Bok Choy with Mushrooms and Young Corn in Oyster Sauce

Description:
This is simpler and cheaper version of my previous bok choy recipe with top shell in oyster sauce, but just as good. This vegetable dish surely takes center stage.

Ingredients:
600g Bok Choy, cleaned well
1 can whole mushrooms, chopped into quarters (I prefer the jumbo-sized mushrooms)
1 can young corn, chopped diagonally (or the canned stems and pieces)

Sauce Mix:
6 Tbsp. oyster sauce
2 Tbsps. rice wine (I used mirin.)
2 Tbsps. cornstarch
1 cup water


Directions:
Boil bok choy until soft. Drain the vegetables and place on plate. (Do not discard the water.)
Combine all the ingredients for the sauce mix.
Heat 1 tbsp. oil in pan and saute mushrooms and young corn lightly.
Add the sauce mix and cool until thick and bubbly.
Add more vegetable stock from boiling bok choy to thin out the sauce.
Pour the sauce on top of vegetables and serve.

Bok Choy with Topshell in Oyster Sauce

Description:
Topshell is a kind of snail meat that resembles abalone in texture. I only got to know about how good topshell is because I got two cans from my in-laws. This recipe is printed at the can's label and the result is really easy and very, very good. You can tweak the recipe by replacing the bok choy with broccoli or kailahn, or adding in mushrooms. You can omit topshell altogether and it will still be wonderful. My version has tofu and we all loved it. This recipe yields quite a lot, but because it was so good, we consumed it all in one meal.

Ingredients:
1 can topshell in brine, drained and sliced thinly
600g Bok Choy, cleaned well
2 large cubes tofu, cut into big squares

Sauce Mix:
6 Tbsp. oyster sauce
2 Tbsps. rice wine (I used mirin.)
2 Tbsps. cornstarch
1 cup water

Directions:
Boil bok choy until soft. Drain the vegetables and place on plate. (Do not discard the water.)
Combine all the ingredients for the sauce mix.
Heat 1 tbsp. oil in pan and saute topshell lightly.
Add the sauce mix and cool until thick and bubbly. Add the tofu. (Add more vegetable stock from boiling bok choy to thin out the sauce.)
Pour the sauce on top of vegetables and serve.

Ratatouille

Description:
This has got to be one of my favorite vegetable dishes. Nothing beats the color and freshness of a medley of vegetables served on the table. Make sure to use fresh produce and good quality olive oil with a rich taste when cooking this dish.

Ingredients:
2 medium zucchinis, cubed
3 medium eggplants, peeled and cubed
1 medium onion, cubed
2 red bell peppers, cubed
3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 medium tomatoes, cubed
a dash of dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
olive oil
salt and pepper

Directions:
In a large saute pan, pour about 1/4 cup olive oil and saute zucchinis and eggplants until a little brown and slightly tender, around 10 minutes, depending on the size of the vegetables. Remove from pan and set aside.

Using the same pan, add about 2 tablespoons olive oil and cook the onions until slightly tender, then add the red peppers and garlic. Continue to cook until tender but not brown. Add the tomatoes, thyme and bay leaf, then season with salt and pepper. Lower heat, cover and let cook for about 5-8 minutes.

Add in the cooked aubergines (zucchinis and eggplants) and continue to cook until everything is tender but not mushy. There should still be a crunch to the zucchinis and peppers. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

When everything's ready, turn off heat then add in the basil and give it a quick stir. (You may serve leftovers cold or without reheating. Trust me, the flavors do improve.)