Shredded Pork with Salted Vegetables

Shame shame shame!  Work has once again engulfed me the past few months and as much as I cook to distress or clear my cluttered mind, there was simply no way I could get pass myself to cook a decent meal for the family.  Its like "want to cook? cook the best'.  Hence, I rather let the helper cook or buy back then to coop myself in the kitchen preparing terrible dishes.  Also, I figured whatever available time I have, I am better off spending with the kids. 

So, I am back to the "half day PTWM" again, now that school has reopened.  Being in a happy mood, I craved for some comfort food.  And salted vegetables came to my mind.  Hence, its 'Shredded Pork with Salted Vegetables" as one of the dishes for tonight.


Ingredients:
- Loin Pork (shredded)
- Salted Vegs (shredded)
- Cloves of garlics (4-5 cloves unpeeled + 3 cloves chopped finely

Marinades for Pork:
- dash of salt
- dash of white pepper
- 1 tsp of sesame oil
- 1 tsp of light soya sauce


Step:

1. Marinate the shredded with the above and set aside for 20 mins.  Soak the shredded salted vegetables and set aside.

2.  After 20 mins, prepare the wok.  Heat 2 tbsp of oil.  Add the chopped garlic and fry till aromatic.

3. Add in shredded pork and give a good fry.  Loosen the pork and ensure the pork are evenly fried.

4.  Add in salted vegetables and the unpeeled cloves of garlic.  Continue to fry under high heat.

5. Add in 2 cups of hot water and lower the flame to allow simmering for 20 mins.

6. Dish to serve.

This is basically very simple to prepare yet very comforting dish.  Suitable with porridge or rice.  Brings back nostalgic feel each time I eat this.

Hope you will like it.


Happy mum

Wongbok Seafood Pork Wraps

GONG HEI FATT CHOY!


hoooohooo.... so I have been busy and lazy.  Its the CNY and its also the pigging out season.  After all the shabu shabus, the luxurious abalone meals, its time to return to something simpler.  But since its still within the CNY period, lets do up something interesting using simple ingredients.

I am using pork ribs and the broth for this.  As the broth used for this dish is actually only about a small bowl worth but I do not want to waste the time and effort, I actually prepared more broth and pork ribs.  The balance meat and broth, I used them to cook porridge for the next meal.  That's like another meal/dish on its own.

Ingredients:
- Pork Ribs Broth (boiled for 1.5hrs or until pork ribs are tender)*
- Pork Ribs (you may substitute for loin meat too, but ribs meat are softer)*
- Yellow Onion (quartered and add into the broth)
- Crabsticks*
- Carrots (shredded)*
 - Spring Onion (chopped lengthwise, approx. 1inch)*
- Scallop Concentrated Sauce (1 tbsp)
- Wongbok (long white cabbage leaves) - leave the leaves in their original forms.

* for the above that I had asterisked, it is really up to you to decide what you wanted to have in your rolls.  Some suggestions: prawns, pork/chicken mince meat,fish paste, scallops etc.  The possibilities are endless.  Let your creativity flows! :)

Steps:
1. Boil the pork ribs, add in the chopped onions.  Boil till the meat are soft.  Estimated 1 hr.  Do not add salt.  Sieve out the pork ribs, remove the bones, slice the meat into chunks.  Set aside.

2. While boiling the pork ribs, set to work on the wongbok.  Using a wide pan, boil with water.  Gently add in the leaves and let it blanched for about 2-3 mins.  Sieve to dry.  Do be gentle with the leaves so as not to break/tear them as they are pretty soft at this stage.

3. Lay the leaves on a clean work station.  Add in one chunk of pork, carrot shreds, spring onion at the thickest part of the leaves, i.e. the stems.  Start to roll inwards.  Continue the next leaf with crabstick, spring onion and carrot shreds.

4. Place the wraps onto a plate and arrange nicely. 

5.  Prepare the Steamer.

6. Using another pan, scoop 1 ladle of pork broth (unsalted still) into the pan.  Add in the scallop concentrate and bring to a simmer.  When the stock starts bubbling, pour over the wraps.  You can now send the plate of Wongbok into the steamer.

7.  Steam for 6 mins.

8. Dish, garnish and serve.

Happy steaming!
Happy mum

Stir-fried Lean Meat

This evening, we tabao-ed outside food for the kids since they have been having home-cooked food for almost a week long.  But yea, told hubby not to get mine as I had wanna "escape" into the kitchen tonight. Lol. 

So, I had earlier this week, got a slab of pork loin, 290g, at $8++. Good enough to divide into 3 portions. Hence, decided to do up a 姜葱瘦肉 to go together with my plain porridge. 

Ingredients:

- pork loin (100g), thinly sliced

- spring onions (separate the white and green portions)

- chopped garlic

- sliced ginger

- five spice powder

- ground pepper

- dark soy sauce

- sesame oil

- dash of salt

- Shaoxing wine (optional)

Steps:

1. Marinate the sliced pork with 2 tsp dark soy sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, a dash of pepper and five spice powder , and leave to stand for 30mins

2. Heat the wok with 1 tbsp of oil.  Toss the sliced ginger first and fry till aromatic. Next goes in the chopped white spring onions and again, fry till aromatic. Finally throw in the chopped garlic.  Chopped garlic should not be the first item as they get burnt easily. Give a good stir. 

3. When fragrant, add in the pork slices and give a quick stir. 

4. Wok should be a little dry by now. Add in 2 tbsp of hot water and give a quick fry. Throw in the remaining green spring onions. Stir fry again and add a pinch of salt before adding 1/4 a cup of hot water. 

5. If you like, you may add in a little Shaoxing wine now and then dish to serve. 

There you go, a quick dish for the plain porridge. :)

Happy mum 

Steamed minced pork with salted eggs (咸蛋蒸肉饼)

This is one dish that I have been wanting to do lately but decided to wait till after CNY cos having 咸鱼，咸蛋 (salted fish/eggs) during the CNY just doesn't seem too auspicious. Wahahahaha!!

Relatively simple and no fuss. Here goes:

Ingredients:

- approx. 350g minced meat (abt 1.5pk of pre-pack minced meat from supermarket)

- 3 water-chestnut (coarsely chopped)

- 2 salted eggs

- half a cap of Shaoxing wine

- sauce mixture (3 tbsp light soya sauce, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 3 tbsp water)

- spring onions chopped

Steps:

1. Crack the salted eggs into a bowl.  Wash the egg yolks under running water to rid the mucusy egg white. 

2. Mix the chopped water chestnut with the minced meat as well as half the salted egg white. Mix well. 

3. Mix in half a cap of Shaoxing wine and mix. Leave it to stand for 10mins or more. 

4. Using one egg yolk, break into a few parts and mix. 

5. Smear a little cooking oil on the plate to prevent sticking. Dish out the meat and arrange on a plate for steaming later. Using the other egg yolk, break into bigger chunks and place on the surface. 

6. Send into the steamer for 15mins. 

7. Prepare the sauce (refer above). Using this time, chop spring onions and set aside. 

8. Once 15mins is up, off fire, place spring onions on top of the meat and pour the sauce mixture over the meat.   

9. Dish and rests to serve. 

Happy Sunday!

Happy mum