21, the step into adulthood...

Oh well, finally it's my turn to step into adulthood, bye bye to any relavance to the 'teenage category'. Anyway, was fortunate to have a good bunch of friends to celebrate with me, really appreciate what they did for me... well, we had a dinner at this Thai restaurant, I really like to rate it really good as it is my birthday, but the food was really only slightly above average due to a few reasons. But anyway, let's not mention the lame things, and focus on the good stuff! A memorable birthday to remember!

The whole gang! Thanks heaps to the waiter, birthdays are good excuses to gathering and reunions! HAHA!

What so special with dish? Hmm it was burning in flame that day, but obviously it turned out that the flames are not there... I wonder why...

Later on back at John's place, cutting the cake! >.<>

Okok, cutting and distributing the cakes, everyone gets one...Haha! Don't blame me for the pictures, it's the photographer's fault...sorry John... lolz

Last note! This is a late post, today is not my birthday...lolz

White Mushrooms in Thick Oyster Gravy

Ingredients:
100g white mushrooms
6 petals chinese cabbage
1/4 red onion
1/2 carrot
1/2 green capsicum
1pc wholemeal bread
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp ligth soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp corn starch
2 tsp dried basil leaf
2 clove garlic
2 slice ginger



Method:
1. Heat oil in a wok, add in fine chopped ginger and garlic, followed by red coarsely sliced red onions. Add sugar to caramelized the ingredients.
2. Stir in cabbage stems, followed by capsicum, then the mushrooms, and lastly fine chopped carrot.
3. Add in all the seasonings except corn starch, continue to stir-fry for another 3-5 minutes. Add some water if too dry.
4. Meanwhile, toast the bread and cut into desired shape and sizes.
5, When the ingredients start to boil, mix some water with the corn starch and add into the wok of mixture, done. Serve hot. the bread is to compliment the thick gravy. (use man tou if desired)

Stwed Ages Pork

Ingredients:

1kg pork belly

250g tofu puffs

250g tofu sticks

2 star-anise

1 cinammon stick

1 whole garlic

10pc lump sugar

8pc black pepper corn

6 tbsp light soy sauce

5 tbsp dark soy sauce

2-3 cups water (depending on pot)

Method:

1. Soak the tofu sticks in hot or lukewarm water until soft and tender, cut into desired length and sizes.

2. Cut the pork belly into desired sizes, place in a pot (claypot for best results)

3. Add in garlic, lum sugar, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, cracked black pepper corn, cinnamon stick and star-anise.

4. Add water to cover pork and other ingredients by an extra of about 2 cm. Cover with lid, turn on heat to high and bring to boil.

5. Add in tofu puffs and tofu sticks, add water, give the ingredients in the pot a good mix, cover with lid and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes.

6. Check the water level in the pot, make sure there is constantly certain amount of water inside. Check the taste as well, only add light and dark soy sauce if taste is too mild; close lid and continue to braise for another 30-45 minutes. Done, serve hot. ( I did mine for 1 1/2 hours).

Aubergine and Anchovies in Sweet and Spicy Sauce

Ingredients:
2 aubergine (about 750g)
100g dried anchovies (ikan bilis)
1 tbsp plum sauce
2 tbsp tom yam paste
3 tbsp soy bean paste
1 tbsp pepper powder
2 tsp brown sugar
Light soy sauce and salt to taste
3 cloves garlic
3 tbsp vegetable oil
2 slice ginger
1/2 bowl water

Method:
1. Place anchovy in microwave, set it to high and toast for about two minutes; take out, turn sides of the anchovies and toast again for another two minutes.
2. Coarsely chop the aubergine, sprinkle with some salt, steam for no more than 10 minutes.
3. Heat oil in a wok, add in finely chopped ginger and garlic when oil is hot enough, stir fry for 2 minutes, add in plum sauce, tom yam paste and soy bean paste; stir-fry for another 2 minutes before adding water, bring to boil.
4. Stir in the aubergine, add sugar and pepper, cover with lid, bring to boil, done.
5. Sprinkle over with toasted anchovies, serve hot.

Stir fried Chicken with Ginger & Spring Onion

Ingredients:
1kg chicken drumsticks (coarsely chopped)
100g ginger (thinly sliced)
1/2 bunch spring onion (coarsely chopped)

1 tbsp vegetable oil

2 tbsp dark soy sauce

3 tbsp black pepper powder

3 tbsp salt
3 tbsp sesame oil
4 tbsp light soy sauce
5 tbsp shaoxing rice wine (preferably yellow rice wine)

Method:
1. Marinate the chicken meat with vegetable oil, 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp salt and 1 tbsp pepper for about 15 minutes.
2. Toast the ginger in a heated wok (without oil) for about 3 minutes, add in sesame oil, fry for another 2 minutes.
3. Stir in the chicken meat, followed by the remaining seasonings, leaving the wine for the last. Sir-fry for another 3 minutes before closing lid. Bring to boil.
4. Remove the lid, stir-fry for 1 minute, close lid again. repeat this step until the gravy starts to thicken up, add in the wine then, stir fry for a while and cover with lid again for another 2 minutes.
5. Remove lid, add in spring onions, stir fry for another 2 minutes, done, serve hot.

Banana Fish Fillet

I had heaps of banana in over-riping in the fridge and was wondering what I could do with them, until one nice sunny morning when this idea suddenly hit me when I woke up in the morning. Check it out, hope you like it!

Ingredients:

Fish Fillet
1 pc basa fillet (or other white meat fish fillets)
1/2 pc ripe banana (mashed)
3 slice gingers (finely chopped)
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp black pepper powder
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp cinnamon powder
2 tbsp corn starch/ plain flour
2 tbsp butter

Banana Bread Sticks
1/2 pc ripe banana (mashed)
1 pc wholemeal bread

Salad
1/2 pc banana (diced)
1/2 apple (diced)
1/4 red onion (coarsely chopped)
1/2 green capsicum (coarsely chopped)
3 petals lettuce (fine chop)
2 tbsp vanilla yogurt (or own choice)
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1/3 tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp black pepper powder
1 tsp cinnamon powder













Method:

Fish Fillet
1. Cut the fish fillet into two, marinade with lemon juice, ginger, sea salt and black pepper.
2. In a mixing bowl, bring together the mashed banana, oil, cinnamon powder, and flour; add some water to get a thick and creamy consistency. Soak the fish fillets in the mixture for about 15 minutes.
3. Melt the butter, sauté the fish fillets over low heat until the meat colour changes, or for about 10 minutes.

Bread Sticks
1. Cut bread into 4 strips, spread over with mashed banana.
2. Bake in oven at 200°C for about 10-15 minutes, or until they are hard and crunchy.

Salad
1. Heat oil in a pan, stir in onion, capsicum, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir-fry for about 3 minutes.
2. Add in diced apples and bananas, stir-fry for another 2 minutes before adding cinnamon powder.
3. Turn off heat, stir in yogurt, done. Top over fish fillets to serve. The lettuce is to set the base for the fish fillets.

Fruit Salad with Apple & Honey Sauce

This is a simple salad to make, no secrets to it, enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 banana
1 kiwi fruit
1 apple
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon powder
1 tsp custard powder/ corn starch
1/8 cup water

Method:
1. Slice the banana diagonally, spread it across a plate.
2. Slice the kiwi into large pieces, and half an apple, dice the other half of it.
3. Melt the butter in a saucepan, add in the diced apples, saute for a minute before adding cinnamon powder. Stir in the honey.
4. Add in the water, followed by the sugar, bring to boil. Add in custard powder, premixed with 2 tbsp of water. Done, serve with a scoop of yogurt or favourite ice-cream.

Ichiban Boshi

Hmm yet another good Japanese restaurant, I wonder why can't those Japanese restaurants in Malaysia come up with something simple and nice as this? Hmm, probably because they are not run by original Japanese?

Look, so many people flocking to the restaurant when we were leaving, in a way it supports my statement that the restaurant is good, glad that we arrived earlier...HAHA

Back to the food! My Kimuchi Ramen was not bad I reckon, really couldn't comment much on it, was never a big Japanese restaurant visitor, but yeah, it was nice, maybe because of the atmosphere as well...Hmm

Look look, Silphie quickly closes the cap for the chilie powder when I wanted to snap her pouring loads of chili powder into her noodles, note the red contents in the bowl to the left as well, it's Michel's Extra Hot Ramen, and yes, she added another half a bottle of chili powder to it, and still claiming it not spicy! XD This two girls are hardcore chili fans!

See? It's Silphie's Karagare Miso Soup Noodle starting to turn red, thanks to the loads of chili powder added... Seriously, being a spicy maniac myself, I've really got to say that I respect how they can take so much CHILI!!!

Chocolate day

Wei Kiat, we have Max Brenner in Sydney as well, and this is just one of it! Hmm hopefully I can visit all the stores someday..HAHA. Anyway, this is just a small store at David Jones, I reckon other bigger outlets would have a lot more to offer, but anyway, the chocolate was good enough, and there was heaps of people flocking to the place...


Looks fammiliar to Baldman's fans?

Now you must wonder what happened to the cute little mug of chocolate? Hmm I asked the same question as well, apparently they ran out of the mugs? Too many customers at one time! But anyway, the tradional thick dark chocolate was just nice for me, the other normal one that Manda ordered was too sweet I reckon... lolz

More and more to come....couldn't get all the names, and was really reluctant to spend on them, despite my craz for choco.... =( But just by looking at them was satisfying...

So much to take, so little time! was in a rush for window shopping, the girls just couldn't wait...HAHAHA no offence!

Oven Roasted Mushroom with VegeBurger & Salad

Ingredients:

Roasted Mushroom
1 portabella mushroom1 clove garlic
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp black pepper powder
Pinch of oregano and basil



Sauce
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp crunchy peanut butter
8 sliced champignons
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 clove garlic



Salad and Vegeburger
1/2 carrot
Few petals Cabbage
Salt and pepper to taste
A good drizzle of olive oil
1 pc ready made vege burger



Method:
1. Wash the mushroom thoroughly, tap dry with kitchen towel. Score the top of the mushroom diagonally. Chop garlic, stuff into cut faces, add seasoning and mix well. Place in preheated oven for 30 minutes.
2. Toast the pre-made vegeburger in a flat pan, add some oil and lightly fry it (optional, according to preference).
3. Heat a pan, melt the butter and add chopped garlic and champignons, followed by sugar and peanut butter. Slowly saute over low heat, finish by adding the rest of the ingredients and bring to boil.
4. Arrange on a plate, the vegeburger, top with salad and then the roasted mushroom, top with the sauce and some hot English mustard, garnish with some boiled cauliflower.

"Cooking and culinary skills are credits given by others, you can excel in it, but self-acclaiming spoils it..."

Archicook - ChenSen Au

"The best cooks cook with the least, not with the most..."

Archicook - ChenSen Au

Vegetable Curry

It was a nice afternoon and Chin Yee wanted to eat vegetable curry. She had been asking me to cook something for them for some time and I really had no reason to say no. Hence, I decided that it is about time I made something or not they might not be content. lolz Anayway, I reckon it was not bad, at first try...HAHAHA... Well check the recipe out

Ingredients:
3 tbsp curry powder
10 curry leafs
1 big eggplant (about 800g)
1 packet tofu puff (about 250g)
1 red spanish onion
200g long bean
6 petals chinese cabbage
1/2 cup of coconut milk
4 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cups of water
1 cm ginger
4 tbsp sea salt



Method:
1. Heat up 3 tbsp vegetable oil, add curry powder, sliced ginger and diced onion, stir fry till aromatic. Coarsely chop the curry leafs and add in the mixture at this point. Soak the leafs first if using dry curry leafs.
2. Stir in long bean and chinese cabbage, add 1 tbsp salr and 1/2 cup of water, close lid and bring to boil.
3. Remove lid, add large cutlets of eggplant, followed by 2 tbsp of salt and another 1/2 cup of water, close lid and bring to boil again.
4. Remove lid, mix coconut milk with remaining salt and vegetable oil beforehand, stir in at this point. Add the tofu puffs as well and close with lid, simmer over low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes. Done, serve hot.


Note: Add more water as desired, the thickness of the curry is up to individual preference.

Pumpkin Tofu

Ingredients:

250g pumpkin

400g fresh soft tofu

50g minced pork

3 shallots

3 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp white pepper

2 tbsp sea salt

1 clove garlic

Method:

1. Thinly slice the shallots and sautee with 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a frying pan.

2. Slice the tofu and pumpkin into thin pieces, arrange alternately in a bowl or plate and steam for 15-20 minutes or until pumpkin pieces are soft and tender.

3. Crush the garlic and stir fry with 1 tbsp vegetable oil until aromatic. Stir in mince pork, light and dark soy sauce, white pepper, some salt and leave to boil.

4. Spread fried mince pork over the steamed tofu, top with the fried garlic. Done

Note: Sprinkle on each layer of tofu some salt. So that the tofu does not end up tasteless.

The idea of this dish is that every bite of it should have a mix of the pumpkin's sweetness and and a mild salty taste from the meat and tofu. Enjoy!

Steamed Fish Teochew Style

I personally like Teochew-style-steamed fish because it is easy to make, and there is always some extra side ingredients to munch on. Check it out.

Ingredients:

500g Bassa fillet

50g Chinese shitake mushroom

25g Scechuan pickled mustard green

50g soft tofu

Heaps of ginger

1 tbsp fish sauce

2 tbsp light soy sauce

Pepper and salt to taste

Method:
1. Slice the fish fillet into small pieces (usually a whole fish is used, but it is up to you). Slice the mushroom into thin shreds and the tofu into desired proportions.
2. Finely slice the ginger and mix well with the fish slices. Add pepper and salt to taste.
3. Rub a bit of sugar into the mushroom before mixing with the fish.
4. Arrange on a bowl or plate. steam for about 10-12 minutes (about 15 for a whole fish). Done, serve hot.

Note: Ginger is the main supporting ingredient in this dish, don't try to skip it bacause you do not like ginger, it wouldn't taste as nice.

Paprika Chicken

Those who cannot take spicy food, please be wary on this dish, it is deadly I reckon, but only to those who cannot take spicy food at all. From my own judgement, I would probably givie it a spicy intensity rating of 6 out of 10. So, feel free to try it, on your own risk. Hahaha



Ingredients:
1 whole chicken
5 potatoes
1 brown onion
1 red capsicum
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp black pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp olive oil


Marinate & Sauce:
2 tbsp sweet paprika powder
2 tbsp hot paprika powder
1 tbsp crushed chili
1 tbsp Indian tandoori powder
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp rosemary
1 tbsp basil
3 tbsp vegetable oil
5 tbsp milk (use coconut milk for better aroma)
A handful of curry leaves


Method:
1. Crushed all the marinate ingredients and mix well. Leave aside for about 30 minutes.
2. Wash chicken, tap dry with kitchen towel, cover with the marinate, pour the rest into the chicken, tie the legs, leave aside for at least 30 minutes.
3. Cut the potatoes, capsicum and onion into large chunks. Mix well with pepper and salt. Drizzle over with lemon juice and olive oil.
4. Roast the potatoes, capsicum and onion in preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes. Consider using aluminium foil.
5. Take out, stir and mix the ingredients. Place chicken on top and cover with aluminium foil, put into oven again and bake at 250 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes.
6. Take out again, turn over the chicken and bake again at 200 degrees Celsius without aluminium foil covering. Remove from oven after approximately 20-30 minutes, or until desired brownness attained. Done, serve hot.


Note: If you don't mind waiting, pour the marinate only after the potatoes, capsicum and onion undergoes first round of roasting. Place raw chicken on top the roasted ingredients, pour and cover evenly with the marinate or sauce.

Homemade Pasta Sauce

OK, everyone buys ready packed pasta sauces because their cheap and come in handy. But what if you want to make it your own? ever thought of it? Well most people would not want to take the trouble to that, but I just had this funky idea of making it, rather than going out and buying those pre-made ones, partly as I feel that there is more control over the flavour of the sauce and what goes in it...

Ingredients:

6 tomatoes

4 tbsp thick tomato sauce, or tomato puree

1 red onion

1 red capsicum

150g minced pork

4 clove garlic, or more

50 g champignons, or more

2 tbsp thyme

2 tbsp oregano

1 tbsp basil

Sugar, Salt and Pepper to taste

Olive Oil

Method:

1. Boil the tomatoes in a pot of water, take out when the tomato skin starts to wrinkle.

2. Heat up 4 tbsp of olive oil in a pot, add in diced onion, use sugar to caramelize the onions. Add in diced garlic and stir fry until aromatic.

3. Stir in mince pork and chopped capsicum and the champignons. Add tomato sauce and seasoning.

4.Squash the boiled tomatoes into the pot. Stir and mix everything well. Add in the herbs at this point.

5. Add 3-4 cups of water, cover with lid and bring to boil, then turn to low heat and simmer for about 5-10 minutes. Done, stir in a good drizzle of olive oil until thick and smooth. Serve with pasta or rice.

NOTE: The main reason I prefer to make my own pasta sauce is that I big chunks of the ingredients in the sauce, makes the eating process more sensational as you have to bite more and get more out of the texture of the sauce and the pasta.

Minced Pork Pasta

It has been really some time since I last updated my blog, really could not find tiime to do it as my assignments were very demanding. But thankfully it is all done now. Despite the busy and hectic schedule during the last couple of weeks, I did still consistently took some pictures and wrote down some recipes that I made, just to share with everyone. These recipes should be quick to make as I would not have cooked them if they were too time consuming, and do bare in mind that they serve only one person and at most two small eaters. Anyway, let's start with an easy one...

Ingredients:

100g minced pork

1 red onion

2 cloves garlic

1 sclice ginger

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

2 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp pepper

1 tsp sugar

salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat up oil in a frying pan, add diced red onion and saute over low heat. Add sugar to caramelize the onions. Then stie in ginger and garlic.

2. Add in minced pork when all the things in the pan start to brown you smell the aroma of it. Stir fry over high heat. Add in the rest of the seasonings and done, ready to serve.

3. you can serve it over hot rice or anything else, but i choosed pasta because I had heaps of them in my cupboard.