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SAN CHOY BAO

by siow on in Meat, Pork, RECIPES

San Choy Boa/bow or Sang Choi Bau mainly known as Shengcai Bao in Cantonese. Despite it’s many names or pronouncing it in English it is hard to say where this famous Chinese lettuce wrap originated. It is assumed that the dish originated from Hong Kong for it is the most Chinese culinary exporter and major influence on Chinese food in the west. However it is unclear and that it is more likely that it has come from a different origin.

Putting it’s name and origin aside, there are many san choy bao recipes out there these days and with each, differences in ingredients and tastes. Whichever version you decide to make, the dish still amazing with the crispy iceberg or Romania lettuce. This is my family’s version of the recipe taught to me by my dad.

SAN CHOY BAO

Prep-Time: 10 mins                        Serve: 2-4

Cooking Time: 5-7 mins

Ingredients 

500g pork mince

1 tsp grated ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrot, grated (optional)

5 shallots / 1 large red onion, sliced

2 tbsp chopped chilies

1/2 cup chopped spring onion

1 whole iceberg lettuce/ 2 whole Romania lettuce

oil

seasoning 

1 tbsp rice wine

2 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp black soy

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/4 tsp sugar

pepper to taste

Method

Heat the oil in a wok over high heat, add in the onion/shallots and cook until soft. Now add in the mince followed by all of the seasoning and  stir for 1 minute and then add in the carrots. Stir to combine and allow the carrots to cook for 2 minutes and then continuously stir until most of the liquid evaporates and the mixture starts to dry out.

Add in half of the chilies and spring onion. Stir to combine for 1 minute and transfer into a bowl.

Prepare the lettuce by trimming the edges off and then spoon a spoonful of san choy bao and place into the middle of the lettuce. Top with spring onion and/or chilies.

 

LIMA BEANS SOUP

by siow on in RECIPES, Veggies

Lima Beans soup, what a great way to warm up in winter. I was recently visiting family in Nebraska and the temperatures there were freezing, it was snowing in spring and what often came to mind was soup. My mum did most of the cooking and she made her different varieties of asian soup but not the ones I’ve been missing.

We don’t have snow in Sydney but by the time we got back, autumn had started and it’s been quite chilly since. I’ve been going through my list of soup recipes on my site and I found this recipe and realised that I didn’t get the chance to share it with you the last time I made it. So I thought this is the great opportunity for me to share it since we’re hitting winter soon.

If you’ve gone through a few of my recipes, you should know by know that I love to make food from scratch.

LIMA BEANS SOUP

Prep-Time: 15 mins                        Serve: 4

Cooking Time: 30 mins

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup Lima beans, soaked in water for 30 minutes to 1 hour

1 large brown onion, chopped

2 medium size carrot, peeled and chopped

3/4 cup mint peas

2 potato, peeled and chopped

1 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

2 large tomato, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp tomato paste

1 tsp Italian herbs

salt and pepper to taste

pinch of paprika

2 cups water/chicken broth

4 green chillies, chopped (optional)

olive oil

Coriander to garnish

Method

Heat the oil in a medium sized pot over medium high heat, add in the onion and mushrooms once the oil is heated and then stir for 3 minutes or until the mushrooms start to give out excess liquid and soften.

Now add in the potatoes, peas and carrot and stir for a further 3-5 minutes or until the vegetables start to cook. Continuously stir and add in the garlic, Italian herbs, tomato paste and paprika and then cook until the garlic and herbs starts to fragrant.

Next add in the tomatoes and chillies, give the pot a quick stir and then add the water/stock and lima beans. Bring the heat to high and allow the pot to come to a boil.

Leave the pot to boil with the lid on for 20 minutes or until the liquid has reduced by half and the Lima beans are cooked through.

Season with salt and pepper and then garnish with coriander leaves to serve. Side with toast or any other sides you prefer.

 

LIMA BEANS MASH

by siow on in RECIPES, Veggies

Unlike the classic creamy mash, Lima bean mash has a very unique texture, creamy, sticky and chewy in its own way. The combination of Lima beans and 2 different varieties of potatoes go perfectly together and gives your dish a different flavour yet very satisfying. It is a perfect side dish to go with your favourite meat dish or stew.

I would say this recipe is my own invention and I am very pleased with the result. What gave me the idea of mixing the two different ingredients together was the inspiration I got from visiting the United States last month. There was a vast amount of different Mexican foods available compared to the variety of Mexican food we have here in Sydney. Also what they do with their rice inspired me to experiment with mixing grains when we got back which explains the combination from grains to grains and roots for this recipe.

One day while we were in Vegas we accidentally came upon the Peruvian restaurant Once in the casino we were staying at (The Palazzo). We ended up going there for lunch on the first day the restaurant was open for lunch (before then it was only open for dinner). My partner ordered a burrito and I wanted something without bread and decided to order this dish that came with grilled meat with the choice of chicken or beef and Mexican cilantro lemon rice. I don’t remember the name of the dish that was in Spanish. I have had lemon rice before however for this dish they mixed the rice with quinoa, which I found very fascinating.

So I hope you give this ago and let us know what you think.

Note: when mashing the beans I recommend using a metal masher utensil instead of a plastic one as it would be more efficient to break down the bean.

LIMA BEANS MASH

Prep-Time: 15 mins                                   Serve: 4

Cooking Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

1 cup lima beans, soaked for 1-2 hours

1/2 medium size sweet potato, peeled and chopped

1 large potato, peeled and chopped

1 1/2 tbsp parmesan cheese

25g unsalted butter

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4-1/2 cup cooking cream

pinch of chopped dill

Method

Boil the soaked beans with salt and water for 10 minutes or until the skin starts peeling off the beans. Remove from the heat and then rinse in running cold water and leave to drain.

Fill the pot with fresh water and then add in the potatoes to boil. While waiting for the potatoes to boil, separate the skins of the beans from the seed. Discard the skin.

Once the potatoes start to boil add the skinless beans into the pot and then leave it to cook until the potatoes and the lima beans are soft and cooked through. Remove from the heat and drain.

Add in the cream and butter and then mash with a masher. Once most of the beans and potatoes start to bread down add in the parmesan cheese, dill, salt and pepper and mash until smooth or most of the beans has broken down. Add more cream if the mixture is too dry and not creamy enough. Serve as a side with a stew or a meat dish.

CHILLI BEEF

by siow on in Beef, Meat, RECIPES

Are you a pepper lover? Do you love spicy or hot food? If so, this dish is perfect for you. Creating this dish was a joy for me. Other than it’s name this dish is not spicy due to the type of peppers used to flavour the dish which includes a few of peppers with fruity flavours rather than strong heat such as red capsicum and banana capsicum. There’s always the option for you to add peppers with stronger heat to the dish to make a spicier dish if desired.

In stir-fry I sometimes miss the thick sauce you get in most of Chinese/Korean cooking so to obtain the thick sauce I prefer I used the listed ingredients for this recipe instead of the regular seasoning used in Cambodian cooking. The dish has a sweet peppery flavour from the many types of chilli peppers used.

CHILLI BEEF

Prep-Time: 10 mins                       Serve:4

Cooking Time: 15 mins

Ingredients

1 red onion, sliced

3 cloves garlic, minced

500g lean beef, sliced

10 green beans, cut into 2-3 parts

3 broccolini, chopped

1/2 capsicum, chopped

3 jalapeno, chopped

2 banana capsicum

3 hot chillies to garnish

1 tbsp plain flour

2 tbsp water

Oil

seasoning

2 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

3 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp rice wine

1 tbsp chilli flake

Method 

Heat oil in a wok over high heat, add in the onion and garlic and then cook until the onion becomes soft. Add in the beef and all of the seasoning ingredients. Stir to cook the beef for 2 minutes or until its no longer visibly raw.

Mix the flour with water and then pour the mixture into the wok. Stir constant until the sauce starts to thicken.

Now add in all of the vegetables besides the hot chillies. Stir to cook for 3-5 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked but not soft. Remove from the heat and serve on a bed of rice. Sprinkle the hot chillies top to serve.

     

 

BAKED CHICKEN RATATOUILLE

by siow on in Poultry, RECIPES

Ratatouille is a great chicken dish to warm up a cold winter night. Instead of the tradition french stew we bake the dish in the oven until the chicken becomes tender and melts in your mouth. We all know how delicious this stew is and that there are many recipes made using different cooking methods. Despite the fact that this recipe is not a stew, you still get the stew/soupy appearance out of the dish due to the excess vegetables juice when baked in the oven. While I use a different method to cook this dish I retained the classic traditional vegetables to keep the somewhat traditional flavour you get from the stew.

This recipe is a one pot dish so choose the right pot for the dish to avoid transferring the stew at later stage.

BAKED CHICKEN RATATOUILLE

Prep-Time: 15 mins                        Serve: 4-6

Cooking Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces

2 red onions, cut into wedges

1 red capsicum, chopped

1 medium sized eggplant, sliced

2 zucchini, chopped

4 tomatoes, half

1 tbsp tomato paste

3 cloves garlic, mince

1 tsp mild paprika

10 basil leaves

1 1/4 cup water/ 1 1/4 cup chicken stock

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

Method 

Preheat oven at 170°C Fan

Heat the oil in a pan or in an oven and flame proof pot over medium high heat. Brown the chicken on all sides. Remove the browned chicken from the pan and set aside. (Transfer the chicken into a large baking dish if you don’t have an oven and flame proof pot).

In the same pan/pot add in the onions and cook for 3 minutes or until soft and then add in the garlic and paprika and cook for a further 2 minutes.

Now add in the capsicum and eggplant, cook for 3 minutes to allow to coat with oil and then add in the zucchini. Stir in the tomato paste and the water/chicken stock and cook for 3-5 minutes or until the liquid is heated.

Return the browned chicken into the pot (transfer the already semi cooked vegetables into the chicken baking dish if you are not using an oven and flame proof pot). Season with salt and pepper and then cover with a lid and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. Add in the tomatoes and basil and cook for a further 20-30 minutes.

 

GREEK LAMB STEW

by siow on in Lamb, Meat, RECIPES

Lamb is such a beautiful meat and is rare in some countries. We are very lucky in Australia to always have a good supply of lamb throughout the year. Many recipes involve lamb and it tastes delicious in many cuisines, it’s unique flavour makes any dish flavourful. Stews are one of my favourite and one of my specialties, I am grateful to my old greek boss who made this dish in front of me (4 years ago) while I was working in his chicken shop’s kitchen.

He often made this on my day off and I often got to have it the next day, I used to wonder how he made this stew so thick and so tasty, but I never asked him how he makes it. One day I was about to go on my break and he asked me what do I want to eat, I told him I can just have one of the burgers. Because he wasn’t sure what to eat himself and didn’t really want to eat any of the fast food he sold he told me to take my break later because he was going to make some stew.

I’ve been interested in making food from a very young age, mum always told me to watch her cook to learn and I’ve always wanted to learn how to make new dishes, while doing my work I also watched him make the stew. From watching him I learned to make this beautiful greek stew.

Note: I’ve made this stew a lot in the past and have gained a lot of experience with the ingredients. From my experience, I’ve learned to keep in mind not to use too much okra as it will make the stew slimy (making this stew has taught me how to use Okra in cooking).

The stew will thicken once the vegetables break down and like all stews and slow cooked dishes, it tastes even better the next day. Nothing beats natural ingredients and flavours.

GREEK LAMB STEW

Prep-Time: 15 mins                          Serve: 6

Cooking Time: 1-1.5 hrs

Ingredients 

1.3kg lamb, cut into pieces

1 onion, chopped

3 potatoes, diced small

1 small eggplant, diced small

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp ginger powder

10 okras, chopped

4 garlic cloves mince

4 tbsp oil

salt and pepper to taste

3L water

Chopped coriander

Lemon

Method 

Heat the oil in a pot over high heat, add in the lamb pieces and brown all sides for 2-4 minutes. Add in the onion and garlic and then cook until the onion turns transparent and then add in paprika, ginger powder, salt and pepper to taste (be generous with the salt, you can adjust the saltiness laster as well). Pour in the water and bring the pot to a boil with the lid on.

     

Once boiled add in all of the chopped vegetables and allow the pot to boil again. Cover with the lid and leave it to cook for 1-1.5hrs or until the lamb is tender and the soup has thickened. Transfer into serving bowls and top with a squeeze of lemon and chopped coriander, serve with bread or on it’s own. The stew will taste even better the next day.

     

 

SWEET STIR-FRY PORK BOWL

by siow on in Meat, Pork, RECIPES

Looking for a simple dinner idea this week. This sweet stir-fry pork bowl is everything you need after a hard days’ work. It’s easy and delicious yet it presents like you’ve put so much effort into making it when it only takes 15 minutes to prepare.

There are many vegetables added to this dish so you will get a large variety of nutrients your body need. This dish has a sweet flavour but not overwhelmingly sweet to satisfy your craving for sweet food, in a healthy way due to the addition of honey. Looking through the ingredients you might go ‘Oh it’s a Chinese dish’ well your half right. I made this dish with the influence of Chinese sweet and sour without the sour flavour in the dish.

Well can you be creative and use any vegetables you like for the dish and don’t forget to tag #siowskitchen with your version of this dish.

SWEET STIR-FRY PORK BOWL

Prep-Time: 10 mins                            Serve:3

Cooking Time: 15 mins

Ingredients 

500g stir-fry pork

1/2 tbsp graded ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

10 dried chillies

1 bunch broccolini, chopped

1 red onion, chopped

1/2 red capsicum, chopped

7 snow peas

1 stalk spring onion, sliced

2 jalapenos, chopped

4 tbsp oil

Steamed rice or egg noodles to serve

stir-fry sauce 

2 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup water

1 tbsp rice wine

1/2 tsp chilli powder

Method 

Heat the oil in a wok over medium high heat. Add in the garlic and ginger once the oil is heated and cook for 2 minutes until the ginger and garlic starts to fragrant. Add in the meat followed by the stir-fry sauce and cook for 3 minutes or until the pork turns completely white and then toss in the dried chilies and give it a quick stir.

After that add in all of the vegetables besides the jalapeños and spring onion. Stir to coat with the sauce and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the vegetables become cooked but not soft. Remove from the heat.

     

In a serving bowl, place the rice or noodles at the bottom. Add the stir-fry and then sprinkle the jalapeños and spring onion on top to serve.

 

ASPARAGUS OMELETTE

by siow on in Egg base, Pork, RECIPES, Veggies

Bring your love for omelettes to the next level. Try this family asparagus omelette recipe passed down from my grandma. There are many omelette recipes out there, but I can reassure you that this recipe is one of the best omelette recipes you may ever try.

With the inclusion of most of the classic omelette ingredients; this omelette is made using cheese, ham, eggs, salt and pepper seasoning and includes many other goodies to make it the bomb! From my knowledge this recipe was created after Christmas. With many left over ham and roasted vegetables from christmas, Grandma made the most delicious roasted vegetables omelette for everyone for dinner. The recipe then changed in to this asparagus omelette.

It has a creamy and crunchy flavour from the combination of cheese, eggs and asparagus. Because so many fresh ingredients go in to it, the omelette has a moist and soft texture to it. One small taste and I guarantee you will beg for more.

ASPARAGUS OMELETTE

Prep-Time: 10 mins                 Serve: 4

Cooking Time: 13 mins

Ingredients 

75g ham, chopped

4 stalk spring onion, chopped

1 medium size onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 bunches asparagus, 1/2 cm cut

5 eggs

1/2 cup tasty cheese

salt and pepper to taste

3 tbsp olive oil

Method 

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, pour the chopped asparagus in to the boiling water and boil for 1 minute. Tip out into a strainer and rinse under cold water, leave to drain.

Combine all ingredients in a medium size mixing bowl. Whisk/stir with a spoon until the eggs are well beaten and all ingredients are well mixed.

Heat the oil in a pan over medium heat, once the oil is nice and hot pour in the omelette mixture. Leave to set for 30 second and then stir, repeat this 2 more times or until the eggs start to firm at the base. Divide the omelette into 4 and then cover with the lid and leave it to cook for 5-7 minutes or until the bottom base starts turning brown.

Flip the omelette one piece at a time and then return the lid and cook for further 3-5 minutes until most of the moisture is gone. Don’t leave it to cook for too long or it will be dry and may burn.

 

SPICY CHICKEN PASTA

by siow on in Poultry, RECIPES

This pasta dish is a recipe inspired by my blackened chicken and a few other Italian pasta dishes. Instead of the creamy flavour you get from my classic blackened/creamy chicken pasta dish, this recipe creates a more subtle flavour. The recipe uses mostly the same ingredients as my creamy pasta dish with the replacement of cream with wine and is finished with a sprinkle of chopped parsley. This dish certainly has its own special flavour.

Like most Italian pasta dishes, its simple and very quick to make. Definitely give this recipe a go and add this dish to your pasta recipe collection to impress friends and family.

SPICY CHICKEN

Prep-Time: 10 mins                 Serve: 3

Cooking Time: 15 mins

Ingredients 

1 large single chicken breast, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms

1 red chilli, chopped

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 cup white wine

1/2 tsp paprika

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp chopped parsley

1/2 tsp dried mixed herb

Egg noodles/pasta for 3 servings

Salt and pepper to taste

5 tbsp olive oil

Method

Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a pan over medium high heat, brown the chicken pieces on all sides. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the rest of the oil in to the same pan and then add in the onion and mushrooms. Cook for 3 minutes or until mushrooms become softened. Add in the garlic, paprika, chilli and mixed herbs. Stir to cook for 2 minutes and then add in the tomatoes and wine, season with salt and pepper and cook for a few minutes to evaporate the alcohol content.

Add the noodles/pasta in to the pan and then stir to coat with the sauce. Add in half of the chopped parsley and return the chicken pieces to the pan. Stir to coat well with the sauce. Transfer on to a serving dish and sprinkle the rest of the parsley top to serve.

 

SPAGHETTI BOSCAIOLA

by siow on in Meat, Pork, RECIPES

Boscaiola sauce is a classic Italian sauce generally served with any type of pasta. It is made using mushrooms and a few other ingredients to bring out an irresistible flavour that compliments perfectly with the pasta. There are many different varieties of Boscaiola sauce, some people prefer to have it thick by adding cream and some prefer to have it without tomato and no cream and some even use wine in the dish. However every variety of Boscaiola made includes mushrooms as it is a main ingredient of the dish. The dish is often made in Italy when porcini mushrooms are in season.

Where I am at, porcini mushrooms aren’t available so I will be using button mushrooms instead which also work well with the recipe. I love tomatoes and I love my sauces saucy so I added a very little amount of cream to give it a creamy appearance and a saucy taste but not too heavy. This recipe can be made as a vegetarian dish by removing the bacon.  So it would be great for a vegetarian Monday and Friday or even just to have as a light and healthy dinner.

SPAGHETTI BOSCAIOLA

Prep-Time: 10 mins                      Serve: 3

Cooking Time: 20 mins

Ingredients 

3 tomatoes, chopped

Pasta for 3 servings, any type you prefer

100g bacon, chopped

200g button mushrooms, chopped

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tbsp thicken cream

salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil

Method

Brown the bacon in a pan on medium heat and then transfer on to a plate and set a side.

In the same pan heat oil over medium heat, add in the garlic and onion once the oil is heated and cook for 3 minutes or until the onion is cooked but not brown. Add in the mushrooms and cook for 10 minutes until the mushrooms are caramelised with the onion.

     

While waiting for the mushrooms to caramelise, bring water to a boil in a separate pot and cook pasta as instructed, drain and set aside. Keep the pasta water for later use.

Add in your tomatoes and return the cooked bacon into the pan, stir to combine and cook the tomatoes for 5 minutes or until the tomatoes start to cook up. Add in the cream and 1/4 of the parsley (also add in a little it of the pasta water if the sauce is too thick or too dry) stir to heat the cream for one minute and then add in the pasta and stir. Transfer on to a serving plate and top up with the rest of the parsley to serve.