{ Breakfast : Ham and Cheese Waffle Sandwiches }

I wasn't well hence I bought out my waffle maker and used the hotcake premixed to make some waffles.  I sandwiched them with ham and cheese and served it as breakfast.

Minimum preparation and washing. Good for the sick and tired homecook.

{ Breakfast : Burger with Warpped with Bacon }

This is one of those 'clear the fridge' breakfast.

Meat patty is pan grilled half done before wrapping it with bacon before returning to the grill to continue cooking till the bacon is brown and meat patty is cooked. It is sandwiched between a slice of cheese and sauteed button mushroom.

Steamed Tofu and Scallop with Fermented Black Bean

One of the dishes I prepared for dinner last night.

It is a very simple and easy to prepare dish.  Cooking time is very short so it's good for those who are always rushing for time.

Ingredients:

• I box Silken Tofu, cut into thick slices
• 6 small or 3 big Scallops, slice big scallops into halves

Seasoning:

• 2 teaspoon Fermented Black Bean, quick rinse and chopped
• 1 tablespoon Minced Garlic
• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• 1 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
• 1 teaspoon Maggie Seasoning Sauce (optional)
• Some fresh diced chilli
• 1 tablespoon Olive Oil.

How to do it:

1. Place scallops on tofu and set aside.
2. Add hot and garlic together into pan (so garlic will not brown too fast).
3. Stir fry till garlic is fragrant.
4. Add in the chopped fermented black bean and chilli if using.
5. Stir fry till fragrant; about half a minute.
6. Add in sugar and sauces.
7. Spoon seasoning mixture and place on scallops.
8. Steam for 4-5 mins or till scallops are thoroughly cooked.
9. Serve immediately.

Notes:

• As the seasoning is pre-cooked, you can adjust the sweetness and saltiness according to you liking.
• The seasoning can be preparing ahead and top just before steaming.
• You can replace scallops with small prawns.

Toasted Belacan Granules

I had my whole place smell of the pungent belacan yesterday. 

My homemade belacan granules/powder supply was running low so I toasted 2 blocks of belacan to restock. Usually I will burn a candle next to my pan while toasting it. I ran out of candles and I thought by having 2 fans blowing the smell out of the window, the smell won't spread to the rest of the rooms. I thought wrong. :P

I wouldn't mind the smell, in fact I love it but my husband hates it.  Although I did clear most of the smell but for someone who hates it, it's not difficult to notice it the moment he step into the house.

Well, what has been toasted cannot be untoasted.

Pandan Leaves Wrapped Chicken

Made one of our all time favourites for dinner last night.

You can hop over here for the recipe.  I made a video a few years back on how to wrap the chicken using pandan leaves without the use of toothpicks.  Should have turned the camera the other way round.  Oh well ...

{ Dinner: Japanese Inspired }

The weather has been a truant lately.  Every time I cook, I feel like I'm going to die from both the heat from the terrible weather as well as from cooking.

I have been either cooking really simple quick one pot dinner or eating out. Even if  when I cook I don't have to strength or mood to take any food pics after that. Not even from the mobile phone. (These 2 pics here were taking using my mobile phone ;P)  I just want to quickly clean, wash up and get out of the kitchen to have a shower.

Yesterday, I thought, frying some chicken and mushroom (on top of cooking ramen) wouldn't be that bad but I was so wrong. I think the cooking almost killed me. I ended up eating only a small portion of fried chicken and mushroom, the okra and LOTS of salad! I didn't have ramen cos it's just too hot to enjoy it.

Well, the kids enjoyed it. My daughter actually had 2 servings of ramen. My sweet daughter helped washed all the dishes after that while I head for the showers and she actually vacuumed the house while I was making dinner.  Don't even ask about my son. :/  Humph!

Anyways, here's what's on our dining table last night (that almost killed me :P),

• Shoyu Ramen with Poached Egg instead of Lava Egg,
• Deep Fried Chicken with Fermented Bean Curd,
• Crispy Enoki Mushroom,
• Okra with Mayonnaise minus the Ebiko cos I didn't have it,
• Cabbage Salad, and
• Coconut Jelly with assorted fruits.

{ Breakfast: The everything in it Sandwich }

Making breakfast is getting boring.
One always want egg and no bacon. The other always want bacon but no egg. Always on loggerheads. :P

Today's breakfast, as usual, one had sandwich with everything except egg and the other had everything except bacon. =_=||  The little one had her favourite Cream of Asparagus. The elder one skipped that.

Me and the Math Tutor had everything.   Making breakfast also so difficult. :P

{ Breakfast: Creamy Ham & Cheese on Thick Toast }

I used to order a similar Toast from a certain Tea Room (茶餐厅).  I haven't have this for a long time as I find it too expensive.

I have already forgotten how it tasted like since it has been a few years since I had this.  Making my own version for breakfast today.

Ingredients:

• 2 slices Thick Bread
• 2 slices Ham
• 2 tablespoon Japanese Mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
• 2 tablespoon Mozzarella Cheese
• 1 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese
• Paprika
• Dried Parsley 

How to do it:

1. Dice ham and mix them with Worcestershire Sauce and Mayonnaise.
2. Spread the mixture on bread.
3. Top with both Cheese.
4. Sprinkle on Paprika and Dried Parsley.
5. Toast in preheated oven at 240c for 5 mins or till the cheese melts and starts to brown.
6. Serve immediately.