Curry Fish

My hubby won't be back for dinner as he will be in a meeting. Poor guy! Will be having supper instead of dinner.

I already told my son I'll be wokking Japanese Curry today since hubby won't be having dinner with us (he is not a fan of Japanese curry). I made him an extra Crabstick Egg Roll.

Soba with Back Bacon 猪骨荞麦汤面

I bought a pack of soba during the weekend and thought I can make soba with soup instead of the usual rice and dishes. Basically, it's just excuses for being lazy. LOL

Anyway, soba is usually served cold with dipping sauce. I can't do that because the kids are eating but I got enough to try a couple other method of wokking with soba. So watch this blog. ^_-

Ingredients:

• Soba, cooked
• Bone Broth
• Chinese Cabbage, chopped into sections
• Onion, sliced
• Back Bacon,
• Salt to taste

How to do it:

1. Put cooked Soba in a bowl of water to prevent it from sticking together.
2. Set aside.
3. Saute the back bacon then brown.
4. Remove and set aside.
5. Saute the onion till brown.
6. Put the onions and Chinese cabbage into the broth.
7. Cook in low fire till Chinese cabbage is cooked.
8. Add salt to taste.
9. Drain soba and place in a bowl.
10. Place onions, Chinese cabbage and back bacon on the soba.
11. Pour the soup over.
12. Serve hot.

Note:
You can use other vegetables and meat. I use the 2 vegetables because they add sweetness to the broth and get cooked fast. If you are using back bacon like me, cut down on the salt as back bacon is salty too.

Grapes Jelly 葡萄果冻

I think many people are probably very familiar with Konnyaku Jelly. I might be one of the earliest batches to try making it. No kidding! My friend and I attended a cooking demo at Choa Chu Kang Coummunity Center. They were showing Konnyaku Jelly making. Of course we get to sample the end product. Then we realised, we had to go to their store at Tampines to get the powder and essence! Poon Huat don't even have them then!

That time all the jellies I made were transparent because I just didn't want to spend more money on colourings. Now you can get ready mixed Konnyaku powder anywhere. No need to buy essence or colouring. Everything is all done. So convenient!

I happened to see this (picture below) Konnyaku Jelly mix in NTUC and thought I give it a try. Never try Japanese Konnyaku Jelly mix before. They are the originals so must be better. I'm so right! They are really better than the local ones. Not as firm as the local Konnyaku Jelly mix (like Red Man brand) but firmer than jellos. It's like a cross of the two. We love it and we are going to get more!! It was yummy!

I added some sliced grapes in the jelly for the extra crunch and more grapes for decorations.

Love Rice

I got the Monday blues and had no idea what to wok *bleh*. My son doesn't like Asparagus alone. So I wok them with thing he likes so he will eat them. This is how I con him into eating his greens. He had Asparagus with Bacon and Potato Cake with Smoked Salmon (Aeroplane). I sprinkled some Sakura Denbu on his rice. He love it! the Denbu I mean. hahaha.

Potato Cake with Smoked Salmon

Call it the Monday blues. I can't think of what to wok for dinner. The market it closed (on Mondays) and I didn't go marketing on Sunday too. No choice. Just buried my head in the vegetable compartment and look for 'inspirations' LOL Found potatoes! Err .... My boy doesn't like potatoes. *Darn* Look for more 'inspirations'. Ah! Smoked Salmon! He likes! 'inspirations' coming to me liao.

Ingredients:

• 2 medium size potatoes, Cooked and smashed
• 2 slice Cheese, chopped in to bits
• 1/2 bowl smoked salmon, chopped into bits
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoon flour
• Oil for frying

How to do it:

1. Mix all ingredients except oil together.
2. Heat frying pan with oil.
3. Scoop a spoonful, spread and flatten on the pan
4. Remove when it turned golden brown.

Note:

Use low heat because the cheese will burn easily.

Nice as breakfast!

Shredded Chicken Porridge 鸡丝粥

My girl has not been eating very well lately. So I decided to cook porridge today and everybody eat that too! She finished 1 bowl of scallop porridge and asked for more! My boy on the other hand, can't even finish 1 bowl! Sigh! I just can't please everyone, can I?

Ingredients:

• Uncook Rice
• Chicken broth
• 2 chicken breast meat, deboned
• 1 handful Dried Scallop
• 3 pieces Dried Abalone Slices
• Salt to taste
• Scallop
• Pacific Clams, sliced half
• Sesame seed oil (optional)

How to do it:

1. Blanch the chicken.
2. Cook the chicken, dried abalone slices and dried scallop in the chicken broth.
3. Remove the chicken when it's cooked.
4. Tear the chicken into shreds or chopped into smaller pieces.
5. Now cook your rice in the broth with the abalone slices and dried scallop till it become porridge.
6. Add your chicken, scallop and/or pacific clams during the last 10 minutes of cooking.
7. Add salt for tasting.
8. Serve.

Note:

• Dried abalone slice and dried scallop add extra flavours - it will be sweeter. You can choose not to add.
• If you are using scallop, you can add a few slice of ginger to kill the fishiness.
• Initially when cooking the rice, use medium fire. Do not stir the content.
• When the rice breaks, turn to medium-low fire to simmer to continue cooking. Stir only occasionally to prevent the porridge from sticking to the base. Consistent stirring will mash the grains

House on Rice

My son's dinner yesterday consist of Sweet Chicken Wings and ABC Soup. Plently of vegetables in the soup so it saved me the trouble of wokking another vegetable dish for him *tsk tsk tsk* lazy mom! But I 'build' him a house out of ham and cheese as a consolation!

Sweet Chicken Wings 煎甜鸡翼

This is a frequent dish on our dinner table. Sometimes, we have it as supper! That's why I can't really find my waist lately.

Ingredients:

• Mid joint Chicken wings
• 1 bowl water
• Oil

Marinade:

• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 tablespoon Mirin
• 1 tablespoon wine
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce

How to do it:

1. Mix the marinade.
2. Pour the marinade over the wings and marinate for at least ½ hour.
3. Saute the wings in pan till lightly burnt. Pour away excess oil.
4. Pour the remaining marinade with 1 bowl of water with the chicken in the pan.
5. Cook in low fire till the sauce is half.
6. Remove and serve hot with rice

Note:

You can bring it back to a pan to saute again to get it a slight burnt (like what I did).

*Mirin (味醂) is a rice wine similar to Sake but low in alcohol content and is slightly sweet in taste ... you can say it's a Sweet Rice Wine.

Soba Wrap

I bought a packet of soba and did something new for my son's dinner yesterday. He had the soba wrapped in nori (dipped with soba sauce provided) with Buttered Baby Corns and Scallop Bacon Wraps.

Ingredients:

• A packet of soba
• 1 piece of nori

How to do it:

1. Cook the soba in water.
2. Drain and set aside to cool.
3. Lay the soba on a nori; strand wise.
4. Roll the nori.
5. Cut into smaller pieces and serve with the dipping sauce provided.

Note:
I dilute the dipping sauce to a suitable saltiness.

Scallop Bacon Wraps 煎培根包扇贝

I have this (bad) habit of storing (more expensive) food during Chinese New Year. Stuff I usually buy once a while (if I have leftover marketing money). Maybe I get more marketing money during this period. hehehe. My hubby 'scolded' me, "Let you keep some pocket money, you do want. And buy so much food for what?" Hehehe .... I like to eat mah. Everyone can eat also mah. *bleh*

By the way, I had this idea from a Italian Food Stall/Kiosk at Bukit Panjang Plaza. It's no longer there. I really miss it! 3 huge scallops wrapped with thick bacon grilled to perfection for only $2. *drooling*

Ingredients:

• Bacon, sliced into 2 width-wise (My scallop is small lah ^_-)
• Scallops

How to do it:

1. Saute the bacon for about 1 minute.
2. Remove.
3. Take a scallop and use the bacon cooked earlier to wrap around the scallop.
4. Pierce a toothpick thru the bacon and scallop to hold them together.
5. Bring it to the pan you use to saute the bacon earlier.
6. Cook each side of the bacon for about 5 mins each (longer for bigger scallop)
7. Add a bit of oil if necessary.
8. Remove and serve. Remember to remove the toothpick.

Note:

• No seasoning required as bacon is already salty.
• Make sure the bacon is of the same height or lower than the scallop when wrapping them. That is when you need to slice them into half.
• Wet you toothpick first before you use them. This is to prevent your toothpick for getting burned or catching fire because oil is involved.

Smoked Salmon Nigiri

My son placed the weirdest order on Tuesday for yesterday's dinner. He wanted Smoked Salmon and Wakame. Huh?! *Scratch head* What a combination! Is it a test for me or what?
Anyway, we did buy home a pack of Smoked Salmon and we still have plenty of Wakame in the freezer. I made him Smoked Salmon Nigiri and Wakame Salad with the 2 ingredients he requested.
Ingredients:

• Nori
• Smoked Salmon, Chopped into bits
• Cooked Rice, Shaped into balls

How to do it:

1. Wrap the nori around the rice ball.
2. Place some Smoked Salmon in it.
3. Serve.

Chicken Cutlet with Japanese Curry 日式咖哩鸡排饭

I have been wanting to post this a long time ago. But my recipe posting time was taken up but the stuff I cook for my kids ^_- Finally .....

I will cook this when my hubby is away for business trip by request of my son! He loves it! That's because the curry mix I'm using doesn't even taste a slight bit spicy. ^_- A one dish meal is easier for me anyway.

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken drumstick, deboned
• 2 potatoes, skinned and cubed
• 2 carrots, skinned and cubed
• 1 large onion, cut into smalled pieces
• 2 teaspoon light soy sauce
• Plain flour with water for batter
• Bread crumbs
• Japanese Instant Curry Cubes (I'm using HOUSE Vermont Curry Mild - with a touch of apple & honey)
• Water about a litre
• Oil for frying

How to do it:

1. Marinade the chicken with soy sauce for at least 1/2 hour.
2. Dip in batter than bread crumbs.
3. Deep fry the chicken till golden brown.
4. Saute the vegetables till slightly brown.
5. Add water and boil.
6. Break the curry cubes and add in to the vegetables.
7. Continue cooking till the sauce thickens in low fire (about 1/2 hour)
8. Place the chicken on the rice and pour the curry over and serve.

Note:
If you prefer a spicy version, you can get HOT mix rather than MILD one.

Macaroni with Vegetable Soup

I didn't cook for the adults (me & hubby) yesterday. Kitchen is closed for cleaning. hehehe. But the kids still have to eat. Not cooking rice, soup and all the side dishes. Too much work for just 2 kids.

The kids' meal yesterday consist of Macaroni cooked with pork big bone broth and Broccoli and Carrot. Side Dishes are Deep Fried Chicken Drumlets and Seaweed Fish Paste Roll.

Not too bad. At least they enjoy it.

Seaweed Fish Paste Roll 紫菜鱼肉卷

This is a side dish for my kids' meal. It's easy and tasty. Kids just love fish balls so I guess they will like this too!

Ingredients:

• Nori
• Fish paste
• Oil

How to do it:

1. Take a piece of nori and cut the size of your desire.
2. Spread fish paste thinly on the nori, leaving 1.5 cm of one side free of fish paste.
3. Roll (like sushi) the nori starting from the side with the fish paste.
4. The end of the nori should be enough to 'close' up the roll.
5. Heat up a pan with some oil.
6. Pan fry till cooked.
7. Cut the roll into smaller pieces and serve.

Note:
Do not put too much fish paste otherwise it will be too thick after rolling and cooking it will be more difficult. Pan fry immediately after you finish rolling as the nori might get too wet if set aside for too long.

Sakura Denbu Rice with Steam Egg Custard and Mixed Vegetables

I may be lazy to cook (for me and hubby) but the kids still have to eat. Can't ask them to eat Bah Kut Teh with us mah. I'm not so bad lah. But then this lazy brain refuse to come up with something interesting for the kids.

Sorry Love, bear with me for this time.

What's in this boring meal:

Steam (frozen) mixed vegetables

Steamed Egg Custard

Sakura Denbu Rice

Rice with Meat Rolls and Wakame Egg

This was the King's dinner yesterday. We were having Meat Rolls and French Beans. I use some of the French Beans to make the stems on the carrot flowers, which was steamed. Wokked him an additional Wakame Egg since he doesn't really like French Beans.

Ingredients:

• 10 g Wakame (fresh seaweed), wash thoroughly
• 1 egg
• 1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
• Oil

How to do it:

1. Mix all ingredients except oil together.
2. Pour into a pan with oil heated
3. Flip over when one side is done.
4. Dish when cooked.

Note:

Wakame is loaded with plenty of nutrients. If you can't get Wakame, you can substitute with crabstick or tomato but add salt for tasting instead of oyster sauce.

Meat Rolls with Vegetables 蔬菜肉卷

Bought some thinly sliced pork loin from the supermaket. I can hardly get those here. It must be available due to Chinese New Year. A lot of people use it for steamboat. I like to use these because it's so thin that it makes rolling easy.

Ingredients:

• 8 piece thinly sliced pork loin
• 8 French beans
• 1/2 carrot, cut into sticks
• 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
• Corn flour
• Oil

How to do it:

1. Marinade pork loin with soy sauce for 1/2 hour
2. Blanch French Beans and Carrot with a pinch of salt in it. Drain and set aside
3. Roll the French Beans and carrot with the pork loin.
4. Dust with corn flour
5. Pan fry till the pork is cooked.
6. Dish and serve.

There's a crunch in every bite!

Note:
The pork is thin so there's no need for too much seasoning otherwise it will be too salty. Plus the carrot and french beans will add sweetness to it.

Cheese Sandwich

Have this as breakfast or tea. I think it's great! It's REALLY easy! No cooking required. Just an extra dose of love and a bit more effort is all it needs. ^_-

Ingredients:

• Bread of your choice
• Cheese of your choice

How to do it:

1. Trim the skin of the bread off and cut bread into half.
2. Use a cookie cutter to press out the shape of one half.
3. Place cheese on the bread without cut shapes and the one with the shape on the cheese.
4. That's it! Eat!

Note:
Get your child to help. He will enjoy it! Try using ham or egg for variations!

Rice with Deep Fried Chicken Drumlets and Steamed Carrots

This was served to my king (my son) yesterday with Lotus Root Soup. It consist of rice with Steamed Carrots and Deep Fried Chicken Drumlets.

Deep Fried Chicken Drumlets 酥炸小鸡腿

Wokked this basically for my son. It's easy to eat, just hold on to the bone wrapped with foil and it's all meat.

Ingredients:

• 6 Chicken Drumlets or Wings (I bought wings and saved the mid joints for another dish)
• 1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1/2 ginger juice
• Plain flour with water for the batter
• Breadcrumbs
• Oil for frying

How to do it:

1. Use a knife to cut around the rim of the drumlets.
2. Use a knife to push the meat to the base.
3. Season the drumlets with soy sauce and ginger juice for at least 1/2 hour.
4. Coat the drumlets in batter then with the breadcrumbs.
5. Deep fry the drumlets. Don't forget the bone too!
6. Remove when turned golden brown and serve.

* will take a better picture next time. This was taken with my mobile phone camera. :(

Coloured Rice Balls on Skewers with Egg Rolls

It just gets better. The ideas to make my boy's meal I mean. No, spoon, fork or chopsticks is required for today's meal. And it's really colourful. Pink, brown, green (yah, it looks like black) and yellow. Oh, and orange! He had Mandarin orange as an after meal fruit.

I'll definitely make this again (cos he finished the whole lot!) and I'll take picture of it with a proper camera (took this with my mobile phone camera).

Ingredients:

• Cooked rice
• Denbu aka fish floss (it's the pink one)
• Furikake aka rice toppings (it's the brown one)
• Nori aka roasted seaweed (it's the dark green one that looks like black)
• 1 Egg, scrambled
• 1 Hotdog, steamed for 3 minutes
• 2 Crabstick, steamed for 3 minutes
• 1/2 teaspoon butter

How to do it:

1. Roll rice into a balls and coat them with Denbu, Furikake & Nori.
2. Use a skewer to hold them.
3. Heat frying pan with butter.
4. Pour egg into pan. Swirl the pan to spread the egg.
5. When the egg is about 90% cooked, place crabstick and hotdog on the edge and roll.
6. Cook for another 20 seconds.
7. Remove and cut into smaller pieces.
8. Serve together with rice balls.

Note:
No further seasonings are used. I chopped a piece of nori into tiny pieces so it's easy to coat.

Ham Pig on Broccoli and Crabstick Rice

I was successful with my Chinese Spaghetti. Successful because my fussy eater finished everything! So I'm trying again with another bento inspired meal for him (this was done yesterday). This time with rice. Hehehe ... he finished too, even the rice is loaded with minced broccoli (he hates it). Ohhh.... I so motivated!

Ingredients:

• 2/3 bowl Cooked rice (that's how much he can eat)
• Broccoli, 2 medium florets
• 2 stick crab stick, teared into shreds
• 2 slices Apple Baked Ham or any ham of your choice.
• 1/4 slice cheese
• Some nori for decoration

How to do it:

1. Chop the broccoli into tiny bits.
2. Place the bits in a bowl and top with crab stick.
3. Steam for 5 minutes.
4. Mixed with cooked rice.
5. Place the ham, cheese and nori on rice as decoration. (I did pigs, can tell?)
6. Serve with side dish (braised Chinese & button mushrooms) and fruits.

Note:
I did not add seasonings to the broccoli because it's steamed with crabstick and crabstick is slightly sweet. I'm trying to get him to eat broccoli that's why it's used here. It can always be substituted with other vegetables you like.

妈妈，加油！加油！

Asparagus with Garlic Prawns 芦笋蒜蓉虾

I like both asparagus and prawns. I think they are a great combination! My son likes garlic (weird right?) So I’m wokking this with lot of garlic! Love the aroma of garlic!

Ingredients:

• 20 stalks of asparagus, skinned at the stems and cut into sections
• 15 medium prawns, shelled and deveined (more prawns if you like)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Oil

How to do it:

1. In a pot, boil water, add salt and 1 tablespoon of cooking oil.
2. Blanch asparagus.
3. Set aside.
4. In a wok, sauté garlic till fragrant.
5. Add in the prawns and stir fry till cooked.
6. Add oyster sauce for tasting.
7. Dish and place with asparagus.
8. Serve.

Note:
I did not add seasonings for asparagus as salt was added when I blanched them.

Fried Yellow Noodles 炒面

I wished I have the creativity of Japanese mommy in the way they cook. Quite some time back, a friend sent me an email with photographs of bento. My God! They looked delicious! Since I got a fussy eater at home, I tell myself I must try to make something like those. At least half as good lah. I started with Bear Rice with Furikake and Steam Vegetables and Chrysanthemum Squid. This is my 3rd attempt in making my kid's meal interesting.

Ingredients:

• Yellow flat noodle
• Cai xin, chopped finely
• Prawns, shelled and deveined
• Fish cake, sliced
• Carrots, sliced
• Chicken broth (I always use home-made ones)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon oil
• Salt to taste

How to do it:

1. Heat wok with oil.
2. Sauté garlic till fragrant.
3. Add in prawns and cook till 70% cooked
4. Add in fish cake, carrots and cai xin.
5. Cook till prawns and fish cake are done.
6. Dish and set aside.
7. In the same wok, add in the noodle and broth.
8. Simmer till the noodle is cooked and there isn’t much fluid left.
9. Now add in the previously cooked ingredients and mix well.
10. Add in salt to taste. (I don’t find it necessary as the noodle is slightly salty)
11. Dish and serve.

Note:Add more broth to the noodle if you find it too dry. You can substitute the ingredients used with your preferred ones.

Mussels in Wine 蒜香白酒煮青口

I love mussels. Come to think of it, I love those with shells, snails (shu-shu) cockers, clams, scallops, crab. The list goes on. I bought a pack of mussels from the supermarket and it’s real cheap. Only S$1.10! None in my family enjoy this. So this all mine! Yummy!

Ingredients:

• Fresh Mussels (as in not frozen)
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic.
• 2 tablespoon white wine
• 1 tablespoon oil
• A pinch of salt.

How to do it:

1. Heat oil in a pan, sauté garlic till fragrant.
2. Add in mussels and stir-fry till you see they change colour.
3. Add in cooking wine and simmer till it’s cooked.
4. Add a pinch of salt.
5. Dish and serve.

Note:
Like clams, mussels when cooked produce some sauce. Hence water is not required. And there’s a natural sweetness in Mussels so not much seasonings is required.

Mushroom with Pork and Prawns 虾肉香菇球

This dish is one of my favorites. Though I can’t say the same for my family. They are hard to please.

Ingredients:

• Dried Shitake Mushroom (some say Chinese Mushroom), soak to soften and stalk removed
• 100g minced pork
• 50g minced prawns (about 100g prawns)
• Cornflour
• ½ teaspoon Oyster Sauce
• A pinch of salt

How to do it:

1. Mix minced pork and minced prawns together with a pinch of salt.
2. Dab some corn flour on the mushroom so as to ‘stick’ the meat to the mushroom.
3. Scoop some meat and put it on the mushroom.
4. Place the mushroom in a deep dish and steam it for 15 mins or cooked thoroughly.
5. Remove and place it on a plate. Retain the sauce.
6. In a pot, bring sauce and oyster sauce to a boil.
7. Stir in some corn flour mixture to thicken the sauce.
8. Pour the sauce over and serve.

Note:Use peas, corn or carrots to decorate it