Sweet & Sour Pineapple Meatballs to end #2014

It was three months since my last post on this blog.  I wish to extend my thousand apologies to all the readers or viewers of this blog.  Its been busy months since then......(sighing).

Today marked the last day of 2014, a year full of challenges in Malaysia.  With a complicated heart while writing this post as we Malaysians had confirmed a bad news on an airline tragedy happened three days ago.  But life still have to goes on, my writing has to go on, this blog has to go on.... Let's say good-bye to 2014 and welcome 2015 with a positive heart.

This recipe is an idea to welcome the new year, perfect for home parties or gatherings.  Sweet and Sour Pineapple Meatballs is the name.  You can cook it as a dish or you can make it as a snack or bites food if you are organizing any parties, potluck or gatherings.

I choose to use minced pork meat but you have a choice of beef or mixture of both.  I prefer to deep fried the meatballs before I combine them with the sauce.  As for the pineapple I used sweetened can pineapple chunks.  Please don't throw away the juice, as I will use it as one of the sauce ingredients.

Let's get into the kitchen and I will show you how make this yummy meatballs.  

Me and my hubby (the photographer behind this blog) would like to take this opportunity to wish all our readers a great Happy 2015!  We will come back in some new changes of the features of this blog, stay tune!

Steamed Eggplant Stuffed with Minced Meat

Finally,  I have time to sit down to share another recipe on this blog.  It's took me more than three weeks to complete this post.  We (me and my hubby) were too involve with some apartment management issues, where we are staying now.

Today I am sharing a healthier way of cooking eggplant.  Normally when we Asian want to match eggplant and minced meat, you will thought of to stir-fry them, that same goes to me.  But this round I choose to steam the eggplant.  Steaming is always the best way to retain the nutrients in the food especially vegetables and is proven with this recipe.  You will able to taste the wholesome of the eggplant once you take a bite on it.  What more is, it goes perfectly with some savory minced meat on top.  Amazing!

You have an option the minced meat to add on with some spiciness on it.  For me, I prefer it to be spicy, so I have some bird eye chilies and also a little of chili paste to blend with the fermented sweet beans.  You will love the aroma that came from this two ingredients.  You have a choice of pork or chicken for the minced meat.     

So, can you imagine how delicious of this recipe?

Rice-Cooker Yam Rice (Taro Rice)

I been craving for Yam Rice since I have moved to Sabah.  That is why triggered me to try on this recipe.  Yam is also know as taro by some of you but in Malaysia, its always called as Yam.

The first time when I tried yam rice was about 20 years ago, at a "Bak-kut-teh" (Bak-kut-teh is a Chinese Pork Herbs soup popularly served in Malaysia and Singapore) stall located somewhere in Kuala Lumpur.  They served yam rice with "Bak-kut-teh" instead of white plain rice.  I fell in love with it straight-away. It tasted so good and I can't forget the aromatic of the rice as it cooked under charcoal stove and served in a small clay pot....yummy!

I do not have a charcoal stove but I have a rice-cooker, which  also can make the same recipe too.  It is so much easier.

In case you are not sure what kind of "yam" I am referring to in this recipe, it also known as "taro" and does not refer to sweet potato as some of the countries do.

Homemade Chilled Soy Bean Pudding

Weather is getting hot lately, so, what's your preferred cold food or dessert in your mind for this summer?

I am making Chilled Soy Bean Pudding!  This Soy Bean Pudding of course is not the same with the traditional of soy bean-curd which steps of making are more complicated.  I believes this is the most easiest way of making similar taste of soy bean-curd.

You just need 5 ingredients to make this pudding and about half an hour to prepare before you send them to chill in the fridge for at least 2 to 3 hours.  Then, you will able to taste this soothing pudding during this hot summer.

This recipe is not only suitable for every one at home but also is a great idea to serve at your home party or gathering.  You may just take it plain or serve some fresh fruits like strawberries or easier way, you may just open a can of cocktail mix fruits like what I did!  

Stewed Pork with Radish and Carrot

Stewed dishes are always my favorites but it could be time-consuming for those who are with tight schedule every day.  You may choose a pressure cooker to cut down the cooking time but for me, I still enjoy the traditional way.

This is my first time using radish to make a dish.  Normally, radish will only in my mind when I wish to make some comforting soup.  It could be radish originally has a mild bitter taste that had caused me has no confidence to try.  Not until I have thought of this recipe and am very satisfied with the result.  I used pork shoulder to blend with the radish and also carrot to enhance the colorful of this dish and not forgotten my favorite fried tofu or tofu puff which is optional if you do not like it.  

I love all the four main ingredients in this dish especially the tenderness of the pork meat that caramelized with the soy sauce and other seasoning ingredients. It goes perfect with plain noodles or white rice.  

Fried Vegetarian (meat-less) Wontons

Fried wantons are always our favorite snacks especially when its still hot and crunchy....who can resists it?

Normally, they are stuffed with meat inside, it could be in minced chicken or pork meat.  For those who are vegetarian will miss this wonderful snacks if we don't come out something to suits them.

My vegetarian recipe for these wantons fillings are consists of mashed potatoes, tofu, mushrooms, carrots and celery.  I know some of you would not like the taste celery in this, you may substitute with water chestnuts if you wish to have some crunchy feelings or you may use some scallions if you don't.  I even pan-fried the mushrooms before I mixed with other ingredients because I love those mushrooms aromatic smell.

This recipe is perfect for home party, tea-break or even as snacks as it's so easy to prepare.

Hope this easy to make recipe will able to satisfied all of you.  Trust me, it's really simple and you will love it so much!

Apple Lean Pork Soup

First at all, I would like to apologize to all my followers and readers of this blog for my long absent.  Guess most of you must be wondering what had happened to me.  No worries, nothing serious, is just that I was busy preparing for my wedding reception which was held on May 17th.  You definitely don't want to know the stress that I have gone through and am glad is all over now! The worse is the both my husband and me were down with a very very bad flu and cough....and these lasted for more than 2 weeks and only yesterday, I am back with some energy to get back to the kitchen.

The first dish that was in my mind is soup......a warm and nourishing soup for both of us who are still not fully recovered yet.  And here is the recipe of this soup that I wish to share with all of you - Apple Lean Pork Soup, a Chinese style healthy soup that had special nourishes your lungs and good of expelling your phlegm problem which is just perfect for both of us at this juncture of time.

My Apple Lean Pork Soup not only using apple and lean pork but there are others important ingredients that's made this soup so perfect.  Among them are dried scallop, snow fungus, lily bulbs, red lotus seeds and dried tangerine peel.  Let me share what are these ingredients good in.  Apples are well-known in promoting your digestion, snow fungus is good in nourishes yin and moistens the dryness in your body system.  Whereby, dried scallop is good for your liver and kidneys.  Overall this soup is suitable for those who often lack of rest, suffers from cold and chronic cough.  Try it out and you won't regret, that what I can promise you!