The Kreativ Blogger award

Thank you so much to Christine for this "Kreativ Blogger Award". Deepest appreciation for passing me this award and it was a pleasure for my foodblog and me! It is great to pass on and share with other bloggers that deserve this award. There is a long list in my mind, which I hope I can pass on to everyone of you for the effort of creating such a beautiful and informative blog. Others have passed some on. For this moment, I would like to this on to 7 other creative bloggers that I admired.

The Kreativ Blogger award comes with some rules:
• You must thank the person who has given you the award.
• Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
• Link to the person who has nominated you for the award.
• Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
• Nominate 7 other Kreativ Bloggers.
• Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
• Leave a comment on which of the blogs to let them know they have been nominated.

Here are seven facts about me:
• I love cooking & baking.
• I would like to share with all of you my experience and passion in cooking.
• I don’t know how to make jokes, but really like to make friends with funny people.
• Parenting is the biggest challenge in my life after having a son.
• Trying my very best to provide as much as healthy home cook food to my family.
• Having East & West kind of mindset & personality.
• Working in the world of creativity in producing as much as creativity media as I can.

I am very privileged to pass on this wonderful Kreativ Blogger Award to 7 other creative bloggers in no particular order:
Selby's Food Corner
PigpigsCorner
Noobcook
The Little Teochew
Little Corner of Mine
Kitchen Corner
Piggy's Cooking Journal

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Sweet Ginger Soup

Ginger is one of the powerful natural home remedy for many ailments and it is also a superb condiment for many dishes. I love ginger to bits, be it a ginger dish or a dessert with plenty of ginger in it. The fragrant and hotness of the ginger can make you so comfortable and pleasant. Have you ever wonder the goodness of it?

Recently, many people have falling sick with flu, cough, sore throat, colds and pains. I too was not feeling well the last 2 weeks. As I was flipping through some recipe books, I found this simple yet full of goodness recipe from 85 Popular Classic Dishes recipe book published by Popular Bookstore, which I bought when they were having launching promotion last month. I was thrilled after reading the functions and results of drinking this sweet ginger soup! Without wasting much time, I made myself a warm and soothing sweet ginger soup. One of the best drinks that make you feels good. It warms up the body and relieves colds and pains.

The active ingredient in ginger is terpenes and an oleoresin, which is called ginger oil. These active agents are responsible for its antiseptic qualities, lymph-cleansing, circulation-stimulating and mild constipation relief. Research has shown that ginger lowers blood cholesterol by reducing cholesterol absorption in the blood and liver. Reference and more Ginger goodness HERE.

Some other HOME REMEDIES article here.

Ginger also a main ingredients during Chinese confinement (after child birth), Chinese believed that ginger can warms up the body and expels wind from the body. Many of them would cook their dishes with ginger & sesame oil for the whole period of confinement (usually 30 days). There is so many types of ginger selling in the market. The Chinese will usually buy those "Bentong Ginger" a special type of ginger from Bentong, Pahang. The ginger is bigger, fleshy and have strong fragrant. Not sure if others from all over the world do have their own believes and way of cooking ginger. Hope that you too can share with us the goodness of ginger in your country. After knowing so much of goodness of ginger, we should start adding ginger in our daily cooking now and absorb the benefits of it.

Ingredients: 15g ginger （you may add more if you prefer stronger ginger taste) Some brown sugar 300 to 400ml water Method: 1. Cut ginger into slices and place them in a pot. Add water. Bring to boil. 2. Add some brown sugar for seasoning. 3. Consume while it's still warm. Information from the book: Functions: Prevents vomiting; relieves rheumatism and profuse perspiration; relieves colds and pains. Results: Treats flu, heatiness and headaches, body ache and non-perspiration, cold and discomfort of the stomach.

Weekend Herb Blogging is a great way of gathering and introducing readers on herbs recipes & goodness.
I am submitting this recipe to Weekend Herb Blogging #194, which is housed by Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once and hosted this week by Anna from Anna's Cool Finds

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Shark's fin melon soup 鱼翅瓜汤

Shark's fin melon soup has became a popular soup dish nowadays. It is soothing, perfect choice as a vegetable soup for the whole family. Shark's fin soup is one of my favourite, as it looks similar to the real Shark's fin, sweet and delicious. It is also called Spaghetti Squash in wikipedia, why it's called Shark's fin melon? It is because the flesh falls away from the fruit in ribbons or strands like spaghetti or shark's fin (when cooked in a soup form). Spaghetti squash contains many nutrients including folic acid, potassium, vitamin A, and beta carotene. We wouldn't know there is so much goodness in this squash or melon. The fruit can range either from ivory to yellow or orange in color or green with white streaks. But, here I can only find those in green with white streaks (see below pictures)


Whenever I find Shark's fin melon in the market, I will surely grab one as it has became my family favourite soup dish. At the same time, it is one of the way to coax my little son to have more vegetables in his diet. Since the melon soften as we boiled in a soup, children can easily have them with rice, which is full of nutrients and vitamins. If you are also looking for a simple wholesome soup for your little ones & for the whole family. This could be the right choice!

Ingredients: 1 whole Shark's fin melon soup - medium sized 4 pcs Crab sticks 8 pcs Large prawns 1 liter Chicken broth Seasonings: 2 tsp Salt 2 tbsp Chinese Shaoxing wine 1/2 tsp White pepper 1 tsp Sesame oil Thickener: 1 tbsp Tapioca flour / Corn flour + 5 tbsp of water Methods: 1. To prepare Chicken broth, I make my own broth by using 10 pcs of chicken bones boiled in 2 liters of water. 2. While boiling, remove scums from the broth. Boil for 1 hour in slow fire. Drain and reserve. 3. Meanwhile, cut crab sticks into strips or cubes (I cut mine into smaller cubes). 4. Washed prawns, remove shells and de-vine. Cut into small chunks (about 4 portions of each). 5. Reserve one piece of prawn and crab stick for garnishing purposes. 6. Remove shark's fin melon skin, remove seeds, cut into chunks or pieces. 7. Return chicken broth in the pot, add in shark's fin melon. 8. Boil until melon is soften in slow fire. 9. Add in crab sticks and prawns, simmer for 2 mins. 10. Add in seasonings and thickener. Simmer for another 2 mins. 11. Add in the one piece of prawn and crab stick. Simmer till prawn is cooked. Off fire. 12. Serve warm in a bowl and garnish with prawn & crab stick.

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Baked Whole Chicken with Stuffed Vegetables

Baked chicken is healthy and it preserves the tenderness of the chicken meat. It's also more juicy and flavorful. I would say that the meat is extra soft and savory. You may also serve with baked vegetables as side dish. All in one dish makes cooking life easier and interesting.

It is a great idea to stuff some vegetable and fruit and baked together with the chicken, it makes the chicken more scrumptious, fruity and tantalizing. By placing some of the vegetables around the chicken and bake together, we can have those vegetables as a side dish. Isn't it a wholesome dish?

I have also learned how to truss chicken through YouTube video, which I find it is an easy way to learn. It is indeed very helpful tool when you need it for roasting, grilling or baking. Click here on how to Truss Chicken - Hope all of you will like it and enjoy this simple yet healthy dish!


Even this is my first time trussing chicken, but the method shown on this video is simple and easy to learn. This is the chicken before baking.

Ingredients: 1 whole Chicken, about 2 Kgs Kosher salt / sea salt, use sparingly (Info on Kosher salt) Ground Black pepper Butter (softened) Ingredients (stuffing): 1 onion, cut into chunks 1 stalk celery, cut into chunks 1 carrot, chop coarsely 2 medium-size potatoes, quartered 1 Lemon, cut into quartered 4 cloves garlic, peeled skin butter (softened) Pinch of salt Pinch of ground black pepper Some parsley, chopped Methods: 1. Washed and trimmed chicken thoroughly. Pat dry. 2. Marinade chicken with kosher salt & black pepper evenly for 30 mins. 3. Mix well all the stuffing ingredients. Divide into 2 portions. 3. Stuffed one portion of the ingredients in the chicken's cavity. Secured the opening with a toothpick or skewer. 4. Truss chicken with kitchen string accordingly (refer to the video below on how to truss chicken). Transfer on a big piece of aluminum foil. 5. Rub evenly with butter, sprinkle extra chopped parsley, ground black pepper & drizzle with some olive oil. 6. Arrange extra vegetables around the chicken. Wrap up the foil. 6. Heat oven for 5 mins. Baked at 450F for 35 mins. Turn over to another side and baked for another 35 mins. You may need to adjust your timing according to your oven's function. 7. Test the thickest part of the chicken with a skewer, if the skewer comes out clean and blood didn't oozing out, the chicken is done. If not baked another 5 - 10 mins. 8. Let cool for 10 mins before cutting the chicken into pieces. Serve warm. Note: You may do without the aluminum foil to have a more golden brown skin. The timing of baking depends on how big is the chicken. Always do some adjustment if needed.

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Stir fry Shimeji Mushroom with Vegetable

Shimeji mushroom looks like a glooming Chrysanthemum flower and it has a 'cutie' look. Shimeji mushroom grow on trees, tasty with a peppery flavor and great in stir-fries (reference from Food Subs). Shimeji mushroom need to be cooked. Since it is suitable for stir-fries, it will be great to stir fry them with some minced chicken or beef. Combine with some green leafy vegetable could be awesome. A perfect healthy dish for the whole family. It tastes really good! I love the little crunch and the smooth texture of the mushroom; it is simply savory with a plate of hot steamed rice.

I personally prefer baby nai bai chai (小奶白菜), I have no idea what is the name in English, it looks like the baby bok choy with a milky white steam, that is the reason it called 小奶白菜 (baby milky vegetable). It has the crunchy bites and suitable for stir-fries or making vegetable soup. I like the stir-fry way or just simply blanch with hot boiling water; serve with oyster sauce and fried shallots.

By combining, 小奶白菜, Shimeji mushroom and chicken breast meat, added some seasoning and oyster sauce, this dish is simply awesome for a revealing, simple and healthy side dish for lunch or dinner. The sauce that soaked into the 小奶 白 菜, brings the vegetable more savory and indeed a perfect mixture of them. If you want a quick, healthy and easy to cook daily dish, this could be one of the choices! Give it a try!

More information on 小奶白菜 (chinese version)
More info on Shimeji Mushroom

Ingredients: 1 packet of Japanese / Korea Shimeji Mushroom 1 packet of baby Nai Bai Chai （小奶白菜）, washed and trimmed 200gm of diced Chicken breast meat 2 cloves Garlic, minced Sunflower oil Seasonings: Dash of Salt Dash of Pepper Dash of Sesame oil Dash of Corn flour Sauce: 2 tbsp Oyster sauce 1 tsp Corn flour 200ml water Methods: 1. Blanch baby Nai Bai vegetable with some sunflower oil. Drained and arrange on a plate. 2. Washed and trimmed Shimeiji mushroom. Blanch with hot water. Set aside. 3. Marinade chicken meat with seasonings for 15 mins. 4. Heat up olive oil, sautee garlic till fragrant, add in chicken meat. Sauté for 2 mins. 5. Add in Shimeiji mushroom, stir-fry for 1 min. 6. Add in sauce ingredients, simmer for 2 mins. 7. Dish up and pour onto the vegetable. Serve.

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French Crepes

French Crêpes, known as a thin pancake is a popular dish or dessert in France. The dish is widespread in France and has known as their national dish, as you can find crepes everywhere in France, be it in the high-class romantic restaurant, cafe or even street food in Paris.

Crêpes are made from simple ingredients include flour, eggs, milk, butter and a pinch of salt. Even it is a simple dish, it is served with variety of fillings, such as cheese, asparagus, ham, spinach, eggs, ratatouille, mushrooms, chicken, salad and so much more! Normally, they will spread some butter or oil on a hot pan, spread the batter thinly and evenly on the pan, making a round thin pancake, pan fry it till done, fold it or roll it up to form a thin rectangular pancake. Some even stuff some fillings in it, such as chicken salad, ham, eggs, bacon or any kind of vegetables salad. It can also be served in loose slices with sauces.

References from French at a Touch

Crêpes is so versatile, can be served as main meal or dessert depending on the fillings. As a dessert, it will be served with maple syrup, apricot sauce, strawberry sauce, lemon juice, butter, jam or even slice fresh fruits! Isn't it excellent?

Check out more info and tips on making crepes at WIKIPEDIA
You may watch the video on making Crepes at YOUTUBE.

Such a beautifully wrapped up pancake tastes great even if you eat it on its own. We love the original taste of these crepes and eat it plain or spread a thin layer of butter and peanut butter! If I happen to see 'Crêpes' in the restaurant menu especially in French or Italian restaurant, I would like to try them out and taste how delicious is this French dessert, the restaurant way!

Thus, I happened to saw this beautiful restaurant photos and their fantastic menu located in Bangkok, Thailand. Those Crêpes sell in this restaurant looks so awesome, with chicken salad toppings, wonderful apricot & fruits sauce, garden salad fillings and so much more! It is so mouth watering! If you are visiting Bangkok soon, do check out Café Olivié in Central World.

This recipe was adapted from all recipes.com Ingredients: 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon white sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 eggs 2 cups milk 2 tablespoons butter, melted Methods: • Sift together flour, sugar and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs and milk together with an electric mixer (I used hand whisk). • Beat in flour mixture until smooth; stir in melted butter. • Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. • Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 2 tablespoons for each crepe. • Tip and rotate pan to spread batter as thinly as possible. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

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Savoury Fried Chicken

I bet everyone will definitely love fried chicken, including me... especially when you crave for some, you really can't resist it!
As I dine out especially to those fried chicken stalls, I would wonder how they can fried those chicken so crispy, tender, juicy and crunchy but not dry and hard. I tried several attempts with different type of methods, such as using self-raising flour, wheat flour, corn flour and etc... but somehow the chicken become hard and dry.

Until I discovered this method of frying chicken which tender, juicy and crispy... it will not burn the surface of the chicken. The main key ingredient is "egg". With the additional of ingredients, curry powder & soya sauce, brings out the flavour the perfect combination of a savoury fried chicken. I added some sauce onto it because I prefer not so dry fried chicken. If you love crispy & juicy fried chicken, you can just eat it on its own. It is simply satisfying especially when you are craving for fried chicken.

Ingredients: 20 pcs chopped Chicken, chunks 3 cloves Garlic, minced 3 slices Ginger, minced 2 tsp Meat Curry Powder 1 tsp Salt 1 tbsp Light Soya Sauce 1 tsp White pepper 1 egg, beaten Sauce: 3 tbsp Oyster sauce 200ml Water Tapioca flour solution (1 tbsp tapioca flour + 3 tbsp water) 1 small Red onion, sliced Methods: 1. Marinate chicken with all ingredients for 2 hours in the fridge. 2. Heat up oil, deep fry chicken until golden brown. 3. Drained. Absorb extra oil with kitchen towel. 4. Heat up oil again, saute red onion until translucent. 5. Add in oyster sauce & water. Simmer for 1 min. 6. Add tapioca solution to thicken the sauce. 7. Arrange fried chicken on a plate. 8. Pour sauce onto chicken slowly. 9. Serve hot.

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