Seaweed in Pork Roll 紫菜猪肉卷

This is one of my husband's and son's favourite dish.

It's easy to do make and it's great that my son who doesn't like vegetable, enjoys this dish. Probably because it's deep-fry. :P

You can prepare this early and bring it out to deep-fry when you are ready to serve it. Oh, I shallow fry using a small saucepan so I don't use so much oil. You just have to turn it once.

Ingredients:

• 10 slices Shabu Shabu Pork Slices
• 10 slices Japanese Nori (seaweed)
• 1-2 pinch Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/2 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
• a dash Ground Black Pepper (optional)
• 1 Egg, beaten
• Cornflour for dusting
• Panko or Breadcrumbs for coating

How to do it:

1. Dab pork slices dry and season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
2. Place a slice of seaweed on top.
3. Start rolling from one end till completely rolled up.
4. Dust with cornflour, dip in beaten egg and coat with panko.
5. Deep fry till golden brown.
6. Drain on paper towel.
7. Serve with your favourite dipping sauce.

Seafood Treasure Pot 海鲜一品锅

This not to be confused with Pen Cai 盆菜 (Literal meaning "basin-vegetable") which has a lot more ingredients.

I'm experimenting with Chinese New Year and thought this would be a nice dish for the occassion.  Although there are some preparation work to be done, it's still relatively simple and easy to prepare this.

So, do you think this is good enough to serve on Chinese New Year Reunion Dinner?

Ingredients:

• 100g Broccoli, cut into florets
• 6 Fresh Shitake Mushroom, clean with damp cloth and stems removed
• 100g Fish Maw 鱼鳔, soak to soften
• 80g Bamboo Pith aka Bamboo Mushroom 竹笙, soak to soften
• 6 Large Prawns, shelled and deveined
• 4 Dried Large Scallops, soak for at least 30mins; retain water
• 4 Dried Oyster,, soak for 30 mins
• 10g Moss 发菜, soak to soften, drained and set aside
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• Cornflour Mixture as Thickener
• a dash of Sesame Oil

Seasonings:

• 1 tablespoon Abalone Sauce
• 1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chinese Cooking Wine
• 600ml Water, including water used to soak Dried Scallops
• 1/3 teaspoon Sugar or to taste
• Salt to taste
• a few drops Dark Soy Sauce for colour

How to do it:

1. Clean prawn and add 1 teaspoon sugar.
2. Marinade and coat prawns well with sugar.
3. Refrigerate for 20 mins. Cover the prawns so it will not dry up.
4. Drain fish maw and bamboo pith from water.
5. Blanch for 1 min, drain and set aside.
6. Add fish maw, bamboo pith, dried scallop, dried oyster and mushroom into a pot.
7. Add seasonings except sugar, dark soy sauce and sesame oil.
8. Bring to as boil then reduce heat to a simmer for 30 mins.
9. Meanwhile, blanch Broccoli for 5 mins or till tender.
10. Drain and set aside.
11. Blanch prawn for 30 seconds or just cooked.
12. Drain and set aside.
13. Add the remaining seasonings to the simmering pot.
14. Add in dried moss, blanched broccoli and prawns.
15. Simmer for a min.
16. Gradually stir-in cornflour mixture to your desired consistency.
17. Serve immediately.

Note:

• You can replace prawns with fresh scallops if you like.
• When choosing fresh shitake mushrooms, look for those that dry and firm on touch.
• Add a bit more (hot) water if you find the sauce drying up during simmering.

Little Lunch Box #44 小饭盒

This is a simple lunch box I prepared for my daughter for her recess last Wednesday.

Before I start packing, she told me not to make any animals for her (she is not into cute food). She said she don't know how to eat them. She said just make like our dinner. :P

I still couldn't resist and sliced a braised egg and decorated it a little. I regretted a little cos moisture from the rice did some changes to the egg yolk. Then when my daughter saw it, she said, "I thought I said please don't make any animals?" :P :P  Opps ... 

Okay, I will try not to next time. ;)

Braised Egg on Mixed Rice (white and brown rice)

Chicken Cutlet and Sweet Peas with Edamame & Crabstick

Introducing more fruits to my fruit hater :P
She has accepted apples and blueberries. Letting her try golden kiwi.

Sesame and Peanut Cookie 芝麻花生酥

During last Chinese New Year, I get lots of request for Peanut Cookies. I can't recall how many times I have did it. Luckily it was one of the easiest Chinese New Year snacks to make. Hence, I didn't get tired of making it. :P

Closer to the festival, I tweaked my recipe a little and added toasted sesame to it and my family members commented that it was even better than the original.

I realised that the new recipe has been sleeping my draft folder, along with many other recipes :P. Anways, It's never too late to share, In fact, it's just in time. If you love Peanut Cookies, you may like this too. Try baking some for the coming Chinese New Year. :)

PS. This photo here is a year old. :P

Ingredients:

• 300g Peanut Powder with sugar
• 150g Toasted Sesame Seed, grind into powder
• 50g Sesame Seed
• 120g Extra Fine Sugar
• 250g Top Flour or All Purpose Flour
• 190ml Oil (I use Olive Oil)
• 1/3 teaspoon Salt
• 1 Egg Yolk, beaten for glazing
• Additional Sesame Seeds as toppings

How to do it:

1. Mix flour, salt, sugar, grind sesame and peanut powder together to combine.
2. Pour half of the oil into the peanut mixture and mix together. I use hands to do it.
3. Pour the remaining oil and continue mixing and kneading till the (icing) sugar has melted.
4. Roll a ball of 10g paste and if it doesn’t crumble, your paste is ready. Otherwise, add a bit of oil till the peanut ball doesn't crumble when you roll it.
5. Place peanut ball on baking tray.
6. Brush with the egg yolk.
7. Sprinkle on some sesame seed.
8. Bake in a preheated oven for 13mins at 180C till lightly golden brown.
9. Cool on rack and store in air tight container.

Pan (Cup) Cake 杯子松饼

I was packing my pantry and found 2 packet of Morinaga Pancake Mix expiring this month. Not wanting to waste them, I decided to use 1 packet to make pancakes as my dinner :P

While making my 2nd pancake, the little one came into the kitchen asking for help with her homework. I decided to pour the reminding batter into muffin cups and baked them instead. :P

As I did some adjustment to the instruction on the packaging, the results of the baked pancake turned out not too bad. It's like a cross between cupcake and muffin.

I made 2 large pancakes and 4 cupcakes or about 7-8 cupcakes without making pancakes, with the batter. If you have the same pancake mix, you might want to give it a try.

Ingredients:

• 1 packet Morinaga Pancake Mix (160g)
• 2-3 tablespoon Icing Sugar
• 140ml Fresh Milk
• 1 Whole Egg
• 1 Egg White
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract
• 1 tablespoon Baking Powder

How to do it:

1. Mix all ingredients together.
2. Whisk till smooth with no lumps (I used a blender to do it).
3. Let the batter rest for 5 mins.
4. Pour batter into muffin cup till 2/3 full.
5. Bake at preheat oven at 180C for 12 mins.
6. Let it cool and add whipping cream or other toppings if you like.

Note:
You can make regular pancake using this recipe. The pancakes will rise higher and will be fluffier.

Grilled Sea Bass with Thyme and Garlic Butter

My husband is away on an overseas business trip for the past week (meaning less cooking :p)

Usually I will eat whatever leftover from the kids' dinner. However, I had a piece of Seabass in the fridge that I wanted to clear, so I made a simple dinner for myself yesterday instead of having leftovers.

I had the sea bass grilling in the oven while I worked on the sides. This also means less cleaning up. You can pan-fry it too. You can have to watch over it so it will burn.

Ingredients for Grilled Sea bass:

• 1 slice Sea bass
• 1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder
• 2 sprig Fresh Thyme
• Salt and Ground Black Pepper to taste

Ingredients for Zesty Garlic Butter:

• 2 clove Garlic, minced
• Zest of 1 Lemon
• 1 tablespoon Butter

Ingredients for Mashed Cauliflower:

• 230g Cauliflower, cut into florets
• 1/3 tablespoon Butter
• 1 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese (optional)
• Salt to taste

How to do it:

1. Clean and pat dry sea bass.
2. Mix herbs and spice ingredients for sea bass together.
3. Rub all over the sea bass and set aside for 15 mins.
4. Meanwhile, prepare the zesty garlic butter but mixing all ingredients together.
5. Spread half of the butter on the skin side of the seabass.
6. Grilled the sea bass on rack in preheat oven at 250C for 8 mins, longer if you want the skin browned.
7. Turn over, spread the remaining butter and continue to grill for another 8 mins.
8. While the sea bass is grilling in the oven, prepare the cauliflower.
9. Steam the cauliflower florets for 10 mins. You can blanch them too.
10. Drain well and pour into a blender.
11. Add the butter and half of the parmesan cheese.
12. Blend till smooth.
13. Add salt to taste.
14. Scoop out onto a plate and sprinkle the remaining parmesan cheese.
15. You can bake it in the oven to brown it if you like.
16. Remove sea bass from oven and serve together with the mashed cauliflower.

 

Little Lunch Box #43 小饭盒

I cooked lunch for my daughter yesterday but she said she was still full after eating a huge (for her) bun for breakfast. Hence I packed it for her to eat for recess instead.

It has all of her favourites and she asked for a few Blueberries to try out (she doesn't take fruits). It has Edamame, Cocktail Sausages and Fish Tofu.