Blanch Vegetables

Hi everyone, I hope that I didn't make you guys disappointed by posting this "Super Simple" recipe.. This dish was inspired by a local cooking programme in Tokyo last week while I was in the hotel room with my little rascal and hubby, sad to say that I did not really understand what the chef says in Japanese but roughly I can catch hold of some simple cooking steps, hopefully :) and nonetheless it turn out not bad with my mini modifying skills.

Boiling vegetables is really super easy. But if you don't do it right, you can end up with very dark soggy flavorless veggies, instead of bright green and tasty. Color and nutrient value as possible during the boiling process.

Preparing the Vegetables :

1. Choose green leafy veggies of your choice (I used Xiao Bai Chai)
2. Cut and Wash with cool or icy water
3. Drain water away

Preparing boiling water :

1.  Bring water to boil before adding the vegetables. If you add the vegetables when the water is hot, you don't need to boil them as long, and so you won't lose the nutrients.
2. Add a bit of salt and cooking oil. The salt will enhance the vegetables taste.
3. Observe the vegetables and don't over boil, usually takes about 2-3mins for leafy vegetables, remove from water and immerse the boiled vegetables into icy cold water for awhile and drain.

Seasoning the vegetables :

• Miso みそ paste, 1Tbsp and 20ml water then cook them in the sauce pan; OR
• Oyster sauce-1 Tbsp, Light Soya sauce-1//2tsp, Cooking Oil-1Tsp, 1Clove garlic chopped, Stir fry altogether

Pour seasoning onto vegetables and serve.

Sweet and Sour Pork

Sweet and sour pork is a Cantonese dish, and also a very common dish in almost all Chinese restaurant. I will always order this dish when me and my family are eating out, it is very good combination of crispy meat with tasty sweet tomato sauce, of cause not just tomato sauce alone :)

Main Ingredients :

• 200gram pork shoulder, cube
• 1 Green capsicum, cube
• 1 Red or Yellow capsicum, cube
• Half brown onion, slice
• Half clove garlic, chopped
• Half tomato, cube
• 2 Slice pineapple, cube (I bought can syrup pineapple)
• 2 Cups Oil for deep fry  (depends your wok size)

Marinate meat Ingredients :

• 1 Tbsp light soya sauce
• 1 Tbsp rice wine
• 1 Tbsp cornflour
• 1 Egg, beaten

 Mix above ingredients and marinate meat for 30mins.

Deep Fry batter Ingredients :

• 3/4 Cup plain flour
• 1/4 Cup corn flour
• 1 Tbsp baking soda
• Pinch of salt
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 Cup water

Sieve plain flour, corn flour together then add in baking soda and salt, give it a gentle mix then beat in the egg, slowly mix the batter with the cup of water. After batter is mixed, pour in all meat and prepare to deep fry in a hot wok, fry until golden brown, remove from oil and drained, put aside.

Sweet and Sour Sauce ingredients :

• 4 Tbsp tomato sauce
• 3 Tbsp plum sauce ( I used Lee Kum Kee, see photo below)
• 1 Tbsp light soya sauce
• 1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 Tbsp sugar
• 3 Tbsp water

Mix all ingredients together. Put aside

Heat about 1 tbsp of oil in the wok, Saute the garlic till fragrant, pour in capsicum, onion, pineapple, then pour in the fried pork, continue saute for about 1 to 2 mins, (REMEMBER : do not over stir fry your vegetables) then pour in sweet and sour sauce we had prepared eariler.  Mix well to coat the pork with sauce evenly.  Pour in the cucumber and capsicum (and pineapple if using).  Mix well to coat. Serve with steam rice

Vinegar Sushi Rice

 

Sushi is a Japanese Cuisine, everyone knows! and I believe that most of us had ate sushi before, but do you know how to make it? is actually not that difficult nor simple, require more on your skill, the more you make it the better you will become :)

This was my first attempt making vinegar sushi rice. I bought a small packet of Japanese short grain rice from Cold Storage (local supermarket) and Pre-mix Sushi Vinegar. this is very simple you don't even have to cook the vinegar with salt, sugar in the traditional way. 

Ingredient :

• 3 cups of rice - washed and drain
• Water - for cooking of the rice
• 1/2 cup of Sushi Vinegar
• 3/4 Vinegar added water

Method :

1. Place rice into a rice cooker, and cook. When cooking is finished, keep the cooker covered and let it stand for about 10min until grains are settled.
2. Then transfer rice to a wooden sushi bowl moistened with vinegar added water.
3. Slowly sprinkle the pre-mix vinegar all over the rice, toss the rice while cooling the rice with a fan. 
4. When tossing is completed, cover the rice with a clean cloth moistened with vinegar added water.

Ingredient of making sushi :

• 1 Japanese Cucumber - sliced
• 3 crab sticks - boiled and sliced
• 2 eggs - beaten, Pan fry and sliced
• Sushi Bamboo roll mat
• 6 pieces of nori seaweed

Method :

1. Place a nori seaweed sheet on the bamboo roll mat
2. Put the Vinegar sushi rice lighty on the nori sheet and spread over the sheet leaving 3/4 inch at the top and the bottom uncovered.
3. Place ingredients on the rice
4. Gently but firmly press the bamboo mat then roll to shape it.
5. Cut into 1/2 inch
6. Served with wasabi and Japanese Soy Sauce.

My rolling skill is not good, hopefully will improves with more practice, overall the sushi taste is there, give it a try :D

My version of Minestrone soup

Finally I am back to homemaker status again, after 1 year of busy, rushing and stressful working life concurrently taking care of my toddler son. So, now I am trying hard to get back my cooking skills as my hubby says I need time to practice again and also update some new recipe here to share with you. I know, my last post was like 8 months ago! haha

Today was a lazy day for myself and family, hubby bought typical breakfast (mee siam, fried carrot cake and zhu cheong fun) from hawker center for us,  and during the breakfast at home I am already thinking what's to cook for dinner, Simple! so, Minestones soup comes into my mine, easy and one pot done.

Here are the ingredients and used and the steps..

Ingredients :

• 1 Medium size potato - Diced in small cubes
• 1 Carrot - Diced in small cubes
• Half Australia Brown Onion - Chopped
• 2 Stalks of Celery - Chopped in small pieces (Because my son and hubby doesnt really like the smell of it)
• 1 Large tomato - Chopped
• 200g lean beef or chicken breast (slice in small pieces)
• 2litre Chicken stock (soup base)

Place the meats, potato, carrot, celery, tomato in a large pot of chicken stock and stir to combine. Cook over high heat, uncovered, stirring often, for 5 minutes.

• Olive oil
• Pinch of salt
• Handful of desire pasta ( I used Shell Shape Pasta)

Heat pot with water then add pasta in boiling water and add olive oil and salt and simmer for 20mins to 25mins, drain.

After soup is boil for 1hour or until vegetables are tender, put pasta in serving bowl add in soup and serve hot.

Old Cucumber Soup

Hi Everyone, I believe most Chinese drinks this soup before, you even can see them in almost Singapore's Food Court.
So, I will just give a brief intro of the benefits of this soup.
Old cucumber, which is considered to have 'cooling' properties in traditional Chinese medicine so it is believed to aid detoxification, and ease throat pain.

Is a easy prepared soup, just get ready your slow cooker that you need.

 

 Ingredients:
 

• 400 gm Pork Spareribs
• 1 Medium size Old Cucumber, De-seeded,
• 2 - 3 Medium Dried Scallops, raise and soaked for 4 hours (keep the soaked water)
• 1/2 of 1 Dried Squid, cut into small bite size
• A Handful of Small Red Dates
• One Honey Dates
• Dried Oysters, raise and soak for 1 hour (keep the soaked water)
• Handful of Sweet Almonds
• Salt to taste

Method:

1. Bring a pot of water to boil for blanching of the spareribs.  Once the water boils, place the spareribs into the water and remove once the surface changes to white.  Remove, drain and set aside.  Discard the water.
2.  Prepare a slow cooker pot of water, I used 1.8litres pot for the above ingredients.  
3. Add the dried squid, red and honey dates, sweet almonds, dried scallops and dried oysters (pour in the soaked water) and spareribs. and bring to high heat.  Once boiling, add in the old cucumber wedges continue to boil for least 4hours.
4. Turn heat to low and add salt.
5.  Serve hot with with steam white rice.

Baguette Pizza

Me and hubby got a small fight because he disagreed that I had slice the whole baguette in pieces without eating them and also leave them uncovered in a dish while I was out for a moment, therefore I thought of a way to settle all the cut baguette. luckily I had my reminding half jar of tomato spaghetti sauce and some white button mushrooms.

Ok let me share with you this simple baguette pizza :)

Ingredients :

• One long baguette (slice them in half length wise)
• 1tbsp olive oil
• 2 garlic clove, minced
• 10 baby carrots, slice thin
• 1 stalk celery, slice thin
• 1cup white button mushroom, slice thin
• 1cup tomato pasta sauce or pizza sauce
• Bacon or ham, cut in small pieces
• 1cup shredded mozzarella cheese 
• Italian Herbs to sprinkle 
• Pinch of salt

Method :

1. Preheat oven in 200c
2. Saute garlic in olive oil till slightly golden, add in carrots, celery and continue to saute for 5mins, lastly add in mushrooms and sprinkle salt saute until tender set aside.
3. Placed aluminum foil on a large baking tray and put all slice baguette on it, spread tomato sauce evenly on each baguette, top with cooked mushrooms, celery and carrots, add in ham or bacon, sprinkle Italian herbs and lastly covered mozzerella cheese on each baguette.
4. Bake for 15mins or until cheese are melted and golden.

Pork Knuckles in Sweet Vinegar

Not another Chinese confinement food haha, I can simply ate 2 full bowls of rice just with this dish, not that I praising how good I cooked, is because of the main ingredient (Vinegar) sour and sweet really makes you good appetite.

After eating so much of it, I started reading about benefits of the Black Vinegar and surprisingly it had some slimming and detoxifies benefits, which I need it >_< (still having flabby tummy after birth)

I read up some food blogs to get some ideas of how they prepare this dish, the main source is from christinesrecipes.com  and also some additional suggestion from my mum.

Ingredients :

• 1kg Pork Knuckles / Trotters (Cut them in BIG chucks)
• 1 big old ginger
• 1tbps cooking oil
• 1 bottle black vinegar 750ml
• Water 750ml to 1L
• 200gm rock sugar or palm sugar
• 4-5 eggs
• 1 stalk coriander for garnishing

 Preparing Sweet Vinegar 

1. Pour in black vinegar and water in a large casserole, bring it to boil.
2. Add in ginger. (please see below instructions first)
3. Add in rock or palm sugar (depending which one you use), stir in slow motion untill sugar dissolve and reduce heat to low, cover casserole and simmer for 15mins.
4. Remove from heat and set cool for half a day, this is to let the ginger absorbed the vinegar flavor.

 Preparing Ginger, eggs and Pork Knuckles Method :

1. Chop the ginger in pieces about 2inch in size, lightly pressed ginger and wash clean, set aside
2.  Rinse and clean the pork knuckles or trotters, blanch in boiling water for about 10mins then wash well with clean water and set aside.
3. Heat pan hot and fry ginger, do not add any oil on it, by doing this is to dries up ginger, once ginger is dried add a bit of oil and fry the ginger until aromatic. set aside. (this tactic was obtain from Christine Recipes) 
4. Prepare hard boil eggs in a pot, leave it to cool completely and shell them. 

After Half a day :

Once the cooked sweet vinegar is in room temperature, bring to boil again then add in pork knuckles or trotters, cook for 20mins then add in shell eggs. Let the eggs soak in the sweet vinegar for at least 30mins or until it turn dark brown.

Garnish with coriander and serve with steam rice!!

 

Ginger Wine Chicken

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My mum loves to eat confinement food and this is one of her favorite dish, finally she got me cooking it, I did a bit of research from some sites and also asked one of my friend how to cook it and this is my second attempt, daaadahhh........ the first ginger wine chicken fail because I added too little wine and it doesn't bring out the taste, so, this time around I add more, and really did turn out good :)

Let me share my recipe with you, the below portion serves 3 to 4 person.


Ingredients :

• Chicken breast or Chicken drumettes 500g
• Slice Ginger 100-150g (add more ginger if you like strong taste)
• Mushrooms 4-5pcs Sliced
• Garlic 3cloves Chopped
• 1 Stalk Spring Onion Chopped
• 3tbps Sesame Oil
• 1tbps Light Soya Sauce
• Pinch of salt
• 150ml Wine (Dom, Eu Yan Sang Ginger Wine, Chinese Cooking Wine) - I used Dom.
• 50ml Wine for Seasoning the chicken
• 200ml Water

Method :

1. Wash chicken thoroughly and drip dry in a sieve. 
2. Once chicken is roughly dry season it with Wine for 30mins
3. Heat wok with sesame oil, once oil is hot add in ginger and garlic and fry for 2mins or till it is fragrant.
4. Add in seasoned chicken and mushrooms and fry for 2mins, pour in the water then cover it with low heat for 5mins.
5. Then add wine, stir fry the chicken and continue to cover it for another 15mins in low heat.
6. Top with spring onion, served with white rice :)

Etsy Shop is Open

Yeah Yeah Yeah, finally it's open! Its has been long time ever since I shifted to my new house, set up my mini craft corner (sharing the room with my hubby), create a facebook page, buying fabric and accessories for my design and sew my first batch of stocks that I prepare to sell online, and now is finally up and running. I didn't sell a lot of items, I design and sew them with different fabric print, mainly they are fabric small bags and wallet, also some house ware like coasters. So, is very simple and basic.. everything start from small right? hehe

I hope there will be at least minimal friends out there will appreciate my designs and art work, from choosing fabric, matching them, cutting till the final piece are handmade all by myself. 

Below is my etsy shop link, happy shopping! CheeRs

https://www.etsy.com/shop/LittleLambCollection

The Fabric Mini Wallet

Hi peeps!! Something new for my Etsy Shop this Summer, these wallet are simple single holder with a secure snap button, it is perfect for business cards and also great to put some
notes and credit cards for your groceries shopping :)

Details of Mini Wallet

The main fabric is a Grey Checker and Light Blue Flap with white cotton fabric lining. The wallet closes with a black KAM snap button.

The mini Wallet measures 4" long by 3" length (when flat).

Coin and Card Flex Frame

Most people thought that flex frame purse is not user friendly, initially I did haha but after using it a few more time the flex frame become more (FLEXIBLE) and it is a very convenient little purse in your handbag or even a large tote bag

3 years back my girl friend Jessica gave me a little gift from her holiday, it was a flex frame purse with purple leopard print fabric, I was wondering what can I put in this purse as it was so small, but it was not wasted, I use it to put my ipod nano player which I always listen during my journey to my office, it was so useful and I really love it!!!

One day my little purple leopard print flex frame come into my mind and I decided to design my own flex frame purse and it was slightly wider and longer :) each design come in 2 pieces and they are I and selling them my Esty shop.. Do drop by and have a look :D

Details 

• Measures 3.5" x 5" (with Flex Frame)
• Main Fabric is Cotton Linen
• Lining is Floral Printed Fabric
• Antique Brass 3" Flex Frame

Pork in Sweet Soy Sauce

I had prepared this dish twice, first time was at my mum's place and second time I cook this dish for my hubby and he likes it...

I obtain the recipe book I bought it from a restaurant at Bali, the chef cooking was superb and that's make me decided to get his book.

This is the most unforgettable dish I had.. so, I decided to try this at home and it taste similar from the restaurant.. contented :)

The picture of the dish don't looks appetizing haha, it was because I did not add any garnishing on it.. you can add some fried shallots and slice chilli.

Below ingredients serves 4

• Coconut oil - 2 Tbsps ( I used normal Sunflower oil)
• Shallots - 70g peeled and sliced
• Garlic - 50g peeled and sliced
• Pork Shoulder or neck - 800g, chop in 2cm cubes
• Ginger - 50g peeled and sliced
• Sweet soy sauce - 4 Tbsps
• Black peppercorn - 2-3 Crushed
• Chicken Stock - 1 litre
• Sliced Chilli  - 4

Method

1. Heat coconut oil in heavy saucepan, Add shallots and garlic and saute for 2mins over medium heat or until lightly color.
2. Add pork and ginger then continue to saute for 2 more mins over medium heat. Add sweet and light soy sauces and pepper. Continue to saute for 1 min.
3. Pour in half of the chicken stock and simmer over medium heat for approximately 1hour. Gradually add more chicken stock as liquid evaporates. When cooked, there should be very little sauce left and the meat should be shiny and dark brown in color ( see photo )

PS : Keep liquid to an absolute minimum and do not cover the saucepan during the cooking process. This will guarantee a lovely dark brown stew with a shiny sauce.

My mini business start up

I had been sometime i'm not been blogging after I setup my facebook page The Little Lamb Collection Facebook page and design my labels (from previous post). It was because i'm busy at home designing my mini shop and doing sewing crafts at home.

I had also created a Pinterest Broad to pin up all the photos I loved :)
The Little Lamb Collection Pinterest


Here are some collections from me that I want to sell them at Etsy, but still the shop wont be ready soon.. Maybe in 2months time, hopefully :D

Here's the preview, hope u enjoy and love them too...

Felt Pink Heart Pin Brooch

 Pocket Tissue cover

 Felt Rainbow pin brooch

 Felt Leaves Coasters

My Designs Branding

It had been so many years after all my sewing and little handmade crafts I had did not really try to sell any of my sewing craft works.. So, one night at home I was surfing beside my hubby and he gave me a brand name inspiration "Gupoo" (translate in English is Frog from Hokkien) sounds funny but nevertheless unique :D

I created a Facebook page for this little brand, still thinking of what I should design for the coming spring and summer season.. haha sound so haute couture, but they are just simple designs by me.

Below is my Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gupoo/350300908382867

Enjoyyyyyyyyyyy and hope you like it :)

My Lemon Pin Cushion

Every time when I was doing my handicraft, my pins and needles always lying around my desk or I will just use a fabric to put the needles on it, which i find it is very dangerous.. Especially next time I will have a little boy at home, so I decided to sew a simple pin cushion.

Simple Pressie Ribbon

Is simple and looks pretty :)

Instructions ::::::

1. Cut them in the same length of 3 and different by 1.5cm for each 3.
2. Do a double loop and use double sided tape to stick them in the middle of the strip
3. Repeat them and stack them together so it would look like a star. You can use double sided tape or glue to stack them.
4. lastly stick a circle loop in the middle.

Tang Yuan - Traditional Chinese Dessert

Tang Yuan is traditional dessert dish of glutinous rice ball served with sweet broth, there are also many ways to cook the sweet broth depending what kind of favors you like.

Today is Dong Zhi (Winter Solstice) is a tradition for chinese to welcome the Winter and most of the chinese family will prepare Tang Yuan dessert at home.

Ingredients

Tang Yuen

• Glutinous Rice flour - 1 cup
• 120ml of water
• coloring (optional)

Ginger Sweet Broth

• 1 large ginger - cut in big pcs
• 1/2 cup of brown sugar
• Pandan leaves

Method

1. Pour the glutinous rice flour in a mixing bowl and slowly add in water
2. Knead the mixture for 5mins or until it become dough texture
3. Divide the dough into half and mix them with coloring, pinch dough in small portion and roll into small balls
4. Boil 1.5L of water in a pot and add in ginger, simmer for 20mins then add in sugar.
5. While the soup is boiling, lower the head and prepare another pot of boiling water and drop the Tang Yuan into the pot, cook them until they float about 5 to 10mins.
6. Put the Tang Yuan into soup and served - hot or cold

Note : Tang Yuan can also stuff with peanut paste and sesame paste

Carrot and Radish mince pork soup

I got this recipe from Cuisine Paradise website and modified it a bit.. Radish is rich in Folic Acid and is very good development for my baby boy along the way :) The content given served 4.

Ingredients

• 200g Mince Pork (Season with soya sauce and pepper and set aside)
• 1 Medium Red Radish
• 1 Medium Green Radish
• 1 Carrot
• few red dates
• Handful of Wolfberries
• 1 Tbsp salt

Methods

1. Marinate Mince pork with 1Tbsp soya sauce and pepper
2. Wash and Cut carrot and radish into cubes
3. Add water into soup pot and bring to boil, add in red dates, wolfberries, cube carrot and radish
4. Roll mince pork into small round shape then add into soup
5. Bring soup to boil for 30mins and season with salt and pepper

Aglio Olio

The main ingredients are garlic and olive oil for this dish, it wont be perfect if without fresh chopped garlic and good oilve oil.. therefore Aglio Olio in italian means Garlic and Oil.

It is very easy to prepare and it only takes 10mins..

Ingredients

• 6 Tbsps Olive Oil
• 4-5 flakes of Garlic - Chopped
• 2 chilli padi - Chopped
• Pinch Black pepper
• Pinch of Salt
• Handfull of Spaghetti or Angel hair
• Optional - Picnic Ham / Canned Tuna / Seafood / Shitake Mushroom sliced
• Coriander for finishing

Method

1. Bring water to boil with a few drops of extra-virgin olive oil and add in spaghetti and cook for 10mins. set aside
2. Heat up frying pan and add in olive oil, garlic and chili padi and lower down heat
3. If you are adding Ham/Tuna or seafood, add them in and simmer for 5mins
4. Add in spaghetti and favor with black pepper and salt.

My Beautiful Wedding

Most memorable moments of my life with my beloved hubby Scott....... 29 Sep 2011 (Thursday) at Goodwood Park Hotel Singapore... Poolside Terrace.

Thank you to all friends and relatives attending our ROM wedding lunch. These are some nice photos taken and to share.

Our wedding suit and gown

Our ROM venue set up - Sunflowers