Homecooked Chinese Dinner: Steamed Fish with Ginger, Sauteed Pea Tips & Radish Soup

My parents are visiting and that means I get a break from cooking! My stepmom loves to cook dinner for us when she's here and she whipped up this simple yet lovely Chinese home cooked meal in a jiffy tonight. I hadn't expected her to cook because they're headed for a 7-day Mexican Riviera cruise tomorrow and she had said that we would be going out for dinner tonight but sometime mid-afternoon, I started hearing clanking noises coming from the kitchen and before I knew it, she had started simmering soup for dinner.

What we had:

Daikon radish and carrot soup with pork bones

Sauteed pea tips (dou miao in Mandarin) with minced garlic

Steamed fish with ginger and broad bean paste

Roast duck with soy sauce (purchased from a restaurant)

THE RECIPES:

Comforting Daikon radish & carrot soup with pork bones...so delicious!

Daikon Radish and Carrot Soup with Pork Bones

Ingredients:

1-1/2 lbs. pork neck bones

1 large daikon radish, chopped into 1-inch thick pieces

2 medium sized carrots, chopped into 1-inch thick pieces

4 to 5 dried oysters

8 cups water

Salt to taste

Dried oysters add flavor and "sweetness" to soups.

Method:

Wash the pork bones well. Place them in a large pot, cover with water and bring to a boil. Add the dried oysters and simmer on medium-low heat for one hour. Add the carrots and Daikon radish and continue simmering for another hour until the vegetables have softened and are tender. Salt to taste.

Simply sauteed pea tips: tender yet crunchy.

Sauteed Pea Tips with Minced Garlic

Ingredients:

1 lb. of pea tips

2 cloves of garlic, minced

Salt to taste

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

Method:

Wash and clean the pea tips. Remove and discard the tough stems. Heat the oil in a wok until it shimmers. Add the garlic to the wok and saute for a minute until fragrant, stirring constantly to prevent from burning. Add the pea shoots and stir fry quickly until just wilted. Transfer to a plate and serve.

Fresh steamed golden pomfret: surprisingly good even for someone like me who's picky with fish!

Steamed Fish with Ginger and Broad Bean Paste

Ingredients:

1 Golden Pomfret or fish of choice, cleaned

2 tbsp. broad bean paste

Thumb sized piece of ginger, julienned

2 stalks green onion, julienned

Method:

Pat the fish dry with paper towels. Rub the broad bean paste all over the fish on both sides. Place the fish on a steamer safe platter. Top with the julienned ginger slices then place in the steamer. (We used our wok for this.) Steam for 15 minutes or until the fish is cooked through. Remove from the steamer and top with the green onions. Bathe the fish with the sauce by spooning it over the fish a few times before serving. Serve immediately.

We also enjoyed succulent roast duck with soy sauce!