ABC Soup

All nutrients in one good soup, perfect for the working person!

ABC Soup

ABC Soup for 2 (30 mins)

This is my "weekday soup", best prepared the night before and left to self-cook in my magic cooker so that by the time I come back from work the next day, it's ready to eat! For the record, the magic cooker is a pot, which has insulation to keep the heat in, just like a flask. You can use it to cook virtually anything from soups to stews to rice! The beauty of this pot is it saves ELECTRICITY and GAS, simply because it doesn't need either resources to cook your food! It virtually self-cooks - magic! Whatever you're cooking, just give it a boil over the stove for 10 mins or so and put it into the magic cooker. After a few hours, your food will turn out exactly as if you have left it on the gas continually. Mine is from Cosway, Malaysia, but nowadays I'm sure you can get this cooker from pretty much any shopping mall. 


Chicken drumsticks, however many you would like to have

2 potatoes
1 carrot
2 tomatoes
2 sticks celery
1 big onion

1. Defrost the chicken drumsticks. Once defrosted, wash them thoroughly by rubbing and rinsing it under running water. Rub the drumsticks with salt and then rinse them again.
2. Boil the UNPEELED tomatoes in a small pot of water - this makes skin removal as easy as ABC. 
3. Wash and peel the potatoes and carrots, then slice them into small cubes. 
4. The tomatoes should have been well boiled by now. Pour away the water and let the tomatoes cool. 
5. Wash the celery, then remove the fibrous bits. (Sometimes when I'm in a rush, I cheat by not doing this and honestly I don't feel much difference although my mum is inclined to disagree.) To do this, just sort of pinch a little wee bit of the end of the celery stick, then peel it, like peeling a banana. The fibrous bit will peel out and looks like a cellophane tape. Do this until you have removed as much of the fibrous bits as your patience allows you to. 
6. Slice the celery into smaller pieces.
7. For the next step, it's best to wear a pair of swimming goggles, ski goggles or whatever protective gear you have which covers your eyes thoroughly. Spectacles don't work. 
8. Remove the onion skin then slice it in chunky pieces. It doesn't have to be too small because it will crumble anyway when you boil the soup. 
9. Remove the goggles. If you didn't wear goggles, you should be unable to open your eyes now. 
10. Hopefully the tomatoes are cool enough for you to handle them. Else, just put it under cold running water to cool it. Then peel the skin with your hands. Just give the skin a little tug and it will all fall out obediently.  
11. Slice the tomatoes in half, then half it again. 
12. Put everything into the magic pot: tomatoes, carrots, potatoes, celery, chicken drumsticks and pour in 2.5 bowls of water. This scientific calculation is derived as such: 1 bowl per person, with approximately half a bowl of water extra to allow for evaporation. 
13. Bring the soup to a boil, then let it boil for another 10 minutes before placing it into the magic cooker. 
14. The next morning, before heading off to work, boil it over the stove for another 10 minutes and then place it in the magic cooker.
15. After work, just before eating, add a pinch of salt, and boil it over the stove for a few minutes. 
16. Serve.

Stir-Fried Potato and Chicken Slices

Cooking is as easy as you make it to be. 

Stir-Fried Potato and Chicken Slices

Stir-Fried Potato and Chicken Slices (20 mins)

Chicken breast

Potatoes
Black sauce
Soya sauce
Sesame oil
Corn flour
Garlic
Oil

When I buy chicken breast meat, I wash and marinate it before I put it into the freezer. Here's how:

1. Wash the chicken breast under running water. Rub it thoroughly with salt, then rinse.
2. Cut the chicken breast into eating-friendly sizes and place in a bowl.
3. Add 1 tablespoon of black sauce and soya sauce each, 2 teaspoons of corn flour (heaped) and 1 teaspoon of sesame oil. Mix it up well. 
4. Put in a sealed container and store in freezer. 

Doing this makes the chicken meat really flavourful when I use it, because the meat has been well marinated. Plus, it makes a handy ingredient when I need to cook fast!

For stir-fried potato and chicken slices:

1. Defrost the marinated chicken breast slices.
2. Wash, peel and slice potatoes into eating-friendly sizes. Thinly sliced potatoes cook faster. 
3. Crush, chop and dice 3 cloves of garlic.
4. Heat up the non-stick frying pan, pour in some oil.
5. Fry the garlic until they turn slightly golden-brown.
6. Add the potatoes and stir-fry them till cooked.
7. Add the chicken slices and make sure everything is well-mixed.
8. Once the chicken meat changes colour, add in enough water for the gravy.
9. Cover the frying pan for about 30 seconds, then uncover and give it another stir.
10. Serve.