Mushroom XO Sauce

Am in the mood to create my own XO sauce BUT using mushroom instead. Cuz I been wanting to get rid of the packs of dried mushroom in the fridge. I bough few packs without realizing that I have another 2 packs in the fridge. Yes, that's a very bad habit! I should have checked my stock, write down a shopping list b4 purchasing anything. Haiz... what done cannot be undone and the easiest way to use up these dried mushroom is to cook a sauce.

These sauces are so useful...Toss it with boiled noodles to enjoy simple lunch, pan fried with carrot cake to have a quick tea break, stir fry with fried tau kua as a dish for dinner... lots and lots more.

Simple ingredients;
Dried mushroom, soaked in hot water, squeeze dry and chopped into small bits 
Chopped garlic
Minced bean paste
Chili paste
Oyster sauce
Stock
Oil for frying
-Fry shallots in oil till golden brown, add garlic and continue frying for a min.
-Add mushroom, fry for a min. (adding more oil if necessary)
-Add bean paste, chili paste and oyster sauce.
-Stir in 1 tbsp stock, bring to boil and simmer until thickens.
-Remove from heat and let it cool.

Fried Beancurd Skin Roll with Yam

Preferably to use normal yam instead of mini yam for this dish as the texture of yam would affect the overall dish.Mini yam tends to be soggy after steaming and too soft as too much moisture in it. Unlike the normal yam, they tends to be flaky and firm, bringing a unique taste to the snacks after being deep fried.

Ingredients;
Yam slices, steamed and mashed with coriander & spice powder
Minced pork
Light soy sauce
Chicken power
Rectangular beancurd sheet
-Oil for deep frying
-Marinade pork with light soy sauce and chicken powder
-Mix in yam
-Coat mixture onto beancurd sheet, cut into long strip
-Deep fried till golden brown.
-Serve with chili dips
-Enjoy!

Fish Cake Chips

Dun think anyone has yet to come across this unique way of eating fish cake, try it as it reali addictive! The crucial part is in selecting the type of fish cake to use.
Not those kinds usually found in fish ball noodles as those has too much flour as compared fish paste. Best used will be those gigantic fish cake which as big as a size of fist.

 Ingredients;
Giant fish cake, halved it and cut into slices
Oil for deep frying
Seasoning to taste ( I used nori and chili flakes)
-When oil is 80% hot, add fish cake slices and deep fried till golden brown
-Drained and toss with seasoning
-Serve while hot
-Enjoy!

香蔥肉醬芋餃

Hey readers, I'm finally back! Being away for a year isn't that great and so many unpleasant things happened throughout and being away doesn't mean that I'm no longer cooking. My daily or weekend cooking is as usual, it's only that I dun have the time to bake, prepare dessert and spend times hogging onto PC to post photos, write recipes.

Here's what I have for today! I'm not in the mood to cook seafood dish or pure meat dish hence, I came up with the yam dumplings dish.

Ingredients A:
Baby yam, steamed and mashed
-Add pinch of salt, spice powder, pepper and coriander power to taste.
-Sprinkle in 1 tbsp rice flour, plain flour and cornflour.
-Mixed well and shaped into oval shape, deep fried till golden brown.
-Set aside for later use.

Ingredients B:
1 onion,  wedged
1 stalk spring onion, cut into 3 cm length
Minced pork
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
Some stock stock
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp spicy chili paste
-Fry minced pork with oil till meat change color.
-Add onions and spring onion, fry for 2 mins.
-Add all the sauces and stock, bring to boil.
-Toss in fried yam balls and serve.
-Enjoy!

香辣干贝丝

There's a road show by "Hock Hua Ginseng" going on at hougang mall. Many items were on promo.

These dried scallops from japan varies in sizes. As the L size are not available, we bought the M size at $170 per kg. With every purchase of 500g, u get 100g free. Its so worth it.

Since now we had plenty of dried scallops at home, i decided to prepare some 香辣干贝丝. Other than eating in on its own, it can be fry with bee hoon, rice or with veggie.

-Simply soak some dried scallop overnite, steam on high heat for 15mins.
-Shred into tiny pieces, fry with 3 tbsp of rojak flower sambal chili paste.
-Yummy!

Mum's Home-made Rojak Flower Sambal Chili Paste

This sambal chili paste is being invented by mum via trial & error. We adjust the taste based on our preference.
We prefer to chopped the ingredients rather than grind as grind makes them fine & watery.
This sambal chili paste goes best with fried rice, seafood & fried meat.

Ingredients;
8 shallots, chopped
2 chili, chopped
10 chili padi, chopped
4 dried chili
1 rojak flower, chopped
1 tbsp chili paste
½ tbsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
3 tbsp vegetable oil

Method;
-Soak dried chili in hot water & chopped them finely.
-Heat oil in wok, fry chili paste till fragrant.
-Add shallots & fry till fragrant, about 8 mins.
-Add all the chopped chili, continue to fry for about 10-12mins.
-Stir in rojak flower, fry for another 5-6 mins till mixture slightly dry.
-Season with salt & sugar.
-Store in air-tight glass bottle or store in fridge for up to 3 weeks.

Rose Vinegar

Finally this day arrives. I been waiting for a month for today to arrive. haha....

I drink fruit vinegar frequently....remembered i juz bought a honey flavoured vinegar not long ago.
Different kind of vinegar aids in different way.For example, apple vinegar helps to lose weight, whereas the honey vinegar which i bought, other than helps in digestion, oso enables better sleep.

I decided to make my own vinegar. Not fruit flavour or honey, but something new where i can't find in the market.
Ingredients for rose vinegar are as follows;

Simply fill an empty glass jar with dried roses, pour in white vinegar till full.

Close the lid tightly,store jar in a dry & cool environment for 2 weeks. This is how it looks like on day 1.

Day 14: Open lid & add in more vinegar till full. Store for another 2 weeks.

The rose vinegar will be ready after that, simply filter & discard the residues.

After such a patient long wait, finally get to enjoy! hmm....feeling is great.

Green Chili Pickles

I juz finshed 1 big bottle of green chili pickles not long ago. Normally i will prepare 2 bottles, 1 to be kept at home, the other to be brought to office.
Every wednesday i will have wanton mee for lunch in office & so my chili pickles comes in handy!


Ingredients;
20 fresh green chili
Hot boiling water
Sugar
White vinegar

Method,
-Cut chili into pieces, u may remove some of the seeds as well
-Pour hot boiling water over chili pieces, give it a good stir, drained
-Scoop chili pieces into glass bottles
-Add in about ¾ tbsp sugar into glass bottle
-Pour in white vinegar until green chili are covered
-Preserve for about 1 day before enjoying.