Blanched Bean Sprouts Recipes

Bean sprouts or in Malay and Hokkien we called it Taugeh are cheap but it is high in nutrients particular vitamins B complex and C, asparagines, folic acid and iron. I like using them in my fried noodles and beside that I like to blanch them lightly to retain the bean sprouts crunchiness. I usually served this with Hainanese Chicken Rice .

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh bean sprouts – removed tails
2 spring onions – cut small
Some fried garlic
dash of pepper

Sauce:

2 tsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp water
½ tsp sugar

1. Combined the sauce ingredients and bring it to a boil and set aside.
2. Bring a pot of water to boil and blanch the bean sprouts for 10 seconds. Remove, drain dry and put it on a serving plate.
3. Pour the sauce over. sprinkle on some pepper and garnish it with fried garlic and spring onions. Serve immediately.

Garlic Roasted Potatoes Recipes

When come to cooking potatoes I like to keep it simple. For me simple is often the best. To get it crispy on the outside and tender on the inside I will usually par-boiled the potatoes first. Then cut them into wedges and roast them over high heat. Normally I will toast in all the herbs before roasting but this time I did something different. I lightly brown the garlic, chili and green onions and toss it into the potatoes once it is done.

Ingredients:

4 large potatoes (I used red skin potatoes)
3 spring onions
3 cloves garlic – chopped
1 large red chili – finely sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Wash and clean the potatoes. Put the potatoes in a large pot of water with some salt and bring it up to boil. Continue to boil for 6-7 minutes. Drain it and let it cool down a bit.
2. Cut into wedges and transfer it to mixing bowl. Drizzle in some olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss until well combined. Line a sheet pan with some aluminum foil,grease the base of the sheet pan with some olive oil.
3. Transfer the potatoes wedges to the roasting pan in a single layer. Roast it in pre-heated 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes until crispy and golden brown. Turn it once half way through the roasting.
4. In the meantime, heat up a tbsp of olive oil in a sauté pan. Add in the garlic and sauté until fragrant. Add in the chili and green onions. Lightly toss is around for a minute.
5. Remove the potatoes from the oven, pour in the garlic mixture and give it a few good toss and serve immediately.

Fried Tofu with Szechuan Pepper and Salt Recipes

I am a sucker for any salt and pepper dishes. If we dine out and I see in on the menu I will definitely order it. Most of the restaurant here will prepare it with pork, calamari or shrimps but for today I am doing it with tofu. These dishes are not difficult to prepare. Basically you just deep fried the main ingredients and sprinkle it with salt and Szechuan peppercorn mixture. As for the Szechuan pepper all you have to do is dry roast it over medium heat on a heavy-based pan until it begins to ‘pop’ and aromatic. Cool it down and then grind it into powder with a mortar and pestle or spice grinder. I usually make more of it and store it in an airtight container.

Ingredients:

1 block of firm tofu – cut into 1” cubes
½ cup of cornstarch
Salt to taste

For the salt and pepper dip

1 tsp of Szechuan pepper
2 tsp salt

1. Dry the tofu with some paper towel. Sprinkle it with some salt. Heat oil in a hot wok until surface seems to shimmer slightly. Lightly coat tofu pieces in cornstarch.
2. Carefully lower the tofu into the hot oil – it is important not to coat the tofu in advance of heating the oil, or it will become very moist and sticky.
3. Fried until lightly brown and crispy, remove and drain the oil on paper towel.
4. Arrange tofu on a platter and serve immediately with the salt and pepper mixture.

Nyonya Vegetable Curry Recipes

It is the time to clean up the vegetable compartment of my fridge. I do this every two weeks before I buy more of it. As usual there will some leftover of vegetable in there. A little bit of carrot, long beans, red peppers, zucchini etc. I will normally make a quick stir-fry out of it but when I saw this delicious looking Nyonya Vegetable Curry at Kiersten blog I decided to give it a try. The curry turns out really good. There is nothing more comforting than indulging a big bowl of this homemade curry.

Ingredients:
Recipe adpated from here

1 zucchini
1/2 head of cabbage, cut
A bunch of long beans, cut into 2” lengths
1 carrot – cut into 1” lengths
2 red pepper, cut into wedges
½ packet bean curd pockets (tau foo pok), cut into halves
2 potatoes – peel and quarter
2 - 2 1/2 cups of coconut milk
2 tbsp curry power, mixed with 3 tbsp water
1 chicken stock cube or vegetable cube
Salt and sugar to taste

Blend into paste:

3 stalks of lemongrass
2 cm galangal
1" fresh turmeric
8 shallots
6 garlic
3 pieces candlenuts
3 tbsp chili paste ( I used sambal oelek)

1. Heat up about 3 tbsp of oil in the pan. Stir-fried the blended ingredients until fragrant.
2. Add in the curry powder. Continue to stir-fry so that it won’t burn. Add in a little bit of coconut milk. Continue to stir-fry until you see oil starts to appear.
3. Add in the rest of the coconut milk and chicken cube. Bring it up to boil. Add in the carrots and potatoes. Cover and let it cook for 5 minute. Add in the rest of the vegetables and continue to cook over medium low heat until vegetable are about done.
4. Add in the bean curd pockets. Let it simmer for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and sugar to taste. Serve warm.

Note: I replaced one cup of the coconut milk with evaporate milk.

Eggs in Purgatory/Poached Eggs in Tomato Sauce Recipes

This is something that I learned from an Italian chef a long time ago. He told me that his grandmother used to serve this as a quick, light lunch so that they can all get back to the farm to continue working. I am not sure why such a dramatic name for such a simple Southern Italian Dish. Basically it is just poached eggs in tomato sauce. For this dish I like using over-ripe tomatoes which are plenty during summer. With just a few ingredients you get a healthy robust flavor meal. Remember to get some fresh Italian bread before you make this as you’re going to need it to slop up all the sauce.

Ingredients:

4 large ripe tomatoes (roughly chopped) or a can of 14 oz crushed tomatoes
2 cloves garlic - chopped
4 eggs
Some fresh basil – julienned
Salt and black pepper to taste

1. Put the olive oil in a skillet large enough to hold the number of eggs you’ll be making. Sauté the garlic until lightly browned over medium heat. Add the tomatoes and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the sauce is thickened to your liking. Add in salt and pepper.
2. Once the sauce is ready, make little wells in the sauce and break in eggs one at a time. Turn down the heat, cover the skillet and let eggs cook until the yolks are to your desired runniness (is there such a word?).
3. Sprinkle in the basil and serve immediately with some crusty bread.

Zucchini Fritters Recipes

Summer is here and so is zucchini. You can see zucchini everywhere and they are really cheap too. There are so many different ways to eat a zucchini and I have had it stir-fried , cooked vegetable curry and make into zucchini pancakes . My neighbor Nancy gave me a few of it and I have been contemplating for a few days on what to make out of it. Carlos is not a fan of Zucchini and if I cook with it I will always end up eating it all by myself but this fritters totally changes his mind about zucchini. He absolutely loves it. The fritters were crispy on the edge with a delicate soft center. This is a very simple recipe that comes together relatively quickly.



Ingredients:

1 Ib of zucchini, grated
2 eggs
2 cloves garlic – finely chopped
2 shallots – finely sliced
¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
½ cup flour
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp chili flakes (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Place grated zucchini in a tea towel and squeeze to remove the liquid; discard liquid.
2. In a large mixing bowl whisk egg. Add zucchini, garlic, shallots, flour, and panko, chili flakes and parmesan cheese. Mix until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Heat a bit of vegetable oil in a non-stick frying pan. Drop about 2 tbsp of batter into the frying pan; flatten it lightly with a spatula.
4. Pan fried fritters on each side for about 4-5 minutes, until browned. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towel to drain the oil. Serve warm or at room temperature with some marinara sauce.

Tempeh in Honey Lime Sauce Recipes

I found tempeh at one of our supermarket here a few years ago and I’ve been cooking with it ever since. Beside the regular organic soy bean tempeh, I am able to get the 3 grains, wild rice, flax seeds and garden veggie tempeh. I tried all of it but I still prefer the good old soy bean kind. Tempeh is basically fermented soy bean cake. You can cook sambal shrimp, or vegetable curry with it. They are a great source of protein especially for those who are on Vegetarian diet. This recipe is from HomeKreation-Kitchen Corner and she used Anchovies for this dish but I replaced it with Tempeh.

Ingredients:

1 pieces of Tempeh – cut into medium size cubes
3 bird eyes chilies – cut small
2 shallots – sliced
3 cloves of garlic – chopped
5 pieces curry leaves
Juice of a lime
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp honey

1. Cut tempeh and pan fried it in a non stick pan with a bit of oil until golden brown.
2. In the same frying pan, heat up a bit of oil, stir fry shallots, garlic, chilies and curry leaves until lightly brown and fragrant.
3. Add in the honey, salt, pepper and lime juice. Stir for a few seconds and toss in the fried tempeh. Toss until well combined. Dish out and serve with rice.

Note: If you can't find tempeh you can use tofu as it will taste just as good.

Tofu in Creamy Sauce Recipes

This dish is similar to Fish in Creamy Sauce but instead of fish I replace it with tofu. I think tofu taste so much better than the fish as the tofu absorbed all the nice flavor of the butter, milk and curry leaves. This is a great vegetarian dish and goes really well with rice.

Ingredients:

1 block of firm tofu – cut into 1” square
2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper



For the sauce:

3 cloves garlic
3 sprigs of curry leaves
4 bird eyes chilies or one big red chili - cut small
1 cup of evaporated milk
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper
1 tsp of sugar

1. Cut and pan dry the tofu on paper towel until dry. Lightly sprinkle some salt and pepper.
2. Combined all the coating ingredients like cornstarch, flour, salt and pepper in a plate. Dredged the tofu with the flour mixture.
3. Heat up some oil and fried the tofu until golden brown. Set it aside. Remove all the oil from the frying pan.
4. Heat up the butter in the same pan, stir fry the garlic, curry leaves and chilies until fragrant and lightly brown.
5. Add in the milk, salt, pepper and sugar and continue to stir until the milk thickens and milk evaporated. Add in the tofu and continue to stir fry until the tofu is well coated with the sauce.
6. Dish out and serve with rice.

Note: The spiciness and the amount of gravy can be adjust accordingly to suit your taste.

Falafel Recipes

Falafel is a fried ball or patty made from ground chickpeas/garbanzo beans. The Egyptians variety uses fava beans while chickpeas are commonly used in other Middles Eastern countries. Falafel is usually served in a pita which acts as a pocket or wrapped in flat bread known as lafa. It is topped with salads, pickle vegetables and hot sauce, and drizzle with tahini based sauce. Falafel balls may also be eaten alone as snacks. It has great source of protein, complex carbohydrates and fiber. It is hearty enough to replace hamburger patties and meatballs in vegetarian dishes. Besides frying you can also baked it but by doing so it will alter the texture and flavor of the falafel. We just eat this with some spicy chili sauce as I am too lazy to make some tahini dipping sauce.

Ingredients:

6 oz dried chickpeas
1 small onion, roughly chopped
3 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley
4 tbsp finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp dried hot pepper flakes
3 cloves of garlic
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp baking powder
Salt to taste
5-6 tbsp of flour

1. Wash and soak chickpeas overnight. Place the drained, uncooked chickpeas and the onions in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Add the parsley, cilantro, salt, hot pepper, garlic, and cumin. Process until blended but not pureed.
2. Sprinkle in the baking powder and 4 tablespoons of the flour, and pulse. You want to add enough flour so that the dough will forms a small ball and no longer sticks to your hands. Turn into a bowl and refrigerate, covered for an hour.
4. Form the chickpea mixture into small. Heat 3 inches of oil to 375 degrees F in a deep pot or wok and fry 1 ball to test. If it falls apart, add a little bit more flour.
5. Then fry the balls for a few minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Sprinkle with a bit of salt on the balls and serve warm or at room temperature with some chili sauce.

Note: You can serve the falafel with Pita bread. Just stuff half a pita with falafel balls, add some chopped tomatoes, onion, green pepper, and pickled turnips. Drizzle with some tahini sauce.

Baby Bak Choy Recipes

I am lucky to have a small Asian store so close by to home. I have ample supply of fresh Asian vegetables every week. One of my favorite veggies to buy is baby bak choy. This is a very common vegetable in the Asian household. I prepared this simple vegetable when we have some guests over for dinner the other day.

Ingredients:

A big bunch of baby bak choy or any type of greens
3 cloves of garlic – chopped

Sauce:

1 tbsp oyster sauce
3 tbsp of soy sauce
4 tbsp of water
1/2 tsp sugar

1. Wash the greens and toss dry. Bring a pot of water to boil. Blanch the vegetables for 12 seconds. Removed , toss dry and put the vegetables on a serving plate
2. Heat up 2 – 3 tbsp of olive oil and stir-fry the garlic until lightly brown. Removed the garlic and oil and set it aside.
3. In the same pan bring all the sauce ingredients to boil. Once boil pour the sauce over the vegetables. Top it with the fried garlic.

Nyonya Acar/Spicy Pickle Vegetables Recipes

I love Acar, but I never attempt to make it until a couple of weeks ago. Acar is a type of vegetable pickle/salad popular in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. Made from different vegetables like cucumbers, long beans, carrots, cabbage and is pickled with spicy paste and vinegar. Ground peanuts and sesame seeds are also added to this dish. Acar is commonly served as a condiment to be eaten with a main course. This is a great vegetarian dish too.

I adapted the recipe from Star Kuali and simplified the ingredients and method to suit my taste and ingredients I have in hand.

Ingredients :

1 cucumber - (removed the seeds) and cut into 4cm strips
150g cabbage leaves, cut into 2.5cm squares
2 carrots cut into 4cm strips
150g long beans, cut into 4cm strips

To make into paste:

6 fresh chillies
5 dried chillies –soak in hot water until soft
6 shallots
2 cloves garlic
2 cm fresh turmeric root/1 tbsp ground turmeric
1” galangal (lengkuas)
3 candlenuts/almond or macadamia nuts
1 stalk lemon grass, sliced finely
1” of shrimp paste (belachan) - optional

Vinegar mixture:

1 cup of white vinegar
1 cup water
6 tbsp of brown sugar (more if you like it sweeter)
1 tsp salt
200g roasted peanuts, skinned and pounded
5 tbsp roasted sesame seeds

For blanching the vegetables:

600ml water
400ml vinegar
2 tbsp salt
2 tbsp sugar

1. Rub cucumber slices with 1 tbsp salt. Leave aside for one hour. Wrap in clean towel or muslin cloth and squeeze out excess liquid. Put all the ground ingredients in a food processor and ground into paste and set it aside.
2. Bring water, vinegar, salt and sugar for blanching vegetables to a rapid boil. Blanch the vegetables (except cucumber) one type at a time for 15 second. Remove and using a clean kitchen towel, squeezed the water out of the vegetable and set it aside.
3. Heat up about 3-4 tbsp of oil in frying pan and stir-fry the ground ingredients until fragrant and the oil begins to separate. Stir in water and vinegar. Add sugar and salt and bring to a boil, then leave to cool completely. Check seasoning as you might need to add more sugar to it.
4. Stir in all the prepared vegetables, peanuts and sesame seeds. Store in a clean jar and refrigerate.

Vegetable Curry Delicious Recipes

I cooked this vegetarian dish for my family Doctor. She told me she tried this curry at a recently open Indian & Malay Kitchen here in Exton but it was too bad they closed down the Malay kitchen not long after that. Since she like it so much I told her I will cook some for her and brought it to her on Tuesday. She told me it taste even better than the one she had at the restaurant :)

Ingredients for the curry paste

10 dried red chilies - soak in hot water
4 shallots
4 cloves of garlic
1" of turmeric
1" of galangal
1" of ginger
2 stalk of lemongrass
3 tbsp of curry powder

Blend all the above ingredients with a bit of water and set aside.

Vegetables: (or add your own ingredients)

1 cup of french beans - cut to 1" length
2 zucchini - cut to 1" length
4 potatoes - quartered
2 carrots - cut to 1" length
1 piece of Tempe - slice thinly and pan fried until brown
2 pieces of fried tofu - cut to cubes

2 cups of coconut milk
2 kafir lime leaves
1 tsp of sugar
salt to taste

1) Heat up some oil and add in curry paste. Stir fry for 1 min or until fragrant.
2) Add coconut milk, kafir lime leaves and stir. Add in the vegetables that required longer time to cook like carrots and potatoes. Stir well and bring to a simmering boil. Turn down heat to medium, cover, and cook for 5 minutes. Add in seasoning.
3) Add the rest of the ingredients. Stir well and cover, allowing to cook for another 5 minutes or until all vegetables are cook.
4) Check seasoning again and serve warm rice.

Note : You can add vegetables like eggplants, asparagus, cabbage, long beans, cauliflower or peppers to this dish. If curry is too dry add more coconut milk or water to it.

Vadai Delicious Recipes

One of my favorite Indian snack. I first learn to make this yummy treats when I was in Home Science class. It is pretty simple to make Vadai. Here are the ingredients:

Ingredients

200g dhall (lentils)
a bit of water
1/4 tsp cumin
1 green chili-finely sliced
1 red chili - finely sliced
1 tsp of turmeric powder
1 sprig curry leaves, finely chopped
1/2 an onion, finely chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp rice flour

1. Wash and soak dhall overnight. Drain well, then put into a blender. Add water and process until dhall is coarsely blended.
2. Combined all the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Heat oil for deep-frying.
3. Wet your hands and take a spoonful of dhall mixture, place the mixture on the palm of your hand. Make into a round then flatten slightly.
4. Drop into the hot oil. repeat until all the dough is used up. Fry until golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towel.

Note : Vadai is best eaten hot.

Tofu Salad With Peanut Sauce Delicious Recipes

I just love tofu cook in anyway but not Carlos. He still can't understand why I would eat something so tasteless and soft :) Since tofu is tasteless I will always find ways to jazz it up with bright and bold flavor. This is a simple salad with a touch of spiciness and it's really good for anyone who is a vegetarian or you can even serves this as an appetizer.

Ingredients :

2 pcs of firm tofu
1 cup of jicama - julienned
1 cup of cucumber - julienned
1 cup of carrot - julienned
1 cup of beansprout

Peanut sauce :

3 tbsp of crunchy peanut butter
2 tbsp of sambal Oelek (more or less)
1 clove of garlic - chopped
2 tbsp of lemon juice or vinegar
3/4 cup of water (more or less)
2 tbsp of sugar (more or less)
salt and pepper to taste

1) Dry the tofu in a paper towel and fry it in hot oil until crispy and golden brown. Drain the oil on paper towel.
2) In a small saucepan, heat up a tablespoon of oil and stir fry the garlic until lightly brown. Add in sambal Oelek and cook for a few second.
3) Add in lemon juice, water and then peanut butter. Stir well until the sauce thicken and boil. Add in sugar, salt and pepper to taste and set aside.
4) Cut tofu into bite size pieces and mixed it with all the vegetables and drizzle peanut sauce on top and serve.

Note : If the sauce it too thick for your liking you can add more water to it.