It's still spring in Melbourne now, yet the weather likes to change drastically from cold to hot, to cold again, to hot, to cold to hot again... just in one day. An interesting thing that I find is often your head is hot due to the sun exposure, but your body feels cold because of the wind. No wonder Melbourne is well known for its "amazing" weather. And no wonder too, that I have been sick since Sunday. Fever and flu. What a perfect combination :(
Because tomorrow I have my second exam until Monday and will be busy for several days, so I cook a lot today (laugh).
Stir-Fried Bok Choy with Chicken
1 bok choy
1/2 chicken thigh, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 white mushroom
Ginger, chopped finely
Garlic, chopped finely
Olive oil
Soy sauce
Salt
Pepper
White sesame seed (garnish)
Steps:
1. Blanch bok choy, wash mushrooms and drain them. Cut bok choy as you want (I cut the stems about 2 x 1.5 cm while the leaves are a bit larger). Slice thinly the mushrooms. Set aside.
2. Marinate the chicken pieces with a mixture of soy sauce, salt and pepper for 5 - 10 minutes.
3. Heat the pan with a tiny bit of olive oil, add garlic and ginger. Stir for 1 - 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, cook for another 1 -2 minutes.
4. Add the chicken pieces and stir until the pieces are almost cooked. Add the bok choy. Pour just enough water (lil amount of water) to fasten the cooking process and to make the dish not too dry.
5. Give some soy sauce and sprinkle salt and pepper. Stir again. Let it cook for another 1 - 2 minutes.
6. To serve: place it in a bowl. Sprinkle some white sesame seeds on the top.
Note:
1. Marinate the chicken with a mixture of soy sauce, salt and pepper before and the use of ginger are very important to enrich the flavor.
2. Use sesame oil instead of olive oil if you have. I don't use it since I don't have it (plan to buy after I move to new room).
Japanese Potato Salad
4 medium potatoes
3 baby carrots
1/2 cucumber
2 boiled eggs
Japanese "Kewpie" mayonnaise
Salt
Pepper
Steps:
1. Wash potatoes, carrots, and cucumber. For potatoes: peel off the skin, cut into 3 cm chunks. For carrots: peel off the skin, slice thinly. For cucumber: slice very thinly.
2. Boil potatoes until almost cooked. To test whether they are almost cooked (soft), insert fork inside potatoes. Add carrots. Let it cook for another 2 minutes.
3. In the mean time, crush the boiled eggs and mix them with enough mayonnaise. Sprinkle some salt and pepper. Taste.
4. In a big bowl, place the potatoes. Mash them until quite soft or leave small chunks if you want. Add carrots and cucumbers. If you want, sprinkle salt and pepper. Last, mix it with the mixture of mayonnaise.
5. To serve: refrigerate or let it cool first. However I prefer my salad warm :P
Note:
1. I omit the onion (because I don't like it XD). If you want to use it, cut the onion very thinly and mix it with the mashed potatoes.
2. Japanese "Kewpie" mayonnaise has different taste than the usual mayonnaise sold. The mixture is smoother and creamier, and the colour is yellow. It is made from apple cider or rice vinegar and contains small amount of MSG while the usual mayonnaise is made from distilled vinegar. Some dishes using Japanese mayonnaise are okonomiyaki, takoyaki, and yakisoba. For more information about Japanese "Kewpie" mayonnaise: wikipedia & Kewpie's official website. Since the taste is different than usual mayonnaise, it's recommended to use Japanese mayonnaise for Japanese dishes, including for this recipe. Try to find Japanese "Kewpie" mayonnaise in Asian market or in Asian section of your favorite supermarket. In Australia, "Kewpie" mayonnaise are sold in most of Asian markets and big supermarkets like Coles, Aldi, or Woolworths.
