Malaysian/ Singaporean Chicken Curry Puffs

Tea snack.....is homemade Malaysian/ Singaporean Chicken Potato Curry Puffs and Gryphon Coba Cabana Tea . Curry puffs packed with tasty curry potato and chicken meat fillings and a cup of Coba Cabana Tea which is a deliciously tangy marriage of juicy tropical fruits plus organic lemon Myrtle,basil and mint makes our afternoon tea time worth waiting for. Hubby and I prefer the original curry puffs and not the spiral type of pastry. Anyway, I googled and found this recipe by YouTuber The Meatmen Channel.  Watch the step by step tutorial on making this curry puffs from scratch and I knew I had to try it as it looks good. No regrets, it is indeed very good, very near to the original one except it uses butter instead of margarine. The fillings , I omitted the egg as I will be making a batch for freezing. During this pandemic time, hubby tends to be hungry at odd hours ,so having frozen curry puffs will serve as emergency food.

the puff pastry turns out crunchy and delicious for this curry puff

and it gives a very nice golden color after deep frying

I made a half recipe and managed to get 9 pieces. Fried 4 pieces and kept the rest in freezer

the dough is easy to handle thus making wrapping up easy

it is best to prepare the fillings a day earlier so as not to tire one out

Click link below for the tutorial video

on how to make these delectable curry puffs

https://youtu.be/rTpA429Hwgk

Curry Laksa

After I discovered Tean's Gourmet Curry Paste being available at Aeon Supermarket, I was super happy and have stocked up a few of their paste for different dishes. I find it so convenient to have these ready to cook paste in my pantry cupboard. Especially during this pandemic lockdown. Today, I cooked Curry Laksa for our lunch.  With just a few steps and a pot of delicious aromatic curry laksa is ready to be served with the Ottogi Ramensari . The fried tofu puffs, fish balls and baby octopus in the curry is to die for. Blanched homesprouted beansprouts and longbeans and hard boiled eggs as garnishing.  Prawns and poached chicken meat can be added as garnishing too.

I served my homemade XO sauce to go with the curry laksa, believe me it is so good

fish balls, beansprouts,longbeans and hard boiled eggs as garnishings

It taste as good as it looks

my daughter recommend me this brand

and since having tasted the first curry chicken, I have stocked up a few varieties of their ready to cook paste

👍

Homemade English Muffin Sandwiches

Today is Saturday and the night before the hubby asked to make English Muffins, so I planned out what time to start making the dough so that we can have them for lunch. Woke up early, made the dough and let it proof for an hour. While waiting, I get the sandwich fillings ready. Took out the frozen salmon, chicken wings. Once they thawed I pan fried then in cast iron pan. Wings goes into the mini oven for roasting. Once the meatand salmon fillings are done, I put them into microwave oven to keep warm. Time the dough is ready for cooking in the non stick pan. Divided the dough into 6 portions and let it rise ,say another 20 mins. Dust the risen muffin dough with semolina flour or cornmeal. I used semolina flour since cornmeal is not available in my pantry. Cooked them 4 mins on each side with lid on. They puffed up so beautifully and lunch was well worth waiting. Sliced some tomato and microwaved some sweet corn to go with the muffin sandwiches. Hubby fried eggs Sunny side up and some leftover luncheon meat.  For the English muffins , you can eat them with just butter  and jam spread on . But for my hubby, being a meat eater, he wants some meat and I prepare a few choices for him. For me it is just salmon and egg and tomato...I am happy with my Muffin Sandwich. I made a  mushroom soup out of Campbell's, a cheat soup 😂 English Muffin recipe is taken from You Tuber @Apron. link is placed at the end of post.

 this is most delicious English Muffin Sandwich I have prepared thus far

the texture of the English Muffin is soft, well puffed up and easy to make too

we can eat them with just butter and jam spread on

this is what I prepared for my hubby to go with the English Muffin Sandwich

one load of the recipe, we can get 6 medium sized muffins

beautifully browned and they puffed up so well, perfect for sandwiches

well risen and proofed dough

makes me happy, ready to go into the non stick pan

6 pieces of muffin dough balls

Divide dough into 6 equal portion and roll into  round balls

I find this part very therapeutic, using the Danish Whisk makes it even easier

my most helpful gadget I ever bought during this pandemic time

Recipe link to making these beautiful English Muffins

https://youtu.be/edgjyB4vPJg

Chicken Feet With Chilli Oil Dressing

I am a fan of chicken feet. Many people will find it a gross to eat them but to me it is a delicacy. I was looking for new ideas how to cook them . I came upon this YouTubers and I love how he prepared them. He even teaches how to deboned the feet. I tweaked it a bit by adding less soy sauce and replace vinegar with black vinegar instead . This dish serves as a side dish or appetizer. Can be served chilled or warm. A keeper for sure. Recipe link is at the end of this post.

this is the most delicious delicacy I have made of chicken feet

flavours packed and the springy texture

to die for

follow the you tube video step by step

on how to debone the feet, easy 

soak the cooked feet in ice cold water 

for a more springy texture

Recipe link

https://youtu.be/UzXbKiowt4c

Salmon Teppanyaki Rice

Yesterday was Father's Day and I served my wonderful father of my kids to a homecooked Salmon Teppanyaki Rice which he has been craving for since this Covid 19 pandemic started. We had planned to travel to Kuala Lumpur more often to our favourite place for this Japanese Iron pan grilled Salmon Rice. But the pandemic has made us shelved the idea and thus I have to try replicating it by cooking on cast iron pan. I am very happy with the result. One of the most important ingredient is the crispy garlic slices. And grilling the salmon on the iron pan makes a whole lot of difference. The salmon fillet is juicy, crisps on the outside and moist inside with the salmon flavour trapped in. I stir fried the homesprouted beansprouts on the hot iron pan. Wow, it is truly authentic in taste and look. I am happy I have served the hubby what he has been craving for all this while. And the crispy garlic slices make it more delicious. A well deserved dinner for my hubby, the Meat Eater, the Wild Boar and the wonderful  Father of my kids.

 

cooked and served in the cast iron pan Lodge that I love very muchie. I have been using this pan for 5 years already.

the beansprouts are homesprouted, so proud of myself 😆

the beansprouts are crunchy and tasty when cooked on the cast iron pan

one of the most important ingredient is the crispy garlic slices...makes the beansprouts more tasty and fragrant

one of the best thing I learned from this pandemic stay home project is sprouting my own beansprouts.

Hope you guys enjoyed your Father's Day with your loved one at home.

I know I had fun making this Salmon Teppanyaki Rice for my beloved hubby

Cajun Spice Roast Chicken

Oven is another important gadget in my kitchen. I have 3 😂 for different purposes. Tonight simple oven roast half a small hen with Cajun Spice seasoning rubs. Smell so good. I just have to prepare an apple salad and dinner is served.  My apple salad consists of NZ Pink Lady apple, Japanese cucumber, carrots and raw red onions that has been pickled with Japanese vinegar. Salad dressing is the Kewpie Roasted Sesame Seed with Yuzu flavoured dressing.

Wings are my favourite part of the chicken

Rub Cajun Spice seasoning and salt onto the chicken and let it rest for 30 minutes. Place the chicken on a rack over a tray. Roast in preheated oven @200c for 40 mins. Increase to @250c  and roast for another 10 minutes. Once it is cooked and skin is crispy and browned. Take out and the roast chicken rest for 20mins before cutting them. Serve with salad of your choice.

Enjoy!

Seafood Soup

Today's menu

Brunch - Ramensari With Seafood Soup

Dinner - Rice With Seafood Broth

Just finished cooking a pot of seafood broth using the remnants of salmon belly and bones, threw in pickled mustard greens, leeks, tomato ,ginger . Last add in the baby octopus and a generous splash of Chinese cooking wine. A savoury tasty seafood soup for brunch and dinner.

ingredients used for cooking 

the Seafood Soup

Recipe:

Ingredients

Salmon Belly & Salmon Bones or you can use any types of fish head.

6 pieces Baby Octopus

A small knob of ginger - julienned

Pickled Mustard Greens (hum Choy)

2 Tomatoes- cut into wedges

1stalk leeks - sliced

1000 ml water

1/4cup Chinese cooking wine

Salt to taste

1tbsp olive oil

Method:

Heat up oil in soup pot, sautee the ginger till fragrant, add in the fish bone, and salmon belly or if using fish head and fry till cooked, add in pickled mustard greens and stir fry for another 20 mins ,add in water and simmer over medium low heat for another 20 mins. Once the soup boils, add in leeks and tomato wedges and continue to simmer for another 10 mins. Add in the baby octopus and once the octopus are cooked, add in salt to taste. Give it a quick boil....off heat and add in the Chinese cooking wine. This seafood soup can be a stand alone soup served with rice or as a soup base for any noodles. When serving,  garnish soup with  Sawtooth Coriander or Spring onions and Chinese Coriander

Enjoy!

Silky Tofu With Shimeji Mushroom

Simple and easy to whip up meatless dish. Just this one dish is good enough. So today we are off meat 😜 It is good to eat meatless at least once a week. A mini detox hehehe and slowly twice a week. This is a very easy to prepare dish. I used silky tofu and fresh Shimeji Mushroom. A tasty mushroom and oyster sauce poured over the bland steamed tofu. A keeper for sure.

Recipe:

1 block of silky tofu

1 bunch of Shimeji Mushrooms 

Sauce ingredients

1/2 tbsp Oyster sauce

A drop of thick soy sauce

1/8 tsp Maggi Chicken powder

1/2 tbsp chopped garlic

1tbsp olive oil

1 cup water

( Combined all sauce ingredients above in a bowl)

Thickening - 1/2 tsp corn starch + 1 tbsp water

Method:

Place silky tofu in a deep plate. Steam silky tofu in boiling steamer for 5 mins. Off heat. Take out the tofu and pour off excess water.

Heat up olive oil in a pan, saute chopped garlic till fragrant, add in the Shimeji Mushroom, stir fry till mushroom have soften. Add in sauce solution and simmer till sauce is boiling. Once boiled add in thickening. Once sauce has thicken, pour over the steamed tofu and served hot. 

Enjoy!

Turmeric Leaf Wrapped Chicken

I was inspired by Sonia of Nasi Lemak Lover when her insta stories pops up with her using turmeric leaves to wrap her chicken pieces and deep frying them. I knew I had to try it out and being the lazy me, of course I used the oven instead. I wrapped the marinated chicken pieces with four big turmeric leaves from my lil space 🤣. Roasted the parcel  for 40 mins. The aroma from the leaves wafting out of the oven is truly wonderful. Took away the daily depressing news of increasing Covid deaths for a while, we just wanna inhale in the wonderful aroma while we can. Stay safe and eat healthy. 

this is one way to wrap meat and roast them ...turmeric leaves gives a distinctive aroma to the meat as it is roasting in the oven

I used bamboo skewers to hold the leaves together

Oiled the bottom and top leaves before placing the marinated pieces of meat on it,to crisp up the meat further while it is roasting in the oven.

Recipe

Ingredients

1/2 chicken cut into small pieces

4 large turmeric leaves

Olive oil to grease the leaves

Marinade ingredients

1/2 tbsp Turmeric powder

1tbspSugar

2 tsp Salt

4 shallots chopped

2 Kaffir lime leaves - sliced thinly

Method:

Marinate chicken pieces with marinade ingredients for at least 2 hours. Greased 4 large turmeric leaves with olive oil. Arrange the leaves horizontal and vertical like a cross on roasting rack placed over a tray. Arrange the marinated chicken pieces on the greased leaves. Wrapped the chicken pieces with the leaves using bamboo skewers to hold the leaves together as shown in the pic above. Preheat oven to @200c , roast the wrapped parcel for 40 mins. Serve hot .

Enjoy!

Korean Fluffy Homemade Bread

Yay, I managed pull this off... Korean fluffy bread using Maangchi's recipe. Maangchi called it Pandemic Bread 🤣 I halved the recipe and baked in Pullman tin. The aroma of freshly baked bread is so addictive and good for my soul. I love homemade bread. No preservatives and no softener. My #stayhomeandstaysafe 2nd project is accomplished.  Soft fluffy bread which the hubby approves.

I like the texture, soft and fluffy

Easy to slice once it has cooled down

I use this Bali bought food basket to cool all my bread after baking, has a slide net cover

I used a Pullman tin so that

we can have sandwich bread

I find these webbing patterns of gluten strands very appealing

Recipe link click here