My Kitchen Recipes Dot Com

Celery-carrot-fish Soup with rice inside

2005-10-02T21:22:00.000-07:00

Slurp- slurp.. yummy yummy... I just had my self-cooked lunch.

New recipe today - my own recipe.. heh heh..

Taa-daaa!! Presenting my celery-carrot-fish soup with rice inside (I know its a long name but no choice, this is what its called)!!

Here's how you prepare it:

1. Defrost your minced fish first thing in the morning
(*Important step cos I almost had to throw the whole frozen chunk into my soup)

2. Slice carrot, celery, ginger (Portion is up to u.. depends on how much you feel like eating)

3. Have dried oyster and "gan bei" rinsed & ready.

4. Put a pot of water to boil (Please make sure it is in proportion with the amount of celery & carrot you have sliced.. if not it will either be too bland or you end up having to fry celery & carrots - in other words, use your own discretion)

5. At the same time, throw in the dried oyster, "gan bei", ginger and a pinch of salt & leave it to boil. If you have ikan bilis or chicken bone, it'll be good to add it in to boil too so make the soup even sweeter. I don't have it so no choice..

6. Boil.. boil.. boil.. If there is too much bubbles, just turn the flame down and carry on boiling... boiling... Let it boil for about 10-15 mins

7. Meantime, your fish should have defrost. Marinate it with soya sauce and pepper.

8. Throw the celery and carrots into the boiling soup base and let it boil, boil, boil.. for about 10-15 minutes again.

9. Meanwhile, wash rice grains... (Please judge how much to use cos' you won't want to end up having to eat soggy rice with no soup. The rice grains will expand alot when boiled so be careful not to use too much).

10. After boiling the celery and carrots for 15 mins, throw in the rice grains and leave the whole thing to boil boil boil again... until the rice is almost up to your standard of softness. (Do not leave it till it become porridge kind of sogginess cos' we are eating rice today).

11. Add soya sauce and pepper to taste.

12. Finally, throw in the marinated minced fish and wait till it boils. It should end up looking something like this:

I love the taste of celery so this soup is good. If you hate celery, this is unfortunately not suitable for you.

Another tip for you is to always add pepper and soya sauce if it taste too bland. It may not be terribly good but you can't go too wrong on that. Try it!! : )

Miso Soup

2005-09-07T03:17:00.000-07:00

In Japan, a bowl of miso soup is a daily essential, varying vary from the thick and hearty to the light and delicate. With something to suit every mood and meal (even breakfast). Not only is this Japanese recipe quick to make but it is also very high in protein, vitamins and low in fat. It is impossible for miso soup to be boring - using different supplementary ingredients, you can make a different miso soup daily!

Hearty Miso Soup Recipe

5 cups of water
1 lb. of pork meat
1 1/4 cup of bonito flakes
5" piece of kelp (konbu)
1/3 cup of Shirakiku Aka Miso (red soy bean paste) - (Miso comes in a variety of flavors, textures & colors. Generally white types are sweet, red types are salty - usually found in the refrigerated section.)
6-8 dried shitake mushrooms
1/2 pkg. of tofu - cut into 1 inch squares
1-2 bundles of somen noodles (a very thin white noodle - bundled in the center with a paper strip)

or 1 bundle of soba noodles (For a hearty soup try soba noodles)

In a medium sauce pan add cubed pork meat and water - cook till tender. Remove pork meat and set aside. Remove excess oil with an oil separator. Add additional water if necessary to make about 5 cups.

Wipe the kombu lightly with a damp cloth. Place the kombo in the cooled down pork broth. Right when the water comes to a boil remove the kombu.

Return the stock to a boil. Add bonito flakes and remove from heat. Let it stand 5 minutes until the bonito flakes sink to the bottom. Strain the broth through a cheesecloth to remove the bonito flakes.

Heat the broth over low heat. Place the miso in a strainer and dip into the broth. With a spoon stir and gently push the miso through the strainer.

Soak dried shitake mushrooms in warm water till tender and rinse. Cut out and discard stems and slice thinly. Meanwhile cook the somen noodles to package directions (boil 2-3 minutes, drain).

On low heat, add pork meat, mushrooms and tofu and simmer until the tofu floats (about 5 minutes). Ladle the soup over somen, top with fresh cut scallions and serve.

Optional supplemental ingredients to add to the Miso soup recipe
Add some variety to your Japanese miso soup with these supplementary ingredients to the basic miso stock recipe. Serve with a side bowl of rice or over noodles. There are also many different variety of noodles. My favorite are somen, a very thin noodle and soba, a thick noodle. Here are just a few additions but try adding anything you like.

Dried Seaweed: 2-3 strips of dried kombu. Soak the kombu strips in warm water till tender and rinse. Cut into small long strips (1/4" x 1 1/2"). Or for those who like kombu, cut into 1" x 2" strips and tie knots along the strip and cut between the knots.

Gobo Tempura: Fried fish cake w/burdock. Slice into rectangular strips. It is precooked and found in the refrigerated section. There are many varieties including vegetable and shrimp.

Spinach / Lettuce: Rinse. Cut or tear lettuce into 3x3 squares / cut spinach leaves in half. Add just before serving - do not overcook.

Status:

Comments:

Singapore Fish Head Soup

2005-09-07T02:18:00.000-07:00

Ingredients :

1	lrg	firm white fish head - (1 1/2 lbs)
		Cornstarch for dusting
3	tbl	vegetable oil
4	x	green onions trimmed, and
		cut into 2" lengths
12	slc	peeled ginger - (quarter size)
8	cup	water
FOR THE SEASONINGS
2	tsp	soy sauce
1	tsp	fish sauce
1/2	tsp	sesame oil
1/4	tsp	salt
1/4	tsp	freshly-ground white pepper
FOR THE SOUP
8	oz	dried rice noodles - (abt 1/4" wide)
1/4	lb	firm white fish fillet sliced thinly
2	x	green onions trimmed, and
		sliced thinly
1/4	cup	cilantro leaves

Method :

Rinse the fish head thoroughly under cold running water, being sure that no blood remains in the gills. Pat dry, then dust the fish head with cornstarch to coat it lightly.
Heat a stockpot over medium heat until hot. Add the oil and swirl to coat the bottom. Add the fish head, green onions and ginger. Cook until the fish head is light brown, about 2 minutes per side. Set the fish head aside.
Pour the water into the pot and bring to a boil. Adjust the heat so the liquid is simmering and cook for 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the Seasonings: Stir the soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, salt and pepper together in a small bowl until the salt is dissolved.
For the Soup: Strain the stock and discard the solids. Return the stock to the pot, it will be creamy white.
Bring a pot of water to a boil, stir in the rice noodles and cook until al dente (tender but firm), 4 1/2 to 5 minutes. Drain, rinse and drain thoroughly. Lay the noodles out on a cutting board and cut them in half crosswise.
Reheat the stock to simmering, add the seasonings and fish slices and simmer until the fish is cooked, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Add the noodles and simmer just until heated through, about 30 seconds. Ladle into individual serving bowls and garnish with the green onions and cilantro.
This recipe yields 4 servings.

Status: Not tested yet

Comments:

Tom Yam Soup (Clear base)

2005-09-07T01:24:00.000-07:00

Recipe: Tom Yam Kai Soup

Gosh, I certainly get many emails asking for a Tom Yam soup recipe. Why, I wonder. Could it be because of my tireless advocacy of it as a cure for everything short of a heart attack? Heck, it's certainly strong enough to scare the living daylights out of any viruses. What micro-organism could resist such a relentless assault from the hot n' sour combination of chillies and lime juice with a background of lemongrass and lime leaves?

The funny thing is that though I've tasted Tom Yam soup at many places, I don't think I've had two identical versions of it. Every chef seems to have his or her own balance of flavours that works best, just as I do. It's amusing (and sometimes very annoying) when a customer walks into my restaurant and then argues that my Tom Yam is not "authentic", just because it tastes different from the one bowl of soup he had on a two-day trip to Bangkok. That, however, is not as annoying as someone asking for a "very mild" version of it, even though my menu clearly describes it as "fiery" and even pleads with people not to ask for it "mild".

So, ladies and gentlemen, this is my recipe for Tom Yam soup. Try making it, especially if you've got a cold and your nose is red and runny, or if you've got a sore throat that needs to be cured.

Here's what the soup looks like:

And here's the really long-winded recipe, complete with copious chef's notes.

Makes 2-3 bowls of soup

Preparation time: 15-20 minutes

WHAT YOU NEED

Good quality Chinese chicken stock - 2 cups (500 ml) (not the crap you get from stock cubes)

Fresh or frozen lemongrass (dried lemongrass sucks) - 1 fat stalk (or 2 thin ones)

Galangal - 1 tablespoon (fresh is preferable, dried will do in a pinch - soak dried in warm water prior to use)

Kaffir Lime Leaves - 2-3 (cut into slivers

Nam Prik Pao (Thai roasted chilli paste) - 1-2 tsp (depends on how hot your brand of paste is)

Thai bird's eye chillies (or Serrano chillies) - 4-5 (big slices so you can avoid them easily)

Fish sauce - 2 tbsp

Lime juice - 1 medium lime

Onion - 1/4 of a medium onion (sliced)

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Coriander (cilantro for you Americans) leaves - 4 tbsp

Boneless chicken breast - 50 gm (chopped)

Straw mushrooms (or regular button mushrooms) - 4 (sliced)

Spring/Green onions - 3 tbsp (sliced thin)

HOW TO MAKE IT

For the lemongrass, use only the bottom white part (about 6 inches) and discard the woody grass part of it. With the flat side of a cleaver or a heavy object, pound and bruise the lemongrass so it releases the flavour. Cut into 2 inch segments.

Put lemongrass, galangal, fish sauce and stock into a pot and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer for another 15 minutes.

Uncover the pot and add the Kaffir lime leaves, chilies, onion, sugar and chicken pieces.

Simmer for 2-3 minutes, then add Nam Prik Pao and mushrooms. Simmer for yet another 2 minutes. Now add the spring onions and let it simmer for 30 seconds.

Turn off the heat, add lime juice and garnish with coriander leaves. Test for saltiness and sourness. If required, adjust with more fish sauce (salt) and lemon juice (sour).

This makes a medium-hot bowl. Some prefer to have it spicier. Find your own comfort level. Remove the lemongrass and galangal before serving if you like. They're not particularly edible. Good for colds, good for a whole lotta things. Your grandma's chicken soup can't hold a candle up to this one. :)

CHEF'S NOTES

1) To turn this into Tom Yam Goong (Prawns), use prawns instead of chicken but add it only in the final 1 minute of cooking. Prawns cook very fast and will continue to cook in the warm stock. Overcooking them will turn them tough and leathery. Instead of chicken stock, use water and add some prawn shells with the lemongrass. This will give you prawn stock. Remove shells (duh!) before adding other ingredients. Frozen prawns (nude) suck. Don't use them.

2) Good chicken stock is very simple to make. Take 1 kg chicken wings, throw in a couple of drumsticks for meat, put it in a tall stock pot, cover with 2 litres cold water, and bring to a simmer. When the scum rises to the top, skim to another bowl with a shallow spoon. This should take 10-20 minutes. When the stock is clear, toss in 4 spring onions (scallions; use only the white part), 5-6 slices ginger, and a teaspoon of black peppercorns. Let this simmer for 2-3 hours (it should only bubble). Two rules for good stock: a) do not stir and b) do not boil (or it will become cloudy instead of clear.)

After the stock has finished simmering, let it stand for 20 minutes and then using a fine mesh sieve, strain it into another bowl. Using a muslin cloth would be a good idea. Your stock is ready. If you leave it in the fridge, the fat will solidify on the top. Just remove this fat and you have de-fatted, unsalted stock ready for use. You can even reduce the liquid and make stock cubes in the freezer.

3) Galangal has no real substitute. Ginger is the closest but it does a poor job.

4) Kaffir Lime leaves have a unique flavour. Lime zest is the closest thing (use 1-2 tsp) but not quite as good. Dried lime leaves lose flavour and you need to use more.

5) Nam Prik Pao can be made at home but I'm too lazy to tell you how. A regular pure chilli paste mixed with some sugar may be substituted with just about adequate results. Or you can just add more fresh chillies to the soup. If you don't use Nam Prik Pao, your soup will not have a fiery red colour.

6) The strength of lemongrass and lime juice may vary in your part of the world, so use your nose and your tongue to judge proper quantities. When in doubt, use more lemongrass but less lime juice. Then adjust gradually. :)

In temperate climates, you may not get limes. If so, use lemon juice instead, and use more of it than prescribed here.

7) If you live in USA, get Galangal, fresh Kaffir Lime leaves, and Nam Prik Pao (it tastes wonderful with other things too) from http://www.importfood.com

Wow, who knew a soup recipe could be this long, eh?

Status: Tried (2 times)

Comments: I made slight alterations here and there to the recipe. Had problems locating Galangal until my grandma told me it could be "ng gio" yellowish/ orange ginger. I left out the chilli paste so the soup was clear. Had to leave it to stew for a long time cos the taste won't come out otherwise and the soup almost dried up. Still trying to figure out how to let the taste come out stronger and thicker. Here's a picture of my soup:

Korean Ginseng Chicken

2005-09-07T01:08:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS
INGREDIENTS

4 small chickens, one for each serving
4 fresh ginseng roots
2 cups of glutinous rice
8 cloves of garlic
Salt and black pepper
8 chestnuts
8 dried jujubes

RECIPE

	Cut the chicken's stomach length-wise. Remove organs, head and feet-wing tips and neck optional, but leave the body whole.
	Clean chicken thoroughly and sprinkle with salt. Wash the glutinous rice, ginseng and jujubes and remove the skin from the garlic cloves and chestnuts. Slice or leave ginseng, according to taste.
	Rinse chicken and stuff each chicken's body cavity with ginseng, rice and garlic..
	Sew the body cavity shut.
	Put stuffed chickens in covered pot with 15 cups of water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and add jujubes and chestnuts.
	Simmer until chicken is thoroughly stewed. Serve unseasoned; diner usually adds salt and black pepper to taste, but some cooks add salt immediately before serving

Status: Awaiting the chance to try out this recipe

Comments / Proposed adjustments to this recipe after trying:

Lesson #1: White Rice

2005-04-24T22:54:00.000-07:00

White rice is not as easy to prepare as it looks..

The crux to a bowl of well-cooked white rice thats neither too sticky on the outside or too hard in the centre lies in the judgement of water level.

1. Scoop the rice grains into the rice cooker pot.
2. I usually use those empty cans as a measuring tool. One full can serves 2 pax.
3. Wash the rice grains under running water. Wash them clean enough but not for too long or the nutrients in the grains will be gone by the time you are done.
4. Drain off all water and turn your tap smaller. level your rice grains.
5. Watch the level of the water as it enters the pot.
6. The level of water above the layer of rice grains should be about 3/4 the height of the top segment of your pointer finger. Guys, pls use a lady's finger if you think your fingers are longer than the ladies'.
7. Sometimes, feelings are important in judging if the water level is right. I basically base it on my intuition and feelings.
8. Wipe the pot dry and place it into the rice cooker. On the switch & press start cooking.

Simple as it sound, be prepared to have your rice end up too soggy or too hard the first few tries. Adjust from there.. thats how you get the intuitive feelings for the right judgements.

From the Chef

2005-04-24T22:23:00.000-07:00

Hey.. Welcome to my electronic recipe book!

In this blog, you'll find the most exciting ways of whipping up wonderful dishes. C'mon, I am your chef here and in MY blog, I make the best dishes!! It'll be exciting because you will be exploring with me as I experiment dish after dish. My dishes are really quite simple.. but making simple dishes tasty is not easy at all.. sometimes what u need is this thing they call talent or aptitude.

Okok.. the truth is, I'll be testing out online recipes of dishes I really love or playing around with some dishes that I'd seen my mummy & granny preparing before and share them with you! On top of that, I'll give you glimpses of how my experiments actually turn out.

Stay tune but pls restrain from salivating while exploring this blog :D