Cooking Lab - Tea Braised Eggs (滷茶葉蛋)

在家自己做茶葉蛋，想加什麼就加什麼，順便做一大鍋滷味，健康又有多層次的味道。幸福滿滿！

看喲，好好吃的自家滷味！

1. 將蛋煮熟。

2. 一顆一顆敲碎。

3. 把滷包，水，冰糖，醬油和各種茶包放入一深鍋𥚃。

自己做的茶葉蛋又Q又好吃。帶一顆去當午餐，大大的滿足！

Cooking Lab - 5 Grains Origiri Rice Ball

Rice balls are super easy to make and fun to eat. 

Making my own version. 

(c) GMV - Got My Vote!

 

圓圓的飯團這回成三角型。

話說昨天沒吃到我想吃的飯團口味，所以今天就來自己動手做做。

用健康的五穀米，加豬肉酥，酸菜。。。。快樂的做，挰，滾。好玩又好吃。全吃完後，才發現，又忘了油條!

Cooking Lab - Mixed Rice with Oriental Mustard and Pork Ribs

This is one flavoursome one-pot mixed rice. 

It is a family favourite and we can eat bowls and bowls of this. It is a simple meal but packed with nutrient values. 


(c) GMV - Got My Vote!

"Gai Choy" is the common name for this Oriental Mustard Green and it is packed with iron, calcium, and low in kilojoules. It is readily available at Harris Farm or other grocery stores.

Ingredients:

- 3 cups of Jasmine Rice 
- 250g pork riblet 
- 100g fresh shiitake mushroom 
- 1 bunch of mustard greens (aka gai-choy) 
- 100g ginger 
- 4 tablespoon soy sauce 
- 2 tablespoon cooking wine 
- 1 tablespoon salt 
- 1/2 tablespoon sugar 
- 1 teaspoon chicken powder 
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper 
- 3 tablespoon of cooking oil 
- 10g loose corn kernel 

Instructions:

1. Wash and cleaned the Gai Choy. Remove the stem and cut into bite size.

2. Boil the vegetable in water for 3-5 minutes. Drain and set aside.

3. In the meantime, soak 3 cups of rice in water for at least 30 minutes.

4. Add oil to a wok over medium-high heat. Fry the pork riblets, ginger slices and the shiitake mushrooms until golden.

5. Add in sugar, cooking wine and soy sauce and let the sauce simmer.

6. Season with white pepper and a dash of chicken powder.

7. Remove the pork riblets and leave the sauce in the wok.

8. Add in the pre-soaked rice into the wok.

9. Reduce the heat to low and let the rice absorb all the sauce.

10. Add the pork riblets and shiitake mushrooms back into the wok.

11. Combine well and ensure all ingredients are evenly coated with flavors.

12. Add in the pre-boiled gai-choy vegetable.

13. Try not to dis-integrate the heart of gai-choy.

14. Stir and combine everything together.

15. The rice is not cooked-through at this point.

16. Transfer the mixed rice into a steamer/rice-cooker.

17. Add 3 cups of water and let it cook/steam for 30 minutes.

18. Continue to cook until the rice is cooked through.

19. Stir to mix well. Cover and let it sit for another 5-10 minutes before serving.

It is now ready to be served! It smells delicious!~~

20. Plate the mixed rice on a large serving plate and top with pork riblets and shiitake mushrooms.

21. Serve with a gai-choy heart by its side.

22. Garnish with chili oil and loose corn kernels.

It is so yum. I don't even need side-dishes to go with this mixed rice. 

Cooking Lab - Taiwanese Sesame Oil Sticky Rice (台灣黃金三寶油飯)

This sesame oil scented sticky rice is utterly delicious. The appearance of this special dish is usually reserved for special occasions. 

The glutinous texture of the rice mixed with the salty essence of fried onion is so intensely flavoursome. Together with the meaty pork, earthy mushrooms and the fragrant sesame oil; without a doubt, this is the ultimate culinary delight. 

Ingredients:

- 3 cups of glutinous rice 
- 150g shiitake mushrooms 
- 350g pork belly slices 
- 200g fresh eschalot 
- 50g dried shrimps 
- 50g dried squid 
- 3 tablespoon soya sauce 
- 3 tablespoon cooking oil 
- 1 tablespoon cooking wine 
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil 
- 2 teaspoon rock sugar 
- 2 teaspoon salt 
- 10g salt 
- 10g rock sugar 
- 5g white pepper 
- 10ml sweet chili sauce 

Instructions:

1. Soak the glutinous rice in water for 2 hours.

2. Soak the dried squid for 1 hour or until soften.

To prepare the Fried Eschalot Oil: 

3. Finely dice the eschalots.

4. Heat 3 tablespoon of oil in a large wok on medium heat, and cook the diced eschalots.

5. Gently fried the eschalots until they are golden.

6.  Remove and set aside.

   7. Using the same pan, add the pork stripes and cook until the fat is rendered out.

   8. Season with white pepper.

   9. Remove when the pork stripes turn golden.

  10. In a separate pan, shallowly pan-fried the shiitake mushrooms.

11. Braised the pork stripes in soy sauce, cooking wine, salt and sugar.

12. Add in the dried shrimps and squid slices.

13. Let it simmer for a little while so the meat and mushroom absorb all the flavours.

14. Add in the fried eschlots.

15. Mix well to combine.

16. Simmer for a further 10 minutes.

17. Add in the glutinous rice and combine well with the sauce.

You should get this delicious golden soy braised sauce. Your kitchen should smell very fragrant.

    18. Place the rice into a steamer and steam on high heat for 40 minutes or until the glutinous rice is soften and taste chewy.

19. Leave the glutinous rice in the steamer for a further 10 minutes to cool.

20. Lightly drizzle sesame oil at the top to give fragrance and that glistering look.

21. Serve with coriander garnishes and sweet chili sauce.

Home-made sticky rice is just utterly delicious. It is generously covered with fried shrimps, squids and mushrooms. Sometime the simplest things in life often are the best. 

Cooking Lab - Sichuan Fried Eggplant w XO Sauce

On a chilly winter night, a nice spicy eggplant stew is the perfect solution to warm you up. 

This dish has proven to be irresistible, even to people who claim to not like eggplant. It is hearty, moreish flavourful and a good winter comfort food. 

(c) GMV - Got My Vote!

It is mouth-watering delicious. Drool.... 

Ingredients:

- 300g long eggplant 
- 200g long beans 
- 2 cups vegetable stock 
- 1 bunch green scallion 
- 100g fresh coriander 
- 2 small red chili 
- 2 tablespoon XO sauce 
- 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce 
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar - 2 cups canola oil for frying 

Instruction:

1. Slice eggplants in equal large chunks.

2. Heat oil in a skillet and deep fried the eggplants until tender and golden.

3.Blot off the excessive oil on paper towel.

4. Continue with the rest of the eggplant.

5. Set aside and leave to cool.

6. Cut the long beans into equal length as the eggplant.

7. Add some oil and salt to the fry pan.

8. Quickly stir in the beans.

9. Add in the vegetable stock and braised the beans until soft and tender.

10. Lightly season with soy sauce and XO sauce.

11. Add in the fried eggplant.

12.Look at the bubbling goodness. 

13. Simmer for further 5 minutes to reduce the liquid to allow the eggplant and the beans to fully absorb all the flavourings.

14. Remove from the heat.

15. Plate into 6 equal servings.

16. Sprinkle scallion slices, coriander and chili on top.

17. Top with more XO sauce.

18. Serve hot.

This is a beautiful tasty, spicy (but not too hot) vegetarian stew which can be served with rice or noodles. 

A favourite winter recipe and gets repeat requests :) 

Note: What is XO sauce? 

I received some queries about XO sauce. 

XO sauce is considered the emperor of all sauces in Hong Kong. It is mainly made out of dried scallops and shirmps, as well as some secret spices. 

It is like a pot of magical wonder that can lift the flavour of any stir-fry dish from a wow to a BIG BANG. The impact and difference in deliciousness is really noticeable.

Cooking Lab - Hearty Pork Riblet Winter Soul Soup with Goji Berry (排骨酸菜甕)

Winter means cold and flu. What do you eat when you are feeling under the weather? 

This is the easiest hearty soup to make. Just add all ingredients into a deep earthware and let it steam away for 45 minutes.


(c) GMV - Got My Vote!

The therapeutic ingredient is the sour mustard greens; (of course the pork ribs helps) This vegetable provides a gentle tanginess to the soup. You can get get these from any Asian groceries

Ingredients:

- 1 packet of vacuumed mustard greens 
- 300g sliced daikon/white radish 
- 300g fried pork riblets
- 50g goji berry 
- 3 cups pork/chicken stock 
- 1 cup water 
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce 
- 2 tablespoon black rice vinegar 
- 2 teaspoon brown sugar 
- 2 teaspoon cooking wine 
- Salt and pepper 

Instructions:

1. Drain the mustard greens from the packet liquid and thoroughly rinse under running water.

2. Cut into equal pieces.

3. Slice the white daikon into thin squares.

4. In a deep earthware, place chopped mustard greens at the bottom.

5. Overlap the sliced daikon on top as the second layer.

6. Scatter the fried pork riblets on top the daikon layer.

7. Finally finish the layering process with more daikon slices.

8. Add boiled stock liquid into the earthware.

9. Add in the seasonings - soy sauce, wine and sugar.

10. Place it in a large steamer, and let it steam for 40 minutes.

11. In the final 10 minutes, add the goji berries on top.

12. Season with a dash of black rice vinegar.

13. Serve hot.

This soup has healing power It is so warm and soothing - the perfect meal for a cold. 

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Cooking Lab - Marinated Pork Chop w Pickled Mustard & Basil Crisps

Who doesn't like a pan-fried crispy pork chop? What if they are marinated in sweet soy sauce, served with pickled mustard and crispy fried basil crisps? This dish is so special, we called it "the reward meal." 

The real ultimate comfort food that you will want to have over and over again.

(c) GMV - Got My Vote!

Ingredients:

- 4 bone-in pork chop 
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce 
- 1/2 tablespoon cooking wine 
- 3 teaspoon sugar 
- 2 tablespoon potato starch flour 
- 1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder 
- 4 tablespoon cooking oil 
- 100g pickled mustard 
- 200g fresh basil 
- 1 small chilli 
- Five-spice salt & pepper to season. 

Instructions:

1. Lightly pound the pork chop with the mallet to loosen the elasticity. This will prevent the pork chop from curling.

2. Mix the soy sauce, wine,pepper, sugar and five-spice powder in a large bowl.

3. Massage the sauce mixture into the pork chops.

4. Let the pork chop rest in the marinate preferably overnight, but 30 minutes will do.

5. Heat up the oil in a small skillet.

6. Lightly coat sweet potato starch on both sides of the pork chop.

7.When the oil is hot enough, carefully add in the pork chops into the skillet.

8.Deep fry for 3 minutes on each side, turning once, until golden on both sides.

9.Remove and blot off excessive oil on paper towel.

10. Use the same skillet, deep fried the basil leaves for 30 seconds or until crisp, crunchy and vibrant.

11.Blot off the excessive oil.

11. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a separate pan.

12. Add the pickle mustard and give it a quick stir fry.

13. Add in the sugar and chili and stir well.

  
   14. Arrange the pork chop, pickled mustard and crisp basil on plate.

15. Slice the pork chop into several strips.

16. Season with five-spice salt.

This taste way better than the normal chicken schnitzel. 
It is fragrant, crunchy and so addictive. 

Both kids and adults will not get enough of it.