Stir-Fried Xiao Bai Cai with Garlic

"Qing Cao Xiao Bai Cai"



Ingredients:

150 grams of Xiao Bai Cai
3 large cloves garlic/4-5 small cloves of garlic (Peeled /and chopped)
Cooking Oil
Tiparos Fish Sauce
Water (or Stock)

Directions:

1) Wash the vegetables thorougly to remove any dirt. Soak in water for about 15-20 minutes and cut off the hard end of the stalks. These hide a lot of dirt and worms so make sure you cut it off. Do not soak the vegetables any longer as this will result in the loss of Vitamic C. Rinse them once you've peeled the bundles into separate leaves and drip dry in a basket.

2) Stir-fry garlic in hot oil till golden brown. Throw in Xiao Bai Cai and stir fry under medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes. Lower the fire and add Tiparos Fish Sauce to taste and a couple of ladles of water. Stir fry for a minute or so and dish out onto plate. Serve warm.

Serves 1-2 people as a side dish.

Luo Han Mi Zhao Cooling Tea

A concoction of refreshing Cooling Tea for a hot humid day or to dispel the "heatiness" within your body. This is unlike other cooling teas which are bitter because of the addition of Mi Zhao (Honey Dates) into the drink. Luo Han Cooling Tea is already not bitter on its own, and Mi Zhao enhances the taste by sweetening it a little and suitable for diabetics. (My Mom is a diabetic and very strict about her diet but she drinks this with no complaints)

Luo Han Guo has a mild natural sweet taste and is commonly used with other chinese medicinal herbs to treat cough and sore throat as it moistens the lungs, eliminates phlegm, stops cough, and promotes bowel movements of the intestine which can induce a mild laxative effect.

This recipe makes a rather concentrated brew and isn't diluted which then dispels heatiness more effectively. Kid-friendly because it's sweet tasting.

Ingredients:

2-3 Dried Luo Han Guo (Broken & Crushed)
1/2 cup Mi Zhao (Honey Dates)
Water

Directions:

Rinse the Luo Han Guo and Mi Zhao in water. Break and crush the Luo Han Guo and place both ingredients in a large pot. Fill with water and cover with lid, simmer on medium-low heat for at least 3-4 hours.

Can be drunk chilled or warm. If you are nursing a cough, consume it warm.

ABC Soup

Grew up drinking this soup which my Granny always likes to cook. A very simple to make clear soup with easily available ingredients and easy on the palate. Kid-Friendly and Sick-Friendly. It's a comfort to drink this when you are ill!

Why I think it's called it's called ABC Soup:

1) It contains Vitamin A (Carrots), B (Potatoes) and C (Tomatoes)
2) Cooking this is as easy as ABC!

Ingredients:

200g pork ribs
Water
3-4 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cut in chunks (Russet Potatoes recommended)
1 Small/Medium sized Salted Vegetable (Kiam Cai)
1 Medium onion
1 carrot, peeled, cut to bite-sized chunks
1 stalk of Celery, cut into pieces.
1 tomato
1 Sweet Corncob, "dehusked" and cut in large chunks. (opt.)
White Pepper (crushed whole pepper/powder) to taste
Salt to taste
Fish Sauce to taste

Directions:

1. Blanch pork ribs in boiling water in a saucepan for about 2-3 minutes to remove blood and fats, then rinse with cold water until clear and set aside. Do not turn off the heat when blanching.

- For Lean Pork (Qia Bak), pour boiling water over it in a bowl. (Distribute water evenly) Mix the pork a little to sure even blanching. Leave for 1 minute and drain, rinsing pork with cold water. Set aside.

2: Throw in the ribs, potatoes, onions, carrots, and crushed whole/powdered white pepper (/+ corn) into stock pot, fill up with water to 3/4 and cover with lid, under high fire. When the stock and ingredients are boiling, reduce heat to low still covered. Simmer for 1 hour.

3: Season with salt and some fish sauce and simmer for another 5 minutes. Add in some more water for more soup if necessary. (Do not add water while simmering or stock will not be concentrated + add a little more seasoning after adding of water) Remove from heat and serve warm/hot.

Serves 2-3 people.