce, rice wine, tomato ketchup, vinegar and sugar. In a separate small bowl, dissolve the cornflour in the water.
3) Heat the oil very hot in a wok, then gentlely add the marinated fish cubes, and let it deep-fry until they are golden brown. Repeat it a few times, if you got quite alot of fish, because dont want stick together. Remove and drain on paper towels.

4) Drain oil through a sieve into a bowl, then add 2 tablespoon of oil into the wok. Add the ginger, onions and stir-fry for 1 minutes. Add the mixed peppers, mangetout, pineapple chunks and stir-fry for a further minute.
5) Add the bowl of mixure of sauce, and let it mix well with the vegetables. Add the fish, and mix well for a couple of minutes and ready to serve.

Tip:
Open your windows, and turn on your extractor fan, and maybe close your kitchen door so dont set the smoke alarm, when deep-fry.

This was my first attempt, practice makes perfect, and cook quicker.

Happy Cooking!

Stir-fried Pak Choy with Garlic

Went to the chinese grocers last week and treated myself to some foodie treats, and whilst there got some baby pak choy. 
This is a very basic recipe in stir-frying most chinese green veg, which been reminded by my mum, and probably be seen on most chinese families.   Its quick and easy, great as a side dish and definitely a great compliment to any meat dishes with some rice. 

350g Baby Pak Choy (half a bag)
1 Tbspn Groundnut Oil
4 cloves of Garlic, finely chopped
a small piece of root ginger, deskinned, finely sliced.
1 pinch of salt
1 tspn of Sesame seeds
a few drops of Sesame oil.

Method:

1) In a wok/non-stick pan heat it over a high heat, and add the groundnut oil.
2) Add the ginger, garlic, then pak choy and stir-fry it for 2 or 3 minutes until softened and wilted.
3) Season with a pinch of salt, a few drops of sesame oil and scatter the sesame seeds. Then serve immediately.

Happy Cooking!

Pork with Green Beans in Oyster sauce

This is another  family favourite dish that reminds me of home. When i was growing up and still ate beef, my grandpa would make this, hmmm remember me standing at the doorway to the kitchen and watching him in his white overalls lifting and stir-frying the wok, and all the 'tssss'....'shaaa' noises, but at same time the fragant smell floating into my little nose and making my belly rumbling.  There would normally be at least 3 or 4 varieties of the dishes for our supper, but if green beans was one of those big bowls on table -  I would have been very happy  just to eat  bowl of rice and drown it with the sauce and enjoying the crunchiness of the green beans as well the tender meat.

My mum carried on make this, but eventually when we stopped eating beef, she substituted it with pork. It is very simple dish to make, and does not take that much time, but always a yummy dinner.
 Because it is a simple dish... whenever i cant be bothered thinking, i cook this like in autopilot mode - all thanks to my mum strict drilling when i was young.

Ingredients:

2 Pork Loin steak, sliced into small strips
300g Green Beans, washed, and cut both ends.
2 cloves of garlic, deskinned, sliced
small piece of root ginger, deskinned, sliced

1 Tbspn Veg Oil
1/2tspn of Sugar
1/4tspn of White Pepper
Drizzle of Sesame Oil
1tspn Light Soy Sauce
1tspn Chinese rice wine/cooking wine
1 Tbspn Oyster sauce
2Tbspn Water
Sprinkle of salt to taste. 
1.5tspn Cornflour - mix with a little water

Method:

1)In a pan of hot water, blanch the green beans for 1 or 2 min, then drain and plunge cold water, then set aside
2) Heat over a high heat with veg oil, stir-fry the garlic and ginger for 1-2 minute.
3)Add the pork, stir-fry it  so that it does not stick to the pork.  Add the white pepper, sugar, sesame oil, wine, and stir until mix well.
4) Add the green beans, add the light soy sauce and water, stir-fry for 1-2mins, then cover with a lid and let it cook for 2 mins.
5) mix the oyster sauce with the blended cornflour, add into the wok, give it a good stir and wait to the sauce thicken. sprinkle a little salt to taste, one last stir and ready to serve.

Happy Cooking!

Mixed Vegetables Stir-fry

Vegetable stir-fry is pretty quick and simple to prepare to make.  If i ever have my family over and suddenly need to come up with more dishes, vegetable stir-fry whatever i have in the fridge is a great addition. It complements well any meat dishes, and great to eat alone with just some white rice, and gain your five a-day to be healthy.

 

Ingredients:

1 Tbspn Groundnut Oil

2 cloves of garlic, finely sliced

1 piece of ginger, finely sliced

1 Broccolli

100g Baby Corn, halves

1 Carrot, stripes

4 Dried Chinese/Shitake Mushroom, infused in hot water for a few mins then cut in stripes#

1Tbspn Sesame Oil

2Tbspn Light Soy Sauce

2Tbspn Oyster sauce (use vegetarian oyster sauce if your vegetarian/vegan)

1/4 cup of water

2Tbspn of cornflour

Method: 

1) Heat the oil in wok, sautee the ginger & garlic for 2-3mins. 

2) Add the water & broccolli, carrots, baby corn and chinese mushroom and stir-fry it for 5-6 mins,

3) Mix the soy and oyster sauce in a small bowl stir in the cornflour to create a smooth paste. Then stir the mixture into the vegetables.

4) Stir-fry for a few more minutes or so, until the liquid has thickened and the vegetables are glazed but still crisp. Serve immediately. 

Tip:

Feel free to add tofu, or vegetarian mock fishcakes, and add more vegetables or change the variety, to make the dish your own. 

Happy Cooking! 

Baked Bananas with Ice Cream

This was meant to be dessert for the birthday boy last night, but because we had birthday cake, Mr C request that i save this sweet for tonight instead.
With the warm baked bananas which goes perfectly with the cold vanilla ice cream and finished off brilliant with the nutty sauce..... it was soo yummy, Mr C nearly eat my plate too!
If you feel naughty and want a sweet treat, but dont have belgian waffles handy... try this.... its well lush!

This quick and easy recipe taken from 'The Half Hour Cookbook' by Jenni Fleetwood.

Ingredients:

2 Medium-sized Bananas
1/2 Tbspn Lemon Juice
Vanilla Ice cream

For the sauce:
1Tbspn Magarine
25g Hazelnuts, toasted, roughly chopped
3Tbspn Golden (light corn) syrup
2Tbspn Lemon juice

1) Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Place the unpeeled bananas on a baking sheet and brush them with the lemon juice. Bake for about 20 minutes until the skins are turning black and the flesh gives a little when the bananas are gently squeezed.
2) Meanwhile, make the sauce. Melt the butter in  a small pan. Add the hazelnuts and cook gently for 1 minute. Add the syrup and lemon juice and heat, stirring for 1 minute.
3) To serve, slit each bananas open with a knife and open out the skins to reveal the tender flesh. Transfer to serving plates and serve with scoops of ice cream. Pour the sauce over.

Happy Cooking!

Hawaiian Pork Loin Chop

For dinner today, i decided to make something abit different for the special birthday boy. I was intrigued by this recipe and came just the right time for me to experiment with ingredients i use all the time. Its good to find new twists and excite the tastebuds and rewarded with pleasant surprises with little effort. Even more delightful when a difficult customer give you the thumbs up, and request to make it more often ;)

To make it more exciting, i made sides served with the loin steaks, - corn-on-the-cob and wilted garlic spinach as well as some white rice.  All the colour on the white plate, just set your mind like a hot summers Hawaiian beach. 

Ingredients:

6 Pork Loin Chop
1 (20oz) tin Pineapple slices, undrained
1/2 cup Light Soy sauce
1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
1 small Onion, finely chopped
1 clove Garlic, minced
1Tbspn Brown sugar
1 cup of mixed peppers (i used frozen)

Method:

1)Drain the pineapple juice into a jug so that you have 1/2 cup for use later. Set the pineapple slices aside.
2) Put the pork chops in a bowl. Combine together the pineapple juice, light soy sauce, vegetable oil, onion, garlic & brown sugar . Pour over pork chops, then cover with cling film and leave to marinade in fridge for about 2hrs.
3) In a skillet grill pan, over a high heat, brown the pork loin chop on both side for 2 mins.
4) Put the pork loin chops in a oven-proof dish, then pour marinade. Pour the mixed peppers on top.
5) Place in the oven in the middle shelf and let it cook at 190C for 30mins.
6) A few minutes before the pork is ready, place the pineapple rings in a grill pan. ready to serve.

Happy Cooking!

Eggs Benedict

Today, i decided since its a special day, i would make the birthday boy a yummy breakfast, Eggs Benedict.  I dont remember how i discovered it, but its a breakfast i most enjoyed whenever i do have it. 
Eggs Benedict are simply toasted english muffin, with poach egg, ham or bacon and some buttery hollandaise sauce.  Something very simple, but very filling and give you full of energy!
This is my first time attempt to make hollandaise sauce, and its definitely very easy to get it wrong, but when you get it right... its a perfect complement to the food. I would encourage to go and buy good quality from shop, to save time and guarantee get it right all the time. 

Recipe from The Half Hour Cook by Jenni Fleetwood.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 Large Free Range Eggs
4 Lean ham slices/Dry cured back bacon rashers
4Tbspn Warm Hollandaise Sauce
4 English muffins, split
Salt & Ground black pepper to taste.

Hollandaise Sauce: (Delia Online)

2 Large Egg Yolks
1 Tbspn Lemon Juice
1Tbspn White Wine Vinegar
110g Butter, melted and cooled slightly
Salt & Pepper to season


Method:

1) Pour cold water into a medium pan to a depth of about 5cm/2inch and bring to a gentle simmer. Crack an egg into a saucer. Swirl the water in the pan with a spoon, then slide the egg carefully into the centre of the swirl. Simmer for 2-3mins, until the whites are set, but the yolks are still soft. 
2)Repeat step 1 for the other eggs.
3)Meanwhile, toat the muffin halves. Place on serving plates and arrange ham slices on top. (for those have bacon, either fry off the bacon earlier on or put the bacon in the oven to get nice and crispy). Remove the eggs from the pan using a slotted spoon and place on top of the ham.
4) Spoon the hollandaise sauce over the eggs, season and serve immediately.  Go really well with a breakfast tea or awakening coffee.

For Hollandaise Sauce
1) Place the egg yolks in a small bowl and season them with a pinch of salt and pepper.  In a food processor or blender and blend them thoroughly for about 1 minute.
2)In a saucepan, heat the lemon juice and white wine vinegar until the mixture starts to bubble and simmer. 3)Switch the processor or blender on again and pour the hot liquid on to the egg yolks in a slow, steady stream. After that, switch the processor or blender off.
4)In thesame saucepan, melt the butter over a gentle heat, being very careful not to let it brown. When the butter is foaming, switch the processor or blender on once more and pour in the butter in a thin, slow, steady trickle; the slower you add it the better. (If it helps you to use a jug and not pour from the saucepan, warm a jug with boiling water, discard the boiling water and then pour the butter mixture into that first.) When all the butter has been incorporated, wipe around the sides of the processor bowl or blender with a spatula to incorporate all the sauce, then give the sauce one more quick burst and you should end up with a lovely, smooth, thick, buttery sauce.


Happy Cooking!