Time flies...this Sunday, Josh will going back to college to start his 3rd year in Business Studies and Joanna will be flying off to UK in two weeks time....gosh my babies will be leaving me soon and I have been cooking their favourites the last few weeks and trying to grasp as much time as I can to be together with them. I guess every Momsie will feel the same heaviness as I am feeling right now when they leave home for their further studies. Pamper them as much as I can for they will be leaving the nest soon.
I know that Piggy gal will miss home cooked food especially this dish...Steamed Chicken With Dong Quai ( a chinese tonic herbs ) and Wolfberries. Asian Momsies are worrisome lots :) I have been boiling herbal soup for them during this semester break so that they stay healthy and fit :)
The best chicken to use for this dish is free range chicken. I prefer the texture of this chicken and guess where I bought this free range chicken...yesss...from my malay colleague who reared them and sell them RM15-16 per chick and saved me a trip to the wet market. He will deliver the chicken to the office every Friday after we placed our orders on Thursday :))
This is a delicious, aromatic and nutritious steamed chicken. Just rub salt on the chicken, add in the pieces of chinese herb - Dong Quai and a tbsp of wolfberries and a few pieces of chinese red dates. Steamed for 40 minutes under medium heat . Take out and add chinese wine or brandy to the chicken for extra flavor. A simple and yet delicious and aromatic chicken dish that most asians will love.
Steamed Chicken With Dong Quai & Wolfberries
Ingredients:
1 free range chicken - cut into half
6 pieces of Dong Gui
4pieces of red dates - stone removed cut into half
sea salt
2 tbsp of chinese wine or brandy * optional
Preparation:
Rub salt all over the chicken . Place in a steamer plate . Place the Dong Quai , wolfberries, red dates on top of the chicken. Steam in hot boiling water for 40 minutes or till cooked. Take out and cut into bite size pieces . * Add brandy or cooking wine to the cut pieces before serving.
* * *
My parents must had felt the same way as you are feeling right now, when I left home to study. Oh gosh, some day it will be my turn to feel this way. Not too long to come, about 5 years from now. But time flies fast and sooner the 5 years will be right in front of me and have to let my child leaves.Funnily, of late, I've been thinking the day when my child leaving me and even thinking of moving to whatever country he is going to go to study. Oh my,I'm missing my baby already!
ReplyDeleteAshley
Oh Elin, I think you going to miss your piggy girl dearly! I still remember when i went off to NZ, I saw my mom crying at the airport! I don't even dare to turn my head back to see her. But I called her! You is much better, at least you guys can stay connected through blogging or email! Make sure she brings along enough clothings. Hope you have a fabulous weekend with your family!
ReplyDeleteRegards, Kristy
My mum used to cook this a lot before I came to the UK too. Love it and I still cook this very often now.
ReplyDeleteohhhhhhhhhh I am sure you are going to miss Joanna. I know how you feel being so far from her. You know, I never allows my mom to see me fly off each time I went back home. If she started to cry I will do the same too. But after so many years it makes leaving a bit easier.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I am sure she will learn to cook when she is there. Sometime you just don't have a choice especially when you are missing home ahd mom's cooking :)
ReplyDeletenever mind, u still have a big baby here.. ME! lets keep each other company during the day and evenings, once awhile... :)
ReplyDeleteI felt the same way too when my kids left for further studies, one by one. Nowadays I feel uncomfortable whenever I send them off at KLIA, after their holidays here. Just need to tell myself that's life!
ReplyDeleteHi Elin, Thank you for reminding me of such wonderful homey dish!
ReplyDeleteThis is one of my favorite but never made for myself and yet so very simple. Can't wait to share this with my sisters!!!
Your kids are lucky to have Mom like you and they might just want to cook for you :)
great dish..the pictures are mazing it looks super...I can't even imagine my girls leaving for school..HUGS
ReplyDeletesweetlife
Hi Elin! I just wanted to let you know what I'd like to pass on this Sunshine Award to you. I like you blog and it has inspired me in some way of life. I hope you enjoy it.
ReplyDeletehttp://ijustlovemyapron.blogspot.com/2010/05/sunshine-award.html
Btw, the chicken looks so good!!
Thanks
Tanantha
Yesterday i baru went and borong the chicken from Ipoh
ReplyDeleteI like this too, really delicious !
ReplyDeleteHi Elin, Your chicken looks delicious. I almost bought one today when I was walking through the Korean market to make soy sauce chicken...but I didn't. Now I think I'd like to try wolfberries (I had to Google this one) and the herbs instead. I still have 18 years to go before my baby flees the nest for college but my heart aches already! I feel your pain, but also your pride. :) Thanks for sharing.
ReplyDeleteAshley...I guess all moms will feel the same way, when their kids leave home for further studies whether in or out of the country :) If we hve the $ I also don't mind moving to whatever country they are going to :) Spend more time with your baby...5 years will just fly by in a wink of an eye.
ReplyDeleteKristy....ohhhh yess a lot. I am already crying every morning the moment I open my eyes. I dread to send her off on June 5th :( Thanks for comforting me. I need your support thru our blogs :))) loneliness will creeps in soon.
Ann....this is a simple and delicious chicken dish...I love it too :)
Gertrude....ohhhh I feel really burdened , not so much about her food but whether she will miss us and feel homesick for she told me she will be very lonely over there without us. She has us here all the time and we do things together the sharing and laughing but due to time difference we may not be in touch so often :( So not only I will miss her but worry for her too :( I guess we Asians are like that... I have to learn to trust God to take care of her :) She loves western food so making sandwiches and spaghetti is not a problem for her * wink
Claire...thanks for being there for me all the time....hugs
Cheah...you are much a stronger person than me :) I am too attached to my kids that's why I will suffer more :( but thank God I have my two blogs to go to and shall drown myself in baking and cooking and blogging to take away the loneliness :) thanks for your encouragement and support all this while :) Looking forward to meeting you again :)))
Lishapisa...thanks for dropping by and hope your sisters will like this dish :)
Sweetlife....I guess every mom will feel the same when their babies leave the nest...the best thing to do is to spend more quality time with time :) * hugs
Tanantha...ohhh so sweet of you...thanks for the award. Will pick it up soon. I hope my blog do inspire you to bake and cook more :))
Kathy...I heard from Claire that you came to Ipoh to buy the salted chicken. Should have met up with you. Next time when you come again let's meet up :) I want to meet Joshua in person :))
Sonia....this is such a simple dish to prepare and yet the taste is so satisfying :))
Judy....ohhh you are so lucky... 18 years !!! let's exchange places. I want to turn back the clock at this moment and have 18 years more with my kids !! thanks for your support by leaving me this comment. * hugs and spend more time with your baby ,watching her taking first step to leaving the nest is a wonderful experience for a momsie. Do try out this chicken...it is a great dish :)
Mmmm...I like this dish alot. My mom used to cook this for us when were home, but it has been a loooong time I didn't dine with her..:( It brings back alot memory to me..heehee..;p
ReplyDeleteI would like to boil some herbal soup for my children as well but have no idea what are the non-heaty but healthy soup. Mind to share your herbal soup recipes?
ReplyDeleteThanks.
Lynn
Hi Reese...:) mom's cooking is always the best hor. Simple yet delicious :))
ReplyDeleteHi Lyn...I boil the simple and common one with the chinese herbs - yuk chok, kei chi, thong sum and red dates with free range chicken for the whole family.
For my gal I double boiled half a free range chicken with 'dong quai' and black dates and at times with ' pau sum ' slices .
At times I just double boil free range chicken with a bowl of hot water for 4 hours for one person.
Another soup that is good for the family is this one here, full of anti oxidant ( burdock root ):-
http://elinluv.blogspot.com/2009/12/burdock-root-soup.html
hope this helps... I am not so good at boiling herbal soup :))
You will definitely miss the children but most important is they always have you in their hearts.
ReplyDeleteIt's good with some DOM, right?
ReplyDeleteNutritious and delicious. I like it.
ReplyDeleteI haven't had this tonifying herbal chicken for ages....looks very yummy!
ReplyDeleteI am sure your kids will miss you too.
ReplyDeleteWhen they can't get Dong Quai easily while overseas, this dish will definitely come to mind.
CK Lam... thanks for your comforting words :) Hopefully they will rmember all the food I cooked for them and will always yearn for my cooking :p so that wherever they go they will take this free Chef with them :P
ReplyDeleteLittle Inbox...yeah good with DOM too :) I added DOM during my confinement without the dong quai :)
Mary...very nutritious and delicious slurp slurp
Angie...ohhh you can't get dong quai over there in Germany ??
tigerfish...haha that I am not so sure about that...maybe they will miss my cooking * wink
Yes, this is the dish I'd go for seconds and thirds ... It's steamed. Now, that's what I call "healthy" and "easy." Thanks for sharing the dish with us!
ReplyDeleteElin, sorry for my long absence. I've been very busy with life, especially with a full-time job. Including all the socialization after work, I have little time ... So much to do, but with this little time! *Sigh* Thanks so much for being supportive at all times! I do miss you and I hope we can meet up again sometime! Btw, is Joanna in the U.K. already? If I'm not wrong, she's leaving this month, yes? Sounds like she's left for the U.K. ...
Hi Pei Lin...it is okay..I know you are busy with work...busy means good. Idle mind is not good :p
ReplyDeleteJo is flying on the 5th June , the 4am flight from KLIA. Emmirates. I will sob sob sob . I will miss her terribly :(
Yup, I do hope we can meet up again :)) You take care and do not over work yourself. Take time to relax and indulge in whatever you like to do...your photography for instant ! :)
I am coming to Kl at the begining of july and especially for durian. i remember geting some dong quai chicken delivered by a takaway place in KL. I dont remember the place but the delivery guy had a motor bike like the pizza delivery guys. I've searched the net but couldn't find them. if you could help much appreciated. And i will try your recipe for the dong quai chicken.
ReplyDeleteThanks
Hank