Jelly Jelly Jelly

黑白配，你喜欢哪一个? ;)

Jelly served with Mixed Fruits Cocktail...

Jelly served with honey & lime!

Mee Siam using Premix

Fuss free lunch for me & hubby! The taste is fantastic compared to some food court ones! Definitely will buy this premix again!

Getting ready to serve!! stir-fried meehoon cooked with pre packed sauce, hard-boiled eggs, prawns, taupok, chives & calamansi!

Tadah!!! pour over hot gravy and ready to slurp!

Tofu & Mushroom in Chilli Bean Sauce

Smacking good! Loves the texture of the super soft silken tofu with the savoury gravy! I actually prepared this dish twice today... for lunch & dinner! ^-^

Recipe adapted (with modifications) from Good Food Mag Feb 2012

Ingredient

• 1 block silken tofu
• 5 XO mushroom, (2 sliced finely)
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 1 tbsp salted black beans (tausi), rinsed & roughly chopped
• 2 slices ginger, chopeed
• 3 red chilli, deseeded & sliced

Sauce, mix well (portion enough for 2 blocks of tofu)

• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp chinese wine
• 1 tbsp abalone sauce/ oyster sauce
• 2 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp corn flour
• 125ml chicken stock
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp oil

Method

1. Place 3 XO mushroom on top of tofu, scatter sliced mushroom around and steam on high heat for 5mins until heated through. Place on serving plate.
2. Make the sauce : Heat 2 tbsp oil in pan, add garlic, shallot, ginger & black beans and fry till fragrant for 3mins.
3. Add in sauce mixture and bring to boil. Cook till slightly thickens. Drizzle some sauce over the tofu & mushroom and serve immediately.

Miso Sea Bass Soup

My favourite fast & simple fish soup when am lazy to cook complicated dish! ^-^ Sometimes I will also use salmon fish head in this recipe also. Do you know that when added miso into the soup, you are not allow to over boil it or else it will lose is flavor?? So to prevent over cooking the miso soup, simply add a few scoop of hot water/soup into the paste, dissolve it then add into the pot. Follow then give it a quick stir to blend it well then turn off heat...

Ingredient

• 600gm seabass, cut in 1/2
• 1 block silken tofu, cubed
• 2 stalk spring onions, sliced + extra for garnish
• 2 slices ginger
• 3 tbsp miso pasta

Method

1. Add 4 cups of water, spring onion & ginger. Bring to boil for 3mins. Add fish and simmer for 10mins.
2. Scoop a few tbsp of the soup into miso paste and mix well to dissolve. Pour into the pot and mix evenly. Turn off heat. Garnish with some spring onion and serve.

Cream of Chicken Soup

Cockadoddle dooooo....!!! My boy was so delighted when this dish was served to him ^-*

Ingredient (2-3 servings)

• 30gm unsalted butter
• 20gm plain flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 chicken breast fillet, finely chopped
• 100ml whipping cream
• 1 stick celery, finely chopped
• salt to taste
• dried parsley for garnish

Method

1. Melt butter in a saucepan, add flour. Stir over low heat for 2 mins, or until lightly golden.
2. Add stock gradually, stirring between each addition until mixture is smooth. Stir constantly until mixture boils & thickens.
3. Add in milk, chicken, cream and celery. Simmer over low heat for 5 mins until chicken is cooked & celery is softened. Add salt to taste.
4. Garnish with dried parsley and serve.

Korean Dishes Spread

Awfully wonderful Korean dishes for today's lunch! All is homemade except the kimchi is store bought ^o*, hopefully got time to go get the ingredients for making kimchi. I really loves kimchi, can just eat a whole lot just with plain rice!! My kids loves the tofu patties to bits! The rest all too spicy for them which I did not serve it to them :)

Korean Spicy Chicken ~ 매운닭날개

Korean Kimchi Tofu Patty ~ 김치 두부 동그랑땡

Korean Pickled Cucumber

Kimchi

Recipe adapted from Mrs Teng's Blog

Korean Pickled Cucumber

Ingredient

• 2 large Japanese cucumber
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tbsp Sugar
• 1 tbsp Sesame oil
• 1/4 tsp Toasted sesame seeds
• 1/2 tbsp Red pepper paste (Chojujang)
• 1 tsp Minced garlic

Method

1. Slice cucumber about 3mm thick (yes, it's very thin but not too thin)
2. Sprinkle salt and let set aside for 30 minutes for the cucumber to be soften.
3. Rinse cucumber and squeeze out excessive water
4. In a frying pan, heat sesame oil and slightly stir fry minced garlic.
5. Quickly add in sliced cucumber and lightly stir-fry for about 1 minute (do not over cook)
6. Add red pepper paste and sugar and quickly mix it well. (if red pepper paste is too thick, just dissolve it in a small bowl with 1 tbsp of water before pouring in)
7. Sprinkle toasted sesame seed and remove from heat.
8. Let it cook before refrigerating for about an hour before serving.
9. Can be kept in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.

Korean Kimchi Tofu Patty ~ 김치 두부 동그랑땡

Recipe adapted from Mrs Teng's Blog

Ingredient

• 2 pcs medium size Tofu (approx 1 1/4 cup)
• 1 stalk spring onion, finely chopped
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp minced garlic
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup Kimchi, cut into small pcs)
• 3 tbsp self-raising flour
• dash of pepper

Method

1. Place all the ingredients (except for oil) in a bowl and combine well.
2. Heat up oil in a frying pan. Spoon patty into the frying pan and flatten it using that back of a spoon or a spatula.
3. Shallow fry for about 5 minutes or until both sides turn golden brown. Drain well and serve.

Recipe adapted from Cuisine Paradise

Korean Spicy Chicken ~ 매운닭날개

Ingredient

• 500gm Chicken Mid-joint
• 1/2 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
• 1/2 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
• 1/2 Tablespoon Minced Ginger
• 1/2 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
• 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

Spicy Sauce:

• 2 Tablespoons Gochujang(고추장)
• 1.5 Tablespoons Honey
• 1.5 Tablespoons Soy Sauce
• 2.5 Tablespoons Sake/Cooking Wine
• 1 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
• 1 Tablespoon Minced Ginger
• 1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
• 1/2 Tablespoon Roasted Sesame Seeds

Method

1. Rinse and pat dry chicken mid-joint, pour in marinade mixture(soy sauce, minced garlic and ginger, sesame oil and pepper) mix well and set as side in the fridge for at least 30 minutes or overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 180 deg cel, place chicken on baking tray lay with baking paper and bake for about 30 minutes. (turning the chicken at least twice to get an even brown color).
3. Mix the spicy sauce ingredients in a bowl, spoon/brush the mixture onto the baked mid-joint and return to the oven to cook for another 5 minutes on 200° Celsius till caramelize.
4. Next remove mid-joint from heat, turn it over and spread another layer of sauce on it and continue to bake for another 5 minutes.
5. When done, remove mid-joint from oven, sprinkle some chopped spring onion and sesame seeds on it and serve hot.

Fluffy Scone : Free And Easy Bake-Along #27, Theme : Scones

^-* think this is the only sweet bakes I did for June holidays! too occupied with kids when they are on school holidays and also blamed the scorching weather >.< no mood to stay in the kitchen for long, rather spend more time lazying and playing with my kids...

While preparing this scones, I also need to fast hand fast leg mix up the batter, roll them up, cut them up and quickly pop them in the oven, worrying that these delicate scones will melt in my hands hahaha...

Wonderful fluffy scones which my boy cannot stop asking for more!! Taste heavenly with dollop of butter spread & my homemade strawberry jam!!

Freshly baked Scone served with Butter & Homemade Strawberry Jam!

Recipe adapted from Good Food Magazine May 2011

Ingredient

• 350gm self raising flour
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 85gm cold butter, cut into small cubes
• 4 tbsp castor sugar
• 150gm plain yoghurt
• 4 tbsp milk
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 egg, beaten for glazing

Method

1. Put flour, salt and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Add in butter and rub the mixture with fingers tips until like breadcrumbs texture. Stir in sugar and make a well in the centre.
2. Warm yoghurt, milk and vanilla essence in microwave for 1 min. Pour into the flour mixture and stir with spatula to combine the mixture into a soft dough.
3. Lightly dust hands and fold the dough a few times to create a smoothing dough. Do not over handle the dough.
4. Press out the dough into 4cm thick and stamp out rounds using a 7cm round cutter.
5. Brush top with egg glaze and bake in preheated oven at 220 deg cel for 15 mins until golden brown. Serve warm with butter & jam...

Soup & Fish

豆豉蒸鱼

Ingredient

• 1 500-600gm whole fish
• 1 tbsp chinese wine
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp black fermented beans, rinsed and roughly chopped
• 1/2 tbsp chopped garlic
• 1/2 tbsp chopped ginger
• 1 red chilli, chopped
• 1 stalk spring onion, chopped

Method

1. Marinated fish with chinese wine for 10mins.
2. Combine the rest of the ingredients, except spring onion, spread evenly on fish.
3. Steam fish over preheated steamer, on high fire, for 8-10mins. Garnish with spring onion and serve immediately.

干贝冬瓜炖鸡汤

Ingredient

• 250gm spare ribs
• 2 chicken leg, skin removed
• 650gm winter melon, seeds removed and cut into chunks
• 50gm dried scallops, rinsed and softened
• 1 tbsp wolfberries, soaked
• 2L water
• salt to taste

Method

1. Bring a pot of water to boil, add spare ribs and chicken leg, cook for 1 min. Drain away water.
2. Place meat, winter melon, scallops into slow cooker pot, add water and bring to boil. Transfer pot into slow cooker and cook on high for 3 hours.
3. Add wolf berries and salt and cook for another 10mins. Ready to serve.

白果腐竹薏米汤

Not much baking recently but cooking lots of cooling desserts for this super hot weather!!

Recipe adapted from Nasi Lemak Lover
Ingredient

• 100gm pearl barley, rinsed thoroughly
• 100gm dried beancurd sheets
• 80gm cooked gingko nuts
• 150gm rock sugar
• 3 pandan leaves, knotted
  
• 2000ml water

Method

1. Add barley, pandan leaves and water into a large pot and bring to boil. Once water is boiled, cover and change to low flame and continue to boil for 30mins.
2. Put in ginkgo nuts, beancurd sheet and continue to boil for another 20mins.
3. Add rock sugar and adjust according to your taste. Serve warm or chilled.

Green Bean Soup with Sweet Potato

My boy enjoys this cooling dessers, but my lil gal dun like the gingko nuts and the beans, only eats the sweet potato and the soup ^o^

Recipe adapted from Cuisine Paradise
Ingredient

• 150gm Green Bean
• 1 Medium Size Orange Sweet Potato
• 50gm Sago
• 100gm pre packed gingko nuts (rinsed thoroughly and marinate with 1 tbsp sugar)
• 2 Litre Water
• 3 blades of Pandan Leave
• rock sugar to taste

Method

1. Rinse a few times and remove any dirt or spoilt green beans from the pool then set them aside and bring a pot of 1.5 litre of water to boil.
2. Next remove the outer skin of the sweet potato, cut it into chunks and add them together with the green beans into the boiling water.
3. When the green bean mixture comes to boil again, lower the heat and let it simmer over medium low heat till the bean begins to soften or cracks open. (takes about 15 minutes or so)
4. Add in the rinse sago, gingko nuts and pandan leave then continue to simmer till the sago becomes transparent.
5. Removed the pandan leave, add in rock sugar to taste.
   

Clam Chowder

A light & tasty chowder, not overly creamy which my hubby gives thumbs up :) Initially am afraid the fish stock and clam broth will be very fishy as my hubby hates fishy smell! Luckily it turns out well and everyone enjoy this pot of wholesome & filling soup for lunch :)

A pot of empty clam shells, fresh clam meat & broth!

Recipe adapted from Periplus 'Classic Essential Soup'

Ingredient

• 1.5kg fresh clams, soaked & rinsed thoroughly b4 used
• 1 cup water
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 125gm back bacon, chopped
• 1 onion, chopped
• 500gm potato, peeled & cubed
• 150gm carrots, peeled & cubed
• 1 1/4 cup fish stock
• 2 cups milk
• 100ml whipping cream
• salt & pepper to taste

Method

1. Place cleaned clams in a pot with 1 cup water. Simmer, covered, over low heat for 5mins until shells are opened. Discard unopened ones. Remove meat from shells. Strain clam broth and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pot, add bacon and onions and cook until bacon is brown and onion is softened.
3. Add in potatoes & carrots and mix evenly for a min.
4. Add in 1 1/4 cup clam broth, fish stock & milk. Bring to boil. Lower heat, covered and simmer for 20min.
5. Add in cream, clam meat & seasoning and mix evenly for a min. Serve.

Ingredients for Fish Stock

Homemade Fish Stock

Ingredient

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 medium onions, chopped
• 2L water
• 1.5kg fish bones, heads (use white fleshed fish, darker fleshed e.g. salmon will make stock greasy)
• 10 black pepper
• 1 bouquet garni (I use fresh thyme, parsley & dried bay leaves)

Method

1. Heat oil in a pot, add onions and cook on low heat for 8mins until soft.
2. Add in water, fish bones, pepper & herbs. Bring to boil.
3. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, for 25mins, frequently skimming any froth from the surface.
4. Cool stock slightly and strain away ingredients. Cool and chill in fridge or use immediately.

A pot of natural collagen ^-^

Vegetable Medley Baked Rice

hmmm actually not sure what to prepare for tonight's dinner >.<, then thought of plenty of greens and some cold rice and cheeses in fridge, suddenly gave me an idea what to prepare!! ^o^ hehehe what a good way to clear some balanced ingredients and makes more way for some fresh ones!

Both kiddos finished up everything without picking out any of the vegetables! Feel so blessed to have non-fussy eater! :)

Recipe created by Peng's Kitchen

Ingredient

• 3 cups cooked rice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup red pepper, diced
• 2 stick celery, diced
• 1/2 cup cauliflower, finely chopped
• 8 fresh shitake mushroom, diced
• 1 cup roasted tomato sauce
• 1/2 tsp dried italian mixed herbs
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1.5 cup grated mozzarella & cheddar cheese

Method

1. Heat olive oil in pan, sauté garlic briefly till fragrant. Add in red pepper, celery, cauliflower & mushroom and stir fry for 5mins. Remove from heat.
2. Place rice in a mixing bowl. Add in cooked vegetables and roasted tomato sauce and mix evenly. Use a fork to break up the rice.
3. Add in herbs and seasoning to taste.
4. Scoop the mixed rice into a oven proof baking dish and top up with grated cheeses.
5. Bake in preheated oven at 200 deg cel for 20mins until golden brown.

Baked Zuchinni with Mozerralla & Prawn

A impromptu dish I come up with after thinking what to do with some remaining zucchini, mozzarella cheese & roasted tomato sauce ^-* Last night after our dinner at Serangoon Nex, I popped by NTUC and got 6 XL tiger prawns...fussy hubby dun get to eat this as he dislike prawns!! so this is Me & my son dish hehehe....loves the juicy zucchini and succulent prawn, goes so well with a bed of roasted tomato sauce! slurp!!

Recipe created by Peng's Kitchen Ingredient

• 6 piece 0.5" x 3" zucchini slice
• 6 X-large tiger prawns, shelled & deveined
  
• 12 tsp roasted tomato sauce
  
• some mozzarella cheese
• olive oil
  
• salt & pepper

Method

1. Toss zucchini slice evenly with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Place them on a baking tray. Sprinkle evenly with a pinch of salt.
2. Spread 2 tsp roasted tomato sauce over each zucchini. Top with some mozzarella cheese. Place prawn over. Drizzle some olive oil over and sprinkle with some salt & black pepper.
3. Bake in preheated oven at 200 deg cel for 15mins. Serve with extra roasted tomato sauce.

Minetrone & Kids Pizza

The kids were excited when they saw their meals : 'Angry Bird Pizza' my boy shouted ^-^ and my gal pointed to the pizza exclaiming 'angry bird angry bird'! To save time, I used Betty Crocks Pizza Mix to make the base and top with my homemade roasted tomato sauce, embedded with mozzarella, ham, pineapples & mushroom, served with Minestrone.

Recipe adapted from Good Food Mag May 2011
Ingredient

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 celery sticks, sliced
• 1 garlic, chopped
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1L chicken stock
• 1 handful of spinach, roughly chopped
  
• 2 large tomatoes, peeled, deseeded & roughly chopped
• 1 can red kidney beans, drained & rinsed well
• 1 small zucchinni, diced
• 40gm small pasta shells*
• salt & pepper to taste

Method

1. Heat olive oil in a pot, saute onions, garlic, celery & carrots for 5mins until the vegetables soften.
2. Add stock, tomatoes, spinach & kidney beans. Bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat & simmer, covered for 10mins.
3. Add zucchini and cook for another 5mins. Add salt & pepper to taste if necessary. Serve immediately with cooked pasta shells.

Note : You can cook the pasta shells under step 2, but I prefer to cook them separately.

Homemade Chicken Stock

Ingredients for Chicken Stock

Bring to boil...........

After 1 hour....2 more hours to go....

Strain the stock

Chill the stock overnight and remove the fats on top!! yeee yucks >0<

Recipe adapted from Periplus 'Classic Essential Soup'
Ingredient (yield 1.5L stock)

• 1.5kg chicken bones
• 2 large onion, roughly chopped
• 3L water
• 2 medium carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 sticks celery, roughly chopped
• 1 bouquet garni (bay leaves, flat leaf parsely & thyme)
• 12 black peppercorns

Method

1. Place chicken bones & onions in a baking tray. Bake in preheated oven at 180 deg cel for 50mins until well browned.
2. Transfer baked bones & onions into a stock pot. Add in water and rest of the ingredients. Bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered for 3 hours. Cool down slightly.
   
3. Strain stock through a fine sieve and discard solids. Chill in fridge overnight and remove any fats that has set on the top before using.