Steamed Fuzzy Melon, Dried Scallops with White Sauce

My dear friend, Wendy brought me a lovely gift box of Chinese dried scallops from Hong Kong. Dried scallop is a type of dried seafood product made from the adductor muscle of scallops. It is rich in calcium and minerals, and it is used in Chinese cuisine for soups, congee, or braised with other meats and vegetables. This is one of my favorite dish using dried scallops and fuzzy melon. Fuzzy melon or "mo qua" is a sweet and mild squash that has a fuzzy feel on the surface.

Ingredients:
1 fuzzy melon, scrape skin lightly with spoon
6 whole dried scallops, soak for at least an hour
1 egg white, lightly beaten
¼ cup chicken stock
1 tsp. cornstarch, mix with a little water
Steaming tray
Method:
1. Cut fuzzy melon into 1¼-inch thickness across in rounds. Use a teaspoon and gently scoop the surface in the middle to remove the seeds. It should be deep enough for the whole scallops to sit on top.
2. Heat a steamer rack with water to a rolling boil. Remove the dried scallops and place in a bowl and place in the steaming tray. Do the same with the melon rounds. Steam for 20-25 minutes to cook the dried scallops and melons. Remove and set aside.
3. Arrange the cooked melon on the dish and place each rounds with a cooked scallop.
3. Heat a frying pan with a teaspoon of oil over medium heat. Add the cornstarch and enough chicken stock to make a white sauce. Bring to a light boil and stir in the egg white and cook for 1 minute. Remove and spoon sauce over melon. Serve immediately with rice.
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Mee Rebus

Mee Rebus is a Malay-Indian (Mamak) style noodle with a spicy potato-based gravy. It is another popular hawker's delight in Malaysia. The term, "Mamak", is an expression used in Malaysia to describe the Indian Tamil Muslim community and culture.

 

Ingredients: (serve 4-6)
500 gm fresh yellow noodles, blanched (substitute for spaghetti if not available)
1 lb prawns, shelled (keep the shells for stock)
Curry spice: (grind together)
1 medium red onion, chopped
1-inch piece of ginger
2-inch piece of galanger (or 2 tsp. galangal powder)
5 cloves garlic
1 Tbsp. coriander powder
1-2 Tbsp. chili powder (adjust to your taste)
2 tsp. cumin powder
2 tsp. turmeric powder
3 sprigs Indian curry leaves
1 Tbsp. tamarind paste (or Sinigang tamarind mix powder)
salt and sugar to taste
4 Tbsp. oil
Gravy:
2 medium sized sweet potatoes (peeled, boiled and mashed)
6 cups prawn stock (made by boiling unshelled prawns)
1 8oz can tomato sauce
1 cup coconut milk
1 stalk lemon grass, cut in halves
Garnishing:
Bean sprouts, scalded
4 eggs, hard boiled and sliced
2 small potatoes, boiled with skin on and quartered)
Fried tofu, fried and sliced
Spring onions, chopped
3 lemon or limes, sliced
20 shallots, sliced and deep fried
2 red chillies, sliced
Method:
1. In a saucepan, heat a tablespoon of oil and cook shelled prawns. Remove and slice into halves when cool enough to handle. Return pan to the stove and add another tablespoon of oil and fry prawn shells until fragrant. Add in 6 cups of water and simmer over medium heat for about 15 minutes. Remove stock and set aside for later.
2. Heat a tablespoon oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Stir fry the curry ingredients, curry leaves, and lemon grass until fragrant about 10-15 minutes.
3. Drain prawn stock into a larger pot and bring to a boil. Add in the curry paste, mashed potatoes, tomato sauce, tamarind paste, and coconut milk. Stir well to mix. Lower heat to simmer on low for another 15 minutes until gravy is smooth without lumps. Add a little more water or chicken stock if it is too thick, but not too much. Season to taste with with salt and a pinch of sugar. (The taste is should be spicy and lightly sour)
4. To serve, place blanched noodles and bean sprouts into individual bowls. Pour hot gravy on top and garnish with tofu, eggs, potatoes, and lime. Note: Serve with sambal chili on the side for added spiciness.
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Turmeric Chicken

Tumeric or kunyit is a rhizome that is much favored for its healing properties. It is a native plant found in tropical areas in South Asia and only the root and leaf are used as a spice in curries and other Middle Eastern cuisine. The root has a deep-orange yellow color and is often sold fresh or in powdered form. Sometimes, you can use as an alternative to saffron spice, which is an expensive spice.
When I was pregnant with my son, an older Indian neighbor gave me this recipe. It is believed that a mother after giving birth is significantly weak during the labor process where a great deal of blood is lost. Thus, besides having to eat nourishing foods, rest is crucial to a speedy and healthy recovery for the mother. Hence, this is one of the recipes that she recommends and to this day, I sometimes cook it as a regular dish.
Ingredients: (serve 2)
4-5 pieces of skinless chicken thigh meat (or 1 small organic chicken)
10 shallots, peeled
4-5 stalks lemon grass, cut into 2-inch
8 fresh turmeric or 2 Tbsp. tumeric powder
10 peppercorns, crushed
1 tsp. sugar
Salt to taste
Oil for cooking
Method:
1. Cut chicken into serving portions and wipe dry with paper towels. Season with some salt and pepper and set aside.
2. Pound or blend lemon grass, shallots, and peppercorns into a fine paste. Add sugar and season chicken pieces. Wrap in plastic paper and leave it in the refrigerator for about 4-6 hours or overnight.
3. Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat and fry on both sides until crispy and cooked inside. You can also grill or bake in the oven if you prefer.
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Stir Fried Bitter Melons with Prawns

Occasionaly, I have craving for bitter melons or bitter gourds in English. I must admit, bitter melons are not for culinary cowards as not everyone will have a palate for it. Most people are put off by the name and those who have tried it probably find it to be quite unpleasant. If it is cooked right it is quite delicious as it is a matter of acquired taste. Speaking of tastes, bitterness is one of the five basic tastes (sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty). In fact, bitter melon is a fruit and not a vegetable, and is perhaps the most bitter of all Asian vegetables. It is an oblong shape, with a light to medium green in color. The surface has irregular ridges and bumps that looks like warts. It is commonly cooked with beef or chicken, with strongly flavored ingredients such as black bean sauce, and other spices to neutralize the bitterness. Surprisingly, the bitterness does not impart on other ingredients, but rather give it a savory after-taste. My mother used to make a soup with meat as she believed to cleanse the blood and help lower cholesterol. Go ahead, and try this unusual healthy food---you might just like it!

Ingredients:
1 medium sized bitter melon
¼ lb medium prawns
2 tsp. black bean sauce paste
2 tsp. oyster sauce
1 tsp. garlic, minced
1 tsp cornstarch mixed with a little water
1 tsp salt
pinch of sugar
Method:
1. Cut bitter melon in half and use a spoon to remove the seeds and white rind in the middle. Slice into ¼-inch thick. Put in a bowl and rub the bitter melons with the salt. Le it sit for about 5-8 minutes. Gently squeeze the salt out and rinse off with water. Drained well.
2. Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan over high heat. Add in the bitter melon and fry for about 8-10 minutes. Remove to a plate, return pan and heat 1 teaspoon of oil and fry the garlic, followed by the prawns.
3. When the prawns are almost cooked, stir in the sauces and bitter melons, continue to fry until the sauce has incorporate with the prawns and bitter melons. Season and adjust seasonings to your taste. Add in the cornstarch mixture to thicken. Cover and simmer on medium heat for 5-8 minutes (add some more liquid if you like more sauce).
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Minty Lemon-Lime Basil Sorbet

Ever since we bought an ice-cream maker, we've been making our own ice-cream and trying out new recipes. Whenever I passed by the ice-cream freezer in the grocery stores, John probably heard the same phrase, "Why don't they make ice-cream with less sugar". So, last week, he made a bitter sweet chocolate with just the right amount of sweetness and it was great!
The other day, a friend brought over a grocery bag of freshly picked lemons and some Key limes. Key lime is a smaller fruit and has a higher acidity. It has a distinctive aroma and flavor compared to other limes. The name comes from its association with the Florida Keys, where it is best known as a flavoring ingredient in Key lime pie. Today, being my day off work, I've decided to combine these two citrus fruits with basil and mint from the garden. I love the cool and refreshing taste of these two herbs! How wonderful to have the simple things in life!

Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
2½ cup water
2 Tbsp. lemon zest
1½-2 cups packed fresh basil
1 bunch of fresh mint, rinsed
2½ cups lemon juice (3 cups if not using Key limes)
½ cup Key lime juice
a pinch of salt
Method:
1. Add water, sugar and half of the lemon zest to a saucepan and heat over medium fire until sugar has fully dissolved. Remove from heat.
2. Add in the herbs and salt. Cover and let mixture steep for half an hour. Add in the lemon juices, cover and refrigerated for at least 3 hours or overnight (the mixture has to be well-chilled)
3.Strain chilled mixture through a strainer. Turn on the ice-cream maker (per instructions), pour the mixture into the freezer bowl and let it mix until thickened, about 15-25 minutes. When the sorbet is almost done, add the leftover lemon zest and let it churn to combine. Transfer the sorbet into airtight container and freeze until firm, about 2 hours. Remove from freezer for about 15 minutes before serving.
Cook's Tip: Save the lemons halves and freezed them to make pretty containers for the sorbet.
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Mango Sorbet

Yesterday we have been driving to several stores looking for a decent ice-cream maker. We finally found one and it is an automatic frozen yogurt-ice cream & sorbet maker.  I remembered making ice cream the old-fashioned way with the bucket-style ice cream maker, where you had to keep adding ice cubes and rock salt to keep it well chilled. Adding salt to the water causes the temperature to drop and slows the melting process and therefore, increases the freezing rate. With this new gadget, I am inspired to make our own ice-cream! For starters, I’ll try this recipe using ripe Philippines. I prefer these mangoes over the ones imported from Mexican as they have a sweeter and smooth texture. I hope you enjoy this yummy treat.

Ingredients:
3-4 firm and ripe mangos
½ cup sugar (use ¾ if you like it sweeter)
½ cup water
2 Tbsp. lemon zest

Method:
1. In a small saucepan add lemon zest, sugar, and water and heat over medium to melt the sugar. Remove and set aside to cool.
2. Peel, remove seeds and cut mangoes into cubes. Puree the mangoes in a food processor, slowly adding the syrup water and puree until smooth. Pour mixture into a container and chill in the refrigerator.
3. Pour the ingredients into the pre-freeze ice-cream container (per instructions on the booklet). When ready, pour sorbet into an airtight container and freeze.
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Steamed Egg with Fish Paste

Beside rice, egg is another practical ingredient in most Chinese household. Whenever we have an extra guest for dinner, we'd fried some eggs to add to the meal. This is another of my favorite dish that my mother used to make for us. She would prepare this quite often for us whenever a particular fish (ikan kurau) is in season to make fish paste. She would filet the fish and then minced the flesh on a wooden chopping board until the paste is smooth and bouncy to touch. This dish is easy enough to make nowadays, as fish paste is readily available in Asian supermarkets.
Ingredients:
2 eggs, beaten
½ lb fish paste
1 stalk spring onions, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
oil for frying
Method:
1. Season eggs with salt and pepper. Heat a shallow pan with some oil, and make 2 thin omelettes and cooked on both sides. Remove and set aside to cool.
2. In a bowl, mix fish paste with spring onions, and season with salt and pepper. Spread paste evenly on cooked omelettes and roll up to form a log.
3. Bring a steamer with water to a boil and steam and cook fish rolls for about 8-10 minutes. Remove from heat and let it cool before slicing. Serve with rice and chilli sauce.
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