EZCR#18 - CHICKEN SALAD WITH GINGER/ONION DRESSING

A nice chicken salad that is easy to prepare. The main ingredient here is chicken meat. Zucchini/carrot are added for a crunchy texture and colour. Mixed with the fragrant ginger/onion dressing, the salad is aromatic. If you like it spicy, replace the oil with Szechuan Chilli Oil.   This dressing is quite similar to ginger/spring onion coulis.

This salad is good for hot and humid weather. It is an appetizing cold dish and the flavour is rather mild [use more ginger/onion dressing for more intense flavour].

Ingredients

Ginger/Onion Dressing

50 gm ginger 

2 stalks spring onions

½ tsp salt or more to taste

1 tbsp spring onion oil* [can replace by Szechuan Chilli Oil]

*Obtained by frying some cut spring onions with oil until lightly charred. Discard the spring onions and set aside oil.

1 chicken whole leg 

1 egg

½ small carrot – peeled and shredded 

½ small zucchini – peeled and shredded

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1. Blend ginger and spring onions in a blender, add in salt to taste. Mix in the oil, set aside.
2. Blanched chicken in boiling water for 5 minutes, off heat and steep for 30 minutes. Remove, cool and shredded.
3. Beat egg and fry into a thin omelette . Cut thin strips.
4. In a mixing bowl, mix chicken, omelette, carrots and zucchini. Toss well with the dressing. 
5. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds. Serve immediately or chilled.
   
   
   

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NYONYA KERABU BOK NEE [BLACK FUNGUS KERABU]

Kerabu [salads], fresh or blanched ingredients tossed with sambal belacan is something I love to prepare especially when I'm not in the mood to do last minute cooking before meals.  It can be prepared ahead of meal times with vegetables and most times chicken, prawns or even jelly fish and left to chill in the fridge until serving time.

So far, I have tried kerabu with mango, beansprouts, four angled beans and also with noodles and spaghetti.  This recipe is from the book, Nyonya Flavours which is easy to do with simple steps.
The tasteless crunchy bok nee becomes flavourful when tossed with the spicy dressing. 

Recipe Source - adapted from Nyonya Flavours

Ingredients

50 gm wood ear fungus [bok nee]

300 gm chicken meat - steamed and shredded

150 gm shallots - peeled and sliced lengthwise

1 ginger flower - finely sliced

2 tbsp toasted grated coconut [kerisek] 

Dressing [combine]

2 tbsp sambal belacan

3 tbsp calamansi lime juice [4-5 limau kasturi]

2 tbsp sugar to taste

some salt to taste [some sambal belacan may be salty]

1. Soak fungus until plump up and soft. Remove the hard bits and blanch in hot water.  Drain and cut into strips.
2. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Add in the dressing and toss well.
3. Taste to adjust seasoning.
4. Serve.
   

I'm sharing this post with Cook Your Books Event #24 [June 2015] hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

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EZCR #1 – ENOKI MUSHROOMS WITH CHICKEN SALAD

 'EZCR' is abbreviation for Easy Chinese Recipes.  From now on, I will be cooking more easy Chinese dishes with simple ingredients, the easy way yet tasty for the family.  I will try to cook the dishes in more healthy ways with some modifications to the cooking methods, ingredients etc.  

At times, I just love cooking homey dishes in the simplest way with ingredients that are easily available, cheap and affordable, especially suitable for families living on a tight budget with no compromise to healthy living.  With this kind of recipes they can get to enjoy tasty home-cooked food for their families.  The proportion of the ingredients are also healthy and nutritious, suitable for people of all ages.

Lovely and light salad dish with 3 main ingredients – chicken breast meat, firm beancurd and Enoki mushrooms.

The salad dressing is light and aromatic. Mix with the other ingredients, it is a good salad dressing with is not too sweet or oily but fragrant.

Ingredients

[serves 2-3]

½ small chicken breast – skinned

1-2 pieces firm beancurd - cut strips

1 packet fresh Enoki mushrooms – rinse and cut into half

1 red chilli – seeded and cut thin strips

1 stalk coriander – coarsely chopped

Salad Dressing [mix together]

2 tbsp Apple Cider vinegar

1 tbsp sesame seed oil

1 tsp sugar

½ tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1. Boil or steam chicken breast for 10-15 minutes or until cooked. Cool and shredded.
2. Blanch Enoki mushrooms in hot water for 1 minute. Drain and cool in a colander.
3. Fry firm beancurd until crispy at the edges, cool and cut strips.
4. Put all the salad ingredients in a big bowl. Toss well and pour in the salad dressing.
5. Cover and chill in the fridge until required.
6. Transfer to a serving platter, sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds. Serve.
   

I'm submitting this post to Little Thumbs Up Event [April 2015] Theme - Chicken organised by Bake for Happy Kids and My Little Favourite DIY, and hosted by Diana of Domestic Goddess Wanabe

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Pan Fried Salmon With Tasty Onion Salad

Whenever fresh fish are not available in the wet markets, I will look for salmon blocks in the supermarkets. At times, they are reasonably cheap and is a good option.  Bought several pieces to cook this simple dish which costs less than RM 10.00.

Just pan fry the salmon blocks until brown and serve with an easy onion/carrot salsa. I didn't add any oil to the salsa. Hmmm.....isn't this dish yummy at the dinner table.

Ingredients

[serves 3]

3 pieces of salmon blocks – seasoned light with some salt

Onion/Carrot Salad

1 white onion – thinly sliced

1 small carrot – shredded

1 tbsp plum sauce

1 tbsp chilli sauce

2 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp sugar

¼ tsp salt

Some chopped coriander

Some toasted sesame seeds

1. Soaked shredded onion and carrot in ice cold water. Drain in colander.
2. Combine the salad ingredients in a bowl. Add in the onions, carrot and coriander.
3. Mix well and sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds. Set aside.
4. Heat up a non-stick wok with minimal oil. Pan fry salmon pieces until brown and cooked.
5. Dish up on serving platter, serve with salad and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.
   
   
   
   

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Mixed Vegetable Salad

Crunchy salads are my favourite especially when there are meat dishes in a meal.  Vegetable dishes is a must have for every meal with rice or noodles for my family.

I made this salad to serve with the Spicy Angel Hair Pasta With Minced Meat Sauce for a complete meal.

Verdict - the shredded vegetables are crunchy and the dressing is not sweet but flavourful with the toasted sesame seeds.  This salad can also be served with crispy fried firm beancurd pieces [taukwa] with a sprinkle of toasted ground peanuts. Best of all, it is easy to prepare and can be done ahead of meal time.  

Recipe Source - Y3K Magazine No. 69

Ingredients

300 gm cucumber or mango - shredded [I used cucumber]

5 pieces black fungus [mok yee] - soaked, scalded and shredded

1 small carrot - peeled and shredded

1-2 small red chilli - seeded and chopped

Dressing [combine]

2-3 tbsp lemon juice

1-2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp fish sauce [use 1/4 tsp salt for vegetarian version]

a few drops of sesame oil

1. Combine all the cut ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Add in the dressing [just increase the dressing ingredients if you are using more vegetables].
2. Toss well, taste to adjust seasoning.
3. Sprinkle sesame seeds.
4. Chill until required or serve fresh.
   

I'm submitting this post to Cook Your Books Event #20 hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

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Kerabu Kacang Botol [4 Angled Beans Salad]

Spicy, crunchy vegetable salad - Kerabu Kacang Botol.   Easy to prepare yet appetising with rice.  Fresh 4 angled beans and fragrant ginger flower mixed with a good sambal and crunchy peanuts is a yes yes salad.

You can use fried shredded squids or pounded dried prawns to this dish.  I used fresh toasted  and sesame seeds which is as good.

Recipe Source - Yum Yum Magazine No. 60 [modified]

Ingredients

300 gm 4 angled beans [kacang botol] - washed and slice thinly

6 shallots or more - skinned and shredded

1 stalk ginger bud - shredded thinly

1 stalk lemongrass [white part only] - shredded thinly

1 red chilli - chopped

some toasted sesame seeds and peanuts

Sambal Belacan Ingredients

5 red chillies and 4 chilli padi

1/2 tbsp toasted belacan

1 tbsp sugar

4-5 tbsp lime juice

1. Prepare the sambal ingredients.
2. Prepare all the vegetables.
3. In a big bowl, mix 2-3 tbsp sambal belacan with lime juice.  Taste to adjust seasoning [sambal belacan and lime juice].
4. Add in vegetables and toss well to mix.
5. Sprinkle sesame seeds and peanuts.
6. Serve immediately or chill in fridge.
   
   
   
   
    

I'm submitting this post to Cook Your Books Event #19 hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

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Chicken Salad with Szechuan Chilli Oil

 

 

A simple chicken salad with Szechuan chilli oil.  Spicy peppery aroma and taste.  The natural sweetness of the chicken meat and crunchy shredded zuchini dressed with this spicy oil is rather yummy appetiser.

Recipe Source - Yum Yum Magazine No. 67

Ingredients and Method for Szechuan Chilli Oil

100 ml oil

15 dried red chillies - cut into small pieces

1.5 tbsp Szechuan peppercorns - rinsed and drained in a colander

1. Soaked dried chillies in water for 5-10 minutes and drained.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add dried chillies and fry over very low heat until chillies become slightly tough.
3. Add in the peppercorns and cook until aromatic.
4. Remove from heat, cool and strain into a glass jar.
   
   
   
   
   

Notes: you can increased the portion if you are using it for big portions of recipes like Chicken Salad [recipe below] or Spicy Noodles with Minced Meat.

Ingredients for Chicken Salad with Szechuan Chilli Oil

[serves 4-5]

250 gm chicken breast

500 ml water

1 tsp salt

1 zuchini - shredded thinly

1-2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1 stalk spring onions - sliced and shredded or chopped

Seasoning - 3-4 tbsp Szechuan chilli oil and dash of pepper

1. Put chicken in a saucepan of boiling water and salt.  Bring to boil then cover pan, off heat and leave chicken to cook for 15 minutes.
2. Remove to cool then tear into shreds.
3. Arrange shredded zuchini in a serving platter, put chicken on top, sprinkle sesame seeds and chopped spring onions.
4. Drizzle in seasoning.  Serve.
   
   
   
   

I'm submitting this post to Cook Your Books Event #16 hosted by Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

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