This healthy, delicious one-pot dish can be customized with most quick-cooking vegetables — thinly sliced asparagus or radishes and brown or button mushrooms — and whatever tofu you have access to. The white peppercorn powder at the end will breathe a lot of much-needed life into this casserole dish built mostly from pantry staples, but a splash of rice wine vinegar would also do the trick.

Serves 3-4

• 1 packet (about 400g)  firm or extra firm Tofu 北豆腐, cut into small cubes
• 12-15 (about 200g)         medium-size shrimps, peeled and deveined
• 1/4 teaspoon                  salt
• ½ tablespoon                 light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon                Chinese cooking wine
• 1 teaspoon                    corn starch玉米淀粉
• 1 spring onion              green and white parts separated, minced 葱白葱绿分开, 切成末
• 2 tablespoons                 cooking oil
• 1 cup                               chicken stock (click chinese homemade stock )
• 1 tablespoon                   light soy sauce生抽
• 2 tablespoons                  Chinese word-ear mushrooms (rehydrated one) or use button or brown mushroom, thinly sliced
• 1 cup                                 frozen pea and carrot mix or any suitable vegetables of broccoli or asparagus
• 1 teaspoon                          white sugar (optional)
• A pinch of white peppercorn powder 白胡椒粉

Water starch

• ¼ cup                   water in room temperature
• 2 tablespoons        corn starch玉米淀粉

Method

1. Cut tofu into square cubes (around 2cms). Bring a large amount of water to a boil and then add a pinch of salt. Slide the tofu in and cook for 1 minute. Move out and drain.
   

   
2. Add 1/4 teaspoon of salt, ½ tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of cooking wine and 1 teaspoon of corn starch to the shrimp. Mix well and set aside.
3. Mix 2 tablespoons of corn starch with ¼ cup of water in a small bowl to make the water starch.
4. Get a pot and heat up around 2 tablespoons of oil, fry the minced white part of the spring onion for 1 minute over medium heat till aromatic, add into shrimp. Once the shrimp becomes translucent (50% cooked), then add the drained tofu cubes. Mix well and cook for about 2 minutes.
   

   

   
5. Add into 1 cup of chicken stock and 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce and bring it to a boil. Add into mushroom, turn to low-medium heat, cover the pot and let it simmer for about 15 minutes.
   

   

   
6. Now stir the water starch into the simmering pot – do this by three batches to allow tofu even coated with seasonings. Just wait for around 30 seconds before you add another 1 batch of the water starch. Taste the tofu and add pinch of salt if not salty enough. Stir into your choice of vegetables. Mix well. Cook for another 2-3 minutes.
   

   
7. Sprinkle minced spring onions (green part).
8. Serve immediately with steamed rice.

This is a twist on the famous Thai Tom Yum Soup. If you love the fresh and vibrant flavors of Thai Tom Yum Soup and want an alternative to it, give this Tom Yum Pork Stir-Fry recipe a try! The classic sour, sweet and spicy flavors of Thai Tom Yum are unmistakable in this quick and easy stir-fry.

Serve 3 to 4

• 400g                              Pork loin, thinly sliced to bite size
• 2+2 tablespoons          Tom Yum Paste (click here for homemade Tom Yum Paste)
• 2 tablespoons               Cooking oil
• 1 teaspoon                   caster sugar
• 1 tablespoon                fish sauce
• 50g                                 mushroom, sliced
• ½ red bell pepper, cut into bite pieces
• ½ onion or 2-3 shallots, cut into bite pieces
• 4-5 Lime leaves
• Salt to taste

Method

1. Add 2 tablespoon of Thai Tom Yum paste, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and 1 tablespoon of fish sauce to the pork. Mix well. Make sure each slice of pork is well coated with paste and seasonings. Allow the pork to sit aside for about 20 minutes.
2. Add 2 tablespoons of cooking oil in the frying pan, turn to medium heat. Add into 2 tablespoons of Tom Yum paste. Stir fry till aromatic. Add into marinated pork slices. Cook for about 4-5 minutes till pork slice turn pale but not 100% cooked.
   

   
3. Push all the ingredients to the side of the frying Pann, making way for the rest of the ingredients of mushroom, onion slices and red bell pepper. Stir fry the added veggies for another 1 minutes, then combine them with the pork until pork is well cooked.
4. Finally, stir in lime leaves. Taste and add salt if needed. Give the dish one last stir to combine all the ingredients. Turn off the heat, then transfer the dish to a serving plate.

The taste of Tom Yum is based on sour and spicy flavors. Tom Yum paste is meant to be the flavoring for Tom Yum soup, but it is also simply delicious as a marinade. It works wonders with all types of pork, chicken and seafood as well as pork. Just slather on this flavor-popping paste, then either bake, pan-fry, or grill for a dish that sings with authentic Thai taste! The paste is easy to make—just whip it up in your mini food chopper or food processor. It’s healthier than store-bought Thai pastes or marinades and tastes ten times better.

Makes about 1 cup

• 2 to 3 tablespoons Tamarind Juice
• 15 to 20 dried red chili depending on your tolerance level of spiciness, softened in warm water
• 3 to 5 fresh red bird chili
• 3 stalks lemongrass, white parts only香茅, roughly cut
• 5 small shallots or 2-3 big ones, peeled小红葱头
• 1 big thumb of galangal
• 5 kaffir lime leaves or 2 teaspoons lime zest
• 1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• 2 tablespoons palm sugar or brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt (or 2 tablespoons fish sauce)
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 tablespoon dried shrimp, soaked in the water to soften
• 1/3 – 1/2 cup water

Method

1. Place all the ingredients into a food processor, blender or chopper. Add 1/3 to ½ cup of water to help the machine running. Blender till the mixture becomes paste. The paste does not have to be very smooth. Transfer to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and refrigerate until ready to use.
   

   

 Tips for Using Tom Yum Paste

• This paste is excellent over fish fillets or steaks, shrimp and other shellfish, or chicken or pork pieces before grilling. With fish and seafood, there is no need to marinate (the lime juice will actually begin to cook the fish and seafood)—just slather the paste over and cook right away.
• If cooking for two, use only half the paste as a marinade and save the rest to make a delicious side sauce. Place half the paste in a small saucepan. Add 3 to 4 tablespoons coconut milk or coconut cream. Stir as you bring the sauce to a light simmer (avoid boiling, or you will lose the fresh flavor of this sauce). Drizzle over your entree, or serve on the side. Equally delicious over rice or new potatoes.
• To use this paste for soup, bring a pot of good-quality chicken stock to a boil. Add spice paste a few tablespoons at a time, taste-testing as you go, until you’re happy with the flavor and spice level. Add more fish sauce instead of salt as needed. Add shrimp or tofu, plus desired vegetables. Coconut milk can be added for a creamier soup.

This colourful one-pot dinner dish is warm and very comforting. And you may have all the ingredients on hand already.

Serves 4

• 1.2 kg (about 2.5lb) chicken or 900gram chicken thigh, cut into serving pieces
• Salt and Black Pepper
• 4 tablespoons cooking oil
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
• 120ml or (1/4 cup) white wine
• 2 large bells, red, yellow or green, sliced into small strips
• 2 big tomatoes or equivalent cherry tomatoes, fresh or canned, chopped
• 1/2 tablespoon, dried parsley or use 3 tablespoons fresh parsley, roughly chopped

 Method

1. Clean the chicken under running water. Pat dry with kitchen towel. Cut the chicken/chicken thigh into serving pieces. Season the chicken with salt ground black pepper.
2. Heat half of the oil in a large heavy pan or casserole. Add the onions and cook over low heat until soft. Transfer to a side dish.
3. Add the remaining oil to the pan and increase the heat to medium. Add the chicken and cook for 6-8 minutes to brown both sides. Return the onions to the pan, then add chopped garlic.
   

   
4. Pour in the wine and cook until it has reduced by half. Add the pepper strips and stir well to coat. Cook for 3-4 minutes. Stirring occasionally. Stir in chopped tomatoes.
5. Lower the heat, cover the pan and cook for about 25-30 minutes. Stirring occasionally until the peppers have softened and chicken is cooked. Season with salt to taste.
6. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.