Home-made Cereal Bars

I finished my can of oats and bought a can of cereals to make this dish. The kids like to munch on the crunchy cereals so much I thought I'll make cereal bars for them.

This makes a nice snacks for tea.

Ingredients:

• 40g Unsalted Butter
• 25g Sugar
• 30g Cereals
• *aluminium foil

How to do it:

1. Melt butter in pan.
2. Add in the cereals.
3. Quickly mix well till all are coated with butter.
4. Add in the sugar.
5. Mix well and stir till sugar are melted and well coated with the cereals.
6. Pour the cereals onto the aluminum foil and pack them flat like a chocolate bar.
7. Press slightly to make them stick together.
8. Wrap the foil tightly and refrigerate.
9. Remove when the pack is cooled and cereals have stick together (no longer loose)
10. Use a knife to chop them into smaller pieces.

Note:

• You can use instant oats too.
• Add raisins and/or chop nuts if you like.

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

Marble Cake

KF, one of my friends I know through MSNing did a delicious Marble Cake (one of my favourite) and I knew I had to try to do it. If you could see it, you would love the marble effect on her cake. As you can see, my marble effect is kind of weird. Eva, another friend I know through MSNing said she could see numbers in my cake (shown on the bottom picture). Maybe, the cake is trying to give me numbers to buy lottery. Can you see the numbers?

If you can see the number, went to buy lottery and strike it, remember to buy my ingredients so I can bake some more. *giggle* If you don't know what to buy, there's a donation button on my main page. Don't be shy. You can click on that, send me the money and I'll do the buying myself. LOLz.

Enough of my nonsense. Here's how you can make your own numbered Marble Cake. Try your luck and hope you strike big! *wink*

Ingredients:

• 50g Shortening
• 50 Butter
• 120g Cake Flour
• 120g Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 2 Eggs
• 20g Milk

Coco Mixture:

• 10g Cocoa Powder
• 1 g Baking Soda
• 25g Hot Water

How to do it:

1. Preheat oven.
2. Mix the coco mixture and set aside.
3. Beat shortening and butter till soft.
4. Shift in flour and continue beating.
5. Beat till flour and butter are well mixed and fluffy.
6. Add sugar and salt.
7. Mix well over medium speed.
8. Add beaten eggs over 3 times, mixing well each time before adding.
9. Add milk gradually and beat over low speed till sugar dissolved. This will be the white batter.
10. Remove 150g batter and mix well with coco mixture for the dark batter.
11. Take turns in pouring the batter.
12. Pour white batter followed by dark batter and so on till all batter are used up.
13. Then use a chopstick to slightly stir to create patten.
14. Bake at 160C for 55 minutes or do the toothpick test.

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

* Fresh from the Oven *

* Can you see the numbers? *

Credits of the recipe goes to Zheng Yan Xue, author of Cakes & Cookies

Crabstick Salad

I always have a pack of crabsticks in the fridge, frozen individually, as my son like it. If I run out of ideas for dinner, crabstick is always there to help. It can be used in soup or steamed in eggs or as a novelty dinner.

I used to order a similar dish at a Japanese stall in a food court. It had tobiko sprinkled all over but I didn't had that so I used spring onions to add colour.

This is so easy to make and can be eaten alone or used as a filling for sandwich, which we did! Just steam and shred 6 crabsticks. Mix it well with 3 tablespoon of Mayonnaise, more if you like, and an optional of 1/2 tablespoon Spring Onion. Serve it chilled.

It's nice! Try it!

Braised Mushroom with Dried Oyster and Moss

This is one of a few dishes we will always see on in law's dining table during Chinese New Year. I have known my husband for 17 years and I see this dish every year during Chinese New Year's Reunion dinner. There are other regular dishes too and they are all cooked the same way every year. Even if we are having steamboat, this dish will still appear on the dining table. *giggle*

Perhaps its the reason that they are Cantonese and the ingredients used for this dish sounds very auspicious. Dried oyster sounded like 好事 (good deeds; returns) and the moss sounded like 发财 (get rich) in Mandarin. Together it will be 好事发财, lots of good returns and fortune!

I usually don't cook with the dried oyster because my son hates it. I don't like to eat it too. I just add it for extra flavours.

Ingredients:

• 8 Dried Chinese Mushroom, soaked to soften and stalks removed (do not squeeze dry)
• 10g Dried Sea Moss, soaked to soften and drained
• 4 Dried Oysters, soaked for 5 minutes

Seasonings 1:

• 1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon Chinese Cooking Wine
• 700ml water or broth for richer taste

Seasonings 2:

• 1/2 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
• A pinch of salt and sugar to taste

How to do it:

1. Put mushroom with water in a deep pot. (Mushroom should be covered in water)
2. Add in seasoning 1 and bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour.
4. The water should have reduced by about half.
5. Add in the dried oyster and continue to simmer for another hour or till mushroom is tender.
6. Add in seasoning 2 and sea moss.
7. Bring to boil.
8. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
9. Dish and serve.
   

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

Basic Cupcake 基本小蛋糕

Baking again! I'm determine to try baking the usual stuff that I used to get from my friends (who were very into baking then). I'm always told that they are easy especially cupcakes, they said.
Cupcakes are very versatile. I have seen so many types of cupcakes. Cupcakes with fillings, fruits, frosting, etc. So I guess I need to try to make the basic cupcake first and from there I can add "salt and vinegar" (Chinese term on adding additional stuff).
Hmm ... yeah. I think I can handle cupcakes. My first attempt on cupcakes turned out rather well. My kids finished the whole lot of mini cupcakes!
Ingredients:

• 120g Unsalted Butter, soften
• 130 grams White Sugar
• 3 large Eggs
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Essence
• 210 grams All purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Baking Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 60ml Milk

How to do it:

1. Preheat oven to 170C.
2. Lightly butter or line tray with pleated paper cups.
3. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
4. Add in eggs, one at a time.
5. Beat well before adding the next egg.
6. Add in vanilla essence and mix well.
7. In a separate bowl shift the flour, baking powder and salt.
8. Add to the butter and egg mixture in parts.
9. Add in the milk.
10. Beat till combined.
11. Fill the muffin cups with the batter and bake for about 18-20 minutes or use the toothpick test.
12. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool.

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

Mr Happy Rice Ball

I did this for my son yesterday.

It's funny how some peas, carrot bits, tiny bits of ham and even more tiny cut out seaweed, with the help of toothpicks, can transform a boring rice ball to something totally different.

Mr Happy Rice Ball is relaxed and stretched out ... waiting to be eaten! LOL

* Steamed Veggies sprinkled with bonito flakes and a pinch of salt *

* Egg and Fish Paste Roll *

* the happy rice man *

Egg and Fish Paste Roll

My kids love fish balls a lot so I buy fish paste from the uncle who sells yong tau foo to make it into other dishes for them. Making it myself will takes up too much time.

This dish is similar to this dish I made, except this is steamed. Hence seaweed is not used as steaming with the seaweed would make it soft and soggy. I doubt my kids would like it. I just sprinkle on some seaweed flakes for colour.

Ingredients:

• 150g Fish Paste
• 1 Egg, beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon Seaweed Flakes (optional)
• 2 drops of Oil

How to do it:

1. Heat pan with oil.
2. Pour half of the beaten egg into the pan.
3. Swirl the pan to let the egg spread out.
4. Remove egg when it's cooked.
5. Repeat with the remaining half of the beaten egg.
   Spread fish paste thinly over one egg crepe.
6. Place the second egg crepe on top of the fish paste.
7. Spread fish paste thinly it.
8. Sprinkle seaweed flakes over the fish paste if you like.
9. Start rolling it (like sushi).
10. Tuck in the ends.
11. Place on a plate and cover with cling wrap (to avoid water from getting it and making the egg soggy)
12. Steam for 10 minutes or till cooked.
13. Remove, sliced into smaller pieces and serve.

Note:
You can choose not to double it. Just roll with one egg crepe. You will have a small roll.

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

Little Cheese Men

My son likes ham and cheese sandwiches but the most he will eat is a slice of bread if it's with sliced cheese even if in cute shapes. However if it's with ham alone, he can eat two slices. So I gathered that it got to do with cheese.

I tried Parmesan Cheese and guess what? He can eat more than three slices! Sure he likes it. It smells nice and is crunchy too!

* Marching Little Cheese Men *

Today we had cut-out little men and flowers (not shown here) on the remaining bread. It was really easy to make too.

Just butter the bread. Have a bowl of grated Parmesan Cheese ready. You may want to use unsalted butter since Parmesan Cheese alone is salty enough. Then press the bread with butter side down to the cheese. Shake off excess cheese. After which, you can toast it in your oven, cheese side up.

I was too lazy to bring out my oven so I used frying  pan instead. Toast the plain side first then turn over to toast the side with cheese. Remove them once they are slightly brown. Cool them on the rack before giving them to your kids.

Oh! Your kids can do this too. It's fun! Just remember to do the toasting for them.

Strawberry Milk Pudding

My kids love Meiji's Milk but they both have taste. The older boy prefers Strawberry Flavour and the younger girl, Chocolate. So I had to buy both flavours if I'm buying milk.

Occasionally, there will be leftovers and in order to make them finish the milk before the expiry date, I turn the milk into pudding.

It's really easy. Just melt 1 tablespoon of gelantine in 50ml of hot syrup (boiling water with sugar) and add that to 400ml of milk. Pour it to your mould and refrigerate till it is set.

Add whipped cream or fruits to it or just have it on its own.

Note:
If you prefer a firmer jelly, add more gelatine. Like wise, increase or decrease the amount of sugar for the syrup according to your taste.

Mini Prawn Cutlet Rice Burger

What happens if you want to eat burger and rice but it's impossible to finish both? Have a rice burger then! LOLz

I made this rice burger for my son with the Prawn Cutlet I did. Yeah, that's plain rice instead of buns. Just add some lettuce, tomato, onion, even cheese, squeeze some sauce and you have it.

Check out these other rice burgers I made too.

Oh! Just in case you are wondering how the rice cakes were made, I cooked the rice as normal except I added slightly more water (1 cup rice with 1 1/2 cup water) to make it more moist and sticky.

If you don't like to use your bare hands to make the rice cake, scoop the rice onto a cling wrap. Cover it with the same cling wrap and roll it with a rolling pin or similar. Lift up the cling wrap and 'fold' the flatten rice. Cover it and continue rolling. Repeat till the rice sticks together. Use a round cookie cutter to cut out the rice.

Using your hands will be much easier. *wink*

By the way, these prawn cutlet rice burgers were only 7cm in diameter, hence ... mini.

Prawn Cutlet

I love the Prawn Cutlet Burger from MOS burger. Each time I eat it, I'll try to figure out what's in there. I never succeed (because I'm not the Remy, the Chef Mouse ... *giggle*).

My version is not as good but it will do. I shouldn't complain since the guys at home love it. Just that, I have been doing this for so long I think I should be thinking of ways to improvise it. Yeah, I'll do it the next time I do this. For the meantime, the family is still having the 'original' WokkingMum's Prawn Cutlet. *giggle*

Ingredients:

• 750g Prawns, small prawns is fine here. It's cheaper too.
• 1 egg, beaten
• Cornflour for dusting
• Breadcrumbs
• Oil for frying

Seasonings:

• 1/2 teaspoon Light Soy Sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon Sesame Seed Oil
• 1 teaspoon Chinese Cooking Wine
• a dash of salt and pepper each

How to do it:

1. Shell prawns and devein.
2. Season the prawns.
3. Mince 2/3 of the prawns with a blender or chopper.
4. Dice the remaining prawns.
5. Wet both your hands (so the paste will not stick to your hands).
6. Scoop about 2 tablespoon of prawn paste to you palm.
7. Press in some diced prawns in it.
8. Shape it and dust with cornflour.
9. Wash with egg and coat it with breadcrumbs.
10. Deep fry till it turns golden brown.
11. Drain on paper towels.
12. Serve with your preferred dipping sauce.

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

Penguin Waffle with Ice Cream

While surfing the net, I found this cute waffle maker called Woddles. The end product is not the boring normal square or circle waffles but in the shape of a ... Penguin!!

I went hunting for it and all the sales person I approached gave me the blur look. Then I gave up looking for it. That was 6 months ago.

Guess what my husband showed me when we went to Sheng Siong Supermarket on Sunday? Yeah! It's the Penguin Waffle Marker!!! It's a copycat of the original but who cares as long as it still gives me the same end results. I was hopping like a little girl and my husband had to buy it for me. *giggle*

Yeah, things just show up when you least expect it.

* the hungry Penguim *

This recipe came with the waffle maker...

Ingredients:

• 1 cup self raising flour
• 1 egg, separated
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1/4 cup water
• 45g butter, melted
• 1 1/2 tablespoons caster sugar

How to do it:

1. Pre-heat waffle maker.
2. In a large bowl combine the sifted flour, egg yolk, milk, water and butter.
3. Using an electric mixer; mix until smooth.
4. Using clean beaters; beat egg white in a small bowl until soft peaks form then gradually add the sugar and beat until the sugar is dissolved.
5. Fold the egg white mixture into the mixture.
6. Spoon 2 rounded tablespoons of mixture into each penguin waffle mould; using a plastic spatula push the mixture into the hands and feet of the moulds.
7. Close lid and cook for 3 minutes.
8. Remove waffles with a plastic spatula onto a cooling rack.
9. Allow waffles to cool slightly before giving to children.

Note:
Obviously, I fed a scoop of ice cream to the penguin and I have also added an additional tablespoon of sugar and increase the milk to 1/2 cup to the original batter.

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

* the bloated Penguin *

Sesame Chicken

This was done some time back. I bought some (skinless) chicken breast meat from the super market. I knew my son won't like it because they are skinless (he likes the skin) so I did this instead. The sesame seed gave a nice aroma to the bland chicken.

Ingredients:

• 2 Chicken Fillet or Breast Meat
• Batter (Flour with water)
• Sesame Seed
• 1/2 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
• 1 teaspoon Chinese Cooking Wine
• Oil for frying

How to do it:

1. Marinate the chicken with light soy sauce and wine for an hour.
2. Dip the chicken in batter and coat with sesame seeds.
3. Deep fry in low heat till the sesame seeds turn golden brown.
4. Remove and drain the oil.
5. Cut in slices and serve with your dipping sauce.

Note:
I served it with my Sweet and Spicy Sauce.

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

Tempura Mushrooms with Sweet and Spicy Sauce

Okay, okay ... I promise myself I won't have fried stuff for supper but these button mushroom had been sitting my fridge for 2 days and they are begging me to heat them up because they can't stand the cold anymore. So, so, so ... I fried them and let them swim in some sweet and spicy sauce.

They should be happy. I think they are hot. *giggle*

Here's the concoction of my dipping sauce:

• 1/2 tablespoon Lime Juice
• 1/2 tablespoon (Maggi) Chilli Sauce
• 1 teaspoon Light Soy Sauce
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Coriander Roots, chopped
• 1/3 teaspoon Sesame Seed Oil

* Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce *

Chicken Drumlets with Dual Dipping Sauce

My kids love these chicken drumlets. It's easy for them to hold on to to eat. This time to make the chicken stay crunchy longer, I changed the coating.

Instead of dipping the marinated chicken in batter, I coat it with corn flour then washed it with beaten egg and lastly coat it with breadcrumbs, before I deep fried them. This method will produce a thinner crunchy outer layer but it requires more ingredients. If you prefer to have a thicker outer layer, you can always use the old method.

I fried more of these drumlets so me and my husband can have some too; not only for the kids this time. And I made some dipping sauces to go with it. The kids of course still love it with tomato sauce.

* Sesame Seed Sauce*

• Grind or pound 2 1/2 tablespoon Sesame Seed till paste-like.
• Add in 1 tablespoon each of Black Vinegar and Light Soy sauce with 1/2 tablespoon Sesame Seed Oil to it and mix well.

* Spicy Mayonnaise Sauce *

• Mix 1 tablespoon of Chilli Sauce and Mayonnaise each together.
  

Clams in White Wine

I cooked this sometime back just for myself because no one at home like clams. Well, not when it's cooked this way. They preferred it this way. I don't really enjoy eating alone. It makes food seems boring.

Anyway, I just have the plate of cooked clams in front of me, pick out all the shells, then have it with a bowl of rice. The sauce is sweet and I like it with rice. I like it more if I have someone to enjoy this with. *wink*
Ingredients:

• 500g Soft Shell Clams, soaked in salted water for them to ‘split out’ the sand and brushed to clean the dirt on the shells
• 4 glove Garlic , sliced
• 4 tablespoon White Wine
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 bunch Basil Leaves
• Salt to taste

How to do it:

1. Heat wok with oil.
2. Add in garlic and stir fry till fragrant.
3. Add in the clams
4. Stir fry till the clams have open. Throw away those which are not open (Do not force open. They are probably bad)
5. Add in the wine and simmer till cooked.
6. Throw in the basil leave and salt to taste.
7. Stir fry for another 10 seconds.
8. Dish and serve.

Note:
Try soaking them in 3 tablespoon of wine (Chinese cooking wine or white wine) after the clams are cleaned for half an hour. Mix around once a while, so every clams can get drunk. hehe ... Taste better.

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

Salad with Sweet Lemon Dressing

I sleep late most of the time and usually I'll be hungry by 9pm as I take my dinner very early with the kids. It's not very good to take supper so usually I'll take salad if I really can bear with the hunger. In this salad bowl you see, I had lettuce, onions, tomatoes and some leftover Chuka Kurage (Marinated Jellyfish).

For this dressing, I mixed the following together and it's ready to be use ...

• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil or Sesame Seed Oil
• 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup
• 1/2 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon Lemon Juice
• a toss of Sesame Seeds

Note:
You can use honey or sugar instead of Maple Syrup. If you find it too sour to your liking, add more.

Creamy Mushroom Soup 奶油蘑菇浓汤

I did a Cream of Mushroom before which was like those canned soup. A friend who tried it told me it would be better if it taste less floury. You can make creamy mushroom soup without using or use very little of flour and it taste equally good. Just spend slightly more money *wink*.

Anyway, this recipe is adapted from my Creamy Broccoli Soup.

Ingredients:

• 300g White Button Mushroom
• 10g Butter
• 300ml Chicken Broth
• 250ml Whipping Cream
• Salt to taste

How to do it:

1. Saute Button mushroom with butter till mushroom absorb the butter.
2. Pour mushroom into the blender.
3. Add the broth.
4. Blend till smooth.
5. Pour into a pot.
6. Add in the whipping cream.
7. Stir to mix well.
8. Bring to a boil.
9. Serve.

Note:

If you prefer the soup to be thicker, gradually stir in cornflour mixture to thicken it.

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

Pasta in Mushroom Sauce

You have probably seen a lot of mushroom dishes here. I love to eat mushroom and will try ways to cook it. We don't eat much pasta because there are no fans at home and it's boring to eat alone.

I usually replace the pasta with soba if I'm cooking for the family. For this dish I made a plate using the pasta in animal shapes I have been trying to finish (because the kids hated it) for myself.

Try it with shells, Penne or other pasta that can hold the sauce in it. So every mouthful is filled with sauce. Yummy!

Ingredients:

• 2 palm sized Portobello Mushroom, diced
• 8 Brown cap Button Mushroom, sliced
• 1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
• 200ml Whipping Cream
• 1 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese
• 1 tablespoon Butter or Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Cooked Pasta for two

How to do it:

1. Heat wok, add olive oil or butter.
2. Add garlic and saute till fragrant.
3. Add portobello mushroom.
4. Saute till well cooked. You will see sauce from the cooking.
5. Add button mushroom.
6. Saute well.
7. Add in the cream and bring to a simmer.
8. Add half of the Parmesan cheese, cooked pasta, salt and pepper to taste.
9. Simmer till sauce thickens
10. Dish and top with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
11. Serve.

Note:

• You can choose not to add portobello mushroom and use more button mushroom instead.
• Portobello mushroom will help increase the taste of mushroom.

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