Monday, October 29, 2007

Dorayaki

We used to get dorayaki from Yaohan when I was little. I loved those bean-filled pancakes, so perfectly round and fun to hold and squish. But then again... I loved all kinds of food. Oh well!

Decided to make my own using oatmeal. I sometimes have oatmeal pancakes for breakfast, made with cinnamon, lemon and raisins. For my doroyaki, I used pulverized green tea leaves. Haha! A crazy idea that popped into my head as I was making the pancake mixture.

You can make these small and round, or larger and folded in half :D




Pork Chop Stack

"Where's the meat?" asks a hungry hubby... I can live without it, but he can't. Poor guy.

Here's a nice treat for him... lotsa meat, big chunky pork chops, soaked in pineapple juice for 3 days, then seasoned with lemon myrtle salt (that a friend gave me), crumbed and pan-fried.

Having in mind that he likes his food saucey (?), I whipped up a garlic tomato sauce, generously poured all over.


Friday, October 26, 2007

Appam

I love Indian breads... any kind... Northern Southern... wheat flour, atta, rice flour... All go down very well. :))

Thought I might be ambitious to make Appam from scratch... it really isn't easy to get right. Here's my first attempt! Tastes more sour than those I've tried. But really yummy with lots of grated coconut and brown sugar. While the mixture was fermenting, I dreamt about Appam all night!

I must have eaten 8 of them already. :p~ Great for breakfast and dessert, and for mopping up curries! Yum yum!

Thin and crispy... just the way I like it!

Monday, October 22, 2007

Natto!

How much I love Natto, I can sing its praises till kingdom come! It's really addictive! Especially after you stir it till it's all gooey and stringy... Goes pretty well with Shiso. My mouth is watering. :p~


Aburaage

Aburaage make handy pockets which can be stuffed with pretty much anything you like. A Japanese lady showed us how she made hers with bean sprouts and spring onions... so healthy and delicious! Mine has bean sprouts, corriander and sliced chilli. Grilled till crispy on the outside!


Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Vegetable Stews

If you love meat, like some individuals I know... then this would not interest you. In fact, like hubby, you'd ask: "No meat?" with a look of disdain. I reassured him that there'd be lots of meat at the North Indian buffet that evening. :))



Konnyaku, eggplant and sugarpeas.





Choko & Kelp.

All stewed in dashi. Yum yum.

Monday, October 8, 2007

Making Yuba at Home

Thought that it would be fun to make my own yuba (tofu skin) at home, so I started to simmer some soymilk in a pan. Soon, yuba started to form at the top and I fished it out with my chopsticks.





So oishii I could melt into a puddle! Didn't need any sauces or condiments. Had a nice mouthful to eat every minute or so... this went on for about 30minutes, till I was just about soyed over.





Ureshii!

Thursday, October 4, 2007

Oishii!!

Lately, I've been taking a great interest in Japanese Home Cooking. Ooh... the variety of ingredients available in the suupa in Japan... really sparks my curiousity. Just sea vegetables alone... there are so many kinds... the most bizzare I found was funori -- a kind of spiny burgundy coloured seaweed.

And the veggies! All kinds of veggies to be pickled, steamed, deep fried, stewed, stir-fried, and also eaten raw. I had gobo cooked in different ways and decided to replicate the stewed version at home.



And of course, a nice piece of grilled fish and more stewed veggies to go with a steaming hot bowl of gohan!

Oishiiiiiiiiiiiiii

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Double Boiled Prawns in Coconut Juice

Tis the season for pasar malam near our home again!

The only 2 things I buy from there are putu piring (I can eat 10 at a go) and whole coconuts. The coconuts are convenient to consume as they've got their tops cut off. As I was happily sipping one of them, I was thinking of what to do with the rest. Lightning struck in my big eccentric head and I was sufficiently inspired to make this dish.

So easy to make coz' the prawns are double boiled in their own little container with a lid. And the container is disposable too! Actually, they make very good pots for hanging plants.




Friday, June 15, 2007

"Walnut Butter"

I gave up eating anything containing large amounts of hydrogenated oil about 10 years ago... thanks to a brilliant health-conscious chemist friend, who educated me on the evils of trans fats. Never did like margarine or vegetable shortening anyway. More butter, lard and coconut oil for me!

But I like peanut butter on my toast! I've made my own, but I think walnuts are better for you, so I came up with a walnut butter recipe, though it's more like a spread. I wake up some mornings and think how good life is because I can have toast with my walnut spread. :)


Friday, June 8, 2007

Melitzanes Tiganites

This is my version of Greek Battered Eggplant. It's excellent as a party finger food or appetizer. Trouble is that it has to be served very warm, which means you have to be slaving over the stove while your guests are enjoying themselves. Eventually, they'll come hovering over the stove too coz' they can't wait to be served. :))


Tuesday, June 5, 2007

Seafood Pancakes



This is my version of the Korean dish (Hey-Mul Pajun). It's so easy to make in your own home. The kids successfully learnt how to make it during one of our workshops. They did such a good job... cutting, mixing and spreading and flipping. You should see them! Thumbs up :)

Friday, June 1, 2007

Ba Li Tong



My sister-in-law first described this exotic food many years ago. She talked about the knocking and sucking at the shell, picking at it with a toothpick, really got me curious...

I actually didn't even get to try it till 3 years ago, in Penang. And one more time in Changi Village. This time I saw a whole bag of it being sold for just $2. They are nice and fresh, still moving!

Despite the way they look, they're really good. That is if you can contort your lips effectively around the openings to get to the small morsels of flesh hidden in the spiral shells.

It's a negative calorie food I tell you. The amount of energy expanded in extracting those guys exceeds the calories they contain. Oh, but I forgot to account for the dipping sauce: chinchalok, garlic, chilli sauce and lime. Sorry!

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Black Sesame Cookies

I have a basic cookie recipe which took a while to perfect. I gave it to a friend to test and see if it could be replicated. She tells me that she's been baking various flavours to give away. A good way to share the calories.

I shall call it "Fund Raiser Cookies" coz' we'll be making some to raise funds for a youth organisation.

Tried some with black sesame. I've already made orange chocolate chip and lemon lavender. Trouble is I couldn't stop eating them!


Thursday, May 24, 2007

Pomelo Prawn Salad

My greatest source of inspiration is my stomach! I usually cook what I feel like eating. :D And lately, I've been feeling like having a big fat salad for lunch every day.



Tada! Pomelo prawn salad. Totally not pre-meditated. I had a whole pink pomelo sitting in the kitchen, waiting for someone to come and devour it. And some shrimpies in the freezer crying out to be rescued from the cold. Life is great when there's food sitting around the house!

A Sweet Experiment

I tried making a lacy crispy crepe and it turned out alright, though not as well as I would've liked it to be. Next time, I might use a different contraption to get the desired effect. I used a big syringe for this one. Well, it was a brand new one, unopened in the packaging, very sterile in fact! :D

Wednesday, May 23, 2007

Curry in a Hurry

I had a craving for curry, which is odd in this hot weather! I usually make a quick chicken curry with lots of veges and sometimes fruit (!)... whatever I have in the fridge. I also made a crepe-like bread to eat with it. We ate almost all of it... which means there wasn't enough for the next day when it would've tasted even better!



Monday, May 21, 2007

That Looks Healthy!

You'd think we are on a health-kick just because we eat tofu and vegetables! But of course, we're not!



I actually like making (and eating) this version of tahu goreng because it can taste very different every time! For this particular dressing, I used sesame oil, olive oil, brown rice vinegar, Lingham's chilli sauce (yumm!) and Bragg's Liquid Amino Acids. I didn't have any lime in the fridge, but it would be perfect with a little squeeze.

If anyone were to profile my personality based on my salad dressings, I'd be diagnosed with a multi-personality disorder. Just how many? Ask a mathematician.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Real Men Don't Eat Quiche?

For your information Mr Bruce Feirstein… my husband, who is a real man, ate 2 slices of my Bacon n Onion Quiche for lunch, just a short while ago.

I am so blessed with hubby, who is ever so sweet and supportive. He readily eats whatever I make. Other than his aversion to fish with bones, he pretty much eats every thing else I put on the table. How sweet! 0:)

I too, eat everything I put on the table! And today, I decided to make something I haven’t made in years. No-recipe Quiche. I made mine with chunky bacon, lots of onion, tomatoes, soy milk (we don’t stock cow’s milk in the fridge), Swiss Buendner Cheese (whatever that is...), all topped with Romano Cheese.

To give me some peace of mind about the somewhat decadent ingredients I’ve put in there, I put rolled oats in the crust. Who am I kidding?

Oh well, I don’t normally measure when I cook, and I didn't today (shhh!) but somehow everything fit nicely in my large quiche dish, filled right to the brim. It’s a miracle!


It’s awful to have to wait when your stomach’s rumbling! Tick Tick Tick...




At last! We get to tuck in.



Love the crispy, crunchy pastry! Ok, ok, I confess! I had two slices too, but they were considerable smaller than hubby's!




Monday, May 14, 2007

Petite Patty Cakes

Didn't have a clue what to make for dinner last night. But I was sufficiently inspired by 5pm to make it in time for our 6pm TV dinner.

Pork & Prawn Patty Cakes on Grilled Potatoes. Seems to have a ring to it. Dressed with balsamic vinegar and a little chilli sauce. :D



Lunch Time!

Laksa Pesto, Oh So Versatile!

Had it spread on some kind of fish I bought from the market and grilled for a while.

The taste was heavenly! We both thought it tasted like otah, only a lot better!

Laksa Pesto

Last Wednesday I was inspired to make Laksa Pesto. I have never tried it before but it sounds good. I love laksa leaves, so I went out to buy a whole bunch!

Well, I added some other secret ingredients to the pesto and here's what it looked like. As you can see, I made lots!



















And with Spiral Pasta...



















Not for ye low-carb diet folks!

Tuesday, May 8, 2007

Pretty Dumplings... All in a Row

Suddenly had a craving for dumplings (jiao zi) yesterday. So off I went to the shops to get some minced pork and cabbage, I still had some prawns in the freezer. While at the shops, I got so hungry looking at all the food I decided to buy a snack for myself. Ended up with a whole packet of that colourful steamed rice cupcake thingy (what do you call that?). And so, I broke the rule of not shopping when you're hungry. But... I'm always hungry!

Anyway, I got down to preparing the dumpling filling soon after I stuffed my face with the chosen rice cupcake. Poor guy, the little brown one, he was "The One".






















What did I put in that? It looks like kimchi! Well, there's pork, prawns and cabbage... and some other very odd ingredients. Wonder if anyone would be brave enough to guess...

Ok, down to the wrapping. That was easy.


















While I was waiting for them to cook in boiling water, I made a dipping sauce with Lingham's Chilli Sauce, apple cider vinger, toasted sesame seeds, sesame oil and some fish sauce. Sounds unorthodox but hubby drank it by the spoonfuls!

Anyway, they all stayed intact while they were cooking. Hey, must have gong fu for that! Tada!





















Friday, April 27, 2007

Back in the heat of things

It takes me a long time to get used to this heat and humidity again. Going to the market is a challenge. Not only do I have to lug my excess baggage around in shorts that are way too tight, I have to jostle my way through the crowd and queue up for my pork.

I made Apple Char Siew the other day. Yum yum, sorry I forgot to take a pic. But I did take a pic of my lunch… Turmeric & Tomato Chicken. Nicely de-boned thighs, marinated for 30 hours and then cooked under the grill. I had that with short grain brown rice and some cheap white wine. Crisp on the nose and…. better in my stomach! LOL


We're back!

... from the Land of the Long White Cloud. ;)

Of course we didn't go there just for the food. Though I must say it was constantly on our minds. They have some pretty good ice-cream and wine! Most of the restaurant food is cooked in too much salt. So I did some cooking, when I could, in various kitchen configurations! Most intriguing was this huge communal kitchen that served the lodges, motel units and backpackers. I was most interested to see what people were cooking. From the scruffy young bloke who heated a can of spaghetti to the seasoned couple who whipped up a hearty well-balanced meal. How our diets have changed in this day and age. Blue-eyes having stir-fry with rice and yellow-skinned me and hubby having soup with bread. I craved for soup everyday while I was there, even at breakfast. What's new...?

I made lots of beef & lamb dishes! We also tried blue cod & sea urchin. I didn’t cart around any seasoning, but I bought a great sea salt & black pepper grinder from the supermarket! You realize how little you really need when you’re travelling. It is once again so unfortunate that all the food I cooked turned out so delish. One night we ate 700g oxtail, 2 lamb shanks & some seafood, just for dinner! And another night, we wolfed down the whole leg of lamb! Well, the short of it is that I have excess baggage of 3kg. Thankfully the airline didn’t charge us for that.

The wine (oooh, some nice boutique vineyards we visited) probably added more calories to our meals. Well, you need something nice and dry to wash down all that red meat right? You should also see the size of the ice-cream cones there. Not to mention I was always on the look-out for chunky date scones, good cheeses, hot chips and other snacks. My shorts don't fit anymore.

Friday, February 23, 2007

Happy Meal

Who can explain the great feeling of elation when I'm having something yummy? I often get in a state of euphoria when I'm having something like an Indian vegetarian meal. And for a while after that I'll be singing like a bird...

I made a small scale Indian vegetarian meal for lunch today. Dahl and Chickpea Curry, Tumeric Cabbage and Tomato Olive Salad with Chapati and a Wild Rice blend. Whoooo Wheeeeee! Loved it, loved it, loved it!!




Can't wait for dinner time! Then I can have this again. If sis comes for dinner, I'll whip up a fish curry. Then we can have a banana leaf meal and live like a queen.... a bollywood queen. :D

Monday, January 29, 2007

Friday Night

I was pretty sickly over the weekend, and my body reacted to the anti-biotics I was taking. For once, I didn't feel like eating anything today.

Anyway, here's what we had for dinner on Friday night... us and our guests...

Lychee Chicken in a white wine sauce

Squid with home-made lemon mayonnaise...

Frenchbean Salad...



Achar...




Mandarin Orange Almond Cream... much quirkier than the traditional variety!

Time for a lie-down....

Thursday, January 25, 2007

My Stomach Could Use a Rest

I think those durian puffs did not agree with my system. I had a hard time at the market this morning. Thankfully, there are many restrooms all over the place in Singapore!

Here's a good lunch for you if your stomach isn't too pleased with what was loaded in it... Chicken Noodle Soup... Asian style.



I'll try to write a recipe for it here:

What

1 chicken breast, 1 thigh, skin-off, bone-in
1 piece of ginger (thumb-size), smashed or pounded
about 7 cups water
250-300g dried noodles, any sort (I used something like a spinach linguine)
1 1/2 cups blanched bean sprouts
chopped herbs (basil or coriander, I used culantro)
chopped chilli (optional)

How

1) In a soup pot, simmer the chicken and ginger in water for about 1 hour. *Tip* Add a few dried scallops for added flavour.
2) Cook the noodles in water with a few drops of oil (any edible kind); drain.
3) Shred the chicken and arrange on top of the noodles with bean sprouts.
4) Ladle the chicken broth on top and garnish with herbs and chilli.
5) Serve piping hot.

There! You could also add toppings such as fried shallots or garlic, preserved mustard greens (tong chye) etc.

As for me, I like my food pristine. Especially on a day like this! ;p

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

Vegetarian Sensation

I had too much food for dinner last nite! I couldn't resist, Indian Vegetarian... one of my favourites :p~ Carbo overload!! And durian puffs for dessert! Woooh!

Anyway, I was still hungry this morning. After a couple of small bagels, I decided to whip up something for lunch (already!). I had some giant shitake mushrooms in the fridge... thought I'd stuff 'em. Inspiration sprang, "I'll make something like a risotto!". I fished out the leftover rice, cherry tomatoes, and the crab mushrooms I just bought yesterday.
Not that my rice was the right kind, it was brown, but the results were fantastic... if I may say so myself. Haha! First I had the tomatoes sauteed with the browned onion and garlic, lots of -tomatoes... Lycopene!! Then I added the rice and finely-chopped mushroom stalks. Herbs, salt n pepper, then the crab mushrooms.

I pre-baked the mushrooms for a while, stuffed them and sat them on a bed of boiled greens. Finally sprinkled with chopped chilli, and drizzled with avocado oil! It's so good for you. I could've sprinkled some parmigiano or romano... but I thought I'd be a purist just for today. :D

This dish could be called Duo Funghi Surprise. Hahaaaa!! Risotto Mushroom Cup? Crab Risotto Cradle?? Best as an appetizer. But we're having that for lunch. Maybe 3-4 of them!


Tuesday, January 23, 2007

Fish Tale

We had grilled fish last night. A big chunk of pan-seared fish on a bed of sauteed spinach, topped with home-made horseradish mayonnaise.







OK, the mayonnaise was whipped up in the last minute coz' the top looked a little bare. It went really well. :D The fish was nice and firm, not oily. I think it's the kind most commonly used in sliced fish soup. I cooked it skin on of course! ;) Paired well with Chardonnay.

All this talk is making me hungry. LUNCH TIME!!

Monday, January 22, 2007

Over the Weekend

We had hot pot on Saturday! It was perfect, considering the weather. The thinly sliced meat I marinated tasted yummy after a hot bath in our steamboat. Haha! On top of the usual, we also had fresh kelp from Japan and Konnyaku! My family was skeptical about the Konnyaku, but it was highly favoured with just one bite!

After that, I experimented with making Almond Pudding -- a cross between a pudding and a jelly. Our Sunday guests liked it... but I think Hubby was my best supporter! Here's what it looked like:



















After a 30minute run/walk, the dinner we had more than compensated for the calories burnt! I didn't take any pictures because we were all out of battery power! I'm determined to make the same menu again!
Today, I threw in some left-overs and made fried rice for lunch. It had all kinds of things in it, including those dried little white fishies, beans, carrots, onion, eggs, and my home-grown basil. I love basil... any kind! Oh, and here's a tip: add about 1/2 teaspoon of tumeric powder in your fried rice for colour and flavour.



















As it must be a habit, I simply had to go find something sweet to eat after that, so I decided it'd be the mango in the fridge. It's the best I've had in a long time. Most large mangoes of this variety had been picked way too early. This was firm, fragrant and very very sweet!


I'd lie quite content even after a simple meal like this! :D Nap Time!

Friday, January 19, 2007

Whatever Energy Bars

After returning from grocery shopping this morning, I was inspired out-of-the-blue to make energy bars... from WHATEVER I had in the pantry and fridge. Flax, pumpkin, sesame seeds; walnuts; dried cranberries, raisins, sultanas, figs & wolfberries! I have no idea how energy bars are made but my ingredients were mixed together with 2 eggs and a little water to a crumbly mixture. Of course I ground the flax to a meal 1st. Then I shaped them to a kind of shape that was convenient. Haha! There goes that "ding!".

Wow, they look great! I can' t wait to eat them. OK, I'll wait just 5 minutes. In the meantime, I'll take a picture.
















OK, maybe they don't look so great. But they are yummy! They taste like they could keep you full for hours. Haha! I like this kind of texture in my mouth -- hearty and meaty. Unlike the local bread, which I call 'Wussy Bread'. And those colourful flavoured breads from certain popular bakeries... eeks!

I wonder what possesed me to bake today. I don't bake much. I generally cook foods that can fill my large-capacity stomach. Which reminds me... I made a funny-looking salad yesterday! Dressed with home-made vinaigrette of course. I recommend this with BBQed meats. See!





















What's for lunch today? Some pork stew I made in the slow-cooker yesterday -- belly pork; carrots; ginger; preserved black beans... nothing super exciting. Tonight we're going to Bukit Panjang to try this tze char place recommended by the friends we are meeting. Not exciting to me, but the hubby likes this kind of food. Wonder if they'll let us bring our own wine. Perhaps a Reisling and a Shiraz.... :D Wash down all that oily food. (I wish!)

I wonder how long I'm gonna keep this up for.... ha...