Friday, April 18, 2014

Healthy Spinach Cream Soup - 健康菠菜浓汤


I am trying to perfect the 'drawing' of designs on the surface of cream soups. You should have seen my very noob attempt on the pumpkin soup; this time I think the hearts can be better made out on the spinach cream soup, yes? :)

This is another easy, fast, economic and nutritious soup. I know there are many children who do not like to eat their greens... By converting into a soup, it is a transformation from fresh vegetables. In order to encourage children to eat  more vegetables, you can even design some patterns or cartoons characters on top to attract them.

Recipe:

Ingredients: (serves 4 -5 pax)

225 g spinach,  washed, drained and cut into small pieces
30 g soft butter
1/2 large onion, diced
1 pip garlic, diced
1 small potato,  peeled, cut into small cubes
250 ml chicken stock or vegetable stock
300 ml UHT milk
1/4 teaspoon lemon rind
salt to taste

fresh cream  - optional

Method:

1) Heat up a wok, place butter, saute garlic and onions over medium until fragrant about 5 minutes.
add in potatao cook for 2 minutes.

2)  Pour stock into (1) cook over  medium heat for 10 minutes until potato is cooked.

3)  Then add in milk, 1/2 portion of spinach and lemon rind and cook for 10 minutes over low heat.

4)  Transfer to a blender, add in the remaining spinach and blend till fine.

5)  Transfer blended soup to a clean pot, and reheat over medium heat until it boils. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

Easy Shepherd's Pie (2)





This is my improvised version of Shepherd's Pie . I added more grated cheese and crunchy bacon bits on top, I think it is more interesting.

I also used chicken instead of beef. You can see from the pics that the inside is creamy and appetizing. An one-dish meal that is easily prepared by simply heating it up, it is also filling and yummy, I'm sure your kids will like it very much.




Recipe: 

Ingredients:  Makes 4  18cm x 9cm baking dish (bought from Daiso @SGD2 for 6 pcs)
1 kg potato, peeled
30 g soft butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
450 g chicken fillet, diced
200 g  fresh button mushroom, sliced
1 can (300 g)  Campbell's Wild Mushroom cream soup (Premium Selection)
150 g to 200 g mixed shredded Cheddar cheese and Mozzarella Cheese
100 g bacon, diced and fry till crispy.

Method:
1)  Place the potatoes into a small pot, and add enough water to  cover.  Bring to a boil.  Cook until soft, drain and mash.
2)  While the potatoes are cooking,  heat up a frying-pan with some oil, fry the diced chicken over medium heat until fragrant. Stir in the button mushroom and cook for a while, add salt and 1/2 chicken cubes to taste. ( Add some cheese into the mixture to thicken the sauce if the sauce is too wet)
3)  Mash potato with a folk and add in salt, butter and pepper , mix well.
4)  Transfer chicken mixture onto  a light oiled baking dish.  Sprinkle  shredded cheese over the meat.  Spread mashed potato evenly over the top.  Make some patterns as you like.
5) .Bake in a preheated oven at 200 deg C for 20 - 25 minutes.  Sprinkle shredded cheese and bacon bits.
     Serve and enjoy.





Monday, April 7, 2014

Creamy Pumpkin Soup (2) - 南瓜浓汤




Recipe:

Ingredients: 
1 potato
800 g orange-fleshed pumpkin  (without skin)
100 g large onion, peeled and cut
50 g celery, peeled and cut
150 g carrot , peeled and cut
2 pip garlic
30 g soft butter
1000 ml chicken stock or more, adjust to your liking and preference

Seasoning:
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
salt to taste

Garnishing:
100 ml fresh cream
Mixed herbs (optional)

Method:
1)  Peeled pumpkin, discard seeds and cut into pieces.  
2)  Melt butter in a large, deep pan over low heat. When hot, saute onion,  garlic until fragrant.  Add pumpkin, celery, carrot, potato cook for 5 to 10 minutes, then add stock.  Bring to a boil and simmer on low heat until vegetables are soft.
3)  When soup is done, let it cool  slightly, then transfer to a blender in 2 batches and blend until smooth and fine.
4)  Transfer blended soup to a clean pot and reheat over medium-low heat until  hot (keep stirring while cooking).  Add salt and pepper to taste.
5)  Add fresh cream and mixed herbs, serve.

ENJOY


Saturday, April 5, 2014

Fry Tomato With Egg - 番茄炒蛋





I personally like this dish.The ingredients are easy to get and cheap. Not just because of  that, tomato is rich in Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Calcium, Potassium and also high in hycopene to help prevent heart disease and cancer. 

I have cooked this dish quite a number of times before, but I am not very satisfied, either the egg is over cooked or it turns out too dry.  Until yesterday I chanced upon this link and I tried it out today. I am happy with the result and like the consistency, the egg is not over cooked and the taste is just right done, it is not too sour and sweet, is not overly wet but juicy.

Recipe: Adapted from 楊桃美食網-3分鐘學做菜

Ingredients:
5 eggs
3 tomatoes
40 g spring onions

Seasoning:
50 c.c. (ml) stock
3 tablespoon tomato sauce (I put one tablespoon, as I do not want the overpowering tomato taste)
1 tbsp sugar (I used 1 teaspoon only as my tomatoes are sweet)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp corn starch water for thickening 

Method:
1.  Wash and clean the tomatoes, cut into pieces, cut spring onions into 2 cm long.
      Break eggs into a big bowl and add salt beat till mix well.
2.  Heat up wok, pour oil, saute spring onions, tomatoes over slow heat until fragrant.  Add in stock, sugar and 
     cornstarch water to cook for a while until a consistency you get..  Dish up.
3.  Heat up a clean wok, pour some oil, stir-fry the egg evenly and almost cooked (the egg should be a 
     little watery, soft) , add in (2) and toss up and till well combined. 

  楊桃美食網-3分鐘學做菜
材料
雞蛋 5顆
牛番茄 3顆
蔥 40公克

調味料
高湯 50cc
番茄醬 3大匙
細砂糖 1大匙
鹽 1/4茶匙
太白粉水 1大匙

做法:
1. 番茄洗淨切小塊;蔥切小段;雞蛋打入碗中,加入鹽打勻備用。
2. 熱鍋,倒入沙拉油,小火爆香蔥、番茄,再加入番茄醬、高湯、細砂糖煮開,用太白粉水勾­芡後起鍋備用。
3. 另熱鍋,倒入適量油,倒入作法1的蛋液快速炒勻至稍凝固,再加入作法2炒好的番茄拌炒­均勻即可。


Friday, April 4, 2014

EZ Char Siew Buns







Kimmy's EZ Char Siew Buns surprised me because I have never come across this type of bun before. Today I picked up all the ingredients and gave it a go.

The buns turned out soft and moist. However, I thought it could have been better if the serving of char siew is more generous, will try to improve on that during my next attempt.


Recipe – Adapted from Kimmy’s EZ Char Siew Buns

Ingredients: (makes 12 buns)

-         350 gm bread flour (I used 300gm bread flour + 50gm wholemeal flour)
-         50 gm sugar
-         3/4 tsp salt
-         1 3/4 tsp instant yeast
-         210-220 ml ice cold water
-         30 gm butter
-         100 gm char siew - chopped 
-         1 stalk spring onions - washed and chopped

Steps:

- In a mixing bowl, mix and knead all the ingredients except butter, char siew  and spring onions into a soft dough.
- Add in the butter and knead until the dough is smooth, soft and pliable.
- Add in char siew and spring onions and mix well.
- Shape into a dough and cover to rest for 1 hour.
- Divide dough into 2 equal parts.  Round up and divide each portion into 6 equal portions.
- Round up the dough into ball, lightly spray the top with water, then coat with sesame seeds.  Place onto prepared baking tray.
- Rest for 50 minutes or until double in size.
- Bake in preheated oven at 200 degrees C for 12-15 minutes or until cooked.
- Remove and cool on wire rack.