Anchovy is a small silvery fish with a greenish tint. Anchovy rarely exceeds five inches (12 cm) in length. It is an ocean going fish species found in a large range of environments. They taste good and are plentiful in the market. Anchovy has become a popular ingredients in making porridge, soup, stir fry, deep fry or as a snack in combination of other ingredients. Many population in the world regardless of race uses anchovy widely in cooking. We consume anchovy since childhood, our grandparents or parents like to make anchovy's soup as the base of other dishes, such as Wanton (dumpling) Soup (as per my previous post), pan-mee noodle soup, mixed vegetables soup and variety of traditional soup.
Anchovy was cheap during the past but now it's selling with various grade in the market with different pricing. The higher grade of anchovies are more pricey but they are cleaner, fresher and surely tastier. In Malaysia, you can get good quality anchovies at the islands where fishermen bring back fresh fishes everyday. I bought these anchovies in Pangkor Island, one of the islands in Malaysia. It really looks fresh and taste good compared to those sell in the hypermarket. The anchovies are whiter & cleaner in colour, smell really good. The bones have been removed for convenient use. You can choose how much of anchovies you want to buy because all are displayed in several huge barrels. Besides anchovy, you can buy variety of preserved seafood, dried fishes, dries shrimps, authentic pastes, scallops, oyster and many traditional condiments in Pangkor Island.
These are some of the photos captured during our trip to Pangkor Island.
The beach side view at Pangkor Island
The view at the Jetty
Beautiful scenery of the fisherman's boat
The place where they build the fisherman's boat
A close up of sea shell on the sea shoreSince, I have some good quality anchovies in hand. I thought of this recipe. This is one of the old recipes of my maternal grandmother, passed down to my mum and it has become our favourite side dish now. My grandma recipe called for fresh red chillies which can be eaten with the taucu paste (fermented soy beans in salt). I have modified the recipe with some dried chillies to bring more spiciness and "kick" to the paste. We will occasionally make this dish if we are keen of something more flavourful and appetizing. It surely enhances the main dishes with this recipe. We would also eat it with plain porridge or (Teochew porridge). Since, it is a traditional recipe from the old generation, it will be great to enhance and improve the recipe with other ingredients or condiments in the future! Isn't it great? Hopefully this will become your family favourite side dish too.
More information & references on anchovy here.
Ingredients:
200g Anchovies, halved - removed bones
Sunflower oil for frying
Paste ingredients:
5 pcs Dried Chillies (or 2 fresh red chilli - minced)
4 tbsp Minced Taucu (fermented soy beans in salt)
Method:
1. Wash & soak dried chillies for 10 mins. Drained.
2. Remove the seeds, cut into smaller portion.
3. Rinse anchovies, drain with a colander until it is fully dry. Best to put under the sun.
4. Heat up oil, deep fry anchovies. Drain and put onto kitchen towel to absorbs oil.
5. Heat another 2 tbsp of the oil used for deep fried the anchovies.
6. Saute dried chillies for 2 mins, add in taucu. Keep stirring for about 2 mins (do not burn the paste).
7. Put taucu mix at the middle of a plate. Arrange anchovies around it.
8. Serve with plain rice.
Note:
• Get the pre-packed anchovies with the bones removed.
• Deep fry anchovies until golden brown, drain up immediately & put on a kitchen towel to absorb excessive oil. Do not burn it.
• You may substitute dried chillies with fresh red chillies, mince the red chillies.
• Keep remaining fried anchovies in an air-tight container and consume in 3 days.
• You can adjust the amount of anchovies and paste according to your own consumption. |
Wanton (云吞) in transcription from Cantonese is one of the Chinese traditional dishes and it is consumes anytime throughout the year. It uses wanton skins wrap with minced meat, boil it in soup or broth and consume it while it is warm, be it on its own or serves with noodles. Some would prefer it to be fried, as it is crunchy and tasty. Wanton soup can be found easily in Chinese hawker's stall or restaurant, either it is served originally with soup or dried noodles. Some restaurants have improved on the wanton recipe to enhance the taste or to make it a signature dish in their restaurant. It is called "dumpling" in English.
We consume wanton in soup since childhood, it has become an easy to make dish by our grandparents for their grandchildren's daily meal. It is one of the children's foods in most of the Chinese's home. I would prefer the wanton soup to be traditional and simple. Consume them with the hot anchovies' soup definitely gives me a satisfying feeling. It is not only healthy but also refreshing. I would also prefer to have more fresh Choy Sam in the soup, makes it more appealing, nutritious & a wholesome healthy dish.
Some useful tips / information from Wikipedia:
"To make a wonton, spread a single wrapper square across the palm of one hand, place a small clump of filling in the center, and seal the wonton into the desired shape by compressing the wrapper's edges together with the fingers. Adhesion may be improved by moistening the wrapper's inner edges, typically by dipping one's fingertip into plain water and running it across the dry dough to dissolve the extra flour. As part of the sealing process, air should be "burped" out of the interior to avoid rupturing the wonton from internal pressure when cooked." The wanton recipe below is made according to my preference, as I prefer it to be solely minced meat & prawns without any additional condiments. By using anchovy’s soup as the base, makes the wanton taste sweet and refreshing. At the same time, minced prawns with the meat also contribute sweetness to the wanton. If you are looking for some simple yet refreshing for the little ones and for the whole family, I believed this could be one of the simple, healthy and delicious recipe!
 Ingredients:
120g Semi-lean pork, minced
180g Prawns (net weight)
Wanton skins, (square in shape)
A bunch of Choy Sam (Green mustard), washed & trimmed
Seasonings:
2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Sesame oil
2 tsp Corn flour
1 tsp White pepper
Soup ingredients:
1.5 liter Water
200gm Anchovies
1.5 tsp Salt
1 tsp White pepper
Method:
1. Wash prawns, remove shells and veins. Pat dry.
2. Pat flats the prawns with the back of the chopper and chop coarsely.
3. Mix minced pork and prawns together on the chopping board.
4. Add in seasonings gradually & keep on chopping.
5. Mix well and transfer to a bowl. Set aside.
6. Bring soup ingredients (except salt & pepper) to a boil. Approximately 1 hour in medium heat.
7. Once the soup becomes concentrated, drain & bring the soup back to the pot.
8. Add in salt and pepper. (Adjust the salt & pepper according to your taste).
9. Wrap the pre-mix meat with wan ton skins. Put approximately 1.5 teaspoon of meat at the middle of the wan ton skin.
10. Pull the wan ton skin upward and close it with your fingers. (You can make approximately 25 - 30 wan tons, depends on how much meat you prefer to be wrap up).
11. Heat up the soup again, once bubbling, put in wan ton and let it cook for 3 - 4 mins. (I put 8 wan tons at a time) Add in Choy Sam and boil for another 3 mins.
12. The wan ton is cooked once it is floating on the soup surface. You may boil sufficient wan ton to consume on that moment and reserve the rest for future use.
13. Dish up wan ton & choy sam, dash extra white pepper if you prefer. Serve while hot on its own or with noodles.
Note:
• You may need to boil the wanton batch-by-batch if you can't consume all at one time.
• Do not over-boiled the wanton as it might results to rough / hard meat texture & too soft / breakable skin.
• You may wrap the remaining wan ton with cling film and put it in the fridge for the next day.
• You may also fry the remaining wanton. |
Fruity spongy cake is my definition for this simple, soft and light cake recipe. The author called it "angel food cake" from a dessert recipe book, because it is colorful with the addition of cherries and mixed fruits. It is also light, spongy and fluffy, one of the easy recipes to make spongy cake besides chiffon. It called on simple ingredients that you can find in your kitchen,
make snack or tea time at your fingertips in a short time!
I have modified the ingredients a little to accommodate on what I had in hand. I baked this simple cake with my son, he helped me to put ingredients in the mixer, pouring it to a baking tray and waiting patiently for the cake to cook. Both of us had a great time making the cake. He was excited when he was able to help in the kitchen. It will be great if you want to occupy your toddler or young kids in the kitchen, it will definitely brings the two of you closer! Agreed Mummies? I would surely make this cake with him again the next time, probably for Christmas celebration to come! It will be great to celebrate Christmas with some colorful, light and simple to make fruity spongy cakes! You may also modify or enhance the taste with few drops of screw pine leaves juice (pandan juice)! It will definitely look more appealing and colourful for Christmas! Meanwhile, we can pack it in a small goody bag to give-away especially for the kids! It will surely brings you a joyful & enlighten season greeting!
 Ingredients:
250g egg white
150g caster sugar (you may need to reduce the sugar)
1/8 tsp salt
90g cake flour
50g mixed fruits
Method:
1. Beat egg white, caster sugar and salt at high speed in a electric mixer until stiff. It will turns to foamy and fluffy.
2. Slowly fold in flour and mix at low speed.
3. Add in mixed fruits and mix well with a spatula.
4. Line a 20cm chiffon mould with baking paper. I used rectangle baking tray (about 10cm X 20cm) as I don't have a chiffon mould.
4. Pre-heat oven for 5 mins, bake at 450F for 30 mins or until the cake turns golden brown and risen up nicely.
5. Off oven, remain for 5 mins. Test with a skewer to make sure the cake is cook. If the skewer comes out clean, the cake is done.
6. Let cool on the rack. Cut to your desired shape.
Note:
1. Use a smaller baking tray to get a taller shape of this spongy cake, chiffon mould is the best.
2. You may need to reduce the sugar a little about 125g as I find the cake is a bit sweet with mixed fruits. |
I would like to share with all of you one of my all time favourite Italian pasta dish, which is also my first attempt in making it at home. Why I liked it so much? Because I am basically a "Cheese" person, I loved cheese to bits especially in Italian cooking and dishes. Besides, creamy and cheesy dishes will be my top selection especially Italian cooking. It simply tastes fantastic, scrumptious & superb flavour! Need not to say when it comes to spaghetti carbonara that fits the conditions.
Whenever I have a chance to dine in any Italian restaurant including "Pizza Hut", my hubby will definitely know my order will be "Spaghetti Carbonara". It is just one of my all time selection. My hubby is not a fan of pasta, be it with tomato paste or sauce. But after introducing him spaghetti carbonara, he accepted the taste and said "not bad" though! So, why not make it at home and enjoy the meal with family?
Pasta Carbonara or Pasta alla carbonara is a pasta dish served based on eggs, cheese, cream, bacon, ham & black pepper. It gives you a creamy milky fantastic flavour with a touch of cheese. It is usually cook with fatty meat like bacon, stir in olive oil and cheese to make it rich and creamy. It is indeed one of the simple and quick ways of making pasta dish.
Reference at wikipedia I wouldn't know carbonara uses egg yolks as one of the ingredients until I googled and found this simple recipe. It's just so easy and quick. Mix all ingredients, pour onto pasta & meat.... voila! It is ready to be served. Spaghetti carbonara simply tastes good and satisfying and an ideal recipe to be served for party or any occasion. If you do love pasta carbonara, give this a try! It is so satisfying!
This recipe was adapted and modified for my own preference from VideoJug
I have substituted bacon with chicken fillets & sausages for this recipe.
Makes 4
Ingredients:
400g Spaghetti
200g Chicken fillet, cut into small chunks
3 Chicken Cheesy Sausages , cut into small chunks
4 Egg yolks
70g grated Parmesan cheese
8 tbsp Thickened cream
salt and pepper
3 tbsp Italian parsley, chopped
Olive oil
Method:
1. Cook spaghetti in a hot boiling pot with some salt & olive oil according to the cooking instruction on the pack.
2. Season chicken fillets with some salt & black pepper.
3. Meanwhile, heat up some olive oil, sauté chicken fillets until half cooked.
4. Stir in sausages, mix and cook thoroughly. Set aside.
5. Place eggs yolks into a bowl with cheese & cream. Stir and mix well.
6. Once pasta is cooked, drained completely with a colander.
7. Immediately pour pasta to the chicken fillets & sausages, quickly add the eggs mixture while pasta is still hot.
8. It is very important to use the warmth of the pasta to cook the eggs but do not overheat it as it will become scrambled eggs instead.
9. After mixing thoroughly, season with pinch of salt & ground black pepper & chopped parsley. Mix & use a tongs to place a generous helping onto each serving plate. You may add extra ground black pepper if you prefer.
10. It is best to serve immediately when it is warm. |
I am submitting this recipe to Presto Pasta Nights, founded by
Ruth of Once Upon a Feast, and hosted by
The Crispy Cook this round.
Steamed chicken is one of the popular dishes in every Chinese home. It is a healthy and nutritious dish because using steam method, it can preserves the goodness and nutrient of the chicken. At the same time, it retains the freshness and flavour of the sauce. With additional of ginger & coriander make this dish more flavourful and tasty. You may also add some mushroom or wood fungus in this recipe. Simple, quick & nutritious!
I love the taste of ginger and coriander. This combination makes a perfect sauce for steaming. I would go for steaming dishes whenever I am rushing for time to prepare a fast & nutritious meal. Serve this dish with hot steamed rice will definitely gives you satisfaction. Let's enjoy!
 Ingredients:
5 Chicken drumsticks, removed skin - cut into 3 portions
Some sliced ginger & spring onion for garnishing
Seasoning A:
3 tbsps Oyster Sauce
1 tbsp Light Soya Sauce
1 tbsp ShaoXing Rice Wine
1 tbsp Sesame oil
1 tsp Cornstarch
Dash of white pepper
Seasoning B (blended):
5 inches thick ginger, peeled - chopped coarsely
3 stalks Coriander leaves, chopped coarsely
1 stalk Spring onion, chopped coarsely
3 tbsp Water
Method:
1. Season chicken drumsticks with seasoning A. Set aside for 10 mins.
2. Blend seasoning B.
3. Pour onto chicken and mix well.
4. Transfer to a deep steaming dish.
5. Cover the dish with aluminum foil to prevent water from entering and gravy being diluted.
6. Steam at high heat for 20 mins.
7. Serve immediately while hot.
Note:
• Make sure to cover the chicken with aluminum foil to prevent water from entering the sauce and diluted the gravy.
• Use chicken drumstick as it is a best part in the chicken especially for steaming. |
