Sotong & Kangkung Salad

This is another one of my delayed post. Few weeks back, I made this dish 'Cuttlefish With Kangkong' on a Saturday afternoon. Me being lazy to cook on a Saturday afternoon and I opt for a simple and easy dish.

This is one of my favourite Penang hawker food. In Hokkien is calleh ' Jiu Hur Eng Chai ' and the cost of making this is quite cheap. But when we ordered outside, this plate will cost me RM10 per plate, where else if I make myself is only less than RM5.

Kangkong in English we called it Water Convolvulus and it is a semi aquatic tropical plant. This is actually one of my favourite vegs and I like to fried it with Sambal Belachan. Mom always warned us not to eat too much cos scared later when we old will get 'fong sap'. For me I don't bother what she said. Eat first and talk later.

Making this dish is indeed quite simple and it is as easy as ABC.

Ingredients :
A bunch of kangkong, cut into 3 cm stripes and cleaned
1 cuttlefish, scored inner part and cut into small pieces
Some fried shallots and shallots oil
5 tbsp of sweet sauce ( I bought the ready mix from the wet market )
1 tbsp of peanuts, pounded coarsely

Method :
1. Blanched the cuttlefish in hot boiling water for about 2 minutes. Dish out and drain.
2. Blanched the kangkong in hot boiling water for 1 minute. Dish out and arrange on a plate.
3. Arrange the cuttlefish and kangkong on a plate and pour over the sweet sauce, shallots oil and fried shallots
4. Served with the pounded peanuts on top.

See I told ya, easy right.

Getting Simpler

I am getting better today and not going to think so much cos it is just wasting time. Thank you to all my blogger friends for their concern and encouragement. Perhaps Dearie Suki was telling me, make a decision next year after bonus and look for a better opportunities in other better company with a better pay and a better environment. Its true also and I am not going to sit in that nutshell till I retire. 5 years is more than enough for me I think and I just get so pissed up working with her ( I hope u know who I am referring too).

Yesterday night and tonight didn't cook and Dearie Suki bought dinner back. I am getting simpler with my cooking nowadays and with just 2 person, can't really cook much. Last 2 days, I cook Seafood Curry for dinner and off course using my favourite Maggi Fish Curry Paste.

Added in a fish head , prawns, taufoo pok, onion, tomatoes and ladies fingers into the curry. One whole big pot of curry for dinner and we can't even finish half of it. End up kept in the fridge for the next day.

ReenReen gave me some samples of S&P Coconut Milk and I've added in 1 packet of it into the curry. Sorry to say the coconut milk is so diluted and there is not coconut aroma. Dearie Suki was complaining that the curry is tasteless and doesn't taste good cos usually I will add in a can of evaporated milk. I added in another packet of coconut milk into it and it still taste the same. The next round I will use back evaporated milk for all my curry. Yeah, he is right the whole pot of curry doesn't taste that good as per my pervious cooking using evaporated milk. Hence, this brand is not recommended. ReenReen also gave me some coconut milk in powder form and I am going to try that again in my other cooking.

I blanched some rice vermicelli to go along with the curry. That night we have Seafood Curry Meehoon for dinner.

Crispy Cereal Prawns

Since I've not eat enough of the seafood in Phuket and yesterday night I cooked bout a kilo of medium sized prawns with a packet of Singlong Crispy Cereal Instant Mix. Saw this seasoning mix when I was doing my monthly grocery shopping in Giant and I told Dearie Suki lets grab a packet to try it out at home.

It is convenient and easy to use especially for us working mother like me. What you need to do is to deep fried the prawns till it turn orangey colour and set aside. Then add 5 tbsp margerin into the pan and fried the curry leaves and chilli padi till fragrant. Add in the whole packet of crispy cereal mix, the prawns and mixed well. Dish up and it is ready to serve with rice.

Hmmmm.... what should I say and though it is convenient but I am not so satisfied with the end taste result as I find it is a bit salty, oops not a bit but actually is very salty. I find that it contains lot of MSG and after eating the prawns, walau...eh both of us drank a whole big bottle of water during middle of the night.

Conclusion is I would not buy again and if I would to cook this dish I will buy the normal cereal and make my own Crispy Cereal Prawns!

Prawn Wantan Mee

Last Saturday make some prawn wantan to go with the 'kon lou' wantan mee for dinner. I simple love wantan either its filling is wrapped with prawn or minced pork. My Dad's wantan is 1st Class. Ask dad how to make prawn wantan as like those we eat from the stall, the prawn filling is so crunchy. The tips I get from dad is to season some salt to the prawn and then rinse it under running tap water.

So I tried last Saturday and true enough the prawn wantan is exactly the same as those we eat outside.

For the prawn filling, cut the prawn into smaller pieces. I've added some coarsely chopped waterchesnuts into it. Then season with some salt, pepper and cornflour and it is ready to be wrapped with wantan skin.

As for the wantan mee, put wantan mee into a hot boiling water. Let it boil for about 1 minute, then take out and rinse under cold water. To make the 'kon lou', add 1 tsp soya sauce, 1 tsp oyster sauce, a drop of dark soya sauce, a dash of pepper and sesame oil, some fried shallots and 1 tsp of fried shallots oil. Mix the wantan mee thoroughly with the seasoning.

Prawn Wantan nicely wrapped and waiting to be put into boiling ikan bilis stocks.

A nice bowl of Hot Prawn Wantan Soup to go with the Wantan Mee.

My version of 'Kon Lou' Wantan Mee with some shredded chicken meat, prawn wantan, some blanced green mustard and also 'Heah Beh' chilli. It would be nice to eat this with pickled green chillies but since I don't have it, 'Heah Beh' chilli also will do.

My two kids love the wantan noodles so much. Even Dearie Suki gives me a thumbs up for the prawn wantan. Tell you guys and gals, this is actually my first time making prawn wantan after getting the tips from dad..... Hihihihi

My friend CO, called me up and ask me 'How come she never come across my blog on any Pasta recipe since I have been selling the products for 5 donkey years.' Why? Because my Dearie Suki is a China Ah Pek don't take pasta, so no choice got to cook Asian noodles.

Okie dokie, my next attempt is to cook Pasta for the kids. So CO, keep a look out in my blog and will blog some pasta recipes just for you.

Simple Meals #4

Hi! I am back again with my simple meals of the week. This week have been having fish almost everyday cos need to clear off the fish in the freezer. Ooops....bought too much fish lately and got to cut down on fish cos Dearie Suki get bored with it.

Here you go these are what I cooked for him this week. Yippe ! Its Saturday again and looking forward to have a day off in the kitchen.

Me and Dearie Suki favourite kembung fish. We love to deep fried it and eat it with hot and spicy sambal. Dearie Suki always hoping I can cook Sambal Petai whenever I fried the kembung fish.

Love the fried ginger so much. This is the kids favourite fish. They love to eat it with rice and mix it with soya sauce. Ee-Thern most favourite and he can finish a bowl of rice.

Picked some fresh mint which I plant in my garden. Gave some to my neighbour May and she told me to cook it with eggs soup. I tried but don't really like it. You know how it taste like? Its like drinking a Colgate Soup. Yuck! not going to cook this again.

Sorry too lazy to blog the recipe. Click here if you want to try it out.

This sweet potato leaves or in Cantonese we called it ' Farn Sue Yip'. Another green vegetables I plant in my garden. Mom always encourage us to plant vegetables in our house garden. So here it is Mom my 'Farn Sue Yip'. Save $$$ buying from the market.

Garlic fried rice with anchovies for yesterday night dinner since there are some left over rice in the fridge. I just love fried rice cos it is too easy to prepare. No need to think so much.

I am not good in naming fish. Bought this fish from the night market near my office on Tuesday. Sorry I don't know what is the name of this fish. If I am not mistaken it is 'Sek Pan Fish'. Anyone have any idea what it called in English? Anyway, steamed the fish with taucho sauce and the fish meat is so sweet and fresh. Dearie Suki love it so much and he told me that he can finish a whole plate of rice with just the taucho sauce itself.

Simple Meals #2

Here is my another version of simple meals for the week. This week its been quite a busy week cos got to prepare a monthly sales report and purchase orders to the principal. Real headache cos got to plan promotions for the coming Ramadhan period. Time really flies fast and we are now in the 3rd quarter of the year.

So here are some of dishes the I had prepared for my family the last few days .

This curry chicken I used Maggi Curry Paste and it turn out so well and sooooo convenient.

On Tuesday bought 'Sang Yue' or in Malay they called it Ikan Haruan from the night market in Subang. Anyone got any idea what is this fish called in English? The 'Taukeh Soh' help me to de-boned the fish and teach me the fish bones used it for soup and add in some black beans and few slices of ginger into the soup. Double-boiled the soup in the slow cooker for 8 hours. Wow... the "Sang Yue Soup' is wonderful and it is so sweet. Definately going to get the fish again if I see it next week.

Click here for the recipe. The same ingredients used for Kam Heong Lala its just that I substitute with squids.

Chicken nuggets from the brand First Pride is my dearie Suki favourite. Must try this brand and the nuggets is so delicious. The manufacturer is the same as McDonalds.

I have added in some beancurd skin, tomatoes and lettuce into this egg soup.

Also bought 1 kg of fresh water prawns from the night market in Subang. The prawns is quite fresh though and I steamed it and added a 2 tablespoon of rice wine into it. Emmm .... dip it with Kikkoman Sushi Sashimi Sauce and it is so nice.

Simple Meals

Didn't do much cooking again this week. Don't know what happened to me like brain dead and no inspirational on what to cook. Maybe because too busy at work and 'SUCKS' tomorrow got to travel to Penang with my LADY BOSS for my company monthly Sales and Marketing Meeting. So cham, this coming Saturday is my little girl Le-Ann 3rd Birthday and I can't celebrate for her and I am going to do it on Sunday at Ah Mah's house.

Dearie Suki haven't been home for dinner lately and he is busy at work and hence I am so lazy to blog on my foods and the pictures below will tell you what I cook this week.

I tell myself better I do it today cos for the next 2 days I won't be blogging cos I am going to ...... PENANG ..... my favourite place for FOODS!

Seafood Beancurd Soup

For a change I cook Seafood Beancurd Soup for dearie Suki instead of having steamed beancurd with oyster sauce. Dearie hubby reach home and ask me what I cook for dinner so I tell him fake Shark Fins Soup though it taste like Shark Fins Soup but off course minus the shark fins.

Recipe for Seafood Beancurd Soup.

Ingredients:

1 piece soft beancurd, mashed

3 fresh cuttlefish, shredded

6 crabsticks, shredded

200gm oof prawns, cut into small pieces

1 egg, beaten

1.5 litre chicken stocks

Seasoning :

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp light soya sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tbsp Hsiao Hsing Wine
A dash of pepper

3 tbsp corn flour mixed with water for thickening

Chopped coriander for garnishing

Method :

1. Bring chicken stock to boil. Put in all ingredients and seasoning ingredietns and bring it to boil.

2. Add in corn flour to thicken the soup. Then add in the egg and mix well. Remove from heat.

3. Dish soup into individual bowl and sprinkle with chopped coriander and you can also served with black vinegar if desried.

Kam Heong La La

Went to the SS13 pasar malam and found La La ( clams ) again in one of the stall. This round is the bigger size of La La. Feel like eating so bought a plate of it and going to cook Kam Heong La La.

Ei- Faye, so sorry that I can't get the smaller size of La La. I ask the aunty at the stall, how long can we keep this La La in the fridge. So her tips to me is to clean the La La then boil the La La in hot water till cook. Then keep in a container and it will last about 3 days.

Here is the recipe :

Ingredients :
500gm La La, cleaned and soaked in salt water
1 tbsp dried prawns, soaked in water
4 sprigs of curry leaves
Some onion
1 tbsp curry paste
1 tsp light soya sauce
1 tsp sugar

Method :
1. Heat 2 tbsp of oil and fried the dried prawns, curry leaves, onion and the curry paste till fragrant.
2. Add in the La La, light soya sauce and sugar and stir-fry for 2 minutes and the cover the lid.
3. Cook for about 5 minutes until the La La shell opened up. Dish up and serve.

Marmite Prawns

Here are some of my cooking I did last week but I just got no time to blog it up because need some fine tunning on the recipes. Due to the bird flu issue here, dearie Suki warned me not to buy any chicken from the market. Scared got bird flu virus. So last week and this week has been eating mainly seafood like fish, prawn, sotong, and pork. He really 'Kia Si'.

Bought some prawns from the SS13 night market and it is so fresh and decided to cook Marmite Prawns. Here is the recipe :

Ingredients :

500 gm prawns

2 tbsp Marmite

2 tbsp honey

1 tbsp light soya sauce

1/2 cup of water

Method :

1. Heat oil in pan. Stir-fry prawns until cooked. Set aside.

2. Leave 1 tbsp of oil in the pan and pour the rest of the ingredients into the pan and cook at medium heat until thick. Put in the prawns and mix well. Dish up and serve.