Flat Rice Noodles (Char Kway Teow)

Flat rice noodles or better know as Char Kway Teow is one of our favourite noodle dish in our household. Even my 2 kiddos love it so every much.  Its also quite popular amongst my friends.

Its another simple dish to do.  The ingredients are pretty simple too ~ garlic, onion, egg (chicken or duck), fishcake, chinese sausage, prawns, cockles, bean sprouts....the list goes on. You can actually add in anything...its your own creation which tickles your own taste buds.  I have friends who even add in crab meat and other seafood.

Just try it and  you will want it again, and again, and again....

Braised Pork Belly in Soy Sauce (Tau Yew Bak)

Since its the school holidays, my other half and I have been cooking up a storm. We just wanted to tickle and satisfy our taste buds with food which we have missed...ha!ha! This is another Asian dish which is a common dish for dinner during our childhood days.

Braised pork belly in soy sauce is a simple dish to prepare. Some cooks love to add in hard boiled eggs, soft or hard tofu and I have seen mushrooms being added into this dish too. I guess you can add whatever you like... :)  For my household, instead of white peppercorns, we prefer to use black peppercorns.  We bought some pork belly from our local market, cut it into pieces and marinate it with caramel dark sauce, soy sauce, honey, five spice powder and peppercorn for an hour. Then, I will fry my garlic, shallots, star anise and brown sugar in a pan.  Add in the marinated pork and stir-fry till for about 4-5 mins.  Add in some water, a little more caramel dark sauce, soy sauce and seasonings. Allow it to simmer for 45 mins to an hour. Add in the other add-ons (hard boiled eggs, tofu, etc) 15 mins before serving this dish.

How do we eat this? We can simple eat this with white rice or with steamed buns.

Donuts, Donuts, Donuts...

Donuts...which kiddo doesn't like donuts? Don't talk about kiddos, quite a number of adults love donuts too...yummy!!!  I found lots of recipes online, in recipe books, etc to get the nice, fluffy and soft donuts withOUT adding bread softeners or other preservatives.  I am still trying other recipes to get that heavenly texture.

Right not, I am just using the basic recipe of flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, egg, oil and milk.  I glazed it with melted chocolate and chocolate shavings...


Here's a photo of it in my princess's Dora bowl....ha!ha!

Asian Steamed Fish - Teochew Style

Steaming is a healthy way of eating. Eating this dish with plain hot rice is just delicious...yum!!!
There are different ways of steaming fish. In my household, we prefer the Teochew style which consist of salted vegetables, sour plums, mushrooms and tomatoes or the Cantonese style that consists of ginger, salt, soy sauce, sugar and stalks of green onions.

I just love this dish...its simple and easy to do.  Just prepare the mise-en-place of garlic, ginger, dried mushrooms, salted vegetable, sour plums, chinese cooking wine, soy sauce, stock and of course the fish. Mix everything together in a bowl and marinate the fish with some cornflour and salt (keep it in the fridge for 30 mins). Arrange the vegetable mix on the fish nicely, pop it into the steamer and steam it for 15-18 mins (depending on how large your fish is).

This is just delicious with plain white rice...my 2 kiddos just love it!!!

Basic Butter Cake

This is one butter cake recipe which I tend to use in case of an emergency...visitors called to say they are on the way, the other half is hungry in the middle of the night, etc... The ingredients required is always found in my kitchen - butter, sugar, egg,  self-raising flour, milk and vanilla essence.  Mix everything together and bake in the oven at 180 degrees C for 45-50 mins.  Sometimes, I will make X2 the recipe and microwave the 2nd batch coz its quicker and it will stop the tummy from rumbling in hunger....ha!ha!

Chocolate Souffle

Souffles.....I have heard a lot about this dessert.
It seems it can make a chef cry...
What does souffle means? I found out that its french for "puff up".
This dessert consists of only a few basic ingredients but to prefect it....omg....its so very hard.
Souffle can be made from a panada base which consists of milk, flour and sugar. Egg yolk will be added in when the panada is cooled.  There's also another type which is flourless.
What one looks to achieve a perfect souffle?
Some said that it should have a top hat effect, straight sides and a flat top.
Guess mine ain't perfect.... :(
However, as the saying goes, practice makes perfect...
So, got to practice, practice, practice....

Gordon Ramsay calls it a "sexy pudding"...

Soft Buns

Buns and Bread....another staple food in this household.

Making bread is a way for me to relax....but my other half has another theory though...he said its a way for me the vent my frustrations when I punch and knead the dough....ha!ha!  Oh well...whatever...

For me, I just use a huge mixing bowl, throw in flour, sugar & salt and mix well. Add in butter, yeast and milk and mix by hand and knead the dough. Once the dough is smooth, rest it. Let the dough rise, double in size. Shape the dough to 12 balls and place on the baking tray. Let is rest again till it double in size. Egg wash & bake in an oven at 220 degrees C for 18 - 20 mins.

Gosh...I just love the fresh baked bread smell....its heavenly.

Asian Carrot Cake (Chai Tow Kuay)

Asian carrot cake or better known as "chai tow kway" is one of our favourite one dish meal. However, this dish has not connection what-so-ever with the carrot cake which is baked by my Caucasian friends.  This dish is made of simple ingredients which is daikon and rice flour. The above photo is the chai tow kway which I have steamed and cut...all ready for frying.

In my household, we just fry the daikon cake with garlic, preserved raddish, egg, fish sauce, soya sauce and black caramel sauce. If its for the adults, a little chilli sauce will be added into it to make it more spicy.

This is one dish which we will make every single month without fail.... :)

Chocolate Mud Cake

Scones is for breakfast as my other half says it...
But for me...
Mud cake...now, that's my comfort food...
Simple to do too....
That's my style...



Pre-heat my oven at 165 degrees C and greased my cake pan.
Combined my butter, chocolate, canola oil, sugar, vanilla essence and water in a saucepan.
Stir till it melts over slow heat. Set it aside to cool.
Add the shifted flour in a big bowl, pour in the chocolate mix and eggs.
Fold it in to combine.
Once there's no more lumps, pour into the cake pan and bake.
Took me about 1 hour for it to bake nicely.
While my cake was baking, I started my chocolate ganache for icing my cake.
I just pour in my cream into my saucepan and bring it to boil and pour it into my chopped chocolate.
Whisked the mix till its smooth.
Allow the ganache to be cool before you ice your cake.