Braised Spare Ribs With Fermented Soya Bean Paste

It was a quick decision to cook for dinner and my freezer was out of meat and I still have some left over pork ribs. I got this recipe from a recipe book and modified slightly as I would prefer to have some sauce for the kids. That happens when I cook few dishes and all are usually dry dishes without sauces to go with the steamed white rice.
Other than that,I wanted to try some new pork ribs dishes for a change instead and it tasted like one of my MIL's pork ribs dishes. You may even cook with potatoes.

Ingredients:
400g spare ribs, cut into serving pieces
2 cups oil for deep frying
2 tbsp finely chopped garlic

Marinade:
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp light soya sauce
1 tbsp corn flour

Seasoning:
1 tbsp fermented soya bean paste
1/2 tbsp light soya sauce
1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp shaoxing wine
Dash of sesame oil and pepper

500ml water

Method:
1. Mix spare ribs with marinade and marinate for 30 minutes. Deep fry in hot oil for a short while or till slightly brown. Dish and drain.
2. Leave 1 tbsp oil in wok and saute chopped garlic until aromatic. Add in seasoning and fry for 30 seconds. Add in spare ribs and water and bring to boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes or until spare ribs are tender or when the sauce thickens. Dish and serve.

Danger of Bottled Water In The Car

Another email I would like to share with you. Mom told me about the danger of it but I didn't know that it can cause breast cancer in women. But I personally believe that it harms men as well.

Bottled water in your car.....very dangerous, woman!!!!
This is how Sheryl Crow got breast cancer. She was on the Ellen show and
said this same exact thing. This has been identified as the most common
cause of the high levels in breast cancer, especially in Australia .
A friend whose mother was recently diagnosed with breast cancer. The Doctor
told her: women should not drink bottled water that has been left in a car.
The doctor said that the heat and the plastic of the bottle have certain
chemicals that can lead to breast cancer. So please be careful and do not
drink bottled water that has been left in a car, and, pass this on to all
the women in your life. This information is the kind we need to know and be
aware and just might save us!!!! The heat causes toxins from the plastic to
leak into the water and they have found these toxins in breast tissue. Use
a stainless steel Canteen or a glass bottle when you can!!!

Do You Eat Petai?

Got this from a forwarded email but don't know how true it is.Don't blame me if you smell of petai all day and night.



ADVICE FROM UKM MEDICAL DOCTOR

Little did you know ...... after reading THIS, you'll NEVER look at petai in the same way again!

Petai contains three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose. Combined with fiber, petai gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy. Research has proved that just two servings of petai provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder petai is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes. But energy isn't the only way petai can help us keep fit. It can also help overcome or prevent a substantial number of illnesses and conditions, making it a must to add to our daily diet.

Depression:
According to a recent survey undertaken by MIND among people suffering from depression, many felt much better after eating petai. This is because petai contain tryptophan, a type of protein that the body converts into serotonin, known to make you relax, improve your mood and generally make you feel happier.

PMS (Pre-Menstrual Syndrome):
Forget the pills - eat petai. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.

Anaemia:
High in iron, petai can stimulate the production of haemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anaemia.

Blood Pressure:
This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the petai industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the risk of blood pressure and stroke.

Brain Power :
200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school were helped through their exams this year by eating petai at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.

Understand that bananas contain lot of potassium too so eat more banana. Just look at those monkeys, they are really active, alert, smart and cunny too!!

Constipation:
High in fiber, including petai in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.

Hangovers:
One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a petai milkshake, sweetened with honey. The petai calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.

Heartburn:
Petai has a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating petai for soothing relief.

Morning Sickness:
Snacking on petai between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.

Mosquito bites:
Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of the petai skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.

Nerves:
Petai is high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.

Overweight:
Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and crisps. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The report concluded that, to avoid panic-induced food cravings, we need to control our blood sugar levels by snacking on high carbohydrate foods every two hours to keep levels steady.

Ulcers:
Petai is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.

Temperature control:
Many other cultures see petai as a 'cooling' fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Holland, for example, pregnant women eat petai to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD):
Petai can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer, tryptophan.

Smoking:
Petai can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.

Stress:
Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium petai snack.

Strokes:
According to research in 'The New Engla nd Journal of Medicine, ' eating petai as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%'.

Warts:
Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of petai and place it on the wart. Carefully hold the petai in place with a plaster or surgical tape!

So, as you can see, petai really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrates, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around. So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, 'A Petai a day keeps the doctor away'.

Fish Fillet And Spinach Soup

Ingredients
200gm fish fillet, sliced
1 tbsp oil, 5 slices ginger
800ml water
300g spinach/choy sum

Marinade
1/4 tsp salt
Dash of corn flour

Seasoning
1 tsp concentrated chicken stock
Dash of salt and pepper

1 deep fried yao char kwai, sliced

Method
1. Mix fish with marinade
2. Heat up oil, saute sliced ginger until fragrant. Add water, seasoning and bring to boil. Add in the remaining ingredients and bring to boil again. dish up.
3. Sprinkle yao char kwai on top and serve.

Steamed Minced Meat With Dried Squid

Ingredients
200gm minced meat
1 dried squid, soaked and chopped
8 waterchesnuts, peeled, chopped and squeezed out juice
1 egg

Seasoning
1/2 tsp salt, 2 tbsp water
1 tbsp light soy sauce
A little sesame oil and pepper
1 tbsp corn flour

Method
1. Put all ingredients and seasoning into a mixing bowl and mix well. Place onto a steaming tray.
2. Steam at high heat for 12-15 minutes or until cooked. Remove and serve.

Cotton Cheese Cake

Ingredient A
250gm cream cheese , Philadelphia brand
75gm of butter, I used unsalted
70gm castor sugar
6 egg yolks
40gm flour,sieved
20gm corn flour, sieved
1/2 tsp cream of tartar, sieved
1-3 drops of lemon essence (optional)

Ingredient B
70gm castor sugar
6 egg whites

Method:
1. Melt cream cheese and butter in a big cup (I used stainless steel) in a wok of boiling water. Keep on stirring till it melts completely with a medium heat.
2. Remove the cup and leave the melted cream cheese and butter to cool.
3. Once it is cool, start beating Ingredient B in a mixer on speed 3 for about 10 minutes or till white foam appears (like the bubble in the bath). Leave it aside.
4. Put melted cream cheese and butter into a big mixing bowl. Add in egg yolk one at a time. Add in castor sugar. Fold in flour and cream of tartar.Add in lemon essence. Lastly, add in beaten Ingredient B. Mix evenly.
5. Line a medium square baking pan and pour mixture into it.
6. Fill a big round baking pan with hot water.
7. Place the square pan into the big round pan that is filled with hot water.
8. Bake at 180 C for 1 hour 15 minutes or till cooked.

Notes:
The important method that you have to do it right is beating the castor sugar and egg white in a mixer. Ensure that it doesn't drip when you turn the bowl over.
You many add lemon essence to get a hint of lemon.
You don't need to reduce the sugar content as it is just of the right taste. Not too sweet too.
Remember to preheat your oven!

Spicy Sambal Squid

4 large squids, sliced into small ring shape
2 tbsp plain chilli sambal
10 no of shallots, blended
1 medium size of serai
2 large onions, cut into 6
8 cloves of garlic, blended
pinch of salt
2 tsp of sugar, more or less
3 tbsp cooking oil

Method
1. Heat up oil in wok. Add in shallots and garlic and fry till fragrant.
2. Add in chilli paste and fry till fragrant/change to darker red color.
3. Add in squid and fry for 30 seconds.
4. Add in sugar and salt and some splashes of water. Fry for another 2-3 minutes or till squid is cooked.

Wai San Soup

Serve 5-6

Ingredients
10 pieces of dried wai san
1 big handful of hoi jook/yook jok
1 tbsp wolfberries
8 numbers of red dates
300gm of pig's tail bone
Pot of water

Method
1. Heat up the water and add in all the ingredients when it boils. Cook in medium heat for 1 hour and turn to low heat for the next two hours.

Note: Buy Hoi Jook instead of Yook Jook cause it is 'sweeter'.

Steamed Pork Ribs With Fermented Soya Beans & Black Beans

Ingredients

2 medium/large pork ribs, chopped into smaller pieces
2 cloves garlic, chopped finely
3 tsp cornflour
2.5 tbsp fermented soya beans,(min si) chopped finely
1.5 tbsp fermented black beans (dao si), chopped finely
2 or 3 tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp white vinegar


Method
1. Heat up cooking oil in a sauce pan. Stir fry garlic together with fermented black beans and soya beans until fragrant. Pour onto the chopped pork rib and mix well.
2. Add in vinegar and followed by cornflour. Mix well,
3. Steam for about 20 minutes or till cook.

1. Tell pork seller to choose pork ribs with meat cause you want to steam. (jeng jue yook)
2. Different fermented soya beans is different in saltiness. Try it before you stir fry it. If it is not 'tasty' or salty enough, add another 1 tsp or more.
3. You may add chopped chilli padi to the dish and it tastes really good too unless children are eating too.

Spicy Cabbage With Chilli Padi

Ingredients

Half of a large cabbage. I prefer the Cameron Highland ones,cut.
5-8 chilli padi
2-3 tbsp soya sauce
3 cloves garlic, chopped finely
3 shallots, chopped
3 tbsp cooking oil

Method
1. Add in garlic and shallots into the hot wok with cooking oil. Stir fry till fragrant 2. Add in cabbage and stir fry. Splash about 1 or 2 tbsp of water at the side of the wok and keep on repeating it for a few times.
3. Add in soya sauce and stir fry till cabbage is soft. Dish and serve.

Potato With Pork

Ingredients
3 no of potatoes, sliced thinly
50-100gm pork meat, sliced thinly, marinate with soya sauce, dashes pf pepper, and cornflour
1 cup water
2-3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1-2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp dark soya sauce
1/2 - 1 tbsp cornflour, mix in about 2tbsp of water

Method
1.Pan fry potatoes in a hot wok. When it is cooked, dish into a plate without the oil.
2. Heat up about 2 tbsp cooking oil and add in garlic and fry till fragrant.
3. Add in pork meat and fry till almost cooked. Add in potatoes, and oyster and dark soya sauce.Add in water.
4. Add in cornflour mixture to the wok.
5. Stir fry for a while or till the sauce thickens. Dish and Serve.

Fish Paste With Egg Patties

Ingredients
300g fish paste
4-5 eggs
1 stalk of spring onion, finely chopped (optional)
1.5tbsp soya sauce
1 small piece of mui heong salted fish (optional)
Dashes of pepper
4 tbsp of cooking oil

Method
1. Mix fish paste with all the ingredients except cooking oil. Mash the fish paste and salted fish.
2. Heat up wok with oil.
3. Pour some fish paste mixture into the wok (depends on how big your wok is). You can separate into two or three sessions.
4. Pan fry on slow or medium heat.
5. Turn the mixture over and keep on pan frying till the fish paste is cooked.
6. Serve hot with best with Kg Koh Chilli Sauce.