Bak Choy with Fried Dace

Bak Choy with Fried Dace

Hello Whimsical Readers,

F~ So how many of you have like having a nice meal but just couldn't be bothered to stand in the kitchen toiling away over your meal which will be gone within 15 minutes of munching, chewing and swallowing..You? You too? And yes you too in the back, well I thought so, because I can be like that too. Sometimes you think, why bother? Since its going to look like mush when it reaches my stomach anyway. Oh Ho Ho, that's where you're mistaken. Did you know you can eat with obviously your mouth, nose and also eyes?

Yes, your mouth taste the food with your tongue, your nose smells and your eyes see the food, sending signals within micro-seconds telling your brain "YUMM! Drool*" or "IEW! I'm SO not having that" and even "Sigh* This again" So I think it is important to a certain extend how our food looks like, that's why I always try to make my food as presentable and pleasing to the eye as my skills take me.

Dont's fret, its not difficult to make your food look good even if it is just a simple dish like this dish I am going to share with you, which is Bak Choy with Fried Dace. Bak Choy is easy enough to cook as well as it is to over cook. Fried Dace has never looked good when I open the can but that does not mean I can't work with it. The rule of thumb is keeping your plate keep clean and not let it be dripping with sauce and drops of oil on the side of the plate. (check back next week for more detailed tips and tricks)

Ingredients: Serves 4
Bak Choy
1 can Fried Dace with Salted Black Beans (shred fried dace)
2 Tbsp Sesame Oil
Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Method:
1. Boil some water in a Pan/ Wok, adding in a pinch of Salt and 1 Tbsp of Sesame Oil.
2. In another heated Pan of medium flame, add in 1 Tbsp of oil from the can of Fried Dace and let it heat up before adding in the shredded Fried Dace and Salted Beans. Lightly fry them for 3 minutes until the Fried Dace becomes a nice dark brown. Turn off flame. Keep Fried Dace aside warm.
3. Once the water has come to a boil, put in the Bak Choy neatly in and blanch it for 1-2 minutes. They should turn into vibrant green.
4. Drain water and place Bak Choy neatly on a plate. Place Fried Dace and Salted Black Beans on top. Pour the remaining oil from the Pan and Sesame Oil over the Bak Choy.

That should not take more that 10 minutes to make and the results would be what you see above. the Bak Choy has a fresh and vibrant colour with the dark, rich brown from the Fried Dace. If you like more taste on your vegetable, dish out the Fried Dace, leaving the oil in and toss the Bak Choy in the same Pan. Enjoy!


Yours Truly,
The Whimsical Buddies

Aubergine Belacan (Spicy)

Hello Whimsical Readers,

F~ Hello, hello, did you notice the date today (10/10/10) is supposedly a very auspicious date? Not sure whether about where you're from, but where I'm from, it's for sure that there will be many couples getting married on this day. However we're not here to talk about people getting married, we're here for something more important which is FOOD. Haha. So let's get cracking..

However, let me first introduce to you a crucial ingredients that is very popular is the Southeast Asian regions from countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Singapore, Philippines. It is called Sambal Belacan. Sambal itself is a Malaysian/ Indonesian word for chili based sauce. Belacan is grounded shrimp that has been fermented, sun-dried after which cut into small blocks prior to cooking. Sambal belacan together means the shrimp paste is mixed and cooked with grounded chili, making this ingredient very spicy.

So now that you know one of the secret to spicy curries, let me show you another way to use Sambal Belacan. Without further ado, I present to you Aubergine Sambal Belacan. It is a mixture from the Malay and Chinese cuisine of Malaysia.

Aubergine Sambal Belacan

Ingredients: Serve 4
1 medium-sized Aubergine (sliced)
3 small Shallots (finely chopped)
70 grams Chicken (thinly sliced)
30 grams Dried Shrimp
2-4 Tsp Sambal Belacan (depending on your Spice Tolerance Level)
3 Tbsp Cooking Oil
1-2 Tbsp Soy Sauce
250 ml Water
Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Method:
1. After heating up your Cooking Oil in a pan/wok, add the Shallots and fry them for about 2 minutes.
2. Then add the Dried Shrimp and let it cook for a minute or so before adding the Chicken and again letting it cook for 2 minutes.
3. Next, add in the Aubergine and pour in 150 ml Water and close the lid for 3-5 minutes. (stirring it occasionally)
4. Turn the flame to a medium high before adding the Sambal Belacan, Salt & Pepper, Soy Sauce and the remaining Water to the mix.
5. Let it simmer for 2 minutes before serving.

Enjoy, and don't burn your tongue. =P


Yours Truly,
The Whimsical Buddies

Thai-style Stir Fried Convolvulus Vege (Optional Spicy)

Thai-Styled Kang Kung

Hello Whimsical Readers,

F~ This week's dish is actually from a good friend of mine, it is a Thai styled Convolvulus vege. What a mouthful that name is, to be honest I didn't know the English name until recently because back home we use called it "Kang Kung" If you are still unsure which vegetable it is, I'll save you the trouble Googling and show you what it looks like before is it washed, cut, cooked and served on a plate.

I know quite a number of ways you can cook this vegetable but for now it will be the Thai styled. However just to satisfy your curiosity, "Kang Kung" can be made into clear vegetable soup or stir fried with a Southeast Asian shrimp paste called "Belacan". I'd love to explain more but that's for next time, now its Thai style, so on with the recipe.

Ingredients: Serves 2-3
1 Bundle Convolvulus/ Kang Kung
100 gram Beef (minced and marinated with 1 Tbsp Fish Sauce prior to cooking)
1 Tsp Garlic (minced)
2-3 small Dried Chili (thinly cut)
4-5 Tbsp Fish Sauce
2 Tsp Sugar
2-3 Tbsp Cooking Oil
Salt & Pepper (to taste)

Convolvulus/ Kang Kung/ Water Spinach

Method:
1. Heat up your Cooking Oil in the pan/ wok, then add Garlic and Beef.
2. Once cooked, remove the Beef and put it aside.
3. Reheat the same pan/wok and add Convolvulus/ Kang Kung neatly. Add some water and let it cook on medium high with the lid on for about 6-8 minutes.
4. When vegetable is soft, add fish sauce and sugar. Stir well.
5. Add Beef with vegetable and drop in the Dried Chili and let it cook for 1-2 minutes.
6. Serve hot.

Enjoy!


Yours Truly,
The Whimsical Buddies

Korean Potato Side Dish 감자 조림 (Optional Spicy)

감자 조림 "GamJa-JoRim"

Hello Whimsical Readers,

Its time to start cooking and this being our first recipe, I, F~ have decided to make a Korean side dish (감자 조림) its pronounced as "GamJa-JoRim".

(감자 조림) "GamJa-JoRim" is a super easy dish to make which takes around 25 minutes to prepare, cook and serve. It is a slightly sweet dish because of the corn syrup and an optional spicy dish, for those who like some spice in their food.

I got this dish off the internet when I was looking for some Korean recipes and found this. Personally, it is also fitting for a first post because J~ loves potato, anything and everything potato. Haha. So I would like to dedicate this dish to my bestie, J~. Luv ya!

So down to the recipe, you don't have to be totally accurate on it unless its something like baking, then I would advise you to follow to the dot. I remember screwing up a cake but that's for another time. ;)

Ingredients: Serves 4
6 Potatoes (cut into cubes)
3 Tbsp Cooking Oil
2 Tsp Sesame Oil
1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
200 ml Water
5 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 Tsp Salt
4 Tbsp Corn Syrup
1 Tsp Sesame Seeds

1-1 1/2 Tbsp Korean Red Pepper Paste 고추장 "Go-Chu-Jang" (optional)

Method:
1. Heat up the pan/ wok and add the Cooking Oil.
2. Add the Potatoes and stir-fry for 5 minutes on a medium flame.
3. Add the Garlic and stir-fry for 1 minutes.
4. Add the Water, Soy Sauce, Corn Syrup and Red Pepper Paste (optional) then let the potatoes continue cooking for 5 minutes on high flame.
5. Add the Salt according to your taste and let it cook for 5 minutes. By this time, the liquid mixture should be like a paste.
6. Turn the flame back to medium and cook the Potatoes for another 5 minutes.
7. Add the Sesame Seeds and Sesame Oil for smell and flavouring. Mix it well.
8. Serve dish hot or cold. Enjoy!

Notes:
Tbsp - Tablespoon
Tsp - Teaspoon
1 Cup - 200 ml - 2 dl

Hope you like it!


Yours Truly,
The Whimsical Buddies