Stir Fry Lady Finger in Chilli Padi

Serves 3 to 5

Ingredients:
500g lady finger (okra)
3 to 5 Chilli padi (chopped, adjust to hotness)
30g dried shrimps (washed and soaked, retain soaked water)
1 teaspoon of canola oil
2 gloves of garlic (chopped)

Seasonings:
Dash of salt

Cooking:

• Heat oil in a thick-based metal pan.
• Add dried shrimp and fried till crispy
• Add chopped garlic and chilli.
• Add lady finger
• Stir fry everything.
• Dash of salt to taste

Stir-fried Sweet and Spicy Tapioca Noodles

I made this for bento one winter. Bad choice, the cold weather solidified the oil and sauce which made the noodles texture rubbery.. It is better to eat this when it is pipping hot or reheating with microwave before consumption is highly recommended.


Serves 1

Ingredients:
1 serving Vietnamese tapioca noodles
2 bundles Choy Sum (cut into 3cm)
2 chinese dried mushrooms (soaked till al dente and shredded)
2 stalks spring onions (cut into 3cm)
10 slices of fish cake
1 garlic (chopped finely)
1 chicken breast fillet (cut into 1.5cm strips)
2 tablespoons canola oil

Garnish:
Chopped spring onions
1 egg (fried into omelette and shredded finely)

Seasonings:
1 tablespoon sambal chilli sauce
2 tablespoon Kecap Manis
1 tablespoon dark soy
1 tablespoon light soy
Dash of salt and pepper

Preparation:
Combine amd mix seasonings in a small bowl with 2 tablespoons of water. Set aside.


Cooking:

• Heat oil in a thick-based metal pan.
• Add fish cake and fry till fragrant.
• Add garlic, spring onions and chicken.
• Fry for about 3 minutes, add Choy Sum and mushrooms.
• Fry for about 2 minutes, add noodles and combined seasonings.
• Mix thoroughly until contents are evenly coated.
• Lower heat to medium and fry for about 5 minutes.
• Garnish and serve.

Bibimbap Rice Bento - Ginger Wine Chicken

I think Singaporeans are very lucky and pampered where dining options is concerned. Good meals are always available within minutes of walking and it can cost as cheap as from $2.00 onwards. I have never felt the necessity to add bulk to my bags by bringing my own bentos or lunchboxes to work or school. However, the story is different when I was studying overseas. The most economical meals I could get were from fast food joints in the city and I was pretty sure that I couldn't find anything below $4.00 (unless during clearance sale prior to stall closing).. Let's not even talk about the quality of food and the distance you need to travel to get them if you work or study in the suburbs.

I used to plan my timetable in such a way that my lectures and tutorials either end by noon or they start in the afternoon. That way, I can avoid having lunch in the uni. However, occasionally I did give in to the "luxury" of eating in the uni's Asian cafeteria - $8.00 for 1 serving of meat + 3 strands of fibre (sometimes they will give vegetable stems when they are out of leaves) + steamed rice. (FYI, no subsidies or cheaper rates even though these are campus vendors targeting students, if you compare to the food vendors in Singapore unis or polytechnics). So I "try" to cook extra for dinners, so that I can pack a bento for the next day.

From left: stir-fried Ginger Wine Chicken, blanched Kai Lan, poached egg, shredded omelette with ham and mixed veggie (covered over rice)

Recipe for stir-fried Ginger Wine Chicken - Serves 2

Ingredients:
2 fillets skinless chicken breasts (cut into 2cm strips)
5 slices ginger (julienned finely)
1 small garlic (chopped finely)
canola oil
spring onions

Seasonings:
2 tablespoons Shaoxing Chinese wine
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon dark soy
dash of sesame oil and salt

Preparation:
Combine seasonings in a bowl and marinate chicken strips for 10 minutes.

Cooking:

• Fry ginger in hot oil for 2 minutes until lightly browned.
• Add garlic and chicken, fry until fragrant.
• Add 1/4 cup water and simmer on medium heat for about 8 minutes until the water is reduced to 1/2, stirring occasionally.
• Garnish with chopped spring onions and serve.

Spicy Korean Ramen Stir-fry

The Nong Shim instant ramen was an all-time favourite amongst Asian students in Wollongong. It was so popular that it could be out-of-stock ever so often. Although I was pretty sure that the Asian Grocery in Gong was ripping us off by selling them at $0.90 AU individually, I remember that I had bought 5 to 8 packets in a single purchase, from time to time.. until I read "Manufactured in China" in very fineprint at the back of its packaging.


I know that these days, even iMac can be "Made in China", but I felt "cheated".. nonetheless... I realised only much later that a competitor brand - Paldo, was indeed manufactured in Korea even though the words "Korean Noodles" were scrawled explicitly (in Chinese) on its packaging. Talk about successful marketing.. I had been fooled by Nong Shim's packaging for a long time.. :p

Anyway, I got tired of eating the typical soupy version of Ramen and decided to stir-fry the noodles with some leftover roast chicken for a change.


Serves 1

Ingredients:
1 packet Nong Shim instant noodles - spicy mushroom flavour
1 large egg
1 cup roast chicken (shredded)
1 small garlic (chopped finely)
spring onions (chopped finely)
canola oil


Cooking:

• Bring 1 1/2 bowl of water to boil in a soup pan.
• Add noodles and cook for 2 minutes so that it is softened but slightly under-cooked. Drain water.
• In a non-stick pan, fry shredded chicken and dried vegetables (included in the Ramen package) with oil for about 1 minute.
• Add garlic and fry for another minute before adding the noodles and spring onions.
• Stir about 1/2 packet of powdered soup base (included in the Ramen package) evenly into the noodles.
• Fry for another minute and serve with a sunshine egg.
• Hot water can be added to the remaining half of the soup base to make a bowl of soup to go with the noodles.
  

Basically this can only serve as a quick-fix snack or supper. The serving is not big and it has HIGH carbo, HIGH salt and HIGH fat content.. BUT it certainly helps to satisfy the craving for spicy junk food during examination blues. Alternatively, leafy greens can be added to increase nutritional value and lessen consumption guilt.. lol

Mock Duck with Baby Broccoli

The savory mock duck is actually made of gluten and it is high in protein. This can be a good substitute if you like a break from the meaty palate.


Serves 2 to 3

Ingredients:
6-7 stalks baby broccoli
1 can vegetarian mock duck (from Asian grocery)

Seasonings:
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 tablespoon light soy
1 teaspoon dark soy
Salt to taste


Cooking:

• Heat oil in a non-stick pan.
• Slice mock duck and pan-fry till edges turn crispy, remove and set aside.
• Stir-fry baby broccoli in the remaining oil for 2-3 minutes.
• Add mock duck's sauce (from the can) and seasonings to broccoli, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
• Stir in the crispy mock duck slices and serve with rice.