Bits of Taste | Every bits of food and taste!

Fruit Cake

2011-12-21T11:10:00.017+08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! We meet again after a long break! How are you doing? Here come the Christmas season, time to spread your love and happiness to your loved ones! Apart from presents, food is the main key of spreading joy and sharing love. Cake has become the attraction of Christmas every year and also a sweet treat to friends and family. It is a way to symbolize our sincere wishes during this festive season! Thus, our kitchen will be fills with the fragrant of cakes once again!

My family hearts fruit cake so much especially during Christmas season. Fruit cake is a must-have list in the menu for Christmas. For the past seasons, we will buy some fruit cakes from the bakery shop and the taste wasn't satisfying. Thus, this year, I was enthusiastic to experiment in making fruit cake at home again. Thankfully, I stumbled upon this recipe from Annabel Karmel - Christmas cake recipe! This recipe is indeed very easy to follow and thus far Annabel Karmel's recipes never fail me.

When talking about making fruit cake, many of us would think it is going to be a tough job including myself. Let me ensure you this is a trusted recipe and easy to follow. The best is to make fruit cake one month in advance and season it until Christmas. From my observation, the main key of making fruit cake is by selecting premium quality ingredients and follow the recipe closely. Hence, you will have a hearty fruit cake for Christmas. Fruit cake needs to bake at lower temperature and longer hours with slow cooking to get the best result of it.

I have modified some of the ingredients according to my family preference. This fruit cake is simply the kind of fruit cake we heart even without the brandy as one of the main ingredients. I have substituted brandy with concentrated orange juice because it will be serves to the whole family including small children. I have also omitted the nuts in this recipe as my family preference pure fruity texture of fruit cake. The original recipe uses dark muscovado sugar which gives a darker tone to the cake, but unfortunately I am unable to find it. Thus, I substituted it with the mixture of brown sugar and molasses sugar. The fragrant smell and gentle sweetness of the molasses sugar is simply awesome. Even with all the modifications I have made to this recipe, this fruit cake came out perfectly and need not to say, delicious!

Till then, I would like to wish all of you a Merry Christmas! May this Christmas be bright and cheerful and may the New Year begin on a prosperous note! Have a joyful holiday till we meet again in 2012!

This recipe was adapted and modified from Annabel Karmel Christmas Cake Recipe

Ingredients:
1 kg Mixed fruits (800g Pre-mixed fruits, 100g mixed peel + 100g glazed green/red cherry, chopped)
4 tbsp Brandy/Orange juice (I used Sunquick Concentrated Orange Juice)
250g Butter, softened (I used S.C.S butter)
250g Dark muscovado sugar (I used 200g Soft brown sugar + 50g Molasses sugar)
6 eggs
350g Plain flour (I used Superfine flour)
1 tsp Baking powder
pinch of salt
1 tsp Mixed spice
1 tsp Cinnamon powder
1 tsp grated lemon rind
100 - 200g whole almond for garnishing

Method:
1. Soak all the mixed fruits in a big mixing bowl with 4 tbsp of orange juice, cover with aluminum foil. Leave it in the fridge overnight.
2. The next day, remove the mixed fruits from fridge and leave it to room temperature.
3. Line a 23 cm (9') square tin with double layer of baking paper, make sure the paper is 1.5" higher than the cake tin. Wrap the bottom & outside tin with aluminum foil. (see note 1). Pre-heat the oven to 150ºC/300ºF/Gas 2.
4. Beat the butter and sugar with electric cake mixer until fluffy. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt in another mixing bowl.
5. Beat each egg in a small bowl (see note 2) before adding in the batter, fold in some flour mixture with each egg. Fold in the remaining flour and scrape down all the batter at the side of the mixer bowl to make sure all the ingredients are well mixed.
6. Remove the mixer bowl from the electric mixer, add mixed spice, cinnamon and lemon rind. Then, add in the mixed fruits and mix well with a spatula.
7. Spoon the batter into the tin and level it. Arrange the whole almond on top of the batter according to your preference.
8. Bake in the centre of the oven for about 2 and a half hours. After 1 hour, cover the cake with a piece of aluminum foil/baking paper. (see note 3)
9. Then, bake until the cake is firm to the touch and a skewer in the centre comes out clean.
10. Leave the cake to cool in the tin for about 30 mins, turn out on to a wire rack and cool. Then, wrap in aluminum foil and store in the fridge.
11. Remove from the fridge and leave to room temperature before serving (see note 8)

Note:
1. You may tie a double thickness of brown paper around the outside of the tin with 1.5 in higher than the cake tin. I used aluminum foil to wrap the outside tin because I don't have brown paper in hand. If you use brown paper, you just have to line the inside of the tin with baking paper according to the height of the tin.

" ... wrapping the cake tin, as standing the cake tin on a double layer of newspaper/brown paper protects the bottom and sides of the cake and prevents it cooking too quickly and more importantly, burning during the long slow cooking ..." (reference from here).

2. Beat each egg in a separate bowl before adding it to the batter is to prevent any spoilt egg.

3. Cover the cake after 1 hour of baking with a piece of aluminum foil/baking paper to prevent the top getting burn.

4. Since I am unable to find dark muscovado sugar in the shop, I substituted with 200g soft brown sugar + 50g molasses sugar to make the cake darker in colour. Nevertheless, I still find the cake is not dark enough, it will definitely better if you can use dark muscovado sugar or dark brown sugar to make the cake darker. (some recipe called for black treacle to have a darker colour)

"muscovado sugar = dark brown sugar (reference from here)"

5. I have omitted the nuts in the original recipe because my family preferred only rich mixed fruits cake. If you are a nuts lover, you may add in the nuts according to the original recipe!

6. I used orange juice as this cake is serves to children.

7. Season the cake one month in advance to enhance the taste, pouring 1 - 2 tbsp of brandy on top of the cake each week to make the cake richer and tastier.

8. Chill the cake in the fridge for at least 1 hour before cutting to avoid breaking up and to have a nice cut.

Strawberry Popsicles

2011-09-23T20:46:00.010+08:00

Homemade popsicle is one of the healthy treat for kids, because it is made from fresh and natural ingredients without the added artificial colouring and flavoring like those selling in the stores. I was inspired by my good friend cherry yogurt popsicles and it gave me a great idea to make some for my son as he often drooling over those popsicles in the store. Making the popsicle at home gives me the freedom to choose the flavour from fresh ingredients like kiwi, strawberry, blueberry, orange & etc. This recipe is so versatile, you can make some tweaks to the recipe by choosing your favourite seasonal fruits, your favourite yogurt and honey too.

I saw some big and red strawberries from US in the grocery store and it makes a good choice for the popsicle. Moreover, strawberry is one of my son’s favourite. Thus, I made it into strawberry yogurt popsicle. Having Greek-Style yogurt in this recipe makes the popsicle creamier and tastier but unfortunately I didn’t manage to find them in the store. Well, save it for the next time and more to come. I have omitted the lemon juice as it is too sourish for our liking. By using the organic raw honey, it gives the popsicle a natural sweetness and a healthier choice compare to syrup or sugar water.

My son just couldn’t wait for the popsicles to set in the freezer and pop them into his mouth. He indeed participated in the making of this popsicles, happily pouring the puree and yogurt in the moulds and started stirring with a skewer. It was a great time spent with him and sharing the popsicles together the next day.

If you would like something cooling, fresh and melt in the mouth for this summer, make some popsicles at home and enjoy the goodness!

Make: 6 - 8 sticks (depending on your popsicle moulds)
Ingredients:

For strawberry puree:
250g strawberries (leaves removed and cut into pieces)
1 tbsp honey (I used Organic Acacia Raw Honey)

For yogurt mixture:
180g (3/4 cup) Plain Yogurt
1/8 cup fresh milk
1 tbsp honey

Methods (for swirled pops):
1. Remove the leaves on the strawberries. Then, gently rinse the strawberries and cut into pieces. Place strawberries in a blender and puree. Pass through a fine sieve into a measuring cup. (You should have 3/4 cup puree). Stir in honey and adjust to taste. Set aside.

2. Pour the yogurt into a bowl. Stir in the milk a little at a time until the yogurt is thinned enough that it can be poured. Then, add in the honey and adjust to taste. Set aside.

3. Pour an inch of yogurt into the popsicle moulds, then an inch of strawberry puree, and repeat until the moulds are filled. Use a chopstick or skewer to gently swirl the liquids together. Then, insert the sticks and close tight. Freeze at least 8 hours or overnight, until the popsicles solidify.

4. When it is ready, take out the popsicles from the freezer. Run the moulds under tap/ warm water and wiggle gently the sticks to free the popsicles from the moulds.

Note:
• Adjust the amount of honey according to your taste.
• Use Greek-style yogurt if you can find in your local hypermarket. The popsicles will be creamer and tastier.
• Use large and red strawberries to produce more sweetness and juiciness.
• Use Organic raw honey for better taste.
• Passing strawberry puree through a fine sieve is to remove the seeds and also make the puree smoother.
• You may use empty yogurt pots if you do not have popsicle moulds, insert the stick after 1 hour of freezing.

Prawns with Lemon grass & Kaffir Leaves

2011-08-19T20:41:00.017+08:00

While I was doing my usual grocery shopping, suddenly I craved for prawns with some fragrant herbs and my mind can't stop thinking of how delicious it will be. Moreover prawn is one of my all time favourite. Thus, I grabbed some aromatic lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves in the market and headed back home to whip up this scrumptious dish. Since lemon grass and kaffir leaves bring up the aromatic flavour to the prawns, it is just a perfect sumptuous combination.

If you do like prawns with aromatic herbs flavour, I bet you will love this dish to bits. I have also added some julienne red chilli to enhance the taste. We had this crunchy aromatic prawns with hot steamed rice for dinner. If you are searching for a rice recipe to go with this dish, try out Turmeric Butter Fragrant Rice. Besides serving with rice, you may also add this dish to curry noodles or laksa noodles. The next time you are craving for prawns with fragrant herbs, do drop by here and give this recipe a try!

Ingredients:
500g large-sized prawns, peeled-retain tails
1 stalk lemon grass (about 3 inches long), cut into small pieces
2 pieces kaffir lime leaves, cut into small pieces
1/2 red chilli, de-seed, julienne

Marinade:
Salt
Sugar

Method:
1. Rinse and peel prawns, retail tails. Soak prawns in iced cold water for 10 mins. Make sure the prawns are submerged in water (this is to make the prawns crunchy).
2. Drain, pat dry. Marinade with some salt & sugar for 10 mins.
3. Meanwhile, prepare lemon grass, kaffir leaves and red chilli. Put all in a mixing bowl and toss well.
4. Heat up frying pan with some oil, put in prawns and space out. Let them cook un-touch for 1 min.
5. Flip over to the other side, add in all the other ingredients. Stir fry lightly until prawns are cooked and fragrant.
6. Arrange some salad leaves on the plate, put prawns to the salad leaves. Serve immediately.

A beach getaway!

2011-07-25T21:28:00.019+08:00

Hi! I am back from a wonderful getaway at Awana Kijal Golf, Beach & Spa Resort, Terengganu. Terengganu is one of the state in Malaysia, situated at the East Coast of Peninsula Malaysia. It is well-known of its beautiful sea sides and beach attractions. Awana Kijal is one of my wish-to-visit resorts, after listening to many positive reviews from friends and online reviewers, we decided to pay this well recommended resort a visit last weekend. Awana Kijal is situated in Kemaman, one of the town in Terengganu. It was a 3 days 2 nights getaway from the busy urban city to a slow and relax town. This place is famous of the "turtle watching" activity at night. The resort is providing local trip packages to few attractions around the town, such as turtle watching (seasonal), durian trip, firefly watching, village tour and city tour. Thus, you can visit those places without any hassle.

After driving for about 5 hours from our home, we finally reached our destination. We were impressed by the architectural of the lobby and the top view from the highest floor of the hotel's room. Over seeing the golf course, the beautiful sea & the jungle, we were amazed and understood those good reviews from the previous guests. The resort has a huge & beautifully designed swimming pool, outdoor jacuzzi and also children pool with water slides, we definitely enjoyed the swimming pool especially my little boy. After the pool, I headed to the sauna room to get some refreshment which I longed for a long time. The following day, we headed to the sea for a dip and followed by our favourite beach sand castle building activity. The weather was beautiful during our stay there, it was just the right time to enjoy beach activities. So, we waited no more and rented 2 bicycles to ride along the beach and the resort.

The resort is also providing plenty of water activities such as banana boat ride, water skiing, jet skiing, parasailing, fishing trip and boat ride. Nevertheless, these activities are depending on the season. Most of the water activities can't be carried out during monsoon season around end of the year. Apart from the water activities, they also have beach activities, such as beach soccer, sepak takraw, volleyball, basketball, sand castle building and kite flying. It will be fun if you are coming with a group of friends or family.

There are giant size snake & ladder game and chess game painted on the ground for adults and kids to spend some childhood games together. It is a fun way to gather friends and family together while enjoying this beautiful resort.

We thought it will be difficult to find Chinese restaurant in this town since this town has majority of Malays restaurants, we were surprised to find 2 Chinese restaurants and a KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) branch just beside the resort. Thus, we headed to one of the Chinese restaurants to try it out. They have a wide range of food and was as good as those restaurant's standard in KL. Moreover, their price is reasonable. We had our lunch and dinner there for 2 days and we still find the food was awesome!

Nevertheless, the resort's breakfast was good too. We got to taste their local famous nasi padang with tuna curry (a Malays traditional food) and lemang with beef rendang. (Lemang is a traditional Malay food made of glutinous rice and coconut milk and cooked in a hollowed bamboo stick lined with banana leaves in order to prevent the rice from sticking to the bamboo. Reference from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lemang). Along the way, you can find plenty of hawker stalls by the roadsides selling fresh-warm lemang, grilled fish in banana leaves, deep fried chips (keropok), satay, curry noodles and many more. All of them are absolutely mouth-watering if you prefer spicy, rich and authentic Asian food, it gives you the taste of the authentic village food that will definitely boost your appetite!

We really had a great getaway this time according to our pace and choices. We will surely return to this resort again the next time.

Lemon Yoghurt Cake

2011-07-08T20:08:00.006+08:00

Recently I am up for baking cakes again which I have left behind for sometime. I chanced upon this recipe from one of the "Flavours Magazine" and it catches my attention as the recipe called for lemon and yogurt which are my favourite ingredients for cakes. As mentioned by the author, this cake wasn't a rich cake and it wasn't too sweet as well. It is some sort like those sourish cake with compact texture. Thus, it is best to serves with some fruit jam, fruit sauce, maple syrup or honey. In this way, the condiment compliments the cake with a touch of sweetness to the taste. I have tried both no sugar added and sweetened fruit jams, I would say the sweetened fruit jam makes this cake tastes better. If you prefer a sweeter cake, you may increase the sugar amount, reduce the lemon zest or use sweetened plain yogurt. As a personal preference, I like to savour this cake with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and drizzle with strawberry sauce. Try whatever ways that suit your taste bud for something more exotic and delicious.

Since the baking mood is back again, I hope I can bake more cakes to share with all of you. Nevertheless, I still have a lot of to-do list pending in my folder. It is time for me to sort it out and carry on the baking experiment again! *LOL*. Till then, catch up with all of you again and have a nice weekend.

Ingredients:
400g plain flour (I used cake flour)
2 tsp baking powder
2 eggs, lightly beaten
grated zest of 3 lemons
250g caster sugar
1/8 tsp salt
100g butter, melted
200g plain yoghurt

To serve:
Fruit jam or preserves

Methods:
1. Preheat oven to 180ºC. Line a 20 cm round cake pan with greaseproof paper.
2. Sift together the flour and baking powder in a mixing bowl.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the eggs, lemon zest, sugar and salt. Mix with a whisk. Add the flour, butter and yoghurt; stir to combine.
4. Pour batter into the cake pan and bake in middle rack for 30ins, or until an inserted skewer comes out clean.
5. Cool the cake and serve with jam or fruit preserves.

Note:
• You may reduce the amount of lemon zest if you prefer a less sourish cake.
• You may increase the amount of sugar if you prefer a sweeter cake.
• You may also use sweetened plain yoghurt to increase the sweetness of the cake.
• Serve this cake with fruit jam, fruit sauce, maple syrup or honey.

Baked Chicken Drumsticks with BBQ Sauce

2011-06-24T20:25:00.010+08:00

Hello there! How are you doing recently? It has been so hot here in Malaysia and it makes me feel so uncomfortable and not in a mood to make anything especially when you need to spend most of the time in front of the hot stove. *LOL* The sun is killing but it is a good time to spend some quality time at the beach and do some summer activities! I would desperately dip myself in the pool if there is one nearby, I could cool down myself and make few rounds to burn some calories! *LOL*. Thus, I admired those staying in the condominium or apartment with swimming pool facility. *LOL*

Well, I guess cooking with oven is the most essential for me at the moment. It has lessen a lot of preparation time and I don't have to face the hot burning fire from the stove. You get what I mean? I just have to prepare the marinade, dump it into the oven and turn the button on. The dish is ready when the bell rings! Easy peasy, right?

This time I used only chicken drumsticks which are the best part of the chicken I liked the most. Marinade it with BBQ sauce and baked it together with fresh white button mushroom. You may add any other vegetables which are suitable accordingly to your liking. The drumsticks are tender, juicy and flavourful. You may serve the drumsticks together with some raw salads or baked potatoes. Beside of serving those drumsticks for meals, you may also pack it for picnic or party. Have fun and stay well....

Ingredients:
10 pcs of chicken drumsticks
4 pcs fresh white button mushrooms, sliced
5 tbsp of Lee Kum Kee BBQ sauce (spare ribs sauce)
3 tbsp of sunflower oil
Lime rinds for garnishing

Method:
1. Rinse chicken drumsticks, pat dry and put them in an ovenproof dish.
2. Add Lee Kum Kee BBQ marinade sauce and mix well with a spatula.
3. Cover the ovenproof dish with cling film. Marinade it in the fridge for 30 mins.
4. Remove it from the fridge and rest at room temperature for 10 mins.
5. Meanwhile, rinse button mushrooms and pat dry, cut away the stem. Cut them into slices.
6. Sprinkle oil and button mushrooms all over the drumsticks and mix well with a spatula.
7. Pour some of the marinade over the drumsticks and mushroom to coat them evenly.
8. Preheat oven at 200ºC for 10 mins. Bake the drumsticks for 45-50 mins or until drumsticks turn golden brown and cooked through.
9. Turn the drumsticks over the other side with a pair of tongs after 20-25 mins.
10. Remove ovenproof dish and rest it on a rack. Serve while warm.

Note:
• You may also cut button mushrooms into quartered.
• You may use your preferred BBQ Marinade Sauce.
• The marinade sauce amount varies depending on the amount and size of the drumsticks.
• The baking time varies depending on the size of your chicken drumsticks.
• Prick the drumsticks with skewer to test if it is cooked through.

Mushipan - Steamed Cup bread/cake

2011-06-03T14:51:00.003+08:00

We had a gathering with my good friend and her family while they were holidaying here. It was such a fruitful gathering, we spent few hours running to the bookstores, chit chatting and savouring food. She sincerely brought me some good cookbooks which I appreciated it a lot. One of them is the Akemi Komatsuzaki "Steamed Cup bread －杯子蒸面包" recipe book which I was amazed with those beautiful steamed cup bread and how simple to make them. This recipe book was translated from Japanese to mandarin with step-by-step pictures and instructions. Beside steamed cup bread, there is also steamed bun － sausage roll - rolled bun, steamed cup bread in donut shape, steamed chinese bun/pao (中式包子), fried chinese bun and also tiramisu. Isn't it great? Thus, I wait no more and was thrilled to give it a try. This recipe book starts with the basic steamed cup bread recipe and it applies too more savoury and favourful recipes.

Steamed cup bread is widely enjoy by the Japanese. They called it "Mushipan" in Japanese which means steamed bread, but it is more cake-like than bread-like. It's closely related to English steamed puddings. I love the way they do it which is more healthy and easy to make especially for working mum like me. Once you have master the basic recipe, you can add more fillings or ingredients such as green tea flavour, pumpkin, nuts, seeds, cocoa, meat or vegetables to this recipe. Moreover, it is also suitable for snack, picnic or pack to school. This will definitely be your choice if you too like something healthy, quick and easy to make recipe. Article about Mushipan for sharing.

Basic Mushipan recipe:

Yields 4 large mushipans

Ingredients:
100g Low protein flour (I used cake flour) (About Flour)
40g Castor sugar
60ml Milk
1 Egg
1 tsp Baking powder
1 tbsp Salad oil (I used sunflower oil)(About salad oil)
4 pudding moulds

Method:
1. Sift flour and baking powder in a mixing bowl.
2. Beat egg in another mixing bowl, add in castor sugar. Beat until combined.
3. Add in milk and mix well.
4. Add in flour mixture and mix well. Make sure the batter is well combined.
5. Add in salad oil / sunflower oil. Mix well.
6. Scoop batter into 4 large pudding moulds line with paper cases. Cover about 70 - 80% full.
7. Wrap the pot lid with a piece of cloth to prevent (condensation) water from dripping to the cup bread.
8. Bring water to a boil in a large pot. Once boiled, put pudding moulds on a steaming tray.
9. Steam at medium heat for about 12 - 15 minutes.
10. Once complete, test with a skewer. If the skewer comes out clean, the cup bread is done.
11. Remove from the pot and rest cup bread on the rack to cool.

Note:
• I wrapped the pot lid with a piece of cloth to avoid (condensation) water from dripping on the cup bread.
• The size of the pudding moulds may vary from each markets, you may need to find one that is suitable.

Sunshine Toast

2011-05-04T11:45:00.013+08:00

I stumbled upon Annable Karmel's How to make toast? - Hearty Egg recipe. Thus, I was inspired to make this for breakfast last weekend. It was indeed easy, fast, healthy and at the same time adding some excitement to my little boy when he discovered an egg in the middle of a toast. Isn't it fun?

I used free range eggs (info of free range eggs) for more nutrients, then mixed whole meal bread and white bread to add on variation to the toast. Since, I only have a big round banjo egg mould, I used it as a cutter to make a round shape in the middle of the bread. It will definitely be beautiful if you use some heart shape, carton shape or any other shape cutters.

Since I was curious about this toast, I googled and found it is called "Egg in the basket". The dish is typically fried bread with a fried egg in the center. It is commonly prepared by cutting a circular or square hole in the center of a piece of bread. The bread, sometimes buttered prior to cooking, is fried in a pan with butter,margarine, cooking oil, or other fat similarly to how bread is cooked in a grilled cheese sandwich.

This bread or toast is known by many names too, such as bird's nest, bull's eye eggs, cowboy eggs, egg-in-the-hole, egg(s) in a frame, eggs in a blanket, elephant egg bagel (when made using a bagel rather than bread), frog in a hole, toad in a hole, gas house eggs, moon eggs, Sunshine Toast, Alabama eggs, Rocky Mountain toast and Magic Egg. Are you surprise with all these names for just a simple recipe? I was overwhelming with so many names and how popular this recipe is. (Reference from Wikipedia)

What have I done to the cut out pieces of the bread? I transformed them into cheese sandwich, another creation from the left over. I have used slice of tomato and cheese for filling. You can add meat, seafood, bacon, salad leaves or any suitable fillings that your prefer. Thus, we have 2 different servings of cute, simple and creative morning breakfast to savour with a glass of fresh milk. These cheese sandwiches are suitable for snack or pack for picnic too or pack these sandwiches for your little ones for school. It is so convenient for mommies to make 2 in 1 dish especially when you are rushing for time and your little ones can enjoy it!

Mother's Day is just a few days apart, we will be bringing our moms for a treat. How about yours? I would like to wish all mothers "A fulfilling, healthy and joyful Mother's Day!". Keep up all your good jobs, Mom!

Ingredients:
4 eggs - I used Free Range eggs
4 pcs White / Wholemeal bread
Butter for pan-frying
Dash of dried herbs
Dash of black pepper and salt
Cookie cutters

Method:
1. Place bread on the cutting board or working surface. Use cookie cutter to cut out the shape at the middle of the bread. Make sure the cookie cutter is big enough to cover more area of the bread.

2. Heat up butter in a frying pan, pan-fry the bread using low heat. Flip to another side and before the bread turns brown, drop an egg in the hole. The time the egg is placed in the bread is dependent on the desired consistency.

3. Dish up, sprinkle dash of dried herbs, black pepper and salt. Serve and enjoy!

Note:
• You may lightly toast the bread before hand using toaster then proceed with the rest of the steps.
• Use cookie cutter that is big enough to create the effect and the hole is big enough to fill in an egg.
• Use good quality eggs to have better taste and nutrients.
• I made some Sunshine toast without flipping the bread. You may adjust to your own preference.
• You may serve this toast with sausages, ham, salad, baked beans or bacon.

Cheese Sandwich:

Ingredients:
Left over round shape bread from the cutting
Slices of tomato
Slice of cheese
1 egg, lightly beaten with pinch of salt
Dash of dried herbs
Butter for pan-frying
Skewers/sticks

Method:
1. Lightly beat egg with pinch of salt, sprinkle dash of dried herbs.
2. Heat up frying pan with butter, dip bread into the egg batter.
3. Pan-fry in low heat, flipping both sides until bread is lightly brown.
4. Dish up, sandwich the bread with slice of tomato and cheese in between. Secure with a skewer.
5. Serve and enjoy.

Note:
• You may add meat, seafood, bacon or salad leaves for the filling. Be as versatile as you can!

Yogurt with Dried Nuts & Fruits

2011-04-18T16:13:00.017+08:00

Hi there, how are you doing? I am currently on busy schedule, juggling between work and home including couching my little boy on his revision and homework. Meanwhile, I am on healthy diet now by replacing my breakfast and snack time with healthy & delicious bites. Morning is always a rush for me hence something simple like Low-fat milk with cereal, cornflakes, muesli or oats are my best selection. Beside, snack time is also important for me to make sure that I didn't opt for something unhealthy and high calories. *Need to watch the scale needle*( *LOL)

Yogurt has been my all-time favourite, nuts and fruits are good compliment to it. These combination were served for breakfast in the hotel cafe during my last trip. I have got addicted to it, it is simply tasty and need not to say yogurt is good for your digestive tract. Our body needs to have a healthy amount of ''good'' bacteria in the digestive tract, and many yogurts are made using active, good bacteria. One of the words you’ll be hearing more of in relation to yogurt is ''probiotics.'' Probiotic, which literally means ''for life,'' refers to living organisms that can result in a health benefit when eaten in adequate amounts. In fact, the health benefits of yogurt are so impressive that many health-conscious people make it a daily habit. (Reference from webmd)

Most of us like to munch on nuts including myself. It will be great if we can roast them at home, like what my good friend did. If you wish to try it out at home on how to roast cashew nut, do hop on her blog to find out.

Nuts contain the essential fatty acids linoleic and linolenic acids, and the fats in nuts for the most part are unsaturated fats, including monounsaturated fats. Many nuts are good sources of vitamins E and B2 (riboflavin, an antioxidant), and are rich in protein, folate, fiber, and essential minerals such as magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and selenium. Raw or unroasted walnuts are considered the healthiest, with twice as many anti-oxidants as other nuts.
Several epidemiological studies have revealed that people who consume nuts regularly are less likely to suffer from coronary heart disease (CHD).(Reference from wikipedia). Some nuts may pose allergy to those allergic person. So, take cautious before consuming any nuts.

Dried fruits meet dietary guidelines for daily fruit servings and address barriers to fruit intake. The greatest benefit of including dried fruits regularly in the diet is that it is a means to expand overall consumption of fruit and the critical nutrients they contain. Dried fruits have the advantage of being very easy to store and distribute, they are readily incorporated into other foods and recipes, relatively low cost and present a healthy alternative to sugary snacks. The scientific basis for the recommendations to increase fruit consumption in the diet by health authorities is the epidemiological evidence that individuals who regularly eat generous amounts of these foods have lower rates of cardiovascular disease, obesity, several cancers, diabetes and otherchronic diseases. (Reference from Wikipedia)

Some useful sites on dried nuts and dried fruits:
http://www.fave.com.sg/driedfruits.htm
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/nuts-health-benefits.html

Since consuming yogurt, dried nuts and fruits have so many health benefits. It is a good start for us to prepare and consume them daily to replace unhealthy diet or snacks! Hope you too will join me for more healthier snacks! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
135g Plain/Flavoured Yogurt (I used Nestle Mixed Berries Yogurt)
Cocktail dried nuts & fruits (I used Tong Garden All Natural Cocktail Snack)

Just pour yogurt in a cup or bowl, sprinkle some of your favourite dried fruits and nuts. Sit back and enjoy!

Note:
• You may choose variety of yogurt flavours, nuts and fruits of your choice such as walnut, hazelnut, dried cranberries, strawberries, apricot & etc.
• Choose dried nuts & fruits that no added salt and sugar.
• Tong Garden All Natural Cocktail Snack consists of cashew nuts, pistachio, almond, dried figs & raisin (black & golden).

Tong Garden All Natural Cocktail Snack :
• No added salt & sugar
• No added preservative
• A Trans Fatty Acid Free food
• No added Artificial Colouring
• A naturally low sodium food
• A naturally Cholesterol-Free food

Nutritious Fish Soup

2011-03-30T14:47:00.009+08:00

This is another nutritious fish soup I whipped up for my family. Since I have some left over salmon fish bones, I think making a nutritious soup from all these bones is the best. Especially for my growing up son which needs a lot of calcium, Omega 3, DHA and EPA. Making this fish soup is simply easy and delicious. We prefer plenty of vegetables in our soup, thus it is the best to use it for ABC soup (mixed vegetables soup). I added few slices of fresh ginger to cover some fishy smell.

This soup is indeed nutritious, delicious and versatile. You may replace with your favourite vegetables in this recipe. I added some macaroni in the left over soup and it makes a great lunch for my little boy. As for myself, I would have this soup alone to replace heavy lunch as part of my healthy diet plan, *wink* need to shed off some pound now as the weighing scale needle is shooting up! *sigh*

Besides, having a warm fish soup is so comforting especially during the cold season. If you too need a bowl of warm nutritious soup, you may want to give this a try! Sit back, relax and enjoy!

Ingredients:
Fish bones (about 200-300gm) (I used Salmon fish bones)
1.2 liter of water
5 slices of fresh ginger
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 medium-sized carrot, cut into small chunks
1 large US potato, cut into small chunks
1 large tomato, quartered - remove seeds
1 handful of fresh coriander leaves
Salt to taste

Method:
1. Bring water to a boil. Add in ginger and fish bones. Bring it to a boil again, then turn to low heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Drain the fish soup, transfer to another pot. (make sure there is no bones left behind)
3. Bring to boil again, add in all the ingredients except coriander leaves.
4. Simmer under low heat for another 15 mins or until the ingredients are soften.
5. Add in coriander leaves towards the last 5 mins. Add salt to taste.
6. Serve while warm, re-heat if the soup turns cold.

Note:
• Use salmon fish bones give more sweetness and nutrients to the soup.
• You may use salmon fish head.
• You may also add yellow onion or fresh herbs to enhance the soup.

Pan-fried Salmon Fillets with Garlic and Ginger

2011-03-07T15:58:00.009+08:00

Hey there! How are you doing? How was your weekend? Weekend is one of those days that I can have some rest, flipping my recipe books, surf the net to hop to some blogs, searching for exciting recipes and to whip up a wholesome meal for my family. Last weekend, I was motivated to shop for some fresh salmon fish and had enough time to be in the kitchen for half of the day to whipped up some nutritious dishes, it was indeed very satisfying.

Salmon is low in calories and saturated fat, yet high in protein, and a unique type of health-promoting fat, the omega-3 essential fatty acids (Reference for Omega-3 Fatty Acids). Wild-caught cold water fish, like salmon, are higher in omega-3 fatty acids than warm water fish. According to this reference site, Omega-3s better absorbed from Salmon than cod liver oil supplement. (Reference and more info on Salmon here). Thus, it is better to consume natural food to absorb their maximum goodness. Hence, Salmon fish which is a good source of EPA and DHA are essential for growing up kids too.

This lovely pink-hued salmon can be served in a variety of ways and is always a favorite among fish lovers. I am one of the salmon fish lover and I prefer to grill or pan-fry it. Salmon fish could be quite fishy at times depending on the cooking method, thus I chose to marinate it with salt, pepper and dried herbs. Then, pan-fried it with garlic and ginger. My son loves it to bits and keep asking for more. He even requested me to cook it again the next day. Try this out and enjoy the goodness of Salmon. Stay tuned for another nutritious dish using salmon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
Salmon fillet (about 300 - 400gm) - skinless and boneless
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 slices of fresh ginger
Dash of salt, pepper and dried parsley & basil
Olive oil or sunflower oil

Method:
1. Cut salmon fillet into small chunks, marinate with salt, pepper and dried herbs in the fridge for at least an hour.
2. Heat up 3 tbsp of oil. In medium heat, saute garlic and ginger until fragrant.
3. Add in salmon fillets, pan-fry each sides for 3 minutes. Turn over each side carefully with a spatula.
4. Dish up and serve immediately.

Note:
• Do not stir fry the salmon fillets, pan-fry each side gently by turning over with a spatula.
• Do not fry the Salmon fillets for too long to avoid over-cooked and rough texture.
• You may use other herbs, such as rosemary, dill or oregano.

Steamed Tiger Prawns

2011-02-18T16:21:00.005+08:00

This is a simple dish that I whipped up during the Chinese New Year. It is indeed a simple, healthy and delicious dish cooked within minutes. My family loves prawns and it is another dish that usually serve during the CNY reunion dinner. Since, I want to cook something simple and quick, steaming is definitely a healthier choice for me.

Steaming can preserve the quality of the ingredients and lock up all the goodness in it. The prawns taste really scrumptious and springy after steaming. It can even serve by its own, but I prefer adding some seasoning on it to enhance the taste and make them more beautiful. If you too love to savour prawns in the simplest way, I believe you will like this recipe.

Ingredients:
20pcs Large Tiger Prawns
1 tbsp sesame oil
Spring onion, chopped for garnishing (optional)

Seasoning:
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbps Light soya sauce
1 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine (Shao Hsing Hua Tiao Chiew)
half red chilli, minced

Method:
1. Trim tiger prawns by using a kitchen scissors. Make a cut on the prawn to remove vein. Rinse and set aside.
2. Prepare a steaming plate with a steaming pot. Bring the water to a boil.
3. Arrange tiger prawns on the plate and steam in high heat for about 5 - 8 mins.
4. Meanwhile, heat up sesame oil. Sautee garlic until fragrant. Off fire.
5. Mix all the seasoning ingredients. Pour into the garlic oil.
6. Spoon on top of the prawns and cover the prawns for 2 mins in the hot steaming pot.
7. Remove the prawns, garnish with some spring onion/scallion. Serve immediately.

Baked Fish with Mango Salad

2011-01-28T09:52:00.012+08:00

There comes another celebration in few days time. Yes! Chinese New Year is on the way. 恭喜發財！Even we do not celebrate Chinese New Year officially, but we do symbolize it with reunion dinner, visiting relatives and friends during this period of celebration. It will definitely be another busy day for me on the CNY eve as we need to whip up some reunion dinner dishes for the family.

This year, I want to do something different and go mostly for baked dishes. This is one of the simple recipe I want to prepare and it is much healthier for a start of the new year. Baked fish with mango salad was adapt and modified from the Donna Hay magazine. Since, Chinese loves to have fish in their reunion dinner as the Chinese phrase "年年有余“ meaning wishing you prosperity every year. The last word of the phrase sounds the same as the fish "魚“ in Chinese. Thus, we usually will whip a fish dish for the dinner. Isn't it a good start for the year? If you want to know more about CNY phrases, you can find it here.

I love this recipe as the mango salad added a twist of taste for the baked fish. You can have a mixture of sweet, sour, salty and refreshing taste in this dish. The mint leaves bring out the refreshing aromatic taste combined with other salad ingredients. Simply exotic and different from other baked fish dishes. If you too fancy mango salad with fish, do give this recipe a try!
Last by not least, I would like to wish all of you who celebrating Chinese New Year " A Healthy, Prosperous & Joyful " Chinese New Year. Till then, sit back and enjoy your holidays!

Ingredients:
1 X 700gm red snapper, scored on each side
2 stalks lemongrass, bruised
Olive oil for drizzling
sea salt and cracked/ground black pepper
1 large red chilli, thinly sliced
100g bean sprouts
100g green mango, thinly sliced ( I used semi-ripe mango)
1/2 cup mint leaves
3 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced
Lime wedges (optional)

Dressing (mix well):
2 tbsp light soya sauce (premium brand)
1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (Shao Hsing Hua Tiao Chiew)
3 Kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced
1 small red chilli, chopped
1 tsp brown sugar

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 200ºC (400ºF). Prepare aluminum foil about 30cm X 40cm, make sure the fish can fit in nicely.
2. Fold in 3 sides to form an envelope shape. Leave one side open.
3. Place lemongrass and fish inside and seal it properly by folding in the foil.
4. Put on a baking tray and bake for 30 - 35 mins or until the fish is firm to the touch and cooked through.
5. Meanwhile, place chilli, bean sprouts, mango, mint and spring onion in a bowl and toss to combine.
6. To prepare the dressing, mix all the ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
7. Once the fish is ready, carefully open the parcel by cutting the foil in " X " shape and letting the steam escape.
8. Top with the mango salad and spoon over the dressing. Serve immediately with lime wedges.

Note:
• The baking time may vary depending on the size of the fish.
• You may use baking paper for this recipe.

Rice Steamer Seafood Rice

2011-01-13T09:17:00.009+08:00

Hi there! A new start ahead in year 2011. How was your new year celebration? What is your new year resolution? Mine is one of the simplest but important resolution, to keep staying healthy all the time. Recently, I had bought a new rice cooker, it is indeed a rice steamer which comes with a stainless steel pot separately. ANSHIN Rice Steamer is well-known for its safety, healthy and durable concepts. I have been eyeing for a stainless steel pot rice cooker for sometime when I heard of the risky issues of using a non-stick rice cooker. Until the end of 2010, finally I need to change a new rice cooker. Thus, I decided to buy this rice steamer with more cooking functions. You may get more information on the Khind ANSHIN Rice Steamer RCS518 (安心蒸飯鍋) here.

This rice steamer came with an Agnes Chang "Steam Up... For Health" mini recipe book. Those recipes are simple and easy to cook especially for those who loves one pot dish! It saves us a lot of time by using this rice steamer to whip up a healthy meal for the family. Moreover, it is using the steaming method which is healthier. It can also be used to steam meat, fish, chicken, vegetables and other foods. When it is used to steam soup, it can retain the original flavour & nutrients of the soup ingredients.

For this new year and a great year ahead, I would like to have more steaming dishes with less hassle, within short period and enjoy healthy meals at home. This recipe was adapted and modified from the Agnes Chang "Steam Up... For Health" mini recipe book. This steamed seafood rice is full of fragrant, aromatic and delicious. Every Grain of steamed rice is fully cooked to its core, making it soft and fluffy. Let's enjoy one of the steamed rice recipe and have a good year ahead!More reference here. You may find the benefits of this ANSHIN Rice Steamer here.

Serve : 4 servings
Water for steaming (for ANSHIN Rice Steamer RCS518) : 350ml
Cooking time : 35 minutes

Ingredients:
15 pcs of Big-sized prawns, removed shells and vein
3 pcs squid, washed and cut into pieces
200g rice, washed and drained
350ml water
2 star anise
3 cm cinnamon stick
3 cloves
3 tbsp golden raisin
2 cm fresh turmeric, crushed
1 tbsp sliced garlic
2 kaffic leaves
3 tbsp oil
Cashewnuts for garnishing

Seasoning:
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar

Method:
1. Clean and wash the squid, cut into pieces. Clean and remove prawn shells and veins. Set aside.
2. Heat up oil, saute garlic, turmeric, cloves, star anise and cinnamon stick until fragrant and aromatic.
3. Put rice in rice cooker ANSHIN stainless steel pot. Transfer the mixture to the pot.
4. Add in the remaining ingredients (prawns, squid, golden raisin, kaffic leaves and seasonings) to the ANSHIN stainless steel pot.
5. Add enough water just to cover the rice and ingredients, stir well.
6. Pour 350ml water into the ANSHIN Rice Steamer and switch on to cook. When the switch pops up, dish and garnish with cashew nuts.

Note:
• If you do not have ANSHIN Rice Steamer, you can also use the ordinary rice cooker.

Christmas Party Packs

2010-12-22T11:40:00.006+08:00

Here comes the Santa Claus! Here comes the Santa Claus! ...
It is a dream for every children to have some surprises from Santa Claus during Christmas. You can see such an excitement from their little faces to get some goodies especially on Christmas day. As we were doing shopping in some of the major shopping malls, Santa Claus is all around us and he will definitely brings some little gifts for the children. Isn't it so satisfying to see a smile on the little children's faces?

I have also prepared some sweet and cute party packs for the children this Christmas. Isn't it lovely? This idea was adapted from Mitong. It is very versatile, you may add any toppings that you prefer such as chopped nuts, gummies, marshmallow, candy or dried fruits. Make it as colourful and attractive as possible. Are you hook to it now? I am... I would like to make more to be given away this coming Christmas and top with others colourful toppings. Hope you enjoy it and may your Christmas fills with joyful and meaningful moments! Merry Christmas! Till then, we meet again in the Year 2011. Have fun!

Makes approx. 20 pieces of chocolates

Ingredients:
500gm Premium Dark / Milk Chocolate
Smarties
Colourful chocolates rice
Raisin

Method:
1. Melt chocolates in double boiling method. Set aside.
2. Place a sheet of baking paper on the table top.
3. Drop 1 tablespoon of melted chocolates on the baking paper to make a round shape. You may have smaller or bigger size of chocolates, up to your preference.
4. Top with some smarties, colourful chocolates rice and raisin.
5. Leave to set. Once it is set, peel it off from the baking paper.
6. Pack in the transparent plastic bag and tight with paper ribbons.

Note:
1. You may use chop nuts, dried fruits or gummies.
2. You may use any fancy plastic party packs for packing.
3. The amount of the chocolates may vary depending on the size of your droplets. Have fun!

Christmas Goodies - Chocolates

2010-12-20T11:27:00.007+08:00

Hohoho... Merry Christmas! In few days more we will be celebrating Christmas with a lot of delightful food and gifts! This year I want to prepare something special for my guests and also the little children. Guess this special homemade Christmas chocolates in various of shapes would definitely delighting them... do you agree?

It is so simple to make, perhaps a great goodie pack idea for this coming Christmas. My son was amazed with those chocolate cars when I was displaying them on the table. He waited eagerly for the chocolate to set. Need not to say, he savoured most of the chocolates in car shape and gave me thumbs up! I can't wait to pack them in goodie bag and share with my guests and their children on Christmas Day.

If you are also throwing a Christmas party in few days time and running out of ideas, do give this Christmas chocolates a try. It can be ready within hours and surprise your guests with this little creativity. Have fun and enjoy the indulgence! Stay tuned for my next goodie idea for Christmas!

Makes 16 - 18 pieces of chocolates
Ingredients:
250gm Premium Dark Chocolate / Milk Chocolate
1 - 2 Jelly moulds / Chocolate moulds
Some smarties / Gummies

Method:
1. Melt chocolate with double boil method. Set aside to cool a little.
2. Fill moulds with smarties, chopped jelly-O, chopped nuts or dried fruits (raisin, cranberry, mixed fruits).
3. Pour melted chocolate on each molds. Leave it at room temperature until the chocolates are set.
4. Transfer to fridge and chill for few hours or overnight.
5. Remove from fridge, leave it for 5 mins, knock the chocolates out from the moulds.
6. It is ready to be serve or pack. Have fun!

Note:
• I used Dark chocolate as I like the bitter sweet taste of the chocolate.
• Chop the nuts, gummies, dried fruits into small pieces before filling them in the moulds.
• The amount of chocolates vary depending on the size of your molds.

Chicken with Spicy Sauce

2010-12-03T12:13:00.012+08:00

Do you like spicy sauce? If you do, I believe you will like this dish. I liked the taste and smell of ginger in this sauce and it really did brings out the fragrant of this dish. It is indeed appetizing especially when you are craving for something sweet and spicy. It is quite similar to the "Malays ayam masak merah" sauce but this spicy sauce uses plenty of ginger and also bean paste.

Many of the Malaysian like hot and spicy food, hence we always modify some of the authentic sauces base on our own preferences. Thus, many new dishes and sauces are created base on the authentic sauces.

Since my family likes spicy food, I whipped up this simple yet appetizing chicken with spicy sauce for dinner and it was finished in no time including the sauce! (* but not for kids - LOL) If you too prefer something spicy, sweet, savoury and appetizing once in a blue moon, try this out!

Ingredients:
One whole chicken (about 2Kg), removed skin and chop into pieces
2 stalk of lemon grass (about 2 inches long), crushed
2 cloves of garlic, minced
3 - 4 tbsp of Sunflower oil
Salt to taste

Ingredients for sauce (blend to paste):
8 cloves of garlic, remove skin - leave whole
8 fresh chillies, remove seeds, chop coarsely
6 inches of ginger, remove skin, cut into pieces
1 tbsp of fermented bean paste (tau cheong)
3-4 tbsp of water

Method:
1. Marinade chicken with 3 tbsp Premium light soya sauce for 1 hour, set aside.
2. Heat up oil, saute garlic until fragrant but not brown.
3. Add in lemon grass, saute until fragrant.
4. Add in chicken, stir fry chicken until fragrant in medium fire.
5. Blend all the sauce ingredients in the food processor.
6. Pour the sauce paste in the chicken, keep on stirring until sauce is boiled.
7. Reduce fire, simmer until sauce is thicken. Add salt to taste. You may remove the lemon grass before serving.
8. Dish up, serve warm with rice.

Note:
• Stir fry chicken until all the liquid dries up.
• Simmer sauce in low fire until sauce is fragrant.
• If you prefer spicier sauce, substitute fresh chillies with dried chillies.
• Adjust the sauce ingredients according to your taste-bud. Be versatile and be creative!

Stir fry Ginger Turmeric Chicken

2010-11-25T14:33:00.011+08:00

Ginger and turmeric are well known of their goodness of promoting general good health. Ginger has many health benefits such as helping digestion, reducing nausea, minimize the symptoms of respiratory conditions, colds and allergies. I had made myself a cup of sweet ginger soup during the cold season to relieve my cold symptoms. It is a natural spice and is known world wide for its smell and pungent taste. Need not to say, we use ginger in various cuisine. No matter which cuisine or method of cooking, ginger has become a versatile ingredient in the kitchen.

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) is a member of the ginger family, it is a powerful antiseptic and anti oxidant. Turmeric has variety of health benefits too such as strengthen bones, inhibits cell damage, fights diarrhea and many more. It's bright yellow colour naturally makes the dishes more appealing without any artificial colouring needed. Hence, turmeric powder is often use for cooking rice or some Indian dishes which give a bright and appetizing natural colouring. Check out my Turmeric Butter Fragrant Rice and the picture of fresh turmeric here.

These two ingredients are my all time favourite, especially during the confinement period. Today's featured recipe is based on these two natural spices and also one of my favourite dish. If you prefer a strong smell and taste of ginger, you can either pound or blend it beforehand. By using these natural spices you can whip up a chicken dish full of natural goodness in it.

Reference on ginger & turmeric:
Benefits of ginger
Benefits of turmeric
WHFOODS - Turmeric
Check out on how to store Turmeric here

Ingredients:
10 pcs of chicken drumsticks, removed skin
4 inches long of fresh ginger, minced
1 inch long of fresh turmeric, minced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
3 tbsp of sunflower oil

Seasoning (mix well):
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp light soya sauce (use premium brand)
1 tbsp Shio Xing rice wine
Dash of white pepper

Method:
1) Wash and pat dry chicken, chop chicken drumsticks into 2-3 portions.
2) Marinate with 5 tbsp of light soya sauce & dash of white pepper for 2 hours.
3) Heat up oil, saute garlic until fragrant but not brown. Immediately add in ginger and turmeric.
4) Saute the ingredients until fragrant in medium fire.
5) Add in chicken drumsticks, stir fry until chicken is cooked and tender in medium fire. (See note 2)
6) Finally, add in seasoning, stir fry until seasoning thicken. Adjust the seasoning according to your taste-bud.
7) Dish up and serve with hot steamed rice.

Note:
• You may sprinkle some water at Step No. 6 if you find the chicken is too dry.
• Make sure to stir fry the chicken long enough until it absorb all the spices taste and liquid is almost dries up.
• You may blend the fresh ginger and turmeric to get a smooth paste.
• You may add more ginger or turmeric according to your taste.
• Garnish or serve with chopped coriander leaves or mint leaves.

Weekend Herb Blogging is a great way of gathering and introducing readers on herbs/spices recipes & goodness.
I am submitting this recipe to Weekend Herb Blogging #261, which is housed by Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once and hosted this week by Anh from A Food Lover's Journey

Baked Portobello & Prawn Aglio Olio

2010-11-16T16:37:00.011+08:00

Take a look at those fresh and big portobello... isn't it beautiful? I can't resist them! I have been eyeing for those portobello in the hypermarket for sometime and that's it I grabbed a packet of them and whipped up something cheesy for dinner! To me, the portobello is the "King" of the mushrooms. It is vibrant, big, strong, juicy, sophisticated and did I say, pricey? Nevertheless, it is pricey in Malaysia.

In general, mushrooms are low in calories, fat-free, cholesterol-free and very low in sodium, yet they provide several nutrients, including selenium, potassium, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin D and more. Mushrooms are the only fresh vegetable or fruit with vitamin D. It helps protect against some cancers, good source of B vitamins and it is a source of the essential antioxidant selenium in the produce aisle. Reference from here. Check out more info on portobello here.

Can you imagine having juicy baked portobello stuffed with plenty of ingredients and melting cheese in your mouth? *simply heaven!* Serve them with the prawn aglio olio is such a prefect match made in heaven! It is a nutritious, sophisticated and tantalizing combination for a perfect dinner. Next time, if you want to impress your partner or friends, throw them a perfect make over party with these dishes. They will definitely give you a round of applause! Moreover, it is home cook! *wink*

Mushrooms before baked

Ingredients:
10 pcs Portobello mushroom
20 pcs medium-sized prawns
1/4 red bell pepper, diced
1/4 yellow bell pepper, diced
Mozzarella/cheddar cheese
Salt to taste
Dried oregano, basil & coriander leaves
Paprika
Freshly ground black pepper
Extra virgin olive oil

Method:
1. Rinse portobello mushrooms briefly, pat dry and set aside.
2. Grease a baking tray or dish with some olive oil.
3. Arrange portobello mushrooms bottom up on the baking tray. Sprinkle some salt & cheese on each mushrooms.
4. Pre-heat oven to 350ºF. Heat up 2 tablespoons of olive oil, saute bell peppers briefly.
5. Add in prawns and saute briefly. Off fire.
5. Sprinkle salt, black pepper, dried oregano, basil, coriander leaves & paprika. Mix well
6. Spoon mixture onto each mushrooms. Top up with more cheese.
7. Sprinkle extra olive oil. Bake at 350ºF until cheese melted (approx. 10-15 mins depending on the size of your mushroom).
8. Serve with prawn fusilli aglio olio.

Note:
1. Choose fresh and big portobello. Do not soak fresh mushroom, wash briefly.
2. Baking time may vary depending on the size of the mushrooms.

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Recipe for Prawn Fusilli Aglio Alio

Ingredients:
3 cups fusilli
20 pcs large prawns, remove shells
1/4 yellow bell pepper, slice thinly
1/4 red bell pepper, slice thinly
3 cloves garlic, minced
Extra virgin olive oil

Seasoning:
Salt to taste
Paprika/chilli flakes, dash
Dried oregano, dash
Dried basil, dash
Parmesan cheese, grated

Method:
1. Cook fusilli according to the pack instruction. Drained. (see note 1)
2. Heat up olive oil, saute garlic. Add in bell peppers. Stir fry for 1 min.
3. Add in prawns, stir fry until prawns turn pink.
4. Pour in fusilli. Stir fry for another minute. Off fire.
5. Add seasoning, except parmesan cheese. Toss well.
6. Dish up. Add parmesan cheese just before serving.

Note:
1. Prepare a pot of water with pinch of salt and dash olive oil. Add in fusilli and cook until al-dente.
2. You may use spaghetti, penne, linguine or farfalle to replace fusilli.
3. The serving size is vary depending to the amount of people.

Fish ball Vegetable Soup

2010-11-09T09:53:00.005+08:00

This fish ball vegetable soup is one of the most simple and quick recipe I made when I am running out of time to whip up a meal for the family. As a working mum, I intend to opt for quick and easy recipe which do not require much preparation and cooking time during weekdays. At times, I am running out of idea on what to cook for dinner during the weekdays. I guess this is a norm for the working mom out there too? Simple soup did safe my day especially during the cold season.

To make this soup more nutritious, you may also buy those fresh homemade fish balls selling in the market or make the fish paste from scratch at home and keep them for rainy days! Sound great isn't it? If you are looking for a good recipe on how to make homemade fish paste/ball, hop on to my good friend's foodblog on how she masters her mother-in-laws homemade fish paste recipe. Proudly presenting to you Food4tots on How to make smooth springy fish paste. I would indeed try her recipe when I have more time and keep them for rainy days in the future.

Back to this quick and simple soup. It is not only quick to cook and prepare, it is also a nutritious soup to coax your little ones to consume vegetables. My son loves to eat those tomatoes in the soup together with the rice, and need not to say he is a fish ball lover too. You may substitute the chicken stock with vegetable stock or fish stock. This recipe is simply versatile according to your taste-bud. Since, this recipe is so versatile, you can prepare the stock beforehand and freeze it for quick use. Another helpful and simple recipe for those working mum, hope you enjoy it.

Ingredients:
10 pcs fresh fish balls
2 tomatoes, quartered - remove seeds
1 bunch green vegetable (I used Chinese green lettuce -yau mak)
1 cloves garlic, minced
Sunflower oil

Seasoning:
600ml chicken stock
Salt & pepper to taste

Method:
1. Wash and rinse the green vegetable stalk by stalk. Drain and set aside.
2. Rinse fish balls, make a cross mark on the fish balls. Set aside.
3. Heat up 2 tablespoons of oil, saute garlic till fragrant, but don't brown it.
4. Pour in chicken stock. Bring to the boil. Reduce to medium fire.
5. Add in tomatoes, simmer until tomato is half soften.
6. Add in fish balls and green vegetable. Simmer for 5 mins.
7. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm.

Note:
• The cross mark makes on the fish ball is only for beautifying purpose.
• Choose good quality fresh fish balls from the market or homemade fish paste for better taste.
• You may use fish stock or vegetable stock besides chicken stock.
• You may substitute other vegetables such as, carrot, bean sprout, spinach, cauliflower, broccoli or asparagus.
• Some other vegetable like carrot, cauliflower, broccoli or asparagus need blanching before use.

Halloween Cupcakes

2010-10-25T15:25:00.012+08:00

Hi there! This month has been a busy month for me as you may realised that I haven't post as often as before. Eventually, I still cook and bake as usual but just can't really find time to sit down and squeeze my brain cells to draft any post out of it.

This post is kinda short and sweet one, specially dedicated for this coming eventful day, the HALLOWEEN! Just few more days to go! I baked this special cupcakes which are a bit different from the ordinary cupcakes. What is the difference? Well, I liked the outcome of this recipe and I thought it will be great to put in paper cups and it risen like the "Souffle". Wow! it saves me sometime to touch up the top! *wink* Well, it is meant for Halloween, so it makes the outlook a bit extra ordinary! Kinda fun, right?

I had them out from the paper cups and popped them on the plate with some icing decoration on it. It looks like pudding? Well, that is the beauty of these cakes for this eventful celebration, isn't it? You can decorate them in whatever ways you prefer for halloween... *wink* If you want something that is fun, exciting and creative for this coming Halloween, you may want to try this out!

Oh yes! The texture and the taste of these cakes or shall I call them "patty cakes" are simply soft, moist and delicious lemony taste. Thus, decorating them with some Halloween stuffs are definitely appealing. Do you want to bring some for your halloween party? haha... Till then, wishing all of you who celebrating Halloween, "Have a wonderful treat!"

Ingredients:
225g plain flour
3 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
150g butter, softed
140g caster sugar
60ml milk
1 & half tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp lemon rind

Method:
1. Pre-heat oven to 350ºF.
2. Sift plain flour with baking powder. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, combine butter, sugar, lemon rind and mix until creamy.
4. Add in eggs one by one. Mix well.
5. Add in milk and lemon juice. Mix well.
6. Add flour batch by batch into the batter and stir well.
7. Prepare 12 paper cups or 12-holes muffin tray.
8. Scoop batter into paper cups about 85-90% full.
9. Bake at 350ºF for 20-25 mins or until cupcakes are risen and cooked.
10. Test with a skewer or toothpick. If the skewer comes out clean, the cakes are done.
11. Remove from oven. Cool on rack. Decorate them with some icing. Have fun!

Note:
• Baking time & temperature may vary depending on your oven's function and size of the cupcakes.
• You may use the electric mixer for this recipe.

Icing decoration:
200gm icing sugar
100gm butter
Food colouring liquid

Method:
1. Put icing sugar with butter in a mixing bowl.
2. Drop a few dropplets of food colouring. Mix well.
3. Do not mix them too long or else the icing will become watery and causing difficulty to pipe.

Honey Mint Tea

2010-10-14T17:05:00.007+08:00

The weather is getting hot and humid here, by having a cup of honey mint tea definitely can quench the thirst away. Nevertheless, you can also enjoy an aromatic and soothing tea while enjoying the movie, sandy beach or a book. I have got a weak stomach recently, I found mint is one of the natural remedy of soothing the nervous stomach. Thus, I was tempted to gave it a try, moreover herbs are well-known of their natural healing power.

Mint is well known for its ability to sooth digestive tract and reduce the severity and length of stomach aches. In addition, mint teas and other herbal preparations have shown great promise at easing the discomfort associated with irritable bowel syndrome, and even at slowing the growth of many of the most harmful bacteria and fungi. The well-documented anti fungal properties of mint are thought to play a role in the treatment of asthma and many allergy conditions as well. There are many more benefits of mint and consuming mint here, check out more at this website (reference).

This tea is so easy to prepare, you may serve it warm or chill. It would also be a fast and easy drinks to prepare when you are having cocktail party or any occasions.

Ingredients:
1 cup of Mint leaves (leaves part only)
600ml of water
2 tbsp Organic Honey (adjust to taste)

Methods:
1. Bring the water to a boil. Add in mint leaves, simmer for 5 mins.
2. Drain, let cool.
3. Add in honey. Serve.

Note:
• You may add in ice cubes or chill the drink.
• You may adjust the amount of mints and water according to your preference.

Sweet Sauce for Yam Cake

2010-09-24T09:16:00.008+08:00

Yam cake is my all time favourite Chinese traditional snack. I can't resist the temptation of getting some of it if I stumble upon them. Yam cake is serve with a type of sweet sauce, usually homemade during my childhood time. Nowadays, this sweet sauce has been commercialize, many of the food hawker or cafe purchase this sauce from pre-packed supplier, which didn't taste as good as the homemade sauce.

I made this yam cake for few times and I just love this recipe which is "zero failure" with satisfying texture. Hop over to my previous post on this yam cake here. Last week, I made this yam cake again (see note) and was craving for the sweet sauce that serve together with the yam cake. It is definitely a good companion if I can have the homemade yam cake with homemade sweet sauce. Agreed?

Thus, I googled for the sweet sauce recipe but leads me to no where. I can't get a perfect recipe that makes a simple and traditional sweet sauce for yam cake. Hence, from all the information I have gathered, I put on my thinking hat and some information that I recalled from my late grandma, I began to experiment. Started with mixing, blending, adding, stirring, testing and repeat the process again until I achieved the taste and consistency that fit my requirement.

The sweet sauce came out to be quite close to those homemade sauce selling by the food hawkers. I have never imagine it is so easy and simple to make this sauce at home. All of us enjoyed the yam cake with this sweet sauce and finished the whole tray of yam cake. *wink*

This sweet sauce is made from simple ingredients which you can find them easily. The combination of beans paste 豆酱 (doujiang - in Chinese language), sugar, water, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce and corn flour give you a delicious homemade sweet sauce whenever you need it. This sweet sauce also suitable for dim sum, steamed radish cake, steamed/fried dumplings, fried radish cake, chee cheong fun or yong tau foo (stuffed vegetable with fish paste). If you too want some homemade sweet sauce for any dessert or snack next time, give this recipe a try! You may adjust the ingredients in this recipe to suits your own preference and taste.

RECIPE FOR SWEET SAUCE

This recipe is based on my own preference. The sauce is sufficient for 8" round tray of yam cake.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp Taucheo (fermented soy beans paste / 豆酱)
300ml of water
1/2 cup White Sugar
4 tsp Cornflour + 4 tbsp water (mix well)
1 tbsp Premium Light Soy Sauce
3 tbsp Premium Dark Soy Sauce

Method:
1. Put Taucheo with water in a food proccessor. Blend well.
2. Pour Taucheo paste in a sauce pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce to low fire.
3. Add in sugar, stir and mix well under low fire about 10 mins.
4. Add in cornflour mixture and stir well. Add in dark soy sauce and light soy sauce.
5. Simmer under low fire and stir occasionally until the sauce is thicken.

Note:
• This time I didn't add in the pre-fried dried shrimp and fried shallot into the yam cake, instead I used them for topping.
• You may use either smooth or chunky bean paste. I used smooth version.
• Adjust the amount of corn flour to achieve the desired thickness.
• Adjust the amount of sugar according to your taste. You may substitute white sugar with brown sugar.
• Simmer under low fire, stir occasionally until sauce is thicken.
• The sauce shouldn't be too watery nor too thick. Check the consistancy of the sauce from time to time.

Info on Bean Paste - from WISEGEEK

Wholesome 5 Grain Porridge

2010-09-14T11:57:00.009+08:00

This is the companion dish of the rice cooker chicken I have mentioned in my previous post. My apology for the delay as I was too busy with so many holidays and activities for the past few weeks. Oh yes! We had a great month with so many public holidays including the Hari Raya. Thus, there is a lot of outings for my family. Well, we did enjoyed these holiday hang out and in fact a good break for a working mom like me.

All right, back to the dish today, this 5 grain porridge is a perfect companion of the rice cooker chicken. It is indeed healthy and nutritious. The 5 grain rice (香軟五谷米) that I have bought from an organic shop consists of organic millet, organic buckwheat, red rice, red mountain rice and brown rice. A good combination to make some nutritious porridge. To make it a wholesome meal, I have added some mushroom and lettuce in it.

Consuming more whole grains in our diet is a good way of healthy eating. Besides, whole grains contain high fiber which helps in our digestive system. By consuming more whole grains helps in reducing our weight (weight management) and also promoting general health benefits. For example, buckwheat is a grain that's good for your cardiovascular system, helps in maintaining better blood sugar control, lowering risk of diabetes and protect against heart disease. (Reference from WHFOODS)

Another popular grain which has been known for long time is the millet. Millet is one of the oldest foods known to humans and possibly the first cereal grain to be used for domestic purposes. Today, millet ranks as the Sixth most important grain in the world, sustains 1/3 of the world's population and is a significant part of the diet for various countries. (Reference from here)

I have first introduced millet to my son when he was ready to take solid. It was indeed a very versatile grain in variety ways of cooking. My favourite ways of using millet were making millet porridge, boiling barley water with millet, cooking millet with rice for my son during his younger days. Until today, I still love to use millet in cooking porridge or adding them into the rice. A good choice for baby or toddler that is ready for solid in their diet.

As I have heard of 5 grain rice long time ago and wish to give them a try in making porridge which can be served together with the shredded rice cooker chicken. You may add some white rice if you are not use to the texture of 5 grain rice for the first time. I find that the porridge is so fragrant, it brings out the sweetness and it is not starchy compared to the white rice porridge. You need a longer time to cook the 5 grain rice as it takes long time to get soften. Nevertheless, this wholesome 5 grain porridge is a prefect lunch for the whole family. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 cup 5 grain rice, washed and soaked
Half cup of white rice
6 stalks Dried mushroom, washed and soaked
Some lettuce, washed and chopped (optional)
Spring onion, chopped
2 tbsp Concentrated Chicken Stock (adjust to your taste)
White pepper to taste
Sesame oil

Method:
1. Wash and soak 5 grain rice and mushroom separately for 3 - 4 hours.
2. Bring 1 litre of water to a boil. Once it is boil, add in 5 grain rice and simmer for 10 mins.
3. Add in white rice and cook until rice achieve the porridge texture on low fire. Stir occasionally
4. If the water is insufficient, add more water until you achieve the desire porridge texture.
5. Add in mushroom and simmer until the mushroom is soft. Add in chicken stock and lettuce. Mix well.
6. Off fire, serve porridge in a bowl, sprinkle pepper to taste.
7. Arrange shredded chicken meat from the rice cooker chicken on top of the porridge.
8. Drizzle some sesame oil and garnish with spring onion.

Note:
• Make sure to cook porridge until the desire texture is achieved. The porridge shouldn't be too thick nor too watery.
• You may substitute chicken stock with salt if you do not have chicken stock in hand.
• You may add fried shallots during serving time to enhance the porridge.
• You may use only 5 grain rice for this recipe.

Rice Cooker Chicken

2010-09-02T12:05:00.009+08:00

This was my first attempt using rice cooker to cook chicken. I was inspired by one of the article and recipe in the Flavours Magazine by Maria Cordero, a well-known Hong Kong singer-cum-actress. She is not only well-known of her powerful voice but also had a passion for food even before her showbiz career kicked off. As the eldest daughter in the family, she started to cook at her very young age as she came from a poor family of seven. Thus, she needs to cook her meals according to budget which able to feed the whole family.

As the Hong Kong Tourism Board ambassador during a recent stop in Kuala Lumpur to promote the island's new Wine & Dine Festival, she whipped up some healthy and easy to cook dishes. One of them is the "Rice Cooker Chicken". As I read on, I was inspired by this simple and easy recipe which can turn the chicken to a delicious dish using rice cooker in the absence of an oven. This easy to prepare recipe produces a juicy, aromatic chicken with a slightly crispy skin. Isn't it awesome? (Reference from Flavours Magazine Nov-Dec Issue)

Thus, I can't wait to try it out last "Merdeka Day" holiday and treated my family with this easy, delicious and tender chicken. It is indeed healthy and suitable to be served with rice or noodles or on its own. I have modified the original recipe by replacing salt with light soy sauce to marinade the chicken. Nevertheless, the chicken still tender, juicy and aromatic. You won't know how useful this humble rice cooker is until you find out how to make good use of it to whip up some delicious food. If the next time you need a quick and healthy dish, try this out and it will surely impress you. Stay tuned for my next dish that goes with this delicious chicken!

Source: Recipe adapted and modified from Flavours Magazine

Ingredients:
4 Chicken Whole Legs (with skin attached) or 1 Chicken (about 1 Kg)
5 stalks of Spring onion, cut into 10 cm length
10 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
3 tbsp Shao Xing rice wine

Seasoning:
10cm fresh ginger, minced finely
1 tbsp Chinese five-spice powder
1 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 tsp Salt (I substituted with 1/2 cup of premium light soy sauce)
5 tsp Sesame oil (I used only 2 tsp)

Method:
1. Combine all the seasoning mix and rub it all over the chicken except sesame oil. Marinade in the fridge for 30 mins.
2. Rub 1 tsp sesame oil over the chicken and set aside the remaining oil. (I used 2 tsp)
3. Stuff half of the spring onions and shallots into the belly of the chicken and place the rest in the bottom of the rice cooker pot. (Since I am using 4 whole legs, I didn't stuff them in but place all of them in the bottom of the rice cooker pot).
4. Place the chicken in the pot and pour the rice wine over the chicken. Cover the lid and turn the electric rice cooker on. Cook accordingly.
5. Cook the chicken for 20 mins or until the button pop up. Leave the chicken in the pot for 5 mins.
6. Test the chicken with a skewer, if the juices run clear, the chicken is done.
7. If you are using whole chicken, remove and plunge the chicken in cold water for 30 seconds. Remove from the water and drain.
8. Brush the remaining sesame oil over the chicken. Cut the chicken into pieces or shred the chicken to serve.
9. If you are using whole legs, remove all the ingredients, chop the whole legs into pieces, shred or serve as it is. (I didn't plunge with cold water)

Note:
• Use premium light soy sauce to have a better aroma and taste.
• Spoon some of the gravy from the pot and pour on the whole legs before serving.
• The bottom of the rice cooker pot might have a sticky layer caused by the light soy sauce and the ingredients. Soak the pot with hot water until the layer is removed. Use non-stick rice cooker pot is advisable.

Special Frozen Cubes (Ice cubes)

2010-08-24T09:14:00.011+08:00

Do you like these cute and colourful frozen cubes? It is iced cubes with slices of fruits in it. I saw this little trick in making beverages more appealing in a fun way from the Women's weekly's cookbook. So, I thought why not give it a try! I have some lemon, lime and strawberries in hand, it will great to make them into these cute little iced cubes with jelly mould! It gives those square and boring iced cubes a new facelift! Aren't they? You can make them using the jelly moulds or ice moulds with variety of shapes. Check this out for variety of ice moulds design.

One of the ways to beautify and chill up your drink for a special occasion and to surprise your guests, these cubes will definitely make the magic. It makes your beverage more colourful and appealing! Nevertheless, it also adding a twist of fruity, lemony and refreshing taste to your beverage! I loved it.

I have added them to my lemony soft drinks and it is simply beautiful! How satisfying to enjoy a glass of drinks with colourful outlook and refreshing taste of real fruits. Do this simple trick to brighten up a cocktail party or simply use them to decorate your favourite drinks!
You may also use variants of fruits and fresh herbs such as blueberry, kiwi, orange, mint leaves or lemon grass to make this special frozen cubes! An easy and simple way to cheer up your party! *wink*

In conjunction with the Malaysia "Merdeka Day" (Malaysian Independence Day) on 31st August, I would like to wish all Malaysian Happy Merdeka Day! Let's beautify and chill up this celebration with colourful drinks!

Ingredients:
Jelly moulds or ice moulds

Variants of fruits or fresh herbs (sliced)
- lemon
- lime
- strawberry
- blueberry
- kiwi
- raspberry
- orange
- grapefruit
- fresh mint leaves
- lemongrass

Method:
1. Slice fruits and herbs into thin slices that can fit into your moulds.
2. Place each moulds a slice or two.
3. Fill with drinking water or filtered water.
4. Freeze them in the freezer for 6 - 8 hours or until the ice cubes are set (best over night).

Note:
• Make sure the selection of fruits or herbs that you choose is suitable for the beverage that you plan to serve.
• Make sure the ice cubes are set and firm before adding them in the beverage.
• Leave the ice moulds at room temperature for 5 mins before knocking it out.
• Add them to your cocktail drinks for more colourful and fruity taste.

Indian Spiced Tea

2010-08-16T14:27:00.013+08:00

Spices are always available in my little kitchen, we have spices ever ready in the kitchen as my mother-in-law and I love to cook dishes with spices. If you have been following my blog posts for long time, you will realize that I love to use spices in my cooking especially, braising meat, mushroom or bean curd and also pan-grilled chicken. We just can't resist the fragrant smell and scrumptious taste of a pot of meat braised with spices. Tomota Rice is also one of our favourite dish using the aromatic spices in it. This round I am keen to explore other culture traditional recipes using spices instead.

My mother-in-law is good in cooking Indian dishes with freshly pound spices at home. Thus, it inspired me to explore Indian recipes with spices, and I started making Indian spiced tea (Masala Chai) 6 months ago. She and I love to have masala chai occasionally with fresh cow's milk we ordered from an Indian man that delivers the fresh milk at your door steps! How lovely and convenient! In my country, fresh cow's milk can be deliver everyday or every week mostly by an Indian man to your house especially in the village area. But, now you can find them in the town housing area too. We have been ordering from this Indian man for long time as the milk that he delivered is fresh and the price is reasonable. Thus, we use this fresh milk to make Indian spiced tea more often recently. The spices fragrant smell with fresh and smooth milk, give you a heart-warming spiced tea especially after a heavy lunch or during tea time. I prefer my spiced tea to be less sweet with more ginger and spices taste. You may also substitute fresh cow's milk with pre-packed fresh/full cream milk. Nevertheless, you may incorporate your favourite spices, such as fennel seeds or peppercorn into this tea, it is quite versatile indeed. See below for variant combination of spices for spiced tea.

Information of Indian spiced tea:
"Masala chai means "spiced tea" is the beverage from the Indian subcontinent made by brewing tea with a mixture of aromatic Indian spices and herbs. There is no fixed recipe or preparation method for masala chai and many families have their own versions of the tea. The tea leaves (or tea dust) steep in the hot water long enough to extract intense flavor, ideally without releasing the bitter tannins. Because of the large range of possible variations, masala chai can be considered a class of tea rather than a specific kind. However, all masala chai has the following four basic components; Tea, sweetener, milk and spices. The traditional masala chai is a bracing, strongly spiced beverage brewed with so-called "warm" spices. Most masala chai incorporates one or more of the following: cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, fennel seeds, peppercorn, and cloves. In India, fresh ginger is often used." Reference here

"Ginger helps to ease sore throats, along with cold and flu symptoms, and it can also calm an upset stomach. Cloves have traditionally been used as an invigorating spice, and they may promote circulation as well. Cinnamon is a common stimulant, while cardamom eases indigestion and helps to calm the consumer. Pepper also promotes healthy digestion. For people who experience indigestion after Indian food, a cup of chai might be a great help. You can read more health benefit of drinking Masala chai here."

Some of my previous recipes using spices:
Grilled Chicken with Spices
Braised Pork ribs with Spices
Braised Pork ribs with Mushroom
Braised Pork Belly with Spices
Tomato Rice

Makes 2 large glasses or 3 medium glasses

Ingredients:
250ml Water
250ml Fresh cow's milk (I used Indian milk)
2 tbsp Dried tea leaves
1.5 tsp Sugar (adjust to your taste) * You may substitute with honey
5cm long fresh Ginger, chopped or bruise it
1 long Cinnamon stick
6 Cardamon, crushed
2 Star Anise
6 Cloves

Method:
1. Bring water to a boil. Add in ginger and boil for 2 min in low fire.
2. Add in the spices and tea leaves, boil for another 5 mins in low fire or until it is fragrant.
3. Add in sugar and fresh milk, simmer for another min. Stir gently.
4. Off the fire when the milk is just boiled. Serve warm.

Note:
• You may add more fresh ginger or spices if you prefer a strong taste.
• Adjust the amount of sugar according to your taste. For this recipe, the fresh cow's milk has natural sweet taste, so I just added 1.5 tsp of sugar.
• A thin layer of coating will appear when the tea cool down if you are using fresh cow's milk or (Indian milk). Just remove the layer with a teaspoon.
• Fresh cow's milk or (Indian milk) has more creamy taste compared to packet carton milk.
• Substitute white sugar with honey for a healthier choice.

Blueberry Banana Smoothie

2010-08-04T14:05:00.006+08:00

Hey! Remember I still have some fresh blueberries freeze in the freezer from my previous post? I got to dig it out and make it into this delicious blueberry banana smoothie. It sounds great to have a glass of chilled smoothie during this warm and humid weather here. At the same time, it add on more fiber and vitamins in our daily consumption. My son is a big fan of all kind of beverages, especially yogurt, juices, smoothies, iced blended & many more. He got so excited with this fresh and yummy blueberry banana smoothie, and it is gone within minutes.

What is so special about this recipe? Besides than the fruity taste, soy milk is one of the main ingredient in this recipe which brings out the sweet and creamy taste of this smoothie. With the combination of yogurt and honey, it tastes heaven as stated in the original recipe. I bet it is even more heavenly by adding some ice cubes in it. Want a glass of fresh, delicious and full of goodness smoothie? Try this out.

Source: Recipe adapted and modified from Allrecipes

Ingredients:
1 frozen medium-sized banana, thawed for 10 to 15 minutes
125ml soy milk
150g blueberry yogurt
1 teaspoon honey
2/3 cup frozen blueberries

Method:
Cut banana into pieces, add in blueberries, soy milk, yogurt and honey. Blend on low speed until smooth, about 5 seconds. Increase to medium speed and blend to desired consistency. Serve immediately.

Blueberry Lemon Muffins

2010-07-28T15:59:00.011+08:00

I prefer muffin with a twist of lemony taste and the combination of yogurt in it which can brings out the moist, tangy and refreshing bites in the mouth. Hence, you know the meaning behind this post, using blueberry, lemon and yogurt as the main ingredients. I find that yogurt or sour cream did a good job in making the muffin more moist and soft even the next day. Need not to say, with the additional of lemon juice and zest, you can imagine the angelic taste of these muffins. Come and join me if you are also interested in making this exotic and refreshing muffins for your family and friends.

My hubby bought back 2 packets of blueberries from his business trip recently, a good reason for me to bake a batch of blueberry muffins for the family and also for my son to pack for school. As I was keen to find a recipe with lemon and yogurt with blueberry, I found this simply delicious recipe from Annabel Karmel. Thus, I did some adjustment from this recipe but it still tastes so delicious, it fits all the requirement that I am looking for. The sourish and tangy taste of the lemon juice is just a prefect companion for the blueberry.

Blueberry is high in anti-oxidant and low in calories. It has many health benefits including improve neurological functions, prevents cholesterol build up, improves eyesight and improve urinary tract health. Reference from here. If you want to find out how to select and store fresh blueberry, refer to this site.

I have freeze the balance of blueberries in the freezer after popping some of them. I kept on popping them while I was snapping those photographs, can't resist the temptation! (LOL) Meanwhile, need to get more fiber and vitamins from this superb berry. *wink* I am still thinking of what to make next with these cute little blueberries. Any idea?

Sourced: Recipe adapted and modified from Annabel Karmel

Makes 8 large muffins

Dry Ingredients:
250 g (9 oz) plain flour
1/2 tsp of salt
1 tbsp baking powder
180 g (6 oz) caster sugar
125 g (4 1/2 oz) blueberries (rinse & pat dry)

Wet ingredients:
2 eggs
180 ml (6 fl oz) sunflower oil
180 ml (6 fl oz) soured cream (I substituted with fresh plain yogurt)
1 tsp vanilla extract
40ml lemon juice
grated zest of 1 small lemon

Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/400°F.
2. Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder and sugar. Stir in blueberries and mix well.
3. Whisk together the eggs, oil, fresh plain yogurt, vanilla extract, lemon juice and zest in a mixing bowl (it will look a bit curdled).
4. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well. Spoon into 8 muffin cups until about 95% full. Place some blueberries on the top to have the blueberries more appealing from the top.
5. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes or until golden brown on the top. Let it sits in the oven for 5 minutes before removing.
6. Test with a skewer, if the skewer comes out clean, the muffins are done! Removed and cool on the rack.
7. Best served warm, you may keep it for a day in an airtight container or freeze it.

Note:
• The baking time & temperature may vary depending on the size of the muffin cup and your oven function. Do adjust accordingly.
• If you do not have muffin tray, you may use aluminum foil cups as the base to support.
• You may get 12 muffins with medium-sized muffin cups.

Puff Pastry Chicken Pie

2010-07-14T13:44:00.006+08:00

My family loves chicken pie to bits, we would surely have chicken pie during the eve of Christmas and New Year day. My mother-in-law is good in making her homemade chicken pie from scratch, meaning from kneading the pastry dough to cooking up the fillings. She had been making homemade pies since her children was young and also for special occasions such as Christmas, birthdays, New Year, Easter and so on. That's the reason why her children are hooked to chicken pie until today. I have also learnt some tips in making pies from her few years ago and hope to continue the pie eating tradition. (LOL) You may hop on to my post on her homemade family pie here.

This round I want to try something different using puff pastry which I have been eyeing it for long time. We always admire those puff pastry chicken puffs or chicken pie in the bakery and of course we will definitely pack them home for tea. Thus, on my way to groceries shopping, I grabbed a packet of puff pastry and is going to make the puff pastry chicken pie for lunch. But, this round I am not using those chicken pie aluminum foil cups / ramekins as it takes longer time to prepare. Thus, I made a square baking dish chicken pie with the puff pastry and dropped the whole tray in the oven. (LOL) If you do need those all in one, fast & easy lunch/dinner, this recipe is definitely a good rescue to you.

Even though this is my first attempt using puff pastry for chicken pie, the result came out to be very good and simply easy! All you have to do is to cook up the fillings, thaw the puff pastry sheets, top them up the fillings, do some simple touch up and pattern. Hoala! This is all ready to bake! Within minutes, the chicken pie smells really good and ready to be serve. Isn' t it a good way to whip up a savoury and mouth-watering lunch? It is also good for party or any special occasion at home. We will make this chicken pie again for the coming Christmas. If you too like puff pastry, try this out!

Makes 20cm X 20cm chicken pie

Ingredients:
2 pieces of 25cm X 25cm puff pastry
2 chicken breasts (about 280g)
1 small carrot, chopped to bite-sized (cube)
1 large US potato, chopped to bite-sized (cube)
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup green peas (I used canned processed peas. Drained off the water)

Seasonings:
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp plain flour
1¼ cup milk (I used full cream milk)
* ½ cup chicken stock (I mixed 2 tbsp of Concentrated Chicken Stock with 1/2 cup of water)
1 tbsp parsley, chopped (I used dried parsley)
Salt and fresh ground black pepper according to your taste

Egg Glaze: 1 egg beaten

Methods:
1. Thaw the puff pastry from the freezer by leaving it on room temperature according to the packaging instruction. Mine is about 10 mins. The puff pastry will be a bit soft to handle but it separates each sheets with a layer of clear plastic sheet. You can separate them with the tip of a butter knife and pull the puff pastry off. Follow the instruction on the packaging.

2. Wash & rinse chicken breasts meat. Put chicken breasts meat in a medium pot, add sufficient water to cover the chicken breasts meat. Add 1 tsp of salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 2 minutes with the lid on. Turn off heat and let it sit for 20 minutes. Remove chicken from the pot. Retain the poaching liquid for chicken stock *.

3. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add the onion, potato and carrot and cook for about 5 - 7 minutes until just softened.

4. Add chicken stock, then add the flour and cook for another minute.

5. Add the milk gradually under low heat, stirring all the time until the sauce is thick and simmering.

6. Meanwhile, flake the chicken breasts meat with fingers, add to the saucepan. Stir well and let simmer for another 2 mins under low heat.

7. Add parsley. Add salt and fresh ground black pepper according to your taste. Stir well.

8. Preheat oven at 400°F. Prepare a 20Cm X 20 Cm baking dish. Line the bottom and side with puff pastry. Brush with egg glaze.

9. Pour in ingredients and spread evenly. Line another layer of puff pastry on top. Fold in sides gently and neatly. Fold the sides in gently, press with a fork to create some pattern. Brush egg glaze on top of the puff pastry.

10. Bake in a preheated oven at 400°F for 20 minutes or until pastry is puffy and golden brown on the top. Transfer to rack to cool. Serve according to your preference.

Note:
• Take out sufficient puff pastry for the recipe and keep the remaining puff pastry sheets back to the freezer immediately.
• Baking temperature and timing may vary depending on your oven and puff pastry. You may need to adjust accordingly.
• You may also make these pies with aluminum foil cups / ramekins. Suitable for party or picnic. It makes 5 - 6 medium-sized ramekins.

Braised Pork Belly with Spices

2010-07-08T15:35:00.009+08:00

Recently, the weather has turn a bit cold and rains very often especially in the evening. Having a pot of braised pork belly with spices is definitely warms up my day. This is another dish with spices which I love to bits especially accompany with a bowl of hot steamed rice. The fragrant of spices spontaneously spiced up my taste bud and give me the satisfaction feeling. Do you like dishes with spices too? Well, you might want to give this dish a try and take your time to savour it during a cold day.

My kitchen cabinet has stored up plenty of spices, especially cinnamon, cloves, star anise, cardamon and many more. It saves me some time when I need to cook up an one pot dish like this! Moreover, it gives you an authentic Asian taste. Lovely! So, let's start wokking!

Ingredients:
300gm Pork belly, cut into chunks
10 pcs canned button mushroom, halved
5 pcs Dried bean curd puffs (tau pok), halved
2 nos Cinnamon, rinsed
2 nos Star Anise, rinsed
3 nos Cloves, rinsed
1 tbsp Black peppercorn, rinsed
5 cloves roasted garlic (retain skin), rinsed & bruised
2 nos Shallots, sliced
approx; 600ml Water

Seasonings:
2 tbsp Shao Xing Chinese rice wine
1/2 cup Light Soya Sauce (adjust according to taste)
1 tbsp Thick Soya Sauce

Methods:
1. Blanch pork belly with hot boiled water. Drained and set aside.
2. Heat up 3 tbsp oil, sautee garlic & shallots till fragrant.
3. Add in cinnamon, star anise & cloves. Sautee for 2 mins.
4. Add in water, bring to boil. Add in black peppercorn.
5. Add in pork belly, mushrooms & bean curd puffs. Bring to the boil & simmer for 5 mins.
6. Add in seasonings except thick soya sauce. Simmer in low fire for about 20 - 30 mins or untill pork belly is soft & tender.
7. Water should have reduced to half & gravy turns thick. Add thick soya sauce, mix well.
8. Dish up. Serve with hot steamed rice.

Note:
• Adjust the water for simmering accordingly. The water should be enough to cover all the ingredients.
• Adjust the seasonings according to your taste.

Japanese Purple Sweet Potatoes

2010-06-28T09:51:00.007+08:00

Fruits and vegetables in purple colour are high in anti-oxidant and also rich in anthocyanin. Anthocyanins are flavenoid compounds responsible for the beautiful bright purple flesh. Anthocyanins in purple sweet potatoes exhibited memory enhancing effects, which may be associated with its antioxidant properties. Cooking the purple sweet potato increases anthocyanin content by 150% over raw samples.

Purple sweet potatoes rank high in nutritional value along with the orange sweet potato. Purple sweet potatoes are a high source of antioxidants from anthocyanins and polyphenolic compounds. They are also a good source of dietary fiber, calcium, iron & complex carbohydrate. Purple sweet potatoes are also very low in fat & sodium. Reference from here

I found these Japanese Purple Sweet potatoes while I was doing my groceries shopping. The desire of eating them had come to my mind and I thought it would be great if I can coax my son to eat these sweet potatoes on its own. At the same time, I can add variety of food colors in my son's diet too. Since, purple sweet potatoes have so much of nutrition, it will be a healthy snack for the whole family. You won't resist something that is sweet, juicy and full of nutrients in it, agree?

To my surprised, my family loved them to bits. These purple sweet potatoes are so sweet, appetizing and refreshing especially eat it while warm. I prepared them in the simplest and easiest way, just dumped them in the boiling water and boil until soft and cooked. I want to eat them in the most natural way. The result is superb, we finished all of them in no time. Meanwhile, you can make them into sweet potatoes soup, bake them or add them in the kid's porridge. It is such a versatile and nutritious ingredient, just impose some of your creativity. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
4 pieces medium-sized Japanese Purple Sweet Potatoes
Boiling water

Method:
1. Rinsed and clean purple sweet potatoes.
2. Boil a pot of water, make sure it is sufficient to cover the sweet potatoes, about 1 inch above the sweet potatoes.
3. Add in sweet potatoes, boil with high heat for approx. 15 mins or the skin begin to crack open.
4. Use a skewer or chopstick to insert in the thickest part of the sweet potato, if it goes in and comes out easily, it is cooked.
5. Drain, let cool a little. Cut or break in into 2 portions. Peel away skins. Serve while warm. Enjoy!

Note:
• Make sure the water covers all the sweet potatoes.
• The boiling time depends on the size of the sweet potatoes. If the sweet potatoes are bigger in size, it may need more time and water to boil.
• The sweet potatoes are cooked when the skins starting to crack open and it is soft when you touch it. You may need to use your judgement in this.

Lemon Chicken Fingers

2010-06-16T10:10:00.012+08:00

Chicken fingers are my family favourite but I don't prefer those commercial or frozen chicken fingers for my growing up kid and my family. My 5 year old son is a big fan of chicken fingers and he even requested me to cook some for him to bring to pre-school. Well, I have tried many ways of making home-cooked chicken fingers but none of them satisfied me, until I got this "mix & match" lemon chicken fingers recipe. This recipe only required simple ingredients and short cooking time.

Since my son and I love the lemony taste, adding lemon juice into the chicken fingers, it is simply scrumptious! Do you think so? You wouldn't resist the smell of pan-fried chicken fingers with fragrant lemony taste. I would stand in front of the cooking stove and wait for these hot from pan lemon chicken fingers to pop into my mouth! *grin*. The chicken fingers are tender & soft inside with golden brown outside. You just need some simple tricks!

Besides, these fingers are homemade and it is much more healthier compared to those frozen ones. You can also pack these savoury lemony chicken fingers as bento to bring to work or school. I enjoy wrapping them with salad leaves, roll up and pop into my mouth. Simply delicious! Oh yes! I love salad wrap with fillings! Check out my post on SALAD WRAP! *haha...* If you like chicken fingers with lemony taste, try this!
Since Father's Day is around the corner, I would like to wish all fathers around the world, a happy jolly Father's Day! May be this chicken fingers could be a great treat for your dearest hubby or daddy? Happy Father's Day!

Source: Own modification

Serves 8 chicken strips (you may double up the quantity if you want more chicken fingers)

Ingredients:
2 pcs boneless & skinless chicken breast meat / 8 chicken fillets
Juice from 1 lemon
3 - 4 tbsp Premium Light Soy Sauce
1 egg, beaten
Corn flour for coating
Olive oil
Dash of pepper
Salad & julienned lemon rind for garnishing

Method:
1. Rinse chicken breasts meat, cut off any excess fat on the chicken meat. Pat dry and put them in a plastic bag/zip-lock bag. Flatten the bag. (refer note no. 1)
2. Pound the meat gently with the meat tenderizer mallet or back of the knife. (refer note no. 3)
2. Cut chicken meat into 8 strips. (refer to note no. 2 if you are using chicken fillets)
3. Marinate chicken meat with premium light soy sauce, pepper and 3 - 4 tbsps of lemon juice.
4. Transfer to the zip-lock bag or air tight container and marinate in the fridge for 30 mins.
5. Meanwhile, beat egg in a plate with 2 - 3 tbsps of lemon juice. Set aside.
6. Prepare corn flour in a plate for coating. Set aside.
7. Remove chicken meat from fridge and rest at room temperature for 5 mins. Drain off extra marinating liquid.
8. Heat up 3 - 4 tbsps olive oil in a frying pan, dip chicken strips/pieces in the egg mixture then to corn flour. One strip by one strip.
9. Pan fry chicken strips batch by batch each sides for 2 - 3 mins or until chicken is golden brown in low fire. (refer note no.4)
10. Transfer to kitchen paper towels to absorb excessive oil.
11. Arrange on a place with salad and garnish with julienned lemon rind. Serve while warm.

Note:
1. If you do not have a plastic bag, you may use bakery paper or parchment paper to cover the chicken.
2. If you are using chicken fillets, you don't have to pound them or cut them into strips because they are already in strip form.
3. Make sure you pound the chicken breasts meat gently for not ripping the meat into shred.
4. Make sure you pan fry in low fire to get a nice golden brown colour & cooked, because you don't want the chicken to be burnt on the outside and raw on the inside.
5. Add extra lemon juice if you prefer more lemony taste.
6. Make sure the light soy sauce is sufficient to cover the chicken meat for marinate.
7. You may serve chicken fingers with mayonnaise or lemon sauce.

Baba Coriander Chicken

2010-06-10T08:48:00.011+08:00

If you follow some of my previous posts, you could have noticed that I am a lemon grass & spices lover. I love its fragrant smell to bits and those dishes with lemon grass & spices are my all time favourite. One of my recent posts using lemon grass in the Iced lemon grass green tea recipe, gives you a glass of tea full of fragrant and goodness.

Since I have plenty of lemon grass laying in my fridge, I chanced upon another wonderful recipe from The Malaysian Women's Weekly FoodBook Issue 2 - Cooking Made Simple. Thus, I can make good use of my lemon grass and at the same time savour this Baba & Nyonya dish. If you would like to read more about Baba & Nyonya (the Malaysian peranakan) story, you may hop over here with a sweet treat.

If you would like to try some Baba & Nyonya (peranakan) dish, the dish is definitely your choice. It is easy to prepare and the taste is simply delicious with a bowl of hot steamed rice. Moreover, this dish is suitable for the whole family including children. It is so simple to cook up Asian dishes for any feast! Enjoy!

Some other dishes with lemon grass to match:
Assam Fish (Hot & sour fish)
Mee Siam (spicy & sour vermicelli)
Turmeric Fragrant Butter Rice
Pan-grilled Lemongrass Chicken

Source: Recipe adapted & modified from The Malaysian Women's Weekly FoodBook Issue 2 - Cooking Made Simple

Serves 5

Main Ingredients:
750g Chicken drumsticks, chopped into pieces or leave whole (marinated with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp sugar and 1 tsp sesame oil for 15 mins) - I used Chicken thigh with drumsticks
150 - 200ml Water
2 tbsps Sunflower oil
2 stalks Lemon grass (about 7 - 8 cm), bruised
Sliced red chilli & spring onion for garnishing

Ingredients A:
3 big-sized shallots, chopped
5 cm young ginger, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped

Ingredients B:
1.5 tbsps Coriander powder (Ketumbar Powder)
1 tbsp preserved bean paste (taucu)
1/2 tsp white peppercorns, pounded coarsely
1 tbsp each of oyster sauce, light soy sauce & dark soy sauce (refer Note below)
1/2 tsp sugar

Method:
1. Heat oil in a wok over medium fire. When hot, stir-fry lemon grass and ingredients A for 3 mins.
2. Add ingredients B, stir-frying briefly until fragrant.
3. Add marinated chicken, mix well and add water. Bring to a boil. You may need to adjust the amount of water accordingly.
4. Lower fire and simmer until chicken is tender and gravy thicken, about 20 - 25 mins.
5. Garnish with sliced red chilli & spring onion (scallion). Serve hot with rice.

Note:
• Adjust the amount of water according and simmer until gravy is thicken.
• Add 1 - 2 stalks more of lemon grass if you prefer a stronger taste.
• I find that 1 tbsp of dark soy sauce makes the chicken too dark in colour. Reduce the dark soy sauce to 1/2 tbsp if you prefer a lighter tone of chicken.
• Preserved bean paste (taucu) can be found in the Asian market.

* More info about Baba & Nyonya food here

Vegetable & Prawns Stir Fried

2010-06-03T10:17:00.008+08:00

As a working mom, planning a quick and easy home-cooked meal for dinner everyday is indeed a dedicated assignment to complete. I would say, it didn't come easy! I need to plan ahead or bookmark some quick and simple yet wholesome meals for the last minute rescue in the kitchen... *LOL* It's no joke when you need to cook up a dinner spontaneously, especially after a tiring working day. (Hands up, Mommy)!

Hence, I need to inspect my fridge and do a stock check very often to come up with simple and quick dishes for the emergency call. *LOL*. This is one of those quick and easy dishes in the list. I have some prawns, left over capsicum & some ready-made fish paste wrapped with vegetables in hand. Thus, stir-frying all of them with some seasonings or sauce provide you a practical home-cooked meal. Isn't it good? It is perfect for busy working mum like me during peak-hours! *wink*

Ingredients:
10pcs Fish paste wrapped with vegetables (use for steamboat)
10 pcs Large prawns, removed shells and veins
1/4 Green capsicum, sliced thinly
2 cloves Garlic, minced
Sunflower oil

Seasoning:
1 tsp Tapioca/Corn flour
3 tbsps Water
Dash of Salt & pepper
1 tbsp Rice wine (Shao Xing wine)

Method:
1. Marinade prawns with some sugar & pepper. Set aside.
2. Heat up oil, saute garlic until fragrant.
3. Add in capsicum, stir fry for a minute.
4. Add in prawns, stir fry for another minute or until prawns turn pink.
5. Add the fish paste. Stir fry for 2 mins. Add seasoning and mix well.
6. Leave for a minute and dish up. Serve while hot.

Iced Lemongrass Green Tea

2010-05-25T12:52:00.026+08:00

I was overjoyed when I saw this simple refreshing drink recipe from The Malaysian Women's Weekly foodbook which I bought few days ago. The main reason is; lemongrass and green tea with a twist of lemon slices are my all time favourite. I love using lemongrass as one of the ingredients in Asian cooking. It smells simply fragrant and taste delicious.

I am consuming Japanese green tea daily, which helps in maintaing good health and helps in weight loss. To achieve an ideal weight and slim body are every ladies' dream especially after becoming a Mommy. I was eager to try it out as soon as I saw the recipe, since it contains of natural goodness and a refreshing drink. I love the smell of lemongrass in this drink and it is a prefect combination of green tea and lemon slices with few drizzles of raw honey! I have modified the recipe by adding 2 tablespoons of raw honey to enhance the taste. It is great to consume a glass of drink full of goodness and thirst quenching in this hot season.

Lemongrass and green tea are versatile ingredients in cooking and also beneficial in maintaining good health. Their goodness is well-known regardless of traditional or modern medical benefits. Lemon grass is not only a useful ingredient in the kitchen but also one of the natural remedy of inserts and mosquitoes rebellion agent. There are many household products using lemon grass extract due to their benefit of expelling inserts & mosquitoes, such as floor cleaner or moisquito rebellion badges. More benefits of lemongrass & recipe from my other post here.

What makes green tea so special? The secret of green tea lies in the fact it is rich in catechin polyphenols, particularly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). EGCG is a powerful anti-oxidant: besides inhibiting the growth of cancer cells, it kills cancer cells without harming healthy tissue. Free radicals are the damaging compounds in the body which alters the cells, tampers with the DNA or may also cause cell death. The occurrence of Free radicals is natural in the body but environmental pollutants can also get added as the damaging particles in the body. Polyphenols which are present in the Green tea are excellent anti-oxidants which neutralizes the Free radicals and helps in preventing the damage caused by the free radical. Green tea also helps the body in protecting the cells from damages which are believed to be linked with Cancer. Hence Green tea is considered as a powerful anti-oxidant.

Besides, a powerful anti-oxidant, green tea helps in boosting the metabolism rate of the body and also helps in burning fat. In another words, green tea induces weight loss. The reason why it helps in preventing obesity is that it blocks the movement of Glucose in Fat cells. It has substances known as Polyphenols which are proven to help in weight loss by increasing the metabolism of fats by the liver, stops the lipase (a fat absorbing enzyme) in the digestive tract and also provides the fullness feeling. Polyphenols especially Catechins do not function as a stimulant but helps in burning calories. For those ladies out there who wants to lose some weight, consuming green tea daily is definitely a good option.

There are few medical conditions in which drinking green tea is reputed to be helpful:
• cancer
• rheumatoid arthritis
• high cholesterol levels
• cariovascular disease
• infection
• impaired immune function

Even there are so many positive health benefits of green tea, there are also some negative issues too. Green tea is not recommended for pregnant or lactating women. In addition, negative effects of green tea leaves would link to individuals who have allergies. In this case, someone who is caffeine sensitive could develop problems such as hives and rash from consuming green tea. With caffeine being a stimulant that affects the central nervous system, other problems could result such as insomnia, excessive urination, reduction of potassium levels, and even incontinence. Check out more info here

References of Green Tea from:
Ezinearticles
Chinesefood.about

Source: Recipe adapted and modified from The Malaysian Women's Weekly foodbook Issue 2 - Cooking Made Simple
Serves 4

Ingredients:
3 stalks Lemon grass (about 6-7cm long), halved lengthwise and crushed lightly
700ml Water
2 Green tea bags (I used Japanese 100% Green Tea Bag)
Ice cubes
2 - 3 tbsps Raw honey (I used Organic Wildflower Honey)
2 Lemon, sliced thinly reserved 4 lemon slices to decorate
Halved lemon grass stalks to decorate

Method:
1. Combine lemon grass and water in a pot. Bring to a quick boil over medium heat.
2. Lower fire and allow to simmer for 15 mins. Turn off fire and add tea bags. Leave to sleep for 10 mins.
3. Let the juice cold down and drain away the ingredients. Add the honey to taste.
4. To serve, fill glasses with ice. Add 2 lemon slices in each glass. Top with tea and add halved lemon grass stalks & lemon slices to decorate.

Wok-fried Prawns with Soy Sauce (干煎蝦)

2010-05-18T08:48:00.008+08:00

I am a seafood lover. I love crabs and prawns to bits, especially stir-fried with chilli, curry leaves and salted eggs. We use to drive all the way to the port area to savour those seafood from the famous and well-known seafood restaurant. Those seafood serves in the restaurant is simply mouth-watering, especially the crabs and prawns! This place is situated in the village area and the seafood restaurant is designed according to the village style. The area is cozy and full of authentic atmosphere. Some of them are over-looking the sea or the esplanade. Isn't it a good place to dine in?

Since I won't be able to make a trip there now. Thus, I cooked myself this simply delicious Wok-fried prawns with soy sauce (干煎蝦) to satisfy my crave! Why wok-fried? Because these prawns are stir-fried in a wok with other ingredients until fragrant! This dish will not has much gravy, it is indeed a dry prawn dish with flavourful taste. It is ready to savour in 10 minutes time. It gives you the bouncy prawns and juicy finger licking good shells too!

I noticed by selecting those fresh prawns from the sea will give you juicier and bouncier texture. Those prawns from the sea have hard shells and whiter & pinkish in colour compared to those rear in the ponds. Thus, to make a delicious, juicy and bouncy prawn dish, you need to select those fresh prawns from the sea. It definitely gives you the crunch bites in the mouth!

Source: Recipe adapted from Flavours Magazine

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cooking oil
500g large prawns, back slit, deveined and marinated with 1 tablespoon sugar
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2-3 tbsps light soy sauce
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp rice wine (I used Shao Xing Rice Wine)
1 tsp tapioca flour, mixed with 3 tsp water
Spring onions & red chilli, sliced thinly

Method:
1. Use a sharp scissors to back slit the prawns and remove the veins. Pat dry and marinate with sugar for 5 mins.
2. Heat up oil in a wok over medium heat. When hot, wok-fry prawns until golden brown and very fragrant but semi-cooked.
3. Remove prawns and leave 3 - 4 tbsps oil in the wok.
4. Saute garlic until fragrant. Add in the semi-cooked prawns, light soy sauce and sugars. Continue stir-frying the prawns over medium heat until they are cooked. Add wine and mix well.
5. Thicken the sauce with tapioca mixture.
6. Remove and garnish with spring onions & red chilli. Serve immediately.

Note:
• Choose fresh prawns from the sea instead of pond rear. It is fresher and bouncier.
• Fresh prawns from the sea are whiter and pinkish in color.
• You may add additional 1 tbsp of Shao Xing Rice Wine if you prefer stronger taste.

Patty Cakes

2010-05-11T16:06:00.020+08:00

Do you like those little cup cakes that sell at the stalls during your childhood days? I did. I had plenty of them during my childhood and school days. My maternal grandmother would make sure that we pack our snacks to school everyday during my school days. One of those favourite snacks was these little cup cakes! Ever since becoming a mum, I would like to take initiative to pack snacks for my son to bring to school every alternate day. Indeed, these little cup cakes are an ideal choice to pack to school.

As I was looking for cup cake or muffin recipes last weekend, I found this quick and easy patty cakes recipe from the Australia Women's Weekly Old-Fashioned Favourites book. Patty cakes are small cup cakes that served during those good old days. It is a quick and easy recipe to make a batch of cup cakes. Good selection for me to make some and store them in the airtight container for my son to bring to school or for a quick bite during tea time.

This patty cakes recipe uses basic ingredients which can be purchase easily, the method is extremely easy even for novice in baking. If you prefer something more mouth-watering, have the glace icing topping which comes with the recipe. Try this if you are looking for a quick and easy recipe to be prepare for the day! Enjoy!

This recipe makes 24 small patty cakes, but I made 8 large cups. I have omitted the glace icing topping, but it still tastes delicious!

Source:Recipe adapted and modified from The Australian Women's Weekly Old Fashioned Favourites

Ingredients:
125g Butter, softened
225g Self-raising flour
150g Caster Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
3 Eggs
60ml Milk (I used Fresh Milk)

I substitute Self-raising flour with:
220g Premium Plain Flour
1/2 tbsp Baking powder

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF-400ºF. Line a deep 12-hole party pan muffin pan with 8 paper cases. If you are using small paper case, line two deep 12-hole party pans or muffin pan with paper cases.
2. Sift flour with baking powder. Set aside. If you are using self-raising flour, you don't have to sieve the flour.
3. Combine butter, vanilla essence, sugar, eggs, flour and milk in a medium bowl; beat on low speed with electric mixer until ingredients are combined.
4. Increased speed to medium; beat about 3 minutes or until mixture is smooth and pale in colour.
5. Spoon batter to each paper cases, cover about 90% of the paper case. Bake at 400ºF about 30 mins (for large cakes), 20 mins (for small cakes) or until the top is slightly brown and the skewer runs clean after insertion.
6. Remove from oven and cool on the rack. Store in air-tight container and consume within 2 days.

This recipe comes with glace icing. Below is the recipe of the glaze icing if you prefer topping.

GLACE ICING:
240g icing sugar
1 tsp butter
2 tbsps Milk, approximately

Method:
Sift icing sugar into small heatproof bowl, stir in butter and enough milk to give a firm paste.
Set bowl over small saucepan of simmering water; stir until icing is spreadable. Top patty cakes with glace icing.

Note:
• You may also use hand spatula to mix the batter if you do not have electric mixer. Mix in one direction.
• Use premium butter and cake flour to have a better texture of the patty cakes.
• The baking time and oven's temperature may vary depending on your oven setting and the size of the paper case.

Pineapple Chicken

2010-05-06T11:15:00.013+08:00

Hi there! After a busy weekend of cleaning up, cooking and attending to households, it is time to start blogging again. How was your weekend? Today I would like to share with you this simple dish which I wanted to cook for sometime. I have a big can of pineapple laying in my fridge for sometime. Thus, I thought it would be great to make use of it to cook up this dish. Pineapple is my family all time favourite, we can eat it raw, add into the dessert, cook with curries and also jelly. What a versatile fruit, do you agree with me?

There are so many recipes that you can find in the net and I was amazed that pineapple chicken can be cooked in so many ways, despite Asian or Western style. Some recipes adding coconut milk, evaporated milk or fresh milk to this dish and some do without it. Plenty of the recipes adding extra vegetables such as capsicum, carrot, tomato and onion to enhance the taste. Since, I want to cook something which is suitable for the whole family, especially for kid. I have picked up some of the recipes, studied and modified it to come out with this final result.

I found this dish gravy is rather sweet than sour. Hence, I have added extra salt to enhance the taste according to my preference. Nevertheless, some people prefer this dish to be sweet. Since, this dish is so versatile, you can modify and improve at your end to suits your family taste!

Since Mother's Day is coming very soon, I take this opportunity to wish all the Mommies around the world, A Happy Mother's Day! You deserve the "BEST" of this special day! Stay back and relax! *just for this day!* LOL....

Ingredients:
500g Chicken, cut into chunks (thigh or drumsticks are preferred)
1 cup Canned Pineapple Cubes - drained
1 medium-sized tomato, quartered
1/2 Green Capsicum, chop into chunks
1/2 medium-sized Carrot, chop into chunks
1/2 medium-sized Yellow Onion, sliced
2 cloves Garlic, minced
Sunflower oil
200ml Pineapple Concentrated Juice from the can
2 tbsp Fish Sauce (according to your taste)
Salt to taste (according to your taste)
1/2 Red Chilli, slice thinly

Thickener (mix well):
2 tbsps Corn Flour
3 - 4 tbsps Water

Method:
1. Marinate chicken with sufficient salt/light soy sauce and pepper in the fridge for 2 hours.
2. Open canned pineapple in cubes, drain the juice and retain.
3. Remove chicken from the fridge and add the concentrated pineapple juice from the can.
4. Marinate for another 30 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, prepare all the vegetables and set aside.
6. Heat up sunflower oil in a cooking pot, saute garlic and onion until fragrant.
7. Add in tomato and stir fry for another minute.
8. Drain chicken from the marinade. Add in chicken pieces and cook until the outer part turns light brown.
9. Add the pineapple concentrated marinade and bring to boil.
10. Cover with lid and simmer for 20 - 30 mins until half of the liquid evaporates.
11. Add in carrots and simmer for 5 minutes. Add in green capsicum. Mix well.
12. Add in fish sauce and thickener, stir well and simmer for 3 minutes.
13. You may add in extra salt according to your taste.
14. Remove from the cooking pot and serve hot. Garnish with sliced red chilli.

Note:
• Make sure you cook the chicken until the outer part turns light brown before adding the juice.
• Simmer chicken until the meat is soft and tender. Use chicken thighs or drumsticks are the best.
• If you think gravy is not up to your taste, add in extra fish sauce or salt.
• You need to purchase a big can of pineapple cubes to get sufficient juice (about 500g).
• You may use the balance pineapple cubes for other recipes such as dessert or jelly.

Savoury Cheesy Tarts

2010-04-27T11:31:00.013+08:00

Weekend is simply a relaxing day for me and family as we can get up a bit later than usual working day. Have a simple breakfast then carry on with family quality time together. I would usually do my groceries shopping and plan something special for lunch or dinner. Last weekend I have bookmarked this cheese tart recipe from Women's Weekly Foodbook - Easy healthy meal. By looking at the photos of this recipe, it really gives you the mouth-watering and indulgence feeling. Ok, I made this for the weekend. The book called it "Asparagus, prawn and cheese tarts"... well, I would say it is like "Savoury Cheesy Tarts"! You will get what I mean when you taste this tart.

My family gives two "Thumbs up" for this tart, especially my son. They just love those "Western Baked Pastry" My hubby suggested a thicker pastry could taste better for this recipe. The book says roll out the dough as thin as possible. I would say somewhere 0.5 cm will do as it gives you a thicker & crunchier crust to bite on. Keep that in mind the next time.

I have adjusted and modified this recipe as I found the crust dough isn't enough for 4 tart containers (9 cm diameter). Nevertheless, the pastry crust is crunchy and savoury, simply indulgence with the creamy cheesy filling. The filling has a good combination with prawns and asparagus. The cream and grated cheese give you smooth binding texture and sumptuous taste! mama mia! This recipe also gives you the flexibility to add your preferred fillings besides prawn and asparagus if you think it is suitable. You may substitute them with crabmeat, fish fillet, fresh basil, pineapple or capsicum. Just follow your heart and your taste! Enjoy!

Makes 4 serving (9 cm diameter container) tarts

FOR CRUST:
400g Plain Flour (I used Premium Flour)
200g Butter, slightly chilled - softened
2 tbsps grated Cheese (use your favourite - I used Mozarella Cheese)
1 beaten egg, to glaze
1 - 2 tsp Iced cold water
Extra flour for working

FOR THE FILLING:
12 pcs Big prawns, shelled, deveined
200g Asparagus, cut into 2 - 3 cm long
1 tbsp Olive oil
3 tbsp Lemon juice
2 tbsps grated Cheese (use your favourite - I used Mozarella Cheese)
Salt & pepper to taste

FOR CREAM (mix well):
2 egg yolks, beaten
1 cup Double cream (I used Whipping Cream)

Method:
1. Prepare prawns, remove shells and veins. You may chop prawns into few chunks, I retained whole.
2. Cut asparagus into 2 - 3 cm long. Set aside.
3. Prepare the crust. Rub butter and flour on a working top until the texture resembles bread crumbs.
4. Add grated cheese and press ingredients together to form a smooth dough. (add 1 - 2 tsp iced cold water to assist if necessary). Cover the dough with cling film and leave in the fridge for 20 mins.
5. Prepare 4 bowls of (9 cm diameter) large tart container or baking dish. Preheat the oven at 180ºC.
6. Divide dough into 4 portions. Roll out each portion on a floured surface about 0.5cm thickness. The diameter of the dough must be bigger than the (9 cm diameter) large tart container or baking dish.
7. Gentle press dough against sides and bases of the 9 cm tart containers, taking care not to stretch the dough too much.
8. Bake crust in the oven for 15 mins. Remove from the oven and brush bases and sides of each crust with beaten egg. Return to oven and cook for another 5 mins.
9. Meanwhile, prepare the filling. Heat oil in a pan over medium fire. Stir-fry asparagus and prawns for 5 mins. Remove from fire; stir in lemon juice, grated cheese, salt and pepper.
10. Divide stir-fred ingredients between tart crusts.
11. Beat egg yolks with double cream. Pour mixture over each tart. Bake for 12 - 15 mins or until crusts turn golden brown.

Note:
• Roll out the dough about 0.5 cm thick.
• You may substitute the filling ingredients with fish fillet, crabmeat, capsicum, fresh basil or pineapple.

Fruity Prawn Salad

2010-04-22T16:41:00.008+08:00

Salad is my all time favourite, be it fruit or vegetable salad. I used to hook at the salad bar for 10 minutes, just to pick and choose my favourite salad. Salad with raw vegetable such as butter head, lettuce, rocket leaves, Bull's blood, purple cabbage or any other leafy salad are my top selection. Mix them with beans and corn, drizzle with salad dressing. Yummy! Is anyone going for a "salad" party? It had been quite sometime I didn't step in that salad bar full of colourful selection. Should make a date! *chuckle*

Salad comes with plenty of condiments such as chicken meat, prawns, mushroom & fruits! I would standing there and admire those fancy, colourful and fresh salad, especially those serve in the hotel buffet. Am I drooling now? *giggle*. Since I always opt for vegetable salad, this round I want to make some fruity prawn salad at home. It is so easy to prepare and to sweep clean the bowl. I chilled it in the fridge for good 20 mins and it really tastes heaven! Need not to say more here, just grab the ingredients and make a bowl yourself today! I am sure you have to agree with me! Let's go-fruity prawn salad!

Ingredients:
20pcs Big Prawn
1 handful diced Honey Drew
1 handful diced Pineapple
2 tbsps Mayonnaise or Salad dressing
Squeeze of lemon juice (about 1 tsp)

Method:
1. Dice honey drew and pineapple, chill in the fridge.
2. Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Add the prawns and cook until they turn pink and curl up.
3. Drain the prawns, transfer immediately into a large bowl of iced water and set aside to cool.
4. Peel the cooled prawns. Set aside.
5. Remove diced fruits from the fridge, add mayonnaise & prawns. Mix well gently.
6. Squeeze some fresh lemon juice. Chill in the fridge until serving.

Note:
• I found the method on how to cook the prawns here.
• Do not remove prawn's shell before cooking. This way, it can preserves the texture of the prawns.
• Transfer prawns in a bowl of iced cold water can make the prawns bouncy and crunchy!
• Chilling the prawn salad makes the prawns more bouncy and crunchy too!
• You may use other fruits such as papaya, green / red apple or watermelon.

King Oyster Mushroom Omelet

2010-04-14T16:06:00.017+08:00

My choice of mushroom has grown wider nowadays whenever I go groceries shopping to the hypermarket. Last week, there was a lady promoter stood at the mushroom corner, cooking some mushroom sample for the grocers. As I passed by, she offered me to try her cooking. Yes! I was happy to try it and to my surprised, it was simply delicious. What has she cooked? Just stir-fried King Oyster mushroom with garlic, ginger and oyster sauce! I have fallen in love with it immediately! To satisfy my curiosity, I had a chat with her on the King Oyster mushroom - Where did it came from and how to cook it? She is kind enough to explained to me about the mushroom and also few ways to cook it. This King Oyster mushroom is imported from Korea. You can either stir-fry by itself, add into stew or soup, stir-fry with meat and vegetables, add to homemade pizza and so much more! When preparing, this mushroom can be braised, broiled, grilled, sautéed, or stewed to be added to soups, stews, sauces, pasta, vegetable dishes, meats, and seafood.

What else? I grabbed a packet of this King Oyster mushroom and dumped it in my trolley. This mushroom has a blunt cap above and a stout stem beneath. The King Oyster mushroom develops a thick, white flesh that is firm-textured and meaty from the base to the cap. The King Oyster is typically harvested when the stems reach a length of several inches, but can grow to a size of 6 to 8 inches in length. As the mushrooms age for several days and depending on the storage provided, the flesh may darken or turn slightly tan to brown in color, but the quality of the mushrooms should be unaffected.Reference from here

In my mind, I was thinking what else could I make with the King Oyster mushroom? I want to try her way of stir-frying it with oyster sauce, I want to add to my soup, may be I can stir-fry with some meat and vegetables or making pizza? *confused*. I came back home with uncertainty on how to cook this mushroom. Oh yeah! This is my first time cooking King Oyster mushroom. First, I stir-fried it with garlic, ginger, chicken fillet and oyster sauce. It simply delicious! The texture is so tender and smooth. The smell of the mushroom is great! The next attempt, I made this omelet with the stalks part only and dumped the stem part (white stem) into the ABC soup (vegetables and chicken soup)! What a great way to fully utilize this King Oyster mushroom! I used only the "stalk" for this recipe as the stem takes longer time to get soft.

King Oyster mushroom is a species found on the European and Asian continents, genetically related to other oysters, but different in taste. It is probably one of the highest quality mushrooms for its superior taste and ability to keep without spoiling for weeks! Oh yes! I kept mine in the fridge in an airtight container for a week and it still looks good. Don’t be fooled by its size; once thinly sliced it will yield an impressive quantity of food! It shares similar nutritional and medicinal properties with other members of the oyster family. Reference from here

Ingredients:
4 stalk medium-sized Oyster King Mushroom, sliced
1/2 Tomato, removed seed - diced
1 small Onion, diced
pinch of Salt (optional)
Olive oil

Egg Mixture:
3 eggs, beaten
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp white pepper

Method:
1. Rinse King Oyster mushroom, chop away the bottom part.
2. Cut mushroom into half. Slice thinly from the bottom to the top.
3. Use the mushroom stalks only (grayish part) for this recipe. Retain the white stems for soup.
4. Rinse tomato, remove seeds & diced. Set aside.
5. Dice onion & set aside.
6. Mix the egg mixture together and stir well.
7. Heat up 1 tbsp of olive oil on a frying pan. Stir fry onion and mushroom until translucent or mushroom is soft enough.
8. Add a pinch of salt. Dish up and set aside.
9. Heat up more olive on the same frying pan. Make sure the oil is really heated up.
10. Pour the egg mixture onto the pan, wait for 2 second. Add in the pre-cooked mushroom filling on the omelette.
11. Fold the omelette into half, this is to close up the omelette with the filling in it.
12. Cut omelette into half again, flip over to another side to make sure the omelette is evenly fried.
13. Off fire, dish up and serve.

Note:
• The fire and the oil have to be hot in order to get beautiful omelet.
• The amount of oil must be more/sufficient in making omelette to get beautiful omelet.
• You may use other ingredients such as fresh basil leaves, baby spinach, capsicum or red chilli.
• King Oyster mushroom can be kept for weeks in the refrigerator and it still remain its quality.

Tempura

2010-04-07T14:14:00.004+08:00

Tempura is a dish made by deep-frying vegetables, seafood or other foods in a light batter. Tempura is a popular element of Japanese cuisine, it is distinguished from many other battered and deep fried foods by being much lighter and tending to carry less grease. Most of us will think that tempura is originated from Japanese. But, according to research, tempura was not developed in Japan. The idea of battering and frying foods was brought to Japan by the Portuguese, who explored Japan in the 16th century. Deep fried foods were adapted to Japanese tastes, and the result was tempura, which uses a more refined batter.

Deep-frying food has become popular by various races and countries. Thus, many different batter has been used in their own respective recipes. I prefer the batter to be light, crispy and also taste good. By making tempura with vegetables is also one of the way to coax those non veggie lovers to eat vegetables too. Plenty of vegetables can be used in making tempura, such as long bean, brinjal/eggplant, onion, sweet potato, cauliflower, broccoli and much more. Besides, seafood like fish, prawns, or crab has been the prefect choice of making tempura.

It had been long time I want to make tempura at home as we haven't eat for long time. Furthermore, I can choose my preferred ingredients for the tempura. Thus, I made this simple tempura by deep-frying them with pre-packed tempura mix (it would be a great idea to mix our own tempura batter in the future). As I read through the net, there are so many recipes for tempura batter. The most basic tempura batter is the combination of eggs, flour, and baking powder in cold water. Some adding spices, paste, herbs or wine for the batter.

I did it without the eggs, just mixed the tempura flour with cold water for batter (followed the pack instruction), dipped and deep-fried. It tastes good though even it didn't looks like those serve in the Japanese restaurant. It is crispy and appetizing, but we only can consume moderately and occasionally....

Since, I need to clear some of the stocks in my fridge. I used up whatever that is suitable for making tempura. Long beans, sweet potato, prawns and fish (remove bones). It was one of those days that cook whatever you crave for and make use of whatever you have! Hulala..... Let's eat!

Reference from:
WISEGEEK
WIKTIONARY
WIKIPEDIA

Ingredients:
2 slices of Spanish Mackerel (Ikan Tenggiri) - source here
10 nos of Big Prawns
2 nos of Long beans
1 medium-sized Japanese Sweet Potato
1 packet of Tempura flour-mix 150g
250ml Cold water
Sunflower oil

Method:
1. Rinse all the ingredients and set aside.
2. Remove fish bones and skins. Cut into quartered.
3. Remove prawn shells, slit with a sharp knife on the inner side of the prawn, remove the vein. This is to prevent the prawn from curled up during deep-frying. (Step-by-step reference on how to remove vein from here)
4. Cut long beans about 2 inches long.
5. Peel off sweet potato skin. Cut into 0.5 - 1 cm thick.
6. Mix tempura flour according to the cooking instruction. I mixed 250ml cold water with 150g tempura flour-mix. Whisk batter until smooth.
7. Heat up sufficient oil in a pot for deep-frying (about 170ºC - 180ºC). Dip vegetables & seafood one by one in the batter.
8. Transfer to the pot, deep fry until golden brown, drain and remove from the pot.
9. Arrange on a plate with kitchen towel to absorb excessive oil. Repeat with the rest of the ingredients batch by batch.
10. Serve while warm with rice.

Note:
• Make sure the oil is hot before deep-frying.
• Seafood doesn't requires long time deep-frying. Remove seafood once it turns golden brown.
• You may use other ingredients such as eggplant, onion, cauliflower, broccoli, unagi, crab or squid.

Banana Raisin Bran Muffins

2010-03-30T09:06:00.012+08:00

Having a healthy breakfast for a good start in the morning is essential, especially for kids. As I need to find some healthy breakfast and snack recipes for the whole family, I chanced upon Annabel Karmel's website, which consists of so many healthy, practical and homemade recipes for baby, toddler, kids and family. I have fallen in love for those creative, healthy and cute kid's recipes, especially for picky / fussy eater! Her recipes are easy to follow especially for busy working parents.

As I was keen by using oats, bran, whole grain and fruits to bake some muffins last weekend. I found this Healthy Breakfast - Raisin Bran Breakfast Muffins which I would give a "thumb up" for it. By using bran-flake cereal, spices, raisin and milk. She turned this muffin into a delicious and healthy breakfast. Thus, I did some modifications on this recipe by adding mashed banana in it. I would tell, the taste is simply irresistible. The fragrant smell of banana and the mouth-watering taste of the bran & raisin, simply satisfying! Besides, the texture of the muffins is so moist and soft, you just can't stop popping one after another! Trust me! My son and my hubby did. Both of them finished half of the batch in no time. I find making muffins in smaller cup is better for kids to handle.

I used Alive - Light 'n' Tasty Triple Berry Whole Grain Cereal Flakes for this recipe as I found this newly launched product is really good. It consists of whole grains & fruits, perfect ingredients for this recipe. It is low in fat and high in fiber that helps in digestion. Are you a muffin lover and a health conscious foodie? Try this recipe and I am sure you will surely like it. *wink*

Not forgetting, Easter is around the corner, I would like to wish all who celebrate this special day, have a BLESSED EASTER! We will have a break this weekend, having a small gathering with family members to celebrate this special event at home. See you soon!

Recipe adapted & modified from Annabel Karmel - Raisin Bran Breakfast Muffin

Makes 18 mini muffins

Ingredients:
100g bran-flake cereal - (I used Light N Tasty Triple Berry Whole Grain Cereal Flakes)
250ml warmed milk - (I used Full Cream Milk)
120g Cake flour/Plain flour
100g soft dark-brown sugar
100ml sunflower oil
1 & 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
50g dried raisin (soaked with water)
1 large egg (at room temperature), beaten
1 medium-sized fully ripen & soft banana (approx. 5-6 inches), mashed

Method:
1. Soak dried raisin with water for 2 hours.
2. Pre-heat oven to 200ºC/400ºF. Line a muffin tin with paper cups.
3. Put cereal in a bowl with the milk and leave it to stand for 5 mins or until soft.
4. Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and spices into a large bowl. Mix well.
5. Mash banana with a fork or masher. Drain raisin.
6. Stir in raisin to the flour mixture. Beat egg, dark-brown sugar and oil, mix well and add into the flour.
7. Stir in mashed banana and soaked cereal. Stir and mix well until a soft dough is form.
8. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups (fill to top). (You may sprinkle some bran-flakes cereal on top of the muffins before baking).
9. Bake for 15-20 mins at 400ºF or until risen.
10. Cool for 5 mins in the tin then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight tin for up to 5 days.

Note:
• Baking time and temperature might vary depending on the oven's function and muffin size.
• You may need to adjust the amount of sugar according to your taste.

For original recipe, please go to Annable Karmel - Raisin Bran Breakfast Muffin recipe!

Shimeji Stir-fried with Mixed Vegetables

2010-03-22T11:26:00.011+08:00

Having a simple stir-fried is simply a delicious and healthy dish for any meals. I will surely include a vegetable dish in my cooking for lunch or dinner to make sure that we have a complete wholesome meal every time. Thus, adding various color of vegetables in our daily meals is very important. Hence, this simple Shimeji stir-fried with mixed vegetables is one of my favourite. This multi-color vegetable dish with Shimeji mushroom is indeed nutritious and easy to cook dish, especially for working mom like me!

A taste of crunchy bite of the mushroom and mixed vegetables bring us more appetizing feel. I would love to eat them with the Chinese traditional way, using a pair of chopsticks with a Chinese bowl of hot steamed rice. It reminds me a lot of childhood sweet memories! Isn't great to savour and enjoy your meal with a smile on your face? Let's start wokking!

Some informations to ponder:
About Shimeji Mushroom
About Sugar Snap Pea

You may also like another Shimeji dish here!
Ingredients:
160g Buna Shimeji mushroom (I bought those from Korea)
1/2 Carrot, slice thinly (you may cut into star shape or any preferred shape)
10 nos Sugar snap peas, trim the ends & peel off the
4 pcs Seafood tofu, halved (pre-packed fried tofu)
2 cloves Garlic, minced

Seasoning (mix well):
150ml Water (water used to blanch the vegetables)
1 tsp Tapioca / Corn flour
1 tbsp Premier Oyster Sauce
Dash of white pepper (optional)

Method:
1. Trim off the bottom of the Shimeji mushroom. Rinse and set aside.
2. String peas by beginning at tip and pulling it down. Cut off stem ends and leave whole. Rinse and set aside.
3. Boil a pot of hot water. Blanch Shimeji mushroom for 1 min in the hot boiling water. Drain and set aside.
4. Follow by sugar snap peas & carrot, blanch for 1 min. Drain and set aside.
5. Heat up 2 tbsp olive oil, saute garlic until fragrant but not brown. Add in Shimeji mushroom, carrot and snap peas.
6. Stir fry for 1 min. Add in seafood tofu and stir fry for another minute.
7. Pour in seasonings. Simmer over low heat for 2 mins. Do not over-cooked the ingredients.
8. Dish up, serve immediately while hot. Enjoy!

Note:
• Blanch the vegetables beforehand, so that you do not have to stir fry for long time results to soggy vegetables. The vegetables & mushroom will have bouncy and crunchy texture when you bite on it.
• Prepare all the seasoning in a bowl, slowly pour in the water from blanching the vegetables gradually and keep on stirring because the water is still hot. This will dissolve the tapioca/corn flour evenly. Or, leave the water to cool before use.

Guest Post : Fish Spinach Patties

2010-03-15T12:12:00.005+08:00

Guest post? Yes, my honour to be invited by my good friend, LK from Food-4Tots as a guest post this week. We share many things in common especially in cooking & parenting. LK is a dedicated mother whom insists on healthy home cook baby/toddler food ever since she became a mother. Her determination to provide her family healthy homecooked food had inspired me. She has encouraged me to prepare healthy homecooked food for my son. She has shared many healthy recipes on her food blog especially for toddlers/kids. It is definitely a good blog to visit if you are hunting for healthy homecooked toddler's food.

It took me a while to think of something healthy yet suitable for toddlers to post on her blog. It is indeed a big challenge though. Fish spinach patties came to my mind one weekend when I was about to cook lunch for my son. I love the idea of using fish, vegetables and potato in making patties as a wholesome recipe for toddlers/kids. It is full of carbohydrate, protein, fibre, vitamins & minerals that a growing child requires. This is also an effective way to coax kids who dislike vegetables to have greens in their diet. Hop over to LK's blog to check out the recipe! Happy trying!

Steamed Red Beans Paste Bun/Pao

2010-03-09T08:48:00.008+08:00

I was so keen to make steamed pao or bun long time ago. But, I was afraid it will not turn out nicely. The other day I was taking a stroll after work to some of the shop lots nearby my working place, I chanced upon a newly open baking shop. Thus, I was curious to take a peep at the baking shop since it looks great at the outside. It is only a small baking shop but selling most of the baking stuffs and conducting baking classes too. The staff was very friendly and helpful in introducing me their products and classes conducting by their Chef.

As I was taking my own sweet time going through from rack to rack, I saw their special pao mix, I thought it will be great to give it a try! I grabbed a packet of red beans paste too for the filling. The special pao mix came with an attached recipe, so it will be definitely a good choice for a novice like me to follow.

Hence, I searched the net to find some tricks and tips on making red beans paste pao/bun. I found this very useful step-by-step steamed red beans paste pao recipe at CHOWTIMES Through this site, I have learned the way to pleats the pao. The step-by-step guide with pictures really do me a big favour in making steamed red beans pao! Besides, CHOWTIMES also show us other tips on how to steam pao and some useful equipments. I managed to tried the pleating and the result is good though for a first timer! hehe....

Result? The steamed pao/bun is really good. It is soft and moist. The red beans paste is smooth, smell good and melt in the mouth. So far, this is the most successful steamed pao that I have made and tasted at home. Unfortunately I have forgotten to snap some photos of the inside filling. Will remember to do it the next round... haha...

My hubby is a big fan of steamed pao, especially Char Siew Pao (Roasted pork steamed bun), but my son likes the original pao or man tao (plain bun) without any fillings. Such a tough job isn't it? I would like to try both using this pao mix again the next round, making a batch of Char Siew Pao and plain man tao. Do you have any other tricks to share with me?

Pao/Bun before steaming

Pao/Bun after steaming

Ingredients:
450gm Pao Mix (including instant yeast and shortening)
230gm Water
Red beans paste
Baking paper
Bamboo steaming tray / rice cooker steaming tray

Methods:
1) Cut baking paper into 2.5 in X 2.5 in square shape. Approx 12 pieces.
2) Prepare a bamboo steaming tray or a rice cooker steaming tray. If you choose to use bamboo tray, see CHOWTIMES tricks by cutting a pieces of round baking paper according to the shape of the bamboo tray. Punch some holes on it. (I used rice cooker steaming tray which comes with holes, see pic on my steamed egg cake post)
3) Mix the pau mix with water in a big mixing bowl according to the packet instruction.
4) Combine and knead with hands until soft dough is form.
5) Transfer to working surface, continue to knead for 10 - 15 mins until dough is elastic and soft. Rest for 20 mins.
6) Divide dough and scale, into ball of 30gm each.
7) Flatten it with your palm and roll it out with a rolling pin until a round circle shape is achieved.
8) Cut a small hole at the corner of the red beans paste packet. Squeeze a dollop of red bean paste (approx 25gm) onto the center of the dough.
9) Push the edges of the dough up and make a clean seal to cover the filling. Roll it a little with your palm to make a even round shape. If you want to make pleat on the pao, refer to CHOWTIMES
10) Place it on the baking paper. Put in the steaming tray. Proof for another 20 mins.
11) Boil a pot of boiling water for steaming. I put a small red dot on the pao with food colouring for decoration.
12) Steam at high heat for 8 - 10 mins. The pao/bun will double up the size after steaming.
13)) Remove from pot and rest on a rack. Consume while warm.

Note:
• You need to judge on your own observation during the kneading time. The dough should be elastic and soft.
• You may use other fillings for the pao, such as pandan paste, meat, vegetables, peanut butter, jam or coconut.
• Keep the balance pao in the freezer or fridge in an air-tight container and heat up when you are about to consume them.
• While you are working on the small dough, keep the others in a bowl and cover with damp cloth to prevent the dough comes hard.

Braised Pork Ribs with Mushrooms

2010-03-03T10:11:00.014+08:00

Spices are my favourite ingredients to be used in Chinese cooking, especially using the braising method. Since childhood, my maternal grandmother will braised all sorts of dishes using spices in her cooking. Those grandchildren has benefited from her delicious and nutritious cooking using spices. I am one of them as I was taken care by my maternal grandmother since I was born, so do my younger sister. Being a Chinese, we were thought to appreciate Chinese cooking and dishes with spices since our younger age. In Chinese cooking, we use "braising", "double boiling" or "steaming" to enhance the taste and to preserve the goodness of the ingredients in it. Hence, the dishes will smell and taste heaven.

Besides Chinese, the Indian and Malays also have their own ways to in using spices to enhance the overall well being. No matter which methods we are using, spices are good in their natural way. Spices are well-known in their natural goodness & natural remedy to various ailments. But, pregnant women needs to be cautious or abstains of taking herbs & spices during pregnancy.

Both herbs and spices are excellent antioxidants, which work to neutralize attacks made by free radicals against the body. Cinnamon is often used as an antidote for diarrhea and stomach upset as well as a metabolism booster. Ginger speeds metabolic rate, plus it inhibits nausea and vomiting often caused by morning sickness or motion sickness. Regular consumption of garlic can decrease blood pressure and cholesterol levels. It also aids digestion and prevents flatulence. Recent research shows garlic to be beneficial in the treatment of diabetes.
References from: here and here

I had deepen my knowledge of using spices in culinary enhancements since my confinement period where my son was born about 5 years ago. The confinement lady has taught me a little on cooking Chinese confinement food using herbs & spices during the end of my confinement. Hence, I began to hands on when the confinement lady has left after a month. I would cooked for my meals with plenty of gingers, cinnamon sticks, star anise, garlic, shallots, cloves, wood fungus, mushrooms & much more. I truly enjoyed the savoury taste of a pot of braised pork ribs with spices at that time. Since then, I will cook more food using spices with braising method.

Now, I have started to explore other recipes with spices, such as Masala Chai - Indian Spiced Tea. I prepare it with plenty of spices & ginger to enhance the tea. It has become my family favourite tea now and it surely tastes awesome with added fresh milk from the Indian milk supplier every week. Meanwhile, I am learning how to cook Indians & Nyonya curries with spices from my Mother-in-laws, which is good in cooking traditional curries with many tricks & tips! Need to brush up my skill in cooking variety of Malaysian food. (*wink)

Besides spices, mushroom is also full of nutrition goodness too. Enoki is also one of my favourite in various dishes. Enoki mushrooms are edible mushrooms which are very popular in Asian cuisine, especially in Japan. The delicately flavored, interesting looking mushrooms are also cultivated and sold in other parts of the world, although they are most widely used in Asian and fusion foods. Before using enoki mushrooms, rinse them thoroughly and trim off the roots at the base of the cluster. Enoki mushrooms can be eaten raw or cooked. Add them to salads, sandwiches, soups, pasta sauces, and stir-fried rice and vegetable dishes. To retain the delicate flavour of the mushrooms, add them at the end of the cooking process.
Reference from:
Goodness Direct
Wisegeek

Hence, I have prepared myself a pot of braised pork ribs with mushrooms and spices for lunch and a cup of Indian Spiced Tea for tea time to satisfied my cravings! haha... such an indulgence weekend for me! Need to work out and diet soon!

Another recipe on spices to be shared:
Braised pork ribs with spices

Ingredients:
300g Pork ribs, chop into pieces
10 nos Chinese dried mushroom
100g Enoki - Golden mushroom
1 piece of Dried bean curd sheet
600ml water

Herbs & spices (rinse & pat dry):
1 whole roasted garlic
2 nos Shallot, remove skin
1 piece of Cinnamon stick
2 nos Star Anise
1 inch of Ginger, slice
6 pcs of Black peppercorn

Seasoning:
1/2 tsp Salt
3 tbsp Light soya sauce
1 tbsp Dark soya sauce
1 tsp Shio Xing Rice wine.

Method:
1. Wash and blanch pork ribs with hot boiling water. Drain & set aside.
2. Wash and soak chinese mushroom with hot water until soft. Cover it.
3. Wash and cut away the roots of the enoki mushroom. Set aside.
4. Heat up 2 tbsp of sunflower oil in a cooking pot.
5. Saute herbs & spices until fragrant. Approx 2 mins.
6. Add in pork ribs and stir occasionally. Leave it for 5 mins.
7. Add in water, simmer under medium heat for 5 mins or until water started to boil.
8. Add in seasonings, stir well. Braise under low heat until pork ribs & mushrooms are soft.
9. Rinse & soak bean curd sheet for 1 min, drain and cut into 8 long stripes.
10. Add in bean curd sheet and enoki mushroom to the pot. Simmer at medium heat for 5 mins or until bean curd sheet is soft.
11. Dish up, serve while warm with hot steamed rice.

Note:
• You may substitute pork ribs with chicken.
• You may need to adjust the amount of water in this recipe. If the water is insufficient during the simmering time (step 8). Add another 100ml of water. The gravy should be semi-thick and concentrated at the end of the simmering.

More info on spices here:

Fitness Magazine

Savoury Cheese Cookies

2010-02-25T11:14:00.005+08:00

Hi, welcome back to work after a long break of Chinese New Year! To start this new season with something cheesy, isn't it great?
Cheese Cookies anyone? Cheese is kids all time favourite, perhaps adults too. We would fall in love with those pastry, bread, cookies, pizza or any items that uses cheese as one of the ingredients. Isn't it awesome? I had even added cheese in my traditional steamed egg cake that makes the steamed cake so savoury and tantalizing. Cheese is high in Calcium, but it is also fattening. Hence, we need to use it sparingly in our cooking and baking. Making cookies with cheese is simply heaven! Let's start baking!

Cookies are in my want-to-bake list. Since I had plenty of time during the one week Chinese New Year break, my sub-conscious mind told me to try it out. Thus, I kept on searching for some simple and easy to make cookie recipes. Hence, I recalled my good friend, LK (food-4tots) told me that her Cheesy Cookie recipe is good and her son loved it so much. I began my cookie project after sending off my son to pre-school. So, I had the whole house + the kitchen to myself..... haha...... this cookies making project is so fun and satisfying. Not only the cheesy smell good cookies but also to spend some personal time myself to bake something I like... I made approximately 30 - 40 cookies. I have added some chopped hazelnut & sesame seeds on top of the cookies for topping.

While I was busy taking photographs, my son came back from pre-school, he was so excited when he saw the cookies and can't wait to gulp down all the cookies. He finished almost half of the cookies. I need to stop him from stealing my little cheesy cookies from the jar.... haha (LOL).... Hence, he demanded to bring some to school the next day. Cookie is the kids all time favourite, especially with cheese flavour! It would be a great cookies as a gift during CNY or any other occasion such as party, gathering or picnic too. Are you a cheesy cookies lover too? Try it and I am sure you will love it too.

Recipe adapted & modified from Food-4tots Cheesy Cookies recipe
Make: 30-40 cookies (depending on the size and shape of the cookies)

Ingredients:
175g unsalted butter (chilled)
250g plain flour, plus extra for kneading
175g Cheddar cheese – grated
2 egg yolks
Dash of salt and pepper (I omitted the pepper)

Egg wash – 1 whole egg (beaten)
Some chopped nuts (hazelnut, walnuts, almond, macadamia nuts)
Some sesame seeds

Methods:
1. Preheat oven at 200°C. Cut the butter into pieces and add to the large mixing bowl with the flour and salt and pepper.
2. Rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture looks like fine crumbs.
3. Combine grated cheese and egg yolks in a bowl. Mix with the fork, pour into the dough mix and mix well with hands.
4. Shape the dough into a ball with your hands. Sprinkle the work surface with a little flour & on your palms.
5. Knead the ball of dough until it is smooth, and then roll it out until it is 5mm (1/4 inch) thick with a rolling pin.
6. Cut out flowers, hearts or other shapes and put the cookies spaced slightly apart on the (ungreased) baking sheets.
7. Combine all the trimmings together, then roll out and continue stamping and kneading until all the mixture is used up.
8. Brush the cookies with egg wash using the pastry brush.
9. Sprinkle some sesame seeds or chopped nuts, I used hazelnut.
10. Bake in the oven for 8-10 minutes until golden brown. Leave to cool on the sheets and store in an air-tight container.

Note:
• The baking time is vary from each oven and size of the cookies, you may need to adjust the temperature or observe the colour changing on the cookies accordingly.
• If you do not have cookie cutters, you may roll the dough into cylinder shape and cut them with a sharp knife to make a round shape. Or even cut them into square or triangle shape with knife. Do your own magic!

Stir fry Glass Noodles with Vegetables

2010-02-09T08:51:00.023+08:00

恭喜！恭喜！新年如意！情人節快樂！Chinese New Year & Valentine's Day fall on the same day this year. Bring us double happiness in this celebration. It is definitely makes you and your loved ones more meaningful this year. Have you done all your preparations and waiting anxiously for the New Year to come? I would enjoy admiring the Chinese New Year decorations in the shopping mall and also in most of the Chinese houses. There are indeed elegant and full of the CNY atmosphere. Red has always become the favourite colour for CNY, especially those lanterns, fans, items made from red packets (ang pow) and plenty of decorative stuffs. It brings you prosperous and happy feelings. Even though my family main celebration is Christmas but we do have re-union dinner to symbolize the festival. This year, I spend sometime making CNY lanterns, fishes & butterflies from red packets (Ang Pow) to introduce this festival to my son, my son loves it to bits, especially the butterflies. He even asked me transforms those red packets to "Transformers".... phewwwwww..... But it is real fun!

Our local radio station is promoting and advertising plenty of CNY advertisements during this season. Most of them are good advertisements, associate with the festive season, their products and also creating awareness on re-union with family and "Healthy Eating". One of the advertisement really captured my attention! It is from one of the cooking oil company. The advertisement transform the meaning of having healthy home-cooked food with their healthy cooking oil. It brought you the message of having a good year ahead with "healthy cooking" especially during this CNY. In this way, we can assure our family to have a healthy year to cherish their dreams and wishes. For me, this advertisement is the best among all to promote and to inspire healthy cooking awareness to the listeners.

Through this advertisement, it actually brings me some ideas and awareness to opt for something healthy for this coming CNY re-union dinner. One of the dishes in my list is "Simple stir fry glass noodles with eggs, shredded vegetables and chicken" adapted from my good friend's recipe (Food-4tots), Simplified "Kwai Fa Chee" (桂花翅) This cook is a "health conscious" Mommy and she has plenty of creative, healthy yet delicious recipes, specially catered for toddlers and kids. It has become an inspiration for Mommies to cook at home with her simple, healthy and practical recipes!

Start your first day of CNY with some healthy home cooked food to have a "Good Health" ahead. Not forgetting of having a healthy meal with your loved ones during this Valentine's Day and enjoy the beautiful moment!

Wishing all of you, a "HEALTHY" & "PROSPEROUS"

Chinese New Year!

新年健康！龍精虎猛！& Happy Valentine's Day! 情人節快樂!

Recipe adapted & modified from Food-4Tots - simplied Kwai Fa Chee

Ingredients:
200g cabbage (shredded finely)
40g carrot (shredded finely)
60g chicken fillet, cut into strips
20g glass noodle (粉丝) – soaked till softened, pressed dry and cut into 6-7cm long sections
2 eggs (lightly beaten)

Seasonings:
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
¼ tsp sugar (I omitted)
¼ tsp salt
Dash of pepper

Methods:
1. Prepare all the ingredients before hand. Heat up wok with oil.
2. Add in chicken and stir fry for a minute. Then add in carrot and 3 tbsp water. Stir fry with high heat.
3. Add in seasoning and cabbage. Quickly mix well with a pair of long chopsticks until the cabbage shrink. (Cabbage will produce water so do not add too much water)
4. Stir in glass noodle. Keep on stirring.
5. Reduce heat to medium and add in beaten eggs. Stir-fry until cooked. Dish up and serve.

Isn't this recipe simple? Cook up for this CNY and enjoy the holiday!

Raisin Custard Bun

2010-01-29T15:17:00.007+08:00

I always wanted to make some soft and moist buns or bread but I also realized that making bread is quite a tedious job. It needs plenty of experiment to achieve a good result. This round, I am keen to make some buns and I found this recipe from Jodeli Bakery. It was awesome as the ingredients are simple and the methods are easy to follow. This website also has step-by-step pictures to guide you. It makes those novice in making bun or bread much more easier and interesting. I thought making Raisin Custard Bun was a good idea and since buns are also my family all time favourite. Thus, I started reading and digesting each of every steps in this recipe and experiment to achieve a better texture buns. Since I do not have the dedicated dough hook (big hook) which is an important instrument in making bread dough. I need to substitute some hand kneading time to achieve the elastic texture.

In this process, I have learned that kneading time is an important key point in making bread. The dough needs to be elastic but not over knead. Thus, we need to experiment and plenty of practice to achieve that result. Oven temperature also is another important key point in baking bread or bun. Too high temperature will makes the buns tough and also result to hard crust. In the case, we need to adjust the oven temperature accordingly and observe the colour changes on the buns. I would say there is so much to learn and so much to observe in baking bread or bun.

Making bread or bun has become a new challenge for me now as I need to explore and try on variety methods and ways to have a soft and moist texture. Do you like bread making? If yes, do join me and share with me some of your secret! *wink* Happy Baking!

Recipe adapted and modified from Jodelibakery
Makes 12
Ingredients:
390g high protein flour
50g castor sugar
2 tsp instant yeast
1 egg
180ml water
50g butter
Some sunflower oil or greasing

Filling:
60g instant custard powder
100 - 120ml milk (adjust accordingly)
50g raisins

Glaze:
1 egg, lightly beaten

Methods:
1. Soak raisins with sufficient water to cover all the raisin for at least 2 hours in the fridge.
2. Combine flours, castor sugar, instant yeast, water and egg in a mixing bowl. Use dough hook of your mixer to knead the mixture at slow-medium for 10 minutes.
3. Add in butter, continue to knead for 15 mins until dough is elastic, smooth, non-sticky and pull away from the sides of the bowl.
4. Remove the mixing bowl, grease your hands with some oil. Remove the dough from the bowl and place on a kneading surface or board. Start kneading with hands for about 10 - 15 mins, until the dough is elastic. Stretch and pinch up the dough to test if the dough is done, the dough should form a thin membrane before it breaks. (I have to knead by hands because I am using a small dough hooks which didn't give me a satisfying elastic dough result, if you are using specialize bread dough hook, you may skip this step).
5. Grease a stainless steel bowl with some oil, form the dough into a ball, place it in the bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Leave it to proof at room temperature or under the sun for 1 hour or until it is doubled in size.
6. Meanwhile, prepare the custard filling. Whisk instant custard powder and milk in a mixing bowl, you may need to adjust the amount of milk accordingly, pour in milk gradually until the a pudding-like batter is form, the batter shouldn't be watery.
7. Drain raisins and strain well to discard extra water. Set aside.
8. Use your finger tips to test if the dough has fully risen.
9. Punch down the dough with your fist to released gases produced in the proofing process. Rest for 5 mins before shaping.
10. Slightly grease the working surface with some oil. Roll bread dough out to a 15" X 11" rectangle shape. Spread custard on the dough and sprinkle raisins on the custard. Roll the dough up tightly to contain the filling.
11. Using a sharp knife to divide roll into approximately 12 portions. Line the baking tray with baking paper, arrange the dough on the baking tray. Proof buns for 30 - 45 mins or until double in size.
12. Beat up an egg. Glaze the top of bread dough with the egg glaze.
13. Bake in preheated oven at 360ºF for 20 - 25 mins. Do not over bake the buns as it will turn tough. You may need to adjust your oven temperature accordingly. The buns should be lightly golden not brown.
14. Cool buns completely on wire rack. Store in an air-tight container and served within 2 - 3 days.

Tips:
• All ingredients should be at room temperature before use. The best is to proof dough under slightly warm area or under the sun to have it fully risen and doubled in size.
• Do not over baked the buns as it will result in hard and tough buns. Too high temperature of the oven will result in buns with thick and hard crust. You may need to adjust your oven temperature accordingly.
• Adjust the amount of milk for the filling accordingly, you may need to add in the milk gradually to achieve a pudding-like or paste-like custard filling. Stop when you get the pudding-like paste.
• You may need to observe the colour changes of the buns while baking, once it turns to lightly golden colour, adjust to lower temperature or the timing accordingly.
• Kneading time also an important factor, you have to knead the dough until it is elastic and form a thin membrane before it breaks when you stretch and pinch up the dough. This will give you soft buns.
• I have to knead by hands because I am using a small dough hooks which didn't give me a satisfying elastic dough result, if you are using specialize bread dough hook, you may skip step (4).
• To get more tips on this recipe and on how to achieve soft and moist bread, you may browse through the Jodeli Bakery with more step-by-step pictures.

Watercress Soup

2010-01-21T12:38:00.007+08:00

The weather here is extremely unpredictable. It can rains cats and dogs in the morning and hot burning sun in the afternoon or vice versa. With this changes of weather, it really makes us feel sick and also dehydrated at times. I believed by taking in liquid, such as 'soup' is the best nourishment for this season. Soup can re-hydrate our body, pack with nourishment and nutrition, all in one pot. Being a Chinese, soup is one of my all time favourite in my meals. I have introduced them to my little son. Since then, he has fell in love with soup and will have soup almost everyday.

Watercress soup is one of my childhood favourite. I just love the green vegetable soak in the soup with some red dates and wolf berries. We believed watercress can cold down the body temperature and also pack with vitamins and minerals.

Watercress is a member of the cabbage family along with other greens such as mustard greens, kale, kohlrabi, and turnip greens. Watercress offers similar health benefits as kale and collards and can be used in the same way. They provide an excellent source of vitamins B6, C, manganese, and carotene. Greens in the cabbage family have almost three times as much calcium as phosphorus.
Reference from Everynutrient

Watercress is among the most highly nutritious vegetable, many of the great herbalists wrote of the revitalizing power of watercress. The health benefits of watercress are attributed to its nutrient content. Watercress is an excellent source of vitamins B1, B2, B6, C, E, manganese, and carotenes. It also a good source of calcium, fiber, iron and copper. Watercress livens up raw salad and it also makes a valuable juice. Watercress juice is a green juice and must not be consumed alone. It also tastes bitter and is much easier to swallow if mixed with carrot, potato, and a little parsley or carrot, spinach, and turnip leaves. For optimal health benefits, eat watercress raw and as fresh as possible.

Besides, watercress has plenty of health benefits. It is not only good source of fibre but also high in Calcium. By adding watercress in our diet brings us variety of nutrition, nourishment, vitamins, minerals and also savoring a delicious healthy vegetable!

Here are some of the health benefits of watercress:
• Watercress contains anticancer properties.
• Watercress helps protect the eyes because it contains a high level of two carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin.
• Watercress helps to normalize cholesterol and blood pressure.
• Watercress increases sexual energy and enhances fertility.
• Watercress can help improved memory, mental function and to retard ageing.
• Watercress is a powerful cleanser of the body, especially the bloodstream.
• Watercress can help increase production of breast milk.
Reference from hubpages

After reading so much of the goodness of watercress, it is worth adding this nutritious vegetable into our cooking & our meals. Watercress can be used for stir-frying, puree, turn it into pesto, juice and many other ways. You can explore and find other interesting mehtods of cooking watercress! Let's be creative and enjoy the goodness of this SUPERB vegetable.
More info about Watercress: Herbs are special

Ingredients:
500gm Watercress (西洋菜), trimmed leaves and stems to make it shorter
300gm Pork ribs, cut into pieces
2.5 litre Water
10 dried Red dates, pitted
1 tbsp dried Wolf berries, rinsed
Salt to taste

Methods:
1. Blanch pork with hot boiling water. Drain and set aside.
2. Boil a pot of 2.5 litre water. Bring to the boil.
3. Once it is boiled, add in pork ribs. Simmer at medium heat for 1 hour.
4. Meanwhile, wash and rinse watercress, drain. Rinse and remove red dates seeds.
5. Add watercress and red dates into the pot and simmer at medium heat for 30 mins.
6. Add in wolf berries, simmer for another 5 mins. Add salt to taste.
7. Serve while hot.

Pan-grilled Lemongrass Chicken

2010-01-12T12:36:00.008+08:00

Hey! How was your New Year celebration? It feels like long time I didn't start posting in 2010. Kinda miss the world of blogging here. As I was really busy with the New Year and also school re-open events. It had been so many things to prepare and to get things done. But, I did enjoyed this long break and kinda missing it now! *wink*

Now, my routine has back to schedule. Cooking has become one of the daily routine again and it was such challenging for this year as I need to explore more of the children's finger food or snacks for my son to pack to school. Not forgetting to try out more methods of cooking and variety of recipes. That is my new year challenges and aim. Well, let me charge up more energy for this challenges... haha.... no, no, it is not like the 'IRON CHEF' or the 'Hell's Kitchen'... Let's do more fun cooking and enjoyable food.

Today, I would like to share this simple recipe which I wanted to try sometimes ago. This recipe is simple, easy to prepare and full of flavour. Just the kind of food that you want to cook at home within a short period of time and enjoy! Lemongrass and garlic give you the fragrant smell and nutrition in this recipe. Lime juice simply gives you the kick and flavour to the chicken. If you are a lover of lemongrass, do give it a try and I am sure you will have a touch of satisfaction. You may check out more about the nutrition and another recipe of LEMONGRASS at my Turmeric Fragrant Butter Rice. These two recipes make a great companion for dinner!

Ingredients:
3 pcs Chicken breast meat, rinsed & pat dry
3 sticks 5cm long Lemongrass
4 cloves Garlic, peeled
3 tbsp Water
Juice of one medium-size Lime
Dash of salt
Sunflower oil for pan-grilling

Methods:
1. Prepare chicken breast meat, pound chicken meat with the back of the knife gently. Make some slit on the chicken meat.
2. Sprinkle some salt to both sides. Set aside.
3. Chop lemongrass into small pieces. Blend lemongrass and garlic with water until become paste.
4. Spread or rub over both sides of the chicken breast meat evenly.
5. Drizzle lime juice over the chicken breast meat. Put them in a zipper bag and marinade in the fridge for an hour.
6. Remove chicken from the fridge and rest for 5 mins. Discard any remaining juice. Drained well.
7. Heat up oil in the frying pan or grill-pan. Grill chicken for 5 - 6 mins each sides or until it is just cooked & turn to slightly brown colour under low heat.
8. Prepare some salad leaves, butter head or rocket salad leaves.
9. Arrange grilled chicken on the salad and serve.

Note:
• You need to pound the chicken meat with the back of the knife or with a pestle to have tender and soft chicken meat.
• You need to make some slits on the meat to allow the marinade ingredients absorb into it.
• Do not over grill the chicken breast meat as it will become hard.
• Use fresh and big-sized lemongrass to have more fragrant flavour.
• The pan-grilling time is depends on the thickness of the chicken breast meat, always pan-grill in low heat. Be cautious of the grilling process, not to over cooked the chicken breast meat.

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 #187, which is housed by Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once and hosted this week by Maninas from Maninas: Food Matters

Cheese Scones

2009-12-31T10:04:00.009+08:00

Time really flies, Christmas was just over and it is already time to say goodbye to Year 2009 and welcoming Year 2010. It was like just busy putting up the Christmas tree, decorating it and now it is about time to think of how to celebrate the coming New Year. We had a jolly good time during the Christmas long break! Christmas was really busy for all of us as we had plenty of visitors this time. It was busy cooking, eating and cleaning up! Thus, we had plenty of cakes, tarts and desserts this time and it was really a sweet-Christmas for all of us. I even served them with one of my good friend cum foodie's Icebox cheese cake and guess what? They loved it to bits including my family. Thanks LK - Food-4tots for sharing this recipe! If you are reading this post right now, I am giving you a "thumbs up".... I will surely make it again and watching the weighing scale's needle increasing! haha...

What is your New Year resolution? Mine? As always, good health comes first. Be more happy and appreciate every moments in life, that will eventually bring us GOOD HEALTH. May God bless all of us with good health, peace and joy! Not forgetting to have more delicious, tantalizing, scrumptious healthy food.

For this coming New Year, I would like to begin with something simple and basic for this celebration. Cheese scones - this recipe was adapted & modified from Betty Saw - CAKES & TREATS mini cookbook! In her recipe, she called for bacon and cheese, but I have omitted the bacon and increased the cheese amount. With grated Cheddar cheese, the scones turned out to be savoury and appetizing. My son loves it so much and keep on asking for more! It is indeed a convenient snack to bring along when he is going to kindergarten next week.

Scone is a small British quick bread which uses basic ingredients such as flour, milk, eggs, butter, salt, baking soda and sugar, unlike yeast breads which often take hours to rise. All the ingredients are combined and gently bring together until it forms a lumpy dough which is rolled out on a lightly floured surface. The dough is usually made in a round shape which cut into triangles/squares, cut it with round cookies cutter or just shape it with hands. The top of the scone is often glaze it with egg and milk before sprinkled with sugar and put into the oven to bake.

There are many ways and methods in making scones, some common additions to scones include spices like cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg. Some adding dried fruit such as raisins, dates or cranberries. More hearty scones include bacon or cheese. You may have many types of flavours according to your own preference.

References from:
• wikipedia
• wikipedia-Quick bread
• wisegeek

This cheese scones recipe is easy to follow and taste savoury, you can just cut them into half, spread it with butter, jam or peanut butter and enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee. What a delicious and relaxing way to eat your scones in this new year! See you in 2010!

This recipe was adapted and modified for my own preference:
Makes 18 scones
Ingredients:
240g Self-raising flour
60g Butter
120g Grated Cheddar Cheese
170ml Milk (I used fresh milk)

Egg glaze:
1 Egg yolk, beaten
1 tsp Water

Methods:
1. Beat egg yolk and water together to make glaze. Set aside.
2. Sift flour into a bowl. Lightly rub in butter with fingers or blend with a pastry cutter.
3. Stir in cheese, mix with milk to form soft dough. Rest for 5 mins.
4. Line a square baking tray with baking paper.
5. Dust some flour on your hands.
6. Place 1 - 2 tbsp of batter on your hands and roll them into a ball. Approximately 4cm diameter.
7. Place them on the baking tray. (I did not use cookies cutter as I don't have an appropriate size cutter).
8. Bush the top with egg glaze.
9. Bake in a preheated 200ºC (400ºF) oven for 12 - 15 mins, or until scones turn golden brown. Serve.

Note:
• The best is to eat scones while it is warm and finish them within 2 days.

Original version (Makes 14 scones):
1 Egg yolk, beaten
1 tsp Water
240g Self-raising flour
60g Margarine
90g Cheddar cheese, grated
90g Bacon, chopped
170ml Milk

Methods:
1. Beat egg yolk and water together to make glaze. Set aside.
2. Sift flour into a bowl. Lightly rub margarine with fingers or blend with a pastry cutter. Stir in cheese and bacon. Mix with milk to form soft dough.
3. On a lightly floured board, roll dough to 1 - 2cm thickness. Cut into 5 - 6 cm rounds with cookies cutter. Place on lightly greased trays.
4. Bake in a preheated 200ºC (400ºF) oven for 12 - 15 mins, or until scones are golden brown. Serve.

Christmas Delight | Butter Cake

2009-12-21T12:38:00.015+08:00

Hey! Christmas is around the corner! Few days more we will be celebrating this joyful moment with friends and family at home. Food and desserts are the main attention during Christmas besides a beautifully decorated Christmas tree. Have you decorated your Christmas tree?

As usual, on Christmas Day, we will be busy feasting and celebrating this day in Church and at home! Also, not forgetting weight-watching too... haha... This year, our list consists of the mixture of Western and Asian dishes, such as chicken debal/devil curry (one of the Eurasian dishes), prawns sambal, roast chicken, roast pork, vegetables, soup and not forgetting our must-have cakes! It has become a norm every year for my Mother-in-law to make some homemade cakes for Christmas, such as fruit cake and butter cake. I have also hooked to these 2 delicious home made cakes since then.

Today, I would like to feature one of her all time favourite and popular cake among the family, traditional BUTTER CAKE! Butter cake has become one of the popular cakes for everyone and it is simply easy to make and tasty! You can make this simple butter cake more unique and mouth-watering by choosing the right ingredients! We found out many ways to enhance this simple cake by using a good quality/premium butter and the technique in making it. I hope by sharing these few tips, you too can enjoy a simple yet extra-ordinary butter cake!

Till then, before I opt for Christmas break, I would like to wish all of you a Merry Christmas & Happy Holiday! Have fun and enjoy! Stay tuned for the next delicious pastry for New year!

glitter-graphic.com

Ingredients:
250gm Butter (Use S.C.S butter/premium butter)
1 3/4 cups Self Raising flour
3/4 cup Castor Sugar
1/2 tsp Baking powder
1 1/4 tbsp Full Cream milk (use Dutch Lady)
1/2 tsp Vanilla Essence
4 eggs (separate egg yolks & egg whites)

Methods:
1. Line a 20cm round baking tray with baking paper.
2. Sift self-raising flour & baking powder together. Mix well, set aside.
3. Cream butter & castor sugar with mixer for 10 mins or until mixture is creamy and fluffy.
4. If you are using hand whisk, whisk in one direction for 15 mins.
5. Whisk egg yolks and egg whites in separate bowl.
6. Put egg whites in the batter, then egg yolks. Whisk at low speed.
7. Fold in half of the flour and mix well. Repeat with another half.
8. Add in milk and vanilla essence. Mix well in one direction.
9. Transfer batter to a baking tray.
10.Heat up oven for 10 mins. Baked for 20mins at 400ºF until top is golden brown.
11.Switch off oven. Leave in the oven for 5 mins. Test with a skewer.

Note (below is some of the tips from our observation and enhancement):
• Use premium butter will enhance the taste and make the butter cake more moist and creamier.
• If you are using hand whisk, whisk in one direction.
• Use full cream milk will make the cake soft and moist.

One Pot Dish

2009-12-15T09:22:00.003+08:00

One pot dish is always the working moms' favorite. It is not only save us some time to prepare a wholesome meal for the family, it's also easy to prepare and clean up! Sounds great working moms? Since it was a busy day for me the last one week and everyone in the family had caught the cold bugs that fly in the air including me, the thoughts of cooking seem tiring too. Thus, I have to prepare a quick and simple but nutritious dinner. One pot dish is my best choice, all can be done in a short period of time.

This time, using a claypot is the best choice for this one pot dish. By using braising method with claypot, it brings out the flavour of the ingredients and also enhances the taste of the dish. I have selected variety of ingredients this round, chicken fillets, prawns, mushroom, fish cakes, carrot & broccoli. Not forgetting the main ingredient here, the Egg Tofu - 玉子豆腐. Since my family enjoys egg tofu so much, it was a wise decision to add them in the pot. The joy of making this dish is; you can "mix & match" according to your family's favourite ingredients. Ok Mommies, start wokking and enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 tubes Egg Tofu (Japanese Tofu 玉子豆腐), cut into 2 cm thick
4 stalks Mushroom, washed & soaked (Trim away the stems)
1 strip of Chicken fillet, cut into chunks
10 pcs large Prawns, removed shells - retain tails
1/2 Carrot, sliced
10 florets Broccoli
2 pcs Fish cakes, cut into 2 cm thick
3 cloves of Garlic, minced
Sunflower oil

Seasonings:
2 tbsp Shaoxing Wine (Chinese traditional fermented rice wine 绍兴酒)
Reference on Shaoxing Wine here
Salt to taste (I used 2 tsp)

Thickener (adjust the thickness according to your taste):
3 tsp Cornflour / Tapioca flour
100ml Chicken broth

Chicken broth (600ml)
Chicken bones, about 20 pcs
Broccoli stems (use the remaining broccoli stems)
1 liter water

Methods for chicken broth:
1. Blanch chicken bones with boiling water. Drained.
2. Bring 1 liter water to the boil.
3. Add in chicken bones and broccoli stems.
4. Simmer for 1 hour or until it is concentrated and sufficient for 600ml.

Methods for main dish:
1. Marinade chicken fillet and prawns separately with salt and pepper. Set aside for 10 mins.
2. Wash mushroom thoroughly. Soak with hot water for 10 mins. Drain, trim away the stems. Set aside.
3. Blanch broccoli with some oil in boiling water. Drained and set aside.
4. Heat up oil in a claypot, saute garlic till fragrant.
5. Add in chicken fillets, stir fry for a minute.
6. Add in mushroom & fish cake, stir fry for another minute.
7. Pour in 500ml chicken broth. Braise at medium heat for 10 mins.
8. Add in thickener (adjust thickener) & braise until sauce is a little concentrated but not too thick.
9. Add in prawns & seasonings. Simmer for another 2 mins. Add in salt to taste.
10. Add in egg tofu, do not stir the tofu to avoid breaking. Cover with lid, simmer for another 2 mins.
11. Open lid, off fire. Add in broccoli & dish up. Serve while hot.

Note:
• Adjust the amount of chicken broth & the thickener according to your own preference. I prefer more gravy as it is suitable for kids to have them with rice.
• Add in prawns lastly so it will not over-cooked.
• You may substitute chicken broth with concentrated chicken stock. You need to adjust the water portion according.
• You may add your own selection of ingredients or other ingredients such as cauliflower, spring onion, celery, leek, seafood (fish slices, crab sticks or clams), fish balls or meat balls.

Pita Tuna

2009-12-08T17:16:00.020+08:00

I first encountered Pita bread was few years ago from one of my colleagues. Since then, we consumed pita bread with various of fillings very often especially during lunch time. It was one of our diet plan.

Pita bread is very versatile, we can stuff plenty of fillings in it, such as chicken meat, lamb, beef, tuna, sardines, baked beans, vegetables, sausages or any of your own preference. Pita bread, spelled “pitta bread” in the UK, is a round leavened flatbread that is consumed all over the world in many different cultures. It is generally made with wheat but can also be made in multigrain and whole wheat varieties. Reference from wisegreek. We can make pita bread at home too. It is a healthy and indeed easy-to-find bread around. I would prefer wholemeal as it contains more fibre in it and much healthier. Pre-packed pita bread comes with variety of flavours, such as original, cheese, wholemeal & garlic.

Since my son will be going to pre-school next year, I have to pack some snack or light-meal for him to bring along for his break time. Pita bread with tuna is just one of the simple and healthy snack for all time. Tuna is also a good source of protein, Omega 3, vitamins and minerals. A prefect choice for a growing up kid.
This recipe is simply good for those who is on the run or on diet plan. I would love to have it for my breakfast as I am always rushing to work in the morning! Having something that is tasty, healthy, high in nutrients and easy to make for breakfast is such a convenient way for working parents and kids! Do you agree with me?

Simple yet delicious! A prefect snack for kids and you!You may also try out this simple snack of Tortilla!

• Check on this video on how to make Pita bread at home
• Benefits of Tuna from WHFOODS

Ingredients:
185g Tuna Chunks in Sunflower oil (canned tuna)
2 Wholemeal pita bread, cut into half
1 medium-sized Tomato, sliced
1/2 medium-sized Japanese cucumber, sliced
1 small-sized Onion, minced
Dash of black pepper
Dash of dried basil leaves

Methods:
1. Cut pita bread into half. Set aside.
2. Drained tuna & retain the oil.
3. Heat up the tuna oil, saute onion until translucent.
4. Add in tuna, loosen the tuna and stir fry until fragrant.
5. Sprinkle some black pepper and basil leaves, mix well.
6. Open up pita bread, arrange tomato slices in it, stuff in tuna.
7. Stuff in cucumber slices and it is done!
8. Repeat with the rest of the pita bread.
9. Serve as breakfast or snack or even lunch!

Sushi rolls 寿司卷

2009-12-04T14:13:00.005+08:00

Sushi roll is such a healthy snack, moreover it is also easy to make. It has been my favourite when I dined in the Japanese restaurant. Since then, I wanted to learn it at home and make for my family. After watching some online tutorials on how to make sushi roll, I find it is indeed easy to follow. I would say : "Practice makes perfect!" It is a challenging and fun job to roll it on! Do you want to try it too?

All you need at home are a sushi rolling mat, seaweed sheets, Japanese rice (short-grain rice) with vinegar (if you prefer), raw vegetables (Japanese cucumber, carrot or even avocado), tamagoyaki - Japanese omelette (if you prefer), crabsticks, prawns, tuna, unagi (eel), soft shell crab or any items that you can find in Japanese sushi rolls. I began with some basic and simple sushi rolls. It is such an exciting dish to make especially for kids. The colours are attractive & the shape makes it more appetizing. It is so satisfying to eat it with some wasabi and Japanese soy sauce! Making sushi rolls at home is such a cost-saving event as sushi is an expensive food outside. At the same time, we can have fun and also save some money! Isn't it great?

For this recipe, I have combined tamagoyaki with Japanese cucumber & crabsticks in the sushi rolls. Simple, quick & healthy!

This recipe can make 3 sushi rolls:

Ingredients:
(Instruction on the pack for using rice cooker)
1 cup Japanese sushi rice (short-grain rice)
2 cups Water

Seaweed sheets, square large-sized
Tamagoyaki, cut into few longish strips
Crabsticks
Japanese cucumber, cut into thin longish strips
Sushi rolling mat
Cling film for wrapping the mat

Methods:
1. Cook sushi rice according to the instruction on the pack. Dish up, cool it and set aside. (I omitted the vinegar)
2. Prepare Japanese cucumber & crabsticks.
3. Prepare tamagoyaki (see below video).
4. Wrap sushi mat with cling film tightly and neatly.
5. Lay sushi mat on the table. Put a seaweed sheet on it.
6. Coat hands with some oil or water, spread sushi rice evenly on the seaweed sheet.
7. Arrange tamagoyaki, crabsticks & Japanese cucumber at the middle of the rice.
8. Spread some water at the end of the sheet. Roll it up with the help of the mat.
9. See video tutorial below to get the rolling technique. Bravo!

Here are those useful online Video Tutorials:
How to make Tamagoyaki video tutorial
How to make Sushi rice video tutorial
How to make Sushi rolls video tutorial

Note:
• Use a sharp knife to cut the sushi rolls to have a nice and neat cutting.

Cream of Mushroom Soup & Garlic Bread

2009-11-24T12:46:00.010+08:00

Home is where the heart is! Do you agree with me? This tag line will definitely capture everybody's attention, especially during weekends where we spend most of the time at home. For a working mum like me, I would spend my weekend at home preparing most heart-warming meals for my family. Today, I would like to spread some heart-warming recipes to you whom wish to spend a warm and relaxing evening with the family.

Since it is a rainy season here, having something warm and soothing are one of the most tantalizing meals at home. A bowl of warm Cream of Mushroom Soup with some Homemade Garlic Bread will definitely make your heart warm in the evening. Don't you? Cream of mushroom soup and garlic bread are my family all time favourite. Instead of having them outside where contain plenty of artificial seasonings, why not we have it fresh & pure at home?

This recipe has been improved from my previous Cream of mushroom recipe. Besides, I have also made some garlic bread to savor with the mushroom soup! This is indeed a prefect combination for an evening break or snack! Agree?
Mushrooms contain 80 - 90% of water and very low in calories, they are also low in sodium and fat, a prefect source of fiber, ideal food for weight management. Besides, mushrooms are an excellent source of potassium, a rich source of riboflavin, niacin, and selenium.

"According to this site, Crimini Mushrooms also know as Brown Button or Italian Brown have a distinct rich brown or tan colour. Crimini have an earthy rich flavour when they are cooked and a nutty creamy taste when raw. They may be used in dishes together with white button mushrooms or alone in soups, stew, salads and side dishes."
Reference from BCMUSHROOMS
"Crimini or brown button mushrooms are coffee colored and richer in flavor and nutrients than the more common white button mushroom, crimini mushrooms are available throughout the year."

Thus, I chose Swiss Brown button mushroom this round to find out the differences compare to white button mushroom. To my surprised, it really brings out more flavour to my mushroom soup! With some bay leaves, it enhances the taste, at the same time it brings fragrant smell to the soup.

"Mushrooms are as mysteriously unique as they are delicious. While often thought of as a vegetable and prepared like one, mushrooms are actually a fungus, a special type of living organism that has no roots, leaves, flowers or seeds. While mushroom can be cultivated, they can also be found growing wild in many regions of the world."

Tips on How to Select and Store:
• Look for mushrooms that are firm, plump and clean.
• Those that are wrinkled or have wet slimy spots should be avoided. Since mushrooms darken as they age, choose those that are either creamy white or tan, depending upon whether you are purchasing white or Crimini mushrooms.

Tips for Preparing Mushrooms:
• Mushrooms are so porous that if they are exposed to too much water, they will quickly absorb it and become soggy.
• Therefore, the best way to clean mushrooms without sacrificing their texture and taste is to clean them using minimal, if any, water.
• Wipe them with a slightly damp paper towel or kitchen cloth. You could also use a mushroom brush, available at most kitchenware stores.
Reference from WHFOODS
Check out variety of mushrooms here!

This recipe is based on my own preference:
Serves 4

Ingredients:
200gm Fresh Swiss Brown Button Mushroom
1 medium-sized Celery
1 medium-sized White Onion
400ml Chicken stock/broth
250ml Fresh Milk (I used Dutch Lady fresh milk)
3 tbsp Butter
3 tbsp Plain flour
2 medium-sized Dried Bay Leaves
Salt & Black pepper to taste

Methods:
1. Rinse button mushroom with colander then pat dry with a dry cloth.
2. Slice button mushroom. Set aside.
3. Chop celery and white onion coarsely. Rinse bay leaves and set aside.
4. Heat up pan, add butter and let it melt, immediately add in onion. Sautee until onion is translucent.
5. Add in celery and sautee for another minute. Add mushrooms, sautee until mushrooms turn brown or until the water in the mushrooms have suppressed. Stir in flour and mix well.
6. Pour in chicken stock/broth, add bay leaves. Simmer under medium heat for 20 mins.
7. Add in fresh milk and simmer for another 10 mins under low heat. Stir occasionally. (Do not over-boil the milk)
8. Let the soup cool a little. Transfer to a blender, blend batch by batch and pour to another pot.
9. If you prefer some chunky mushroom texture, do not blend too long.
10. Add salt and black pepper to taste.
11. Dish up to a soup bowl, serve while hot with homemade garlic bread.

Chicken broth recipe:
Boil 550ml water, add in half of whole chicken (in chunks or pieces).
You may use those remaining chicken bones to make this broth.
Simmer under medium heat for 1 hour. Drained, sieved with colander and set aside. Make sure the chicken broth is sufficient for the above recipe.

Homemade Garlic Bread recipe:
Ingredients:
French loaf or English bread ( I used wholemeal bread)
Garlic powder
Butter spread
Italian herbs (basil, oregano or parsley)
Grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Methods:
1. Cut french loaf or English bread into slices.
2. Spread butter on each slices. Sprinkle garlic powder.
3. Sprinkle parmesan cheese and Italian herbs.
4. Baked at 400ºF for 5 - 10 mins or until cheese is melted and bread turns crispy.
5. You may need to adjust the temperature and timing according to your oven.

Tuna & Mushroom Potato Top Pie

2009-11-13T12:14:00.003+08:00

Pie is my family all time favourite. It has become a tradition of our family to have pie whenever there is a special celebration, such as Christmas, Easter, New Year day, sometimes birthdays too. I was first introduced to homemade pie by my Mother-in-law when I was married few years ago. She is simply a good cook and a good baker with so many tested traditional recipes. I was thrilled and inspired by her ability and talent in making all sorts of pie. I must be thankful to her as she has guided me in many of her traditional cooking and baking.

One of the most popular pies in every occasion in the family is "Traditional Chicken pie". Using variety of ingredients in the chicken stew and baked it with homemade pastry top, it is wholesome, easy & tantalizing! Is it great to be able to savour homemade pie during special occasions? Besides Traditional Chicken pie, "Family pie" is another traditional and simply mouth-watering pie which makes you fall in love with it. It is also an easy-to-make pie with the mixture of eggs & evaporated milk as the top. This pie is creamy and delicious. I managed to baked this pie under her supervision someday ago. (Check out the recipe here!). I must say it is a great way to learn variety of traditional recipes from the older generation & those experienced cook.

Well, today I would like to share with all of you a modern pie recipe which I chanced upon. Besides pastry pie, I wanted to try something more savoury, creamy & cheesy! Potato top pie is a good choice and it is indeed easier to make. It is similar to shepherd's pie but instead of using minced mutton or beef, I go for Tuna. This recipe is adapted & modified from the Women's Weekly Food Book - Easy healthy meals - Tuna, onion potato top pie. This was my first attempt in making potato top pie, which I can assure you, it is simply delicious and easy to make. For my case, I have added fresh white button mushroom & dried herbs in this pie to enhance the taste and at the same time to added more fiber in my son's diet. The recipe is suitable for kids, especially those picky eater. This recipe called for tuna, which is a good source of protein & Omega 3. Moreover, tuna is healthier and low in fats compared to meat. You may add extra ingredients such as carrots, green peas or corns to add more vegetable range. Isn't it great to have a wholesome meal for the whole family? I would definitely make this again for any special party or celebration, it is such a simple & quick recipe for any occasion.

Serves: 4
Ingredients A:
3 large US Potaotes, washed & peeled
1 tbsp Butter
1/2 cup Milk (I used full cream milk)

Ingredients B:
1/2 cup Fresh White Button, chopped coarsely or sliced
1 Onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves Garlic, finely chopped
2 sprigs Curry leaves, removed stem
2 cups Tuna (use canned tuna chunks in sunflower oil)
Salt & black pepper to taste
2 tbsps Lime juice
2 tbsp shredded Cheddar cheese
4 medium-sized Oven-proof bowls

Methods:
1. Preheat oven at 300ºF.
2. Peel and wash potatoes, cut into small chunks. Bring water to a boil. Add in a pinch of salt & potatoes. Make sure the water cover the potatoes.
3. Boil potatoes until soft. Drain. Mash hot potatoes with butter & milk. Set aside.
4. Heat up oil in a frying pan over medium-high fire. Brown onions for one minute, add in garlic and curry leaves. Fry another minute.
5. Add in mushroom and saute until fragrant. Add the tuna and toss well. Sprinkle some salt & black pepper according to your taste. Off fire. Stir in lime juice and mix well.
6. Spoon tuna mixture into 4 medium-sized oven-proof bowls. Press mixture into the bowls with the back of a spoon.
7. Top with mashed potato and use the back of the spoon to smoothen the surface. Use a fork to make patterns on the top of the mashed potato.
8. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over and add a sprinkling of black pepper.
9. Place in the oven and bake for 15 mins at 400ºF or until the top is golden brown. Do not over baked.

Note:
• Mash potatoes with potato masher while it is hot to make the process easier.
• Use US Potato to get the soft and moist texture.

Baked Rice with Cheese

2009-11-05T14:07:00.006+08:00

Hey! Baked rice with cheese! Sound very familiar and such a tantalizing, quick & easy one pot dish. I came familiar with this dish when I dined in one of the famous Hong Kong restaurant in town, their baked rice with cheese is simply delicious that can make you hook into it. Now, even my family loves baked rice with cheese to bits. Thus, I make my own version of baked rice with cheese at home. It save a lot of cooking and washing time too.

Since I want to make a wholesome meal, a balance and nutritious ingredients from several food groups will be a good combination in this dish. This is a good way to let my little boy to consume various food pyramid group especially vegetables. I also added some Italian dried herbs to enhance the taste. Great way to cook a quick & easy dish that tastes delicious. If you are looking for a simple, quick and easy one dish meal, do give this a try! You may also want to try the Seafood Baked Rice!

Serves 4
Ingredients:
4 cups cooked rice
200gm chicken fillet, cubed or sliced
12 pcs large-sized prawns, removed shells & veins
10 florets broccoli, blanched with boiling water & salt
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 nos shallots, minced
2 tbsp butter
Olive oil
Shredded cheese - Mozarella or Cheddar
Dried parsley, oregano, basil or any preference herbs
Salt & pepper to taste

Methods:
1. Prepare 4 cups of cooked rice. Set aside. You may need to adjust the rice according to personal appetite.
2. Wash prawns. Remove shells and veins. Pat dry. Marinade prawns with pinch of salt, sugar & pepper.
3. Marinade chicken fillets with pinch of salt & pepper.
4. Blanch broccoli with boiling water & a pinch of salt. Drain & set aside.
5. Heat up olive oil, pan-fry prawns until 80% cooked. Dish up & set aside.
6. Heat olive oil again, stir-fry chicken fillet until 80% cooked. Dish up & set aside.
7. Heat up butter in another wok, saute garlic and shallots until fragrant.
8. Stir in cooked rice, stir-fry until rice is fragrant & well coated with butter but not too soft.
9. Add in chicken fillets, prawns & broccoli. Sprinkle some dried herbs, salt & ground black pepper. Mix well.
10. Transfer half of the rice to a baking dish. Sprinkle some shredded cheese, mix well.
11. Add in the remaining rice. Sprinkle more olive oil & dried herbs. Top or cover the rice with cheese.
12. Bake at 350ºF until cheese is melted but not golden brown. In this way, you will have creamier cheese taste.
13. Remove from the oven. Sprinkle with extra ground black pepper if you prefer stronger pepper taste. Serve.

Note:
• You may choose your own selection of vegetables & meat.
• The cooked rice may vary on the person consumption.

Banana Muffins

2009-10-29T17:42:00.003+08:00

My family loves banana to bits, we consume bananas almost every week. It is not only nutritious but also one of the easiest to find local fruit around. It has become one of the popular fruits serve during various occasion or most of the hawker stalls. Here, we can have banana in various ways and cooking, one of the famous all time snack is "banana fritters", you can have it almost everywhere during tea-time. Banana is such a versatile fruit - this fruity, fleshy & soothing fruit can be used in many dishes, such as banana cakes, banana split, "pengat pisang" (banana sweet dessert - one of the Malaysian traditional desserts), banana smoothies & of course banana muffins! Banana became one of the first baby food I have introduced to my son. Besides its nutrition, its soft and sweet texture has become one of the favourite food for babies & toddlers. It is a great food for all round health benefits.

There is so much of health benefits of eating banana. The combination of carbohydrates and B vitamins present in a banana helps provide an energy boost which makes them great to eat 30 minutes before a workout, or even at breakfast to help boost energy at the start of every day. It is also high in fiber, helps in healthy bowels & protection from ulcers. Bananas also a good source of potassium, an essential mineral for maintaining cardiovascular health, protection from strokes and improving blood pressure. Besides, it also helps to reduce water retention. Isn't it great to consume bananas for good health? Reference from here.
More reference of banana

Since my family love bananas so much and I managed to bought some fresh, fleshy, juicy and simply delicious bananas, I am so eager to bake some banana muffins! Even my son was waiting eagerly to savor the muffins from the oven! He requested to eat the muffins freshly out from the oven, the satisfaction on his face complimented me so much. I also packed some for him to bring to his weekend nursery class. What a great pleasure to make the little one happy!

This recipe was really awesome! The muffins were moist, fluffy and risen beautifully. This recipe is simple, the banana muffins are ready within a short period and it uses simple ingredients, make it fast and easy to bake! Want some fresh from oven banana muffins for your upcoming event? Try this recipe!

Recipe adapted and modified from HERE

Makes 10 - 12 muffins

Ingredients A:
1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour / I used Cake flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Ingredients B:
3 large bananas, mashed
3/4 cup white sugar / I used brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter, melted

Methods:
1. Pre-heat oven at 350F. Sift ingredients A. Set aside.
2. Combine ingredients B in a large bowl. Fold in flour mixture and mix until smooth.
3. Scoop batter into muffin cups about 85 - 90% full. (I used aluminum foil cups as the base)
4. Bake in preheated oven for about 25 - 30 mins (for large muffins), 10 - 15 mins (for mini muffins)
5. Muffins will spring back when lightly tapped. Insert a skewer or toothpick to test the muffins, if the skewer comes out clean, the muffins are done!
6. Cool them on the rack. Serve.

Note:
• Use cake flour will give you softer and more fluffy muffins!
• You may also add 1/2 tsp of Vanilla Essense & 1/2 tsp of ground Cinnamon powder to enhance the taste. Suggestion from the author's site.
• If you are using muffin tray, you need to grease the tray or use paper liners/cups. You may put 90% of the batter for muffin tray to get the dome effect.
• If you do not have muffin tray, you may use aluminum foil muffin cups as the base of the muffin paper cups. Aluminum foil cup can also make the muffin rise beautifully almost like the dome effect. I used large muffin cups.
• Baking time & temperature may vary depending on your oven's function and size of muffins.

Yam Cake

2009-10-22T12:17:00.003+08:00

I love to eat yam, regardless of dishes or desserts, such as yam rice, yam cake, yam fritters, yam basket (a Chinese popular dish), fried yam with sweet potato & nian gao (年糕) and many more. I believed many Asian love to have yam in their meal, especially yam rice which has become one of the daily consume dishes in Asia. As a worker, we have to eat out during lunch everyday, one of the most convenient and affordable place to have lunch is food stalls which give you variety of selection. We can find yam rice easily at the food stall, and also my all time favorite "yam cakes". We consumed yam cake frequently during our childhood, it is also one of the must-have item during festive season or any special occasion. I still remember my grandmother used to make yam cake during baby full moon (when baby turns to 1 month old), birthdays, bridal shower's night, bachelor's night, prayer day and many more. We can savor most of it as it is so pleasant, tasty and sumptuous. It brings back a lot of childhood memories when we have "yam cake" at home now.

I made yam cakes for few times which the end result either too hard or too soft, the texture and the taste is definitely not up to the standard. This made me stop making yam cakes for sometime until I found this "accident-free" recipe from MyKitchen! It was a great recipe, the yam cakes turned out to be "just nice", not too hard nor too soft, the combination of the ingredients are just what I am looking for, it is easy and hassle-free. You can get those ingredients within your kitchen or at any grocery shop. I have modified the recipe a little for my own preference. I was thrilled with the result and my family loves it very much! It is ideal to be served with some chilli sauce or sweet sauce (but I don't have it at that time). Even it is good just to eat it on its own. This will definitely be in my list if I happen to throw any tea-time party in the future! Or it is just a great snack during snack time or guest visit. You may also add or minus any extra ingredients in the recipe. Some prefer the dried shrimp & fried shallots to be serve on top of the yam cakes instead of mix in it. I will try to make some plain yam cakes without any extra ingredients the next time to have 100% yam texture and taste. Not matter how you do it I believe it tastes good.

I was curious to know the nutrition and benefits of yam. Thus, I googled and found out many goodness of consuming yam and also a lot of information on it. Yams have a very starchy and slippery texture and when cooked, will either be creamy or firm, depending upon the variety. Their taste is earthy and hardy. Yams offer a good source of vitamins B1, B6, and C. They also provide a very good source of potassium and fiber. Potassium - a mineral that helps to control blood pressure and protect against cardiovascular disease. Yam also contributing in blood sugar and weight control. What a great source to maintain a healthy and ideal weight.

These website also provide plenty of tips on how to choose and how to store yams to preserve the freshness and prolong the life span.
References from:
WHFoods
Natural Food Benefits

Recipe adapted and modified from MyKitchen:

Ingredients:
300g yam (net weight - weight after peeled and diced)
50g dried shrimp, soaked and chopped coarsely
5 nos. shallots, sliced thinly
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 no. red chili, seeded and sliced
Coriander leaves / spring onion, chopped

Batter
170g fine rice flour
40g tapioca flour
500ml water
1 tsp salt (I used 1½ tsp salt)
½ tsp ground white pepper
¼ tsp Chinese 5-spice powder (I used ½ tsp Chinese 5-spice powder)
½ tsp chicken or fish stock (powder) - (I omitted)

Methods:
1. Line a 8" round pan with baking paper or grease it lightly with some oil.
2. In a large bowl, mix all the batter ingredients. Set aside.
3. Heat oil in wok, stir fry yam until lightly browned. Remove yam from wok and set aside.
4. Stir in shallot to the same wok, fry until golden brown. Drain and remove from shallot from wok and set aside.
5. Stir in dried shrimp and fry until the aroma is released and lightly golden brown (do not over-fried).
6. Pour the batter in the wok, stir in yam and half amount of fried shallot.
7. Stir quickly & gently at extremely low fire until the batter is thickened, approximately 1-2 minutes. (do not over cook the batter).
8. Transfer batter into the pan, steam for 30-40 minutes. (Yam cake might looks a bit wet at this stage but it is alright).
9. Remove from wok and cool completely in the pan (you need to cool the yam cake completely before cutting - yam cake will be harden by now, it makes the cutting much more easier).
10. Cut to your desire shape and garnish with red chili, fried shallot and coriander leaves / spring onion. Serve with chilli sauce or sweet sauce.

Tips:
• To prevent itchiness on your hands while peeling or cutting the yam, do not wash the yam before peeling or cutting.
• Choose yam that is firm, do not have any cracks, bruises or soft spots.
• Do not buy yams that are kept in the refrigerator in the department store because the cold temperature can alters their taste.
• Yams should be stored in a cool, dark and well-ventilated place where they will keep fresh for up to ten days.
• Keep yams out of exposure to sunlight or temperatures above 60°F (around 15°C), this will cause them to sprout or ferment.
• Do not store yams in a plastic bag, they should be stored loose or just wrap with papers. Uncooked yams should not be kept in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Cake

2009-10-13T17:43:00.003+08:00

Are you a chocolate cake lover? I did once in a while, especially a bittersweet rich chocolate cake with a cup of hot coffee or English tea. It definitely gives me a "zest" after a long day work. Awesome! The rich taste of chocolate cake is simply fulfilling and tantalizing! Besides, chocolate cakes, I do love chocolate muffins, brownies & chocolate swiss rolls too. As I happened to browsed through some websites, I chanced upon this simple and easy recipe, the author called it "Pantry Chocolate Cake" which means all the ingredients can be reached within the house pantry or kitchen. It is indeed true enough, the recipe ingredients are simple and easy to bake especially for those that is new in baking chocolate cake.

I have modified this recipe a little to accommodate my own taste and preference. I used cake flour instead of all-purpose flour to enhance the cake's texture. Besides, using butter can make the cake moist and tastier. You may also add your own ingredients such as nuts or seeds to have an exotic taste of the chocolate cake.

This recipe is simply easy, delicious and satisfying, the beauty of it is; you can bake it for any occasion in a short period. I did some with small muffin cups too for a gathering at my house last week. It is simply awesome and everyone is happy with it. Do try this out if you are having time constraints in throwing a kid's party!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
3/4 cup boiling water
1 & 1/2 cups all-purpose flour / I used cake flour
1 cup sugar / I used caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon instant espresso or instant coffee (optional) / I used Nescafe instant coffee
1/3 cup vegetable oil / I used melted butter
1 large egg (beaten)
1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Toppings:
Dash of chocolate rice
Some chopped almond

Methods:
1. Line a 8" X 4" X 4" rectangular baking pan or bread tin with grease proof baking paper.

2. Whisk cocoa and the boiling water in a bowl until dissolve. Let the mixture cool slightly.

3. Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and instant coffee in a large bowl. Set aside.

4. Mix melted butter, beaten egg, vanilla essence and cooled cocoa mixture together. Stir well.

5. Pour butter mixture into the flour mixture and whisk until smooth.

6. Give the batter a final stir with a wooden spatula to make it is completely mixed.

7. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top and gently tap the pan on the counter to settle the batter.

8. Sprinkle chocolate rice and chopped almond on the batter.

9. Pre-heat oven at 250ºF for 10 mins. Bake cake at 450ºF for 20 - 25 mins or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let the cake cool completely on a rack about 1 - 2 hours. Cut into your desire shape.

Note:
• The quality of the cake depends a lot on the quality of the cocoa powder.
• Using cake flour instead of all-purpose flour can make the cake texture softer.
• Using butter can make the cake moist and tastier.
• Make sure the batter is lump free and mix well.
• The baking time is vary depending on the function and features of your oven. You may need to adjust according to the oven's functions.
• You may make some chocolate frosting to ice the cake. Give an extra richness to the cake. If you prefer to ice the cake you need to omit the toppings. You may get the quick chocolate frosting recipe here.

Nutritious Herbal Soup (药材汤)

2009-10-07T16:31:00.008+08:00

Herbal soup has become a favourite soup among the Chinese family. It is nutritious and delicious to consume especially during the cold season. Herbal ingredients have many goodness in it and it is known to promote good health, prevention sickness & boost our general well being. Each of the herbs has its own goodness and its own function in promoting good health. Herbal soup is a mixture or combination of several herbs that make the soup nutritious, sweet, flavorful, savory and tasty. Nevertheless, there is some bitter taste herbal soup too, which promote other goodness in it. It is your own preference in choosing and boiling herbal soup according to your taste bud. I would prefer something more savory taste than sweet taste. Herbal soup can be boil with pork meat or chicken meat. Thus, some prefer to boil it with other poultry or frog (田鸡) - a kind of frog species). Different herbal soup has different boiling method. Each method gives you different result and taste. Many of us used "double-boiling (炖)" as one of the most effective method to preserve the goodness of the herbs and meat. It makes the soup extra flavorful and delicious!

Double-boil soups mean to place the soup pot over another pot of boiling water. The soup is cooked using the heat from the boiling water and not directly from the original heat source. Usually, they use a special ceramic pot known as a double boiling jar to be place in another pot of boiling water. Double boiling let the soup ingredients slowly release their nutrients into the soup. Double boiling is a fairly long cooking process. The average cooking time is about 4 hours. Reference from here

You may need to find the suitable combination of herbs in making herbal soup according to your taste, the benefits of it and the goodness that you are looking for. The following recipe was adopted & modified from THE STAR newspaper according to my own preference. I like the goodness of this recipe and also the combination of sweet, savory & a little bitterness from the ginseng roots' hair (洋参须). It is indeed a clear, soothing and refreshing soup for the whole family.

Other ingredient such as Huai San (Dried Chinese Yam - 干淮山) has plenty of goodness in it, Chinese yam has been recorded as having the ability to enhance vigor, promote muscle growth and repair worn-out tissue, and alleviate bodily weakness after a long-term illness. The herb has also been used to counter diabetes, diarrhea, kidney defects, coughing and dehydration. It can, however, cause frequent urination and perspiration. So be careful not to over-use. With the combination of this herb and meat, it also aid digestion, regulates body's sugar level and control inflammation of the uterus.

Red dates also known jujubes, red dates are widely considered as the "living vitamin pill" by the Chinese. It contains Vitamin B, C, E, P, phosphorus, calcium, iron and more. Red dates are well known of its function on replenishing blood in our body. As the result, those that lack of red blood cells (anemia) can consume red dates soup or water to nourish their body. Scientists have also found that cyclic adenosine monophosphate found in red jujubes can slow down the growth of cancer cells.

Another great herb is Yu Zhu- Solomon's seal (玉竹). It believed to be moisturizing and therefore an excellent herb for use in dry winters where skin tends to become very dry. At the same time, it is also believed to be excellent for alleviating a host of ills, including throat, and lungs ailments. Reference from HOMEMADE CHINESE SOUPS

Since I was a child, I have consumed variety of herbal soup. It continues until today and herbal soup has become one of my favourite. As I am cooking for my little boy, I would surely include herbal soup as one of the main dish occasionally. It is good to explore & experiment variety of herbal soup that promotes natural general well being for us and also for children. Since I started to learn about Chinese herbs and soup, I gained plenty of information that I never ever know about it last time. I hope to gather and get more information and recipes on Chinese herbs to nourish my knowledge too!

Ingredients:
2 large apples (红萍果）, quatered and cored (I used Fuji Apple)
500g Chicken meat (breast / Thigh/ Drumsticks), skinned
2 litres water
Salt to taste

Herbs:
15g Yu Zhu - Solomon's seal (玉竹）
10g Dried Huai San - dried chinese yam (干淮山)
10g Dried Longan （干圆肉/干龍眼肉）
5 fig fruits (无花果) - I used fresh figs
10g hair's of ginseng roots (yong sum soe - 洋参须 )
4 red Dates (红枣), removed seed
5g Kei Chi (杞子)

Methods:
1. Rinse all the herbs well. Drained & set aside.
2. Wash chicken and blanch chicken with boiling water. Drained & set aside.
2. Bring water to the boil and add chicken meat and herbs except Kei Chi.
3. Simmer at medium heat for 30-40 mins.
4. Reduce to low heat and add the apples. Simmer for an hour.
5. Add in Kei Chi after 45 mins. Then, add salt to taste. Serve.

Anchovy Special

2009-09-30T14:28:00.009+08:00

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 shore

Since, 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 Soup (Dumpling)

2009-09-24T14:18:00.009+08:00

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

2009-09-17T08:33:00.003+08:00

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.

Spaghetti Carbonara

2009-09-10T08:59:00.007+08:00

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 with Ginger & Coriander Sauce

2009-09-03T09:05:00.003+08:00

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.

Stir fry prawns & eggs with milk

2009-08-28T10:43:00.005+08:00

The combination of prawns & eggs in a dish sound so simple and easy to cook, but there is a lot more tricks in making this simple dish. As I would like to try out something new in cooking this simple dish, which brings more flavour and at the same time preserve the freshness and bounciness of the prawns.
Thus, I started to google many food blogs and I found this recipe is worth a try. You wouldn't know how much you can improve and change in making this simple family dish.

Most of the recipes in her site are simple and practical. Her food presentation is one of the best that I would admire to. She is MITONG (小小米桶） as per her blog's name, in Chinese means "little rice barrel". This stir fry prawns & eggs with milk (蕃茄滑蛋蝦仁) is one of the best combo recipe. To add on the extra flavour, this dish has added some tomato in it. Do you want to know why? Let me describe the texture of this dish and I am sure you would also fall in love with it.

Stir-fried prawns soaked in the mixture of milk and eggs with some tapioca flour, makes the texture smooth and appetizing. The prawns are not over-cooked, smooth & bouncy. This is one of the way to savor fresh & bouncy prawns accompanied with eggs & some tomatoes in it! Isn't it simply appetizing? My family could finished all of them with some hot steamed rice! If you are searching for some simple yet delicious home cooked dish for the entire family, try this!

Recipe adapted and modified. You may log on to her site for complete Chinese version.

Ingredients:
3 Eggs, beaten
20 Prawns, removed shells & veins
1 medium-sized Tomato
1 Spring onion, chopped

Marinate:
1 tsp Chinese Rice wine
Dash of White pepper
Dash of Salt

Seasoning:
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Sugar

Milk mixture:
3 tbsps Milk (I would prefer fresh milk)
1 tbsp Tapioca flour

Method:
1. Wash & peel the prawns. Removed veins and pat dry.
2. Marinade prawns with marinate ingredients. Set aside.
3. Make a cross on tomato, blanch it hot water. Remove tomato skin & seed. Diced.
4. Heat up wok, add 1 tbsp oil, add prawns and cook until 80% cooked. Dish up and set aside.
5. Beat up eggs, add salt, tomato, spring onion, prawns, milk mixture. Mix well.
6. Heat up wok again with 2 tbsps oil, turn fire to low, add in eggs mixture (step 5).
7. In low fire, stir fry eggs mixture till 80% cooked. Stir in prawns and mix well. Dish up & serve warm.

Tips from Mitong (I find that her tips are very useful to get the maximum flavour):
• Tips 1 - By mixing milk with tapioca flour will make this dish smooth and scrumptious.
• Tips 2 - By stir frying the prawns before hand, then mix with eggs mixture can preserve the freshness and texture of the prawns.
• Tips 3 - Cook eggs mixture in low fire to have a smooth texture.

Strawberry Milk Shake

2009-08-24T17:25:00.005+08:00

I went grocery shopping one day and saw those bright, red & juicy fresh strawberries displayed on the cooler tray. I feel like grabbing them and bite on it. Oh yeah! Strawberry is one of my favourite. I had those picked during my Cameron Highland trip 2 years ago with my little boy (at that time only 2 years +) and my hubby at one of the strawberry farm in Cameron Highland. Strawberry is costly in Malaysia and not all are sweet & juicy.

These were the strawberries I picked during the trip! Most of it is in medium sized, it is difficult to choose those big red strawberries at that time as it was drizzling and many are competing with me! haha... but we had a great time picking those strawberries and finished them in the hotel... *wink*

So, I quickly grabbed a box of fresh strawberries during the grocery shopping and can't wait to bite on it. As I reached home, my son and I had most of them chewed and swallowed down to our stomach! He even told me “Mummy, this is yummy! Can I have more?” I gave him a grinned and “of course”, we ate the strawberries together until we were satisfied. Even though it is not the best strawberries in town but we did enjoyed the strawberry feast at home!
I had quite a lot of balance though and I thought why not I make it into milk shake? So, here I go. Put those strawberries in the blender, add in milk, blend till smooth and drink immediately! Voila! My little boy loves it so much and managed to finish one cup of it. Isn't it nice to bite on those fresh strawberries and also milk shake? A good way to enjoy fruits with your little ones!

Ingredients:
150g Strawberries, hulled
150ml Full cream milk or Fresh milk
Ice cubes (Optional)

Method:
Put all the ingredients (except ice cubes) in a blender.
Blend for 1 minute or until smooth. Pour into a glass, add ice cubes and serve immediately.
I prefer it to be chilled.