Chicken Congee with Rice Cooker

This is extremely easy (and healthy?), especially if you were a student.

All you need to have are :

1 cup of rice
200g Chicken Fillet
2 Leaves of Chinese Cabbage (cut thinly)
50g Ginger (sliced)
Some Shitake Mushroom (soaked and sliced)
100g Tofu (cut into thin strips)
Salt

Optional :
1 tablespoon Dong Cai (冬菜）
Sesame Oil
Oyster sauce
Soy Sauce
Pepper

Method :

1. Put rice into rice cooker, add lots of water (I used 1L then adding more as it dries up).
2. When the water boils, add in ginger and the chicken fillet (I love it especially when the rice is all crushed totally).
3. Cook the fillet in the rice cooker for about 20-30minutes.
4. Take out the fillet and "strip" it with a fork / hand (rinse with some cold water so that it will be easier to handle)
5. Add into the congee mushroom for about 15minutes, then add cabbage and tofu (fry them first if desired)
6. Lastly add in the chicken and Dong Cai.
7. Season with salt, 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 0.5-1 tablespoon of sesame oil.
8. Bring to boil and it's ready to be served.
9. Sprinkle some fried shallot and spring onion/coriander on the congee.
10. Add soy sauce and pepper if desired.

You might also be interested in cooking congee with the slow cooker :)

TomYam Bihun Soup

*This is written while waiting for the bathroom for a bath hahahaha*

A lot of people might not know what 米粉/Bihun (or BeeHoon, Mee Hoon, Mee Hun, Mihun etc etc) is in English --- Rice Vermicelli. It is one of my favourite food. Here in Ukraine, you can get it with 350g for about 19uah, in Metro or Furshet. Haven't come across in Silpo though.

My friends usually asked me what do I do with radishes. Well, for the Ukrainians, only one word when you ask --- Salad. Me??? --- Soup

So for a simple dinner tonight, this is what I have done. Recipe to share is below. I know many of you know how to prepare this and cook even better than I do. But who knows, some new learner like me, out there might find this useful :P

From left : Radish, JiaoZi (available in Metro, uah28), Rice Vermicelli

Ingredients :
100g Rice Vermicelli
800L Water
1 Tomato --- cut into 8
5-8 Radishes --- Quartered/halved (without the red skin)
200g Chicken fillet --- Sliced
3 Chinese cabbage leaves ---Sliced
Tauhu --- Sliced into cubes
2 tablespoon of TomYam Paste / 1 TomYam cube
6-8 JiaoZi
Salt

Bihun after softening

Method :

1. Boil some water, place the Rice Vermicelli in a bowl, and pour the hot boiling water on it. And let the Bihun soften. Pour away the water when it is soft and leave aside.
2. Place tomato and radishes into the 800ml of boiling water in a pot.
3. When the soup boils again, put the sliced fillet.
4. Add the TomYam paste when the soup boils again.
5. Upon another boil, add cabbage and Tauhu, then let it boil. (You may want to add some water, if the water is lesser)
6. Finally at the last boil of the soup, put in the JiaoZi. Add salt for tasting if required.
7. Pour the TomYam Soup in your bowl of Bihun, and enjoy it :)

P/S : If you have shallot oil, it is even tastier. Sprinkle some cilantro, does well too.

* You may enjoy Bihun Soup with any type of soup of your choice, with any ingredients you want. Add seaweed, mushroom, crab stick ......whatever makes your appetite good*

Porridge Slow-Cooked

Ever since I bought a slow cooker from my senior last year, I think I have "fully used" it. One of my favourite, is to cook porridge in it. Because it is easy, and when I am back from class, I will have enough time to rest and have my simple dinner without going into the smokey common kitchen.It is extremely easy and time-saving, especially when I am having a heavy/busy subject or when exams around the corner. It is useful especially when you have to cook for yourself, when mama is far away from you, haha.

I like the porridge from slow cooker because the rice grains will turn very soft and would produce a very fine porridge. Well, I prefer it that way. So, if you like those porridge where you still can enjoy the texture of the rice, this might not be yours. Besides, with sufficient amount of water, you won't need to worry for a burnt porridge. And porridge in slow-cooker keeps the moisture (water) in them. It is rather difficult to get a dry, thickened porridge; unless of course you put very little amount of water.

So, first and foremost, wash your rice and put them in the slow-cooker pot, then add sufficient amount of water. With my small pot, I usually put half a rice-cup of rice with 80% full of water. Then leave it on high at about 7.30-8am. After class, which maybe 2pm, add chicken fillet and ginger slices (actually you can do it anytime, when you see that the rice has turned into poriddge). At about 5pm, scoop the fillet and tear into pieces and put it back to your porridge. I usually add also some slices of shitake mushroom, cut chinese cabbage. Then put 0.5-1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, some salt and pepper. Leave to cook till about 6.30-7pm. And you can then enjoy your porridge after nice bath :) Don't forget to add some sesame oil or some onion oil to make it tastier. One of my all time favourite too --- Light Soy Sauce :D

The ingredient is basically up to you. Sometimes, I prefer to put those Chinese Dried Oyster with ginger slices, some seaweed, mushroom. Before eating, just simply sprinkle some cilantro on it. Easy, fast, tireless, what more can you wish for when one is lazy? *wink* You might also want to try cooking congee with a rice cooker? Also super easy hehe :)

Sesame Chicken Wings With Balsamic Reduction

Simply created this dish, I like it, hope you do too :)

(A)

-Pepper

-Chinese five spice powder

-Worcestershire Sauce

-Sesame Oil

-Wine (I used white wine)

First and foremost, marinade the chicken wings (Preferably overnight). So, I basically marinade them with (A)

(B)

-Finely chopped onion

-Finely chopped garlics

-Finely chopped ginger

Sauté (B) and add the marinated chicken wings. After that, add 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. After about a minute, add a little water and continue to let it boil.

Add some sugar. I used about one teaspoon of sugar for one chicken wing (Don't ask me the logic, I just do it that way) And add a little salt and dark soy sauce.

Continue to simmer till the chicken is darkened with the sauce. Don't forget to add a little water if it dries up. But I don't like it watery (why called it reduced if watery?), so until the sauce is thick and look gravy enough, plate them and sprinkle with some sesame seeds.

Enjoy your Sesame Chicken Wings with Balsamic Reduction.