Mustard Green Salted Egg Soup

The bitterness of the mustard greens combined with the briny fattiness of the salted duck eggs, yields this unique savory bittersweet flavor in this soup. When I was a kid, I considered this soup too sharp and bitter, but now that I’ve gotten familiar with the taste, it is surprisingly soothing and delicious with a bowl of rice. This recipe has become one of my mom’s favorite soups.

Traditionally, the broth is made from lean slices of pork. But since I didn’t have any in my fridge, I came up with this simple recipe that can still deliver the same flavor. Feel free to add thin slices of pork to this recipe, but remember to boil and cook the pork slices in the soup first, before adding the mustard greens. I’ve also added konjac noodles so that the soup has something to eat while drinking the broth. You can omit the konjac noodles, or substitute with cubes of soft tofu.

On cold winter days, I like to warm up with a bowl of soup along with my meals. Hope this tasty soup will add a different flavor profile to your weekly routine!

Ingredients:

• 1 head of mustard green (the large variety with thick stem)
• 2 salted duck eggs (cooked or raw)
• 1 can of chicken broth (any size will do, if you don’t have any, add an extra teaspoon of fish sauce)
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• pinch of ground white pepper
• 1 thick slice of ginger (optional)
• 1 package of konjac noodles (optional, or cubes of soft tofu)

Cut the mustard green in half. Then, cut the halves into 1 inch thick slices.

Take the thick stem pieces and cut into half inch slices so that it will cook evenly.

Soak all the mustard greens in water to rinse off any dirt or grit. Drain in colander and set aside.

Rinse the konjac noodles a few times and drain. Set aside.

With a sharp kitchen knife, pierce through the salted duck egg shell and cut the eggs vertically in half. Then, use a spoon and scoop the egg to remove the shell. Chop the egg pieces coarsely into chunks. (If you are using raw salted duck eggs, no need to chop at all. Crack the eggs and drop them into soup when needed in the recipe.)

You will need a total of 6 cups of liquid, a mixture of canned chicken broth and water. Open a can of chicken broth. Keep count as you fill a 1 cup measuring cup with broth before pouring it into the pot. Top up with water, if the broth doesn’t measure exactly a cup. Add more cups of water until there is a total of 6 cups of liquid in the pot.

Turn the heat to high and bring the broth water mixture to a rolling boil. (The high temperature helps take away some of the bitterness of the mustard greens.)

Add the mustard greens, 1 slice of ginger and a pinch of ground white pepper into the pot. Stir well.

Close the lid and bring it to a boil. Once it boils, cook with the lid on for 10 minutes. (I like to use these ceramic pots because the lid has a hole that allows steam to escape without the soup boiling over. If you don’t have these ceramic pots, or a lid that has a hole, you can prop the lid slightly open. But keep a watchful eye that the soup doesn’t bubble over.)

Add the salted eggs and boil for another 5 minutes.

Add the konjac noodles (if using) and bring it back to a boil.

Add 1 teaspoon of fish sauce and stir. (If you didn’t use any canned chicken broth, add a second teaspoon of fish sauce.)

Taste test to see whether the soup needs more fish sauce, salt or ground white pepper to suit your tastes. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Pancake Waffles

On Saturdays, we eat a big breakfast together as a family. I’ve been using this recipe for pancakes on rotation every other weekend. Suddenly, one Saturday, my oldest requested waffles. I don’t usually have buttermilk, cream, or any other milk other than 2% at home! After consulting Alice, a good friend of mine who bakes a lot, she confirms that pancake batter could be used to make waffles. I tried it out and everyone was happy with the results!

This pancake waffle recipe is easy to love because it uses simple pantry ingredients. No butter. No fancy milks. No need to sift the flour or whip the egg whites. It is crispy on the outside, soft and light on the inside. I like to add baking powder at the very end when the waffle maker is preheated and ready. This way, less air bubbles escape from the batter which makes the waffle fluffier and lighter. If you don’t have a waffle maker, you can make pancakes instead because the ingredients are exactly the same! This recipe makes 6 square waffles or 10-12 mini pancakes.

Ingredients:

• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoon white sugar
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup milk (used 2%)
• pinch of salt
• 2 tablespoon cooking oil (used canola, need extra for cooking)
• 2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Plug the waffle maker and allow it to preheat. Meanwhile, prepare the batter.

Place 1 egg and 2 tablespoon white sugar in a mixing bowl. Using a whisk or fork, mix well until all the sugar is dissolved.

Add 1 cup all purpose flour, 1 cup milk, pinch of salt, and 2 tablespoon cooking oil into the bowl. Mix well until well blended.

Wait until the waffle maker has reached its temperature. For mine, the green light turns on.

Now, add the 2 teaspoon of baking powder into the batter and mix until blended. Do not over stir.

Brush a light layer of oil on all the surfaces of the waffle maker.

Scoop about 1/4 cup of batter into each of the squares. Gentle shuffle the base of the waffle maker, to spread the batter evenly.

To make this waffle extra special, sprinkle some chocolate chips before closing the lid.

Close the lid. Wait until the waffle maker has reached its temperature before setting a timer for 5 minutes. For mine, it takes about 2-3 minutes before the green light turned on.

After 5 minutes, transfer the waffles onto aluminum foil to keep them warm. Brush the waffle maker with more oil and continue to make more waffles until the batter is done.

Serve warm as is or with some maple syrup. Enjoy!

Tomato Soup

When tomatoes are available at grocery stores by the half bushels, I make this tomato soup for my family. The kids love to eat it with ABC pasta. This soup is tangy and sweet. It can eaten alone, served with pasta or with garlic bread. (For my garlic bread recipe, click here.)

Tomatoes stored in room temperature typically only last about 1-2 weeks depending on how long it has been sitting at the grocery store. So I have to make multiple batches of this soup before the tomatoes go bad. Freeze in portion sizes and it can last throughout the winter. Imagine on a cold winter day, defrost this soup for lunch to warm you up!

Ingredients:

• 3-3.5 pounds Roma tomatoes
• 3 cups cold water
• 2 tablespoon fish sauce
• 3 tablespoon rice (I used Jasmine rice)
• 1/2 stick brown sugar (or 2 tablespoon white sugar)
• 1 onion
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2-3 dry bay leaves (optional, this is for a deeper flavor)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Wash and drain 3 tablespoon of rice and place in instant pot, along with 3 cups of cold water, 2 tablespoon fish sauce, 1/2 stick brown sugar, 1 coarsely chopped onion, 3 crushed garlic cloves, and 2-3 dry bay leaves.

Wash and halve the 3 pounds of Roma tomatoes and place them in the instant pot.

Seal the instant pot lid and cook at high pressure for 3 minutes and then natural release.

Carefully take out all the bay leaves.

Using a hand blender, blend the soup until smooth. (Be careful as the soup is still very hot! To avoid splashing, immerse the head of the hand blender before turning it on. Also, switch the hand blender off before lifting.)

Add salt and pepper to suit your taste. I only added a small pinch of salt.

Serve immediately. Enjoy warm!

You can also stir in cooked and drained pasta and make alphabet soup! Or serve with a side of garlic bread from my recipe here.

Tomato soup can be stored for 6 months in the freezer. Enjoy this heartwarming soup in the middle of winter!

Macau Portuguese Curry

This dish has a long name because I couldn’t decide whether to call it Macanese or Portuguese. Hong Kong style restaurants simplify this curry as Portuguese but it is actually originated in Macau under Portuguese influence. In Cantonese it sounds like “Po Gok Gai Fan.”

This is a one pot meal. Meat and vegetables in a yellow coconut based curry served over rice. It’s not spicy at all so the kids can enjoy it too. I used chicken drumsticks in this recipe for ease of cooking and eating. You can use chicken wings or thighs too.

Ingredients:

• 2-2.5 pounds chicken drumsticks (about 10 drumsticks)
• 1 cup water
• 1 onion
• 1 pepper (any color will do)
• 2-3 carrots
• 2 large potatoes
• 2 tablespoons Lee Kum Kee’s Coconut Flavored Curry Sauce
• 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
• 2-3 garlic cloves (optional)
• pinch of salt
• Cornstarch Slurry (optional)
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoon cold water

My mom doesn’t cook much but this is one dish she made that I remember as a child. She used a large roasting pan with a matching lid to bake this dish in the oven. But if you have an instant pot, you can set it off and walk away to do something else, until you are ready for dinner. Click here for the Instant Pot Method.

Oven Baked Method:

Preheat oven to 400F.

Wash and clean the chicken drumsticks. Place them in a deep baking tray.

Drop 2 heaping tablespoons of Lee Kum Kee’s Coconut Flavored Curry Sauce and 1 teaspoon oyster sauce over the chicken drumsticks. Shuffle and massage the drumsticks until everything is coated. Allow the chicken to marinate for a few minutes while vegetables are prepared.

Coarsely chop 1 onion and 1 pepper. Peel and chop the carrots and potatoes into 1 inch chunks. Coarsely chop 2-3 garlic cloves and scatter everything over the chicken drumsticks.

Add 1 cup of water, and give everything a final toss and close the lid. Bake for 45 minutes at 400F.

Check the thickest part of the chicken for doneness. If there’s any pink, place the lid back on and return to oven to bake for another 5 minutes. Serve with rice and enjoy!

Instant Pot Method:

Wash and clean the chicken drumsticks. Place them in the instant pot.

Drop 2 heaping tablespoons of Lee Kum Kee’s Coconut Flavored Curry Sauce and 1 teaspoon oyster sauce over the chicken drumsticks. Shuffle and massage the drumsticks until everything is coated. Allow the chicken to marinate for a few minutes while vegetables are prepared.

Coarsely chop 1 onion and 1 pepper. Peel and chop the carrots into 1 inch chunks. Peel and chop the potatoes into 2 inch chunks. (Potatoes need to be a little bit bigger in this method because it can become disintegrated under the pressure.)

Coarsely chop 2-3 garlic cloves and scatter everything over the chicken drumsticks.

Add 1 cup of water to the instant pot. Give everything a final toss and seal the lid.

Set instant pot on high pressure for 8 minutes. Natural release or release the pressure when you are ready to serve.

If you prefer a thicker sauce, set the instant pot on Saute. Prepare the Cornstarch Slurry by thoroughly dissolving 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 2 tablespoon of cold water. Add the Cornstarch Slurry to the instant pot. Once the sauce thickens, turn off the power and serve immediately.

Enjoy warm with rice!

Clam Tofu Soup

This recipe is a showstopper for our family. The creamy and umami flavor of live clams creates a delicious broth. Even though the soup is thin like a broth, the soup is surprisingly filling and can be eaten as a meal with rice or noodles.

When creating this recipe, the boys handpicked the clams at the grocery store. Clams that have broken or open shells should be avoided because they can carry disease or might already be dead. You want to pick the live ones that have their shells tightly closed. I explained to the boys that when the shells are tightly closed, it means the clams have the strength to keep predictors away, which means the clam is alive and well!

Keep the clams alive by storing them in the bag it was purchased in, and at the back of the fridge until you want to cook them. The clams like cool temperatures and the moisture that’s already inside the bag is sufficient to keep them moist. I tried the salt water soak for 2 hours method but there was still sand in a few clams. This recipe only uses 15-20 minutes cold tap water soak and so far we’ve had no sand in our dish! Hope it works for you too!

Another surprise is the use of plain water for the soup base. Flavored broth is not needed to give the soup a base. The natural saltiness from the clams is more than sufficient to make this soup delicious!

Ingredients:

• 2.5-3 pounds live manila clams
• 5 cups of cold water
• 1 onion
• 2 blocks of tofu
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 2 tablespoon cooking wine
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil (canola)
• pinch of salt
• pinch of ground white pepper
• 2 stalks of green onions (optional garnish)

Soak the clams in cold tap water in a large bowl. Carefully clean the shells with a brush or toothbrush. Only soak the clams for a maximum of 20 minutes because you do not want the clams to drown in fresh water and die before cooking. My son is getting proficient at cleaning the shells so we only soaked ours for 15 minutes.

The water will get cloudy as the clams spit out the sand and dirt from their shells. After soaking, give the clams one final rinse and drain in a colander and set aside.

Coarsely chop the onion and green onions. Cube the 2 blocks of tofu. Place everything on a plate and set aside.

Choose a wide uncoated pot that has a secure matching lid for this dish. The hard shells may scrape off any non-stick coating.

On medium high heat, stir fry the coarsely chopped onions with a pinch of salt.

Shake the clams in the colander one final time, to ensure they are all alive and awake before cooking them.

Once the onions are softened in about 1-2 minutes, place the clams in the pot. Add 1 teaspoon fish sauce, 2 tablespoon cooking wine, and a large pinch of ground white pepper. Stir fry for about a minute until you can smell the fragrance.

Add 5 cups of cold water to the pot, place the lid on the pot and turn the power to high.

When the water comes to a rapid boil, set a timer for 5 minutes.

Be careful to not let the soup bubble over. If your pot is a high end brand, and conducts heat well, you might have to turn the heat down a little to avoid spilling the soup.

After 3 minutes, add the cubed tofu and green onions into the pot. Return to high heat with the lid on for the remaining 2 minutes.

Add more salt and ground white pepper to suit your taste. Enjoy hot! This soup can be served as a side dish or as the main course with rice or noodles!

Chicken Mango Stir Fry

This simple dish is my go-to on weeknights when I’m hungry and tired. We just want to eat something healthy and fast. By the time the rice cooker makes rice, this dish can be made from start to finish. The chicken is tender because of the quick marinade with cornstarch, and the tangy mango is appetizing over rice. There’s meat and vegetables in one dish, so there is no need to prepare other dishes to serve the family.

Ingredients:

• 1 package frozen mango chunks (600g)
• 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• Quick Marinade:
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon soy sauce
  • pinch of salt
  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil
  • 1 tablespoon cooking wine
• 1 medium onion
• 2-3 garlic cloves
• 2-3 stalks green onion (optional garnish)
• 1/2 cup dry roasted cashews (optional garnish)
• 1 pepper (any color, I used red)
• 2 tablespoon cooking oil (for stir fry, divided)
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• salt to taste

Coarsely chop the pepper, onion and garlic. Set aside.

Wash and drain chicken thighs. Cut the chicken into 1 inch chunks and place in a large bowl.

Add 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper, 1/2 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, pinch of salt, 1 tablespoon cooking oil and 1 tablespoon cooking wine into the bowl. Mix well and let the chicken rest for a few minutes.

On medium high, heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil in a pan. Stir fry the chicken chunks for about a minute.

Place the lid on the pan and simmer for 3 minutes.

The chicken is almost cooked and might have a bit of pink. Set the chicken aside.

In the same pan, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and stir fry the pepper, onion and garlic. Add the mangoes and continue stirring.

If the frozen mango chunks are large, place the lid on the pan and simmer for 1 minute. If the chunks are small, stir fry without the lid on, for about 1-2 minutes until heated through. The mangoes will look shiny when ready.

Return the chicken and all the juices into the pan.

Add 1 tablespoon oyster sauce and 1/2 teaspoon sugar into the pan and stir fry until the chicken is cooked through.

Top with cashews if you’d like and serve. Enjoy!

Enoki Scrambled Eggs

My first memory of this dish was made by my aunt, my mom’s oldest sister. She served a handful of dishes in a matter of minutes! This particular dish I remembered all these years because it was my first introduction fish sauce. I never kept any fish sauce in my pantry because I thought it was just a substitute for soy sauce. After finishing a bottle of fish sauce, I realize that fish sauce should have its own category: it flavors food to heighten the natural umami already present in the food.

The eggs are tasty over rice. The enoki mushrooms gives a crunchy texture to this dish. Another quick side dish to add to a multi-dish family dinner.

Ingredients:

• 1 package enoki mushrooms
• 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 8 eggs
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil (canola)

Cut off the ends of the enoki mushrooms. Wash and drain them. Tear them into shreds and set aside.

On medium high, heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in a pan. Add enoki mushrooms and 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce to the pan and stir. Cook until wilted.

Whisk together 8 eggs and 1/2 teaspoon sesame thoroughly.

Pour the egg mixture into the pan and stir continuously until the eggs are cooked. Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Baked Salmon Head

Do you like to eat salmon eyeballs? I grew up eating the entire fish from head to tail and the eyeballs are full of yummy fats. My sons would fight over the eyeballs because they each have to have a “set of eyes”. They can’t have one eyeball each, but two eyeballs each! So I have to bake at least two salmon fish heads every time I make this for dinner to avoid fights.

My husband on the other hand didn’t grow up eating as much fish as I did. This is a dish we would put to the far corner of the room when we eat together! This recipe is definitely one for my sons to keep!

Some fishmongers might sell the fish head cut in half as shown in this recipe. I have made this recipe with whole fish heads and large fish head pieces. For both, the baking time is the same.

Ingredients:

• 1 salmon head
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper

Preheat oven to 400F (with convection preferably). Line a baking tray with aluminum foil.

Remove any gills or innards left in tact. Thoroughly clean and dry fish heads.

Drizzle 1 tablespoon cooking oil and sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper all over the fish head. Massage each piece to ensure even coating.

Bake at 400F for 20 minutes. Be careful the oil on the baking tray will be piping hot! Serve immediately. Enjoy!

Turmeric Rice

The boys find it fun that the rice isn’t the regular white color but a bright yellow. The sweetness of the raisins and crunchiness of the cashews makes this rice inviting and memorable. On occasion, my middle son would request this dish if I hadn’t made it in a while.

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cup Jasmine rice
• 2 cups cold water (or stock for extra flavor)
• 1 tablespoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• 1 small onion
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 1/3 cup dried raisin (I like to use golden raisins)
• 1/2 cup dry roasted cashews (optional, or peanuts)

Coarsely chop 1 small onion and 3-4 garlic cloves. Set aside.

Wash and rinse the rice thoroughly until the water runs clear. Drain the rice in colander and set aside.

On medium, heat up 1 tablespoon coconut oil in a pot that has a matching lid. Stir fry the chopped onion and garlic until golden.

Add rice and keep stirring the bottom of the pot to prevent burning.

Then add 1 tablespoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/3 cup dried raisins to the pot. Stir well to coat each grain of rice.

Add 2 cups of water to the pot and place the lid securely on the pot and turn the heat to high. When the water comes to a boil (about 5 minutes), turn the heat down to low, steep for 15 minutes.

Do not open the lid! Let the steam and heat stay trapped inside the pot. Turn the power off and allow the rice to rest for a final 5 minutes.

Stir in 1/2 cup cashews and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Garlic Bread

When this garlic bread comes fresh out of the oven, it is absolutely irresistible! I have to make at least 2 loaves to serve our family gathering. You can prepare the loaves 1-2 days in advance and store in the fridge already wrapped in aluminum foil. Bake them right before you need to serve them at the party!

Ingredients:

• 1 rustic Italian bread (or any oval shaped loaf)
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• pinch of salt
• 3 garlic cloves

Preheat oven to 400F.

Using a sharp knife, cut about an inch thick slices, but be careful not to cut all the way through to the bottom. Then the slices stay in tact for baking.

Melt 1/2 cup unsalted butter for 30 seconds in the microwave.

Sprinkle the melted butter with 3 finely minced garlic cloves and a pinch of salt. Mix well.

Brush generously in between each slice. If there are any butter mixture left, brush on the top of the loaf.

Wrap the loaf loosely with aluminum foil. If the loaf is big, it is ok to have the ends slightly uncovered.

Bake 15 minutes at 400F. Take it out of the oven, and using a sharp knife, cut each slice all the way through and serve immediately! Enjoy!

If there are any leftovers, store the slices in an airtight container in room temperature for up to 5 days. Toast in a toaster oven to reheat.