Stir-fry Mustard Green with Crabmeat

This used to be a common dish served at Chinese Wedding Dinners but not so much now.  I wonder why. I like the peppery taste of mustard green and crab meat is my favorite. This is not an easy dish to cook. It is rather difficult to get the right consistency for the gravy but then when you get it right, this is very delicious and worth the effort.  I have cooked this twice before. The first time, the gravy was too watery and second time, I could not get a good shot of the dish. Somehow, this is a rather difficult dish to photograph. How about these photos? Are they calling you to try to make this dish? 

Adapted from Red Cook
Ingredients:

12 ozs. (or 3 cups cut) mustard green

6 ozs. cooked crabmeat

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh ginger

3/4 cup chicken stock (or water)

2 tablespoon Shaoxing cooking wine

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

1/2 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water to make slurry

Method:

Cut the leafy portion of mustard green off, and then cut the green stem into approximately 1.5-inch square pieces. Use fresh or refrigerated cooked crabmeat if available. Otherwise canned crabmeat can be substituted. Heat two tablespoons vegetable oil in a wok until beginning to smoke. Put the mustard green in the wok and add 1/2 cup of stock or water. Cover the wok and simmer over medium heat for about 8 minutes. Stir the vegetable occasionally to make sure it is evenly cooked. When the vegetable is cooked and tender, but not mushy, remove it from the wok along with all the liquid and put it in a bowl. Set aside. Heat another one tablespoon of vegetable oil in the wok and stir-fry the garlic and ginger for about a minute. Add the crabmeat, cooking wine, salt, pepper and the rest of the stock or water. Cook for another two minutes or so and return the vegetable and its liquid into the wok. Thicken the sauce with the cornstarch slurry. Plate and serve immediately.

Note: To make it even more elegant, garnish the dish with a sprinkle of cooked crab roe.

Stir fry baby bok choy with almond - an appropriate side dish for Chinese New Year

There are so many variation in cooking baby bok choy. Here is another variation. Quick, simple yet delicious and healthy. This makes a lovely vegetable dish for Chinese New Year if you are looking for one. Since almonds signify goods of life, it is an appropriate dish to include for the celebration.

Ingredients:

350 gm baby bok choy

¼ cup almond, chopped

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tsp chopped garlic

½ cube bullion chicken stock

¼ tsp sesame oil

¼ tsp ground white pepper

¾ cup water

Method:

Dissolve bullion chicken stock in ¾ cup warm water and set aside. Heat oil in wok and sauté garlic till fragrant. Add almond and stir fry till they a golden brown.  Add bok choy , chicken stock and stir fry till bok choy is limb .  Add sesame oil and ground white pepper and mix well.  Transfer to serving plate and serve hot. 

Stir fry pumpkin with fried sesame seeds - Featured in Group Recipes

This is such an easy dish to do but easy does not mean the taste will be just so-so.  On the contrary, this super duper easy dish is super duper tasty!

Ingredients:

1 medium pumpkin, skin removed and cut into chunks

3 tsp sugar

1/2 cube chicken bullion (mashed)

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 cup water

1 1/2 tbs toasted sesame seeds 

Method:

Heat oil in wok and stiry fry pumpkin till the oil is being absorbed.  Add water and lower heat and simmer till the pumpkin is soft but not mushy, about 15 – 20 mins. Add sugar, chicken bullion stir fry for about 1 min and add toasted sesame seed and mix well.  Ready to serve.

Stir fry French beans with diced prawn and sweet choy poh - Featured in Group Recipes

One of the many favorite dishes that my mum cooks for me. This one so simple to make. This dish goes well with both porridge and steamed rice. 

Ingredients:

300 gm French beans, diced

1 red chilly, remove the seeds and diced

10 medium size prawns, wash and diced

2 tbs sweet choy poh (this is sold chopped in packet in the grocery store)

½ white onion, diced

1 tsp vegetable oil

1 tsp chopped garlic

2 tbs water

Marinate the prawns with for 10 mins:

½ tsp sugar

¼ tsp ground white pepper

1 tbs sesame oil

Method:

Heat oil in wok and add garlic. Stir fry till fragrant, add onions and choy poh and stir fry till onions are translucent.  Add French beans till the color turn darker green, add prawns and water.  Stir fry till all water evaporated but ensure the French beans are not overcooked. Transfer to serving plate. 

Note: If you do not like the strong taste of sesame oil, you can reduce from 3/4 to 1/2 tbs or adjust according to your taste.