Jack is Hungry!

One of the food I missed the most while studying abroad was this dish made by my grandma. As a kid, we would pick out all the sausages and left the adults with a plate of leeks. Leek is one of those vegetables that I learnt to eat as I grow up. Just like eggplants and bittergourds. So I decided to recreate the “must-have” dish during chinese new year. The smell was so nostalgic; it brings back memories.

Ingredients

3 stalk Leek stem, sliced
4 Chinese Sausage, sliced
1 clove Garlic, minced
Salt
Oil

Heat up the wok and add oil. Stir fry the chinese sausages until they are soft. Take them out, set them aside. Add your minced garlic to the remaining oil. When the garlic turns golden (DON’T BURN IT!), add the leeks and stir fry them until they are soft. Then add the sausages and a pinch of salt. Serve!

Food served during Chinese New Year’s eve feast has rich symbolic meaning. The dishes definitely include fish and chicken, since their Chinese names are homonyms for “abundance” and “good luck”. Leek got the meaning of “increasing wealth”, so dishes made with leek are eaten to symbolize good wealth for the coming year.

Besides representing the increasing wealth, leek also got a meaning of “justice and pure”. In Chinese we called it Yi Qing Er Bai. Back in the days, the leek was hung on the door of the wrongly accused in order to gain the attention of the magistrate.

Popularity: 13% [?]

Glutinous rice is a type of short-grained Asian rice that is especially sticky when cooked. Many Asian desserts use this rice as a base and often, the rice is mildly sweetened during the cooking process, in which case it may be served as “sweet rice”. The rice can also be used to make sushi, savory rice balls, pressed rice cakes, and mochi. Some consumers eat glutinous rice just like regular rice while others prefer to eat it in smaller portions.

Black glutinous rice is unevenly colored and look like wild rice when dry. With its rich, nutty flavor, the black rice holds a distinct difference to white glutinous rice. According to Chinese legend, this wholegrain rice with high amounts of iron was reserved exclusively for the emperor and particularly good for blood circulation!

Ingredients

2 cups Black glutinous rice
6-8 cups Water
2 Screwpine (Pandan) leaves
3 heaped tablespoon sugar or Gula Melaka to taste
1 teaspoon Salt
1 cup Coconut milk (satan)

This rice pudding is made from black glutinous rice sweetened with brown palm sugar. A surrey of creamy coconut milk is swirled over the rice pudding before it is served.

1. Soak glutinous rice for 2-3 hours or overnight if time permits.
2. Wash the rice and add it into the pot of water with pandan leaves. Cook over medium heat and constantly stirring to avoid burn at bottom.
3.  Add sugar and salt when the rice is soft and mushy.
4. Serve warm with spoonful of coconut milk on top!

Popularity: 10% [?]

A popular dish from Singapore and Malaysia, Wat Tan Hor, also known as Chow Hor Fun, is made of flat rice noodles with meat, fishcake, prawns, squids and veggie served in starchy egg gravy.
I remember me and my sisters used to stay up until midnight just for my Dad to come home with Wat Tan Hor wrapped in Opeh leaf. The big prawns and the meat, the tasty gravy and the good wok hei from Fatty Weng..

Ingredients

400gm Flat noodles (Hor Fun)
100gm Pork, sliced
100gm Fishcake, sliced
10 Prawns
50gm Green mustard (Choy Sum)
2 cups Chicken stock OR 2 cups water with 2 chicken stock cubes
1 Egg, beaten
1 tablespoon Dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon Light soy sauce
1 tablespoon Sesame oil
3 tablespoon Cornflour to 2 tablespoon water
Salt and pepper to taste

Methods

1. Heat up wok and add oil.  Add Hor Fun and stir fry quickly with dark soy sauce and light soy sauce.
2. Remove Hor Fun from heat and set aside.
3. Heat up the wok and add oil. Fry sliced pork, prawns and fish cake.
4. Add in chicken stock or water with chicken stock cubes.
5. When come to a boil, add green mustard.
6. Add cornflour mixture to thicken the gravy
7. Switch off heat, slowly add in egg while constantly stirring the gravy.

Popularity: 100% [?]

Because these prawns were so good, I was only reminded to photograph this dish when we were about to finish it! Ketchup prawns on hot steamy rice… You can’t go wrong with this.

Ingredients

10 Prawns
Corn flour to coat prawns
2 cups Oil
1 clove Ginger
1 small Tomato cut into chunks
1/4 cup Tomato Sauce (Ketchup) with 25ml water
1 teaspoon Sugar
1 teaspoon Black vinegar

Methods

1. Heat oil in wok and deep fry prawns coated with corn flour.
2. When cooked, drain prawns on a paper towel.
3. Heat up wok, add 1/2 teaspoon of oil and fry garlic till fragrant.
4. Add prawns and tomatoes, stir fry for half a minute before adding the ketchup mixture.
5. Add sugar and vinegar and stir fry until the sauce bubbles.

Popularity: 32% [?]

Ingredients

250gm Caster sugar
185gm Butter
185gm Chocolate
1 tablespoon Vanilla extract
3 large Eggs
110gm Plain flour
150gm Walnuts, chopped (optional)

Methods

1. Preheat oven to 160°C and line baking tray with parchment.
2. Melt chocolate and butter using a bain marie.
3. Whisk eggs, sugar and vanilla extract together.
4. Fold in cooled chocolate and add flour and walnuts.
5. Mix well and bake for 20-30 minutes.

Popularity: 50% [?]

Ingredients A

200g Flour
150g Corn flakes
1 tablespoon Milk powder
1/2 teaspoon Baking powder

Ingredients B

300g Butter
150g Castor sugar
2 Egg yolks

Method

1. Mix well all Ingredients A. Beat butter and castor sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add in egg yolks and mix well, then pour in ingredients A and mix evenly.
3. Spoon the batter into the paper cups, then place it into the baking tray and bake in a preheated oven at 150°C  for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Popularity: 53% [?]

Mousse au chocolat, translate to “foamy chocolate”, is a classy finish to any formal meal, and is often offered at high-end restaurants and banquets. Its consistency is different from pudding due to the concentration of cream.

This one is for all of the chocoholics. Simply sophisticated, indulgent and irresistible!

Ingredients

200gm Dark chocolate
100gm Milk chocolate
3 Eggs
1/4 cup Caster sugar
1 tablespoon Cocoa powder
300gm Thickened cream
Chocolate shavings

Methods

1. Melt chocolates using a bain marie.
2. Beat eggs and caster sugar until mixture is pale and doubled in volume; approximately 5 minutes.
3. Fold in cooled chocolate and sifted cocoa powder.
4. Whipped thickened cream until it forms a soft peak. Do not overwhipped.
5. Fold the whipped cream into the chocolate mixture.  Add chocolate shavings into the mixture for the extra crunch.
6. Spoon the mixture into serving cups and chilled for at least an hour. Top with extra whipped cream or shavings/cocoa powder to serve.

Popularity: 51% [?]

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Milk
5 Bay leaves
1 tablespoon Black peppercorn
425g Canned tuna, in brine
200g Pasta

60g Butter
1 Onion, chopped
1 Celery stick, finely chopped
1/4 cup Plain flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/3 cup cream
1/4 cup Fresh Parsley, chopped
100g Cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 cup Breadcrumbs

Methods

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Place milk, bay leaves and peppercorns in a pan and bring them to a boil slowly.  Remove the pan from heat when it comes to a boil and leave to infuse for 15 minutes. Strain and reserve the milk.
2. Drain the can of tuna and reserve the brine. Flake the tuna.
3. Heat butter in a medium pan. Add onion and celery. When onion and celery soften, stir in flour and cook for 1 minute.
4. Remove the pan from heat and gradually stir in the milk and tuna brine. Return the pan over low heat until it boils and thinkens. Simmer gently for 2-3 minutes.
5. Stir in nutmeg, cream, parsley and half the cheese. Remove from heat and stir in tuna. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Spoon the mixture and cooked pasta into a baking dish. Sprinkle the remaining cheese and breadcrumbs over the top. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden.

Popularity: 62% [?]

Serve them as appetizers or bring them for picnics! These pretty eggs are definitely crowd pleaser for any occasion.  The recipe has no quantity to follow, so feel free to add more celery or paprika according to taste! The egg filling should be firm, add more mayonnaise if you like it softer. For better presentation, place the egg filling into a piping bag and pipe them into the egg white shells and garnish.

There are many wonderful variation you can make… Do you have a favourite deviled egg recipe?

Ingredients

Eggs, hard boiled
Celery
Mayonnaise
Paprika
Salt & Pepper

Methods

1. In a pot, cover the eggs with cold water and bring the water (and eggs) to boil. Let the eggs stand in the boiling water for 10 minutes and remove the pot from heat.
2. Drain off hot water and immediately cover the eggs with cold water.
3. When eggs are cold, peel off the shell and cut the eggs lengthwise.
4. Pop out the egg yolks into a small bowl and mash them with a fork. Add mayonnaise, celery and paprika.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Fill the empty egg white shells and garnish with paprika.
7. Let the eggs chill in the refrigerator before serving.

NB.
Add paprika teaspoon by teaspoon. You don’t want it too spicy!

Popularity: 62% [?]

This is the kind of recipe for any busy life! Quick and easy…
Perfect for lunch.

Ingredients

Saang mein, 1 roll
Kecap manis, 5 tablespoon or enough to coat the noodles
Sweet chilli sauce, 3 tablespoon
Oil, 1 tablespoon
Fish sauce, dash
Sesame oil, dash

Method

1. Cook saang mein and drain. Do not overcook.
2.  Add oil into wok and fry saang mein together with kecap manis and sweet chilli sauce.
3. When the sauces are combined, add a dash of fish sauce and sesame oil.
4. Serve with fried egg or anything that you feel like!

Popularity: 98% [?]