Chow Times » Staple Food

Fermented Bean Curd Seafood Udon

Suanne — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 15:00:09 +0000

Tanni worked hand in hand with Lorna to demonstrate an Asian Style Seafood Udon, flavoured with fermented bean curd. This is like killing two birds with one stone as the ingredients are almost the same except the main flavouring ingredient for the sauce.

Ingredients

200g Udon
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup broccoli flowerets
fermented bean curd to taste
2 cups seafood (scallops, squids, mussels, shrimps)
5 sticks imitation crab meat
4 fish balls (halves)
2 tomatoes (sliced for garnishing)
1 green onion (chopped for garnishing)

Fermented bean curd also known as fermented tofu, tofu cheese, or preserved tofu is a form of processed, preserved tofu used in East Asian cuisine as a condiment made from soybeans. The ingredients typically are soybeans, salt, rice wine and sesame oil or vinegar, and are sold in blocks 2- to 4-cm square by 1 to 2 cm thick soaked in brine with select flavorings. They comes in beige or red colour. I had used the red one in a vegetarian dish recipe. I remembered when I was young, my grandmother used to serve plain porridge with the beige colour fermented bean curd sweetened with some sugar and flavour with sesame oil.

Source: Tanni

Prep time: 20 minutes; Cook time: 20 minutes; Serve 4

More after the jump. Click to read the rest of Fermented Bean Curd Seafood Udon (109 words)

Creamy Seafood Udon

Suanne — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 05:00:18 +0000

Lorna demonstrated this Creamy Seafood Udon recipe in the Gilmore Park Community Kitchen the same day Minoo made the Walnut Balls.

This Creamy Seafood Udon is loaded with scallops, squids, mussels, shrimps, imitation crab meat, fish balls and vegetables.

Ingredients

200g Udon
2 tablespoons oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup broccoli flowerets
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1 can evaporated milk
2 cups seafood (scallops, squids, mussels, shrimps)
5 sticks imitation crab meat
4 fish balls (halves)
2 tomatoes (sliced for garnishing)
1 green onion (chopped for garnishing)

Source: adapted from Carnation

Prep time: 20 minutes; Cook time: 20 minutes; Serve 4

More after the jump. Click to read the rest of Creamy Seafood Udon (172 words)

Gimbap

Suanne — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 00:00:57 +0000

Minoo was very excited to inform me that Ella is going to make Gimbap in the Caring Place Community Kitchen. I had blogged about making kimbap in 2007 in the same kitchen by Minnie. I thought it will be more illustrative if I can video taped the sushi rolling process instead of taking static photo of each step for this post. You must go to the bottom of this post and watch that fun video.

Gimbap or kimbap or Korean sushi is very colourful and has lots of different textures in it.

Ingredients

laver (in Korean, Gim means seaweed sheets)
eggs
cucumbers, cut into long strip
carrots, cut into long strip
imitation crab meat
Korean style ham (which is less salty than Canadian ham/sausages)
burdock
yellow pickled radish, cut into long strip
rice
salt
sugar
soy sauce as dipping sauce
sesame oil
sesame seeds

Source: Ella

Prep time: 45 minutes; Serve: 6

More after the jump. Click to read the rest of Gimbap (311 words)

Red Rice Pilaf

Suanne — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 02:00:19 +0000

Minoo also made a Red Rice Pilaf in the Gilmore Park Community Kitchen. This dish is made impromptu as Lorna gave a bag of red rice to Minoo that morning.

The Red Rice Pilaf was cooked to al-dente with a good bite to it. It’s almost like risotto to me.

Source: Minoo

Prep time: 10 minutes; Cook time: 40 minutes; Serve: 4 as a main dish or 6 as a side dish.

Ingredients

2 cups red rice
1 onion, chopped
2 celery sticks, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
6 button mushrooms, diced
water or chicken stock

More after the jump. Click to read the rest of Red Rice Pilaf (129 words)

Hamburger Stroganoff

Suanne — Sun, 24 Jan 2010 15:00:06 +0000

Charlene prepared this recipe with extra-lean ground beef instead of sirloin strips which makes this comforting dish a bit more affordable and a bit lower in fat. When choosing recipes for the Seniors Cooking Club, Charlene always look out for low fat, low sodium, low sugar and low budget recipes. In fact, we should all adopt such healthy factors.

Stroganoff is usually served over noodles but it is also delicious served over rice, or on toast for a simple dinner.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound mushrooms, sliced
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sherry, optional
1 cup low-sodium chicken or beef broth
1 teaspoon paprika
pinch of nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (we substituted with soy sauce)
1/2 cup low-fat sour cream (or full fat plain yogurt)

Frances and Helmut paired up to make this comforting Hamburger Stroganoff.

Prep time: 20 mins; Cook time: 35 to 40 minutes; Serves 4 to 6.

More after the jump. Click to read the rest of Hamburger Stroganoff (266 words)

Korean Cuisine: Japchae

Suanne — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 19:00:10 +0000

Japchae is another popular dish in Korean cuisine. Julia demonstrated this dish at the Gilmore Park Church community kitchen. Japchae literally means a mixture of vegetables. It can be served as a side dish or as a main dish on its own.

Japchae is a noodle dish made with sweet potato noodles. It is loaded with vegetables and has a strong sesame oil flavour. Japchae can be served hot or cold, hence it makes a great potluck dish.

Ingredients

500g Oriental (sweet potato) noodles i.e. 2 bundles
300g spinach (1 bunch), wash, blanched in salted water and drained
200g carrot (1 medium), peel, slice into match stick
10 pieces Pyogo mushroom, slice
200g onion (2 small), thinly slice
300g rib eye beef, cut into thin strips, marinate with salt and pepper
4 to 5 cloves of garlic, minced

Seasonings:

3 to 4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds
sesame oil
salt
oil

More after the jump. Click to read the rest of Korean Cuisine: Japchae (386 words)

Smoked Fish Hash

Suanne — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 15:00:00 +0000

The Richmond News came to the Gilmore United Church a few weeks ago to interview the Richmond Community Kitchen for their newly launched community guide. That community guide is called Welcome to Richmond. In their first edition of December 2009, they choose to highlight the Richmond Community Kitchen for their cover story! We were all so excited.

In the cover story, the monthly community guide talked about the role of the RCK in supporting the diverse multi-cultural community that you find in Richmond. We felt that food and cooking is one element that brings people from various culture together. Being a SAHM, I personally had formed lasting friendships through the RCK. I encourage those of you who lives in Richmond to come join us to learn about food and of each others culture.

There are a total of six community kitchens in Richmond. So there is at least one near where you stay if you live in Richmond. If you want more details, check out this link.

On that day of the interview, we did a series of recipes for breakfast and brunch. While the interview was done at the Gilmore Church, this series is documented with the South Arm Community Kitchen. We do sometimes rotate the same recipes with several kitchens.

~~~~~

As requested by some members of the cooking club to do a session on breakfast and brunch item, Minoo came up with four very nutritious recipes to share. Minoo also shared some important breakfast basics with the members. We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A healthy morning meal will fuel the kids up in time for school or a day of play at the child care. We simply need to refuel our body in the morning after going without food for 8 to 12 hours during sleep. That’s why the morning meal is called break fast. Skipping breakfast can made kids feel tired, restless and irritable, moody and lack of energy.

Breakfast also can help keep kids’ weight in check. It kick-starts the body’s metabolism, the process which converts fuel in food to energy which starts the burning of calories. People who skips breakfast is likely to get famished before lunchtime and snack on high-calorie foods or overeat at lunch which cause overweight issue.

Choosing breakfast foods that are rich in whole grains, fiber, and protein while low in added sugar may boost kids attention span, concentration, and memory. Breakfast that boosts brain power is what kids need to improve their learning in school.

With all the benefits of a good breakfast in mind, here is the first breakfast/brunch recipe.

This Smoked Fish Hash has a smoky flavour that kids will love. It is simple and straight forward diner classic. When top with some eggs and Baked Stuffed Tomatoes, it makes a hearty breakfast.

For a variation, you may make a Corned Beef Hash by substituting the smoked fish with corned beef, diced and omitting the rinsing and poaching process.

More after the jump. Click to read the rest of Smoked Fish Hash (189 words)

© suanne for Chow Times, 2009. | Permalink | One comment
Post tags: Brunch, Community Kitchen, Potatoes, Recipe, Salmon

Mustard and Rosemary Roasted Potatoes Skewers

Suanne — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 23:00:20 +0000

For those who made their guesses on previous post regarding Frank and Ken’s age, here is the answer. Frank is 80+ and Ken is 90, can you believe it. They are just amazing seniors with an active lifestyle.

Back to the kitchen, Helmut with the help of Stella made this Mustard and Rosemary Roasted Potatoes on skewers. Stella offers her help as the kitchen is short of a member that day.

This extremely simple, but oh-so-delicious potato side dish makes a great pick-up appetizer when threaded onto wooden skewers.

Ingredients

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

3/4 teaspoon salt

freshly ground black pepper

2 lbs. small new potatoes, halved (or quartered if large)

24 wooden skewers, optional

This recipe serves 4 to 6 as a side dish, or 8 to 12 as an appetizer.

More after the jump. Click to read the rest of Mustard and Rosemary Roasted Potatoes Skewers (170 words)

© suanne for Chow Times, 2009. | Permalink | 3 comments
Post tags: Appetizer, Community Kitchen, Potatoes, Recipe

Moroccan Chicken and Rice

Suanne — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:00:45 +0000

The main dish which Minoo planned for the South Arm Community Kitchen is a Moroccan Chicken and Rice dish. We were surprised with the use of winter squash in this rice dish.

This Moroccan Chicken and Rice dish is a all in a pot dish. It has protein, vegetable and grain in this dish. This recipe is adapted from Alive Magazine and it serves 4.

The butternut squash and raisins add sweetness to this rice dish. This is a good recipe to make use of winter squashes which are in season now. They are cheap and nutritious.

Here is a tip to peel the tough skin butternut squash. Microwave the whole squash, on high, for 2 minutes. This softens the skins, making it easier to peel.
More after the jump. Click to read the rest of Moroccan Chicken and Rice (160 words)

© suanne for Chow Times, 2009. | Permalink | One comment
Post tags: Chicken, Community Kitchen, Recipe, Rice

Brown Basmati Apple Walnut Salad

Suanne — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 22:00:25 +0000

If I remembered correctly, June shared this recipe of Brown Basmati Apple Walnut Salad. Brown Basmati Rice is gaining popularity for it’s higher nutritional values. It also tastes nuttier than regular white rice. A friend told me that after a few months of changing from white rice to brown rice, she is actually losing weight. I may try to include some brown rice in my regular rice and my family will slowly accept it. I’m sure Ben is going to make a fuss of it as he hates grainy stuff like whole wheat or whole grain bread.

This Brown Basmati Apple Walnut Salad can be kept in the refrigerator for a couple of days, which makes it the perfect make-ahead dish for company. You may add the apples and toasted walnuts just before serving. In fact, this salad tastes better the next day.

Ingredients

1/3 cup toasted walnuts

4 cups cooked brown basmati rice

1/2 cup dried cherries, raisins or cranberries

1 apple, sliced

2 stalks celery, sliced

5 to 6 celery leaves, chopped

4 sprigs parsley, chopped

Dressing:

2 tablespoons olive oil

zest of 1 orange

1/2 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

You may toast the walnuts in the microwave. Microwave them on high at 45-seconds intervals, smelling for doneness. It takes between 1 1/2 to 2 minutes.

June and Frances make this healthy and nutty salad.

More after the jump. Click to read the rest of Brown Basmati Apple Walnut Salad (37 words)

© suanne for Chow Times, 2009. | Permalink | No comment
Post tags: Apple, Community Kitchen, Recipe, Rice, Salad, Walnut