Posted by
Wheelymate
19 yrs ago
i'm currently 11 weeks pregnant and not doing too great on the food front, generally surviving on takeaways as i really can't bear cooking.
but i have a 15 month old toddler who needs to be fed. i used to batch cook stews/pastas sauces and what not but i can't even think too much about it now without barfing. i think i can manage steaming some food without feeling too ill for lunch that we can both enjoy. does anyone have any ideas? i'm looking more for asian recipes, e.g. steamed egg custard with minced meat (comfort food for me) to go with some plain rice....reason being we have a local market just next door with lots of fresh produce..for the more western stuff i'll need to trek 20 mins to a decent supermarket.
i'm chinese but pretty hopefully when it comes to chinese cooking so please help!
my toddler is thankfully (touchwood) not a fussy eater who enjoys and eats most stuff except shellfish, which he hasn't tried yet.
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To get the ball rolling... you should be able to find the ingredients locally. And you can take a break in the middle of cooking.
Fragrant Steamed Chicken
Serves 2
2 chicken breasts, with bones
2 stalks of lemongrass
1 garlic clove, finely sliced
1 tsp fresh root ginger, grated
1 pinch salt and fresh ground black pepper
250g broccoli florets (not too big, smaller cooks quicker)
1/2 tsp cornflour, mixed with 2 tbsp cold water
1 handful toasted almonds (optional)
Steamed rice for two
Method
1. Mix together the lemongrass, garlic and ginger. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and rub over the chicken. Leave to marinate for 20 minutes while you play with your little one.
2. Put just enough water into a steamer or whatever you are using and place the rack or steamer basket on top. Place the chicken and seasoning inside, cover and steam for 15-20 minutes while you play with your little one.
3. Add the broccoli and cook for another two minutes. Remove the steamer tray and set aside.
4. During the cooking the fragrant chicken juices should have dripped down into the water to make a stock. There should be about 80-100ml; if there is too much liquid, bring to a fast boil and reduce).
5. Thicken the stock with cornflour and season if necessary. This is the sauce.
6. Serve with the chicken on the bottom, then the broccoli, then the almonds and finished with the sauce. And the rice on the side.
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And how about some steamed fruit for desserts? I have a few lychees on my desk at the moment but they're not going to make it to the kitchen!
Ingredients
3 lemongrass stalks
3 cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled
200g caster sugar
1 lime
250ml water
For the fruit
1/2 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into thick slices
2 peaches or nectarines
1 mango, peeled, cut into chunks
1 apple, peeled, quartered and seeds removed
1 sharon fruit, trimmed, cut into quarters
6 lychees, peeled, stones removed
Method
1. First make the syrup. Put the lemongrass, ginger, sugar, lemon juice and water into a saucepan. Dissolve the sugar over a gentle heat and bring the syrup to a boil.
2. Simmer for 20 minutes before taking the pan off the heat. Cool and then strain the syrup, discarding the ginger and lemongrass.
3. Put all the fruit into a heatproof plastic bag, and pour over enough of the cooled syrup to cover. Tie or seal the bag, and place in a hot steamer. Cook for 5-8 minutes, or until the fruit begins to soften but still keeps its shape.
4. Very, very carefully open the bag and tip the contents into a heatproof bowl. Garnish with sprigs of mint (optional) and serve while still warm.
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Steamed salmon in lettuce
Serves 4
Ingredients
400g salmon fillet, skinned
1 butterleaf lettuce
5 cm piece ginger root, cut into matchsticks
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
2 tbsp soy sauce
Juice of 1 lime
Method
1. Cut the salmon into 5cm square pieces. Place a piece of salmon on each lettuce leaf.
2. Top each with a little ginger, garlic, a drizzle of toasted sesame oil, a splash of soy sauce and a squeeze of lime. Fold each lettuce leaf up to enclose the salmon and secure with a c*cktail stick.
3. Place in a steamer and cook for 3-4 minutes. Serve straight away - remembering to remove the c*cktail stick before giving them to your little one.
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And if you can find vegetarian chau siu, how about serving it with steamed egg custard?
Steamed Eggs with Vegetarian Char Siu
3 large eggs
370ml water
50g vegetarian char siu, finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped spring onion
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp shallot oil
Seasoning
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
1 tbsp light soy sauce
3/4 tsp salt
Method
1. Gently beat the eggs, enough to combine but not to a froth.
2. Stir in the seasoning ingredients and pour in the water. Add the chopped vegetarian char siu and pour into a heatproof dish.
3. Steam over rapidly boiling water for 12 minutes until the egg custard is just set.
4. Combine the oils and spoon the mixture over the hot steamed egg custard.
5. To serve, sprinkle with chopped spring onion.
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Some simple dishes which I serve when we are busy. May not be gourmet but tasty enough.
If you have a rice cooker, you can cook steamed dishes on top of the rice. Either place directly on top of the rice or use the additional steamer plate.
If not, then steam in microwave or conventional method ( using the wok/pan).
Steamed egg with minced meat (chinese style)
Ingredients
2-3 eggs
1/2 cup water for every egg
1/2 tsp of salt
6-10 tablespoon of minced pork or chicken(your option on the amount) with a dash of soya sauce and pepper
a dash of oil
Method
1. Beat eggs lightly and stir all ingredient into egg mixture.
2. Pour mixture into a deep metal or ceramic bowl.
3. When rice is cooked midway, put the bowl of egg on top of the rice and continue cooking the rice. The egg/meat custard will be cooked together with the rice.
Claypot rice
Ingredients
1/2-1 cup washed rice and sufficient water to cook rice
boneless chicken slices or dried chinese sausages
1 tsp of cornflour, pepper
1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
1/2 tsp of dark thick soya sauce
a few slices of ginger ( omit if you cannot stand the smell)
1 garlic - sliced
1 tsp of oil
Method
1. Wash and cook rice in rice cooker.
2. Mix chicken slices with cornflour.
3. Mix all ingredients into chicken.
4. When rice is halfway through, stir in all the ingredients and allow rice to complete the cooking process.
Note: you can also cook this in microwave.
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thanks guys, the recipes all sound yummy and will definitely try them soon!
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For a different steam egg version:
1. Same as the Chinese style above, instead of minced meat, add fish paste (u can buy that at the Yong Tau Foo stall in the market).
2. Alternatively, instead of meat, add egg toufoo (sliced).
3. Or just with the eggs without any meat, no salt and a dash of soya sauce and instead of water, add fresh milk.
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44
19 yrs ago
Steam minced pork with mushrooms
3-4 dried chinese mushrooms
225g minced pork
1.5 tsp light soy sauce
1.5 tsp Shaoxing wine (optional)
2 tsp cornflour
1. Soak the mushrooms in water until soft. Cut off the stems and discard. Dice the mushrooms.
2. Mix all the ingredients together. Press the meat into a plate (the kind which is used for steaming) to about 2 cm thick.
3. Steam over high heat for 8 minutes.
Variation: use 4 waterchestnuts (peeled and finely chopped) in place of the mushrooms.
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44
19 yrs ago
Steamed Stuffed Mushrooms
12 fresh black mushrooms (shiitake mushrooms)
225g dace paste
75g minced pork
Seasoning:
2 tsp oyster sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp cornflour
75 ml water
1. Mix the dace paste and pork together.
2. Cut the stalks off the mushroom, wash and drain.
3. Dust the mushroom with a little cornflour, stuff with the dace mixture.
4. Arrange on a plate and steam over high heat for 8 minutes. Drain the liquid from the mushrooms.
5. Place all the seasoning ingredients into a saucepan, and bring to a boil. Pour over the mushrooms and serve.
Stuffing variations: use fish paste/minced shrimp mixture, minced cuttlefish, etc.
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