Chicken Stewed With Salted Fish

 

This appetizing dish is one of my family's favorite! Chicken stewed with salted fish didn't happen by chance in my kitchen. I remember this being served in a claypot at a zhi-char stall (but I can't recall where) and it was very well-liked by all of us. Knowing that I usually have to cater to different taste buds at home, this very simple yet flavorful recipe is a keeper for me! Yes, it is simple. Trust me! :)

Preparation time : 10 minutes  Cooking time : 30 minutes  Serves : 4

Ingredients :

- 2 boneless chicken thighs, cut to bite size.

- 2 or 3 pieces of salted fish.

- 2 medium sized onions, sliced.

- ginger, sliced. (I like to put more in my dish so portioning at your discretion.)

- 2 or 3 stalks of spring onions, cut to preferred length. (I also like to put more of this in my dish!)

- 2 tbsp oyster sauce

- 1 tbsp black soya sauce

- 1 tbsp hua tiao jiu (chinese cooking wine)

- 1 tsp of sugar to taste

- 1 rice bowl of water 

- 1.5 tbsp of cooking oil 

You can also add a few pieces of dried chilli if you want your dish spicy.

Method :

- Wash and pat dry the salted fish. Pan fry it till crisp. Set aside.

- Using the same wok with oil used to fry the salted fish, fry the onions and ginger till fragrant.

- Add the chicken followed by oyster sauce, black soya sauce and chinese cooking wine. Continue to stir fry for a while. Followed by the salted fish.

- Add water and let it simmer for 20-30 minutes. You can also add corn starch to thicken the gravy.

- When it's almost done, add sugar to taste and the spring onions. Give it a good mix.

-  Serve hot with steamed rice and enjoy!

  Till the next post, have a blessed week!

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[Recipe] Bee Hoon with Clams and Prawns

While I was doing my marketing one day, I had a surprised vision of a slurpilicious bee hoon dish in rich chicken stock, covered with fresh clams and prawns, spring onions and mushrooms. These are rare inspirational times for a trip to the supermarket. Usually I can be found walking aimlessly, going around the same aisles 2-3 times, searching for inspiration.

There and then, I settled for a quieter spot along the aisle and did a search for "clams with bee hoon" recipe on my mobile and was thrilled to find varied recipes on 'xing hua bee hoon'.

I've personally not tried this dish before at any eateries, and I've heard raves about this dish at a certain restaurant. I can't tell if it tastes as authentic as it should be. But I am sharing with you my simple adaptation nonetheless which didn't go wrong. As long as my family enjoyed it, it's all that matters. :)

Total preparation time : Approx.40 minutes

Serves : 7-8 portions

Ingredients :

- 1 packet bee hoon (rehydrated. I use chilli brand)

- 300 grams fresh medium sized clams  (I used venus clams. Amount approx.or more if you like)

- 300 grams fresh medium sized prawns (de-shelled, de-veined.)
- 1 pc fish cake (sliced)
- 6 pcs flower mushrooms (soaked and sliced)
- half a carrot (shredded)
- 2 stalks spring onions (cut to length like shredded carrot)
- 1/4 chinese cabbage (sliced thinly)
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/4 cup hua tiao jiu (chinese cooking wine)
- 2 tbsp minced garlic
- salt & pepper to taste
- cooking oil

Method :
- fry the garlic and mushrooms till fragrant.
- add the vegetables, fish cake slices and continue to stir fry quickly.
- add clams and prawns with the chinese wine and chicken stock. Bring to boil and simmer till clams open up.
- Season with salt and pepper to broth.
- Add bee hoon while gently tossing it till broth is absorbed.
- Serve and enjoy!

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  Till the next post, have a blessed week!

[Recipe] Pasta With Anchovy Sauce

When I saw Nigella Lawson preparing this mouth-watering dish on TV,  I was bent on trying it. I've never tried anchovies before and this would probably be the best opportunity to try in this pasta dish.

I was kinda apprehensive about how my family would take to this flavoring. My initial plan was to guinea pig myself one of the days when it is just me at home for lunch. But you know, I decided that it would be a "eat it or starve" circumstance. And till date, they all do not know that the awesome flavors came from the anchovies!

For many, I guess anchovies is an acquired taste. Let me describe my first taste : it has a rich savory flavor, salty (for sure) and a little pungent. Kind of reminds me of a western version of belachan, if I may say so.

So here's my simple adaptation to this pasta dish.

It seems so plain looking but believe me, the wonderful flavors coat every single strand of pasta!

Recipe serves 4.     Preparation + Cooking time : 20 mins

Ingredients :

- 3/4 packet of cooked spaghetti

- 1 cup corn

- 2 medium sized tomatoes, diced into chunks

- 3 to 4 stalks of chinese parsley

- 2 tbsp of minced garlic

- 1 tin of anchovies in olive oil (I used John West's brand in 45g)

- 2 tbsp of Olive oil

(There wasn't any other need for flavoring because the anchovies are salty. But do a taste test at your discretion and add salt if necessary.)

     

Cooking method :

- I used the olive oil soaked from the tin of anchovies to cook this dish. But you can use your own olive oil. Just remember to drain the anchovies from the tin.

- fry the garlic till fragrant and add the anchovies.

- you will notice that the anchovies will simply melt away. So that's your sauce!

- Then add in the tomatoes and corn with the pasta and toss it up.

- When its almost done, sprinkle the parsley and give it another good toss.

-  Drizzle a bit of olive oil on the pasta before serving. (optional)

   Bon appetit!     Till the next post, have a blessed week!

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[Recipe] Oven Baked Wings Oriental Style

This is my lazy day dish... oops and you probably think I spend HOURS in the kitchen most of the time.  But then again, I am entitled to my lazy days. No matter what, home cooked food is still the best, right? What makes it even better is when it is so loved by my children!

Serves 4.  Preparation time : 5 mins  Cooking time : 20 mins

Ingredients :

Approx.18 mid-joint wings

1 tbsp sesame oil

2.5 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp 5 spice powder

1 tsp black soy sauce

pepper (optional)

Method :

- place the chicken in a zip lock bag and marinade with all the ingredients. Leave it in the fridge for at least 2 hours for the flavors to immense into the meat.

- When ready to bake, pre-heat oven to 170 degrees celcius.

- Place the chicken in a single layer on your baking tray. Pour any balance marinade on top of the chicken.

- Put in oven to bake for 15-20 mins.

- Serve hot and enjoy!

    Till the next post, have a blessed week!

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[Recipe] Bruschetta

My husband, son and I love bruschetta! It is a taste for every season. Although I am so not a tomato person, but this is something I love! I guess it is the tangy flavor that makes my knees go weak...

At times when we go for Italian cuisine, this would be our appetizer. For 6 pieces of thinly sliced baguette, it truly isn't worth the price on the menu. Call me ngiow (stingy), but there are certain food that I will not be willing to pay for if I know that it is a mixture of simple flavors which I can whip up in my own kitchen.

Here's my tweaked version from the original recipe I found and am more than happy to share mine with you!

This recipe serves 8 sliced baguette. Prep time : 10 minutes. Cook time : 10 minutes.

Ingredients :

1 medium sized baguette

10 cherry tomatoes, diced (mummymoo.com saw my bruschetta photos prior to my post and mentioned that a chef friend told her the tomatoes should be de-seeded for this dish. So take note if you prefer yours that way!)

1 small onion, chopped

Coriander leaves (amount at your discretion) Alternatively, you can use basil leaves.

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp Lea & Perrin worchestire sauce (substitute with balsamic vinegar)

salt and pepper to taste

butter

minced garlic

Method :

- Set oven temperature to 170 degree celcius.

- throw the tomatoes, onion, coriander leaves into a bowl. 

- Add in olive oil, worchestire sauce, salt and pepper.

- Give it a good mix and leave it chilled in the fridge for at least 10-15 minutes. 

- Slice your baguette and place them on an oven tray.

- spread butter and minced garlic on the sliced baguette. (This alone is also my version of garlic bread!)

- toast the baguette in the oven for 10 minutes.

- When you are ready to serve your bruschetta, spread a table spoonful of the seasoned tomatoes on top of the toasted baguette and serve.

A simple recipe that is healthy and appetizing. Goes great with your pasta dishes or serve it together with a hearty soup which is a meal on its own! Try it!

  Till the next post, have a blessed week!

[Recipe] Thai Fish Cake (Tod Mun Pla)

I've always been a fan of Thai food. Tom yum, phad thai, green curry... just to name a few. My favorite dish is actually the very first taste of Thailand that I tried on my first visit to Bangkok more than 20 years ago, at a road side stall. Yes! The Thai fish cake - also known as tod mun pla in their language.

I've tweaked this recipe a little, adapted from Noobcook.com. It was easier to cook than I thought!

This recipe serves about 8 pieces. Preparation time : 8 minutes. Cooking time : 12 minutes.

Ingredients  :

- 200gm tub of fish paste, store bought

- 1 tbsp Thai red curry paste (add another tbsp if you like it spicier and redder color on fish cake)

- 1 long bean, sliced thinly

- 1/2 a medium onion, chopped finely

- 1.5 tbsp corn flour

- 1/2 an egg, beaten

- squeeze half a large green lime (as substitute flavor for lime leaves)

- a dash of fish sauce

- 2 tbsp cooking oil

Mix the ingredients well together. Heat up oil in your pan. The difference for me is that since I dislike to deep fry, I've chosen to pan fry them instead. The texture remains the same.

Scoop the marinated paste with a spoon and form into a flat shape before placing into pan. Fry them till golden brown, on both sides. Drain oil on paper towel before serving it with thai sweet chilli sauce, topped with cucumbers for the refreshing crunch in eat bite.

 

 Till the next post, have a blessed week!

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[Recipe] Hei Bi Hiam - Dried Spicy Shrimp

[Something quick and relatively easy to try out this long public holiday weekend!]

I love this condiment! It goes well with my breakfast, I have it spread on my lightly buttered bread. It goes well with plain rice. And absolutely wonderful when you put a dollop of it into your prawn noodle soup! And this is definitely not the usual hei bi hiam because this contains much lesser oil and its the crispy version - my mum's beloved recipe.

Best part is, it's much simpler to cook it than you would think it is!

 

Ingredients :
100gm dried shrimps (washed)
2 dried chillies (seeded and washed) - add more chillies according to your preferred spicy level
1 yellow ginger (about the size of your pinkie)
2 shallots
3/4 tsp belachan paste
1.5 tbsp of cooking oil
1 tbsp sugar

Method :
- Grind the chillis, yellow ginger, shallots and belachan into a paste. Set aside.
- Separately, grind the dried shrimps till semi fine.

- Heat up the oil in wok.
- Fry the paste till fragrant and add the shrimps, mixing them together on medium heat.

- Keep frying till it turns brownish. It took me about 15-20 minutes of cooking time. Do watch the fire as it may char pretty quickly if left unattended.
- Before turning off the fire, drizzle the sugar into the dish and give a final mix.
- Leave it to cool before storing it in your container.
- This would last you about a week if stored in room temperature. Or keep it in the fridge if you want to keep it for longer.

 May I interest you to a different hei bi hiam recipe?
My friend Diana of The Domestic Goddess Wannabe has another version for you to try!

  Till the next post, have a blessed week!

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[Recipe] Bakwan Kepiting

 

Bakwan kepiting is a wholesome, very lightly flavored yet appetizing peranakan soup-based dish comprising of crab meat, prawn meat, bamboo shoots and minced pork rolled into a ball. It was only during special occasions that we got to eat this while growing up because crabs and prawns were not considered affordable in our household.

In my version, I've kept the crab and prawn meat chunky instead of finely minced as it mostly is because I wanted to taste the different textures when I bite into it. However, do feel free to minced all the ingredients to your personal liking.

Here are the ingredients to prepare (makes about 16 medium sized bakwan) :

- 300gm minced pork

- 1 pkt crab meat (I used a shortcut and bought raw/frozen crab leg meat instead.)

- 10 pcs medium sized prawns, chopped

- 2 pcs of bamboo shoots thinly sliced. (I used canned bamboo shoots by Mili brand. There are easily 4-5 pcs in a can. You can keep the balance to make poh piah or fried spring rolls!)

- 1 egg

- 2 tbsp corn flour

- 1 tbsp taucheo paste (preserved soy bean paste)

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 2 soup bowls of water

- 1 tbsp fish sauce

Method :

1) Put all the meat and 80% of the bamboo shoot in a bowl. Add the cornflour and egg. Mix well and leave aside.

2) Fry the garlic, the balance bamboo shoot and taucheo paste in your casserole till fragrant.

3) Add water and let it boil.

4) Scoop the marinated meat into ball shapes and place into the soup base. You can firm the shape of the ball with your palm too.

5) Once all the bakwan are in the casserole, add the fish sauce and let it cook for 20-30 minutes.

6) Remember to do your taste test and adjust the salt level to your preference.

While the bakwan cooks, you may want to make your own sambal belachan (spicy shrimp chilli) that goes extremely well as a dip! I made a small portion of 2 fresh chillis and 1 tsp of belachan. Nowadays, you can get prepared belachan paste in a glass bottle by Lee Kum Kee so I use that for my cooking. Blend the 2 together and viola!

If you like coriander leaves, do get them and serve it as garnish together with the soup!

p.s. This soup tastes even more awesome if there are balance to keep for the next day. :)

Till the next post, have a blessed week!

[Recipe] Ondeh Ondeh

  I learned this recipe from my mother - I am so glad that helping her out to cook before I got married did help prepare my current role in the kitchen!
Before I continue with the recipe, I need to mention that this was made purely based on agaration (moderation of ingredients without specific measurements) more than anything else. What you really need are 2 important senses to make this kueh - touch and sight.
INGREDIENTS

- Glutinous rice flour (approx. 1/2 cup) - 1/2 a medium sized sweet potato (boiled till soften and mashed) - pandan flavoring (optional) - gula melaka (palm sugar) - desiccated coconut (bought in supermarket) or fresh grated coconut if available - water to mix the paste to form dough    This recipe makes about 18 pieces of ondeh ondeh.   The reason for the sweet potato to be mixed into the flour is so that the texture of the ondeh ondeh will be soft and less chewy. You can also choose to use just the flour alone however, the texture will be tough and very chewy which is not what it is supposed to achieve in the kueh.

  Prepare the gula melaka filling by scraping it thinly with a knife and leave aside.   MAKING THE DOUGH  

  This is the part where you need to use your sense of touch and sight I mentioned earlier.
Mix the mashed sweet potatoes and flour together, adding water a little at a time until you can feel that the texture is smooth and the dough no longer sticks to your fingers. If the texture is too wet, it becomes sticky so you would need to add in more flour at your discretion.There is also a similar instruction about making the dough in the flour manufacturer's packaging.
Add the pandan flavoring and mix well into the dough. This coloring is optional because if you notice, there are some kueh shops that use the color of the sweet potato for ondeh ondeh. But green is an exciting color so I put it in mine. :p
When the dough is ready, you can start boiling water in your pan. 
SHAPING THE ONDEH ONDEH
Form a ball shape and make a depression in the middle so that you can fill the gula melaka in it. Not too much so the dough doesn't tear during the cooking process. Do be gentle when you pinch the edges to secure the filling. Roll gently to shape into a ball. Repeat the process for the rest of the dough before putting them into the boiling water to be cooked. Gently move them around in the water once in a while.  It takes about 10-15 minutes to be ready.

 

In between waiting, prepare the desiccated coconut into a plate. I like to mix a tiny sprinkle of salt in the coconut to give the bite a little punch as the coconut is tasteless. But this is optional.

THE FINAL PRODUCT
Once the ondeh ondeh is cooked, gently scoop them out with water drained, roll them in the coconut and it is ready to be served!

Tip on buying gula melaka  
It is tricky to get good grade gula melaka these days. There are many kinds out there that is just brown sugar and not palm sugar. I've tried a few and so far, this one that I bought from Giant tastes good! NTUC also carries this brand.

  Till the next post, have a blessed week!

Salted Egg Prawns

 

I remember the first time I tried this dish at a zhi-char stall, I fell madly in love with it. This dish is not that salty as the name suggests because only the salted egg yolk is used. If you are familiar with salted eggs, the egg whites are usually the part that is the salty culprit.

Ingredients :

10 medium sized prawns (shelled or de-shelled. Mine was partially de-shelled, leaving only the head and tail)

2 salted egg yolks (Boiled, mash the yolks and set aside.)

curry leaves (portion at your discretion)

1 egg (beaten) add and some pepper in it

Some plain flour or corn flour

1 tbsp oyster sauce (optional)

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp cooking oil

Method :

- Heat up cooking oil in pan. Coat the prawns with egg and then with flour. Pan fry till crisp. Set aside.

- In a fresh pan, heat butter and add the curry leaves.

- Once fragrant, add in the mashed egg yolks and continue to fry till it becomes bubbly. 

(you may add oyster sauce at this point too for additional flavor. I didn't add into mine because I personally wouldn't want it to be too salty)

- Add in the cooked prawns and mix well.

- Serve. Best eaten piping hot!

Time taken to cook : 25 minutes.

My husband and I enjoyed this dish very much! Try it, enjoy and let me know how it turned out for you!

p.s. what would you do with the salted egg whites? I didn't have a clue but to consume it plainly with rice!

    Till the next post, have a blessed week!

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Homemade Strawberry Sorbet in 10 Minutes

After acquiring the latest food processor, I just had to get down to make SORBET!!

JUST 3 KEY INGREDIENTS TO HOME MADE ICE CREAM!

You read it correct.

- 3 cups of strawberries

- 1/2 cup of caster sugar (or a little bit more if the strawberries are too sour)

- 2/3 cup of cooking cream 

After placing the strawberries and sugar together into the mixer bowl, blend them together while adding the cream gradually into the bowl through the top opening.

In less than 2 minutes, it was done!

I chose not to blend it too finely as I think it will be nice to chew some strawberry bits in the ice cream.

The ice cream mixture was left in the freezer and best eaten after leaving it to set overnight. This portion I made serves about 10 scoops.

A little tip when buying strawberries

The first batch of this ice cream was made with strawberries from Korea. Maybe because it is not in season, I only managed to get those that were not fully red in color. So the first batch turned out a little too sourish and tasted more like yoghurt. Though we actually didn't mind much because we are yoghurt fans.

For the second batch, I bought deep red strawberries from USA and it turned out more to the texture of ice cream than the first batch I made. Though seriously, it can pass off like sorbet too! The strawberries itself was naturally sweet already so I kept the sugar dosage the same at 1/2 the cup. It was perfect to our liking!

   Try it!

Till the next post, have a blessed week!

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The Tangy-licious Baked Fish

Photo captured with iphone.

I was lost at Sheng Siong supermarket again one morning. Didn't know what to cook for dinner. Got tired with the chicken stews and stir-fried brocollis. Then I saw this fresh piece of white snapper fish tail and decided to get it for about S$10, which my mom says its worth it. 

"I shall bake this fish!" I declared victoriously... in my mind. Ok drama there, no relevance to this post.

The fish turned out very successful in taste and not at all dry as I thought it would. I was extremely surprised that it tasted like tom yum without the spiciness which my son had nothing but praises for this dish. Although the hubs only complaint was not enough sauce to have it with his rice - which is actually rather flavorful.

Here's how I cooked the fish :

Preparation

- pre-heat your oven to about 160 degrees celsius

- marinate the fish with the basic salt and pepper

- mince some ginger and chilli, quantity to your preference

- half a lemon

- 1/2 tbsp butter for pan frying fish

- 1 cup water (or more if necessary)

- 3/4 packet of instant noodle seasoning powder as stock base. (you can use your own chicken or ikan bilis stock cubes as substitute. 1/2 the cube would suffice or use it at your discretion. I have some extra packets of noodle seasoning so I decided to use them instead.)

How it's cooked

- Heat up your pan on medium heat and melt 1/2 tbsp of butter

- pan fry fish as my aim was just to get the skin a little charred. This takes about 3 mins on each side.

- squeeze half the lemon on the fish, the seasoning and throw in the ginger and chilli. Add water.
  (I don't know why but at this point, I felt like I was doing a Jamie Oliver!)

-  turn off fire and place the pan into the oven (my pan is able to be used on the stove and oven)

- Bake for about 12-15 minutes or as long as you can poke through the fish meat with ease, it's indication
   that it's cooked.

- In between, if the stock seems to be drying up, add some water into the pan to keep it moist. But not too
   much lest it loses flavor.

Definitely an easy dish to cook. With preparation time, it didn't even take 30 minutes! Try it!

Till the next post, have a blessed week!

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