Friday, May 30, 2008

Beautiful Bones: Family-style Bean Curd

I am massively supporting Susan's (of Food Blogga) blogging event called "Beautiful Bones" to highlight osteoporosis. This is one event that I really feel close to my heart. I do feel strongly mainly because my mother's side of the family have been blighted by osteoporosis and other bone diseases. And if me and my siblings are not careful we would be victims as well later on.

My dear old grandma, Lola Ebia, is in her 95th year. Her spine is bent forward making it difficult for her to move around. Worse off was her late older sister, Lola Ine, who was not only bent almost 90 degrees from the waist up but whose spine was shaped like a big letter S on her back. It did not seem give her that much health problems (or maybe I just didn't hear much about it) but it did present a great difficulty for her physically moving about. Me and my cousins were joking then at what shape her coffin would be when she died.

It did not end in my grandma's generation. My mother and her siblings are now beginning to feel various forms of bone diseases. And it's not confined to the women even our uncle who is very fit and follows a healthy lifestyle succumbed to some problems with his hipbone and had to be operated on when he was only 65. So me and my cousins better beware and heed the signs to take better care of ourselves or we will suffer in later years.

As what Susan mentioned in her blog, there are lots of food sources of calcium ranging from the usual dairy products to vegetables to nuts and lots of others. Bear in mind to temper the consumption of these with fibre since too much fibre restricts the absorbtion of calcium by the body. To strike a balance between consumption of calcium and fibre-rich food would be the optimum goal. As usual moderation is the key.

I have chosen to cook this dish rather than the usual dairy product sources since the soya bean in the bean curd and the green bokchoy are rich in calcium and would do well in balancing our intake of healthier food. Sorry for the limp overcooked bokchoy. Distractions while cooking can be hazardous to the final cooked products.


Family-style Bean Curd

1 pkg bean curd (4 squares)
2 green onions - sliced into 1/2-inch pieces
6 slices ginger root
5 pieces dried Chinese black mushrooms
1/2 cup sliced bamboo shoots
3 pieces bok choy - cut into quarters lengthwise
1/2 tsp hot chilli paste
1 cup stock
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp water
oil for frying

1. Soak the mushrooms in hot water for about 20 minutes or until soft. Squeeze out water then slice into 1/2-inch pieces lengthwise.
2. Combine stock, soy sauce, oyster sauce and sugar in a container. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
3. Mix cornstarch and water in another bowl, stir and set aside.
4. Cut the bean curd into thin triangles. Deep fry or pan fry until golden brown. Set aside.
5. Heat a wok and add 2 Tbsp oil. Stir fry the green onion and ginger until aromatic.
6. Add the Chinese mushrooms, chilli paste and bamboo shoots, stir to mix.
7. Then add the bok choy and stir fry in high heat for a few seconds.
8. Add the oyster sauce mixture and fried bean curd.
9. Bring to boil and cook for 3 minutes or until the liquid has reduced to half.
10. Add the cornstarch mixture and bring to boil to thicken.
11. Dish up and serve immediately.

Labels: vegetables, vegetarian

Posted by celia kusinera :: 9:08 AM :: | ---------------oOo---------------

Monday, July 30, 2007

Lasang Pinoy 20: Lumpiang Sariwa

The current theme of the 20th edition of Lasang Pinoy blogging event is called binalot or 'wrapped-up'. Mita of The Unofficial Cook, who is hosting it this time, announced this blogfest a few weeks ago.

I already knew what I was going to make and dutifully called my mother and aunt at the weekend to get the recipe right. This is my very first time to make Lumpiang Sariwa so please give me some slack if you think it looks a bit far off from the traditional.

Lumpiang Sariwa literally means 'fresh springroll'. Well it's not exactly all fresh because the filling is fully cooked although that lone leaf of raw lettuce would probably qualify it for freshness. I guess it's called 'fresh' as opposed to the usual fried lumpia. The traditional wrapper for this is the same one that you use for the fried lumpias. But in the recent years it became more crepe-like in size, taste and texture.

The recipe is a medley of my family's and my sister-in-law, Ate Eva, in Toronto. And I just remembered (it's been years since I ate one of these) as I was taking a bite that I really don't like camotes or potatoes in it. I much prefer it with just veggies and whatever meat is included. I also found the wrapper quite rich so next time I'm gonna reduce the eggs and probably add a little salt to make it more savoury. The sauce or paalat reminded me that fresh minced garlic is preferred over crispy fried ones. Well, like most first time attempt of mine these are just a few from a litany of changes I plan to make next time I make it besides the fact that I should really make the size of the lumpia smaller.



Lumpiang Sariwa
(Fresh Springrolls)

*Filling:
100 gm pork belly - thinly sliced
200 gm shirmps or prawns - roughly chopped
2 cups julienned sweet potatoes
3 cups shredded cabbage
2 cups shredded green beans (bitchuelas)
1 cup shredded water chestnut (apulid)
1 cup julienned carrots
1 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup stock
2 Tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
1 medium onion - sliced
1/2 tsp salt
2 Tbsp oil

1. Put sliced pork in a pot and add salt and just enough water to cover it.
2. Bring to a boil then simmer until all the water evaporates. As soon as it starts sizzling add the oil and fry the pork until golden brown. Set aside.
3. Saute garlic and onion until the onion is translucent.
4. Stir in the shrimps and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Pour in the stock. Add the oyster sauce. Bring to boil.
6. Add the sweet potatoes; cover and cook for 2 minutes on medium heat.
7. Add the carrots, beans and water chestnuts. Cook under cover for another 2 minutes.
8. Add the bean sprouts and cabbage. Cover and cook for another 2 minutes.
9. Remove from heat. Cool and drain in a colander for several hours. Reserve drained liquid.

*Wrapper:
3 eggs - beaten
1 1/2 cups water
2 Tbsp melted butter
1 1/4 cups flour

1. Mix eggs, water, and butter.
2. Add flour and beat until smooth and lump-free.
3. Gently heat a 10-inch wide non-stick pan (a crepe pan would be best). Brush it with a little butter.
4. Once hot enough pour in 1/3 cup of the batter. Swirl quickly to cover the bottom of the pan completely.
5. Cook on low heat until the edges start to peel off the pan. Turn over and cook for a few seconds more. Dish up and repeat.

Note: I usually put butter for the first wrapper only.


*Sauce (Paalat)
stock
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp salt
2 Tbsp cornstarch
3 Tbsp water

1. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water. Set aside.
2. Take the liquid drained from the filling and add enough stock to make up 2 cups.
3. Put this in a saucepan and add brown sugar, soy sauce, and salt. Bring to boil.
4. Add the cornstarch mixture and bring to boil again. Remove from heat.

*To serve:
2 Tbsp minced garlic
roughly ground roasted peanuts
fresh lettuce leaves

 

Lay the wrapper on a plate. Put a lettuce on top then put about 2 Tablespoonfuls of the filling. Sprinkle some ground peanuts on top.

 

Fold the wrapper to enclose the fillings.
Serve with the minced garlic, ground peanuts and the paalat sauce.

Labels: Lasang Pinoy, vegetables

Posted by celia kusinera :: 11:23 PM :: | ---------------oOo---------------

Saturday, June 30, 2007

Kangkong Blachan



I've always wanted to cook this dish ever since I saw this posted years ago by my good blogging friend Stel and Hawaiian food blogger Reid. So when I finally got hold of fresh kangkong in a local (well, not so local since it's about 20 miles away!) Chinese grocer I decided there and then to cook this. Kangkong is also called ung choi or tung choi or water spinach in other lands. Funny how vegetables so common back home that didn't merit so much as a second glance suddenly becomes like a goldmine find when you finally see it on a shop shelf.

How did the dish go? It should have been great but either the 1 tablespoon blachan is too much or the brand I bought is especially salty. It resulted in me and the husband fishing out the strands of kangkong from the salty sauce then smothering it with lots of steamed rice. And the whole house smelling like a shrimp stink bomb exploded. That's why in the recipe below I drastically reduced the blachan to just 1 teaspoon then I'll just go from there. But it's so nice to have a veg quite different from the usual ones especially when paired with hot grilled fish. Yum!


Kangkong Blachan

350 gm kangkong (ung choi, tung choi)
1 tsp blachan (belachan, shrimp paste)
2 Tbsp hibe (dried shrimps)
2 red chillies - chopped
2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp oil
1/2 cup water

1. Cut the kangkong into 3-inch lengths. Rinse well in water then drain.
2. Soak the hibe in hot water for 20 minutes. Drain.
3. Grind or pound the blachan, hibe, red chillies, and garlic until fine.
4. Heat oil in wok and stir fry the blachan mixture for about 3 minutes.
5. Turn up heat and add in the kangkong. Stir fry for about 2 minutes.
6. Add the water and cook for 1 more minute.
7. Serve immediately.

Labels: vegetables

Posted by celia kusinera :: 11:19 PM :: | ---------------oOo---------------