Your own tomato soup

This is from a can of Tomato soup you can easily find in the supermarket. Heat the soup in a pot, add some parmesan cheese (flaky), some water because  it is too sweet and condensed, and sprinkle some chopped scallion from my backyard, and  lastly some ground black pepper. Love having it in a cold foggy day.

Warm Chicken Sandwich

I have an old English muffin like Ciabata bread in my freezer for months. I was thinking of making a warm sandwich which I always like. I know I have a small piece of chicken breast being thawed overnight in the fridge, some sliced red onion, a whole avocado, shredded morzarella cheese, a bar of aged chedar cheese, backyard fresh parsley and red leaf lettuce. Sounds good right? It was the most fun cooking I have done, esembling, stacking and pressing down the sandwich.

Method:-

1. Preheat the oven at 375 F. Drizzle extra virgin olive oil on the bread each side, sprinkle with salt and black pepper and bake it for 2-3 min.
2. Place the cheddar cheese first on the bread. Then the sliced avocado and 1st portion of chopped parsley. Then to cover it with shredded morzarella cheese. Squeeze some ketchup on top of the cheese on one side of the bread. Put back in the oven and bake for another 3 min until the cheese melted.
3. Chicken breast have to be seared with seasoning salt or garlic salt and olive oil on a pan on a medium high heat until each side little brown, say 3 min each side. At the same time, stir fried the sliced red onion and 2nd portion of chopped parsley in the same pan with the chicken until little brown.
4. Once done the chicken and onion, lay them on a plate to serve or starting to put all together to make a sandwich.

"Selamat Mencuba"

Light Tofu Sandwich

Honestly, I seldom make sandwiches cos I dont like cold sandwich. Therefore, I am making warm hot sandwich with warm tofu and cheese. I have a one foot long white roll in the freezer for more than a month. That triggers me to make a warm sandwich, quick and easy for lunch. Oh, Gregg loves it.... yummy. Good to eat with a hot warm tomato soup.

Ingredients:-

Shredded Morzarella Cheese - your choice
Romaine Lettuce - handful
Shallot - slice one whole shallot
Firm Tofu - few slices
BBQ sauce & Ketchup
Garlic salt & Black Pepper

Method:-

1. Preheat the oven at 375.
2. Brush olive oil on the both side of the roll (split open) and sprinkle very little garlic salt and ground black pepper on top. Prebake for 2 min. Then take out.
3. Lay some morzarella cheese on the prebake roll, add *sauteed tofu and shallots, add chopped lettuce and cover again with more morzarella cheese on top. Squeeze some ketchup and bbq sauce on top.
4. Bake until the cheese melted, say about 3-5 min. Serve hot.

* To sautee tofu and shallots, just add little oil on a pan and sprinkle some black pepper. Stir for 2-3 min on medium heat.

Peas Fried Rice

I have leftover steamed jasmine rice in the fridge, also some close to wilted green onions. Therefore, I have to make some fried rice which is good with some salad, for light and quick lunch. In Bahasa Malaysia is "Bendil Goreng Nasi". It is so simple and quick, heat the non-stick pan or pot on medium to high, put 2-3 tablespoon of cooking oil, fried 2 whole eggs. Remember to stir the eggs until small pieces. Add a teaspoon of chopped ginger to compliment the eggs. After about 30 seconds of stirring, add a teaspoon of fish sauce and stir a little. Next, pour in 2 cups of leftover jasmine rice and 2 teaspoon of white pepper salt (you can get it at the Asian market). Stir and stir until the lumps from the cold rice break free (say about 2 minutes). Add in the chopped green onions (2 Tablespoon) and 2 handful of Sugar peas into the hot fried rice, add another 1 Tablespoon of Fish sauce to taste. Serve for 2.

"Selamat Mencuba"

Red White and Green Salad

I bought a hicama from Chinatown the other day and want to make it into salad. So I learnt from Chef Neda about dicing them and put on a dish to make it look pretty. I love playing with colors as well, so I used Sugar Peas, Mint Leaves and Red Bell Peppers as the main ingredients. Dressing is very simple, just fish sauce, garlic salt and some apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice).

Ingredients:-

Hicama - 1 to 1.5 cup

Red Bell Pepper - 1/2 cup

Sugar Peas - 1/3

Fresh Mint leaves - 2 Tablespoon

Minced Shallot - 1 whole

Dressing:-

1 Tablespoon  Fish sauce
2 Tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar or Lemon juice
1 Teaspoon Garlic Salt
1 to 2 Tablespoon Olive Oil

Tips: Remember that you can change the amount of the ingredients to suit you taste.

"Selamat Mencuba"

Winter Belly Soup

It is Winter, so I have the craving for something hot and soothing which gives the heat to my body. For Chinese, soup is most important dish of the day. I remember my Mom used to make wintermelon with pork belly, add some chinese dates which gives a little sweetness into the hot soothing soup. But now, my version is the Pork Belly with Garlic, Ginger, Shallots and Dried Mushrooms soup. Slow cooker is the best cookware to make this soup.


Ingredients:-

2 lb or 1 slap Pork Belly - cut into chuck
2 whole Garlic - smashed and peeled
4 whole Shallot - peeled
5 slices Young Ginger
1 handful Dried Mushrooms - soften and cut (look at the Stew Mushroom recipe)
1 Tablespoon whole white peppercorn
Water - enough to cover the whole ingredients
Salt (Optional)

Method:-

Put all the ingredients together in a slow cooker at low heat. Should be done at least 6 hours.
Garnish with fresh cilantro. Add salt to taste (optional).

Healthy stewed Mushrooms

I remember my Mom loves to cook the dried shitake mushrooms with meat and vegetables. It tastes so good with steamed Jasmine rice. For chinese, dried mushrooms are a delicacy and luxurious food. We prepared them in many ways, but this time, it is my way!  You can actually get those dried mushrooms at the Asian market. You can keep these mushrooms for a long long time, in cool area cabinet or freezer. Anyway, you have to soften the dried mushrooms in a hot boiling water, for a faster process. Or else, you have to soak the mushrooms over nite with hot water. I made stewed dried mushrooms this time, it is comparable with other comfort food in the States, meaning easy to prepare and can eat for few days but Healthy, Easy and Delicious! Just throw everything into a pot and let it cook until the sauce is reduced to little thick. Lets get started!

Ingredients:-

2 handful Dried Mushrooms - soften and cut
5 slice Young ginger
2 Chilis (can substitute with dried chilis)
Half Onions - chunk
4 Whole garlic - peeled and smashed
1 cup Soy sauce
1/4 cup Cooking wine
2 Tablespoon Sugar
3 cups water (from soaking the mushrooms)

Method:-

1. Put all the ingredients in a non-stick pot. Dont cover! and cook on medium heat.
2. Let it boil and simmer until you can see the sauce is thickening, not too thick tho. Some gravy for yuor steamed rice.

Ps: you can use slow cooker, but use less water.

"Selamat Mencuba"