Strawberry Pudding

It's been so hot since the past few months. Hubby and I decided to go for a short getaway to Cameron Highlands again. The weather there is not cool throughout the day, but it is nice during the night.

I bought 3 packets of strawberry there. Cameron's strawberry is always sour. Instead of consuming the fresh strawberry, I made it into desserts. This strawberry pudding suits the freaking hot weather pretty much. Don't you think so?

I don't have exact measurement for the pudding. Jelly powder, sugar, water, fresh milk and blended strawberry flesh are mixed and match into this refreshing pudding.

Enjoy!

Mugwort Omelette

This has been our family dish since I was a kid. We call it "Hia" in Hokkien. I've always wanted to learn more about this herb, but was unable to find additional info without knowing its English name. My googling research recently was fruitful indeed. The herb is revealed as Mugwort. Surprisingly, it's not only well known in Chinese society, but it's popular in Western countries as well.

Physically, the Mugwort leaves has a unique shape. The top of the leaf is dark green, and the bottom is more towards whitish-green. The surface is hairy, so it's rather rough to touch. It has a pleasant herbal scent. When the leaves are chopped or crushed, it emits a pungent and distinctive aroma. It has a very pleasant bitter taste. :)

Mugwort is rich in chlorophyll and enzyme. It is a natural source of minerals like Calcium and Magnesium. Chinese use it in post maternal treatment as it can dispel "wind" from the womb. Medical wise, Mugwort is also a proven herb to speed up healing for cancer and hepatitis C, and helps in hair growth. Besides, it is also used to treat stomach troubles, high blood pressure, and many more.

Mugwort Omelet

Serves 2

Ingredients:

a handful of mugwort leaves, chopped
3 organic eggs, beaten
100ml water
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp of light soy sauce

Steps:

1. Mix the chopped mugwort leaves with beaten egg. Season it with a tbsp of light soy sauce.

2. Heat up oil in a wok, fry the omelet till cooked. Over-turn to fry the other side.

3. When the omelet is cooked, divide it into portions. Add water and bring to a boil. Dish up and serve hot.

Eggplant with Minced Meat (Spicy Version)

After I posted my last recipe on Eggplant with Minced Pork, I felt a little bit down. I was wondering why the skin of the eggplant turned brownish. It doesn't look appealing at all although it is. Apparently soaking the sliced eggplant in salt water doesn't help in retaining its purple skin color. The salted water just help to remove bitterness of its seed.

After googling for tips, i read that some recommend to deep fry the eggplant and some recommend to soak the sliced eggplant in cold water. So, to be at the safe side, I applied all the method at once! I prepared a tab of cold salt water. Then I sliced the eggplant and directly get it soaked in the water. After 15 minutes, I pat it dry and fry it until the flesh turn soft, but not soggy. These additional steps upon cooking proofs to be effective in retaining the nice purple color of brinjal. If you have any other tips, please share it with me.

Eggplant with Minced Meat (Spicy Version)
Serves 2
Ingredients:

1 long slender purple eggplant
100gm of minced pork (marinate with 1tsp of light soy sauce and dash of pepper)
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 stalk of spring onion, cut into 2" length
4 Thai bird's eye chilies, diced
Cooking oil

Seasoning:

1tbsp oyster sauce
1tsp of dark soy sauce
1tsp of light soy sauce
1tsp of sesame oil
200ml water

Garnishing:

Chopped spring onion

Steps:

1. Slice the eggplant lengthwise and soak in cold salt water for about 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry with kitchen towel. Set aside.

2. Heat up 3 tbsp of oil in a wok. Fry the eggplant until its flesh turn soft. Set aside.

3. With the balance oil, saute garlic till fragrant. Add the minced meat to stir fry for a while. Pour in the seasoning and bring to a boil. Stir in the eggplant. Leave it simmering for a while.

4. Add the chili and spring onion to mix well. Dish up, garnish with chopped spring onion and serve with hot rice.

Eggplant with Minced Meat

Everytime when we spot the eggplant in hypermarket, hubby will tell me the same thing over and over again... that is he misses his late grandma's home cooked eggplant in dark soy sauce. I couldn't help much as I didn't get a chance to try the dish. Furthermore, his taste buds are not as sensitive as mine. He can't even tell what's the seasoning used in the eggplant.

Instead of disappointing him, I'm trying to indulge his palate with my version of dark soy sauce eggplant. I make the seasoning sauce based on my estimation. So, here it is - my version of delightful eggplant with minced meat.

Eggplant with Minced Meat

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 eggplant, sliced
100gm of minced pork (marinate with 1tsp of light soy sauce and dash of pepper)
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
Cooking oil

Seasoning:

1tbsp oyster sauce
1tsp of dark soy sauce
1tsp of light soy sauce
1tsp of sesame oil
1tbsp of glutinous rice wine
200ml water

Steps:

1. Heat up the wok with some oil. Stir fry the minced pork till aromatic (no need to get it cook thoroughly). Set aside.

2. Heat about 2 tbsp of oil in the same wok. Saute garlic till fragrant. Stir in the eggplant. Saute till the flesh lightly browned.

3. Add the seasoning, except the cooking wine. Leave it simmering for few minutes. Add the minced pork and stir fry till the sauce is thickening. Add rice wine and stir. Off the flame and serve hot with rice.

Roast Chicken With Rosemary

After several attempts in roasting chicken, I started to believe in the secret ingredients - the garlic, the lemon and the herbs. This time, fresh Rosemary is used rather than dried herbs. The result is fantastic! 

I played some art to decorate the food. See the colorful cherry tomatoes, snow peas and capsicum? They are good to accompany the entrée.

Roast Chicken With Rosemary

Serves 2

Ingredients:

2 chicken thigh, excess fat discarded
2 sprig of Rosemary
1 tbsp of olive oil
Vegetables of your choice  (raw or blanched)

Chicken Rub:

3/4 tsp of sea salt
5 cloves of garlic, grated
1 tbsp of honey
dash of black pepper powder
zest of one lemon
juice of half lemon

Steps:

1. Mix all the ingredients and seasoning for the chicken rub. Rub it over the chicken thighs, and marinate it for overnight.

2. Arrange the chicken thigh on roast pan. Sprinkle 1 tbsp of olive oil over it and roast it with Rosemary at 200 degree Celsius for 50 minutes or until the chicken is brown. Discard the Rosemary and serve the chicken with vegetables of your choice.

Egg Drop Soup (With Tomato)

If you think soup boiling in crock pot or double-boiler for long hour is troublesome, this soup may save you all the troubles! What you need do is to boil some chicken stock on weekend and store it up for use on weekdays. Sounds easy and practical, right?

When I made this, basically vegetables were out of stock, except for 2 tomatoes and some spring onion left in the fridge. So, I decided to pair it up with 2 free range eggs to make this soup. Ended up, it's edible. :) You can always try it with baby spinach or mint leaves. It will taste much better. 

Egg Drop Soup

Serves 2

Ingredients:

500ml of chicken stock
2 free range eggs, beaten
2 tomatoes, diced
1 stalk of spring onion, chopped

Seasoning:

Salt to taste
dash of white pepper
few drops of sesame oil

Garnishing:

1 stalk of spring onion, chopped
1 tbsp of fried garlic

Steps:

1. Bring the chicken stock to boil in a pot. Add the diced tomato and leave it simmering for a while.

2. Pour in the beaten egg around the pot in a clock-wise manner. Do not stir the soup until the egg is cooked.

3. Add seasoning and garnish with spring onion. Serve hot.

French Bean Fried Rice

Fried rice is our familiar meal at home. It's a very versatile and simple one-pot meal to prepare even on a busy working day. I learned not to use overnight rice, but to cook the rice up front and leave it cool before frying.

It's a routine for me to use my mom's fried rice recipe. Our fried rice are always the brown version with dark soy sauce and chili paste. However, for this time, I'm giving myself an opportunity to cook a different variety of fried rice. I cook it in a brand new light flavor, with more greens. So finally, my fried rice has a new look. It's more photogenic, I would say. Taste wise, the aromatic scent remains irresistible!

French Bean Fried Rice

Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 cup of rice, cooked and cooled
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
10 French beans, chopped
12 small prawns, shelled, deveined and cut into small pieces
1 tbsp of dried prawns, chopped
2 eggs
cooking oil

Seasoning:

3 tbsp of light soy sauce
1 tsp of fish sauce

Steps:

1. Heat up the wok with some oil, scramble the eggs and set aside the wok.

2. With the balance oil, saute garlic till fragrant. Add dried prawn and fresh prawn to stir-fry till fragrant. Add the French bean and stir-fry till half cook. Add a tbsp of light soy sauce to mix with the ingredients.

3. Add rice and stir-fry with all the ingredients including the scrambled egg. Add the rest of the seasoning. Continue to fry for few minutes until the rice is evenly coated with seasoning. Serve hot.

Mushroom Soup

If you are looking for a light meal at home, mushroom soup with wholemeal loaf is a good choice. I cooked this the other day, it's quite fast to get it prepared. I learned to make this at home as it's more healthy than canned cream of mushroom soup.

Hubby prefer this type of authentic mushroom soup than cream of mushroom soup. Last time, he used to love the chunky mushroom soup at "Little Italy" restaurant. But since it's closed down, he misses the soup so much. So, my dear, this is specially for you. I'm glad that you like it too. :)

Mushroom Soup

Serves 2

Ingredients:

200gm of fresh shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced (you can use Portobello instead)
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp fresh breadcrumbs
3 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced
1 onion, peeled and diced
350 ml water
100ml fresh milk
1 tbsp of corn flour with 3 tbsp of water
salt and ground black pepper

Garnishing:

Some chopped spring onion (optional)

Steps:

1. Sauté the mushroom, garlic and onion with butter in a heavy saucepan for a few minutes. Cook until the mushroom turn soft.

2. Add the breadcrumbs and pour in the water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15 minutes with lid covered.

3. Pour the soup in a blender and blend for merely 2 seconds. Return to the saucepan, stir in the milk and reheat gently. Stir in the corn flour mixture for thickening. Garnish with spring onion. Serve hot.

Mother's Day Special

On this special Mother's Day, I invited my parents to come over to my house. I don't feel like joining the crowds in the restaurant for a Mother's Day celebration. So today, I'm sharing some of my simple home-cooked dishes with my parents. I told my mom to enjoy this humble homey meal for today, and I'll arrange for another dine out soon.

Although there is room for improvement in my culinary skill, mom and dad seem like enjoy the dinner quite well. That's the love of parents. :-)

Below are some snap shots of our dinner.

My first attempt of making roast pork - the skin is crunchy, but the meat is too lean.

Lotus root and peanut soup - I boiled it in the slow cooker for 4 hours. It's very flavorful. 

Stir-fried broccoli and fresh shiitake mushroom with lots of garlic. 

Shrimp ball tofu that I've made last week. Making it again today.  :)

Happy Mother's Day!!

The Winner Of Rachael Ray Casserole Giveaway

The winner is Joanne from Eats Well With Others. Congratulations! With this Rachael Ray Casserole, I'm looking forward to your Mac and Cheese dish. Please send me your address trhough email as soon as possible!

Shrimp Ball Tofu

Consuming prawns moderately once a week is beneficial to health. It is a good source of nutrients to prevent cancer, heart decease, Alzheimer's and joint pain. If you have high blood pressure, you should take moderate amount of prawns as the studies show it's good to control high blood pressure.

Shrimp ball tofu is a highly recommended dish. The steps for cooking is absolutely simple, just steaming. In this way, the nutrients in food are retained. Fresh sea prawn has its natural sweetness, so I just pair it with egg tofu which is light in taste.Both of them matched up with a perfect taste.

The important steps here is the shrimp paste preparation. With the correct method, you'll get an amazing outcome- the succulent and springy shrimp balls.

Shrimp Ball Tofu

Ingredients:

160gm of small shrimps, peeled and deveined
2 tubes of egg tofu
1 broccoli, cut into florets
1 tbsp of goji berries
1 tbsp of garlic oil
half tsp of salt
water

Marinate the Shrimp Paste with:

1 tsp of sesame oil
1 tsp of glutinous rice wine
1 tsp of grated ginger
2 tbsp of egg white
1 tbsp of oyster sauce
1 tbsp of corn flour

Steps:

1. Place the prawns in a plastic bag. Lay it flat on the chop board. Smash it with the back of a knife. Bring up the plastic bag with shrimp paste content and hit it onto chop board. Continue to do this step for several times. I hit it for about 10 times.

2. Pour the shrimp paste in a bowl. Marinate it with seasonings as listed above for 15 minutes.

3. Mean while, cut the cylindrical tofu into 1.5cm thickness and arrange the tofu on a heat resistant plate.

4. Wet your hands and a table spoon with water. Scoop about 3/4 spoonful of marinated shrimp paste and make it into shrimp ball. Place it on top of tofu. Continue to do this until you finish up all the shrimp paste.

5. Sprinkle some goji berries on top of the shrimp ball tofu and steam it over high heat for 5 minutes.

6. On the other hand, bring a pot of water to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and a tbsp of garlic oil. Blanch the broccoli. Drain and set aside.

Banana Muffin

I'm not satisfied with my earlier muffin recipes, so here I am, trying my luck to bake another small batch of banana muffins. With my previous experience and some tips I learned from Food for Tots, I happy to say that this is the most successful muffin that I've baked so far. The banana muffin is soft and moist even it's kept till the next day.

Just that I have one more question. Why my muffin doesn't raise like a "volcano"? Did I over-mix it? :P

Banana Muffin

Yield for 12 mini muffins

Ingredients:

100gm of multi-purpose flour

1 tsp of baking soda

100gm of banana, mashed

40gm of Sunflower oil

50gm of fine sugar

2 Omega 3 eggs

60gm evaporated milk

1 tsp vanila essence

Steps:

1. Preheat oven to 170 degrees C. Paper line the muffin tin.

2. In a small bowl, beat egg and sugar. Combine mashed banana, sunflower oil, milk and vanilla essence. Beat lightly. In a large bowl, mix flour and baking powder. Sieve the flour to the wet ingredients and mix together.

3. Fill up the muffin cups. Bake at 170 degrees C for 25 minutes.

4. Take out the muffin and leave it cool before serving.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Today is Labour Day. Getting a chance to rest at home makes me think of cooking a light and simple meal. Instead of cooking rice or noodle, I go for soup today. Yes, just soup for today's lunch. Roasted pumpkin soup can be a very fufilling meal on its own. By the way, it's a good choice for detox meal too. Sounds great, right?

Roasted Pumpkin Soup
Serves 2

Ingredients:

820gm pumpkin, diced into half-moon pieces
1 onion, peeled and dice
8 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
450ml water
200ml fresh milk
1 sprig of fresh Rosemary
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

1. Preheat the oven at 150 deg C. Diced the pumpkin into half-moon shape pieces. Remove the seeds. Sprinkle a tablespoon of olive oil over the pumpkin. Roast it for 15 minutes with a sprig of fresh Rosemary.

2. When time's up, leave the pumpkin to cool. Remove the skin and cut it into cubes.

3. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a sauce pan. Saute onion and garlic for 2 minutes. Add the pumpkin and saute for another 3 minutes. Pour in 350ml of water and bring to a boil. Close the lid and leave it simmering for 8 minutes. By this time the pumpkin should be turn soft. Off the fire, and leave the soup to cool down a bit.

4. Pour the soup into blender and blend till smooth. Reheat the soup with 100ml of water and 200ml of milk. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot.