Simple Dinner

Usually I don't cook on weekday because I leave the kitchen to my mum.  I will be late when I reached home.  But I will give a menu to her so that she don't have to think what to cook.  She followed my menu and do the cooking.

But for weekend, I prefer to cooking something special for them.  I usually will try to cook spicy food for my hubby and my mum will decide not cooking spicy food as she can't take hot food.  I will also cook something no spicy for my little Maine.

Sambal terung ikan bilis, taufu pok, chicken feet and fishball soup

Sambal terung ikan bilis for my hubby

Recipe for Sambal Terung Ikan Bilis

Ingredient :

5 Brinjal (i prefer the small brinjai, can just cut into 2 and fry it)
Sambal (I use prefer and leave it in fridge, will use when necessary)
100gm ikan bilis, clean the heat
1 big onion

Method

1) Cut the brinjal into 2 and fry it till in turn brownish, make sure the brinjal is also cook
2) Remove the brinjal and arrange on the plate
3) Fry the ikan bilis till it is crispy
4) Add on the big onion and fry and lastly add in the sambal
5) Before dish out, add in a bit of asam jawa juice

Kay Hong - a traditional dish

My hubby is from Terengganu and he loves to eat Kay Hong - a traditional dish cooked by his mum. So, to make him happy, I found this recipi here and learn how to cook.  My hubby said still long ways to go to learn my MIL cooking but I thinks he is happy with the outcome.

Kay hong - packed in tiffin carrier for lunch at office

I cook the recipe from http://phonghongbakes.blogspot.com/

Ingredients :

- 2 chicken legs (cut into bite sized pieces) (I used 4 chicken legs)

- 1 pork belly (cut into 1 inch slices)

- 6 hardboiled eggs (I used 8 egg because my children love egg)

- 15 shallots 

- 3 cloves garlic

- 2 tbsp preserved bean paste (taucheow)

- 2 tbsp kayciap (or ABC sauce/sweet soya sauce) (I used normal soya sauce)

- 2 tbsp dark soya sauce

- Palm sugar (gula Melaka) to taste

- 700 ml water (adjust for consistency, use less for thicker gravy)

Method :

- Blend shallots, garlic and taucheow. Saute the blended paste until fragrant.

- Add pork belly and fry for about 10 minutes.

- Add water, kayciap/sweet soya sauce, dark soya sauce, gula Melaka and hard boiled eggs.

- Bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes before adding chicken.

- Simmer until chicken is cooked and tender.

My hubby finishes his plate of rice and ask me whether the balance will keep for tomorrow dinner....LOL....(mayb he thinks it is goods)

Durian Ice Cream and Chicken Pie

We make durian ice cream and chicken pie recently.  For chicken pie, I use roti paratha as the skin.

For ice cream, I got the recipe from nasilemaklover.blogspot and it is very easy to follow

Durian Ice-cream

Durian flesh 350g
Sugar 4tbsp ** adjust accordingly !!
Fresh Milk 100ml
Fresh whipped cream 70g

1. Blend durian flesh, sugar and milk in a blender till smooth.
2. Add in fresh whipped cream and mix well.
3. Pour into a container and freeze overnight or until set.

Yummy ice cream

Chicken Pie

Sushi bread making project

Cyn was excited after she learnt how to make sushi bread from school and she insisted to make it for me to try.  She start shopping for the ingredient when we make our usual trip to the nearby hypermarket.

The ingredients needed are bread, cucumber, carrot, sausages, omelette, mayonise and seaweed.  Use a pin roll to flatten the bread, spread enough mayonise, lay the piece of seaweed and arrange the other ingredient (cut the cucumber and carrot into strip) and roll it like rolling sushi.  Cut it into 4 pieces. Done.

Since its look so cute and presentable, I make it for Maine to bring to her kindy during the children day celebration on 1 Nov.

This is the result.

Marble Cake

Last weekend, the mood of baking cake came back.  I baked the most simple marble cake using the butter cake recipe.  

Here is the simple recipe and this is the first cake I learnt to bake during my teenage year.

Basic Butter Cake

Ingredients :
250g Self raising flour
4 eggs (Grade A)

200g sugar
4 tbsp fresh milk
2 drops vanilla essences
250g butter (room temperature)

Beat the butter and the sugar till butter turns creamy, put in the eggs one at the time ,put in the vanilla essences.

Beat till fluffy and pale.then put in the flour and the milk and beat till all mixed well.

Then put in the cake tin and bake in oven for 1 hour or till cooked in oven 200C

Add in 1 tbsp of cocoa powder (for marble cake)

I brought some for my colleagues

Homemade breakfast - Tuna and cheese wrap

I usually only prepared bread spread with butter & kaya or nutella for my family especially since I joined this new company.  If no breakfast is prepared, Cyn will buy her own food in the canteen and Maine will normally still bring some biscuits or breakfast cereals.

Cyn commented once that she is bored of eating bread even I did alternate it with varieties of bun.  I think she is really bored of eating bread or bun !!!

I saw my colleague eating a very interesting breakfast one morning in the office and I asked her "what is that", she said it is Wrap !  Oh ya !! tortilla wrap ! why I never thought of preparing that for breakfast.  It is also easy to prepare.  I bought 2 packets of Mission tortilla wrap for AEON Bukit Tinggi, one is potato and another one is wholegrain.  

Tuna and cheese wrap recipe

Ingredient :

Wholegrain wrap

Lettuce

Cucumber

Mayonise 

1 tbsp of tuna

Cheese

Method :

1. Wash the cucumber and lettuce.  Slice the cucumber

2. Heat up the wrap on the non stick pan.  No oil needed.

3. On a flat plate, arrange the lettuce and sliced cucumber

4. Scoop in the tuna and put on a slice of cheese

5. Squeeze in some mayonise

6. Wrap and cut into halves

7. Enjoy your breakfast with a cup of white coffee. Yummy

I used this brand. Mission Wraps - wholegrain.
Picture from google

Tuna and cheese wrap

My breakfast

Yesterday I also prepared this breakfast but I used sausages and omellete instead of tuna.  I also add on a slice of cheese.  That's all for this week.  Tomorrow back bread day ....hahahahaha

Sarawak Kueh Teow Tomato

Kueh teow tomato can only be found in Sarawak, my hometown.  My hubby and 2 girls have also fall in love with it.

This is not a very difficult dish to DIY at home and I use to do it during weekend and the girls will ask for more. 

This is my version of Sarawak Kueh Teow Tomato.

The recipe 
(source from Cynmainemum.blogspot.com)

The ingredients :
1 pkt Kway Teow - fried with black soy sauce (used the soy sauce from Sarawak) 

100g Sayur Sawi
100g Lean Meat
100g sotong
1 pkt fishballs
garlic
1 tablespoon osyster sauce
3 tablespoons tomato sauce
2 cups of chicken stock
2 tablespoon starch flour
salt to taste

1) Heat some oil in wok and fry kuay teow briefly on high heat. Add soy sause and mix evenly till all kueh teow are evenly brown. Remove from wok and set aside.
2) In the same wok, heat 1 tbsp oil and fry the garlic till fragrant.  Add in lean meat, fish balls & sayur sawi and stir fry till all the ingredient are cooked.  Then, add in the sotong. 
3) Add in the chicken stock and bring to boil
4) Now, mix the starch flour with water and cook till the gravy thickens.
5) To serve, place some fried kueh teow onto a serving plate, and scoop over the gravy.

Kueh Teow Tomato

Honeycomb Cake / Kek Sarang Lebah

Honeycomb cake is my favourite cake and I started eating it since I was very young.  I only have chance to have it during CNY in our relatives' house. This is one of the delicacy that I will look for when I visit people's house during festivals even till now.

Now, I don't have to wait till CNY to enjoy this cake.  Besides me, my mum also loves this cake very much.  I have google for this recipe for so long and till I found one easy to follow recipe here complete with photos and video. Thanks to Annie for sharing such a easy to follow recipe.  I bake this cake few times and this is the first time I am sharing it here.

Sorry for the blur photo.  The taste is yummy

Another blur photo

I am baking this cake for a gathering with ex colleagues on Saturday's afternoon.  Hope all my ex colleagues love this cake as I do.  This cake always received good response from my family member except my 2 girls.  This is a compulsory cake that I will bake during CNY.

For CNY, I am making ngaku chip this weekend.  Lots of work !

Steamed glutinous rice 糯米饭

I made this steamed glutinous rice last night.  It is so easy to make and the ingredients are also easily available.

Let's see the recipe.

Ingredients
1kg glutinous rice (wash and soak at least 4 hours or more)
2 shallots, peeled & sliced thinly
5 cloves of garlic, peeled & chopped finely
40g dried prawns, wash & soaked
2 chinese sausages, cut into cubed, (optional)
10 dried mushrooms, soaked and cut into cubed
400ml water (at least cover the surface of the rice)

Seasoning:
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tsp salt, or to taste
1tbsp sugar

Method :

1. Heat the oil in a wok and fry the shallot & garlic over medium heat, fry till crispy and golden brown. Dish out and set aside to cool.
2. Use the remaining shallot oil in the wok. Over medium heat, stir-fry the dried prawns, chinese sausages and mushroom until aromatic.
3. Add in the drained glutinous rice, and add in the seasoning. Stirring and mix well for 3-5 mins.
4. Transfer the rice into a steaming tray, sprinkle water on top of the rice. (The water level must be at the same level as the rice)
5. Steam for 45mins (stir rice for every 15mins, sprinkle some water when necessary).
6. Serve rice topped with shallot crisps and spring onion.

Hakka Yong Taufu

I love taufu...i mean all sorts of taufu but one of my favorite is Hakka Yong Taufu.  Besides taufu, I will normally also make stuffed brinjals, lady fingers and one of Cyn's favourite - bitter gourd.
My hubby dislike taufu (or we called it tau kua because taufu is referred to the softer version) but he likes tau pok.  So, I will also make some tau pok for him.

Bitter gourd - Cyn can finish half of this in one meal.

This is the taufu

and tau pok for my hubby

Hakka Yong Taufu
(Source from cynmainemum.blogspot.com)

Ingredients :

5 pcs of Taufu (cut into half to make it triangle)
500gm of minced meat (I usually used pork)
1 small piece of salted fish (I will use ikan tenggiri) - cut about 1 - 1.5 cm
200gm of fresh fish paste (ikan tenggiri also)
1 tbsp of corn flour
salt
pepper
Enough cooking oil for frying

Method :

1) Heat the wok and fried the taufu till golden brown
2) Fried the salted fish. Use only the flesh
3) Next, mixed the minced meat, fish paste and salted fish with the corn flour
4) Add in the seasoning and mixed well
5) Now, you can stuff the meat mixture in the taufu
6) As I mentioned earlier, you can also use tau pok, brinjal, lady finger and bitter gourd
7) Arranged in a plate a steam for 20 minutes.
8) For the vegetable version, I will normally fried it first before steaming / cooking it.

Sambal Udang Petai

Petai or stinky bean !  It is either you love it or you hate it.  My hubby hates petai and he won't consume petai at all but Cyn loves it so much.  So, I cooked sambal udang petai yesterday for dinner and Cyn ate 2 plates of rice. 

Sambal Udang Petai
(Source from cynmainemum.blogspot.com)

Homemade Sambal 
20 dry red chilies (soak in water before grinding)
5 shallot (skin peeled and sliced)
5 cloves of garlic (skin peeled)
Belacan (a size of your thumb)
5 tbsp of cooking oil

Method
1) Blend all the ingredients
2) Heat oil in a wok and pour in the blended ingredients.
3) Cook till the oil separated from the mixture.
4) Cool and store for future use

This my multi purpose sambal which I also used for my laksa sarawak.

Sambal Udang Petai
30pcs of prawn (shelled and deveined)
1 cup peeled petai
1 tbsp of homemade sambal (add more if you like more spicy).  I used less sambal because Cyn can't eat too spicy.
1/2 cup water
1 tbsp tamarind pulp (mixed with 1/2 cup water & strained)
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 onion cut into ring

Method
1) Heat up cooking oil, add in the homemade sambal and stir-fry until fragrant.
2) Add in the onion & fry for a while
3) Add in the prawn & continue to stir-fry for about 2-3 minutes. Now, you can add in the petai.
4) Lastly add in tamarind juice, bringing it to a quick boil. Add in salt and sugar.  

Sambal udang petai

Ayam Masak Merah Wangi

I cooked ayam masak merah for dinner last night.  I managed to get this simple yet delicious recipe from Kak Ros from here.  This is the first time I tried this recipe and I am happy with the result.  I will definitely try again.  Happy trying !!

I copy the recipe here for easy reference

Source : http://www.jintanmanis.com/ayam/
Bahan-bahannya
1/2 ekor ayam ( dipotong 5 ke 6 bahagian kecil)
2 sudu besar cili kisar
3 biji bawang merah ( boleh ganti dgn 1/4 biji bawang besar) +1 ulas bawang putih ( dikisar halus)
1 batang serai
1 batang kulit kayu manis
2 sudu besar sos cili
1/4 biji bawang besar dihiris kasar
1/2 biji tomato
1/2 cawan kacang peas ( ros guna kacang peas dalam tin cap ayam brand)
garam
gula

Cara-caranya
1. Gaul ayam dengan kunyit , garam dan 2 sudu besar tepung gandum atau tepung goreng ayam. Goreng separuh masak. Angkat dan ketepikan.
2.  Kisar bawang putih dan bawang besar, kalau tumbuk halus pun boleh, ros guna blender sebab takde lesung batu. Panaskan minyak dan tumis kulit kayu manis tadi, bila dah naik bau baru masukkan bahan kisar dan cili kisar, tumis hingga garing.
3. Selepas itu masukkan serai yang telah dititik ataupun yang telah dipotong dua, kacau sebati, tomato di potong kecil dan masukkan dalam bahan tumisan tadi, biarkan tomato betul-betul hancur, baru masukkan sos cili.
4. Setelah kuah agak pekat, baru masukkan ayam yang telah digoreng tadi. Gaul sebati, sesuaikan rasa, masukkan garam dan sedikit gula, akhir sekali baru masukkan kacang peas dan bawang besar, setelah bawang besar layu, tutup api dan tabur sedikit dengan hirisan daun sup atau daun ketumbar sedia untuk dihidangkan. Ros suke ayam masak merah ni, sebab dia wangi, penambahan serai dan kulit kayu manis tu membangkitkan lagi selera dan aromanya. Selamat Mencuba.

Ayam masak merah wangi

Yam Kuih (Or Kuih)

Last Sunday, my mum wanted to clear her little garden in front of the house compound.  She planted yam, lemongrass and daun kesum there and she want to get rid of the yam plant and she asked me to do something with it.

I made yam kuih with the yam we harvested from our little garden.  The recipe is the same like how I make pumpkin kuih here.

The only different is I sliced the yam and steamed it, while it still hot, smashed the yam but make sure you leave some small pieces. Happy trying

I captured this with my handphone so it is not clear.  There are 2 version here.  Fry it or garnished it with red chillies, spring onion and fried shallot.

Another close up.  I took this photo this morning in the office as I brought some for my colleagues.

Authentic Laksa Sarawak

I am a Sarawakian and I believe my blog will not be complete and authentic if I don't introduce Laksa Sarawak.  Laksa Sarawak paste is a must buy in my shopping list if any one of us going back to my hometown.  Before I post the recipe, I would like to share about my history.  

I was born in Kuching, the cat city of Sarawak.  I was there until I finished my Primary 4.  My father then got a job in Sibu and the whole family were moved there and I continue primary education in Sibu till Form 5.  Right after I got my SPM result, I come to West Malaysia to further studies on my own.  My whole family shifted to Miri 12 years ago.  I have not gone back to Sibu and Kuching since then.  My mother can cooked authentic Kuching Laksa and she sold laksa in hawker centre in Sibu when I was in Form 1 till my father passed away 2 years later.  My mother cooked the best laksa and I have learn from her but I still think that she cooked the best.  OK...enough with my long story .....

Let's share the recipe :
(source from cynmainemum.blogspot.com) - serve 7 pax.

• 1 kg of medium-sized prawns (with head and shell) removed the head and shell
• 1 pc of chicken thigh or breast
• 5 eggs
• 5 pieces of tauhu pok (optional) - slice thinly
• 500 grammes of bean sprouts
• 10 pieces of lime
• 1 packet of 300gm Sarawak Laksa paste
• Coconut milk from 1 1/2 coconuts (about 300 mls)
• Salt and sugar to taste
• Water
• Coriander leaves (for garnishing)
• 1 packet of Bee Hoon (rice vermicelli) 

Methods

1.  Boil 2 litres of water in a stock pot. Upon boiling, add prawns shell & head. Boil the shell still they start to float indicating that they are cooked. Remove the shells and pour in the laksa paste. Boil for another 30 mins.

2. Separately, boil 1 litre of water in another stock pot. Upon boiling, add a pinch of salt followed by the chicken. Boil till chicken is thoroughly cooked. Remove chicken and let it cool.

3. After the Sarawak Laksa paste has been left boiling for at least 30 minutes, turn off heat and sieve and remove the spice from the stock. Bring the stock (now laksa soup) to boil again. Add in chicken stock and coconut milk gradually whilst stirring. Add salt and sugar to taste.

4. While boiling the laksa stock, shred the chicken meat using fingers.

5. Beat eggs and fry them thinly on a frying pan. Cut into strips. Set aside.

6. Blanch the prawn, drain and set aside.

7. Use freshly boiled water, blanch the beansprouts for 1 minute each. Drain beansprouts and set aside.

8. Next, cook the pre-soaked beehoon by blanching them in boiling water for at least 1 minute. Drain and set aside.

9. To serve, first place cooked beehoon on a bowl. Add beansprouts, shredded chicken, prawns and egg strips. Then pour the laksa soup over the ingredients.

10. Garnish with coriander leaves and squeeze lime and add in homemade sambal for more kick over the soup before eating.

A bowl of Laksa Sarawak ready to serve

If you have chance to visit my hometown especially Kuching, this laksa is must try.  Every time, when I go back, this is not my must try because we (my whole family including my husband) always think my mother's laksa is the BEST.  However, this is a must cook dish requested by my eldest brother if my mother goes back. 

Cream Puff

My hubby is not a cake lover.  He will never compliment the cake I made.  I know he loves cream puff as he will buy a packet of cream puff every time he sees it in the bakery. I got this recipe from http://www.nasilemaklover.blogspot.com.

I have been following this blog even before I start blogging.  Her blog is full of recipes with tips.  Thanks ! Sonia for the wonderful recipes.

 Cream Puff (source from http://www.nasilemaklover.blogspot.com/)

100g butter
250ml water (i used fresh milk)
a pinch of salt
150g flour (all purpose)
1/2tsp vanilla essence
1/4tsp baking powder
1tbsp sugar
2-3 eggs

Cream (original recipe used durian, I just used custard cream)Instant custard 50gm
Drinking water 100ml (I used fresh milk)
* mix both together and chill in the fridge

1. Mix flour, baking powder,salt and sugar, set aside.
2. Heat butter in a pot (medium heat), once butter melted, add in water, mix well.
3. Add in flour mixture (no.1), vanilla, quickly mix well ( about few seconds), turn off the heat.
4. Continue stirring flour until the dough mix well (once you see shinning surface).
5. Transfer the dough to a mixer, set aside to let it cool down.
6. Once it cool down (don't need completely cool) , mix in the egg, and beat the dough and eggs till mix well, less than 5mins.(the dough texture must not too soft or too hard, something like biscuit dough which you can easily shape it)
7. Place the dough in a pastry bag fitted with a tip. Pipe quarter-sized puffs about 1 inch apart on a baking pan.
8. Bake at pre-heat oven at 180C (original recipe 200c, too hot) for 25mins or until golden brown.
9. Cut the puff and fill in cream (store in fridge when not use), and enjoy it...
Happy Baking !

Cyn, Maine and of course hubby love it so much and asked for MORE !! ENCORE !!

Kuih Pumpkin

This is my first ever post on recipe.  I learn to make this traditional kuih from my mother - Kuih pumpkin.  I love to eat this kuih and this is the first ever kuih I learn from my mother.  Actually the method is the same like making yam kuih.  However I prefer to use pumpkin.  Here is my first recipe with photos :

- 1 pumpkin (about 800gm - 1kg)

- 1 packet of rice flour (tepung beras)

- 2 cup of wheat flour (tepung gandum)

- 5 gloves of garlic

- 5 shallots

- 1 handful of dried shrimp

- some minced meat (i used pork)

- 900 ml of water

- 3 tbsp of fish sauce

- salt to taste

- cooking oil

Step by step

1. Shred the pumpkin (refer to photo)
2. Mixed the rice flour and wheat flour with 900 ml of water to form watery batter (refer to photo)
3. Chopped the garlic and shallot
4. Heat up the cooking oil and put in the garlic & shallot. Fry till golden brown
5. Add in the dried shrimp, fry a while and add in minced meat.   Now you can add in the salt
6. When the meat is cook, add in the shredded pumpkin
7. Mixed the pumpkin with the stir fry ingredient
8. Now, add in the flour mixture and mix well. Remember to use slow fire now
9. After all are well mixed, pour in the mixture into 11" round pan and steam for 45mins.
10. You can also pan fry this kuih or just eat like that.
11. Happy trying

Rice flour, dried shrimp, minced meat, wheat flour, garlic & shallot (chopped)

Cyn is busy helping me to shred the pumpkin

 Pumpkin

Flour mixture

Frying the onion & shallot till golden brown

Add in dried shrimp and minced meat

Now, add in the shredded pumpkin and fish sauce, mixed well

Pour in the flour mixture and mixed well. Slow fire

 

After all mixed well, pour in the mixture in the 11" pan and steam for 45 mins

Ready to eat just like that or ....

Pan fry