Tuesday, 13 June 2006

Guo Tie - 锅贴

Guo Tie or Gyoza which is originally a Chinese dish, which has become very popular across Japan. In this recipe of mine, I will share with you how to make a simple guo tie dough. To make the Spinach Juice, just wash and soaked 3 bunches of spinach leave in water. Then remove the leaves only and add about 1/2 cup of water in a blender together with the leaves to blend until smooth. Strain and obtain only the juice, you should get about 3/4 cups or more.


In this little experiment of mine, I am making two kind of doughs(one is the plain type while the other is using spinach juice to make spinach dough). Spinach is an important leaf vegetable, now grown throughout the temperate regions of the world. Spinach is a rich source of iron. In reality, a 60g serving of boiled spinach contains around 1.9 mg of iron.

Ingredients For Pork Mince Fillings:
200g Pork Mince
1 Tablespoon Chinese Celery(芹菜叶), finely chopped
1 Teaspoon Ginger Juice
1 Teaspoon Light Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
1/4 Teaspoon Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Cornstarch

Methods:
1. Combine all the ingredients together and set aside to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or more.

Notes: You can replace the Chinese celery to Chives(韭菜).

The time consuming and difficult part of making of the dough can be skipped by buying pre-made dough pieces, which are available at some Japanese and Chinese grocery stores. But if you had time, it's a fun activities to share with family members as each can play a different role in making the dough.

After trying a few failure wrapper on wrapping a traditional Guo Tie, I finally gave up the idea and trying making this simple wrapping. I really hope to master the skill for pleating the traditional guo tie, so I am sure to challenge this recipe again.....

My final product of Guo Tie from Cuisine Paradise...... Although the shape is not up to standard but the taste is there... It's very yummy to go with the black vinegar and ginger dipping sauce......

Ingredients For Dough: (make about 10-15)
125g Plain Flour
35ml Water
35ml Cold Water
Pinch Of Salt

Methods:
1. Sift Plain Flour into a mixing bowl, then slowly pour in the water and stir using a chopstick until combined.
2. Use hand to knead the dough while adding in the cold water.(you can add abit more if it is too dry).
3. Add pinch of salt in it and continue to knead until it form a soft dough.
4. Remove and place it on a lightly flour table top and continue to knead until it's smooth and elastic(10 to 15 minutes) then rest it for at least 30 minutes then cut it into half.
5. Roll it into an oblong shape and cut it into about 20g dough then flatten it on the cut side and roll into a 8-9cm circle.
6. Wrap it with the pork mince filling and pleat it into a Guo Tie shape.(sorry can't find any picture of showing how to pleat the guo tie)
7. Preheat a non-stick pan till hot add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, tilting pan to spread evenly.
8. Arrange dumpling in the pan, being careful not to overcrowd and fry until the base is slight golden brown, add 150ml water/chicken stock, cover, and cook over high heat for approximately 2 minutes to sear bottoms.
9. Then simmer on low heat until all the water has evaporated, gently loosen dumpling with a spatula to check whether the bottoms are golden brown.
10. If not, pan-fry, uncovered, until bottoms are crisp and browned. Transfer to a platter, and serve immediately with black vinegar and shredded young ginger.

Note: To make the spinach dough, replace the wonder to spinach juice.

Bitter Gourd & Pork Ribs Soup - 苦瓜排骨汤

Bitter Gourd is one of the most popular vegetables in China, Taiwan, Vietnam, India and the Philippines. Bitter Gourd, also called Bitter Melon, has an acquired taste. The bitter gourd has excellent medicinal virtues. It is antidotal, antipyretic tonic, appetizing, stomachic, antibilious and laxative.

There are a few famous dishes in Singapore that is associated with bitter gourd like ......Bitter Gourd Fish Head(炒苦瓜鱼头), Stir-fry Bitter Gourd with Egg(苦瓜炒蛋), Bitter Gourd & Pork Ribs Soup(苦瓜排骨汤). Today, we are going to have this Bitter Gourds & Pork Ribs Soup - 苦瓜排骨汤. Don't worry this soup is not that bitter as you think off... don't be afraid of the word "Bitter" Gourd.....


Ingredients:
1 Medium Bitter Gourd,苦瓜
300g Pork Ribs,排骨
6 Red Dates,红枣
1 Tablespoon Gou Qizi,枸杞子
2 Slices Ginger,老姜
1 Medium Carrot,红萝卜

Methods:
1. Wash and blanch pork ribs in boiling water, rinse and set aside.
2. Wash and cut the bitter gourd into half length wise, then remove the seeds and rub the flesh with some salt to reduce it's bitter taste.
3. Wash away the salt then cut into 1cm thick rings and set aside.
4. Wash the dried herbs, peel the carrot and cut into 1" thick rings.
5. Bring a pot of 1.5 litres of water to boil, add in all the ingredients and bring to boil for 10 minutes over medium heat.
6. Then continue to simmer over low heat for 30 - 45 minutes, season with some salt and serve.
7. Or you can transfer everything to a slow cooker and simmer on LOW HEAT for 1.5 hours.

Notes: From my mum's suggestion, she said try to choose those bitter gourd that had wide pattern lines in between and the colour is sort of light pale green then i won't be too bitter for soup. So from from her tips... my bitter gourd soup always turn out to be just nice. Posted by Picasa

Stir-Fry Cabbage With Assorted Mushroom

This is a very easy stir-fry vegetable dish which combine of two type of yummy mushrooms like Honshimeiji & Shiitake with cabbage and celery.


Ingredients:
1/2 Beijing Cabbage(北京包菜)
6 Fresh Shiitake Mushroom(花菇)
1 Packet of Honshimeiji Mushroom(本菇)
1 Small Carrot, Cut into thin strips
2 Stalks Of Celery(芹菜)
2 Slices Of Ginger
3 Cloves Of Garlic, lightly smash
200ml Of Chicken Stock

Methods:
1. Cut the cabbage into bite size then soak in water for a while then wash and rinse well.
2. Wash the Shiitake Mushroom and honshimeiji mushroom and cut away the root stem and set aside for use.
3. Peel the celery and cut into 1 cm thick slices.
4. Preheat the pan with 1.5 Tablespoons of oil and saute the garlic and ginger slices until fragrant then add in the carrot strips, celery and cabbage then fried till fragrant add in in the chicken stock.
5. Cover and let it simmer on medium low heat for 5 minutes then add in all the mushroom and cover, continue to simmer for another 3 minutes.
6. Add in some cornstarch water mixture to thicken the sauce and serve.

Note: You can add in any types of mushroom that you prefer like wooden ear, black or white fungus or etc.Posted by Picasa

Monday, 12 June 2006

Thai-style Basil Chicken Salad

The most common Basil Leaves that found and used in Singapore is the Thai Basil Leave which can be used in a wide range of Thai, Vietnamese and other ethnic cuisine. It's spicy, licorice flavored shoots and leaves are used in salads, soups and curries.


For this salad dish, we are using Fresh Thai Basil Leaves for one of the sauce ingredients. The taste of this dish is kind of local Thai-style where it is sort of sweet and spicy. You can add in any fruits or vegetables that you prefer to make the salad base to go with the crispy chicken strips.

Ingredients:
1/2 Chicken Breast Fillets (1/2 边鸡胸肉)
1 Teaspoon Light Soy Sauce (1 小匙酱油)
1/2 Tablespoon Cooking Wine (1/2 汤匙花雕酒)
1 Teaspoon Cornflour(1 小匙玉米粉)
Some Pepper(少许胡椒粉)
2 Tablespoon Sweet Potato Flour (2 汤匙地瓜粉)
1 Tablespoon Cornflour (1 汤匙玉米粉)

Methods:
1. Wash and cut chicken fillet into 2cm wide strips then marinate with Soy Sauce, Cooking Wine, Cornflour and Pepper for at least 30 minutes or more.
将鸡胸肉洗净, 切2cm 宽条状, 然后加入酱油, 花雕酒, 玉米粉和胡椒粉调味至少30 分钟以上.
2. Coat the marinated chicken with the flour mixture(sweet potato flour + cornflour) and set aside for 5 minutes before deep-frying.
将腌好的鸡肉条沾混合好的地瓜粉和玉米粉, 然后放在一边等5分钟后才炸.( 这能防止粉从鸡肉上滑落)
3. Heat up half pot of oil and deep-fry the chicken strips in two batches until golden brown, drain and set side.
热半锅油, 把鸡肉条分成俩次炸成金黄色后, 捞起放在吸油纸上吸干油分.

Chilli Sauce:
2 Cloves Garlic, grated (2 颗蒜, 切末)
2 Small chilli, finely chopped (2 颗小辣椒, 切末)
8 Thai Basil Leaves, finely chopped (8 叶九层塔, 切末)
1 Teaspoon Chopped Spring Onion(1 小匙葱花)
2 Tablespoons Thai Sweet Chilli Sauce (2 汤匙泰式甜辣椒酱)
1.5 Tablespoon Lemon Juice (1.5 汤匙柠檬汁)
1 Tablespoon Thai Fish Sauce (1 汤匙鱼露)
1/2 Teaspoon Sugar (1 /2 小匙糖)
1 Tablespoon Drinking Water (1 汤匙食水)

Methods:
1. Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside for later used. (If you don't prefer hot, then don't add any small chilli or you can reduce to only using 1)
把全部酱料的材料放在一个小碗里搅拌均匀, 待用.( 如果您不会吃太辣, 就不要放小辣椒或只放一颗)

Salad Base: (optional)
1 Red Apple, shredded (1 个萍果, 切丝)
1 Japanese Cucumber, shredded (1 条日本小黄瓜, 切丝)
1 Small Carrot, shredded (1条小胡萝卜, 切丝)
6 Cherry Tomato, halves (6颗小番茄, 切半)
6 Lychee, remove seeds (6颗荔枝, 拨壳, 去种子)

Methods:
1. Mix all the above ingredients in a mixing bowl then set aside in the fridge until serve.
把全部的沙拉材料放在一个碗里搅拌均匀, 放进冰箱待用.
2. You can used any other fruits or vegetables that you prefer or in season.
你也可以用其他的水果蔬菜来代替.

Assemble:
1. Place salad mixture on a serving plate, top with half of the fried chicken strips then drizzle some chilli sauce over the chicken and salad.
首先把拌均匀的冷沙拉扑在大盘上, 然后放一般的炸鸡肉条, 接着均匀的淋上些辣椒酱.
2. Continue topping the rest of the chicken and drizzle the rest of the sauce around it.
之后继续放上剩余的鸡肉条, 再淋上些辣椒酱.

Notes:
You might not need all the sauce, so add the amount that you prefer. Or you can serve it as dipping sauce for the chicken strips without the salad.
你可以随自己喜好放多或少的酱料, 又或者你也可以用来沾不要淋上去.

This sauce is enough for 1 chicken breast without the salad.
这个酱料成分足够用一个鸡胸肉. Posted by Picasa

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