Making of Broth

中文版

Broth played a very important role in cooking. Broth tends to make the dish more slaver, and the taste will be more abundant too. I love to cook but I’m lazy, those dishes with complicated cooking process are not suitable to me. Refer to the recipes on hand and my mum’s cooking method, I’ve make it more economic and also more suited for myself.

Ingredients:

2 Whole Chicken Bones

400g Pork Ribs

3oz Dried Squid (Cut into small pieces)

10 bowl of waters

                                                                                                               

Method:

1. Clear all the intestine and fat in the chicken bone. Clean the pork ribs and put it into a small pot with the chicken bones.
2. Boil the water. Take 2 bowls of boiled water to blanch the bones, after that cook the bones in the boiled water.
3. Put in the dried squid. Take out all the bubbles when the water boiled again. Cook with small heat for at least 2 hour and then take out all the ingredients in the soup.

Note:

1. Blanch: Pour boiled water into the container which containing the bones to clear the blood. Take out the bones to continue the cooking process
2. Do not close the pot when boiling the broth, if not the broth won’t be clear
3. The broth can be packed in few packs and keep in the fridge, just defrost it when needed.
4. The taste of the broth will be more rich after add in the dried scallop, ham and etc.

Grill Yogurt Chicken

中文版

This is one of the dishes that get from other’s blog. This dish actually is Original Holland Grilled Meat, but its change through my hand, that’s why I’m not dare to said its Holland style. The Original method is to grill with the grill pan, because I don’t have the grill pan, so I just used the normal pan. Due to the pan that I used, I only get the skill after the third time I grill it.

Ingredients:

2 Boneless Whole Chicken Legs

1 tablespoon Fine Granulated Ginger

1½ Garlic (crushed)     

6 tablespoon Thick Sugar Syrup

1 teaspoon honey

2-3 tablespoon Yogurt

Some Salts & Black Pepper Powder

                                                                                                                                                                       

Method:

1. Clean the chicken and cut it into thin slices. Mixed all other ingredients together and marinate the chicken for 1 hour.
2. Heat up the pan, put on some butter and follow with the chicken. Grill the chicken with small heat until the gravy almost dry. Keep turn over the chicken to make sure the heat is equal for both sides. Turn off the heat immediately when the gravy dry to avoid the pan became char.
3. Sprinkle some salts & black pepper powder to the chicken when it still hot.

Note:

1. For those friends who have the grill pan can use medium heat to grill the chicken. Because of the sauce contain sugar, it must very careful on the heat control, if not it is very easy to get char.
2. It is better to choose the original taste yogurt which is thicker. Sugar syrup, honey and ginger can replace by Ginger Sauce which can find in the market.
3. If able to find the Caraway, can mix it to the sauce to make the taste better.
4. Add some salt to the leftover sauce and heat it up then eat with the grill chicken if you want it taste stronger.
5. Mixed the salts and black pepper power by 2:1 then sprinkle it on top of the meat to make it more equal.

Grilled Lamb with Mixed Herbs

中文版

I have asked my colleague to marinate the lamb for me before, I realized that he just use some mixed herbs and saltsa, the taste was very nice and it is different from  what I usually done. To make the taste stronger,  I have made some adjustment when I marinate it.

Ingredients:

2 pieces Lamb Shoulder

2 tablespoons Steak Seasoning

1 tablespoons Mixed Herbs

                                                                                                                                                           

Method:

1. Clean the lamb shoulder and use the back of a knife blade beat on it for few time, then use a fork to stick on it. Marinate the lamb shoulder with other ingredients for 2 hours.
2. Wipe a bit of butter on a hot pan and grilled the lamb shoulder.

Note:

1. Steak Seasoning can be found in supermarket，inside the bottle is the mixture of salts, dried garlic, black pepper and etc. Mixed herbs also can be found in the supermarket which is contains different kind of dried herbs.
2. The usage of ingredients can change accordingly, just must notice that there is some salts contain in the steak seasoning, must avoid over usage on salt when marinate the lamb.

Cola Chicken Wings

中文版

From a blog, I saw Jaycee Chan cook this dish in the show “Big Stars to Cooking”, two of the main chefs were praise on it and give a very good comment. Previously I have cooked this dish before, maybe on that time I’m too small (just 13 years old), know not much on the cooking skill, the cooking time is not enough on that time, I’m failure in this dish and not try to cook it anymore after that. This time I have followed the method teaches from the blog but not Jaycee’s method,    just because I personally feel that it will taste better.

Ingredients:

6 Chicken Wings                       

1 Coke in Can

1 tablespoon  Ginger(crushed)

1 tablespoon  Garlic(crushed)

Seasonings:

2 tablespoons Soy Sauce

Half teaspoon Salts

2 tablespoons Shaoxing Wine (Chinese Wine)

2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar  

                                               

                                                                                                                                                                       

Method:

1. Clean the chicken wings and use a fork to stick on it then marinated it with soy sauce for half an hour.
2. Heat up a pan, fried the chicken wings without any oil, take it out when it is brownish.
3. Use the same pan to fried the gingers and the garlic, put back the chicken wings, then pours in the coke and cooks it until sticky. Add in the salt, Shaoxing wine and the balsamic vinegar. Serve it.

Note:

1. Can use the boneless thigh meats to replace the chicken wings, it is easier to eat, just need to cut the thigh meats into small pieces.
2. The coke must cover the chicken wings when cook. If it is unable to make it then must keep on turning the chicken wings to make sure the taste will be even.
3. Can use 2 to 3 tablespoon of lemon juice to replace the balsamic vinegar.

Grilled Lamb Shoulder

中文版

This is a dish that I learn from my mum-in-law. When the first time I buy the lamb shoulder, I really don’t know how to handle it, my hubby told me that the lamb chop made by my mum-in-law is taste good, so asked her the method  to cooking the lamb shoulder. The most interesting is this recipe is came from my mum-in-law, but my hubby said the taste is totally different from what she made; my mum-in-law seem like she never give me any recipe and thought that is my own recipe, some more she had forgot how to cook the lamb after she provided the recipe to me. I have grilled the lamb shoulder for some of my friends, they feel the taste is quite nice. As the result, the grilled lamb became the exclusive dish from Ester.

Ingredients:

2 pieces Lamb Shoulder

2 tablespoons Oyster Sauce

1 tablespoon Tomatoes Sauce

1 tablespoon Chilies Sauce

1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce (Lea & Perrin)

½ teaspoon black pepper powder

Ingredients for Mints sauce:

Fresh Mints Leaves

Rice Vinegar

Salt

Sugar

                                               

                                                                                                                                                                       

Method：

1. Clean the lamb shoulder and use the back of a knife blade beat on it for few time, then use a fork to stick on it. Marinate the lamb shoulder with other ingredients for an hour.
2.  Add the sugar and the salt into the vinegar and until its melt. Chop the mints leaves (or blend it with a blender) then mix it to the vinegar to make it as mints sauce.
3. Wipe a bit of butter on a hot pan and grilled the lamb shoulder.

Note:

1. The usage of the ingredients can be change accordingly.
2. For those who like the juicy lamb can heat up a pan to fry the onion then put the marinated sauce which have left over, add in some water to cook it until it sticky then pour the sauce on the lamb shoulder.
3. For oriental style, cut the lamb shoulder into small pieces and marinate it. Fry the garlic then put in all the ingredients, pour in some water to cook for 15 minutes in the smallest heats and cover up the pot. It is no need to prepare the mints sauce for the oriental style.
4. It can be prepare more for the mixture of vinegar, the unfinished portion can be keep in the fridge, just add in the mints leave when it is finish.

Papaya Soup with Groundnuts

中文版

This soup I have learned from my grandma. Last time I’m not realized the benefit of this soup. When I grow I just know that this soup not only nourishing and good for one’s complexion, but also very suitable for those want to slim down.

Ingredients

½ Papaya which not fully ripe (peel off and cut into pieces)

2 handfuls Groundnuts

1.5oz Dried Oyster

500g Pork Ribs

20 Red Dates

Seasonings:

Some Salts

                                                                                                                                                                       

Method:

1. Clean the pork ribs and rinse it with hot boiled water. Remove the seed from the red dates.
2. Boil 8 bowls of water, and then add in the pork ribs and others ingredients cook with highest heat for 10 minutes, then turn to lowest heat and continue to cook for 1 hour.
3. Add in the salt bore turn off the heat.

Note:

1. Some people will put white fungus instead of groundnuts, or cut off the usage of pork ribs by add in chicken feets and pork tails.

Stewed Lamb Shoulder Steak with Szechuan Seeds

中文版

Personally I love lamb very much, some more I am very afraid of cold, and some one told me that ate more lamb or beef can keep my body warm. That day I have just asked my colleague to buy me some mutton. Because I am just recover from sick and don’t want to eat grilled food that much, so I go through my recipe book and finally decide to stew the mutton. As the result, the gravy is too much and I prefer thickened gravy, so that I have made some adjustment on my recipe.

Ingredients:

350g Lamb Shoulder Steak / Mutton

2 pieces Beancurd Preserved

3 Star Anises

½ teaspoon Szechuan Seeds

350ml Water

Seasonings:

1 teaspoon Bean Paste

10g Rock Sugar

2 tablespoons Light Soya Sauce 

Method:

1. Rinse the lamb shoulder steak and cut into convenient pieces. Blanch into boiling water for a moment. Dish up, and remove the fat of the lamb shoulder steak.
2. Bring the water and the rest of ingredients and seasoning to a boil in a deep pot. Add in lamb shoulder steak, covered. Braise over a low heat for 1 hour until the lamb meat are tender and the flavor has been absorbed, or until the gravy is thickened and slightly syrupy. Dish up. Serve hot.

Note:

1. If you feel that the gravy is too less, you may add in some hot water.
2. If the gravy is too oily, you may cook it by highest heat to make the oil float on top, then just take it out from the gravy.

Chinese Yam with Pork Ribs Soup / Congee

中文版

This is a soup which contain high nutrition, because Chinese Yam (Shan Yao) contains Vitamin C, Iron Frolic, Calcium  and many others nutrition. It is good to our spleen and stomach, and it’s also able to strengthen the Lungs and replenishes Jing (essence of life). One of the functions of Chinese yam is help to anti-oxidise and built up our immune system. It is also help to slowdown deteriorate of age. Actually I cook this soup to be the base for the macaroni, but my mum-in law said it will be bit hard to my father-in-law, so that I used it to cook the congee for him.

Ingredients:

500g Pork Ribs

½ Chinese Yam   (Shan Yao)                                    

30g Chinese Wolf Berries (Gou Qi)                      

2 Slices Ginger             

Some Salts
                           

Method for Soup：

1.       Clean the pork ribs and rinse it with hot boiled water. Peel off the Chinese yam and cut it into small pieces.

2.       Boil 8 bowls of water, then add in the pork ribs and ginger, cook for 30 minutes. Put in the Chinese yam and wolf berries, continue to cook until the Chinese yam is completely done.

3.        Add in the salts to taste and serve.

Method for Congee:

1.       Put a handful of rice into 3 bowls of soup which with some Chinese yam to cook for 1hour in the lowest heat.

Note:

1.       Chinese yam must peel off to avoid the feeling of itchy. For the fresh Chinese yam can clean with the water which have add in the vinegar to avoid slippery and get cut accidentally. Steep the cut Chinese yams into the water with salt to avoid the colour turn into black after oxidize.

2.       The peel of Chinese yam will cause skin sensitiveness, it is better to wear hand glove when peel off the Chinese yam, and wash your hand immediately after cutting the Chinese yam.

3.       You may add in the soup during the process of cooking if you feel the congee is lack of moist.

    Chinese Yam with Pork Ribs Soup

Chinese Yam Pork Ribs Soup with Macaroni

Brocoli Soup

中文版

That day I was having my lunch with my colleague in a restaurant in town. We have ordered the broccoli soup. I feel that the soup is quite nice, and it is high nutrition but low calories. This soup may replace the porridge for the babies too.

Ingredients:

500g Brocoli                 

3 – 5 Potatoes

3 – 5 Onions

150ml Thickened Cream

Seasonings:

Salts

Pepper                            
                           

Method:

1.       Steam the broccoli, potatoes and the onions for 20 minutes.

2.       Blend the broccoli, potatoes and the onions with 3 cups of water.

3.       Cook the blended ingredients with medium heat and keep stirring. Add in the thickened cream and seasonings then serve.

Note:

1.       The usage of the potatoes will affect the thickness of the soup, and the usage of the onion will affect the sweetness.

2.       For those dislike the dairy product can ignore the usage of thickened cream.

3.       Onions can be replaced by the carrots for those vegetarian.

4.       If you feel that the broccoli is bit expensive, you may mix with the cauliflowers, but the taste will not be so nice.