[Blog Event] $20 Budget Meal ~ (Closing date: 27 March 11)

Recently while chatting with some facebook and twitter friends about the TV program known as "3 Plus 1 Sr 3(三菜一汤)" showing on every Wednesday, 8.00pm on Channel 8. I realise that the few of us usually have the habit of preparing homecooked dishes either by our own self, parents or helper at home. Especially now when the food pricing is rather high compare to a few years back, I am sure most of the family would rather prepared some simple homecooked food than eat out most of the days.

So here I would like to urge those who loves to prepare simple homecooked meal to join us in this small event in order to accumulated more cooking ideas as well as sharing with each other on how to purchase ingredients with a minimum sum of budget given.

WHO CAN JOIN:

~ Anyone who is interested to help and share more ideas in preparing homecooked meal.

CRITERIA:

~ Prepare any "2 Dishes plus 1 Soup" or "1 Pot Dish" using a Maximum budget of S$20.00. If you are from overseas, you can also particpiate by converting to the appropriate currency value, (ie. US$15.00, RM$50.00, Rp $138,000 and etc)

~ Send in either your blog link with a post of all the prepared dishes plus soup together with at least 1 recipe on the prepared meal.

Or

~ If you do not have a blog, just send in the photos and recipe of your dishes and I will publish on your behalf in my blog, credited to you. (photos can be taken in any form using digital camera or handphone)

~ Please do mention in your blog that you are sharing this post to “$20 Budget Meal” event and link it to this page so as to encourage more readers to contribute.

SUBMISSION:

~ E-mail your "blog link" or "photos with recipe" to ellenaguan@hotmail.com with a subject "$20 Budget Meal" in the following format:

Your Name:
URL of your post:
Name of your dishes + soup:
Estimate amount spent for each dish:
Attachment of your photo in your email (each photo, preferably 500kb or less).

CLOSING DATE:

~ 20 March 2011, 2359hours 27 March 2011, 2359 hours and all entries will be compiled and posted on 30th March 2011.

~ If the respond is good we will held a readers voting event for the best "$20 Budget Meal" family over at Cuisine Paradise Facebook Page for more giveaways.

For example if you wish to cook some delicious and nutritious herbal soup but you do not have those necessary Chinese Herbs in your pantry. Here is what you can do with any purchase of pre-packed herbal soup ingredients from any local supermarket. I bought this FairPrice(Pasar) herbs for S$4.50 + 2 Chicken drumstick for S$3.20 so total I spent S$7.70 for this pot of Chicken Herbal Soup. In this case I will have S$12.30 balance to get ingredients for another 2 dishes.

  With this pre-packed herbs, follow the instructions at the back of the packet and you will have a pot of delicious soup in a few hours time. Before this, perhaps you would like to take notes on a few items when preparing the soup.

SOME PREPARATION NOTES

~ Always rinse the herbs with either running water or warm water in a bowl to watch away any dirt in it.

~ Depend on your preference, get ready either chicken bones, chicken drumsticks, pork ribs or pork fillet. Trim, rinse and blanched them in boiling water for about 5 minutes, rinse well before use.

~ You can use a auto-timer and cook the soup in slower cooker even if you are out of your house so that the soup will be ready during meal time.


Lastly I hope that everyone can help to contribute some of your homecooked dishes so that we can get the opportunities to learn from each other and add on more cooking ideas to our "2 Dishes, 1 Soup(两菜一汤）" recipes bank.

[Included Microwave Version] Pandan Ginger Milk Custard (薑汁撞奶)

Ginger Milk Custard (薑汁撞奶) is a lovely dessert especially for those who loves the fragrant and hint of spiciness from the ginger. For those who loves dessert or dim sum, you would have tried another similar version  known as Steamed Egg with Ginger Juice or Chinese Panna Cotta. But this ginger milk custard can be consider much more easier to prepare compared to the steamed version once you are familiar with the steps and controlling the heat of the milk used.

To start off with this dessert, you would need 3 main ingredients which are:- Full Cream Fresh Milk, Old Ginger Juice and Castor Sugar.

This is the 1st batch that I made on without adding the Pandan Leaves so it is fully ginger taste dessert.

Ingredients: (make 2 portions)

250ml Fresh Full Cream Milk
2 Tablespoons Fresh Old Ginger Juice
1 Tablespoon Sugar
4 Pandan Leaves, optional

Method:-

1. Rinse and remove the outer skin of the ginger, use a vegetable grater to grate the juice in a cup then sieved the mixture to extract the ginger juice.
2. Place 1 Tablespoon of fresh ginger juice in each ramekin/pudding cup.
3. Simmer milk and pandan leaves to rolling boil(less than 90 seconds, you will see small bubbles forming at the sides of the pot), remove pan from heat and add in sugar, swirl the pan for about 10 times to melt the sugar using the heat from the milk.
4. Next, lift the pan to a height of about 4 - 6" high and pour the warm milk into the prepared ramekin cups.
5. Place the cups aside for about 5 - 10 minutes to cool and set the custard.

Note:-

~ Mostly recipes yield for "Full Cream Milk" with at least 3.8% fat to achieve a firm texture for the custard but for this recipe I have also tried using low-fat milk which success with a smooth and silky texture too.

~ The ginger used must be OLD ginger which produce a "darker" yellow liquid after grating is the key ingredients of this dessert. YOUNG ginger juice won't make the custard set.

~ You can also prepared this using microwave method shown below.

These are my lovely Pandan Ginger Milk Custard after being set for about 5 minutes at the table top. The texture is so smooth that it just glide down your throat leaving a hint of ginger and pandan aroma in your mouth.

MICROWAVE VERSION

For a quick and hassle free method, you can do a few trial using your microwave for making this dessert depending on your microwave power. (For your information, my microwave power is 1100W)

Ingredients: (make 1 portions)

100ml Fresh Full Cream Milk
1 Tablespoons Fresh Old Ginger Juice
1.5 Teaspoon Sugar
2 Pandan Leaves, cut into 3" long pieces (optional)

This photo shows the Microwave version of Ginger Milk Custard where the texture look similar a compared to the stove cooking method.

Method:-

1. Rinse and remove the outer skin of the ginger, use a vegetable grater to grate the juice in a cup then sieved the mixture to extract the ginger juice.
2. Place 1 Tablespoon of fresh ginger juice in either a ramekin cup/small bowl.
3. Microwave milk and pandan leaves in a microwave safe cup/bowl for 50 seconds in a 25 seconds interval. (the timing will depend on your microwave power, but remember not to let the milk boiled)
4. When done, removed the cup and add in 1.5 teaspoon of caster sugar.(do not stir)
5. Using another cup/bowl, pour the milk mixture to and from the cups for about 10 - 12 rounds.(this is to cool down the heat from the milk)
6. Lift the cup to a height of about 4 - 6" high and pour the warm milk into the prepared ramekin cup/bowl.
7. Place the cup (covered with another plate) aside for about 5 - 8 minutes to cool and set the custard.

[Promotion] Burger King Tendergrill Chicken for S$1.00

(Print or download this promotion advertisement to your phone for redemption)

If you have missed out last week McDonald's 1-FOR-1 great deal. Here is another even better offer from Burger King where they are having a one-day promotion starting tomorrow, 10th March(Thursday) from 11.00am at all Burger King restaurants in Singapore (except Escape Theme Park) for the S$1.00 Tendergrill burger. (Usual price from S$5.25.)

HOW TO REDEEM

~ Redemption is easy, all you need is to flash the related advertisement or promotion in any visual form when ordering. It can be coupon print out, newspaper clipping, MMS, edm etc.

~ Redemption period is from 11.00am till restaurant closes on 10th March.


For more details you can visit their site at:-
~ Website : www.burgerking.com.sg
~ Facebook : www.facebook.com/BurgerKingSingapore

Spicy Ramen

Last week while reading up an interesting recipe on Sherie(maameemoomoo, a 1/2 food blog) blog regarding her featured Orr Nee Cheesecake recipe on Straits Times, I spotted this Quick and Easy "Sichuan Noodle" which makes me drool over the ingredients.

So without hesitate, I jot down the necessary ingredients and went straight to my kitchen pantry to do a check list on all the items. And so coincident I happen to have a bottle of this Lao Gan Ma(老干妈) Chili Flavoured Oil (油辣椒) which is the key seasoning of this dish.

  After getting some Fresh Heng Hwa Noodles from the wet market, finally I get to make this quick and delicious Spicy Ramen for our dinner.

(recipe adapted from (maameemoomoo, a 1/2 food blog)

Ingredients: (serve 2)

2 Bundle of Fresh Heng Hwa Thin Noodles
4 Fresh Shiitake mushrooms, cut into thick slices
1 Teaspoon Chopped Garlic
2 Small Shallots, thinly sliced 
1/2 Tablespoon Oyster Sauce
Dash of sesame oil
40ml of Hot Water
6 Wontons, cooked
*6 Fishballs, cooked

Garnish:
1 Tablespoon Sesame/Shallot Oil
1 Tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
Chopped Spring Onions
Fried Shallots for garnish
2 - 3 Tablespoons of Chili Condiment

Note:-

~ You can purchase this fresh "Heng Hwa(兴华)" noodles (comes in thin and flat version) from those bean sprout stalls in the wet market or the chilled compartment at local supermarket. (Price: 3 bundles for S$2.00)

~ I use the CP Shrimp Wontons for this. (Price: S$4.75 per pax)

~ I use the Lao Gan Ma(老干妈) Chili Flavoured Oil(油辣椒) which you could purchased from either Sheng Siong(昇菘超市) or any provision shop in the wet market.(Price:- range from S$1.95 - S$2.50)

Method:-

1. Heat up 1 tablespoon of oil in a small saucepan, add in chopped garlic and shallot saute till fragrant and slightly golden brown.

2. Toss in the mushroom and continue to stir till mushroom turns soft.

3. Stir in the oyster sauce, sesame oil and give it a quick toss before adding in the hot water and simmer the mixture on low heat till sauce thicken.

4. Bring a 1 litre of water to boil, add in noodle and cook for about 30 seconds, remove and rinse on running water then put back into the boiling water and cook for another 30 seconds then place it in a bowl.

5. Toss in 1/2 tablespoon each of sesame/shallot oil and light soy sauce to the cooked noodle for seasoning as well as prevent it from sticking together.

6. Top the noodles with mushrooms, cooked wontons and meatballs then garnish it with chopped spring onion and fried shallot together with 1 - 2 tablespoons of chili condiment(this is a MUST).


Before eating this noodle is best that you stir up all the ingredients together so that the chili condiment will be evenly coated with the noodles and etc. For my personal preference I prefer to re-heat the chili condiment in microwave for 30 seconds on medium powder so that it will release a special fragrant that makes the noodles more appetising.

Water Chestnut, Ginkgo and Lean Pork Soup

Saw this interesting Soup from one of the TV program known as "3 Plus 1 Sr 3(三菜一汤)" showing on every Wednesday, 8.00pm on Channel 8. Each week, 2 artistes from each group will be given a S$20.00 budget to whip up a 4 course (including a soup) nutritious meal for the family.

For this episode, I was captured by the quick and easy recipes which are being shared by Huang Wenyong and Xiang Yun. And I have tried out this interesting soup which is known as "Water Chestnut, Ginkgo and Lean Pork Soup (马蹄白果瘦肉汤)" together with their Grill Sesame Chicken Mid-Joints.(recipe HERE)

Ingredients: (Serves 2 - 4)

250g Water Chestnuts, removed outer skin
150g Ginkgo Nuts, removed shell and outer skin
300g Lean Pork
1 Piece of Dried Tangerine Peel, soaked till soften
1.8 Litre of Hot Water

Note:-
~ Try to get hold of fresh water chestnut for this soup.
~ To avoid the bitterness taste of the ginkgo nut, cut it lengthwise apart and removed the embryo which can be found inside.


Gingko Nuts ( Bai Guo - 白果) are mostly beneficial to our respiratory system including asthma, bronchitis, and coughs. And I often use them in cooking soups, desserts, or even in porridge for added flavours. But remember not to over consumed Gingko nuts are it might have some harmful effect on human body especial for younger kids.

Water chestnuts(马蹄) are small, rounded corms with a crispy white flesh that can be eaten raw or use as sweetening ingredients for dessert or soup. Besides they can also be ground into a flour form used for making water chestnut cake, which is common dessert found in most dim sum menu too.

Method:

1. Use a nut cracker or back of the knife to crack open the ginkgo nut shell and remove the layer of brown skin from the flesh. Set aside.

2. Use 1/2 cup of hot water to soak the peeled ginkgo nut for about 5 minutes, rinse well with running water and set aside.

3. Scrub clean the fresh water chestnut and use a vegetable peel to remove the outer skin.

4. Soaked Tangerine peel in hot water till soft and scrub off the white pith before use or else the soup will taste bitter.

5. Blanched pork in boiling water for a few minutes, removed and rinse well.

6. Next bring a 1.8 litres of water to boil, add in all ingredients and when the mixture comes to boil, let it simmer over the stove for at least 1 hour on low heat OR

7. You can transfer the soup mixture to slow cooker and let it cook on AUTO for about 3 hours.

8. Season with salt and serve hot before meal.


This soup is naturally infuse with the sweetness from the water chestnut together with hint of tangerine taste and unique aroma from the ginkgo nuts. Overall this can be rated as a clear and refreshing before meal soup which is very good for hot and humid summer days.

For those who has missed this episode or those who are keen to watch them preparing those yummy dish including this soup. You can refer to the website HERE.

Grilled Sasame Chicken Mid-Joints

Apart from the "Water Chestnut, Ginkgo and Lean Pork Soup(马蹄白果瘦肉汤)" (recipe HERE) which I have tried from the cooking show, here is another dish known as "Yong Ge Kao Ji Chi(永哥烤鸡翅)". This dish requires minimum ingredients such as light and dark soy sauce with garlic cloves as seasonings. And the end product taste great with a layer of beautiful char-grilled colour skin and lightly sesame fragrant that comes from the sesame oil and seeds.

Ingredients: (makes 8 Mid-joints)

8 Chicken Mid-Joints
4 Teaspoon of Light Soy Sauce
1 Teaspoon of Dark Soy Sauce
1 Teaspoon of Cooking Wine
4 - 5 cloves of Garlic, lightly smashed
1.5 Teaspoon of Sesame Oil
1 Teaspoon of Sesame Seeds, optional

Method:-

1. Rinse and pat dry the mid-joint, make a small slit at both side of the joint so that the marinade will get into the flesh.

2. Marinate the mid-joint with light and dark soy sauce, cooking wine and garlic cloves for at least 20 minutes or more in the fridge.

3. Before baking, drizzling 1.5 teaspoons of sesame oil on the marinated mid-joints, toss well and arrange them on baking tray.

4. Bake in pre-heated 180 degree oven, on grilled function for about 20 20 - 30 minutes or till golden brown and cooked through. Alternatively;

5. You can bake the prepared mid-joints in oven toaster for about 30 minutes, turning occasionally between each 10 minutes to get that evenly brown colour.

6. Drizzle sesame seeds on the mid-joints at the last 2 minutes of baking time.


If you want to serve this as a one dish meal, perhaps you can used the de-boned chicken drumlets with thigh portion and serve this grilled chicken chop with steamed rice and salad or salad and fries too.

Another way of preparing Chicken Mid-Joint

Baked Sweet Chili Chicken, recipe HERE.

Thanks for all your "BUZZ(s)" and support friends. Grilled Sasame Chicken Mid Joints post has make it to FoodBuzz Today's Top 9, 08th March 2011.(Here)

Featured On: FoodBuzz Today's Top 9, 08th March 2011.(Here)

Marble Cake

Marble cake is a very common cake that can be easily found in most bakeries. It has a dotted or either mottled appearance achieved by very lightly blending of light and dark batter which is usual vanilla and chocolate mixture.

I still remember during my secondary home economic class, marble cake was one of the recipes that we love and it always made the class crazy because of the beating, mixing and swirling of batter. But after all the hassles we often enjoyed our freshly bake marble cake at the school canteen together with those male classmates who waited patiently for their treats.

Recently I was craving for some marble cake after reading Ju's (from"Little Teochew") Marble Cake post(HERE) where she shares a very beautiful and tempting marble cake recipe from BBC Good Food. 

Ingredients: (makes 7 - 8 mini loaves)

227g Unsalted Butter, softened
220g Caster Sugar
4 Large Eggs, 60g each
225g Self-raising Flour
3 Tablespoons(50ml) Fresh Milk
1 Teaspoon Vanilla Essence
2 Tablespoon Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
Some Valrhona 70% Dark Chocolate, chopped into bite size pieces


Method:-
1. Preheat the oven to 180 degree and line cake tin with greaseproof paper.

2. Cream soft butter and sugar in a big mixing bowl till light and creamy (about 2 - 8 minutes on medium low speed).

3. Next beat in egg one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

4. Fold through the flour, milk and vanilla essence until the mixture is smooth.

5. Divide the mixture between 2 bowls and stir in sifted cocoa powder into one of the bowl.

6. Take 1 - 2 spoons of the chocolate and vanilla cake batter alternately into the prepared tin.

7. When all the mixture has been used up, tap the bottom on the tin on your work surface to ensure that there aren't any air bubbles.

8. Take a skewer and swirl it around the mixture in the tin a few times to create a marbled effect.

9. Bake the cake for 25 minutes (using my mini loaf tin) until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

10. Turn out onto a cooling rack and leave to cool. Will keep for 3 days in an airtight container or freeze for up to 3 months.


For this recipe, instead of baking it using the usual round or rectangle pan I decide to use my "Mini Loaf Pan" which can make around 7 - 8 loaves that I could share it among a few households. Overall the texture of  the marble cake was rich, fluffy and moist but somehow or rather it seems to be too soft that it always tends to break apart.

[Value Set Lunch] Nanxiang Steamed Bao Restaurant

Last week I went down to Nanxiang flagship outlet at Plaza Singapura to collect my dinning voucher which I have won from on one of their Facebook event. To be honest, I have not try any items from their 4 outlets even though I am very interested to find out more about their King Size Nanxiang Steamed Soup Bun(蟹黄灌汤包) which comes with a straw for customer to sip the soup broth.

My S$20.00 Nanxiang Voucher from their Chinese New Year Facebook event.(read more HERE)

While collecting my voucher, we were attracted to their Set Lunch promotion menu which comes in two different different category such as Signature Value Set Lunch (S$27.60 for 2 pax) and Superior Value Set Lunch (S$35.60 for 2 pax).

Both of their value set lunch categories have similar items except on the "Steamed Bun and Home Made Style Dish". So after comparing both the menu, we decided to have the Superior Value Set Lunch because I wanted to try their "Salted Egg Yolk Prawns" and "Spicy Crabmeat and Pork Filling Steamed Bun".

Out of the 6 items from the "Shanghai Cold Dish" column we decided to try their recommending "Nanxiang Drunken Chicken(南翔糟鸡)" and leave the "Chilled Tofu with Century Egg" on our next visit. Their Drunken is lightly infused with Chinese wine fragrance that does not overpower the taste of the chilled chicken.
À La Carte Price: S$6.80 per plate

Making a decision between crab roe and crabmeat could be something difficult especially for those who loves to eat crab. Here at their Superior Steamed Bun column, you can either take up the non-spicy "Crab Roe and Pork Filling Steamed Bun(蟹黄小笼)" or be more adventure like us and try their "Spicy Crabmeat And Pork Filling Steamed Bun"(香辣蟹肉小笼).

At first we thought that their "spicy crabmeat" might be something similar to Din Tai Fung's Chili Crab Xiao Bao Long but when we get to taste it, it was totally different. This one at Nanxiang, the soup broth is rather clear with hint of spiciness from the spices used which makes it taste like a bit overdo for the combination.
À La Carte Price: S$11.80 per basket of 6 steamed buns

For Dim Sum pastries usually I would prefer something sweet rather than savoury. But for this round I am attracted to this "Salt and Pepper Cashew Nut Pastry(椒盐腰果酥)" which I am curious about it's taste. Overall this little treat taste great with bites of chopped cashew nut that mixed with their tasty seasoning which wrapped in layers of crispy dough pastry.
À La Carte Price: S$3.30 per plate



This "Salted Egg Yolk Prawn(黄金虾仁)" is the main reason why I choose their Superior Value Set Lunch(S$35.60++ for 2 pax) rather then the Signature Set (S$27.60++ for 2 pax). Each prawn is shelled for your convenient, coated with flour batter, deep fried till golden and crispy before coating with a luxury layer of salted egg yolk sauce. Thumb up for this!
À La Carte Price: S$12.80 per plate

To complete the value set, you can choose any 2 items from the Fried Rice/Noodles category. From the menu, we picked this "Shanghai Vegetable Rice(上海菜饭)" which might look plain but the taste is definitely better than some other fried rice that I recent tried in another Hong Kong cafe.
À La Carte Price: S$7.00 per plate

Other than Fried Rice we also try one of their noodle item which is the "Nanxiang Dumplings with Noodle Soup(南翔小馄饨汤面)". Sad to say although the texture of the noodle is springy and good but their dumplings were just average in taste, nothing fancy. 
À La Carte Price: S$8.00 per plate

Other then those dishes from the Superior Set Lunch above, we also order this Must Try "King Size Nanxiang Steamed Soup Bun(蟹黄灌汤包)" it will be serve with a straw to drink the soup broth.
À La Carte Price: S$6.80 each

The rich broth is being concealed in the thick layer of bun skin together with generous amount of crabmeat and roes. Each sip leaves you with that warm and sweet taste release from the ingredients used, but I find the taste a bit too strong to my liking.  And for your information those bun skin is rather hard for consuming as it is especially made to hold the soup broth but by all means you can still tear it open to enjoy the remaining pieces of crabmeat and roe after you have done with the soup.


If you are interested to try out their any of their steamed bun or Shanghai dishes, Nanxiang has 3 restaurant outlets(detail HERE) in Singapore whereby their new flagship outlet is situated at level 2, Plaza Singapura. And there is also a Nanxiang Express takeaway Xiao Long Bao, pastries and etc at NEX Mall, Serangoon Central. You can also take a look at their ONLINE MENU that comes with photo and price list HERE.

Nanxiang Steamed Bun Restaurant(南翔馒头店)

68 Orchard Road
#02-01 Plaza Singapura
Singapore 238839
Contact: 6337 7446
Website: http://www.nanxiang.com.sg/index.php
Facebook Page : Click HERE

Operation Hours:
Monday to Friday:  Lunch 11.30am - 3.00pm,  Dinner 6.00pm - 10.00pm
Saturday, Sunday and PH: 11.00am to 10.00pm

[Enjoy 1-FOR-1] New McGRILL Burger @ McDonald

This morning I received a tweet from McCafeSG on this "1-FOR-1" coupon which we can redeem 1 FREE item from the A la carte Burgers, Chicken Nuggets and McWings. And the FREE items will be the same as the purchased item. [Eg: For any McChicken Value Meal purchased, you will get 1 FEE McChicken Burger.]



Since last week I could not make it for their official media launch event, today We decided to take this opportunity to try their new launch McGRILL Burger by using this 1-FOR-1 coupon .

The tender and juice Chicken is grilled using chicken thigh meat that is marinated with teriyaki sauce and topped with fresh whole-leaf lettuce, red tomatoes slices which then sandwich in between their Bakery style Sourdough Bun and Chargrill Sauce. Each mouthful taste great with the sweet and chargrill fragrance that is release from the chicken and its' sauce.

For your information this "Teppanyaki Chicken McGrill Burger" will be sold at S$5.50 (a la carte) and S$8.00 as an Extra value meal.

So if you prefer grilled chicken over deep-fried version, do grab this opportunity and download/print this coupon at their website here http://makeitbetter.sg/coupon.html or visit their official website for more detail @ http://makeitbetter.sg/index.php. Promotion Valid till 07 March 2011.