My Children's Chef

Onion Pickle

2009-08-30T17:50:00.000-07:00

Last Month when I got an email from Bee Jugalbandi, who hosted the Click event, asking me whether I would like to take part in judging for this month Click Event, which theme is Allium ( Onion ), I feel so honored. All I can say is I will learn from everybody from this wonderful experience. For this theme, I made onion pickle, honestly, I just made it this morning, my husband asked me, why have to wait until last minute? I do not know either. Everytime I got an assignment, I only have idea when the last minute come. I always tell myself, next time will be better, however I never change...
Here is the simple recipe for this pickle onion.

Ingredients:

2 carrots, julienne cut
20 red schallots
10 red chillies
1 cucumber, julienne cut
1 cup of vinegar
3 tbs of sugar
pinch of salt

Methods:
Combine all ingredients. Keep cool in fridge.

Below is my picture for Click Event

Chinese Ngohiong Meat Roll

2009-08-27T12:34:00.000-07:00

It has been almost a month I did not update my blog. I cook, take pictures, just a bit too busy to type. I have been busy helping my husband with his investment house. It is not fun to plan and shop for a total renovation. However, I did my part well. I miss updating my blog. As I mentioned before, I am not a summer person, but the weather has been kind to me this year. It is a wonderful, quite cool summer. Honestly, I enjoy this summer a lot, especially my youngest one is now 10 month old. She starts having some solid food although I still nursing her. Ok, I will stop give excuse why I did not update my blog. Two weeks ago I made this chinese Ngohiong Meat Roll, it has been long time I did not make this dish. It is my husband's favorite. I remember my mom used to make this during certain celebration, such as chinese new year or any special day.

Ingredients:
1 lb ground pork
1 lb prawn ( chopped coarsely ) or fish paste
1 cup cilantro ( chopped coarsely)
2 egg yolks ( keep egg white for sealing the meat rolls)
1 red chilli ( chopped finely, optional )
1/2 tsp five-spice powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
some pepper
2 tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp sesame oil

1 pack of bean curd skin

Methods:
Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl. Set aside to season to 30 minutes. Sprinkle the bean curd skin with a bit water, just wet a bit. Scoop some pork mixture and put on the bean curd skin. Roll up and seal with egg white. Fold in the 2 ends and keep rolling to the end of the skin. Steam the pork rolls until it cooked. Let it cool. Heat up enough oil to deep fry the meat rolls. When the skin is golden brown and crispy, dish out onto kitchen tissue to get rid of excess oil. Slice to serve with chili sauce.

Simple Fried Shrimp

2009-07-30T14:07:00.001-07:00

I saw the clock and it was almost 5 pm, yet I have not cooked my dinner. That point, I felt a bit panic. My husband would be home soon, I prefered the dinner was done by the time he is home. I opened my fridge, first thing I saw, the frozen shrimp. What came to my mind was to cook something quick, simple yet tasty. So, I decided to just made simple fried shrimp, soup and a dish of vegetable. That was our dinner last night.

Ingredients:

1 lb shrimp
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp paprika powder
1 tbs rice flour
salt and pepper
oil to fry

Methods:

Clean the shrimp with cold water, rinse and pad the shrimps dry with paper towel. Sprinkle the shrimp with all the ingredients except rice flour. Heat the oil, shortly before put the shrimp in the frying pan, coat the shrimps with rice flour. Fry it just the color turn golden. Serve with sambal / chili sauce.

Click Event

2009-07-30T05:54:00.000-07:00

Every Month Bee and Jai host the Click Event, the theme for this month entry is Bi Color. Honestly, when thinking about the theme, it is quite challenging, hence everything we see usually have more than 2 colors. However, challenge is good to improve our imagination. What I have in my mind only something simple, yet the two colors will tell the story of the picture. For everyone who interested in this event, please join! Today is the last day, I should summit my entry earlier.. Below is my entry for this month.

EXIF INFO
Camera make : Canon
Camera model : Canon EOS DIGITAL REBEL XSi
Flash used : No
Focal length : 55.0mm (35mm equivalent: 89mm)
Exposure time: 0.025 s (1/40)
Aperture : f/5.6
Focus dist. : Infinite
ISO equiv. : 400
Whitebalance : Manual
Metering Mode: matrix
Exposure : aperture priority (semi-auto)

Grilled Corn

2009-07-23T14:11:00.000-07:00

This grill corn is very easy to make, the ingredients only:

10 ears of corn
1 stick of butter
pinch of salt
1 can of coconut milk

Methods:

Aplly butter on the corn, sprinkle with salt, and grill on the charcoal, keep basting with coconut milk. Uhmmm, yummy!

While we were grilling the corn, my 2 little ones played on the deck...

BBQ Ribs

2009-07-23T13:46:00.001-07:00

Lately, I have been doing alot of bbq, from satay, back ribs, to grill corn. The weather is just so great, as I mentioned before, it is not as humid as usual. We enjoy every dinner on the deck, and watch the kids playing. Enjoy every brisk in the late afternoon. Love it!

Ingredients:

2 lbs of pork ribs
2 tbsp. butter
1 c. chopped onion
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 c. plus preserves
1/2 c. red wine
1/3 c. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Methods:

Melt butter. Add onion and garlic. Stir in the rest of the ingredients. Simmer 30 minutes. While ribs are cooking on the grill brush on the sauce.

Prawn with salted soy bean / Udang masak Tauco

2009-07-23T13:07:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 lb prawn [ unshelled ]
3 cloves garlic [ finely chopped ]
6 shallots, finely chopped
10 green chillies, diagonal sliced
5 red chillies, diagonal sliced
2 salam leaves
1 inch of galangal, bruised
1 big tomato, slices
3 tbs salted soy beans
1/2 cup of water
1 cup string beans, cut about 2 inch long
1 stalk of lemon grass, bruised
pinch of salt
pinch of sugar

Methods:

Heat the oil in the wok, toss in the garlic, shallots, galanggal, chilies, slam leaves, lemon grass, stir till it fragrant. Stir in the prawn, sliced tomatoes, salted soy beans and sting beans, pour in water and let it cooked. Seasoning with salt and sugar. Served hot with rice.

Spekkoek ( thousand layers cake )

2009-07-10T12:55:00.000-07:00

According Wikipedia, Spekkoek (also called Spiku in some cities in Indonesia) is a Dutch-Indonesian layered cake. It was developed during colonial times in the Dutch East Indies and may have been based on Dutch cake recipes using local ingredients. The cake may be connected to a type of dutch biscuit called speculaas and the mixture of spices is similar to kek lapis, with the pepper being replaced with mace and anise.

Ingredients:
2 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground mace
1 tsp ground cardamom
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground anise
3 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
12 large eggs, separated
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
2tsp confectioners' sugar

Methods:

Preheat the broiler. Butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch round cake pan or springform pan. Line with parchment paper and butter the paper. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves, mace, cardamom, ginger and anise. Set aside. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter, 1/2 cup of the sugar, vanilla, and salt. Add the egg yolks and beat until smooth. Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold the flour into the batter with a rubber spatula.

In a clean bowl, using clean beaters, beat the egg whites with the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar until stiff. Fold into egg yolk mixture, being careful not to over mix. Divide the batter between 2 bowls. Add combined spices to 1 bowl and stir well.

Pour about 1/2 cup of the spiced batter into the prepared pan, spreading to form a thin layer. Place the pan under the preheated broiler for 2 minutes, or until the layer is firm and very lightly browned. Remove from the oven and spread about 1/2 cup of the plain batter over the top and broil until firm. Repeat layering spiced and plain batters in the pan and broiling until all the batter is used. Note that the cake typically has between 12 and 15 layers.)

Let the cake cool on a wire rack then turn out from the pan. Place on a cake plate and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar. Thinly slice and serve warm or at room temperature.

source: food.com

Chicken Satay

2009-07-09T07:58:00.000-07:00

Marinated and skewered chicken/beef/lamb slow-charred on gently glowing charcoal is one of the most favorable bbq , and satay is the first of choice in all of Southeast Asia. I make this satay with chicken, since it is easier for the kids to eat, otherwise lamb or beef taste very good too.

1 lb skinless, boneless chicken tight[ I find breast meat is too dry ]

Marinade:
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp finely chopped shallot
1 tbsp palm sugar
1 btsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp sweet soy sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp fish sauce

bamboo skewers
A little oil or coconut milk
Peanut Sauce
rice cake

Methods:

Cut thin slice of the chicken tights to bite size. Tips: it is easier to cut the chicken when it is half frozen.Place the chicken in a work bowl. Add all the marinating ingredients and gently toss until well mixed. Let the chicken marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours and up to 24.
When ready to cook the satay, stir chicken in its marinade and then thread each slice onto a skewer. Baste the chicken with oil or coconut milk and grill on charcoal. Cook for not much more than 2 minutes each side, turning fairly often to prevent unnecessary burning, and baste one more time with oil or coconut milk. The satay are done when they have turned golden brown and crispy along the edges.
Served hot with rice cake and peanut sauce

One of my best customer ;))

Cheese-Topped Grilled Tomatoes

2009-07-02T08:35:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't love to eat tomato? especially the cherry tomatoes, so sweet and crunchy. I love my tomato in my ways, in my vegetable soup, in my curry, defenitely in my pasta. Endless possiblity ways to make the tomato even more yummy. When doing bbq, we always have lots of meat and sometimes not enough vegetable [that is my opinion], I want to cut back eating too much meat in our daily diet, my eldest loves meat and no vegetable, the 2nd one eats almost everything, except milk, she always throws up after drinking milk shake, she only drinks soy milk everyday. For the sizzlin' sides of the bbq, I made cheese-topped grilled tomatoes, no cheese for my husband, but for the rest of us, we love our cheese. This dish need almost no preparation and the bubly cheese topping make these tomatoes like real gems...

Ingredients:

4 small tomatoes, cut in half
4 tbs of Italian Dressing
1/2 cup of shredded mozarella cheese
2 tbs grated parmesan cheese
chopped fresh basil and chives

Directions:

Heat the grill high heat. greased the pan and place the tomatoes cut sides up. Drizzle with dressing, sprinkle with cheese. Place pan on the the grill and covered. Grilled till cheese melted and the tomatoes bottoms browned. Sprinkle with herbs just before serving.
Enjoy!

Finest Foodies Friday

2009-06-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

Last Friday I got an email, that my blog has been featured on Finest Foodies Friday. I feel so honored, I am still new in blogging. This is very good news for me, small thing counts, my friend told me. Thank you somuch for everyone who give me support. Thank you Foodie Blogroll! Thank you Leftover Queen!

Singaporean Flat Noodle Soup ( kuew tiau thing )

2009-06-30T10:56:00.000-07:00

This is one of the dish I like to make for breakfast or when we just come home and we need something hot and quick.

Ingredients:

6 cups chicken stock
fried ribs
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 fish cake thinly sliced
1 pack fresh kway teow rice noodles, precut or in sheets
2 cups of bean sprout
3 hard boiled eggs ( cooked in dark soy sauce )
2 cups of fishballs
2 scallions, trimmed and finely chopped
2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
Salt, pepper and sesame oil

Bring stock to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium-low heat. Add fishballs and simmer 20 minutes. Keep stock hot.Heat oil in a wok or medium skillet over medium heat and fry fish cake slices until lightly browned and crisp. Drain on paper towels and slice it thinly.If using kway teow in sheets, cut into 1⁄4" strips.Put rice noodles, scallions, and cilantro, pour in stock, and stir gently. Season to taste with salt and serve garnished with fish cake slices, fishballs, ribs, bean sprout and hard boiled egg.

Brownies Cheesecake

2009-06-30T10:15:00.000-07:00

These days I mostly cook what the kids like. When it comes to bake, I only do it in the early morning, before the weather become too hot. My eldest is not fan of vegetable, still she likes some fruits. She loves everything cheese, the more the better. She loves brownies and cheesecake. Rather than make 2 things, I found this recipe on kraftfood.com, but I modify the recipe a bit, I reduce the sugar, since the brownies is sweet enough, I only use 2 pack of cream cheese instead of 4 pack. It turned out just right taste, and it was finished in 2 days. I dont like to store food too long in fridge. Usually I just cook for what I think will be gone in one day.

Ingredients:

1 pkg. brownie mix (13x9-inch pan size)
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) Cream Cheese, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup BREAKSTONE'S or KNUDSEN Sour Cream
3 eggs
2 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate ( I used caramel instead )

Direction:

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray 13x9-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Prepare brownie batter as directed on package. Bake 25 min. or until top of brownie is shiny and center is almost set. Meanwhile, beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing on low speed after each addition just until blended. Gently pour over brownie layer in pan. Drizzle the top with caramel. Bake 40 min. or until center is almost set. Run knife or metal spatula around rim of pan to loosen side of dessert from pan; cool. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight.

source: kraft kitchen

Garden Vegetable Salad Stacker

2009-06-30T09:07:00.000-07:00

This year summer is not as hot as usual, now is the end of June, the weather is still mild and not that humid. I am not a summer person, althought my husband loves summer. I always losing my apetite during summer, probably I drink too much during the day. However, to keep healthy I try to eat something light, such as lots of fresh fruits and vegetable. Since I am still nursing my baby, I have to think about my baby too. Today, I made salad, it is very simple,light yet very tasty, and apparently it is quite filling too. This salad is inspired by kraft kitchen recipe. It can be served for a special occasion yet it is so simple and effortless to prepare. Most of the ingredients we have in the fridge, just ready to use.

Ingredients:

2 large tomatoes, each cut in 6 slices
6 slices of low moisture part skim mozarella cheese
1/3 cup Zesty Italian Dressing [ divided ]
6 slices of red onion
12 slices seedless cucumber
12 fresh basil leaves

Direction:

Place 6 tomato slices on platter; top each with a slice of cheese. Drizzle with half of the dressing. top each with an onion slice, 2 cucumber slices and a second tomato slice. Drizzle the stack of salad with remaining dressing. Top with basil.

source: kraftfood.com

Every month Jai and Bee hosted the click event , and the theme for June Click event is STACK

My submission for this event is Garden Vegetable Salad Stacker.

Stir Fried Bean Sprout

2009-06-10T18:45:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 pound fresh bean sprouts
3 cloves of garlic [ finely chopped ]
3 tbs oil
1 tbs rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp sugar
salt to taste
1 tbs dried shrimp paste [ belacan ]
pepper
4 thai chili pepper [ finely sliced ]
half cup of spring onion

Methods:

Rinse bean sprouts well, and drain; set aside.
Meanwhile, heat oil in a work over medium-high heat. Add garlic,bean sprouts and quickly stir fry for a few seconds. Immediately add vinegar, sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir fry for a few more seconds, then remove from heat, garnish with spring onion. Serve immediately.

Simple Malaysian Fried Chicken

2009-06-10T11:03:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

8 chicken drumsticks
6 cloves of garlic [ finely chopped ]
2 tbs oyster sauce
2 tbs coriander powder
1 tbs curry powder
a pinch of salt and pepper

Methods:

Marinade chicken with all ingredients at least 4 hours, overnight is better.
Fried in vegetable oil till it golden brown.
Serve hot with chili sauce and steam rice.

Penang Asam Laksa

2009-06-10T10:01:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

2 lb udon
3 tbs tamarind paste
10 cups water
2 lb fresh mackerel - cleaned, kept whole
3 tbsp sugar
salt and pepper
14 sprigs laksa leaves [Vietnamese mint or polygonum odoratum]
2 wild ginger buds [bunga kantan] [Substitute: 4 inch fresh ginger]
4 pieces dried tamarind skins [asam gelugor]
3 tbsp prawn paste

To be grounded:
6 cloves of garlic
5 stalks lemon grass, thinly sliced
8 oz shallots
1 inch fresh turmeric root [lengkuas]
3 tbsp or to taste, chili paste
2 tbsp belacan[dried shrimp paste]

Ingredients for Garnishing :

1 large seedless cucumber, skinned and thinly shredded
2 red onions, very finely sliced
1 can pineapple, cut into thin strips
1 cup of sprigs fresh mint leaves
4 red thai chilies, seeded and finely sliced [optional]

Methods:

Boil fish in just enough water. When cooked, remove the fish and strain the stock. Then flake the fish and set the fish aside. Put tamarind juice, ground ingredients, water and fish stock in a pot. Add polygonum leaves, dried tamarind skin and lemon grass. Bring to a low simmering boil for 10 minutes.Add the flaked fish and seasoning to taste. Continue to simmer for an extra 10 minutes.
To serve, put a handful of laksa noodles in a metal strainer and immerse in a pot of boiling water to scald the noodles for half a minute. Drain and put into a bowl.
Pour a ladleful of laksa soup or gravy over the noodles and garnish with a little of each garnish.

Bubur Cha Cha

2009-06-06T12:32:00.000-07:00

This is one of nyonya dessert. In Malaysia and Singapore, we can enjoy this desert everywhere in the food court. Or we can make it at home, it is simple and refreshing when we enjoy it in this hot weather. Bubur Cha cha can be served hot or cold, however, we like it cold, hmmm...sweet and yummy

Ingredients:

1 cup of sweet potato, diced
1 cup yam, diced
1 cup cassava, diced
300g sago

1/2 gallon water
5 pandan leaves ( screwpines leaves ), knotted
1 cup sugar
1 can coconut milk

Method:
Boil sweet potato, cassava and yam until tender. Boil sago in water until transparent. Rinse cooked sago with cold water.Boil water, pandan leaves, sugar and santan until sugar dissolved. Bring to boil. Turn off heat and put in the ingredients gravy.
Served hot or cold.

Nyonya Fish Curry

2009-06-06T11:43:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS :

1 lb of your favorite fresh fish - cut into 3 pieces
2 tbs turmeric powder
1 tbs dried shrimp paste [ belachan ]
5 curry leaves
2 tbsp sambal oelek
2 tbsp cooking oil
2 med onions [1 finely minced and 1 cut into thick slices]
3 tbs tomato paste or one large ripe tomato, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 cup coconut milk
2 cups water
2 assam gelugor [tamarind skins]
1 cup of string beans or okra
1 tsp sugar
salt to taste

Methods:

In a wok or pot, heat ghee or vegetable oil on high, stir-fry minced onion until lightly browned, add garlic, turmeric powder, dried shrimp paste, sambal oelek and stir-fry for a few seconds.Add curry leaves, reduce heat to low, stir-fry until quite toasted and oil starts to ooze from paste - do not burn! Add tomato paste or diced tomato, coconut milk, water, sugar, asam gelugor and season with salt , bring to a slow boil
Add string beans or okra, simmer until vegetables cooked.Add fish and sliced onions, cover and simmer gently. When fish is just done, remove promptly from heat, let stand for 15 mins [for flavors to meld]. Garnish with peppermint leaves.
Serve with steamed rice.

Banana Cake

2009-06-03T16:13:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
200gr butter
1 1/4 cups of sugar
3 eggs
4 ripe bananas peeled and mashed
3 cups of flour
1 tsp of baking soda
1 tsp of baking powder
1/2 tsp of salt
1/2 cup soy milk

Methods:
Preheat the oven to 375F.Place the butter and sugar in a bowl and beat well.Add the three eggs and the mashed bananas, beat till well mix. Sift in the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in a mixing bowl. Stir half of it into the banana mixture. Add soy milk to the banana mixture, then add the remaining dry ingredients and mix well.Spray the silicone bowl and pour in the soft mixture.Smooth the top and bake for 50 – 60 minutes until light golden brown.( to make sure it’s ready, insert a skewer into the mixture and make sure it comes out clean and dry). Cool on the wire rack.

source: cook.com

Grilled Chicken

2009-06-03T15:44:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

4 tbsp chili sauce
2 tbsp clear honey
2 tbsp olive oil
4 chicken tights, skin on
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger

Methods:

Mix chili sauce, honey, olive oil and ginger then set aside. Meanwhile, make 4 slits across each chicken tights. Coat each breast with glaze on each side and tuck a few slices of garlic in slits ( marinated for at least 2 hours in the fridge ). Grilled on the charcoal, keep basting with the marinate sauce till the skin crispy.

Parmesan Pommes ( Potatoes ) Anna

2009-05-29T19:08:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

4 big baking potatoes ( peeled )
1 stick unsalted butter ( melted )
2 cups freshly grated parmesan
pinch of salt and pepper
pinch of nutmeg

Direction:

Slice the potatoes thinly with mandoline,transferring them as they are sliced to a large bowl of cold water. Drain the slices and pat them dry between paper towels. Generously brush the bottom and side of a 9 inch heavy ovenproof skillet, preferably nonstick, with some of the butter and in the skillet arrange the slices, overlapping them slightly, in layers, brushing each layer with some of the remaining butter and parmesan, seasoning it with salt and pepper. Cover the layered potato slices with a buttered round foil, tamp down the assembled potato cake firmly, and bake it in the middle of a preheated 425 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake the potato cake for 25 to 30 minutes more, or until the slices are tender and golden.

source: epicurious

Singgang Kepala Ikan

2009-05-26T14:23:00.000-07:00

I saw this recipe posted by Mat Gebu, I modify his recipe. The soup is really good, spicy and sour. Since I still have fish head, I want to try making fish head different taste than just curry fish head.

Ingredients:

1 fish head

1 onion ( chopped )

4 gloves of garlic ( chopped )

1 inch ginger ( bruised )

6 thai chilli pepper

1 tbs of shrimp paste

3 piece tamarind skins

a pinch of salt and pepper

1 tomato ( cut in 8 pieces )

8 String beans ( cut in bite size )

1/2 gallon of water

Methods:

Boil water and all the ingredients in a pot, except the fish and the vegetable. Once the soup starts boiling, put in the fish head, tomato and string beans. Turn down the heat and slowly boil till the fish head cooked. Serve hot with steam rice.

Buntil ( with Collard green )

2009-05-26T11:54:00.000-07:00

This is my first attempt to make buntil, javanese dish, usually it used cassava leaves or papaya leaves as wrapper. However, I can not get them around here. I used collard greens instead, since collard greens is quite a big leaf, it is much easier to wrap. For each buntil I only used a leaf.

Ingredients:

6 collard greens leaves

1 cup grated coconut

1 cup of tempe ( cut in small pieces )

3 tbs of ikan bilis ( dried anchovy )

3 kaffir lime leaves

2 salam leaves

1 cup of coconut milk

paste:

6 shallots

4 cloves of garlic

6 thai chili pepper

1/2 inch galangal

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp shrimp paste

1 tsp palm sugar

Methods:

Boil the collard greens till just soft, drain, put aside. In a pan fry the paste in oil till fragrant. Put half of the paste in the ingredients and mix well. Lay a piece of collard leaf on the counter top and scoop some mixture on it, and wrap it like spring roll. Secure the roll with kitchen string, repeat till all the mixture finish.

Put the remaining paste in the pan, pour in the coconut milk, salam leaves and kaffir lime leaves, seasoning with a bit salt, stir well and put in the buntil wrap. Cook it with low heat till the sauce thicken. Serve hot

May Click Event : Cookies

2009-05-26T11:53:00.000-07:00

This month Click Event theme is cookies, hosted by Jai and Bee. Below is my photo for this event

I almost cannot believe I made cookies, I did it before, however the result wasn't that great. This time I made cinnamon palmiers, I found this recipe from foodnetwork by Ina Garten. It is very simple and result is just tasty.

Igredients:

2 cups granulated sugar
a pinch of kosher salt
2 sheets puff pastry, defrosted
cinnamon powder

Methods:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Sprinkle about half of the sugar onto a clean work surface. Unfold the thawed puff pastry onto the sugared surface and sprinkle the top of the pastry with the remaining sugar. With a rolling pin, roll the dough until it's 13 by 13-inches square and the sugar is pressed into the puff pastry on top and bottom.Now roll up the left vertical side towards the center seam. Roll the right vertical side towards the center too. Gently press together, then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour, or until cold and firm
Remove dough from the fridge and slice in 1/2-inch slices. Place on lined baking sheet. Bake in 400 degree F oven for 10 to 15 minutes of until golden brown. You may want to rotate the baking sheet halfway through baking. Keep a close eye on the cookies after about 11 minutes. They might burn quickly. Let cookies cool on the wire rack.

source: foodnetwork

Tiramisu

2009-05-25T10:44:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

2 pkgs (3 oz each) soft ladyfingers
3/4 cup coffee-flavored liqueur or coffee syrup + 3/4 cup water
1 tub ( ready-to-eat cheesecake filling (Kraft Philadelphia))

Methods:

Separate and arrange 1 package of the ladyfingers on the bottom of an 8-in. square baking dish, overlapping slightly. Mix liqueur and water in small bowl; brush ladyfingers with half the mixture. Stir cheesecake filling in tub until spreadable. Spoon half over ladyfingers, spreading evenly. Repeat layers.Garnish top with sifted unsweetened cocoa powder, if desired. Cover and refrigerate 2 hours.

Japchae ( stir fried korean glass noodle )

2009-05-25T10:24:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Starch noodles (“dangmyun”)
150 grams of beef
1 bunch of spinach
1 medium size carrot
1 medium size onion
mushrooms (5 dried shiitake )
3 cloves of garlic
8 scallion
2 tbs soy sauce, 2tbs sesame oil, sugar, pepper, and sesame seeds
3 chillies pepper

Methods:

In a large pot of fast boiling water, cook the noodles till soft ( about 7 minutes ). Drain in a colander, run cold water through and leave to drain again.
Shred or juiellene the carrots very finely. Have all the vegetables ready before starting to cook.
Heat oil and on low heat fry the garlic until fragrant. Add beef if using and stir-fry until colour changes. Add vegetables and stir-fry until half tender, then stir in the chilli, soy sauce and sesame oil and add the noodles, tossing until they are well combined with the rest. Sprinkle with sesame seeds on top.

Spicy Squid

2009-05-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 lb medium sized squid
3 cloves garlic ( finely chopped )
sliced ginger
10 red chili pepper,cut in half
1 tbsp of kikkoman soy sauce
dash of pepper
3 tbsp oyster sauce
green onion cut in pieces
1 tbsp olive oil

Directions: Put oil in a pan, sautee garlic and ginger. Add squid, pepper and soy sauce. Reduced heat and simmer for 10 minutes until little bit dry. Don't overcooked Squid. Add chili and oyster sauce, Let stand for 2 minutes. Then add green onion.

Gulai Kale

2009-05-22T08:06:00.000-07:00

I made this dish with a little twist, I can't get cassava leaves ( pucuk ubi ), I used Kale instead. Recently I read an article on the Prevention Magazine about Kale, how much this vegetable is packed with vitamin. I like to serve vegetable without losing our hometown taste. It turned out delicious.

Ingredients:
1 bunch of kale ( use on the leaves )
6 red thai chilli pepper
2 tbs dry salty anchovy ( ikan bilis )
4 salam leaves
2 tbs samabal oelek
1 can coconut milk
4 cups of water
1 tbs shrimp paste ( belachan )

for paste:
10 shallots
6 garlics
1 inch of galangal

Methods:
Fried the the paste and the ingredients with little oil till fragrant, put in the anchovies, stir and pour in the coconut milk and water, before it boils, put in the kale. Turn down the fire and cook till the vegetable soft.

Rendang Nangka Muda

2009-05-22T07:37:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 can young jack fruit
10 string beans ( cut in bite size )
4 salam leaves
2 lime leaves
1 can coconut milk
2 tbs sambal oelek
2 stalks of lemongrass ( crushed )
1 tbs turmeric powder
1 tbs coriander powder
salt
for paste:
10 shallots
5 cloves of garlic
5 candlenuts
1 inch of garlic
1/2 inch of galangal

Methods:

Use pestle and mortar pound the shallots, garlic candlenuts, ginger and galangal into paste. In the meantime, heat the pan with oil, put in all ingredients ( except coconut milk ) and the paste, fried till fragrant. Put in the jackfruits and string beans, pour in the coconut milk. Turn down the fire and cook until the vegetable tender and the gravy starts to dry up. Serve with steam rice.

Friendship

2009-05-20T18:00:00.000-07:00

My malaysian friend came to visit me last month, this is her gift to me from Lebanon. I really love the words how to describe friendship. Thank you my dear Judy!

Rendang Chicken

2009-05-20T10:13:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
1 lb chicken tights ( skinless )
20 shallots
8 cloves garlic
2 inches ginger root
2 tbsp sambal oelek

1 can coconut milk
2 inches galangal root
4 salam leaves

4 lime leaves
2 turmeric leaves

2 stalks of lemongrass ( crush )

1/2 cup of kerisik ( coconut flakes )

2 carrots, cut diagonally

4 potatoes, cut in bite size
Salt to taste

Method
Pound shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal till fine and mix with chili paste. Combine coconut milk, chilli paste mixture and the rest of the ingredients in a pan and bring to a low boil. Add chicken, carrots and potatoes, lower heat and simmer, before the gravy dry, put in the kerisik. Slowly boil till the chicken chicken is tender. Keep stirring to prevent sticking.

Otah otah ( Spicy grilled fish mousse )

2009-05-17T10:46:00.000-07:00

Otah Otah is nyonya delicacy. The Indonesian have ikan pepes, otah otah is famous in Malaysia and Singapore. It can be steamed or grilled over charcoal. My grandma is a nyonya, who knows how to cook all these delicious food. Always heard from my mom how good she cooked. Nyonya food is so favorable in Malaysia and Singapore. 3 days ago, I made my 1st otah otah, my daughter, who is always forgetful said, she never tasted anything so good from fish before. Ofcourse she did, but she never remembered. Here I didnt grill the otah otah on the charcoal, I just bake them in the oven.

Ingredients:

1lb of makerel fish ( deboned, meat only )
1/2 can of coconut milk
2 eggs
4 pieces Kaffir lime leaves, spines removed and leaves finely sliced or shredded
Freshly ground white pepper
Pinch of sugar and salt to taste
Banana leaves to wrap

Paste Spices:

1tbs of sambal oelek
1 stalk Lemongrass, finely sliced
2 slices Galangal, chopped
1 tsp turmeric powder
5 piecesCandlenuts, roasted
1 tbs of shrimp paste
2 clovesGarlic, sliced
5 Shallots, sliced

Method :
Prepare fish by cleaning, skinning and flaking the flesh. Then add coconut milk to the fish meat and blend it until smooth
Pound the spices, using a mortar and pestle, to a paste, adding the spice ingredients one by one in the order in which they are listed above.
In a large mixing, add in the fish, pounded spices, eggs, salt, sugar and lime leaves and gently stir to mix thoroughly by hand.
Make banana-leaf parcels for grilling or fold it like a bowl, then secure it with toothpick at both of the end.
Spoon 2 - 3 heaped tablespoons of the mixture in it.
Repeat till the mousse finish. Place the parcel on a baking sheet and bake it 20 mins with 375 F till set, then broil it high for about 3 mins or till the surface golden. Serve each parcel in its banana-leaf wrapper.

Fish Head Curry

2009-05-12T17:20:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1 big fish head

1 Eggplant

1/2 lb Ladies' fingers
1 big Tomatoes
Red chillies
6 Curry leaves
1 tsp Curry powder
1 can Coconut milk

4 cups of water
2 tbs Tamarind juice

salt, pepper and a pinch of sugar

7 cloves Garlic
10 Shallots

1 tbs Tumeric powder
2 tbs sambal oelek
2 stalks Lemon grass
1 inch Gelangal

Method:
Ground shallots and garlic .Crush lemon grass and gelangal.
Prepare coconut milk and tamarind juice.
Slice diagonally eggplant and ladies' fingers, quarter tomatoes.
Heat oil and fry grounded shallots, galic and tumeric till fragrant.
Add in lemon grass, gelangal, turmeric powder, curry powder, curry leaves and chili paste ( sambal oelek ), fry briefly. Keep stirring and do not burn the ingredients. Add in tamarind juice, half of the coconut milk, water, ladies' fingers eggplant, some salt and let it cook, when half cooked, add in fishhead, tomatoes and green and red chillies. When it's cooked, add in the
rest of the coconut milk, remove from heat before it starts to boil.

Little Flower

2009-05-12T10:05:00.000-07:00

Here are some pics of the little flowers in my front yard. Thru the micro lense they are just looked so beautiful. I would like to dedicate these pictures to 2 beautiful kids, Jason and Jodie.

It's About Autism, It's about Love, It's about Caring..

2009-05-12T09:39:00.000-07:00

Each year more and more kids are being diagnosed with autism or asperges syndrome. Being parents of those kids are very tough. For the society, they have behavioural problem, but as parents, we know, they are just different. They are people who think very different than the rest of us. At one point, as parent, we realize we can not force them to be like us, eating the food we think it is healthy for them.

I have to break this silent, I have to accept the fact my 13 year old daughter, who plays so good piano and does so well in school, has asperges syndrome. With God's help and lots of prayer, she is doing great now. However, there is bumpy road ahead for kids like her, everyday I have to worry how she can be independent one day...only God has the answer..

Just want you to know, Felicia, mom and dad love you somuch!

Ginseng Herbal Soup

2009-05-12T08:39:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

4 chicken legs

10 gm ginseng root,

5 seedless red dates,

2 slices fresh ginger root

a handful of kei ci ( dried wolfberry fruits )

6 cups of water

salt

Directions:

Wash and clean the chicken. Cut the chicken legs in half. Poach the chicken in a pot of boiling water for 30 seconds, then remove and drain. In a large heat-proof bowl, place the chicken together with all the other ingredients except the salt. Steam in a steamer or wok over boiling water for 2 hours, constantly replenishing the water in the steamer or wok as needed. Remove from the heat, stir in the salt and serve hot.

source: chinese food recipe

Cincau in coconut syrup

2009-05-12T08:11:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1can of cincau ( cut in small cubes )

1 can of coconut milk

2 cups of water

3 tbs of palm sugar

2 tbs of sugar ( as desired )

pinch of salt

1 pandan leaf

Directions:

Boil water, palm sugar, sugar and pandan leaf for 10 mins ( until boil ).

Turn down fire and pour in coconut milk and boil another 5 mins. Turn off fire and put in the cincau. Let it cool in the fridge. Serve cold.

Kolak Pisang

2009-05-12T07:53:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

2 banana plantain

2 tbs of palm sugar

2 tbs of granulated sugar

pinch of salt

half can of coconut milk

2 cups of water

half can of palm " attap" seeds

half can of jack fruit ( if desired )

1 pandan leaf

Directions:

Boil water and put in palm sugar , pandan leaf and sugar, meanwhile cut the banana and drained the palm seeds from its juice. Put banana and palm seeds into the boiling sugar water, boil for 5 mins. When boiled, pour in the coconut milk and stir well. At last put in the salt and jack fruit.

Served hot.

Rigatoni ala Norma with Meatball

2009-05-06T14:28:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
1 pack rigatoni pasta
1/2 lb of cooked meatballs
2 tbs olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 black eggplant, cut in chunks
salt and pepper
1 can diced roasted tomatoes
1/2 cup fresh basil, finely cut
1/2 cup ricotta cheese

directions:
Cook pasta as directed on the package.
Heat oil in large non stick skillet over medium high heat.
Add onion and garlic, saute for 2 mins. Add eggplant, salt, pepper, cook 5 mins till eggplant start to brown.
Add tomatoes, cover and cook 3 mins till eggplant tender,put in the meatballs. Add to drained pasta with basil. Top each serving with Ricotta cheese and garnish with basil.

source: woman's day

Spicy Coconut Mussels

2009-05-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
1/2 can coconut milk
1 inch finely slice ginger
salt
2 tbs lime juice
2 tsp turmeric powder
1 can chicken broth
2 lbs mussels
1 lb prawn
2 tbs of sambal oelek

4 shallots finely chopped

3 clove garlics finely chopped

2 tbs oil

Directions
Heat the oil in a skillet, saute all the ingredients except coconut milk and mussels until fragrant.

Add mussels, pour in the coconut milk,cover, and cook 5 minutes until shells open.
Discard any unopened mussels, garnish with cilantro.

Soto Medan

2009-05-06T13:40:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
2 chicken thights
1 salam leaf
1 stalk of lemongrass

3 kaffir lime leafs
1 cm Galangal crushed
125 ml coconut milk
2 tablespoon of lime juice
1 litre of water
2 tablespoon of fried shallots
1 stalk of spring onion, chopped

1 can coconut milk

Spice Paste:
5 shallots
3 cloves of garlic
pepper
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 cm of ginger
2 Candlenuts, pan-broil
Salt and sugar to taste

Directions
Wash the chicken, and then pour the lime juice over it. Leave it for sometime (10 minutes or so). Then wash again.
Simmer chicken in 1 litre of water together with salt, salam leaf, lemongrass, lime kaffir leafs, and the galangal. Cook until the chicken is tender. Take it out from the stock and leave it to cool. Separate chicken meat from the bones and shred it finely. Meanwhile keep cooking the stock with low heat.
Fry the chicken. Set aside.
In remaining oil, sauté the spice paste for a minute or two until fragrant.
Put the fried spice paste into chicken stock. Cook until the spice is absorbed. Then add the coconut milk. Continue cooking. Taste it before serving.
Serve with steam rice, potato frikade,prawn cracker and garnish with fried shallot and spring onion.

source: dunia ibu

Simple Fried Rice

2009-04-29T15:33:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

4 cups cooked rice
3 tablespoons vegetable or wok oil
2 eggs, beaten
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 inches fresh ginger, minced or grated
1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 small red bell pepper, diced
4 scallions, thinly sliced on an angle
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 cup of shrimp
1/2 cup cooked chicken
2 tbs soy sauce
pepper

Methods:
Heat a wok, wok shaped skillet or large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add oil to the pan. Add egg to hot oil and break into small bits as it scrambles. When eggs are scrambled, add garlic and ginger to the pan. Add shrimp,cooked chicken, carrots, pepper, scallions to the pan and quick stir-fry veggies 2 minutes. Add rice to the pan and combine with veggies. Fry rice with veggies 2 or 3 minutes. Add peas and soy sauce to the rice and stir fry 1 minute more, then serve.

Fried Udon

2009-04-29T14:48:00.000-07:00

Remember fried MeeHoon ? Above is just Udon Noodle, this time I made with seafood. All same ingredients, instead of MeeHoon, I used 2 pack of Udon.

Perkedel Kentang ( Frikadel Potatoes )

2009-04-29T14:40:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

250 gr potatoes

6 small shallots

1 spring onion

1 bunch celery leaves

2 eggs

oil to fry

250 gr cooked ground beef

1 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp nutmeg

salt to taste

Methods:

Cook the potatoes and mash them. Cut the shallots into thin slices and the celery and the spring onion fine. Heat in a wok 2 tbsp of oil and fry the shallots for 3 minutes then drain on kichten paper. Separate the eggs and whisk the yellows. Mix all ingredients except the egg whites and form of the mixture flat cookies. Heat in a skillet the oil, put the cokies throug the egg whites and fry them golden brown.

Tom Yum ( Lemongrass soup )

2009-04-27T08:38:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

1 cup of prawn
1/2 cup squid ( optional )
4 cups chicken stock
1/2 straw mushrooms, halved 6 cherry tomatoes
1 fresh lemon grass stem cut into short lengths
2-3 kaffir lime leaves, sliced thinly
3 tbsp Thai fish sauce
4 tbsp fresh lime juice
1/2 tsp sugar
5-6 hot fresh Thai chilies, just broken with pestle
Preparation

Place the stock in a pot, add the lemon grass and kaffir lime leavess, and bring to boil over medium heat. Add the chicken meat, mushroom, fish sauce, lime juice, and sugar; cook slowly and uncovered for 10 minutes. Do not stir. Then add the tomatoes and chilies and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat. 4 servings.

Prawn With Garlic and Basil

2009-04-27T08:07:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

1lb of Prawn ( I leave the shell on )
2 chinese eggplant ( cut in bite size )

2 red jalapeno ( substitute: 1 red pepper )

1 tbs of fish sauce

1 tbs sweet soy sauce

5 cloves of chopped garlic

1 cup of basil.

3 tbs of sherry ( I used japanese sake )

pepper to taste

1 tbs olive oil

Oil to fry

Methods:

Clean the prawn ( can remove shell ), I leave the shell on, as it is the source of calcium. Seasoning a bit with salt and pepper. Heat the oil, fried the prawn, only 2 mins maximum, remove. Fried the eggplants, jalapeno and Basil, remove and put on the plate that layer with paper towel.

In the separate Wok, heat it and put in olive oil, saute the garlic, put the rest of fried prawn, eggplants, jalapeno and stir in the the fish sauce, soy sauce and sherry. Make a quick stir and put the fried basil at the end.

Served with hot rice.

Fried MeeHoon

2009-04-27T07:32:00.000-07:00

This is a very common easy dish. We used to have it as breakfast, lunch or dinner. Patti, my american mom, love this dish. I gave her a pack of MeeHoon, showed her how to made it more than once. But she didn't make it till now, last Saturday, I made this for our quick lunch after the field service. She told me, I should post it. Hope you make it, Patti, after I post this for you...
Btw, Patti said having noodle for breakfast is against her religion, oh boy, we all do this in my country, LOL!
Ok, the Fried MeeHoon on my picture shown is just vegetarian, I didn't put any seafood or meat, I like it plain, just for my breakfast..

Ingredients:
1/2 pack of MeeHoon ( soaked in water at least 15 minutes )
half a handful of dried prawns
1 cup of cabbage
3 stalks shallots diced
2 cloves garlic diced
1 large carrot peeled and diced
2 tbsp light soysauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp kecap manis
1tbsp sambal(optional)
2 tsp dried chili flakes(optional)
2 tsp chicken stock powder diluted in 1 cup water
1 tbsp sesame oil

Methods:
Heat sesame oil in a wok with the flames on high. Shallow fry shallots, carrots,cabbage, prawns and garlic. Add in sauces and reduce heat. When mixture is fragrant, place in meehoon and chicken stock mixture. Toss in wok until well combined and sauce is absorbed. Serve with extra chopped shallots or sliced shreds of thin omelete.
Feel free to make it vegetarian as well, just use any kind of vegetables.

The Peanut Sauce

2009-04-26T14:08:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 cups raw peanuts
2 cloves garlic, chopped
4 shallots, chopped
A thin slice of shrimp paste (optional)
Salt to taste
2 tsp chilli powder
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 cups water
2 tbsp tamarind water or juice of a lemon

Methods:
Stir-fry the peanuts for 4 minutes. Remove and leave to cool. Then pound or grind the nuts into a fine powder, using a blender, coffee grinder, or pestle and mortar. Discard the oil, except for 1 tablespoonful.

Crush the garlic, shallots and shrimp paste in a mortar with a little salt, and fry in the remaining oil for 1 minute. Add the chilli powder, sugar, soy sauce and water. Bring this to the boil, then add the ground peanuts. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce becomes thick; this should take about 8-10 minutes. Add the tamarind water or lemon juice and more salt if needed.

When cool, keep in a jar in the fridge. Reheat as required for use with satay or as a dip or savoury snacks. The sauce will keep in the fridge for up to 1 week.

Notes: The peanut sauce is used for Satay as well.

Source: Global Gourmet

Gado-gado

2009-04-26T12:58:00.000-07:00

According to wikipedia, gado gado is a traditional indonesian dish. It is cooked vegetable sadad in peanut sauce dressing. Unlike western salad, gado gado is eaten as main course. Since I only have cabbage, eggs, tofu and tomato in my fridge, I made gado gado with only these 4 ingredients.
The original ingredients are:
l cup cabbage or spring greens, shredded
2 cups French beans, cut into 1-cm / 1/2-inch lengths
4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced thinly
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 cup beansprouts, washed

For the garnish:
Some lettuce leaves and watercress
2 hard-boiled eggs, quartered
1 medium-size potato, boiled in its skin, then peeled and sliced
1 cucumber, thinly sliced
1 tbsp crisp-fried onions
2 large krupuk ( shrimp cracker )

Directions:
Boil the vegetables separately in slightly salted water, for 3-4 minutes, except the beansprouts which only need 2 minutes. Drain each vegetable separately in a colander.

To serve, arrange the lettuce and watercress around the edge of a serving dish. Then pile the vegetables in the middle of the dish. Arrange the eggs, sliced potatoes or lontong, and sliced cucumber on top.

source: The Global Gourmet

Galangal Fried Chicken

2009-04-24T15:00:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

2 lb chicken tights ( skin removed )
1 cup of shredded galangal
5 tbs of olive oil
3 salam leaves or bay leaves
1 stalk of lemon grass bruised
oil for frying

Spices ( ground )
5 cloves of garlic
5 shallots
4 candlenuts
1 tbs turmeric powder
1 teasp tamarind
salt and pepper to taste

Method :
Combine chicken with ground spices and shredded galangal and mix thoroughly.
Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken.
Add salam leaves and lemon grass.
Cover the pan and fry over low heat, adding a little water if necessary.
Remove the chicken when it is half-cooked.
Deep fry the chicken until golden brown, then drain.
Serve the chicken with fried shredded galangal sprinkled on it.

Mac N cheese with spaghetti sauce

2009-04-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

Ingredient:
1 (8 ounce) package elbow macaroni
1 (8 ounce) package shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 (12 ounce) container small curd cottage cheese
1/2 container sour cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup spaghetti sauce
a pinch of nutmeg

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil, add pasta, and cook until done; drain.
In 9x13 inch baking dish, stir together macaroni,spaghetti sauce, shredded Cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, salt, nutmeg and pepper. In a small bowl, mix together bread crumbs and melted butter. Sprinkle topping over macaroni mixture.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until top is golden.

source: allrecipe.com

Click Event

2009-04-24T06:35:00.000-07:00

This month Click Event is all about Spring/Autumn, hosted by Jai and Bee. I hope to get some experience from this event, I am very excited since this is the first time I participate. Picture I submitted was this.

Not just Weeds..

2009-04-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

Every Spring, my husband fight with the weeds in our lawn, despite winterizer, weeds killer and so on, dandelion pop ups every early spring. Looks good with all the yellow spots on the green lawn, but after 2 weeks, the crab grass kills the lawn. My best friend, Sandra, from Pocono, who is a nature freak, taught me alot about the beauty of nature. Just like the weeds, I can't see its beauty with my naked eyes, but my camera captured its beauty perfectly. Even weeds, another wonder from God's creation.

Chicken Noodle

2009-04-22T17:03:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
•1 pound Chinese egg noodles
•6 dried black Chinese mushrooms
•1/2 pound chicken ( cut in cubes )
•Marinade:
•1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
•1 teaspoon cornstarch
•Sauce:
•2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
•1/4 cup water or mushroom soaking liquid
•2 teaspoons granulated sugar
•1/4 teaspoon chile paste
•2 green onions
•2 cloves garlic
•4 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed
•2 tablespoons bean sauce
•1 cup shredded cabbage or other green vegetable
•1/2 teaspoon sesame oil, or to taste

Preparation:
Fill a large saucepan with 4 quarts water, add 2 teaspoons salt and bring to a boil. Add the noodles and cook until they are al dente (tender but still chewy in the middle), using chopsticks or a wooden spoon to separate the noodles during cooking. Drain thoroughly.
Soften the dried mushrooms by soaking in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. Squeeze out any excess water. Thinly slice.
Combine the chicken with the rice wine and cornstarch, using your fingers to mix together. Marinate for 20 minutes.
Cut the green onion on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces. Peel and finely chop the garlic.
Heat the wok over medium-high to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken. Stir-fry until it turns color and is nearly cooked through. Remove from the wok.
Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the bean sauce and garlic. Cook briefly, then add the vegetable. Stir-fry all the vegetables, seasoning with soy sauce or salt during stir-frying if desired.
Push the vegetables up to the side of the wok. Add the sauce in the middle and bring to a boil. Add the meat back into the pan. Cook for a few more minutes. Stir in the sesame oil.
To serve, place the noodles on a large serving platter or in individual serving bowls. Pour the sauce over top.

Soft shell Crab Curry

2009-04-22T16:24:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS :

4 soft shell crabs
4 tbsp curry powder
1-2 tbsp chili powder, or to taste
2 tbsp cooking oil
2 med onions [1 finely minced and 1 cut into thick slices]
3-4 tbsp tomato paste or one large ripe tomato, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
½ cup coconut milk
1-1½ cups water
2 assam gelugor [tamarind skins] [Substitute: juice of half a lemon]
1½-2 cups of your favorite vegetable for fish curry - string beans or small whole okra [ladies fingers]
1 tsp sugar

To Prepare :

In a small bowl, combine curry powder and chili powder, add a few tbsp of water and mix into a thick paste
In a wok or pot, heat ghee or vegetable oil on high, stir-fry minced onion until lightly browned, add garlic and stir-fry for a few seconds
Add curry paste, reduce heat to low, stir-fry until quite toasted and oil starts to ooze from paste - do not burn!
Add tomato paste or diced tomato, coconut milk, water, sugar and season with salt , bring to a slow boil
Add brinjals, string beans or okra, simmer until vegetables are par cooked
Add crabs and sliced onions, cover and simmer gently
When crab is just done, remove promptly from heat, let stand for 15 mins [for flavors to meld]
Serve with steamed rice

note: I deep fried the crabs till crispy before put in the curry.

Vegetable Curry / Sayur Lodeh

2009-04-22T16:11:00.000-07:00

INGREDIENTS :

2 cups cabbage, cut into 1-inch pieces
1½ cups French or green beans, cut diagonally into 1 inch lengths
1½ cups cauliflower florets
1 cup carrots, cut into chunky sticks
1 cup turnips, cut into chunky sticks
4 soybean cakes, cut into 1 inch squares
1-2 tbsp or to taste, chili powder
1½ cups coconut milk
2 cups water
½ cup vegetable oil
2 bay leaves [optional]
2-3 sprigs fresh cilantro for garnish
2 tbsp or to taste, chili paste
2 stalks lemongrass, thinly sliced
2 med onions
4 cloves garlic
1 inch fresh ginger, sliced
2 tsp belacan, also spelt belachan or blacan [dried shrimp paste]
20 dried shrimp or dried anchovies, soaked in boiling hot water to soften
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds

To Prepare :

Using a mortar & pestle or blender, grind softened dried shrimp or anchovies, chili paste, lemongrass, onions, garlic, ginger, turmeric, cumin and belacan into a paste
Add chili powder and mix into the paste
In a stockpot, heat vegetable oil, add ground paste, stir-fry until quite toasted and oil starts to ooze from paste - do not burn!
Combine 2 cups or more, water with 1½ cups of coconut milk [for thin coconut milk], add to pot
Add bay leaves, fresh sliced chilies [optional]
Bring to a slow boil, add all the vegetables
Simmer gently till vegetables are tender, but not overcooked or mushy
Garnish with chopped cilantro, serve as a starter soup, or as a main course with steamed rice or Lontong ( rice cake )

Sambal Udang

2009-04-21T15:52:00.000-07:00

1 lb med to large-sized prawns or shrimp, shelled or un-shelled
4 tbsp peanut or vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 ripe tomatoes, quartered
1 tbsp tamarind paste
1 cup water
1-2 tsp palm sugar or dark brown sugar
salt
8 shallots
2 tsp belacan, also spelt belachan or blacan [dried shrimp paste]
4 cloves garlic
5 tbsp chili paste
4 candlenuts [buah keras/kemiri nuts] [Substitute: macadamia nuts]

To Prepare :

In a small bowl, mix tamarind paste and water using your fingers, strain, discard seeds, set aside
Using a mortar & pestle or blender, grind shallots, garlic, belacan, candlenuts, chili paste into a paste
Heat wok on high, add oil, stir-fry ground paste till quite toasted and oil starts to ooze, about 5 mins
Add onions, tomatoes, tamarind, sugar, salt to taste
Cover, reduce heat to med, simmer till tomatoes are well stewed [mash with spatula] and sauce thickens
Add prawns, stir-fry until just opaque - do not overcook!
Dish onto serving plate, allow to sit 10 mins or so, for prawns to absorb flavors
Serve with steamed rice

Blossom

2009-04-21T13:22:00.000-07:00

I just shot some pics while walking with the babies. Here are some of them...wonderful God's creations.

.

.

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Chicken with Soy Sauce

2009-04-21T12:32:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
•3 to 3 1/2 pound chicken
•Sauce:
•1 cup light soy sauce
•1 cup dark soy sauce
•1/2 cup Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
•1/2 cup brown sugar or 1/3 cup Chinese rock sugar
•1 teaspoon fennel seeds
•3 whole star anise
*1 piece of ginger
•1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorn, roasted
•4 cups water

Preparation:
1. Rinse the chicken under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
2. In a pot large enough to hold the chicken (I use an 8-quart pot) combine the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice wine or sherry, sugar, fennel seeds, star anise, roasted Szechuan peppercorn, ginger, cinnamon stick and the water. Bring to a boil.
3. Add the chicken, breast side down. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook the chicken for 45 minutes, turning over once or twice and making sure it cooks for an even amount of time on both sides. Baste the chicken for a minute or more each time you turn it over.
4. After 45 minutes, turn off the heat and the let chicken sit, covered, until the internal temperature in the thickest part of the breast reaches 170 degrees Fahrenheit 5. Remove the chicken from the pot, cool and cut into bite-sized pieces. Garnish with scallion.
5. Serve with rice and vegetable