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Rachel from The Crispy Cook is hosting this edition of Weekend Herb Blogging. The rules for taking part can be found here.
Wolfberries also known as 枸杞 had been used in China for centuries. It is also known as the Chinese wolfberries or Chinese Boxthorn. Wolfberries claimed medicinal properties includes liver protection, improving the eyesight and increase longevity. They are also known to strengthen weak legs.
Wolfberries had been used in teas, soups, tonic brews, stew, wine and also eaten like raisins. In Singapore, the dried wolfberries are most common and can be easily purchased at Chinese medicinal stores. It is also relatively cheap.
The dish here uses dried wolfberries stir-fried with 乃白 (nai bai), a kind of seasonal vegetable commonly available in this region. Cheap and nutritious, this dish can be found on the reunion dinners during the Chinese Lunar New Year.
You will need: (serves 2 to 4)
Handful of dried wolfberries
500g nai bai
garlic
Soak wolfberries in warm water for half hour. Drain and set aside.
Brown chopped garlic.
Add the vegetables and stir-fry.
Just before serving, add in the wolfberries.
This week's Weekend Herb Blogging#217 will be hosted by Anna of Anna's Cool Finds. The rules for taking part can be found here.
One of my favourite root vegetable is the carrot! Carrots are an excellent source of anti-oxidants. I had been told since young that eating carrots promote good vision. (which subsequently led to me inducing that rabbits have great eyesight since they eat carrots) and as I grow older, this story was proven scientifically right! The high level of beta-carotene found in carrots helps protect against the development of senile cataracts.
Carrots are efficient in keeping water content and they tend to keep longer than other vegetables. The attached green tops should be cut off before storage to prevent the leaves from drawing water from the root which will cause the carrot to wilt.
A not-commonly known property of the radish family is that the root contain a good level of vitamin C. As a member of the cruciferous vegetable family, radish has the cancer-protection traits of its cousins (brocolli, cabbage, brussel sprouts...) Cooking destroys radish root's vitamin C content and therefore it is best eaten raw.
As the Chinese New Year or Lunar New Year is approaching, I share with you my favourite festive dish. It is claimed that this dish is crafted by the early immigrants of Singapore and has since found its way around the Chinese community around the globe.
Yusheng (Raw Fish Salad) is a mixture of shredded vegetable roots with pickled condiments. It is believed that by tossing the yusheng, it will bring good fortune and prosperity to the family.
Yusheng (Raw Fish Salad)
1 shredded radish (large)
3 shredded carrots
1 shredded cucumber (to add the coolness and freshness to the dish)
(bought from store)
pickled melon strip
pickled brown melon strip
pickled cucumber
pickled leek strip
pickled yellow melon strip
white sour ginger strip
sweeten lime strip
red sweeten ginger strip
white pepper powder
cinnamon powder
plum sauce
crispy biscuit bits
powdered peanuts
toasted white sesame seeds
The pickled condiments are arranged around the shredded roots, forming a colourful presentation to the dish. The plum sauce is then poured over the shredded roots. White pepper and cinnamon powder is sprinkled over the vegetables and covered by the peanut powder and sesame seeds. The dish is completed by sprinkling of the biscuit bits.
(Raw fish sliced thinly - with lime squeezed over was not added as this variant is for vegetarians.)
Toss to good fortune and prosperity!!!
The first round of WHB for 2010 is here! This week's Weekend Herb Blogging#215 will be hosted by Haalo of Cook(almost)AnythingAtLeastOnce. The rules for taking part can be found here.
Mr Pancakes went marketing with his mum, straight after the gastronomical honeymoon trip with Mrs Pancakes. It is always fun to visit the wet markets, you'll never know what you see there.
While Mama was picking out the vegetables, Mr Pancakes saw this intriguing box of roots. Something he had never seen before. They look like water chestnuts, but white.
Upon inquiring the stall owners, this is the famed arrowroot! Mr Pancakes always thought it is a very western country thing. But heyho! One of the dialect groups of China (Teochews)! According to the stall owner, arrowroot chips are eaten during the Lunar New Year and is considered good luck and prosperous to the Teochews and that's why it is a festive dish!
Arrowroot got its name from its usage to treat poison arrow wounds and other poisonous insect bits like the scorpions. Arrowroot is easily digested and has a widely bland taste. It is sometimes used as a diet for those with a bad appetite as the arrowroot starch does not cause nauseousness. Although it is more easily digestible, it contains mainly starch and almost no protein and is not the most nutritious rhizomes available. Arrowroot powder is commonly used in puddings, jellies, cakes and hot sauces.
As the Lunar New Year approaches, the arrowroot will be the staple for more people of this region as we seek into prosperity for the coming Tiger Year.
Arrowroot Chips with Chinese Sausage
You will need: (serves 2 to 4)
6 bulbs of arrowroots, skinned and sliced thickly
1 Chinese Sausage (lak cheong), sliced
Chopped garlic
Salt
Pepper
Cooking oil (Grapeseed oil is great for it's neutral taste)
1. Lightly fry the arrowroot chips in hot oil till almost golden brown. Set aside.
2. Saute chopped garlic and add in sliced chinese sausage. Stir-fry on high heat.
3. Add the fried arrowroot chips. Turn to low heat and cover for 3-5mins. Allow the flavours of the sausage to be infused into the chips.
4. Add salt and pepper to taste.
5. Serve warm and 'huat' (prosperous) to the New Year!
Last round of WHB before the Christmas break. This week's Weekend Herb Blogging#214 will be hosted by Haalo of Cook(almost)AnythingAtLeastOnce. The rules for taking part can be found here.
Mr Pancakes' ancestral roots traces way back to Henghua in Fujian Province in China. The ancient Chinese consider it a delicacy and is served to royalty or guests of honour. Seaweed is used widely in Henghua cuisine and it greatly enhances the taste of the dishes. Unknown to many, seaweed is neither an animal or a plant. It is actually a form of algae. The seaweed used here is the red seaweed or 紫菜 (literally purple vegetable in Chinese) as they are sold in their dried form and are dark purple-black in colour.
Seaweed contains many minerals, virtually all that can be found in the ocean. They are also a good source of calcium, sodium and iodine.
The Seaweed with Beancurd dish here is the vegetarian version. Seaweed, beancurd, mushrooms are the main players in this simple, soupy dish.
Seaweed Soup with Beancurd & Mushrooms
You will need: (serves 4)
3 pieces tofu (beancurd), cut into cubes.
50grams dried seaweed
3 slices of ginger
5 button / shitake mushrooms (diced)
some shredded carrot (1/2 carrot)
diced celery (1 stalk)
1L water
1 1/2 tablespoon cooking oil
pepper to taste
1. Bring water to boil in a pot. In a separate pan, heat up cooking oil. Saute the ginger, diced mushrooms and shredded carrot. Put sauteed ingredients into the boiling pot of water.
2. When water comes back to boil, add beancurd dices to soup. Add in diced celery and seaweed. Bring soup back to a boil. Add pepper to taste and the dish is ready to be served.
Mr Pancakes is getting the hang of it and is excited every time WHB comes around. What a great way to share! This week's Weekend Herb Blogging#212 will be hosted by Laurie from Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska. WHB is a weekly food blog event that showcases information and recipes about herbs, vegetables, fruits and other plant ingredients. WHB is organized by Haalo of Cook(almost)AnythingAtLeastOnce. The rules for taking part can be found here.
For this week, Mr Pancakes would like to share a all-Asian cast: Boiled Chinese Pear with Chinese Almond Dessert.
The Chinese Yellow Pear is used here as the main ingredient. A picture of the pear can be seen here, Mr Pancakes is ashamed that he forgot to take a picture of the fruits before cooking them. The yellow Chinese pear has a thin yellow skin. The white flesh is slightly grainy, as compared to the green pears. It is oblong, unlike the Asian (nashi) pear. It is believed that the yellow chinese pear relieves cough and calm wheezing.
Another main part of this dessert the Chinese Almond (杏仁) or apricot seed. There are two types of chinese almond, mainly those from the south (sweet taste) and the north (bitter taste). The Chinese almond seeds from the north is believed to have similar properties to the yellow Chinese pear, they stop cough and 'moisten' the intestines. A mixture of north and south Chinese almond seeds are used here to balance the taste.
A sweet, 'cooling' dessert and apparently to relieve cough and irritation to the throat
Boiled Chinese Yellow Pear with Chinese Almond (炖雪梨)
This is a long time childhood dessert. All kids love sweet stuff! This is a healthy, nutritional dessert and it cleanse the palate nicely, especially after a heavy meal.
You will need: (serves 4)
2 yellow Chinese Pears
50 gram rock sugar
500ml water
8 Chinese red dates (optional)
1. Peel the skins off the pears, core and cut into quarters.
2. Bring water to boil in a pot.
3. Put all ingredients into the pot and cook over low heat for 20 minutes.
4. Serve hot or put into the fridge to chill and serve cold.
Mr Pancakes is back for more Weekend Herb Blogging action. This week's Weekend Herb Blogging#212 will be hosted by Marillyn from Just Making Noise. WHB is a weekly food blog event that showcases information and recipes about herbs, vegetables, fruits and other plant ingredients. WHB is now organized by Haalo of Cook(almost)AnythingAtLeastOnce. The rules for taking part can be found here.
The feature for this week's entry is Black Beans. They are small, about the size of a pea, oval and a sexy jet black. Their flesh is cream in colour with a sweet and somewhat earthy taste with a soft texture.
Be sure to check out the surface of the beans for any damage or fungal growth before washing them. Some recipes call for black beans to be soaked before cooking, but this particular recipe that Mr Pancakes is sharing here eliminates this step as we prefer the beans to have a bit more crunch in them.
Black beans, like their 'beanie' friends, are a inexpensive source of protein with a very low fat content. They are an excellent source of cholesterol lowering fiber and complex carbohydrates. Also, they are a good source of folic acid.
Black Beans Pork Rib Soup
I simply love this soup. It has a nutty flavour from the black beans and the sweetness from the ribs. Lovely combination. The black soup also adds a little mystique feeling to it. Enjoy chewing up the black beans and washing it down with the soup. Nothing beats a good home-made healthy soup!
You will need: (serves 3-4)
• ¾ bowl black beans
• 500g pork ribs
• 4 slices ginger
• Water
1. Put a small pot of water to boil. Scald the pork ribs in the boiling water and leave to cook for about 5 minutes. This is to remove the foul taste of the meat.
2. In a medium sized pot, fill up the pot with water to the halfway mark. Put to boil.
3. Add in black beans and leave to cook on low heat for 30 minutes.
4. Add in pork ribs and let simmer for 1 hour. (Add hot water, if necessary, to just cover the ribs and beans.)
Serve hot.
The Pancakes are still on a high after last week's post on WHB#210. I am submitting this recipe for this week's Weekend Herb Blogging#211. This week event will be hosted by Lynne from Cafe LynnyLu. WHB is a weekly food blog event that showcases information and recipes about herbs, vegetables, fruits and other plant ingredients. WHB is now organized by Haalo ofCook(almost)AnythingAtLeastOnce. The rules for taking part can be found here. Take part and share! The more the merrier!
This week will be on this simple and yet nutritious recipe.
Lotus roots originate in Asia. It has a white, crisp flesh with a lacy texture and very mild flavour. After cleaning the root of mud, peel and slice it. Put the slices in a box and chill it in the refrigerator. They will make a cool, refreshing snack. The lotus slices can also be candied and serve as sweet treats.
This recipe that I am sharing here is a easy stir-fry, an appertiser from my Mum's recipe book for vegetarians.
Enjoy.
Lotus Rotus with Black Wood Fungi
You will need: (Serves 2-4)
• ½ lotus root (6-8 cm)
• 6 black wood fungus
• 2 slices ginger
• 1 cup water
• cooking oil
• 10 dried sze chuan pepper
• 1 red chilli
For the cold dressing
• ½ cup white / rice vinegar
• 3 tablespoon sugar
• salt
• ¼ cup water
• fish sauce (optional)
This is supposed to be a cold dish entrée but it can be tweaked to be served as a main dish too. Highly nutritious and easy to prepare, this dish will go down well with the busy urbanites.
1. Wash the lotus root and cut into thin slices. Prepare the black wood fungi by removing the tough stem and wash under tap water. Chop up the fungi to 3-5 cm wide.
2. Cook sliced lotus and fungi in boiling water for 3-5minutes. Remove once fungi are slightly softened but still crunchy to bite into. Remove and leave aside to drain off excess water.
3. Heat cooking oil and add in ginger slices. Once ginger slices are browned, add in the cooked lotus slices and fungi. Add 1 cup water and simmer under low heat for 10 minutes.
4. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil on a skillet. Add sze chuan pepper to the hot oil under medium heat. After 10 mins, remove the peppers and keep the oil.
5. Add sliced chilli and sze chuan pepper oil before serving. (Boiled sliced carrots were used as garnish here.)
Variation: Cold Dressing
Dissolve sugar in water. Add vinegar for the tartness and sour taste. Add salt to taste. Adjust taste as desired. Mix well with drained lotus slices and fungi. Chill and serve cold.
Drizzle sze chuan pepper oil all over before serving.
