[Day 3] Breakfast Buffet at Chef Mickey, HK Disney's Hollywood Hotel

[Chef Mickey @ Disney's Hollywood Hotel]

Chef Mickey Restaurant is located in Disney's Hollywood Hotel which offers international cuisines like Chinese, Japanese, Western and etc. And on top of their spread there is also a Greet-And-Meet session with Chef Mickey during the most of the buffet sessions where kids, individual or families can grab a photo taking opportunity with him like what we did. After which we had a hearty breakfast spread which I will be sharing with you on this post.

[June - $20 Budge Meal] Round-Up!

Thanks everyone for supporting the June - $20 Budget Meal event on using any types of "Noodles" to create a one-pot dish. Sorry for the late round-up and I sincerely would like thanks each and everyone of you who takes the effort to note down the pricing of each ingredients and total spending of the dishes to support this event. Here we have a total of 15 fabulous "Noodle" dishes created by a group of wonderful bloggers and facebook friends from different countries such as USA, Australia and Singapore.

Here are all the entries for the [June - $20 Budget Meal], listed in the order of the date submitted.

Fried Tung Fun (Glass Noodles)
by Ellena of Cuisine Paradise (Singapore)
Total Spending: S$7.40; Serves 4



Fried Udon
by Veronica Chia of Peng's Kitchen (Singapore)
Total Spending: S$5.55; Serves 4



Ravioli with Chicken Filling in Tomato Sauce
by Wai Fong of Fong's Kitchen Journal (Singapore)
Total Spending: S$9.60; Serves 4



Mee Hoon Kuay (面粉馃)
by Janine of Not the Kitchen Sink! (Australia)
Total Spending: AU$7.06; Serves 2



Prima Taste Singapore Laksa La Mian by Ellena of Cuisine Paradise (Singapore)
Total Spending: S$8.75; Serves 2



Soy Sauce Chicken Noodles
by Wai Fong of Fong's Kitchen Journal (Singapore)
Total Spending: S$6.60; Serves 3



Braised Meesua With Chicken and Greens In Abalone Sauce
by Alice of I Love.I Cook.I Bake (Singapore)
Total Spending: S$7.50; Serves 4<
Fried Noodle with Vegetables
by Ann of Anncoo Journal (Singapore)Total Spending: S$11.20; Serves 3



Mixed Tempura Udon(served 2 Ways)
by Wai Fong of Fong's Kitchen Journal (Singapore)
Total Spending: S$5.60; Serves 3



Capellini Aglio e Olio with Zucchini, Bell Peppers, Mushrooms
by HL(tigerfish) of An Escape to Food (California : United States)
Total Spending: USD5.70; Serves 2



Hokkien Lor Mee
by Gertrude of My Kitchen Snippets (Pennsylvania : United States)
Total Spending: USD6.50; Serves 4



Stir Fry Korean Sliced Rice Cake
by Wendy of Wen's Delight
Total Spending: S$8.20; Serves 2-3



Spinach Rocket Pesto Salmon Spaghetti
by Daphne of More than Words (Australia)
Total Spending: AU$9.00; Serves 4



Titi Noodles (Mie Titi)
by Alice of I Love.I Cook.I Bake (Singapore)
Total Spending: S$15.40; Serves 4-6



Colorado, United States
by Ching of Little Corner of Mine (Colorado, United States)
Total Spending: USD5.75; Serves 4

We shall have a rest for July and I shall update everyone on the new theme for August soon :) Stay tune!

[May $20 Budget Meal] Round-Up!

Thanks everyone for supporting the May Tofu - $20 Budget Meal event with a readers voted theme on using Tofu in one of the prepared dish. Thanks everyone whom take the effort to note down the pricing of each ingredients and total spending of the dishes to support this event. Here we have a total of 11 fabulous Tofu dishes for the "2 Dishes 1 Soup" menu created by a group of wonderful blogger and facebook friends from different countries such as USA, Australia and Singapore.

Here are all the entries for the [May Tofu - $20 Budget Meal], listed in the order of the date submitted.

Seaweed Soup (紫菜蕃茄蛋花汤), Steamed Cod Fish and Tofu with Black Bean Sauce (雪鱼豆腐蒸黑豆鼓酱) and Stir-Fry Prawns with Pea Sprouts (虾仁豆苗)

by Wai Fong of Fong's Kitchen Journal (Singapore)
Total Spending: S$15.00; Serves 3-4



Bee Hoon Soup (豆包米粉汤)，Kailan with Garlic Sauce (蒜香芥兰)

by Wai Fong of Fong's Kitchen Journal (Singapore)
Total Spending: S$11.00; Serves 3



Tom Yam Cream Soup (one dish meal)

by Ching of Little Corner of Mine (United State)
Total Spending: USD 8.00 (S$10.00); Serves 4



Winter Melon Soup, Steamed Silken Tofu with Salmon And Sweetcorn Plus Steamed Beef Steak with Onion

by Ellena of Cuisine Paradise (Singapore)
Total Spending: S$18.60; Serves 4



A one-dish veggie somen noodle plus steamed savory tofu pudding

by Tigerfish of An Escape to Food (Sunnyvale, California - United States)
Total Spending: USD 6.00 (S$7.50) ; Serves 4



Cream of Broccoli Soup with Garlic Toast, Grilled Tofu with Salsa, Twice-Baked Potato

by Wai Fong of Fong's Kitchen Journal (Singapore)
Total Spending: S$10.00; Serves 3



Deep Fried Stuffed Tofu + Stir Fry Salted Vegetables With Tofu + Steamed Fish With Tomato

by Alice of I Love. I Cook. I Bake. (Singapore)
Total Spending: S$13.70; Serves 4



Lotus Pork Ribs Soup, Japanese Tofu with Spicy Pork and Egg and Stir-fry Bol Choy

by Daphne of More Than Words (Australia)
Total Spending: AU$10.60; Serves 4 - 5



Steamed Stuffed Tofu, Scrambled Eggs With Sausages, Stir Fry Enoki Mushroom With Greens

by Alice of I Love. I Cook. I Bake. (Singapore)
Total Spending: S$12.60; Serves 4



Steamed Tofu with Minced Pork Topping, Stir Fry Capsicum with Shitake Mushroom and
Seah's Black Chicken Herbal Soup

by Wendy of Wen's Delight (Singapore)
Total Spending: S$14.55; Serves 4

Entry From Joyce aka @ahpoohbear

Steamed Tofu With Corn Kernels And Mushrooms, Broccoli With Mushrooms And Watercress Soup

by Joyce of @ahpoohbear (Singapore)
Total Spending: S$11.40 ; Serves 2 - 3

Here I am again, taking part in the $20 budge meal. The theme for this month is “Tofu”. Yes, I LOVE tofu! I love anything to do with tofu – tofu soup, steamed tofu, fried tofu and my favorite zhi char dish hotplate tofu! But too bad, I don’t know how to cook it. Never mind, I shall always comfort myself with other tofu dishes. Here’s my contribution for this month:

Steamed Tofu With Corn Kernels And Mushrooms

Ingredients:

One box of silken tofu
Sweet corn kernels (frozen or fresh)
Mushrooms (I used bottled mushrooms)
Two tablespoons of oyster sauce
Five tablespoons of water Mix together A bit of cornflour
Fried silverfish for garish and crunch

Method:-

1. Steam the tofu in a pot of hot water for about 8 minutes or you can just microwave it to make it hot.

2. In a wok, fry the corn kernels with little oil.

3. Add in the mushrooms and oyster sauce.

4. Pour the cornflour mixture into the wok to thicken the sauce.

5. Pour the sauce over the tofu.

Total cost for this dish is about S$4.90 with breakdown shown below:-
Cost of Ingredients:
~ Silken Tofu = S$1.90
~ Sweetcorn = S$1.30
~ Bottled Mushroom = S$1.70

Broccoli With Mushrooms

Ingredients:

One Broccoli
4 Pieces of fresh White Button Mushrooms
Two Tablespoons of Oyster Sauce
Chopped Garlic

Method:-

1. In a small saucepan, boil the broccoli till cooked. Place the cooked broccoli onto the plate.

2. In a wok, fry the chopped garlic till fragrant.

3. Add in the mushrooms and fry till almost cooked.

4. Add in the oyster sauce and water. Stir fry a while more to mix it well with the mushrooms.

5. Dish it up and put together with the cooked broccoli.

Total cost for this dish is about S$2.70 with breakdown shown below:-
Cost of Ingredients:
~ Broccoli = S$1.20
~ White Button Mushrooms = S$1.50


Watercress Soup

Ingredients:

One bunch of Watercress
2 - 3 pieces of Pork Ribs
1 Teaspoon of Guo Qi Zi
2 - 3 pieces of Honey Dates

Method:-

1. Cut the stalk off from the watercress and soak the leaves for about 5 minutes by changing 2 to 3 times of the water. This is to rinse away all the dirt.

2. Rinse the stalk thoroughly and set aside for later use.

3. Prepare a pot to blanch the pork bones, then rinse with running water.

4. Bring a pot of water to boil, add in the pork bones and all other ingredients, including the stalk but exclude leaves.

5. When boiled, turn to lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Add in the leaves and continue to simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes. Add salt to taste.

Total cost for this dish is about S$3.80 with breakdown shown below:-
Cost of Ingredients:
~ Watercress = S$0.80
~ Pork Ribs = S$2.00
~ Wolfberries and honey dates = S$1.00


Once again, thanks everyone for taking your time to come out with these wonderful budget meals ideas and price breakdown. Do stay tune for our June Theme together with our very New Budget Meal Logo shown below.

Yacon And Lotus Roots Peanut Soup

After a long day at work, a bowl of hearty home cook soup is always something that I look forward to. And I can even starts to imagine the fragrant and taste of the soup during my journey back home. As a frequent reader(s) of this blog you will notice that I loves to try out using different ingredients to prepare my soup. And today we are looking into a new ingredient known as "Yacon - 冰山雪莲果" which is commonly used for either soup or salad in Singapore.

Yacon(冰山雪莲果) is a sweet and crunchy vegetable that has a flavour similar to an apple. It grows in a variety of different colors including pink, orange, white or purple. In the United States, Yacon that is sold in markets is typically white compared to the orange type that we have in Singapore. According to some google read-up this vegetable is very high in fiber and low in calories which makes it a healthy and nutritious snack. (read more HERE)

From a glance at this Yacon, sometime you might even mistaken it as the some kind of Sweet Potato due to it's shape and colour.

Ingredients: (serves 4)
300g Pork Ribs (排骨)
1 Medium Size Yacon(冰山雪莲果)
150g Lotus Roots(莲藕)
50g Soup Peanuts(花生)
4 - 6 Red Dates (红枣)
1/2 Tablespoon Wolfberries(枸杞), optional

Method:-

1. Blanched pork ribs in boiling water for 2 - 3 minutes, remove and rinse with tap water. Set aside.

2. Soak peanuts in hot/warm water for about 5 minutes, rinse well and set aside.

3. Remove the outer skin of the yacon and cut into thick chunks. Whereas for the lotus roots remove the skin and cut into thick slices.

4. Bring 1.5 litres of water to boil in a soup pot.

5. Add in all the ingredients except wolfberries and when the mixture comes to boil again, lower the heat and simmer for about 40 minutes or until peanuts soften.

6. Lastly drop in wolfberries and season with salt to taste according to own preference.

[S$20 Budget Meal] Baked Tom Yum Chicken, Lime and Mango Salad, Sweet Corn and Tofu Soup

For this set of Budget Meal I took about roughly an hour from the preparation to cooking whereby I multi-task two different dishes at one time. It is pretty quick and easy after you pop-in the prepared mid-joints into the oven, you will have more time to prepare the Tofu soup which takes you less than 15 minutes. And overall for this set of Thai Fusion Budget Meal I spent about S$7.80 to feed a family of 4.

This is similar to cream of corn soup but in Asian style with clear soup broth and whole corn kernels instead of the blending the corn kernel. The adding of tofu give it an extra texture for this soup as well as boost up protein intake for kid. (this recipe is specially dedicated to my best friend, Joyce who loves tofu and sweetcorn combination)

Ingredients: (serves 2 - 3)
1 Box of Silken Tofu, cut into 1" cubes
1 Fresh Sweetcorn, remove the corn kernels
2 Medium Tomato
1 Egg, lightly beaten
1 Litre of Water
1/2 Knorr Chicken Stock Cubes

Thickening:
50ml Water
1.5 Tablespoon Cornflour/Potato Flour

For this recipe I took extra steps in preparing the tomatoes by boiling it in water to remove the outer skin to have a smooth texture for the kid. But you can always omit this step if you are in a rush by using just the cut tomato wedges with skin on.

Method:-

1. Bring a small pot of water to boil, drop in tomatoes and let it boil for 1 minute(you will see the skin starting to peel off from the tomato) before you remove and soaked them in ice water.

2. Slowly peel off the outer skin of the tomato, cut into halves and scoop out the seeds. Chop them into big chunks and set aside.

3. Bring 1 litre of water to boil, add in sweetcorn kernels and stock cube then let it simmer for about 5 minutes before adding in the tofu cubes.

4. When the mixture comes to boil, let it simmer for another 2 minutes, lower the heat and stir-in the cornflour mixture(mix water and cornflour together)till the soup thickened.

5. Turn off the heat, swirl in the beaten egg till cooked through. Add in tomato chunks.

6. To serve, ladle soup into serving bowls, garnish with chopped spring onion and dash of pepper.

Total cost for this dish is about S$2.70 with breakdown shown below:-
Cost of Ingredients:
~ Sweetcorn = S$0.60
~ Silken Tofu = S$1.50
~ Egg and Tomatoes = S$0.60

Other than Tofu and Sweetcorn, spicy food is also one of Joyce favourite selection of dish. For this recipe I marinated the mid-joints with 2 tablespoons of store bought Tom Yum paste together with some fresh lemongrass and lime juice for extra refreshing taste and fragrant. If you prefer higher level of spiciness, add in 1 – 2 bird eyes chili (sliced) into the marinade ingredients.

Ingredients: (make 8 mid-joints)
8 Chicken Mid-Joints
2 Stalks of Lemongrass, lightly pound and sliced into sections
2 Tablespoons of Tom Yum Chili Paste
Juice of 1/4 Green Lime

Seasonings:
1 Teaspoon Light Soy Sauce/Fish Sauce
1/2 Tablespoon Cooking Wine
1/2 Tablespoon of Cornflour
1 Teaspoon of Sesame/Olive Oil

Method:-

1. Trim and rise the mid-joints, pat dry with kitchen paper towel then marinate it with all the above ingredients and seasonings for at least an hour in the fridge.

2. Arranged the marinated mid-joint together with the marinade on prepared baking tray line with baking paper or aluminium foil.

3. Bake the mid-joints in oven toaster for about 30 minutes turning at least twice or more for more even colour. OR

*4. Bake in preheated 180 degree oven for about 25 or till cooked through(turn at least twice for even coating of colour).

5. Remove and serve together with Mango Salad.

Total cost for this dish is about S$3.50 with breakdown shown below:-
Cost of Ingredients:
~ Chicken Mid-joints = S$2.80
~ Lemongrass = S$0.20
~ Tom Yum Paste = S$0.50

LIME AND MANGO SALAD

The cold mango salads will definitely draw great attention if you can get hold of sweet and juicy mango that is full of flavour. But if you can’t try at least to find the ripe and decent type instead of those that are hard and sour.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
1 Honey Mango, about 200g
1 - 2 Bird Eyes Chili, sliced
1 - 2 Shallot, sliced and chopped
Grated Rind of 1 Green Lime
1 Tablespoon of Fresh Lime Juice
1/4 Teaspoon Fish Sauce
1/4 Teaspoon Sugar

Method:-

1. Peel of the skin of the mango and cut the flesh into 1cm cubes, set aside.

2. Combine all the remaining ingredients together in bowl, mix well before tossing in the mango cubes.

3. Quick and a quick stir, wrap the bowl with cling wrap and keep in the fridge until serving time.

Total cost for this dish is about S$1.60 with breakdown shown below:-
Cost of Ingredients:
~ Mango = S$1.00
~ Green Lime = S$0.40
~ Chili and Shallot = S$0.20

[$20 Budget Meal] Winter Melon Soup, Steamed Silken Tofu with Salmon And Sweetcorn Plus Steamed Beef Steak with Onion

For this set of Budget Meal it will be slightly a bit more expensive than those I prepared previously due to the higher cost of Salmon and Beef. Here we spent a total of roughly S$18.60 for Winter Melon Soup, Steamed Tofu with Salmon and Steamed Beef Steak. And to your surprise this is also my very first time sharing a “beef” dish in this blog too.

Sometime cooking is way of art and mental planning too. For example this Soup of the Day is rather similar to my previous “Winter Melon, Woodear And Pork Ribs Soup” but I replaced the woodear with sweetcorn and carrot for a more refreshing taste.

Ingredients: (serves 4)
300g Pork Ribs
250g Winter Melon, skin removed cut into wedges
1 Sweetcorn, cut into sections
1 Medium Carrot, cut into thick slices
6 Red Dates

Method:-

1. Blanched pork ribs in boiling water for 2 - 3 minutes, remove and rinse with tap water. Set aside.

2. Bring 1.5 litres of water to boil in a soup pot.

3. Add in all the ingredients when the mixture comes to boil again, lower the heat and simmer for about 30 - 40 minutes.

4. Lastly season it with salt to taste according to own preference.

Total cost for this dish is about S$5.80 with breakdown shown below:-
Cost of Ingredients:
~ Pork Ribs = S$3.00
~ Fresh Winter melon, Carrot and Sweetcorn= S$2.80

This is the second time I have used “salmon” fillet in preparing steamed dish. The first one was about a year ago where I steamed the salmon fillet together with Dang Gui to create a Chinese New Year dish (recipe). In this post, I combined this month Budget Meal specific ingredients – “Tofu” together with salmon to prepare this “Steamed Silken Tofu with Salmon And Sweetcorn” where you get to enjoy 3 different textures in one dish.

Ingredients: (serves 4)
1 Box of Silken Tofu
150g Salmon Fillet
1/2 Sweetcorn, remove kernels from cob
5 Slices of Ginger, julienne

Seasoning:
1 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Pinch of Salt

The bland tofu blends well with the sweet and fragrant taste from the corn kernels as well as with a contrast between crunchy and smooth texture that makes you crave for more scoop. The adding of salmon increase the Omega 3 and Proteins of this dish, which makes it, perfect for everyone at home especially the growing up kids.

Method:-

1. Cut the tofu into slices of equal thickness, drained well and place it onto steaming plate.

2. Cut the Salmon fillet into cubes and scatter it together with the fresh corn kernels evenly on top and around the sides of the tofu.(refer to the photo above)

3. Next top with julienne ginger and spoon the seasoning(mix all the ingredients together)over the prepared tofu.

4. Cover the tofu plate with cling wrap tightly leaving just a little ventilation hole.

5. Steam it on high heat in a steamer/wok (with boiling water in it)  for about 10 minutes. Remove and serve.

Total cost for this dish is about S$5.90 with breakdown shown below:-
Cost of Ingredients:
~ Salmon = S$3.90
~ Silken Tofu and Sweetcorn= S$2.00

If you have being following most of my blog posts, you will notice that this seems to be my very 1st "Beef" dish recipe from those hundreds of recipes that I have. Friendly speaking using "beef" as one of the main ingredients is something that I always phobia of because to me you can either ruin or perfect it in just a few seconds of cooking time.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
200g Beef Steak, whole/slices
1 Medium Red Onion, thinly slices
2 Stalks Spring Onion, cut into sections
Red Chili, slices
3 Garlic Coves, lightly pound

Seasoning:
10g Butter
1 Teaspoon Fresh Milk
1 Teaspoon Black Peppercorns, crashed

Initially I was still quite worry about the taste and texture while preparing this dish but when it is out from the steamer I was totally surprised with the outcome. The texture of the beef slices is still quite good and tender despite of the steaming method. And the beef stock sauce was great with a hint of black pepper and onion taste too. Indeed this is a great chance on preparing steak on it's usual char-grilled or stew methods. (if you don't consumed beef, you can also replaced it with Pork Fillet(梅肉/腰肉) which is more tender in texture).

Method:-

1. Using paper kitchen towel lightly pat dry the beef steak. Set aside.

2. As I want the sauce and seasoning to infuse the steak in a faster way, I have cut the steak into slices before arranging them on steaming plate. (you can leave it as whole and serve as individual main course too)

3. Next arrange all the ingredients and seasonings on top of the beef steak.

4. Wrap the plate with cling wrap steam it over high heat for about 8 - 10 minutes depend on your preference.

5. Remove and serve with steamed rice or as individual main course with mashed/baked potato.

Total cost for this dish is about S$6.90 with breakdown shown below:-
Cost of Ingredients:
~ Beef Steak = S$5.40
~ Spring onion, garlic, chili and onion = S$1.50

CLOSING DATE For [May $20 Budget Meal] Event:

~ Wednesday, 25 May 2011, 2359 hours and all entries will be compiled and posted on 31st May 2011.

If you loves to whipped some quick and budget healthy dishes for your family. I would like to invite you to join us in our May Budget Meal event to share your homecook dishes with us(more detail HERE).