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.

Lady's Finger in Spicy Meat Sauce

I been thinking of this dish recently, managed to buy some lady's finger when i was at the supermarket yesterday
Guess, its time for me to cook this dish!

Spicy meat sauce;

2 clove garlic
3 chili padi
1 tsp spicy shrimp paste (hei bee hiam)
300g minced pork
2 tbsp water
Dash of salt
Oil for frying

Method;
-Heat wok, fry chopped garlic & chili padi in oil till fragrant.
-Add minced pork, continue till fry till pork loosen, semi cooked.
-Mix in spicy shrimp paste, salt & water.
-Fry till meat is cooked & sauce thicken.
-Serve over blanched lady's fingers.

Mee Goreng

Other than hor fun, mee goreng is another favourite 煮炒dish among our family members.Whenever my mum is lazy to cook, we would buy take-away mee goreng for dinner.
But since i was in the mood to cook mee goreng, tt's wat we had for dinner last evening.

Ingredients;
600gm yellow noodles
15 medium prawns
100g bean sprouts
1 bundle chye sim
5 seafood toufu,
4 crabmeat stick,diced
1 large potatoes ,cubed
1 onions, sliced thinly
2 clove garlic
3 beaten eggs
Oil for frying
1 ½ tsp extra spicy chili paste

Sauce;
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
6 tbsp tomato ketchup
½ tbsp sugar
Dash of salt
2 tbsp water

Method;
-Deep fried potato cubes till golden brown, drained & set aside for later use.
-Stir fry bean sprouts & chye sim, remove & set aside for later use.
-Scrambled beaten eggs, remove & set aside for later use.
-Heat oil in wok, fry chopped garlic till fragrant, add onions.
-Add in chili paste after 2 mins, fry for a min.
-Add in noodles, fry noodles till well mixed, about 3-5mins.
-Pour sauce over, mixed well.
-Add in remaining cooked ingredients, continue to fry till sauce slightly dries up.
-Add in prawns, fry till prawns cooked.
-Enjoy!

Lotus Roots with Spare-ribs Soup

Its soup craze time!Lotus roots is my all time favourite.Especially when its cooked as soup with spare-ribs. Stir fry with grrens & peas isn;t bad as well.

I been eating lotus roots soup like 3 days in a row.I been buying from herbal soup stall near my work place & its very salty. Contains lots of msg, after drinking their soup i felt so thirsty.
We decided to try out our new slow cooker & my mum cooked my favourite lotus roots spare-ribs soup.

Ingredients;
600g-800g spare-ribs
1 section lotus roots
1 carrot
12 red dates
6 glove garlic
Boiling water
Salt to taste

Method;
-Wash & clean spare-ribs.
-Remove soil & scrape clean lotus, cut into slices
-Cut carrot into thick slices
-Wash & clean garlic, do not remove skin
-Bring a pot of water to boil
-Add boiling water to the slow cooker, set mode on high auto.
-When boiling water high boils, add spare-ribs & red dates
-Add in garlic, thick carrot slices & lotus roots after 20 mins
-Let soup slow cook for about 1 hr, add salt to taste
-Enjoy!

Steamed Fish with Cai Po

Feels like eating something that's not too greasy & spicy for dinner. Whipped up something healthy, light & easy!

Ingredients;
1 pc fish (about 15cm by 8cm)
2 tbsp chopped cai po
1 clove garlic
1 tsp oyster sauce
Oil for frying

Method,
1) Soak cai po for about 10-15 mins to remove salty taste
2) Heat oil, fry chopped garlic till fragrant
3) Add cai po, fry for about 10 mins till dry
4) Add in oyster sauce, continue to fry for 2 mins
5) Remove, set aside to cool
6) Clean & dry fish, steam for about 8-10 mins till cooked
7) Serve with cai po & garnishes.
8) Enjoy!

* The cai po which I used is not salty, therefore I skip step 1. However, if the brand of cai po that u used are very salty, soaked them for a longer period.

Herbal Spare-ribs Soup with Sea Cucumber

Its been such a long while since i last had home cooked soup,especially herbal soup.I requested my mum to cook me herbal spare-ribs soup instead of herbal chicken soup.
Other than chinese herbs,mum added sea cucumber & mushrooms to the soup. Yummy...i had 2 bowls of soup! haha...

Black Pepper Porky

Other than black pepper chicken or beef, this is something different. cuz i'm down with cough,cannot take chicken. Further more, our family dun take beef,tt's y will use pork instead.

Ingredients;
600g pork belly
Dash of pepper
1 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
¼ tsp salt
4 tbsp cornflour
1 clove garlic, sliced
3 tbsp black pepper sauce
1 tbsp water
Dash of salt
Oil for deep frying

Method;
-Remove skin & fats from pork belly, cut into bite size
-Add pepper, light soya sauce, sesame oil& salt
-Marinate for at least 3hrs or overnight
-Remove excess water from pork pieces by placing kitchen towel over them.
-Coat individual pieces of pork with corn flour, shaking off excess flour
-Heat oil in wok, deep fried pork till golden brown & crispy on the outside.
-Pour away oil from wok, leaving about ½ tbsp oil in wok.
-Add in garlic slices till brown, add in black pepper sauce, salt & water
-When mixture about to dry, off heat & fold in deep fried pork
-Ensure that each piece of pork is coated well with black pepper sauce.
-Garnish & serve!

Star Cruise Aquarius

I longed for a break, & guess wat? i juz came home from a 3D2N cruise trip.I'm sad to say that this is actually my 1st cruise trip & it juz so happened to be Aquarius, same as my horescope.

I boarded Star Cruise Aquarius last friday.

Day 1;

This is a muz have key for entering our suite.

See, such a nice number ya? & as we enter.....

A bar counter....
With a seaview balcony!
Our cosy movie corner....

Comfortable bed,

Clean & spacious bathroom.
Aquarius is setting off. Goodbye Singapore, i will be back!

Night fell & its dinner time. I had a yong tau foo with black bean sauce for dinner,

Followed by some mini cakes as desserts.
After dinner, we returned to our suite,the housekeeping guy sent us some sushi as a complimentary to welcome us on board.
Not forgetting the fruit platter.

After all the unpacking of our clothing, we rented serveral DVDs on board to kill times. We watched Garfield 2,The Mummy,Mystic River,The Golden Compass etc.Haiz... it was such a movie marathon.

Day 2;

Becoz of the movie maraton, i didn;t get to zzz. I waited for sunrise instead. This sunrise pic was taken at about 6.40am. It was very cloudy tt morning, didn't get a snap at the sun.
Now, wat's for breakfast at 7am? My fren's mum brought us to Dynasty Restaurant, a chinese foodie place where she frequents on board

Their siew mai taste ok to me. Not say very fantastic
Their famous char siew paus~springy & spongy pau skin with fragrant char siew fillings inside.Yummy!

As we were not so a chinese food fan, lucky this restaurant serve western dishes as well. This is my fren's favourite ham & cheese omeletteI ordered a ham & mushroom omelette for myself.
Assorted danish to go with hot tea.

After breakfast, we explore the cruise ship. Nothing much, other than casino & longue,looks like there'r no other entertainments.We returned to our room to continue our movie marathon.

We had an early lunch at 11.25am.As usual lah, nothing to do on board, the onli entertainment is eat & sleep. haha....

It was a buffet style lunch, i had some baked salmon,salad,toufu,sambal prawns with long beans & baked chicken.

The mushroom & spinach quiche is fantastic. The crust is very crispy & fragrant. Unlike those buttery dry flaky crust.

I always look forward to the desserts.Other than cut fruits,they have a wide variety of mini cakes.

After lunch its free & easy timing. Some went to the casino,some went to dreamland.Zzzz.............

As for me, i had my own entertainment.After a gd time soaking in the bath tub,i sat by the balcony,enjoying seabreeze & a cup of tea with my fren.

My fren soon doze off whereas i continue enjoying my afternoon tea & done some reading.

Like wat my fren says, onli entertainment on board is eat & in fact, they ate up till 5 meals per day when they were on board. Not forgetting the sandwiches & mee goreng in the casino.

Haiz...so sinful to eat so much.For those on a diet or trying to lose an inch, u better stay away. As for me,i'm not the teabreak & supper person.

Ding Dong...the doorbell rang.

See wat we have here!?!? mooncakes! yeah...as the following day is mid authum festival, we received a box of mini mooncakes & chinese chess.So lovely!

Times flies & its time for the next meal. We gotto had our dinner early as we got tickets to a singing competition finals.

We intend to have a BBQ dinner on the deck.

I took some BBQ food & salad~ the pan fried dory fish is fantastic.Crispy on the outside,tender inside.Fish meat isn't too flaky when cooked. Add a touch of lemon juice, to enhance the freshness & sweetness of the fish.
Other than this, the bbq honey chicken wings are tender & tasty.Too bad i dun fancy beef,heard that the steaks were great.

The onli disappointing part was the pumpkin soup. Pumpkin wasn't blend to a smooth puree b4 cooking. Yucks... i took a mouthful & wasted the rest.

I didn't have time for dessert. As i suddenly remembered that i failed to capture sunrise, should at least capture sunset for the day ya! haha... & so off i went around the deck to find a gd spot to capture sunset.

See......isn't it beautiful?

I managed to capture a moonview 1 day b4 mid authum festival.

Such a bright & round moon.Nah.... this is a fake wan. Its actually the round ceiling lamp in the suite.Cotcha! haha........

Day 3;

Aquarius will be reaching singapore at 10.30am 14.09.08. So sad, its time to go back, end of my break. :-(

I enjoyed my last meal of breakfast at bout 7.30am. After breakfast,went back to pack my stuff & wait for aquarius to enter singapore.

Here we are, Singapore Island! Its reali home sweet home.I had such a wonderful time of relax,get together with my frens. Time to face reality,recharge my energy for work 2molo! keke...

Deep Fried Cauliflower

I been wanting to try this out since few months back.
The 1st time came across was from a vegetarian stall. I dunno wat's the filling inside but it looks so delicious. After the 1st bite den i realise its cauliflower!
Something new & interesting as compared to fried prawns or fish ya! Finally, i had the chance to do so last evening.

Ingredients;
½ medium cauliflower
80g self raising flour
120g potato starch
Water
Dash of salt
Oil for deep frying

Method;
-Cut cauliflower into little forest.
-Prepare batter by mixing flour, salt & water together.
-Heat oil in a wok.
-Dip cauliflower into batter, den into hot oil.
-Deep fried till golden brown.
-Serve with mayo & greens.
-Enjoy!

Terriyaki Udon

Been craving for udon for weeks.Can't decide to cook them in miso soup of to stir fry them. In the end, i decided on stir fry with terriyaki sauce.
Wow...its turns out to be a great surprise! Super delicious!

Ingredients;
2 pkt Fresh Udon
1 handful bean sprouts
2 baby carrots
2 stalks chives
1 handful of shredded cabbage
2 clove garlic, chopped
350g chicken breast
2 tbsp teriyaki sauce
¼ tsp baking powder
Some roasted sesame seeds
Oil for frying
1 pot of water

Sauce;
200ml teriyaki sauce
100ml water

Method;
-Cut chicken breast into strips.
-Marinate with baking powder & 2 tbsp of teriyaki sauce,
-Marinate at least 3 hrs before use.
-Bring pot of water to boil.
-Add in fresh udon & boil for 2 mins, at the same time, loosen the udon
-Remove udon, set aside for later use.
-Heat a wok, add oil & fry chopped garlic till brown.
-Add in chicken breast, fry till half cooked.
-Add in all the vegetables & fry for 2 mins on high heat.
-Add in udon & sauce
-Continue to fry till chicken cooked & sauce dry up (about 5-7mins)
-Serve with roasted sesame seeds.
-Enjoy!

Mooncake Craze

Hmm... since mid authum festival is few days away,my mooncake craze isn't over yet! My company gave each staff boxes of mooncakes & pomelos for Mid Authum Festival!

My company is a "Kwong Cheong Thye" supporter.We place huge order from them every year.
Their double yolk white lotus paste mooncakes are fantastic! Its smooth & isn't too sweet. So yummy!

Special Style Salsa

Been wanting to make this special salsa long time ago! well, since i reach home early last evening, i decided to try out.

I mixed the salsa with some white rice & top with few more spoonful of salsa. & off it goes into the hot oven. 15 mins later, salsa baked rice! yummy~licious!
Other than baked rice, the salsa goes best with toast!

Ingredients;
½ can bake beans
1 handful cherry tomatoes
½ large onions
100g minced chicken
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 slices low fat cheese
1 tbsp oil
Dash of Italian herbs or chopped parsley

Method;
-Add 1 tbsp oil into heated pan, fry minced chicken until half cooked
-Add in chopped onions & tomatoes cubes
-Fry until onions become translucent & tomatoes soft
-Add in tomato paste & ketchup
-Let salsa simmer for about 5-10 mins, if mixture too thick, add 1-2 tbsp water
-Add in cheese bits, sprinkle with herbs
-Enjoy!

"I am Green Tea"

Well, this matches me! Especially when i love green tea! haha....

You Are Green Tea

You are a well balanced person. You don't have many highs or lows in your life. You enjoy bursts of creative energy and productivity. But you also enjoy your downtime. You are insightful and philosophical. You don't take much personally. You are at peace with who you are. You don't have an inflated sense of self.

What Kind of Tea Are You?

Am I a Good Cook?!?!

Hmm...chance upon Adam's blog, did a few quizzes.Now, this is a good & interesting one.

You Are an Excellent Cook

You're a top cook, but you weren't born that way. It's taken a lot of practice, a lot of experimenting, and a lot of learning. It's likely that you have what it takes to be a top chef, should you have the desire...

Are You A Good Cook?

Mooncakes

See! Like i said b4,more mooncake craze to come.
My dad's fren gave us homemade mooncakes every year.
His wife makes great mooncakes especially snowskin pandan lotus & snowskin durian mooncakes.

I still can remember the fantastic durian mookcakes that she made last yr. See, there's a yolk in there. Hmm.... yummy.

Too bad i didn't have the time to make mooncakes this year. Actually i intend to bake spiral yam mooncakes,the teochew style.

But as i will be away on cruise for the weekend,had no choice but to give up baking mooncakes as this coming sunday will be mid authum festival.

Considered not bad as even though i didn't baked any mooncakes this yr, there were plentiful mooncakes at home. Be it gifts from frens or those that i bought. Happy Mid Authum Festival in advance to all! :-)

Yam Paste With Ginkgo Nuts (Orr Nee)

Here comes yam craze part II!?!? haha.... wat's for dessert? well, i made orr nee for my family!Though its not a very healthy dessert coz of the coconut milk,but once in a blue moon should be ok!

Its rather easy to prepare;
-Steam & mash 500g yam
-Fry with shallots slices,oil & 120g fine sugar
-When yam is done,set aside for later use
-Wash & remove black valve
-Steam ginkgo nuts till cooked
-Assemble yam paste,gingko nut & coconut cream
-Enyoy!

Yam Rice

There's a yam craze in my family. Especially when near to mid authum festival, where mini yams are available everywhere.
We been having lots & lots of yam.Be it with bee hoon or juz steamed yam.Yam rice was last nite's dinner.


Ingredients;
2 cups rice
1½ cup yam,cubed (mini yams could be used as well)
1 cup pork belly strips
1 cup dried mushroom
½ cup dried shrimps
Handful of chopped garlic & shallots
Oil for frying
Pinch of salt

Method;
-Wash rice thoroughly & set aside.
-Prepare mushroom by soaking in hot water till it bloomed, cut in strips
-Reserve water for soaking mushroom & dried shrimps for later use
-Deep fried yam cubes into golden brown.
-Set aside for later use.
-Heat oil, fry chopped garlic & shallots till fragrant.
-Add in dried shrimp & pork belly, fry till pork is about 80% cooked.
-Add in mushrooms, continue to fry for 2 another 2 mins.
-Add in yam cubes, rice & water.
-Season with salt, fry for another 5 mins.
-Scoop the rice on a metal plate & steam on high heat for 20-30mins.
-Serve with fried shallots.
-Enjoy!

洋参菊花

The day i fell sick! so sad, was on medical leave yesterday. Even though i return to work today,still feeling awful! :-(

Think i was too heaty,therefore i made myself a 洋参菊花 drink in office. I always standby these cooling herbal tea ingredients in office but onli eat them when i'm sick! haiz... y like that, actually by rite should take them occassionally to prevent falling sick. haha....

Simple Ingredients like 洋参& 菊花 needed, but i added wolfberries to enhance the taste.