Golden Pillow

Tata...This is another post-dated dish that I didn't have time to update it. Actually, this curry is cooked by my mum and I just use it to re-create this Quick and Easy meal. I have empty some of the filling in the small baguette(french loaf) so that I can fill it with the chicken curry.


After I removed some of the filling in the baguette, I place it in the toaster oven for about 3 minutes so that it will be crisp and crust in the inner portion. Then I have fill in the curry gravy, potato and chicken and make it into a simple One Dish Meal - Golden Pillow. You can fill it creamy soup like, cream of chicken or mushroom and serve it as as Starter. Or you can stuff it with some chicken pie ingredients and bake it like mini Chicken Bread.

You can refer to the curry recipe as reference at Pork Ribs Curry With Egg Wrap Rice or you can use any recipe as your own preference.

Baked Creamy Snapper

Hi!!! Don't worry. This week Menu is no longer on Chicken anymore :p We will have Baked Creamy Snapper fillet for our Quick and Easy meal dinner. This initial idea came from Tona (Baby Kimi's blog) who tried a similar dish for her Baby Kimi. I was so excited to explore more on this dish that I went all the way to Cold Storage to find this Snapper Fillet which is boneless and skin free.


Likewise to make it a more complete One-Dish meal, I had added a side dish to go with it. For this round I will prefer something light but spicy to go with the cheesy taste so I'll choose this Stir-fry Spicy Broccoli With Walnuts. I have added in tomato, garlic, chopped chilli and lightly toasted walnuts. And as what my mum had comments, this is really a Quick and Easy dish that is full of nutrition and most important easy to prepare within 30 minutes.

As usual, my dish is always full of vibrant colours in order to attract my little fussy eater (Reyon darling). I baked the snapper with an extra layer of Mozzarella Cheese and Frozen Corn Kernel for the topping. And the adding of the corn kernel really goes well with that cheesy taste. I have also season the fillet with some lemon rinds in order to cover the fishy smell and at the sametime add that special extra fragrant on the baked fillet.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
1 Snapper Fillet (around 350g - 400g)

1 Grated Lemon Rind

1 1/2 Tablespoon of Japanese Mayonnaise

3 Tablespoons of Frozen Corn Kernel

5 Tablespoons of Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1 Teaspoon of Dried Parsley, optional

Methods:

1. Rinse and pat dry the snapper fillet and arrange them in a baking dish. (if the fillet is too thick or long, you can cut it into half like what i had before placing in the baking dish)

2. Next lightly season the fillet with some black pepper, pinch of salt and the grated lemon rind.

3. Spread a thin layer of Japanese Mayonnaise on top of the fillet.(reversed the reminder for later use)

4. Put in the oven toaster and baked for 5 minutes until almost half cook through.(it might take 2 or 3 minutes longer if the fillet is too thick)

5. Remove the baking dish from the oven, spread the remaining mayonnaise on top of the fillet again, roughly top with half of the shredded cheese and all the corn kernel.

6. Put it back into the oven toaster and baked for 1 minute then top with the rest of the shredded cheese. (you can add extra cheese if you prefer more cheesy taste).

7. Bake for another 5 - 7 minutes until the fish is cooked through and the cheese is almost golden brown in colour.

8. Remove from the oven and place the fillet on the serving plate and sprinkle it with some dried parsley and pepper if you prefer.

9. Serve together with the Stir-fry Spicy Broccoli or extra steam rice if you prefer.

Notes:

a) You can replace snapper with salmon fillet.

b) You can replace Mozzarella Cheese with any shredded cheese of your choice.

c) If you do not have any Japanese Mayonnaise cream, you can replace it with Kraft brand mayonnaise.

Stir-fry Spicy Broccoli:

6-8 Small florets of Broccoli

2 Cloves of Garlics, thinly slices

1 Small Chilli, seeded and thinly slices

6 Walnuts

Methods:

1. Trim the broccoli and soak in lightly salted water for about 5 minutes, rinse and drain well.

2. Preheat a small saucepan with 1 teaspoon of olive oil and saute the garlic and walnuts until fragrant then add in the chillies slices.

3. Next add in the broccoli and stir-fry for 10 seconds then drizzle some cooking wine and continue to stir-fry for another minute or so until down.

4. Dish up and set aside on the plate while baking the fillet.

Thai Style Baked Chicken With Lemongrass & Lime

Another baked chicken dish for this weekends..... Do try out this Thai-style Baked Chicken which infused with Lemongrass and Lime which is usually the two main ingredients found in most of the Thai Cuisine. Lemon grass is widely used as an herb in Asian and Caribbean cooking. It has a citrus flavour and can be dried and powdered, or used fresh. The stalk itself is too hard to be eaten except for the soft inner part. Lemon grass is commonly used in teas, soups, and curries. It is also suitable for poultry, fish, and seafood.


Fresh limes are a staple for cooking Thai food, and fortunately these are available on a year-round basis for a reasonable price. Look for limes that have nice thin skin and heavy feel which indicates good juice content. Other than Lemongrass and Lime, I also add in two chili padi(deseeded, roughly chopped) to give it a spicy Thai cuisine taste, but for family with kids or other reason, you can omit the chili for that spicy taste.

To make is a more versatile and complete meal without rice. I added in some mix vegetables like, potato, pumpkin and carrot to bake together with the chicken. You can omit the vegetable if you are serving this dish with rice or noodles.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
6 Chicken Wings, (mid joint portion)
2 - 3 Stalks Lemongrass
1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 Small Red Chillies, seeded and minced
3 Tablespoons Thai Lime Juice
1 Grated Lime Rind

Methods:
1. Rinse and clean the chicken mid joint, pat dry and set aside.
2. Remove the outer leaves of the lemongrass, mince the rest but keep the thick base whole (about 5cm) and bruise it.
3. Mix the minced & base of the lemongrass, red chillies, lime juice, lime rind and olive oil together and pour it over the chicken mid joint and mix well.
4. Marinate the mixture in the fridge for at least an hour or overnight.
5. Prepare the mix vegetable(if using) 15 minutes before the cooking.
6. Remove the chicken from the bag and place it on a baking tray and baked in a preheat 180 degree oven for about 20 minutes, turn at least twice to have even colour.
7. Serve with extra roast vegetables or rice and garnish with extra slices of lime for better fragrant.

For Roast Vegetables(optional):
150g Pumpkin, (skin remove, cut into chunk)
1 Medium Potato (skin remove, cut into chunk)
6 Baby Carrots, or 1 small carrot (skin remove, cut into chunk)

Methods:
1. To cut short the baking time, heat up a small saucepan with 1 teaspoon of olive oil.
2. Saute the potato and carrot for about 30 seconds then pour in the marinate sauce of the chicken and cover the pan and simmer on low heat for about 3 - 5 minutes. (this is make the potato and carrot soften a bit before baking)
3. Next add in the pumpkin chunks and continue to simmer for another 2 minutes.
4. Remove and lay the vegetables in a small baking dish and bake together with the chicken until done.

Note:
a) You can replace the chicken mid joint with chicken leg or even whole chicken but you will have to double or triple the marinating ingredients and extend the baking time.

Baked Chicken With Korean Citron Tea

Baked Chicken With Korean Citron Tea is another Quick and Easy Meal to prepare for working mum either during the weekday or weekends. You can choose to roast either one whole chicken or different parts of the chicken and the cooking time and ingredients used may varies.


For today's dish the main ingredient is this Korean Citron Tea which can be bought in most Korean Supermarket or certain Chinese Medical Hall. It contains certain peels in it which is neither Pomelo nor Orange. It is actually called "Yuzu" 유자 (yuja) in Korean which is a citrus fruit native to East Asia. It is believed to be a hybrid of sour mandarin and Ichang papeda.

It has four times more Vitamin C than oranges and is good for your skin. Traditionally served hot during winter or cold climate, it’s also a herbal remedy for the common cold and sore throat. (you can read more about this at this link)

In order to cut short the baking time using my mini Bread Toaster (instead of my build in oven), I actually pan-fry the marinated chicken till the skin is slightly golden in colour then add in the baby carrots and left over marinating sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes before baking.

Since I wanted to serve it in a more western dish style, I add in a few slices of baked butter herbal toast and french fries. I put everything together in the oven toaster in order to save time. This is really a very fragrant and hand licking dish because of the Citron taste and fragrant. And the Baby Carrots taste even better when absorbing all the juice from the marinate and chicken.......

Ingredients: (serve 1)
1 Chicken Leg, trim the fat
2 1/2 Tablespoons Of Korean Citron Tea
3 Garlics Cloves, cut into slices
8 Baby Carrot
2 - 3 Slices Of Baguette
Handful of Fries

Methods:
1. Wash, trim and pat dry the chicken leg, lift up the skin and use a sharp knife to cut a two slit of 1" cutting on both side of the meat and stuff in some of the Citron Tea paste.
2. In a small zip lockbag, place the chicken, garlic slices and remaining citron tea paste and marinate it in the fridge for at least an hour or more.
3. Remove the chicken from the fridge at least 5 minutes before baking.
4. Preheat a nonstick pan or saucepan with 1/2 tablespoon of Olive oil and saute the chicken(skin side down) and baby carrot for a 1 minute in medium heat then turn and sealed the other of the chicken as well.
5. Next add in the remaining marinating sauce from the bag into the pan and cover the chicken and simmer for about 3 - 5 minutes (turning twice, this is to let the chicken cook through faster and also to make the carrot soften).
6. Place the chicken and carrot in a baking dish and place it in the Toaster Oven for about 15 minutes, turning at least twice or more to make the meat cook evenly through.
7. While placing the chicken in the Oven, you can cut and spread the Baguette with butter and herbs then place it on the side of the baking dish to toast it till crispy.
8. Remove then replace it with the French Fries.
9. Serve the chicken hot with the extra gravy of the citron peels and garlic which will make the chicken taste even better.

Notes:
a) If you want to use a whole chicken (around 1.2 - 1.5kg) you will need at least 1/2 to 3/4 cup of the citron tea mixture.
b) If you do not wish to pan-fry the chicken 1st, you can put everything into the preheat 180 degree oven and baked for about 30 minutes or so until the chicken is cook through.
c) You can use normal carrot or potato that is cut into big cubes to replace the baby carrot.

Roast Chicken With Lemon & Rosemary

Rosemary is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant evergreen needle-like leaves. It is native to the Mediterranean region and the name derive from the Latin name rosmarinus, which literally means "dew of the sea". The fresh and dried leaves are used frequently in traditional Mediterranean cuisine as an herb; they have a bitter, astringent taste, which complements a wide variety of foods. It is is extremely high in iron, calcium, and Vitamin B6.


For today's quick and easy meal, I will like to share with you one of our favour way to roast chicken wings. It's pretty easy to prepare and bursting with juicy taste and scented with the aroma of the herbs.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
4 - 6 Chicken Wings, washed and tuck-in
3 - 4 Cloves of Garlic, thinly sliced
6 Slices of Lemon
1 Spig of Rosemary
1/2 Tablespoon of Lemon Juice
Pinch Of Salt
Ground White/Black Pepper
5 - 10g of Butter, optional

Methods:
1. Washed and pat dry the chicken wings then tuck in the wings.
2. Marinate the Chicken Wing with garlic, lemon, rosemary(the leave only), salt and pepper for at least 1 hour or leave it over night in the fridge.
3. Preheat the oven to about 180 degree, place the marinated chicken wings in the baking dish and top each wings with the lemon and garlic slices from the marinate and a little cubes of butter(optional) and bake for about 20 - 30 minutes(depend on the oven) until golden brown and cooked through. (turn the wings once or twice to have even baking colour)
4. Served with baked potato, fries, spaghetti or as finger food.

OR (in order to cut down the baking time)
3. Place the marinated chicken wings in a microwave oven and cooked on medium heat for about 5 - 8 minutes.
4. Remove from the microwave and place it in baking dish and top with a tiny dot of butter and arrange the lemon and garlic slices on top of the chicken wings.
5. Bake in an oven toaster for about 15-20 minutes turning the wings at least thrice until down.

Notes:
a) You can buy those mid-joint or drumlets to make this dish depending on your preference.
b) If you can't get hold of rosemary you can ombit it but add in more garlic slices instead.

Quick & Easy Meal

This is one of the easiest and nutritious way to prepare an Quick and Easy meal for kid that contain both meat and vegetables. You can use whatever ingredients you have in your pantry or fridge. For this dish, I use some frozen mixed vegetable for the colour, potato cubes for the crunch and mini hotdog for easy kid consume. You can serve it with either White Rice, Macaroni or Spaghetti


Ingredients: (serves 2)
6 -8 Mini Hotdog
1 Medium Potato, cut into cubes
2 Tablespoons Of Frozen Mixed Vegetables
1 Small Red Onion, cut into wedges
1 Small Tomato, cut into wedges(optional)
1 Packet of Lee Kum Kee Sauce For Sweet & Sour Pork

Methods:
1. Pan-fry the potato cubes until golden brown, dish up and set aside.
2. Use the remaining oil to grill the hotdog until cook through and remove.
3. Saute the onion wedges with 1 teaspoon of oil until fragrant then add in the frozen vegetables and stir-fry for 1 minutes then add in the packet of Sweet and Sour sauce then give it a quick stir.
4. Next add in the hotdog, potato cubes and tomato wedges and stir it till well combine. (remember to stir the sauce and mixture over low heat or else the sauce will dry up very fast)

Notes:
a) You can use any kind of hotdog that you can find in your pantry or towards your preference.

Filed Under: Meals For Toddler(Meat & Poultry)


I replicate this dish from one of my colleague, she told me that her mum used to cook this at home and from her description I am kind of curious on how will it taste like to put cucumber, enokitake mushroom and fish cake together into one dish. So what I did is from her description, I also add in carrot slices, wolfberries and egg white to make the dish more complete and vibrant in colour.
Ingredients: (serves 2)
1 Medium Japaness Cucumber, cut into thin slices
1 Packet of Enokitake Mushroom, wash and trim
1 Piece of Medium Fried Fishcake, cut into thin slices
6 - 8 Slices Of Carrot
1/2 Tablespoon of Minced Garlic
1/2 Tablespoon of Oyster Sauce
1/2 Tablespoon of Wolfberries
100ml - 150ml of Water
1/2 Egg White, lightly whisk

Methods:
1. Saute the minced garlic with 1/2 tablespoon of oil until fragrant then add in the carrot slices and fishcake, stir-fry it for a while then add in the cucumber slices.
2. When the carrot is almost soft, add in the enokitake mushroom and oyster sauce then give it a quick stir and add in 100ml of water and the wolfberries and let it simmer in low heat for a 1 - 2 minutes.
3. When it is almost thicken up, slowly drizzle in the egg white and give it a stir until the well combine.
4. Serve hot with white rice.

Braised Chicken & Mushroom

This is a very Quick and Easy meal for busy working mum to get dinner ready in less than 30 minutes. You can actually prepared some of the ingredients the night before like soaking the mushroom till soft and prepared the hard-boiled eggs and keep it in the fridge before use. It all depend on what ingredients you prefer to add into this meal.



For this Braised Chicken & Mushrooms dish, I added in Hard-boiled eggs which is Reyon's favourite and it really taste great with the help of Lee Kim Kee instant Sauce For Teriyaki Chicken. If you prefer, you can also replace the chicken wings with Pork Belly meat to make Braised Pork Belly but the cooking time will be slightly longer in order to make the pork belly more tender. You can also use this dish to go with either Rice or Noodle depend on your preference.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
3 - 4 Chicken Wings, depend on the size
2 Hard-boiled Egg
6 - 8 Medium Dried Mushroom, soaked till soft
1 Packet of Lee Kim Kee Sauce For Teriyaki Chicken
3 Shallot, thinly sliced
4 Cloves Of Garlic, light smashed
2 Slices of Ginger
150ml - 180 ml Of Water

Methods:
1. Preheat the small saucepan with 1 teaspoon of sesame oil and saute the shallot, garlic and ginger until fragrant.
2. Next add in the chicken wings and continue to saute for a few second then add in the Teriyaki Sauce and stir till well combined.
3. Pour in the water then follow by the pre-soaked mushrooms and hard-boiled egg and let it simmer on low heat for about 10 - 15 minutes until the chicken is cook through.
4. If you wan the mushroom to absord more favour of the sauce, you can remove the chicken wings first then let the mushroom and egg continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.

Notes:
a) You can use either whole chicken wings or mid-joint or drumstick depend on your preference.
b) You can even add in Firm Beancrud(Dou Gan).
c) You can replace the chicken wing with 1 or 2 strips of the pork belly.
d) If you prefer more sauce, you have to use two packets of the Lee Kee Kim Teriyaki Sauce instead of one.

Cod Fish Rice

Reyon and I having this for our Mother's Day Dinner. This is one of Reyon's favourite "1 Dish Meal" despite that he is not really keen on fish. There is two different way that you can make this dish depend on which type you prefer?


As usual I cooked the rice using the soup base instead of water so that Reyon will get most of the nutrition from the soup. Then I coat the marinated fish fillet with cornflour then pan-fry in until golden brown and almost cooked through then I place it on top of the bubbling rice and let it continue to cook through so that the fish oil and fragrant will combine well with the rice.

Ingredients:
1 Or 2 pieces Of Cod Fish Fillet, without bone part
1/2 Tablespoon Of Cooking Wine
1 Teaspoon of Light Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon Of Cornflour
3-4 Slices Of Ginger

Methods:
1. Wash and pat dry the fish fillet then marinate it with cooking wine, soy sauce and then coat it with cornflour.
2. Preheat a frying pan with some oil then saute the ginger slices until fragrant then add in the fish, skin side down.
3. Saute it for about 2 minutes till almost golden brown then turn over and repeat the same thing until both side are golden in colour.
4. Place the almost cook fish fillet on top of the bubbling rice which is half way through the cooking time.
5. Leave the fish fillet in the rice cooker until the rice is done.
6. Serve warm with some cucumber and tomato slices. (you can choose to drizzle it with extra BBQ sauce or tomato sauce on the fillet)

Note:
You can replace Cod Fish with Snapper or Salmon depend on your preference.

Chicken Stew & Purple Chips

Having these Homemade Chicken Stew with Purple Potato Chips for meal. I had added slightly more water for the stew because I want to have more gravy for Reyon to have it with his rice.


Other than the stew we also have Homemade Potato Chips as side dish. I bought the Purple Potato and slice them thinly and coated them with some salt and pat it dry before deep-frying. Actually you can baked them in oven which is more healthy but then because I am rushing for meal, so I just deep-fried them and they taste really good and crispy.
Ingredients:
4 Chicken Wings or 2 Chicken Drumstick
2 Medium Potato, cut into cubes
1 Small Carrot, cut into cubes
2 - 3 Shallots, thinly slices
1 Large Tomato, removed seeds and wedges
1 Tablespoon Oyster Sauce
1/2 Tablespoon Dark Soy Sauce, optional
500ml Water
Some Cornstarch Water

Methods:
1. Clean and wash the chicken then season it with some pepper, soy sauce, cooking wine and corn flour for about 10 minutes.
2. Add some oil in a small pot and saute the shallot until fragrant then add in the chicken pieces and saute until slightly brown.
3. Next add in the potato, carrot and tomato slices and continue to stir-fry for a few minutes.
4. Then add in the oyster sauce and dark soy sauce stir till mix through then pour in the 500ml of water and bring to boil.
5. When boiled, lower the heat and simmer for about 20 - 25 minutes until the potato and carrot are tender and chicken are cooked through.
6. Stir-in some cornstarch water to thicken the sauce and serve it with warm rice.