Soy Sauce Chicken

Happy Friday!  This week I am still busy after the long weekend breaks.  It is May now.  I am looking for some ideas for celebrating my parents’ 50th wedding anniversary in the end of this month. If you have some brilliant ideas, please share.  Today I prepare a wonderful dish that my mom and dad love it very much. It is soy sauce chicken which is simple and easy.  Hope all of you enjoy!

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 40 minutes

Serve: 4

Ingredients:

-      1 free-range chicken (about 1.8 kg)

-      ½ cup light soy sauce      

-      ¼ cup dark soy sauce

-      10g ginger(6 slices)

-      2 spring onion (sliced)

-      2 garlic cloves (sliced)

-      30g rock sugar

-      2 tbsp Shaoxing wine

-      ½ tsp table salt

-      1 slice dried mandarin peel (soaped in warm water until tender)

-      ¾ cup water

-      1½ tsp vegetable oil

Method:

1.	Use a towel to make the chicken dry after cleaning.  Tie the chicken legs together by using a piece of white string.  Rub the chicken all over with Shaoxing wine.  Marinate the inside body of the chicken with salt.  Then stuff the chicken cavity with half of the spring onions and 3 slices of ginger.  Set it aside for 10 minutes.
2.	In a mixing bowl, add soy sauce, dark soy sauce and water and mix well.  Set aside.
3.	Heat a non-stick wok or pot over medium heat.  Add oil, ginger, spring onion and garlic.  Stir-fry for 1 minute, add the mixture of soy sauce.  In the meantime, reduce to low heat, add mandarin peel and sugar.  Then boil until the sugar is dissolved.
4.	Toss in the chicken.  Baste the exposed area with cooking sauce.  Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.  Use a pair of large chopsticks to turn the chicken upside down carefully and simmer for another 10 minutes.  Baste the chicken a few times during cooking. Then turn the chicken to another side again and simmer for a further 15 minutes.  Check whether it is cooked by inserting a thin skewer or a thick needle in one of the thigh joints. If it is cooked, it produces clear liquid.  Once cooked, switch off the fire and let it rest inside the pot for 15 minutes.
5.	Serve the carved chicken on a big plate.  Spoon the sauce from the pot over the chicken and ready to serve.
	Tips:
i.	Do not simmer the chicken over medium or high heat.  Otherwise, the chicken will be overcooked and the meat is not smooth and tender.
ii.	The cooking time depends on how big the chicken is.

Keukenhof, Holland

I just finished a 3-day trip in Amsterdam and Keukenhof is one of my favourite stops.  I am a big fan of flower festivals. Keukenhof is known as the Garden of Europe, it is one of the world’s largest flower gardens.  It is a paradise of flowers. It is always held in March to May every year.  Now it is the best time to see tulips in the Netherlands in full bloom.  There are more than 7 million bulbs in bloom this spring, with a total of 1,000 varieties of tulips.

The park is amazing.  Everywhere you look there are tulips and flowers of all kinds of colors and shapes. The blooms of tulips, hyacinth and daffodils were in full peak. This was a trip well worth for every penny. There are queues everywhere inside the park, like queues for boat trip, toilets, food and drinks, windmills and so on. 

It is easy to go there by both cars and by train and bus. I bought a combi-ticket on line, the ticket includes the entrance fee and bus fares from airport to Keukenhof.  I traveled comfortably to Keukenhof.  The bus driver dropped people off by the entrance and I can just walk straight into the park.  The park is open from 0800-1930.  I completely enjoyed a whole day there.  It is a must-see attraction if you travel the Netherlands in March to May. 

庫肯霍夫公園 (荷蘭 Keukenhof)

上星期五我們一家暢遊庫肯霍夫公園，每年三至五月是一年一度的鬱金香花展，非常值得花一整天到此一遊。庫肯霍夫在荷蘭文的原義是「廚房花園」。15世紀時，庫肯霍夫（Keukenhof）這個地方原本是一位女伯爵Countess Jacoba van Beieren的狩獵領地，當時女伯爵在後院種植了蔬果草藥等烹調食用的植物，因此而名為Keukenhof。

每年9月底至初霜來臨之前，庫肯霍夫公園會種下7百萬顆不同花種的球莖，其中鬱金香就有約1,000多種，在花農的細心照料下，隔年春天一片片花海，數百萬花朵百花齊放，交錯綻放，爭妍鬥豔的壯觀美景。

由機場乘搭巴士858只需20分鐘直達公園門口，非常方便。為著爭取時參觀，我們前一天已在網上訂購巴士+入場費套票，這方法購票較為戈算和省下排隊買票的時間。因為遊人太多、園內面積較大，四處都見人龍排隊購買食物和飲料、參觀室內展覽和如廁，建議入園前帶備樽裝水、小食和三文治。

Banana Spinach Smoothie

Good morning, everybody.  I am sorry that I post this a bit late.  I had just finished a trip in Amsterdam.  Everything seems back to normal now.  I start the day with a glass of green juice – banana spinach smoothie.  This smoothie is so delicious and healthy, you will be addicted.  That is a great way to start the day.  If you try it, let me know what you think.

Wish all of you have a very good morning.

Preparation time: 3 minutes

Serve: 1

Ingredients:

-      1 ripe banana

-      35g raw baby spinach   

-      250 ml skimmed milk

Method:

1.	Add a sliced and peeled banana into the blender.  Then add spinach and milk.
2.	Blend the ingredients for 30 seconds to 45 seconds until everything is smooth and evenly combined.
3.	Ready to serve.

Chinese Mixed Vegetable Salad

I was very excited to go to an antique market in South-West London with my friend last Tuesday morning. It is called Sunbury Antiques Market.  It was really a very big market; there were over 700 inside and outside stalls.  The venue is called Kempton Park Racehorse.  The market opens twice a month.  On the second and last Tuesday of each month, the park turns into a treasure of vintage delights. A wide variety of antiques are to be sold there, including vintage clothing, fabulous antiques, Victorian jewellery, furniture, book, collectors’ items and much more.  It opens from 6:00 am to 2:00 pm. There is a direct train from Waterloo station and the market is next to the station. It provides free parking and free admission.

When we arrived at the park at around 8:00 a.m., it was crowded.  Most people were busy with finding gems and some were making bargains.  Since my friend had been there before, she reminded me bringing cash instead of cards.  I found most traders accept cash and welcome to make bargains with them.  I like the vintage dolls very much, especially teddy bears.  Although they looked very old, they are very cute.  As we stayed at a toy stall, a Japanese couple was looking for some vintage teddy bears for their wedding.  They were very happy when they found one gorgeous bear which they like most.  They were so sweet.

After wandering around the market for nearly three hours, we were very tired.  My friend bought a tin which was made in the early 19^th century and a vintage ring.  The ring was made in Italy in 1920s with precious shells to decorate as a flower.  It was quite pricey; luckily she got a 10% discount after making bargains with the trader.   I did not buy anything but it is a new and good experience to me.  When I was talking with the traders, I learnt a lot about the vintage items.  The traders are very friendly and knowledgeable.  They said the busiest time is around 6:30 to 7:30 a.m.  Many antique shop owners and collectors liked going there in the very early morning to get the best picks.  If I have time, I will go there once again. 

It is spring now.  I like some sweet and sour food as a starter.  I love Shanghai cuisine very much, such as xiaolongbao, “drunken” chicken, sweet and sour mandarin fish, hairy crabs, hongshao rou and starters.  It is easy to find some tasty starters in Shanghainese restaurants, like tapas in Spanish restaurants and bars.  I prepare this Chinese mixed vegetable salad as an appetizer for tonight’s dinner.    Hope all of you have a happy Friday.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serve: 2

Ingredients:

-         20g red pepper (finely sliced)

-         20g yellow pepper (finely sliced)

-         20g green pepper (finely sliced)

-         30g Chinese white radish (unpeeled and finely sliced)

-         30g carrot (unpeeled and finely sliced)

-         6g dried black fungus strips (soaked in water for 15-20 minutes until tender)                                                                  

-         3 pieces of tofu puffs (finely sliced)

-         1 slice of celery (finely sliced)

-         1L water

-         ⅛ tsp table salt

-         ½ tbsp white sesame seeds

Seasoning sauce:

-         3 tbsp Zhenjiang vinegar

-         2 tbsp soy sauce

-         1 tbsp brown sugar

-         1 tbsp sesame oil

Method:

1.	Boil water in a saucepan over medium heat and add salt.  Then add mixed pepper, white radish, black fungus, celery and carrot in hot water for 1 minute over medium heat.  Remove it from heat.  Drain well and put them on a plate.
2.	Add the tofu puffs into the hot water for 30 seconds.  Remove it from heat.  Drain well and put them on the plate.
3.	In a mixing bowl, mix vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar and sesame oil well.
4.	Sprinkle the sesame seeds on top.
5.	Toss in the sauce and mix it thoroughly with all veggie before serving.

Pork Rib soup with sweetcorn and chestnuts

My grandma was born in Quin Dynasty and grew up in a small village in the mainland China.  She was a very traditional Chinese woman and liked doing everything by her. When she firstly came to Hong Kong, she was about 60 years old. She lived in a cottage with a farm in front of the house in the New Territories with my great grandparents. She raised chickens and planted vegetables. She loved cooking very much, especially traditional Chinese dishes.  When I was young, she always visited us on Sundays.  Every time she must make soup for my family.  She believed that soup was good for health.  Here is one of her delicious soup recipes.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 2 hours and 15 minutes

Serve: 3

Ingredients:

-         2 sweet corns

-      400g pork spare rib           

-         12 chestnuts (unpeeled)

-         1 slice of ginger (about 8g)

-         2  golden thread preserved dates

-         2L water

-         2 tbsp salt

Method:

1.	Trim away the fat of the pork rib, clean and cut it into two big pieces.
2.	Parboiling: Pour 1L water in a pot and add the pork rib.  Simmer them over a low heat for 20 minutes. Remove from heat.  Rinse if necessary and drain well.  Set aside.
3.	Boil 2L water in a big pot over medium heat.
4.	Add ginger, chestnuts, preserved dates and sweet corns in the pot and boil for 10 minutes.  Then add the pork ribs and reduce to low heat.  Cover and simmer for 2 hours 15 minutes.
5.	Sautee with salt and ready to serve.

	Tips:
i.	I have two big pots for boiling Chinese soup.  One is a traditional soup pot and another one is thermal pot.  My mom likes using a slow cooker because it is easy to use it..
ii.	I love soup with strong flavor so I use 2L water to boil the soup.  If you like a clearer and light flavor soup, you adjust the amount of water according to your preference.
iii.	Do not add salt at the beginning stage.  It should be added when the soup is about ready to be served.
iv.	One important preparation step to boil Chinese or simmer soup is parboiling the ingredients before adding them into the soup.  To parboil means to cook the ingredients partially. For meat or bone ingredients, parboiling can get rid of blood and some of the fat. In the parboiling process, there are froths and bits floating on the surface.  Parboiling can make the soup clearer.