Steamed red snapper

I'm still having that dreaded throat infection so I'm sticking to simple food for the time being. I've been to the doctor for a third time (this time with another doc) and I really hope that the infection will clear and no more relapses! Just in case you're wondering why there's chilli in the dish, the fish didn't turn out spicy at all and it's really meant more for getting rid of the fishy smell and I think it looks great as a garnish. :D

I bought this big slab of red snapper meat from the wet market today and I halved it for today's meal and steamed it. :)

Steamed red snapper

Ingredients

• 350g red snapper meat
• 1/4 red chilli (seeds removed, sliced finely)
• 1 bunch scallions (spring onions)
• 1 preserved plum
• 1/2 fresh chinese mushroom (diced)
• thumb-size ginger
• sesame oil

Marinate the fish with:

• hua diao jiu
• a bit of salt
• ground white pepper

Method:

1. Marinate the fish and set aside in the fridge.
2. Cut the spring onion into 1.5" sections. Cut some of the green segment of the spring onion into smaller pieces for garnishing.
3. Skin the ginger and slice it. Take a few slices of the ginger and slice these very thinly (like shreds).
4. Arrange the white segments of the spring onion and some ginger (not the finely sliced ones) under the slab of fish.
5. Place the remaining slices of the ginger (not the finely sliced ones), diced mushrooms and the sliced chilli on the fish. Top the fish with the preserved plum.
6. Steam the fish for 5-7min.
7. Meanwhile, heat the sesame oil (enough to pour on the whole piece of fish) and fry the thinly sliced ginger till golden brown. Remove the ginger shreds and continue to heat the oil till VERY hot. Once the fish is done, pour the hot oil onto the slab of fish - according to my mil, she said she watched some programme in which the chef said that this step makes the meat of the fish extra smooth.
8. Add some light soy sauce if it's not salty enough. Otherwise, garnish with spring onion bits and ginger shreds and it's done! :)

Note: You may omit the mushrooms but I feel that the mushrooms give the dish an additional texture - which I happen to like :)

Baked beans with potato and sausage

Yet another simple dish to whip up. Actually I was just trying to use up the rest of the baked beans as I opened a can last night to go along with the chicken chop set meal I cooked.

Just toss in some potato cubes and sausages (cubed) and it's almost good to go!

Baked beans with potato and sausage

Ingredients:

• 2/3 big can of baked beans (Ayam brand)
• 1 relatively big potato (skinned and cubed)
• 2 chicken sausages (cubed)
• 2-3 tablespoons Maggi tomato sauce
• sugar to taste
• 1/2 bowl water
• 1/2 small red onion (sliced)

Method:

1. Scald the cubed sausages. Drain and set aside.
2. Boil the cubed potatoes till cooked. Drain and set aside.
3. Fry the sliced red onion till limp.
4. Pour in the baked beans and fry for awhile.
5. Add the water and bring the mixture to a boil.
6. Add the tomato sauce and sugar to taste.
7. Add the cubed sausage and potatoes and mix well.
8. Dish and serve.

For toddler's consumption:

• For tots below 2, serve only the baked beans and potatoes.
• Serve the dish as it is for tots above 2 years old.

Glass noodles soup (冬粉汤)

This is another gem from my home-cooked favourites. My mum taught me to make this soup as I'm so fond of it and it's really easy to make too! Just make sure that the soup base is nice and the soup can't go very wrong. :D





Glass noodle soup 冬粉汤

*Skip the dried scallop and dried shrimp for tots below 18mths*

Ingredients:

• 2 small bundles of glass noodles (soak in water till soft)
• 2 eggs (beaten)
• 2 tablespoons of minced meat
• 3 chicken breast bones
• 250g pork ribs
• 1 dried scallop
• about 1 handful dried shrimp
• about 1 handful preserved vegetable (dong cai / 冬菜)
• fish sauce to taste (if still not salty enough)
• 1 soup pot of water

Marinate minced meat with:

• oyster sauce
• ground black pepper
• sesame oil

Method:

1. Blanch chicken bones and pork ribs.
2. Rinse the dried scallop and dried shrimp. Place dried scallop in a small soup bag.
3. Place the chicken bones, pork ribs, dried scallop and dried shrimp in the soup pot of water.
4. Boil on high heat then simmer on low heat for a few hours.
5. Sieve the soup: remove the chicken bones and dried shrimp. Return the pork ribs (if desired) and the dried scallop (take out of the soup bag) to the soup.
6. Marinate the minced meat and mix the minced meat together with the beaten egg.
7. Fry the egg mixture till cooked. Add this to the soup when the soup has simmered long enough and when the soup has been sieved.
8. Rinse the preserved vegetable before adding it to the soup.
9. Add the glass noodles when just about to serve.
10. Add fish sauce to taste if not salty enough.
11. Serve hot.