Eggplant with minced pork ~ 茄子炒肉碎

There are many ways to prepare eggplant and to me, the most fuss free method is to just cut it up, steam and then serve with some garlic oil and a dash of pepper. But today, I want to share with you a more 'complicated' method whereby I pan seared them, mixed in some Korean bean paste, bits of pork and added in some dried chillies to make the dish slightly spicy. This dish pairs well with rice or plain white porridge.

Recipe for Eggplant with minced pork ~ 茄子炒肉碎

Ingredients

2 eggplants, 450 gm, cut into bite size
2 stalks of spring onions, cut into 2 inch lengths
150 gm minced pork
6 dried chillies, soaked to soften and cut
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine
3 Tbsp oil

Sauce (Combine altogether)

1.1/2 Tbsp bean paste
1 Tbsp light soya sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp fish sauce
2 tsp sugar

Method

Heat up some oil in a wok, sear the eggplants till brown on all sides.
Dish out and set aside.
With the remaining oil in the wok, add in the garlic, minced pork, dried chillies, stir-fry. Mix in the sauce, stir-fry.
Toss in the eggplants, spring onions, mix well. Fine tune to taste.
Drizzle on the wine, dish out and serve hot with rice.

Snow Swallow Dessert ~ 天然野生雪燕

Natural Wild Tragacanth Gum 'Snow Swallow' or Xue Yan is a gum derived from different varieties of sterculia trees. It's actually a sap drained from the root of the plant and the gum dries as it exudes and is then collected. Once rehydrated will increase to about ten times in size and their white stringy, jelly like strands texture resembles that of the much prized and highly valued bird's nest. One thing to take note when cooking this dessert is that the gum is highly soluble in water and cannot be boiled too long. Since it is 'cooling' for our internal organs, the elderlies should take this in moderation and not recommended for nursing mums for the breast milk may cause the baby to purge. Snow Swallow Dessert ~ 天然野生雪燕 Ingredients 8 gm Snow Swallow gums 10 gm red dates 10 gm goji berries 20 gm dried longan Rock or piece sugar to taste 1 litre water Pandan leaves (optional) Method Soak the Snow Swallow gums in plenty of water for at least...

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Double boiled Black chicken soup

This chicken soup is slightly different from the normal good old chicken soup as it's double-boiled with black chicken. Flavoured with traditional Chinese herbs like sweet wolfberries /goji berries/Boxthorn fruits, Ginseng aka 'Pau Sum' in Cantonese and Yuzhu aka Solomon's seal rhizome/polygonatum, this soup is believed to be invigorating and nutritious. According to the Chinese, the black chicken has curative value and it's above that of white chicken meat as the former has less fat. A short introduction to the traditional Chinese herbs. 'Pau Sum' helps to increase energy, enhance healthy blood circulation and also boost the immune system. Wolfberries helps to improve vision and nourish the lungs and kidneys. Yuzhu helps to treat dry throat, dry cough, promote production of body fluid and relieve dryness syndrome.

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