Recipe: Shrimp Egg Foo Yong / Prawn Omelette

This is the type of Chinese dish that I love but will hesitate to order in a restaurant because it is so easy to make. It is so yummy and so good with rice.

I heat up the oil until its smoking hot before pouring the omelette mixture into the hot wok. It was real pleasure watching the omelette puffing up. I managed to take a picture of it. ^.^

*************************************************************************************
This is my recipe:

Ingredients:

Pink, fresh prawns

8-10 large fresh prawns
3 eggs
1 small brown onion
1 bunch of spring onion - sliced into 3 cm in length
salt to taste
3 tbsp oil

Method:

Fluffing up in hot oil

1. Cut the onion into halves. Then slice it into even half-rings.
2. Pour a tablespoon of oil into the wok. Cook the onions until it is slightly golden in color. Dish out and leave aside.
3. Break eggs in a bowl. Add salt and whisk it up with chopsticks. Add fresh prawns, cooked onions and spring onions into the omelette mixture.
4. Heat up remaining oil in a wok. Leave it on high heat until you begin to see smoke rising up. Pour the omelette and enjoy the beautiful sight of eggs puffing up. Lower down the heat to medium and cook for 30 seconds. Turn around to cook the other side. It is ready when the prawns are cooked.
5. Serve with rice.

*************************************************************************************

Yummy prawns

Oven-baked pork spare ribs with crispy garlic

Spare ribs with garlic

There's something about eating spare-ribs. It brings out the primitive side out of me. There is no way of eating politely when it comes to meat on bone. Especially the juiciest part of meat normally comes with bone. I.e lamb racks. I.e spare ribs.

I served the spare ribs with white rice and some chinese vegetables stir-fry. I picked one spare rib with my chopsticks. It became quite a chore as I find it hard to balance the rib on the chopsticks while I chew off the meat from the bone. It was so annoying because the meat kept slipping from the chopsticks. Lol.

My bare fingers then came to the rescue. Some food are just meant to be eaten with hands. There is just something about eating ribs with your hands. It is just so... carnivorous and comforting at the same time. Lol. Oh yeah, and the crispy garlic went so well with the rice...

My recipe is very simple, I just marinated the ribs for a couple of hours (overnight would be better) and then just bake in a hot oven till cooked. The whole house smelled so nice while the ribs are sizzling in the oven. I looove it!

*************************************************************************************

Here is my recipe:

Ingredients:

1 kg pork spare ribs
5 cloves of fat garlic - chopped
2 tbsp soya sauce
2 tbsp Shao Xing rice wine
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp sugar
a pinch of salt

Method:

1. Marinate the pork with all ingredients. Leave it in the fridge for at least an hour to marinate.
2. Preheat oven to 200 degree celcius.
3. Line marinated ribs in a tray. Reserve the garlic for later. Bake for 20 minutes.
4. Turn the ribs around, baste with marinade. Bake for another 20 minutes.
5. Turn the ribs, baste with marinade. Place garlic on top of the ribs. Bake for another 5 minutes.
6. Serve immediately. Great with rice.



Note: If I have 5 spice powder, I would have added about a teaspoon in the marinade. It would give another dimension to the ribs, but it is already good as it is.

Recipe: Chicken Rendang

Seeing Jackson's post on his nasi lemak fare with chicken rendang the other day made me crave for chicken rendang soo much that all I can think about the whole day was chicken rendang. Serious. I am so not kidding you.

And so, the very next day, after dreaming of tender and spicy chicken rendang, I went to the market and get the ingredients for a chicken rendang. I am such an impulse food shopper, when I see something online, particularly in food blog that triggers my cravings and interest, I got to have that right away!!

Sigh, shouldn't I be an impulse clothes and shoes shopper instead? Guess, I am different from other gals. Food is my weakness, yo.

Well, I'm not sure if mine is as tasty as Jackson's, but I was very, very happy with the result, so did J - who had second helpings of rice and chicken rendang. Haha.

My recipe is very similar with my beef rendang recipe, the only difference would be the cooking time - as I do not need to cook the chicken for a very long time for it to be tender. In fact, I merely let it cook for about an hour to achieve a fall-off-the-bone tenderness.

Oh yah, I forgot that I also added lemongrass to the rendang. It definitely made the dish more flavourful and fragrant.

*************************************************************************************
This is my recipe:

Ingredients:


1.5 kg chicken
1 large brown onion - chopped finely
1 thumb-sized ginger - minced finely
3 lemongrass - use the white part only and minced finely
1 cinnamon
1 star anise
4 green cardamom pods
1 packet of ready-to-use rendang paste
2 cups of water
400 ml coconut cream (substitute with coconut milk if available)
1/2 cup of desiccated coconut for kerisik


Method:

1. To make kerisik: Toast desiccated coconut in a dry pan on low heat until the colour turns brown. Be very careful as they tend to burn easily. Leave aside.
(The other method would be toasting at 180 degrees celcius in a oven for 20 minutes).

2. Fry onions, ginger, lemongrass, cardamom pods, star anise and cinnamon until fragrant.

4. Add the rendang paste and stir well.

5. Add the chicken. Mix everything well together until chicken is coated with the paste.
Add water and simmer for 30 minutes on low heat.

6. Add the coconut cream. Allow it to simmer for 30 minutes until almost dry.

7. Add the kerisik. Mix well and let it simmer for 2-3 minutes.
Serve hot with rice or roti canai.

Bon appetite!!

Recipe: Long beans with Sambal Belachan

See that dark parts there? That small bits are so flavourful that I only need an itsy bitsy bit to eat with your plan rice. I kept the veges crisp though, as there is nothing worse than soggy stir-fry vegetables. This is a Malaysian dish, using belachan paste, dried shrimps and chillies.

Well, I used crispy prawn chillies that I bought from supermarkets, once I found a good brand, I tend to stick to it. I recommend DeliChef Crispy Prawn Chilli. It is so yummy and moreish.

*************************************************************************************
This is my recipe:

(Click for larger pic)

Ingredients:

300g long beans - cut into 3cms in length
1 tbsp dried shrimp - chopped
1 tbsp crispy prawn chillies
1/2 tbsp of belachan paste
2 cloves garlic - chopped finely
2 tbsp water
1 tbsp oil
salt to taste


Method:

1. Heat up oil in a wok under high heat. Add dried shrimps and fry for 4 minutes or until crispy. Remove and leave aside.
2. Saute garlic in the remaining oil until golden brown.
3. Add belachan paste and stir well until fragrant.
4. Add crispy prawn chillies and fry for 30 seconds.
5. Add beans and water and fry for 3 minutes.
6. Serve warm with rice.

Recipe: Creamy Spaghetti with Pork Sausages and Mushrooms

Spaghetti (Sausages + Mushrooms + Cream) + Parsley = DARN GOOD PASTA
(CLICK FOR LARGER PIC)

This pasta is so darn good that I smacked myself on the head thinking why did I never think of making this dish before!? Last night feeling hungry and in an intense need-food-now mode, I find myself rummaging the fridge to see what fresh ingredients I have. There is no time for cooking rice and dishes, my hunger could not wait.

When I saw the pork sausages and mushrooms, my mind was already thinking of making a dish with sausages and mushrooms. When a bottle of cream came into my view (leftover from my lasagna dish), I thought, "Brilliant!! Pasta it is!"

Porky Sausages

Seriously, this is so freaking tasty that I find myself gasping for air as I furiously shoved mounds of spaghettis into my eager mouth. The concoction is just perfect, meaty sausages with earthy fresh button mushrooms all combined together in a creamy sauce with sprinkling of parsley. Every single strand of spaghetti was coated with sauce and bits of parsley. It was so tasty and satisfying!

For you pasta lovers out there, you just got to try out this recipe! Believe me, you won't regret it. You can thank me later. =D

*************************************************************************************
This is my recipe:

Ingredients:

Spaghetti for 2 servings
3 pork sausages
2 cup of fresh button mushrooms - sliced evenly
4 cloves of garlic - minced finely
1/4 cup of fresh parsley - chopped finely
1/2 cup of cream
salt and pepper to taste


Method:

1. Cook spaghetti as per instruction on the back of the packet.
2. Meanwhile, cook the sausages on a separate pan in oil until cooked. Remove and chop the sausages into even bite-sized pieces. Leave aside.
3. Sweat the garlic in the same pan. Add the mushrooms and mix well for 3 minutes until mushrooms soften.
4. Add the chopped sausages and mix well.
5. Add the spaghetti and cream. Stir well.

6. Season with salt and pepper. Lastly, turn off the fire and add the parsley.

7. Combine everything well together and bon appetite!

*************************************************************************************

gimme more
(CLICK FOR LARGER PIC)

Recipe: Braised Pork Belly with Boiled Eggs

Pork Belly with Eggs

The lasagna post would have to wait for now. Last night, I made braised pork belly with boiled eggs for dinner. It is sinfully delicious and easy to cook, the hardest thing is probably the waiting time, as this dish normally takes more than 2 hours to achieve the most tender piece of pork belly.

Eaten with warm rice and a few specks of hot chillies, it is the ultimate comfort Chinese home-style food. I could eat this everyday, which is probably not a good idea if I want to live longer.

Belly fat. Yum.

The best part would be the belly fat, it is so very tasty and tender melt-in-your-mouth kind. I love to cut a small piece of egg white + egg yolk + pork belly with fat and scoop it all up with rice. Your mouth and taste senses will be treated to the ultimate orgasm for sure.

*************************************************************************************
This is my recipe:


Ingredients:

500g pork belly - cut into cubes
4 cloves garlic
4 boiled eggs
1 tbsp dark soya sauce
1/2 tbsp soya sauce
1/2 tbsp sugar
2 star anise
1 cup water


Method:

Place all ingredients except the eggs in a pan and let it simmer for 1.5 hours. Add the eggs and let it simmer for another 30 minutes or until the meat is tender.

Step-by-step Recipe: Bolognese Sauce

Bolognese Meat Sauce on Pre-cooked Lasagna

This is a mighty tasty sauce which is simple to do. It is also great with pasta (spaghetti bolognese, anyone?) and could keep well in the fridge.

This is my recipe for Bolognese Meat Sauce:

Ingredients:

2 large brown onions - chopped finely
1 kg minced beef
2 bay leaves
500g of canned whole tomatoes
2 tbsp of tomato paste
2 tbsp oil
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Heat up oil in a large saucepan. Add onions and bay leaves and saute on medium heat for 2 minutes.

2. Add minced beef and stir well for 5 minutes or until beef is cooked.

3. Add the canned tomatoes and tomato paste into the beef mixture. Stir well and let it simmer for 10 minutes on low heat.

4. Voila!
Tasty bolognese sauce for lasagna or spaghetti bolognese.

*************************************************************************************
Coming up next!

A step-by-step recipe for making a lasagna - with photos and description of layering out the lasagna.

Mozzarella Cheese on Meat Sauce as part of a preparation for a Lasagna

Recipe: Bechamel Sauce

Lasagna

This will be the first part of a very long and tedious process of making a lasagna from scratch, right whisking up bechamel sauce, slicing onions and simmering the meat sauce. Everything took approximately 2 hours to make and the aftermath?

Two sinks full of dirty dishes and a disgruntled J - whose chore is to clean the dishes. Haha!

Hope I didn't scare you away from making a lasagna. Lol. I did made enough for 8 servings, so there's enough to freeze and to consume in the future.

So here goes, to start rolling, here is my simplified recipe for bechamel sauce (that I made for the very first time and which turned out quite well):

*************************************************************************************
Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter
4 tbsp plain flour - sifted
2 cup cream
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Melt butter in saucepan.

2. Add flour to the butter and stir well.

3. Add the cream and stir well into the mixture.

4. Whisk well on low heat until there are no visible of lumps. Bring it to a boil and add salt and pepper to taste. You should get a thick and creamy sauce in the end. Keep aside.

*************************************************************************************

As this was the first time in me making a bechamel sauce, I thought it would be easier to cook everything on a shallow pan for even distributed heat. Well, big mistake as you couldn't possibly whisk the sauce in a pan without splattering everywhere, could you? I also do not want have bits of teflon scraps in my sauce, do I? Lol. And so, I transfer the flour and butter mixture into a small pot before adding the cream and I recommend that you make your sauce from a pot.

Maybe that explains my mountains of dirty dishes, eh? Haha.

Coming up next! A photolog recipe of meat sauce, part 2 of the Lasagna Trilogy. Stay tuned!

That's 1 kg of minced beef you see here

Recipe: Lou Shu Fan (Rat Tail Noodles)

Lou Shu Fan

Lou shu fan are translated into 'rat tail noodles' because the shape of the noodles resemble the tails of rats. Sounds icky, doesn't it? But don't be put off by the name, as the noodles are truly tasty - chewy and gelatinous in texture.

I was taught on how to prepare this dish by my mother, many years ago while I was young. It reminds me of home now that I'm in a foreign country. I was thrilled to come across this noodles in Footscray Market. Although it cost approximately 20 times than the ones sold in Malaysia, I bought the noodles without thinking twice. It paid off in the end, as the result was a comforting and satisfying dish that brings back flashes of sweet memories.

*************************************************************************************
This is my mom's recipe:

Ingredients:

400g lou shu fan/rat tail noodles
100g minced pork
150g choy sum - cut into 3 inches length
3 cloves of garlic - chopped finely
1 tbsp of dark soya sauce
1.5 tbsp of soya sauce
1/2 tbsp of oil
1/4 cup of water
1/4 tsp of sugar
salt to taste


Method:

1. Saute garlic in oil until dark golden in color.
2. Add minced pork and stir well for few minutes until the pork is cooked.
3. Add the noodles and the sauces, salt and sugar and stir well until combined. Add water and
let it simmer for 3 minutes.
4. Add the choy sum and stir well. Leave it until the vegetables are wilted and cooked.
5. Serve immediately.

Rat tail noodles

Recipe: Pasta Carbonara

Penne Carbonara

We had friends over at our home today. And what is a good way to impress your friends at dinner yet not spending hours in the kitchen while missing out having fun and socializing with your guests? Pasta carbonara, of course. It is easy to make, delicious to eat and filling to the tummy.


I know that there are several ways of preparing pasta carbonara. My method is cooking it all under the stove - while watching the heat carefully. You have to be careful when you add the eggs (make sure you turn off the fire first!) as you do not want to end up having lumps of scrambled eggs in your pasta. Yikes!

*************************************************************************************

Recipe (for 4):



300g penne
3 cloves garlic
1.5 cup bacon - chopped into squares
1 cup cream
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup white wine
1 tbsp oil
salt and black pepper to taste

Method:

1. Boil the penne following the instructions on the packet.
Meanwhile, fry garlic in oil until golden in colour.

2. Add bacon and fry for a couple of minutes.

3. Pour white wine into the garlic and bacon mixture. Let it simmer for a minute.

4. Add the cream and bring it to a boil.

5. Once it boiled, add the pasta.
Stir well to thoroughly coat the pasta with the cream mixture.

6. Add the cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Stir well. Turn off the fire and add the egg yolks. Stir vigorously to ensure that the yolks do not turn into lumps. You should achieve a creamy texture in the end.

Serve warm

Pasta, anyone?

Recipe: Grilled Tomato with Bacon on Toast

With a sprinkling of parsley

I love tomato. But I don't like them raw. I like cooked tomato in soups, stews and stir-fries, but I will not eat raw sliced tomato in salads. I find that cooked tomato give so much more depth in taste and flavor compared to the uncooked ones, they are often much sweeter and milder to the palate. Or maybe I am just a weird person. Hah!

Grilled tomato worked out just the way I want it. Juicy, sweet and tangy. Even J who doesn't like tomato raved about it. I think it was the effect from the grill and also the parsley which made it so tasty. It had such a refreshing and cleansing taste to the palate.

Add a rasher of bacon along with a warm toast and you end up having a wholesome and tasty breakfast treat. Yummy!

*************************************************************************************

This is my recipe ( for 2)


Ingredients:

2 tomato - sliced about 1/2 cm
2 slices of bread - toasted
2 rashers of bacon
1/2 teaspoon of parsley
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
salt to taste

Method:

1. Place sliced tomato on a tray. Season generously with salt and pepper. Place the bacon on the other side of the tray

2. Grill under High Mode for 4-5 minutes until the tomato and bacon are slightly browned on the edges

3. Place a rasher of bacon on each toast. Arrange grilled tomato on top of the bacon. Sprinkle with parsley. Enjoy them right away.

So good

Premium Rump Steak - Juicy and Meaty

Medium rare premium rump steak

Scenario:

(Coles Supermarket, Meat Aisle)

Bf : What are we having for dinner tomorrow?

Me : Well, we have some beef rendang in the freezer. We could have that. I could prepare
some vege to go with it.

Bf : *looking at steaks longingly* Could we have steaks instead?

Me : But you just had steaks last month!

Bf : Yeah, but that was ages ago. It was 2 weeks since I had one.

Me : Oh, all right. *reach out for premium rump steaks from the shelf*

Bf : *Grins widely*

*************************************************************************************
Scenario:

(The next day at 7pm, kitchen)

Seasoned lightly with cracked black pepper and rosemary



***After 6 minutes on a stove***

Glistening juices

We like ours medium rare

Yummy with buttery potato

*************************************************************************************

A looong time ago, I must have my steaks well-cooked. Wrong move. The consequences are dry and tough steaks resulting me in asking for more gravy to sort of compensate the lack of juices, which did not help, of course. I remember needing to chew a small piece of meat for about 2 minutes and then forcibly swallow with gulps of water in between *shudders*

However, once I try a medium rare steak, I never looked back since. The result is an extremely juicy and succulent piece of meat. And gravy is never needed. In fact, it's best to eliminate strong sauces as the taste of the steak might be overpowered by the gravy.