Valentine Day

#327

A belated post about Valentine Day.  Coincidentally, the western Valentine Day and Chinese Yuan Xiao Jie 元宵节 happened to fall on the same day this year 2014.  It's also know as Chap Go Meh in hokkien dialect. Chinese believes it's a celebration of first full moon on the 15th day of lunisolar calendar  and also marks the end of Chinese new year. 

For lunch, I cooked spaghetti topped with minced meat/Portobello mushroom with basilico sauce which I made a heart shape using a mould.  Plus a dollop of mozzarella cheese.  I also planted two tiny petals that I cut out from the green part of spring onion.  The basilico sauce (I used Barilla brand) was really yummy.  Having said that, my boy wiped clean the plate although he did hesitated at the first sight of mushroom. (To note, my son was not a mushroom lover).   That was after I explained that mushroom is like sponge and absorbed all the delicious sauce that he would not even taste the mushroom at all.  On the sides were blanched broccoli and Japanese cucumber.

For dinner, I attempted a mini hotpot at home and layered/arranged the ingredient inside the Chinese claypot.  For the soup base, I cheated using the Maggi chicken stock :P

• Wong bok (Chinese cabbage)
• Carrot
• Japanese pumpkin
• Spring onion
• Chicken breast (marinated with soya sauce, sesame oil, pepper and cornstarch)
• Fishball
• Fish fillet ((marinated with soya sauce, sesame oil, pepper and cornstarch)
• Crabstick
• An egg

You could add any types of food you like.  Lastly, generous splash of garlic oil (very important and makes a lot of difference on the taste).  It's ready to serve.  In addition, we had udon and glass noodles.  An easy one dish meal yet simple and delicious onValentine day.  I was pleased that both the boys like it so much!  Thanks to 五姑 who is so encouraging and taught me how to do it.

Layer vegetables at the bottom of the pt

Top layer - meat and egg