Steam sliced chicken breast meat with dried lily buds,mushrooms & black fungus

It has been a long time since Mum made this dish. This dish call for dried lily buds. Another name is golden needles. Dried lily buds are the unopened flowers of day lilies. The the scientic name is Hemerocallis. Dried lily buds have been used in China as both a food and medicine for over 2,000 years. Dried lily buds are yellow-gold in color, with a musky or earthy.

When purchasing lily buds, look for those with pale color. Before using, you may need to cut off about a quarter inch at the bottom to get rid of the woody stem. They must be soaked in warm water for about thirty minutes before use. For better flavor, try tying them in a knot.

Ingredients:
300 gms chicken breast meat
75 gms dried lily buds
3 big piece of dried shitake mushroom
10 gms black fungus
½ cup chicken stock or ½ cup water with ½ chicken bullion

(A)
1 ts chopped garlic
1 tb chopped young ginger
2 tb white wine or Chinese
2 tb sesame oil
1 tb oysters sauce
½ ground white pepper
1 ts sugar
2 ts corn starch

Method:
Wash dried lily bulbs and soaked in warm water for 30 mins. Drain and squeeze out excess water and tie a note for each bud set aside. Wash and soak dried shitake mushroom, drain and squeeze out excess water and slice thinly and set aside. Wash black fungus, soaked in warm water for 30 mins , take off the core and tear it up into smaller florets and set aside. Wash chicken breast meat and slice meat strip into about ¼ in thick ½ in wide and about 2 ins long and set aside. Get ready the chopped young ginger, chopped onion. Marinate chicken with (A) for ½ hour. Just before putting chicken in the steamer add chicken stock, black fungus, sliced mushroom and dried lily buds in to plate. Mix well and when the water in the steamer is boiling, steam for about 30 mins or till chicken turns white and cooked.

Ah Lui Jay's Turnip and dried squid stew

Many may mistaken that this dish is Ju Hu Char but it is not. There is no shredded mushroom or shredded pork. My Mum make this dish to be wrapped in lettuce and it is really refreshing and tasty and will never feel full. It can be eaten as a snack before the main meal or as a side dish for the main meal to be eaten with rice.  If you like it spicy, you can spread some sambal belachan or chilli sauce on the lettuce before putting the stew turnip and dried squid.  

Ah Lui Jay's Turnip and dried squid stew

Ingredients:

1)      1 cup julienne carrot

2)      4 cups julienne turnip

3)      1 cup julienne black fungus
(washed and soaked till all opened and soft)

4)      25 gms dried shredded squid 
(washed and soaked till soft)

5)   2 tbs chopped garlic

6)      2 tbs vegetable oil

7)       3 tsp oyster sauce

8)  1 tsp vegetable stock

9)      1 tbs black sauce 

10)  2 cups water 

11)  Spring onion for garnishing (optional)

Method:

Heat oil and stir fry chopped garlic till fragrant. Add in julienne carrot and stir fry till limp. Add in julienne turnip and stir fry till translucent.  Add shredded dried squid and stir fry till you smell the fragance of dried squid. Add 1/2 cup water and let simmer for 10 minutes. add in shredded black fungus. Mixed well with turnip and carrot. Add 3 tsp oyster sauce, mix well, add 1 tbs black sauce, 1 tsp vegetable stock and mix well. Add 1 cup water. Lower heat and let simmer till turnip and carrot is limp. Turn off fire and scoop up onto the serving plate and serve with lettuce and chilly sauce. I like to eat it wrapped in lettuce.