Honey Ginger Pork with Noodles

I have been quiet and in hiding again for the longest time - almost a year.
Things have been busy with moving from one place to another, getting re-adjusted with the environment and trying to find friends and comfort zone. Now that I am back home to where everything began, I can write again. Of course, in the span that I have been gone, I have tried a number of recipes which deserves sharing... I will of course in due time write everything down else I may forget. Besides, this beats bringing along tons of cooking books and magazines for reference. :)

So allow me to start with this sweet, gingery tender pork with taste rice noodles. I am now challenging myself to use the opened bottles/cans of sauces or what not that have been ignored in the refrigerator. So for this challenge, I had to use the sweet soy sauce. It turned out pretty good thanks to a recipe came across online. Of course, I didn't follow everything to the letter. So here is my version:

2 tbsps. honey
1 1/2 cm piece ginger, peeled and minced or grated
4 large cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
1 tsp. sesame oil
1/4 cup kecap manis or sweet soy sauce
500g pork fillet, trimmed, sliced into 1/8" wide strips
4 tbsps. canola
1 onion, peeled and sliced
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips
1 large chayote, peeled and sliced into 1/4" wide sticks, blanched.
250 grams rice noodles (in this case, I used bihon)

Marinate pork strips in honey, ginger, garlic, sesame oil and kecap manis for atleast 4 hours. (I prefer to marinate it overnight to have a more flavorful meat).
In a wok, place 2 tbsps. oil and stir fry the marinated pork. Reserve the marinade and set this aside. Stir for about 3 minutes until the pork is seared through.  (If you are not sure if the pork is cooked, add about 1/2 cup water and let it simmer with a cover. Let the liquid dry up.) Set this aside once done.
Pour remaining oil in the wok and add in onions, bell pepper, marinade and noodles. Add enough water to cook the noodles through. Mix in the pork and chayote. Serve hot.

Pork can be replaced with chicken or beef.

Hoisin Chicken Stir-Fry

It has really been a challenge for me to cook since I don't really have a place of my own right now. I am currently renting a room with privileges of using the kitchen and utilities. To make things simple, I try not to buy too much ingredients and think of quick and easy dishes to prepare. I do try to consider the family of my landlady when I cook too. They are a carnivorous lot who barely gets enough nutrients from vegetables and fruit. So, I try to sneak in a couple into my cooking. :D

So allow me to share with you this easy dish that I have put together with the available ingredients I have.

Ingredients:

1/4 kilo chicken fillet*, cut into strips
2 - 3 tbsp. Hoisin Sauce
1 tsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 tbsp. cooking oil (peanut oil, canola oil or corn oil)
2 tbsp. minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped white onions
1 16oz-bag of mixed vegetables*, thawed slightly
1 block of firm tofu, sliced into cubes and fried
2 tsps. toasted sesame seeds

Procedure:
Mix the chicken strips in the Hoisin sauce, soy sauce and 1/4 tsp of black pepper. Marinate for at least 2 hours.
In a hot wok, heat the oil and saute the garlic and onions until fragrant. Add the marinated chicken strips and reserve the marinade. Stir until the chicken is not any more pink in color. Add the marinade with 1/4 cup of water. Simmer for 2-3 minutes covered. Check if the chicken is tender and cooked through. Once done, throw in the vegetables. Stir and adjust the taste by either adding more hoisin, soy sauce or pepper. Once the vegetables are heated (not wilted). Turn off fire, stir in the fried tofu and top with the toasted sesame seed. Serve hot with steamed white rice.


Notes:
Breast fillets may be used. But if this is not available, thigh and leg fillets may be substituted.
The bag of mixed vegetables may depend on what is available in the fridge at the moment. Normally I have a bag of mixed stir-fry (carrots, brocolli, snap peas, cauliflower, zucchini) or mixed variety of broccolli, cauliflower, carrots with a few slices of bell pepper. If there are fresh vegetables at hand, these may be used. Just prepare and slice up the fresh vegetables into even sized pieces for even cooking.