Easy Minced Meat Braised Udon 简易肉碎焖乌东

* in collaboration with Fortune Food Manufacturing 鸿运 for Japanese Udon

I am still fighting my 2nd time cancer. And still having my chemotherapy treatments. Nowadays, I can only cook simple/easy dishes as I am unable to stand too long in the kitchen due to my extremely low blood count. However, that doesn't mean that I can compromise on my cooking as I need to eat and eat well for recovery! This Easy Minced Meat Braised Udon 简易肉碎焖乌东 is a very easy one pot dish. And very palatable! The Fortune Japanese Udon not only has a very springy texture that I like, but also soaked up the sauce extremely well!

#fortunefoodmfgsg

Main Ingredients (enough for 2 to 4 pax) :

• 2 packets Fortune Japanese Udon
• 10 pcs dried mushrooms (soaked and sliced)(keep mushroom water for braising sauce)
• 200 gm minced beef (of any other minced meat of your choice)
• a handful of green vegetables (washed)
• a handful of thinly sliced peppers (deseeded)
• 8 to 10 pcs cherry tomatoes (halved)
• 2 small onions (diced)
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• pinch of toasted sesame (optional)

Seasonings for Braising Sauce (mix all seasonings in a bowl)  : 

• 2 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce . 
• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 to 1.5 cup mushroom water (used to pre-soak dried mushroom earlier)

Method : 

1. Heat cooking oil in pan. High heat.
2. Add onions and mushrooms. Stir fry for 2 minutes.
3. Add minced meat. Stir fry for 1 minute.
4. Fold in mushroom water and braising sauce mixture. Stir well and allow to simmer for 1 minute.
5. Turn to medium heat. Add udon. Use a pair of chopsticks to loosen udon. 
6. Add green vegetables and cherry tomatoes. Cover with lid and allow to simmer for 1 minute.
7. Turn off heat. Add sliced peppers. Cover with lid and allow to simmer for another 1 to 2 minutes using residual heat. 
8. Sprinkle toasted sesame atop.
9. Dish out and serve whilst hot.

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Cantonese Stewed Beef & Pork Tendon Noodles 广式牛腩猪筋干拉面

I'm a true blue Cantonese that grew up playing and eating in Chinatown. The Cantonese Stewed Beef & Tendon Noodles 广式牛腩牛筋面 was one of my childhood dishes that I truly enjoyed. However, I realise that this dish has fast become a rare sight in hawker centres/coffee shops nowadays. I certainly hope it's not a vanishing dish in our generation. Slightly deviated from tradition, this' my rendition of this dish using my favourite wholegrain La Mien (noodles) and I also used pork tendons instead of beef tendons. This Cantonese Stewed Beef & Pork Tendon Noodles 广式牛腩猪筋干拉面 was really oh my~~....so delicious! Beef's tender and the tendons were just great!

Main Ingredients (enough for 3 to 4 pax) :

• About 1 kg beef chuck or briskets (cut to chunky cubes of about 1.5 inch)
• 500 gm pork tendons (you may use beef tendons, but that would require different cooking duration as pork tendons)
• 3 to 4 carrots (chopped to about 1-inch thickness)
• 5 garlic cloves (crushed)
• 5 ginger slices
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 star anise
• 2 orange peel (available at Chinese medicinal halls)
• 3 to 4 bay leaves
• cooking oil (for browning and aromatics)
• 2 to 3 packets noodles (I used Prima Wholegrain La Mien)
• a handful of green vegetables (blanch before use)
• salt and sugar (to adjust to taste before serve)
• shallot oil (to be used before serve)
• chopped spring onions (garnishing)
• sambal chili (to taste)(optional)

Seasonings :

• 2 tbsp Hoisin sauce (or to taste)
• 2 tbsp Chu Hou sauce (or to taste)
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce (or to taste) 
• 1 pc chicken stock cube (or to taste)
• 1 pc beef stock cube (or to taste)
• 2 to 3 tbsp rock sugar (or to taste)
• 1/2 cup Hua Diao cooking wine (or to taste)
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 to 2 cup water (enough to cover all meats and tendons in the pressure cooker/pot)

(tsp = teaspoon; tbsp = tablespoon)    

Method : 

1. Blanch beef cubes and tendons in a pot to remove scums. After that, rinse and clean in running water. Set aside.
2. Heat cooking oil in a pan, add ginger then garlic and sauté till aromatic. 
3. Fold in beef cubes and sauté till brown on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.
4. Fold in tendons and sauté till light golden colour. Remove from pan and set aside. 
5. Transfer cooking oil and aromatics from pan to a stove top pressure cooker pot, Top up a little cooking oil (if necessary). 
6. Heat cooking oil in pot. Toss in cinnamon stick, bay leaves, orange peels and star anise.  Sauté for about a minute. 
7. Fold in beef cubes and all sauce seasonings. 
8. Cover lid and allow pressure cook for 1.5 to 2 hours (or till beef are fork tender) at low heat. Start checking meat texture once in a while after 1 hour of cooking time, top up more water if necessary).  
9. Fold in carrots towards last 15 minutes of cooking time.
10. When you're satisfied with the beef tenderness, taste test and adjust with salt & sugar if necessary. Fold in tendons and allow to simmer for 10 minutes till flavourful. Do not need to cover lid. Pork tendons should be tender and a little chewy to be ready. 
11. Meanwhile, blanch wholemeal La Mien as per box instruction. Drain and toss with a little shallot oil. 
12. Blanch a handful of green vegetables.
13. Dish out by arranging cooked La Mien, vegetables, stewed beef, carrots, tendons and sambal chili in bowls. Scoop beef stew gravy generously over the noodles and ingredients. Garnish with chopped spring onions and drizzle with a little shallot oil before serve.
14. Serve whilst hot.

Note : 

*Do note that if you're cooking beef tendons instead of pork tendons, much longer cooking time is required. You may fold in beef tendons together with beef cubes at the beginning of pressure cooking. Do adjust cooking time accordingly.

* You may still cook without pressure cooker, just lengthen the cook time till beef and tendons are to your desired texture.

Clams & Mussels Ramen in Salted Egg Sauce

*in collaboration with Hakubaku (for Organic Soba, Cha Soba, Ramen, Somen & Udon)

I've cooked all sorts of noodles. From home-made to store bought. And have come to a realisation that Hakubaku's noodles are one of the easiest, quickest to cook and with great texture! This Clams & Mussels Ramen in Salted Egg Sauce is one easy and tasty one pot saviour on busy or/and lazy days! It works for me and I hope it's for you too!

Other Perks of Hakubaku Noodles :

• 98% Fat-Free Organic Hakubaku Noodles
• Number 1 Organic Noodle Brand in Japan
• Halal- and kosher-certified products for all to enjoy
• Quick cooking for busy days

Hakubaku’s noodles are sold at S$3.80 each at Cold storage, Meidiya, NTUC FairPrice, Prime, Sheng Siong, TKNLand @ Suntec and https://shopee.sg/snackvampire

For other great ways to use Hakubaku’s noodles, please refer to https://www.facebook.com/HakubakuOfficialFanpage/ for more information.

Main Ingredients (enough for 2 pax) :

• 2 servings of Hakubaku Organic Ramen
• 12 pcs clams
• 12 pcs mussels
• 1 pc chili padi (sliced)
• 1 sprig curry leaves (for garnishing)
• parsley flakes (optional)
• roasted nori (seaweed) bits (optional)
• cooking oil 

Ingredients for Salted Egg Sauce 

• 3 tbsp salted egg powder (or to taste)
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 tsp sugar (or to taste)
• 1/2 tsp minced ginger
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder (optional)
• 6 to 8 pcs curry leaves
• 2 to 3 tbsp chicken stock

Method : 

1. Blanch Hakubaku Organic Ramen in boiling water. Allow to cook till al dente. Drain and set aside.
2. Blanch clams and mussels in boiling water till 70% cooked. Set aside.
3. Heat butter in frying pan and saute minced ginger till fragrant. Add salted egg powder, sugar, garlic powder and curry leaves. Lightly stir fry and fold in chicken stock spoon by spoon till your desired sauce texture.
4. Add clams and mussels and toss till fully cooked. 
5. Fold in ramen and toss till noodles are evenly coated with sauce.
6. Garnish with chili padi, curry leaves, nori bits, and parsley flakes.
7. Serve whilst hot.

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Chilled Soba Treasure Puffs

*in collaboration with Hakubaku (for Organic Soba, Cha Soba, Ramen, Somen & Udon)

If you like Japanese noodles, Hakubaku is one brand that will never disappoint. I was so delighted to be invited for this collaboration. I created these delicate looking Chilled Soba Treasure Puffs sets to honour the healthy and perfectly textured organic noodles that were delivered to me last week. I used 2 types of noodles - Organic Soba and Cha Soba to make the sets more interesting. The deep fried golden firm tofus were meant to serve as 'box' holders for the treasured ingredients and noodles. The accompanied dipping sauce/Mentsuyu, on the other hand, provided flavours to the soba as well as the firm tofu. What more would you want if all these goodness were to be served together with colourful jewel-like fresh sashimi and fruit dices?

Weren't they pretty? If you like your noodles chilled, if you like your ingredients fresh, you'll like this.

Other Perks of Hakubaku Noodles :

• 98% Fat-Free Organic Hakubaku Noodles
• Number 1 Organic Noodle Brand in Japan
• Halal- and kosher-certified products for all to enjoy
• Quick cooking for busy days

Hakubaku’s noodles are sold at S$3.80 each at Cold storage, Meidiya, NTUC FairPrice, Prime, Sheng Siong, TKNLand @ Suntec and https://shopee.sg/snackvampire

For other great ways to use Hakubaku’s noodles and multi grain. Please refer to https://www.facebook.com/HakubakuOfficialFanpage/ for more information.

Main Ingredients (enough for 2 pax) :

• 70 gm Hakubaku Organic Cha Soba
• 70 gm Hakubaku Organic Soba
• 2 pcs firm tofu (tao kwa)
• 1 tbsp corn flour 
• ½ tsp salt
• 200 gm mixed sashimi (diced salmon, tuna and tako)(chilled)
• ½ raw cucumber (deseed and diced)
• seeds from ¼ pomegranate
• 4 cherry tomatoes
• a dash of wasabi paste
• toasted sesame (sprinkle)
• parsley flakes (optional)
• roasted nori (seaweed) bits (optional)
• cooking oil (for deep frying firm tofu)

Ingredients for Soba & Tofu Dipping Sauce / Mentsuyu

• 1 sachet dashi powder
• 3 to 4 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (or to taste)
• ½ cup mirin
• 1 cup water
• a dash of wasabi paste
• finely chopped spring onions

Method :

1. Prepare soba & tofu dipping sauce/Mentsuyu by stirring in all the required ingredients (except for wasabi paste and finely chopped spring onions) in a saucepan and bring to boil at low heat. Leave to chill and set aside. Spring onions and wasabi paste to be added only upon ready to serve.
2. Slit the firm tofu 1/3 from bottom. Then carve a square out of each piece of the top portion (i.e. the 2/3 portion on top). Assemble top and bottom to form a ‘box’ holder for soba.
3. Heat cooking oil in saucepan (for deep frying) at medium heat.
4. Pat dry firm tofu. Mix salt to corn flour and coat all sides of firm tofu with thin layer. Allow to deep fry in very hot cooking oil till desired crispiness and browning. Assemble and set aside.
5. Add Hakubaku Organic Soba and Cha Soba in 2 respective pots of boiling water. Allow to cook till al dente. Remove from pot and dip in ice cold water respectively. Drain and set aside.
6. When ready to serve, assemble chilled soba, sashimi cubes, cucumber, cherry tomatoes, pomegranate seeds into deep fried firm tofu boxes and serving plates.
7. Garnish with nori bits, toasted sesame seeds and parsley flakes.
8. Serve together with dipping sauce/Mentsuyu, raw quail egg and a dash of wasabi paste for each set.

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