Memories in the Cooking

Lu Rou Fan is a classic Taiwanese dish. The gluey and melt-in-your mouth pork serve on with rice epitomises comfort food. This is a hassel-free recipe because I am using the slow-cooker to do the magic. Ingredients: - 500g of pork skin - 500g of pork belly - 2 bulbs of garlic, remove the skin - 80g of Chinese parsley, chopped - 80g of ginger, sliced - 1/2 cup of dark soya sauce - 1/2 cup of light soya sauce - 2 tablespoons of sesame oil - 1 teaspoon of five-spice powder - 1/2 cup of huatiao wine - 3 tablespoons of sugar - 2 cinnamon sticks - 3 anistars - 10 pieces of cloves - 50g of fried shallots Procedures: 1) Blench pork skin and pork belly in boiling water for 10 minutes. Cool it and cut it into small pieces. 2) Place the pork skin and pork belly into a slow-cooker. 3) Add dark soya sauce, light soya sauce, sesame oil, five-spice powder, huatiao wine, sugar, cinnamon sticks, anistars and cloves to the meat.  Mix well. 4) Add water just enough to cover the...

Recently, my boy and I had Blanco Court Beef Noodles and we loved it. So, we tried making it on our own.  Ingredients: - 500g beef shin, cut into chunks - 500g of beef shabu shabu  - 500g of beef tendon  - ginger, few slices  - chinese cooking wine, half a cup  - 1 tablespoon of whole black pepper  - 3-4 bay leaves  - 1 packet of thick beehoon  - 1 tablespoon of dark soya sauce  - 1 tablespoon of light soya sauce  - 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce  - salt  - cornstarch  - parleys  - crushed peanuts  - fried shallots  Procedures: 1) In a slow cooker, place the beef shin and beef tendon. Add ginger, chinese cooking wine, black pepper and bay leaves. Add water until it just covers the ingredients. Cook for 6-7 hours on high setting.  2) Blanch the thick beehoon in boiling water. Set aside in the serving bowls. 3) Blanch beanspouts in boiling water. Assemble in the serving bowls.  4) Blanch beef shabu sha...

This Hakka's dish can be very complicated as cooking the traditional way would involve branching, deep-frying, stir-frying and steaming! So, I have decided to simplify it. The whole process only requires slow cooking. It still tastes good, especially with a steamy bowl of rice. Ingredients: - a stab of 1kg pork belly, cut into slices - 1 packet of salty mei cai  - 1 packet of sweet mei cai - 1 bulb of garlic, chopped  - dark soya sauce  - light soya sauce  - oyster sauce  - shaoxing wine  - sugar  Procedures:  1) Wash mei cai and soak overnight. Cut into small pieces.  2) To the slow cooker pot, add garlic, chopped mei cai, pork belly slices.  3) Add 1 tablespoon of dark soya sauce, 1 tablespoon of light soya sauce, 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon of shaoxing wine and 1 tablespoon of sugar.  4) Add water until it just covers the ingredients. Cook at high setting for about 4 hours.  5)...

Here is another mum's trick on hassel-free cooking. This curry recipe only requires 10 minutes of preparation and does not involve any frying at all.  Ingredients: - 1 kg of meat (mutton, chicken or beef)  - 2 tablespoons of curry powder (combination of spices, chili powder, tumeric powder)  - 1 teaspoon of salt  - 3 large onions, chopped  - 1 bulb of garlic, minced  - 1 packet of coconut milk - 1 can of tomato puree  - 4 large potatoes, cut into cubes  Procedures: 1) Place the meat, onions and garlic in the slow cooker.  2) Add curry powder, tomato puree, salt and sugar and 1 cup of water to the slow cooker pot.  3) Cook at high setting for 2-3 hours until the meat is soften.  4) Add potatoes and cook for another hour.  5) Add coconut milk and let it simmer for another 20 minutes. Serve. 

This dish is so easy. My family said that they did not even see me cooking it! So, this is the recipe of slow-cooked beef brisket - a dish that just miraculously appears on its own!  Ingredients: - 500g of beef brisket  - 6 stalks of celery  - 3 carrots  - 5 large tomatoes  - 1 can of pastata  - salt, sugar, pepper  Procedures: 1) Cut tomatoes, celery and carrots into small pieces. Place them in the slow cooker. Add pastata to the pot.  2) Place beef brisket on top of the bed of vegetables.  3) Add boiling water until it just covers the ingredients. Cook at high setting for about 5 hours.  4) Set aside the beef brisket. Slice it.  5) Blend the vegetable stock. Add salt, sugar and pepper to taste.  6) Assemble the dish with some spinach and parmesan cheese. Serve and enjoy! 

When I was living in UK several years ago, I was amazed at how my church friends were able to host simple home parties straight after Sunday church services. Didn't they need time to whip up the meals? That was when I opened my eyes to the method of slow cooking. Pulled Pork Burger is a dish that allows you to be 4 hours away from home as it cooks itself. Ingredients: - 1 kg of pork shoulder  - 2 teaspoon salt - pepper - citrus juice (apple juice or orange juice or even kombucha) or coke(enough to cover the pork)  - half a bottle of BBQ sauce  - 1 teaspoon of mixed herbs  - 8 hamburger buns  - 8 poached eggs  - salad and fruits  Procedures:  1) Place the pork shoulder in a crocked pot.  2) Add salt, pepper, herbs and citrus juice/coke and let it cook for 4 hours at auto mode.  3) Shred the tendered pork in a large mixing bowl. Add BBQ sauce.  4) Assemble the pulled pork between the hamburger buns....

I love Dang Gui so it is nice to come out with another recipe with my beloved Dang Gui.  Ingredients: - 1 kg of chicken mid-wings  - 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce  - 1 teaspoon of salt  - 2 teaspoons of sugar  - 8 slices of Dang Gui  - one handful of wolfberries  - 1 tablespoon of chinese cooking wine  Procedures: 1) Marinate chicken wings with all the seasonings. Leave it overnight in the fridge.  2) Wrap them in one layer of baking paper, followed by one layer of aluminum foil.  3) Steam for 1 hour. Serve.  * We can use the slow cooker for step 3 too

I love Dang Gui. I like the Dang Gui Roasted Duck from Dian Xiao Er. However, I am not very keen to make roasted duck after my last attempt which made the oven really oily. So, I decided to make a stew version instead - Dang Gui Black Fungus Duck. Ingredients:  - duck pieces  - 10 pieces of black fungus - 10 pieces of dried mushrooms  - 1 handful of wolfberries  - 1 handful of red dates  - 4 pieces of Dang Gui  - 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce  - 1 tablespoon of Chinese wine  - 1 tabelspoon of light soya sauce  Procedures: 1) Soak black fungus and dried mushrooms and cut them into smaller pieces.  2) Place the 2 duck pieces in a frying pan, skin-side down. Let it cook for about 5 to 10 minutes until the duck fat is rendered and the skin is brown.  3) Drain the duck fat away.  4) Add oyster sauce, light soya sauce and 1 cup of water to the duck.  4) Add red dates, wolfberries, fungus, mushro...

Beef Rendang is one of my husband's favourite dishes. So, it is important that I include it into my repertoire of dishes. However, this dish needs a lot of time and patience to reduce the rendang sauce to the deep brown colour and desired consistency.  Ingredients: - 4kg of beef shin, cut into chunks (2kg) - 1 packet of assam paste (2/3 packet) - 3 coconuts, grated (2 coconut)  - 6 inches of ginger, sliced (4 inches) - 6 inches of galangal, sliced (4 inches) - 40-50 dried chilies  (40 dried chilies) - 10 stalks of lemon grass (8 stalks)  - 18 shallots (12 shallots)  - 8 cloves of garlic (6 cloves)  - 5 tablespoons of coriander powder (4 tablespoons)  - 1.5 teaspoons of cumin powder (1 teaspoon)  - 5 pieces kunyit leaves (4 leaves)  - 30 pieces of Kaffir lime leaves (20 leaves)  - 30 pieces of salam leaves/bay leaves (20 leaves)  - 3 teaspoons of salt (2 teaspoon)  - 4.5 teaspoons of sugar (or gula melak...

I am not a fan of bittergroud but I love bittergroud soup. It leaves a refreshing feeling after drinking and I heard it is very good for health too.  Ingredients: - 500g of prime ribs  - a handful of goji berries  - a handful of red dates  - 1 bittergroud, cut into chunks  - 1 stock cube  Procedures: 1) In a slow cooker, add prime ribs, goji berries, red dates and bittergroud.  2) Add enough water to almost cover the ingredients.  3) Let it cook at high setting for 4 hours.  4) Add stock cube. Serve. 

It has been rainy every day these days. Wouldn't it be nice to have a hot bowl of noodles soup to warm up the body? I have decided to make beef noodles soup, one of my husband's favourite dishes.   Ingredients: - 1 kg of beef shin, sliced  - 300g of beef tendon, cubes  - a small radish or 2 yellow onions, sliced  - 4 tomatoes, wedged - 1 thumbsize of ginger, sliced - 1 tablespoon of fermented beanpaste  - 2 tablespoons of dark soya sauce  - 1 tablespoon of light soya sauce  - 1 bulb of garlic, deskinned  - 5 anistar  - 3 bay leaves  - 1 chili, sliced - pepper  - salt - sugar  - vegetables  - parsleys - noodles (any preferred type)  Procedures:  1) In the slow cooker, place the beef shin, beef tendon, radish/onions and tomatoes.  2) Add dark soya sauce, light soya sauce, fermented beanpaste and pepper.  3) Add anistars, ginger, garlic, chili and bay leaves.  4) Add water until it almost covers ...

The pork ribs recipe is from my mum who steams the pork ribs instead of braises it. I decided to braise it instead as it makes the pork ribs more tender.  Ingredients: - 500g of spare ribs  - 2 large tablespoons of minced garlic  - 1 packet of kuay teow  - 1 packet of beansprouts  - few stalks of parsleys and spring onions, chopped  - 1 tablespoon of dark soya sauce  - 1 tablespoon of fermented beanpaste  - 1 tablespoon of sesame oil  - 1 tablespoon of sugar  - 1 chili, chopped  - pepper - Chinese vinegar  Procedures:  1) Place the pork ribs into a slow cooker. Add minced garlic, dark soya sauce, beanpaste, sesame oil, pepper sugar and chopped chili. Cook it on high setting for 4 hours.  2) Blench kuay tiao and beansprouts. Place them in serving bowls. Top up with pork ribs and sauce.  3) Sprinkle some chopped parsleys and spring onions.  4) Drizzle some vinegar. Serve. 

Another Chinese soup that can be cooked in a slow cooker. Minimum effort and maximum comfort.  Ingredients:  - 500g of spare pork ribs - 1 packet of black beans (about 2 cups) - about 6 to 10 red dates  - 1 stock cube  - salt  Procedures:  1) Place pork ribs, black beans, red dates into slow cooker. Add water until it just covers the ingredients.  2) Cook for 6 hours at high setting.  3) Add stock cube and any salt (if needed) to taste. 

This is the slow-cooker version of my husband's favourite dish.  Ingredients: - 1 kg of potatoes, cut into slices  - 4 cloves of garlic, minced  - 700g of minced beef  - 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce  - 1 tablespoon of flour  - pepper  - parsleys, chopped  Procedures: 1) Place potatoes, minced beef, minced garlic, flour, oyster sauce into the slow cooker. Mix well.  2) Add water until it almost covers the ingredients.  3) Let it cook at high setting for about 4 hours.  4) Add pepper and parsleys.    

I love Braised Pork Trotters which are cooked until soft with meat falling out the bones. My favourite is the one at Ang Mo Kio Teck Gee Market. Today, I decided to try this easy-to-made slow cooker version.  Ingredients: - 1 pork trotter  - 1/2 cup of light soya sauce  - 1/2 cup of dark soya sauce  - 1/2 cup of huatiao wine  - 3 tablespoons of sugar  - 10 slices of ginger  - 3 bulbs of garlic  - 2 cinnamon sticks  - 3 anistars  - 10 pieces of cloves  - chinese parsley  Procedures: 1) In a slow cooker, add light soya sauce, dark soya sauce, huatiao wine, sugar, ginger slices, cinnamon sticks, cloves and anistars.  2) Add pork trotters and marinate it thoroughly.  3) Add enough water to just cover the pig trotters. Add 3 bulbs of garlic.  4) Cook the pork trotters at high for 6 hours.  5) Serve the pork trotters with chinese parsley.  

This is a quintessential soup of any chinese household. This recipe requires minimum effort as the slow cooker does the cooking.  Ingredients: - 500g of pork ribs  - 300g of raw peanuts  - 1 dried cuttlefish, shredded - a handful of red dates - 2 stock cubes  - 1 lotus root, sliced  Procedures: 1) Add pork ribs, peanuts, cuttlefish, lotus roots and red dates to the slow cooker.  2) Add enough water to cover the ingredients.  3) Cook at high setting for 5 hours.  4) Add stock cubes. Serve. 

Lamb shank, my husband's favourite British/Irish pub food. One may think that lamb is too hearty to be eaten much at a time. However, this lamb shank is so off-the-bone tender that my family could easily wipe out a large portion within minutes. So, within minutes, what was left were bones and the warm satisfying contentment that one gets from having lamb. Ingredients: - 4 lamb shanks - 1 large onions, diced - 1 bulb of garlic, crushed - 1 carrot, diced - 4 sticks of celery, chopped - 2 tomatos, chopped - 1 can of pastata - 1 tablespoon of Italian mixed herbs - 1 stock cube - 2 tablespoons of sugar - pepper, salt  - 1 tablespoon of flour Procedures: 1) In a slow cooker, add lamb shank, chopped carrots, celery and onions. 2) Add pastata, stock cube, herbs, sugar, flour and pepper. 3) Add water until it just covers the ingredients.  4) Set the slow cooker at high. Cook for 6 hours. 5) Adjust the taste with salt. Serve. 

This is another low-effort but yummy dish for the beef-loving husband.  Ingredients: - Oxtail, chopped  - 2 tomatoes, cut into chunks  - 1 carrot, diced  - 4-5 stalks of celery, diced  - 3 large potatoes, diced - 1 packet of tomato puree  - 1 tablespoon of mixed herbs  - 2 stock cubes  - sugar, salt  - 1 tablespoon of flour  Procedures: 1) Add tomatoes, celery, carrot, potatoes to slow cooker.  2) Add tomato puree, flour, stock cubes and mixed herbs. Mix well. 3) Add oxtail. Add enough water to almost cover the ingredients. Cook for at least 6 hours.  4) Add salt and sugar to adjust the taste to preference. 

This is the slow cooker version of my earlier post on Maggi Chicken. This is my husband's childhood dish cooked by his paternal grandparents.  Ingredients: - 1kg of chicken wings  - 6 potatoes, cut into cubes  - 2 large carrots, cut into chunks  - 1 cup of water  - 2 tablespoons of sesame oil - 4 tablespoons of maggi sauce  - pepper - 1 tablespoon of sugar  - 2 tablespoons of huatiao wine  - salt  Procedures:  1) Place chicken wings, potatoes and carrots into a slow-cooker.  2) Add sesame oil, water, maggi sauce, pepper and sugar. Stir well. Cook at high setting for 3 hours.  3) Taste the sauce and adjust it to your preference by adding salt, sugar or more maggi sauce.  4)Add huatiao wine. Cook for another hour. Serve.   

Lately, we have been scheduling nature walk on Saturday late afternoons. So, in order to have hot dinners awaiting us when we return, I have been using the slow cooker a lot. Tonight, we had Ginseng Herbal Chicken Soup and it was perfect for a cool day.   Ingredients: - 1 whole chicken  - 8 ginseng slices  - 2 tablespoons of wolfberries - 8 red dates - 5 sticks of dang sheng  - 5 slices of chuan xiong  - 5 slices of dang gui - 1 chicken cube  - salt and sugar  Procedures: 1) In a slow cooker, place the washed herbs and chicken.  2) Add water to just cover the chicken. 3) Let it cook at high setting for 3 hours. 4) Season with chicken cube, salt and sugar. Serve.