Fish Sauce Sesame Salads Dressing

Oh Yes! It is salad again. Love those crispy cooling salad during these hot season. Another version of Thai/Vietnam style salad.

Ingredients:

Handful of chopped lettuces

Half a bowl of cherry tomatoes

3 clovers Garlic

a knob of Ginger

Chilis (bird eye- for spicy salad)

2 -3 limes (6 tbsp lime juices)

2 tbsp fish sauces
1 tsp of soy sauces

1 tbsp brown sugar

1tsp peanut oil (optional)
1 tbsp of toasted sesame seed

Handful of chopped Coriander

Some chopped Spring Onion

Method:

1) Grind the ginger and garlic into fine paste.

2) Squeeze the lime, drain the seeds.

3) Mix all the wet ingredients together with sugar, chilies, coriander & spring onions.

Mix  

4) Mix the cherry tomatoes in. You can half some of the cherry tomatoes, it looks more appetizing.

5) Toast 1 tbsp of sesame seeds over the hot pan.

6) Mix the salad dressing with all the greens & sprinkle the sesame seed last.

Enjoy.

Read More

Pan Fry Norwegian Mackerel

Fish is fast to cook & taste great with simple seasoning. Let's Pan Fry Norwegian Mackerel. If you use Japanese style soy sauces, it will taste very close to teriyaki. If you use Chinese style soy sauces, it will taste so classic & old school just like how my grandma fry it. Simple yet delicious.

Ingredients:

Cleaned Norwegian Mackerel (dry the fish with paper kitchen towel)

Salt (not too much as we will flavour with soy sauces)

Pepper

Soy Sauces

Frying oil

Method:

1) Season the fish well with pepper & salt.

2) I am using very little oil to quote the base of the non stick pan. Hot the pan with medium fire.

3) Slide the fish with skin side down. Let it simmer with medium fire for 2-3 mins.

4) When flesh starts changing colors & texture. You can see the fish became more solid & the flesh will turn white instead of semi-transparent. Turn the fire over. Let theother side simmer for another 2-3 mins.

5) When the fish is almost done, last in a dash of soy sauces (roughly about 1 tbsp)

6) Quickly flip the fish to coat it with soy sauces in the hot pan, off the fire & we are done.

Read More

Stir Fry Oyster Mushroom (Vegetarian)

Sometimes I do out of stock on "meat" supplies in the fridge due to any kind of businesses- busy with the kids, works, career, classes, baking etc....My kids are kind of carnivorous, of course, I always have a back up plan.

Mushroom to the rescue! Mushroom seriously taste like meat especially its texture. It is always good to add mushroom to our diet as it is very healthy & delicious too. What I like about the fresh mushroom - easy & fast to cook. With very little effort, we can have super delicious weekdays dinner.

Mushroom is high in Vitamin B2, D, Fiber, Potassium, low in calories, cholesterol free, enhances immune system & blood circulation & it is a perfect diet food.

Ingredients:

Handful of fresh mushroom (e.g. Shimeiji, Maitake, Grey Osyter etc)

Some chopped coriander/ spring onion

Lot of minced garlic (4-5 cloves)

Salt & Pepper

Optional (chicken stocks 1 tsp)

Only with these simple ingredients, we just need to cook these up in 5 mins.

Preparing the fresh mushroom, I always buy those "no need to wash" mushroom. If you are not able to get those, it is ok, just brief use running tap water to rinse the fresh mushroom. DO NOT soak mushroom in water, otherwise, it will become too watery when you stir fry the mushroom.

Method:
1) Stir fry garlic with one tbsp of olive oil, then add in the fresh mushroom.

 

2) Sweat the mushroom for 2-3 mins.

3) Add in the coriander or spring onion,chicken stock (it makes the mushroom taste like chicken), salt & pepper to taste.

P/S: There is an alternate version of non vegetarian stir fry mushroom, just add any left over roast meat when stir fry together with the mushroom. Taste superb too.

Read More

Simple & Delicious Salmon Pasta

Pasta - I don't know why kids love pasta so much. I love pasta for a different reason, it is easy & quick to cook. No problem in feeding the kids or rush them to eat their meal. They will just automatically slurp everything from the plate. They just enjoy doing it. I do appreciate the simplicity & unpretentious of pasta. Sometimes, things doesn't have to be too complicated. It just kinda remind me on the thick SOP book.

Pan Fry the salmon fillet ahead of time. Slice the salmon into smaller pcs. Season with sea salt & pepper. Pan fry it until it is fully cook. Set aside.

Ingredients for the Pasta (3 serving):

250g Spaghetti

3 cloves garlic (chopped)
1 tbsp chili flakes
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tomatoes (remove the skin & chopped)
250ml of fish stocks
100ml of  cooking cream

1) Start cooking pasta first with pinch of salt. Cook 250g pasta follow the package instruction until al-dente. Do not over cook pasta, follow the instruction strictly.
2) In the mean time, start browning the garlic & chili flakes in olive oil  (small fire). It takes about 4-5 mins. Do not burn the garlic.

 

 

3) Add in the chopped tomato, stir fry for a minutes, add in the fish stocks. Simmers for a while.
4) Lastly, add the cream, let it boils & reduce the liquid slightly , toss the al-dente pasta in for a minute. Serve hot immediately.

Tips: How to poach tomatoes to move the skins:

1) Make a cross at the bottom of every tomatoes.

2) Boil a pot of hot water.

3) Put the tomatoes in to be boiled for about  2 mins.

4) Lift it out from boiling hot water into cook tap water.

5) Just peel off the tomatoes skin. It is very easy.

Read More

Thai Salad Dressing

This simple delicious main course salad is full of flavor & it can be done without using any oil. My kid love this salad so much.  This is a salad that is guaranteed to become a family favorite. It is a perfect side dishes to any seafood- cooked prawn, cooked squid (sotong), grilled fish.

Dressing:

2 cloves garlic

1 bird eye chilies or 1 long big red chilies

1 knob of ginger

2 -3 limes (6 tbsp lime juices)

2 shallots

2 tbsp fish sauces

1 tbsp brown sugar

1tsp peanut oil (optional)

Handful of chopped Coriander

Some chopped Spring Onion

Salads (cleaned, wash & spin dry):

Lettuce, tomato, cucumber, cherry tomato, any salad vegetables

Optional:

Some cooked prawn

Some cooked squid

1) Mix fish sauces with sugar, stir to melt the sugar, squeeze the limes, pick out the seed of the limes. 

2) Grind the ginger, garlic into fine paste.Add in to the salad dressing. The colour of the mixture will change slightly after add in the ginger and garlic paste.

3) Add in all these ingredients that need to be chopped finely- tomatoes, shallots, chilies (hot- bird eye) or big chilies (mild). Mix all these into the salad dressing.
4) The best method to mix the salads well is by using both hand.
5) Pour all these well mixed chopped salad on the green lettuces.
6) Serve Immediately or chill in the refrigerator.

Read More

Dry Curry (Malaysia Style)

The infamous Malaysia style curry has TWO version- Dry & Soupy. Sometimes, I cook the dry curry for its intense flavors. I don't know why sometimes I crave for spicier food. Perhaps it is already in the blood, my siblings love spicy food. I am at the medium spicy meter. I bought this brand of curry chicken sauce as my kid can take the heat (medium spicy).

Today the I cook the curry with more vegetables because it just taste good with potatoes, okra & long bean.Be creative to add in your favorite vegetable in the curry- cabbage, brinjal (egg plant), tofu pok (fried tofu).

Method:
1) Mix the store bought curry sauces with onion & stir fry over medium heat.  The sauces itself is very oily, so you do not need to add vegetable oil for stir fry. Just follow the cooking instructions. However, I will show you the general procedures for cooking curry.
For home make curry sauces, pls refer to
http://fabulouscake.blogspot.com/2015/08/traditional-chicken-curry-malaysia-style.html

 

2) Add in potatoes & meat, continue stir fry.

 

3) Add in water enough to cover all the ingredients. Cover with lid to simmers.

 

4) Last in the vegetables as it needs lesser time to cook through. Add in the coconut milk at the final stage to thicken the sauces.

 

5) Super easy & fast. Serve hot with white rice or nasi lemak.

Delicious~

Read More

Traditional Chicken Curry (Malaysia Style)

Traditional Chicken Curry - is a all time favorite for Malaysian & tourists. If you ever visit Malaysia, you must buy packets of the prepared curry paste as souvenir for your friends, family, colleagues or yourself. A lots Malaysia overseas student who study abroad will ask their friends or parent to even courier the curry paste to them. Of course you can also make it from scratch & it takes more time. Curry chicken is match made in heaven with nasi lemak. When I was a teenager, I can eat 2 bowls of rice with curry chicken. Those good old memories.

Check out the nasi lemak link:
http://fabulouscake.blogspot.com/2015/01/nasi-lemak-malaysia-style.html

As promised to my Korean friends, I will post some simple instructions in my blog to guide them through to cook the curry chicken the Malaysia way.  Super easy. Prepare the ingredients as per the packet instructions:

1 Packet of Curry Paste (see curry paste from scratch at the bottom of this post)
Chicken  ( prefer chicken thigh if  I am not using the whole chicken)
Potatoes
Coconut milk (Santan- store bought)
Water
Fresh Curry Leaves (optional)

Delicious ingredients for curry chicken

Check out how to prepare fresh coconut milk from scratch:

http://fabulouscake.blogspot.com/2015/01/nasi-lemak-malaysia-style.html

1) Lightly fry the curry paste, I like to use a medium size pot.

2) Fry the chicken with the curry paste.

3) Add in the potatoes, curry leaves, water to simmer for about 20 mins. Do not cut the potato too small. Otherwise, it will "melt" & become too soft. Always use Holland potato- or any hard type of potato that is suitable for roast or boil.

4) Pour in the coconut milk & let it boil for 5-10 mins.

Delicious curry chicken served with Sambal & Nasi Lemak.

Simple Curry Chicken Paste:

1 kg of Whole Chicken (chopped into pcs)

500g Potato

200g Coconut Milk

(B) Blend into Paste:

100g Garlic

200- 250g Shallots

2ea Candlesnut (Buah Keras)

1 inches Tumeric (Kunyit) - optional if you don't have

(C)

3-4 tbsp of Meat Curry Powder

2 tbsp Chili Boh (Chili Paste)

1-2 tbsp Sugar

0.5 tsp Coriander Powder

3 Stalks Lemongrass (Serai- smash it)

3 Stalks Curry Leaves

Salt to taste

0.5 cup water (or slightly more to cover all the ingredient in  the pot) 

Method:

1) Heat 4-5 tbsp of oil, add in B & C . Stir fry until fragrant.

2) Add in chicken & potato, slightly stir fry & cover all ingredients with water, boil with high heat.

3) Reduce to medium heat & let it simmer until cook.

4) Stir in coconut milk & salt. Serve hot with white rice or Nasi Lemak.

Read More