[recipe + video] Quick Cream Of Chicken & Mushroom Soup

For a super easy weeknight dinner, you can serve up a hearty meal using canned soup and few added fresh ingredients to perk up the taste and appearance. This recipe that I am sharing is very versatile because you can mix and match your soup base and ingredients to suit your household preference.

[Weekly Meal Planner #3] Our 5 Favourite Western Dish Recipes

It's Monday again and I hope you people have a great week without any blues. For this last Monday of March we shall continue on our  "Weekly Meal Planner" column with FIVE of our family favourite western dishes such as braised wine chicken, chicken skewers, mushroom pie and homemade mushroom soup. These dishes are easy to prepare and you could even get ready the necessary ingredient the night before so that your meal would be ready on the dining table in less than an hour.

Out of the 5 featured recipes in this post; my favourite are Braised Red Wine Chicken and Chicken Mushroom Pot Pie because both are comfort food which could be easily whipped up and they taste awesome especially during cold weather or after a hectic day at work.

Festive Brunch Menu Using Perfect Italiano Cheese

Christmas is just another three weeks down the road and I am sure most of you are busy with the Christmas menu planning. Here with some complimentary cheese that we received from Perfect Italiano, we decided to whip up some dishes from their “Food Fixes in 15 Seconds” festive menu which features tasty and simple dishes that you can learn in just 15 seconds.

Using the cheese we prepared a 5 Course Brunch Menu shown above with Cheesy Corn Chowder, Parmesan Toast, Cheese Baked Christmas Casserole, Sausage And Mushroom Baked Rice plus Parmesan Pancakes for dessert.

[4 Recipes] Quick and Easy Meal With Bosch MSM6 ErgoMixx Hand Blender

With the new gadget Bosch ErgoMixx Hand Blender added into my kitchen pantry, I decided to work on a lunch menu to test out its features and functions to blend, process and whisk. In this post, I will be sharing four recipes using those functions which I am quite happy with the end results.

Actually before using the hand blender I did a Google search on it's review; and I am pretty distracted with some of the negative reviews on it's universal cutter and blender. But all those worries were put in vain after I tested out the blender with the recipes shown below. Now I am glad that I can easily handle small amount of ingredients using this reliable blender.

{Halloween Trick-or-Treat} Broccoli And Spinach Soup, Graveyard Fried Rice Plus Apple, Banana And Dragon Fruit Smoothie

Halloween is just a week from now and we are so excited about this weekend Angry Bird Halloween Party at Sentosa. For the past two years I have shared some Halloween themed dishes and treats which you could read more here. Although what I did this year was rather simple as compared to last year, but after all we do enjoy the process on preparing the food and etc on a raining cozy evening.

This year, we are having Spooky Broccoli Soup which served together with Graveyard Fired Rice and Bloody Smoothie.

{Photo Friday} Mother's Day Special

Although there are different dates reserved for Mother's Day in many parts of the world which most commonly seen in March, April or May but the majority of the countries do celebrate this special day on every second Sunday of May each year. And since today is Friday, Mother's Day will be just two days around the corner on Sunday, 13 May 2012. I am sure most of you have either celebrated Mother's Day early to avoid the crowds or you have already planned something interesting ahead for your mum or wife.

In this post, I have pick some quick and easy recipe links for your reference if you prefer to cook or bake some warm and hearty for your mum or loved ones during this weekend. No matter you are a newbie in the kitchen or someone who can cooks well, I am sure some of these links below will be able to give you some ideas on how to surprised "Mum" with your new skills and creation in the kitchen.

My boy with his genius thoughts and funny act(s) always makes me feel warm and blessed no matter how difficult motherhood is through his growing years. 

SET MENU FOR MUM

Thai Dishes with Appetizer	Chicken Cutlet with Apple Salad and Soup	Garlic Spaghetti with Pistachio Chicken and Avocado Milkshake
Avocado Chicken Parmigiana	Watercress Soup and Hainanese Pork Chop Rice	Kimchi Tofu Soup And Japchae

SOUP FOR MUM

Samgyetang	Five Nuts Soup	Leek and Potato Soup
Cream Of Mushroom Soup	Cordyceps Herbal Soup	Pork Muscle with Burdock

DISHES FOR MUM

Hong Zao Ji(红槽鸡)	Sizzling Tofu (using Happy Call Pan)	Bitter Gourd and Chicken In Casserole
Salmon with Spicy Sweetcorn Salsa	Stir-Fry Leek with Firm Beancurd	Thai Green Curry

BAKES FOR MUM

Lemon Yogurt Butter Cake	Double Chocolate Madeleine	Chocolate Chiffon with Multigrains
Kiwifruit and Lime Cupcakes	Apple Upside-down Cake (using Happy Call Pan)	Pandan Chiffon Cake (using Happy Call Pan)

DESSERT FOR MUM

Soy Milk Beancurd Pudding	Durian Pancake	Sweet Potato Soup
Bubur Terigu(大麦)	Tau Suan(豆爽)	Steamed Milk with Egg Whites

For more recipe ideas, you can refer to my recipes link HERE.

Lastly I would like to wish everyone a Happy Mother's Day! Remember to love and pamper your mum in anyway that you can. Because "being a mom is the hardest job in the world", they don't get to rest and they work 24hr a week for 365 days. So during this coming Mother's Day, do give your mum a warm hug and a pat on her back to show your love and appreciation for her contribution to the family.

{Halloween Special} Jack O' Lantern, Black Cat Pumpkin Soup, Eyeballs Fettuccine And Death By Chocolate

Halloween is the celebration typically held on 31st October each year where this date marked the end of the summer and beginning of the cold winter which was often a time of death. As usually this year you could also join in some Halloween event at some of the tourist attraction such as Universality Studios Singapore, Halloween Horror Nights(here), Sentosa Spooktacular (here), FrightFest@Singapore Flyer (here) and etc.

This is the second year (read last year post, here) I cooked Halloween theme dishes despite that we don't actually celebrate this festival. Same as last year I have cooked a creamy pumpkin soup but with fusion of Asian and Western ingredients. And for this year we have a set Dinner Menu that comes with salad, soup, pasta and dessert with Halloween theme decorated.

[April $20 Budget Meal] Cream of Cauliflower Soup and Ham and Egg Pizza Tart

So fast, another week has past and today we are into the 3rd weeks of April where Good Friday and Easter Sunday will be on this week. Till now I have not thought about preparing anything for our Easter Sunday compared to what I have done last year on the "Chocolate Hot Cross Buns" and "Nested Easter". So I guess I have to work hard on that and find some inspiration for our Church, Good Friday picnic special.

If you followed this blog, last Monday our menu was on Asian flavour such as "Five Nuts Soup and Steamed Dumplings with Assorted Vegetables". Today we are having something western which cost around S$8.60 for 2 - 3 servings.

Cauliflower can be roasted, boiled, fried, steamed or eaten raw. This is the first time I  am using cauliflower to make soup and I am really surprised with it's outcome which is so tasty and it is definitely a great way to hide veggies especially in kid's meal. For this version, I have omitted the cream and replace it with extra 50g of potatoes to act as a nature thickening agent for a healthier soup.

CAULIFLOWER SOUP

Ingredients: (Serves 2 - 3)
1/2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1cm Cube of Butter
1 Medium White Onion, roughly chopped
2 Garlic Cloves, Crushed
300g Cauliflower, cut into florets
200g Potatoes, peeled and chopped
400ml Instant Chicken Stock
150ml Hot Water

Method:-

1. Heat oil and butter in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic cook and stir occasionally for about 3 minutes or until onion has softened.

2. Add cauliflower and potato, stir and cook for 3 minutes.

3. Next pour in stock and water. Season with pepper. Cover and bring to the boil.

4. Reduce heat to medium low. Simmer for about 20 minutes or until potato is tender. Set aside to cool to room temperature.

5. Blend the soup, in batches until smooth then return to pan over low heat.

6. Cook and stir for 2 minutes or until heated through. Serve with some freshly ground pepper.


Total cost for this dish is about S$2.50 with breakdown shown below:-
Cost of Ingredients:
~ Cauliflower = S$1.00
~ Potatoes Onion = S$1.00
~ Chicken Stock = S$0.50

Here we give a twist on the usual thin crust or handmade pizza dough by replacing it with the crispy think layer of ready-rolled puff pastry sheet. This recipe makes each and every slices of your cheesy pizza with a delightful flaky bites. So why not give this a try and I am sure all your kids and friends will love this for a chance.

HAM AND EGG PIZZA TART

Ingredients: (Serves 2 - 3)
1 Sheet of Puff Pastry, partially thawed
1 1/2 Tablespoon of Barbecue/Pizza Sauce
1/2 - 3/4 Cup Grated Mozzarella Cheese
50g Shaved Honey Baked Ham
1 - 2 Eggs
5 Cherry Tomatoes, halved
1/2 Small Green Capsicum, cut into strips

Method:-

1. Preheat oven to 180 degree fan-forced and grease 1 large pizza tray.

2. Cut a 20cm round from the puff pastry sheet using a plate or bowl as a guide. With a small knife, cut a 1 cm border around pastry.(carefully not to cut through it as this will act as a border around the tart).

3. Place the round on prepared tray, spread inside circle with barbecue sauce and sprinkle it evenly with half of the grated mozzarella cheese.

4. Brush/spray border with oil. Bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until sides have puffed.

5. Remove tray from oven, crack egg(s) onto the center of the tart, top with shaved ham, tomatoes, capsicum strips and sprinkle with remaining cheese.

6. Bake for another 15 minutes or until egg whites have set and cheese is golden. Serve with prepared soup.


Total cost for this dish is about S$6.10 with breakdown shown below:-
Cost of Ingredients:
~ Cheese = S$2.00
~ Shaved Ham = S$1.50
~ Cherry Tomatoes and Capsicum = S$1.60
~ Puff Pastry Sheet - S$1.00

Making pizza is one of the interesting task for kids to take part in the kitchen. They can help to spread the sauce and arrange whatever toppings that they preferred while the adults can just stand by the side and help to supervise and place the prepared pizza into and out of the oven. And homemade pizza can be even easier with ready-made pizza base or with any interesting base that you can think of, such as:- Puff Pastry, Sandwich Slice Bread, Pita Bread, Tortilla Sheet, Baguette and etc.

Since our "Easter April Budget Meal"(click the link and scroll down for the details at the end of the post) theme is using egg as a main ingredient, I have added an egg onto my pizza tart which which it a twist to the usual pizza that we often have.

Thanks for all your "BUZZ(s)" and support friends. Cream of Cauliflower Soup and Ham and Egg Pizza Tart post has make it to FoodBuzz Today's Top 9, 19th April 2011.(Here)

Featured On: FoodBuzz Today's Top 9, 19th April 2011.(Here)

CLOSING DATE FOR [EASTER APRIL BUDGET MEAL] EVENT:

~ Monday, 25 April 2011, 2359 hours  and all entries will be compiled and posted on 30th April 2011.

[S$20 Budget Meal] Leek and Potato Soup, Grilled Chicken Cutlet and Green Apple Salad

Thinking of what to cook and what to buy is always one of my biggest problem while planning our weekly menu. Despite of all the tones of recipes, fresh ingredients and etc that can be easily access sometime I am still stuck with all these meal planning. And also due to the rise of food pricing it is very important to have a proper planning and try to utilise as much as possible on the specified budget to minimise wastage of food. In this post I will be sharing on how to plan a western set meal including soup of the day plus a quick and easy dessert to serve 2 - 3 with a total spending of S$14.25 (about US$11.50).

As some of you might know I seldom prepared western soup as I always have a mind set that it will be very troublesome and difficult to work with. But on the other hand I am actually a great fan of Cream of Mushroom, Cream of Pumpkin and Clam Chowder. So for this set meal I take up the courage to try making this short-cut version of Leek and Potato Soup(without cream).

Ingredients: (serves 2 - 3)

2 Stalks of Baby Leeks, thinly sliced
3 Cloves of Garlics, peeled and roughly chopped
10 - 15g Unsalted Butter
400ml Instant Chicken Stock
150ml Hot Water
250g Potato, peeled and cut into small chunks
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Thank God that I tried making this or else I won't know that this  Leek and Potato Soup can be so tasty and creamy even without adding any cream in it. And moreover it is so simple and easy to prepare with just a few basic ingredients.

Method:-

1. Melt butter in a saucepan. Add leeks and garlic, cook over low heat till soft and fragrance (about 5 minutes) before stirring it the potato chunks and cook for another 1 minute.

2. Pour in stock and hot water, bring the mixture to boil, reduce heat and simmer gently until potatoes are soft and tender.

3. Turn off heat and let the mixture cool to room temperature before transferring it in the food blender. Or you can use a potato masher to mash up everything directly in the pot. (you can reserved a few potato chunks as garnish too)

4. If using food blender, pour the puree back into the same saucepan. Dilute the mixture with extra chicken stock or hot water accordingly to get the consistency that you preferred. Warm Through.

5. Ladle soup into serving bowls, season with freshly ground pepper and serve.


Total cost for this dish is about S$3.00 with breakdown shown below:-
Cost of Ingredients:
~ Leek and Potato = S$2.00
~ Instant Chicken Stock = S$1.00

Creamy Leek and Potato Soup

Garden Salad is always one of the best choice to pair with either grilled or deep-fried dish. Here while choosing between either salad or boiled vegetables such as broccoli, carrot and etc. I finally decided to choose our favourite Garden Salad with some extra granny smith wedges to pair with the grilled chicken cutlet.

Ingredients: (serves 2 - 3)
1 Packet of Ready-To-Eat Garden Salad with Sauce
1 Green Apple, cored and cut into thin wedges
1/4 Cup Sultanas

Method:-

1. Wash apple with salt water, halved and cored before cutting it into thin wedges. (soak the apple wedges in salt water for about 15 seconds to retain it's colour)

2. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, toss well and divide it onto serving plates.

3. Drizzle salad dressing only before serving.


Total cost for this dish is about S$4.40 with breakdown shown below:-
Cost of Ingredients:
~ 1 Packet of Baby Honey Salad from Cold Storage = S$3.60
~ 1 Green Apple = S$0.50
~ Sultanas = S$0.30

This Grilled Chicken Cutlet was rather something very quick and easy to prepare which requires minimum seasonings and cooking time. For this dish I did not prepare any drizzling sauce or gravy as I just want to keep everything simple and with it's original taste.

Ingredients: (serves 2)
2 Chicken Drumstick with thigh, bone removed

Seasonings:
1 Teaspoon of Sesame Oil
1 Teaspoon of Cooking Wine
1/2 Tablespoon of Light Soy Sauce
1/2 Tablespoon of Cornflour
Dash of Ground Pepper

Method:-

1. Trim and remove excess fat from the chicken and marinate it with seasonings for at least 1 hour in the refrigerator. (remove it from the fridge at least 5 minutes before cooking time thawed)

2. Preheat grilled pan with 1 teaspoon of olive oil, fry the chicken skin side down on medium heat for about 8 minutes till golden brown before turning to another side. (you can sprinkle some freshly ground black pepper on the chicken while grilling for extra taste and fragrance)

3. Continue to grill for another 8 - 10 minutes till chicken is cooked through.


Total cost for this dish is about S$3.80 with breakdown shown below:-
Cost of Ingredients:
~ 2 Chicken Drumstick with Thigh = S$3.80

If you prefer Western Food over Asia Dishes, I hope this 2 Dishes 1 Soup idea on our western set meal do give you some ideas on how to prepare your own budget food at home with a good and healthy planning. For example you can have a bowl of yummy homecook Leek and Potato soup for just a dollar each bowl and you are sure that all the ingredients used are freshly bought and prepared.

With this quick and easy set meal shown above, you will be surprised that it only cost a total of S$11.20 which even allows me to whip out another dessert with the balance amount left.

BONUS!!!!!

Ginkgo Barley with Beancurd Sheet (白果薏米腐竹糖水)

Since I only spent around S$11.00 for the above set meal with soup and main course, I decide to whip up a simple dessert which I saw from "Miss Tam Chiak" blog that she published recently (click HERE). This is a very easy to prepare dessert that cost approximately about S$3.00 which is great for cooling the body during this hot weather season.

Ingredients: (serves 4)
¼ Cup or 4 Tablespoons Of Pearl Barley(洋薏米)
1 Packet Of Ginkgo Nut(白果)
½ Packet Of Dessert Bean Curd Sheet(腐竹)
Cane/Rock Sugar To Taste
1.8 Litres Of Water
Few Pieces Of Pandan Leaves, wash and tied into knot
1 Egg, lightly beaten

And for this dessert, the key factor lies on the beancurd sheet which you must get the correct type for cooking desserts so that it does not required long hours of cooking time. These dessert beancurd sheet cooked in less than 15 minutes and the texture is rather smooth and silky compared to those used for making stew and soup.

Method:-

1. Rinse barley in several changes of water until water runs clear. Set aside.

2. Bring about 1.8 litres of water to boil, low the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes together with the prepared barley and pandan leaves.

3. Meanwhile rinse the ginkgo nuts, drain well and using a toothpick to gently remove the germ out of the nuts which are bitter to taste.

4. Next marinated the ginkgo nuts with 1/2 tablespoon of castor sugar and set aside for later use.

5. Prepare some water in a big mixing bowl or pot, add in the lightly crashed beancurd sheet and soak it in water for about 10 minutes to remove the oil and discard those thick strips which does not soften  as it will affect the texture of the dessert. Drained well and set aside.

6. When the barley begins to soften and the water turns cloudy in colour, removed pandan leaves and add in the bean curd sheet and ginkgo nuts. Continue to simmer on low heat for another 15 minutes.

7. Lastly add in the sugar to taste according to your preference.

8. Turn off the heat and quickly stir-in beaten egg till well combined. Serve either warm or cold.


Total cost for this dish is about S$3.05 with breakdown shown below:-
Cost of Ingredients:
~ 1/2 Packet of Beancurd Sheet = S$1.10
~ 1 Packet of Gingko Nut = S$0.95
~ Barley = S$0.30
~ Pandan Leaves = S$0.20
~ Cane Sugar = S$0.30
~ Egg = S$0.20

Remember to join us on our [S$20 Budget Meal] Event, detail at HERE. Closing date, this Sunday, 27 March 2011 at 2359 Hours.