Lamb Stew

Using French 7 hour roast leg of lamb recipe. Cooked all in the cast iron cassorole.  Low heat & cooked over the stove for 3 hours or until the meat turned soft. 

I love it when they melts in my mouth. :) 

One day, I will try to cook in the oven for 7 hours. I have tried them in restaurant, it is really yummy!! 

Ingredients: 

1 chicken stock

2 carrots - cut chucks 

1 big brown onion - cut chuncks

3 tbsp oil 

1 leg of lamb , I cut out the meat. 

100g smoked bacon cubed

5 clove of garlic 

1 tsp of herbs du Provance. Mixed herbs

1 big tomato ( optional )

Salt & pepper to taste. 

Water 

Preparation steps :

1. Heat up the pot with oil , brown onions & bacons.

2. Add in all the ingredients. Add water until it is just enough to cover the meat. Gently bring to boil & turn to low heat & cook until the meat turned soft. Add salt & pepper to taste. 

3. Serve hot. 

Bon appétit ! 

Chin's notes. 

1. Dissolve the chicken stock in some water. Before adding to the ingredients. 

2. I like to add tomatoe as it adds colour & taste to my stew. 

3. Yet to try the actual cooking method in the oven. ;) 

Tomyum Koong Seafood Otah-Otah

Was inspired by many in a cooking group. They were using Dancing Chef - Thai Seafood Sauce. But I don't have that sauce.  I tried with Hollyfarm - Original Tom Yum Koong paste.

I wrapped them up in banana leaves for the BBQ. My French friends enjoyed these little parcels very much ! :p

Here is how they were prepared. 

Ingredients:

200g white fish ( I used tilapia ) 

400g prawn meat

3 tbsp tomyum paste 

2 small eggs 

50ml coconut milk

1 red onion

1 tbsp sugar 

2 tbsp fish curry powder

A few kaffir leaves - thinly sliced

1 tbsp fish sauce 

Salt & pepper to taste

Banana leaves

Fresh chili / chili powder ( optional )

Preparation steps : 

1. Put all the ingredients into to a food processor & blend until you get a fine paste.

2. Place it on a lightly oiled banana leaf, just around the center. Wrap it & secured with toothpicks at both ends. Trim off excess banana leaf at the ends. 

3. Bake / grill until they are cooked. You can also pan fried with some oil in the pan. A few mins on each side until they are fully cooked. 

Bon appétit ! 

Chin's notes:

1. I pan fried one ( without the banana leave ) with oil to make sure the taste is good before I wrap them in banana leaves. Adjust accordingly to your preferred taste. 

2. You can also add some fresh chili if you like them spicy. ;) 

3. The other otah-otah recipe that I have tried with all the raw ingredients. http://fromchinshome.blogspot.com/2015/07/otah-otah.html

Minced Pork, Sausages & Potatoes

Trying to clear out my freezer & fridge. Need something fast & easy for dinner.  All done within 30 mins ! :) 

Ingredients: 

200g Minced pork 

10 pork Sausages - each sausages cut into 3 / bite size. 

2 Potatoes - cut chuncks 

1 tomatoes - cut chuncks 

2 clove of garlic - minced 

1 onions - cut into small pieces / slices. 

1 tbsp oyster sauces 

Cooking oil , pepper 

1/4 tsp 5 spice power

Water

Preparation steps : 

1. Heat up some oil in a wok / pot. 

2. Add in the garlic & onions, fry until fragrant then add the minced pork. Loosen the meat to remove lumps. Once that is done.

3. Add in the potatoes, carrots, tomatoes  & all the seasoning. Mix it well. 

4. Add just enough water to cover the ingredients bring to boil, put on the lid & turn the heat to low & simmer until potatoes are soft. 

5. Add in the sausages, bring to boil & serve hot with steamed white rice. 

Bon appétit ! 

Chin's notes: 

1. Sausages might be salty. Hence I did not add salt.

2. I like to use some 5 spice power to bring out the taste. 

Sweet Chili Cream Cheese Dip

I was at a farewell party in June & someone brought this dish to the party. It was an interesting combination, as an Asian I actually doubt it would taste nice. 

I was wrong... It was so delicious ( if you like cheese ), since I knew about this dish, I have been preparing it whenever I host. 

Easy & no fuss dish! 

Ingredients : 

1 block of cream cheese 

Thai sweet chili sauce

Coriander leaves 

Nachos / snack biscuits / chips 

Preparation steps: 

1. Put the block of cream cheese on a serving plate. 

2. Drizzle chili sauce over the cream cheese. 

3. Garnish with coriander leaves. 

Bon appétit ! 

Chin's notes:

1. Great as a starter or at a drinking session. 

BBQ Pineapples

Today is a perfect day for BBQ in my yard.  Put some slices of pineapples on the grills. Grilled until lightly browns on both sides. Yummy! 

Fish Pot

A dish I saw in the Hong Kong Drama Series ( 爱回家 八时入席 episode 82 ) looks simple enough & decided to give it a try ... 

There is no specify measurement to the ingredients. I roughly gauge the amount needed.  It is an easy dish and tasty. Yummy! 

Ingredients: 

5 pieces of white fish meat about 600g lightly seasoned with salt & pepper

1 onion sliced 

2 large potatoes cut chuncks 

2 tomatoes, quartered

1/4 cup of white wine 

1/4 cup of water 

Some thyme ( I used mixed herbs) 

2 tbsp cooking oil

Preparation steps :

1. Lightly sauté onions with cooking oil in a pot. Then add white wine & water.

2. Lay potatoes & tomatoes. 

3.Lay the fish & top with thyme.

4. Cover the lid, cook in low heat for 30mins. Serve hot! 

Bon appétit !! 

Chin's notes:

1. She uses cod fish cutlets but I used any white fish. I used dry gin (Heeh heeh).

2. I'm using a cast iron pot. 

Yam Rice

I love yam rice ( "orh pheang" in hockien ). Fragrant & tasty. You can eat it just like this or with some salted / pickled vegetables soup or just bak kut teh ( herbal soup ).  I first tasted orh pheang was in Butterworth, Penang in 1996.  Some colleagues brought me there to have lunch. It was served with pig's organ soup. Yum! 

Here is my attempt to try to cook the rice at home with lots of yam!! :p Recipe adapted from Rasa Malaysia. 

The ingredients

Fry all the ingredients.

Add in the seasoning & mixed well.

Mix well the fried ingredients with the rice. Start cooking in the rice cooker.

Ingredients : 

3 cups of rice washed & soaked with the usual amour of water needed to cook the rice in rice cooker. 

200g yam, clean & diced

50g dried shrimps clean

3 cloves of garlic minced 

4 shallots - thinly sliced 

1 small carrot - diced 

2 dried mushrooms - diced. 

3 tbsp vegetable oil 

Seasoning : 

1 tsp sesame oil 

3 tbsp sweet dark soya sauce 

1 tbsp oyster sauce 

2 tbsp light soya sauce 

1/2 tsp pepper 

1/2 tsp five spice powder 

1/2 tsp sugar 

Preparation steps : 

1. Clean the rice & soak in water & leave in the rice cooker.

2. Heat up the oil in the wok, add the garlic & shallots. Fry until fragrant. Add the dried shrimps, fry a little & add the dried mushrooms. Fry a little then add the carrots & finally the yam. Mix well. 

2. Add in the seasoning & mix well . Then transfer to the rice cooker & mix well. 

3. Start the cook mode on the rice cooker. After the cooking is done, mix well & serve hot. 

4. Garnish with some spring onions , fried onions & fresh chilli. 

Bon appétit ! 

Chin's note: 

1. Adjust the seasoning to your liking.

2. Here is the link to Rasa Malaysia's recipe: 

http://rasamalaysia.com/yam-rice-recipe/2/