Steamed Egg Tofu with Minced Meat and Wolfberry

Easy, fast and healthy: Steamed tofu with minced meat

Ingredients
(Serves 2-3)
- 1 tube silken egg tofu 蛋豆腐 (150g)
- 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 15 wolfberries, soaked in water till puffy (about 20 minutes)
- 1/2 stalk spring onion, sliced thinly or cut to wispy strips

(A) Meat and marinade
- 50g minced pork (can substitute with chicken)
- 1/2 stalk spring onion, sliced thinly
- a few thin carrot slices (peeled using a vegetable peeler, stacked together and finely chopped)
- 1 tsp light soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp cornflour
- dash of white pepper powder
- 1 tsp Chinese cooking wine

Directions
1. Cut egg tofu in half along the “dotted line” (if any), remove packaging and cut to thin and even slices (see detailed step by step photos). Arrange tofu pieces on a steaming plate (with a bit of depth).
2. Mix ingredients in (A) evenly in a small bowl and allow to sit for at least a few minutes.
3. Mould a small amount of the marinaded meat mixture (about 1 tsp or less) into a ball and place on top of tofu slices. Top each meat ball with a wolfberry. Drizzle 1/2 tbsp light soy over the tofu slices.
4. Steam over high heat for about 5 minutes (starting from the time the water in steamer is boiling), or until the meat is cooked (see cooking note 1 below). Before serving, use a spoon to drizzle the soy liquid collected in the plate over the tofu slices. Garnish with chopped spring onions.

Japanese Tofu with Minced Pork

Ingredients

• 2 to 3 tubes of Japanese Tofu (see cooking method below)
• 50 – 100 grammes minced pork
• 3 cloves garlic (chopped finely)
• Sliced carrots (amount up to you)
• 3 to 5 pieces of chinese dried mushrooms (pre-soaked and cut into small pieces)
• Corn starch (mix 1 tablespoon corn flour with 5 tablespoons water)
• 2 tablespoons of Corn flour
• 100 ml warm water
• Sufficient oil for deep frying (palm oil preferred)

Marinade (for minced pork)

• 2 teaspoons light soya sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
• a few dashes of white pepper powder
• 1 teaspoon of corn flour

Seasoning

• 1/2 tablespoon or more of dark soya sauce
• 1 heaped teaspoon of oyster sauce
• Salt and white pepper powder to taste

Method

To prepare tofu, cut across the tofu tube. Gently push the tofu out of the tube from the closed end. Cut tofu across at not more than 2 cm thick. Dust the tofu lightly with corn flour.

Heat oil in wok. Deep fry the tofu till golden brown, remove and set aside on paper towel to absorb excess oil. Place fried tofu on a serving plate.

Remove oil from wok leaving about 2 tablespoons in it. Add mushrooms and stir fry for 1 minute or longer till aromatic. Add minced pork and stir well. When minced pork is half-cooked, add carrots. Continue to stir fry till minced pork cooked / seared on the outside. Add seasoning followed by warm water and allow to boil for 1 minute.

Thicken gravy to your liking using a teaspoon of corn starch at a time. Pour gravy over the tofu and serve hot with steamed white rice.

Butterflied Prawns in Eden

Ingredients

• 8 to 10 pieces medium sized prawn (butterflied)
• 150 grammes broccoli (cut into florets. stems cut into flower-shape)
• 1 medium sized carrot (cut into flower-shape)
• 1/2 tin of orchid mushrooms
• 3 cloves garlic (chopped finely)
• some cornstarch
• 300 ml hot water
• a pot of water
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil

Seasoning

• 1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• salt to taste
• a couple of dashes of white pepper powder
• 1 teaspoon of light soya sauce

Method

Bring a pot of water (about 2 litres) to boil. Once boiling, add 2 teaspoons of salt and drizzle some cooking oil. Then blanch broccoli florets till your desired softness. Remove and drain. Place aside to cool. Repeat process with carrots and broccoli stems.

Heat oil in wok. Add half the chopped garlic into the wok together with prawns. Stir fry briskly and add 1 teaspoon of light soya sauce. Remove prawns once it has completely cooked and curled up. Set aside.

Add oil into wok followed by garlic and orchid mushrooms. Stir fry briskly for about 30 seconds before adding 300 ml hot water. Bring to boil and add seasoning to taste. Cover with lid and reduce heat to medium. Allow gravy to reduce to half.

Meanwhile, arrange broccoli florets in a ring on a deep plate. Place carrot and broccoli stem flowers on top of the broccoli florets. Place remaining flowers in the middle.

Check the orchid mushrooms and add some cornstarch to thicken the gravy a little. It should be slightly runny but not watery. Remove from heat.

Scoop some orchid mushrooms and place on centre of the dish. Place prawns on top of orchid mushrooms and flowers before pouring the gravy over the whole dish.

Minced Pork Balls with Preserved Black Beans

Preserved Black Beans, Fermented Black Beans and Salted Black Beans all mean the same thing, namely black beans which have been preserved in a salty solution and are usually sold in glass jars. The taste is naturally salty and usually, only a small portion is used.

This dish was oft cooked by mum for lunch during my schooling days and it tastes delicious with plain white porridge or even sweet potato porridge. Preparation and cooking should be less than 30 minutes as it only involved mincing the pork and cooking it with the preserved black beans. You’ll be amazed how easy it is to whip up a great tasting dish in a jiffy.

Ingredients

• 100 to 150 grammes of minced pork
• 4 cloves garlic (chopped finely)
• 2 teaspoons preserved black beans
• 2 teaspoons dark soya sauce
• A pinch of monosodium glutamate (optional)
• A dash or two of white pepper powder
• 300 ml warm water
• 2 teaspoons palm oil

Method

Mix garlic into minced pork.

Heat oil in wok or suitable pot and saute preserved black beans for 10 to 15 seconds on medium heat. Add water, increase to high heat and bring water to boil.

When water boils, scoop minced pork into balls using a teaspoon and add to boiling water. After finishing all the minced pork, add dark soya sauce, monosodium glutamate (optional) and white pepper powder.

Once minced pork balls are cooked (either they float or have been cooked for at least 3 minutes), dish up and serve. As this dish is a tad salty, it is suitable with plain white porridge as you can pour a bit of the gravy and stir it into the porridge.

Stir Fried Celery with Prawns and Straw Mushrooms

Chinese, Dinner, Lunch, Seafood, Vegetable February 14th, 2007

I am quite fond of celeries. This vegetable is highly fibrous and good for health. When made into celery juice, it does reduce the bad cholesterol of some patients. But I don’t really like celery juice because it tastes rather funny. Saltish, I would say. Most of the time, I would just stir fry the celery with carrots, mushrooms and prawns.

I really did not intend to cook the straw mushrooms on this occasion. That morning, i bought a can of straw mushrooms only to drop it whilst driving and thus causing a dent on the can. Since the can is dented, I cannot be keeping the can of straw mushrooms longer for fear of possible leaching of iron (I am still struggling to understand this bit). Anyway, the dish turned out well and we truly had an enjoyable meal. The crunchiness of the celery and carrots were balanced by the smoothness of the mushrooms. The prawns lended its sweetness to the dish. Voila!

This is my recipe for Stir Fried Celery with Prawns and Straw Mushrooms

Ingredients

• 1 stalk celery (cut to 4 cm lengths)
• 1 medium sized carrot (sliced)
• Half can of straw mushrooms (about 10 pieces – you can use more, it doesn’t really matter)
• 8 pieces of medium sized prawns (deveined, leaving shell intact)
• 4 cloves garlic (chopped)
• Corn starch (mix 1 tablespoon corn flour with 100 ml water)
• 50 ml warm water
  
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil (palm oil)

Seasoning

• 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon of fish sauce
• a couple of dashes of white pepper powder
• a pinch of salt
• a pinch of MSG (optional)
• 1 teaspoon of chinese cooking wine

Method

Heat oil in wok and saute garlic till beginning to brown. Add prawns and stir for 15 seconds. Remove prawns and set aside.

Add celery, carrots and straw mushrooms into the wok and continue stir frying for 1 minute. Add seasoning and water and bring to boil. Return prawns into the rest of the ingredients.

Cook for another 2 minutes and add corn starch to thicken gravy (if necessary).

Serve hot with white rice.