Beef with Asian dipping sauce (FODMAP friendly, gluten free)
A few friends dropped by unexpectedly one weekend afternoon.
We opened a bottle of red wine and felt a bit peckish. Something quick and easy to share would be lovely.
A piece of Angus rump steak is the perfect snack:
1. Cook the steak 1-3 minutes on each side, depending on the thickness and how rare you would like it; rest the steak for 10 minutes
2. Prepare a simple Asian dipping sauce – fish sauce (1 tsp) + rice wine vinegar (1tsp) + sugar (1tsp) + boiling water (3 tsp), stir well to dissolve the sugar. added a little chopped chili if you prefer
3. Slice the steak
4. Drizzle some sesame oil over the beef (optional)
5. Chop some mint for garnish (optional)
6. Serve at room temperature
Great to share with friends.
Chicken feet and corporate greed
Winston Churchill said, “the inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of blessings; the inherent virtue of socialism is the equal sharing of miseries”.
I thought of corporate greed.
They share their goals and visions loud and proud – for the best interest of shareholders. They will sack as many workers as possible, and take the fat out of the operation until it is on the verge of collapse. This enable them to harvest short term bonus, and at some point, enjoy a big fat golden handshakes when the real pictures are unfold.
Does it have to be like that? Why can’t corporations work for the best interest of all stakeholders including their customers and employees.
Corporate greed reminds me chicken feet – skin and bone, barely a feed, and hardly a blessing for some.
While cooking the chicken feet, I thought of the families who struggle to pay their rents and put food on the tables, and the smart and ambitious ones in prestige positions yet do not have time to enjoy with their families.
Chicken feet is cheap and tasty, yet unfulfilling as a meal. Is it a blessing or misery?
Cooking method is as follows:
1. Clean the chicken feet, remove callus and nails
2. Place the chicken feet in a pressure cooker, add a dash of sesame oil, a dash of light soy sauce, a dash of dark soy sauce, a dash of oyster sauce, a dash of wine, a little sugar, a few star anise, a few cloves, black pepper
3. Cook on high pressure for 45 minutes
4. Serve hot or at room temperature
Meals for homeless: turmeric eggs with chili tomato salsa
This is a simple ‘please-all’ egg recipe with a tangy chili and tomato salsa. It is often the first dish to be emptied at the street buffet for our homies.
Easy method is as follows: Read the rest of this entry »
Autumn sword flower soup 霸王花汤
Cantonese loves soups. There are soups for spring, summer, autumn and winter.
For autumn, one of my favorite therapeutic soups is the sword flower soup. I cook it as a light bone broth with chicken bones, dried sword flowers, carrots, almonds, Chinese dates and Chinese mushrooms. Just put all the ingredients in a pressure cooker, and it is done in 60 minutes.
Meals for the homeless – grilled chicken with Korean pepper flakes and Indian garlic ginger paste
Simple, delicious and budget – 4 kilo of chicken fillets for our homeless friends. Have a great weekend everyone.
Easy steps as follows:
- Dice the chicken drumstick or thigh fillet
- Saute the chicken with generous amount of cooking oil, Korean pepper flakes, Indian garlic and ginger paste, a dash of fish sauce, a little sugar
- Once cooked, transfer to a plate, discard any liquid / sauce
- Briefly grill the chicken pieces on a hot griddle, splash a dash of dark soy sauce and toss slightly
- Serve hot or chilled
Chili, ginger and garlic prawns (gluten free)
Some summer Friday afternoons following the school pick ups, my school-mum friends may drop by for a few glasses of bubbles and the kids have a swim in the pool.
I always keep some easy-to-cook ingredients in my freezer for such occasions – homemade curry puffs, spring rolls, and of course, wild caught Australian prawns. The prawns are delicious, already peeled, easy to defrost, and quick to cook.
Method is as follow: Read the rest of this entry »
Bitter melon with beef and fermented black bean, and the story of the ‘left-behind’ children
When I chatted with my friends over lunch today, I told them about the documentary about the left-behind children in Southern China.
These children lived in small and remote communities deep in the beautiful mountains in the GuangXi province, bordering Vietnam. With limited land for farming, their parents left home to work in factories in the coastal cities. Some children lived with their elderly grandparents. Some children, as young as 12 years old, looked after themselves and their younger siblings.
Living in leaky shacks, these children faced daily challenges with the lack of food, water, firewood, money for school, and loving care by parents. Yet, the children were full of hope and spirit. Their daily chores, besides going to school, were fetching water, growing a few corns, collecting wild vegetables and cooking meals. The children looked forward to seeing their parents once a year during the Luna holiday, when the massive migration of workers returned home to their families.
Amazing resilience, their unique stories filled with sadness and joy.
“I was a left-behind child too, together with my younger brother and sister,’ say my friend Loyd, who came from Malaysia. “I was cared by my grandparents until I was 9 years old. My parents worked at a logging site in the forest. My dad leased out equipment to the workers, while my mum worked as an administration clerk for the big logging company.”
” How do you feel about it, growing up without parents?” I was curious.
“This was the life we were given. We appreciated what we had.” Loyd said.
I always look up to this man, kind, respectful and calm. Life is good for him and his family.
I cooked a bitter melon dish tonight. Bitter melon is an unusual vegetable with bumpy husk and a peculiar peppery taste. Some people hate its bitterness, yet many more appreciate the humble and unique deliciousness it offers.
Life is good when you appreciate it.
Easy stir fry method is as follows:
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