Fried Tofu Sandwiches

So called this is a sandwich, but the spread is neither mayonnese with egg nor butter with ham, instead it is ground beef filled in tofu slices. Making the fried sandwiches is more or less the same as usual sandwiches only that the tofu have to be coated by egg wash and cooked by pan frying.

For this recipe, I had taken some ugly pictures before which once made me turn off this post. When I come to prepare this dish again, I follow a strategy in mind that I should cook only a portion of the ingredients ahead of our meal. Doing so, I need not rush to cope with the dinner as well as to quickly complete taking a few shots while the dish is still hot. What a simple issue yet I haven’t realized it in the first place!

Previously I picked one picture between two. This time, I short-list five among the thirty shots but am still hesitated on which NOT to show. Greedily, here comes two of them (top one and below). So choices do matter, right?

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Asian Vietnamese Pho Soup Food

                     Asian Vietnamese Pho Soup Food

Pho or called Phở is an Asian traditional noodle soup food in Vietnamese cuisine, which uses soy sauce, fish sauce, rice, herbs and vegetables widely. Herbs such as lemongrass, Vietnamese mint, coriander and basil leaves are commonly used in all types of foods. Besides, meats used are fish, chicken, pork, beef and seafood. Vietnamese also have a strong vegetarian tradition influenced by Chinese culture.

Traditional Vietnamese culinary and recipes are greatly admired for freshness of the ingredients, healthy lifestyle and presentation. Meats are briefly cooked to preserve original textures and colours, while vegetables are rarely cooked. Herbs, vegetables and broths are used abundantly for flavors, taste and nutrition. The spices and condiments are usually colourful and eye-pleasing manners.

Phở Noodle Soup Serving

Pho is the most popular noodles food in Vietnamese cuisine, which is a noodle soup with clear, rich broth made by boiling meat and spices for hours. The grated rice noodles is made of fragrant rice called Gao Te, while the broth is typically made by stewing oxtails, bones of cows and pigs in a large pot for a periods of time. Seasonings can include cinnamon, onion, cardamom, coriander seed and cloves. Meats used most commonly are beef or chicken. It is serves with pieces of fillet mignon and slices of ginger. This hot and spicy noodles soup is usually garnished with spring onions and vegetables such as chilies, basil and bean sprouts. Others accompaniments include dipping sauces (fish, hoisin or chilies sauce), spicy pastes or squeezed lemon juice. Pho is best to serve as breakfast and/or dinner food.

Examples of Pho

Phở bò viên	Phở with beef meat balls
Phở gà	Chicken phở
Phở tôm	Phở served with pieces of shrimp
Phở xào	Stir-fried phở
Phở chay	Spicy phở with vegetables

Enjoy touring this indispensable Asian pho food.

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Red Bean Soup Dessert with Sago and Glutinous Rice Balls

Red Bean Soup Dessert with Sago and Glutinous Rice Balls

In China, red bean soup is a popular dish. The soup is commonly thinner than the Japanese oshiruko version. It is categorized as a tang shui, (literally translated as sugar water), or sweet soup. It is often served cold during the summer, and hot in the winter. Leftover red bean soup can also be frozen to make ice pops.

It is one of the main desserts offered after Cantonese cuisine meals in restaurants at night. When served, it is plain most of the time. The fancier restaurants may offer red bean soup with sago (西米). The two types of sugar used interchangeably are rock sugar and sliced sugar (片糖).

Since the older generation of Malaysian Chinese were immigrated from China, this red bean soup had been adapted in Malaysia and became one of the traditional and common dessert nowadays.

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Chinese Stewed Duck

Chinese Stewed Duck

There are many duck recipes available out there and I am a lover of duck meat. Yet, I must confess that despite there being such a big variety of duck recipes, I am still partial to the chinese duck recipes – peking duck, roasted duck and stewed duck. Today, I shall share with you my wife’s family recipe for stewed duck. We call it Lor Ark in Hokkien.

This duck recipe uses dark soya sauce and some simple ingredients to give the duck an aromatic flavour yet retain the juiciness of the flesh. If you can get hold of the ingredients mentioned, I would recommend that you try this recipe for you will be amazed by how easy it is to cook a wonderful and delicious stewed duck dish.

 

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Scallop Congee

Scallop Congee

Scallop Congee is one of my most oft cooked congee for weekend lunch. Okay, make it Scallop Porridge for those who are more familiar with the word porridge. Actually, it’s the same. And whichever name you call it, it will still taste as good though I suspect the word “congee” sounds much more sophisticated and refined to be used.

For this congee, I use dried scallops which I purchase from the wet market. You can get them from supermarkets and some chinese herbal shops or even, dried sea produce. I use those which are relatively small in size – perhaps about the size of half a pop corn as they are cheap and easy to cook.

In the picture above, the scallop congee appears white in colour. I have a habit of eating my scallop congee with an egg. What I would do is to break an egg into the bowl and pour boiling congee over it before giving it a good stir. The egg gives the congee a much smoother texture and definitely tastes better. Game for a bowl? 

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