Chinese chicken soup with burdock, dried red prune, and dried shiitake

This is the warmest food after getting the surgery. My dad’s friend heard I had the surgery so he brought a big bag of eggs and 1 cut chicken to me. He feeds his chicken with only healthy food, which makes the chicken tastes super yummy and also the eggs. So I decided to make chicken stew. The chicken oil floating on top is yellow, which proved that the chicken is really good quality.

Ingredients

• Half chicken cut into pieces with bone
• 1 full Burdock cut into thin slices
• 5-10 pieces of dried red prunes, have to crush it to release the sweetness after cooked soft
• 10-20 pieces of dried shiitake since I am a mushroom lover
• 5 pieces of ginger
• 100ml rice wine
• Water to cover the chicken
• Salt & Pepper

The recipe is super easy. Usually there is no need to boil chicken and wash it first. (only beef and pork need the step). Just need to wash the chicken under cold water and use spoon and remove the floating grey foam after the stew is boiling. But my dad’s friend’s chicken is super clean, actually not so much floating stuff. Put all ingredients except salt and pepper and BOOM start making the stew.

Since the quality of the chicken is really good, it takes a longer time for the meat to become soft. I took me around 1.5 hours in the cocotte, and the meat is SUPER TENDER!!! I removed the burdock because I don’t like the texture. Burdock is still the best inside donjiru haha. I am still a bit scared of the oil, so I waited for it to cool down and remove some oil. BUT BUT never remove too much, after all, that is where the flavor and nutrition come from. I feel so warm and satisfied after having this chicken soup!

I really too many white fish steak in the freezer…… I decided to make my first meal alone Japanese. Japanese style pan-fried fish with boiled broccoli and miso soup with tofu.

Ingredients:

• White fish steak, marinated inside rice wine and ginger slice
• Sauce – Orange marmalade, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and a bit ginger will be better
• Topping with green onion

Another super easy dish. Just pan fry the fish steak until golden and pour in mixed sauce until reduced. Sprinkle with some spring onion on top. Actually I don’t like the orange marmalade so much this time, I think I will replace it with other kind of orange marmalade or orange juice next time. My family always wonder why I never cook like this when they are home. Well, when someone is cooking for me, I become so lazy and don’t want to do anything. Now I have to live alone, so I go back to self-preparing meal life. I don’t feel tired, I feel excited about thinking about what to cook everyday!

The bottom line is, HOPE I WON’T STOP WRITING FOR 2 WEEKS AGAIN LIKE LAST TIME!!!

KEEP GOING!