Teochew Fish Porridge

Trenyce loves this Teochew fish porridge. Me too! =p So whats the difference between Teochew fish porridge and normal fish porridge? The difference is in the rice. For normal fish porridge, the rice is cooked together with the fish but for teochew style, you cook the rice and the fish soup separately. You only add in the soup over the rice when you want to serve the food.

**Food picture unavailable** 
[Unfortunately Slide.com had ceased operation on 6 March 2012 and I didnt manage to transfer the pics in time of which some are lost permanently as I didnt have a spare copy.] 

Ingredients (4 pax share):

- 2 batang fish fillets, sliced (keep the fish bones to boil the soup)
- 2 average-size young gingers, 1 'hammered' to throw into the soup to remove the fishy smell and the other to be sliced (to add into the porridge when served)
- A handful of wolfberries
- 2 tomatoes (average size, sliced)
- 1 tsp Sesame oil (for each serving)
- 1 tbsp Soya sauce (for each serving)
- Pinch of pepper (for each serving)
- Salt (optional)
- Water
- Some vegetables (caixin/spinach/lettuce, I use caixin)
- 4 handfuls rice, cooked

How to cook:

- Cook 1 pot (average sized pot) of water
- When the water is about half-boiled, add in the fish bones and ginger.
- When it boils, add in the fish slices and wolfberries.
- Sieve the fish slices from the soup once its cook.
- Add the vegetables into the soup and bring it to boil.
- Sieve the vegetables from the soup once its cook.
- Add in the salt and turn off the fire.

How to Serve:

- Scoop the rice.
- Add in the fish slices, ginger, tomatoes and caixin.
- Pour the soya sauce and sesame oil over the fish slices.
- Pour the soup over and add the pepper. The fish porridge is ready to be served.

Pork Ribs w/Sweet Potatoes Porridge

Remembered I mention about preparing lunch for my girl everyday when I was a SAHM for the entire month of April 2008. Yah, this is one of the dishes I prepared for her. Trenyce loves this porridge as her favourite sweet potatoes and carrots are included! This is one healthy dish and pork ribs are good for their growth!

**Food picture unavailable** 
[Unfortunately Slide.com had ceased operation on 6 March 2012 and I didnt manage to transfer the pics in time of which some are lost permanently as I didnt have a spare copy.] 

Ingredients (4 pax share):

- 2 handfuls of Rice, perferably use "Xing mi", washed.
(aka "new rice", a type of rice used typically for cooking porridge. If not, normal rice also can but will take slightly longer time to cook.)
- 350grams pork ribs
(Rather than throwing the entire piece of ribs into the porridge, I like to cut the meat away from the ribs and chopped into smaller pieces before I throw both into the porridge so that I can feed my girl straight away :p)
- 2 pieces of sweet potatoes of medium size, cut into cubes (of average size)
- Optional: 1 carrot (of average size), chopped into cubes
- water

How to cook:

- Cook 1 pot (average sized pot) of water together with the rice and the sweet potatoes with medium fire.
- When the water is about half-boiled, add in the pork ribs.
- Before adding the pork ribs, rinse them with hot water twice. Remove the water when it turns milky. (This is to remove the pork "smell.)*
- Stir the porridge to make sure that the meat is well covered with the water and leave it to boil.
- When it boils, turn to smaller fire and let it boils slowly. For "xing mi", it usually cooks faster roughly abt 10mins. Normal rice will take about 10mins longer.
- Afterwhich, you may turn off the fire and the porridge is ready to be served.(However, if you like the porridge to be watery and not so "sticky" then boil the porridge at a shorter time frame so instead of 15mins maybe 10mins. Pls monitor the cooking of the porridge yourself to determine the "thickness" preferred.)

*Note: If you still find the pork smell too strong for you to handle after rinsing with hot water, you can add ginger into the porridge to get rid of the smell. If you do, add in the ginger together with the pork ribs :)

Beancurd Porridge

I missed this porridge terribly, used to have it when I stayed with my mother. Havent tasted it for a long time since I got married. Its only until recently when I was cracking brain for lunches for my girl that I remembered this dish. Trenyce loves it too as her favourite beancurd, mushroom and carrot are included. Seems like my girl is easy to please as she gets contented quite easily hehehe...When it comes to food, yes she takes after her father...anything also can except for fruits *sigh* Luckily she takes vegetables :)

**Food picture unavailable** 
[Unfortunately Slide.com had ceased operation on 6 March 2012 and I didnt manage to transfer the pics in time of which some are lost permanently as I didnt have a spare copy.] 

Ingredients (4 pax share):

- 2 handfuls of Rice, perferably use "Xing mi", washed.
(aka "new rice", a type of rice used typically for cooking porridge. If not, normal rice also can but will take slightly longer time to cook.)
- 2 pieces of beancurd, sliced
- 1 carrot (of average size), sliced
- 1 small cabbage (about 70-80cts if buy from supermkt), chopped
- 4 pieces of mushroom (of average size), sliced
- 100grams minced meat, marinated with soya sauce/sesame oil/starch powder.
- some ikan bilis (aka dried shrimps), washed
- some garlic
- 1 tablespoon soya sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon starch powder
- Salt
- Cooking oil
- Water

How to cook:

- Heat the pot (average sized pot) with cooking oil.
- Add in the ikan bilis once the oil is heated.
- When you can smell the "fragnant" of the ikan bilis, add water to the pot (about 80% of the pot) and leave it to boil.
- When the water starts boiling, sieve out the ikan bilis and add in the rice, and leave it to boil.*
- When it starts to boil, add in the beancurd** and vege*** prepared earlier.
- When it boils again, add in the minced meat and some salt.
- Once minced meat is cooked, turn off the fire and its ready to be served.

Preparation of beancurd**
- Heat the wok with cooking oil, amount of cooking oil enough to cover 3/4 of the beancurd.
- Add in the beancurd once the oil is heated.
- Remove the beancurd from the wok once it turns slightly brownish and set aside.

Preparation of vege***
- Heat the wok again with cooking oil.
- Add in the garlic once the oil is heated.
- When the garlic turns slightly brownish, add in the carrot/cabbage/mushroom.
- Add water, ensure that the vege are well covered. Covered with the lid and let it simmer for 3-5mins.
- Remove the lid, dish out the vege when its about 75% cooked and set aside.

*Note: I started cooking the porridge before the preparation of the beancurd and vege as the boiling of the ikan bilis and rice takes a while. Hence,if you are unable to complete the cooking of the beancurd and vege before the porridge boils, pls prepare the 2 dishes first before you start cooking the porridge.