Quick Recipes On 3 Dishes 1 Soup

Last Friday I shared a post on "4 Quick Recipes On Soup And Dishes" and some of the readers are delighted to pick up new ideas on their weekend cooking. So this Friday, I am sharing another post with consists of "3 Dishes 1 Soup" which I hope it would be useful for busy mum or parents who wish to cook something nourishes for their family and yet easy to start with.

STEAMED PORK FILLET WITH SHA CHA SAUCE
(沙茶酱蒸腰梅肉)

Pork Fillet also known as "tenderloin" or "腰梅肉 / 里肌肉” in Chinese is the eye fillet that comes from within the loin. It is lean and very tender which is popular among elderly who always bought it for cooking porridge for kiddy as well as using them in cooking during confinement. Here we are using pork fillet together with Sha Cha Sauce (沙茶酱) which is one of the condiment used in Taiwan cuisines. Sha Cha Sauce is made from soybean oil, garlic, shallots, chilis, brill fish, and dried shrimp which has a savory and slightly spicy taste.

Recipe adapted from 小小米桶的零油烟厨房 recipe book.

(Serves: 4  | Preparation: 5 minutes + 30 minutes (marinate) | Cooking: 10 minutes)

Ingredients:
200g Pork Fillet (腰梅肉), cut into thin slices
50g Fresh Black Fungus (黑木耳)
2 Slices Ginger, shredded
2 Garlic Cloves, finely minced

Seasoning:
1 Tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Glutinous Rice Wine
1 Teaspoon Cornflour
1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
1.5 Tablespoon Sha Cha Jiang (沙茶酱)

Method:-
1. Rinse the fresh black fungus, cut into bite size and blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove, drained and set aside.

2. Marinate pork fillet with shredded ginger, minced garlic and seasoning for 30 minutes before adding the Sha Cha Sauce and give it a quick stir till combined.

3. Arrange blanched black fungus in deep steaming plate, scatter the marinated pork fillet on top.

4. When the water in the steamer boils, place the plate on the steaming rack. Steam it over medium high heat for about 10 minutes or until the meat is cooked.

5. Turn off the heat. Remove pork fillet, garnish it with some chopped spring onion and extra Sha Cha Sauce(optional) and serve immediately. (we love to give the dish a quick toss before eating so that all ingredients would be evenly coated with the gravy)

STEAMED GARLIC PRAWNS

Steaming seafood with minimum ingredients helps to retain it's freshness as well as sweetness. Here is another steamed prawns dish which used minced garlic and ginger. The amount of minced garlic used could be adjusted according to individual preference. And for extra flavour, you could also add in some cut chilli for spiciness. If you like steamed prawns, do check up my Steamed Drunken Prawns recipe.

(Serves: 2 - 3   | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 5 minutes)

Ingredients:
9 Big Prawns
1 Teaspoon Minced Ginger
5 Cloves of Garlic, finely minced
Some Chopped Spring Onion
1 Tablespoon Cooking / Rice Wine
1 Stall of Spring Onion (extra), cut into sections
2 Slices Of Ginger, shredded

Method:-
1. Mix 1 tablespoon of soy sauce with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and pinch of sugar together and set aside.

2. Trim the feelers off from the prawns, using either a sharp knife or kitchen scissors butterfly the prawns with a deeper cut to make a cavity for the garlic stuffing.

3. Line steaming plate with spring onion and ginger, arrange prepared prawns on top of the spring onion and drizzle some cooking/rice wine over it.

4. Generously filled the cavity of the prawns with minced garlic. Scatter some chopping spring onion and mined ginger.

5. When the water in the steamer boils, place the plate on the steaming rack. Steam it over medium high heat for about 5 minutes or until the prawns are cooked.

6. Turn off the heat, remove prawns, drizzle the prepared soy sauce mixture and serve immediately.

TEOCHEW STYLE STEAMED RED GROUPER

Growing up in a Teochew family, we simply love steamed fish especial White/Sliver Pomfret (白鲳), Threadfin (午鱼), White Spotted Rabbitfish (白肚鱼) and Mackerel (鲭鱼). Usually for Teochew style, our fish is steamed with tomatoes, salted plums / salted vegetables, cut chilli, ginger and spring onions. Sometime shiitake mushrooms are also added for flavour too.

(Serves: 2-3  | Preparation: 10 minutes   | Cooking: 10 - 12 minutes)

Ingredients:
400g Red Grouper Fillet, halved
2 Salted Plum (咸水梅)
1 Tomato, quarters
4 Slices Ginger, shredded
1 Stalk of Spring Onion, cut into sections

Method:-
1. Rinse and pat dry the fillet with kitchen paper towel. Lightly marinate it with some cooking / rice wine together with 1 teaspoon of cornflour.

2. Arrange the spring onion and some shredded ginger on a steaming plate. Place the fish fillet on top and scatter salted plum, tomato wedges and the remaining ginger on it.

3. When the water in the steamer boils, place the prepared fish on the steaming rack and steam it over medium heat for about 10 - 12 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fillet) or until fish is cooked through.

4. Turn off the heat, remove the plate. Drizzle some sesame oil/shallot oil over the fish , garnish with extra cut chilli and serve immediately.

LIU WEI TANG OR LOK MEI TONG
(六味汤)

The ingredients of Liu Wei Tang (六味汤) are quite similar to Si Shen Tang (四神汤) where it consists of Xiang Lian (湘莲), Qian Shi (芡实), Huai Shan (淮山), Yu Zhu (玉竹), Bai He (百合), Dried Longan (龙眼肉). Drinking this soup helps in improving digestion, appetite and also nourish the lungs.

You could used either pork ribs or chicken to cook with the herbs above for savoury version or leave it meatless and sweeten it with rock sugar as dessert.

(Serves: 4  | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 1 Hour)

Ingredients:
2 - 3 Chicken Drumstick, skin removed
4 Pieces Pork Ribs, optional
5 Pieces Dry Huai Shan (淮山
15 Pieces Yu Zhu (玉竹)
15g Bai He (百合)
20g Xiang Lian (湘莲)
20g Qian Shi (芡实)
15g Dried Longan (龙眼肉)
1.5 Litres of Water

Method:-
1. Blanch chicken and pork ribs in boiling water for a about 1 minute, remove, rinse and set aside.

2. Bring 1.5 Litres of water to boil, add in all the herbs (rinse them with water before using) together with the blanched meat.

3. When the mixture comes to boil again, lower the heat and simmer for about 1.5 hours. Turn off the heat and season with salt(optional) and serve warm.

4. ALTERNATIVELY transfer the mixture to slow-cooker and cook it on AUTO mode for about 3 hours.

Tip:
~ You could use half portion of chicken for this recipe instead of both chicken and pork ribs.

~ Prepacked Liu Wei Tang herbs could be easily found in major supermarkets or Chinese Medical Hall.

I might be sharing some "1 Dish Meal" recipes next week as I received some emails regarding on this topic. Till then have a great weekend ahead, hope you would like the above recipes.

Cactus Chicken Soup

Recently I spotted some beautiful Fresh Cactus at a supermarket near my area. At first I have mistaken it as "aloe vera" due to it colour but upon closer look and some detail explanations from one of their promoter me and friends begin to show interests in it.

We both tried the "cactus soup" which was prepared by the promoter and it indeed taste great with just 3 simple ingredients such as "cactus, chicken and honey dates". To our surprise the soup taste 80 - 85% close to the normal Black Chicken Herbal Soup which has a after taste that is similar to "ginseng".  So without hesitate we each bought a pieces of the fresh cactus to make our Cactus Chicken Soup.

CACTUS CHICKEN SOUP

From a given leaflet and website of Kin Yan Aagrotech where these local fresh cactus is grown, it shows that eating Cactus helps to promote good digestive system, improve immunity, strengthen bones and joints, detoxification of the body system and etc.

(Serves: 4  | Preparation: 10 minutes  | Cooking: 1.5 - 2 hours)

Ingredients:
400g - 500g of Organic Fresh Cactus
1 Kampong Chicken
2 Pieces Honey Dates
1.5 Litres of Water

Method:-
1. Scrubbed, washed and cut the cactus into rectangle shown above with half portion skin remained unpeeled.

2. Trim, clean and blanched chicken in boiling water, rinse and set aside.

3. Bring 1.5 Litres of water to boil, add in honey dates, cactus and chicken. When the mixture comes to boil again, lower the heat and simmer for 1.5 hours.

4. Season with salt and simmer for another 10 minutes and serve. (I did not add in any salt as we prefer having it with it's original taste)

5. ALTERNATIVELY you could transfer all the ingredients to a slow cooker and cook on AUTO heat for about 3 - 4 hours.

Orange Chiffon Cake

My love for baking Chiffon Cake is always inspired by passionate chiffon cake bakers such as Small Small Baker, my bestie @ahpoohbear and a few others. Their love for chiffon cakes could be shown through their recipe posts or photos of the chiffon cakes that they baked. And as you realise from some of my post I love citrus fruits such as Lemon and Orange which I often incorporate it into my bakes or dishes.

Since there was a special offer on oranges last week which I bought for making fresh orange juice, I decided to bake an Orange Chiffon Cake to pair with it for afternoon tea and at the same time make use of those lovely orange rinds which enhance the taste and aroma of the cake.

Food Republic at Causeway Point

With a total of 17 stalls and 3 mini restaurants among its tenant mix, Food Republic at Causeway Point serves up a variety of local food delights as well as restraint style Korean food at affordable prices. In August 2012, Food Republic has opened it 9th outlet at level 4 of the newly revamp  Causeway Point Shopping Mall which brings in new dining concept as compared to the previous food mall.

Below are some of the stalls that we have tired during the media tasting which is organised by Food Republic, Causeway Point.

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I LOVE YOO!

"I love Yoo!" has an very unique Chinese name call 老油鬼鬼 which translate as "Lao You Gui Gui". Although causeway point outlet is their first branch in Singapore, but I love Yoo! has been serving well-loved traditional Malaysian dishes and snacks in Malaysia since 2007.

Above are some of their signature items such as You Tiao - 油条 (S$0.90 each) and Mix Bun - 夹粽 (S$1.00 each). This is my first time trying mix bun and I love the combination of the fragrant bun skin that surrounds the chewy mochi like dough in the center of the bun.

On the other hand, they also have freshly made Sesame Balls with assorted fillings such as:- red bean, lotus and peanuts at S$1.10 each.. To enhance the taste of these traditional snacks, I would recommend you to order a cup of their fresh soya bean milk which freshly made daily. For a more filling breakfast or brunch, grab a bowl of their Dried Oyster Peanuts or Dried Scallop porridge together with their freshly made You Tiao would definitely satisfy your craving too .

FUNAN WENG IPOH HO FUN

When this dark sauce hor fun arrived at our table, the first thought that comes to my mind is the Crayfish Hor Fun from Hong Lim Food Complex which I love when I used to work around that area. Above is the Signature Prawn and Chicken Ipoh Ho Fun (S$$4.80) from Funan Weng that served with their specially brewed herbal dark soy sauce, ultra-smooth ho fun and fresh tiger prawns as well as tender chicken meat.

If you love prawn dumplings, remember to order a bowl of their Gourmet Dumpling Soup (S$5.50) where the dumplings are made with fresh pork and shrimps to retain it's freshness and taste.

LI XIN TEOCHEW FISHBALL NOODLE

For a non fish ball fan, I always avoid ordering fish balls noodle whenever I could but after trying Li Xin's Fish Balls Noodle (S$4.00), it actually changed my mind set on this. I love the springy noodles which coated evenly with their special homemade chili sauce as well as the crispy lard that perfect the taste of this simple dried noodles.


According to the Li Xin's boss, their fish balls are made twice daily using superior yellowtail fish and kept chilled in cold water rather in the freezer. Most of us loves their Fish Ball Soup (S$4.00) which comes in a bowl of 8 bouncy fish balls that soak in tasty soup broth.

MIAN MIAN JU DAO

I have tried this Dao Xiao Mian (Knife Shaved Noodles) once at Food Republic (VivoCity) and it does not taste as good as the one over at Causeway Point outlet as the noodle were rather overcooked.

Just to share for those who had not tried Dao Xiao Mian (Knife Shaved Noodles) before, the one shown above is their Stewed Beef With Noodle Soup (S$6.00). If you like herbal broth base with handmade noodles and beef, perhaps you would like to give this a go.

PADANG RAYA

Padang food is well known for its robust flavours that come from the use of rich coconut milk, chilli and aromatic spices. The folks at Padang Raya are committed to using only natural ingredients to retain it's original taste and health benefits. Ikan Asam Pedas Set (S$5.00) serve with Rice, Ikan Asam Pedas (sour spicy fish) and Cabbage.

Curry Ayam Set (S$5.00) on the other hand is serve with Rice, Ayam Curry Drumstick and Long Bean Balacan. Their Ayam Curry is fragrant and not too over-power with the spices and coconut milk taste. And the Long Bean Balacan is just nice with at crunchy texture which I love.

SHAMI BANANA LEAF DELIGHTS

Shami Banana Leaf Delights is one of the popular food stall in Northpoint Shopping Centre since 1993. I still remember during my secondary school days, a group of us would always order their Chicken Briyani which was only S$5.00 pet set.

Now with another two additional outlets at Sembawang Road and Food Republic Causeway Point, patrons can easily enjoy their favourite briyani at more convenient locations without joining the crazy queue over at Northpoint. For us, my all time favourite is their Chicken Briyani Set (S$7.00) which I would always ask for more gravy to go with the rice.

If you don't fancy chicken you could also choose from other optional such as Boneless Mutton Briyani Set (S$8.00), Mutton Briyani, Tandoori Chicken Set or Sambal Fish Set.

GORYEO KOREAN RESTAURANT

A few months ago I was catch with Korea fever that watching a few Korean drama which inspired me to cook a few of their local dishes such as Bibimbap, Ginseng Chicken (samgyetang), Korean Rice Cake (Tteokbokki) and etc.

Kimchi Soup (S$7.50) served with steamed rice is perfect for raining day or when you crave for something spicy and yet light from the usual meaty soup.

Bibimhap (S$7.50) which is also known as Hot Stone Pot Rice comes in either  chicken / pork / beef  that you could choose from. The bibimhap sauce is served separately with kimichi as banchan (side dishes) so that you could add the amount of sauce into your rice according to your preference.

Andong Jjimdak Set (S$11.90) also known as Andong Steamed Chicken is serve together with steamed rice. This Korean style steamed chicken consists of spinach, carrot, potato, chicken and glass noodle which is a prefer one dish meal with meat and vegetable all in one.

Bulgogi Salad (S$8.50) is something light for weigh watcher who still want to have some bits on meat other than rice or noodles. I love the refreshing dressing and the bulgogi indeed added some bite and taste to the salad.

CAFFE REPUBLIC

Most of my friends told me that when ordering dessert at Food Republic, Chendol (S$2.80) is a "must try" on the list as they have quiet a good reputation on serving decent Chendol that you would fall in love with. Overall the coconut base is just smoothing without overpowering the taste of the red beans and gula melaka and indeed it's something nice to have after a hearty meal.

We are surprised and delighted to find an ice cream counter over at Caffe Republic where they offer warm Belgium waffles with a choice of 18 different flavour of Gelato Ice Cream such as chocolate, cookie and cream, strawberry, green tea and etc.

Personally I love their Chocolate and Green Tea Gelato which is taste quiet decent as compared to those branded Gelato stalls.

Another key point of Caffe Republic is their style mod cafe showcasing popular Western coffees such as Cafe Latte, Cappuccino, Espresso and etc which you could get a cup to perk up your day with some snacks or after meal drinks.

Below are another 2 stalls that my family and I tried on during another visit to Food Republic, Causeway Point.

SERGEANT HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE

My boy loves the Chicken Rice from Sergeant Hainanese Chicken Rice. Their rice is infused with lemongrass fragrant and it's not greasy as compared to some other stalls. They have quiet a range of items to choose from such as Steamed Chicken, Roasted Chicken, Chicken Cutlets, Curry Noodle, Thai Sauce Tofu and etc.

GRANNY FINE SOUP

As a herbal soup lover, my attention was draw to this Granny Fine Soups during our tasting at Food Republic. Although the price might be slightly higher as compared to other herbal soup stalls but I still decide to try this Double-boiled Black Chicken With Cordyceps Flower which is around S$8.00 per serving. The soup taste quiet decent, but for personal preference I would prefer more herbal taste which would be better.

A3 Signature Combo Set Meal @ Promotion Price S$6.80 (Usual Price S$7.60)

Apart from the chicken rice and herbal soup we also tried the combo set from Funan Weng Ipoh Hor Fun Express mentioned above and overall it still taste great as compared to what we had during media tasting.

Lastly I would like to thank Food Republic and Touch Communications for the invite media tasting.