Claypot Bak-ku-teh (BKT)

I made this some time back and got the thumbs up from the little one. I think it is very nice, not too over-powering with herbs and just the right flavour with pork ribs.

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Pork Ribs Curry with Kaffir Lime Leaves

Spicy and tender pork ribs in fragrant kaffir lime leaves curry gravy…appetizing!

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Dong Zhi Tang Yuan (Glutinous Rice Balls)

Happy Winter Solstice (Dong Zhi 冬至) everybody.


I got up early this morning to make some tang yuan (湯圓) which is enjoyed by many Chinese families, normally celebrated around 22 December.

Together with Hubby and the little one, we made some. To me they all turned out beautifully, does not matter that they are different or odd sizes but made as a family.


This is a simple recipe, made enough for three of us, please double, triple, quadruple...the recipe to fit your family. 

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Homemade Beef Pepper Rice Teppanyaki-like Style

We have been visiting Pepper Lunch for their Beef Pepper Rice once too often. It's really yummy and pretty addictive!… I’m embarrassed to admit, it’s something like 2-4 times in a month in the last few months …sigh!... Max’s favourite (at the moment!)

So, Daddy decided to make Daddy’s Homemade Beef Pepper Rice, his own version! :-D

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Stir-fry Beansprout

My son shocked me one day with request for beansprout! But, he is not fond of veggies!!!

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A Bowl of TLC Goodness Noodles

My Mom used to make Mee Suah Soup (In Cantonese Mein Seen Tong) when we were young and sick or just recovering. It’s soft, easy on digestion and comforting. I loved it then and still do now.

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Chinese Steamed Yam Cake (Wutao-kou)

This has always been on my To-Do List and finally I got it done! And taste good too, if Hb may say so... (biased, probably?) :-D

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Fried Rice with Ham

What's for lunch, Mom?

Sounds familiar? Like most mothers, weekend is the time to catch up on housework, laundries/ironing, stocking up pantry and putting your love into the kitchen to feed the army…haha, in this case, an army of 3 only! :-D 

Here’s one simple and quick lunch fix.

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Pig Kidney Soup

This is an old family recipe, made by my Mom when I was young. I remember having this hot and gingery soup.

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Sweet Sour Prawns

For many, prawns are their favourite but not my young guy. I’m trying to cook prawns once a week, trying different style…sigh!...yes, to get the little one interested in them. He always pick them up and remove them! L

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Hawkers-style Noodles in Creamy Egg Gravy

Dinner in 30-minutes.

My Hubby and son are great fans of noodles. Here’s one simple Hawkers-style dinner that is more a convenience than one that requires skills and can be ready in 30 minutes. And, I can pack the little one off for his music class on time. Some hawkers serve this in small woks and call them Little Wok Noodles.

Noodles in Creamy Egg Gravy

(Servings : 2)

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BBQ Pork (Chinese Char Siu)

A most popular Chinese dish, well known in the East and as well as the west is Char Siu or BBQ Pork, and perhaps more popular is BBQ Pork Rice (Char Siu Fan).

I personally feel the BBQ pork pieces should have a thin layer or two of fats, moist, tender, grilled or BBQ to perfection, slightly charred with sticky juicy sweetness. Now, that is what I call Char Siu.

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3-Tenors Saturday

I woke up to the robust tenors of Carreras-Domingo-Pavarotti! Never mind that I don’t understand a single word except, mamma mia and dolce…:-) The combo of the 3 greatest tenors filled our home from Marc’s AV station.  So sad that Pavarotti died of pancreatic cancer in 2007, and I’m one of the mourning fans. I'm glad I still have the CD.

You can also get this CD from the Ad box on the left.

Right after a quick breakfast, I felt energetic enough to punch some dough! Strange that I get this feeling each time hubby plays the 3-Tenors… and I have a suspicion hubby is trying to hint to me that he wants me to get my hands dirty and sticky…

Haha…nothing Italian or Spanish, I’m afraid…just,

Chinese Steamed Red Bean Bun (or popularly known as Tau Sar Pau), sori for the misleading heading... :-)

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Japanese Tofu with Mushroom

This is one of my favourite dishes and found in many Chinese restaurants. Sometimes, it is served on sizzling hot plate. This is also a kid’s favourite, as the lightly fried tofu is fragrant and silky soft inside and the gravy goes well with hot plain rice. This is my home-cook version,

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Chinese Mustard Green Soup

Ah, another of my favourite soup, Chinese Mustard Green Soup (in Cantonese,“tai-kai-choy” soup)!

It has been a long time favourite of our family. The Chinese Mustard Green has quite a distinct bitter taste but taste great when boiled with chicken and red dates. It's very tasty.

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Old cucumber soup

This is an old favourite, a classic soup but I've simplified it.

 700g (approx.) Old cucumber
300g chicken breast
2L water (2000 ml)
15 pcs Red dates (stoned)
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
a dash of pepper

(Optional) 1 pc of medium-size dried squid

1.   Peel off skin. Cut into 4, remove seeds with a large spoon.
2.   Then cut into chunks of 3.5cm x 3.5cm.
3.   Bring water to boil in a medium soup pot or 2.5L Vision pot
4.   Add in chicken breast (fats trimmed) and let it come to boil.
5.   Add in old cucumber chunks, let it come to a boil and turn down flame to low.
6.   Boil for 2 - 2.5hrs.

7.   Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve hot.

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Curried Potato and Mutton

A few weeks ago I decided to revamp my blog, make some changes here and there… and sigh!...found some viruses, do some clean-up and encountered some technical glitches.


I was getting frustrated, unable to access some of the pictures, unable to start some programs… and in this ‘foul’ mood, I forgot to take some nice pictures of my baking and cooking…sigh!...is there anything that went right! 


Anyway, that’s when I decided to take a short break from blogging… to see if the ‘technical issues’ can give me a break too…


I managed to get some of these pictures and here it is,

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Mom's Pork Chop

I’ve been taking a break from blogging. I realize blogging is hard work J…and sometimes I forgot to take the shots for postings…sigh!...then I gotta wait till I make them next. 

Here’s my little guy’s lunch! He polished off every morsel on the plate…and said, “Mom, can you make this for tomorrow’s lunch and remember to make more for Dad!”  So, I guess he likes it then.

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Stuffed Mushrooms

Making this dish brings back memories of my childhood. I remembered my Mom making Stuffed Mushrooms during Chinese New Year and it was a hit with the family.

("Hung bao" - Red packet)

Now, I serve this during Chinese New Year as well as some family gatherings. This is my recipe for Stuffed Mushrooms.

10 pcs dried Chinese black mushroom (soaked in hot water to soften a few hours before cooking)

125g fish paste

½ tsp Shao Hsing Hua Tiao wine (optional)

A dash of pepper

1 tsp of fatt-choy (soaked), (optional)

10 slices of carrot

Sauce

½ tsp soy sauce (or to taste)

½ tsp cornflour

½ tsp sugar

1 tsp oyster sauce

A dash pepper

180 ml water

½ tsp sesame oil

1.      Soak dried black mushroom with hot water for 3 hours till soften. Remove stem.

2.      Mix in Shao Hsing Hua Tiao wine with fish paste (optional) and softened ‘fatt choy’, add in some pepper, mix well and set aside.

3.      Dust some cornflour into the inner cap (gill-like side).

4.      Stuff the mushroom caps generously with fish paste.

5.       Top with a small slice of carrot in the middle. Hah, looks pretty, right?

6.      Place stuffed mushroom on dish and steam for 20 minutes.

7.      In a small sauce pan, heat the ingredients to make gravy.

8.      Place steamed stuffed mushroom on serving plate and pour gravy over the mushroom. Serve warm.

("Fook" - Prosperity)

By now, you would have gathered we love mushrooms… J

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Yu Chuk Herbal Soup

I boiled Yuk Chuk Soup last weekend, one of our favorites. According to my Grandma and my Mom, boiled soup is soothing and nourishing.

Hubby likes soup very much and the little guy has also developed a fondness for soup. He always ask for second helpings, isn't that nice... :-)

1 handful of yuk chuk

4 pcs of Bei Qi (astralagus)

120-150g pork ribs or lean meat

2 litre water

Salt to taste

1.  Bring to boil 2 litres of water, add in yuk chuk and bei qi

2.  In a smaller pot, fill with water and bring to boil. Add in pork ribs or lean meat and  boil for 10 minutes. Drain and dish up.

3.  Add cooked pork into the boiling soup and lower the flame to small and let it boil for 3-4 hours.

4.  Add in salt to taste and serve warm.

I like the soup which has a slight sweet taste from the Yuk Chuk and quite clear. Mostly, we enjoy the herbal soups for its taste, rather than remedies.

Do check out the benefits of these herbs, if you have the time.

Bei Qi or Huang Qi

Bei Qi, also known as Astralagus helps promote blood circulation and lowers blood pressure. It is remedy for general weakness and nervous exhaustion.

Yu Chuk or Yu Zhu

YUK CHUK also known as Yu Zhu (Solomon's Seal Rhizome, Polygonatum) nourish yin, moisten dryness, lung and stomach dry heat with cough, dry throat, thirst, irritability, steaming bone disorder, excess hunger, constipation, clear wind, nourish sinews – moistens sinews, spasms, dizziness.

I hope the above is helpful.

Enjoy.

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