Braised Pork Rib with Yam (芋头炖排骨)

Ingredients
1 lb pork ribs
1 yam - peeled, cut into cubes and fried
1 knob old ginger - sliced
3 cloves garlic - peeled and smashed
2 stalk green onion (white part only) - cut into 2 cm length
4 dried mushrooms - soaked, drained and quartered
1 tsp fermented black beans - washed with water and drained
1 tbsp soy sauce
dash of pepper
2 tbsp rock sugar
2 cups water
2 tbsp cooking oil

Stir Fried Leek with Pork Belly and Beancurd

Ingredients
1 stalk leek - sliced diagonally (separate stalk part and green leafy part)
150 pork belly - cut into thin slices
1/2 block beancurd - cut into thick strips and fried
3 cloves garlic - chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup water
2 tbsp cooking oil

Claypot Chicken with White Mushroom

Ingredients

12 fresh white mushrooms - cut into halves

3 pcs of boneless skinless chicken drumsticks - cut into 1 1/2cm cubes
1 small bunch broccoli
12 pcs baby carrots - cut into bite-sized pieces

2 stalks green onion (white part only) - cut into 3cm length

2 slices ginger

2 cloves garlic - minced

1 tbsp shaoxing wine - for drizzling
1/2 cup water

cooking oil

Buddha's Delight/Luo Han Zhai (罗汉斋)

Ingredients
1/4 small cabbage - cut into pcs
1 large pc dried black fungus - soaked, trimmed and cut into pieces
dried mushroom - soaked, stem trimmed and quartered
dried lily buds - soaked, ends trimmed and knotted
dried bean curd stick (tau kee) - blanched in boiling water till soft
1 carrot - peeled and sliced
1 coil dried vermicelli (dong fen) - soaked in water till soft
8 pcs canned mock abalone
1 tsp minced ginger
1 cup water
2 tbsp vegetable oil

XO Fish Head Bee Hoon (鱼头米粉)

Ingredients

for 2 pax

300g halibut collar - chopped into big chunks

1 packet rice sticks - cooked according to instructions

4 slices ginger - julienned

2 stalks green onion - white parts only, cut into 2cm length

1 tbsp condensed milk

1/2 tsp sesame oil

salt and pepper to taste

oil for deep frying

Pan Fried Pumpkin Kueh (金瓜糕)

Ingredients
refer to here

Steamed Pumpkin Kueh (金瓜糕)

Ingredients

500g pumpkin - cut into small cubes

4 dried mushrooms - soaked, drained and diced

70g dried prawns - soaked and drained

2 chinese sausage - diced

4 cloves garlic - chopped

4 shallots - sliced

1 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

500ml water

2 tbsp oil

Stir Fried Cucumber with Prawns

This is a light and refreshing vegetable dish.
Ingredients
1 cucumber - peeled, cut into half lengthwise and sliced
2 tbsp prawns - i use cooked oregon shrimps
1 clove garlic - chopped
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup water
cornstarch solution
1 tbsp cooking oil

Braised Cauliflower with White Mushrooms

Ingredients
2 tbsp cooked oregon shrimps
1 small head cauliflower - trimmed and cut into florets
8 baby carrots
1 tomato - quartered
10 fresh white mushrooms - sliced thickly
1 shallot - sliced
2 slices ginger
1/4 white onion - diced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp cooking oil

Mao Gua Tang (Hairy Gourd Soup)

Ingredients
1 fuzzy melon (mao gua) - peeled and cut into chunks
few pieces of pork ribs - blanched in boiling water
4 shitake mushrooms - soaked, drained and cut into quarters
12 red dates
2 dried scallops
5 dried mussels
2 slices of ginger
8 white peppercorns - pounded
2 cloves garlic - lightly smashed
1 tbsp rice wine
salt to taste
5 - 6 bowls of water

Nasi Lemak

Ingredients
for 2 pax
1 1/2 cup rice - washed and drained
2 1/2 cups coconut milk (same measurement as cooking normal rice) 
2 pandan leaves - knotted
salt to taste
2 fried eggs
4 fried chicken wings (recipe refer to here
1 small plate sambal ikan bilis (recipe refer to  here)
cucumber slices

Sambal Ikan Bilis (Dried Anchovies) with Peanuts

My mum makes a mean spicy sambal belachan, the tastiest I have ever had.  Every year, when i go back to Singapore, I will always reserve a space in my luggage for a big packet of this must-have-item.  I can practically use it in many dishes that need that extra omph.  Too bad, until now I have yet to learn how to make it.  It is also difficult to buy one of the ingredients here....the fresh red chillies. My mum makes such a big pot each time and like most aunties, she does not measure her ingredients when she cooks.  That adds to the 'difficulty'. Hmm...maybe one day, I will try my hands at it....till then...


Sambal Ikan Bilis 
Ingredients
1/2 cup ikan bilis
1/4 cup fried peanuts
1 tbsp sambal belachan
3 shallots - sliced
1 tbsp sugar
2 - 3 tsp water
1 tbsp cooking oil

Fried Chicken Wings with Turmeric

Ingredients
4 chicken wings - use drummettes and mid-joint
cooking oil for frying

Sweet Potato Porridge (蕃薯粥/地瓜粥)

Once in a while, i will cook this sweet potato porridge for lunch, either orange-fleshed or yellow fleshed ones.  A nice complement to go with hubby's grilled vegetable platter.

Ingredients
1 sweet potato - peeled and cut into bite-sized pieces
1 cup rice grain
6 cups water

Grilled Vegetable Platter

grill baby grill...hubby's weber baby Q

Ingredients
10 fresh white mushrooms - washed
small bunch of french beans - ends trimmed
1 large eggplant - end trimmed, cut into large pieces and rinsed with salt water
1 red bell pepper - cut into large pieces
1 green chilli
salt and pepper to taste
vegetable oil

Egg Plant with Basil Salad (Brinjal Salad)

This dish makes a nice appetizer during summer.  Quick, easy and healthy!

Ingredients

1 eggplant/brinjal - trim ends and cut into wedges

dash of white vinegar

15 sweet basil leaves

1 red chilli - cut into tiny pieces

Stir Fried Chow Mein

Ingredients
Half a packet chow mein (Guang dong noodles)
1 small piece of pork - cut into thin slices
3 tbsp of cooked small shrimps
4 dried mushrooms - soaked and cut thinly
1 carrot - peeled and julienned
1/2 cup shredded cabbage
3 eggs - pan fried and cut into strips
2 slices ginger
3 garlic cloves - chopped
1/2 small onion - sliced
2 stalks green onion - cut into 3cm length (white part only)
water
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp cooking oil
some toasted sesame seeds

Deep Fried Prawns with Cereal & Curry Leaves

Ingredients

1 packet Crispy Prawns with Cereal mix (use half of it)

15 medium-sized prawns or 12 large prawns

2-3 sprigs curry leaves

2 stalks chilli padi - chopped

salt and pepper to taste

1 tbsp unsalted butter

cooking oil for frying

Winter Melon Soup with Pork Ribs (冬瓜排骨汤)

Ingredients
200g pork ribs - blanched in boiling water and drained
1/4 of a winter melon - peeled, deseeded and cut into cubes
10 red dates (i ran out of them)
2 slices of ginger
1 small dried cuttlefish
2 dried scallops
salt to taste
1/2 pot of water

Claypot Tofu with Mushroom

Ingredients
1 pkt soft tofu - cut into rectangular pieces
120g minced pork
2 tbsp dried prawns - soaked and drained
4 shitake mushrooms - soaked, drained and cut into halves
1 shallot - sliced
2 cloves garlic - chopped
1 stalk green onion - chopped
salt and flour for coating the tofu 
20 fresh sweet basil leaves
cornstarch solution
pinch of pepper
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp cooking oil

Raisin Beer Bread

I baked this during one of the weekends and the aroma of the baked bread in process filled our whole kitchen.  Freshly home-made bread for breakfast and a great start to the day.  Nice. I prepared the dough the night before and I just need to bake it the next morning.


Ingredients
31/2 cups all-purpose flour
5 tbsp raisins - soaked in brandy for 15 mins or more
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 can 12 ounces beer

melted butter for brushing

Vegetarian Fried Bee Hoon with Pumpkin

Ingredients
2 coil of bee hoon - soaked in water to soften it and drained.
1/2 bowl of sliced pumpkin
1 carrot - peeled and sliced
3 dried mushrooms - soaked, drained and sliced
1 bowl of sliced cabbage
handful of fried tau kee pieces
1/2 white onion - sliced
1 tsp minced ginger
1 cup water
2 tbsp cooking oil

Fried Egg with Sweet Basil

Ingredients
4 eggs
20 fresh sweet basil leaves
2 cloves garlic - minced
1/8 tsp salt
freshly ground black pepper
6 cherry tomatoes - halved lengthwise
3 tbsp cooking oil

Satay Peanut Sauce

Ingredients
refer to here


leftover marinade from satay
4 tbsp chilli oil
3 tbsp peanut butter
1/2 cup coconut milk
salt to taste
1/4 cup roasted peanuts (roughly chopped)

Charcoal Grilled Pork Satay (Singapore Style)

We had some Malaysian friends over for dinner and we cooked this Singapore styled satay as one of the dishes.  They thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the dipping sauce which they walloped every bit of it.


Ingredients
1 lb pork shoulder (cut into 2 cm cubes)
1/4 cup coconut milk
bamboo skewers - soaked in water for 30 minutes or more.

Dry Roasted Peanuts

Ingredients

1 cup peanuts - remove skin

Stir Fried French Beans (炒四季豆)

Ingredients

150 to 200 g french beans - remove tips and sliced diagonally

2 tbsp dried prawns (soaked in water and drained)

3 cloves garlic - sliced
pinch of salt
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp water

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients
1/2 pumpkin - remove outer skin and seeds and cut into slices
1 carrot - peeled and sliced
1 potato - peeled and sliced
1 white onion - peeled and sliced
1 cup chicken stock
3 tbsp fresh milk
salt and pepper to taste
pinch of cinnamon powder
half and half
2 basil leaves
1 tbsp olive oil

Stir Fried Dou Miao

Ingredients

1 small bunch dou miao (pea shoots)

2 cloves garlic - chopped

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp water

Prawns in Tomato Sauce

Ingredients
15 medium-sized prawns - trimmed, deveined and washed
1 small onion - sliced
3 cloves garlic - chopped
1 tomato - diced
20 sweet basil leaves
salt and pepper for seasoning
2 tbsp vegetable oil

Braised Chicken with Pumpkin and Sweet Basil

My Sweet Basil Plants

Our sweet basil plants have grown so fast that we have four big pots and 2 small ones.  We are trying to incorporate these sweet and aromatic basil leaves to our dishes where possible and they really do add a wonderful flavour to our meals!

Ingredients

1 lb chicken pieces - chopped into pieces
1 small pumpkin  - remove outer layer and seeds and cut into chunks
2 dried chillies
2 slices ginger
1/2 white onion- sliced
3 cloves garlic - unpeeled and lightly mashed2 star anise

4 cm cinnamon stick

20 italian sweet basil leaves

salt to taste

1/2 cup water 2 tbsp cooking oil

Stir Fried Cauliflower with Black Fungus

Ingredients

1/2 head cauliflower - broken into florets

some dried black fungus - soaked in water till soft, then drained and cut into bite-sized pcs

4 pc fresh shitake mushrooms - cleaned and cut into halves

1 small carrot - peeled and cut into florets or sliced

1/2 white onion - chopped

2 cloves garlic - chopped

1 tsp minced ginger

1/2 tsp salt - for blanching florets and carrots

2 tbsp vegetable oil

cornstarch solution

Multi-grained Beer Bread

Ingredients
3 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp flax seeds

1 tsp white sesame seeds

1 tsp black sesame seeds

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 can 12 ounces beer

2 tbsp sliced almonds

melted butter for brushing