老黃瓜湯

I don't know what do you call 老黃瓜 in English!
Let's just do a direct translation and call it old cucumber soup eh?
I think there are different versions of this particular soup.
If you know a different one, please drop me a message and share yours.
I added garlic to this one.
It was recommended by a friend of mine who used to work in a restaurant.
She told me that the chefs usually put a few garlic for that extra flavour!
I've tried it and so far my hubby has no negative comments.

So.. We will be using the trusty old slow cooker today.
Ain't that nice?
No need to watch the stove!

Now today's ingredients would need..

1. 老黃瓜 x1
   
2. Loin Bones
3. Red Dates x12 (seedless)
4. Aniseeds x1 handful
5. Garlic x3
6. Water x100ml
7. Salt
   

You need only 5 ingredients

Instructions:

1. Blanch the loin bones as usual.
2. Cut 老黃瓜 into pieces
3. Throw ingredients #1-6 together
4. Boil for 4 hours
5. Put salt to taste
   

一碗老黃瓜湯來了！

Lotus Root Soup 蓮藕湯

I promised one of my forum mummy friend to post this recipe when I go around making.
Here goes:

Ingredients (for 3 portions):

1. Lotus Root x1 (Tip: Get those muddy type, it taste so much better!)
2. Red dates x12~14
3. Dried cuttlefish x1/2
4. Dried baby scallops
5. Loin Bones x300g
6. Water x1000-1200ml
7. Salt
   

Ingredients

Instructions:

1. Slice the lotus roots
2. Scald the loin bones
3. Rinse the red dates, dried baby scallops & cuttlefish
4. Throw all ingredients plus water together into slow cooker
5. Boil for at least 4 hours!
6. Add salt to taste
   

Lotus Root Soup aka 蓮藕湯

White Fungus Chicken Soup

Today, I shall be make a more elaborate soup.
Ahhh! I'm already hearing people sighing away.
Don't worry about it.
The only tedious part is the preparation.
After that, boil it in the slow cooker and you can surf the net, watch tv, do whatever you like!
The slow cooker has become my favourite tool in the kitchen after Tricia was born.
Before I was slow boiling my soups over the stove.
With Tricia around, I couldn't afford to do that! I had to keep a close eye on her.
Then again, I think it's a pretty good investment and it's not an expensive item to have in your kitchen.

Now, the thing with cooking is that you have got to have the ingredients available in your kitchen.
Never mind if it's your first time purchasing these ingredients.
These stuff don't spoil overnight!
Keep it in your fridge and you are ready anytime then you think you will be.
Don't mind my 'fantastic' chinese. I maybe guessing some of the chinese characters..

Ingredients:

1. White fungus
2. 南北杏仁 (I don't know what you call them in English but I guess North/South Chinese Almonds) ;-)
3. Unseeded Red dates
4. 枸子 or Aniseed
5. Fresh Chicken (1/2)
6. Water (Chinese bowls x 6/7)
7. Salt (1 tsp to taste)

White fungus, aniseeds, chinese almonds & red dates

Preparation:

1. Soak the white fungus in hot water and watch it expand!
2. Cut the white fungus into sizable pieces. Minus out the hard part of the white fungus, you don't wanna eat that.
3. Wash the red dates, chinese almonds & aniseeds
4. De-skin the chicken. You can ask the 'chicken butcher' to help you with this
5. Cut the chicken into pieces. Please cut away the fats as well. You don't wanna drink oily soup.
6. Boil water and throw in the chicken to kill the 'bacteria' and wash away the 'dirt, blood'
   

Chicken being scald in boiling water. Check out the bubbles.

You don't want that stuff in your soup

Steps:

1. Throw in all the stuff into the slow cooker.
2. Pour in the water and boil for say minimum of 4 hours. Longer if you like the 'collagen feeling' of the white fungus
3. Add salt to taste when done. Again, please taste as you add in by 1/2 tsp. You don't wish to drink salty soupie after all that hard work right?

Ingredient in the slow cooker

Final Product