Ayam Pongteh

I always love nyonya cooking and suddenly feel like cooking Ayam Pongteh but instead of potatos I substitute with okra. We all love okra.

I'm using my own recipe as this is the taste that I have been craving since my last had at a nyonya restaurant.

Thank god, everyone specially kids love it.

Ingredients 

1. 4 Drumsticks cleaned, marinate with salt & pepper. (I add some garlic salt marinate)

2. 1/2 cup flour

3. 800ml water (need to cover my drumsticks)

4. 2 tbsp cinnamon powder

5. 1 tbsp Tumeric powder

6. 1 cup cooking milk/santan

7. 2 tbsp soya

8. 3 Anise stars

9. 2 cinnamon sticks

10. 2 medium onion (chunk)

11. 4 cloves Garlic (peeled)

12. 8 okra trimmed head and tail

13. Dash of fish sauce (optional)

14. Salt & black pepper to taste 

Methods

1. I usually brown the skin of my drumstick with non stock pan. Set aside

2. Heat some oil in a pot, put in onion, garlic, anise star and cinnamon and quick stir till aromatic. Add in drumsticks, keep stiring.

3. Mix water, flour and cinnamon powder till complete dissolve. Pour in the pot and cover. 

4. When boiling turn flame to low, then simmer for 15minutes. Add in okra, cover with kid and simmer for another 10minutes, add in milk stir well.

5. Cover for another 10minutes before serving.

*im using a cast iron pot, and if U r using an ordinary stainless steel pot, cooking time might varies.

Roasted Honey Glazed Drumstick

Ingredients 

4 drumsticks 

2 tbsp sea salt

1 tbsp black pepper

1 tbsp Dried Rosemary Herbs

2 tbsp Dried Oregano Herbs

1/4 cup honey

Dark Soya (optional)

Garlic

Methods

1. Clean drumsticks. Use half the portion of salt, pepper and herbs to marinate the drumsticks. Rub in well. I like the drumsticks to have a little tan, so I rub dark soya on the surface/skin.

2. Pre heat oven at high 200 degree, place drumsticks and garlic on a heatproof tray. Rub olive oil on the bottom of the tray to avoid drumsticks sticking on the surface.

3. Roast for 5minutes, bring out drumsticks to apply a generous amount of honey, sprinkle 1/4 portion of salt, pepper and herbs then continue baking for 10minutes. Flip side, apply honey and sprinkle the remaining salt, pepper and herbs then roast for another 10minutes at medium rack.

4. Place drumsticks nearer to the top heat and roast for 2minutes or till nicely brown.

Chocolate Chips and Muesli Cookie

1 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup castor sugar

2 1/4 cup flour (add in baking powder, sieve well)

1 tsp baking powder

3 eggs

2 cups choco chips

100 g (muesli cereal, pounded)

1 tsp vanilla essence 

Methods 

1. Mix butter, sugar till well beaten.

2. Add in eggs & vanilla essence, beat well

3. Add in flour + baking powder, mix well

4. Pre heat oven 180 degree

5. Use small ice cream scoop to scoop batter. Bake for 20mins till brown.

Cantonese Style Braised Rice

 Colour

Ingredients 

2 cups cooked rice

Seafood, mixture of prawns and squids 

Pork slice (marinate with soya,cooking oil and some corn flour)

Garlic minced

Kai Lan, sliced stem (easier for kids)

2 eggs beaten

3 cups chicken broth (any broth)

4 tbsp corn flour, mix with water to make starch.

Methods 

1. Heat up wok/pot. I use cast iron pot for better heat transformation.

2. In medium flame, drizzles some cooking oil, add in minced garlic & pork. Stir fried for 1minute, add in vegetables, keep stirring for another 2minutes. Add broth, and turn flame to high and wait until it's boiling. 

3. When it's boiling, stir in beaten eggs, meanwhile keep swirling the eggmixture to form egg drop, add in starch water. Mix well.

4. Lastly, add cooked rice. Add salt to taste, but if u r using a seasoned chicken broth, you don't need to add salt. 

Braised Nam Yue Pork with Peanuts and Mushrooms

Braised Nam Yue Pork with Peanuts and Mushrooms

Ingredients 
500g Pork Belly (五花肉）
3 slices of young ginger （mince)
4 cloves of whole garlic
100g peanuts, soak for 1hr
5 pcs mushrooms, soak till soft
2 stalk spring onions, separate white and green
2 small star anise

2 honey rock sugar (golf ball size)

1/4 cup cuttlefish floss (soak for 15, cut thin)

3tbsp light soy sauce
1tbsp rice wine
2 pc of Nam Yue (red fermented beancurd)
2tbsp of Nam Yue water
4 cups water
1tbsp dark caramel soy sauce, for coloring

Method

*Cut pork into size of a mahjong. Marinate with 1/2 Nam Yue (mash) for 30minutes.

1. Heat oil in a cast iron pot or heavy bottom pot, sauté ginger, garlic, white part spring onion, star anise, and cloves till aroma.

Meanwhile, use a non stick pan and fry the pork for a short period of time, 6 seconds or till skin brown. I did this because I want the juice of the meat to lock as I braised and the skin will hv a little brown effects. Set aside the pork.
2. Add in Nam Yue and Nam Yue water, mix well.
3. Add in pork, peanuts and mushroom, cook for a while.
4. Add in water, season with rock sugar, light soy sauce and rice wine and lastly add in cuttlefish floss. Stir well.
5. Braise over low heat for 2.5 hrs or until pork tendered, stir from time to time.
6. Last add in dark caramel soy sauce and mix well.
7. Dish out, garnish with green spring onion and serve hot with steamed rice.

Enjoy!

Mushroom Cumin Briyani Rice

INGREDIENTS
1 cup Basmati Rice/long-grain rice 
2 tbsp vegetable oil 
1 cup mushrooms, sliced 
1 onion, finely chopped 
1 clove of garlic, crushed 
1tomato, chopped 
1/2 tsp medium curry powder 
1 tsp cumin powder 
1 cup frozen peas 

METHOD

1.Cook the rice in a pan of lightly salted boiling water for 10-12 minutes, until tender. 

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok and gently fry the mushrooms, onion, garlic and tomato for three to four minutes, until softened. Add the curry powder and cumin powder and stir for another minute, then add the peas and cook for one or two minutes, stirring often. Drain the rice and add it to the frying pan. Season and stir. 

Pumpkin Puree Sweet Dessert with Corn

Pumpkin Dessert with Corn and Sago

Chinese New Year is about auspicious and good wishes and conjunction with it I make Pumpkin Dessert for yesterday gathering. Pumpkin call 金瓜 means Golden Fruit, isn't auspicious. I hope all my guest will find their golden fruit after they had my dessert.

This is also my hubby's favourite, he requested me to make it for our get together. So here you go Mr Tham...

Ingredients:

1 medium size pumpkin, removed skin.

2 cups water 

1 packet instant santan (150ml)

1 cup sago (pre-cook)

1 cup corn (I use frozen corn)

1/4 cup sugar (adjust own sweetness)      

Methods:
1. Steam pumpkin till soft. Blend with water (I use the corn water that used to boil the frozen corn) till purée.

2. Put sago is boiling water, when sago turns transparent, off flame and drain sago, set aside.

3. Boil frozen corn, I keep the water and to add in together with the steamed pumpkin then blend.

4. Transfer the purée to a pot. Add sago and corn, then santan and sugar to taste. A little pinch of salt to taste.

5. Voila!

One Pot - Stew Roast Pork with Potato Carrot and Truffle Oil

As I mentioned earlier, 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.

Today I was rushing out for a meeting but don't want my kids to miss home cook dinner so I have decided to make this One Pot Meal ahead of time. And lucky me, found some left over roast pork in the freezer. Guess what? One Pot - Stew Roast Pork with Potato Carrot and Truffle Oil..

My kids and hubs are happy with this dish and so do I...

Ingredients

200 g Roast Pork (cut 1 inch width)
Russet Potatoes x 2 (cut slice)
Carrot x 2 (cut slice)
Water x 3 cups
Sugar x 1 tsp
Chardonnay or any white wine x 1/4 cup
Olive Oil x 1 tsp
Truffle Oil x 2 tsp
Bay Leave x 2 piece

Methods

1. Use a non stick pan, heat it with some olive oil. Brown the 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.

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.

5. Lastly, drizzle some truffle oil..

Stew Roasted Pork with Potatoes and Carrots

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!