Dinner with Rice (:

Here are some of the home dishes that mum whips up to go with plain white rice. (:

Pork Ribs Marinated in Red Yeast



Steamed Pomfret (Teochew Style)



Crispy Tempura Prawns


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Mum's Experiments: Faux Tiramisu!

Mum saw this quick tip on making "Faux" Tiramisu on TV, and we tried it out!

It's really simple and easy to make! All you need is some full cream, mascarpone cheese, sugar and some chocolate swiss roll from your nearest cake shop. Just beat the full cream, mascarpone cheese and fine sugar until it becomes smooth and velvety, then layer it on top of slices of chocolate swiss roll. Alternate and finish with the cream layer. Chill and before serving, sprinkle some cocoa powder on top! Alcohol is optional.



Try to use a smaller container, or there won't be enough for multiple layers, like what happened in the picture above! You can see why it's called "Faux" Tiramisu. There's no coffee, egg or liqueur in it, but it's just so easy to make!

And I has fun making the cream! :D

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Lunch at Wahiro

Year 2009 has started, so it also means that school will be starting very, very soon. As a start-of-school-year treat, my parents brought me to Wahiro at Goldhill Plaza (Katong is pretty far, and Dad might find it a little squeezy) for their kushiyaki. (grilled skewered items)

They have pretty good set lunches, so Mum got this Wahiro Set that comes with a little of everything.



I had the Tempura Set(shown above), while Dad had the Yanagawa-nabe set. Of course I also ordered ala-carte kushiyaki!



From left: Chicken Skin (Kawa), Beef Tongue (Gyu Tan), Chicken (Tori)
I really enjoyed the beef tongue, because it's been a really long time since I last had such a thick meaty cut of it. Some parts were too well done, but the rest with pink centres were really delicious! Kawa was chewy and crisp at the edges.

Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009! (and school!)

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New Year: Mum's Stir-fried Glass Vermicelli

Every Chinese New Year, Mum will cook this staple dish without fail. These "glass vermicelli", or also known as mung-bean vermicelli or "Tang Hoon" is extremely delicious because it is cooked in a concentrated stock. Stir-fried with Jew's Ear and various veggies, I can wolf several servings of this down at dinner time! :p

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Mum's Indian Curry Chicken

My first daring attempt to tackle Mum's Indian Curry Chicken! (I can't tolerate spice very well) And may I say... I LOVED IT!

Mum used only the wing and thigh parts, and the tomatoes added a sweet-sour twist to the palate. It turned out, the only gripe everyone had (but me) was... it wasn't spicy enough! :P

Mum's Indian Curry Chicken Recipe

To be prepared before cooking
Ingredients
Dry Chilli (Mum suggests the ones from China)
A little Cooking Oil
Coriander Seeds

Method
1. Clean the chilli with a slightly damp cloth; do not wet.
2. Cut into half. Seeds need not be removed.
3. Fry the chilli in a little oil, DO NOT BURN!

4. Wash coriander seeds, then let dry.
5. Fry the seeds without oil. (roasting)
6. Grind Chilli and Coriander Seeds separately. Set aside to be used later.

Seasoning for Chicken
Ingredients
3 Tbsp Ground Chilli Powder (made as above)
1 and 1/2 Tbsp Ground Coriander Powder (made as above)
1 slice of ginger, diced
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
Salt to taste
1 chicken, chopped into bite-size pieces
10 shallots

Method
1. Cut 10 shallots longitudinal-wise; slightly thick. (Knife perpendicular to two ends)
2. Mix the Chicken pieces with the Ground Chilli Powder, Ground Coriander Powder, Diced Ginger, Mustard Seeds, Turmeric Powder, 10 Shallots and Salt.
3. Leave in the fridge overnight.

Cooking
Ingredients
Marinated Chicken Pieces (as prepared above)
5 shallots
Cooking Oil
1 to 2 Tomatoes
2 stalks of whole Green Chilli
5 stalks of Curry Leaves

Method
1. Cut 5 shallots transverse-section into thin slices. (Knife parallel to two ends)
2. Heat the oil in a wok, then add the 5 shallots and fry until fragrant and slightly brown.
3. Add marinated chicken pieces and fry on medium fire.
4. When chicken is about 1/2 cooked, add Tomatoes, Green Chillies, Curry Leaves and 1/2 cup water.
5. If the chicken appears too dry, add 1/2 cup water each time. (Do not add too much)
7. When chicken is cooked, remove from heat and serve.

*Please adjust the ingredients according to taste and level of spiciness! ;)

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Home-Cooked: Unagi Don

While at Isetan @ Scotts, we also picked up one serving of Unagi! This is already grilled and packed, ready to eat. Just pop it in the toaster or microwave oven to heat it up. When choosing Unagi, look out for the fatter, meatier ones.

This sure is comfort food! It comes with a packet of "herbal pepper spice" and Unagi sauce. Just add a drop of that sauce and mix it with the rice. I also drizzled some roasted Nori on top. This went really well with some hot "home-made" Miso Soup using just a dash of Less Salt Miso Paste! After eating the Unagi Don, down it with a cup of hot Miso Soup and your stomach feels so warm and fuzzy! (:



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Mum's Birthday: Shabu-shabu and Cheescake!

Wednesday was Mum's Birthday, so we celebrated by having a delicious Shabu-shabu (シャブシャブ) dinner at home. Just dip the thinly sliced beef in the hotpot for a few seconds' and it's ready to eat! The soup base is made from Konbu 昆布 , White Radish and Assorted Mushrooms. Besides beef and pork slices, we also had some Beancurd, Glass Noodles, Veggies, Kelp, Assorted Balls including Hakka Beef Balls.

And for desert, we had Japanese Cheesecake from Uncle Miki @ Liang Court! Yummy! (:



Happy Birthday, Mummy! :D

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DIY: Kurobuta Teppanyaki

Whilst eating around Orchard yesterday, we decided to look around Isetan especially since they had a Nigiwai Japanese fair going on currently. The Shittake Mushrooms blew me and Mum away-- Juicy, Aromatic and full of Umami. And that wasn't the only reason it blew us away; the price tag did as well. :P I also discovered a little gem: カゴメ野菜生活100 Kagome 100% Fruit and Vegetable Juice I tried the Pink Version, and it was really surprisingly delicious! Without salt, sugar or sweeteners, it still tasted sweet and delightful! Tasted a little like berry yoghurt juice; this drink gets a two thumbs up from a Anti-Veggie teen like me! :P

Anyway, you came here to look at Kurobuta Teppanyaki, so here it is:

I was surprised when I saw this on sale at Isetan-- It looked uncannily like... BEEF! Kurobuta refers to meat from the Berkshire Pig, and you can get them from US, Taiwan and Japan. This one came from US. I marinated it in a little Tare, and sizzled it on a hotplate.



This was so good! It had a good bite to it, yet not tough, and went very well with fluffy white rice! Very flavourful, and though rather oily, this kind of fat is the epitome of guilty pleasure! :P

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Mum's Recipe: Oxtail Stew

I loved Stewed Oxtail and Ox Tongue when I had them at a Bistro in Kuching, Sarawak. Oxtail is a more common dish now in Singapore, and you can get chilled or frozen ones at the supermarket.

Stewed for many hours with onions, carrots and tomato paste. I personally like a little tomato paste in my Oxtail Stew, it gives it an additional sweet and sour taste to the savoury gravy.



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Jamie: Tomato Seafood Bisque

Just when I said I was going to make seafood bisque, my cousin beat me to it!

This is Jamie's Tomato Seafood Bisque! It tastes as delicious as it looks! (:

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re-Tweak: Cream of Mushroom Soup!!

Shiitake and Friends Creamy Mushroom Soup's back for take-two! This time, I used chicken fat ("butter") leftover from Mum's Chicken Soup and olive oil to fry the shallots and garlic instead of ordinary butter. Added some slices of mushrooms for the extra chew, and sneaked a few strips of bacon in the soup for that alluring aroma. I also made it a little more chunky and less creamy for that extra hearty feel. (:

So what was Mum and Dad's verdict this time? Two Thumbs Up! =D

The next soup I want to try out would be Seafood Bisque, a hearty tomato-based seafood soup! I might even try that out with some puff pastry on top! So keep your eyes peeled for the next delicious post! ;P

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Mum's Recipe: Curry Pork and Potatoes

Delicious potato curry with a twist!! Instead of the usual chicken, Mum used pork meat and it turned out amazing!

She did not use long pork ribs because they are rather lean and tend to be a little tougher (siap). Instead, she asked the butcher who recommended the slab of meat above the ribs. What also made this a success was that Mum used fresh coconut juice which she extracted herself! Lots of hard work indeed! :D


Ingredients
500g Pork Meat (choose portion at tip of ribs along spine)
Boiled Potatoes
Dry Chillies
5 Buah Keluaks
1/2 Bowl Shallots
1 medium size Onion
3 stalks Lemongrass
2-3 pieces Lengkuas
2 Tbsp Curry Powder
Milk from 1/2 Coconut (separate first squeeze in small bowl and second squeeze in big bowl)
1 Cube Chicken Stock
Salt to Taste
1 stalk Pandan leaf (Optional)

Method
1. Grind Dry Chillies, Buah Keluak, Lengkua, Lemongrass, Shallots and Onion.

2. Fry until fragrant and add curry powder.

3. Add Pork Meat and stir-fry for a short while.

4. Add Coconut Milk. (big bowl: 2nd squeeze)

5. Add potatoes, chicken stock and bring to boil for about less than 30 minutes. Be careful not to overcook pork meat as they might turn dry (siap).

6. Finally, add the first squeeze coconut milk to your own liking. We added just a little bit.


The curry is not too spicy or oily, yet fragrant and bursting with curry-goodness! You can eat this with rice, crispy toast.. or on its own! Even a non-curry lover like me fell in love with this dish immediately!

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Mum's Claypot Rice (Sar Po Fun)

A family favourite Cantonese dish, Mum really knows how to dish up one mean claypot rice! We added Salted Fish, Chinese Wax Sausages, Chicken Meat and a drizzle of Dark Soy Sauce.


This is just before adding soy sauce!


Add a drizzle of Dark Soy Sauce, and Mix! Mix! Mix!

The rice was so fragrant and the chicken tender and juicy! Mmmm... Even a noodle-eater like me simply can't resist Mum's delicious Claypot Rice! :P

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Favourite: Hwa Heng Beef Noodle

One of my most favourite (and rather sinful) hawker foods is the Hainan Beef Noodle. I've loved it since young, and I usually always order the Dry Version for the savoury, viscous gravy plus the bonus soup.

Hwa Heng Beef Noodle @ AMK Hub Food Cout

I used to eat at Hong Heng Beef Noodle at Ang Mo Kio (especially since it's near my place) all the time, and it was a long favourite. The owner recognises me and calls me "Xiao Jie" (Chinese for Little Miss), as I was known to have the dry version without any vegetable. (Spring Onions, Beansprouts etc.)

Unfortunately, it doesn't seem to taste as good as before when I was in Primary School, and the owner says that they watered down the recipe and raised prices a little to cope with the heavily increased rent.

Hwa Heng has been a long-timer since many years ago, when my Dad actually knew the current boss's father. My Dad told me that he remembered his father at the old stall, always slicing beef non-stop. But it was very popular and many people queued up to eat his beef noodle. After many years of selling traditional beef noodle, they have branched out to food courts, two I know of in AMK Hub and Junction 8. The current boss tends to the stall at AMK Hub, and that's where I usually get my beef noodle fix.

I admit the photos may not look much, firstly because of the dark, dull colour against the dark bowl. But it certainly tastes much more delicious than it looks.



Hwa Heng Beef Noodle has become my favourite beef noodle stall ever since. The soup is full of bone marrow, a result of all that boiling of beef bones! It is robust and has a rich, full-bodied taste. You can certainly see that they didn't dilute this soup very much! It's also quite reasonable for a Food Court meal at $3.50 per bowl. I usually request for less sauce and more noodles. (additional $0.50)

AMK Hub Food Court
NTUC Foodfare
(Level 3) #03-12


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Mum's Kong Bak Bao Recipe up now!

Due to popular demand (*hem hem*), Mum's Kong Bak Bao Recipe is up on the original post! Click here to see!

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Recipe: Tom Yam Talay

Thai Clear Hot and Sour Seafood Soup

A favourite Thai recipe from Food and Travel magazine which my Mum edited slightly. Change the ingredients to suit your preference. This is the clear version, and does not require any paste. I love the spicy and sour kick!

Ingredients:
1 stalk Lemongrass
1 thumb-length Galangal
2 Kaffir Lime Leaves
3-5 pcs Chilli Padi (to preference)
Juice of 1 large Green Lime
2 tbsp Fish Sauce
About 600-700ml Water
Straw Mushrooms
Prawns, Fish Slices, Squid

Method:
1. Put chilli padi in a small permeable bag and put into a pot.
2. Place soup ingredients in and boil until fragrant and seafood is cooked. Remove the bag of chilli padi when spicy enough.

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Recipe: Shiitake and Friends Creamy Mushroom Soup

I love Cream of Mushroom Soup, especially those greyish kinds with bits of mushroom pieces in. The yellow-white/pale ones remind me of Campbell, lots of cream but very little mushrooms. This is my very own recipe for a low salt Cream of Mushroom Soup. I use lots of Shiitake mushrooms because they are very fragrant, and together with other mixed mushrooms, I call it "Shiitake and Friends"! I'm very proud of this because it was successful on the first attempt! (:



Ingredients:
1 packet (200g) Shiitake Mushrooms
1 packet (250g) Mixed Mushrooms
1 clove Garlic, crushed
2 small Shallots, minced
1/2 or 1 Bayleaf
3 tbsp Full cream
1/2 cube Vegetable Stock
70g Butter
700ml to 800ml Water
Salt, Freshly Ground Black Pepper
A dash of Parsley (Optional)



1. Heat a pot on medium fire. Meanwhile, crush garlic, mince shallots and dice all the mushrooms into small pieces.

2. Melt the butter in the pot.

3. When all the butter has melted, add in the shallots and garlic.

4. Fry for about 3 minutes.


5. Now, add in the mushrooms. Keep stirring so that the mushrooms on top also get fried by the butter at the bottom. Make sure the mushrooms are well mixed, and fry for about 6 to 7 minutes. The mushrooms should be glazed and not dry and spongy.

6. Add the hot water and vegetable stock. Stir and boil for 5 minutes or until the stock cube has melted completely.

7. Add full cream and stir well until the soup becomes thick.


8. Lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, stir regularly. If you see a layer of oil forming on top of the soup, scoop it out and discard.

9. Blend the soup in a blender. If you like a chunky soup with bits of mushroom, separate the soup into two parts. Blend the first part until it becomes thick but not chunky. Then blend the second part to desired fineness. Do not blend too much if you like to chew on bits of mushroom in your soup.

10. Serve warm with a dash of parsley and/or freshly ground black pepper. Also goes well with toast, garlic bread or pasta. Bon Appetit! (:

Note: This is the low-salt version of the soup. You should add salt to taste just before serving or let guests help themselves with the salt-shaker.

You can make variations of the soup with different mushrooms. Porcini, Portobello, Button and Swiss Brown are all great mushrooms for this recipe. For a smoother, less chunky soup, you can either blend it more finely, add more cream or add less mushrooms.

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Recipe: Mum's Kong Bak Bao

Mum braised some pork belly and we steamed some buns to create our own homemade 'Kong Bak' Bao. It was delicious, despite conscientiously reducing the salt and soy sauce!

Ingredients
Pork Belly

Dark Soy Sauce (just a little for colouring)
Sugar
Chinese Cooking Wine
A few cloves of Garlic
Light Soy Sauce
1 piece Star Anise ('Ba Jiao')

Water (just a little)
Salt to Taste (after simmer)

Method:
1. Blanch Pork Belly in hot water for a few seconds to remove blood and impurities. Remove and soak in cold water. Slice to desired thickness.

2.Put the sliced Pork Belly in a pot and add all the other ingredients. Do not add water. Simmer on low fire for at least an hour. Then add just half a cup of water and simmer another 2 hours. Refill every two hours. Repeat until fragrant and cooked to preferred doneness. Finally, add salt to taste.

3. Serve with steamed buns, lettuce, coriander and/or spring onion. Mum likes to go with red chillies and salted vegetable(soak in water first).

*sorry for no definite measurements, Mum does it "agar-agar"!

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Recipe: Spaghetti Pomodoro

My homemade Spaghetti Al Pomodoro

Blend onion and garlic together. Fry in olive oil. You may add minced beef (optional). Add canned tomato puree, paste and sauce. Simmer and add
bayleaf (foglia di alloro), nutmeg powder (noce moscata) and beef stock (you can add more spices/herbs). Add salt to taste. Simmer for half an hour on slow fire.

The rich red colour is really appetising, isn't it? The result of the recipe can really vary with the mixture and kind of puree/paste/sauce used. We had to experiment with different brands and mixtures. The best recipe was the one pictured, but unfortunately we forgot to record the mixture! ):




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