Category Archives: Vegetables

Pork, Vegetables

BBQ Pork Belly by Skillet

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If you don’t have a griller, but you really want to try BBQ pork at home, maybe you can try my method. All you need is a skillet.

  1. Prepare a skillet. Heat on stove. Brush it with oil. Wipe pork belly with kitchen towel. Place pork belly into the skillet when it’s very hot. My stove is induction and it’s super quick for skillet to get hot. I turn to 3 out of 9, and that would be hot enough.
  2. When put the pork belly in, don’t move it and let it get seared.
  3. When the down side turns beautifully golden brown, flip it over to sear the other side.
  4. After both sides turn brownish. Turn down the heat. Cut big pork belly slices into short ones by scissors.

Sear with low heat to make sure pork belly is fully cooked.

If you want to add vegetables, you can push pork belly to the side. Arrange vegetables in the skillet.

I used sausage, shiitake mushroom, onion, green chili and garlic. Fat from the pork adds more flavor to vegetables.

Cook with low heat and patience.

You will get shiny golden pork belly and nice pot of mixed vegetables.

Dip them in the sauce you like. Because I didn’t marinate the pork, so they taste plain. You can serve in Korean style, with salt, kimchi, pickles and lettuce.

If you want to marinate the pork before cooking, that will also work.

Vegetables

Cream Vegetable Stew

  1. Prepare vegetables and chicken. I used 1 chicken leg, remove the bone and cut into 4 pieces. Sprinkle salt and black pepper over the chicken. For vegetables, I chose 1 carrot, 1 potato, 1 onion, 3 shiitake mushrooms. And 1/8 head of broccoli.  Cut carrot and potato into small chunks, dice the onion and cut shiitake into quarters.
  2. Heat a pan. Add in a little oil. Fry chicken with skin side down. When the skin side turns golden brown, flip it over to fry the other side. Set chicken aside for later use when both sides turn golden color.
  3. Use the same pan to fry vegetables. Add in onion, carrot, potato and  mushroom. Fry for 2 or 3 mins. Add chicken, vegetables into pressure cooker. Pour in 1/2 1 cups water. Season with salt and black pepper. Also add in bayleaf. Cook under high pressure for 20 mins.
  4. Make roux. Heat a pan. Drop in 2 tbsp butter. Melt butter with low heat. When butter completely melts, add in 2 tbsp flour. Quickly stir with a whisk to let butter and flour mix evenly.
  5. Add in 2 tbsp cream and pour in 1/4 cup milk. whisk to let all ingredients mix throughly.
  6. Add vegetable soup gradually into the roux while stirring. When they are fully and evenly mixed, Add in the cooked vegetables.
  7. Boil broccoli in water and add in as garnishment.
  8. Season with salt if necessary.

Quick recipe, Uncategorized, Vegetables

Sambal Chili Sauce Eggplant

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  1. Prepare a big eggplant. Cut into pieces. Put them in a big bowl. Sprinkle salt over them and leave it there for about 15 mins. Water will come out. Squeeze eggplants to get all the water out. This step will make eggplant absorb  less oil.
  2. Add oil, a bit more than usual into the pan. Fry eggplants till the edges turn golden brown. Take them out and set aside for later use.
  3. Heat the pan again. Add in 2 cloves chopped garlic. Stir fry till aromatic.
  4. Add in chicken bites, you can also choose minced pork or beef.
  5. Stir fry till chicken turns slightly golden brown.
  6. Add in 2 tbsp sambal chili sauce. Stir fry evenly.
  7. Add fried eggplants. Season with 1 tsp fish sauce and 1/2 tsp white pepper.
  8. Simmer for 3 mins.
  9. Garnish with chopped spring onion.

Uncategorized, Vegetables

Eggplant Noodles

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Prepare the ingredients:

1 medium eggplant chop into long slices.

fresh noodles 80g

pork belly 80g cut into small chunks

light soy sauce 2 tsp

dark soy sauce 1 tsp

oyster sauce 1 tsp

sugar 1 tsp

water 1/2 cup

salt

1 stalk chopped spring onion

3 cloves of chopped garlic

1, Heat a pan, add in a little oil. Sear the pork belly first till slightly brownish.

2. Add in eggplant slices. Stir fry till they are soft.

3. All the sauce in. Stir fry evenly.

4. Add in water or stock. Bring to boil .

5. Turn to low heat. cover the lid and simmer for 3 mins.

6. Spread the noodles over eggplant. Cover the lid again and simmer for 3 mins.

7. Lid off. Add in chopped garlic. Toss the noodles to combine with sauce. Turn up the heat. Reduce the sauce and let noodles absorb the sauce. Season with salt if needed.

8. Garnish with spring onion.

mushroom, Potato, Vegetables

Oven Roasted Vegetables

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I roasted potato, cauliflower, carrot by oven before. I always wanted to try roasting different kinds of vegetables at one time. And I did it today.

  1. Preheat oven to  200 Degree C.
  2. Prepare vegetables. I chose potato, carrot, cauliflower, broccoli, onion, baby corn, mushroom and cherry tomatoes.
  3. Wash them and cut. For potato, carrot, cauliflower and broccoli, they may need longer time to be cooked. So they must be in smaller size. While onion, baby corn, mushroom and cherry tomatoes. They should be in larger size.
  4. Cover the baking try with aluminum foil. Place vegetables over it. Drizzle olive oil. Sprinkle salt and black pepper. I also spread some dried herbs. And add 2 cloves of garlic. Gently toss a bit.

Into the oven and bake for 10 mins.

Flip them over. and Lower heat to 180 Degree C. Bake for another 10-15 mins.

Very nice. You can have various kinds of vegetables at one time.

And I put them in my husband’s bento box. One thing I love about bento is that he can’t be picky about the food. If I prepare vegetable for him. He has to finish it.

Chicken, Potato, Uncategorized, Vegetables

Bento for Hubby (His First Day at Work)

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My husband got a new job. YAY~!

And today is his first day to go to work. That also means we cannot have lunch together at home. Since I need to teach in the afternoon or evening, we cannot have dinner together either. He will have his lunch at canteen. So I decided to cook lunch and spare his part in a lunchbox. All he needs to do is to reheat it when he’s off work.

I cooked his favorite chicken teriyaki today. And with potato pancakes.

Chicken teriyaki is not that difficult. 3 main steps: 1. Sear the whole boneless chicken leg till tow sides turn golden brown. 2. Sauce part: 2 tsp light soy sauce, 1 tsp sweet cooking wine, 1 tsp dark soy sauce, 2 tsp honey. Add in enough water covers chicken. 3. Boil for 15-20 mins and reduce the sauce with high heat.

Cut the chicken into strips. And pour the sauce over it. Rice will absorb the flavor.

Potato pancake:

2 medium potato,  (Peeled and shredded into thin strips. Boil in hot water for 1 min and drain)

1 cup flour

1 egg

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 cup water

Mix them in a big bowl.

Scoop batter with a spoon and fry till golden and crispy.

I cut them into halves before placing them into the lunch box.

To let him have more veggies, I also add cucumber slices, cherry tomato and boiled baby corn.

My husband finished them all.

Uncategorized, Vegetables

Pan-fried Brussel Sprouts

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My first try on Brussel sprouts was not bad, so I expected more from them.

This time, I tried to fry them with a pan and to make them side dish for steak.

  1. Boil Brussel Sprouts in water for 3 mins. Don’t forget to add in some salt in the water before boiling.
  2. Rinse them under water. Then trim off the bottom and cut into halves.
  3. Heat a pan. Drop in 1 tbsp butter. When butter melts, add in Brussel sprouts. Stir fry for 2 mins.
  4. Sprinkle 2 tsp sugar. Quickly stir and let the vegi get caramelized.
  5. Season with salt and black pepper. And serve with steak.

https://flic.kr/p/T6iZY1

Uncategorized, Vegetables

Chinese Style Pickled Cucmber

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This kind of pickled cucumber is really a perfect choice to go with porridge. And it’s very easy to make too.

Because I didn’t want to make too many, I just used 2 medium cucmbers.

  1. Cut cucumbers into strips or any shape you like. But better not to be very thin.
  2. Put them in a bowl. Sprinkle 1/2 Tablespoon salt. Toss a bit. Leave them there for 30 mins.
  3. Drain the water. and dry them.
  4. In a bowl, add in 2 tablespoon light soy sauce, 2 tbsp vinegar, 2 tbsp sugar, 1 tbsp honey, 3-5 crushed garlic cloves, and 2 spicy red chili. You can add more or less chili according to your preference.
  5. Put cucumber into a sterilized container. Then pour the sauce over them. Lid on. Put into the fridge. And you will have a crunchy sweet & spicy appetizer in several hours.

tofu, Vegetables

Lady Finger (Okra) & Tofu Salad

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This is a very simple appetizer.

Ingredients:

Okra 2 stalk

silk tofu 1 small pack 100g

sweet cooking wine 1 tsp

light soy sauce 1 tsp

salt

water

oil

  1. Boil some water. Drizzle in 2 drops oil and 1/2 tsp salt. Boil okra for 4 mins.
  2. Cut okra into slices.
  3. Place silk tofu in a plate. Okra over tofu.
  4. Mix light soy sauce, sweet cooking wine and 1/4 tsp salt in a small bowl.
  5. Pour sauce over okra and tofu.

Very easy to make and refreshing for hot weather.

Uncategorized, Vegetables

Oven Roasted Cauliflower

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This is the first time for me to try to roast cauliflower by oven. Surprisingly it tastes very nice. And it’s very easy to cook too.

  1. Cut cauliflower (about 1/4 head of a big one) into small chunks. Or you can just tear it by hand like I do.
  2. Put cauliflower pieces into a big bowl.
  3. Drizzle in 1/2 1 tbsp olive oil. For the seasonings, I added 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/2 tsp paprika powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, and 1/4 tsp ginger powder. If you want cauliflower to taste spicy, you can also add in chili powder.
  4. Toss and mix well.
  5. Spread cauliflower on baking tray. Preheat oven to 200 Degree C. Into the oven for 30-40 mins. Or till the edge turns a bit brown. Flip them a bit in the middle while baking.

https://flic.kr/p/2fENgWA

And it’s done.

Very simple and also yum.

I tear it into very small pieces. If yours is bigger, you can adjust the temperature higher maybe to 220 degree C, or roast a bit longer in the oven,