[Weekly Meal Planner] 5 Recipes On Our Weekday Meals #2

After planning and cooking for weeks, months and even years it sometimes make SAHM (Stay At Home Mum) feels that all these routines seems to be a "hectic chore" which are never ending. Often we just wanted to create some decent and healthy meals that are less time consuming and "hopefully" they suits everyone's preference in the family too.

So after much thoughts and suggestions from readers, I decided to start a new column on this blog known as "Weekly Meal Planner" from 01st March 2014 onwards featuring our weekday dinner menus hopefully on Mondays base on a bi-weekly timeline. The featured dishes might vary from Asian, Western or even just 5 recipes on soup or dessert for the week which I hope it would help to inject some new ideas into your weekly menu planning.

PAN-FRIED FISH WITH OYSTER SAUCE

[Weekly Meal Planner] Pan-fried Fish with Oyster Sauce

For a change to our usual steamed fish dish, I always prefer to replace it with this pan-fried version that comes with a sweet and savory gravy that goes well with steamed white rice. And this recipe is very flexible whereby I have tried using it on cod fish and gold pomfret and it turns out great too.

(Serves: 2   | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 10 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 500g Red Grouper Fish Tail
• 1 Medium Onion, cut into wedges
• 1 Tomato, quarters
• 3 Cloves of Garlic, minced
• 4 Slices Ginger, shredded
• 2 Stalk of Spring Onion, cut into sections

Seasoning Sauce:

• 1 Tablespoon Oyster Sauce
• ½ Teaspoon Dark Soy Sauce
• ½ Teaspoon Sesame Oil
• ½ Teaspoon Cooking Wine
• ¼ Teaspoon Sugar
• 150ml Hot Water

Method:
1. Rinse and pat dry fish tail with kitchen paper towel then lightly dust it with cornflour.

2. Preheat frying pan with 2 tablespoons of oil, pan-fried fish on both side till golden brown.

3. Move fish to one side of the pan. Add ginger, garlic and onion; saute the mixture till fragrant, toss in tomato and spring onion. Give mixture a quick stir before adding in seasoning sauce (mix well).

4. Simmer fish with the sauce for about 1 minute on medium heat till sauce thicken, remove and serve immediately.

Tip:
~ You can use any type of fish, cutlet, or firm fillet which is suitable for pan-fry.

[Weekly Meal Planner] Sample of using Golden Pomfret for this reicpe

HOTPLATE TOFU
(Wok Method)

[Weekly Meal Planner] Hotplate Tofu

If you still remember, I did a similar dish called Sizzling Tofu (铁板豆腐) using Happy Call Pan two years back and it was really very simple to prepare at home. But this round I re-create this dish using a non-sticky frying which I feel it would be easier for everyone to replicate it. As for the ingredients do feel free to replace minced pork with either minced chicken/beef as well as seafood like prawns depending what you have in your fridge or marketing list.

(Serves: 4  | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 15 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 2 Tube (150g) Egg Tofu
• 1 Packet of Lee Kum Kee (ready sauce); Tomato Garlic Prawns
• 100g Marinated Minced Pork
• 50g Green Peas
• 8 - 10 Slices Of Carrot
• 3 Shiitake Mushrooms, cut into slices
• 1 Medium Brown Onion, cut into wedges
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 Egg, lightly beaten
• 150ml Hot Water
• Some Chopped Spring Onion and Red Chilli

Method:
1. Divide egg tofu into equal thickness (8-10 pieces), lightly coat them with cornflour and shallow fry with 2 tablespoons of cooking oil till golden brown on both side. Remove and set aside.

2. Saute garlic and onion till fragrant, add in marinated minced meat and fry till almost done. Stir in green pea, carrot and mushroom and continue to cook until mushroom soften.

3. Lower the heat and arrange fried tofu on the meat mixture, drizzle Lee Kum Lee ready sauce over it together with hot water.

4. Give a quick stir to coat the mixture with the sauce, swirl in beaten egg and let it cook till almost set (do not overcook it as the heat from the pan will continue to cook the egg mixture).

5. Lastly remove pan from heat, garnish with some chopped spring onion, chilli and dash of freshly ground black pepper. Serve immediately.

HOW TO PREPARE YOUR OWN TOMATO SAUCE:

Ingredients:
3 Tablespoons Ketchup
1/2 Tablespoon Chilli Sauce
1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
1/4 Teaspoon Dark Soy Sauce
1 Teaspoon Cooking Wine
150ml Hot Water

Method:
1. Mix well together and set aside. This sauce is used to replaced the above-mentioned Lee Kum Kee ready sauce if it is not available at your end.

CLAYPOT TOFU
(砂锅豆腐)

[Weekly Meal Planner] Claypot Tofu

Claypot Tofu (砂锅豆腐) is one of the common dish available at Cze Char (煮炒) stall or even some Chinese restaurants and it is mainly make up with array of vegetables, seafood and tofu. The type of tofu used also vary from egg tofu, firm tofu and etc depending on the chef. For us we love to soak our rice with it's gravy as well as hunting our favourite ingredients from the pot.

Sometime to enhance the taste of this dish I would also stir in some "roasted pork" (siu yuk / 烧肉) which adds extra flavour to the gravy.

(Serves: 2  | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 20 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 1 Tube (150g) Egg Tofu
• 100g Marinated Minced Meat
• 30g Green Peas
• 1 Small Carrot, cut into slices
• 100g Cauliflower, cut into small florets
• 4 Shiitake Mushrooms, cut into slices
• 1 Medium Tomato, cut into wedges
• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 2 Slices Ginger
• 1/2 Tablespoon Oyster Sauce
• 200ml Hot Water

Method:
1. Divide egg tofu into equal thickness (8-10 pieces), lightly coat them with cornflour and shallow fry till golden brown on both side. Remove and set aside.

2. Saute carrot with 1 tablespoon of oil for 1 minute then add in garlic and ginger till fragrant.

3. Next add in minced meat and cook (stir to break it up) till almost done. Stir in mushrooms and cauliflower and cook for another minute or till mushrooms soften.

4. Add in oyster sauce, give it a quick stir then add in hot water and tomato.

5. When the mixture comes to boil transfer to a Claypot, topped with tofu and let it simmer for 5 minutes or until cauliflower soften.

Tip:
~ You can replace minced meat with seafood like squid, fish fillet and prawns.

STIR-FRIED LUFFA GOURD
(炒丝瓜)

[Weekly Meal Planner] Stir-fried Luffa Gourd

Luffa (Loofah - 丝瓜) is vegetable/fruit that is rich in vitamins B and C. On top of its nutrition value it also help to clear Heat, Detoxifies, promotes Blood Circulation as well as prevents skin aging. But even with all the benefits mentioned I am still not a regular "fans" of luffa as I don't really like it's soft and pulpy texture when cooked. However on the other hand, mum loves Luffa (no wonder she still looks so young at almost 60s) so I decided to prepare this Stir-fried Luffa Gourd dish for her during one of her visit.

(Serves: 4 | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 15 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 2 Luffa Gourds, peeled and cut into 1" pieces
• 8 - 10 Medium Prawns, shelled
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 8 Large Prawns, shelled
• 2 Eggs, lightly beaten
• 150ml Chicken Broth
• Dash of ground pepper

Method:
1. Preheat oil in frying pan, sauté garlic till fragrant, add prawn and fry till pink, turn and cook the other side.

2. While cooking the prawns, add in luffa and cook together until slightly soften (a minute or less).  Next remove prawns (set aside) and add in chicken broth.

3. Simmer luffa on medium low heat till soften, add in cooked prawns and drizzle beaten egg. Cook until egg almost set.

4. Season to taste with dash of ground pepper and salt (optional). Serve with rice.

Short Cooking Clip On Stir-fried Luffa Gourd:

If you cannot view the video above, click on my Instagram link here.

FISH SOUP WITH RICE

[Weekly Meal Planner] Fish Soup With Rice

Fish Soup is always one of my comfort food when I am not feeling well or on day(s) where I just want to cook a "one pot' dish with everything in it. And often my fish soup would end up having different combination of ingredients depending on what I have in the fridge. But most important, the key ingredient is to grab some really fresh fish fillet so that it would enhance the taste and sweetness of the soup.

And from the above, you would realised that I love to combine my cooked rice into the fish soup (instead of having them separately) just like the "Teochew Style Fish Porridge". In the this my rice will soaked up all the goodness from the fish soup making each mouthful a blessing treat.

(Serves: 2  | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 20 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 200g Sliced Boneless Mackerel Fillet
• 1 Packet of Silken Tofu (for soup), cut into cubes
• 1 Cup Uncooked Rice
• 100g Bitter Gourd, thinly sliced
• 100g Yam (taro), cut into 1" sticks (you can omit this ingredient)
• 3 - 4 Baby Cos Lettuce 1 Tomato, cut into wedges
• 3 Slices of Ginger
• 3 Cloves Garlic, minced
• 1.2 Litres Fish Stock or Boiling Water

Method:
1. Rinse uncooked rice and cook according to rice cooker or stove instructions.

2. Lightly marinated fish with 1/2 teaspoon of cornflour, cooking wine, dash of pepper. Set aside.

3. Deep-fried yam in hot oil till slightly golden brown, remove and set aside.

4. In a medium saucepan, bring 1 - 1.2 litre of fish stock to boil, add in tofu and fried yam and it boil for another 2 minutes (let the tofu and yam adsorb the flavour of the stock) before adding in fish slices, bitter gourd and tomato.

5. When the fish is cooked, remove saucepan from heat add in baby cos lettuce. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with steamed white rice.

HOW TO PREPARED FISH STOCK:

Ikan Bilis (Anchovies) Stock
100g Medium Size Ikan Bilis (Anchovies)
1/4 Teaspoon Black Peppercorns, lightly crashed
2 Slices Of Ginger
2 Clove Garlic, lightly crashed
1.2 Litre Of Water

Method:
1. Place Ikan Bilis in a plastic colander basket (for vegetables) and rinse it with a few change of water (to remove the saltiness, dirt, sand or etc).

2. Bring 1.2 Litres of water to boil in a stock pot, add in ginger, garlic, black peppercorns and prepared ikan bilis.

3. When the mixture comes to boil, lower the heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.

4. Turn off the heat, strain stock through sieve before using.

Fish Bone Stock
500g Fish Bone (Grouper, Mackerel or Threadfin)
1/4 Teaspoon Black Peppercorns, lightly crashed
2 Slices Of Ginger
1 Medium Brown Onion, cut into wedges
1.5 Litre Of Water

Method:
1. In a stock pot, saute garlic and onion with 1/2 tablespoon of oil till fragrant. Add in fish bone and black peppercorns and cook for 30 seconds (flipping once/twice).

2. Add in water and when the mixture comes to boil, lower the heat and simmer for at least 45 minutes to an hour.

3. Turn off the heat, strain stock through sieve before using.

Lastly I hope you would enjoy this new column and if you have a website or ideas on your own weekly meal planning which you would like to share it with us, do drop me a comment below so that we could learn from each other. Till then have a great week ahead peeps!