Going On Holiday

To all my good friends who are my loyal blog viewers. Sorry, I won't be blogging for the meantime. I will be going on a shopping trip in Bangkok. Please view my travel tales on my return. I would post my travel photos in there. In the meantime, hope you all have fun in your cooking.

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Okra (Ladies Finger) stir fry with minced meat

This dish is simple and nice. But not many like the slimy okra or ladies fingers. I did not know that people from round the world call the vegetables differently. Very interesting. We call it ladies finger while outside Asia they called it okra. I loved to eat okra especially cooked with curry or sambal. Will put in my blog when I cooked curry with okra or okra with sambal. But my American friends told me okra taste better when deep fried or BBQ. Wow, I must try it out. I told them to try curry okra and sambal okra but they don't take spicy food. Oh, they miss out a lot on nice spicy food, yummy.



Ingredients

300 gm okra/ladies fingers (cut into rings)
100 gm minced pork
1 clove garlic (chopped finely)
1 desertspoon of light soya sauce
50 ml of water (more if needed)
few drops of sesame oil

Method

1. Wash and brush off tiny hairs off ladies fingers.
2. Cut into rings and soak into water and wash many times to get rid of the slimy if you do not like it.
3. Heat wok with oil and fry garlic till fragrant.
4. Add minced pork and ladies fingers. Stir fry briefly.
5. Add light soya sauce, sesame oil and water.
6. Fry for another 10 minutes or till ladies fingers are cooked and soft.
7. Serve hot

Photo Source: alicecozycorner
Recipe Source: alicecozycorner

Fried Wantan

Today I wrap my wantan in a different way from the normal standard way of wrapping wantan.
I found out that by putting some fillings at the corner of the square wantan skin and fold it up and seal with some water and leave a large portion of the wantan skin untouched. So when you fry it in hot oil the wantan skin is very crispy. When you bite into it, you can feel and hear the crunchy sound (lol). Even without any filling, just frying the wantan skin makes a good snack. You can put some salad, etc on top of the empty wantan skin and it can create a new dish.

Ingredients

Filling (A):

50g shelled prawns, minced
100g pork, minced
20g water chestnuts, chopped finely (optional)
20 to 30 pieces of wantan skin

Seasoning:
1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
Pinch of pepper
few drops sesame oil
1/2 tsp corn flour


Method

Place one teaspoon of the filling in the corner of each wantan wrapper. Fold and seal the edges of each with a bit of water.Heat enough oil in a wok until just hot. Put in wantan in batches and deep-fry until golden brown in colour. Remove and drain on paper towels. Serve the crispy wantan with the dipping sauce.

Bean sprouts with salted fish

This is a very simple dish. I just put this recipe in here for my sons' future reference (ha ha ha). But to be frank, my tow kay is too little (ha ha ha). Sigh, I am supposed to buy 30 cents tow kay but bought only 20 cents. Well, I guess I am getting old, too forgetful (lol).

Ingredients

Bean sprouts (or tow kay)-remove roots
salted fish-cut into bite sizes
hard bean curd (tau kwa)-cut into slices
light soya sauce (to taste)
sesame oil (to taste)
chicken stock (or water)
garlic (chopped)

Method:

1. Shallow fry the bean curd till golden brown and set aside.
2. Shallow fry the salted fish till golden brown and set aside.
3. Heat oil in wok and fry garlic till fragrant.
4. Add bean sprout and some chicken stock or water.
5. Stir fry till bean sprout is almost cooked and add bean curd and salted fish and fry briefy.
6. Serve hot.

Note: Do not over cook beansprout otherwise they are too soggy and do not have the crunchy feeling.

Photo Source: alicecozycorner
Recipe Source: alicecozycorner

Sandcastle Shaped Cakes

This is another interesting article which I could not resist to put in my blog. Lately, I am crazy over baking. These cakes are edible and they are shaped to look like sandcastles. Very creative and clever.

The beach bucket is the groom's cake while the castle is the bride's cake. So cute.

This is so beautiful and colourful.

This cake looks like a castle built in the sand. So beautiful.

Cherry Rosette

Today, my eldest sister came to my house and we baked cherry rosette together. The shape of the cherry rosette is not too beautiful (1st attempt). Guess with more practises, we can improved.

She agreed with me that my oven is too small (ha ha ha). My hubby just laughed when I hint to him about getting a bigger oven (sigh). I think I will just go down to Tangs and get a bigger oven when I come back from my shopping trip in Bangkok. And I decided to keep this small oven and I can bake with two ovens in future (ha ha ha). Now my sister wants to take up baking again and we can bake cookies for next year chinese new year. Cool.......



Ingredients

180 gm butter, softened
180 gm icing sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
280 gm plain flour
80 gm custard powder
1/2 tsp baking powder
red glace cherries

Method

1. Preheat oven to 175 Deg Cel.
2. Cream butter and icing sugar until light. Add eggs and vanilla and continue to cream till smooth and fluffy.
3. Sift flour, custard powder and baking powder together. Fold into the creamed butter mixture until well blend.
4. Place the batter into a piping bag with star tube. Pipe star rosette into a lined baking pan.
5. Cut the cherry into quarters and place a quarter on top of each cookie.
6. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or till golden brown.

Recipe Source: internet
Photo Source: alicecozycorner

Fried Rice Vermicelli (Mee Hoon)

Today, I fried mee hoon, tasted very yummy especially when eaten with some belachan. But I could not find my digital camera. Sigh, my eldest son took the camera away and is not back. So I took a picture of my mee hoon using my youngest son 3G camera. Wow, so many features on his phone, I am lost (ha ha ha). Had to seek my youngest son's help to send the photo to my email account from his phone. Wow, all these technology are great. I got to catch up with the latest technology otherwise I would be left behind (lol).

Ingredients

200 gm Rice Vermicelli (Mee Hoon)
1 tbsp oyster sauce (or to taste)
few drops of sesame oil
1 clove of garlic (chopped)
string beans (sliced to 2 cm length)
fish cake (sliced)
ham (cubes)
2 tsp dark soya sauce (more if you prefer your mee hoon to look darker)
300 to 400 ml of water

Method

1. Soak mee hoon in water for about 30 minutes.
2. Heat wok with oil and fry garlic till fragrant.
3. Add string beans, fish cake and ham and fry briefly.
4. Add 100 ml of water and fry till ingredients almost cooked.
5. Add bee hoon and add oyster sauce, dark soya sauce and sesame oil.
6. Add balance of water, more if needed.
7. Fry till all the sauces are blended evenly with beehoon and bee hoon is cooked.
8. If you have problem turning bee hoon, try using chopsticks or tongs to turn mee hoon so as not to break the mee hoon.
9. Garnish with parsley or cut red chillies.

Note: Can add other ingredients like prawns, carrots, cabbages, etc.

For vegetarian: Use vegetarian oyster sauce and no meat (carrot and cabbage shred finely-very good ingredients) for the mee hoon.

Photo Source: alicecozycorner
Recipe Source: alicecozycorner

Creative Cakes

Do you believe these are cakes? I saw these in the internet and could not resist putting them in my blog. They are so beautiful.

Roasted Chicken Parts

Today I roasted some drumsticks and chicken wings. It was real easy. I just marinated the chicken parts the night before and during dinner time, just put it in the oven. Tasted real good, but I think my potatoes should baked longer and at a higher temperature, cause my potatoes are not soft enough (ha ha ha).



Ingredients

two drumsticks and two chicken wings
1 tbs light soya sauce
1 tsp dark soya sauce
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tbs ginger juice
1 tsp honey
1/2 tsp salt
pepper
2 Potato (cut into wedges)

Method

1. Wash and marinate chicken parts with the above ingredients the night before.
2. Preheat oven at 175 deg.C .
3. Put chicken parts on baking dish and pour marinade over the chicken parts.
Put the potato wedges in at the same time.
4. Bake for 30 minutes and turn the chicken parts over and brush with honey.
5. Then bake for another 30 minutes and turn over and brush with honey.
6. Then bake for another 10 minutes at 180 deg C .

Note: I think the potato need to be baked slightly longer.

Photo Source: alicecozycorner
Recipe Source: alicecozycorner

Soya Sauce Chicken Wing,Egg and Tau Kwa (Hard Bean Curd)

This is an easy dish and I think most can cook better than me. Just put this down in my blog to help my friends who do not know how to cook.



Ingredients

Chicken Wings (middle part)
Eggs (hard boiled)
Tau Kwa (Hard Bean Curd)
7 tbsp dark soya sauce (est.)
300 to 400 ml water
1 tbsp sugar (or to taste)
1 clove of garlic (crushed)
few drops of sesame oil

Method

1. Heat oil in wok or pot.
2. Add garlic.
3. Add chicken wing and dark soya sauce and brown the chicken wings.
4. Add water,sesame oil and sugar and boil.
5. Add hard boiled egg and tau kwa and simmer for about 15 to 20 mins.
6. Serve hot

Note: Can used to braised whole chicken too.

Photo Source: alicecozycorner
Recipe Source: alicecozycorner

Sambal Kangkong

This is one of my favourite dish, sambal kangkong. You can pound your own sambal belachan or just get from the supermarket those ready made sambal belachan. It taste just as good.


Ingredients

1 bunch of kangkong
1 tbsp of sambal belachan (more if you like it spicy)
50 gm dried shrimps (crushed)
water

Method

1. Heat oil in work in medium heat.
2. Add dried shrimps and fry till fragrant.
3. Add sambal belachan and fry briefly.
4. Add kangkong and some water and fry till cook.
5. Don't over cook the kangkong.

Note: You can add prawns too.

Photo Source: alicecozycorner
Recipe Source: alicecozycorner

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ha Ha... saw this recipe of Prima, my 1st attempt of making it was a success. Very delicious.


CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

500g Self-Raising Flour
320g Butter
260g Brown Sugar
2 Eggs
250g Chocolate Chips
125g Nuts (Chopped)
½ tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Molasses (optional)
Pinch of salt

Instructions

Cream the butter and brown sugar at medium speed.
Gradually add eggs and molasses.
Add salt, sifted PrimaFlour Self-Raising Flour and baking soda, and mix at low speed.
Add chocolate chips and nuts.
Chill dough in refrigerator for 15 mins.
Divide the dough into small pieces.
Shape into cookies and arrange onto a lightly greased tray.
Bake at 200° for 13-15 mins.

To bring out aroma of nuts, dry roast before adding to mixture. Do not chop nuts too finely.

Photo Source: alicecozycorner
Recipe Source: Prima

BBQ Pork (Bak Kwa)

Today, I went to Phoon Huat and bought some bakery stuff to bake chocolate cookies. Then on reaching home, I went online and chat with my good friend in UK and told her that I am going to bake chocolate cookies but when I looked inside my fridge, I saw 1 lb of minced pork meat sitting there. So I decided to make Bak Kwa (BBQ Pork).

My very 1st attempt of making it. It tasted good but the colour seem different from those selling in the stall, I think it could be due to my not adding of fish sauce cause I run out of it. The other problem is that my oven is too small. Need to bake more than 2 hours for these 3 trays of bak kwa. Lastly the worst problem is that my youngest son gobble all the bak kwa before I can finish the 3rd tray. So I had to lock my kitchen door to prevent him from attacking the final tray (lol).



For the recipe, please look at Tazz in the kitchen blog. Sorry I can't cut and paste her recipe in my blog without asking her permission. But you can look at my photo.

Photo Source: alicecozycorner
Recipe Source: Tazz in the kitchen

Xiao Bai Chye with abalone sauce

This is an easy dish but normally was cooked with oyster sauce but I prefer abalone sauce cause it is not so salty. I put this in my blog for the benefit of my non-cooking friends.



Ingredients

Xiao Bai Chye
3 tbsp abalone sauce
Fried shallots
1 glove of garlic (chopped)

Method:

1. Heat wok with oil and fry garlic till fragrant.
2. Add Xiao Bai Chye and abalone sauce.
3. Sprinkle some water and fry briefly or when sauce boils.
4. Dish up and sprinkle some fried shallots on top
5. Serve hot.

Note: For healthier choice, parboil vegetables and pour sauce over vegetables.

Photo Source: alicecozycorner
Recipe Source: alicecozycorner

Lean Pork fry with onion and ginger

This is an easy dish. It is supposed to be sweet, so if you do not like the dish too sweet, can reduce the amount of sugar. Taste good when go with hot white rice.



Ingredients

300 gm lean pork (sliced)
2 tbsp dark soya sauce
2 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tbsp sugar
few slices of ginger
1 small onion (sliced)
Pepper
Few drops of Sesame oil

Method

1. Marinate pork with dark soya sauce, light soya sauce, sugar, sesame oil.
2. Heat wok with oil and fry ginger and onion till fragrant.
3. Then add in marinated pork and fry till cooked and the pork absorbed all the gravy.
4. Sprinkle some pepper and serve hot.

Photo Source: alicecozycorner
Recipe Source: alicecozycorner

Sweet & Sour Chicken

Tonight, I cooked sweet & sour chicken. My family love it and there was not enough to go round, got to cook double the next time. Guess with lots of patience would result in nice and tasty food (ha ha ha).



Ingredients

1 chicken breast
salt

Batter

4 tbsp plain flour
2 tbsp cornflour
1/2 tsp baking powder
6 tbsp water

Sweet & Sour Sauce

100 ml water
1 tsp cornflour
4 tbsp ketchup
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp vinegar

Garnish

Half Green pepper (cut in cubes)
Half Red pepper (cut in cubes)
pineapple chunks

Method

1. Cut chicken into bite sizes.
2. Rub salt into chicken pieces and dip into batter and deep fry till golden brown.
3. Dish up and set aside
4. Heat wok with oil and fry green and red pepper and add sauce mixture into it.
5. When the sauce mixture boils, add pineapple chunks.
6. Pour sauce over chicken.

Photo Source: alicecozycorner
Recipe Source: alicecozycorner

Carrot, Potato and Corn Soup

Ingredients

2oo gm pork ribs- scalded in boiling water for 3 mins
50 gm carrots (cut into cubes)
2 potatoes (cut into cubes)
1 large onion (sliced)
1 corn (cut into half)
2 to 2.5 litres of Water
1 tsp salt
light soya sauce (to taste)

Method

Put all ingredients and salt into pot, filled with water (about 2 to 2.5 litres). When boiled, add light soya sauce to taste. Reduce to medium to low heat and boil for about 1 hour. Corn makes the soup very tasty.

Note: You can add white raddish too.

Photo Source: alicecozycorner
Recipe Source: alicecozycorner

Steam Egg with crab meat

bSteam Egg is easy to do but if you add too much water or too little water, the steam egg would not turn out right. I saw this recipe in the cookery book, it turn out well for me.


Ingredients

150 ml water
1/2 tsp salt
2 egg yolks and 3 egg whites, beaten together
1 tbsp chinese wine
pinch of cornflour
100 gm crab meat,flaked
chopped parsley, to garnish

Method

1. Add water and salt to beaten eggs and mix well. (Try not to have bubbles in your mixtures)
2. Add the Chinese wine and cornflour to the crab meat and stir into the egg mixture.
3. Pour the egg and crab mixture into a large heatproof dish and steam for 10 to 15 mins.
4. After steaming, I added some sesame oil and light soya sauce and spread on top of the egg and garnish with parsley.

Photo source: alicecozycorner
Recipe source: Kenneth Lo's Cookery Book

Note: You can replace the crab meat with minced meat or fish paste.

Sea Coconut with Longan Dessert

This is the easiest dessert I ever make. Even kids can make too.

Ingredients

1 Can of Longan
1 Can of Sea Coconut
Lemon Juice

Method

Mix 1 can of Longan and 1 can of sea coconut in a large bowl. Squeeze some lemon juice into it. Add some ice cubes and if it is too sweet for your liking, add some water.


See it is so simple.

Photo: alicecozycorner
Recipe: alicecozycorner

Chicken with Spring Onion

Ingredients

Chicken breast - cut into bite sizes
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp dark soya sauce
1 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil (for fragrance, you can reduce the amount)
1 tsp cornflour
ginger (cut into slices)
Spring onion (cut into lengthwise)

Method

1. Marinate chicken with sugar, dark soya sauce, light soya sauce, sesame oil, corn flour.
2. Heat wok with some oil and fry ginger and onions till fragrant.
3. Add chicken and stir fry till it changes colour.
4. Add some water and fry till the chicken absorbed all the water and fully cooked.
5. Add spring onion and stir briefly and serve.

Photo: alicecozycorner
Recipe source: alicecozycorner

Angled Luffa with eggs

This is so interesting. My childhood friend was asking me about Luffa. Her mom said it is known as Si Qua but my mom said it was Sing Qua, but I now found out they can be called both (lol). Luffa is also known as spongy vegetables. Wow, I am now wiser with the type of vegetables I take (lol).




Ingredients

1 angled luffa (Sing Qua or Si Luo Qua)-about 200 gms
4 prawns (est)
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce (or to taste)
1 tsp sugar (or to taste)
1 tbsp garlic, chopped
1 small egg
white pepper

Method

1. Cut the ridges off the luffa (or buy already peeled from the wet market-as what I did-Look at photo)
2. Cut the luffa into bite sizes.
3. Heat some oil in wok, add garlic and stir fry briefly.
4. Add luffa and prawns and cook, stirring about 1 minute. Add oyster sauce and sugar, stirring another 1 to 2 minutes or until most of the liquid has been absorbed. No need to add water, but if you want your luffa to cook faster, sprinkle some water.
5. Beat one small egg and add into luffa and fry briefly.
6. Sprinkle some white pepper and serve.

Photo Source: alicecozycorner
Recipe Source: alicecozycorner