Shimeji mushroom in miso soup

Ingredients :

1 pack Shimeji mushroom, roots trimmed
1/3 Chinese raddish ( lo pah), sliced, makes a cup
1 cup chopped tomato
1/2 white onion, chopped into moons
2 packets of ready-to-use miso paste ( the kind use to make a cup of breakfast miso soup)
3 cups of water
1 tbs of Philippine tamarind mix (sinigang mix)
1 tsp salt

In a medium size pot, combine water, miso paste and salt. Turn the heat on and add tomato, radish and onion.

Bring to the boil and cook until the radish is soft, about 10 minutes.

Add the tamarind mix. By this time, you should taste the soup if more salt is needed.

And finally, give the Shimeji mushroom a quick wash and add to the soup. Cook for about 2 minutes.

Serve hot.

Butternut squash and dried shrimp congee

Ingredients :

1/2 cup white rice
1/4 cup Thai sweet rice
a quarter of butternut squash, sliced about half inch thick, 1 inch (makes 2 cups)
a handful of dried shrimp
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 large white onion, chopped
small piece of ginger, chopped
1 tbs cooking oil
4 cups of water
2 tsp of salt
ground black pepper
fish sauce (optional)
green/spring onion
preserved Chinese olive leaves (lam choy)

Wash the dried shrimp several times and soak in water - just enough to cover the dried shrimp.

Mix the 2 kinds of rice and wash several times. Set aside.

In a large sauce pan or pot, saute onion until just about translucent.
Fish out the dried shrimp from the water. Set the water aside.
Add the garlic, ginger and dried shrimp and saute for about a minute.

Put the rice mix and keep stirring until just about all the water is gone. Pour the water from the dried shrimp. Add the 4 cups of water. Add the salt. Cook for about 20 minutes or until the rice breaks, making sure to stir from time to time. Add more water if necessary.

Add the butternut squash and cook for 5 minutes or until solf but not mushy.

Add the ground black pepper and taste. If you want to add more salt, use fish sauce instead, adding sparingly until you get the taste. Also remember that the preserve Chinese olive leaves, which you will add before serving, is a bit salty.

Serve topped with chopped green onion and the preserved Chinese olive leaves.