Bittergourd with Salted Eggs

Eating out always gives me inspiration to try out new dishes!

Bittergourd with Salted Eggs (15 mins)

Bellagio, a Taiwanese restaurant in Beijing is one of our frequently visited restaurants and they have this bittergourd with salted egg dish, which is one of my favourites! My homemade version doesn't taste as fab as theirs does, of course, but I get to satisfy my craving for this dish in the comfort of my home! AND it's terribly easy to whip up. 


Garlic, 4 cloves

1 bittergourd
2 salted duck eggs

1. Wash the bittergourd thoroughly by rubbing and rinsing it under running water.
2. Cut off the edges and then half the bittergourd, then split it open so that you can remove the seeds in the middle. I usually use a teaspoon to scrape out the seeds.
3. Slice the bittergourd as thinly as you can manage. When I'm in a hurry, it's not so thin as you can see from the photo above. 
4. Remove the shell from the duck eggs and mash it up with a fork into a bowl until it's all crumbly. 
5. Heat up the non-stick frying pan, pour in some oil. 
6. When the oil is hot, fry the garlic until slightly golden brown. 
7. Add in the bittergourd and the crumbly salted eggs. 
8. Fry until soft. You'll have to cover the frying pan for about 2 minutes to soften the bittergourd. 
9. Serve.

Dry Chicken Curry with Lady's Fingers

Even one hour cooks need to be creative. 

Dry Chicken  Curry with Lady's Fingers (30 mins) 

My fridge is always stocked with pretty much the same ingredients: fish, chicken breast, chicken drumsticks, pork ribs (for soup) and the usual green vege. For a change, sometimes I just use my imagination and hope it turns out OK. 


Chicken breast meat

Curry powder 2 tablespoons
Lady's fingers/okra/lady's thumbs
Garlic
Soy sauce 2 tablespoons
Sesame oil 1 teaspoon

1. Defrost the chicken breast meat before you go to work.
2. After work, wash the chicken breast meat thoroughly under running water. Rub it all over with salt and then rinse it again. Slice the breast meat into small bite-sized pieces. 
3. Marinate the meat by mixing in the curry powder, soy sauce and sesame oil. 
4. Crush, chop and dice 3/4 bulb of garlic.
5. Slice the lady's fingers into thin slices in slightly slanted cuts (if you know what I mean). 
6. When the oil is hot, fry the garlic until slightly golden brown. 
7. Then, add the marinated chicken breast meat and stir-fry it until the meat colour has changed and the meat has shrank a little.
8. Next, add the lady's fingers and fry until cooked. You will need to cover the frying pan for about 2 minutes to soften the meat. 
9. Serve.

Mixed Vegetables

Greens always make a meal complete!

Mixed Vegetables

Mixed Vegetables (20 mins)

Broccoli

Cauliflower
Red and green capsicums
Garlic
Salt
Oil

1. Soak the broccoli and cauliflower in cold water for awhile. 
2. While the veggies are soaking, crush, chop and dice 4 cloves of garlic. 
3. Wash the broccoli and cauliflower under running water and using a pair of scissors, cut them into bite-sized pieces. I find that scissors instead of a knife, helps minimize the crumbly bits that fall out when you cut these veggies.
4. Wash the capsicums under running water and rub the surfaces thoroughly. Cut off the 'heads' of the capsicums, scrape the seeds out with a spoon and then cut them into bite-sized pieces.
5. Heat up the non-stick frying pan, pour in some oil.
6. Fry the garlic until they get a little golden brown.
7. Throw in the broccoli, cauliflower and capsicums and fry it just a bit.
8. Cover the frying pan for about 30 seconds.
9. Pour in a little water and add a dash of salt; mix it up evenly.
10. 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.

Stir-Fried Kailan

Stir-fried is one of the best cooking formulas - 

Simple + Repeatable + Quick = Tastes good each time!   

Stir-Fried Kailan (Chinese broccoli)

Stir-Fried Kailan 芥蓝 / Chinese Broccoli (15 mins)

Kailan (Chinese broccoli)

Garlic

Salt

1. Soak kailan and wash each individual leaf by rubbing it to get those pesticides off. This is one thing, which I never compromise, regardless of how rushed for time I am.
2. Separate the stems from the leaves by breaking them.
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 get a little golden brown.
6. Throw in the stems first and fry it for a bit, say 30 seconds.
7. Then throw in the leaves and stir-fry it.
8. Add a little water for gravy, salt and stir.
9. Serve.

Stir-Fried Lotus Root

I discovered this dish in Beijing and...
YUMMY! 
Need I say more?

Stir-Fried Lotus Root

Stir-Fried Lotus Root (15 mins)
Lotus root
Garlic
Salt

1. Wash the lotus root by rubbing it under running water.
2. Chop off the ends, then peel off the skin.
3. Slice the lotus root as thin as you prefer and half the slices if the lotus root is fairly big.
4. Crush, chop and dice 3 cloves of garlic. 
5. Heat up the non-stick frying pan, pour in some oil.
6. Fry the garlic until they get a little golden brown.
7. Throw in the lotus root slices and fry it just a bit.
8. Cover the frying pan for about 30 seconds.
9. Stir-fry for awhile more; pour in a little water and add a dash of salt; mix it up evenly.
10. Serve.

Stir-Fried Brinjal and Eggs

I just learnt that brinjal is also known as guinea squash!!!

Fried Brinjal and Eggs

Stir-Fried Brinjal (Eggplant/Aubergine) and Eggs
Brinjal
2 eggs
Garlic
Soy sauce

1. Wash the brinjal by rubbing it under running water.
2. Cut off the edges and then slice it as thin as you can muster.
3. Crack the eggs into a bowl, add 1 teaspoon of soy sauce and beat it. 
4. Crush, chop and dice 3 cloves of garlic.
5. Heat up the non-stick frying pan, pour in some oil.
6. Fry the garlic until they get a little golden brown.
7. Throw in the brinjal and fry it for a bit so that it becomes drier, not so squashy and wet.
8. Add the eggs and fry the whole thing for a bit more.
9. Cover the frying pan for about 30 seconds.
10. Add a dash of salt; mix it up evenly.
11. Serve.

Stir-Fried Broccoli

My friend once described broccoli as 

"that veggie that looks like a mushroom but is green".

Stir-Fried Broccoli

Stir-Fried Broccoli (15 mins)
Broccoli
Garlic
Salt

1. Soak the broccoli for awhile.
2. While the broccoli is soaking, crush, chop and dice 3 cloves of garlic.
3. Wash the broccoli under running water and using a pair of scissors, cut it into bite-sized pieces. I find that scissors instead of a knife, helps minimize the crumbly bits that fall out when you cut the broccoli.
4. Heat up the non-stick frying pan, pour in some oil.
5. Fry the garlic until they get a little golden brown.
6. Throw in the broccoli and fry it just a bit.
7. Cover the frying pan for about 30 seconds.
8. Pour in a little water and add a dash of salt; mix it up evenly.
9. Serve.

Stir-Fried Chinese Cabbage

Really, all you need is garlic and ginger at all times.

Stir-Fried Chinese Cabbage

Stir-Fried Chinese Cabbage (20 mins)

Chinese cabbage

Ginger
Garlic

Salt

1. Soak the greens and rub each piece of leaf to get those nasty chemicals off. Yes, this will take awhile.
2. Cut the cabbage into smaller sizes to make it more eating-friendly.
3. Chop the garlic and ginger.
4. Heat up the non-stick frying pan, pour in some oil.
5. Fry the garlic ginger until they get a little golden brown.
6. Throw in the Chinese cabbage and fry.
7. Pour in water for the gravy and add a dash of salt; mix it up evenly.
8. Cover the pan for awhile to soften the cabbage.
9. Serve.

Stir-Fried Bittergourd

When I only have 30 minutes and no meat, I go vegetarian.

Fried Bittergourd (and rice)

Stir-Fried Bittergourd (15 mins)

Bittergourd

Garlic

Salt

1. Wash the bittergourd by running it under cold water and rubbing it.
2. Cut off the ends and then cut the bittergourd into half (longwise) and dig out the white stuff in the middle.
3. Slice the bittergourd (shortwise) as thin as possible.
4. Crush, chop and dice 3 cloves of garlic.
5. Heat up the non-stick frying pan, pour in some oil.
6. Fry the garlic until they get a little golden brown.
7. Throw in the bittergourd and fry it for a bit. 
8. Pour in some water and cover the frying pan to soften the bittergourd. 
9. After about 1 minute, lift up the cover and let the water evaporate. Stir it continuously to prevent it from burning.
10. Add salt and stir.
11. Serve.

Stir-Fried Spinach

Believe it or not, I really liked veggies when I was young...
and I still do!

Stir-Fried Spinach tastes yummy with soup too

Stir-Fried Spinach (20 mins)

Spinach

Garlic

Salt

Just before dinner time:

1. Soak the spinach, use a pair of scissors to cut off the ends and rub each piece of leaf to get those nasty chemicals off. Yes, this will take awhile.
2. Crush, chop and dice 3 cloves of garlic.
3. Heat up the non-stick frying pan, pour in some oil.
4. Fry the garlic until they get a little golden brown.
5. Throw in the spinach and fry.
6. Pour in a little water and add a dash of salt; mix it up evenly.
7. Serve.

Stir-Fried Chinese Mustard Greens

Whether I'm eating out or cooking, I like to get my food fast!

Stir-Fried Chinese Mustard Greens using Garlic

Stir-Fried Mustard Greens using Ginger and Wolfberries

Stir-Fried Chinese Mustard Greens (15 mins)

Chinese mustard greens (sawi)

Garlic and ginger

Wolfberries (optional)

Salt

1. Soak mustard greens and wash each individual leaf by rubbing it to get those pesticides off. Yes, it takes awhile.
2. Separate the stems from the leaves by breaking them.
3. Soak the wolfberries in water and rinse them.
4. Crush, chop and dice 3 cloves of garlic.
5. Heat up the non-stick frying pan, pour in some oil.
6. Fry the garlic until they get a little golden brown.
7. Throw in the stems first and fry it for a bit, say 30 seconds.
8. Then throw in the leaves and wolfberries, and stir-fry it.
9. Add a little water for gravy, salt and stir.
10. Serve.