Pan Fried Turmeric Chicken

After harvesting some turmeric from the garden ( I love growing my own turmeric in black bags ) WB requested to have his meat pan fried with turmeric.  I have done this many times and seriously one can't get tired of this preparation.  I can cook this everyweek and he will not complain. He loves this preparation !  So be it and I pounded thehomegrown turmeric with shallots and black pepper. Marinate the meat ( it can be chicken, pork or beef ) with the pounded ingredients and add salt and sugar for at least 2 hours. For me, I prefer to marinate the meat overnight so that the meat are deeply flavored by the pounded ingredients .  Before frying , sprinkle some corn flour to the meat for added crispiness.  A very simple dish ,flavorful and finger licking good  :)  

love the crispiness on the outside

and juicy tenderness on the inside,

and every mouthful bursting with turmeric flavor

Pan Fried Turmeric Chicken

Ingredients:

2 chicken legs - each leg cut into 4 pieces

(A)

2 pieces of fresh turmeric - scrape off skin and cut into slices

4 shallots - peeled and cut into slices

1 tsp of black pepper

Pound (A) coarsely  in a mortar and pestle 

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt 

1 tbsp of corn flour

3 tbsp of grapeseed oil for pan frying

Preparation:

Marinate the chicken pieces with the pounded (A) mixture for at least 2 hours or overnight in fridge. Before frying, add 1 tbsp of corn flour to the marinated meat.  Heat 3 tbsp of oil in deep frying pan , once oil is hot,  put in the meat and pan fried till meat is cooked and crisps on the outside.  Use a chopstick to pierce through the meat, if juice oozes out is clear, the meat is cooked.  Dish up and serve with rice.

Enjoy!

Teochew Ngoh Hiang aka Five Spice Meat Rolls

Everyone in the family knows that I am a fan of taro and when I saw this recipe on Wendy's blog . I could not resist but had to try out her recipe Teochew Ngoh Hiang /Five Spice Meat Rolls. I made this after my trip back from Bali .  I have been busy since I took up my photography lessons.  Out most of the time besides Bible classes and other meet up with friends.

When Wild Boar heard that I am making this meat rolls, he say " why don't you stick to the normal lobak instead of adding taro ? "  I replied  " because I am a teochew myself and I have not even tasted this Teochew Ngoh Hiang once "   I told Wendy that I will try her recipe and it was truly good.  Even WB said it is good :)   Flavors packed and the taro gave the meat rolls a soft feel.  Crisps on the outside and tender on the inside.  Lovely , and I will definitely make this again.  After eating the rolls, I feel like a real Teochew  now LOL! silly me.   

a beautiful mixture of minced meat and taro and carrots

and those flavorful and aromatic spices

before steaming 

after steaming

after deep frying...mmmm

P/s thank you to Wendy for sharing such a wonderful teochew dish

Teochew Ngoh Hiang - Five Spice Meat Rolls - recipe taken Wendy (Table For 2 or More )

Ingredients:

500g minced pork
100g minced prawns

250g taro,diced
50g carrot shreds
4 water chestnut, finely chopped
2 tbsp  crispy fried shallots

1 large piece of flexible beancurd sheet

seasoning:
1.5 tsp 5 spice powder
1/8 tsp cassia powder ( chinese cinnamon )
1 1/4 or 1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp white pepper powder
1 tsp light soya sauce
1 tsp dark caramel sauce

1 cup of oil for deep frying

Method:

Heat one cup of oil and put in diced taro and fry until taro feels dry but not golden brown. Drain from the oil and let it cool down.

Mix the pork and prawns with seasonings until well combined. Then add in the fried taro, carrot shreds, chestnuts and crispy shallots. Mix well.

Wipe beancurd sheet with a moist cloth and let it air dry. Cut beancurd sheet into 12-18 pieces, or any size you prefer. Spoon in some meat filling and tuck in the sides. Roll up and  place on steaming rack with the seam side down.

Steam the meat rolls on medium heat for 15 mins. Let the meat rolls cool down. You can pack them into airtight bags and freeze them at this point.

On the day of serving, pan fry or deep fry the rolls until golden and fragrant. Slice and serve.

Enjoy!

Bacon Wrapped Roast Chicken Drumstick

An old friend requested for roast chicken when I visited her some weeks back . She said any form of roast will do. She has a sudden craving for roast chicken.  I promised to bring her some roast chicken when I next visit her.  Thus, I made this special bacon wrapped roast drumsticks for her.  I deboned the drumsticks and marinated with salt and pepper overnight and a dash of cooking wine.  Before roasting in the oven, I wrapped the marinated drumstick with a piece of bacon. The bacon helps to keep the drumstick moist and tender and the crispy bacon adds flavor to the roast drumstick.  The rosemary are from the garden. Before roasting, I added a tsp of butter and a sprig of rosemary on each wrapped drumstick.  I assure you , the aroma of rosemary get infused into the drumstick as it is roasting in the oven.  The moment I opened the oven door....the aroma of roasted bacon filled the air and gosh it was really good.  I kept some for ourselves and two for my dear friend.  

these are ready for delivery :)

Bacon Wrapped Roast Chicken Drumstick

ingredients:-

4 chicken  drumsticks - deboned and remove skin

1 tsp of salt

a sprinkle of black pepper

1 tbsp of chinese cooking wine

4 pieces of bacon 

4 sprig of rosemary

a tbsp of butter

preparation:

Marinate the chicken drumsticks with salt and pepper and cooking wine for 2 hours or cling wrap it and marinate overnight in fridge.

Preheat oven to 200C

Wrap each marinated drumstick with a piece of bacon.  Lined the baking tray with alumiium foil and place all the wrapped drumsticks on the aluminum foil.  Put a tsp of butter and a sprig of rosemary on top of the bacon wrapped drumsticks. Baked for 35-40 minutes till the drumsticks are cooked through and the bacon crisps and juicy.

Enjoy!

Steamed Grass Carp Belly With Finely Grated Ginger

I had a sudden craving for Grass Carp belly ( 鯇魚  )  hahaha very funny, I am not pregnant but sometimesI do  have this weird craving for certain food.  There is only one place that sells grass carp in the wet market in town. And I have to be there early as it sold out fast. I managed to get a fairly big piece of belly.  Took it home and straight away steamed it with just salt and minced ginger for our lunch.  It was the best steamed fish belly I had for lunch :)  The fish belly is the best part of the fish , I don't know about you but I love fish belly.  My craving for grass carp belyy is satiated and now have a sudden craving for grilled salmon belly.....this will have to wait.  I saw some nice salmon belly in Jaya Grocer and regretted not having bought them . Nevermind, the craving for salmon belly will have to be put on hold till I go Jaya Grocer again and hopefully I can get hold of them for this grilled salmon belly craves of mine.

grass carp belly is best steamed simple with just salt

and minced ginger

I steamed the belly for just 7 -8 mins

in boiling steamer

love the smooth texture of the fish belly :)

Steamed Grass Carp Belly With Salt And Minced Ginger

ingredients:

a piece of Grass Carp belly - med sized - wash, drain off excess water

a knob of ginger - finely grated

salt to taste

1 tsp of olive oil

dill for garnishing

Preparation:

Heat steamer on high heat. 

Place fish belly on a steaming plate. Rub salt on fish belly.  Drizzle olive oil onto surface of fish belly, cover belly with finely grated ginger .  Once the steamer is boiling , put in the fish and steam for 7-8 mins.  Off heat once the fish belly is cooked through.  Serve with rice.

Enjoy!

Grilled Seafood Open Sandwich

I am sometimes amazed at myself.  I tell myself...I am lazy to cook , have something simple BUT it will always turn out not simple in terms of preparation.  It does look simple but don't be deceived by the appearance of these simple looking open sandwiches. They do entailed a bit of work. Being a fast worker, I whipped this up in an hour. Pan grilled the prawns and sutchi fish fillets while the bread are toasting in the toaster.  And while waiting, I will dice the tomato, red onion and cucumber to serve as salad base for the open sandwiches.  I am amazed that I can  multi task but sometimes I do get food burned while attending some other chores :p

When the prawns and fish fillets are grilled and cooked through, I stir fry the button mushrooms with lots of garlic, using back the same pan that I grilled the seafood...mmmmmm so scent-ous .  I love the smell of grilled prawns....heavenly !  Using the extra chilli flakes from Dominos and McD black pepper for flavoring and a shake of mixed herbs onto the mushrooms , the homey and soul lifting aroma does wonders to stir fried mushrooms.  

I assembled the sandwich with lettuce and the tomato and cucumber salad as base, topped with the mushroom slices and finished with the grilled prawns and fish fillets....open sandwiches can be most appealing and delicious if you have the right ingredients to serve with.   Each bite is bursting with flavors.  Love it ! And I think I will make more open sandwiches for our dinner. So versatile !  A light and delicious meal and we both ended with a can of  chilled beer each....What say you ?  Given a choice, I would love to cook and eat in :)

ingredients for the open sandwiches

sea prawns, sutchi fish fillets, white button mushrooms,

grilled prawns, grilled fish fillets and 

stir fried mushrooms

diced tomato, cucumber and red onions

mixed with a dash of red wine vinegar

as salad base for the open sandwiches

a light and delicious dinner for two

every bite is bursting with flavors :)

Wild Boar loves the grilled fish

and I love the grilled sea prawns :)

Ingredients :

a few slices of toasted bread - cut diagonally into triangle

coral lettuce - cut into wedges or 'chiffonade'cut

1 tomato - remove seeds and diced

1/4 cucumber - remove seeds and diced

1/2 red onion - diced

1 tsp of red wine vinegar or lemon juice

a few pieces of sea prawns - remove shell, devein and butterfly slit - seasoned with salt and chilli flakes

a piece of sutchi - cut into thick slices - seasoned with salt and black pepper

flavoring

a tsp of chilli flakes

a tsp dry mixed herbs

salt to taste

a tsp of black pepper

a tbsp of olive oil for grilling prawns and fish fillets

dijon mustard as spread for toast bread

Preparation:

Pan grilled sea prawns and fish fillets on medium heat.  Dish up when cooked.  Stir fry the slices of mushroom using the same pan that was used for the prawns and fish fillets , add in the flavoring ingredients . Once the mushroom is cooked, dish up .

Toast the bread till lightly browned.  Cut diagonally . Spread the toast bread with Dijon mustard. First top with layer of chiffonade lettuce, then tomato and cucumber salad, sliced mushrooms and finish with either grilled prawns or grilled fish fillets.

Enjoy !