{san choy bao in hermie}

Oh no, I've been neglecting this blog for so long that guilt is creeping in. I have been inspired in the last few months by lots of different things but finding the time to write up my latest experiments in the kitchen has been lacking. But, now I think I have my mojo back. Why? Well, in case you haven't heard, here in Australia the launch of the new TM5 has occurred just over a week ago. Having Hermie 2.0 in the kitchen is very exciting as there are some great new features... but this is not what this post is about. That will be in a separate one in the near future.

Isn't this supposed  to be how to make san choy bao using Hermie? Yes it is and I think it fits in very well with all the different ways that people are eating these days. What I'm referring to is the latest diet craze or food allergy/intolerance. Although I have never been on any dieting bandwagon, I have experienced food intolerance and allergies myself and within my little family. These include lactose intolerance, dairy allergies, nut allergies, following the FAILSAFE diet and FODMAP. I think we've pretty much got all bases covered.

So, san choy bao is one of those dishes which is Asian flavour based (which is my favourite) and ticks lots of categories including:

- gluten free

- wheat free (check the sauces you're using)

- dairy free

- grain free

- carb free

- high protein

- and most importantly delicious.

It is easily made from the staple ingredients from an Asian Pantry as well as some fresh food items. A bonus is that it is very quick to make and the kids have fun 'making' their own little lettuce cups. Enjoy!

3-4 dried shitake mushrooms

15 grams ginger, peeled, roughly chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, peeled

1 small-medium carrot, peeled, roughly chopped 3-4cm

450-500 grams pork mince

20 grams vegetable oil (canola, rice bran, peanut etc)

12 baby cos lettuce leaves (your cups)

big handful of beansprouts (or to taste)

1-2 spring onions, chopped to 1cm lengths

20 grams Shao XsIng wine

10 gram light soy sauce

15 grams dark soy sauce

10 grams oyster sauce

40 grams hoisin sauce

1. Place mushrooms into bowl and pour over hot water to cover and soften mushrooms

2. Place ginger, garlic & carrot into TM bowl and chop 5secs/ speed5. Scrape down sides of bowl.

3. Add pork mince and oil to TM bowl and saute 6mins/ varoma (TM5=110C)/ speed1/ reverse. 

4. Meanwhile, drain water from mushrooms and dice (using a knife) into 0.5cm pieces and wash the 12 lettuce leaves and beansprouts and set aside for later.

5. Scrape down sides of bowl and with spatula, stir the bottom around.

6. Add wine, soy sauce, reserved mushrooms and spring onions into TM bowl and cook 4mins/ varoma (TM5=110C)/ stir speed/ reverse. 

7. Scrape down sides and add in dark soy, oyster sauce and hoisin sauce. Cook 2mins/ 100C/ stir speed/ reverse.

8. Once complete, pour into thermoserver and serve by scooping into reserved lettuce cups and topped with bean sprouts.

Bon Appetit xx

Serves 2-3 depending on appetite

Note: Great for finger food. Just need to use the tiny baby cos lettuce leaves and a teaspoon of filling.

{mapo tofu in hermie}

People often say that eating tofu is boring and tasteless however, I have grown up eating it in it's many forms and have never thought this. When I married my hubs I wasn't sure what he was used to eating for dinner and when I made this for him, he thought it was 'the bomb' (his words... not mine). It has a bit of everything from texture, spiciness, silkiness and sauce. It's so yummy that Miss I loves to eat it with steamed rice soaking up all the tasty sauce.

2-3 cloves of garlic, peeled
10 grams vegetable oil (I use canola)
250-300 grams pork mince
400-500 grams silken tofu, cubed in 4 cm pieces
150 grams of 'char choy', soaked for 1 hour, rinsed and cut into small fat sticks (optional)
3 tablespoons chilli bean sauce
1 heaped teaspoon cornflour
75 ml cold water
300 ml hot water
2 spring onions, chopped into 1 cm pieces

1. Add garlic cloves to TM bowl, chop 3 sec / speed 7.
2. Add oil and pork mince. Saute 6 mins / varoma / stir speed.
3. While the mince is cooking, place tofu in a dish that will fit into the varoma. I use a 6 cup capacity pyrex rectangular dish. Place into varoma for later.
4. When the mince beeps, scrape down sides, add the char choy (if applicable) and saute  4 mins/ varoma/ stir speed / reverse.
5. Add chilli bean sauce to TM bowl and saute 2mins / varoma / stir speed / reverse.
6. Scrape sides of bowl. Mix cornflour with cold water in MC and add to TM bowl.
7. Add hot water to TM bowl and mix with spatula. Place varoma on top of TM bowl.
8. Cook and steam tofu for 10mins/ speed 1/ varoma / reverse.
9. Place spring onions into bottom of thermoserver. When tofu is steamed hot, add to thermoserver.
10. Check the mapo tofu sauce. If it is still a bit runny, reduce by cooking a further 5mins/ speed 1/ varoma/ reverse. Sit for 5 minutes and pour over the tofu. Mix through before serving. Serve with steamed rice.

Mapo Tofu served with steamed rice & bak choi

Serves 6 as part of a shared meal.

Bon Appetit xx

Note: 'Char Choy' is the name of the mustard green vegetable that has been preserved using a salting method. It can be found in packets in all good Asian grocers along with the  Chilli Bean Sauce (which is also known as toban jan). I use the below brand as it does not have MSG added. 

Chilli Bean Sauce (Toban Jan)

Mustard Green Salted (Taiwanese)

Tips: This can very easily be made on the stove the traditional way and it tastes just as good. I know it's not traditional but I also sometime add cubes of eggplant at step 4 to add more vegetable to the dish.

{sticky ginger pork spare ribs in hermie}

I always make this  dish on the stove top and after a couple of hours, the pork is covered in a yummy, sticky sauce that goes perfectly with steamed rice and a vegetable dish. I wasn't sure if the Thermomix would be able to replicate the caramelisation however, I think the dish has worked out well if not slightly different.

Big thumb of ginger, peeled
500-600 grams of pork spare ribs (NOT American style), cubed 3-4cm
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
35-40 grams dark soy sauce (kecap manis)
100 grams water
2 tablespoons sugar

1. Place ginger in TM bowl, Chop 3sec / speed 5. Scrape down sides of bowl.
2. Add pork and oil to bowl. Saute 10min / Varoma / stir speed / reverse. The only reason why we are adding oil here is so that the ginger does not burn. In the latter stages of cooking, a lot of the pork fat will render out making the meat really tender.
3. Add soy, sugar and water. Cook 30min + 30min/ 100C / stir speed / reverse.
3. At this stage, there will be quite a bit of liquid at the bottom and we want to reduce this. So, cook a further 25-30min / 100C / stir speed / reverse.
4. Serve with rice and a dish of green vegetables.

Serves 4 as part of a shared meal.

Bon Appetit xx

Note: After eating this dish, I'm not sure if the Thermomix does the original stove top version justice. The meat does not stay in tact with its layers of meat and fat due to the constant stirring of the blades and instead ends up slightly shredded with not as much caramelisation. However, the meat is still very moist and full of flavour and passes the 'husband finds it super yummy' test. So instead, it has inspired me to use this meat in a 'Pulled Pork & Slaw style burger'. Watch this space for the rest of this future recipe :-)