Winter Solstice Saga Finale: A Whole Pot of Steaming Goodness

As usual, we usually do steamboat for festive occasions and family reunions like Winter Solstice.
(This is also what we will be having for our Chinese New Year's eve reunion dinner tomorrow night ;)


For those of you who are not familiar with steamboat, or also known as hot pot, it is not hard to know how to make it nor is it anything exotic.
To put it simply, it's just preparing plenty of raw foods like meat/poultry, seafood, vegetables, and just throw them into a soup base which was prepared beforehand.
Yeah, it's just that simple!
Some of you may even find this similar to the famous Shabu shabu :)

If you've been following my blog for a while, then you are no stranger to this, as you have definitely seen me posting this like..., hmmm, even I have lost count, and if you disregard the other posts, you will see this at least once a year; during my festive Lunar Chinese New Year posts :)

I am ending my Winter Solstice saga posts; with this reunion dinner, and pave the way ready for the looming near Lunar Chinese New Year posts which will start from tomorrow onwards!
(I will try to find time to update you guys with the goodies I have during my break; yes, it's a festive break to catch up with friends, families and visiting:)

The soup was being prepared way before the dinner; like 4-5 hours ahead.
The base of the soup was made using the following ingredients:
Sweet corn cob
Chicken meat

Carrots
Tomatoes
Cabbages/Vegetables


Throw them in and leave it on slow boil for 4-5 hours


Raw ingredients for the steamboat meal:
Seafood
My favorite chikuma rolls (a type of fish roll)


Squid balls (another of my favorites; a regular here on my blog ;)


Fishballs


Imitation crabsticks


Fish cakes


Fried fishballs


Fried bean curd sheets with fish paste


Poultry based:
Chicken sausages


Vegetables:
Fresh Lettuce


Broccoli

I love them when they are cut into little florets like these ;)


Enoki Mushrooms


Oyster Mushrooms


For garnishing:
Spring Onions


Additional/Optional: Eggs


Honestly, there is no specific guideline or restriction on the types of raw ingredients for the steamboat.
You can have anything you like, as long as it tastes good boiled in a soup! Also, what goes well with the soup base you made.
You can even make a fish-based soup; or pure vegetables soup!It can even a vegetarian steamboat, or purely meat steamboat; whichever you fancy!
There is just so much flexibility; and the best part is, if you cannot finish it, you can leave it for the next few meals, or simply whip up the remaining ingredients in a bowl of stew!
A word of caution: Make sure you finish those ingredients which cannot be used as leftovers, though.

Throw all the raw ingredients in and put the steamboat cooker to cook.


Ready in 5 minutes; for all to eat!

Now, isn't that simple and convenient, yet healthy and tasty?

Gosh, I just realized I am starting to post recipes like I am some sort of expert in cooking, when I am still a novice!:P

Anyway, hope you enjoy the posts on this Winter Solstice, and I will be postponing the Christmas food to make way for upcoming Lunar Chinese New Year post ;)
(Notice the new blog banner/headed?)