Traditional Beef Casserole

Hello.. I have finally done with all my wedding related stuff and I am ready to start blogging again. Lets start with a post of Traditional Beef Casserole.

Ingredients:

1 kg chuck steak, cut into 3cm cubes
2 tablespoon season flour (I seasoned plain flour with salt and pepper to taste)
6 teaspoon olive oil
1 medium brown onion, chopped
2 medium carrot, halves and sliced thickly
2 celery stalks, trimmed, sliced thickly
3 garlic gloves, crushed
1 bouquet garni
1 cup red wine
1 cup beef stock (I used salt-reduced)
400g diced tomatoes
salt, pepper and sugar to taste


Methods:

1. Preheat oven to 160 degree Celsius (140 degree Celsius fan forced). 
2. Toss beef in seasoned flour until well coated; shake away excess flour.
3. Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium high heat in a large casserole pot. Cook the beef in two batches. Add another 2 teaspoons of olive oil for second batch. Remove beef from pot.
4. Add remaining 2 teaspoons of olive oil and saute onion, carrot and leek for 2 minutes or until browned lightly.Add garlic, saute until garlic aromatic.
5. Add wine into the pot, stirring and bring to boil over medium high heat. Reduced wine for about half.
6. Return all the beef and any juices to the pot with the stock, tomatoes and bouquet garni, stir to combine and bring to boil. Cover and place in oven for 2 hours or until the beef tender.
7. Discard bouquet garni. Served casserole.

This traditional casserole can be served with bread, rice or mashed potatoes. 

Everything is in and ready to be boiled before it goes into oven, covered. 

Yummy.....

End results!!

 

Enjoy !!

Stir Fry Instant Noodle

I was doing my groceries shopping last week and saw a bag of instant noodle of 10 pieces (700g) is on special. So, I decided to buy it and it is make in Malaysia. hehe.. Ok.. so for this fried noodle, you can add anything handy to you.

Ingredients:

• 350g (5 pieces) instant noodle
• vegetable oil
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten and add a dash of salt and pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 350 g chicken pieces or cube, marinate with some salt and pepper for 30 minutes before cooking
• 10 or more fish balls, cut to 4
• 1 1/2 tbsp belachan/belacan/shrimp paste, finely chopped (optional)
• 1/2 tbsp tomato puree (optional)
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sweet sauce/ kicap manis
• 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
• salt and ground white pepper to taste
• lettuce leaves, shredded (whatever amount you need)

Steps:

1. Cook/boiled instant noodles according to the instruction on the package. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat oil in wok/large pan pour in beaten egg mixture and lightly scramble the egg. Set aside.
3. In the same wok/pan, heat about 1 tbsp oil, stir in garlic and belachan. Stir fry until garlic turns lightly brown / fragrant, then, add in marinated chicken pieces and stir fry. Once the chicken pieces turns white, add in fishballs. Lightly stir fry the mixture in the wok for 2 minutes or until the chicken pieces is cook.
4. Then, add in tomato puree and combine well.
5. Add in cooked instant noodles, light soy sauce, kicap manis, oyster sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Combine well. Stir fry for 5 minutes maximum so that the noodle does not turn soggy. 
6. Once you are done evenly stir frying the noodle, turn off the heat, add in shredded lettuce, lightly toss them and serve. 

TIPS:

• Lettuce only took seconds to cook therefore they doesn't need long cooking time
• If you are using cabbage, add in cabbage in wok after you put in the chicken. Remember to add some water to cook and soften the cabbage.
• For any other vegetables, cook bofore you add in the noodles. lightly stir fry for 1-2 minutes before yu put in the noodles

Basic Chicken Stock

I love basic stocks. I make one whole pot of stock on the weekend and refrigerate it so that I can gradually use them in my cooking throughout the week. If you have been following my blog you would have realise I am allergy to all sorts of MSG and I am trying to make my food to be tasty in the most non-chemical way.

So, here's the basic chicken stock recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2kg chicken bones ( I use chicken carcass which only cost me AUD1 for 3)
• 2 onions or leeks, quartered
• 2 clove garlic,crushed
• 2 carrot, peeled and chopped
• 2 thyme sprigs
• a dash of white pepper

Steps:

1. Place all ingredients in a large/deep pot. Cover with cold water and slowly bring to boil on medium heat.
2. Reduce heat to low and add 1 cup of cold water. Smmer for 3 - 4 hours on medium low heat. \
3. Skimming fat and scu from surface.
4. Add extra water if necessary to make sure bones are always covered. 
5. After 3-4 hours, the liquid should be reduce by half. Strain the pot. Pour into whatever container you desire, allow to cool then freeze what you do not use.

Easy!!!! Trust me!!!

TIPS:

• Do not allow stock to boil or it will make your stock turn cloudy.
• If you are too lazy to get any other ingredients listed, make sure you use essential ingredient such as chicken bones, onions and carrots.

Spaghetti Tossed In Tuna-in-Oil

Simple and easy to prepare. Just cooked the spaghetti as instructed in the package, drain and toss all the ingredients together, then, VOILA!!!! nom, nom,nom

Ingredients:

• 1 medium bowl of cooked spaghetti
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 95g canned Tuna in Oil
• 1 - 1/2 tsp lemon juice or to taste
• salt to taste
• dried mixed herbs
• dried parsley

Method:

1. Cook spaghetti as instructed in boiling salted water. Drain and transfer into a medium bowl. 
2. Drizzle olive oil and sesame oil on the cook spaghetti. Toss them well. Add in canned tuna with oil, lemon juice and sprinkle some salt. Then, top with sprinkle dried mixed herbs and dried parsley or herbs of your choice.

Baked Mushroom Spaghetti with Homemade Tomato Pasta Sauce

CookBook Challenge Week 47: Italian

If I decided to stay eat at home on weekends I would rather stick to something simple, easy and have minimum dish washing to do. Last weekend I decided to cook spaghetti with homemade tomato pasta sauce with portobello mushroom and bake in the oven to melt the cheese toppings. You can substitute portobello mushroom and spaghetti with any mushroom and pasta of your choice. I also make some white sauce to have with boiled brocolli.

Ingredients:-

• 500g packed spaghetti
• 400g Portobello mushroom, sliced
• 20g butter
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil or cooking oil
• 1 tbsp or more dried mixed herbs or any dried herbs you like (how to release the dried her flavour? Click here)
• Shredded cheese (as much / as little as you wish)

     Homemade Tomato Pasta Sauce

• 1 brown onion, sliced
• 1 french shallot, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (400g) canned chopped tomatoes or 2 fresh tomatoes, chopped
• 2 1/2 tbsp tomato paste or to taste
• 1 cup water
• 1 1/2 tbsp sugar or to taste
• salt and pepper to taste

Method:-

1. Homemade Tomato Pasta Sauce: Saute onion, shallot and garlic until soft. Add in chopped tomatoes and stir until it is soften. Then, add in tomato paste. Stir constantly to make sure all ingredients are well combined. Add water, bring to boil and lower heat to simmer. Add sugar, salt and pepper and simmer further until the pasta sauce thickened. Set aside.
2. Meanwhile, while waiting for the pasta sauce to thicken, preheat oven to 200 degre celcius and boil a pot of salted water and cooked spaghetti as instructed in the package. Drain and drizzle with some olive oil/cooking oil/butter so that it doesn't stick together. Set aside. 
3. Mushroom: Using the same pot, wipe dry and at medium low heat, melt butter, add dried mixed herbs and drizzle in olive oil. Once it is frangrant, add in sliced mushroom, coat all mushrooms with butter mixture. Cook until the mushrooms moisture is ooze out. Then,pour in the pasta sauce and simmer at low heat for 10 minutes and adjust the sugar, salt and peppper to taste. Then, toss the spagetti in pasta sauce and mix well. Remove the spaghetti and sauce into a baking dish. Top with sprinkle shrreded cheese. Bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese melted. 
4. While waiting for the cheese to melt, boiled brocolli in salted boiling water and prepare the white sauce. 

    For white sauce:-

     Ingredients:-

• 50g butter
• 1 tsp olive oil or cooking oil
• 1 tbsp all purpose flour
• 1 cup milk, room tempreture

    Method:-

1. At low heat, melt butter and add olive oil. Once the butter is completely melted, add in flour and make sure it is well corporated with butter. Add milk and whisk to get rid of any lumps. Simmer until the desire consistency. 
2. Serve with boiled brocolli or top the bake spagetti before serving.

Homemade Nasi Goreng Kerabu/Kerabu Fried Rice

This is one of  Malaysia's delicacy or to be more precise specialty from east coast of Malaysia. Traditionally, this dish consist of plain cooked white rice tossed with local fresh and aromatic herbs and vegetables such as lemon grass, long beans, kaffir lime leaves, bean sprout, basil, turmeric leaves and shallot; salted fish, fried coconut (kerisik), grilled/deep fried fish and chili paste and comes fish crackers on the side. However, the herbs, vegetables and the sides ingredients are not rigid. You can alter them depends on their availability and of course individual preferences. Although the vegetables involves suppose to be eaten raw, however, some actually prefer the vegetable to be blanch first before mixing into white rice and other ingredients. In relation to this Kerabu Fried Rice was invented so that multiple cooking is not require or should I say only ONE pot cooking.

Kerabu Fried Rice does not require fried coconut (kerisik) and grilled/deep fried fish. But for this recipe I decided to do some 'kerisik' and grilled fish to make it taste more authentic. If you are in hurry or not in the mood to do multiple cooking feel free to leave it out. And just to let you know that, I am just using simple and widely available vegetable and herbs for this recipe.

Ingredients:

Kerisik and Fish (Fish mixture)

• 150g fish fillet
• 1/4 cup desiccated coconut
• 1 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/2 tbsp brown sugar syrup, 1/2 tbsp brown sugar and dissolve with 3/4 tsp hot water (you can use palm sugar too)

Kerabu Fried Rice

• 1 bowl cooked/steam white rice (Try not to use fresh cook rice because it will be too soggy)
• 1 big red onion, finely sliced (I used brown onion because that's all I have at home, red onion will give more fragrant to the fried rice)
  
• 2 french shallot, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  
• 1 red chilli, chopped or to your liking
• 2 cups finely sliced long bean or french bean or snack bean
• 1/2 cup finely sliced lemon grass (optional)
• 2 tbsp finely sliced spring onion, only the white parts
• 1 stalk coriander, leaves only
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce (optional)
• 1 1/2  tbsp fish sauce or to your taste (It would be better if you have 1 tbsp shrimp paste/belacan)
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tbsp oil

Method:

1. Kerisik & Fish: (1) Rub fish with turmeric powder and salt. Grill on medium heat until cook. You can deep fry or pan fry the fish if you like. I just pop it into the grill so that I could prepare other ingredients while waiting for it to cook.  Once the fish is cook and cold enough to handle, break it into smaller pieces and set aside (2) Now, in a pan, fry desiccated coconut without oil at low heat. Halfway through frying add in fish pieces and continue to fry till the coconut turn brownish. Add in brown sugar syrup, combine well and remove from heat. Set aside.
2. Kerabu Fried Rice: Heat 2 1/2 tbsp of cooking oil, at medium high heat, saute garlic, onion, shallots and chili until fragrant. Add in long bean, lemon grass and spring onion. Stir, then, add in salt, pepper and fish sauce. Once the vegetables is slightly soften/cook, push them to the side. Add in remaining oil and pour in beaten egg. Scramble a little before before you add in cooked white rice. Mix well. Add soy sauce  and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Stir fry till all ingredients and seasoning mix well and fragrant. Add in coriander leaves and mix well just before you remove the fried rice form heat. 
3. Serve hot. You can serve fish mixture as side or mix into the fried rice. You can also put your favorite chili paste or sambal.  

Desiccatted coconut and grilled fish pieces

Updated 02/10/2010: I found bottled Coriander, Kaffir leaves, Lemon Grass and Basil at Laguna in Glenferrie. So, if you don't feel like buying fresh ingredient and sliced it you can buy the bottled ones. The picture below is for your perusal.

Osmanthus Glass Noodle

Originally this dish is known as Osmanthus Shark Fin. It always appear as one of the Chinese four season dish back home (the staple of Chinese four season I guess) and  is very much loved by everyone. However, I named mine as Osmanthus Glass Noodle because I replaces the expensive shark fin with delicious glass noodle, therefore, 'Say no to shark fin'. Before I forget, it is name after Osmanthus plant because of the fried eggs use in the dish. The scramble yellow egg assembles the tiny flower of Osmanthus plant.

Glass noodle is not an easy stuff to handle. It is very important to make sure the glass noodle is not over cooked because it will become very soggy and lost its jelly-like texture. It will make your whole dish not presentable too. So, if your noodle comes out relatively dry, not too oil or wet then you have cook it well.

Ingredients:

• 100g glass noodle, soak in cold water until soft and cut to about 5- 6 cm
• 2 handful or more beansprout, blanched 1 minutes (Initially I use 1 handful of bean sprout but it's way too little. You can see in the picture)
• 1 - 2 stalks spring onion, cut to 1 inch each (the green parts only)
• 150g sliced ham
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup stock (I use homemade dried scallop stock. You can use any other stock you have in hand)
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• 1 tsp light soy sauce for first 2 eggs and 1 tsp light soy sauce for glass noodle
• pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp peanut / vegetable oil

Method:-

1. Break first 2 eggs in a bowl. Season with soy sauce and pepper and lightly beaten the eggs. Heat wok at medium heat and add about 1/2 tbsp oil, lower the heat to low and pour in the lightly beaten eggs immediately. Quickly scramble with chopstick in circular motion. Remove and set aside.
2. In the same wok, heat the remaining oil at medium heat, stir in ham and fry until fragrant. Add in glass noodle and fry for about 30 seconds before you slowly add in stock, salt, soy sauce and a dash of pepper. Mix it well and let it simmer for less than a minute to allow the glass noodle to absorb the flavours. Meanwhile break the remaining eggs into a bowl and lightly beaten. 
3. Continue stir fry until the glass noodle is a little dry. Then, add the remaining beaten eggs. Continue stir frying and make sure the eggs are cooked and the glass noodle mixture is nearly dry. Adjust taste if needed.
4. Add bean sprout, spring onion and scrambled eggs and fry for another 30 seconds. 
5. Serve hot.

Easy Sesame Noodle

Need a quick, easy and uncomplicated lunch or dinner ??? Try this :)

Ingredients:

•  200g noodle (I use dried Chinese noodle. You can use any dried noodle of your choice)
• 1/4 cup light soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 3-4 cloves garlic, minced or 1/2 tbsp garlic powder
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar (add in half first then taste) or 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp chili oil (optional)
• 2 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil or peanut oil
• 2 tbsp hot water
• 2 stalks spring onion, thinly sliced, 1 inch long (Optional)
• 1/2 Zucchini, shredded (Optional)
• 1/2 carrot, shredded (Optional)

NOTE: The measurement of ingredients above is according to my liking. Please feel free to adjust the quantity to suit yours. You can add any other vegetables you like such as rocket, lettuce, etc

Method:

1. Cook noodle according to the package direction. If you are using chinese noodle, the direction may tell you to drain and put noodles into cold water . I think it is not necessary to put noodle into cold water for this dish.
2. Meanwhile, mix all the other ingredients together except for spring onion, zucchini and carrot in a large bowl.
3. Pour drain noodles, zuchinni and carrot into bowl with soy sauce mixture and toss until all evenly coated.
4. Sprinkle with spring onion and serve.

Italian Herbs Gold Parcel a.k.a Italian Herbs Fried Rice in Omelette

This is a simple, quick and aromatic fried rice. It is suitable for lunch, dinner or anytime when you feel like having something simple, quick and satisfying. Instead of adding egg to the fried rice I decided to fried it and use it to wrap the rice. But if you are in hurry, feel free to just add them into the rice. The tricky part here is when dried herbs are added into onion mixture because it has tendency to burn easily therefore constant stirring is highly crucial.

Italian Herbs or also known as dried mixed herbs is my favourite ingredients. It can easily add flavours to any food. This dried herbs usually consist of parsley, rosemary, basil, marjoram, thyme and coriander.

Oh this just suddenly cross into my mind. If you are Malaysian you should know what is nasi kerabu.. So, this maybe the Italian version of nasi kerabu... keke... ohh.. pardon me.. I miss nasi kerabu so much lately..

Ingredients:-

• Cook rice enough for 2 (try not to use fresh cook rice)
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 shallots, thinly sliced
• 1 red chilly, chopped (optional)
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 10 small prawns/shrimps or thinly slice chicken, beef or pork
• 1 1/2 tbsp dried mix herbs
• 1/2 tsp ground pepper (black or white, it doesn't matter)
• 1 tsp thick/dark soy sauce
• 2 tbsp oil for fried rice & 2 tbsp oil for omelette
• 2 eggs
• salt to taste

Method:-

1. Heat up oil in wok or pan at medium heat. Saute garlic, shallots and chilly till fragrant. Add in shrimps or any meat you use and red onion. Stir fry until shrimp or meat turn colour, then add in dried herbs (see tips) stir fry till fragrant. 
2. Add in rice, mix well, add in pepper and salt. On high heat, incorporate all the ingredients into rice. 
3. Add in thick/dark soy sauce into rice mixture and stir fry till well mixed. Place in a large bowl.
4. Gold parcel/Omelette: heat oil, whisk 2 eggs with a pinch of salt, pour egg mixture into pan/wok, cook, tilting pan/wok over low heat until almost set (try to make a large and thin omelet). 

• There are 3 ways to wrap the fried rice with omelet.(FIRST): make a large and thin omelet, place on serving plate, scoop fried rice onto omelet and wrap like a parcel. Using this method, you will need to flip the omelette to cook both side ; (SECOND): when the omelette is almost set, spoon fried rice into the centre of omelette, fold four sides of the omelette over the enclose filling. Press omelette firmly, turn carefully to brown the other side. Place on serving plate; (THIRD): mould the fried rice with a bowl, remove the bowl, slide omelette carefully over the rice, tuck the access under the rice.

     5. Serve the gold parcel as it is or cut a 'X' on the parcel to show the fried rice inside.

TIPS:

• Rub herbs between you finger or hand to release its full flavour before adding into the wok or pan.

.......And... I am submitting this recipe to Festive Rice by TorviewToronto.........

 

Tossed Spaghetti or Lo Mein

Lo mein simply means tossed noodle and the noodle can be any noodle. For this recipe I used spaghetti. Lo mein also includes vegetables and meat. It could be chicken, beef or pork or even seafood .. very much depending on what you like. Noodles used in this dish are usually parboiled first and toss in the sauce mixture.


Ingredients:-

• 4-5 pieces of chicken fillet, cut bites size (I used thigh fillet)
• 500g spagetti, cook according to instruction on the package, drain and stir with 2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 stalk spring onion, cut diagonally 1 inch
• 3 - 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 cups carrot, shredded
• 1 - 2 tsp dark soy sauce
• salt, soy sauce and pepper to taste

     Chicken marinade

• 2 tbsp Oyster sauce
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp rice wine / sherry / shao xing
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• salt to taste 

     
     Sauce

• 1 1/2 cup chicken broth or water
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp hoisin sauce (optional)

Methods:-

1. Marinade chicken for about an hour.
2. Break spaghetti into half and cook them in salted boiled water. How long??? Follow what it say on the packaging. Once it is cooked, drained and stir with sesame oil. Set aside.
3. Combine the sauce ingredient  and set aside.
4. Heat cooking oil over medium high heat in a large pan or wok. Add garlic stir fry for a few seconds and add spring onions. Stir until fragrant or until garlic turn light brown. 
5. Then, add chicken. Stir fry chicken until it changes colour. 
6. Add the shredded carrots and stir fry abit. 
7. Add in the sauce and bring it to boil.
8. Add the cooked spaghetti, add dark soy sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Toss the spaghettii well.
9. Serve hot. Have with tomato ketchup.

Tom Yum Fried Spaghetti

The last time I make this dish was 5 or 6 years ago. My culinary skill was very limited at that time and tht led me to choose this recipe because it was easy..... and of course delicious.

For this recipe you will need:

• 1 packet spaghetti (500g), cooked and drain according to the direction on the packaging
• 500g chicken thigh fillet (you may use breast fillet), cut to bite pieces
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 cups of slice cup mushroom
• 1 quarter cabbage, shredded
• 1-2 tomatoes, quartered
• 1 brown onions, sliced or chop into large chunks
• 4 gloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp tom yum paste
• 1 tsp oyster sauce (optional)
• a handful of seafood (shrimp or squid)
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• salt, pepper and soy sauce to taste


Method:
1.Marinate chicken with soy sauce and pepper for at least 20 minutes.

2.Cook and drain spaghetti according to the instruction on the package.

3.Heat up oil at medium heat. Stir frying garlic till lightly brown then add sliced or chopped onions. Stir.

4.Once garlic and onion fragrant, add in chicken. Stir fry until chicken almost cook.

5.Then, mix in mushroom and cabbage. Stir and mix well.

6.Add in tomatoes and stir fry all ingredients together until cook.

7.Finally, add tom yum paste and mix it with the rest of the ingredients and allow it to boil.

8.Put in sugar, salt and pepper. Mix well.

9.Once the tom yum mixture is bubbly, mix in cooked spaghetti and stir fry for couple of minutes.

10.Serve hot.

Potato Gnocchi with Bolognese Sauce

Ingredients:-                                                                  

• 300g potatoes
• 2 cups plain flour (you may not need so much)
• 1 egg
• 1/8 cup grated parmesan(optional)
• salt and pepper

Method:-

1. Cook whole unpeeled potatoes in salted water and bring to boil for about 25 minutes or until tender. 
2. Drain and peel the potatoes when it is still warm. Mash the potatoes until smooth. The potatoes should still remain warm at this stage,
3. Make a hole in the centre a the mash potatoes add in egg, 1/2 cup of plain flour, grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper. Fold, mix, stir and combine mixture together using any large spoon. Gradually adding more flour if the mixture is too wet. Use hand to knead the dough until smooth.
4. Once the mixture has come together rest for 5 minutes.
5. Divide gnocchi dough mixture in quarters and knead on lightly floured surface. Roll each piece about 2cm in diameter. Then cut into 3cm pieces and indent each pieces with a fork. After that, place them on floured wooden board or tray, cover with damp tea towel for an hour or 2 before cooking. 
6. To cook gnocchi: put gnocchi in gently boiling salted water, stir an cook  for 2 to 3 minutes or until it floats. Drain gnocchi ansd spoon over sauce. I serve gnocchi with bolognese sauce.

TIPS:

• Add more flour if mixture is to wet/soft. However, becareful on the flour among you add because more flour added the firmer the gnocchi will be
• The potatoes should remain warm during the mixing process.
• Gnocchi will float when it is cooked.
• Do not put raw potaotes in hot water because the skin will fall apart and the potatoes will be soggy. 
• It is better to pass the potatoes through ricer then masher. I use masher because I dont have any ricer.
• Any uncooked gnocchi can be frozen. Freeze them in single layer using cling wrap and put in freezer bag. No need to thaw them before cooking.

I will give bolognese sauce an independent page. Therefore please click the link below for bolognese recipe:-
http://lovetocooklovetoeat.blogspot.com/2010/06/bolognese-sauce.html


                               

Pan Mee with Meat Sauce (pictures only)

Garlic oil

Pan Mee Soup

Dry Pan Mee

Pan Mee with Meat Sauce

Pan mee means flat noodle.

This cooking involves few steps therefore I will group them in steps which means individual steps will have their own selection of ingredients. This maybe a bit tedious but it is really worth trying.





STEP 1:
Soup base/Broth
Ingredient:-
• 4 cups of water
• 1 cups of anchovies (ikan bilis)
• 2 dries scallop (optional)
• ½ bulb of garlic, with skin
• Salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything in the pot. Let it boil in high heat then turn to low heat, leave it there for 40 minutes or until it soup fragrant or while you preparing other ingredient.


STEP 2:
Garlic Oil: to mix into soup (before serving) and pan mee’s dough
Ingredients:-
• ½ bulb garlic, finely chopped
• 1 small shallots, finely chopped or sliced
• 3 – 4 tbsp cooking oil

Mix all 3 ingredients into a bowl, put into microwave for 3 to 4 minutes or until the garlic and shallots caramelized. You may even caramelized them using pan, add the cooking oil into pan at low heat and add in the garlic and shallots. But of course the microwave thingy is more convenient.


STEP 3:-
Pan mee’s dough
Ingredient:-
• 2 cups flour (enough for 2 serving)
• 1 egg
• ¾ cups of water, however you may need less than this amount
• About ½ tsp of salt
• 2 tbsp garlic oil from STEP 2

Add flour into a large mixing bowl and make a well in the middle.

Pour in egg, half of the water salt and garlic oil into the well and mix the ingredient in the well.

Then, slowly mix /fold the flour into the well. You may use your hand or fork.

Knead until you get nice firm smooth dough. Be careful not to add to much water.
Set aside. You may want to cover the dough so that the surface doesn’t crack up.


STEP 4:-
Meat sauce
Ingredients:-
• 250g minced pork or chicken, I run out of minced so I use pork belly instead, sliced about 1 cm -> Marinade with some salt, pepper, soy sauce and starch.
• 2 cups Cup Mushroom, sliced quartered
• 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped/minced
• 1 tbsp cooking oil
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• ½ tsp dark soy sauce
• 3 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp cooking wine / shao xing
• ½ cup water
• Salt and pepper to taste

Heat wok/pan with oil and sesame oil. When it’s slightly smoky add in garlic and sauté until fragrant. Then add in mushroom and stir well.

Add in minced pork or chicken or pork belly, stir for a minute or until the meat look slightly caramelized. Then, stir in oyster sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, pepper, sugar and cooking wine. Stir well until fragrant.

Add water and let it boil. Simmer for 10 minutes and take it out.


NOW, THE MOMENT OF TRUTH = ASSEMBLING OF PAN MEE
• Spring onions, chop, separate the white part and green part.
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Anchovies, fried, I fried before I start making the meat sauce. So that I could use the same wok.

1.Drain the soup base / broth you make earlier into another pot and bring it to boil

2.Halves the noodle dough and roll it to about 1 cm thick.

3.Start tearing the dough (any shape) into pieces into the boiling broth. Scoop up the pieces in a bowl or 2 bowls. I make one soup Pan Mee and dry Pan mee. (the dough will emerge at the surface once they are cooked)

4.Add garlic oil and white parts of spring onion bring it to boil again. You may add in vegetables if you like. Add salt and pepper to taste. Divide the soup to 2 bowl one with pan mee in it and an empty bowl.


For soup pan mee: scoop meat sauce put onto of pan mee garnish with green parts of spring onion and fried anchovies

For dry pan mee: scoop meat sauce put onto pan mee garnish with green parts of spring onion , fried anchovies and some garlic oil. You may dash in chili oil. Serve your dry pan mee with soup. Poach egg can be add to dry pan mee too.

PICTURES ?????? Due to some technical error please click here

Pork fried rice

Ingredients:
• 4 cups cold cooked rice
• 4 tbsp cooking oil or as needed
• 400g pork stir fry strips
• 2 tbs hoisin sauce
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 4 Garlic Cloves, diced
• 1 medium brown onion, finely sliced
• 1 cup shredded cabbage
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoons shao hsing wine a.k.a Chinese cooking wine
• ¼ teaspoon Sesame Oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• ½ large Red chilli or ¼ red capsicium, finely sliced
• ½ cup spring onion, finely sliced

Methods:-

1.Place the pork, hoisin sauce in a medium ceramic bowl and toss well to coat the pork. Set aside for 10 minutes to marinate.

2.Lightly beat the eggs with the salt and pepper. Heat a wok or frying pan and add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the eggs. Cook, stirring, until they are lightly scrambled but not too dry. Remove the eggs and set aside. Clean out wok with kitchen paper.

3.Heat 2 tablespoons oil in the pan on medium-high to high heat. Stir-fry garlic for 1 minute, or until very aromatic, add onion and stir-fry for 2 minutes, or until lightly browned and tender.

4.Add pork and stir-fry for a further minute and add shredded cabbage, mix well. Stir in shao shing wine.

5.Finally, add rice, reserved omelette, oyster sauce or soy sauce, salt, pepper, spring onions and sesame oil.

6.Stir fry, mix well until the rice is heated. Roughly chop to omelette into smaller pieces as you stir.

7.Just before you remove the fried rice from wok stir in thinly slice red capsicums or red chili.

Delicious Chicken Congee

Ingredients:-
1 cup Jasmine rice
10 cups water and/or chicken stock
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp light soy sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Marinates for chicken
•1 chicken Maryland
•1 tsp ginger, peeled and finely chopped
•3 garlic cloves, crushed
•11/2 tsp sesame oil
•1/2 tsp salt
•½ tsp castor sugar /white sugar
•2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (optional)


1.Wash and drain the rice in a pot. Add 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp sesame oil; mix well and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Add water/stock to the rice. Bring it to a boil. Turn down the heat to medium low, stirring occasionally. Simmer for 20 minutes.

2.Place the chickens in a bowl with all the marinade ingredients for 15 to 30 minutes.

3.Add the chicken to the congee. Cook for 5 - 10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked. Take the chicken out and set aside to cool.

4.Allow the congee to simmer for another 30 minutes or so or until it reaches the consistency you prefer.

5.Shred the cooked chicken and add back into the pot and stir in 1 tsp of light soy sauce, let it simmer for awhile and finally salt and pepper to taste.

Garnish with spring onions or slice century egg