Stir-Fried Yam Bean with Beef and Cloud Ears

Ever tried this stir-fried yam bean with beef and cloud ears? This is a traditional Chinese stir-fry dish that I tried and loved when I was very small. The slightly sweet and crunchy flesh of yam bean impressed me very much.

That said, yam bean can remove body heat and help control blood pressure. I love its crunchiness going so well with the juicy stir-fried beef. Once the dish was served, I finished nearly half of it by myself.

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Stir-fried Gai Lan with Fish Cake & Lap Cheong

This dish is an alternative way of cooking Gai Lan (Chinese broccoli) traditionally, very tasty, full of flavours, that the vegetable turns out to be the most enjoyable part, as it absorbs the oil of lap cheong and natural sweetness of fish. Best served hot with steamed rice.

Chinese broccoli (aka, Gai lan) is widely used in Chinese cuisine, especially Cantonese dishes. Its name in Chinese, (芥蘭 Gai lan) literally means "mustard orchid", and belongs to the same plant family as broccoli and kale. It's high in beta-carotene, and contains folate, vitamin E, iron and calcium.

The most popular way of cooking gai lan is stir-fried with ginger or garlic, or just boiled with water, then served with oyster sauce. Their thick stems are edible, but take longer time to be cooked as compared with their dark green leaves. Sometimes, you might find it’s got a bit bitter in taste. My mum used to add a hint of sugar to balance their mild bitterness and bring out the best of this lovely vegetable.

If you’re fed up with the usual way of blanching gai lan or stir-fried it with garlic, here’s my mum’s favourite cooking way. She liked to stir fry it with fish cake or/and Lap Cheong (臘腸 Chinese sausage).

This stir-fried Gai Lan dish is tasty, full of flavours, that the gai lan turns out to be the most enjoyable part, as it absorbs the oil of lap cheong and natural sweetness of fish. My kid likes this vegetable the most when it’s cooked in this way.

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Ginger Pork and Fried Egg Donburi (Japanese Rice Bowl Dish)

I reckon this recipe is a saver for myself especially on hectic days. You can whip up the dish in just a few minutes without any fuss at all.

This simple rice dish is full of nutrients and flavours that your family will love.

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Baked Chicken Wings with Honey & Lemon

These baked chicken wings are tasty and juicy with fragrant lemon aroma.

Whenever we have chicken wings for lunch, dinner or snack time, my daughter would never have enough.

One of my friends even screams out, “Chicken wings, I love you.” , when any wings are on table. I don’t know if chicken wings have got any magic.

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Creamy Broccoli Casserole

This creamy broccoli casserole is one of my family’s favourite side dishes. You might call it a meatless light meal though. It’s delicious, creamy and smooth, packed with flavours.

My kids used to call broccoli as “little trees”, since the shape of a whole head of broccoli is like many little trees growing together.

As parents, we tried every method to get our kids to eat more vegetables. Broccoli itself hasn’t got any rich flavours to attract small kids. But its taste turns wonderfully delicious if cooking with other ingredients.

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Banana Pastry with Chocolate Sauce

Ever tried this simple banana pastry with chocolate sauce that's quite popular in Hong Kong?

This recipe was suggested by my sister when she traveled to Australia and visited me. She said she tried this dessert, banana pastry at a dessert café in Hong Kong.

Immediately I baked one for her, that only took me just half of an hour. It’s really yummy and easy to make. The hot banana inside the pastry with smooth chocolate sauce tasted heavenly. Who can resist the temptation of ice-cream as well?

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Chinese Almond Dessert

This almond dessert is not too sweet with a creamy texture. It’s good for wrapping up your dinner or as a snack throughout the day.

This is my childhood dessert that I often enjoyed with my dad in a little dessert shop in Hong Kong. The Hong Kong version of it yields those almonds for making Chinese soups, sweet almonds (南杏) with a little bit of bitter almond (北杏).

The fragrance of the almond is so strong that makes you love it or hate it, similar to the case of celery and coriander. I love it very much. Well, it’s not the cup of tea for my family though.

Almond is recognized as a healthy food. It helps lower LDL-cholesterol and reduces the risk of heart disease. I have been trying to add some almonds in my family menu.

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Teochew Dumplings (潮州粉果)

This popular Chinese dim-sum, Teochew dumplings can be made at home. Best of all, it's healthier. Make more in advance, then you can enjoy whenever you crave for some. 

Would I make Teochew dumplings (aka Chiuchow dumplings) at home? When living in Hong Kong, I wouldn’t give it a thought. Chinese restaurants are everywhere. I could enjoy any dim sim at any time anywhere.

But if I make my own dumplings, I can choose any ingredients I like. The taste is tailor-made and surely suits my personal preference. I don’t use lard, so it’s much healthier. You can make as many as you like, then keep them in freezer for up to 3 months.

When you crave for some, just steam them in a wok. They are served as a perfect Chinese breakfast or afternoon tea. What a bliss having dim sum enjoyed at home.

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Flourless Nutella Cake (2 Ingredients)

If you’re a big fan of Nutella like me and my daughter, this is a Nutella cake recipe for you. No flour is needed. With only 2 ingredients, you can make this yummy cake on the go. The main ingredients of Nutella are hazelnut and cocoa. So, you can imagine this yummy cake is full of chocolate flavour. Oh another important kitchen gadget you might need is an electric mixer that will make the job done perfectly and easily. Or else, you need more elbow grease to beat the eggs with a balloon whisk. Sounds easy enough? Give it a go then.

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Bread Pudding

Making bread pudding is a good way to get rid of any stale bread. Not many people like eating stale bread, yet many people will surely want to taste the bread pudding. I made some for a small group gathering the other day. Everyone could taste a piece with the yummy sauce. The caramel sauce is loaded with rich sugar cane flavour, definitely naughty and good. The only complaint that I received was the portion was too small. I need to make more next time.

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Mandarin Peel Prawns

Mandarin peel has long been used in Chinese cooking. It’s quite expensive though. So my mother used to make her own every year and keep them in large airtight jars. Mandarin peel is quite versatile and can be used in many different dishes and soups. Its aroma goes really well with sea food. I often use a small piece to steam fish or make Chinese dessert, such as my most favourite red bean and black glutinous rice sweet soup. This time, I stir-fried some fresh prawns with my homemade mandarin peel. The dish was good as expected. One thing I might do differently next time is that I have to double the size at least. Well, this smaller portion could be served as an appetizer.

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Snapper in Oyster Mushroom Soup

If I can find any live fish, I won’t have a second thought of making a steamed fish. Nothing can beat the taste of the fresh fish meat. You barely need any seasonings, just sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper, then steam it with ginger and spring onion. Drizzle with a bit of soy sauce. It’s delicious. If it happens not to get any fish that is fresh enough to steam, this way of cooking will do the trick. Simply pan fry the fish first, then go with a tasty soup base, added with an Asian touch in a modern presentation. The family was enticed to taste the dish and it’s gone very quickly.

The most important part of cooking this dish is not to overcook the fish fillet. On top of it, the soup base has to be clear, but not cloudy. You might like me imagining there’s a fish swimming in the pond while having it.

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Malaysian Curry Fish

Often times I cook curry dishes to beat the cold weather. The hot and spicy taste of curry sauce really helps my body circulation. The fish in such fragrant and spicy curry paste perfectly goes with a bowl of steamed rice. You can use any kind of fish you like or that comes handy to you. To get the best results, choose those fish fillets with firm meat, like snappers. If you like silky texture, basa is also a good choice. Remember to add more vegetables to cook with it, treating yourself with a very healthy and delicious meal.

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Baked Eggplant with Miso Sauce

Eggplant is always on my family’s menu. Every time when we dine out in the Japanese restaurant nearby, we won’t miss their delicious baked miso eggplant. My daughter urged me to try to make her one at home the other day. After experimenting a few times at home, this is the sauce that I’m really satisfied. I didn’t wait to ask how she liked it once I put this baked eggplant in front of her. She seemed to be too busy with the taste testing, one bite after a big one, then quickly finished one third of the dish. Needless to repeat my question, I felt she clearly stated her answer already.

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Brownies (Light Version)

What I like “bring a plate” functions here in Australia is that people can enjoy many various tasty dishes by just making one themselves. Best still, families and friends can have laughs and chats over the wonderful foods, easily connected in a relaxed atmosphere. Sometimes, we might run out of ideas of what to make and bring along. Here’s a good one. These brownies are one of the popular finger foods in any bring-a-plate gatherings, easy to make on the go. This is a light version, perfect to be served after a meal even with a full stomach, goes perfectly with whipped cream or ice-cream.

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Roast Pork Belly with Apple Puree and Cider Vinegar Vinaigrette

Although I missed the first few episodes of MasterChef Australia, season 4, as I travelled back to my home town, Hong Kong, I’m glad that I could catch up nearly all of them right now. I’ve been itching to try many of the dishes created during the show, as they all were tested by the judges, thus I have confidence in trying at home. Needless to say, I’d pick the simple and delicious ones without doubt. After watching Audra Morrice, one of the contestants, made a roast pork belly dish, an idea came up in my mind instantly. Why not combining my roast pork belly with her inviting vinaigrette? Viola, the dish was so tasty, as well as presentable in any formal occasions.

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Simple Scones Recipe

Scones are well-known and popular treat for accompanying a cup of tea or coffee. They are quick breads per se. All you have to do is to mix all the ingredients,then pop them in an oven for about 15 minutes. I like to have warm scones with a bit crusty outside, a bit soft inside, served with my favourite jam and cream. The original West England version uses clotted cream, yet I found whipped cream also does very well.

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Baked Pork Chops with Caramelized Onion

Caramelized onion and pork chops are wonderful partners. If you haven’t tried it before, do give it a go. You’ll know how fantastic the taste is. Making caramelized onion is quite simple, just need a bit of patience and time. After baking, the pork chops become tremendously tender and juicy.

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Grilled Sanma (Japanese Style)

Whenever we have fish on our dinner table, I’d feel it’s a very satisfying and rich supper, no matter what kind of fish we have. This dish is a super easy and quick one, yet delicious enough. Sanma is commonly used in Japanese cuisine. To make this dish, all you need is an oven/grill. I used my toaster oven that is pretty quick to grill a small amount of meat. If you don’t have an oven at home, you can pan fry it oven medium-high heat. Both of the fish skin and bones are very crispy. You can eat the whole fish literally, given that you’re skillful and experienced in eating small fish with bones.

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Lotus Seed Puree (蓮蓉)

Lotus seeds are extensively used in making Chinese desserts or fillings in steamed buns. As the mid-autumn festival is coming around the corner, I’m going to prepare a large batch of lotus seed puree, over 1 kg, and make some traditional mooncakes for my family and friends.

My mother-in-law used to make lotus seed puree in a traditional way many years ago. She had to press hard and mash the cooked lotus seeds into a smooth paste with a wok spatula. It nearly took her half a day to make a small batch every time. Making lotus seed puree at home is quite tedious, yet showing a great love for the family in action.

Here’s a good news for those who have modern kitchen utensils. Armed with a food processor, you could make some with ease and skip the most tedious part. Needless to say, you could use store-bought, canned lotus seed puree. Wait, believe me, there’s nothing better than the homemade. The freshly made puree smells so fragrant, with the right amount of sweetness perfectly suits to my family’s taste. Best of all, all the ingredients used are natural.

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