Panasonic Festive Cooking Programme : Roast Vegetables

One Pot - Stew Roast Pork with Potato and Carrot

A One Pot Meal has always been my favourite since everything can be cooked in a go, why not? I love to have most of everything inside one pot, for example a combination of meat and vegetables together. I'm a typical mother that wish my children will eat everything that served on the table but too bad, this could only happened once in a bluemoon so, to make it a habit I will always include vegetables in my cooking, either its green or leafy, red or purple? as long as vegetable, will do.

Ok, Last weekend my cousin sister dropped by to our house with a portion of yummy roasted pork. I wrapped it with aluminium foil and kept it in the freezer. 

And I have a pretty late meeting around 5pm in town and I don't wanna buy dinner at the take away stall so what came to my mind was this "One Pot Meal"... I defrost the roast pork 2 hours earlier and used up the ingredients thats is suitable in the fridge like potatoes and carrots.

Ingredients

Roast pork x 1 piece (500gm) preferably with fats
Russet Potatoes x 2 (cut slice)
Carrots x (cut slice)
Water x 3 cups
Sugar x 1 tsp
Apple Cider Vinegar x 1 tsp
Olive Oil x 1 tsp
Bay Leave x 1 piece

Methods

1. Use a non stick pan, heat it with some olive oil. Brown each side of the roasted pork till light brown. Do not use high flame, low flame will do. The roasted pork will produce oil during the browning process. Set aside the pork. Maintain the oil and add in cut potatoes and carrots and fry till brown and aromatic. Pour in water, and wait until its boiling, transfer potatoes and carrots into crock pot.

2. Meantime, cut the pork into bite size (1inch). Put the pork in a stew pot/crock pot. Add in all other wet and dry ingredients.

3. Cover crock pot and turn flame to high. When its boiling reduce flame to low and stew for 1 hour. Keep checking the water level, make sure it covers the solid.

4. I did not add in salt nor pepper because the stew will highly depending on the marinate from the roast pork. You may add salt and pepper to taste.

Stew Roasted Pork with Potatoes and Carrots

Caramel Soya Tiger Prawns

If you are familiar with my kitchen then you will probably know seafood is my family's favourite. Everyone at home loves prawn very much. Tonight hubby brought home someTiger Prawns, and without much thinking, Caramel Soya Tiger Prawns has come to mind.

Simple yet yummy, is my philosophy of cooking. Nothing are more important than big smiles on those faces.

Ingredients

10 - Tiger Prawns, cleaned (marinate with little salt, rub some salt in)
3 tbsp - chopped garlic
1 cup - water
1/4 cup - Soya Sauce
1/4 cup - Caramel Soya/Thick Soya/Dark Soya
3 tbsp - Sugar
1 tbsp - Starch

Methods

1. Clean prawns, there is a tutorial in my blog of how to clean prawn, incase you need tutorial on this.

2. In a cooking pan or wok, heat some cooking oil not too much, just enough to pan-sear the prawns. About 1/4 cup of cooking oil. Don't over cooked the prawns, 1 minute on each side or till you see them changed to nice pink the turn over. Set the prawns aside. Keep the oil.

3. Using the same pan, put in garlic. Stir fry till you smell the aroma, do not brown it or else it will have bitter taste. 

4. Mix well all wet and dry ingredients. Pour in with garlic, keep stirring till sugar dissolved and boiling. Then put in prawns and stir well until fully coated. Set aside and serve with white rice.

Cheese Mayo Baked Tiger Prawn

It has been awhile since my last "Serious Cooking" in my humble Kitchen. We are trying very hard to keep the kitchen clean and tidy because our domestic maid has gone back to her country for vacation. Hubby is in charge of cleaning dishwares and plates so it's not advisable to cook something that requires a lot of ingredients and steps. (laughing)

But the Thams are seafood lovers and they can't resist the Big Tiger Prawn that I bought from the market this morning so I wanted to cook something fancy instead of the usual "prawn recipes". Last week we had a very yummy and delicious Teppanyaki Tiger Prawn at a Japanese Fine Dining recently and it's still pretty fresh in my head, so I decided to go for a try.

After hours of preparation and cooking is finally done. When Olivia saw the dish on the dining table she was so impressed and said "Mummy, the prawns look very yummy".. hahaI'm so happy and glad that hubby and kids are pleased with this "Cheese Mayo Baked Tiger Prawn" (thumbs up)


Ingredients

6-8 - Prawns, cleaned
6 tbsp   - Mayonnaise
1/4 cup - Water
4 tbsp   - Grated Cheese (Cheddar/Mozzarella)
2 tbsp   - Grated Cheese (for topping)
2 tsp     - Curry Powder
1 clove garlic (chopped)
1 shallot (chopped)
1/8 tsp  - Salt
1/4 tsp  - Sugar

Methods

1. Clean prawns and marinate with soya, if you don't like soya u may rub with salt but not too much, marinate for 15minutes will do.
2. In a frying pan, add in cooking oil or olive oil when the pan is heated but not smoke. Slowly put in prawn one by one and lightly pan fry each side for 30 seconds will do. Do not over cook it, prawn gets cook really fast (when you see it turning red, means it's cooked)
3. Set aside prawns.
4. Mix water, mayonnaise, salt and sugar till Mayonnaise dissolved. Set aside. 
5. Use the same pan, and approximately 3 -4 tbsp of the oil that used for frying to try the garlic and inion until soft but not brown. Add in the liquid ingredients. Keep stirring until it's thicken and dissolved then add in cheese, keep stirring until it's melted. It will taste a little sourish, not too much.
6. Preheat Oven to high heat. if you are using the burner then you don't need ti use the oven.
7. Pour the sauce over the prawns and sprinkle the grated cheese on top of it. 
8. Put the dish into the highest rack of the oven and let it brown the cheese for 15 minutes (time varies from ovens).
9. Voila!

tips:

• I used dutch lady mayonnaise because that's what I have in fridge, but I prefer Kewpie because it taste richer but this is an option.
• I add in some curry powder to make the sauce looks yellowish but you may ignore if you don't like.
• Basically it will be quite salty with mayo and cheese added, salt may be reduced to your own liking as well.
• I do not have the burner so I option for Oven heat to burn the top part of my cheese. 

Pour sauce over the prawns.

Sprinkles grated cheese on top of the prawns.

The result after 15 minutes high heat at the highest rack of the oven.

Bon-appetite!

Slow Roast Chicken and Vegetables

    

There are times that you just feel like clearing the stuffs in your fridge and this is the best meal that you can try. A simple one pot meal. Use up whatever in fridge.. I have chicken, mushroom, baby carrot, cauliflowers and tomato...

Marinate chicken and vegetables with white wine, Italian herbs, olive oil, pepper and salt for 10 minutes. 

Olive oil- 3tbsp

Salt - 2 tsp

Pepper - little dash

Italian herbs - 2tsp

White wine- 1/4 cup

Put everything in baking tray, bake for 90min at 120 degree.

Chinese Sweet Corn Pork Rib Soup

Ingredients 

1 Sweet Corn, cleaned and divided into 5 sections
200g Soup Bone

4 Strips "Yuk Chuk"
5 Dried Scallops

6 Red Dates

2 tbsp Goji

4 Rice Bowl of Water

Methods
1. Wash and soak white fungus until soft, drain.
2. Cut pear into chunks.
3. Blanch pork ribs in hot water before put in with other ingredients.
4. Add all ingredients in a pot an d boil for at least 2 hours.

Seaweed Egg Drop Soup

When you are superb busy and running out of time but do not want to eat out or tapao, this soup is quite handy. All you need is 20-30 minutes. Make Ikan Bilis broth at the minimum of 20 minutes will do but I did cook it for 30 minutes instead to get the flavour of the Ikan Bilis by max haha.

This is a freestyle soup and you may add and minus the ingredients upon your likings.

Happy cooking!!

Ingredients 

2 Cup Seaweed 

1 Cup Ikan Bilis

1 Egg

1 small shallot

3 Rice Bowl of Water

Methods

1.Wash the Ikan Bilis, slice onion and start cooking with water for 30minutes.

2.Remove the Ikan Bilis (out them in a bag for easier removal, I do)

3.Chopped seaweed in to pieces, approximately 4 x 4cm.

4.When you ready to serve the soup, start reboiling the soup, once boiling add in seaweed and beat in egg and meanwhile stir quickly with chopstick to make egg drop.

5.Add salt to taste.    

Chinese Pear White Fungus (雪耳) Soup

The weather is hot and damp lately and it's a great idea to refresh and rejuvenate our body with a bowl of soup or herbal tea is good. Today I will cook "Pear White Fungus Soup" for my kiddos. White Fungus always goes well with Pear, and these ingredients are neutral which you may add sugar or salt to your favour. If you prefer salty then you may add in pork ribs as broth and if you prefer sweet soup (tong sui style) you may add in rock sugar and skip the ribs.

Here are some of the benefits of white fungus that you may wanted to know.

What are its health benefits?

• Snow fungus helps to tonify the spleen and increases appetite, also nourishes yin and lungs, it may help enhance immune system in cancer patients.
• Snow fungus helps to nourish the body, lungs and stomach, to manage consumptive cough, bloody sputum, helps with physical weakness after recovery from illness, shortness of breath, and fatigue.

Ingredients 

1 Pear 
1 Medium White Fungus (雪耳)

200g Soup Bone

4 Strips "Yuk Chuk"

6 Red Dates

2 tbsp Goji

4 Rice Bowl of Water

Methods
1. Wash and soak white fungus until soft, drain.
2. Cut pear into chunks.
3. Blanch pork ribs in hot water before put in with other ingredients.
4. Add all ingredients in a pot an d boil for at least 2 hours.

Tofu and Pickle Vegetables Soup

At least 2 hours of boiling.

I will try to cook soup as often as possible for my family. My husband favour  this "tofu pickle soup / tau foo ham Choy tong" very much. He loves the combinations of tofu and ham choy, I used to cook with Roasted Pork Rib but today I couldn't get roasted pork rib so Inreplaced with pork bones instead which equally tasty.

I blanch the pork ribs first before putting in all ingredients in the pot. Simple steps but it's result is awesome. 

This soup is good to expel and reduce heatiness from our body like what Chinese believes. 

Ingredients 

1 Packet of Pickle Vegetables (ham Choy)

1 Box White Tofu

350g Soup Bone

1 Big Ripe Tomato 

1 Slice "Kai Choy"

1 Slice Dried Octopus 

6 Rice Bowl of Water

Chinese Apple Soup

My kids can't leave without soup, they has been pampered by my dad which will bring soup over for them weekly. I'm so thankful for what my dad had done for my kids and these has taught my kids the benefits of soups.

Today, I cooked Apple & Pork Ribs Soup. Taste a tingle of sourish and sweet and kids just love it, they even finished the soft cooked apple. 

It's very nutritious as Apple is good source of fibre and it's good for lung and respiratory system. So no harm trying out this recipe ya.

Ingredients 

1 Fuji Apple 

200g Soup Bone

6 Dried Scallops  

4 Strips "Yuk Chuk"

6 Red Dates

2 tbsp Goji

4 Rice Bowl of Water

Hakka Radish Ball

When I was a little I remember my grandma always make this yummy dish for the family. Besides my grandma, my dad has another version of his Radish Ball too and both tasted very delicious. And now, I'm having my own version too and hope to make it better and tastier.

Every time when I happened to visit my father he will definitely cook some of my favourites. I'm one lucky girl? Yes I do. haha


Ingredients

1 Medium Size Radish
1/4 cup of Dried Shrimps (washed and chopped)
1 cup Minced Pork
3 tbsp Corn Flour
1 Shallot (chopped)
1 tbsp Dark Soya (optional if you do not like it dark)
2 tsp Salt
3 tbsp Water

Methods

1. Peel the skin of the radish, shred radish using manual food shredder. I do not like it too coarse but not too fine neither.
2. Squeeze away the excessive water of the radish to avoid bitter taste.
3. Mix all ingredients together.
4. Use a small size metal ice cream scoop to scoop the meat and form a ball. Remember do not press the meat to hard while forming meat ball to avoid meat getting harden while steaming.
5. Laid a layer of clean banana leave at the bottom of a metal plate. Place radish balls on top of the banana leave and steam for 20-30 minutes in high fire.
6. Serve hot and eat with chili padi with soya sauce for a better taste.

Mushroom Pie

I personally is a mushrooms lover, love all kind of edible mushrooms, Shitake, Portobello, White Button and Oyster are some of my favourites. Today is the first day of school holiday and why not make lunch time more fun instead. So no rice again, and kids are so happy to know this. I decided to bake Mushroom Pies for lunch, easy and who doesn't love crispy and fluffy puff pastry stuffed with creamy mushroom?

Ingredients

2 cups of Mushroom (any of your favourite mushroom) (slice or chunks)
1 cup of Baby Spinach
4 Sheets of Puff Pastry Sheets
1 Egg for Egg Wash
1/2 cup Grated Cheese
2 tbsp Butter
1/2 cup Milk
1 Medium size Onion (chopped)
2 Cloves Garlic (chopped)
salt to taste
dash of dried oregano & parsley

Methods

1.  In a skillet, heat a little cooking and add in butter until butter melted. Add  garlic and onion, stir fry till you smell the aroma. Add in Mushroom, and baby spinach. keep stirring. Mushroom will release some liquid while cooking so its normal. keep cooking until liquid reduced.

2. Add in milk, salt and some dried spices and stir well.

3. Lastly, turn off flame. Stir in cheese, so that cheese is not fully melted, it will melt nicely when bake it in the oven. Set aside mushroom and cool down.

4. Divide puff pastry sheet into 4 squares. Scoops adequate amount of mushroom and put in the centre of each squares.

5. Apply each side with beaten egg, and place a same size square puff pastry on top of it and press down the sides with fork and sealed. You may cut some fine line on the puff pastry to release the heat in the fillings.

6. Lastly, brush the egg wash on the surface of all puff pastry before put them into oven.

7. Preheat Oven at 180 degree and bke for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

8. Enjoy!

Hakka Braised Pork Belly with Red Koji Rice

I'm a typical Hakka girl that brought up in a Hakka Family and growing up eating my grandmother's homecook Hakka Dishes. My grandfather loved Fat Pork very much and most of Hakka signature dishes are cooked with Fat Pork/Pork Belly, so these has become my favourite without me noticing it. Hakka dishes are mostly with pretty strong taste. This dish is so delicious because the meats have the strong taste of "Nam Yu" and "Cuttlefish". Simple dish, but you will love it. I add in hard boil egg as an option because Olivia requested for it. Surprisingly it goes well with the gravy.

Ingredients

300 gm Pork Belly (3 layers fats)

1 cube of Nam Yu

1 tsp Oyster Sauce

1 tbsp Dark Soya

2 cloves of garlic

2 anistar

50g Cuttlefish Slices (soak in water till soft, throw water away and cut into small size)

1tbsp Red Koji Rice (wash and drain)

2 cups Water

Methods

1. Cut pork belly in to 1.5" x 2" of size. Mash the Nam Yu and marinate these pork belly chunks with it and oyster sauce for at least 15 minutes.

2. In a stew pot, heat with some cooking oil, then place pork belly chunk in it and turn the flame to high. Fry each side of the chunk for 1 minute or until the surface looks brown. Add in garlic, cuttlefish, red koji rice and anistar and stir well with the meats.

3. Add in water, cover with lid. When water is boiling, turn flame to low and keep stewing for 1.5 hours until meat is soft.

4. I add an hard boil egg, as an additional because Olivia requested for it. 

Parmesan Pop Corn Chicken

Ingredients 

200 gm Chicken Breast (I use Kampung Chicken)

2 tbsp Soya Sauce

Dash of Sesame Oil

3 tbsp Flour

3 tbsp Corn Flour

1) Cut chicken into small cubes or chunks. Marinate chicken breast with Soya Sayce & Sesame Sauce for 30minuted.

2) Coat chicken chunks with Flour and Corn Flour.

3) Heat up frying pan with some cooking oil of your choice, and when pan is warm add in chicken and fry. Since the chicken has been cut into small cubes, you can use lesser oil.

4) when both sides chicken are golden brown, set aside. 

5) Sprinkles with Parmesan Flakes/powder on top of the Pop Vorn Chicken. Good to eat with Mushroom Soup.

Angel Hair Carbonara with Crispy Patty

Whenever we eat out my daughter will definitely asked for noodles or if we ended up at a Western Cuisine Restaurant then it will definitely be spaghetti. Olivia loves Carbonara or anything creamy and cheesy.

So I made my kids the "Simplee Carbonara" last Saturday. It tasted just like those Italian Restaurant (haha trust me?)

You might want to give it a try.. Ingredients are very simple and nothing fancy about the cooking steps as well. Less than 30 minutes from preparation and cooking.

Ingredients

Pasta
100gm Angel Hair Spaghetti (cooked and drained)
2 cup Milk
3 tbsp Butter
2 tbsp Flour
Some chopped garlic
Dash salt to taste
Some Rosemary (dried)
2 Slices of Cheddar Cheese

Patty
200gm Minced Meat (marinate with soya)
4 tbsp Bread Crumbs
1 tbsp Corn Starch
1 egg beaten (used half)

Methods for Pasta

1. Cooked spaghetti in boiling salt water for 8-10 minutes depends on the type of pasta you are using, I added a little cooking oil so it won't stick together when drained.
2. Use a pan, warm it with low flame, add in butter. When butter is melted, add in flour to make roux. Control the flame, do not turn to high flame, this might cause the milk to vaporised fast. Add in milk, stir well till smooth and not lumpy, add the cheddar cheese stir till cheese is melted. Add in salt and rosemary to taste. Lastly, add in Angel Hair and mix well. Serve hot.

Methods for Patty

1. Mix all ingredients.
2. Use a pan, warm it with low flame, add in cooking oil. Scoop meat with ice cream scoop or any big spoon. Place patty in the middle of the pan, slightly press down the meat to make a flat round patty. Fried for 3 minutes each side. Serve with pasta.

Angel Hair Carbonara. Kids preferred Angel Hair, because it's fine and soft.

Best supporter ever! 

Mashed Potato

Ingredients 

2 Big Size Potato 

1 Big Size Carrot

2 tbsp Butter

3 tbsp Milk

Salt to taste 

Methods

1. Clean and remove skin of potatos and carrot. Cut into small cubes, steam for 15 minutes. Add in butter while hot, stir till butter melt.

2. Let them cool down, transferred to food processor and squashed potatos and carrots with milk. I don't like them too smooth, I prefer a little coarser.

3. Lastly, add salt to taste.

Chicken Chop with Mushroom Sauce

Ingredients 

1 Chicken whole leg 

5 Shitake Mushroom (slice)

3/4 cup Kentucky Fried Chicken Flour

1 egg (beaten)

2 tbsp Soya Sauce  

1 cup water

Methods 

1. Marinate chicken leg with soya sauce for 15minutes.

2. Dip chicken in beaten egg, get the whole chicken coated with egg then transfer to a plate/bowl of Kentucky Fried Chicken flour. Coat well.

3. Pre heat frying pan with cooking oil, when then oil in the pan is at its medium heat, put in chicken. Fry each side for 4-7minutrd depending on the thickness of the chicken. Use chopstick, try to poke through the thickest part of the chicken. If it's through then your chicken is cook.

4. Set aside chicken. Use the same pan, put in mushrooms, stir fry 3 mins. Use the remaining KFC flour, mix with water. Add into mushrooms and stir. When boiling, pour over chicken. Voila!

Ultra Moist Chocolate Cake

I always wanted to bake a chocolate moist cake but haven't found the right recipes, and as I search through Google photos and I have found one that look good through lens. Studied the recipes and found the ingredients are quite easy and simple so u give it a try. Adapted this recipe from Maria Jose but altered a little.

Prep time:  25 mins

Cook time:  25 mins

Total time:  50 mins

Serves: 15

Ingredients

• Milk – 1½ cups
• Butter – 100 gms (I put 110g salted butter)
• Oil – ¼ cup (I used sunflower oil)
• Coco Powder – ½ cup ( I used Van Houstan)
• Self Raising Flour – 1 cup 
• Egg – 1 beaten, room temp
• Baking Soda – 1 tsp 
• Sugar – 1 cup (I reduced 2tbsp)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven @ 180 C/350-375 F, 10 mins before baking. Heat together milk, butter, oil & coco powder till the butter melts. Let it cool to room temperature. Add flour, baking soda, sugar & beaten egg to the cooled wet ingredients. Beat it well using an electric beater or hand whisk till it is mixed well. I made a 9 inch loaf.
2. Grease your cake tin well & line with parchment/baking paper. Pour the  batter. Bake 25- 30 minutes. The baking time can vary depending on each oven.
3. 
   

Curry Crispy Cauliflower

Do you have picky eaters at home? My daughter is one of the picky eaters. She prefers the food she likes. So sometimes mummy will try some new recipes or dish to catch her appetites.

She loves cauliflowers and O remember I had a fried cauliflower before at a Vegetarian stall. Maybe I could altered the recipe a little for the kids.

I add in a dash of curry powder to make it spicier but not hot.

Ingredients 

2 cup cauliflowers (florets)

4 cup water

2 tbsp salt

1 tsp curry powder

Any of your frying Batter. I use Hup Loong Batter Mix.(refer picture below)

Methods 

1. Cut cauliflowers into small florets, wash and drain.

2. Boil water in a medium pot, put in salt, curry powder & florets when boiling. Blanch for 3-5minutes depending on your liking. If you prefer softer texture then 5minutes. Drained and set aside.

3. Prepare frying pan with adequate cooking oil, and preheat in medium heat. Mix frying batter, dip florets into batter. Make sure coat each florets with batter. 

4. Place each florets that coated with batter into heated oil and fry. After 2minutes, turn the florets. When florets turns golden, set aside. 

Brownie Butter Cake

Who doesn't like chocolate? Specially if you have kids at home, they will jumped into anything chocolaty. Last week, I came across a recipe for Brownie Butter Cake from Rasa Malaysia website and decided to give it a try. I adapted this recipe but has made some changes on my own. I subsitituted the dark chocolate with Hershey's Chocolate chips and omitted the sugar for the brownie. And it turned out pretty well.

Even myself has fallen in love with this cake too , not too sweet as I reduced the sugar from the original recipe. The butter cake is so buttery and moist. I always use SCS butter for my cakes and and cookies, they will turned out buttery.

Ingredients

Brownie:

140g Hershey's Choco Chips
50g SCS salted butter
1 Egg
35g all-purpose flour

Butter cake:

120g salted butter
90g sugar (I reduced by 1 Tbsp)
2 Eggs
120g all-purpose flour
2g baking powder
50ml fresh milk

Method:

1.Grease and line a 10cm x 20cm (4×8-in) loaf pan with parchment paper.
2.Preheat oven to 180C/350F.
3.To make brownie, melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Remove and leave to cool slightly. Add in egg, mix well. Fold in flour, mix until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes.
4.To make butter cake, beat butter with sugar until creamy. Add in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
5.Fold in sifted flour and baking powder, alternately add in fresh milk, mix to form batter.
6.Spread the butter cake batter over brownie, bake in oven at 160C/320F for 25-30 minutes or until cooked. Insert a cake tester in the middle to check doneness.