Tarragon Green Tea

Let's take a break from our Singapore food trip (You may want to read Part 1 and Part 2 here and here) and enjoy this refreshing drink.

I discovered this delicious drink when we were dining in a restaurant with our pastor. He ordered the tarragon tea. Maybe you already know about tarragon tea, but this is our first time to encounter this concoction. I found it to be refreshing and delicious! It was slightly sweet, with a flavor not far from rootbeer. In fact, my son was asking me if the rootbeer is made from tarragon or not! Since we love rootbeer, we of course, fell in love with tarragon tea - a healthier alternative to rootbeer!

I know about tarragon, the herb and its usage in food and in cooking. I know it is a popular herb used in French cooking. I rarely use this herb in our home cooking though, because, well, for a time, it was not available here. Maybe it does not grow well in tropical weather. But lately though, this herb can be found sold fresh (not dried), in upscale supermarkets, supplied by specialty farms from Tagaytay ( a cool, mountain city south of Manila).

And so, I bought a pack of fresh tarragon leaves and made this tea. A 100 gm pack gave a lot of cups of tea! This is very simple to make. Simply steep 4 or 5 stalks of tarragon (per cup) and green tea in boiling water for 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the tea leaves and the tarragon leaves. Enjoy! You can drink it hot or cold. I also prefer our tea unsweetened.

By the way, this is my own concoction. I think the restaurant simply used purely tarragon leaves and nothing else, for the tea they served was very light colored- almost like water. While my version with green tea turned amber. And by the way, I used China green tea, which turns amber when steeped. This is different from the Japanese green tea, which turns green when steeped.

Try this refreshing drink this summer. Or after eating a bowl-ful of spicy food :)




Sharing this refreshing drink with the Weekend Herb Blogging community, launched by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen, now headed and managed by Haalo of Cook Almost Anything At Least Once. This edition's (#185) host is Susan from the Well-Seasoned Cook.

Chrysanthemum Tea

These days the weather temperature had gone up quite significantly. It is indeed nearly summer! (Summer in this country starts mid-March to May). However, with the changes in the weather, many children are getting sick - cough, colds and fever or flu.

My son has terrible cough and colds. He has enough thick mucus that blocks his nasal passageway. He has trouble sleeping at night and difficulty concentrating in school. And the syrups seem not to have any effect. What to do? I turn to the age-old remedy of Chinese medicine. Actually, I forgot all about this until mother-in-law reminded me. :)

Chrysanthemum flower tea is one very common type of Chinese tea. Drunk with meals it helps to aid digestion, especially of greasy foods. It is also commonly taken to help strengthen the lungs and relieve head congestion. It has cooling effect that is very appropriately taken during hot weather. According to my mother-in-law, it can help in the early stages of feverish type of flu. It may also help relieve certain types of headaches, blurred vision and dizziness. (But the effect on those symptoms will vary dependent on the underlying cause, of course.)

This tea is very easy to prepare. Take fresh yellow chrysanthemum flowers. Clean them well, and brew with hot boiling water. Since fresh flowers are not available here, what we have on hand are dried flowers. We usually have a supply since we really stock up on this flower tea when somebody goes to China. We can also brew the dried flowers. Boil a tablespoon or two of dried flowers for every cup of water, strain and drink. (In my photo above, I deliberately did not strain eveything so that you can see what the chrysanthemum flowers look like.) The resulting tea is yellowish in color with the fragrance of chrysanthemum flowers. This tea is very mild and safe, with no side effects, this can be taken regularly.

But for my son's aggravated condition, mother-in-law recommends the salt-infused chrysanthemum tea (Kiam Kak Hue in Fookien.) We also have this on hand, anytime in the refrigerator. When a batch of dried chrysanthemum flowers arrive from China, my mother-in-law would personally make the salt-infused chrysanthemum. She would take a lot of flowers, and sprinkle a handful of coarse sea salt. (Sorry, she also do not have accurate measurements. She simply says, the more salt, the better it would be.) Then she would fill up and pack a sterilized glass jar with this salted dried chysanthemum flowers. We keep this in the refrigerator and use it when needed. Like today.

This traditional Chinese tea should be brewed fresh everyday, and we should expect a relief from the colds symptoms in a few days. I certainly hope my son gets better soon. It is exams week next week!



Sharing this Chinese herbal flower tea with the Weekend Herb Blogging community, now headed by Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything at Least Once. This week, the event is hosted by Laurie of Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska.

Seafood Winter Melon Chinese Soup

This soup is often considered a superior soup in Chinese restaurants. It has the natural goodness of winter melon or white gourd (Dong Gua) and the natural sweet flavor of seafood. Yum! In restaurants, it is often served like this: in carved winter melon bowls.

photo courtesy of Wikipedia

Even if I did not carve my own winter melon bowl. I assure you, this soup tastes like the soup served in restaurants and maybe even better. I have more seafood than "fillers" that's why!

In restaurants, they also claim that they serve double boiled soup. That is, after cooking the soup, they ladle the soup into the winter melon bowls and then steam the whole bowl (with soup and all) for several hours. If they really do this, then it is the authentic Cantonese soup cooking. However, sometimes, I wonder if they really do that, because if they really steam the whole winter melon and the soup, how come the ingredients are not tender as expected, and the soup is not as flavorful as expected?

Anyway, what I did is not the double-boiled technique. But it tastes just as good. If you want the double-boiled technique, just ladle the soup into the winter melon bowl, or another bowl if you do not have the winter melon bowl. And then, steam the whole bowl (with the soup) again. But then, this is a busy mother's kitchen, so simmering the soup once is enough for now. :)


250 gms, shrimps, shelled, deveined, chopped
5 T dried scallops, soaked in hot water for an hour
200 gms fish fillet, chopped

3 slices of ginger, shredded
4 T minced garlic
1 onion, chopped
salt and pepper
2 T Chinese cooking wine
250 gms winter melon, skin removed, pitted, chopped into small cubes
6 C chicken or pork broth

5 T cornstarch dissolved in 5 T water
2 eggs, well-beaten
drops of sesame oil
green onions, chopped, for garnish


1. In a hot wok or cooking pan, saute the ginger until fragrant. Saute the onion and garlic until fragrant.

2. Add in the fish fillet, dried scallop and shrimps. Saute until they change color. Add in the winter melon pieces. Add in the Chinese cooking wine. Wait until the sauce boils and some alcohol evaporates. Add in the broth.

3. Let boil and simmer for 30 minutes or more.

4. When ready to serve, bring the soup to boil. Add the cornstarch solution while stirring continuously. Let boil and let the soup thicken. Add in the beaten eggs while stirring continuously to get the "dispersed flower" egg effect.

5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Turn off heat. Add in drops of sesame oil and garnish with chopped green onions before serving. Serve hot.


Winter melon is actually a big melon, usually more than a foot long. A small family cannot finish one entire melon, so I do not usually buy this fruit. (yes, ma'am, it is a fruit even if it is cooked as a veggie.) It is just fortunate that I was able to spy a grocer who was selling cut-up winter melon slices. Winter melon is favored by my grandma, because, according to traditional Chinese medicine, it can help alleviate mild urinary tract problems. According to Wiki, it is high in Vitamin B and dietary fiber.

Maybe, if I have more time, I will cook this the traditional double-boiled method in that winter melon bowl. I'm sure it is going to be a wonderful experience.

Sharing this delicious, hot and flavorful soup with the Weekend Herb Blogging community, now headed by Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything At Least Once. This week's hosts are Dee and her crew at the Daily Tiffin. To see last week's delicious round-ups, please check out Marija of Palachinka.

Dou Miao (Snow Pea Sprouts) Stir Fry with Fish Fillet

It is the time of the year again, when we would have our taste of Dou Miao (snow pea sprouts/shoots). These Dou Miao that I am referring to are not the regular ones that look similar to mung bean sprouts, which are full of stem, crunchy but hard to chew. I am talking about this type of Dou Miao that has more leaves and known for its delicate taste. They look like this:

photo courtesy of evergreenseeds.com

This kind of Dou Miao is only available during winter. Because of its unavailability, it is considered a delicacy here in Asia. Last year, I made a stir fry dish with dried scallops. Recipe here.

Dou Miao with Dried Scallops Stir Fry

This year, brother-in-law (Ah-pe) came over our house and cooked a special dish for us: Hong Kong style Stir fry Dou Miao with Fish Fillets. Here's his recipe.

1 pack (around 250 gms) Dou Miao, washed
2 T cooking oil
5 T minced garlic
1 stalk leeks, chopped
3 slices of ginger
1 c chicken broth

2 pcs fish fillet, sliced thinly
salt and pepper, to taste
some cornstarch
1/2 C cooking oil


1. Heat up cooking oil in a wok or a cooking pan. Saute ginger until fragrant. Add in the garlic and chopped leeks. Stir fry for a while until fragrant, around 2 minutes.

2. Add in the Dou Miao. Stir fry until partially wilted. Add in the chicken broth. Cover and let boil. Stir frequently so that the vegetables may absorb the flavor of the broth.

3. When cooked, scoop up the vegetables onto a serving platter. Discard the broth.

4. Prepare the fish fillets by sprinkling salt and pepper (amount according to taste) on all sides. Then, sprinkle some cornstarch onto all the fish pieces as well.

5. Add oil to a hot wok or non-stick cooking pan. When heated, quickly stir fry the fish fillets. When done, ladle on top of the cooked Dou miao. Serve hot with jasmine rice.






Healthy and delicious!


Sharing this nutritious dish with the Weekend Herb Blogging community, headed and supervised by Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything At Least Once. This week, the event is hosted by Chris of Mele Cotte. To see last week's delicious dishes, please see the lovely round-up done by Cook the Books chief Rachel at the Crispy Cook.

Oven Baked Zucchini Fries

We stopped eating French Fries when news came out that they are full of transfat. Actually, we generally avoid anything deep-fried nowadays. Ok, ok, perhaps once in a while, but I promise, only very rarely. What to do when you crave for fries? Instead of giving in immediately, look for substitutions.

I have heard of Zucchini Fries. Zucchini is a vegetable (though technically, it is a fruit, according to Wiki). So, Zucchini must be good. It is low in calories, contains some folate, potassium and Vitamin A.

I googled for the recipe, but most have a tempura-like batter. And deep fried. I got some ideas here and there, and here is what I came out with:


1 medium-sized zucchini, julienned
salt, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper (optional)

1/4 C all-purpose flour
1/4 C cornmeal

olive oil for spraying


1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Spray a cookie sheet or large baking pan with olive oil.

2. Season the julienned zucchinis with salt, and peppers. Let rest for 15 minutes.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour and cornmeal. Add in the marinated zucchinis, coating all pieces. Lay each piece of coated zucchini on the tray. Do not overlap. Bake for 20 mintes or until golden brown.


The result? Delicious fries! Crunchy on the outside, soft in the inside. Just serve it while it is fresh from the oven. When cooled, the crunchy crust becomes soft as well...




Sharing these delicious, healthy crunchies with the Weekend Herb Blogging community, headed by Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything At Least Once. This week's host is Rachel of The Crispy Cook. To see last week's delectable dishes, please check out the round-up done by Pam of the Backyard Pizzeria.

Fruit Cake Bars

To start the year right, I offer you -- fruit cake bars -- these are sweet, so that you can always look forward to a good and nice and sweet year ahead. These are full of fruits, so that your year may be "fruitful" or bountiful. The taste is mellow, so that you may have a peaceful year ahead.

This recipe is far, far different from the traditional heavy and dense fruit cake. It tastes like fruit cake, with fruits soaked in liquor, but the texture is softer and lighter, and a bit crumbly and moist, just the way we like it. Daughter was crestfallen when she learned that I was giving most of the pieces away (boxed as Christmas gifts) to friends. But of course I made several batches and there were lots of leftovers :) for her to enjoy.

I got the recipe from Martha Stewart's Everyday Food magazine.


1 C unsalted butter, room temperature
2 C all purpose flour
1/2 t salt
1 C brandy
5 cups assorted dried fruits (I used raisins, dried mangoes, dried jackfruit, dried cranberries, dried apricots
2 C packed light brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 t pure vanilla extract
confectioner's sugar, for dusting




1. In a saucepan, heat brandy until simmering. Remove from heat and stir in fruits. Cool to room temperature. Toss brandied fruits with 1 C flour.

2. Preheat oven to 350F. Brush a 9 x 13 baking pan with butter. Line with parchment paper, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the two sides.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat butter and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in vanilla.

4. With the mixer on low, add in the remaining 1 C flour, and salt. Mix until just combined. Fold in fruit mixture, transfer batter to prepared pan. Smooth top.

5. Bake 45 to 50 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out clean. Cool in pan for 1 hour.

6. Using the paper overhang, lift out of the pan, transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

7. Remove paper. Dust with confectioner's sugar. Cut into squares with a serrated knife.





Dried fruits are the main feature of these cake bars. Drying the fruits preserves the fruits, even without refrigeration, thus prolonging their shelf life. However, I think many people enjoy dried fruits because of the flavor. Since they are dehydrated, the fruit flavor becomes more intense. Like fresh fruits, dried fruits still has their Vitamin B and mineral content. However, vitamin C is usually lost in the drying process.

You can actually use a variety of dried fruits, in any flavor and in any combination you prefer for your fruit cake bars. Just have a total of 5 cups of assorted fruits. At the beginning, I thought it was way too much, but it turned out just right. If you noticed, I added lots of dried mangoes and dried jackfruit. These two fruits added the tropical touch to my fruit cake bars. Philippines is of course famous for our dried mangoes. It is often brought as a pasalubong (welcome gift) to friends and families abroad.



Sharing these delightful fruit bars to the Weekend Herb Blogging community, created by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen, but now headed by Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything at Least Once. This week's host is Pam from the Backyard Pizzeria. To see last week's delicious herbs and dishes, please see the round-up done by Haalo here.

Mediterranean Angus Beef Steak

Angus Beef has certainly been popular in steak houses around town. Accordingly, it is more tender than other breeds of cattle because of the marbling on its meat. Actually, nowadays, Kobe beef is slowly getting popular as well, but that's another story. Angus beef steak is quite pricey in restaurants. Unless you are well-heeled, you cannot really afford Angus beef steak, except of course, when you want to splurge on special occasions. :)

I was very happy to have stumbled upon angus beef tenderloin at a popular membership shopping store. It is, of course more expensive than other kinds of meat but when I roughly computed how much it would cost per serving, it sounded more attractive. It would cost me around only 25 percent of how much it would cost me if I order this dish in a restaurant!!!

Because we rarely eat steak, I want to make this extra special. I chose to add olives and olive oil.

Olives are little fruits popularly grown in the Mediterranean region. We do not grow olives here in the tropics. The Greeks once considered this fruit sacred, a symbol of goodness and nobility. I think even today, the branches of the olive tree are symbols of peace. We all know that this fruit is loaded with monosaturates which is good for our health. Olives also contain substances that are believed to help us ward off cancer.

Someone has told me that the fresh olive fruit is not palatable. I cannot really confirm this because what I have tasted are those that are bottled or in cans. :)

Olive oil is a delicious source of antioxidants. Because of its high level of monosaturated fats, it can help lower our bad cholesterol and is good for our overall heart health. This is the oil I love. Not just because of its healthy benefits, but I also love the scent. I always choose the extra-virgin dark colored ones. More pricey than regular oils, but I guess, it is worth to splurge on something healthy.


2 pcs angus beef tenderloin steak
salt and pepper
dash of olive oil

Season the steaks with salt and pepper. Add some olive oil to coat. Grill on high heat until desired doneness. Arrange on individual serving plates.


5 T minced garlic
1 onion, chopped
5 T capers, cut in half
10 pitted olives (in can), sliced
salt and pepper

1. Heat up a little olive oil. Add in the onions and garlic. Saute a little bit until fragrant but not burnt. Add in the capers and olives. Turn off the heat. Season with salt and pepper according to taste.

2. Add this mixture on top of the steak. Splash in some fresh olive oil on top.



Hubby loved this special treat, of course! :)


Sharing this olive-laden treat to the holiday edition of Weekend Herb Blogging, headed and specially hosted this time by Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything At Least Once. To see last week's delicious dishes, please check out the round-up done by Chriesi of Almond Corner.

Taiwanese (Japanese?) Style Cold Tofu with Century Egg

Pardon me for the title. I was not sure of the nationality of this dish. Here in Manila, this is known as the Taiwanese style cold tofu. Actually, this dish is only available in Taiwanese-style restaurants. So we have always called this Taiwanese tofu.

Then a Japanese chilled Tofu dish called Hiyayakko came out in the Round-up of Regional Recipes #2 featuring dishes from Japan. It makes sense actually, for this dish to be Japanese. It is very simple and elegant, very easy to prepare, all distinct qualities of a Japanese dish. The ingredients used - the tofu and bonito flakes are also Japanese.

So maybe we should call this Asian Cold Tofu instead. :)

Or perhaps, what made this dish different from the Japanese tofu is the addition of century eggs. True enough, when I googgled for century eggs, Wiki explained that this version of chilled tofu with century eggs is the Taiwanese version of the Japanese one.

Get it? Without the century eggs, the nationality is Japanese. With the century eggs, the nationality is Taiwanese. :)

What a big difference the simple addition of century eggs can make.

Century eggs are preserved eggs, made by wrapping duck or chicken eggs in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, lime and rice straw straw for several weeks to several months. At least that is what they do traditionally. Nowadays, the traditional method is still being used, but modern production have discovered certain curing methods can be used to imitate the chemical process used to produce century eggs. This can speed up production to as fast as ten days. That's a great improvement - from a hundred years to ten days! Seriously, it does not take a hundred years to produce century eggs, not even when made traditionally. :)

To think that when I was young, I refuse to eat century eggs. There was this persistent rumor that century eggs were made by soaking the eggs in animal dung. And it is easy to believe this rumor, century eggs have a strong odor when opened... not exactly a bad one.

Century eggs are almost always served as appetizer. Even if their color is not exactly appetizing. It can actually be eaten as is, straight from the shell. Well, wash the egg for a while to remove the odor. Or maybe it is just me :) It can also be added to Chinese barbecue dish like barbecue pork and slivers of jellyfish. Yes, the Chinese eat jellyfish. It is quite yummy, too. But that will be for another post. Century eggs is usually added to tofu as in this dish.

This a a very easy to prepare, no-cook, healthy and fuss-free dish. Very nutritious and delicious.


1 block Japanese silk tofu
1 (or 2) century eggs, shelled, sliced
sprinkling of bonito flakes
soy sauce ( I used the thick Kekap manis, but any good quality soy sauce will do)
dash of sesame oil
green onions, chopped


Just arrange all the ingredients on top of the tofu. Serve.


Tofu or Beancurd is touted as the protein of the future. It is definitely Chinese in origin, though Japan, Korea and other countries also produce their own tofu. Here in the Philippines, there are generally 3 kinds of tofu. There is the Japanese soft and silken tofu. There is the Chinese or Asian tofu which is a bit firm. The third is the dried tofu, which is more firm and is often used for frying.

Beancurd is made by coagulating soy bean milk and pressing the curds into blocks. Sometimes, pre-made soy milk can be bought and made into tofu, but more often than not, most tofu producers begin by making their own soy milk, which is produced by soaking, grinding, boiling and straining soybeans. Of course modern processes can speed up the process. Machines are available for making soy bean milk and tofu.

Tofu is low in calories, contains fat and no cholesterol. It is full of good protein making it an ideal food. It has a high amount of Vitamin B and Calcium. It is soft, and easy to digest, making it a good food for kids and elderly. Though, some people are known to be allergic to its components.



Sharing this tofu dish with the Weekend Herb Blogging community, now headed by Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything At Least Once. This week's host is Chriesi of Almond Corner. To see last week's delicious dishes, please click on the wonderful round-up done by my friend, World Food Day event and BloggerAid chief Ivy of Kopiaste.

Chinese Preserved (Salted) Mustard Vegetable Stir Fry with Eggs

This is one ingredient that brings back memories of my grandmother's kitchen -- the Salted Mustard vegetable, we call Kiam Chay in Fookien Chinese.

There are actually many kinds of Chinese preserved vegetables. Some made of mustard greens, some made from cabbages, some from radish. And then different spices for preserving the vegetables are added, some are pickled in heavy brine, some has lots of chillies added. But one thing is common, they all undergo some kind of fermentation process that preserves the vegetables without need for refrigeration.

My grandma says life in China during her time (she was born in the 1920s) was hard. It was difficult to grow plants as the soil were not rich. They did not have modern technology then. They do not even have refrigerator back then. It is an old Chinese tradition to preserve the vegetables they harvested during the summer for the winter season or for lean months when they do not have food to eat.

Nowadays, we have preserved vegetables not for lean season, but for the taste. I have to admit preserved vegetables may smell a little pungent. What do you expect after the fermentation process? But the taste is something you would be looking for again and again. Specially since this ingredient is connected with good memories of the days in grandma's kitchen.

This salted mustard green is the simplest preserved vegetable to make. Simply add tablespoons of salt to raw whole mustard greens and leave it (covered) to ferment for a few days. When ready to use, simply wash off excess salt, chop to bite-size pieces and it is already ready to eat!

That does sound a little bit crude for the modern generation. What about the germs and other health concerns? Well, grandma would say, simply wash it several times... nobody got sick eating preserved vegetables... :) Maybe science will say that salt preserved the vegetables that no bacteria nor germs can thrive in such environment. But grandma could not explain it that way. She just had years of experience to prove her claim!

Anyway, if you do not want to make your own salted mustard, you can simply purchase some from any Asian groceries. It is a common ingredient and is not expensive.

In its simplest form, these bite sized pieces can simply be viand to a simple bowl of hot steaming congee. Oooohhh! This is the ultimate comfort food for many Chinese!

But if you really want to cook these greens, to be sure your food is totally hygienic, salted mustard greens can be used in a lot of dishes: from soups to stir-fries to flavoring hotpots.

This is one simple stir fry you can do with the preserved greens. With this dish alone, you can eat up a bowl of congee or a plateful of rice :)


1. Wash and chop some salted mustard greens.

2. Chop up garlic and some green onions as well.

3. Beat 2 to 3 eggs well.

4. Heat up some oil in a non-stick pan. Saute garlic until fragrant. Add the chopped salted mustard greens. Stir fry for a while.

5. Add the green onions and eggs soon after. Stir and push the eggs around to get a scrambled style dish. It is done when the eggs are cooked. Serve immediately with congee or rice.


No need to add salt as the preserved vegetables are already salted. However, I love to add dashes of powdered red pepper for some spicy kick. This is entirely optional, of course.

I still have some salted mustard greens left. I was thinking of frying them up with bacon. That is how versatile these salted greens are. Will do another dish and another post on salted greens soon!


Sharing this Chinese traditional dish with the Weekend Herb Blogging Community, where we feature herbs and unique plant ingredients and the dishes we create using these ingredients. WHB is now supervised by Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything At Last Once. This week's host is my dear friend and blogging inpiration - Ivy of Kopiaste. To see last week's delicious dishes, please check out Scott of the Real Epicurean.

Stir-Fry Chinese Spinach (Polunchay) and the Secrets to a Chinese Vegetable Stir-Fry

I confess Hubby is the real vegetable lover in this family. He has healthier eating habits ( and exercises) more than I do. As I have mentioned several times before, he has to see "greens" on the table with every meal. This means I have to serve vegetables with our every meal. I have learned to love vegetables as well, since we got married (many, many years ago) and I am happy that our kids learned to eat vegetables while they are still young. I did not have to "train" my kids to finish their vegetables. I suppose it happens naturally if you serve it everyday, every meal. And of course, we have to serve it in different delicious ways. :)

The vegetable featured today is the Chinese Spinach. We call it Po Lun Cai in Fookien Chinese. It contains significant amounts of Vitamins A, B and C. And when I googled about Chinese Spinach, I found out that it contains twice the amount of iron than the regular or Western Spinach. Thus, this vegetable is highly favored in Asia. Again, as with most leafy green vegetables, it is recommended that we do not cook the polunchay too long or the dish will lose most of its nutritional content. That is why, a quick stir-fry is a perfect cooking method with most vegetables.

Through trial and errors, through various experiments, I have discovered a variety ways to make our stir-fry vegetables more delicious and tasty. If you have kids, you would understand the need to make your veggie dish more attractive and flavorful... Here are some of them:

1. If you are particularly worried about vegetables containing pesticides, and other industrial chemical contaminants, a quick 2-second blanch in boiling hot water is recommended after washing the vegetables. This would also give you a " brighter" and "greener" vegetable dish.

2. Use good quality peanut oil or grapeseed oil, in the cooking. And add some drops of sesame oil after the cooking. Do not cook the vegetables in sesame oil, as the sesame oil changes its smell and taste when subject to high heat.

3. Add lots of garlic in your stir-fry, as much as your taste buds can take it. Garlic is healthy anyway. It would add more flavor to the dish. And do not let garlic burn when sauteing, as it will turn bitter.

4. If you are not adding any meat or seafood to flavor your vegetable, instead of flavoring with MSG or bouillon cubes, add a spoon or two of Chinese cooking wine to remove the "green" or "herby" taste of the vegetable.

5. Always use high heat, hot wok (or cooking pan) when sauteing and with quick hands, stir, stir, stir, all the time. It would only take a minute or two, so you will not really get tired. This is to mix all the flavors in the shortest time possible.


5 T peanut oil
300 gms Chinese Spinach (Polunchay)
5 T minced garlic
2 T cooking wine
1 T soy sauce
salt and pepper
pinch of sugar, optional (my kids just like their veggies sweeter)
dash of sesame oil

1. Clean and blanch the spinach.

2. Heat oil in wok, and saute the garlic until fragrant but not burnt. Add the cooking wine and soy sauce and sugar. When the mixture boils, add in the spinach. Stir fry and mix everything up to allow the spinach to absorb all the flavors. Turn the heat off.

3. Adjust taste with salt and pepper. Add the sesame oil and serve immediately.


Result? A very quick dish (5 minutes - max) that is tasty, flavorful and nutritious!


Sharing this dish with the Weekend Herb Blogging Community, supervised by Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything At Least Once. This week's host is
Scott of The Real Epicurean. To see last week's array of wonderful dishes, please check out Siri's Corner.

Oyster and Spinach Stir-Fry

Do you want to look young and feel young? Do you want to feel more beautiful and alluring? Do you want to have softer, smoother skin?

No, this is not an ad for lotions or potions. :)

According to one of the health newsletter that I subscribe to, the food we eat affects the condition of our skin. I believe so, because food naturally contains vitamins and minerals that will keep our body healthy. The newsletter recommended several food that keeps our skin healthier and younger looking.

One of the good skin food is oysters. Oysters are low in fat, and calories and yet they contain high amounts of essential minerals. I do not know why oysters (and shrimps) have the reputation of having high cholesterol content. I thought most seafood are healthy! When I googled, I found out that oysters contain the same amount of cholesterol as any white-fleshed fish, and less cholesterol than poultry. Oysters are an excellent source of vitamins A, B1 (thiamin) B2(riboflavin), B3 (niacin), C (ascorbic acid), and D (calciferol). As a skin food, oysters contain a lot of zinc, which aids in skin cell renewal. It also keeps our nails, hair and eyes healthy. If our skin, hair and eyes look healthy, we look younger.

Spinach, considered one of the superfoods is also a good skin food. It is rich in nutrients and is a rich source of anti-oxidants (that fights the causes of aging). It contains high amount of Vitamin B, C, E, potassium, calcium, iron, magnesium and omega 3 fatty acids. It also contains lutein, which keeps our eyes healthy and sparkling. However spinach has to be cooked only for a short time, or it will lose most of its nutritional value. That makes stir-frying one of the best method to cook this super veggie.


200 gms fresh shucked oysters, cleaned
300 gms fresh spinach, washed
5 slices fresh ginger
1 onion, chopped
5 T garlic, minced
2 T Chinese cooking wine
2 T soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
sesame oil, optional


1. In a wok or cooking pan, saute the ginger in some oil until fragrant. Add the onions and garlic and saute untl fragrant, but not burnt.

2. Make sure the wok or cooking pan is very hot. Add in the oysters, cooking wine and soy sauce. Cook the oysters until desired doneness. We cook our oysters just until they change color.

3. Add the spinach. Quickly stir fry and mix everything up so that the spinach leaves are evenly covered with the oysters and the sauces. Turn heat off when the leaves start to wilt. Continue to stir until everything is thoroughly mixed. The remaining heat will continue to cook the spinach. Adjust taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle with sesame oil (optional) before serving.



This is a delicious and tasty way to be beautiful. :)


Sharing this stir-fry dish with the Weekend Herb Blogging community, headed by new chief Haalo of Cook Almost Anything At Least Once. WHB is a weekly food event that features herbs and unique plant ingredients and the dishes we cook with these ingredients. This week's host is Siri of Siri's Corner. To see last week's delicious round-up, please check out Heather of Diary of a Fanatic Foodie.

Nutella Oatmeal Whole Wheat Bars

These are "trying-hard-to-be-healthy" sweet dessert bars. Trying hard because it contains whole wheat flour, instead of the regular white milled flour. It has loads of oatmeal, which we know is one of the super-healthy food.

Ok, I confess the ingredients that are not-so- healthy are butter and sugar. You can always lessen the amount (but who would want to?) And Nutella, mmmm, yummy Nutella. Who can resist Nutella?

Again, this is one of those easy-to bake desserts that a novice baker like me can do. It also has very few ingredients, I suppose most of which are easily available in your pantry. And the result are simply irresistible dessert bars you will not think twice of munching over and over again.


1 C whole wheat flour
1 and 1/2 C quick-cooking oats
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 t baking soda
3/4 C softened butter

Nutella


1. In a large bowl, mix together the first 5 ingredients. Press half of the oatmeal mixture in a 9 x 9 inch baking pan.

2. Spread nutella on this pressed mixture. Add in as much as you prefer.

3. Top and press with the remaining half of the oat mixture.

4. Bake in a preheated 350 F oven for 25 minutes or until the top turns golden. Cut with a wet knife into bars.



Result? Yummy bars that even my kids cannot resist. My kids refuse to eat their oatmeals in the morning. So, I have to think up new ways to serve oatmeals. Why do I insist my family eat oatmeals? Because I know oatmeals are good and healthy food!

Many studies have shown that oatmeal lowers cholesterol levels, and reduces high blood pressure, thereby reducing the risk of heart disease. It may also lower the risk for type 2 diabetes. The fiber in the oats help control the blood glucose level. And oats contain more soluble fiber than whole wheat, rice or corn. Oatmeal also contains a wide range of vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants, making it an anti-cancer food as well.





Sharing these sweet bars containing loads of healthy oatmeal with the Weekend Herb Blogging Community, a foodie event that features herbs and unique plant ingredients and the dishes we make with these ingredients. The event was created by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen. Now, under the able management of our new chief Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything At Least Once. This week's host is Heather from Diary of a Fanatic Foodie. To see last week's delicious and wonderful round-up, please check out Wiffy of Noobcook.

Pork Soup with Bak Kut Teh Spices

What this picture lacks is green. Unfortunately, I ran out of green onions and leeks and cilantro or anything green! But even though this bowl of hot soup lacks in color, it is truly full of taste! I hope you get to try it!

I was able to taste the famous Singapore Bak Kut Teh (Pork Soup) when I visited Singapore a couple of years ago. However, I remember each bowl of Bak Kut Teh tastes different in different restaurants. I remember it being flavorful with spices. So maybe, each restaurant or food stall have different proportions of herbs used. Regardless of the difference, we loved the soup!

I never tried making this soup at home. Hmmm, come to think of it, I wonder why? These days, I think we can easily find the recipes on the internet. That's what we food bloggers are here for, right? Anyway, I was quite happy when I found this pack at one of the bigger supermarkets. I'm sure similar packets will also be available in Asian groceries.




The flavors and spices are already prepared! Isn't this great? The ingredients listed in the pack are: Chinese Angelica, Barbary Wolfberry Fruit, Szechwan Lovage Rhizome, Liquorice root, dried tangerine peel, cinnamon, star anise, pepper, fennel, coriander, salt, caster sugar, monosodium glutamate, ajitide I+G (Disodium 5' - Isonate Disodium 5' - Guanylate). The first few ingredients listed are familiar to me. But I was frowning at the monosodium glutamate and those others I cannot even read.

Still, I thought of giving this pack a try. Then maybe next time, I will have to research and try to cook this soup using all natural ingredients.

The instruction says to cook a kilo of chopped pork belly with bones in water, with the spices (the pack contains) and with whole garlic cloves.

Garlic. Now this is something I approve of in any soup, or in any dishes, for that matter. I know it produces halitosis, but that is a minor side effect compared to its various health benefits. Besides, since the whole family eats it, we do not really detect the smell from each other. To tell the truth, we rather like the smell of garlic. :)

Garlic can help prevent heart disease. Eating garlic can control high blood pressure, high cholesterol and even cancer. In other words, it can prevent a wide range of diseases. I know of many people who even eat raw garlic as a replacement for their high blood pressure drugs. They claim garlic is an effective and cheaper and natural than the medicines prescribed by the doctors. But please do not do this without the knowledge and guidance of your family doctor. And have your blood pressure checked everyday if you are planning to do alternative medicine.





Sharing this deliciously spiced soup and the healthy garlic with the Weekend Herb Blogging community, now headed by our new herb goddess-in-chief Haalo of Cook (Almost) Anything at Least Once. This week's lovely host is my blogging friend, the soon-to-be chef who cooks a lot - Wiffy of Noobcook. Please do check out the third anniversary round-up done by WHB first chief Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen.

Fresh Clam Soup

We had another cooking session with my Tuesday group at my kitchen last week. It is quite fun to mix cooking, eating, chatting, bonding, with Bible study. Of course we try to start early. Since it is a Tuesday, each one of us came from work. Cooking and eating together is a fun way to relax and unwind from the work day's stress. By the time for Bible study, we are already open, relaxed, and ready to do some serious work. :)

The menu for that night was Fish with Miso Glaze, store-bought grilled chicken (courtesy of V), Pandan-flavored rice, Sweet Corn Muffins and this yummy, flavorful soup.

Remember the statement "Too many cooks spoil the broth?" Well, the opposite is true in this soup dish! This soup is the testament and proof that when a dish is cooked together in good camaraderie and friendship, the resulting dish will also be wonderfully, truly exceptionally good!!!


2 kilos live clams, cleaned
1 large knob fresh ginger, sliced
5 T minced garlic
1 onion, chopped
3 T canola oil
1 small napa cabbage (Chinese pechay), cut
4 T Chinese cooking wine
3 pcs jalapeno peppers or finger chillies (Siling haba), or long green peppers, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
5 C water


1. In a cooking pan or wok, saute ginger slices in oil until fragrant. Add in the onions and garlic. Saute until fragrant but not burnt.

2. Add in the clams. Cover for a minute. Then add in the Chinese cooking wine. Cover for another minute.

3. Add in the jalapeno peppers and stir for a while. Add in the water. Cover and let boil.

4. When the shells of the clams are fully opened, then the soup is ready. Drop in the napa cabbages. Let cook for a while, add salt and pepper according to taste. Ladle up and serve as soon as possible. The clam meat will shrink if cooked for a long time. Discard shells that did not open.






These are the long green peppers that I used for this soup. I would usually call these jalapeno peppers before because this is what I use when I would make jalapeno poppers. But I think it is another variety of hot peppers. This pepper is mildly hot. But it is an excellent source of calcium, iron and phosphorus.

This is also the pepper widely used in Philippine cooking. All our gata (coconut milk) dishes has this. There is even a dish called Bicol Express that uses long chillies as it's main ingredient! We also often add this pepper to our seafood dishes as we believe it can remove most of the "fishy" taste.



Sharing this hot pepper spiced flavorful and fresh clam soup with the Weekend Herb Blogging community created and hosted this week by the original WHB chief herself Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen. I chose this dish to celebrate with the WHB community because it contains three long peppers to celebrate three years of hot, spiced (popular) blogging. And this dish is cooked together by good friends, which symbolizes what the WHB community is like: fun, food and learning interesting herbs and dishes and cooking styles from each other. Please check out Kalyn's blog for three give-aways celebrating three years of successful blogging event.

Drunken Crabs

I love my Tuesday Bible Study group. Really! They are the sweetest bunch of people I have the privilege of knowing. Remember last Tuesday was my daughter's birthday? When they found out that it was going to coincide with our weekly fellowship, they wanted to help me celebrate! :) V, with her gift of generosity, bought several kilos of live crabs from the market and brought them here to my house. She instructed my maid on how to kill and clean them. H, with her talent and creativity and patience in cooking, cooked the crabs for all of us, and shared her father-in-law's recipe for Drunken Crabs!

Actually, this is their family's secret recipe for crabs. They do not even have a name for it. Hubby was the one who named it Drunken Crabs because H used a whole bottle of gin in the cooking! Truly, this is the best crab we have ever tasted! Even better than the ones in first class restaurants here in Manila!


2 and 1/2 Kilos fresh live crabs
several large knobs of fresh ginger, peeled, sliced
several large knobs of fresh turmeric (yellow ginger), peeled, sliced
lots and lots of garlic, minced
1 bottle (1 liter) local gin (may be substituted with cooking wine)
400 ml sesame oil
2 T salt
1/2 C chili paste (more or less depending on how spicy you want the dish to be)


1. To clean the crabs, use a toothbrush or a bigger brush and brush away the shell of the live crabs (the claws were tied) in running water. Make sure all the nooks and crannies are cleaned. Then, chop the crab in half. You can remove the strings that are restraining the crab claws at this point. Clean the "elbow" of the claws. Remove the triangle part under the tummy of the crab. (I should have taken a picture of this. But it was V who was doing the cleaning. I had to prepare the other dishes. Next time I cook this, I promise to take a picture and show you. But the triangle can hardly be missed.)

2. Heat up some sesame oil in a hot wok or a big cooking pan. Add in all the sliced turmeric and ginger. When it turns fragrant, add in the garlic. Saute until fragrant but not burnt.

3. Add in the crabs. Cover for a minute or two. Add in the gin. Cover again. After a few minutes, mix everything to make sure all the crabs are cooked evenly.

4. Add some salt and chili paste. Mix everything until all the flavors are mixed and fully absorbed by the crabs. Continue cooking until crabs are cooked, around 15 minutes. By this time, the sauce is going to thicken. Do not overcook the crabs or the meat is going to be tough.

5. Add the rest of the sesame oil just before turning off the heat.






Can you smell the flavor of the crab? The heavenly combination of alcohol, chili and sesame oil truly made this dish very fragrant and truly superb! It is very, very flavorful, I guarantee that you are going to lick every drop of sauce on the shells and on your plate!

Gin is a type of spirit or alcoholic drink that is made with grain and flavored with juniper berries. This is usually used by the Filipinos in their cooking. What the Cooking wine is to the Chinese, it is the gin to the Filipinos. Primarily because it is widely available and the price is reasonable. Plus, it is colorless, making it easy to use.

Sesame oil is of course the popular Asian oil made from sesame seeds, that is used in every Chinese stir fry. This give a dish a "Chinese" character. But do you know that the Chinese have been using this for medicinal and therapeutic purposes? The combination of ginger, wine and sesame oil is usually used to help mothers recover immediately from the strains of childbirth. I remember during the first 30 days after I gave birth, all of my food contained ginger, wine and sesame oil. This combination is also used to help strengthen any body who are weak and needs more energy. But then, the elderly people are discouraged from taking this because it might raise their blood pressure.

Modern science has shown that sesame has lots of anti-oxidant properties. It also contains magnesium, copper, calcium, iron, zinc and vitamin B6.




Sharing this dish made fragrantly delicious with gin and sesame oil with the Weekend Herb Blogging Community, headed by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen. This week's host is Laurie from Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska. To see last week's array of delicious dishes, please check out Amy and Jonny of We are Never Full.

Daughter is very happy that so many friends came to celebrate her birthday with us! Another post on Daughter's birthday dishes coming soon. Also please stay tuned for more of H's famous dishes as well. She will be my guest blogger soon! :)

Kailan (Chinese Broccoli) Stir Fry

Kailan is the common English name of this vegetable, derived from its Cantonese name Gailan. It is the Chinese Broccoli or Chinese Kale. A picture can be found here. This vegetable is widely eaten in Asia, particularly the Chinese. The Chinese believe it contains as much nutrients as the regular broccoli.

More often than not, the ones sold in the markets are "old and mature" leaves already. So, we often find this vegetable slightly bitter. The fresh young ones should be tender with a hint of sweetness. So when buying the Kailan, make sure the leaves bright green and are not drying up, and the stalks are still slender and yielding to the touch.

Just in case, you are only able to buy the mature ones, it is okay. Just cut away some of the "old" yellowing leaves. The remaining greens and stalks can still be eaten. Prepare the veggies by blanching them in hot boiling water. Drain, and it is now ready to cook.

The usual way of cooking Kailan is steaming them, or boiling or blanching them. Arrange the drained veggies on the serving platter and add some splashes of good quality oyster sauce and sesame oil.

However, on my latest trip to the supermarket, I found this:



Locally, it is called Saganid. These are little fishes, around an inch long, preserved in a salty brine solution and sold in bottles. I was sure these little fishes would be tasty and would be good in a vegetable stir-fry. So, I could not wait to try it!


350 gms Kailan (Chinese Brocolli), blanched in boiling water
4 T cooking oil (prefereably canola or peanut oil)
3 slices fresh ginger
4 T minced garlic
2 T Saganid fishes, mashed
salt and pepper to taste


1. Heat up the oil in a wok or cooking pan. Saute the ginger until fragrant. Saute garlic until fragrant but not burnt.

2. Add in the mashed fishies. Saute a bit. Add in the Kailan. Stir around to make sure all the leaves are flavored. Turn off heat soon after. Add salt and pepper to taste.


I realized that many people prefer to bake than to fry or stir fry. But believe me, stir-frying is a very easy way to cook. Not to mention, less cooking gas or electricity is used. All it needs is a very hot pan and a quick movements of the hands.

Try this easy recipe. It is both flavorful and healthy. If the preserved fishes are not available, rehydrated dried shrimps (hebi) or any ground meat and seafood can be good substitute. For a vegetarian stir-fry, you can also use the vegetarian oyster sauce for stir-frying.




Sharing this nutritious vegetable with the Weekend Herb Blogging Community, headed by kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen. Weekend Herb Blogging is a world-wide food event that features herbs and unique vegetables and the dishes we prepare using these unique ingredients. It is fascinating to learn about many interesting produce available around the world! This week's host are Amy and Jonny from We Are Never Full. To see last week's delicious dishes, please check out the fabulous round-up done by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook.

Grilled Fresh Shiitake Mushrooms

How can I make mushrooms look pretty? I cannot. But I assure you these are juicy, tasty and very, very healthy.

Dried shiitake mushrooms are widely available here, and I think it is also readily available in any Asian grocery. It is a common ingredient in Chinese stir fries and stews, after all. But the fresh ones are a bit hard to find here. Lately though, these have been "mushrooming" in various big supermarkets. Probably because of the continuous rainy season, the fresh shiitake mushrooms are becoming more available. This is good news for mushroom lovers like us! Nothing beats the taste and succulence of fresh mushrooms.

Shiitake mushrooms is also known as Xiang Gu (Fragrant mushrooms) in Chinese. Being more fragrant (rich and smoky flavor) than the other kinds of edible mushrooms, this is a widely favorite mushroom of Asian people. It is widely cultivated in Asia.

The shiitake mushroom has always been a Chinese symbol of longevity. It is often in good taste to send packs of dried shiitake mushrooms to friends or relatives as gifts.

Traditional Chinese medicine believes in its medicinal properties. Recent studies have traced shiitakes' legendary benefits to an active compound contained in these mushrooms called lentinan. Among lentinan's healing benefits is its ability to power up the immune system, strengthening its ability to fight infection like influenza and other diseases cause by viruses. Studies have shown that these mushrooms even improves the immune status of individuals infected with HIV, the virus that can cause AIDS. This same lentinan also inhibits cancer. Thus, nowadays, mushrooms are being promoted as an anti-cancer food.

The shiitake mushroom has another active component, the eritadenine, that lowers our body's cholesterol levels. These wonder-mushrooms also contain L-ergothioneine, a powerful antioxidant. For more information on the healthy benefits of shiitake mushrooms, please click on the American Cancer Society page.

With all of these healthy benefits of mushrooms, there are no reason why you should not be serving this regularly!


250 gms fresh shiitake mushrooms, trimmed and wiped

marinate in the following for 15 minutes:

4 T good quality Japanese soy sauce
1 knob fresh ginger, grated
4 T mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine)
2 T sesame oil
1 T sugar


Grill for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve wtih grilled fish or meat.


I used my oven toaster to grill these mushrooms because I was able to buy a non-stick oven toaster tray with grill marks. So I so very much wanted to try this pan. But you can use the regular oven, a regular grill or a stove-top grill.

The mushrooms cannot be marinated for so long, because they are porous and they would absorb the flavors quickly. If marinated too long, they might become too salty.





This mushroom dish is shared with the Weekend Herb Blogging community, launched by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen. Weekend Herb Blogging is an event that features herbs and unique plant ingredients, and the dishes we cook using these ingredients. This week's host is Susan of the Well-Seasoned Cook. To see last week's interesting array of ingredients and dishes, please check out the wonderful round-up done by Valentina of Trembom.

Chicken Soup with Lotus Root and Red Dates

You may be familiar with the lotus flower. For the Chinese people, this pink, aquatic flower symbolizes beauty, purity and elegance. But do you know that most parts of the lotus plant are edible? The seeds can be eaten raw. The flowers (or at least the stamens) can be infused into herbal tea. The young leaves and petals can be eaten. While the mature leaves can be used to wrap food before cooking. The edible rhizomes -- the grey-brown roots can be cooked in a variety of ways.





This is how a portion of the rhizome looks like. Maybe you have already seen this in various Asian groceries. One lotus plant can have several of these "roots." It looks like a swollen elongated sweet potato. It has a crunchy texture and subtle flavor. So, we can cook it in many different ways. The young ones, naturally more tender, can be made into salads. Otherwise, they can be stir-fried, stuffed, deep fried or simmered in soup.

Chinese people have long known that Lotus roots are a very healthy food and have been using them in this way for many centuries. Recent studies confirm this - Lotus roots were found to be rich in dietary fiber, vitamin C, potassium, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin B6, phosphorus, copper, and manganese, while very low in saturated fat. Lotus roots are believed to have "cooling" effect. This should be served often during hot summer months.





Wash the root thoroughly. Remove the thin skin by scraping or simply use a vegetable peeler. See the picture above? That is how it would look like when you cut it, cross-section, after peeling. Slice the root thinly, around 1/8 inch thick per slice. See the picture below? Don't you just love the beautiful lacy pattern? Since the root discolors easily when cut, drop it into water immediately after slicing. You may add a little lemon juice or vinegar to the water, as well.




In a pot of boiling water, add in the ff:

1 kilo chicken, chopped to serving pieces
1 lotus root, prepared and sliced
5 pcs dried red dates
a handful of Chinese Wolfberry or Gou Qi Zi


Let boil and simmer for an hour. Alternately, drop everything in the slow cooker before leaving for work, and when you come home, a nutritious soup is ready waiting for you. :)

Season with salt and pepper before serving.





Sharing this soup and the featured Lotus Root with the Weekend Herb Blogging community, headed by Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen. This weekly event features herb and unique plant ingredients and the dishes we make using these ingredients. This week's host is Valentina from Trembom. To see last week's wonderfully delicious round-up, please check out Haalo of Cook Almost Anything At Least Once.