Pork Bone Soup

So here I am, sitting at home on a Saturday afternoon, feeling all lethargic and lazy. I had a church wedding to attend this morning but I think we woke up just a couple of minutes before the bride was due to walk down the aisle. Can I say eeeks? I am now beating myself up with guilt. Really. I know I am terrible and that it's terribly insincere. But I woke up feeling like I needed to stay in my ratty old t-shirt and shorts and sit around the house and do absolutely nothing the whole day. I wasn't fancying a battle with the hair and putting warpaint on the face, or stressing over what to wear what to wear (the bride specified "late 19th century colours"). Sigh.

I think I will also give Muay Thai a miss this week. I don't think I can deal with a pair of smelly sweaty gloves today.

And even cooking - something that will normally get me up and going - failed to energise me today. I opted for an easy way out - we called in McDonalds for lunch.

Last week though, was a different story altogether. I made really good progress with my cookbooks.

Because I have to cook everything in my cookbooks, not just dishes that catch my eye, I am trying new things - things I wouldn't ever try if I had the choice, and in process, enjoying new flavours that are coming out from my kitchen. Like this pork bone soup. Normally, my thought process in relation to such a dish would be dude, it's just soup. With pork ribs. My mum makes pork ribs soup all the time. Who needs a recipe for pork ribs soup?

Except that my mum doesn't make soup with taucheo (salted soy beans), and what an interesting soup it was. I'd say it's more a pork-dish-with-lots-of-gravy rather than a soup - seeing how the broth is so rich and thick. It's comfort food at its very best and I'd definitely try this very easy dish again.

Pork Bone Soup

"A soup of pork and potatoes seasoned with garlic, salted soy beans and ginger" ~ Shermay Lee
Adapted from the New Mrs Lee's Cookbook Vol. 2
Serves 2
Ingredients
300g pork ribs (I added about 500g worth of pork bones to make the soup richer)
2 potatoes, cubed
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp salted soy beans
3 tbsp oil
6 slices ginger
800 ml water
salt, to taste
a dash of dark soy sauce

Fry garlic and ginger in oil until light golden brown. Add the salted soy beans and pork. Stir-fry for one minute. Add water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes, and add potatos. Simmer for another 30 minutes. Add salt and soy sauce to taste.

Serve with rice.

Sook Muy Tong

Did you enjoy the long Mayday weekend? I did, very much. I came back to work this Monday morning, rejuvenated from three days of surf-all-you-want internet and much-appreciated quality time with the husband (who has no choice as he is desk-bound by virtue of his upcoming exams).


I've been so inspired by my cooking successes over the weekend that I couldn't wait to come home and try the next recipe that I have earmarked.


Now, I am no stranger to this soup - it is probably my most favourite soup in my childhood days (I can't decide whether it is this or watercress with pork ribs soup). I reckon my mum knew this because we had corn soup a lot. We weren't really finicky eaters but I guess a mother of three needs a sure-winner every now and then (and every now and then would appear to be very often).


Meanwhile, I am dying to buy something on Etsy but the husband will view my purchase as disturbing behaviour...More on this at an appropriate juncture, else you think I am exhibiting disturbing behaviour as well...


SOOK MUY TONG
Cream corn and minced chicken soup
Adapted from The New Mrs Lee's Cookbook Vol 2


200g minced chicken
1/2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
1 tsp salt
a dash of pepper
4 tbsp cornflour
1 l chicken stock
2 eggs, beaten
425g cream corn


Add wine, salt and pepper to the chicken. Dissolve the corn flour in 5 tbsp chicken stock and combine with minced chicken mixture.

Bring chicken stock and cream corn to boil. Add the chicken mixture and stir continuously for 3 to 5 minutes. Turn off the flame and pour the beaten egg into the hot soup while stirring.

Chicken Moolie

I woke up today at 12.30pm (needless to say, I didn't go to church - again) and had this on the table by 1.15pm.

I think though, that the quick cooking doesn't give the curry enough credit. There's simply not enough time for the flavours to come through. I have definitely made better curries (although I must admit that the "better" curries were all made from instant paste, never from scratch).

Having said that, this curry dish is really quick and easy, and perfect for days when you crave curry and need a fix in a rush. This is also lighter and not as rich as your typical curry.

CHICKEN MOOLIE

"A mild and simple chicken curry"

Adapted from the New Mrs Lee Cookbook Vol. 2

1 kg chicken parts

1 tomato, quartered

5 tsbp oil

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 l coconut milk

For the rempah:

1/2 thumb size knob ginger

12 shallots

2 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp cumin powder

2 tsbp chilli powder

Prepare the rempah by grinding all the rempah ingredients together.

Heat wok until it smokes and add oil. Stir-fry rempah for about 3 minutes. Add 5 tbsp coconut milk and allow to simmer for 1 minute. Add the remaining coconut milk and bring to boil while stirring continuously. Add the chicken and simmer for 10 minutes. Add tomato, sugar and salt and simmer for another 3-5 minutes.

Plain Mee Char

My motto for the moment is waste not want not (a refinement suggested by the husband after I proclaimed that my new motto in life shall be "don't waste food!" or alternatively, "not wasting food").

Last week, I made char kway teow. It was no big deal since almost everything came from a Prima Deli box. The recipe required some kway teow noodles, and some egg noodles (like a handful out of a bag I bought especially for the occasion). As a result, I had a bag of egg noodles left (come on - I only used a handful). I think it's kind of perishable. So in light of my motto, it was imperative that I use the noodles up.

Now, I HATE yellow noodles. They are really the reason why I don't ever eat fishball noodles although I lurve fishball. But this plain mee char is not too bad at all. And very easy recipe to make (although I did set my pan on fire at one point) . I think I may just be able to eat these yellow noodles after all!

We have rated this: Yummy! Can cook again! (Husband: without parsley, please!)

P.S. I have been feeling really guilty about my recent indiscriminate cookbook spree. So I proclaimed to the husband that I will not buy anymore cookbooks until I've cooked everything in each of my cookbook. (Even the husband was taken aback by the ambition. He said "erm, about 3 recipes from each book should be enough, la). But I would have none of it. Nosirree, when I decide on something, I will not change my mind (I'm a dumbass).

I'm starting with Shermay's Book 2 (because I can't remember where I left Book 1). So here goes! Wish me luck!

PLAIN MEE CHAR
"A vegetarian fried egg noodles dish served in a sweet sauce"
Adapted from The New Mrs Lee Cookbook Volume 2

INGREDIENTS
2 tomatoes, cut into thin wedges
2 sprigs Chinese parsley, finely chopped
6 spring onions, finely chopped
12 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 tbsp oil
3 chillies, sliced
1 1/2 tbsp gula melaka
1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
250g bean sprouts
500g yellow eggs noodles
3 tbsp fried shallots

(1) Stir-fry garlic until light golden brown.
(2) Add chillies and palm sugar. Add water to prevent burning.
(3) Add the soy sauces and salt. Stir-fry.
(4) Add bean sprouts, sliced tomatoes and noodles. Stir-fry.
(5) Add the spring onions and Chinese parsley. Toss.Garnish with
fried shallots.