Unlike Chinese double-boiled soup which takes a long time to simmer, miso soup can be prepared in just 10-15 minutes and it’s so light that you can drink it anytime of the day.

Ingredients (Serves 3-4  adults):

• 3 tablespoons miso paste
• 3 cups water
• 150 g  soft tofu
• 100 g fresh enoki mushrooms
• Handful of dried kelp/ konbu (optional)

Instructions:

Step 1:  Fill stockpot with water.  Soak dried kelp in water for at least 1-2 hours to soften it.

Step 2:  Cut tofu into cubes.  Wash enoki mushrooms, remove the portion at the roots (about one inch) and separate them.  Cut enoki mushrooms into half length-wise.

Step 3:  Boil stockpot of water and kelp.  When the stock is boiling, transfer the tofu cubes and enoki mushrooms into the pot.

Step 4:  Cook for 1-2 minutes.  Add in miso paste.  Stir to dissolve it well.

Step 5:  Cook for another 2-3 minutes at lower heat.

There are different types of miso paste available in the market.  If you are vegetarian, just make sure you get one which is purely miso without any extra seafood flavouring.

Remember to transfer the soup while it is hot into a thermos food jar if you are bringing it for your lunch box.

Enjoy!

This is a very simple tofu dish you can try.

Ingredients (Serves 4 adults):

• 100 – 120 g of minced pork
• 250 -300 g soft/ silken tofu, cut into cubes
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1 small carrot, diced into small cubes
• 1 stalk scallion (spring onion), washed and chopped
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/3 cup corn starch mixture (2 tablespoons corn starch mixed with 1/3 cup water)
• 3 teaspoons light soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• Ground pepper
• 1 tablespoon hua tiao chiew (chinese cooking wine)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1:  Marinate minced meat with 1 teaspoon of light soy sauce and a dash of pepper.  Mix well and leave it aside for about 30 minutes.

Step 2:  Heat up the cooking oil in the fry pan or wok.  Add minced garlic when oil is hot.

Step 3:  When garlic starts to brown, add in the minced meat.  Stir fry till it is cooked.  Add in the diced carrots and scallions.  Stir fry for another 30 seconds.

Step 4:  Add oyster sauce, 2 teaspoons of light soy sauce, hua tiao chiew and a dash of pepper.  Stir fry again to mix well.

Step 5:  Add in water and cover the fry pan with a lid.  Allow the stew to cook for 1-2 minutes.

Step 6:  Remove the lid and add in the silken tofu cubes.  Ladle some sauce mixture over the tofu cubes and cover the fry pan again for another minute to cook the tofu.

Step 7:  Finally, add the corn starch mixture slowly into the stew, stirring it carefully to keep the soft tofu cubes intact.

Does this look really easy?

I only took about 10 minutes to prepare the ingredients and 10 minutes to cook this dish.  In fact, if you are rushing for time in the morning before going to work, you can prepare the ingredients in advance.  Marinate the minced meat, chop the scallions and carrots the night before.  The next day, just take them out and cook!

Aren’t the colors beautiful?

For an even easier variation of this recipe, you can replace the carrots and scallions with half a cup of frozen peas/carrot/corn mix.

This dish is best served piping hot, so if you are bringing it to work, ladle them into a thermos food jar immediately to keep it warm.

For me, this tofu combo makes a simple all-in-one meal as well as it has meat, vegetables and tofu.  All I need is just a bowl of steamed rice to go along with it.  YUM…

Enjoy!

Ingredients (Serves 4 adults):

• One medium sized broccoli (about 300 g), cut into smaller pieces
• One small carrot, sliced
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (or similar)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
• Water for blanching

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1:  Heat up some water in the saucepan.

Step 2:  When it is boiling, add the olive oil and salt.  Thereafter, put in the sliced carrots and broccoli.

Step 3:  When both vegetables are cooked, take them out with a strainer to drain away any excess water.  Set aside in a salad bowl.

Step 4:  Add the oyster sauce and toss the vegetables till it is well mixed.

Step 5:  If you are preparing it for your lunch box, place the broccoli immediately in your thermos food jar to keep it warm.  You can also choose to store them in a microwave-safe container and reheat them at your workplace.

This method of cooking does without the need for stir-frying with a wok, so cleaning up is also a breeze, especially if you are rushing to work.

There are other vegetables that can be cooked this way too, like brussel sprouts, kailan, xiao bai chye, etc.

Remember to include more vegetables in your diet always!

Ingredients (Serves 3 adults):

• 3 cups of cooked rice (cold)
• 3 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 cup of frozen peas, carrot and corn mix (thawed)
• 1 Chinese sausage, diced (can be substituted with ham, hot dog or luncheon meat as well)
• 2 teaspoons chopped garlic
• 2 eggs (slightly beaten)
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce
• Salt and pepper
• 1 teaspoon tumeric powder (optional)

This dish is really easy to do and it’s always a great solution to the times when you overcook the rice!  Just keep those leftover rice in the fridge.  The next day before cooking, take it out and let it thaw while you are preparing the ingredients.

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1:  Heat up the cooking oil in a wok or frying pan.  About thirty seconds later, put in the chopped garlic.

Step 2:  When the garlic starts to turn brown, add in the cup of peas, carrot, corn and stir fry till tender.

Step 3:  Add in the diced cubes of chinese sausage and continue to stir fry until it is fragrant.

Step 4:  Pour in the beaten eggs in a a circular motion, preferably covering all the stir fried ingredients.

Step 5:  When the eggs look like they are half cooked, scoop in the cold rice.  This is to ensure that the eggs coat the rice nicely while they are still runny.  Stir fry the rice with the ingredients well, until the eggs are fully cooked and the rice does not look sticky.

Step 6:  Add the light soy sauce, fish sauce and tumeric powder and blend well.  Tumeric powder adds a beautiful tinge of yellow to the rice and it’s also good for health too, but it is optional for you.  Fish sauce can also be omitted too according to your preference.  But I would say that’s the secret to why this recipe taste so good. *wink*

Step 7:  Stir fry for a few more minutes and add in a dash of salt and pepper as a finishing touch.

If you would like some vegetables, you can throw in some bean sprouts at Step 6 as well.

This recipe cooks for three adults, so if you have two kids and a hubby to pack for, there should still be some left for your own lunch.  Hehe.

Sorry, I forgot to take pictures of the preparation and cooking phases, so for this first post, please make do with this picture above.

I will take more pictures for my next recipe, I promise!