Stir Fry Nai Bai Cai

Bought a packet of Nai Bai Cai from the supermarket. It's a smaller version of the bai cai and it's softer and sweeter. I don't often see this available as it's seasonal. So when I saw the last packet ($0.60) there on the shelf, I grabbed it.  This batch of nai bai was small so there was no need to cut them at all. I just stir fry them in garlic and added a pinch of salt for seasoning. Yap, they're so 'good' you can really eat it on its own.

Stir Fry Beansprouts with Oyster Sauce

Just cooked this last night when we had our own version of chicken rice. A quick stir fry, I spent more time plucking the tails of the beansprouts.

Stir Fry Beansprouts in Vegetarian Oyster Sauce

Ingredients:

about 250g of beansprouts (optional: remove the tails & heads)

1 tbsp oil

a clove of garlic, chopped

1 tbsp oyster sauce (I used the vegetarian Shitake mushroom type)

some water

spring onion, chopped

deep fried shallots (gives extra flavour)

(I'll usually have a small glass bottle ready. Shallots cut into rings & deep fried- give extra flavour, especially if it's home-fried)

Method:

Heat up 1 tbsp of oil in the wok. Saute the garlic till fragrant.

Add the beansprouts & some water. Stir fry & when the colour changes, add the oyster sauce.

Dish up and garnish with fried shallots & chopped spring onions.

Stir fry Baby Spinach with Ikan Bilis

Here's another stir fry vegetable dish that Jerome like, especially with the topping of deep fried anchovies/ ikan bilis. The baby spinach is cooked till soft while the deep fried ikan bilis gives the dish extra flavour & crunch.

There are generally a  few kinds of spinach available in Singapore:

Po Cai - sometimes used in steamboat, or served in restuarant cooked with abalone & chinese mushrooms (I think this is the one that Popeye eats that made him strong)

Xian Cai - light green round leaves spinach, softer, used more in soups & for porridge for toddlers.

Xian Cai- dark green pointed leaves spinach. I prefer the darker green types for stir frys.

Baby Spinach with Ikan Bilis

Ingredients:

spinach, plucked into sections (discard the thicker/older stems as they can be tough)

1 tbsp of ikan bilis (choose the smaller type)

1 clove of garlic, chopped

a pinch of salt

100 ml of water

2 tbsp of oil.

Method:

Heat up the oil in the wok. Fry the ikan bilis till they're golden brown. Dish up & set aside.

Saute the garlic in the wok till fragrant. Add the baby spinach & water.

Stir fry till the spinach is cooked (only a couple of minutes).

Add a pinch of salt to season (taste & add more if necessary).

Dish up and add the fried ikan bilis on top. Serve immediately.

Stir Fry Cauliflower

Just to show that we're not just meat-eaters, I've decided to take some pictures & post them up just to show that we do get our fair servings of vegetables daily.

A colourful plate of Stir fry Cauliflower & mixed vegetables

Ingredients:

Vegetables: Cauliflower, snow peas, capsicum, celery, carrot & chopped garlic

Others: some water (100ml), a pinch of salt, 1 tbsp Hua Tiao Jiu

Method:

Heat up 1 tbsp of oil in the wok & saute chopped garlic till fragrant.

Add the cauliflower & water. Cover the wok for a couple of minutes (the cauliflower takes a longer time to cook).

Add snow peas, carrots & fry for a while & add capsicum & celery.

(I like the vegetables to be crunchy here, so I don't overcook them. My mother will usually boil the cauliflower to cook them till soft first before she stir frys.)

Add salt & Hua Tiao Jiu for taste.

Dish up & serve immediately.

Stir Fry Chicken with Cashew Nuts

A tasty stir fry chicken dish. Good enough to be part of a 1-dish meal, served with white rice. Great to add on a soup too :)



Recipe for Stir Fry Chicken with Cashew Nuts

Ingredients:
250g chicken breast, cut into thin strips

Marinade:
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
1 tbsp oyster sauce

Others:
1 + 1 tbsp oil
1 onion, cut into wedges
2 glaric cloves, chopped
1 carrot, cut into slices
100g snow peas
100g roasted cashew nuts
60ml water

Method:
1) Marinade chicken for at least 30 mins.
2) Heat oil & cook chicken. Remove & set aside.
3) Heat oil. Saute onion & garlic till fragrant. Add vegetables & fry briefly.
4) Add chicken. Add water. Cook until suace thickens.
5) Add cashew nuts & serve hot.

Stir Fry Minced Meat with Potatoes

A savoury dish, good with porridge.

Ingredients

200g minced meat (marinade with some soya sauce, sesame oil & pepper)

1 potato, peeled & cut into slices

1 medium-size onion, cut into rings

200ml water

1tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp dark soya sauce

Method:

1) Heat up 1 tbps oil in wok. Saute onions till fragrant.

2) Add water. Add potatoes. Cover & simmer for 10mins.

3) Add minced meat & mix well.

4) Add seasoning of oystersauce & dark soya sauce.

5) Dish up & serve.