Monday, April 30, 2007

Fried Egg with Rice Wine

Our Sunday dinner is always something simple cos I am tired of cooking. Supposed to be a rest day for me and go out to eat at the restaurant. Due to both the kids refuse to take their afternoon nap at Ah Ma's house every Sunday so I got to eat at home. Reason is because once they reach home they will sleep till night so no point going out to eat with their moody face.

6th Kor gave me a bottle of homemade rice wine months ago. Since, I have ginger, I fried one egg and add in the ginger and rice wine. Wow... the aroma of the rice wine is so good and makes me think back during my confinement period I ate lots of this. Yum... yum... after eating this the body is full with sweat.

Ingredients :

1 egg

1 bowl of rice wine

Sugar to taste

Method :

1. Heat oil and some sesame oil in a pan. Fried ginger till fragrant and dish a side.

2. Fried the egg and add in 1 bowl of rice wine.

3. Add some sugar to taste and let it boil. Dish up and serve withe rice or mee suah.


' Ta Pau ' some curry chicken cooked by Aunty Swee Kee. This is the aunthentic Indian Curry and aiyo real oily leh. I was wondering why can't she reduce a bit of oil. Anyway it is very nice and I eat it with bread today.

Aunty Swee Kee's Chicken Curry


Then Suki request for fried fish and some more want with lots of fried ginger. So I fried one slice of Garoupa fish fillet.

Fried Garoupa Fish Fillet

Well this is my dinner and a simple one yet delicioussssssss!

Sunday, April 29, 2007

Happy Sunday !!!

Both kids wake up and I fried some fries for breakfast. Le-Ann & Ee-Thern happily finish up a plate of fries with lots of tomato ketchup. Wow... I think they really enjoy it until Ee-Thern told me ' Mama, good ' ... Oh so cute my little boy.




After that, both take bath and are ready to head back to Ah Ma's house.

There are lots more merrier in Ah Ma's house today compared to last week. Today sis, me, the kids, dad and mom were in Ah Ma's house early. While Ee-Thern is sleeping in the sarong, we sneak out to Bintang to do our monthly grocery. Spend RM42.03 in Bintang and the kids ... Le-Ann, Gladys & Nicholas happily running around in the supermarket and trying sampling at the dairy section while me, sis and mom busy looking around what item is on promotion. You see la 3 of us together really become ' si lai ' keep comparing prices.


While shopping half way and I didn't realize where on earth the 3 little kids find a child car trolley. The most happiest one is Le-Ann cos she is the one got to sit in it and the 2 big one pushing her around in the supermarket.


After Bintang went back and 6th Kor was there and she brought us some 'Sour & Spicy Kai Choi'. Then Aunty Swee Heong and Aunty Swee Kee drop by and Aunty Swee Kee brought one big pot of her speciality dishes.... Chicken Curry. Wow hers one is the real aunthentic Indian Curry Chicken. Me the kiasu one quickly take one container and 'ta pau' some back to house so that I no need to cook tonight.


Then Ah Pek and 4th Kor & family come. I was preparing to go back cos Le-Ann & Ee-Thern refuse to sleep and drag my time again cos ' 8 ' with 4th Kor for about 1 hour until Le-Ann told me " Mommy, I want oi oi ".

What a Happy Sunday and I wish every Sunday is like today.

Saturday, April 28, 2007

Sambal Petai

Hubby Suki does not take green vegs but funny thing about him is that he loves Petai. Yuck... the petai is so stink after you eat, the mouth and urine will have the petai smell.

I search through the web yesterday and found that the scientific name for Petai is called Parkia Speciosa.

You will be surprise that this green coloured beans got so much goodness. To know read from here.


It is not easy to get Petai in the market and I think this is a seasonal item. Last Tuesday went to the Pasar Malam in SS13 and saw this Malay man selling the Petai RM5 for 3 ikat. So I bought it and yesterday I cook 'Sambal Petai' for dinner and I added in ikan bilis and fried sliced potatoes.

Here is the recipe :


Ingredients :
1 cup peeled petai seeds
2 potatoes, sliced thinly
1 cup ikan bilis
Some chopped onions
Salt & Sugar to taste
1/2 cup asam jawa juice

Grounded ingredients :
20 dried chillies
5 shallots
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp belachan stock granules

Method :

1. Fried sliced potatoes till soft and golden brown. Dish up and set aside.

2. Fried ikan bilis till crispy and golden brown. Dish up and set aside.

3. Heat oil in the pan and saute the onion till fragrant.

4. Then add in the grounded chilli paste until fragrant and oil rises.

5. Put in petai and stir-fry briskly.

6. Add in asam jawa juice and and seasoning.

7. Simmer till gravy becomes thick.

8. Add in the fried potatoes and ikan bilis and stir till well mixed. Dish up and serve hot with rice.


Note : I have some left over rice and I used it for fried chilli rice. What you need to do is :

  • After you dish up the petai don't wash the pan.

  • Add some oil into the pan and put in the rice.

  • Add in some salt and chicken stock granules and you will have Chilli Fried Rice to go along with the Sambal Petai



The Prince Turns Into A Frog

After watching so many times of the 'Shaggy Dog' movie finally the VCD ' koyak'. Now both the kids are turning into Taiwainese Drama and they are watching the drama called ' The Prince Turns Into A Frog' . Especially Le-Ann, she is so into it and every night she will watch the movie till 12 midnight. Aiyor... I also pening kepala.

At first I told my sis I don't quite like the movie and still prefer K-Drama but after a few episodes I quite kind of like it. Funny show leh and laugh till I want to drop. Comparing the K-Drama and T-Drama, the actors in K-Drama more handsome. Then K-Drama more romantic and will make you cry, sob sob... every time when they have those sad scene.

Both the kids, sometimes they will laugh while watching this movie. But dangerous leh, some episodes got kissing scene and guess what ? My ah girl once see the kissing scene she will hide and smile quietly. Aiyor... cham liao leh this is 18SX movie leh. How ah, so small already so naughty.



Look this is my SMART boy. Yesterday midnight I wack him. Why ? He slept at 9.30 pm then wake up at 2.30 am asking for milk. Then refuse to sleep and insist me to on the Barney cartoon. OK, I on it and he watch the cartoon till 5 am and playing by himself and suddenly he come and kacau me and wake me up cos he want to go out from the room.

Wah, I really angry and scolded him, off the VCD and off the light and I go to sleep cos that time it rains heavily outside and it is so nice to sleep. Suddenly this small boy kacau me pulak.

As usual he cry, and cry and cry and I don't want to bother him. Finally he slept and I was out from the house to work at about 8 am and three of them ( Daddy, Le-Ann & Ee-Thern ) still soundly asleep. Really mah fun, my company today got to attend Sales Meeting some more is Saturday.

My boy is getting smarter and smarter. In the kitchen he use my Tupperware container to reach the sink. Now in my study hall, he turn the rubbish bin upside -down and stand on top of it to reach the printer. You see la, nowadays kids are so SMART and NAUGHTY......

Friday, April 27, 2007

Kung Pow Cuttlefish

Went to TESCO last weekend and while shopping around at the seafood section saw a lot of aunties standing dun know what they are picking. So I go kepoh......oic the cuttlefish is on promotion, 1 kg RM5.89 and the usual price sold at the wet market RM7.90. I also follow people to grab 1 kg.

So yesterday night we had ' Kung Pow Cuttlefish'.

Ingredients :

10 dried chillies, cut into 1 inch lengthwise

1 onion, sliced

Ginger, sliced

500gm pre-soaked cuttlefish, cut into small pieces and blanched


Seasoning :

2 tbsp light soya sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp chilli sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp dark soya sauce

Cornflour for thickening


Method :

1. Stir-fry dried chillies in a clean wok at low fire until turn dark colour and fragrant. Dish up.

2. Heat some oil in wok, saute sliced ginger and onion until fragrant. Add in dried chillies and stir well.

3. Add in cuttlefish and seasoning ingredients and stir-fry until well mixed. Thicken with corn flour and dish up.

Kung Pow Cuttlefish

My next attempt would be trying out ' Kam Heong Cuttlefish' with the other half of the cuttlefish in the freezer. Hihi...wish me luck!

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Spinach in Superior Stock

I am back to my cooking but a simple one la. Yesterday night, I cook 'Spinach in Superior Stock' and added in some century egg in it. I simply loves this veg and Ee-Thern loves this too. Talking about the so called 'Superior Stock' they used in the restaurant, mine is not that superior la. I used ikan bilis to make the stocks.

Spinach in Superior Stock


Here is the recipe :

Ingredients :

500gm Spinach

Some chopped garlic

500ml water

2 century eggs, cut into wedges

A bunch of ikan bilis

Salt to taste

Method :

1. Heat oil in wok and saute garlic and ikan bilis till fragrant. Pour in water and bring to boil to make it into ikan bilis stocks.

2. Add in spinach and cook for about 3 minutes.

3. Add in salt to taste, century eggs and bring to boil. Dish up and serve hot.

Sardines

I was searching around my kitchen cabinet and found 2 cans of Sardines and it is going to expire soon. So, better eat it now rather than throw away. I dont quite fancy sardines but don't know why I bought it. I added in a sprigs of curry leaves, chilli padi and lots of big onions into it. One of my Indian colleague teach me to add in curry leaves into it so it will take away some of the fishy sardines smell. What you need to do is just fry the curry leaves, chilli padi and onion with some oil before you add in the sardines.

Fried Black Pomfret with Ginger

Fried one black pomfret and added in lots of fried ginger into it cos Suki simply loves the ginger. But I prefer to cook Asam Curry with this fish.

Steamed Lap Cheong


Also steamed 2 sticks of Lap Cheong for Suki. My sis gave me the lap cheong during CNY. Usually a pack of Lap Cheong can last me till next CNY cos I hardly eat but Suki always ask for Lap Cheong whenever he feels like eating it. I feel like trying out to make Lap Cheong by myself and after searching for the recipe in the web, I think its better to buy cos it need so much ingredients and quite ' mah fun ' to make leh! hihihi....

Monday, April 23, 2007

Braised Chicken with Potatoes

Another week, another Sunday is gone. Wake up early morning yesterday and looking forward to go back Ah Ma's house. While waiting for the maid to clean the room, I pass my time playing with both Le-Ann & Ee-Thern and off course snapping pictures for remembrance.

I am so sad cos yesterday night, hubby Suki told me his computer hard disk ' koyak '! There goes all the pictures I took for the kids from the day they were born till now. Also including my wedding photos and now trying to search in vain where I kept the back up CD. Not a single one but luckily JoeJoe still have some pictures of the kids kept in his computer.

Reach Ah Ma's house in the afternoon and it is boring cos sis and her kids didn't go back and left me, Le-Ann, Ee-Thern, dad and mom in Kajang. Le-Ann was playing with Faye and left Ee-Thern the adventurous one playing alone at the back of the house with the maids. Me..... took a short nap and finally call Suki to drop by Kajang to fetch one of them back home first. You know why ? Both of them fighting.

The activities of the day !

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

Yesterday night dinner was simple cos can't find anything in the fridge except for chicken, potato and long beans. Well, need to replenish my food this week. At first planning to cook long beans rice but ended up, I change my mind cos Suki doesn't eat that. Finally I cook 'Braised Chicken with Potato ' with lots of gravies to go along with rice or porridge.

Try this today :

Ingredients :

1 chicken thigh, cut into small pieces

2 potatoes, thinly sliced

Some chopped garlic

1 tsp soya sauce

1 tsp dark soya sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 cup water

Cornstarch for thickening

Method :

1. Marinade chicken with soya sauce, dark soya sauce and oyster sauce.

2. Heat oil in pan and fry the potato till brown and soft. Set aside.

3. Use balance of the oil and stir fry the garlic till fragrant. Then add in chicken and fry for a while.

4. Add in water and potato. Simmer till chicken is cook.

5. Then add in sugar and thicken with cornstarch.

Braised Chicken with Potato

Stir Fry Long Beans with Anchovies & Chilli Padi


Sunday, April 22, 2007

Grandpa Birthday Dinner

We had our dinner at Tien Tein Seafood Restaurant in Sunway to celebrate Grandpa Birthday and I think he is about 90+ yrs old . I've been working around that area for about a year and didn't realize this restaurant is so near to my office and all the while I thought it is a foodcourt. The food is not too bad and quite big portion. The bill came out to about RM700+ for 2 tables.


This is what we have for dinner. It is a 8 course dinner and the first dish which is the 'Birthday Noodles', I didn't manage to take picture cos I forgot about it... too hungry!



The kids are enjoying themselves. Ee-Thern the naughty one, running around in the restaurant. Le-Ann behave herself and finish up whole plate of noodles. My nephew and niece, Nicholas and Gladys, the cute one playing around with Ee-Thern and Le-Ann.

That's me and Suki and the kids. The 1st, year 2007 family photo!

Monday, April 16, 2007

I'll Be Away

I will be away from tomorrow onwards till Thursday, 19th April'07. I will be going up North with my fellow colleague, Darren cos my lady boss give us one very 'BIG TASK' to do. You know what ? I got to go and indentify wholesaler to sell my San Remo Pasta in Penang. What the hell is all this? Is this my job to do it?

This is the culture of my company ---> Pay you 100 and must work 101 for them.... Anyway, think 'POSITIVE' ! I will treat this trip as a holiday trip to Penang and meet up my fellow Northern Team Colleague , go out and enjoy good food in Penang, shop around during my field visit, buy 'Tau Sar Peah' and off course 'SNAKE' a bit lah... Ha ha ha ha

See you then and I will not up-date my blog till I come back on Friday.


CiAo....

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Hakka Char Bak with Black Fungus

I've been longing to try this recipe for quite some time -> Hakka Char Bak with Black Fungus. Try to search around the recipe and asking my aunty how to do it. But at end of the day, it would be either my dad cook it for me or Aunty Ah Choo gave some to me whenever she cook this at home.

Everytime I pass by the butcher stall, I will stop by to buy one piece of pork belly meat and end up I used it to cook my hubby favourite -> Claypot Pork Belly with Salted Fish. On Sunday evening, finally decided to cook Hakka Char Bak with no excuses cos I really wanted to try out myself.

The results ----> quite satisfied with myself lor...... Here is the recipe.

Ingredients :
500gm pork belly
2 whole garlic
30gm black fungus
1 pc red fermented tofu ( nam yu )
1 litre water
Cornstarch for thickening
2 tbsp flour for coating

For marination :
1 pc red fermented tofu ( nam yu )
1 tsp 5 spice powder
1 tbsp ginger juice
1 tbsp shallot juice
1 tsp soya sauce
1 tsp Hsiao Tsing Wine
1 egg


Method :
1. Cut meat into small pieces and maritnate with the marination ingredients for over night.

2. Coat the meat with flour and deep fry until golden brown. Dish out and drain.

3. Boil 1 litre water, add in meat, black fungus, whole garlic, and the red fermented tofu.

4. Simmer on low heat for 1 hour or until the meat is soft. Then thicken with cornstarch.

Marinated pork coated with flour for deep frying

Golden brown 'char bak'

Simmer the 'char bak' and black fungus for 1 hour

Hakka Char Bak with Black Fungus

Hot Sunday Afternoon

Today 3 of us ( me, Le-Ann and Ee-Thern ) went back to Ah Ma house in the afternoon. Today is a bit boring cos no one around in Ah Ma house except for my sis and her 2 kids. Mom is not back cos she went back to 'Kalumpang' for Cheng Meng, left dad alone at home with all of us.


The weather is hot and humid in the afternoon and all of us cramped into Faye's room cos only her room got an air-con. After that there comes Joe, Faye and Vonnie into the room reading papers, playing the toys and talking nonsense and gossiping the whole afternoon. Joe as usual playing with little Le-Ann and I think both of them have the same chemistry----> making funny faces.


What a bad day and I am having bad headache and feel like vomitting the whole day. Then this fat boy, Joe playing with my handphone and start snapping pictures with Le-Ann and try to make funny faces together. Look at them also feel like laughing all the way out.


Didn't stay long in Ah Ma house and went back at about 3 pm cos the 2 kids refuse to sleep and it is so damn HOT! Reach home put them to sleep and myself take 2 Actifast Panadol and then Zzzzzzzzzzzzz








Saturday, April 14, 2007

My Little Green Corner At Home

Well I have nothing to blog about already for today and I will be away for 4 days next week and will not be up-dating my blog till I come back from Penang.

So here are some of my collection and must show off to you people out there, my little green corner at home. Hey, I have green fingers though I don't look like one.

Enjoy, the slide show and this is what I have done over the years at home.


Fried Tom Yam Beehoon

Yet another sunny Saturday morning.
My good friend, Vivian called me yesterday night and she is coming to my house to collect Suki's 2nd hand PDA. So I invited her over for lunch this afternoon and you know what she requested from me ? Wah... this girl I think she is testing my cooking skills ! She specially request for 'Fried Tom Yam Beehoon' and must be with 'bunga kantan' ! Luckily in my garden I have some bunga kantan plant and she is lucky because the plant has just had the first 'bunga kantan' flower. This is one of the benefit when you plant some herbs in the garden and you won't know you might need it anytime.


Bunga Kantan

This morning search around my fridge and hope I have some Tom Yam paste in the fridge and finally found the last pack of Maggi Tom Yam Paste. By noon, I started to prepare the ingredients. I soak half packet of 'beehoon' cos only 3 of us eating ( me, Vivian and my maid ) and Suki is out for an appointment in KL.

The bunga kantan is chopped finely and halfway chopping litte girl, Le-Ann come in and busy body around and say to me " Mommy, I want to wash" but actually she is playing with the tap water.




Busybody Le-Ann

Then come this little Ee-Thern wanted to ' sibuk ' with his sister. He is too short to reach the sink and this smart boy open my cupboard and guess what he take? He take my Tupperware container and step on top of it and there he goes reach the sink and play water with Le-Ann. Sometimes, it is cute to see both of them playing together but sometimes it can be annoying.


Smart Ee-Thern


Ee-Thern & Le-Ann trying to be artistic !



I hope Vivian will like my version of Tom Yam Beehoon!


Ingredients :
250gm Beehoon ( soak in water till soft )

Some chopped onion

1 bunga kantan, chopped finely

1 paket Maggi Tom Yam Paste

1 carrot , cut into thin strips

2 pieces of fish cake, cut into thin strips

1/2 cup of water

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp Maggi chicken stock granules

2 tbsp of fish sauce

2 eggs ( make into omelette and cut into thin strips )

Some mint leaves and kaffir limes ( cut into wedges )

Methods :
1. Heat some oil in a pan. Fry onion till brown and add in Maggi Tom Yam paste and fry till fragrant.

2. Then add in 1/2 of the finely chopped bunga kantan, carrot and the fish cake. Next add in the water and let it simmer till the carrot is soft.

3. Add in the sugar, fish sauce and the Maggi Chicken stock granules.

4. Finally add in the beehoon, stir and cover the pan for a while.

5. Continue to stir the beehoon till it is cooked.

6. Dish up and garnish with omelette strips, the balance of the chopped bunga kantan, mint leaves and some kaffir limes.

7. Served the ready Tom Yam Beehoon with chilli padi or sambal belachan.... Yum



Mint leaves and bunga kantan from my garden


Finely chopped bunga kantan


Maggi Tom Yam Paste and the Fish Sauce




Fried Tom Yam Beehoon

Friday, April 13, 2007

Decorated Choco Muffin

Hi, I am back again with the decorated choco muffin. It is not easy though to frost the icing on the muffin. Must got a lot of patience to do it. No wonder those that Cuppacake selling is so expensive.....

Here is my version of decorated cupcake.

The Choco Muffin is ready to be frosted. I actually cut off the to p part of the muffin so that it is at same level.

Frosted muffin with vanilla buttercream icing.

Mixed 1/3 of the vanilla buttercream icing with your desired colour.

Start decorating

Ta.....Da..... A decorated muffin with heart shape sugar

Decorated muffin with silvered sugar




Done

The buttercream didn't really survived. After a while it melted and I quickly keep it in the fridge. I was wondering what is the culprit behind and get to my computer and start searching in the baking forumer site and finally found it. Its the icing sugar.

The recipe require 4 cups of icing sugar which is 1 kg and I actually halved it cos it is too sweet. Buttercream require more icing sugar because it needs a stiff consistency to shape the design on the cupcake and furthermore the shape will last longer. So now I know, why the cake that I purchased from Doreena's sister is so sweet especially the icing on top of the cake.

So fellow cousins and friends who read my blog, do you think my cupcake can sell ah ? Must look for a part time job to earn more money liao! ' LOL'