It’s already coming to the middle of July. Almost a year and a half into the new world of pandemic and things are still looking the same. No lockdowns, but the part about working from home is getting to me. Slowly but surely.
But like everyone says, there must be some good out of all the bad things happening. And I believe one of the good things, for me at least, is that I am finally able to cook dinner almost every day of the week. It’s good especially for the boy since he is still growing up and require as much nutrients from fresh ingredients as possible. My menu and weekly grocery lists have changed since April last year, from slowcooker recipes (I used to switch on my slowcooker from morning till evening while I was at work), to fresh stir-fries and vegetables that can easily be prepared within half an hour while I work from home. Dinner isn’t as boring as it used to be too (slowcooker recipes being the usual staple of soup + rice combination) plus I don’t have to get home to start a round of mad rush of dinner + shower + housework + laundry anymore because these can be done in the morning before work, during lunch and in between breaks at home.
Nice, right? So why am I still missing the kick of getting back to work in the office? I sometimes wonder too. Perhaps I’m really going crazy. And having a boy at home who refuses to do what we say can possibly drive me mad sooner than later.
Anyway, this recipe is one of those quick dishes that can be easily whipped up within half an hour while I work from home. It’s really simple – you turn on the heat, leave the soup to boil on low heat (you can do some work while waiting for it to boil), and then after the soup and meatballs are done, you switch off the heat and go fetch the kids. The soup gets to cool down slightly while you journey to school and back home. It’s perfect timing (think baby bear’s porridge, not too hot and not too cold) and I think many parents out there will know what I’m saying right here. 🙂
Ingredients:
- Minced pork: 500g
- Fish sauce: 3 tbsp
- Shaoxing wine: 3 tbsp
- Sesame oil: 3 tbsp
- White pepper: 1 tsp
- Cornstarch: 2 tsp
- Dried sole fish: 3 fillets, toasted for 5min
- Water: 1.5 liters
- Chicken stock cube: 2
- Salt: 1 tsp
- Napa cabbage: 1/4 (400g), thinly sliced
Method:
- Mix together minced pork, fish sauce, shaoxing wine, sesame oil, white pepper and cornstarch.
- Grind the dried sole fish. Sieve out only the fine powders of the fish. Add this powder into the minced pork and mix well to combine.
- Bring water to a boil. Add in chicken stock cube and salt.
- Add in napa cabbage. Simmer for 15min till soft.
- Scoop up 2 tbsp meat to form meatballs. Add into stock to cook.
- Meatballs are ready once they float.
- Serve soup with garlic or shallot oil.
Trick:
-
The dried sole fish contains bones and white membranes that need to be removed before mixing into the pork mixture. So do be careful when sieving out to ensure that all the bones are removed and none remains in the fine powder.
Serving:
6 persons
