Sunday, April 13, 2008

More Cooking Suggestions.

Oven Dishes.
You can bake chicken, fish or pork. Try various types of marinating, just like for steaming. You can use oyster sauce, salt and sugar, sesame oil and pepper; or use chinese herbs (soak it in a little hot water before adding to the chicken, add salt for taste. The only difference is the cooking time. For baking, you need 40 minutes instead of 15 minutes for chicken. If it is boneless, 20-30mins is sufficient. You can also buy pre-marinated chicken or pork or beef from the supermarket. Or get the ready-made pizza or shepherd's pie and bake it in the oven. Its still very much cheaper than eating out.
Stir-fry Chicken Meat.
You can stir-fry with shitake mushroom, fresh button mushroom or whatever mushroom available. As usual, marinate the chicken pieces (bite size) with soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper and corn flour. Fry some ginger then add the chicken followed by the mushroom then add some water to make the gravy. Add a litte bit of oyster sauce, black sauce and salt. Instead of mushroom, you can use potatoes but the potatoes need to be pre-cooked by steaming or boiling or deep-fried. If you use onions and tomatoes also but its nicer to add some sugar, lime juice or vinegar. The gravy will usually thicken by itself because of the corn flour used during marinating.
One Dish Meals
Fried Noodles
Boil some water and pour it over some instant noodles.Fry some scrambled eggs, dish out first. Add some oil, fry chopped garlic, marinated chicken meat, bean sprouts (or shredded cabbage or shredded carrot) some choy sam. Drain the noodles and add to the ingredients (turn to low heat) Add oyster sauce, black sauce, soy sauce and mix well. Add the eggs and mix. Turn off the heat.
You can fry rice the same way.
For beehoon soup, add water to the cooked ingredients, add seasoning then add presoaked bee-hoon. (no need to soak in hot water- use cold water) No need bean sprouts or carrot. Add mushroom instead.
http://www.chinatownconnection.com/chicken_fried_rice_recipe.htm
Chicken or Pork Porridge
Use 8 ups of water for every cup of rice. Add some salt, chicken stock in the water. when the water is boiling, add the marinated chicken meat cut in cubes. Nicer to eat with garlic oil or sesame oil + pepper. For garlic oil heat oil in microwave oven on high for 3 minutes. Add chopped garlic and heat on high for another 2-3 mins depending on the amount. Always try 2 mins first, if not brown then heat again for 1 min each time until golden brown.
Chicken rice
Cook rice like usual but reduce the amount of water (less half a cup) Add some salt, ginger slices and chicken stock in the water.When rice is about to dry, add the marinated chicken meat (and mushroom) Cover and let it cook until rice is ready. Don't turn off the rice cooker too soon. Give at least 15 minutes cooking time. Sitr well before serving.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Cooking Made Easy

Here are some suggestions on how to cook simple meals. They are suitable for busy families or students studying away from home. See my older posts for more recipes posted earlier.
1) Steamed Chicken. (Easy and healthy)
You can chicken thighs (with bones or boneless) or chicken wings or even chicken breast. If you use boneless meat the cooking time is about 10-15 minutes, and 5 minutes longer if not deboned.
There are many different types of seasoning you can use. Try different types so you won't get bored eating the same dish over and over again.
a) sesame oil and salt
b) black soy sauce, oyster sauce, pepper , sugar and salt
c) with mushroom and chinese sausage, oyster sauce, ginger and salt
d) salt, black fungus and dried lily bulbs
e) lime juice, tomyam paste (or cubes crushed and mixed with a little water)
f) chopped garlic, ginger, chilly, bean paste and sugar
If you have a multi-tiered steamer, you can even steam some vegetables together. The cooking time for vegetables varies so you ahve to add the vegetables at an appropriate time.

2. Stir-fry Chicken.
a) Stir fried Boneless Chicken Thighs With Black Pepper Sauce
Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and marinate with soy sauce, corn flour. Heat some oil in the wok, add some chopped garlic and fry till fragrant but not brown. Add the chicken and stir until cooked. Add the black pepper paste, mix well and dish out. You can use different paste, like sweet sour paste, lemon sauce or tomyam paste.
b) Gong Po Chicken
Cut the chicken meat into bite size pieces and marinate with soy sauce, black soy sauce and corn flour. Heat some oil in the wok, add some dried chilli, chopped garlic and fry till fragrant but not brown. Add the chicken and stir until cooked. Add a little water and stir untila thick gravy is formed.
c) Sesame Oil Chicken.
Marinate the chicken (boneless or with bone) with soy sauce and black sauce and oyster sauce. Heat some sesame oil in the wok. Add ginger slices or shreds and fry till fragrant then add chopped garlic and fry. Add the chicken and stir fry. Add water and simmer for 20 minutes for chicken with bones, 10 mins for boneless chicken.
d) Fried Chicken Thighs
Marinate the chicken (preferably boneless) with salt, sugar, sesame oil, pepper, a little black sauce and a dash of wine. Poke the chicken meat with a fork. Leave for an hour.
Pour some corn flour on a plate. Remove the chicken from the marinating bowl and put on the corn flour. Coat both sides and deep fry in oil. Heat the oil until bubbles form when a chopstick is dipped inside. Turn fire to medium or low and add the chicken. Boneless chicken easier to cook.
3. Curry Chicken
Just add water to ready made paste and boil the chicken pieces
4. Soy Sauce Chicken
marinate the chicken with 5 spice powder,black sauce, salt and sugar. Add garlic and heat the pot adding water and stirring occasionally until water just covers the chicken. Simmer for 20 minutes or until soft enough.
More fish dishes later.

Monday, April 7, 2008

Celebrities' Photos









That's me and Cecilia Cheung (fully clothed). If you want to see more of her, go visit Edison's blog (haha!)



That's me- charismatic and confident during my White House visit. (XD) After all who wouldn't be - with Clinton and Bush beside me. (Anyway I wouldn't advise you to have Bush standing beside you when you deliver a speech ! )














Guess you know where these photos are taken. You're right Madame Tussaud's in Hong Kong. More pictures. Recognise them?