Honey Baked Cod 烤蜜汁鳕鱼

I used to work of a Japanese company who often organised dinners for their customers after the sales presentation. They were trying to score points, in hoping to get the year's contact. We do this at least 3 times a year for 3 major customers and other smaller scale dinners with many other customers.

During those time, we work like there was no tomorrow and during the night before the presentation, we never when home to sleep. We only go home to bath and change and off we go. Yeah, I was a workaholic before I have kids. Once my boss asked me when we were working overtime, as usual, "What is your hobby?" Guess what? My hobby was the same as my boss' - WORK! *LOL* Luckily, it has now changed to WOK! *laughs*

Anyway, during those major dinners, I had to tag along because I liaise with the respective parties. But poor me and my other colleagues who helped out, did not eat with them (in the private room with all the yummy food). We ordered a few dishes (okay 4 to be exact) and ate in the restaurants and we must eat super fast just in case we were called to work. There were 2 dishes I had that I fell in love with. One of them was from Pine Court, a honey cod dish which I'm trying to replicate.

I dare not say it's the same (how can it be the same!) but ... well, it reminds me of the original and it's not too bad either. I added salad with sweet mustard dressing and the dressing goes well with the cod. So for those who doesn't like the taste of cod, it help covers it up.

Ingredients:

• 2 slice Cod (I prefer the tail. Ask the fishmonger to debone)

Marinade:

• 6 tablespoon Soy Sauce
• 5 tablespoon Honey
• 1 tablespoon Chinese Cooking Wine
• 1 tablespoon Water

Sweet Mustard Dressing to be mixed well:

• 2 tablespoon Honey Mustard (I use MasterFoods)
• 1 tablespoon Honey

How to do it:

1. Mix the marinade well.
2. Pour over the the cod and marinate for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat oven at 160C.
4. Lay your baking tray with foil or Glad baking paper (which is what I use).
5. Grill the cod for 20 minutes skin-side down before turning over.
6. Grill the other side for another 12 minutes or till fully cooked.
7. Serve immediately with salad and dressing.

Note:

• I would recommend you use Glad baking paper as it doesn't tear nor stick while baking. Foil may stick.
• As this dish contain honey, be careful not to burn the cod. Adjust the temperature of your oven and the timing accordingly.
• Adjust the sweetness of the dressing according to your taste.

• Click HERE for printer-friendly version of an original recipe.

Curry Chicken 咖哩鸡

The last time I cook Curry Chicken was .... 3 months ago! And I am so used to adding stuff by estimation when I wanted to put it down in writing, I realised I'm like my MIL ... a bit of this and a bit of that. I found myself asking, eh ... how much exactly is a bit? :P

I remembered to note down the quantity this time. So if you waiting for me to post this recipe, here goes ....

Ingredients:

• 1 Chicken, chopped into parts
• 400g Potatoes, skinned and cut into smaller pieces
• 30g Curry Powder for meat (cos there is curry powder for fish too)
• 750ml Chicken Broth or Water
• 500ml Coconut Milk
• 200ml Coconut Cream
• 2 tablespoon Oil
• Salt and Sugar to taste

Spices to be grind into paste:

• 10 Shallots, skinned
• 3 clove Garlic, skinned
• 10g Turmeric
• 20g Galangal
• 6 Red Chilli (more if you can handle it)
• 1/2 stalk Lemon Grass

How to do it:

1. Add 2 tablespoon of broth or water to the curry powder and mix well.
2. Set aside.
3. Heat wok with oil.
4. Add in the Spice paste and fry till fragrant.
5. Add the curry powder paste to the spice paste and mix well.
6. Add in the Chicken and stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Add in the potatoes and the rest of the broth or water and coconut milk.
8. Bring to a boil.
9. Reduce to a simmer and continue cooking for 30 - 60 mins or till both chicken and potatoes are tender ( I simmer for almost 2 hours).
10. Stir in the coconut cream.
11. Add sugar and salt to taste.
12. Bring to a boil.
13. Serve with toasted French loaf or rice.

{ Chicken Curry Hor Fun}

Blanch your hor fun, noodles or bee hoon then pour over the curry and Viola!

Vanilla Cupcake with Chocolate Chips 香草巧克力粒小蛋糕

My son asked me to bake him some cupcakes and I thought I wanted to try frosting again. So why not? I had this simple vanilla cupcake recipe I scribbled on my notebook. I did that and added some chocolate chips to it.

I won't show the frosting though. I find it was hideous. I think my old Art Club teacher will be so mad at me if she see it. *stick out tongue*

Ingredients:

• 110g Unsalted Butter, softened
• 130g White Sugar
• 3 Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence
• 210g Plain Flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 60 ml (Fresh) Milk
• Chocolate Chip, your desired amount

How to do it:

1. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Beat in the vanilla essence.
4. In a separate bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
5. Add to the butter mixture gradually till combined.
6. Add milk and beat till combined.
7. Fold in chocolate chips.
8. Fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake in preheated oven at 170C for about 20 minutes or until nicely browned or do the toothpick test.
9. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

• Click HERE for printer-friendly version of an original recipe.

Roast Chicken with Garlic and Lemon

I had never wanted to roast chicken after my hubby bought me an oven. Well, I had tried roasted chicken and turkey before and find it too dry and almost tasteless except of the skin. The other day, not knowing what came over me, I bought a copy of Women's Weekly. I used to buy this magazine when I was still working. I have since stop buying it for coming to 6 years. Anyway, I found this recipe in the magazine and since I have most of the ingredients, I thought I'll get it a try.

It's really good and like what the recipe says, the flesh is moist and succulent. Oooo ... and the garlic ... tasted so good with the chicken. Even my hubby who hates garlic said so too. Oh and the taste and smell of lemon ... hmmm ....

Try this for Christmas!

Ingredients:

• 1.8kg Chicken (I used a smaller chicken)
• 1 Lemon, quartered
• 30 gloves Garlic, skin intact
• 1 cup Chicken Stock
• 1 cup White Wine

Marinade:

• 5 tablespoon Olive Oil
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme, stems removed (I used 1 tablespoon Dried Thyme)
• 3 sprigs fresh Rosemary, stams removed (I used 1 1/2 tablespoon Dried Rosemary)
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
• Lemon Rind of half a lemon (optional)

How to do it:

1. Rub marinade all over pat-dried chicken, including the body cavity.
2. Place whole lemon into cavity and close cup cavity with a toothpick.
3. Place chicken, breast side up, in hear and oven-proof casserole.
4. Scatter garlic around the chicken and add chicken stock and white wine.
5. Place casserole on a stove and bring to a boil over medium-high fire.
6. Remove from stove, cover with lid and roast in the oven for 1 to 1 1/4 hours at180C
   
7. Check for doneness; juices would run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a metal skewer.
8. Remove the lid, baste the chicken with pan juices and continue to cook for another 10 to 15 minutes to brown the skin.
9. Remove chicken and garlic cloves from the casserole and place on a serving dish.
10. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 10 min to 15 mins.
11. Spoon away excess oil from juices in the casserole and adjust to taste with salt and ground black pepper.
12. Carve chicken and serve with garlic cloves and pan juices.

Note:

• To make the skin extra crispy, separate the skin from the meat using your finger or chopstick taking care not to tear or poke through the skin.
• Pour some marinade in between the skin and meat too.
• When roasting the chicken during the last 10 - 15 minutes, you can roast it on rack instead. Then you will be able the roast the whole chicken instead of only one side.

• Click HERE for printer-friendly version of an original recipe.

Egg Tarts

Egg tarts! Egg tarts! I didn't know there are so many people who like egg tarts. Don't be shock on what I'm going to say. I have never try one in my (going to be) 36 years of my life. Hmm ... maybe just the crust.

It's one of my husband's favourite so I had to try to do it since he did get me the oven after all. He is forever saying that how the crust and the egg custard must be like. I had no idea. I just followed the recipe that comes with the oven.

The day he arrived home from work when I made the egg tarts, I showed him one and asked him to try. He didn't look impressed with the outlook. He commented that the egg custard looked too pale (because there's no custard powder here) and then he sunk his teeth into it and chewed. I asked, "So?" No answer. More bites and chewing and still no answer. Now that the whole tart is gone and still no answer. Hmmm ...

After he cleared his mouth, he said, "It's very good! Not the best but good enough." Aww ... At least I managed to make something he really likes. He ended up having egg tarts for dinner instead. *frown*

Anyway, I have seen other egg tart recipes before I settled for this method as it's much easy to do. *stick out tongue*

Ingredients for Crust:

• 340g Top Flour
• 230g Butter
• 70g Caster Sugar
• 1/2 Beaten Egg

Ingredients for Egg Custard filling:

• 3 Eggs
• 80g Caster Sugar
• 70ml Milk (I use Fresh Milk)
• 230ml Water

How to do it:

1. Beat butter and sugar until creamy.
2. Add egg into mixture and mix until combined.
3. Add flour and mix into a dough.
4. Cover dough with cling wrap and keep in the fridge for 30 minutes.
5. Weight dough into 20g each (depending on size of mould) and press into egg tart moulds.
6. Set aside.
7. Whisk eggs and sugar until thick and creamy.
8. Add milk to mixture and continue to whisk until combined.
9. Add water gradually and continue to whisk together.
10. Pour into mould tart dough.
11. Preheat oven at 180C and bake for 25 minutes or till the crust is slightly brown and egg custard is set.
12. Remove from mould by turning the mould upside down.

Note:
I rolled the 20g dough into a ball and flatten it before put it into the mould.

• Click HERE for printer-friendly version of an original recipe.

Sukiyaki 寿喜烧

When we visit the Japanese Restaurant, which we do quite often, I always order Sukiyaki if it's available.

It usually has Shitake Mushroom, Onions, Chinese Cabbage, Enokitake, Carrot, Spring Onion, tofu, Shirataki noodles and of course very thinly sliced meat. All these in a cast iron pot over burning flame.

It's often served with a raw egg for you to dip the meat and veggies in before you eat them to reduce the heat, so as not to burn your lips. *wink* There is always a bowl of rice to go with it as the soup is slightly salty and sweet. Some restaurants even come with a bowl of udon for you to cook it in the soup after you finish eating all the ingredients. Very filling!

Sometimes when we are out during the weekends, dear hubby wants to have his favourite Chinese food when we rather have Japanese food *son knit eyebrows and pout lips*, I'll get some stuff from the supermarket and make sushi (for my son) and this, Sukiyaki, later in the week. It's not as good as those in Japanese Restaurants but it does curb our cravings. *laughs*

It's actually rather simple to make the Sukiyaki broth. Though it may not be authentic, it taste close enough. My way to do it, is to add 4 tablespoon Soy Sauce, 3 tablespoon Sugar and 2 tablespoon Mirin to 500ml Water preferably in a steamboat, unless you have the cast iron set. Then you can add your meat, vegetables, tofu, etc in the broth and eat it as it cook, just like how the Chinese have their steamboat.

Oh, you don't have to go around hunting for Shirataki noodles, which is not available here in my neigbourhood supermarkets too. I always use glass noodle. It's a perfect replacement and taste great with the broth! Just have it soak in water first before use. And adjust the amount of sugar and salt according to your taste but those I have in the restaurants are far more sweeter and salty then my concoction.

Try it some day. *wink*

Colourful Onde Onde

Okay, I didn't add any colouring for all these Onde Onde you see here. From left, pumpkin onde onde, purple sweet potato onde onde, normal pandan flavoured onde onde.

If the Australian Pumpkin is used here, the Onde Onde will be in a nicer shade of orange but I didn't want to buy a big slice so I settled for the Japanese pumpkin which is in the hue. I love the purple sweet potato though. It gives such nice colour. It's not the Japanese sweet potato. Though the skin is purple in colour but the inside is in yellow. Look below for the difference.

But if you still want to use food colourings, go ahead. I'm just showing that to make your food colourful, you can use the natural colours from the food we use.

Ingredients:

• 250g pumpkin or sweet potato, steamed and mashed thru a sieve
• 200g Glutinous Rice Flour
• 20g Tapioca Flour
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 3-4 tablespoon Water or Pandan Juice if you are making green onde onde
• 120g Gula Melaka (Palm Sugar), chopped
• 350g Grated Coconut, only the white part

How to do it:

1. Steam grated coconut for 10 minutes.
2. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss to combine.
3. Set aside.
4. Put pumpkin or sweet potato, glutinous rice flour, tapioca flour 1/4 teaspoon salt and hot water into a bowl.
5. Combine to form a soft dough.
6. Roll some dough to form a ball.
7. Flatten it and place some chopped gula melaka in the center.
8. Roll into a ball.
9. Repeat till dough are used up.
10. Bring a pot of water to a boil.
11. Put the balls into the boiling water.
12. Remove them when they float to the top.
13. Drain and toll in grated coconut and serve.

Note:

To make the pandan juice, grind 8 pandan leaves with 3 tablespoon water. Place the grind pandan leaves into a muslin bag and squeeze out the juice.

• Click HERE for printer-friendly version of an original recipe.

From left:

* the usual sweet potato, Japanese Sweet Potato, Purple Sweet Potato *

Japanese Cotton Sponge Cake

My friend, June, told me she tried baking cotton sponge cake and failed. I'm new to baking and couldn't help her find what went wrong but I search the web and found another recipe. It was mentioned that the recipe was from a book so I gathered that it should be the original source and I went ahead to bake it.

And I was lucky on my first try. I'm not too sure if baking in cups and tray makes any difference though.

Ingredients:

• 60g Butter, melted
• 80g Plain Flour
• 80ml Evaporated Milk (I used fresh milk)
• 1 Egg
• 5 Egg Yolks
• 5 Egg Whites
• 120g Sugar
• Pinch of Salt

How to do it:

1. Add butter and flour together.
2. Mix till well blended.
3. Add milk and mix till will combined.
4. Add the 1 egg and 5 egg yolks till will blended.
5. In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites till foamy.
6. Add in sugar and salt and whisk till stiff (takes about 20 minutes)
7. Using a spatula fold in the egg whites with the egg yolk mixture till well incorporated.
8. Pour mixture onto the swiss roll pan (15 x 10 x ¼ inches) fully lined with paper. (I used muffin cups)
9. Bake at 170C on the middle rack for 25 minutes.
10. Remove the mould immediately when it baked. Set aside to cool.
    

Note:
When whisking egg white, make sure your tools, bowls are clean and dry. Egg white MUST NOT contain a single drop of egg yolk. If not under these said conditions, your egg white will not peak.

• Click HERE for printer-friendly version of an original recipe.

*Soft & fluffy *

Shortbread

Of all pastries, we love cookies most. My son used to pester me to buy Walker's Shortbread for him every time we went to the supermarket. Now he hardly ask for it because we can always make our own.

When I told him I found a recipe on the shortbread he likes, he asked me to do it immediately. Neh. I only did it at night when there's not interruption.

Oh, if you are trying to lose weight don't eat this. It's loaded with butter. Hmm ... can you imagine the aroma of my kitchen when I baked this?

* 'Pretty' Shortbread without poke marks *

Ingredients:

• 500g Butter, softened
• 100g Brown Sugar
• 150g Caster Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence
• 675g Plain Flour
• 75g Rice Flour
• 55g Demerara Sugar (I used Brown Sugar)

How to do it:

1. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla till light and fluffy.
2. Add flour and beat on low speed till just combined.
3. Knead dough on a floured surface until smooth.
4. Divide dough into three portion.
5. Wrap in plastic or cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
6. Preheat oven to 150C.
7. Roll each portion of dough between two sheets of baking paper.
8. Cut shapes out with cookie cutters.
9. Sprinkle with Demerara sugar.
10. Prick with fork (optional).
11. Place cut out dough 3cm apart on greased oven tray (I used Glad Baking Paper instead).
12. Baked in the preheated oven for 20 minutes or till they turn pale yellow.
13. Stand the shortbread on tray for 2 minutes.
14. Cool on wired rack and store in airtight container up to two weeks.

Note:
You can also add chocolate chips to the dough when you are kneading the dough.

• Click HERE for printer-friendly version of an original recipe.

* Crumbly and flaky inside *

* Shortbread with Chocolate Chips *

Credits: Unknown ... It's a magazine clipping in my scrapbook

Pan Grilled Chicken with Herbs

I did this during a gathering at my place and my friend, Rebecca, liked it. I tried it again, wanting to pair it with vegetable. The asparagus was good but I didn't quite like it with tomato but my hubby said it okay for him. Perhaps if I used cherry tomatoes in a bunch, it might be better. As I find it too wet using cut tomato.

I did it using orange rind and orange juice too and it was good too but personally I preferred the lemon version. I did a fish dish using orange rind and juice and it tasted better for that dish and my daughter finished one half of the fish. More of that in later post.

Ingredients:

• 2 Chicken Drumstick or Breast, deboned
• 20 stalks (Thai) Asparagus
• 2 thick slice Tomato (I would suggest using whole cherry tomatoes instead)

Marinade:

• 1/2 teaspoon Dried Thyme
• 2 teaspoon Dried Rosemary
• 1/2 (of a whole) Lemon Rind
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• 1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil

How to do it:

1. Mix Marinade.
2. Add chicken to marinade and set aside for at least 1/2 hour.
3. Heat grill pan.
4. Grill chicken skin down first, till brown.
5. Turn over and continue to grill the other side of the chicken.
6. At the same time, grill the vegetables using some of the sauce from the grilling of the chicken.
7. If you are using cherry tomatoes, grill till the tomatoes 'burst' to THIS effect.
8. Dish and set aside the vegetables when they are done.
9. When chicken is completely cooked, dish and serve with vegetables.

• Click HERE for printer-friendly version of an original recipe.
  

Braised Chicken with Mushroom and Chestnut

We love this dish a lot and when I cook this, the dish is always wiped clean. Everyone has a favourite. My son will eat more of the mushroom. My husband the chicken and I finished up the carrot and chestnuts. I love the chestnuts! It adds sweetness to the dish.

It's almost the same as how I did THIS, except I pan fried the chicken slightly before I add it to the pot with the rest of the ingredients. Water is added enough to cover all the ingredients and braised in low heat till liquid reduced to less than half.

Best served with a bowl of rice or two! Yums!

Egg Cubes with Carrot and Wolfberries

My kids loves eggs so I'm always trying different ways to present it so it would be more interesting. You know kids get bored easily, even they like a certain food, if I cook the same way too often, I'll see the leftovers getting more.

My daughter kept pinching the egg cubes before I add the sauce so it end up with just this little lot only.

Ingredients:

• 3 Eggs
• 1/2 Carrot, sliced
• 20 Wolfberries, soaked to soften
• 50ml Water
• 70ml Stock
• 1/2 teaspoon Sesame Seed Oil
• Salt to taste
• Cornflour Mixture (thickener)

How to do it:

1. Beat eggs with water and a pinch of salt.
2. Oil the dish to prevent the eggs from sticking.
3. Pour the egg mixture in the dish.
4. Cover the dish with cling wrap.
5. Steam till the egg is set.
6. Remove the egg and cut into cubes.
7. Set aside.
8. While streaming, drain the water from the wolfberries and set aside.
9. Heat stock in wok.
10. Add in carrot and wolfberries.
11. Add sesame seed oil and salt to taste.
12. Thicken the sauce with cornflour mixture.
13. Pour over the egg and serve.

Note:

• Use stock instead of water if you want more flavourful egg cubes.
• Steam your carrot before hand if you prefer a softer bite.
  
• Click HERE for the printer friendly version of the original recipe.

Stir Fried Prawns with Asparagus

I'm back from my short trip and have not quite finished with the laundry from the trip and not to mentioned the daily chores I still have to deal with *faint*. I wasn't in the mood to think of new dishes but it's good too as I still have quite a number of dishes I have not write out and I think I might need to cook the same dishes again to remember how it was done.

This current dish was cooked quite some time ago. I had meant to use the prawns for a salad dish but decided that I wanted to have something hot instead. You may noticed that I had just did an asparagus dish recently. Well, asparagus is not always available in the wet market at my place and sometimes it's just too expensive to buy too. Since it was cheaper than usual, I bought a bunch ... again. How I wish it was so cheap, I could buy a big bunch back to make Cream of Asparagus. I just love it!

Anyway, here's another way to cook asparagus ...

Ingredients:

• 12 medium Prawns, shelled retaining tail and deveined
• 6 stalk Asparagus, skinned and cut into 3
• 1 glove Garlic, minced
• 2 Shallot, sliced thinly
• Oil for Cooking

Seasonings:

• 1 tablespoon Chinese Cooking Wine
• 1 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
• 1 teaspoon Sesame Seed Oil
• 1 teaspoon Sugar

How to do it:

1. Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in wok.
2. Add in garlic and shallot.
3. Stir fry till fragrant.
4. Add in asparagus.
5. Stir fry for 3 minutes of almost cooked.
6. Dish and set aside.
7. Heat another 1/2 tablespoon oil in the same wok.
8. Add prawns and stir fry till they change colours but not cooked through.
9. Return the asparagus in to wok.
10. Add the seasonings.
11. Stir fry till prawns are cooked thoroughly.
12. Dish and serve.

• Click HERE for the printer friendly version of the original recipe.
  

Chicken with Honey

Quite some time back I bought a bottle of honey for a BBQ session at home and it ended up unused. We are don't really like honey as it is. I tried stirring honey in water, the kids hate it. Drizzle honey on waffles and we didn't like that either. We still prefer Maple syrup. Since I already bought it, I can't just throw it away. Now I have to try finish it in my cooking instead.

Ingredients:

• 2 Chicken fillet or breast, debone and cut into chunks
• 1 Bell Pepper or 2 halves Bell Peppers of different colours
• 12 Snow Peas
• 1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
• Oil for frying
• Cornflour Mixture (thickener)

Marinade:

• 1/2 tablespoon Chinese Cooking Wine
• 1 teaspoon Light Soy Sauce
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• 1 tablespoon Cornflour
• 1/3 tablespoon Rice Flour

Seasoning:

• 50ml Stock or Water
• 1/2 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
• 1/3 tablespoon Black Vinegar
• 1 tablespoon Honey

How to do it:

1. Marinade chicken for at least an hour.
2. Deep-fry till they turned golden brown and set aside.
3. Heat oil.
4. Stir fry snow peas and bell pepper for 1 minute.
5. Dish and set aside.
6. Add garlic to the same wok you use earlier.
7. Stir fry till fragrant.
8. Add seasoning except for honey.
9. When it start to boil, thicken with cornflour mixture.
10. Add in the cooked vegetable, chicken and honey.
11. Mix well.
12. Dish and serve.

• Click HERE for the printer friendly version of the original recipe.

French Meringue Cookies

No one knows why my husband bought me an oven, other than he said it's an encouragement for me to explore more areas in cooking. Well, he kept telling me about how nice Baked Alaska was and how he will bring me one day to try it. The days, weeks, months and years went by and I still have not tasted that wonderful Baked Alaska he mentioned. That was some 10 over years ago. LOL I haven't stop teasing him about it.

One day, he confessed that the main reason he bought me the oven was to let me do my own Baked Alaska (and stop bugging him) LOL. I went to search for the recipe for Baked Alaska and many have this Meringue covered all over the ice cream. So I guess if I want to do it, I would have to try Meringue first. *wink*

Looks like I should be able to attempt to make Baked Alaska very soon!

Ingredients:

• 9 egg whites
• 1 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar

How to do it:

• Preheat oven to 150C.
• Beat the egg whites with vanilla, salt and cream of tartar till soft peaks.
• Slowly add in the sugar, whip to stiff peaks.
• Line your baking tray with baking paper.
• Either use a spoon to scoop the batter onto the baking paper or pipe in using pastry bag (I use a clean clear plastic bag!)
• Remember to leave about 1 inch space in between batters.
• Bake for about 40 minutes depending on the size of your batter, till the meringue cookies are slightly brown.
• Let the cookies cool first. It will be easier to remove them from baking paper.
• Store in air-tight containers immediately.

Note:
If you find the cookies sticky and difficult to remove from the baking paper, it would means they need more baking. Just return them to the oven to bake a little longer. Oh! This cookie is for those with really sweet tooth!

• Click HERE for the printer friendly version of the original recipe.

Mango Sago

Everyone at home loves Mangoes. Hmmm ... maybe except my daughter who doesn't like fruits at all. You might have guess it if you visit my blog often. I have a few desserts using mango.

I keep telling myself, I'll try working with another fruit but every time I said that I'm sure to see mangoes and I just can resist buying them. So, here's another mango dessert we have very often.

Ingredients:

• 500g Mango Puree from 3 mangoes
• 250ml Fresh Milk
• 50g Sago
• Syrup to taste (Melting sugar in water)
• Additional cut out chunky mango (optional)

How to do it:

1. Have a pot of water enough to cover the sago.
2. Cook the sago in low heat, stirring in frequently to prevent them from sticking.
3. Once all the sago have turn opaque, strain and wash them in a pot of clean water till you don't feel a layer of starch covering them (about 3 wash)
4. Combine the milk, mango puree and additional chunky mango together.
5. Add syrup to taste.
6. Serve chilled.

• Click HERE for printer-friendly version of an original recipe

French Beans with Ham and Bacon Bits

This bag of french beans was the last of the vegetables after I cleared the asparagus. I had wanted to empty the fridge for easy cleaning.

I planned to cook this but realised I didn't have minced pork. So I used the ham and streaky bacon, meant for my son's breakfast, instead.

Ingredients:

• 400g French Beans
• 2 slice Ham, chopped into bits
• 3 slice Streaky Bacon, chopped into bits
• 1 teaspoon Garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon Fermented Soybean Paste (try the spicy one if you like)
• 1/2 teaspoon Sugar

How to do it:

1. Snap of the ends of the french beans.
2. Deep fry french beans for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
3. Heat up the wok and add in the bacon.
4. Stir fry the slightly brown. Do not drain the oil.
5. Add in the garlic and ham.
6. Stir fry till garlic is fragrant and the bacon and ham are brown.
7. Add in the French beans, fermented soybean paste and sugar.
8. Stir fry for another 30 seconds to a minute till french beans are thoroughly cooked and season.
9. Dish and serve.

• Click HERE for printer-friendly version of an original recipe

Asparagus with Salted Fish

Asparagus is one of my favourite vegetables. When I saw them in the market, I knew I had to grab some. I think I bought to much because I forgot I'm the only one enjoying it.

Anyway, the last few sticks of asparagus were staring back at me when I opened the fridge, begging me to eat them because it would be a shame to die without being eaten.

I had in mind to cook bean sprout so I'm used similar cooking method to do the asparagus instead.

Ingredients:

• 8 Asparagus, skinned and half
• 5g Salted Fish, chopped into bits
• 2 Clove Garlic, sliced
• 2 teaspoon Oil

How to do it:

1. Heat oil in wok.
2. Stir fry garlic and salted fish til fragrant.
3. Remove and set aside.
4. Add in the asparagus.
5. Stir fry till cooked.
6. Dish and sprinkle the earlier cooked garlic and salted fish over.
7. Serve.

Note:

No seasoning required for this dish as the oil will be salty from the stir frying of the salted fish.

• Click HERE for printer-friendly version of an original recipe

Chocolate Chips Cookies

I ran out of baking paper and since I was at the supermarket, I went to look around for it. I found the wonderful Glad Bake - Non-stick and cooking paper. No greasing required when I use this. When the cookies are baked, they just slipped off the paper to the wire rack and I could reuse the paper for my second batch of cookies. In fact, I only use two pieces of paper to bake the whole batch of cookies!

Anyway, there's this Chocolate Chip Cookies recipe on the box. Cookies. How can I give it a miss and went ahead to try it. Ooooo ... It's yummy, crunchy, easy and no stopping at one (my son finished a box with closed to 20 cookies at one go!!). I gave some to my friend, Poi San, and she has since requested for a big canister for Chinese New Year. I'll bake some for you for Christmas lah. Don't have to wait so long. *giggle*

Anyone who loves cookies should try this!

Ingredients:

• 200g Butter, melted
• 1 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
• 2 Eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence
• 2 cups Self Raising Flour
• 2 cups Chocolate Bits
• 1 cup Roasted Hazelnuts, chopped (I didn't add this)

How to do it:

1. Preheat oven to 180C.
2. Cream butter and sugar till pale and creamy.
3. Add in eggs and vanilla essence and beat well.
4. Fold in shifted flour.
5. Fold in chocolate bits and nuts.
6. Roll spoonfuls of mixture into walnut sized balls.
7. Place on tray lined with Glad baking paper *wink* leaving room for spreading.
8. Bake for 12 - 15 minutes until pale golden.
9. Cool for 5 minutes then cool completely on wire racks.

• Click HERE for printer-friendly version of an original recipe
  

Seaweed Cookies

I actually enjoy baking cookies more than cakes. Well, that's because I prefer to eat cookies than cakes. LOL And I find cookies easier to make for a novice baker like me. Baking cakes have too many rules to follow, one step wrong and your cakes might end up in the rubbish bin.

I won't give up making cakes though. I have a wish to make cute and pretty cupcakes with all those creams and sprinkles for my son's next birthday. I still need lots of practise if I'm going to make that wish come true. Not much time left though.

In the meantime, it will be still cookies that I'll be baking when I have the time. Oh, I've skipped post again as I remembered one of my Multiply friends, San, intends to make these for her son's teachers. Not much time left. Oh! And KF, who is going to 'trade' cookies with San, the next post will be for you. *wink*

Ingredients:

• 100g Unsalted Butter, soften
• 45g Icing Sugar
• 25g Sugar
• a dash of salt
• 1 Whole Egg, beaten
• 90g Cake Flour
• 1/4 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 15g Almond Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Essence
• 65g Fresh Milk
• 1 1/2 tablespoon Seaweed Powder

How to do it:

1. Preheat oven to 160C.
2. Combine butter, icing sugar, sugar and salt together.
3. Beat mixture till fluffy can creamy.
4. Pour in egg over 3 times and mix well each time before adding.
5. Shift in cake flour and baking powder.
6. Stir in almond powder to form batter.
7. Gradually, stir in a mixture of fresh milk and vanilla essence.
8. Add half of the seaweed powder into the batter and stir well.
9. Fill batter into a pastry bag and squeeze onto a baking tray lined with baking paper.
10. Sprinkle remaining seaweed powder.
11. Bake for 15 minutes.

Note:

• I find the cookies not sweet enough but it's meant to bring out the seaweed in it.
• You decide if you would like to increase the amount of sugar.
• If you can't get seaweed powder, cut half a sheet of unseasoned roasted nori (those used to wrap sushi) and have it chopped into tiny bits.
  

• Click HERE for printer-friendly version of an original recipe.
  

Credits of the recipe goes to Ms Wu Jing-Yen, Author of High-Tea at Home

Green Lime Juice with Aloe Vera

I learned a trick or two from the veggie sellers in the market. How do you cook this? What do you do with this? Just ask and you will be given not just one answer. They are my veggie and cooking consultants. *giggle*

Do you know if you burn, eg, your hand, just take a thin slice of aloe vera and place it over the wound. It helps the healing. This was what they told to me when the sellers saw my scalded hand sometime back. It did help ease the pain.

I had to buy the whole leaf which was very big, I asked what else does it do and what else can I do with it. Guess what they told me? Use it as a mask lor especially if you are pimply, which I have yet to try (no pimple yet :p). It helps reduces inflammation and detoxification too. I have constipation problems so it's good to eat this often too.

However, everyone reacts differently to different kinds of food. It may work for me but not you. So take caution if you using it especially for cosmetic uses. Try out in a small area first. And if you are eating it, eat it moderation or consult your doctor for advise. *wink*

We were having greasy fried food and Lime Juice always help wash out all the grease and adding aloe vera to it to help get rid of excess toxin.

Ingredients:

• 500ml Cold Water
• 120ml Green Lime Juice (those lemon look a like)
• 120ml Lemon Juice
• 1 cup Aloe Vera, skinned and cubed
• Honey or Syrup to taste

How to do it:

1. Add lime and lemon juice to the water and mix well.
2. Sweeten with syrup.
3. Refrigerate to chill.
4. Add aloe vera cube only when just ready to serve.

• Click HERE for printer-friendly version of an original recipe.
  

* Refreshing Lime and Aloe Vera Drink *

* Aloe Vera Cubes *

Mango Pudding

My friends in Multiply must be glad that I am finally posting this recipe. You see I usually post my new dishes here and here. The former acts as a photo search for the recipe link. I find it easier to search for recipe by looking at the photos rather than the name. I thought regular visitors here might find this useful. The latter is a reminder for me on the outstanding recipes I have yet to post and the order of posting. Sometimes, I do jump post certain recipe first though.

If you didn't know this before, now you know where to go if you want an easier way searching for my recipes here or to see what I'll be posting soon.

Okay, back to this recipe. Sorry guys I took so long to post this. Other than I had many other long overdue recipes to post, the other reason was I forgotten to take the measurements when I did. Then I couldn't find mangoes the next day. *giggle*

Anyway, this is a cheat recipe. It's different from the mango pudding we eat in restaurants which contains milk but it's really easy to make.

Ingredients:

• 200ml Mango Juice (I use Marigold Peel Fresh Mango Juice ... cheat!!)
• 100g Diced Mango (about 1/2 a mango, the remaining can be used for deco)
• 1 tablespoon Gelatine
• 1 tablespoon Sugar
• 4 tablespoon (Warm) Water

How to do it:

1. Melt the sugar and gelatine in the water.
2. Gradually stir in the sugar content to the mango juice.
3. Stir in the diced mango.
4. Pour into moulds or cups.
5. Refrigerate till the jelly sets.

Note:
Adjust the amount of gelatine used for the firmness of jelly you like. Likewise for sugar.

• Click HERE for printer-friendly version of an original recipe.

Soba with Chilli Prawns

I love Chilli Crabs but unfortunately or fortunately, I haven't got over the phobia of killing and preparing crabs. Hence, I use other ingredients in replacement of crabs. Just like this previous dish here.

The other day I had cravings for chilli crabs (again). I got the prawns meant for another dish to make Chilli Prawns instead, using the same ingredients and same way I did 0the previous dish but using prawns of course.

I didn't want to have rice. So I grab a bunch of soba and cooked it. Add the prepared chilli prawns to it and voila! Hmmm ... Italian dish with Japanese and Singaporean flavours! Very fusion!

I wished I had used Penne instead of Soba. Why? So I can eat quietly but still be able to grab more sauce in every bite. I was slurping so loudly with my plate of soba I think the Japanese would be happy.

* Chilli Prawns *