[Wordless Wednesday] Beer Battered Fish And Chips Recipe With Video Clip

Chinese New Year Cooking Demo @ ToTT by Chef Eric Low

Last Sunday, I was invited by OpenRice (Singapore) to attend their first cooking demo class with ToTT (Tools of the Trade) on the Chinese New Year Workshop - Good Fortune, conducted by Chef Eric Low. Despite of the gloomy and raining weather, all participants were still very excited about the class and everyone were also eager to pick up some tips and cooking skill from Chef Eric.

The three hours cooking class was indeed a fun and fruitful one with Chef Eric whom is humorous and knowledgeable with his answers during the class. Although there was no hands-on but Chef Eric makes every little details visible thru two big TV screen in front of the class where we could get a good view of the ingredients plus steps during cooking process.

Teochew Style Steamed Fish With MAGGI plus Lunar New Year Gift Pack Giveaway

I am sure most of you are familiar with the brand name MAGGI which carry signatures items such as Maggi chilli sauce, Maggi Instant Curry Noodles, Maggi Seasoning and etc. This year, MAGGI prepares an Exclusive Chinese New Year Gift Pack which includes a recipe booklet (with 8 auspicious recipes), Maggi Concentrated Chicken Stock, Premium Oyster Sauce, Seasoning and Dried Mushrooms that packed in a lovely new year designed gift box.

So with Chinese New Year just a few days around the corner, why not whipping up some tasty homemade meals to delight your loved ones and enjoy precious moments of happiness with your family. Here I have tried one of the recipe from the booklet which is Teochew Style Steamed Fish shown below.

TEOCHEW STYLE STEAMED FISH
年年有余潮洲蒸

Recipe extracted from Reunion delights made with MAGGI recipes booklet.

(Serves: 4 | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 10 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 1 White Pomfret (700g), with 2 slits cut on both sides
• 2 Teaspoons MAGGI Seasoning (No Added MSG)
• 2 Dried Mushrooms (soaked and sliced)
• 1 Piece Salted Mustard (soaked and sliced)
• 2 Sour Plums, lightly crushed
• 1 Tomato, cut into wedges
• 1 Tablespoon Shredded Ginger

Seasoning Sauce(Mixed Together)
1 Tablespoon MAGGI® Concentrated Chicken Stock (healthier choice, less salt)
1 Teaspoon Sesame oil
50ml Water

Garnishing
1 Red Chilli (seeded and sliced)
Coriander Leave (cut into sections)

Method:-
1. Rub white pomfret with MAGGI Seasoning (No Added MSG) and place it on a plate.

2. Put the dried mushrooms, sour plums, salted mustard and ginger on the fish and transfer into the steamer. Steam for 7 minutes.

3. Pour seasoning sauce over the fish. Place the tomato slices on the fish and steam together for another 3 minutes.

4. Garnish with red chilli and coriander leaves. Serve hot.

For your information, this festive season MAGGI is having an Exclusive Chinese New Year Gift Pack retailing at a promotional rate of S$10.80 per pack at major supermarket and it consists of the following products:

~ MAGGI® Concentrated Chicken Stock (Healthier Choice Symbol, Less Salt, No added MSG and Halal certified);

~ MAGGI® Premium Oyster Sauce (Healthier Choice Symbol, Less Salt, No added MSG and Halal certified);

~ MAGGI® Seasoning (No added MSG);

~ 80g of premium Dried Mushroom (worth S$6.00); and

~ Eight Treasures Pot Recipe Booklet.

EIGHT TREASURES POT
吉祥如意八宝煲

Other than the steamed fish recipe above, I am also going to try out their Eight Treasures Pot (吉祥如意八宝煲) recipe which is an auspicious and symbolic dish befitting this festive occasion. And other than the 8 different gourmet ingredients, what makes this dish special is the MAGGI Concentrated Chicken Stock that not only adds flavour, but also boosts the aroma and enhances the dish with the richness of double-boiled taste.

Recipe extracted from Reunion delights made with MAGGI recipes booklet.

(Serves: 8 | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 40 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 8 Canned Baby Abalone
• 8 Dried Mushrooms, soaked
• 8 Dried Scallops, washed and soaked with 200ml hot water (retain as stock for later use)
• 8 Large Dried Oysters, washed and soaked
• 60g Fish Maw, soaked and squeezed to remove excess water. Slice into 3cm pieces
• 120g Sea Cucumber (ready to use), slice into 3cm pieces
• 400g Lettuce, washed
• 6 Red Dates, soaked
• 1 Tablespoon Wolfberries (soaked)
• 5 cloves Garlic, sliced
• 5 slices Young Ginger
• 3 Tablespoons Chinese cooking wine, optional
• 3 Tablespoon Cornflour, mixed with 3 tbsp water
• 500ml Water, including 200ml of scallop stock retained after soaking the scallops

Seasoning (Mixed Together)
2 Tablespoons MAGGI® Concentrated Chicken Stock (healthier choice, less salt)
1 Tablespoon MAGGI® Premium Oyster Sauce (healthier choice, less salt)
1/2 Tablespoon MAGGI® Seasoning (No Added MSG)
2 Teaspoon Sesame oil

Garnishing
1 Stalk Coriander leaves, cut into sections

Method:-
1. Heat oil to fry garlic and young ginger till fragrant. Add mushrooms, oysters, sea cucumber, fish maw and red dates. Stir­‐fry well and add water.

2. Braise the ingredients for 20 minutes at low heat, covered. Add wolfberries and seasoning sauce, then braise for another 20 minutes.

3. Add baby abalone and cook till all ingredients are tender. Season with cooking wine and thicken the gravy with the cornflour mixture.

4. Lastly, add lettuce and garnish with coriander leaves before serving.

GIVEAWAYS!

To encourage more home cooked dishes for this festive season, Cuisine Paradise is partnering with MAGGI to giveaway Two sets of the above Exclusive Chinese New Year Gift Pack (retailing at S$10.80) to two lucky readers.

How To Win:-
1. Comment (on this post) and share with us a Chinese New Year dish that you your family enjoys ;

2. Click LIKE and SHARE the above photo over at Cuisine Paradise Facebook Page (here); AND

Leaving a comment (on facebook) that sharing with us which is your favourite MAGGI product(s) .

Closing Date: 06 February 2013 (Wednesday), 12.00 NOON
*Giveaway is open to those reside in SINGAPORE only and I would courier the items to winners with a valid delivery address.

[Giveaway result updated on 06 Feb 2013]

Oatmeal Fish Porridge

If you have being following this blog, you can find another similar Savory Oatmeal Porridge which I had shared the recipe a few years back. I still remember that recipe was taught to me by my ex-boss wife who always include it in their breakfast menu. And since we can easily purchase either Instant/Quick Cook Oatmeal from leading supermarkets and they both works well on Sweet (recipe) and Savory (recipe) dishes, hence oatmeal became one of my favourite pantry ingredients.

OATMEAL FISH PORRIDGE

This Oatmeal Fish Porridge can act as a great idea for weekend brunch or you can even serve it for dinner too. The idea of using fish slices is because I wanted to create something similar to Fish Congee but with more nourishing ingredients like carrot, wolfberries, gingko nuts and egg. But then it is still up to individual to mix and match with the ingredients that you prefer.

(Serves: 2  | Preparation: 5 minutes | Cooking: 15 minutes)

Ingredients:
1/2 Cup of Quick Cook Oatmeal (Quaker brand)
750ml Chicken Broth
150g Mackerel Fish Slices
1 Egg, lightly beaten
2 Stalks Spring Onion, cut into sections
Some Diced Carrot
Some Gingko Nuts
Some Wolfberries
Some Chopped Spring Onion

Method:-
1. Lightly marinate fish slices with salt, pepper and sesame oil, cornflour and set aside.

2. Preheat a saucepan with some oil, lightly fry the diced carrot and spring onion till fragrant, add in soup broth and gingko nut, simmer over low heat for about 10 minutes until carrot is soften.

3. Next add in quick cook oatmeal and continue to simmer till almost done (if the mixture is too thick, add extra 150 - 200ml of hot water/soup broth to dilute), add in fish slices and wolfberries.

4. When fish is cooked through, switch off the heat, drizzle beaten egg and give it a quick stir.

5. Ladle oatmeal into serving bowls, top with some chopped spring onion and fried shallot, serve immediately.

I guess for a change, this is not a bad idea for rice replacement as it look and taste somehow or rather similar to congee. And if you prefer more dilute version, add in either more chicken broth or reduce the amount of oatmeal. For me, I prefer a sticky texture if I am looking for some comfort food during cold weather.

{Fishy Dinner} Chinese Baked Fish Fillet And Baked Cheesy Salmon With Wasabi

Festive season is a great time to feast together with family and friends plus a bit of catch up and updates on each others progress. This Christmas season other than festive bakes I also have some quick dishes which you might be interested with.

In this post I am sharing two different "fish" dishes which you could cater for everyone in the family such as Chinese Baked Fish Fillet with oyster sauce and Baked Cheesy Salmon using Japanese mayonnaise and wasabi.

CHINESE BAKED FISH FILLET

For something more Asian taste, this Chinese Baked Fish Fillet would be something easy that you could prepare and get ready in less than 30 minutes for an evening dinner to impress your guests. For the fillet you can use any firm white fish such as cod, haddock, or grouper which work well on this recipe.

(Serves: 1 | Preparation: 5 minutes | Cooking: 15 - 20 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 1 Piece Grouper Fish Fillet (200g), skin intact
• 1/2 Tablespoon Oyster Sauce
• 1 Teaspoon Chinese Cooking Wine
• 1/4 Teaspoon Sugar
• 1/4 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
• 2 Slices Ginger, thinly sliced
• 1 Stalk of Spring Onion, cut into sections
• 1 Red Chilli(optional), sliced
• Served with Steamed Rice and Asian Greens

Method:-
1. Preheat oven to 200 °C (degree Celsius). Arrange spring onion and some julienne ginger on a disposal baking tray and top with fish fillet.

2. Combine oyster sauce, cooking wine, sugar and sesame oil in a bowl and mix well.

3. Spoon sauce mixture over fish fillet, top with remaining ginger and chilli, cover with foil and bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until fish is just cooked through.

4. Sprinkle some extra chopped spring onion and serve hot with steamed rice and Asian green.

Note:
~ Stir-fry baby bok choy and fresh shiitake mushrooms with some garlic and ginger then lightly season it with salt.

BAKED CHEESY SALMON WITH WASABI

Whereas for a western treat, you might wish to consider this Baked Cheesy Salmon with Wasabi. For me, I am a salmon lover and I love to eat it either raw, grilled or baked. And my favourite way of cooking salmon is to top it with lots of shredded cheese and Japanese mayonnaise because after baking it would have a tasty cheesy crust on top plus a moist and juicy fillet below.

(Serves: 1  | Preparation: 5 minutes   | Cooking: 15 - 20 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 1 Salmon Fillet (200g), bones removed
• 2 Tablespoons Japanese Mayonnaise
• 1/2 Teaspoon Wasabi Paste
• Rind of 1 Lemon
• 1/4 Cup of Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• Some Freshly Ground Black Pepper
• Serve with French Beans and Cherry Tomato

Method:-
1. Preheat oven to 200 °C (degree Celsius). Arrange salmon on a disposal baking tray, top with generous amount of mayonnaise mixture (combine Japanese mayonnaise, wasabi and lemon rind till well-mixed).

2. Evenly top it with shredded mozzarella cheese and sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper on it.

3. Bake prepared salmon in an preheated oven for 15 - 20 minutes or till salmon is cooked to your preference.

4. Serve hot with some french bean, cherry tomato and steamed rice.

With dishes like this you can play around with the ingredients and side dishes to cater for everyone's preference and the best thing is you can bake these two dishes together in the oven but just keep an easy on the salmon as you don't wish to over baked it. And as for the sides, you could add in some Cream Soup (recipes) or Salad (recipes) to make it a complete meal too.

Quick Recipes On 3 Dishes 1 Soup

Last Friday I shared a post on "4 Quick Recipes On Soup And Dishes" and some of the readers are delighted to pick up new ideas on their weekend cooking. So this Friday, I am sharing another post with consists of "3 Dishes 1 Soup" which I hope it would be useful for busy mum or parents who wish to cook something nourishes for their family and yet easy to start with.

STEAMED PORK FILLET WITH SHA CHA SAUCE
(沙茶酱蒸腰梅肉)

Pork Fillet also known as "tenderloin" or "腰梅肉 / 里肌肉” in Chinese is the eye fillet that comes from within the loin. It is lean and very tender which is popular among elderly who always bought it for cooking porridge for kiddy as well as using them in cooking during confinement. Here we are using pork fillet together with Sha Cha Sauce (沙茶酱) which is one of the condiment used in Taiwan cuisines. Sha Cha Sauce is made from soybean oil, garlic, shallots, chilis, brill fish, and dried shrimp which has a savory and slightly spicy taste.

Recipe adapted from 小小米桶的零油烟厨房 recipe book.

(Serves: 4  | Preparation: 5 minutes + 30 minutes (marinate) | Cooking: 10 minutes)

Ingredients:
200g Pork Fillet (腰梅肉), cut into thin slices
50g Fresh Black Fungus (黑木耳)
2 Slices Ginger, shredded
2 Garlic Cloves, finely minced

Seasoning:
1 Tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Glutinous Rice Wine
1 Teaspoon Cornflour
1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
1.5 Tablespoon Sha Cha Jiang (沙茶酱)

Method:-
1. Rinse the fresh black fungus, cut into bite size and blanch in boiling water for 30 seconds. Remove, drained and set aside.

2. Marinate pork fillet with shredded ginger, minced garlic and seasoning for 30 minutes before adding the Sha Cha Sauce and give it a quick stir till combined.

3. Arrange blanched black fungus in deep steaming plate, scatter the marinated pork fillet on top.

4. When the water in the steamer boils, place the plate on the steaming rack. Steam it over medium high heat for about 10 minutes or until the meat is cooked.

5. Turn off the heat. Remove pork fillet, garnish it with some chopped spring onion and extra Sha Cha Sauce(optional) and serve immediately. (we love to give the dish a quick toss before eating so that all ingredients would be evenly coated with the gravy)

STEAMED GARLIC PRAWNS

Steaming seafood with minimum ingredients helps to retain it's freshness as well as sweetness. Here is another steamed prawns dish which used minced garlic and ginger. The amount of minced garlic used could be adjusted according to individual preference. And for extra flavour, you could also add in some cut chilli for spiciness. If you like steamed prawns, do check up my Steamed Drunken Prawns recipe.

(Serves: 2 - 3   | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 5 minutes)

Ingredients:
9 Big Prawns
1 Teaspoon Minced Ginger
5 Cloves of Garlic, finely minced
Some Chopped Spring Onion
1 Tablespoon Cooking / Rice Wine
1 Stall of Spring Onion (extra), cut into sections
2 Slices Of Ginger, shredded

Method:-
1. Mix 1 tablespoon of soy sauce with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and pinch of sugar together and set aside.

2. Trim the feelers off from the prawns, using either a sharp knife or kitchen scissors butterfly the prawns with a deeper cut to make a cavity for the garlic stuffing.

3. Line steaming plate with spring onion and ginger, arrange prepared prawns on top of the spring onion and drizzle some cooking/rice wine over it.

4. Generously filled the cavity of the prawns with minced garlic. Scatter some chopping spring onion and mined ginger.

5. When the water in the steamer boils, place the plate on the steaming rack. Steam it over medium high heat for about 5 minutes or until the prawns are cooked.

6. Turn off the heat, remove prawns, drizzle the prepared soy sauce mixture and serve immediately.

TEOCHEW STYLE STEAMED RED GROUPER

Growing up in a Teochew family, we simply love steamed fish especial White/Sliver Pomfret (白鲳), Threadfin (午鱼), White Spotted Rabbitfish (白肚鱼) and Mackerel (鲭鱼). Usually for Teochew style, our fish is steamed with tomatoes, salted plums / salted vegetables, cut chilli, ginger and spring onions. Sometime shiitake mushrooms are also added for flavour too.

(Serves: 2-3  | Preparation: 10 minutes   | Cooking: 10 - 12 minutes)

Ingredients:
400g Red Grouper Fillet, halved
2 Salted Plum (咸水梅)
1 Tomato, quarters
4 Slices Ginger, shredded
1 Stalk of Spring Onion, cut into sections

Method:-
1. Rinse and pat dry the fillet with kitchen paper towel. Lightly marinate it with some cooking / rice wine together with 1 teaspoon of cornflour.

2. Arrange the spring onion and some shredded ginger on a steaming plate. Place the fish fillet on top and scatter salted plum, tomato wedges and the remaining ginger on it.

3. When the water in the steamer boils, place the prepared fish on the steaming rack and steam it over medium heat for about 10 - 12 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fillet) or until fish is cooked through.

4. Turn off the heat, remove the plate. Drizzle some sesame oil/shallot oil over the fish , garnish with extra cut chilli and serve immediately.

LIU WEI TANG OR LOK MEI TONG
(六味汤)

The ingredients of Liu Wei Tang (六味汤) are quite similar to Si Shen Tang (四神汤) where it consists of Xiang Lian (湘莲), Qian Shi (芡实), Huai Shan (淮山), Yu Zhu (玉竹), Bai He (百合), Dried Longan (龙眼肉). Drinking this soup helps in improving digestion, appetite and also nourish the lungs.

You could used either pork ribs or chicken to cook with the herbs above for savoury version or leave it meatless and sweeten it with rock sugar as dessert.

(Serves: 4  | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 1 Hour)

Ingredients:
2 - 3 Chicken Drumstick, skin removed
4 Pieces Pork Ribs, optional
5 Pieces Dry Huai Shan (淮山
15 Pieces Yu Zhu (玉竹)
15g Bai He (百合)
20g Xiang Lian (湘莲)
20g Qian Shi (芡实)
15g Dried Longan (龙眼肉)
1.5 Litres of Water

Method:-
1. Blanch chicken and pork ribs in boiling water for a about 1 minute, remove, rinse and set aside.

2. Bring 1.5 Litres of water to boil, add in all the herbs (rinse them with water before using) together with the blanched meat.

3. When the mixture comes to boil again, lower the heat and simmer for about 1.5 hours. Turn off the heat and season with salt(optional) and serve warm.

4. ALTERNATIVELY transfer the mixture to slow-cooker and cook it on AUTO mode for about 3 hours.

Tip:
~ You could use half portion of chicken for this recipe instead of both chicken and pork ribs.

~ Prepacked Liu Wei Tang herbs could be easily found in major supermarkets or Chinese Medical Hall.

I might be sharing some "1 Dish Meal" recipes next week as I received some emails regarding on this topic. Till then have a great weekend ahead, hope you would like the above recipes.

{6 New Recipes} Lunch Gathering At My Place

Recently I have invited a few foodie friends over for a lunch gathering and I was quiet nervous about what to include on that day's menu. To be frankly this is my very first time cooking so many dishes within 2.5 hours to serve 10 person. And the stress level is pretty "high" on my end as most of invited are "food bloggers" who tried many delicious food from all over the restaurants and cafes.

And although this is a casual lunch gathering, I still hope to receive honest feedback on my cooking in order to fine tune my skills not only to cook for my family but for friends who loves food as well. So during the lunch, everyone exchanged views and comments on the food and I am glad everyone enjoys the dishes. Below are a few new recipes of the dishes we had  on that day which you might be interested to try at home.

Menu For The Lunch Gathering!

BAKED ROSEMARY HONEY CHICKEN MID-JOINTS

Photo Credit: Celes from Celestial Delish

This is one of my favourite potluck dish which is very easy to prepare. What you need to do is to marinate it with rosemary, honey and etc before leaving it in the fridge overnight or at least an hour or two. Instead of baking it in the oven, you could also use it as one of the BBQ items too. Recipe can be found HERE.

BAKED SALMON WITH SWEETCORN, TOMATO AND CHEESE

In our household, our favourite way to prepare salmon is to bake it together with lots of shredded cheese, sweetcorn and Japanese Mayonnaise. We love the creamy taste of the mayonnaise and cheese covering the crunchy sweetcorn kernels and juicy salmon cubes. Occasionally I would also throw in some cherry tomato to enhance the flavour.

(Serves: 2-3  | Preparation: 10 minutes  | Cooking: 20 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 1 Salmon Fillet (350g), cut into 1.5" cubes
• Some Japanese Mayonnaise
• 2 Tablespoons Fresh Corn Kernels
• 4 - 5 Cherry Tomato, halves
• 1/2 Cup of Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
• Some Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Method:-
1. Arrange salmon cubes on a baking plate, top with generous amount of Japanese mayonnaise and sprinkler some freshly ground black pepper on it.

2. Evenly scatter sweetcorn kernel and tomato on the salmon cubes and top with shredded mozzarella cheese.

3. Bake prepared salmon in an oven toaster or preheat 200 degree Celsius oven for 15 - 20 minutes or till salmon is cooked to your preference.

Tip:
~ If cherry tomato is not available, you can replace it with a tomato and cut it into wedges.

FRIED CP GYOZA AND FISHBALLS

Photo Credit: Celes from Celestial Delish

CP Chicken Gyoza with Lime and Chilli Mayonnaise Sauce is one of my "new" recipes which I have collaborated with CP Frozen Food for their new Chicken Gyoza. Recipe will be available on their website or recipe cards soon.

OKARA OMELETTE

Using the left over Okara (soybean residues) filtered from my Homemade Organic Soybean Milk to prepare this simple and yet delicious "Okara Omelette" for the guest. Recipe can be found HERE.

RED WINE LEES CHICKEN

Red Wine Lee Chicken is one of the popular dishes taken during confinement. It is prepared using glutinous rice wine, red wine lee and Ginger. Ginger is use to enhance the fragrance of this dish as well it posses warm and healthy properties which can “expel winds” in the body. Whereas wine is helpful in warming and nourishing the body, which promotes blood circulation.

(Serves: 2 | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 20 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Portion Chicken, chopped to smaller pieces
• 250ml Glutinous Rice Wine (米酒)
• 2 Tablespoon Red Glutinous Wine Lees (红槽)
• 6 Slices Ginger, cut to thin strips
• 2 Tablespoons Sesame Oil
• 1/2 Teaspoon Dark Soy Sauce
• 2 Small Cubes Rock Sugar (about 3 - 5g)
• Some Coriander

Method:-
1. Heat up a wok or claypot with 2 tablespoons of sesame oil. Add ginger and fry them till fragrant and slightly brown.

2. Add marinated chicken pieces (lightly season it with 1 teaspoon each of cornflour, sesame oil and light soya for 3 - 5 minutes) and stir-fry until the chicken is cooked on the surface.

3. Add in red wine less, dark soy sauce and fry for a few seconds before pouring in the glutinous rice wine. Stir well. Cover with lid and let it simmer on low heat for about 8 minutes.

4. Next add rock sugar for sweetness as well as enhance a beautiful glazed finish. Simmer with lid closed for another 8 - 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.

5. Turn off heat, drizzle one tablespoons of Hua Diao Jiu (紹興花雕酒) and splash of sesame oil for extra fragrance and taste.

6. Garnish coriander and serve with steamed white rice.

STEAMED CHICKEN WITH RICE WINE

Steamed Chicken With Rice Wine is one of quick and easy dishes that I learnt from my friend, Tracy during one of my visit to her place. You could prepared everything ahead and put it in the fridge a few hours before steaming to let the rice wine and ginger taste infused into the chicken. We simply love this dish and especially the "wine" taste gravy which is the a "nutritious" chicken broth.

(Serves: 2 | Preparation: 10 minutes | Cooking: 30 - 45 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 1/2 Portion Of Chicken (600g), cut into pieces
• 5 Red Dates, sliced
• 3 Slices of Dang Gui
• 4 - 6 Small Shittake Mushroom, optional
• 1 Tablespoon Wolfberries (枸杞)
• 150ml Sweet Glutinous Rice Wine

Marinade:
1/2 Tablespoon of Fresh Ginger Juice
1/4 Teaspoon of Salt

Method:-
1. Trim, clean and pat dry chicken pieces, marinate it with ginger juice and salt for 5 minutes.

2. Place marinated chicken together with the rest of the ingredient in a steaming bowl or wrapped it up in aluminum foil with baking paper that resemble a parcel.

3. Steamed over medium heat using either stove or electrical steamer for about 30 - 45 minutes till meat is tender.

Tip:
~ If glutinous rice wine is not available, you can replace it 100ml of Cooking Wine - Hua Diao Jiu (紹興花雕酒).

~ You can use either fresh or dried shiitake mushroom according to your preference.

STEAMED DRUNKEN PRAWNS

There are a few methods to prepare "Drunken Prawns" where you could soaked the prawns in either cooking wine, rice wine or drinking liquor like XO to draw the flavour of the prawns. Here as I wanted to retain the sweetness and flavour of the prawns, I soaked it with glutinous rice wine and steamed till cooked before I drizzle some "Huiji Waist Tonic (汇集补腰精)" to further enhance the taste.

(Serves: 2-3  | Preparation: 15 minutes | Cooking: 7 - 10 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 10 - 12 Fresh Large Prawns
• 3 Slices of Ginger, shredded
• 1 Stall of Spring Onion, cut into section
• 1/2 Tablespoon of Wolfberries (枸杞)
• 100ml of Sweet Glutinous Rice Wine
• 1 Cup (20ml) Huiji Waist Tonic (汇集补腰精)

Method:-
1.Trim the feelers of prawns, rise and arrange on a deep steaming plate with some shredded ginger and spring onion below.

2.Top the balance shredded ginger, spring onion, wolfberries and rice wine over prawns and let it soaked for about 5 - 10 minutes.

3. Steam over medium high heat using either stove or electrical steamer for about 7 - 10 minutes.

4. When done, remove and drizzle Huiji Waist Tonic (汇集补腰精) over it and serve immediately.

Tip:
~ If glutinous rice wine is not available, you can replace it 50ml of Cooking Wine - Hua Diao Jiu (紹興花雕酒).

STEAMED EGG WITH SALTED FISH MEATBALLS

It has being long since I last made this dish because I can't really make good steamed egg custard which look "smooth" without big pocket holes (like those shown above). But this is indeed one of my favourite childhood dish that my dad used to cook for us. I love the salted fish fragrant and taste from the meatballs which contrast well with the egg custard.

(Serves: 2-3 |  Preparation: 15 minutes | Cooking: 10 - 12 minutes)

Ingredients:
100g Minced Pork/Chicken Meat
20g (1/4 portion) Mackerel Salted Fish
2 Eggs (55g)
160ml Drinking Water

Seasoning:
1/4 Teaspoon Cornflour 1/2 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
1/2 Teaspoon Light Soy Sauce / Fish Sauce
1/4 Teaspoon Ground Pepper
1/4 Teaspoon Sugar

Method:-
1. Marinate minced meat with chopped salted fish and seasoning together for about 10 minutes or an hour more in the fridge for better flavour.

2. Divide the marinated minced meat into small portions to form meatballs.

3. Arrange them on steaming plate and set aside while preparing the egg mixture.

4. Whisk eggs for a few seconds, add in water and mix till well combined.

5. Strained egg mixture into the prepared meatballs plate, cover with aluminum foil and steam over medium low heat for about 10 - 12 minutes.

6. Garnish with some fried shallot and spring onion before serving.

STEAMED FISH FILLET WITH KIWIFRUITS

You might be wondering how is the taste of this dish and is it worth "experimenting" this recipe on your fish. To be more simplify, this "Steamed Fish Fillet With Kiwifruits" taste just like "Teochew" style steamed fish with either salted vegetables or preserved plum.

Surprisingly the kiwifruits taste slightly sweet and sour and it indeed flavour the fish and sauce of this dish. Very appetizing dish that worth trying.

(Serves: 2 | Preparation: 5 minutes | Cooking: 12 minutes)

Ingredients:

• 300g of Fish Fillet
• 1 Zespri Kiwifruit, cut into wedges
• 1/2 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cooking Wine
• 4 Slices of Ginger, Shredded
• 1 Stall of Spring Onion (optional), cut into sections
• Some Wolfberries (枸杞)
• Freshly Ground Pepper
• Some Sliced Chilli, optional

Method:-
1. Clean and pat dry fish fillet, arrange it on steaming plate together with the rest of the ingredients.

2. Steam it over medium using stove or electrical steamer for about 12 minutes depending the thickness of the fish.

Tip:
~ You can use any type of fish fillet such as Threadfin, White Snapper, Grouper or even salmon to your preference.

STEAMED TOFU WITH MINCED MEAT

Tofu is an excellent ingredients to cook in term of it's cost and health benefits. It is economic and yet contains good source of high protein and calcium which is good for the family. Here I am using both minced pork and shrimp for this recipe but you could always replaced minced pork with minced chicken or omit shrimp depending on your preference. For a better texture and crunch, I added some chopped water chestnut and carrot to enhance it's flavour too.

(Serves: 2-3   | Preparation: 15 minutes | Cooking: 6 - 8 minutes)

Ingredients A:

• 1 Tube Silken Egg/Plain Tofu
• 50g Minced Meat
• 2 - 3 Prawns (optional), finely chopped
• Some Wolfberries (枸杞)
• 1 Teaspoon Light Soy Sauce
• Coriander Leaves, optional

Ingredient B:

• 1 Teaspoon Light Soy Sauce
• 1 Teaspoon Corn Flour
• 1 Teaspoon Cooking Wine
• 1/2 Teaspoon Sesame Oil
• 1/4 Teaspoon Pepper
• 2 Water Chestnut, finely chopped
• 2 Slices Carrot, cut into strips and chopped
• Some chopped Spring Onion

Method:-
1. Mix minced meat and prawn together with "ingredient B" till well combined and set aside for at least 5 minutes.

2. Cut tofu into circles and arrange on steaming plate, top each slices of tofu evenly with the marinaded meat mixture.

3. Place some wolfberry and coriander leave on the prepared tofu, drizzle 1 teaspoon of light soy sauce around the tofu.

4. Steamed for 6 - 8 minutes depend on the thickness of the meat mixture.

5. Garnish with some chopped spring onion, coriander leave or fried shallot and serve immediately.

Tip:
~ Egg tofu can always be replaced with square silken tofu that is suitable for steaming.

Photo Credit: Celes from Celestial Delish

Lastly, hope these quick and easy recipes above are useful to help you in your daily or weekend cooking ideas.

Photo Credit: Celes from Celestial Delish

Other than the above homecook dishes, Celes also bake a Chocolate Mocha Mousse Cake (recipe HERE) to celebrate Hazel's birthday.

Photo Credit: Celes from Celestial Delish

Whereas Hazel from 爱makan baked us some Pandan Cupcakes with yummy cream cheese spread.