[Guest Post] Roasted Salmon with Dill

Let's welcome December!!! I am sure every year during this period of time everyone would be busy with Christmas Gifts, Bakes and most important the Christmas Feast. This year we are fortunate to celebrate early Christmas in the cold snowing weather. And during my absent from the Holidays, I would still scheduled some posts and updates through facebook fan page (HERE) whenever I could grab hold of some access. But here I have and excited news to share with you, this month I would have some “Guest Posts” from a few bloggers whom would share with us some of their delicious Christmas bakes/dishes.

This week we would have Lobster, the owner of LOBSTERPAINTS website at "http://lobsterpaints.blogspot.com/" to share with us one of her Pre-Christmas trial dish that used my favourite ingredient, "Salmon" as the main item. In the post she would also shares some tips on how to bake to "3D' presentation salmon dish together with creamy herb sauce. 

But before we head over to her blog and read more about this post, let's take a look at the ingredients for this dish which you might want to try it out during this coming festive season.

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

4x 8oz (255g) Salmon fillets

3 tbsp (45ml) fresh lemon juice

1/4 cup (50ml) fresh dill, minced

1 tsp (5ml) salt

1 tsp (5ml) fresh ground black pepper

4 tbsp (60ml) extra virgin olive oil.

Click here for the full post @ http://lobsterpaints.blogspot.com/. Till then cya everyone when I am back from Holiday!!!!!

Sushi Tei @ City Square Mall

Located at one cozy corner of level 3, City Square Mall. Sushi Tei has a few sitting areas that suits different occasions for group or individual dining. I have always wanted to try the food at Sushi Tei after hearing good feedback from friends but usually back off by the long queue that is often seen outside their Vivo City and Takashimaya outlets.  Finally a few weeks back I managed to try out some of their dishes at their City Square Mall branch which has lesser crowd after the peak lunch hours.

First we have "Chawanmushi" which is a common Japanese appetiser that is also known as "steam egg in cup". The ingredients might various from different restaurant but basically you can find prawn, chicken, mushroom and intimation crabstick in it.
Price: S$4.00 per bowl

  My aunt loves this "Spicy Hotate" because of it's chewy texture with a hint of spiciness. This cold dish makes a great appetiser before the main course.
Price: S$4.50 per plate

  When I spot this "Hotate Misomayo" on the menu, I knew I must order it because I love the combination of grilled scallop with miso and mayonnaise. The hint of miso adds extra flavour to the scallop together with the creamy texture of the mayonnaise. And this is also a pretty easy dish to prepare at home if you could managed to grab hold of some decent scallops with shell.
Price: S$6.00 per plate

"Dragon Roll" is one of the  popular dish that can be found in most Japanese restaurant. In Sushi Tei, their dragon roll comes with a deep-fried King Prawn wrapped together with sushi rice and seaweed then topped with slices of avocado and Japanese Mayonnaise. Overall it taste quite similar to the rest but if the deep-fried prawn can be more crispy when bite it would add extra bonus point to this dish. 
Price: S$12.00 per plate

  We always love to order either "Salmon Head Shio" or Saba Shioyaki and this portion of the salmon head at Sushi Tei was reasonable in size for its’ price and we love its moist and juicy texture too.
Price: S$8.00 per plate

  Another salmon dish we tried was this "Salmon Chasoba". The lightly fried salmon fillet was placed on top of some cold "chasoba (green tea noodle)"  and decorated with some mayonnaise and fish roes to enhance the taste. 
Price: S$10.00 per plate

  After a satisfaction meal we decided to go for some dessert. So while looking at the dessert column one of the waitress suggest perhaps we could a cup of this Yuzu Sherbet for a try. Indeed all of us agreed that this yuzu sherbet taste good and refreshing with its' bite of sour and sweet compliment.
Price: S$3.20 per serving

For second dessert we choose this "Strawberry Taiyaki" that has a crispy outer crust with strawberry ice-cream and red bean paste in it. Although it might be a little too sweet but I am sure this would be a great dessert for all ages too.
Price: S$3.20 per plate

I will definitely be back to try out their "Sashimi" menu again because a few friends of mine are sashimi lovers like me whom we can feast share and feast it together.

Sushi Tei

180 Kitchener Road
#03-53/55 City Square Mall
Singapore 208539
Telephone: +65 6509 1171
Website: http://www.sushitei.com/

Opening Hours

Daily: 11.30am to 10.00pm daily (last order 9.30pm)

The Goodness of YIFON Bottled Mushrooms

Mushrooms have always been a popular add-on ingredients for many homecooked dishes because they are delicious and full of rich nutritional values that can be used in various way of cooking. For busy working adults and parents like myself, cooking can sometime be a hassle that we would like to avoid especially after a long day at work. So I guess what most of us looking for are those quick and easy dishes or some instant products  that helps us to whip up hearty meals within a minimum cooking time.

These Yifon mushrooms are uniquely packed in clear glass bottles that comes in 6 different exotic varieties such as:- Pickled Bailing Mushrooms, Spicy Nameko Mushroom, Spicy Bailing Mushrooms, Assorted Mushrooms, Spicy Golden Mushrooms and Teatree Mushrooms. All these are finest quality of mushrooms that contain no preservatives, artificial colourings and trans-fast which you could easily enjoy straight from the bottle or complement them with either porridge or noodles. In this post I would like to share with you 3 different recipes which I have used some of these delicious instant Yifon Bottled Mushrooms as part of the main ingredients to concoct some lovely dishes for my family.

Note:-

~ These bottled mushrooms are halal-certified and it is also suitable for Vegetarian consumers too.

Have you tried or heard about Teatree Mushroom(茶树菇)? These mushrooms are high in protein, low in fat and sugar content and it also contains plenty of minerals and anti-cancer properties that most mushrooms would claim of. Some of the Chinese physician also recommend these mushrooms which are neutral food that nourishes the Qi (energy) of our body and at the same time boost up our immunity if consumed regularly. So for the first mushroom dish I  would use this YIFON Teatree Mushroom to prepared a tofu dish which you could serve it as starter during gathering or as a main course itself.

This is a very simple dish that requires only two main ingredients such as the unique taste of these teatree mushrooms that pairs well with the bland silken tofu.

Silken Tofu With Yifon Teatree Mushrooms
Preparation Time: 10 Minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients: (serves 2 - 4)
1 Bottle of YIFON Teatree Mushrooms
1 Packet of Silken Tofu for Steaming, cut into 6 portions
1 Teaspoon of Minced Garlic
1/2 Tablespoon of Cooking Oil
1 Teaspoon of Sesame Oil
1 Chili, deseed and sliced
Some Chopped Spring Onion

You could easily prepare this dish by using either microwave or steam it using a pot/wok over the stove. Personally I would preferred microwave method which is hassle free and it would also minimize the water content of this dish compared to the normal steaming method.

Method:
1. Remove the tofu from the packaging and place it on the serving plate. Cut it into 6 or 8 equal portions according to your preference.
2. Top each piece of the tofu with your desire amount of YIFON teatree mushrooms together with some extra mushrooms on the surrounding of the tofu.
3. Next heat up a small pan with the mixture of cooking and sesame oil, sauté the minced garlic and chili till fragrant, stir in the chopped spring onion and give it a quick stir before removing the pan from heat.
4. Drizzle the garlic mixture evenly on top of the tofu and cook it in the microwave for about 1 - 1.5 minutes on medium heat powder.
5. Remove the dish and garnish with extra chopped spring onion and serve it warm.

Note:-

~ In order to maintain the taste and texture of the dish, microwave it for 1 minute and check whether the tofu and mushroom have being warm up before continue with the next 30 seconds as different microwaves would varies from its voltage power.

~ As for those using steaming method over the stove, place the tofu dish into the steaming rack only after the water comes to boil, steam it over medium heat for 2 - 3 minutes.

So within less than 10 minutes you could enjoy a plate of delicious steamed silken tofu with teatree mushrooms that is healthy and full of goodness as tofu is also low in calories too.


For busy mum like many others and myself we tend to look for dishes that are hearty and easy to prepare so that we could have some nutritious meals even on busy weekday nights. So for the second recipe I would like to share with you on how I normally prepared my “Braised Brown Rice with Mushrooms” by using one of this instant bottled mushrooms.

For your information Nameko Mushrooms (滑子蘑) is a small and amber brown colour mushroom with a jelly-like coating that is used as an ingredient in most miso soup. From google search this is also one of Japan’s most popular cultivated mushrooms that has a slightly nutty taste too. Here I am using some of these "YIFON Spicy Nameko Mushrooms" to cook a one pot dish together with brown rice and some simple ingredients shown below.

Braised Brown Rice with Spicy Nameko Mushrooms
Preparation Time: 10 Minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Ingredients: (serves 2)
1/2 Bottle of YIFON Spicy Nameko Mushrooms
125g (1 Cup) Brown Rice
350ml Hot Water/Chicken Stock
40g Corn Kernels
40g Green Peas
2 Rashes of Bacon, cut into strips
Cut Chili and Spring Onion for garnishing


Note:-
~ You can replace brown rice with normal white rice according to your preference.
~ Frozen mixed vegetables of similar quantity can be used to replace the corn kernel and green peas too.

Brown rice is known to have higher nutritional values as compared to white rice. And when cooked they gives off an aromatic jasmine fragrant with its chewy texture and sweet nutty flavour. But if you are not comfortable with the taste of brown rice, you could always start off with a mixture of brown and white rice and slowly increase the amount of brown rice intakes in your daily diet.

Method:
1. Rinse brown rice a few times and soak it in water for at least 30 minutes if time permits.
2. Heat up a small saucepan using 1 teaspoon of cooking oil, sauté the bacon till golden brown and slightly crispy, remove and set aside.
3. Using the same saucepan throw in corn kernels and green peas then give it a quick stir before adding in the soaked brown rice that has been drained well.
4. Continue to sauté the rice mixture for about 1 minute then pour in either Hot Water or Chicken Stock.
5. When the mixture comes to boil again, lower the heat and simmer the rice for about 20 minutes or so till the rice is soft and the water/stock has almost absorbed.
6. At this stage, toss in the Spicy Nameko Mushrooms and cooked bacon evenly and continue to simmer the rice for another 3 - 5 minutes.
7. Serve hot with extra garnish of chopped chili and spring onion.

Tips:-

~ Soak the brown rice in water for at least 30 minutes prior cooking time to soften the rice for easy cooking but if you are running out of time you could add in extra 50ml more of water to cook the rice.

~ For those using water to cook the rice you can season it with 1/4 teaspoon of salt or chicken stock powder at step 4.

Brown Rice does take a little longer to cook than white rice but the time isn't much longer if you pre-soak the rice for a while and cook using the absorption method. If you do not have any brown rice at home you could still try out this recipe by replacing it with white rice and the end results would still taste as good as brown rice. And for those who has child whom is a picky eater that dislikes most of the vegetables, I am sure they would be delighted to see this colourful dish that is filled with wonderful aroma from the fried bacon and crunchy texture of the Nameko mushrooms.


If you prefer something more westernize with a distinguish flavour compared to those two dishes above perhaps you could try this “Spaghetti Aglio e Olio with Trio Mushrooms”. Aglio e Olio or also known as garlic and oil is a traditional Italian pasta dish that is made without adding any store-bought ingredients. The dish is usually prepared using lightly sautéd minced garlic in olive oil together with some dried chili flakes and garnish with chopped parsley.

For my 3rd recipes I am using YIFON Assorted Mushrooms where you could find 3 different types of mushrooms in the bottle such as "Po-ku(整香菇)", "Golden Mushrooms(金針菇)" and "Button Mushrooms(蘑菇)" which is great for any stir-fried dishes together with either meat or noodles.

And with a bottle or two of this instant assorted mushrooms stored in my kitchen pantry, I could easily whip up our favourite spaghetti anytime without worrying about to look for decent qualities of fresh mushrooms that sometime might not be available in the supermarkets. So here is my ingredients on preparing this pasta dish:-

Spaghetti Aglio e Olio With Trio Mushrooms
Preparation Time: 5 Minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients: (serves 2)
1 Bottle of YIFON Assorted Mushrooms
185g Spaghetti
1 Tablespoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1/2 Tablespoon Minced Garlic
1/4 Teaspoon Dried Chili Flakes
1 Medium Tomato, deseed and chopped
Handful of Parsley, chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste




Method:
1. Cook spaghetti following packet directions, until al dente. Drain well.
2. Heat a frying pan over medium heat with the olive oil. Add minced garlic and dried chili flakes and saute till the garlic is almost golden brown in colour.
3. Stir in the drained Assorted Mushrooms and give it a quick stir for about 10 seconds before tossing in the cooked spaghetti, chopped parsley and tomato cubes.
4. Toss the mixture well with a tong or long chopstick for another 5 seconds before removing it from heat so that the spaghetti would soak up the flavour from the garlic and chili oil.
5. Lastly season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper before serving.

Note:-

~ You can increase the dried chili flakes to 1/2 teaspoon if you prefer more spicier taste.

~ Increase the amount of minced garlic to 3/4 tablespoon to a richer garlic aroma and taste.

~ Carefully not to burn the garlic otherwise it will turn bitter.

When I first read about this product tasting invitation I was still hesitating on whether to give it a try because our family hardly consume those bottled or canned food products. And in Singapore it also very convenience to purchase fresh mushrooms that is easily available in the supermarkets or etc. But after trying a few types of these bottled mushrooms from Yifon it actually changed my mind set on these instant mushrooms which taste just as good as those fresh mushrooms and most importantly they are also carefully packed with rich nutritional values as well. For more information of these products you can refer to their official website at http://www.yithong.com/.

These instant mushrooms can be purchased at any leading supermarkets at a retail price of S$1.95 per bottle from the canned food department. So why not try to look out for these Yifon bottled mushrooms during your next visit to the supermarket and grab a bottle of two for your pantry and use it to cook your favourite mushroom dishes or serve it straight from the bottle as a topping for porridge or noodles.

Lastly I would like to thanks Daen Ng of Vibes Communications Pte Ltd and YIFON on the invitation to try out their delicious instant bottled mushrooms. And I would also love to hear from those who has tried these mushrooms on some of your feedback and methods on consuming them too.