A Chinese Style Dinner: Sweet & Sour Chicken and Vegetables

This chicken dish tastes just like its name: simply Sweet & Sour.

Erm... ok, let's add to it tasty, yummy and 100% Asian too. ;)

I'm a beginner cook. So in general, my meals tends to be relatively uncomplicated. Despite that, I still want to ensure that whatever I end up making tastes good (at least I cross my fingers at when I serve them to the husband each time, waiting anxiously for a *positive* response, woot!), and also that its something that would satisfy the nutritional needs of both of us (uh-oh that's the Food Techie speaking alright!).

So this meal is just that. A simple enough to make Chinese-style meal, served with steaming hot white rice. And it was a satisfying meal indeed. Our tummies and palates were happy :)

SWEET & SOUR CHICKEN RECIPE

(RESIPI AYAM MASAK MASAM MANIS ALA CINA)

Ingredients:

Chicken (cut into bite-sized pieces) - actually, this will also work with boneless fish steaks
Salt, pepper
1 egg (beaten)
Corn flour – for coating
1 red/green bell peppers (diced)
1 tomato (diced)
1 large onion (diced)
1 red/green chilli (sliced)
1 tsp. ginger (minced)
3 tbs. tomato sauce
1 tbs. plum sauce
1 tbs. chili sauce
White pepper powder

Method:

1) Season chicken with salt and pepper. Heat oil for deep frying in a pan.
2) Dip chicken in the egg, then in the corn flour to coat. Immediately deep fry after coating. Deep fry until golden. Drain on paper towels to remove the excess oil.
3) Mix together tomato sauce, plum sauce, chili sauce and ginger in a small saucepan. Heat up until boiling. Add in vegetables and stir to cook. Season with pepper and allow to simmer for 5 minutes or until desired consistency.
4) Pour sweet and sour sauce over the fried chicken to serve.
5) Awesome! (And go prepare the vegetable dish below to go with it)

These vegetables were so easy to prepare, and the very simple oyster sauce goes perfectly well to enhance the natural flavours of the vegetables itself.

*I think I need to get some bigger serving plates :) *

VEGETABLES WITH OYSTER SAUCE RECIPE

(RESIPI SAYUR MASAK SOS TIRAM ALA CINA)

Ingredients:
1 pack bak choy/choy sum - or any other leafy green vegetable
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 shallot (sliced thin)
1 tbs. sesame oil
3 tbs. oyster sauce
White pepper, MSG for flavour (optional)

Method:
1) Blanch vegetables in boiling water for 20-30 seconds. Drain.
2) Fry garlic and shallots in sesame oil until tender.
3) Add 2 tbs. water and let boil. Stir in oyster sauce, and add in pepper and MSG. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
4) Arrange vegetables in serving plate. Pour the sauce on top.
5) Serve with white rice and Sweet Sour Chicken.
6) Satisfying!

[*...Psst! Full Article is HERE*]

The Technology of Eating Foods to Lose Weight?

Indeed, what a dilemma right? People want to lose weight, yet they do not want to give away the pleasure of eating. So what do food manufacturers do? They create food products that can HELP people lose weight if they eat them! Such previously impossible tasks can now be done thanks to substances or ingredients like l-carnitine, Teavigo, and konjac powder. Read on for more about such functional foods that can help you lose weight.

What a campaign by Fit 'n Right... Use of buff bodies and chicks in bikinis.

1) Fit 'n Right (Del Monte)

This product comes in yogurt or juice forms. The beauty of it lies in the ingredient l-carnitine, and other vitamins which helps burn off fat and also other functions like converting fatty acids into energy needed for a healthy heart, important body functions and physical activities.

2) Rice & Oats Premium (LiteChoice)

These are baked wholegrain and fibre-rich rice snacks with the patented ingredient Teavigo. The substance is a fat burning chemical made from green tea which increases fat oxidation and enhances body’s metabolism. Due to the high satiety that it can provide, it gives you a feeling of satisfaction and fullness. Apparently having 5-10 pieces a day is enough to satisfy your fullness for the entire day (EH?) The company also has another beverage product which incorporates Teavigo, Slimfit.

Website: http://www.riceandoats.tubufoods.com.ph/

I'm hungry, please feed me some gum!!

3) Hunger Alleviating Gums (Kracie Foods)

By the way, that name sounds like some global famine solution or something, "hunger alleviating"? Pfft... feed the hungry with gum yeah?! *snickers* This amazing-ly labelled product does just that: give you a "feeling" of being full. It does that using glucose, which raises the body's blood sugar and makes you feel "unhungry". it also has konjac powder and cane fibers which can also help in weight management.

Sourced from full article entitled "Nutrition in a Jiffy" is available from Asia Food Journal.

[*...Psst! Full Article is HERE*]

THE BEST YAKISOBA RECIPE EVER! (STIR-FRIED JAPANESE SOBA NOODLES)

Seriously, it is. I served this with Baked Teriyaki Chicken.

*This is Food Techie's first ever recipe post. More recipes will gradually fill this site, apart from my usual Techie posts now that I have a new-found responsibility as a newly-wedded wife ;-P Cheers!*

The key is in the different textures and colours of the vegetable ingredients - the more colorful, the better! You might like to also use other types of vegetables available around your area that is suitable for stir-frying. Cut, chop, slice, dice them into different shapes and you would not only have a yummy and nutritious Japanese-style meal, but also a very pleasing presentation as well!

The yumminess factor was also increased by the very tasty sweet tasting dressing on the side. It's a must prepare! It was the reason I had second helpings!

Yakisoba is a dish originating from Japan. "Yaki" means fried and "Soba" is the term for buckwheat noodles. These babies not only have a unique distinct flavour to it, but it's also very nutritious. It is packed full of protein (higher amounts than in pasta and bread!), helps prevent high blood pressure due to its rutin content (an antioxidant, one of the many), and also vitamins like thiamine and riboflavin.

My glorious Yakisoba hot in the wok, waiting to be served :)

YAKISOBA - STIR-FRIED SOBA NOODLES RECIPE

(RESIPI MI SOBA JEPUN GORENG)

Ingredients:

Yakisoba Noodles:
1 packet soba noodles
2 eggs (beaten)
1 green bell pepper (sliced)
1 yellow/red bell pepper (sliced)
1 green/ red chilli (sliced)
1 large onion (sliced thick)
Handful of beansprouts
Handful of spring onions/chives (sliced to 1 inch lengths)
4 tbs. teriyaki sauce
3 tbs. sesame oil + vegetable oil
2 cloves garlic (minced)
A dash of: pepper, Shoyu sauce, sweet soy sauce
2 tbs. toasted sesame seeds

Yakisoba Dressing:
4-5 tbs. teriyaki sauce
2 tbs. BBQ sauce
2 tbs. oyster sauce
1 lemongrass (soft inner core crushed and minced)
1 tbs. ginger (grated)
1 garlic (minced)

Method:
1) Mix well yakisoba dressing ingredients in a pot. Heat up and bring to boil. Stir until thickened to desired consistency.
2) For soba noodles, place soba in boiling water for 5 minutes or until near tender (not soggy). Remove from heat, drain well and rinse with running cold water until cooled. Set aside.
3) Mix beaten eggs with pepper, garlic and shoyu sauce. Mix in bell peppers and chilies.
4) Heat oil in big wok. Stir fry egg and vegetable mixture at high heat until they are cooked. Don’t overcook the vegetables.
5) Add soba noodles (separate). Mix well with all ingredients. Lastly add in spring onions/chives and beansprouts. Stir fry a little bit more. For a little more flavour, add in few dashes of sweet soy sauce (optional).
6) Serve warm with a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds and the yakisoba dressing.
7) Yummy! :)

This recipe was derived from Gizzi Erskine's article on BBC Food.

[*...Psst! Full Article is HERE*]