Sweet Potatoes & Glutinous Rice Balls served with Coconut Milk

26 June 2012 marked the day of my new beginning of life.  Is my marriage registration day with Simon and from here we begin our new chapter of life. 

To begin this sweet moment and sweet memory, I am inspired to make do with the Chinese traditional way of dessert – Glutinous Rice Ball or “Tang Yuan” in Chinese. 

“Tang Yuan” is a kind of Chinese dessert made from glutinous rice flour that mixed with a small amount of water to form balls and is then normally cooked and served in boiling sweetened syrup.  “Tang Yuan” also well-known with its traditionally eaten together with the family by the Chinese families.  The round shape of the glutinous balls symbolizes togetherness.  It won’t be left out during the major Chinese Festivals, for example the Chinese New Year eve, Winter Solstice, etc and of course it will also serve on the wedding days.

To make it out of the ordinary, I have added sweet potatoes and also the some different colors on the rice balls to make it brighter and tastier.  This is my first experience to serve it with coconut milk instead of the traditional way with sugary syrup.  To my surprise its churn out great!

This is my first dessert recipe which I shared on my blog and I hope this dessert will bring you back to the “sweetest” moment of life too!

Macaroni Meat Ball Soup

Curry Fish with Mix Vegetables #SundaySupper

Happy Father’s Day to all macho Daddies!

I feel extremely excited as this is my first posting for the #SundaySupper with a Special theme – Perfect #Sunday Supper Father’s Day Menu!

Origin from a country that rich of varieties of cultures from the mix races of Malays, Chinese, Indians, etc - we are always explored to other races signature dishes or menus especially spicy food.  Curry is one of them and become one of my dad’s favorites too!  As the chef at home, my mom always explores her cooking skill with different type of curry.  Curry fish is one of it and remember my Dad used to mix the curry gravy with his white rice.  Even though he has left us when I was 18 but is still fresh in my mind how delicious it when Dad feed me with a spoon of rice mixed with curry gravy when I was as young as 5-years old, my first attempt on spicy curry.   From there onwards, I also have a special “attractions” on curry too!  Thanks to my Dad for discovering me to such a wonderful dish.  I Love You, Pa!

In Malaysia, Fish Head Curry is one of the popular dishes but I prefer to cook with the fish body instead of the head onlyJ.  Red snapper or Malaysian literally name it as “Red Fish” is my choice for this recipe.  To enhance the taste of the fish, I marinate and fry it before I add it into the curry.  Of course, I won’t forget to add in with some assorted vegetables.  I hope you will like it too!

Crunchy Mixed Nuts Cake

This recipe is special meant for those who do not like creamy type of cakes and I am one of them J !  Munching nuts could be an additive but how would it taste if we added in a cake? 

I have chosen walnuts, almonds and pistachios to blend in with butter base cake. 

Why these 3 types of nuts?  Walnuts – one of the best plant sources of protein, rich in fiber too.  It bring together with almonds that are lower in saturated fat and contain many other protective nutrients.  How can we miss out pistachios for its delicious and its color to brighten up your cake?

You will love the combination – the crunchy nuts with the butter base that comes along with some coffee essence and chocolate milk.  It’s definitely a best choice for tea time.  Trust me, when you have done with the first piece, you certainly will look for the second piece.

It is a rather simple recipe and an easy home-made cake.  I am sure you will like it.  I have to go for my tea break now! 

Ingredients

(A)

150g butter

150g brown sugar

3 eggs

(B)

150g high protein flour

50g self-raising flour

100g chocolate milk

1 tsp coffee essence

(C)

50g walnut

50g almond

50g pistachio

(Toast and chop)

Directions

• Preheat oven
• Beat butter and sugar till whitened.
• Add eggs – one after another, combine the mixture with first egg before adding the second and the third egg. Beat well.
• Pour in Ingredients (B) and continue to beat until well-blended.
• Lastly, add in Ingredients (C) or mixed nuts.
• Pour the batter into a greased tray.
• Bake at 170◦C for 40 minutes or till it cooked.

Steam Dark Soy Sauce Sesame Chicken Mushroom Rice

Even though I have missed this weekend #SundaySupper with the theme of “Celebrating Family Heritage”, but it has brought me to those day’s sweet memories, where all family members used to enjoy the cook from the ‘chef’ of the house – our beloved late mother.

Suddenly, I have this thought of dish that she used to cook for us and she described it as “easy & simple making” recipe that save time and steps.  I really missed it so much as I didn’t have a chance to taste the same after she had left us.

This is a simple recipe which is suitable for all those busy mommies out there.  I have changed the recipe from normal white rice to brown rice, where I am a regular for brown rice.  Surprisingly, it turns out great with dark soy sauce and sesame oil chicken that stir-fried with the mixture of dried mushrooms and button mushrooms.  You may add-in a splash of Chinese wine (Shao-Xing wine) to enhance the taste.

This dish is so high on taste and low on effort that it has become a favorite to me and my husband now.

Ingredients

2 cups of brown rice, washed & soaked for half-an-hour

½ of a chicken, chopped into small pieces

8-10 slices of ginger

8 medium size of dried mushrooms, soaked until soft, then cut 1 to 4 pieces

1 can of button mushrooms (350gm), cut into half size

2 tbsp of cooking oil

Seasoning (chicken):

4 tbsp of dark soy sauce

2 tbsp of normal soy sauce

1 tbsp of oyster sauce

3 tbsp of sesame oil

2 tsp of sugar

(Marinate chicken for at least 20 minutes)

A splash of Chinese wine (Shao-Xing wine) - optional

Directions

• Heat oil in a wok until it turns hot
• Add in ginger until its turn brownish
• Add in the marinated chicken and start to toss
• Add in the 2 types of mushrooms and splash in the Chinese wine (Shao-Xing Wine) then continue to toss for another 10 minutes.
• Remove from wok.
• Prepare rice with water in a tray to be placed in the wok or steamer to start steaming.
• After about 10-15 minutes of steaming or it’s has half-cooked, used a fork to loosen-up the rice.
• Pour in the chicken with mushrooms together with all gravy on top of the rice and continue to steam about 20 minutes or until it is cooked.

Sliced ginger

Seasoned Chicken

Soaked & cut dried mushrooms

Button mushrooms - cut into half size

Add in seasoned chickens and toss

Half-cooked dark soy sauce chicken with mushrooms

To prepare rice in a tray to steam

Steam Chicken Rice is ready