Braised sea cucumber and mushroom

Ingredients

100g dried sea cucumber (Soaked and cleaned: Refer to my earlier post)

10 mushrooms (soaked and each cut into quarters)

3 stalks spring onions ( cut into 2" lentgth)

1 pc thumb size ginger ( sliced)

5 cloves garlic (chopped finely)

6 tbsp oil

2 tbsp oyster sauce

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp shao xing wine

2 tbsp thick soy sauce

2 tbsp light soy sauce

 Preparation
1. Boil the sea cucumber (cleaned and ready to be cooked) with about 5-6 slices ginger in a pot. Drain dry.

2. Heat oil in saucepan. Fry garlic, ginger and spring onions until a bit golden brown.

3. Put in sea cucumber, shao xing oil and fry for 2 minutes followed by the mushroom, salt, light soy sauce, thick soy sauce and oyster sauce. Stir fry to mix well.
5. Add in a cup of water and bring to boil

4. Cover and cook for about 45-60 minutes until the sea cucumber is tender.
5. Dish out and garnish with some spring onions to serve.

* alternatively, use 400g soaked sea cucumber.

Spaghetti with garlic, olive oil and red chili flakes

Ingredients

250g spaghetti (3-4 servings)

1/2 cup button mushroom (cut into thin slices)

200g chicken fillet (sliced and marinated with soya sauce and 1 tbsp cornflour)

5 tbsp olive oil

3 cloves garlic (chopped finely)

1 tsp red chili flakes

2 tbsp dried parsley 

1 tbsp oyster sauce

pinch of salt

*optional : 50g broccoli ( cut into fine pieces)

 Preparation
1. Boil spaghetti in a pot according to package instruction. Drain dry.
2. Heat olive oil in saucepan.
3. Add chopped garlic and chicken fillet to stir fry until chicken is cooked.

4.  Add in the button mushroom, oyster sauce, red chili flakes and pinch of salt. Stir fry to mix well.

5. Pour the boiled spaghetti into the saucepan to cook with the other ingredients.
6. Mix well. If necessary add a little bit more olive oil.

7. Lastly, add in the dried parsley.
8. Dish out and serve hot.

Kimchi pancake

Ingredients

1 cup kimchi (cut into thin slices)

1 onion (chopped into small pieces)

2 stalks spring onion (chopped finely)

pinch of salt

some oil

Batter

1/2 cup flour

1/4 cup water
1 egg

 Preparation
1. Mix flour, water and salt in a big bowl.
2. Add kimchi, onion and some spring onion ( keep a bit for garnishing) to the batter.
3. Blend well.

4. Heat 3-4 tbsp oil in a saucepan.
5. Scoop 2 tbsp batter to fry over medium heat. Flatten it with spoon and fry until it turns light brown. Turn it over to fry the other side.
6. Garnish with spring onion and serve hot.

Vegetarian fruit cake

Ingredients
375g plain flour (sifted with bicarbonate soda)
180g castor sugar (200g if you prefer it sweeter)
200g mixed fruit (dried)
250ml boiling water (1 cup)
125ml fruit juice (1/2 cup of apple juice used in this case)
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda


Preparation
1. Put water, sugar, mixed fruit and spices into a saucepan and bring to boil.
2. Cool the mixture and transfer it to a mixing bowl.

3. Add in the fruit juice and stir in the sifted flour.

4. Transfer batter to a greased cake tray (or even better lined with greased baking paper).
5. Bake in preheated oven over 180 degrees for 45-50 minutes (or until cooked).

6. Let it cool a little first before overturn it onto the rack.
7. Cut and serve when cooled.

Sweet Chinese fried pumpkin glutinous rice cake

Ingredients:

300g mashed pumpkin
300g glutinous rice flour (Do not add in all at a time)
80g -100g sugar


Preparation :
1. Wash and cut pumpkin to steam in a steamer for about 30 minutes.
2. Scoop out the cooked pumpkin and mash it in a container.

3. Add sugar and rice flour (a little at a time) to the mashed pumpkin and knead. Since no water is used in this recipe, we might not need all the flour. Make sure to add just enough flour to form a soft and smooth dough.
*Note: Amount of flour depends on the texture of the pumpkin used.

4. Divide the dough into about 25 portions. Roll each into ball shape and flatten it with your palm.

5. Heat some oil (enough to cover bottom half of the cake) in frying pan. Put in the pumpkin cake to fry when the oil is hot. When it  turns golden brown turn over to cook the other side.
6. Dish out onto a plate lined with kitchen tissue to absorb away the excess oil.
7. Serve while it's hot.

Groundnut Cookies

Ingredients

300g groundnuts ( roasted and finely ground)
200g castor sugar
1/4 tsp salt
300g plain flour
200 ml groundnut cooking oil ( or olive oil )
1 egg yolk ( for glazing)

Preparation:
1. Put all the ingredients in a mixing bowl or mixer and blend to form a dough.
2. Divide into small portions of desirable sizes. Shape each portion into round balls.
3. Place them on a lightly greased tray and flatten them slightly.
4. Use a round tube of suitable size to press a design before glazing the surfaces with egg yolk.
5. Bake in preheated oven at 180 degrees C for 20 minutes.
6. Cool and store in an airtight container.