Speed is of the essence...

In a very good mood today. Mainly because dinner was very satisfactory and done in a very short amount of time. Started cooking at 6pm and we were done eating and washing up by 7:30pm. Loads of difference compared to the pasta that took us 2 hours just to cook alone the first time.

Menu and recipe for tonight's dinner:

1.Onion Omelette

- 5 eggs
- half an onion
- 3 teaspoons of milk

Self-explanatory dish here. Whip the eggs and milk together till creamy and with minimal froth. Add salt to taste and pan fry after adding onions to the eggs.


2.Leeks with carrots

- 2 leeks
- 2 carrots
- garlic
- shallots
- mushrooms

After slicing leeks, leave them in salted warm water to kill any possible pesticides, etc.. When it's time to cook, warm oil in wok (I only have a pot, so make do eh?) and fry garlic, shallots and mushrooms till fragrant. （炮香）Leeks go in next and lastly carrots. Be mindful not to cook the leeks too long as they're nicer if they still have a little crunch to the bite. A dash of soy sauce before serving and you're done.

3. Spicy Beef in creamy black bean sauce

- 2 slices of beef
- black pepper
- black bean sauce
- 2 tablespoons of honey
- half an onion
- garlic
- shallots

Dice the beef slabs into bite-sized cubes and marinate them with the remaining ingredients. You don't have to add all of the raw onions, about half of it will do. Massage the marinate into the beef and stick it in the fridge to stand for a few hours. As usual, garlic and shallots go in first into the warm pot. When ready, add in the left-over onions and allow it to camarelise into a nice brownish colour. Add and cook beef till outside of the cubes turn a nice dark grey. DO NOT throw away the marinate!!! Add water and cream (or full creamed milk as I did) to the marinate and pour into pot. That will be the sauce. Allow the beef to stew but turn down the heat so that it doesn't boil. Once the liquid reduces to a gravy of a consistency you prefer, (it should be great gravy to go with rice/potatoes so a little more of it wouldn't hurt ;P) add loads of pepper to level of spiciness preferred and it's ready to be served.
WARNING: Leave the pepper only to the very last or it'll burn and make everything very bitter tasting, thus wasting all your effort.

*** It struck me while eating that this dish would be very well complemented with either radish (白萝卜) or Parsnips.

4. Steamed rice with mushrooms and chinese sausage

- 2 cups of rice
- mushrooms
- chinese sausage
- minced garlic

Simplest of the lot. Usual washing of rice, appropriate level of water, throw in sliced mushrooms, sausage and minced garlic. Add a DASH of soy sauce. Close rice cook and press "cook" button. You'll swoon in the heavenly smell as it cooks. :)

I'm going off to relax, chat with friends and pat my tummy now. Cheerios~