Stir-fry Chicken in DIY Black Bean Sauce

When you are reading this post, I go on a vacation in Hong Kong.  I will stay there in the coming two weeks and keep posting photos and updates about my visit.  

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serve: 2

Ingredients:

-      150g chicken fillets (sliced)   

-      60g green pepper (chopped)

-      60g red pepper (chopped)

-      100g onion (chopped)

-      ½ tbsp black bean (minced)

-      2 garlic clove (minced)

-      4g ginger (finely sliced)

-      1 tsp rice wine/white wine

-      ½ tsp soy sauce

-      ¼ tsp brown sugar

-      1 tbsp olive oil  

-      5 tbsp water

-      1 spring onion (finely chopped)

Seasoning:   

-      1 tsp light soy sauce

-      1 tsp rice wine/white wine

-      ¼ tsp corn flour

-      ¼ tsp sesame oil

-      ½ tsp sugar

Thickening sauce:

-      1 tsp corn flour

-      1½ tsp water

Method:

1.	Season the chicken with soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, corn flour and sesame oil for 10 minutes.
2.	Heat ½ tbsp oil in a non-stick pan over low-medium heat.  Add the chicken pieces and pan-fry both sides for 1-2 minutes till a bit golden brown.  Remove from heat and set aside.
3.	In the meantime, heat ½ tbsp oil in a non-stick wok over medium heat.  Add ginger and stir-fry for 1 minute.  Toss in garlic and soya bean and then stir-fry for another 1 minute.
4.	Add the onion, green pepper, red pepper, chicken and wine; then keep stir-frying for 1 minute.  Pour in water, season with soy sauce and sugar and cover for 2-3 minutes.
5.	In a small mixing bowl, mix the corn flour and water well in order to prepare the thickening sauce.  Stir in the thickening sauce and stir-fry for a further 1-2 minutes until the sauce is thickened.
6.	Garnish with spring onion and ready to serve with rice.

Baked Green Bell Pepper

It is quite cold in these few days in London.  Temperatures have been dropping to below freezing since Monday night.  The Met Office website states that December will be colder than average and there is a small chance of snow at the beginning of next month. I am looking forward to a snowy Christmas in UK.

Sometimes I feel tired and sluggish during winter.  I find the most effective way to fight winter tiredness is to do regular exercise.  After doing an hour of Pilates in the afternoon, I feel more energetic and also improve my sleep.  In addition, a good diet can help me to wake up feeling fresh.  I reduce having food containing lots of sugar, like candies and chocolates.  Then I add more fruit and vegetables in winter meals and always boil soup for the whole family.  It is because the air is very dry here.  

Every morning I always have a big bowl of porridge oats and a piece of whole grain toast for breakfast.  When I woke up this morning, I thought of adding a bit ‘green’ to my breakfast.  I baked a green pepper which is stuffed with veggie and mozzarella cheese.  It is yummy!  It makes me feel healthy and starts the day off right.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serve: 1

Ingredients:

-      1 medium size green pepper (top and seeds removed)

-      40g onion (finely diced)

-      38g pumpkin (finely diced)

-      20g portobello mushroom (finely diced)

-      20g baby spinach  

-      30g mozzarella cheese (shredded)

-      1 tbsp fish sauce

-      1 garlic clove (crushed)

-      ¼tsp olive oil

-      100 ml water  

Method:

1.	Preheat oven to 180°c.
2.	Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat.  Add oil and garlic, stir-fry for 30 seconds.  Reduce to low heat; add pumpkin and 70ml water. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes.  Then add onion, mushroom, 30ml water and fish sauce, stir-fry for another 2 minutes over low-medium heat.  Toss in baby spinach and cook for 1 minute.  Remove from heat.
3.	In the meantime, fill the pepper with the cooked vegetables and mozzarella cheese.
4.	Arrange stuffed pepper in a baking dish.  Bake in preheated oven until heated through, about 20-25 minutes.
5.	Ready to serve with toast and green smoothie.