Dried Bean Curd (Tofu) Skin and Vermicelli Soup

Ingredients:

15g dried bean curd skin
25g tiger lily buds (jin zhen)
5g black moss
50g bean thread vermicelli (tong fen)
850ml water
1 tsp
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp finely chopped ginger root
2 tsp sesame seed oil
fresh coriander to garnish

Preparation

1. Soak the bean curd skin in hot water for 30-35 mins and then cut it into small pieces.

2. Soak the lily buds and black moss in water separately for about 20-25 mins. Rinse the lily buds until clean. Loosen the black moss until it resembles human hair.

3. With a pair of scissors, cut the vermicelli into short lengths.

Method

1. Bring the water to the boil in a pot, and add all the ingredients together with the seasonings. Stir until well blended.

2. Cook the soup for 1-11/2 mins. Add the sesame seed oil and serve hot, garnished with coriander leaves.

Tomato Tofu Soup

This simple soup dish is not only fast but nutritious too. Tired of those fanciful and complicated soup, try this recipe and in 10 mins you will have a pot of delicious and yummy soup.

Ingredients: Serve 2

2 small tomatoes, cut into wedges
1 cake of tofu, cut into cubes
water (enough for 2)
vegetable seasoning
coriander leaves, chopped
roasted seaweed (opt)
alittle of sesame oil
a dash of pepper

Method

Bring a pot of water to boil. Add in the tomatoes and tofu cubes. Season with vegetable seasoning, sesame oil. Off fire, serve hot. Garnish with coriander leaves, seaweed and a dash of pepper.

Curry Fried Rice

Ingredients: Serve 2

some button mushrooms, sliced thinly
1 small carrot, chopped
1 small courgette, chopped (opt)
a handful of frozen green peas
some vegetarian ham, chopped
2 eggs, beaten with some light soy sauce
2 cups of rice
curry powder (depends on your taste)
salt
mixed dry herbs

Method

1. Rinse rice and put to cook.

2. Heat the pan with oil, stir-fry the vegetable ingredients (except the peas) for about 2-3 mins. Pour in the beaten eggs and allow 1-2 mins to set.

3. Add in the rice, green peas and curry powder; mix and blend well.

4. Season with salt and mixed herbs. Serve hot.

Olive Fried Rice

Ingredients: Serve 2

2 tbsp preserved olive
OR 100g fresh black olive, pitted and chopped
some vegetarian ham, chopped
1 small carrot chopped
1 leaf of chinese bai cai or lettuce
2 cups of rice
salt and pepper
mixed herbs

Method

1. Rinse rice and put to cook. Shred thinly the bai cai and set aside.

2. Heat the pan with oil, stir-fry the ham and carrot. Add in the cooked rice and mix well.

3. Put in the preserved olive vegetables and blend well (if use fresh olive, to be fried before the rice).

4. Season with salt and pepper, mixed dry herbs.

5. Off fire and serve hot. Garnish with shred bai cai.

Tomato and Egg Flower Soup

Ingredients:

250g tomatoes, skinned
1 egg
ginger slices
1 tbsp oil
4 cups water
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp cornflour (cornstarch) mixed 2 tsp water

Preparation

1. Skin the tomatoes by dipping them in boiling water for a minute or so and then peel them. Cut into larger slices.

2. Beat the egg.

Method

Heat pot or pan over a high heat. Add the oil and wait for it to smoke. Add ginger slices to flavour the oil and then pour in the water. Drop in the tomatoes and bring to boil. Add the soy sauce and very slowly pour in the beaten egg. Add the cornflour and water mixture. Stir and serve.

Mee Siang (Simple Version)

Ingredients:

2 tbsp corriander powder
1-2 tbsp chilli paste
some assam in 2-3 bowls of water
3 tbsp salted bean paste
some grinded peanuts
lime or lemon juice
sugar & salt
beancurd (cut into cubes and deep-fry)
bean sprouts
eggs

Method

1. Oil the wok, put in the corriander and chilli paste and fry alittle and add in assam water and bean paste.

2. Bring to boil, add in a ladle of sugar and salt to blend.

3. Soak a packet of rice vermicelli till soft.

4. Drain the water and stir-fry the rice vermicelli with bean sprouts on medium heat with 1 tbsp fo chilli paste.

5. Serve with lime juice, beancurd cubes and eggs.

6. Top the mee siang with some grinded peanuts.

Chwee Kueh

Ingredients:

180g rice flour, sifted
25g cornflour, sifted
800ml water
2 tbsp oil
½ tsp salt

Method

1. Place the two flours into a bowl and pour in 300ml water. Mix to from a smooth batter. Strain.

2. Bring remaining water, oil and salt to boil. Pour in the batter and stir well till it thickens.

3. Grease a few ‘chwee kueh’ moulds. Pour the mixture into each mould and place on a steamer. Steam over rapidly boiling water for about 10 minutes.

4. Remove from mould and spread some of the prepared topping over it.


Radish topping
Ingredients:

250g chopped preserved radish (chai poh)
1 tbsp oil
some ginger chopped
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp ground pepper
3 tbsp dark soya sauce
11/2 tsp sesame oil

Method:

1. Soak the preserved radish for 10 minutes. Rinse and drain well.

2. Heat oil and sauté the ginger till golden brown.

3. Add the remaining ingredients and stir fry till dry.

Vegetarian Or luak

Preparation : 10 mins
Cooking : 15 mins

Ingredient : Serve 4

24 oyster mushrooms
4 tablespoons peanut oil
200ml water
4 tablespoons light soya
White pepper
4 tablespoons potato or tapioca flour
8 large eggs
4 tablespoons chilli sauce
4 stalks coriander leaves, chopped

Method

1. Lay mushrooms in a single layer on baking sheets. Grill under high heat till they become light brown. Put aside.

2. Heat peanut oil in a non-stick frying pan.

3. Put water, half the light soya sauce (2 tablespoons), pepper and flour in a bowl and mix well.

4. Lightly and quickly saute minced garlic, then stir flour mixture and pour into the pan with the garlic. Cook for a minute over high heat.

5. Lightly beat eggs, chilli sauce and remaining light soya sauce together. Pour over flour and garlic mixture.

6. Reserving some for garnishing, sprinkle the rest of the mushrooms and coriander leaves over the eggs.

7. Turn omelette in portions with a frying slice to cook the other side. Serve hot with chilli and lime sauce on the side if preferred.

Vegetarian Mee Rebus

Ingredient : Serve 2

(A) Chilli paste (depending on your chilli taste)
1 tsp curry powder
1 tbsp salted soya paste
2-3 medium size potatoes
A handful of grinded ground nuts
Seasoning
Corn starch

(B) Yellow noodles (or spaghetti)
Bean sprouts
Bean curd (cut into cube and deep-fry)
Lime
Green chillies

Method

1. Boiled unpeeled potatoes till cooked (keep the stock for later use as soup). Smash it and blend well to form a smooth texture.

2. Next fry the chilli and curry powder till fragrant and pour in the boiling water to form soup.

3. Stir well and put in the blended potato, ground nuts and bean paste.

4. Add seasoning in to taste.

5. Last put in the corn starch to create a thick and abit of starchy soup base.

Cauliflower Bake

The red of the tomatoes is a great contrast to the cauliflower and herbs, making this dish appealing to both the eye and the palate.

Cook’s Tip : This dish could be made with broccoli instead of cauliflower as an alternative.

Grading : easy
Preparation : 10 mins
Cooking : 45 mins

Ingredients : Serves 4

500g cauliflower, broken into florets
600g potatoes, cubed
100g cherry tomatoes

Sauce

2 tbsp butter or margarine
ginger chopped
3 tbsp plain flour
300 ml/10 fl oz milk or water
85g shredded cheese
½ tsp paprika
2 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
salt and pepper
chopped fresh parsley, to garnish

Method

1. Cook the cauliflower in a saucepan of boiling water for 10mins. Drain well and reserve. Meanwhile, cook the potatoes in a pan of boiling water for 10mins, drain and reserve. (suggest: use the same cauliflower water to cook the potatoes and keep as stock soup)

2. To make the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan and sauté the ginger for 1 min. Stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly for 1 min. Remove the saucepan from the heat and gradually stir in the stock (and top up with milk), 55g of the cheese, the paprika and parsley. Return the saucepan to the heat and bring to the boil, stirring constantly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Spoon the cauliflower into a deep ovenproof dish. Add the cherry tomatoes and top with the potatoes. Pour the sauce over, potatoes and sprinkle on the remaining cheese.

4. Cook in a preheated oven, 180 degrees/gas mark 4, for 20 mins or until the vegetables are cooked through and the cheese is golden brown and bubbling. Garnish and serve immediately.

Stir-Fried Japanese Noodles

This quick dish is an ideal lunctime meal, packed with mixed mushrooms in a sweet sauce.

Cook’s Tip : The variety of mushrooms in supermarkets has greatly improved and a good mixture should be easily obtainable. If not, use the more common button and flat mushrooms.
Grading : easy
Preparation : 15 mins
Cooking : 20-25 mins

Ingredients : Serve 4

250g Japanese egg noodles
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 red chilli, sliced (opt)
ginger chopped
450g mixed mushrooms
350g pak choi
6 tbsp mushroom sauce
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Method

1. Place the Japanese egg noodles in a large bowl. Pour over enough boiling water to cover and leave them to soak for 10 mins.

2. Heat the sunflower oil in a large preheated wok.

3. Add the chilli and ginger to the wok and stir-fry for 2-3 mins.

4. Add the mushrooms to the wok and stir-fry for about 5 mins, or until the mushrooms have softened.

5. Drain the egg noodles thoroughly and set aside.

6. Add the pak choi, noodles and mushroom sauce to the wok. Toss all the ingredients together and stir-fry for 2-3 mins or until the liquid is just beginning to bubble.

7. Transfer the mushroom noodles to warm serving bowls and scatter with toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

Deep-fried Bean Curd (tofu) and Black Fungus soup

Ingredients :

50g deep-fried bean curd, or 1 cake fresh bean curd (tofu)
15g black fungus
2 ½ cups /600 ml of water
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp light soy sauce
some Chinese parsley, chopped
1 tsp sesame seed oil

Preparation

1. Use either 2 packets of ready-made deep-fried bean curd, or cut a cake of fresh bean curd into about 20 small cubes and deep-fry them in very hot vegetable oil until they are puffed up and golden. Cut them in half.

2. Soak the black fungus until soft (this will take about 20-25 minutes) and rinse until clean.

Method

1. Bring the water to the boil in a pot. Add the bean curd, black fungus and the salt.

2. When the soup starts to boil again, add the soy sauce and cook for about 1 minute. Garnish with parsley and sesame seed oil. Serve hot.

Chinese Cabbage Soup

Ingredients :

250g Chinese cabbage
3-4 dried Chinese mushrooms, soak for 30 mins
2 tbsp oil
2 tsp salt
3 ¾ /850 ml of water
1 tsp sesame seed oil

Preparation

Wash the cabbage and cut it into thin slices. Squeeze dry the soaked mushrooms. Discard the hard stalks and cut the mushrooms into small pieces. Reserve the water in which the mushrooms have been soaked for use later.

Method

Heat the pot until hot, add oil and wait for it to smoke. Add the cabbage and mushrooms. Stir a few times and then add the salt, water and the mushroom soaking water. Bring to the boil, add the sesame seed oil and serve.

Stir-fried Lettuce

Ingredients :

1 large cos (Romarine) lettuce
3 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

Preparation

Discard the tough outer leaves. Wash the remaining leaves well and shake off the excess water. Tear the larger leaves into 2 or 3 pieces.

Method

Heat the oil in saucepan. Add the salt followed by the lettuce leaves and stir vigorously as though tossing a salad. Add the sugar and continue stirring. As soon as the leaves become slightly limp, transfer them to a serving dish and serve.

Thai-style Stir-fried Noodles

This dish is considered the Thai national dish, as it is made and eaten everywhere – a one-dish, fast food for eating on the move.

Cook’s Tip : This is quick one-dish meal that is very useful if you are catering for a single vegetarian in the family.

Grading : very easy
Preparation : 15 mins
Cooking : 8 mins

Ingredients : Serve 4

225g dried rice noodles (rice vermicelli)
2 red chillies, deseeded and chopped finely
ginger chopped
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp tamarind water
1 tbsp lime juice (opt)
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tsp sesame oil
175g diced smoked tofu
pepper
2 tbsp chopped roasted peanuts/sesame to garnish

Method

1. Cook the rice noodles as directed on the pack, soak them in boiling water for 5 mins.

2. Grind together the chillies, ginger, sugar, tamarind water, lime juice, light soy sauce and pepper to taste.

3. Heat the sunflower and sesame oils together in a preheated wok over high heat. Add the tofu and stir-fry for 1 min.

4. Add the chilli mixture, bring to the boil, and continue to cook, stirring constantly for about 2 mins, until the sauce has thickened.

5. Drain the rice noodles and add them to the chilli mixture. Use 2 spoons to lift and stir the noodles until they are no longer steaming.

6. Serve the hot noodles immediately, garnished with the chopped peanuts.