Remaking Julia Child’s Beef Bourguignon

Have you watched the movie “Julie and Julia”? I watched it several times and I find the emotions which Julie when through very familiar. Of course, I am not obsessed with Julia Child as crazy as Julie but I can share the excitement and anxiousness while she waits for comments and responses from her blog readers. Having this blog allows me to share my story and experience of cooking and baking food for my family and friends. It is also a platform which I hope you can be inspired to remake the foods I shared. 

In one of the scenes of the movie, Julie made Beef Bourguignon for a special dinner. The process was long and tedious. She felt asleep and the stewed beef burnt. Lucky mine was not burnt and turned out so good…. The fragrance coming from the oven kept me wide awake so it is impossible for me to fall asleep. 

Reading Julia Child’s recipe book is a nightmare. It is complicated and confusing. Ingredients are not consolidated in a list and instructions are unclear. My hubby and I had to read several times and rewrite the recipe to make sense for ourselves. At the same time, we refer to Thomas Keller’s for cross referencing. Julia’s recipe calls for beef cubes but after trying 50% beef cubes and 50% boneless short ribs, trust me, please use short ribs. It was so tender and tasted so gorgeous. 

Ingredients

  • 170g Thick bacon, remove rind and cut into 1/4″ thick and 1.5″ long 
  • 1.3kg Boneless Beef short ribs, cut into 2″ cubes
  • 1 Large carrot, cut into chunks
  • 1 Yellow onion, sliced
  • 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
  • 2 cloves of garlic, crushed with skin 
  • 2 sprig of Thyme
  • 1 Bay leaf
  • Herb bouquet in cheese cloth: 4 parsley sprigs, 1/2 bay leaf and 1 thyme sprig 
  • Almost 1 bottle of full bodied red wine (600ml + 120ml)
  • 400ml + 120ml Beef stock 
  • 20 Pearl onions, peeled
  • 450g Button mushrooms, halved
  • 28g Plain flour
  • Olive oil
  • Butter
  • Salt 
  • Pepper
Steps:
Beef

  1. Preheat the over to 230 degree Celsius. 
  2. In a heated dutch oven, add 1 tbsp of olive oil and saute bacon over miderate heat till light brown. Remove and set aside. 
  3. Add beef cubes and browned it. Do not overcrowd the pot. You may have to do this in batches. Remove and set aside. 
  4. Add in onions and carrots. Saute till onion turns brown. 
  5. Add in bacon and beef cubes. 
  6. Add in 1tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Sprinkle flour lightly over beef and mix well. 
  7. Put the dutch oven, uncovered, in the hot oven for 4 minutes. 
  8. After 4 minutes, take the pot and toss the beef. Return it to the oven for another 4 minutes. 
  9. Remove the pot and lower the temperature of the oven to 160 degree Celsius.
  10. Put pot over stove and add in 600ml of wine and 400ml beef stock to cover the beef. 

  11. Add in tomato paste, garlic, thyme and bay leaf. 
  12. Bring to simmering point. 
  13. Cover and place pot into oven for 3 hours.


 Pearl Onions

  1. In a separate sauce pan, heat 1 tbsp of butter and add pearl onion and saute for 5 minutes. 
  2. When they start to brown, add 120ml Beef stock and 120 ml red wine.
  3. Add some salt and pepper and herb bouquet. 
  4. Cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes or until liquid evaporated. 
  5. Remove  herb bouquet and set aside the onions. 

Mushrooms

  1. In a saute pan, heat pan with 28g of butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil. 
  2. Add mushrooms to brown. Avoid stirring. 
  3. Toss the mushrooms only with it starts to brown. 
  4. Add some salt and pepper. Remove and set aside. 


To serve
  • Remove dutch oven from the oven. When the beef is ready, fork pierces the meat easily. 
  • Pour contents into a sieve over a large sauce pan. Wash the dutch oven and return the drained contents. 
  • Add in pearl onions and mushrooms. 
  • Skim fats from the sauce in saucepan.  
  • Simmer sauce to reduce to about 500ml. 
  • Pour sauce over the meat and vegetables. 

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by Categories: Meat Leave a comment

Singapore Fruit Salad (Rojak)

Some dishes just bring back strong memories. And to me, Rojak is one of them. It brings me back to one of my earliest memory that when I was around the age of 5. I was staying in Toa Payoh, one of the earliest town in Singapore. I remember that school was fun and play was part of the learning. There was this lesson which I enjoyed very much and I could still remember vividly. The teacher brought my classmates and I to the hall. There, I saw many tricycles and the teacher got us to cycle on them in the hall. Because there were not enough tricycles to go around, we took turns and was told to ferry our classmates when it was our turn to cycle. From that lesson, I learnt about caring for one another and also to always extend help to someone in need. Such lessons are so valuable and important as part of my growing years. 

In the same year, I had also experienced the feeling of fear and worry. My mum liked to bring us to the town center to do some shopping and get lunch. On a fateful day, I wandered off and soon lost sight of my family. Although, I knew the town center at the back of my hand and knew my way home, I started to get frightened as I was worried that my family would not be able to locate me. Tears started to well. I walked to a pavilion nearby and stood there for my family to spot me. I waited and waited… Minutes felt like hours. After some time, I heard my sister calling out for me and I was relieved to see her and my mum. Tears poured. Instead of being reprimanded, my mum told me that she had reported the police and now I had to go to the police station to apologize to the policemen. (During those days, kids were told that policemen are out to catch naughty kids and put them into jail) I was so scared that hid behind my mum when she walked towards the police post. As we walked, she steered away from the direction of the police post and towards a coffee shop to get our usual dosage of Rojak!  Although I am not sure if that store is the famous Toa Payoh Rojak, I remember it was very delicious and it was wrapped with a colored rubber band. 


Ingredients:

A) Main
  • 1 Apple, thinly sliced
  • 1 small turnip, thinly sliced
  • 1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 pineapple, cored and thinly sliced
  • 2 Dried Beancurd, toasted and sliced
  • 2 doughsticks (You Tiao),  toasted and cut into 1/2 inch slices
  • 1/2 cup Beansprouts, blanched
  • 1/4 cup Grounded Peanuts, toasted 
  • 1 Ginger torch
  • 1/4 tsp Grated lime zest

Steps:
  1. Prepare the ingredients. 
  2. As for the ginger torch, chop the top 1 inch of the flower finely. This ingredient is important to bring out the flavour of rojak.

B) Sauce
  • 3 tbsp Prawn Paste (Hei Ko) 
  • 2 tbsp Assam, mixed with 3 tbsp of hot water and strained
  • 2 tsp Sugar
  • 1 tsp Fresh Green Lime juice
Prawn Paste (Hei Ko)

Steps:
  1. In a mixing bowl, mix the assam mixture with sugar until sugar dissolves. 
  2. Add in the prawn paste and lime juice. You may adjust the sauce according to your preference. 
  3. Add half of the toasted peanuts and mix well. 
  4. Add in ginger torch and grated lime zest. Mix well. 
  5. Add in the main ingredients and ensure every pieces is coated well with the sauce. 
  6. Plate it on a serving plate and top it with the rest of the peanuts. 
by Categories: Fruits, Vegetables Leave a comment

Carrot Cake is baked

Yes, this carrot cake is baked. It is a cake with carrots. I am still trying to get over it.  I didn’t quite like carrot cakes because I was simply confused with Asian savory carrot cakes. Rooted to my asian roots, I was unwillingly to have  different items sharing a name. It is a identity crisis! Also I have never baked a cake with vegetables in it. I have tried nuts, fruits and herbs but never with a vegetable. It is weird… But it is a psychological issue I have to deal with. So here it is!

As I was writing this post, I googled for the history of carrot cake. I was surprised that it started long ago in the medieval days where it was cheaper to use carrot as natural sweetener in cakes. Perhaps that’s why we have sweet potato pie? However it was only in 1960s where the Americans came up with the American Carrot cakes. 






Recipe For about 10 cup cakes

Ingredients

  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup Canola oil 
  • 3 tablespoon Buttermilk
  • 1 teaspoon Vanilla essence
  • 1 cup + 2 tbsp All purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp Baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp Baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp Kosher Salt 
  • 1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp Ground Ginger
  • 2 cups Tightly packed shredded Carrots
  • 1/2 cup Raisins
  • 1/2 cup Walnuts, toasted and chopped

Steps:

  1. Preheat the oven to 180 degree Celsius. 
  2. Using a cake mixer, whip the eggs and brown sugar at medium until mixture is light and thick. 
  3. In a separate bowl, mix oil, buttermilk and vanilla. Set aside.
  4. In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together. Set aside.
  5. Reduce speed of cake mixer to low and slowly add in the oil mixture. 
  6. Using a rubber spatula and fold in the flour mixture. 
  7. Add in carrots, raisins and walnuts. Fold in until the batter is well mixed. 
  8. Pour the batter into a baking tin or muffin cups.
  9. Bake the cake for 1 hour or 45 minutes respectively. 




by Categories: Uncategorized Leave a comment

Gado Gado (Indonesian Salad with Spicy Peanut Sauce)

I used to dislike Sundays. It is a day away from Mondays which means I have to wake up early the next day for work. Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy work but I love my bed more. Besides that, I find the air on Sunday stale and the weather too sunny for my liking. I prefer days that are cool, shady and breezy. Well…that’s was my impression of Sundays. Nowadays my Sundays are different. It is fun! I have family lunch parties. It could be Soya sauce Chicken Noodles treat or a home-made pizza party. This time round, we are having Gado Gado buffet. 

Gado Gado originates from Indonesia. It is made up of boiled vegetables dressed with spicy peanut sauce. It is actually up to individual to decide what goes into the salad. I like it with rice cakes (lontong) and this makes the meal more satisfying. The school I used to go during my primary school days sold this simple and gorgeous dish. I did not eat it often because it would cost my entire day worth of pocket money to have it. Then I was given a humble amount for pocket money. 

If you feel like having Gado Gado now, it  is not easily found in the hawker stalls, I am not too sure why… Do you know? 


In case if you are wondering … I assure you it is not a ‘Tupperware’ party. I wanted to use these containers so that the leftovers can be easily kept away. But guess what… there was no leftovers. Everything was gone! 🙂 

Recipe (Serves 6) 
Ingredients:
A) Spicy Peanut Sauce

Spice Paste (Make approx. 3 portions of rempah)

  • 200g Shallots
  • 90g Lemon Grass
  • 80g Galangal
  • 30g Garlic
  • 40g Ginger
  • 4g Tumeric Powder
  • 10g Belachan powder
  • 50g Buah Keras (Candle nuts)

Using a electric blender, blend all above ingredients into paste form to make rempah. Set aside for use later. 

  • 80g Rempah
  • 2 cloves of Garlic, chopped
  • tsp Cumin Powder
  • 1 tsp Coriander Powder
  • 50g Chili Paste
  • 3 tbsp Tamarind paste, mix with 1 cup of water
  • 100g Ground Peanuts
  • 400ml Water
  • 50ml Coconut milk 
  • 1 tsp Salt 
  • 60g Gula Malacca
  • 1/2 cup of cooking oil 


Steps:

  1. In a wok over medium heat, add oil and fry rempah and chili paste for a minute and add in garlic, cumin and coriander powder. 
  2. When the spice paste separates from the oil (this will take approx 8 minutes), add tamarind water, water and coconut milk. Bring to boil and add in grounded peanuts. 
  3. Simmer for 20 to 30 minutes over low heat. When in thickens, add sugar and salt. 
  4. You may vary the tamarind water for preferred acidity, salt and sugar to taste. 
  5. Keep gravy warm. 


B) Salad 

You may prepare the salad ingredients while the gravy is boiling. 
  • 5 eggs, boiled, peeled and quartered
  • 2 Potatoes, peeled, boiled and cut into cubes
  • 1 Cucumber, removed seeds and cut into 1 inch strips
  • 2 cups of Beansprouts, blanched
  • 2 pieces of Beancurds (Tau Kwa), deep fried and cut into cubes
  • 300g Cabbage, cut into 1 inch cubes and blanched
  • 15 French Beans, cut into 1 inch strips and blanched
  • 5 Boiled rice cakes 
  • Crackers


To enjoy, mix and match the ingredients and drizzle generously with the spicy peanut sauce. 


How are your Sundays spent? 
by Categories: Vegetables Leave a comment

Braised Noodles in Oyster Sauce

I am very sure I belong to the category who live to eat. I love food (full stop). And most importantly I appreciate all those who make eating possible. What I mean is that I appreciate people who grow the rice, mill the wheat, rear the chicken, catch the fish, bake the cakes and down to those who serve the food. Basically, everyone whom participate in the ‘Food chain”. This food chain is not the one which we learn in Science classrooms. This food chain is the supply chain that makes eating a dining experience. 

Some of the people I know rather spend money on luxury goods, some prefer to spend on cosmetics and spa and I prefer to feed my stomach. Despite saying that, I do not believe that every meal must be a lavish affair. I believe even a humble bowl of noodles can be satisfying to both the palate and the stomach.  

So one Sunday… I was waiting for my hubby to return home so we can go for lunch. I waited and waited. My stomach started growling. Yes, ‘she’s’ hungry. In fact, quite hungry. So I pulled out few items from the fridge and started whipping up a wok of Braised Noodles in Oyster Sauce. It was sumptuous. Do not worry if you do not have all the ingredients. They are easily replaceable with others. (See below for alternatives) 

Guess what, after I finished cooking and had two helpings of the noodles. I realised that I have numerous missed calls from my hubby. 😛 



Recipe (Serves 4) 
Ingredients:

  • Fresh Shanghainese Noodles
  • 100g Pork Belly, thinly sliced 
  • 3 pieces Fresh Black Fungus. thinly sliced
  • 2 stalks Scallions, cut into 1 inch long
  • 2 cloves of Garlic, Chopped
  • 2 Eggs, Lightly beaten
  • 1 1/2 cup Chicken Stock
  • 2 tbsps Oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp Light Soya Sauce
  • 1 tbsp Dark Soya Sauce
  • 1 tsp Sesame Oil
  • Salt and Pepper
  • Cooking oil 
  • 2 litres of water

 Steps:

  1. In a pot, boil 2 litres of water. Boil the noodles for 1 minute or al dente. Rinse in tap water to remove some of the starch. Drain. You do not want to over cook at this process as it will be cooked again later. 
  2. In a heated wok, add 2 tbsp of oil. Stir fry the eggs. Set aside. 
  3. In the same wok, add 2 tbsp of oil. Add chopped garlic and fry till fragrant. Add in the white sections of scallions. 
  4. Add pork and fry till it turns opaque. Add in black fungus. 
  5. Add in chicken stock, oyster sauce, sesame oil, light soya sauce and dark soya sauce. 
  6. When it starts boiling, add in drained noodles. Stir and add in fried eggs.
  7. Cover and let it simmer for 3 minutes in low heat or until gravy thickens. If you find the gravy too thick, add water accordingly. This varies due to the noodles you use. 
  8. Season with salt and pepper. 
  9. Add in the rest of the scallions. Stir and remove from heat. 

I cooked this with what I have from my fridge so do not fret if you do not have the ingredients. Just use something you like. Who knows? It could be an epic recipe! 

Alternative ingredients:
  • Fresh Shanghainese Noodles – Fresh/ Dried Egg noodles, Ee fu noodles, Bee Hoon 
  • Pork belly – Pork loin, Chicken breast, Shrimps
  • Black fungus – Fresh/ Dried Shitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms
  • Chicken stock – Water (but it will lose the depth in taste)
by Categories: Noodles Leave a comment

Asian Fried Mashed Bananas Fritters (Goreng Klodok)

I am going to visit my hairdressers today, not for a hair cut but to visit them as long time friends. It was about ten years ago when I lost control of my unruly hair (there was no rebonding technology then), I met Ethel and Terri. They are two of the most amazing women I have ever met so far. Every time I visit them, it  is like going to my third place where I feel welcomed, loved and happy. Ethel and Terri treat me like their own daughter and they would share with me their life experiences and even till today they would contact me once a while to make sure I am well. Although I do not visit them as often as I would like to, the bond we share is still fresh and strong. One of the interest we shared is the love for food. As Terri said,” We shall eat first then work on it later.” I totally agree with her. So today, I would like to bring something sweet for them for tea, something from my heart.  


Goreng Klodok is a typical Singaporean finger food that can be found at many Malay food stalls. It is getting difficult to find good ones nowadays. The ideal fritters should be packed with bananas, light in the inside and crispy on the outside. In my attempt in making these, I have also added brown sugar to add a depth of flavour to the sweetness and rice flour for the crunch.  




Recipe (24 pieces) 
Ingredients:
  • 500g Ripe bananas
  • 80g Caster sugar
  • 20g Brown Sugar
  • 120 All Purpose Flour
  • 2 tsp Rice Flour 
  • 1 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Salt
  • 60 ml Water
  • 2 tsp Oil 
  • Oil for frying

Steps:
  1. Mash the bananas with a whisk/ fork. We still want some bits of bananas in the mash to have the bite in the fritters. 
  2. Mix in the sugars.
  3. Add in the flours and baking powder. Mix well. 
  4. Add in salt and water. Then lastly the oil. 
  5. Set aside for at least 5 minutes. Prepare for oil for deep frying. I used a small saucepan with 2 inch of oil. Drop a small dough to check for temperature. It should sizzle quickly. If the temperature is too low, dough may absorb too much oil and end up with greasy balls. 
  6. Spoon 1 tablespoon of batter into the hot oil. The dough should float up shortly. Make sure both sides are brown before removing from oil. 



I am very happy that Ethel and Terri loved my “heartwork”. The fritters were snapped up so quickly. 😛  This made my day and I am sure it brightened theirs too. If you are reading my blog, please join me in making someone’s day different. Cook for them…  
by Categories: Desserts, Fruits, kueh Leave a comment

Steamed Pork Patties with Salted Egg Yolks

It is always a pleasure to have guests over for a simple meal. My hubby and I enjoy having friends and family members over for dinner. After every meal, we always feel that these sessions bring us closer to our guests.  

After having to host a few dinners, I observed that food on the dining table sets the tone and formality of the meal. Generally my family and friends warm up to  Asian food than western food. Somehow they are more at ease, conversations are more relaxed and atmosphere is more vibrant. It is like comparing a dim sum restaurant to a French dining restaurant.  

In my journey in expanding my cooking repertoire of Chinese food, the Singapore celebrity chef Sam Leong would be one of the chefs I would look up for ideas. He has published a number of recipe books and his recipes are easy to follow. This dish is from one of his books and every time when I cooked this, my guests would raved about it.  I strongly recommend his books and cooking classes. 



This recipe requires salted egg yolks. As the eggs have been preserved with salted charcoal, the egg white would turn a little cloudy and the yolk turned into a bright orange, firm and round ball. Please wash away the egg white with water and the membrane that protects the yolk. You may cut or smash the egg yolk before placing into the steaming bowls. 


These pictures were taken a guest (PressingSecrets) whom I was very pleased to invite. She offered me a new perspective  in my kitchen while my friends and I were trying to rush for a 8-course Chinese dinner for 11 people frantically within 2 hours. She captured our calmness with a polaroid camera on one hand and mixing spoon on the other. Well done!


Ingredients
  • 400g Minced Pork
  • 30g Coriander stems, finely diced
  • 3 Water Chestnuts, peeled and finely diced
  •  4 Salted Egg Yolks, cleaned and cut half
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 tsp Sugar
  • 1 Egg white
  • 2 tsp Soya Sauce
  • A pinch Ground white pepper
  •  A dash of Sesame oil
  • Spring Onion, minced

Steps:
  1. Mix all ingredients together, except cooking oil, salted egg yolks and spring onions. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.
  2. Apply some cooking oil on 4 steaming metal cases.
  3. Put a salted egg yolk inside each case. Spoon the pork mixture into the cases.
  4. Steam for 45 mins or until the pork is cooked.
  5. Turn cups over a serving plate. Serve with the sauce (see below).


Sauce
  • 1 tbsp Cooking Oil
  • 4 slices Ginger
  •  2 Spring Onion, cut into 1 inch long
  • 4 sprigs of Coriander leaves
  • 200ml Chicken Stock
  •  ¼ tsp Dark Soya Sauce
  • 20g Rock Sugar

Steps:
  1. Heat the oil in a wok and fry ginger, spring onion and coriander until fragrant.
  2. Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil.
  3. Strain and use as needed

Adapted from Chef Sam Leong’s A Taste of Home

by Categories: Uncategorized Leave a comment

Buttery Scones for Afternoon Tea

There is something about afternoon tea. Afternoon tea is definitely designed for the Missy. It is considered to be a ladies social occasion. I could imagine myself sipping chamomile tea from floral English tea cups and sliding finger sized pastries off the tier-plates with my girl friends on weekday afternoon, catching up on the good old times. Here in Singapore, we commonly know that afternoon tea as high tea. Unfortunately, Singaporeans have got it all wrong. The luxurious afternoon tea is traditionally known as low tea: tea served with dainty food on low tables at mid afternoon. On contrary, high tea is traditionally for the working class. It is a meal of meat and other heavy food served on high table after work. 


So bring out the scones and let’s have some low tea! 

Remember, scones are not supposed to be hard and dry. Good scones are buttery, light and tender. I like my scones warmed, glazed or served with jam or whipped butter. It is not easy to find good scones here. At least, I haven’t. That is why I made these today. So now you know where to get the best scones? @ weekend kitchenette!

I learnt this marvellous recipe while I was in Cambridge, Massachusetts, from a wonderful neighbour who was learning to be a pastry chef. She gave up her regular job to pursue her passion in the Cordon Bleu, Boston. She shared that her dream was to set up her own bakery in her home town in Utah. Interestingly, she was also my kickboxing instructor then. 


The tip to tender scones lies on the amount of mixing. The more you mix, the tougher it gets. So perhaps that explains why commercially made scones are like stones. Simply because they are machined mixed.  



Recipe (makes 8 pieces) 
Ingredients:

  • 2 cups Plain flour
  • 1/4 cup Caster Sugar
  • 2 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 1/2 cup (113g) Unsalted Butter, cold
  • 1 cup Whipping cream, cold
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • Sugar to sprinkle

Steps:

  1. Mix the dry ingredients together. 
  2. Using a food processor, chop the butter with the dry ingredients until the butter is about the size of half a pea, coated with dry ingredients. 
  3. Pour the mixture into a mixing bowl. 
  4. Add the whipping cream. Mix lightly. 
  5. Pat the dough into a disc shape on a table top. 
  6. Cut the dough into 8 pieces. 
  7. Brush the dough with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar. 
  8. Bake the scones at 215 degree Celsius for 14 minutes or golden brown. 
  9. Cool them on a cooling rack. 




Look at the soft in the inside and toasty on the outside!! Yums!

by Categories: Bread, Cookies and Biscuits 1 Comment

Parmesan Sauce with Peas and Bacon

Recently…

Question: What is the theme of your blog? 
My answer: Hmm… There isn’t a theme. I cook the things I like to eat and the things I want to try. 
Question: What is your blog about? 

Yes, there are many people who blog about food. And I blog about food and cooking because it has a special meaning to me. 

My family started humble with little food to eat. I remember my mum told us that they had to fork out the last few coins to feed the family because we were very poor then. At that time, the coins managed to only get three steamed cupcakes (if you noticed, steamed cupcakes is one of the earlier posts on my blog) to feed a family of five. Since, my parents worked very hard to feed the family and slowly our family began to live more comfortably. Because my parents had to work, I started to help out in the kitchen at a young age. I am blessed that my mum is a good cook so I learnt to love cooking and baking. Over the years, I built on my cooking repertoires through culinary classes, cook books and research over the internet. My family and friends are my great supporters of my trials. Even though some of my experiments failed terribly, they have been very encouraging. I got to understand the phrase that food binds people together and often I like to invite family and friends over for dinner and sometimes bring baked goodies to friends and colleagues.  

So what is my blog about? 

My answer: It is about cooking for love. I hope I can inspire you (everyone) to cook at home. To cook for the ones you care and love and to enjoy the goodness of home-cooked meals together. 

This recipe is requested by a friend. She has a beautiful family and three wonderful children. I am sure she has asked for this recipe to cook a nice meal for her family. This sauce is good for any pasta. I had it with fresh linguine and ravioli too. Once my hubby and I invited my brother-in-law over for dinner, (Yes, we like to host and have been inviting people for dinner on weekends) he was obsessed with this pasta sauce and had been requesting for us to cook it again and again. 


Recipe (Serves 4-6)
Ingredients:
  • 100g Bacon, thinly sliced
  • 100g Frozen Green Peas
  • 3 Garlic cloves, chopped
  • 2 Shallots, chopped
  • 4 tbsp Unsalted Butter
  • 2 cups Heavy cream
  • 1 cup Parmesan Cheese, grated
  • Pinch of Nutmeg
  • Salt and Pepper to taste
  • 200g Cooked Pasta 
Steps:
  1. In a large pan, heat heat on medium and cook garlic and shallots. 
  2. Add in bacon and fry till bacon turns light brown. 
  3. Add in heavy cream. Cook on medium high heat till cream reduce to 2/3 of the original the amount. 
  4. Add in nutmeg, peas, salt and pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes.
  5. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan cheese. 
  6. Toss with cooked pasta. 

Enjoy! And do enjoy cooking, yea? Yes, I know cooking takes time. But if you do not spend time cooking for your love ones, who will? 


by Categories: Meat, Noodles, Sauces, Vegetables Leave a comment

Glutinous Rice with Dried Shrimps, Chinese mushrooms and peanuts (糯米饭)

After making the Kaya Glutinous Rice Cake, I still have more than half a packet of glutinous rice sitting in my cupboard. I did not wish to see any rice weevils so I have to use it up before the shelf life expires. So what should I make? Quick…quick… 



This dish which I am sharing is a typical Chinese Singaporean breakfast and it can be seen as a common celebratory dish to welcome the new born babies. I think the success factor of the dish goes to the tenderness of the grains and the blend of accompaniments that complements the sticky rice. The only tough thing about making this dish is that each ingredients must be fried to fragrant before mixing with the pre-soaked rice. After that you can send the blend of ingredients to steam to perfection!


Recipe (Serves 8)
Ingredients:
  • 500g Glutinous rice , rinsed, soaked in water for at least 4 hours and drained
  • 100g Peanuts with skin, fried till golden brown
  • 50g Dried shrimps, soaked for 30 minutes
  • 5 pc Dried Chinese mushrooms, soaked till soft and thinly sliced 
  • 200g Pork Belly, cut into thin strips
  • 75g Shallots, thinly sliced
  • 2 stalks Spring onions, chopped 
  • 1 Red Chili, chopped
  • 150ml Water
  • 1/2 tbsp Salt 
  • 1/2 tsp White Pepper
  • 1/2 tbsp Dark Soya sauce
  • 1/2 tbsp Light Soya sauce
  • 1/2 tbsp Sesame oil 
  • 11/3 tsp Sugar
  • 5 tbsp Cooking oil 

Steps:
  1. Heat up the wok and add in cooking oil. 
  2. Fry the shallots till golden brown over medium heat. Remove shallots and leave the oil in the wok. 
  3. Fry the mushrooms till fragrant for about 3 minutes. Remove mushrooms and leave the oil in the wok. 
  4. Fry the dried shrimps till fragrant. Be careful as oil may spatter. Remove half the shrimps and set aside. 
  5. Add in pork and fry till it turns opaque. Add in half of the fried mushrooms and half the of fried shallots. 
  6. Add in the drained glutinous rice. Mix well. 
  7. Add in the seasoning and water. Fry for 1 minute. 
  8. Transfer to a steaming tray and steam for 40 minutes. 
  9. Remove the tray from heat and let it cool for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with fried peanuts, rest of the mushrooms, dried shrimps and shallots. Top it with spring onions and chili as desired. 



























If you are wondering how I fry the peanuts… All I did was to deep fry them in a saucepan of hot oil. Put the peanuts in a metal strainer and lowered it into the oil. In less than 30 seconds, the peanuts are browned perfectly. You will noticed the peanuts had shrunk a little. These peanuts are good to eat on their own too. 

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