East Meets West Recipes: #2. Pasta Pork Soup with Shimeji Mushrooms

 Ingredients

• 200 g. Penne Pasta (you can also use other types of pasta i.e. Macaroni, Fusilli, Farfalle)
• 200 g. minced pork
• 100 g. Shimeji Mushrooms
• 1 pan of water (about 1000 ml) for cooking soup
• 1 pan of water with a pinch of salt to cook the pasta
• 3 tablespoons of fish sauce or Salt
• 1 tablespoon of soy sauce

How to cook

• Pasta
• Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add a pinch of salt into the boiling water. This will stop the pasta from sticking together.

 

• Add the pasta to the pot of water. Boil the pasta for 10 mins, over medium at high heat. 

 

• Stir regularly to avoid having the pasta stick together. Drain the pasta and set aside.

 

• Soup
• Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat.

• Season the pork with 1 tablespoon of fish sauce and put the pork in a small bowl. Pour the boiling water over it.

 

• Mix gently and pour back to the pot. This technique will help to make a delicious soup stock. 

 

• Bring it all to a boil and let it all sit for about 5 minutes before turning the heat back down. For a clear broth, be sure to remove the bubbles that floats on top of the soup.

• Add 2 tablespoons of fish sauce and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce to add some extra flavor.

 

• Add the Shimeji Mushrooms into the pot and let it all simmer for another 5 minutes.

 

 

• Add the cooked pasta into the pork soup pot. Mix well, and take off the heat.

 

SERVE HOT RIGHT AWAY!

Easy Asian Recipes: #3. Thai Stir-Fried Minced Beef with Basil Leaves (Non-Spicy Version)

Ingredients 

• 250 g. minced beef
• 2 cups of basil leaves 
• 3 cloves of minced garlic 
• 1 tablespoon of fish sauce (or salt)                                     
• 3 tablespoons Cooking oil

* Optional side dish: Fried egg & Steamed rice 

   

How to cook

• Peel and crush the garlic or chop it finely 

• Wash basil leaves and set aside

• Heat a pan or wok on a high heat, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil

• Add garlic and stir until light golden brown

• Add the minced beef, and keep stirring until browned

• Add fish sauce, stir for 1 minute, taste the food, if not flavorful enough, add some more sauce.

• Add about half of the basil leaves. Let everything simmer for 2 minutes longer, stirring often. 

• Remove from heat, place on a serving plate and set aside. 

• Heat 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in a pan over medium-high. Add the other half of the basil leaves to the hot oil and quickly stir them around until they stop bubbling and are crispy. Then turn off the heat.

• Place the crispy basil leaves on top of the Stir-Fried Minced Beef with Basil Leaves as garnish. 

Best served with fried egg and steamed rice!

Easy Asian Recipes: #2. Stir-Fried Glass Noodles With Pork Balls

Ingredients

• 100 g. of dry glass noodles (Bean Vermicelli) 
• 200 g. of pork balls (cut in 1 inch pieces) - Note: In place of pork balls, you can also used meatball made from finely minced pork or beef. 
• 50 g. of shredded spring onions 
• 100 g. of shredded cabbage 
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce 
• 1 tbsp. fish sauce 
• 2 tbsp. cooking oil 
• 1 egg

How to cook

• Soak the dry glass noodles in water for about 10 minutes until soft.

• Drain noodles well and set aside.

• At medium-heat, add cooking oil to a pan, followed by egg, stir until golden.

• Add pork balls, followed by shredded cabbage and spring onions.

• Add the glass noodles; followed by all the sauces, keep stirring for noodles to cook.

• Add some water, if the noodle is under cooked or get too dry.

• Taste the food, if not flavorful enough, add some more sauces.

• Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes more, until well mixed. 

Serve hot!

Easy Asian Recipes: #1. Omu-Rice (Japanese Omelet Rice)

Easy High-Fiber Meal!

(Brown Rice is a great source of fiber, B vitamins, manganese, selenium and iron)   

Ingredients

• For Ham fried rice:
• 1 cup of ham, diced
• 1 tbsp. fish sauce (or salt)
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup of chopped onions
• 2 cups of steamed brown rice
• 1 tbsp. ketchup for garnish
• 1 tbsp. cooking oil
• For the omelet:
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tbsp. milk
• 1 tbsp. fish sauce (or salt)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tbsp. cooking oil

How to cook

• Make ham fried rice: 
• Heat the cooking oil in a large frying pan at medium- heat.           
• Add the diced onion and sauté until soft. 
• Add ham and egg; continue cooking until they are cooked through.
• Add the cooked rice to the pan and mix everything together, adding fish sauce or salt. 
• Stir fry the ingredients for about 2 minutes, until the rice has dried out slightly. 
• Then turn off the heat. Set ham fried rice aside.

• Make the omelets: 
• Beat 2 of the eggs together in a bowl with 1 tablespoon of the milk, and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce or a pinch of salt and pepper.  
• Heat 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in a frying pan over medium heat, then pour the egg mixture into the heated pan and tilt the pan to spread the egg mixture thinly across the pan. 
• Fry the omelet until the edges have set. 

• Add the ham fried rice filling in the middle of the omelet. 

• Gently lift one edge of the omelet.  Fold one side of the egg over the filling.

• Repeat with the other side. 

• Fry until the egg is golden brown. 

• Flip omelet onto a serving plate. Garnish omelet with additional ketchup such as a smiley face. 

Ready to serve!