Mashed Potato & Minced Beef Rice: Creativity and Community

This week’s dish is a little different from what I’ve posted before. Unlike my previous recipes, which were tied to family traditions or regional Chinese cuisine, this one belongs to no specific Chinese city or region—it’s a creation of Chinese international students, shared on rednote, a platform that has been trending on the Western part of internet lately. But before that, it has long become our shared cookbook, survival guide, and community hub.

I have a dedicated folder on rednote where I save recipes shared by international students from all over the world. These recipes are perfect for me because they’re tailored to the limited resources we all have access to, unlike recipes designed for those back in China. One interesting thing is that international students like adding a flag emoji of their current location to the post titles. It makes the folder looks like a tiny United Nations of makeshift meals.

Mashed Potato & Minced Beef Rice is simple, comforting, and endlessly adaptable. Soft, creamy mashed potatoes blend into savoury minced beef, simmered with soy sauce and fresh coriander until it turns into a thick, flavourful sauce perfect for mixing with rice. It’s not bound by tradition but instead shaped by necessity and creativity.

I would define this dish as a product of the collective wisdom of international students. Through years of living alone and striving to balance life and studies, we’ve learned to make do with whatever ingredients are on hand, and this has led us to create countless creative variations. And maybe that’s what makes it special—it’s a dish of new connections and new identities, a new constant in the new environment.

Ingredients You’ll Need (Serves 2)

• 200g beef mince

• 1 large potato

• 3 birds eye chilli

• some garlic

• coriander (as much as you like—or skip it entirely if it’s not your thing)

• soy sauce

• oyster sauce

• sugar

• ground black pepper

• rice (for serving)

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

Prepare

1. Cook the rice before everything else, since it’s a RICE bowl

2. Peel and cut the potato into small cubes, boil in water for about 10 minutes, mash the potatoes with a spoon until smooth.

   

   
   

3. Mince garlic, chop coriander, and slice chilies.

4. Mix soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt, black pepper, and a small amount of water in a small bowl to make the seasoning sauce.

   

   
   

Mix Mix Season Season Cook Cook Let's Go!

5. Heat the oil in a pot over medium heat

6. Add the minced beef and stir-fry until browned and fragrant

7. Pour in the sauce prepared earlier and let it simmer for 1-2 minutes to absorb the flavours

   

   
   

8. Add the mashed potatoes into the beef mixture

9. Add minced garlic, red chilies, and chopped cilantro to the mixture

   

   
   

10. Stir well and cook for another minute

Serve & Enjoy!

11. Spoon the mixture over a bowl of steamed rice

12. Enjoy your easily-to-cook and easily-to-eat Monday night dinner!

    

    
    

Final Thoughts

Chinese international students are scattered across the globe, and while online stereotypes might paint us as escaping academic pressures to live leisurely lives abroad—a debate I won’t wade into here—the reality is far more textured. Among ourselves, we joke that we came expecting freedom and pressure-less but ended up unlocking hidden identities: part-time chefs, amateur homemakers, urban foragers, and reluctant problem-solvers.

Before leaving home, I’d never held a spatula. Now, I’ve watched friends trek to parks during Chinese New Year to forage for wild greens—something we’d never have dreamed of doing back in China, where those same greens sell for pennies in bustling markets. Yet here, they become treasures that bring tears to our eyes and confusion to locals.

Being away from home forces you to cling to traditions and flavours you once took for granted, precisely because they’re intangible yet essential—like air you only notice when it’s gone. But when exact replicas of ‘home’ are out of reach, we improvise. We blend old cravings with new ingredients, turning limitations into creativity. This alchemy, this stubborn refusal to let go of who we are while embracing who we’re becoming, is what stitches together our patchwork identities.

This dish, like so many shared on rednote, isn’t just about survival. It’s a love letter to our nostalgia, and proof that ‘home’ isn’t a place but a feeling we carry—and remake—wherever we go.

Bon appetit, and may your moments of homesickness be gentle and fleeting ;)

Scallion Salmon Rice Bowl: Diving into the New Environment, One Bite at a Time

the kind of freshwater fish that makes daily appearances on our table

I didn’t grow up eating salmon. In fact, as someone raised far from the sea in a city literally called “the river and the mountain” (Jiangshan), I never really liked seafood—especially saltwater fish. Back home, I loved bass, bighead carp, or thorn fish, they made regular appearances on our family table.

But for a long time after I come to the UK, the only fish I could find near me was salmon. To me, raw salmon feels overly fatty, almost like chewing on pure fat. When cooked, it turns dry and bland, lacking the tenderness of freshwater fish. But I can’t exactly convince the Tesco manager to risk causing a major ecological disruption by importing the exotic species I love from China. If the mountain won’t come to me, I’ll go to the mountain—so I had to find a way to make this thing taste good.

After searching online, I stumbled upon this easy yet good-enough way to cook it—a scallion salmon rice bowl. This method preserves the tender, smooth texture of the fish without being as overwhelming as completely raw meat, striking a perfect balance. The ocean fish’s distinct smell is masked by the scallions, and the simple combination of this aroma and the soy sauce reminds me of the flavours of fish from back home. The deliciousness of the sauce mixed with rice was a completely unexpected bonus. The ingredients are easy to source and prepare, and in just over 20 minutes, you can have a not only delicious but also visually appealing dinner. And just like that, something I once resisted became a comfort dish. Now, I often pick up a piece of salmon and a bunch of scallions on my way home from lectures. It’s a way to enjoy a flavour that feels both familiar and new—close to home, yet slightly different.

back at home I buy freshly-dressed freshwater fish captured no more than 1 hour ago from the markets that are a little messy; here in London, the supermarkets are organised, and fish's unfamiliar to me and frosted

If your neighbourhood also has only a sad chain supermarket with just one type of fish in the freezer, maybe you can give this a try too. We inland folks should stick together✨

Ingredients You’ll Need (Serves 2)

• 480g salmon fillet (I often share dinner with my roommate, but if you’re cooking for one, 240g is enough—most supermarket salmon fillets come in 240g portions)

• 2 scallions

• soy sauce

• salt

• sugar

• vegetable oil

• rice, for serving

🛒 Sticking around with this blog for so long, you should already know the drill—soy sauce is the soul of my recipes, go get yourself one if you still don't have it!

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

Prepare

1. Before you start anything else, cook the rice. I always forget this step and end up anxiously waiting by the rice cooker—don’t make the same mistake I do!

2. In a bowl that’s large enough, mix 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 teaspoons of salt, 1 teaspoon of sugar, and a splash of water. Place the salmon skin-side up in the marinade and let it sit for 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, cut the scallions into long segments.

4. Take out the salmon (but reserve the marinade for later). Pat the salmon fillet dry with paper towels, season lightly with salt on the skin side.

Cook the Salmon

5. Heat a thin layer of vegetable oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Add the scallion segments and stir-fry briefly, then push them to one side of the pan to make space.

   

   
   

6. Place the salmon skin-side down and cook for 3-4 minutes until the skin is crispy.

7. Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes (you can place the scallion segments under the thinner part of the fillet to prevent uneven cooking or burning) until the salmon is just cooked through. Remove the salmon from the pan and set aside, but leave the scallions in the pan.

   

   
   

Stir-Fry the Rice

9. In the same pan, add the cooked rice and break it up with a spatula.

10. Pour in the reserved marinade and stir-fry until most of the liquid has evaporated. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt if needed.

Serve and Enjoy!

11. Place the fried rice in a bowl and top with the salmon. Don’t forget to take a photo—the way this dish looks always gives me a sense of satisfaction >:-]

    

    
    

12. Finally, enjoy this comforting, flavorful bowl!

Final Thoughts

Maybe this is what settling into a new place feels like—taking something unfamiliar, learning to work with it, and eventually, finding comfort in it. In the things and foods I didn’t know much about before, I’ve found a sense of familiarity that brings me back to my hometown. The moment I discovered this recipe, it felt like a piece of my old home was brought into my new one.

I don’t want to fill this blog with too many grand philosophies, because it’s meant to be a place of relaxation and joy, not a platform for preaching. So, I just want to wish everyone reading this the same luck I’ve had—to find an anchor to your past and use it to settle into the present.

Here’s to you and me, finding the taste of home no matter where we are.

Shredded Chicken with Cucumber Salad: Cool, Quick, and Classic

My mom is a master of cooking, every one of her dishes is the best, but shredded chicken with cucumber salad has always been one of my favourites growing up. Whenever I came home after school on a hot summer day, she would have this waiting—perfectly chilled and amazingly refreshing. It will forever hold a special place in my heart, reminding me of all those summer nights when the air cooled down and the cicadas quieted their irritating chirping. Now that I live away from home, I make it whenever I need a quick, satisfying meal that brings back memories of my mom’s kitchen.

it's impossible to pick ONE favourite when everything's just perfect

This simple 15-minute recipe is perfect for busy days, especially when you’re craving something light yet packed with flavour. Let’s get started!

Ingredients You’ll Need (Serves 2)

• 1 chicken thigh (or substitute with chicken breast)

• 1/2 cucumber

• cooking wine (can be substituted with ginger)

• chili powder

• sugar

• sesame oil

• soy sauce

🥄 Since it’s a starter, I don’t usually make a lot—the final result here will be a small bowl’s worth. But you can always adjust the ingredients proportionally to serve more people :P

🛒 All ingredients can be found at a regular supermarket or an Asian grocery store.

Step-by-Step Cooking Guide

1. Make a few deep cuts into the chicken thigh and place it in a pot. Add cold water and about three capful of cooking wine (to remove any bloody smell—if you don’t have cooking wine, you can substitute with ginger slices), then boil until fully cooked.

   

   
   

2. Rinse off the blood foam with warm water, let the meat cool, then shred it into thin strips (with hands v.s. with forks: getting burnt v.s. suffering from the scratching sound, your choice! spoil alert, I chose the latter).

   

   
   

3. While the chicken is cooking, thinly slice the cucumber into strips.

   

   
   

4. Take a small bowl and add three tablespoons of chili powder and one tablespoon of sugar (What I’m demonstrating here is the simplest version of the dressing sauce. To enhance the flavour, you can add white sesame seeds, fresh chili slices, minced garlic, and coriander too!).

5. In a clean, dry pan (make sure it’s completely dry or else it can be very dangerous!), heat a small amount of sesame oil until you can feel noticeable heat when holding your hand 2-3 centimeters above the pan. Then, carefully pour the hot oil over the chili powder to release its aroma.

   

   
   

6. Add soy sauce into the dressing.

   

   
   

7. In a large mixing bowl, combine the chicken, cucumber, and the dressing, toss everything together until evenly coated.

8. Serve immediately, or, if you’re not in a rush, let it chill in the fridge for 10 minutes for extra freshness. Get ready for the most perfect summer starter ever!

   

   
   

Final Thoughts

What fascinates me most about this seemingly simple dish is how many hidden dangers it holds. When I first started cooking on my own after leaving home—probably the third time in my life I’d picked up a kitchen knife (and definitely the first time without my mom supervising)—I lost half a fingernail while preparing the cucumber strips. The chicken thighs never seemed to cool down fast enough, and I’d often burn myself, hopping around the kitchen in pain until, months later, I discovered the genius method of shredding the meat with forks. And don’t even get me started on the countless times hot oil met water droplets in a freshly washed pan—I think the ceiling of my year-one apartment kitchen still bears the scars of those chaotic disasters. Thankfully, the landlord didn’t deduct much from the deposit.

All of this has made me even more convinced that my mom, the woman who can magically whip up this dish from nothing to perfection in a heartbeat, is actually a superhero. Even now, when I’m capable of preparing an entire New Year’s Eve feast on my own, she still hovers over me whenever I cook at home, watching like a hawk to make sure I don’t accidentally chop off a finger or ruin her ceiling. She never stops worrying about me, and I’m more than happy to let her keep worrying. I love her.

Writing this has made me decide to call her and say something so mushy she cringes. So, till next time!