a bit of water Recipe Ideas – Family Meals Made Simple
Find easy and affordable recipes featuring a bit of water. Great for lunch, dinner, or meal prep.
Recipes with a bit of water
Curry fishball is a very popular Hongkong Street food and household. Think bouncy fishballs, chewy pork skin, tender cuttlefish (and sometimes daikon)—all swimming in a rich, slightly sweet and spicy curry sauce. Every spoonful offers a mix of textures: the soft fishballs, the springy seafood, and that satisfying bite from pork skin. The curry is aromatic—packed with garlic, onions (or shallots), and classic Cantonese‑style curry spices—bringing warmth and depth without being overly heavy.
Braised pork trotters with preserved plums is a classic Cantonese dish that makes your mouth water just looking at it! The pork trotters are stewed until they're incredibly tender and fall off the bone easily, with a slightly chewy skin that bursts with juice when you bite into them. The sweet and sour flavor of the preserved plums perfectly balances the richness of the meat. Each piece is coated in a thick sauce, savory with a refreshing aftertaste, making it not greasy at all. You'll want to suck every last bit off the bone! It's perfect with rice or as a snack. My family always fights over it; it's a true rice-eating machine, and you'll want to lick the sauce off your chopsticks afterward!
Because of the large amount of water, the skin is very soft and simple, suitable for novices who don't know how to make steamed buns (no need to knead the dough or cut the dough, next time you can make steamed buns with pasta as the basis). My kids eat steamed buns (steamed buns, bread) and cakes for breakfast. It's the most reassuring to make it yourself, but it's a bit laborious. Today, I saw that the beans were quite fresh, so I immediately bought 2 pounds of pork and made steamed buns.
I love making high-hydration doughs, especially for bread—they turn out as soft as little lambs. (I used 625g of flour to make 14 buns.) The aroma while baking is impossible to hide; neighbors often come knocking to ask when the bread will be ready. (Next time, I’ll try a butter version.) I prefer savory bread, so I use less sugar and a bit more salt.
"On the left is the non-spicy seafood sauce section: the aroma of freshness hits your nose as soon as it's served. The fish is soaked in the sweet fragrance of seafood sauce, so tender it trembles when you pick it up with chopsticks. My child immediately started gnawing on the fish belly, even chewing the lotus root slices soaked in the sauce with a satisfying crunch, exclaiming, 'Mom, this is even better than what you get at restaurants!'—the seafood sauce gives the vegetables a subtle sweetness, light yet not bland at all. My child even ate rice faster than usual. On the right is our spicy dry pot section: the aroma of the dry pot ingredients fills the kitchen as soon as the sauce is poured on. The fish skin is grilled until slightly crispy, bursting with juice with every bite when coated in spicy oil. Even the celery stalks are infused with the spicy fragrance, becoming more flavorful the longer they cook. In the end, even the last bit of sauce at the bottom of the pot..." It had to be poured over rice and polished clean. The moment this pot of fish was served, the kids on the left exclaimed, "Mmm, this is so tender!" while we on the right were shouting, "Wow, this is so spicy and delicious!" The divider clearly separated the flavors; some were tender, some were fragrant. Even the usually picky kid devoured the lotus root slices. We used a special grill pan for fish that can be heated directly. It bubbled and steamed as soon as the flame was turned on, making it incredibly satisfying to eat and cook at the same time—the kids on the left were plucking at the tender, seafood-flavored fish, while we on the right were enjoying the juicy, spicy pieces of fish, taking a sip of wine, the spicy aroma mingling with the wine's fragrance, enveloped in the warmth—it was so addictive! If you don't have this special pan, a small alcohol stove with a regular grill pan works just as well, filling the air with a smoky, hearty atmosphere. Life is just too good!
I never thought about making pineapple buns myself, in fact, I never thought I could do it. As for why I do this, of course it’s because of my baby son😅 The crispy pineapple skin, the soft sweet bun, and every bite has a light butter aroma. The recipe with less sugar and less oil makes this "evil" food feel a bit refreshing 😅
A simple Indonesian snack: firm tempeh chunks gently coated in warm spices and fried until the edges are crispy golden. The dish offers a delightful contrast between a crispy outer layer and a soft interior, with just the right amount of warmth; its simplicity makes for easy execution, though it can get a bit dry if left in the pan for too long. Serving it with a fresh dipping sauce adds a touch of freshness.