Winter recipes for the freezing soul

Yep. It is officially winter now. It is the season that I LOVE to hate. Time to whip out those spicy noodle recipes to keep myself warm. If those of you who are afraid of cold temperature like me, try these recipes out. During winter days, apart from working, I would spend most of my time hibernating. So I would just cook one big pot of gravy and divide into several containers. Whenever I feel like eating, I just heat them up and serve them with different type of noodles. LOL.

Curry Laksa

Ingredients:-

Spice Paste

• 4-5 shallots, chopped
• 6-7 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 piece ginger root, peeled and chopped (Thumb size)
• 1 red chilli, fresh (more or less, depending to your taste)
• 1 tablespoon dried prawns or dried shrimp
• 1/2 cup water

Prawn or Shrimp Flavoured Oil

• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 12 raw green prawns or green shrimp, shelled and de-veined

Laksa Broth

• 180 ml curry laksa paste
• 1 litre chicken stock or vegetable stock
• 400 ml coconut cream
• 320 g fish balls
• 320 g fried tofu puffs halved
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• Salt, to taste
• Lime juice

Toppings

• 160 g rice vermicelli
• 350 g egg noodles
• 1 chicken breast, cooked and shredded (boiled-stock can be used for the broth!)
• 1/2 cup bean sprouts
• 1 spring onion, chopped
• 1 red chilli, sliced
• 4 tablespoons coriander leaves
• 2 tablespoons deep fried shallots
• Fresh lime wedge

Methods:-

1. Shell prawns/shrimp and reserve prawn/shrimp in one bowl and heads and shells in a separate bowl. Set aside for later use.
2. Using a food process make 'Spice Paste' add shallots, garlic, ginger, chillies, dried prawns and water. Then blend until it forms a smooth paste. Set aside.
3. In a large pot, add vegetable oil and heat. Once the oil is hot add prawns/shrimp shells and fry for about one minute or until they turn red. Remove from pan and discard. This will add prawn/shrimp flavour to the oil.
4. To make the 'Laksa Broth' add 'Spice Paste' to prawn/shrimp flavoured oil and fry for a minute. Add laksa paste and simmer for about two minutes. Pour in the chicken or vegetable stock and bring to boil,.
5. Then add coconut cream, fish balls, fried tofu, sugar, fish sauce, salt and freshly squeezed lime juice. Bring to boil.
6. Half fill a medium pot with water and bring to boil. Add rice vermicelli for a few minutes until they become soft then remove into separate serving bowls.
7. Add egg noodles in boiling water for five minutes or until soft and transfer into the same bowls as rice vermicelli.
8. In the same pot poach reserved prawn/shrimp meat until it's pink then transfer them into the same bowl as the rice vermicelli and egg noodles.
9. Pour 'Laksa Broth' into the serving bowls (same bowls as the prawns/shrimp and noodles).
10. Then top with shredded chicken, bean sprouts, spring onions, chilli, coriander, fried shallots and serve with lime wedge's.

Prawn Noodle

Ingredients:-

Toppings

• 1 pound of yellow noodles (scalded)
• 1 pack of rice vermicelli (scalded)
• Some kangkong or water convolvulus (scalded)
• Some bean sprouts (scalded)
• 1/2 pound of lean pork meat (boiled and sliced thinly)
• 1/2 pound shrimp (shelled and de-veined)
• 6 hard-boiled eggs (shelled and quartered)
• Some fried shallot crisps (store-bought)

Stock

• 1 bag of shrimp heads and shells
• 15 cups of water (reduced to about 12-13 cups of water after hours of boiling and simmering)
• 2-3 pieces of rock sugar (about the size of a small ping pong ball) or to taste
• 1.5 lbs of pork ribs (cut into pieces)
• Salt to taste

Chilli Paste

• 30 dried chillies (remove seeds and soak to soften)
• 10 shallots (peeled)
• 5 cloves garlic (peeled)
• 2 tablespoons of water
• 6 tablespoons of cooking oil

Methods:-

1. Blend the chilli paste ingredients with a mini food processor until finely ground and well blended.
2. Heat up the wok and add cooking oil. Stir fry the chilli paste for 5 minutes. Dish up and set aside.
3. On the same wok (unwashed), add in a little oil and cook the shrimp topping. Add in a little chilli paste, sugar, and salt. Pan-fried the shrimp until they are slightly burned. Dish up, let cool and sliced them into halves.
4. Add 15 cups of water into a pot and bring it to bowl. Add in all the shrimp heads and shell and simmer on low heat for about 2 hours or longer until the stock becomes cloudy.
5. Strain the stock through sieve and transfer the stock into another pot. Discard the prawn heads and shells. Scoop up and discard the orange “foam” forming at the top of the stock.
6. Bring the stock to boil again and add in half of the chilli paste. You can add more chilli paste if you like it spicier.
7. Add in the pork ribs and continue to boil in low heat for another 1-1.5 hour until the pork ribs are thoroughly cooked.
8. Add rock sugar and salt/fish sauce to taste.
9. To serve, place a portion of yellow noodles, rice vermicelli, kangkung and bean sprouts in a bowl. Ladle hot stock over. If desired, add a few pieces of pork ribs. Top with meat slices, sliced shrimp, egg quarters, and sprinkle with shallot crisps.
10. Serve immediately with more chilli paste to taste.

Kimchi Noodle Soup

Ingredients:-

• 200-250g kimchi including juices
• 1 cup water
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 300-400 g sliced pork
• Tofu (slice into large chunks)
• 2 Eggs, hard boiled and peeled
• Garlic, minced
• Noodles (any kind of noodles are okay)

Methods:-

1. Stir fry the meat with a little oil and garlic until cooked.
2. Add water, stock, and kimchi. Bring to a boil, stir occasionally.
3. Add tofu, noodles and eggs. Bring to a boil again on medium heat.
4. Serve immediately with more chilli paste

Dumplings Noodle Soup

Ingredients:-

• 2 cups vegetable broth
• 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 scallions, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 1/2-inch sized piece of ginger, peeled and minced
• 4-5 dumplings, depending on size
• 1 package ramen noodles
• 1 bunch baby bok choy
• Toasted sesame oil for drizzling

Methods:-

1. Bring the broth, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic to a boil over medium heat.
2. Reserve some raw scallions for topping the soup.
3. Add the noodles and cook for about 2 minutes or until they begin to loosen up.
4. Add the dumplings and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes until they are warmed through.
5. Stir in the bok choy and cook for another minute.
6. Divide among soup bowls and top with scallions. Drizzle lightly with sesame oil.