Recipes that work

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Well, since I’m so bad at cooking, if any recipe turns out okay with me, it is idiot-proof man!

I’m starting a series of blogs on recipes which I’ve used and tested and darling dearest could eat. I’m not sure how long will my latest interest in cooking last but I would really love to share with those who are as discouraged as me at cooking decent stuff!

One of the wonderful things food does is to gather people around the table – eat and be merry. One does not have to know how to cook to bring people together but being able to cook is a useful skill because one can prepare good and wholesome meals for your loved ones (with lots of love!). Besides learning how to cook, I’m also learning how to bake cookies and cakes from my colleagues. You know, baking has a therupeutic effect on me.
Today’s recipe:

dining-134.jpgStir-fry cabbage with dried shrimps and shitake mushrooms

Ingredients: small cabbage (1), fresh & medium-sized shitake mushrooms (6-7), small handful of dried shrimps, 4-5 cloves of garlic, salt (1/2 tsp), oyster sauce (4 tbsp), water (1/2 cup), olive oil (4 tbsp)

  1. Rinse the whole cabbage with water and cut it into halves.
  2. Use a long, sharp knife and slice each half into thin strips. Set aside. Discard the main stem.
  3. Remove stalks from shitake mushrooms and slice them. Set aside.
  4. Peel the garlic cloves and chop finely. Set aside.
  5. Rinse the dried shrimps with water. Set aside.
  6. Heat up the wok / frying pan over gentle, medium fire and add 2 tbsp olive oil.
  7. Add in half portion of garlic and dried shrimps and stir fry until garlic is slightly golden brown or when the aroma of the shrimps comes out.
  8. Add shitake mushrooms and fry lightly until they soften. Remove everything from wok and set it aside.
  9. Add 2 tbsp olive oil into emptied wok and add in remaining portion of garlic. Stir fry gently and throw in the cabbage.
  10. Stir fry the cabbage for about a minute. Throw in the mushrooms and dried shrimps and continue to stir-fry until cabbage is partially soft.
  11. Add oyster sauce and salt, stir fry to mix well for another minute and add water. Mix well again and cover to simmer for 1 minute or longer depending on how soft you like your veg.
  12. Serve the veg on a plate. Goes well with steamed white rice.

P.S. This recipe isn’t from the book in the picture here; the cooking book was a Christmas present from darling dearest last year!