Chef Ben In Kitchen

By now, I think the whole world knows Ben loves Chappati/Roti and he has been pestering me to make Chappati at home but I refused to cook because my bump is getting bigger and I am just too lazy to cook anything. So I told Ben to go ahead if he really wants to make Chappati at home. Actually I was thinking, there are just so many herbs to get and the wheat flour, is a big headache because we will need to travel to Mustafa to get it. Guess what, our smart Ben got his buddy - Saurabh to get all the ingredients for him !

What can I say, he die die wanna make Chappati at home this morning ! Okay, no choice la, I brought out my mixing bowl, rolling pin and wash the cutting board ( yeah we didn't even buy the rolling board yet! ).

As for the dirty job - mixing the flour with water, kneading... I'll let him do. Well, not bad I will say, as in, first time making your own chappati from the beginning to the end. Taste? Oh, I was too full to taste it myself but Ben is happy with his Chappati and he said he is going to make again in this afternoon... we'll see... :)

Barley Drink for Ben

Ben came home around 4pm as he was feeling unwell ( sorethroat & blocked nose )on last Tuesday. So worried that he might be down with H1N1, even Keerthi told him not to come near me but besides going home, where else can wabee go?

With doses of piriton, panadol and bowls of hot barley drinks for 2 days, I was glad he felt better. :)

It Was A Ketchup Day

Ben Cooked The Fish

I told Ben to "look after" the fish while I went for a cold shower. The "condition" of the fish was quite bad actually as Ben kept "flipping it", it was so bad that I have to pour my special tasty gravy onto it before taking photo. How was the taste? Of course it was good!! Still have to thank Ben, for coming home earlier to see me.

Pisang Goreng ( Banana Fritters) Part II

Ben wants to eat Pisang Goreng again and so do I...hehee... I am using Amy Beh's Recipe this time, please do not eat the Pisang right a way after frying, I also thought it will be very crispy and shiok but using Amy's recipe, these can only be eaten after 20 minutes ( at least ).

Ingredients

1/2 cup self-raising flour
1/4 cup corn flour
1 tbsp rice flour
Pinch of salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
180ml water
1½ tbsp oil
5-6 bananas, halved
Oil for deep-frying

Banana Fritters ( Pisang Goreng )

Curry Potatoes Puffs

First attempt!!!! Found a simple recipe online and decided to go over to mum's place to make for everyone. Too bad :(, skin too hard... next time we will try using egg instead of butter.

Lazy Housewife Cooks Dinner

Philippine Style Tomatoes Egg 菲式番茄蛋
Stir Fried French Bean 干煸四季豆
Taiwanese Mini Sausages 台湾香肠

Breakfast Time !

Woke up at 7am to prepare some simple french toast for DH.

健康焖伊面

Simple Simple Simple Dinner for Margaret and Ben tonight. I wanted to call it Yi Mian Siu Dai 伊面少底 ( just like our kopi siu dai) because I cut down the oil, salt and sugar usage. Besides, there is no seafood like sotong or prawns, just dry shrimp ( I forgot to buy garlic again!) minced meat, fish cake and chye sim.

Just 2 Dishes

Main : Mum's Chicken ( marinates with dark sauce, pepper, sugar, corn powder, oyster sauce & soy sauce)
Side : Stir Fried HK Choy Sum

I called it Mum's chicken because my mum used to fried the chicken wings this way for us when we were young, using very simple spices, add some garlic if you prefer.

Simple Dinner

Lunch out again.. :(

Whenever mum is not around, Ben will hope that I can cook him simple dinner at home. Obviously it is heathier, we've been eating out way too frequent because I got tired easily and prolong standing in the kitchen might cause feet swelling like the past few weeks! So on Saturday night, we decided to go NTUC to get some grocery. Our dinner for tonight : 腐乳鸡，大葱煎蛋，炒大白菜

Steam Carrot / Radish Cake

Okay, I used up so much time to prepare the ingredients this time. Even went out early in the morning to get the rice flour so that I can cook these 2 trays before 12 noon.

Reason for cooking Radish cake today? 要讨个好彩头啦!!!

These are the step by step and the recipe, you can get it from Jo

Muah Chee 麻芝

Muah Chee 麻芝 - Some families must-have festival dish. Why did I make it today? It is because too much peanut powder (bought extra for cny cookies) and I always wanted to make this as EVERYONE of us loves Muah Chee. Well, I almost failed today as I didn't know it needs to be kneaded ( mum told me to use my kitchenaids mixer) until it is QQ, I thought after steaming, it already looked very QQ to me. hahahaha, thanks mum and dad for helping. >.<
Ingredients A
Shallots : 6 nos. (sliced)
Oil : 5 tbsp

Ingredients B
Glutinous Flour : 300g
Water : 450g
Shallots Oil : 3 tbsp

Ingredients C (finely grinded)
Fried peanut : 250g
Fried white sesame seeds : 50g
Sugar : 100g Method:
1) Heat up oil, fry shallots till golden brown, remove shallots for later use.
2) Mix Ingredients B till well combined
3) Strain into an oil-coated steaming tin
4) Steam over high heat for 45min.
5) Removed, use wooden spoon to stir in one direction till smooth
6) Sprinkle a handful of sugar on top to prevent it from turning dry
7) Sprinkle fried shallots
8) Cut into small pieces, roll over the peanut sesame mix and serve http://fenyingrecipe.blogspot.com/2008/04/mua-chi.html<img

Baking CNY Goodies

Chinese New Year Cookies - Beary Cute Doggies Cookies

After sitting there for almost 7 hours, I can't feel my back, my arms, my fingers and my vision is blur! Sooooo tiring and it was only half way thru... tomorrow I need to bake more and after that, I shall rest...

腊味香鸡碗仔饭

Yup I am cooking simple dinner tonight. Okay, obviously I do not have any claypot at home and parents are away again. It gives me reason to cook and to mess up the kitchen. Have I ever mention I do not have to clean up after I bake/cook? :) Ben is the world most lovable doting hubby!

Haha...that's the reason why I have not been baking RICH BUTTER CAKE, it was a simple request from Ben and granted!

By the way, these are some of the steps to prepare my very own 腊味香鸡碗仔饭

Preparation :
- cut the onion and marinates the chicken (I use boneless chicken thigh) with some seasoning.
- wash the rice and place them into a bowl with water, the ratio 1 (rice): 1.5 (water)
- wash the vegetable and boil it with some oil and salt, put aside
- cut the chinese saugages and put aside

Start cooking :
- steam the rice until it is half cooked (about 10 minutes)
- after that, put the marinated chicken and chinese sausages together with the rice and cook it at high fire for about 20 minutes, please check if the chicken is cooked
- add an egg if you want to
- serve it with the vegetables

Ben : WONDERFUL DINNER! Thanks baby.

Singapore Fried Carrot Cake

Ingredients
4 radish flour cakes
4 tbs vegetable oil or lard
1 tbs chopped garlic
1 tbs red chilli paste ------ forgot to buy
1 tbs chopped chye poh (salted radish)
2 eggs
1 tbs fish sauce --------- forgot to add
1 stalk fresh spring onion, chopped
5 tbs oil

Method
Heat two tablespoons of oil or lard in a wok. When smoking hot, brown the radish flour cakes, cutting it into small pieces with the spatula as you fry. Push aside the pieces. Heat another table spoon of oil in the wok. Sauté garlic and chye poh till browned. Toss with the radish cake pieces. Make a space in the middle, add the last of the oil and break eggs into the space. Leave to set for a few minutes and then push the radish cake on top. Drizzle with fish sauce, add chilli paste and toss some more to ensure an even mix. Serve hot garnished with spring onion.

Taken from cookbook titled “Singapore Heritage Food” by Sylvia Tan