Chicken Wonton Soup

Tags

asian, asianfood, broth, food, soup, wontons

When we were living in China, my husband and I would head to Hong Kong every couple of weekends to feast on Dim Sums and Wontons. I do miss it a lot, so yesterday I decided to make a simple Chicken, Shiitake & Savoy cabbage Wontons to have with my Chicken Broth. 

Ingredients for the broth

• 4 to 5 pieces of Chicken on the bone (thighs or drumsticks) 

• 5 cloves of garlic (whole)

• 4 chunky slices of ginger

• cracked black pepper

• 2 tbsp of fresh chopped Cilantro 

• 1 carrot (chopped)

• 1 stalk of celery (chopped)

• Red chilli for garnish

• Light soy sauce (salt substitute)

Method

1. In a pot, place the chicken thighs, garlic and ginger. Add water to completely cover the chicken, simmer on a low heat for 1 to 2 hours. 

2. Remove the chicken out of the pot, set aside and add the carrots, chopped celery & spring onions into the broth. Bring this to a boil then simmer till the celery disintegrates. 

3. At this stage you can season with salt & pepper or just pepper then add light soy sauce in the individual serving bowls according to taste. 

Ingredients for the Wontons

• 1 Chicken breast (minced)

• 5 dried Shiitake mushrooms (soaked then drained & chopped)

• 2 slices of Savoy cabbage leaves (sliced thin) 

• 1 stalk of Scallion (chopped)

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce

• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil

• 2 tsp cornstarch

• cracked black pepper

(Combine all the above ingredients well in a bowl and refrigerate for an hour.) To test taste it, fry a little of the mixture in a pan. 

• Wonton skins

To make the Wontons, I just went on this you tube page https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_wUiwMOa-BI to watch the various ways on folding them. 

Once the wontons are ready folded, drop them into the boiling broth for 3 mins. 

Garnish with scallions, chopped chillies and serve.❤️

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Kuah Lodeh

Tags

asian, coconutmilk, food, vegan, vegetarian

Today I’d like to share a favourite dish from my childhood called Kuah Lodeh. This beautiful aromatic dish which consists of vegetables, tofu and my all time favourite tempeh, originated in Indonesia and also very popular in Singapore and Malaysia. It is often served during Eid along with many other dishes. 

As much as I love this dish, it tends to be quite watery so here is my version of this simple delicious dish…

Ingredients

• 3 medium shallots

• 1-2 stalks of lemongrass

• 4 cloves of garlic 

• 1 fresh chilli

• half tsp of turmeric powder

• Cracked black pepper 

(Blend all the above ingredients in a food processor)

• Tempeh (cut into cubes and fried till golden)

• Tofu (I used ready fried tofu squares) 

• half a cabbage (roughly chopped)

• Green or French beans

• Fish sauce or salt to taste

• 1 can of coconut milk

Method

1. In a saucepan, bring the minced ingredients and coconut milk to a simmer. (No oil needed) 

2. Add the tofu & tempeh into the saucepan. Simmer for 10 mins before adding the vegetables. Simmer for a further 5 mins. Season well with either fish sauce or salt. 

Garnish with chopped chillies, a little cilantro and serve with white boiled rice. 

I hope you will enjoy this dish as much as I do…💛

Tofu & Vegetable Soup

Tags

asian, food, soup, tofu, vegan, vegetarian

So I was down with gastroenteritis last week due to a virus going around within the community here and after a trip to the doctors, all I wanted was one of my grandma’s simple tofu soup. 

This soup could not be easier to prepare and fantastic when you are poorly and need to be on a soft, simple diet.   

Ingredients

 • 4 to 5 shallots thinly sliced

• 3 cloves of garlic

• 1 potato (diced)

• 1 carrot (diced)

• 2 stalks of celery thinly sliced

• Salt & pepper to taste

• Tofu (cut into chunky squares)

• 1 litre of water 

• a little oil & a little sesame seed oil

• 1 tbs of fresh chopped cilantro (leave some for garnishing)

Method

1. In a pot, heat about a teaspoon of oil & a teaspoon of sesame seed oil and sauté the shallots and garlic. Once golden, add the celery and sauté for another minute.

2. Pour in the litre of water and let it simmer/boil for about 15-20 mins before adding the potatoes & carrots.

3. Once the vegetables are cooked, gently add the tofu into the soup and simmer till they start floating up. Season well. 

Garnish with the rest of the chopped cilantro, crispy shallots and serve hot…

 
Have a happy healthy Sunday!💛

Simple Stir Fried Kangkung (Water Spinach)

Tags

asian, food, hong kong, travel, vegetarian

Hello all! I have now been in China for just over a week and after our weekend trip to Hong Kong, I am now getting back into my routine of cooking again. So today, I am going to share a very simple recipe of stir fried Kangkung, which is a cheap and tasty vegetable that I’ve always loved as a kid!  

Ingredients

•  A bunch of Kangkung (washed & drained)
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 dried chilli (chopped)
• 3 cloves of garlic (cut width wise)
• 1 tbsp fish sauce

Method

1. In a hot wok, add the sesame oil and throw in the garlic & chillies and stir fry for half a minute.
2. Throw in the Kangkung, add into it the fish sauce, a little water and let it cook thoroughly. (for a vegan version, instead of using fish sauce, you can use light soy sauce or salt to taste)

Serve hot on it’s own or with boiled white rice. Enjoy!

Here are a few shots I took of Hong Kong and Lantau Island from our trip last weekend. From where we are in China, it took 3hrs on a coach  (time included at 2 immigration controls). Not bad for about 16 Euros each way per person. 

We stayed at the beautiful Harbour Plaza Metropolis Hotel which overlooked the Hong Kong skyline.  (View from the patio at breakfast)

  (Light show at 8pm every night)

  (Monestary at Lantau Island)

 (Big Buddha in the fog) 
 (Street food vendors)

  (Lantau Island)

  (busy streets of Hong Kong)

  (Hong Kong🇭🇰) 

I have to say, I was a bit overwhelmed in Hong Kong as it was extremely busy but all in all, an experience to be remembered. 
Have a fab weekend ahead!💛

Sweet Chilli Fish

Tags

asian, fish, food

I was up and about early Friday morning to get some fish at ‘Mercado de la Ribera’ or Ribera Market. This market is the biggest covered market in Europe and the architecture of the building is just stunning. You have to get there early to get the best fish as it can get pretty busy. I got some beautiful ‘Dorado’, otherwise known as Gilt Head Bream and some Haddock fillets.

My husband had a hankering for a dish we had sometime ago in a Chinese restaurant in Vigo, Galicia. I couldn’t remember exactly how it was, so with the Haddock fillets, I made my version of the dish.

Ingredients
for the fish…
• 6 boneless Haddock fillets (cut into small pieces)
• 1 cup plain flour (add more if you need to)
• 2 eggs (beaten)
• a good seasoning of black pepper & sea salt
• Sunflower oil to shallow fry

for the sauce…
• 1 cup of Sweet Chilli dipping sauce (the one with bits of chilli pieces – you can find this in any Asian supermarket)
• 2 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 slices of ginger
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1 white onion (chopped)
• 2 small carrots (sliced)
• 1 sweet red pepper (chopped)
• 1 tsp black pepper
• Spring onions for garnish

Method
1. Combine the flour, black pepper & a little salt in a large bowl.
2. Dip the haddock pieces in the beaten egg, coat thoroughly with the flour mixture and set aside. Continue doing this with the rest of the haddock pieces.
3. Heat the sunflower oil in a skillet and shallow fry the haddock pieces for about 2 mins or until golden and crispy. Place on a plate lined with kitchen towel to drain the excess oil.
4. In a medium hot wok, add the sesame oil and sauté the onions with black pepper till they are slightly clear. Throw in the carrots with the red peppers and sauté for about a minute.
5. Add the Sweet Chilli Sauce into the wok with a little water just so it doesn’t caramelise. Add the chopped cilantro, lower the heat and let the sauce simmer for a minute or 2.
6. Start placing the haddock pieces onto a serving dish, they should still be fairly warm. Ladle the sauce generously over the haddock pieces, garnish with chopped spring onions and serve with boiled white rice.

A little sweet and a little spicy, a perfect combination.❤️

Here are a few shots I took of the beautiful Mercado de la Ribera…

Have a great start to the week!💛

Asian Chicken Noodle Soup

Tags

asian, asianfood, Chicken, food, healthy, noodles, soup

What could be better than a good bowl of hot noodle soup with a kick of chopped chillies on a cold and rainy day? For me, nothing.

The soup is packed with garlic & ginger, all the goodness to help prevent colds and flu especially very common this time of year. The recipe is super simple and it’s just a case of simmering everything in a pot.

Ingredients
• 3 Chicken thighs
• 6 cloves of garlic (whole)
• 4 chunky slices of ginger
• cracked black pepper
• Spring onions (chopped)
• 3 to 4 carrots (chopped)
• 2 stalks of Chinese celery (chopped)
• Red chilli for garnish
• Light soy sauce (salt substitute)
• Thin flat Korean Noodles or any other noodles of your choice.

Method
1. In a pot, place the chicken thighs, garlic & ginger. Add water to cover the chicken, simmer on a medium low heat till the chicken is thoroughly cooked.
2. Fish the chicken out of the pot, set aside and add the carrots, chopped celery & spring onions into the broth.
3. Shred the chicken and place back into the pot. Season with the cracked black pepper and simmer till the carrots are soft.
4. In a separate pot, cook the Thin flat Korean noodles. Once ready, rinse with cold water so they don’t stick togther.

Place the noodles in a bowl, ladle your hot soup, garnish with spring onions & chopped chillies. Add a little soy sauce and serve. A healthy no oil, no salt dish.

Enjoy!💛

Tofu & Peanut Sauce (Tahu Goreng)

Tags

asian, food, homemade, peanut sauce, tofu, vegan, vegetarian

I absolutely love tofu and each time I go back to Singapore, my grandma would make me either this delicious dish or Sambal Goreng which consists of tofu, tempeh, green beans combined with a beautiful chilli paste. I’ve not attempted to make Sambal Goreng…yet. Partly because I can’t find some of the ingredients here.

So, last weekend, I decided to make this dish of Tofu, Kangkung (water/river spinach) & Beansprouts, topped with a homemade slightly spicy peanut sauce. This is my grandma’s recipe and I love it!

Ingredients
• Tofu (I bought the ready fried tofu to save time)
• Kangkung (water/river spinach)
• Beansprouts
• Groundnuts (with skin)
• Dark soy sauce
• Thick sweet soy sauce or brown sugar
• 1 red chilli (whole)
• 4 cloves of garlic (whole)
• 3 whole shallots or 1 small red onion, quartered

Method
1. In a hot skillet, add some sunflower oil and fry the whole garlic cloves, the shallots & the whole chilli. Once they are slightly soft, remove from the skillet onto some kitchen towel and set aside.
2. With the same now flavoured oil, fry the groundnuts till the skin turns brown. Drain on kitchen towel and repeat the process with the rest of the nuts. I used about 5 handfuls of groundnuts.
3. Place the garlic, shallots & the chilli in a blender, add some water & blitz till it becomes a puree. To that, add the peanuts, both soy sauces and continue to pulse the mixture. You want to keep the crunchy texture of the peanuts. (At this point, taste your peanut sauce until you think it’s perfect. A little sweet, yet a little spicy. If it’s too thick, just add more water and adjust the taste.)
4. If you have bought the ready fried tofu, heat them up in the oven for a few mins. I heated mine till they had that slight crunch.
5. All that aside, boil a pot of water and place the Kangkung in for about 5 to 6 mins or until they soften. They can be chewy if not cooked properly. Drain them, set aside & just blanch the beansprouts slightly.

You are now ready to plate and serve your Tahu Goreng!

Tahu Goreng is usually served as a side dish but I personally love it on its own! Super yummy, lots of flavours & textures and best of all, with grandma’s recipe, you can never go wrong…Simply delicious!

Have a fabThursday to all!💛

Fishball & Shiitake Mushroom Noodle Soup

Tags

asian, asianfood, food, healthy, noodles, soup

It’s FINALLY feeling like autumn here…rainy, windy and much cooler than it was last week! I love the rain and have always believed that there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad choice of clothes. Wouldn’t you agree?

Seeing as the temperature has dropped more than 10 degrees C, I thought it was the perfect time for some noodle soup. Light, yet comforting.

Ingredients
• Fishballs (you can get this at any Asian supermarket)
• Dried Shiitake mushrooms
• Celery (chopped)
• 3 to 4 cloves of garlic (whole)
• Ginger (roughly sliced)
• 1 stalk of lemon grass (whole)
• Fish sauce
• Carrots (run your peeler down the carrot to make ribbons)
• Spring onions (chopped)
• Cracked black pepper
• Korean flat rice noodles

Method
1. Depending on how much soup you want to make, place water in a pot and to that, add your garlic, ginger, lemon grass, celery, fish sauce & seasoning. Leave to simmer for 20 to 25 mins until you get a lovely aroma of the ingredients.
2. Soak the dried Shiitake mushrooms in water and leave to soften.
3. Once the garlic in the soup starts coming apart, add the fishballs, some of the spring onions & the Shiitake mushrooms and leave to simmer further. The fishballs will start to float once they are cooked, once this happens, take the pot off the heat.
4. Meanwhile, throw your Korean flat rice noodles in a pot of boiling water. Once cooked, rinse with cold water so they don’t stick together in a lump.

You are now ready to plate your dish. Place the noodles in a bowl, ladle a generous amount of the hot soup into it. Garnish with the raw carrot ribbons & spring onions.

If like me you like a bit of heat and a kick to the dish, I made a simple chilli sauce to go with it. All you need is 3 little fiery birds eye chilli, smash that in a pestle & mortar, add a little sugar, salt & a good dollop of vinegar. (But beware, this chilli sauce is NOT for those who cannot take spicy food🔥) Alternatively, use a normal chilli that’s not as spicy.

I didn’t use any oil or salt for this dish so feel free to adjust according to your own taste.

Happy cooking & enjoy the cooler weather!💙

Asian Inspired Sea Bream

Tags

asian, asianfood, fastfood, fish, food, seafood

I have to admit, I rarely use fish in my cooking but whenever we’re out for a meal, I almost always order fish. Strange, I know. I love fish, especially smoked salmond on a bed of salad which I often have for lunch or perhaps addicted to!

While at the market a couple of days ago, I saw some beautiful fresh “Dorada”, no idea what it was in English at the time so I had to google it when I got home! Turns out it’s Sea Bream or Gilt-head Sea Bream. I wanted something with not to many bones and lots of meat so the Dorada was perfect for a simple Asian inspired dinner…

Ingredients
• Fresh Sea Bream (cleaned)
• Garlic (sliced)
• Ginger (sliced)
• Spring onions (roughly cut)
• Sesame oil
• Light Soy sauce
• cracked black pepper

Method
1. Pre heat oven to 200 degrees C.
2. Place sliced ginger & garlic in and on top of the fish. Add the sesame oil, spring onions and cracked black pepper.
3. Wrap with silver foil leaving an opening at the top and place in the oven for 15 to 20 mins depending on the size of your fish.

Once the fish is ready, add a few drops of light soy sauce onto it…serve with a side of boiled rice and some steamed or stir fried vegetables of your choice.

Healthy, tasty and best of all…no mess!😊

How do you like your fish?🐟

Prawns & Pineapples In Coconut Milk (no oil, no salt)

Tags

asian, asianfood, autumn, food, pineapples, prawns, spicy, sweet

It has been salads and grilled chicken for lunch and dinner these past couple of weeks which is fantastic! I’ve even got back into my running and feeling a lot stronger with much more energy!

Now that the weather is cooler in the evenings, I find myself craving for a warm asian dish with a slight kick of chilli. So last night for dinner, I decided to treat us with this simple no oil and no salt dish. This is my grandma’s recipe, which she usually makes with blue crab…but seeing as I still have this weird fear of cooking crabs, I substituted it with prawns instead.

Ingredients
• Fresh prawns (without shells)
• Half a fresh pineapple (roughly cut)
• 2 shallots, 4 cloves garlic, fresh chillies, black peppercorn (pound these in a pestle & mortar – adjust the chilli according to your own taste)
• Coconut milk
• Fish sauce
• 1 lemongrass
• Turmeric powder (if you can get fresh turmeric, pound around half thumb size of it with the garlic & shallots)
• Cilantro (optional)

Method
1. In a wok/saucepan, place all the pounded ingredients, coconut milk, turmeric powder, lemongrass, fish sauce and leave to simmer on a low heat for 15 to 20 mins until you get a lovely aroma.
2. Add the pineapples into the wok, gently stir them and leave to soften slightly for 3 mins.
3. Add the prawns and simmer till they are cooked thoroughly. (You can add cilantro at this point if you wish.)

Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with boiled white rice…

This dish is a little sweet, a little spicy and the aroma of the pineapples in the coconut milk was so divine, I was immediately transported back to my grandma’s kitchen.

Maybe one day I’ll gather my courage to make it with crabs!

Have a wonderful Thursday!💛