Mr F1's Cooking Corner: Tofu with Shrimp (Sun Kong Towfoo)

Below is another one of Mr. F1's recipes.  He got the idea from the cookbook, Cook Malaysian by Lee Sook Ching which he picked it up at a bookstore back home at Kuala Lumpur when we visited his parents.

This is his version.  It is a lot simpler and less ingredients!

Ingredients:

• Firm Tofu (1 package)
• lean pork 1/4 cup
• Shitake Mushrooms  (soak them in water to soften before using) 1/2 cup
• 1 shallot
• 2 cloves of garlic
• Stock 1 cup
• Salt 1 tsp (too taste)
• Fish sauce 2 tsp
• Sugar 1/2 tsp
• Oyster sauce 1 tsp
• Sesame oil 1/2 tsp
• A shake of pepper
• Ginger 4-6 slices
• Shrimp 1/4 cup
• 2 stalks of green onions
• Cornstarch 1 tsp blended with 1 tbsp water

Method:

•   Wash the firm tofu carefully and cut into cubes
•   Slice up Shitake Mushrooms
•   Slice up shallot thinly
•   Slice up Ginger
•   Slice up green onions
•   peel, devein and slice up shrimp
•   mince garlic
•  Mix gravy ingredients: to the stock, add salt, fish sauce, sugar, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and pepper
• Leave tbsp cooking oil in pan fry ginger slices, shallots and ginger until lightly brown.  Add pork and Shitake mushrooms.  Toss for a minute.   Add gravy mixture and allow to boil for 1 minute before adding bean curd.  After another 2-3 minutes add shrimp.  Thicken the gravy with cornstarch mixture. Season to taste and turn off heat.
• Add spring onions to the hot food, stir well and serve with a good shake of pepper.

WALA!  Here's the yummy finished product!

Mr. F1's Yummy Asparagus & Shrimp w/ a Little Kick

At 7:00 pm in our household, I usually give "cupcake" her daily bath while Mr. F1 is cooking dinner.  I am very strict when it comes to schedules.  This is important in running a household w/ a dog and a baby.  Both need a familiar routine.  Following it is critical in order to have a quiet and calm evening.

  

Last night,  Mr. F1 served up one of my favorite veggies, the asparagus.  My #1 veggie I  love (believe it or not) is the bittermelon.  I love how Mr. F1 cooks the asparagus.  They aren't tough at all since he actually peels them.

Below is Mr. F1's own recipe for Asparagus & Shrimp, which we eat with steam rice:

7 asparagus stalks, peeled and sliced in 1 inch lengths.

9 pieces of shrimp, peeled and de-veined

1 shallot, sliced

1 chili, sliced (This is what gives the dish a little kick)

1/4 cup of chicken broth (Mr. F1 uses organic low sodium)

1 teaspoon of salt (to taste)

2 tablespoon olive oil

• heat all of the olive oil
• stir fry shallots until golden brown
• add shrimps
• when shrimps are half cooked add asparagus & chili
• after 30 sec -60 sec add chicken broth
• add salt to taste
• cook asparagus until soft and tender and broth is reduced in half.

My Comfort Food

I must admit something....I don't cook at all!  Yup, Mama B doesn't cook.  My hubby (We'll call him Mr. F1, since he's a big fan of Formula 1) wears the cooking apron in the family.  He cooks pretty good which is surprising because he only started to cook when we got married.  Mr. F1 and I used to alternate on a weekly basis taking turns cooking, but when Cupcake arrived cooking was harder for me since I am the one who drives her to Grandma's house and picks her up.  Mr. F1 and I try to seriously split the house chores 50/50 as much as we can....I think this is what helps me keep my sanity most of the time.  Mr. F1 and I also agree that we get time off to relax once a month.  I usually head to the spa and get a pedi/mani or go shopping.  I am tired most of the time, but that doesn't mean I actually have to look tired.  Just because I am married and a mom, doesn't mean I have to sacrifice style too.

I digress! .....Mr. F1 cooks mostly Malaysian-Chinese food.  It's very tasty and yummy!  When we were dating my sister always looked forward to his cooking!  His food actually tastes like the food you would buy from a Chinese restaurant.  (Obviously by now you've figured out my sister and I are not Chinese)

Below is a recipe Mr. F1 uses to make Claypot Chicken Rice.  It's actually from a book, "Anges Chang's Hawkers' Delights".  It's written in Chinese and English.  The English translation isn't the best, so bear with me on this one.

This recipe asks for a claypot, but you don't need to use one.  We use a rice cooker and my sister uses
a regular pot.

2 cups rice, washed and drained
3 cups chicken stock (If you are using store bought chicken stock, Mr. F1 advises to use 70% chicken stock and 30% water, so it isn't that salty.)
2 chicken drumsitcks, cut into pices
5 Shitake mushrooms, soaked, cut into half  (Mr. F1 uses the dried ones)
1 Chinese sausage  (Sometimes my sister and I used to omit this...I know gasp!)
3 cm thick young ginger, sliced thinly

Marinade:
2tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp chinese cooking wine (Mr. F1 uses Shao Xing Cooking Wine)
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tspn pepper
1/2 tspn sugar
1/2 tbsp cornflour

spring onion and red chillies for garnish  (My sister and I omit this too...another gasp! My sister isn't too crazy about spring onion and back then my tolerance for anything spicy didn't even exist!)

1. Mix chicken, mushrooms w/ marinade and ginger for 30 minutes
2. Put rice and chicken stock into a claypot (rice cooker/pot)., cover and bring to boil.  Lower the temp and cook w/ low heat till holes are formed on top (About 15 minutes)
3. Spread marinated chicken and mushrooms, Chinese sausage on top, cover and cook with low heat till rice is dry and chicken pieces are cooked (another 15 minutes). Remove from heat.
4. Before serving you can sprinkle spring onion and red chili on top.

If you have any questions regarding this recipe feel free to ask me.  Send me an email at urbanwarriormoms@gmail.com.  I'll  be more than happy to forward them over to Mr. F1.  I love it when he cooks this because the dish is very tasty and brings comfort to me.  If any of you also have other versions of this recipe feel free to make a comment.