Pan Fried Black Pepper Sirloin Steaks in a lovely Red Wine Butter Sauce 黑胡椒红酒奶油酱汁牛排...

Bought some lovely Angus Sirloins... and prepared this dish for my family this evening... here, i prepared medium well steaks – the surfaces were dark brown with a little charring on both sides and a little stiff... and in the middle, a hint of pink and a little squish (please see 2nd picture above)... Overall – very juicy and succulent… and my elder bros luved the dish and rated it 9.5/10... here's the recipe... :p

The Angus sirloins that i used looked pink and pristine with a thick wedge of creamy fat (please see picture a below). Simply rinse them in water, pat dry using kitchen towels, flatten with a meat mallet and marinate with coarsely grounded black pepper and chopped garlic (b). p.s. do not marinate with salt at this stage as it will release the juices in the beef. Leave in the fridge for about half an hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the accompaniments with ingredients given in (c) to give a lovely White Fungus Mushrooms Sautéed in Red Wine, Cauliflowers and Red Capsicum Salad (d) and Baked Potatoes with Mixed herbs and Sea Salt (e). Let’s start… boil cauliflowers and capsicums in water till cooked, drain and arrange on a plate. Heat a little butter and fry white fungus mushrooms till fragrant, add a little red wine and a stalk of rosemary and season with a little sea salt and allow the mushrooms to sauté in the lovely red wine butter sauce. Remove the mushrooms and lay them over the cauliflowers. Next, thicken the sauce with corn starch and pour half the sauce over the veggies and keep the remaining for the sirloins. For the baked potatoes, marinate cut potatoes with dry basils and oregano, a little sea salt and olive oil, wrap with aluminium foil and bake in an oven preheated to 200 degrees C for 45 minutes. To prepare the medium well steaks, heat a little butter and cook the steaks over high heat for about a minute on each side to seal in the juice, sprinkle a little sea salt and grill for another 4 minutes per side. Pour the remaining red wine butter sauce over the sirloins and voilà, it’s done! You may serve the sirloins with the accompaniments (f).

Hope you like this Pan Fried Black Pepper Sirloin Steaks in a lovely Red Wine Butter Sauce 黑胡椒红酒奶油酱汁牛排, enjoy... :p

Beef and Petai in Tomato Curry 牛肉臭豆番茄咖喱...

This spicy curry dish is flavorful and tasty… and the combination using beef, petai and curry is great - hot, aromatic and simply yummy! Here’s the recipe...

The main ingredients are: beef shanks, petai, tomatoes, curry powder, curry leaves, curry seeds, red chili padi, potatoes, carrots, coconut milk (or hi-lo milk), onions, ginger and garlic. The curry powder consists of these ingredients: coriander powder, cumin powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder and pepper.

Petai 臭豆 are bright green and almond sized seeds that have a peculiar smell. They are popular in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. The Malaysians called them petai and they are known as peteh to the Indonesians and sataw or sator in Thailand. The seeds, which are imported from Thailand and Indonesia, are sold in packets in the supermarkets here in Singapore; a packet that contains around 50 to 60 seeds costs between $1.50 to $2. Dad first introduced the family to the goodness of petai many years ago; his job back then dealt with some industrial hazards that might be harmful to the body and an Indonesian friend recommended that he include petai in his diet. Though a number of websites on the internet provide nutritional info on petai that are different, it is generally believed that the seed is an excellent detoxifier and is very effective in removing toxins trapped in the body especially the kidneys and the urine usually turns a little darker after consuming the seeds.

The preparations... clean beef, pat dry using kitchen towels and cut into small pieces; marinate with a little rice wine and curry powder. Dice tomatoes finely or blend to give a puree. Peel potatoes and carrots and cut. Wash curry leaves and pat dry. Wash petai and slit into halves; this is to ensure that there are no worms in the hearts of the seeds. Slit chili padi into halves and remove the seeds. Chop the garlic and ginger finely.

Let’s start... boil potatoes and carrots in water till cooked. Heat a little oil and stir fry chopped garlic, ginger, curry seeds and curry power till fragrant. Add tomatoe puree, some water or stock from the potatoes and carrots pot and some coconut milk and bring to boil, add beef, red chilies and curry leaves and simmer over low heat for an hour and a half. Add petai, onions, cooked potatoes, carrots and a little salt and raw sugar to taste and mix well and voilà, it’s done!

p.s. you may also prepare a lovely Yellow Ginger Rice with Raisins 黄姜葡萄干饭 to go with the curry and the combination is superb!

Hope you try this savoury Beef and Petai in Tomato Curry 牛肉臭豆番茄咖喱... Cheers!

Herbal Chicken Soup with Tian Qi & Pao Shen 田七泡参炖鸡汤...

This soup together with Herbal Chicken Soup with Ginseng 人参炖鸡汤, Herbal Black Chicken Soup with Ginseng & Cordyces 人参虫草乌鸡汤 and Herbal Chicken Soup with Ling Zhi & Song Rong 灵芝松茸炖鸡汤, etc are complimentary medicinal soups... and are some usual tonics that I brew for my family fortnightly to help promote health and longevity. This one uses Tian Qi 田七 and Pao Shen 泡参 and it enhances heart functions and is generally a good prescription for folks especially ladies who are too weak to have tonic 是虚不受补的良方. Here’s the recipe...

The main ingredients are: chicken legs, Tian Qi 田七, Pao Shen 泡参, wolfberries 枸杞, red dates 红枣, ginger and Benedictine D•O•M 法国廊酒. Please see picture below for the main herbs used. p.s. you may ask to have Tian Qi and Pao Shen sliced when you buy them from a Chinese medical hall. You may replace the D•O•M with Yomeshu 养命酒 or rice wine 米酒.

Tian Qi 田七 or San Qi 三七 is a tonic of the blood and it stops bleeding and pain, relieves swelling, disperses bruises, generates new muscles and eliminates abdominal flatulence and swelling. It also shortens the time for blood clotting and increases platelet and treats bleeding and it is most suitable for women after labour. Tian Qi is also known to promote physical strength, improve functions of the heart and regulate blood pressure. Healthy people can also consume this herb regularly for prevention of coronary heart diseases and to maintain general health. More of its medical uses are given on these Chinese websites 百度百科 and 百度知道. Excerpts from the websites: 据明代李时珍《本草纲目》，田七味微甘而苦，颇 似人参之味，有’金不换’之称。清代赵学敏著《本草纲目拾贵》称：人参补气第一，三七补血第一，味同而功亦 等，故人称人参三七，为中药之最珍贵者。田七含六种皂甙和谷甾醇、胡萝卜甙、黄酮类化合物。皂甙对增强体力，改善心肌氧代谢 ，提高动物缺氧的耐受力很有作用。谷甾醇和胡萝卜甙能降血脂，而黄酮类化合物是扩张冠状动脉、改善心肌供血 、增加血管弹性的有效成分，因而常食田七，不仅对冠心病、心绞痛有显著疗效，而且对冠心病、心绞痛有预防功 能。无病的人服用后可起预防冠心病和滋补强壮作用。

In Stewed Bird’s Nest with Red Ginseng and Rock Sugar 红参冰糖炖燕窝, we've used red ginseng 红参; Red ginseng and Pao Shen 泡参 are types of ginseng 人参 and this Chinese article 人参的分类及对应人参功效新定义 gives info on the various types of Ginseng and their uses. Ginseng in general, is one of the most widely used herbal TCM and many studies have shown that the herb is able to reduce levels of stress in both men and women. In addition to its traditional role as stress fighter, it is also effective in reducing fatigue, increasing memory and even fighting off colds, flu and other infections. Ginseng is also one of the few herbs that have shown to be useful in the treatment of chronic fatigue syndrome. More on its medicinal uses and benefits can be found on this Chinese website 百度百科. Pao Shen has similar uses as Ginseng in benefiting Qi 益气 and promoting general health and strength; however, they differ in their natures - Pao Shen is cold in nature 性寒, promotes Yin and relieves “heatiness” 补气养阴，清火生津, whereas Ginseng is mild warm in nature 微温 and benefits Qi, Spleen and Lungs 大补元气，补脾益肺.

The preparations... clean chicken legs, remove skin and excess fats and drain. Rinse herbs with water a couple of times and set aside.

You may prepare the soup in 2 ways…
1. Place herbs and chicken legs in a slow cooker, add hot water and let it brew for around 3-4 hours... add in a tbsp of D•O•M 法国廊酒 and a little salt and pepper to taste and serve; or
2. Double boil (隔水炖) the herbal chicken soup for 2-3 hours, add in a tbsp of D•O•M and a little salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Hope you try this easy recipe and bring health and longevity to your family and loved ones... Cheers!

Breaded Cheesy Pork Chop 芝士猪扒...

This is a savoury and delightful dish - the melted cheese inside the pork chop oozes out when you cut it... and the cheese go very well with the fried breaded meat. Overall... simply yummy! Here’s the recipe...

The main ingredients are: pork loins, cheese slices, egg, plain flour, breadcrumbs and a little pepper, salt, rice wine and curry powder (optional).

Let’s start... rinse pork loins, pat dry using kitchen towels and flatten into thin slices using the back of a knife (a). As the pork loins I’ve gotten are quite small, I half them along the thickness and open them up so that they become larger; alternatively, you could get larger pieces of loins. Marinate with a little salt, pepper, curry powder and rice wine and sandwich cheese slices in-between two thin pieces of meat (b). Next, coat with some flour, dip into an egg mixture and then, coat with breadcrumbs (c). Fry pork chops till crispy and golden (d) and voilà, it’s done!

Hope you try this lovely Breaded Cheesy Pork Chop 芝士猪扒... Cheers!

Herbal Pork Rib Soup with Huai Shan 淮山排骨汤...

This nourishing soup regulates blood pressure and promotes general health and longevity... and it is delicious too! Here’s the recipe...

The main ingredients are: fresh Huai Shan 鲜淮山 or Shan Yao 山药 (Picture a), pork ribs 排骨, carrot, Yu Zhu 玉竹, red dates 红枣, wolfberries 枸杞, white peppercorns and sea salt.

Huai Shan 淮山 or Shan Yao 山药 has high nutritional values and it contains starch, proteins, diosgenin (a natural DHEA), fiber, Vitamin B1, B2, C, calcium, phosphorous and iron. It has long been used as a Chinese medicine in treating various digestive and respiratory problems, diabetes, chronic coughs and male sexual dysfunction. It is also commonly included in the diet to lower blood pressure and cholesterol. More of its medicinal uses can be found on this Chinese website 互动百科. According to it, Huai Shan is a tonic for the spleen and stomach and can be used to treat loss of appetite, fatigue, chronic diarrhea and frequent urination due to kidney deficiency. It is believed that healthy people will also benefit from a diet that includes Huai Shan as it promotes general health and vitality, enhances immunity, increases energy and promotes longevity.

For the nutritional benefits of Yu Zhu 玉竹, wolfberries 枸杞 and red dates 红枣, please refer to Herbal Drunken Prawns 药材醉虾 and Longan Red Date Tea 桂圆红枣茶.

The preparations... wash ribs and blanch in boiling water for about 5 minutes, remove and rinse with cold water. Peel Huai Shan and carrot and cut into smaller pieces. Rinse other herbs.

Let’s start... place ribs, Huai Shan, carrot, Yu Zhu, red dates, wolfberries and peppercorns in a pot of water and bring it to boil; simmer over low heat for 2 hours (Picture b) and add a little salt to taste and voilà, it’s done!

Hope you try this nutritious and savoury Herbal Pork Rib Soup with Huai Shan 淮山排骨汤... Cheers!

Teochew Rice Dumplings aka Bak Chang Part (II) 潮州双拼肉粽 (下)...

Here’s a summary of the preparations prior to wrapping and cooking the dumplings:

Let’s make the dumplings, please refer to Pictures (a) to (f)...
(a) Overlap 2 pieces of bamboo leaves and fold.
(b) Put in a layer of glutinous rice.
(c) Top with pork slices, red bean paste, Chinese mushrooms, chestnuts, dried shrimps, dried oyster, dried scallop and salted egg yolk.
(d) Cover with another layer of glutinous rice.
(e) Fold in the leaves to give a triangular dumpling and tie firmly with straw.
(f) Cook dumplings in a pot with water enough to cover all dumplings for 2 hours.

Hope you try these lovely rice dumplings... here’s one that’s opened up, enjoy... :p

Teochew Rice Dumplings aka Bak Chang Part (I) 潮州双拼肉粽 (上)...

My late Grandma loved Bak Chang and I started preparing home made ones for her 6 years ago as those sold outside were usually a little oily. The ones I made today were specially for thanksgiving - for folks who showed her kindness through love and encouragement during her years of illness. I’d initially thot that I would never prepare this delicacy again now that she is no longer around… but the idea of sharing her favorite food with people who love her has made this first Duan Wu Festival 端午节 without her meaningful. Here’s my humble recipe...

Again, as the recipe is quite lengthy, it is broken down into 2 posts - this one details the ingredients and preparations... and the following one, the making of the dumplings and the final product.

The main ingredients are: glutinous rice 糯米, bamboo leaves 竹叶, pork leg meat 前腿肉, chestnuts 栗子, Chinese mushrooms 香菇, dried shrimps 虾米, dried scallops 瑶柱, dried oysters 耗干, salted eggs 咸蛋, ginger 姜, garlic 蒜, shallot 葱头 and red bean paste 红豆沙. Teochews include red bean paste into dumplings to give a balance of sweet and salty taste and this type of the dumplings is called 双拼 or 2 flavours. Try it... it’s a lovely blend! The ingredients are given below:

To prepare the pork filling, please refer to Pictures (a) to (f)...
(a) Cut pork into cubes and marinate with rice wine, five spice powder, pepper, brown sugar, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce and sesame oil. Leave in the fridge overnight.
(b) Soak chestnuts in hot water, remove skin and rinse. Cook in water for an hour and set aside.
(c) Soak Chinese mushrooms in hot water till soften, rinse, drain and cut into smaller pieces.
(d) Soak dried oysters in hot water, rinse and set aside.
(e) Soak dried shrimps in hot water till soften, rinse, drain and blend.
(f) Blend garlic, shallot and ginger to give a paste.

Next, let’s cook the pork filling... heat a little oil and fry garlic paste, dried shrimps and mushrooms till fragrant. Next, stir in pork and dried oysters and add five spice powder, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, pepper, brown sugar and rice wine. Stir fry thoroughly till the ingredients are cooked and mix in cooked chestnuts. Remove and set aside. The pork filling looks like this:

Other preparations…
(g) Rinse glutinous rice till the water becomes clear, soak in it overnight. Drain and fry lightly in a little oil and mix with a little dark soy sauce and salt.
(h) Gather salted egg yolks, rinse and drain.
(i) Soak dried scallops in hot water, rinse and steam over high heat for 2 hours.
(j) Soak bamboo leaves in hot water till soften, rinse and drain.

The rest of the recipe will be given in Teochew Rice Dumplings aka Bak Chang Part (II) 潮州双拼肉粽 (下)... Cheers!

Lemon Honey Roasted Chicken Leg 香柠蜜汁烤鸡腿...

A family member of mine loves roasted chicken and i prepare this dish specially for him. This chicken roast makes use of a flavorful lemon honey sauce and the chicken turns out to be very aromatic and savoury. Here’s the recipe...

The main ingredients are: chicken legs, fresh sage leaves, salt, black pepper, white wine, lemon, honey, brown sugar, sweet potato and a little olive oil.

The preparations... marinate chicken legs with a little lemon juice, brown sugar, white wine, salt, black pepper and finely chopped sage leaves. Prepare a glazing sauce by combining lemon juice and honey and set aside. Peel and dice sweet potatoes and marinate with a little olive oil, salt and chopped sage leaves. Slice lemon and set aside.

Let’s start... roast sweet potatoes and chicken legs in an oven preheated at 220 degrees C for 30 minutes; brush glazing sauce over chicken legs several times during baking and place lemon slices over chicken legs and roast for another 5 minutes and voilà, it’s done! Serve roasted chicken legs with sweet potatoes.

Hope you try this savoury chicken roast dish... Cheers!

Sweet & Sour Pork 咕噜肉...

This dish tastes really great – the crunchy fried pork loins are coated with a lovely sauce that has a beautiful balance of sweet versus sour taste and are very appetizing... and the dish goes very well with steamed white rice... It’s a Must-Try!

The main ingredients are: pork loin, red and green capsicums, onion, cashew nuts, garlic, egg, rice wine, sesame oil, soy sauce, pepper, corn starch; and for the sweet and sour sauce: malt vinegar, tomato sauce, chili sauce, salt, raw sugar and cornstarch.

The preparations... cut pork into cubes and marinate with rice wine, sesame oil, soy sauce and pepper for an hour; then, dip them in egg, coat with cornstarch and deep fry till crispy. To prepare the sauce, combine malt vinegar, tomato sauce, chili sauce, salt, raw sugar and water. Cut veggies and chop garlic. Fry cashew nuts in a little oil or bake in an oven till golden. Please see the picture below for the main preparations:

Let’s start... fry chopped garlic in a little oil till fragrant, stir in the veggies and fry thoroughly. Next, add the fried pork loins, sweet and sour sauce, cashew nuts and mix well; then, thicken the sauce with a little cornstarch solution and voilà, it’s done!

Hope you try this delicious Homie Sweet & Sour Pork... Cheers!

Claypot Chicken Rice 砂锅/瓦煲鸡饭...

Prepared this new one dish meal for my family tonight... and everyone loved it. The chicken was tender and the rice was well cooked – neither too wet nor too dry... and it absorbed the flavors of the chicken, salted fish, Chinese sausages and mushrooms plus the dark soy sauce and became very savory... simply yummy and definitely a Must-Try!

The main ingredients are: kampong chicken, rice, salted fish, Chinese mushrooms, Chinese sausage, broccoli, garlic, dark and light soy sauces, sesame oil, rice wine and pepper.

The preparations... clean chicken, remove skin and excess fats and cut into small pieces; marinate with a little rice wine, dark and light soy sauces, sesame oil and pepper. Finely dice salted fish. Soak mushrooms in hot water, rinse and drain. Remove membrane of Chinese sausage and slice. Cut broccoli and blanch in boiling water. Mince garlic.

Let’s start... fry minced garlic, salted fish and mushrooms in a little oil till fragrant and stir in chicken and fry slightly. Place rice and water in a claypot over a hot stove and once the water starts to boil, put the stir fried ingredients over the rice together with the chinese sausages and a little dark soy sauce. Cover the pot and allow the rice to cook for another 20 minutes and voilà, it’s done! You may serve the dish with cooked broccoli for added fiber and nutrition.

Hope you try this delicious claypot chicken rice... Cheers!