Chinese Cabbage Day! 大白菜日!

The "prophecized" Doomsday was just over and we are still safe! So MR, S and I were saying that if we survived, it did be a cause to celebrate!  In order to commemorate this occasion, we decided to create a Chinese Cabbage Day. Anyway, Christmas is just days away so it can be a double celebration with our friends and families. 

Why Chinese Cabbage? Simply because it is sweet and nice to eat! Just the thought of the soft yet juicy vegetable made us drooled... Hence we agreed to post pictures of our creations in this blog. S' recipe can be found on her blog while MR's recipe will posted in this blog post.

We had a good time cooking and savouring our respective Chinese Cabbage dishes with our families. Any day can be a happy day! :) A very Merry and Blessed Christmas to all readers in advance too! 

MR's Claypot Chinese Cabbage Dinner

Claypot Chinese Cabbage with Yam, Fish and Pork Slices

S' Steamed Chinese Cabbage Rolls Lunch

Steamed Chinese Cabbage Rolls with Minced Meat and Prawn Fillings

My Braised Chinese Cabbage Dinner

Braised Chinese Cabbage with Chicken and Shimeji Mushrooms

Spicy Rice Cakes - A Maplestory Food Adventure

Food and games often go together. There are often nice "food" inside some of the games I played. Neopets' omelettes were briefly introduced in my previous post. Now I shall touch on some of the "food" found in the game, Maplestory. It is not just all about monsters!

I sought the help of my friend, oOKopiTehXx to aid me in this Maple Food Search Adventure. This was not just a simple tour because an amount of travel risk was needed to obtain the food screenshots! A number of monsters have also been sacrificed during the entire process... At the end of journey, all oOKopiTehXx asked from me was a plate of Spicy Rice Cakes made from some of the ingredients he managed to gather.

Before I write about his food journey, below is a description of my lil helpful friend and his travel ship. This private ship can bring him to most of the continents in a mere 3 minutes

His journey begins...

Claypot Braised Chicken N Yam - Who is Bigger?

Recently, my friend was telling me that she ate Duck with Yam Rice. Just YAM alone was enough to trigger off a chain of thoughts on food like Yam Milkshake, Yam Ice Cream, Taro Balls and so forth. And there was one particular yam dish that I super loved and I could not stop thinking about it for the next 1 week. As schedule was busy of late, I decided to cook it instead of going through the hassle to travel to eat it to satisfy my craving! Just the image of the Yam and Chicken in my mind made me drool even in my sleep. It could be the Yam, it could also be the Chicken. I just gotta have it for real... RAWRZZZ!

Claypot Braised Chicken and Yam, that I almost ate in dreams!

Omelettes on Bread - Neopets Version

There were times when I played Neopets and felt hungry due to all the yummy looking food in there. One of the most common food that I fed my pet was the Giant Omelette. I will never know what type of omelette my pet would get for that day. 

The most common types of omelettes my neopet would get

Anyway I had been craving for omelettes last Friday, so decided to cook some over the weekend (based on inspiration from Neopets) :] Looking at the list above, "Bacon and Broccoli", "Cheese and Onion", "Tomato" and "Ham and Cheese" seemed the best. But cooking up 4 omelettes would be a real hassle and I wouldn't want Neopets to sue me for any infringement of copyright... :X So I have decided to mix some ingredients together and come up with my 2 versions of omelettes, and put them on bread to eat as snack!

My Draft Omelettes - Guess what flavours? lol

My Cooked Omelettes 

"Broccoli, Tomato N Bacon" and "Ham, Onion N Cheese"

Fresh Yellow Noodles Soup - Simple Tradition

I did not like fresh yellow noodles since young because of the strong ghee taste and smell. Even those sold for 30cents per bowl back then (in my Primary school's canteen) tasted horrid to me. Mum rarely cooked it for us too,  and the final straw came when she tried to whip up prawn noodles soup which made me give up on eating fresh yellow noodles completely. 

It was only in recent years when I went to IL's place and FIL cooked me a bowl of fresh yellow noodles soup. I was sceptical at first and stared at it for at least 5min before deciding whether or not to tuck in. I have never eaten  nor seen a bowl of fresh noodles soup mixed with so many ingredients in a yellowish soup stock. Then I was told by him that this was how the older generation (grandparents) used to cook their fresh noodles at home. Hence I took my first mouthful, and in less than 3 minutes realized that I had gobbled up the whole bowl of noodles including the soup.

Their place is an hour's journey away and it is not that feasible to go back for this dish whenever I crave for it. I guess the only way is to learn to cook it myself. It is not exactly a healthy dish as frying with lard and pork belly is needed in the original recipe. So I had a few tries at tweaking the recipe (to be much healthier) and finally got close to the taste I had at IL's. Hereby, I will like to share with all of you reading. It's nice. Really! Lol.. :D

My bowl of Fresh Yellow Noodles Soup

Fried Kway Teow with Black Sauce - Singaporean home version

Fried Kway Teow aka Char Kway Teow/Char Koay Teow (CKT) is a common dish with many variations in Southeast Asian countries like Singapore and Malaysia. It is considered one of the most savoury street delicacies. My favourite ones are Singapore CKT and Penang CKT. The Singapore version is darker in color and is sweet-salty , while the Penang version is lighter in color and salty.

Standard Singapore Foodcourt CKT (Picture credit to Food)

Standard Penang Stall Version (Picture credit to Lil Pinky)

In fact, I find that CKT serves as a good culinary dish in defining the tastebuds of the people of different countries as heavy sauces and wide range of ingredients are found in it. I know that there are a lot more types of CKT out there eg. Pad Thai, the hotplate CKT in Kuching, and KT Goreng Mamak. Many people tend to compare the different types of CKT and see which comes out tops. However, no matter what the reviews are and how people raved about other types of CKT, I still find the one that I grew up eating the best. I believe that this is the same for most of us. 

Anyway, I don't eat much CKT as it is considered an unhealthy dish as it is very oily and due to the seasonings used. But when the craving for it comes, it becomes unstoppable. So it is good to be able to cook CKT myself at home, though not as savoury as the ones sold outside, it is way healthier. Below is the healthier CKT cooked from home during the weekend and I am sharing with everyone reading this post. :) Hope that you will give it a try some time and tweak the ingredients according to your likes!

- A Singaporean Home Version Char Kway Teow -

Mini Sausages in Sweet Tomato Miso Sauce - Super Easy Dish

My right eye and stomach have been giving me problems of late, pushing off all my plans to whip up many other dishes. Yesterday I had wanted a better feast at home but as both of them acted up again, I was unable to. Still, dinner had to be served... so perhaps something simple. 

Recently I ate an appetizer dish that was quite delicious at a korean restaurant and thinking that perhaps I could try cooking up something similar and tweaked in a healthier way. 

This dish came in handy now as it was very simple to make, definitely for amateur cooks and busy people. So I cooked it yesterday and took me only 20 minutes for the whole process. Then I ate it together with some porridge and stir fried eggs. Hereby, sharing with my friends and readers the recipe. I am not sure what the name of the dish was so will just post it as the ingredients being used.

My Mini Sausages in Sweet Tomato Miso Sauce

Fried Carrot Cake Cubes with Minced Pork and Vegetables

I was telling a friend the dinner that Uncle Niu bought. It was 炒年糕 (Stir Fried Rice Cakes).  Halfway through the conversation, images of carrot cake kept flashing through my mind. It made me wonder if I could cook carrot cake the same way as those rice cakes too other than the usual methods of steaming and plain frying. Perhaps I could try using a more interesting and healthier way of cooking this delectable food. 

After discussing with my friend, we came up with 1 method of cooking this dish with 2 ways to eat it. Take a look at the pictures below and you can decide which of the 2 ways is more yummy and fun! ;)

Fried Carrot Cake Cubes with Minced Pork and Vegetables

Mee Sua Ko - Less Starchy Version

Ever since Lil Pinky knew that I was interested in Mee Sua dishes, she had been pestering me to try cooking Mee Sua Ko. I have never eaten nor seen such a dish before in my life so it is a new challenge for me. 

Recently she asked her Mom to buy takeaway of it and showed me over video on Whatsapp.  Her verdict was that it was too starchy and lacked "something", so she did not really like the dish. She was not sure what that "something" was. Nonetheless, I was all geared up to cook it for her and hoping that mine would suit her tastebuds! Since she loves sour and spicy food, perhaps I could top up the dish with some dark vinegar and sambal chilli. 

I did some research and read that starch or flour was needed. That explained why Lil Pinky's bowl of Mee Sua Ko was so starchy. I could try doing away with those flour and tweaking the ingredients my way... It turned out easier than I thought and tasted quite yummy. As this dish goes easy on the stomach, kids and elderly will be able to eat it too. Just adjust the level of saltiness on the type of egg used. Someone may want to try? :)

Mee Sua Ko - Less Starchy Version

Braised Chicken Wings with 3 Mushrooms Mee Sua - Love for Mushrooms

Recently I have been thinking about food cooked with mushrooms and people who love to eat them. In my circle of friends, Bestie D loves mushroom the most. She loves all kinds of mushrooms will not miss the chance to send them into her mouth at any food place at any time but her husband dislikes them. Haha...

Today there were chicken wings in the fridge and the first thing that came to my mind was Chicken Wings Braised in dark soy sauce with Mee Sua. But what other ingredients should I put? I searched the cabinet and found button mushrooms, black mushrooms and straw mushrooms... Simply fantastic! 

I guessed if Bestie D knows that I have cooked this dish, she will ask "WHEN ARE YOU COMING TO MY HOUSE TO COOK FOR ME?".

Braised Chicken with 3 Mushrooms Mee Sua!

Chicken N Duck Yoghurt Rendang - from Leftover Cooked Poultry

I received a big packet of leftover braised chicken and duck meat from prayer session after dinner yesterday. It really gave me a big headache because I did not know what to do with them other than reheating again in soy sauce. Usually such meat develop a sourish smell after a day so it would be best to consume them as soon as possible! However our stomachs were too full to take in anymore food so I could only dump the one packet of meat into the freezer first. 

It took me quite a while to decide what to do with those meat in the fridge and I guessed using them to cook curry might be a good idea. As cooked meat are usually dry, they will not emit water during the cooking process and hence dry curry (Rendang) seemed to be a better choice now. As usual, I used yoghurt and skimmed milk in place of coconut milk. And this time round, sweet potatoes were used instead of normal potatoes as the curry would lack the natural sweetness from fresh chicken. I also added hard boiled eggs (red eggs from prayers) and some fresh vegetables to make the curry tastier.

The conclusion: Dish tasted mild and healthy! No clearing of throat was needed after eating too. =)

My Chicken N Duck Yoghurt Rendang

Oriental Pineapple Chicken Pizza - Sweet Day

I was craving for pizza and yet not the usual types. An oriental pizza will be special. Perhaps I could use the leftover tortilla wraps, chicken meat, frozen mixed vegetables, and a slice of pineapple in the fridge. These remind me of one of my favourite foods, Thai Pineapple Rice. Stir frying may be necessary to bring out such a flavour. 

A Crispy Oriental Pineapple Chicken Pizza

"The Doctor Says" Recipes

So our doctor said,"If you want to recover soon, no fried and oily food for you. Cut down on your salt and sugar intake." 

Well, it is a really scary order. There goes our Fried Noodles, Curry Chicken, Stewed Pig Trotters, Assam Laksa, Nasi Lemak, Satay, Grilled Beef Steak, Barbeque Spicy Fish and the list goes on! :O

We have to be good though and follow what our doctor commanded. But we start to feel sick and nauseous of eating bland porridge, raw salad, and boiled lean meat everyday. This goes on to an extent that we will rather not get well and decide to live by the "Eat and enjoy life to the fullest" philosophy for good. 

Fact is, if we abide by healthy eating, the chances of recovery is higher. However, it needs to be done the right way else it will be hard for us to keep our appetites going, much less, keep our spirits lifted.

I am not a doctor nor a nutritionist. However I am keen on exploring and creating food dishes that can improve patients' appetites while adding some glimmer to their bored and tired eyes. This is my first post on this segment of recipes and I hope that it can bring about some good and happiness for everyone.

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Vegetables and Meatballs in Tomato Stew

Green leafy vegetables are a rich source of vitamins and minerals. Tomatoes are high in antioxidants and beta-carotene. Meat and Eggs give us the protein and energy that we need. 

This stew is easy to cook and takes less than 30 minutes to prepare. I did not use any salt or sugar for this recipe, and just a small amount of oil and pepper to pep the tastes up a little. It is naturally slightly sour, sweet and has a tinge of salty fragrance. This dish goes great with rice or can be eaten by itself.

Minced Pork 'Handmade' Noodles (U-Mian) Soup - The Deception Version

Generally children are fun, but not when they are being fussy at the meal table. Recently, buddy "R" was telling me that the food she cooked was always planned to ensure sufficient nutrition for her children. However they tend to compare it with those sold outside (full of MSG) which made her disheartened at times. 

Perhaps we can try the art of 'visual deception' with slight difference in tastes while cooking.  Tonight I will try to cook Minced Pork 'Handmade' Noodles Soup aka U-Mian Soup with my remaining minced pork, vegetables, and eggs in the fridge. It is easy, does not need hours to boil a bone stock base, and has no MSG added.

Let me first show you a picture of a typical bowl of U-Mian Soup that is sold in Singapore foodcourts and coffeeshops. I will try to cook a similar bowl but of much healthier contents. 

A bowl of U-Mian / Ban Mian Soup from an outside eatery

Chicken N Mushrooms Roll - Anti Drop Food

It's always so troublesome; Wearing a nice outfit but having shredded vegetables and bits of meat drop all over while still maintaining poise. Ham and egg sandwiches seem too boring a breakfast/lunch to perk us up on working days. 

A food roll will be a good solution but not an ordinary food roll. It has to be the anti-drop version. This can be made possible by having long pieces of meat, sticky gravy, extra wraps within the roll, and pin it down! :D

Here it is! Which type suits you more?

Minced Pork N Fishball Noodles (Dry) - Slurpz!

It had been raining for the past few days and almost everyone seemed rather happy that the heatwave was gone. However, the rain hampered a few of my plans over the past week including satisfying my craving for minced meat noodles at an eatery in Fortune Centre. So I decided to cook it myself tonight.

Craving Fully Satisfied!

Spicy Minced Chicken N Sweet Basil Rice - Teary N Sweaty Meal

The first time I tried this dish (Spicy Minced Chicken and Basil Rice) was at a small thai eatery inside Orchard Towers building. The spicy gravy totally blew my mind. I had never eaten something so savoury before and couldn't forget this dish since then. Soon, this eatery closed down and I had to satisfy my craving elsewhere. However, no other thai restaurants that I had tried in Singapore were able to meet the standards because something always seemed to be missing... Hence I had to churn out my own recipe based on my memory of the taste I loved so much. It tasted similar but would never be completely authentic.

Usually I would use sugar and lots of fish sauce when cooking this dish, but I wanted to try something different this time yet retain the sweet, saltish, taste and caramel look of the gravy. Each time after finishing my last grain of rice, I had to down 2 to 3 glasses of ice water. But today I'd prepared a bowl of Egg Drop Chicken Soup Mee Sua to go with my hot and spicy meal. 

My Fiery Thai Meal

Egg Drop Chicken Soup Mee Sua - A Side Dish from Leftovers

Mee Sua need not always be the main and only dish in meals. There are people who like to have their rice meal accompanied by a bowl of light mee sua soup.

Today, I wanted to prepare Spicy Minced Chicken N Sweet Basil Rice for dinner and there were leftover chicken bones, chicken meat, onions. These were too good to waste and combined with the remaining 4 wilting stalks of spring onions + 1 egg inside my fridge, I could come up with a hearty Egg Drop Soup Mee Sua.

Relief the Spiciness!

Pumpkin Chicken Mee Sua Kueh - PC Meal

It had been a busy week after my trip and most of the time I was either in office or at home doing work using PC. I had no appetite for the usual food sold outside yet I didn't have the time to cook all 3 meals to satisfy my hunger. I needed to plan E-meals, something that could be kept inside the fridge, consumed while at work, and heated up anytime. 

My definition of "E-meal" - A non-hassle and healthy meal that can be eaten in front of electronic devices/equipment, for instance PC and TV, without having to walk around too much. 

Chicken and pumpkin Mee Sua Kueh seemed easy and healthy enough to be kept inside the fridge for future consumption (within 3 days), rather than having to keep going to the kitchen to find things to cook. It is great food for kids and elderly too! I chose not to mix the chicken into the mee sua as I wanted to have the "Loh Mai Gai aka Glutinuous Chicken Rice" effect. 

Healthy and Yummy

1 satisfying serving per meal

Bittergourd & Cucumber Chicken Gravy Mee Sua - Cool the Summer Heat

Hot Hot Summer heat!! What is best eaten to cool the body down? Cucumbers & bittergourds are known for relieving of body heat so... let's do it with mee sua and chicken! 

Below is a recipe that was cooked and eaten some time early last week when fan and aircon couldn't even do a good job chasing heat off permanently... It was good and made me feel chilled and healthier for that day. I hope that this works for you too.

Eat N Relax