Category Archives: Soup

Ribs, Soup

Pork Ribs & Chinese Yam Soup

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Chinese Yam is called 山药 （shan yao), which is considered to be very good for health.

1. Rinse pork ribs in water. Change water several times till water is clear with no more blood.

2. Put ribs in a deep pot. Add in water that covers all ribs.

3. Turn to high heat and bring water to boil. Skim the foam if any. Turn to medium-low heat.

4. Add in Yam chunks, red dates and wolf berries. Cover the pot and simmer for 40 mins. Ribs will become very soft and easily fall off. Soup will become a bit sweet during to red dates and Yam.

5. Season with a little salt and serve hot.

egg, Soup, Uncategorized

Baby Squid, Seaweed & Egg Soup

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One time my aunt in China asked me and my husband to have lunch at her home. My aunt used to own a small restaurant and she was the chef there. So she can cook really delicious food. She cooked baby’s squid egg soup that day. My husband tried it and loved it immediately. Even after 2 years, he’s still thinking about that soup. I remembered I was helping around when my aunt was cooking. It’s a very simple soup but I couldn’t get it right.

This time, I tried a different way.

1. Clean baby squid. Cut into halves.

2. In a pot, boil 2 cups water. Put the squid in and boil for 2 mins. Take the squid out and keep the stock.

3. In another pan or pot, heat 1 tsp oil. Sauté a bit chopped ginger.

4. Add in the stock. Bring to boil.

5. Pour in 2 beaten eggs. Stir a bit.

6. Add in baby squid and dried seaweed. Bring to boil.

7. Season with salt and sprinkle chopped spring onion.

My husband likes it, even though it’s different from the way my aunt cooked.

Soup, Uncategorized

Water Chestnuts Dessert

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Water chestnut is not usually seen in my hometown, but very common in Singapore. And it’s widely used in cooking savory food, dessert and making drinks.

Ingredients:

Peeled Water chestnuts (around 8)

Water 500g

Red dates (4-5 cut into halves and remove the seed)

Wolf berries several

Sugar 1 tablespoon (you can cut or add more according to your reference)

Corn starch 1 tablespoon (dissolve in 2 tablespoon water)

Black sesame ( optional)

1. Use a grater to grind water chestnuts into paste.

2. Put water chestnuts paste, red dates, wolf berries, and water into a pot.

3. Turn to high heat and bring water to boil.

4. Add in sugar. Turn to medium heat. Keep stirring to let sugar dissolve. Simmer for another 5 mins.

5. Pour in starch water. Keep stirring for 2 mins.

6. Serve hot and sprinkle sesame.

Prawn, Quick recipe, Soup, Uncategorized

Tom Yam Gong Soup

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My husband and I had very good Tom Yam Gong Soup when we were in Bangkok. I really love it. Can’t wait to try after we come back.

I bought Tom Yam Gong paste from supermarket.

It’s a really quick soup.

1. Add 400 ml water in the pot. Add in chopped blue ginger and lemongrass. Bring to boil.

2. Add in whole pack of Tom Yam paste. Also with a little coconut milk to reduce its spiciness.

3. Stir with low heat. When boil again. Add in Prawns and straw mushroom. Simmer for several mins till Prawns are cooked.

4. Add in chopped onion, red chili, coriander and squeeze in a little lime juice. Boil for another 1-2 mins.

Serve hot.

Nice soup.

If there is any soup left, don’t throw away. Pour it over cooked noodles. Very delicious!

baking, bread, Crab, mushroom, Pasta, Quick recipe, salmon, Soup, Uncategorized

Prepare a Christmas Feast with a King Crab

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Yesterday when my husband and I were buying groceries in a supermarket, we noticed there was sale of king crab. Turkey is too big for us to have for Christmas, so a king crab sounds a good idea.

Today when I got up, the first thing I needed to do is to defreeze the king crab we bought. Then I disassembled it into several parts.

For the central body, I took the Shell off. Then picked the meat out. Heat a pan, melt a small piece of butter. Put the meat in. Sauté a bit. Add in 1 tablespoon flour. Quickly stir. Then add in 3-4 tablespoon milk. Stir slowly and evenly to let it reduce to white sauce. Put the crab meat white sauce into the shell. Sprinkle cheese. Put into oven ( 200 degree C, 8-10 mins) or till cheese melts.

Crab legs can be divided into three parts: thigh (fat end), middle parts and thin end parts.

For the fat thigh, I used them to cook spaghetti:

Heat a piece of butter in the pan. When melted, add in crab leg. Stir fry a bit. Then add in chopped garlic. Stir till aromatic. Pour in a little white wine. Simmer a little. Season with salt and black pepper. Add in chopped parsley and cooked spaghetti. Quickly stir evenly.

For the middle crab leg parts, I roast them with garlic butter. Put a small chunk of butter in a bowl. Add in chopped garlic, a little salt and pepper. Blend well. Cut half the shell off ( or even less). Then spread garlic butter onto meat. Put into oven. 180 degree C and 20 mins.

For the thin ends, I cut them into smaller pieces. Marinate with a little cooking wine and corn starch. Heat a little olive oil in the pan. Put the crab leg pieces in. Stir fry for 2-3 mins. Add in chopped ginger and spring onion. Quickly stir fry. Add in a little cooking wine, light soy sauce and oyster sauce. Quickly blend evenly and serve hot.

For the claws, I used them to cook light soup. Put crab claws, corn pieces, Chinese yam, mushroom, ginger shreds and spring onion pieces into a pot. Pour in 1 1/2 bowls of water. Turn to high heat. When water boils, put in salmon slices. Turn to middle heat and cook for 3 mins. Add in 1 tsp sweet cooking wine and salt. Cook for another minute.

And that’s it. Our Christmas feast made by a king crab.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Noodles, Pork, Prawn, Ribs, Soup, Uncategorized

Homemade Prawn Ribs Noodle Soup

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Prawn ribs noodle soup is a Singapore local dish. It’s also one of my husband’s favourite ones. The key of this dish is broth.

Main ingredients are ribs, Prawns, and noodles.

1. Remove the shell and heads of Prawns. Don’t thrown them away.


2. Heat a little oil in the pan. Sauté chopped garlic till aromatic.

3. Add in prawn heads and shell. Stir fry till red.


4. Pour in hot water around 1 liter. Add in ribs, star anise, 1 tsp ground clove, 1 tsp white pepper powder, around 10g rock sugar, 1 tsp dark soy sauce and 1 tsp light soy sauce. Stir a bit. Bring to boil. Then turn to low heat and simmer for 2-3 hours. Season with salt.


5. Take the ribs out in a plate.


They are really soft and easily fall apart.

6. Take all the shell out. And they can be discarded. Scald Prawns in the broth for 3 mins. And set aside with ribs.


7. Scald yellow noodles, bean sprout and pakchoi in boiling water.

Here is the Hokkien noodles I used. But only half pack is enough for two people.


8. Places drained noodles and vegetables in the bowl.


9. Place ribs and prawns on the top of noodles.


10. Ladle broth soup and pour over them.


Serve hot with hard boiled egg.


My husband gave me a thumb up for it. He said it’s really like the one bought from hawker.

Chinese, Ribs, Soup, Uncategorized

Spare Ribs Soup ( With Red Dates & Ginkgo)

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1. Rinse spare ribs in water.

2. Put ribs in a deep pot. Add in enough water higher than ribs.

3. Turn to high heat. When water boils, skim it. 

4. Turn to low heat. Add in 2 or 3 red dates. 

5. Cover the pot with lid. Let it slow cook for at least 40 mins. I let it boil for 1.5 hrs. The meat will become very soft and come off from the bone very easily.

6. Add in ginkgo. I read on internet that it could be poisonous if you have too many ginkgo one time. So I just put in 10 ginkgoes. And boil for another 15 Mins.


Serve hot.


You can also sprinkle a little spring onion.


Very nice soup!

baking, Chicken, Soup, Uncategorized, Vegetables

My First Try of Soup Curry

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When my husband and I were in Hokkaido several days ago, we tried a famous local dish – soup curry.


A really nice dish that surprised us.

I wanted to try this dish at home.

1. Prepare vegetables you like.


I chose pumpkin, cabbage, potato, carrot, eggplant, shiitake and cauliflower. Add in a little olive oil, toss a bit.

Preheat oven to 190 degree C and bake for 30 mins.

2. While vegetables are in the oven, prepare curry chicken. Heat a little olive oil in the pan. Add in chopped onion, garlic and ginger. Stir fry till aromatic.

3. Add in 1 tsp cinnamon powder, 1/2 tsp nutmeg powder, bay leaf, 1 tsp paprika powder and 1 small curry cube ( I’m out of curry powder). Stir fry a bit.

4. Pour in 1 tsp mirin,  1 tsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp tomato sauce, 1 box of chicken stock and 1/2 cup water. Mix them all well.

5. Put chicken in the pan. Cover it with lid and simmer for 30 mins.

When the vegetables are done, check whether they are cooked.


Potato and carrot are a bit hard. Put them in the pan and simmer with curry chicken.

I also add in peeled tomato.


In a big bowl, put chicken at the bottom, then lay the vegetables above. Pour the soup over it.


Serve with half-boiled egg and rice. Sprinkle a little black pepper.


Mine tastes lighter. And my soup is much less. Next time, I should try with curry powder and improve.

Fish, Quick recipe, Soup, tofu, Uncategorized

Salmon Miso Soup

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1. Cut a small salmon fillet into small chunks. Coat them with a little corn starch.
2. Heat a little oil in the pan. Add in a little chopped garlic and ginger, sauté till aromatic.
3. Put in salmon chunks. Fry each side till a little light brown. Pour in enough hot water covers salmon.
4. When water boils, add in Tofu chunks, and a little kelp. Cover the pan with lid. Boil for 5 mins.
5. Add in 1 tsp miso. Stir to dissolve. When soup boils again, sprinkle chopped spring onion and a little salt.

Soup, Uncategorized

Pig Tripe Soup

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1. Cut clean pig tripe into short slices.

2. Put pig tripe in a pot. Add in enough water. Heat on the stove. When the water is almost boiled. Take the tripe out. Rinse and drain. Pour the rest water out.

3. Put tripe back in the pot again. Also pour in enough water.

4. Add in several red dates, barley, ginger slices. Cover the pot with lid. Turn to high heat. When it boils, turn to low heat.

5. Keep heating for 1 hour. Sprinkle salt and white pepper powder.

Serve hot.


It tastes really good!