Buns for Braised Pork

Preparation Time: 3 – 4 hours

Cooking Time: 5 to 10 minutes

Serving for 3 - 4

Ingredients

6 cups flour
¼ cups fine sugar
1¾ cups warm water
1 Tbsp yeast
2 Tbsp lard or shortening
2 Tbsp Sesame Oil

Preparation of Dough
1. Dissolve sugar in warm water and add yeast.
2. Let the mixture stand for ten minutes. The yeast will foam and rise.
3. Add flour, shortening and the mixture together.
4. Knead dough into a ball
5. Remove dough from bowl. Add flour (too wet) or water (too dry) if necessary.
6. Knead dough until smooth and elastic.
7. Place dough in a clean bowl and cover with a damp cloth.
8. Let dough rise (in a warm place) for 2 – 3 hours until it has double or tripled in bulk.

Preparation of Dough after 2 – 3 hours
1. Roll dough into a long roll and cut into 24 pieces.
2. Flatten each piece of dough to a 2-inch circle and spread surface lightly with sesame oil; fold circle to half.
3. Using tips of fingers lightly press half circle so that it is inches in diameter and edges are thinner than middle.
4. Place each finished roll on a damp cloth in steamer ½-inch apart.
5. Steam rolls for 5 mins over high heat; remove and let it cool before serving.

Fried Rice Paradise....

Preparation Time: 20 mins (excluding cooking the rice)

Cooking Time: 30 - 40 mins

Serving for 2

Ingredients

3 Bowls of Rice (Preferably cooked and left overnight)
3 Shallots
1 Garlic
3 Tbsp of Cooking Oil
1 tsp of Salt
1 tsp of Light Soy Sauce
1 tsp of Sesame Oil
50g of Ham Luncheon Meat or Ham
5 Large Prawns
1 Stalk of Spring Onions (Optional)
Pepper for taste
2 Large Eggs

Preparation of Rice
1. Beat the eggs with 1/2 tsp of Light Soy Sauce.
2. Mix the eggs with the rice.

Preparation of Prawns
1. De-shell the prawns and cut it in large chunks.
2. Wash the prawns with 1/2 tsp of salt.

Method
1. Cut the shallots and garlic in slices.
2. Cut the spring onions.
3. Cut the Ham Lucheon Meat/Ham in chunks.
4. Heat the wok with 1 Tbsp of oil. Add the shallot, garlic and stir fry till lightly brown. Remove the shallots and garlic for garnishing before serving.
5. Add 1 Tbsp of oil with prawns, lucheon meat/ham and stir fry for 2 mins.
6. Add 1 Tbsp of oil with rice and stir fry till the rice is fluffy and light.
7. Add 1/2 tsp of salt and light soy sauce and stir fry for another 1 min.
8. Add sesame oil and pepper and stir fry for another 1 min.
9. Add the spring onions before serving.

Alternative method to coat every rice grain with egg:

1. Add egg mixture in wok and rice. Stir fry quickly to ensure each rice is coated with egg mixture.

Gingko Nuts with Longan

Preparation Time: 2 hours (approx.)
Cooking Time: 4 hours (approx.)
Serving for 4 - 6

Ingredients
300g Dried Longans
500g Gingko Nuts with shell
A cup of rock sugar
2 Tbsp of sugar
100g fungus
100g lotus seed

Preparation of Gingko Nuts
1. De-shell Gingko nuts.
2. Boil Gingko nuts and remove the skin.
3. Use a toothpick to remove the green root inside the nut.
4. Add sugar and mix the Gingko nuts. Marinate it for like 10 minutes.
5. Add water and half a cup of rock sugar till boil.
6. Lower the fire and let the Gingko nuts to simmer for about 2
to 3 hours.
7. Cook the Gingko nuts till they are 'caramelised'.

Preparation of Fungus
1. Wash the fungus and cut into small portion.
2. Soak fungus with water till soft.

Preparation of Lotus Seeds
1. Clean the lotus seeds and remove the green root inside.
2. Soak the lotus seeds with water till soft.

Preparation of Longans 'syrup'
1. Add 6 cups of water, half a cup of rock sugar and boil the Longans for about 2 hours.

Method
1. Add Gingko Nuts and Lotus Seeds to the Longans 'syrup' and cook at low fire for 1 hour.
2. Add fungus and cook for another half an hour.

This is usually done during Chinese New Year to serve guests.

Prawns with Chilli Sauce

Cooking Time:
Preparation Time:
Serving for 4

Ingredients
12 Large Prawns
2 Tbsp of Chilli Sauce
2 Cloves of Garlic
2 Tbsp Cooking Oil
2 tsp Salt

Preparation of Prawns
1. Wash the prawns with salt. Do not remove the shell and head. Use paper towel to dry the prawns.

Method
1. Cut the garlic and slice them.
2. Heat the wok with oil and put the garlic. Stir fry the garlic till lightly brown, add the prawns for about 10 minutes.
3. Add the chilli sauce and stir fry for about another 1 minute.

Braised Duck with Chestnuts

Cooking Time: 1 and a half hours
Preparation Time: 1 and a half hours
Serving for 4

Ingredients

Half a Duck
5 Bowls of water/stock
4 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
3 tsp salt
1 Star Anise
2 Clove of garlic
4 Tbsp of cooking oil
1 tsp Sesame oil
1 tsp pepper
200g Chestnuts with skin

Preparation of Duck
1. Clean and cut Duck into large pieces (approximately 4 cm X 4 cm or 1.5 inches X 1.5 inches) and marinate with 2 Tbsp of Dark Soy Sauce, pepper at least 1 hour. Add sesame oil after half an hour of marinating.
2. Heat up wok and add 3 Tbsp of cooking oil to scald marinated duck for about 5 mins.

Note: Reason to add sesame oil after half an hour of marinating because oil would slow down the process of the meat absorbing the spices.

Preparation of Sauce
1. Mix the water/stock with salt and remaining dark soy sauce.

Preparation of Chestnuts
1. Boil chestnuts with 1 tsp of salt in hot water for about half an hour. Remove the skin.

Method
1. Smash garlic and remove any green shoot in the centre of the garlic.
2. Slice the ginger
3. Heat wok, add 1 Tbsp of cooking oil, garlic, ginger and gently stir fry till lightly brown.
4. Add scalded Duck, sauce and Star Anise, in wok. Cover wok and let it simmer for about 20 mins.
5. Transfer to a slow cooker and cook for another 1 hour.

Note: Reason to remove green shoot in garlic if any is because they would cause indigestion.

This is best serve with rice and vegetables

Braised Pork with Buns

Cooking Time: 1 and a half hours
Preparation Time: 1 and a half hours
Serving for 4

Ingredients

400g Pork Belly
4 Bowls of water/stock
4 Tbsp Dark Soy Sauce
2 tsp 5 spice powder
2 tsp salt
1 Star Anise
1 Dried Nutmeg
2 Clove of garlic
2 Slices of ginger
4 Tbsp of cooking oil
1 tsp Sesame oil
1 tsp pepper

Preparation of Pork
1. Clean the Pork Belly and marinate with 2 Tbsp of Dark Soy Sauce, pepper and 5 spice powder for at least 1 hour. Add sesame oil after half an hour of marinating.
2. Heat up wok and add 3 Tbsp of cooking oil to scald marinated pork belly each side for about 5 mins.

Note: Reason to add sesame oil after half an hour of marinating because oil would slow down the process of the meat absorbing the spices.

Preparation of Sauce
1. Mix the water/stock with salt and remaining dark soy sauce.

Method
1. Smash garlic and remove any green shoot in the centre of the garlic.
2. Slice the ginger
3. Heat wok, add 1 Tbsp of cooking oil, garlic, ginger and gently stir fry till lightly brown.
4. Add scalded pork belly, sauce, Star Anise, Nutmeg in wok. Cover wok and let it simmer for about 20 mins.
5. Transfer to a slow cooker and cook for another 1 hour.

This is best serve with rice or buns

Salted Vegetable Duck Soup

Servings for 4
Preparation Time is 50 minutes
Cooking Time using slow cooker is 12 hours

Ingredients

Half a duck
200g chicken bones
200g pork ribs
Half a portion of salted vegetable
4 slices of ginger
2 cloves of garlic
1 Tbsp of sugar
1 tsp of salt
4 preserved sour plum
pepper to taste
1 tsp of light soy sauce

Method to prepare stock

1. Blenched pork ribs to remove foul smell and wash them.
2. Blenched chicken bones and wash them.
3. Add 8 bowls of water and boil the pork ribs and chicken bones.
4. Add ginger, garlic, salt and sugar to the stock.
5. Cook for an hour and transfer the stock in the slow cooker.

Method to prepare Duck soup

1. Cut the duck in big chunks and add in the stock.
2. Add the salted vegetable and sour plums.
3. Add light soy sauce.
4. Leave them in the slow cooker and cook at low heat for 12 hours.
5. Add pepper to taste when serving.

Note: I normally prepare it overnight.

All time Favourite...Sweet and Sour Pork

This is serving for 4
Total preparation including marinating time....3 hours

Sweet and Sour Pork

Ingredients

2 tomatoes (remove the seeds)
1 cucumber (remove the seeds)
½ of a pineapple (remove the core)
1 red chilli (remove the seeds)
1 red onion
2 Tbsp cooking oil

Method

1. Cut the tomatoes, cucumber, pineapple and onion in cubes.
2. Cut the red chilli in slice.

Ingredients for marinating meat

400g lean meat (front portion of the thigh)
1 egg
½ tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
½ tsp sesame oil
3 Tbsp corn flour
Potato flour for coating

Method marinating the meat

1. Cut the meat in cubes of 2 cm by 2 cm and season with salt, sugar, egg, sesame oil, corn flour for 2 hours.
2. After 2 hours of marinating, coat the potato flour on the meat.

Ingredients for sauce

4 tomatoes
1 Tbsp tomato sauce
1 Tbsp chilli sauce
1 Tbsp A1 Sauce
5 – 10 limes (squeeze for 1½ Tbsp of lime juice)
1 tsp salt
1½ tsp sugar
2 Tbsp water
1 Tsp corn flour
Dash of Pepper
1 tsp sesame oil

Method preparing the sauce

1. Boil the tomatoes, peel off the skin and mashed them.
2. Mix the tomato sauce, chilli sauce, A1 Sauce, lime, salt, sugar, pepper,
sesame oil.
3. Mix the corn flour with the water into a light mixture and add to mixture 2.

Method of cooking

1. Deep fry the meat, drain the oil and set it aside.
2. Add cooking oil in heated wok.
3. Add the onions and stir fry till lightly brown.
4. Add the sauce and lower the heat.
5. Add the 2 tomato cubes, cucumber cubes in the wok and stir fry in low heat.
6. Add the meat and mix with the sauce and increase the heat up.
7. Finally add the pineapple cubes and chilli and stir fry it.

Sweet Pork

Preparation and cooking time - 40 minutes
Serving is good for 2 - 3
Simple yet kids love it and goes well with rice or porridge

Ingredients

200g lean pork
2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp corn flour
1 Tbsp cooking oil
Dash of Sesame oil
Dash of Pepper

Method

1. Cut the lean pork in strips (about 2 cm in length and 1 cm in width).
2. Marinate the pork with dark soy sauce, corn flour and sugar for 20 minutes.
3. Heat the wok with oil.
4. Stir fry the marinated pork at low heat for 15 minutes.
5. Add sesame oil and pepper before serving.

Mix Vegetable (Vegetarian Friendly)

40 minutes to prepare and cooking
Good for 3 - 4 servings

Ingredients

150g Broccoli
150g Cauliflower
50g Fresh Shitake Mushroom
50g Fresh Button Mushroom
50g Fresh Oyster Mushroom
1 can Vegetarian Mock Abalone
2 slices of ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp light soy salt
2 Tbsp Olive Oil
Dash of Sesame Oil
Dash of Pepper

Method

1. Blench Broccoli and Cauliflower.
2. Cut all the mushrooms in cubes.
3. Add oil in the wok but do not over heat it. Add ginger and mushrooms and stir fry for 5 minutes.
4. Add Broccoli and Cauliflower and stir fry for another 10 minutes.
5. Add salt and light soy sauce and fry for 1 minute.
6. Add the entire content of the mocked abalone, sesame oil and stir fry for another 5 minutes.
7. Cover with a lid and lower the heat to let the vegetable simmer.
8. Add pepper before serving.

It is my friends all time favourite especially those who love mocked abalone :o)