recipe is: cheesy chicken with potatoes and vege

Ingredients

~for the chicken~
4 chicken breasts, deboned, skinned and flatten to about 1/4 inch
2 slices of cheese, cheddar, swiss or guyere works best
8 stalks of spinach, use only the leaves
4 cloves garlic
coarse ground black pepper
salt
finely chopped basil

~for the potatoes~
6 medium potatoes, scrubbed well and cut into wedges
6 cloves garlic
salt
olive oil

~for the vege~
2 handful of asparagus
1 head broccoli
1 head garlic, skinned and finely chopped
salt and pepper
a knob of margarine or butter

Method

~chicken~
preheat the oven to 200℃

sprinkle a little bit of salt, black pepper and chopped basil on the chicken breast, add half a slice of cheese and line with spinach leaves. top with a clove of garlic. tightly roll the chicken and secure the end with a toothpick or metal skewer. repeat with the rest of the chicken

line a baking tray with aluminium foil and brush with some olive oil. place the chicken breasts on the tray and drizzle some olive oil on the chicken

set the oven to the grill function and grill for 40 minutes. retain the juices for the sauce

~potatoes~
preheat the oven to 200℃

parboil the potatoes in some lightly salted water for about 10 minutes and drain the water. put the potatoes on a baking tray and add the garlic. sprinkle some salt and drizzle with olive oil to generously coat. toss the potatoes to mix evenly and arrange to roughly line in a single layer

grill in the oven for 45 minutes

~vege~
boil water with a bit of salt and sugar. when it comes to a boil, blanch the broccoli for a few minutes and drain. season with a bit of salt and pepper

heat a pan and put in the butter and garlic with a pinch of salt. sautee the garlic til it softens. add the asparagus and stir fry for 3 minutes. dish up

pour the juices from the chicken into the pan and simmer til it thickens and pour the sauce over the grilled chicken breasts

recipe is: simple trifle

Ingredients

1 big can of fruit cocktail
1 swiss roll, sliced into 12 pieces
4 tbsp sugar
gelatine powder/leaves for 350 ml water (can be substituted with agar agar or konyuku powder)
whipped cream

Method


line a deep dish with 6 slices of the swiss roll

prepare the gelatine with the 300 ml of water and add the sugar. pour mixture into a big bowl. add the can of fruit cocktail (inclusive of the syrup) into the gelatine and mix well

scoop all the fruits and pour on top of the swiss roll layer. pour in half of the leftover liquid. arrange the remaining six slices of swiss roll on top and pour the remaining liquid to soak the top swiss roll layer

refrigerate for 6 hours

to serve, cut into slices and top with whipped cream

recipe is: Corey's Curry Chicken

Ingredients


1.2 kg chicken, cut into bite size

250 ml thick coconut cream

500 ml chicken stock/water

5 medium potatoes, skinned and cut into big chunks

3 stems curry leaves, use only the leaves and discard the stalk

3 tablespoon cooking oil

2 tsp light soya sauce (optional)

1 tbsp tumeric powder

1 tsp coriander powder (ketumbar)

1 tsp cumin powder (jintan putih)

1 tsp fennel powder (jintan manis)

1 tsp garam masala powder

salt and sugar to taste

Mix A

18 dried chillies, soak in hot water for 10 mins and drained

1 head garlic, skinned

15 red shallots, skinned

2 inches of galangal (lengkuas)

5 stalks lemongrass (serai), use only the lower white part

3 candlenuts

1 thumb size piece of belacan (shrimp paste or shrimp cake that resembles chocolate)

Method

blend Mix A as fine as possible and set aside.

in a wok or large pan, heat up the oil and turn the flame to as small as possible. add blended Mix A, cumin powder, coriander powder, fennel powder, garam masala powder and tumeric powder and fry for about 10 mins, taking care to mix around and not let it burn

turn the flame to medium and add in the chicken, potatoes and curry leaves. stir to mix thoroughly

add the coconut cream, chicken stock and light soya sauce. add salt and sugar to taste. bring it to a boil and turn down the flame to set it simmer for about 1 hour or til cooked. add some hot water if the gravy gets too thick

serve hot with white rice or spiced rice.

leftover curry chicken goes well with bread the next day.

Notes:

~ keep left over curry in the fridge as it contains coconut cream and can go bad. just heat it up before serving.

~ use starchy yellow potatoes for best results

~ cut the blended ingredients to similar sized chunks to get more even and faster blending. alternatively, it's an old believe that these ingredients pounded to a paste with a mortar and pestle gives an even more aromatic result. be prepared for a long workout if you opt for that.

~ use cholestrol-free packed coconut cream/coconut milk for a more convenient and healthier alternative. the packets resembles small uht milk containers

- the garam masala powder was a tip from a friend, kentucky wildcats' fan from my blogsphere

recipe is: spiced rice

Ingredients

6 cups cooked rice, basmati rice works best. if not, normal rice will do

3 tbsp margarine

2 cinnamon stick

10 cloves

4 star anise

pinch of salt


Method

heat up the oven to 160℃

put the rice into an oven safe bowl and break up any lumps

in a small sauce pan, melt the margarine over a low flame and put in the cinnamon, cloves, star anise and salt. once the aroma emerges, take it off the heat. should take about 2 mins

mix the spiced margarine in the rice thoroughly. cover with foil and bake for 20 mins

recipe is: lo shi fun with minced beef

Ingredients

500 gms lo shi fun (short stubby pointy ended noodles made out of rice flour)

350 gms minced beef

300 gms beansprouts

1 whole head of garlic, finely chopped

two 3cm wide pieces tai tau choy (preserved salted radish), finely diced

1 tablespoon finely chopped choy poh (preserved radish)

4 tbsp oil

Sauce

mix together in a bowl:

1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp chicken stock granules
2 dashes sesame oil
3 tsp light soya sauce
3 tbsp dark soya sauce
2 tbsp chinese cooking wine
4 tbsp water

Method

put 2 tbsp oil into a heated wok, and add the garlic, tai tau choy and choy po. stir fry for 2 mins and add the minced beef. stir fry briskly and use the spatula to break up the beef into tiny clumps. add the other 2 tbsp of oil. stir fry til beef is just cooked. add the lo shi fun and stir fry to mix. add the sauce and stir fry quickly to mix. add the beansprout and stir fry for another 2 mins to mix. dish up.

serve with thinly sliced red chillies or tiny birds eye chillies.

recipe is: stir fried beef with choy sum

Ingredients

250 gms beef, sliced thinly across the grain. make sure that the pieces are of similar sizes

250 gms choy sum (chinese flowering cabbage), wash, drained and cut or plucked to desired length

5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

3 cm knob of ginger, cut into thin strips

1/2 tsp sesame oil

7 tbsp chinese cooking wine (can be substituted with dry sherry)

4 tbsp light soya sauce

3 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp chicken stock granules

3 tbsp water

vegetable oil

Method

marinade the beef with 2 tbsp light soya sauce, sesame oil and 3 tbsp of chinese cooking wine. cover with cling wrap and put in the fridge for at least 30 mins.

heat 2 tbsp oil in a wok and add in 1/3 of the garlic. fry til fragrant and add the choy sum and fry til they turn a darker green, it take a few minutes. dish up and set aside.

heat 2 tbsp oil and turn the flame up to high. before the wok starts smoking, put in the beef and stir fry quickly to prevent uneven and overcooking. fry til just cooked. dish up and add to the choy sum.

turn down the flame to medium and add 1 tbsp of oil. add the remaining garlic and the ginger. stir fry til fragrant. don't let them burn. add the oyster sauce, the chicken granules and the remaining chinese cooking wine and light soya sauce and water. let it come to a boil and turn down the flame to let it simmer for 2 mins. put the beef and the choy sum back into the wok and stir fry to mix and infuse the ingredients. dish up serve hot.

recipe is: Vegetable Parcels

Ingredients

1 head of iceberg lettuce, use whole leaves. do not shread or slice

200 gms french beans

4 pcs firm/hard tofu, known as 'tau kwa' or tau kon' in chinese

6-8 stalks of dried black mushrooms, soaked and thinly sliced

1 small carrot, skinned and finely peeled with potato peeler

6-8 strips of 'choy po' (preserved radish) thinly sliced

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

300 gms beansprouts

1 tbsp oyster sauce (use vegetarian oyster sauce if preferred)

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp salt

2 tsp light soya sauce


Method

slice the tofu into thin strips and medium fry until lightly browned. set aside. in the same oil, fry the choy po for about 1 minute on small flame. set aside.

discard most of the oil and leave about 3 tbsp. turn the flame to medium. fry the garlic in the oil til fragrant. add the french beans, carrot and black mushrooms. stir fry til almost cooked, add the oyster sauce, sesame oil, salt and light soya sauce. stir fry to mix. add the pre-fried tofu, beansprouts and choy po. stir fry for another 2 mins and dish up.

to serve: scoop some of the vegetable into a lettuce leaf and roll it up. can be garnished with deep fried shallot slices and chilli sauce.

recipe is: cinnamon fruit crumble

Ingredients

2 apples, skinned, cored and thinly sliced. soak in water to prevent it turning brown

2 pears, skinned, cored and thinly sliced

4 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tbsp cinnamon powder

250 gms butter, use straight from fridge. do not leave at room temperature

375 gms plain flour

3 tsp baking powder

200 gms castor sugar

10 tbsp instant oats

4 tbsp uht milk


Method

preheat the oven to 200 ℃

drain the apples, mix thoughly with pears, brown sugar and cinnamon powder. set aside

into a mixing bowl, sift the flour and baking powder. add castor sugar, oats and butter. using a butter knife, cut the butter into small pieces. then, use your fingers to mix everything together, taking care to "rub" the mixture into the butter, forming a crumbly kind of texture

line a large baking dish with half the fruits, top with half the pastry mix and sprinkle 2 tbsp of milk on to the top. put the second half of the fruits on top, and again cover with the pastry mix and sprinkle with 2 tbsp of milk

bake in the oven for 30 mins or until the top turns golden brown

* serve hot with vanilla ice cream or on its own

recipe is: stir fried pasta with prawns and garlic

Ingredients

20 tiger prawns, shelled and deveined (keep 1/2 the shells for the pasta stock, don't use the head)

1/2 pack pasta (use a type that is short and curvy to hold and absorb the seasonings better)

8 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

6 slices of ginger

3 stalks of spring onion, finely sliced

1/2 lemon, cut into halves

1/2 tbsp oyster sauce

2 tsp light soya sauce

6 tbsp chinese cooking wine/ 8 tbsp white wine

1/2 tsp sesame oil

8 tbsp olive oil

coursely grounded black pepper

salt

Method

put the prawn shells with 2 slices of ginger and 1/2 tsp of salt, fill with enough water to cook the pasta in a pot and let it come to a boil. once it's boiling, turn down the flame and let it simmer for 10 mins. use a straining scoop to remove the prawn shells and ginger. dish up about 6 tbsp of the stock and put aside. put in the pasta and let it cook, taking care to undercook it slightly as it will be stir fried later.

marinate the prawns in a bit of salt and white pepper

heat up the olive oil and put in the garlic and the ginger. stir fry quickly as not it let it burn to crisps. once it's aromatic, throw in the prawns and stir fry quickly. add the pasta and stir fry to mix with the prawns and garlic. add the oyster sauce, sesame oil, light soya sauce, cooking wine, the prawn stock, a dash black pepper, salt to taste and the spring onions. stir fry quickly over higher flame and stir fry quickly to mix throughly

serve hot with a squeeze of the lemon

recipe is: urban spaghetti

Ingredients

1 1/2 packets of spaghetti (or however much you need) , boiled in lightly salted water til al dente

350 gms minced beef, marinated with 1 tbsp light soya sauce & 1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper

6 tbsp olive oil
6 big onions, diced
1 whole head of garlic, skinned and pounded
2 cans button mushrooms, 1 can halved/quatered & 1 can thinly sliced
1 tbsp lea & perrins
450 gms tomato puree
170 gms tomato paste
1/2 cup red wine (can be substituted with beef stock)
6 dried bay leaves
1/2 tsp dried basil leaf
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
1/3 tsp coarse ground black pepper
salt and sugar to taste
grated cheddar cheese

Method


heat the olive oil over a small flame, then add the onions and sautee til soft and opaque

add the garlic and fry til fragrant

add in the beef and stif fry til almost cooked thru

add the bay leaf, basil leaf, rosemary, black pepper and the lea and perrins

stir fry for another 5 mins

add the tomato paste and tomato puree

add the red wine and button mushrooms

let it simmer for another 5 mins

add the salt and sugar to taste

close the lid and let it simmer for another 15 mins, adding more liquid if needed

serve hot with spaghetti and cheese

note: ~ it is better if the tomato paste is substituted with sundried tomatoes

~ i prefer cheddar cheese to parmesan for this sauce as it's more robust and stronger in flavour

~ the sugar is to balance the sourness of the tomatoes. try not to add too much sugar as you'll lose the tangy tomato taste

recipe is: Yam Rice with Dried Prawns

Ingredients


400 gms yam, skinned, diced and shallow fried til golden brown
1/2 cup dried prawns
6 shallots, skinned and finely sliced
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp light soya sauce
1/3 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp chicken granules OR 1/4 chicken stock cube
1/2 tbsp dark soya sauce
1/3 cup of water
3 cups of rice


Method


heat up 1/3 bowl of oil in a wok and deep fry shallots til golden brown. pour out into a bowl

put 4 tbsp of shallot oil back into the wok and stir fry the dried prawns til fragrant (about 3 mins)

add the yam, oyster sauce, light soya sauce, sesame oil, chicken granules and dark soya sauce and stir fry for 3-4 mins. add the water and let it come to a boil

dish up and set aside

put the rice into the rice cooker and put in 1/3 LESS water than normal, add a pinch of salt and turn on to let the rice cook like normal

when the rice is halfway cooked (when most of the water has been absorbed), add in the yam mixture and stir thoroughly. put the cover back on and let the rice cook thru

dish up and serve with some deep fried shallot and drizzle with some of the shallot oil and add a dash of pepper.

recipe is: dumpling soup

Ingredients

350 gms minced chicken
300 gms minced beef
8 stalks dried black chinese mushroom, soaked and finely diced
1 small carrot, skinned and finely chopped
1 thumb size knob of young ginger, finely chopped
5 stalks spring onions, finely chopped
8 tbsp of huoa tsing wine/chinese cooking wine
3 tbsp of oyster sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp light soya sauce
1 flat tsp salt

a few tbsp water for sealing the wontons
1 pkt (abt 70 pcs) square/round wonton skin measuring about 10cm by 10 cm
400 gms chinese mustard green/bok choy/choy sum
2 litres chicken stock
chilly sauce for dipping



Method

put the minced chicken, minced beef, black chinese mushroom, carrot, ginger, spring onions, chinese cooking wine, oyster sauce, sesame oil, salt and light soya sauce in a big mixing bowl and throughly mixed until all the ingredients forms into a big sticky lump

cover with cling film and leave in the fridge for about 1 hour

remove the meat filling mix from the fridge and take out the wonton skin from the packet. get a big platter to put the wrapped wontons

scoop about half a tablespoon of the filling and put it in the centre of the wonton skin (be careful to keep your hands and utensils dry as the skin tears easily when damp), smear the sides with a bit of water and fold over to seal completely (only smear the water onto one fold side of the skin, don't have to surround all the sides of the skin). set aside on the platter. continue with the rest of the filling and wonton skin

heat up a big pot of water and once the water is boiling, put in the dumplings in and cook for 4 minutes. remove the dumplings and set aside. it's best if done in batches, rather than boiling the whole lot at once.

heat up the chicken stock, blanch the vegetables in the chicken stock, and set aside.

in individual bowls, divide out the dumplings and the vegetable. ladle in the hot chicken stock and serve with chilly sauce in dipping saucers.

recipe is: Minced Beef Stew

Ingredients

400 gms minced beef
3 large potatoes, skinned and diced into small cubes, deep fried til golden brown
3 large onions, diced
3 sprigs spring onions, finely chopped
2 tsp corn flour
2+2 tbsp dark soya sauce/thick soya sauce
2+1 tsp oyster sauce
1/2+1/2 tsp sesame oil
2+2 tsp light soya sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp chinese cooking wine/hua tsing wine
3 tbsp oil
180 ml water/beef stock



Method

add 2 tbsp dark soya sauce, 2 tsp oyster sauce, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 2 tsp light soya sauce, 2 tsp corn flour and 2 tbsp chinese cooking wine to the beef, mix well and leave to marinade for at least 45 mins.

heat up the pan and stir fry the onions in the oil over low flame til soften and almost translucent.

add the beef in and stir fry til beef is almost cooked.

add in the potatoes, spring onions, 2 tbsp dark soya sauce, 1 tsp oyster sauce, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 2 tsp light soya sauce, salt, sugar and the beef stock.

turn up the flame and let it come to a boil. turn down the flame and let it simmer for another 5 mins.

complements white rice or bread.