Simple Cooking Ideas

I like to use fish head, ’soong yu’ or ‘wan yu’ for this dish. They are fish rear in ponds. These fish heads are easily available in wet markets. Fish head curry is a popular dish enjoy by many people. To those who does not like to eat spicy and hot, here is a recipe to try.

Ingredients:

1/2 head of ’soong yu’ about 600 gm, rinsed clean and marinate with salt
1 beaten egg
enough cornflour
30 gm chinese dried mushroom, soaked and rinsed clean
5 baby corns
30 gm sliced carrots
1 small green pepper, cut into wedges
1 small red pepper, cut into wedges
2 fried beancurd, each cut into 4 pieces
2 tablespoon minced ginger and garlic
enough oil for deep fring
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon soya sauce
1 tablespoon Maggi Concentrated chicken stock
30 gm spring onions and parsley. sliced red chillies

Method:

Dip fish head in beaten egg and thrash with corn flour all over. Deep fry in hot oil till golden brown. Put the fish head aside. Pour out the oil and leave 2 tablespoon. Fry the minced ginger and garlic, saute the mushroom and and transfer into the claypot. Add a cup of water. Cover lid and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes and add in the the rest of the vegetables. Add the seasoning, oyster sauce, soya sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Add in the fish head and beancurd. Continue to simmer for 5 minutes. Thicken the gravy with cornflour mixture and garnish with spring onion. parsley and slices of red chillies. Serve at once.

A simple balance diet of protein, carbohyrate and fibre is the nutrition of the day. Here you just blanch prawns in boiling water to cook them and blend the rest of the ingredients together. You need just 30 minutes to prepare this dish.

Ingredients: Serves 3-4

300 gm prawn, peeled and deveined
1 Japanese cucumber, cut in cubes
1 red bell pepper, cut in cubes
1 tablespoon sweet relish, ( availables in supermarkets)
1 tablespoon lime juice
2 tblespoon mayonnaise
pepper and salt to taste
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups cooked rice
2 tablespoon chopped chives for garnishing

Method:

Blanch prawns in boiling water until prawns turn pinkish and cooked. Remove and drain. In a mixing bowl, place prawns and vegetables and mix well with mayonnise and lime juice and oil. Add pepper and salt to taste. Scoop rice on to plates and top with the mixture of salad. Garnish with chives and serve.

How To Make Scallops With Garlic And Lemon

Eel is considered as a delicacy and is quite expansive. Fresh water eels and marine eels are commonly used in Japanese cuisine. It is very popular in Asian countries and other countries too. Here is a dish to try.

Ingredients:

500 gm eel
8 cloves garlic
10 cloves shallot
pinch of pepper

Seasoning:
1 tablespoon dark soya sauce
1 teaspoon shaoxing wine
1 teaspoon sugar
1teaspoon salt
1/2 cup water

Method:

Blanch eel in hot water and remove slime with a knfe. Rinse and cut into 2 inch piece. Add pepper and dab with some cornflour. Add 2 tablespoon oil and fry the eel until lightly brown. Push aside and fry the garlic and onion until fragrant. Pour in the seasoning. Bring to the boil and lower heat. Simmer till done. Garnish and serve immediately.

Tiger prawns can be bought in the wet markets or hypermarkets. At this time of the Chinese New Year around the corner, big prawns are expensive. Well, for this recipe you just buy 200 gm for 4 persons. Cajun seasoning is available in supermarkets.

Ingredients:

200 tiger prawns
2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning
2 tablespoon oil

Salsa

1 green mango, peeled and diced
1 ripe avocado, peeled and diced
2 shallots, peeled and diced
1 red chilli sliced
2 tablespoon lime juice
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon chopped fresh mint
a pinch of salt and sugar

Garlic Mash

4 cloves garlic, chopped finely
2 large potatoes, peeled and boiled till soft
1 cup fresh milk
2 tablespoon butter
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Seasoning prawns with Cajun seasoning for 15 minutes. Heat oil in a pan till hot and fry and pan-fry the prawns on both sides till cooked. Set aside. Combine all the salsa ingredients together and stir well. Chill in the fridge. To prepare garlic mash, fry the garlic and set aside. Mash the potatoes with milk and butter and season to taste. Mix garlic and potatoes mash. Scoop garlic mashed potatoes on a serving plate and top with prawns and salsa on the side.

This is an auspicious dish for the Chinese New Year. The word “yau yu” means Squid or cuttlefish and also means “abundance”. This cuttle fish is the dried type which have been soaked to soften. It is sold in wet markets or hypermarkets. The squids are fresh type which have to clean and discard the ink sac. Remove the skin and the heads. Criss-cross tops of cuttlefish and the squids with a sharp knife and do not cut through.

Ingredients:

250 gm squids
250 cuttle fish
3 thin slices ginger
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 stalks spring onions, cut into 2 cm length
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoon rice wine
Dash of vinegar

Method:

In a sauce pan, bring water to boil. Blanch squids and cuttlefish in hot water. Both will immediately roll and curl up and put aside. Heat a wok, fry garlic, ginger and spring onion for one minute and add in the cuttlefish and squids. Stir-fry and add wine and seasoning. Add a dash of vinegar and heat through. Remove and serve.

VideoJug: How To Make Prawn Curry