Mock Zha Jiang

Simple mock Zha Jiang for noodle, congee or steamed rice! Tempeh and firm tofu is used to give the sauce a different texture as well as for its wonderful nutrients.

Preparation:    10 mins Cooking time:    8 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)

°         1 can mock meat in mushroom sauce (brand: cixin vegetarian)

°         125g tempeh, cut into mini cubes

°         75g firm tofu, pat dry and scrambled

°         2½ olive oil

°         5-6 tablespoons water

°         some coriander leaves, sliced chilli and sesame seeds (optional), for garnish

Method

1.    Heat the oil in a wok. Throw in the tempeh and stir-fry for 2 minutes.

2.    Add in scrambled tofu and fry until rather dry.  Pour in mock meat in mushroom sauce and stir-fry for 1 minute.

3.    Garnish with coriander leaves, chilli, sesame seeds and serve.  

Quick Almond Paste Dessert

Apply the same method for Quick Sesame Paste Dessert, by making slight changes to the ingredient, you can have a different dessert. So, if you do not like sesame, change it to almond powder or grounded peanut powder. The almond powder with fritillaria cirrhosa consists of sugar, therefore, sugar is omitted in this recipe. 

Preparation:     3 mins Cooking time:  5 mins 

Ingredients (serves 2)

°         6 tablespoons almond powder with fritillaria cirrhosa

°         2 tablespoons glutinous rice flour

°         500ml water

°         1 tablespoon almond syrup (optional)

Method

1.      Combine all the almond powder, glutinous rice flour and water in a pot and mix well. Keep stirring and when the mixture bubbles, turn off the heat. Add in the almond syrup and mix well.

2.      Ladle the dessert into individual serving bowl and serve hot. 

Quick Sesame Paste Dessert

Achieving almost the same results with shortcut, using sesame powder and glutinous rice flour to whip this simple yet quick healthy dessert, why not?  The sesame powder consists of sugar, therefore, sugar is omitted in this recipe.  For a more aromatic sesame paste dessert, roast the black sesame and grind to a powdery form, if desired. Garnish with some roasted white sesame seeds or lily bulb petal.

Preparation:     3 mins Cooking time:  5 mins

Ingredients (serves 2)

°         4 tablespoons black sesame powder

°         2 tablespoons glutinous rice flour

°         500ml water

Method

1.      Combine all the ingredients in a pot and mix well. Keep stirring and when the mixture bubbles, turn off the heat.

2.      Ladle the dessert into individual serving bowl and serve hot. 

Inaka Soba 'N' Baked Bean

Simple cooking and eating plus do not have to cost a fortune. It is easier than you think. 

Just cook the Inaka Soba per the instruction on the packet.  Next open a can of Baked Bean. Steam or heat the Baked Bean, if desired.

What's the next step? Just add the Baked Bean to the Inaka Soba.

What could make it more interesting and appetizing? Garnish with spring onion or coriander leaves or  nori shreds or sesame seeds or ....

Fancy a spicy version, just sprinkle some chilli flake or paprika!

That's! Real simple. 

Passion Fruit 'N' Papaya Pickle

Passion Fruit 'N' Papaya Pickle

Papaya, Passion Fruit, Lemon Juice and Maltose - just mix it and play with it ... 

Match it. Mix it. Play with it. Yes, it is so simple ...

Preparation:     45 mins

           

Ingredients (serves 4)                              

°         600g green papaya shreds

°         1 tablespoon salt

°         1 passion fruit pulps

°         1/2 green lemon, freshly squeeze

°         4 tablespoons maltose or to taste  

Method

1.      Sprinkle salt on the papaya shreds and mix well. Let it sweats for 15-20 minutes.

2.      Wash and drain the papaya shreds well. Squeeze the papaya shreds to remove the moisture as much as possible.

3.      Combine the papaya shreds, lemon juice, maltose and passion fruit pulps in a glass container, mix well and leave to stand for 3hours prior to serving. It can be kept for 3 days in the refrigerator.

Quick Passion Fruit Jam

Simple! No cooking! Substitute maltose with honey, if desired. 

Preparation:     5 mins

           

Ingredients (makes 150g)

°         1 passion fruit pulps

°         3 tablespoons maltose

Method

1.      Combine the passion fruit and maltose and mixed well. 

The Cheerful Passion Drink

Found a tub of maltose hidden in my kitchen cabinet and decided to make this refreshing drink as the weather is getting hot!  This is rather similar to my previous recipe - Lemon and Passion Juice but substituting sugar with maltose.

Preparation:     5 mins

           

Ingredients (serves 2)

°         1 passion fruit pulps

°         1/2 lemon, freshly squeezed

°         2-3 tablespoons maltose or to taste

°         250ml hot water

°         250ml cold water or sparkling mineral water

Method

1.      Combine the maltose and hot water in a container. Stir vigorously to dissolve the maltose.

2.      Pour in the lemon juice, passion fruit pulps, cold water or sparkling mineral water and mix well. Chilled or serve with ice.

Colour of Gaia

A dish that I cooked few months back - Stir-fried Leek, simply paired with deep-fried bean vermicelli, carrot and Vegetarian mushroom (mock meat).