I’ve started to potter around the kitchen most days now. I haven’t ventured much out of the home besides doctors’ visits. But I tell myself that the kitchen forays are like rehabilitation sessions – reaching up to get an out of reach bowl increases my shoulder range of movement and bending down to pick up a pot from its cupboard allows me to exercise my core.
Still I do things really simply though and although I’m a strong proponent of cooking from scratch, this lunch features almost all prepackaged or canned ingredients. It makes for a very quick and simple cook without getting myself hot and flustered (yes the weather in Singapore is currently on the “hotter” part of the “hot, hotter, hottest” season).
One of the things I’ve been focusing on is getting enough protein in my diet (doctor’s post-surgery recommendations). I do get a medically approved protein supplement once a day, and I also take chicken essence once a day (this is the Asian traditional get well must have which I received in huge packs!). But nothing is like having food that is rich in protein, is easy to digest and makes you happy eating it! I still grimace when I down a bottle of chicken essence.
So some friends brought me to a frozen seafood outlet (Fassler, all the way in Woodlands Terrace) last week and I stocked up on fish noodles (these noodles are actually made of fish paste) as well as frozen pre-sliced sea bass. All these were on offer after the end of lunar new year festivities. I was getting a bit tired of eating liver (yes I was supposed to take a high iron and a high protein diet) and so fish was definitely a lighter and more digestible option.
Anyway this simple lunch made me feel kind of virtuous and satisfied. It was rich, lots of umami fishy goodness and gentle on the belly. Definitely on my list of get well soon recipes!
Easy Fish Noodle Soup
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp chinese cooking wine
- 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
- 5 dried Shiitake mushrooms
- 2 cups hot boiled water
- 2 tbsp oil
- 3 medium carrots, peeled and sliced in 0.5 cm thick pieces
- 3 slices of ginger
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 cup water
- 1 packet of soft tofu, cut into 1 cm thick blocks
- 2 packets of fish noodle (or if not available, equivalent low carb shirataki noodle)
- 1/3 cup of gingko nuts (optional)
- 1 packet of nai bai or other vegetable
- 300g of sliced white fish (I used sea bass)
- sliced red chili (optional, for garnish)
Fish Marinade
Soup ingredients
Directions
- Boil 2 cups of water and soak the dried mushrooms for at least 15-20 minutes. When the mushrooms are softened, cut off the stems and discard, and slice the caps thinly.
- While waiting for the mushrooms to soak, marinate the fish. Add the marinade ingredients to the fish slices, then put into the fridge for 10-15 minutes
- In a large soup pot, heat up 2 tbsp of oil over medium heat and stir fry the ginger slices till fragrant.
- Add the carrot slices and mushrooms and stir fry for another 3 – 4 minutes
- Add the mushroom soaking liquid (omit the last bit of liquid with the sediment), chicken stock and water and boil for 15 minutes till the carrots are tender.
- If using fish noodles, add to the boiling stock at this point and boil for another 3-4 minutes and take out the fish noodles and distribute into 4 bowls.
- Add the gingko nuts, tofu, fish and vegetables and boil for another 3-4 minutes till the fish slices are just cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
- Ladle the fish, vegetables and other soup ingredients over the fish noodles and serve hot with chili on the side for those who like their noodles spicy!
Still Feeling Peckish 