Pregnancy Food Craving :)

Althought still at the beginning stage of my pregnancy, I've start craving for certain food... I felt my stomach is full of air and not comfortable to take my normal diet.

I crave for buns with filling, like those we can easily get from "Bread Story" in Malaysia. Those soft bun....

In Colorado Springs, I could not find this type of bakery shop. Found one Chinese shop in Denver selling few type of buns.

So how? At 1st SB thought of bringing me to Denver just to get the buns but I decided otherwise as driving for 2 hours just to get the buns is too much. No go!!!

But, I really appreciated his effort, muak!

My solution was ...go to Asian Market in Colorado Springs and get those frozen buns :)

Ta da!

Instant Char Siew Bao

Instant Sesame Bao

Instant Mantou

Haha! I didn't get what I really craved for but at least, more then 50% similar, that will do and better then none!!

Now I realized Malaysia such a good place for food and I really looking forward to go back my home :)

Nasi Briyani

Ingredients:-

• 1 cup of rice ( soak for 1-2 hours )
• 1 1/4 cup water
• 1/2 packet of Maggi brand Briyani Rice Mix
• 100 g chicken breast ( sliced or cut into small pieces )
• 4 star anise
• 1 tsp cloves
• 1 small onion ( sliced or cut into small pieces )
• 1/4 -1/2 cup of dried raisin
• Salt to taste
• Cilantro / Spring Onion for garnish ( Prefer Cilantro )
• 2 tbsp cooking oil

Steps:-

1. Heat the frying pan with 2 tbsp of cooking oil and stir fry the Briyani Rice Mix.
2. Add in chicken and stir fry until the chicken half cook.
3. Add in onion and soaked rice into the pan and stir well for 2 minutes.
4. Pour the mixtures into your non-stick electrical rice cooker and add in water, star anise, cloves, and some salt to taste. Cook as normal you cook your rice.
5. When the rice boiled, add in raisin and continue to cook until ready.
6. Let it rest in the cooker for few minutes before serve.

Garnish the rice with chopped cilantro before serve.

Notes:-

If you want an easier way, just put all ingredients into your rice cooker and cook it as normal.

Crispy Almond Slice

Ingredients:-

• 3 eggs white
• 100 g sugar
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1-2 tsp vanilla essence
• 200 g whole almonds
• 120g plain flour

A Steps:-

1. Preheat oven to 340 degree F / 170 degree C .
2. Grease a 7"sq baking pan.
3. Whisk egg white with sugar and salt until thick.
4. Fold in flour and almonds. Mix well.
5. Pour into a prepared pan.
6. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until very light brown.
7. Remove & place onto a cooling rack to cool.
8. Wrap the cake with aluminium foil and keep in the fridge for a couple of hours.

B Steps:-

1. After couple of hours, pre-heat oven to 32o degree F/ 160 degree C.
2. Slice the cake into thin slices and lay onto a baking tray.
3. Try to slice the cake to thinner then my slices
4. Bake for 15 minutes or until crispy.

Cool and store in cookies container.

Cinnamon & Star Anise Chicken

Ingredients:-

• 1 1/2 pound chicken ( I used 2 boneless thigh and some cutted chicken breast )
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbsp sugar ( or as your taste )
• 1 1/2 - 2 tbsp light soy sauce ( or as your taste )
• 4 star anise
• 1 medium size cinnamon stick
• 5 cloves garlic ( finely chopped )
• 1-2 inch old ginger ( sliced )
• 2 tbsp cooking oil

Steps:-

For Slow Cook:

Put all ingredients into your slow cooker and slow cook for few hours or until the gravy thicken.

For normal cook:-

1. Heat your frying pan with 2 tbsp of cooking oil and saute garlic and ginger until fragrance or golden brown.
2. Add in chicken, star anise, cinnamon stick and bring it to boil.
3. Add in light soy sauce and sugar to taste.
4. Turn the heat to slow and simmer it until the seasoning and gravy got thinken.

Dish out and serve warm.

Chinese Sausage Fried Rice

Ingredients:-

• Left over rice
• 2 eggs
• 1-2 Chinese Sausage ( cut into small pieces or sliced )
• 1/2 - 1 cup mixed frozen vegetables ( I used Mexican style frozen vegetables )
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• 1-2 inc minced ginger
• 1 green onion ( finely chopped )
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Cooking oil

Steps:-

1. Heat the wok with 2tbsp cooking oil and saute the minced ginger until fragrant.
2. Add in chicken, Chinese Sausage and 1 tsp light soy sauce. Stir fry until the chicken cooked.
3. Add in mixed vegetables and fry until the vegetable soft.
4. Spread all ingredients to a side of the wok and create an empty space in the centre or another side of the wok. Pour in another 2 tbsp of cooking oil into the wok.
5. Crack the eggs into it and stir cook, break and scape the eggs with a spatula until you get the eggs pieces are well cooked and light golden in color.
6. Mixed all ingredients together and add in rice, 1 tsp light soy sauce and oyster sauce. Stir well to ensure all ingredients incorporate to each other.
7. Add in salt and white pepper follow your taste and fry for another 2 minutes.
8. Sprinkle with spring onion and turn off the heat and dish out.

New Kid On The Block :)

26 August 2009

Important day in my life!

Finally I am pregnant!

A new baby on the block soon!

Such a great news for Teh & Ooi's families!

Especially...Mr Teh :)

CONGRATULATION MR & MRS TEH !!!

Bakewell Slice

Ingredients:-

Crust:-

• 1 cup flour
• 6 tbsp cold butter
• 1 tbsp sugar

Topping :-

• 6 tbsp butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 eggs
• 2/3 - 1 cup ground almonds
• 3/4 cup flour
• 1/2 cup raspberry jam
• 1/4 cup slice almonds

Steps:-

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degree F and grease your baking pan.
2. Blend crust ingredients until fine and crumbly.
3. Press it evenly to the base of the baking pan.
4. Bake for 10 minutes and let it cool.
5. In a medium bowl, beat the sugar, butter and eggs until light and creamy.
6. Add in flour and ground and mix well.
7. Add in ground walnuts and mix until combined.
8. Spread the Raspberry Jam to the cool crust evenly.
9. Spread the topping filling mixture over the jam and sprinkle the almond slices to the top.
10. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until cooked.

Cool completely before cutting to serve.

Keep the remaining ones in the Tupperware :)

Soy Milk

Ingredients

• Uncooked soy beans
• Fresh water
• Rock Sugar / sugar
• 6- 8 Pandan leaves

Methods:-

1. Wash the beans and soak overnight
2. Discard soak water, rinse and drain soy beans.

1. In a blender or food processor, put 1/2 cup soy beans and 1 cup water, blend or grind to a smooth paste.
2. Pour into sturdy cotton cloth reserved for food use and twist and squeeze as much liquid as possible from the paste into cooking pot.
3. Repeat the above until finish all beans. If you find your soy liquid too thick, you can reuse the blended beans and blend it again with water.
   
   

1. Boil the liquid and pandan leaves with medium heat and non stop stirring the liquid.
2. Add in sugar to taste.
3. Turn off the heat when the liquid cooked.

Sweet Soy Sauce Chicken

Ingredients:-

For frying the chicken :-

• 6-8 pieces chicken of your choice of chicken part ( I use boneless thigh and breast meat )
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp turmeric powder
• Oil for deep -frying

Methods:-

Coat the chicken well with salt and turmeric powder and deep fry until golden brown.Keep aside.

For gravy:-

• 1 in ginger ( sliced )
• 2 shallot ( sliced )
• 1 red chili ( I replaced with green chili )
• 1 onion ( sliced )
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 2-3 tbsp thick dark soy sauce ( kicap pekat )
• 2 tbsp sweet soy sauce ( I skipped this and replace with dark soy sauce )
• 1/4-1/3 cup water
• Sugar to taste ( optional but I did add into my cook as I didn't use sweet soy sauce )

Methods:-

1. Heat the wok with cooking oil and saute ginger and shallot until fragrance.
2. Add water and all 3 soy sauce and stir well.
3. Check the taste and add in sugar /light soy sauce if necessary. Let it boil.
4. Once boiled, add in chicken, onion and chili.
5. Flip the chicken so that they are well coat with soy sauce.
6. Cook until the onion is soft and dish out.
   
   

Prepare to serve!

Onde-onde

Ingredients:

• 250 g Glutinous Rice Flour
• A Pinch Of Sea Salt
• 200 ml Pandan Juice ( Blended from 10 Pandan leaves with 220 ml water )
• 150 g Gula Melaka (Palm Sugar), cut into small pieces
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 100 g Grated Coconut with some salt

Method:

1. For the coating,mix the grated coconut with a pinch of salt and steam for about 2-3 minutes and let it cool completely.
2. For filling, mix the plam sugar with the brown sugar and prepare to use.
3. In a large bowl, combine the glutinous rice flour with Pandan juice and add in a little bit of salt.
4. Knead the dough lightly and pinch a small piece of the dough and flatten lightly.
5. Fill the centre of the dough with palm sugar mixture.
6. Roll it in your palm to form a smooth ball.
7. Cook the glutinous rice balls in the boiling water.
8. When the rice balls float to the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon and shake off the excess water.
9. Coat the rice balls with grated coconut.

Serve immediatly while still warm.

Thai Basil Chicken

Ingredients:-

• 2 boneless chicken thigh ( cut into small pieces )
• 1/2 - 1 bulb garlic ( finely chopped )
• 1 stalk Scallion ( finely chopped )
• 1-2 tomatoes ( cut into small pieces )
• 1 Green Chili( Jalapeno )/ 1/2 Green pepper ( sliced )
• 1 stalk Thai basil ( only use the leaves )
• 2 tsp Lime Juice
• 3 tsp light soy sauce ( reduce to 2 tsp if u add fish sauce )
• 1 tsp fish sauce ( optional )
• Sugar to taste

Methods:-

1. Heat the wok with cooking oil and fry the garlic until light brown.
2. Add in chicken, light soy sauce and sugar. Stir until the chicken is cooked.
3. Pour in green chili or green pepper, tomatoes and fish sauce. Mix well and bring to boil.
4. Add in Thai Basil leaves and turn off the heat. Mix well and dish out.

Serve with white rice will be great!

Steam Shrimp Egg Custard

Ingredients:-

• 2 eggs
• 1 cups low sodium chicken stock or water
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• Dash of white pepper
• 4 peeled shrimps
• 1 small carrot ( sliced )
• Spring Onion for garnish ( chopped )

Methods:-

1. Cook the sliced carrot in the boiling water until soft.
2. Add in shrimps and drain out.
3. Put the carrot and shrimp into small bowl.
4. Mix the eggs with light soy sauce, pepper and chicken stock and stir well.
5. After the mixture is incorporate well, pour the mixture into the bowl.
6. Cover with foil and steam. ( I forgot to cover therefore the surface is not smooth )
7. Steam for 20 minutes or until the liquid stay clear.

Notes:- If you want a fine texture, do strain the eggs mixture over a fine sieve before pouring into bowl.

Bird's Nest Tong Sui/ Soup

During my last trip back to Malaysia, SB got his sister to buy me some bird's nest from Kuching, East Malaysia. I brought it back to US because I hope by taking Bird's Nest Tong Sui twice a month, my immune system will be stronger :) This is because bird's nest supposedly rich in nutrients which are traditionally believed to provide health benefits, such as aiding digestion, raising libido, improving the voice, alleviating asthma, improving focus, and an overall benefit to the immune system which I need the most!

Ingredients:-

• 1 piece of Bird's Nest
• 10 pieces of Red Dates
• 3-5 small pieces of Americans' Ginseng
• 1 medium size of Rock sugar
• 1-2 Pandan Leaves ( knotted )
• Water

Methods:-

1. Clean all ingredients and put in the slow cooker.
2. Slow cook for few hours or overnight.
3. Serve warm.

Fried Wanton

Ingredient:-

• 300 g pork ( blend it )
• 8 big peeled shrimps ( finely chopped )
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 green onion ( finely chopped )
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1/2 tsp ginger ( finely chopped )
• 1 small size carrot ( boiled and finely chopped )
• 2 Chinese Mushroom ( Soaked and finely chopped )
• 30 - 35 wanton skin
• Dash of white pepper ( optional )

1 egg yolk ( lightly beaten for wrapping the wanton use )

Methods:-

1. Mix all ingredients except egg york and wanton skin.
2. Marinate for 1 hour or longer.
3. To make the wanton, put 1 tsp of the filling in the middle of the wanton skin.
4. Pick one corner and fold it into the diagonal corner and seal it with egg york.
5. Pick up the 2 ends that have 45 degree angle ( the ones where the fold is ) and wet them with a dab of egg yolk. Then pinch these 2 corner together.
6. Use as much wanton filling as needed. ( I kept 1/2 of the filling in refrigerator for next round use as I couldn't finished all )
7. Heat up the frying pan with cooking oil.
8. Slowly and gently put the wanton into the pan and fry them until golden brown.
9. Keep turning the wanton all the way through.
10. Monitor the heat to ensure it's not too hot, this will prevent the situation where the wanton skin is darken but uncooked inside.
    

Ready to serve! Deep fried wanton :)

You can serve with tomato ketchup, mayonnaise sauce or even chili sauce.