Hokkien Prawn Noodle Soup with Homemade Egg Noodles

I always love noodle soup especially in winter and I would drink all the soup from the bowl. I love noodle soup from different Asian countries. As I grow up in Hong Kong, prawn wonton noodles soup is my most favourite soup. Then it would be Japanese ramen, Vietnamese pho, Thai Tom Yum seafood noodles soup.... After marrying my Malaysian husband, I discover more delicious noodles soup such as laksa, curry noodles, Ipoh chicken noodles soup to name a few and this Hokkien prawn noodles soup.

My mother-in-law gave me some of the Hokkine noodle paste from her last visit and I make it with some homemade noodles. It's a bit messy to make noodles but it's fun and rewarding. This noodles always goes well with Japanese Tonkasu ramen recipe.

Stay warm and happy cooking!

Hokkien Prawn Noodle Soup with Homemade Egg Noodles
(serve 2)

Ingredients:

For the soup:
1/2 pack 250g LN Little Nyonya Hokkien prawn noodle paste
6 cups water or chicken stock
1 chicken fillet cut into pieces
6 prawns, shelled
salt and pepper to taste

For the noodles:
1 1/2 cups bread flour or oo flour
3 egg yolks
1 egg
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon oil

To serve:
1 cup cooked rice vermicelli noodles
1 Boiled egg, boiled for 3 minutes
bean sprouts
Kung Kong (a type of Chinese veg that has a straw looking stem) or Chinese Chives

Method:

1. Mix the flour and salt into a bowl, make a well in middle and add the eggs and yolk and oil. Knead till smooth, add a little water if it is still too dry. Fridge 10-15 minutes.
2. Set up the pasta machine at the widest setting at 2nd setting. Divide the dough into half. Roll the dough over into thin pastry. Dust with flour to prevent sticking. Repeat with the other dough.
3. Use an angel hair cutter to cut the pastry into noodles. toss in more flour.
4. Boil noodles to al dente and refresh into cold water and drain well. 
5. Place the egg noodles and rice vermicelli noodles into 2 large noodle bowls.
6. Add water to a saucepan and 1/2 packet of the noodle paste and let it boil. Add the chicken pieces and seasoned with salt and pepper. Cook the prawns, bean sprouts and kung kong in the soup and use a ladle to put them onto the noodles. Pour hot soup over and garnish with half a boiled egg for each bowl. Enjoy!

Note: There is enough left over noodles to make 2 more serves or you can use it for stir fry noodles for another meal.

Chinese BBQ Pork in Steamed Bun

After Cyclone Marcia hitting us making a big mess, Autumn is here! My little niece and nephew from Malaysia were overjoyed looking at the flood water and brown ocean as one of the highlight of their Aussie trip after staying at home for two days due to the bad weather. Our home became instantly so quiet after the visitors gone home. I am sure my little niece and nephew would have grown so much when I see them next time!

People were crowding at the street stall selling this bun at one of the night market I went to recently. Most of the people were enquiring rather than purchasing it. Maybe this is something new for them, a bit like a hamburger but not quite. The Chinese bun is steamed rather than baked. I actually like it more than the BBQ pork buns you get at Yum Cha. There is more pork and extra sauce and the vegetable making it a healthier option. You can substitute Chinese BBQ pork with Chinese roast duck for this recipe.

Chinese BBQ Pork in Steamed Bun

Ingredients:
Chinese BBQ pork, store bought or make your own
Chinese Steamed Buns, available at Chinese grocery store, I got them from Sunnybank Plaza
Hoisin sauce
Lettuce and Cucumber

Cut BBQ pork into thin slices, fill bun with layers of salad, top with BBQ pork then drizzle good amount of Hoisin sauce over. Enjoy!

Hong King Style Chicken & Potato Curry

Growing up in a traditional Chinese family, my mum is the main cook for the family and she only cook very typical Chinese dishes.  Dinner would be steamed fish, some stir-fry chinese vegetable, a meat dish with some soup.  My dad would cook once in a while, this curry dish is one of his favourite.  I always look forward for this dish because I love spicy food. Over the time, I have added lemon grass, more spice into this curry to make it more tasty to suit my family.  This curry is not hot as the Indian or South-East Asian's, to me it's a Level 1 training to enjoy the curry dish.

Potato is very important in the dish, it helps thickens the sauce and most of the time what's left over is not potato but chicken.  


Hong Kong Style Chicken & Potato Curry
(serve 4)

Ingredients:
900g chicken (a mix of wings, thighs and drumsticks)
1 small onion
2 lemon grass
4 washed potatoes or any potatoes
1-2 tablespoons oil
1 tablespoon garlic mince
2 tablespoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon garam masala
1 cup water
1 cup lite coconut cream
1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/4 teaspoon salt
salt and pepper for marinate
Methods:

1. Remove as much fat and skin from the chicken.  Cut the chicken into chucks and marinate with salt and pepper for about 1 hour.
2. Cut onion into cubic chuck, peel skin off potatoes and cut into chucks, use the root of the lemon grass and cut diagonally into 2 to 3 pieces.
3. Heat oil in a big saucepan, saute the onion and garlic then add the lemon grass and chicken.  Stir through until chicken starts to turn brown, add 1 cup of water.  Turn down the heat and let it simmer for a few minutes, then add curry powder, ground coriander and garam masala and potatoes and stir through.  Let it simmer for 5 minutes. Keep stirring for a few time.
4. Add the coconut cream, evaporated milk, salt and sugar into the curry, cover the lid and let it simmer for 25 minutes until the chicken and potatoes are cooked.  Keep stirring for a few time to make sure the curry doesn't stick at the bottom, add more water if it turns too dry.
5. Serve with rice, salad and Indian bread. 

Potato Salad with Japanese Mayo and Pine Nuts

This is one of my new creation and I eat this as a light meal on my meatless day or serve as a side salad with burgers.  As I found that having a potato salad with just potato is too plain, by adding some greens into it adds more fibre and the pine nuts simply is a nice garnish with a bit of a crunch.  I choose to use Japanese Mayonnaise because it has a full flavour of whole egg, bears in mind though it has 80% of fat so don't over dressing it as I know it is hard not to!  My sister fed her fussy 2 years old with this salad and she just sat quietly and ate them all.

Potato Salad with Japanese Mayo and Pine Nuts

4-5 baby potatoes
a bowl of leafy mix (fancy lettuce, baby spinach leaves, rockets and beetroot leaves)
a small handful of pine nuts, toasted
Japanese Mayonnaise
salt and coarse black pepper to taste

Method:

1. Peel the skin of the potatoes (you can leave the skin if you wish) and cut into cubes.  Cook the potatoes cubes into boiling water until cooked.  If you can poke a fork into the cubes, it is ready.
2. Drain the water and leave the potatoes cool.  Rinse the leafy mix with water and drain as well.
3. Put the leafy mix and potatoes into a big bowl.  Add the pine nuts and mayo.  Seasoned with salt and coarse black pepper before serving.  Enjoy!

Thai Style King Crab Salad

One year we went to Japan, our tour guide helped us to order some snow crab from Hokkaido express down to Tokyo.  We had watched many travel shows talking about how tasty the crab was so we didn't want to miss the chance while we were in Japan.  The crab was cooked and came with a pair of scissor to help cutting the shell.  It was one of the unforgettable moment we had in our trip.

I'd seen live Australian king crab in some Asian restaurants or in the aquarium but I'd never tasted it.  
The first time I saw it selling at Coles, I was wondering it would taste as good as the snow crab as both of them live in the cold region.  This crab salad hadn't disappointed us, the meat was not as strong as the mud crab but had more flavour than sand crab, it's flaky and sweet.  I like to serve mud crab as a hot dish and king crab is better to serve cold.

The importance of cooking Thai food is to balance the sweet and sour flavour, I do not have an exact measurement for this recipe as it's all up to your taste buds to tell you what to put in.

Thai Style King Crab Salad

King Crab claws (cooked)
cucumber
onion
chilli
coriander
mint
lime
salt & pepper
fish sauce

Method:
Remove crab meat from the shell.  Finely cut cucumber and onion, marinate with salt, then rinse and drain.  Squeeze out juice and add to the crab meat.  Add the chopped up the coriander, mint and chilli, seasoned with fish sauce, pepper, lime juice and sugar.  Serve cold.


   

Japanese Melon Bun (日式蜜瓜包)

This Japanese melon bun is similar to Hong Kong's pineapple bun (香港菠蘿包), only it has a fair looking as it does not glaze with egg before baking.  The cookie dough topping is not as flaky as the HK pineapple bun.  And the texture is firmer and a little floury but it still very good after it has been a few days old.  It is sometimes labelled as Japanese pineapple bun in some bakery.  The name of the melon bun is derived from the rough cracking look of the cookie dough.  The joy of eating this bun is liked having a milk bun topped with a soft cookie.  And I really think it tastes like the Chinese's giant cookies (光酥餅). I have doubled the recipes to make 12 buns using the bread machine. If you want to watch the video kneading the bread by hand, please click here.


Japanese Melon Bun (日式蜜瓜包)
(make 12)

For the bread dough:
2 tablespoons egg
140ml milk
30g butter
70g sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
280g bread flour
6g dried yeast

For the cookie dough topping:
50g butter
70g sugar
50g egg
160g plain flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Method:

1. Following the sequence of the order from the bread dough, putting the ingredients into the bread machine, starting from the liquid and putting the yeast last.
2. Press the "dough" button.  When it is ready, punch down to release excess air.  Sprinkle some flour on the workbench and knead till the dough is smooth and not sticky.  Divide the dough into 12 equal sized portions about 45g each.  Make into bun shape and put onto 2 paper lined baking trays.  Let it rest in a warm place (a warm oven) for about 45minutes or until it is double in size.
3. Meanwhile, prepare the cookie dough, mix the flour, baking powder and sugar together.  Make a well in the middle, add the egg and mix well.  Add the butter and knead till a soft dough form.  Keep in the fridge for about 30 minutes.
4. Divide the cookie dough into 12 portions. Roll into round flat shape with a roller, then lay on top to cover the bun.  Use a knife to mark a criss-cross patten on top. Let it rest in a warm place for another 30 minutes.
5. Bake in a preheated oven at 180c for about 15 minutes.

Asian Style Iced Milk Tea (中式凍奶茶)

What does summer mean to you? Hot, lazy or nothing grow in the garden?  We start the beginning of the year in the middle of summer and we have been having long hot summer this year with the temperature over 30c most of the days.  Since it has been so dry with no rain, bushfire is happening in many places.  You just want to hide yourself in the shade most of the time.  Sitting at the veranda relaxing, I enjoy this refreshing iced milk tea to help to ease the heat.  This is the type of tea you'll get at asian cafe using condensed milk and evaporated milk instead of fresh milk.  Some people like to mix the tea with coffee and called it yuen-yang (鴛鴦), a bit like the mocha only it is a mix of coffee and chocolate.

Asian Style Iced Milk Tea
(make 1 tall glass)

Put hot water into a mug about 2/3 full with a ceylon tea bag.  Let it rests till the tea is cool down a little and fully infused.  Pour 1 1/2 tablespoon of condensed milk and 1 tablespoon of evaporated milk into a tall glass, add the tea and stir till well combined.  Fill another tall glass with ice and pour the tea into the other glass and serve immediately.  Enjoy!

     

Honey, Peanut Butter & Tomato Drumsticks

This Sunday is Father's Day for the Australian.  Chicken is the most popular meat and my husband will not sick of having chicken everyday.  This chicken drumstick would be a great dish to give the male a treat!  The original recipe use tahini (sesame paste) but I replace that with peanut butter and sprinkle the sesame seeds over the roasted chicken instead of baked with it coated.  After all these modification, I could't think of a name to it but I love this Asian kind of twisted dish!

Have a happy Father's Day!

Honey, Peanut Butter & Tomato Drumsticks

6 Chicken Drumsticks
1 heap tablespoon peanut butter
1 heap tablespoon tomato paste
1 1/2 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1/2 teaspoon chilli powder
salt and pepper
few drops of sesame oil
1-2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken with peanut butter, tomato paste, honey, chilli powder, salt, pepper and sesame oil.  Let stand for 10-15 minutes.
2. Preheat oven at 200c.  Place the baking tray with baking paper, arrange the drumsticks onto the tray and spoon all the sauce over the chicken.
3. Bake for 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.  Turn over once or twice.  Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds before serving.

Source: adopted and modified from the cookbook, "I Love to bake!" by Tana Ramsay

Thai Style Pumpkin Soup

There is no other time I would eat pumpkin so often except in winter!  I bake it with vegetable in roast, putting it as topping for pizza or as a filling for tart...and my favourite is pumpkin soup!  There are many recipes for different pumpkin soup putting in bacon, curry or turmeric powder, adding sweet potato etc.  And this Thai Style is my new favourite.  I had this recipe last year from a magazine and finally got the chance to make it.  The coconut milk makes such a difference and I love the spice from the curry paste.  The original recipe require blending pesto with coriander roots, lemon zest and juice but I have omitted this process by adding coriander powder instead.  That's the way to do it when you don't want to get out to the garden on a cold night to pick up the coriander root!

Thai Style Pumpkin Soup
(serve 2-4)

1 cereal bowl of cut pumpkin
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tsp ginger, finely chopped
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp Thai red curry paste (put less if you don't want it too spicy)
1 cup water
1/2 cup lite coconut milk
1 tbsp lemon juice
coriander to garnish

Method:

1. Heat a little oil in the saucepan, saute onion and stir for a minute.  Add ginger, coriander powder and curry paste, stir through.  
2. Add in pumpkin and water, reduce heat and let it simmer till pumpkin is cooked.  Cool slightly.
3. Blend the pumpkin mixture till smooth in a blender.  Return to pan and add coconut milk and lemon juice then warm through.  Seasoned with salt and garnish with coriander leaves.  

Kimchi Soup

I got all the ingredients to make Kimchi after visiting the Chinatown over the Easter holiday.  When I went to uni, I used to live with some Japanese and Korean students.  There was no blogging on those days so the best way to know the other culture was to live with the foreign people.  Once a month, we would gather together to make Kimchi and then we would share the food to take home.  One day we would be having Japanese, then Korean and Chinese on the other day.  Although the food we were having was very simple and inexpensive dishes, we enjoy them a lot.

The weather is getting cool and I feel like having some spicy soup so I end up using the Kimchi to make soup.  It has brought back a few of the old memories....

Kimchi Soup
(serve 2-4)

3 cups water
Kimchi (store brought or homemade)
tofu, diced
1 sachet of stock paste

Method:
Add water to the pan and let it boils, cut up the Kimchi a little and put into the water.  Turn down the heat and add in the tofu and stock paste.  Let it simmer for a few minute and to develop the taste.  Season with salt and serve hot.

Chinese BBQ Pork Buns

After realising that I'd made a mistake in putting all the tangzhong in making the pizza buns from the last post, I made the Chinese BBQ pork buns by putting 1/2 of the tangzhong as required from the original recipe.  It's not so sticky, a little easier to handle and the taste and texture are still the same.  I made six BBQ Pork buns and six buns with lotus seed paste.  You may have seen these little buns selling at the pushing trolly at Yum Cha restaurant.  If you can't find the Chinese BBQ pork, some left-over roast meat with gravy will be as good.

Chinese BBQ Pork Buns and Lotus Seed Paste Buns
(make 12)

Tangzhong: (湯種)

25g bread flour

125ml (1/2 water and 1/2 milk)

Ingredients of bread:

125ml milk

1 egg

1/2 of the Tangzhong

30g butter, cut up

55g caster sugar

5g salt

370g bread flour

5g instant yeast

For the filling of BBQ Pork Buns:

1 cup of Chinese BBQ pork, cut into small pieces

1 tablespoon Hoisen Sauce

1 teaspoon Oyster Sauce

1 teaspoon Soy Sauce

1 teaspoon Sugar

1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds

dash of sesame oil

garlic

For the filling of Lotus Seed Paste Buns:

Store brought Lotus seed paste 

egg, beaten for glazing

black sesame seeds and sunflower seeds for garnishing

Method:

1. Mix water and milk mixture with the flour to make the tangzhong in a small saucepan.  Cook over low heat and stir until it is thickened.  When you see some "lines" appear in the mixture with the stir, it is ready. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool.  
2. Transfer the tangzhang into a small bowl, cover and fridge for 3-4 hours.
3. When ready to use the tangzhang, leave it room temperature beforehand.
4. Put the milk, egg and tangzhang into the bread machine, followed by the rest of the dry ingredients  and add the yeast last.  Press the "dough" button.
5. When the dough is done, place the dough into a floured workbench.  Knead with extra flour to form a smooth dough.  Divide into 6 portions onto two paper-lined tray.  Rest the dough at a warm place (a warm oven) for 15 minutes.
6. Divide each portion into two, roll flat a little and fill with the fillings. Turn over and place onto the baking tray.  Repeat for the rest of the dough.  Make 12 buns.  Rest in a warm place for a further 40 minutes.
7. Brush the top with egg and garnish with either sesame seeds or sunflower seeds. Bake for 20 minutes at 180c.

Chinatown Chicken Pies with Sticky Rice Sushi

This recipe is adopted and modified from the cookbook "a passion for pastry" written by Britain's top chefs and food writers that I borrow from the library.  This is Jill Dupleix's recipe and I have never thought of putting chinese mushroom into pies and I like the name of it.  I've changed some of the ingredients to suit my liking and I serve it with sticky rice of my own creation.  When I was living in Hong Kong, my favourite winter breakfast is sticky rice filled with yu tyau (油條) and a glass of warm soy milk.  Yu Tyau is a deep fried pastry that is eaten with rice congee at breakfast.  I  mixed the rice with chinese mushroom and dried shrimp, filled and topped with yu tyau and Japanese fish eggs as my Chinese version of sushi.  I really like this asian twisted kind of dish! 

As I don't live near Chinatown, I often go there on school holiday to stock up some Asian groceries and take the kids to enjoy some authentic asian food.  We always come home with bags and bags of goodies that will last us till the next trip.      

Chinatown Chicken Pies with Sticky Rice Sushi
(make 8-9)

Ingredients:

1 chicken fillet
1-2 dried shiltake mushroom, soaked with water till soft
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 carrot, peeled and diced
1/4 cup baby peas
4-5 puff pastry
1/2 teaspoon ginger, finely chopped
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon corn flour mixed with 1 tablespoon water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper
coriander leaves
egg, beaten
Method:

1. Cook the chicken with the vegetables, add in the sauces and water.  Then season it with salt, sugar and pepper.  Thicken it with the corn flour mixture and finally add in the cooking wine.  Leave cool a little.
2. Cut the pastry into 4 equal sized squares.  Place 1 tablespoon of filling onto the pastry.  Brush the sides with egg then place another pastry over the top.  Use a cup as a guide to fold up the pastry.  Brush the top with egg and place a piece of coriander leave on top.  Brush the leave with more eggs.  Repeat the process until all the fillings is gone.
3. Bake at a preheat hot oven for 20 minutes or until the pastry is puffed.  Turn down to moderate and bake for further 10 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. 

Borscht Soup Hong Kong Style (羅宋湯) and my 1st year of blogging

When my daughter was a little toddler, this was her favourite soup.  It is a tomato based soup with tender meat and a variety of vegetables which does not only feed the little kids well, it is also a winter warmer.  My daughter is now a teenager and she much prefer to have meat boneless but tomato is still her favourite food.  She would praise for me if I make her something with tomato for dinner.  This soup is popular in Hong Kong's cafe and western restaurant that beef bone and beef brisket are used.  I prefer to use ox tails as it has the meat and bone in one.  You can substitute it with chicken, pork or bacon bones as well.  The original Eastern Europe borscht soup is made from beet and the tomato based style is influenced by the Italian.

Time has gone fast and my blog will be a year old at the end of July.  I only manage to blog regularly since March this year.  Now I have a collection of over 80 recipes that I'd love to cook not only once but  more often in the future.  I would also like to thanks for my followers and people who has commented and visited my blog.  I have visitors come to check up my Hong Kong baked pork chops and rice and baked Portuguese chicken daily and I hope these recipes work well at your kitchen.  It's greatly appreciated and I've learned so much from you!

I plan to go back to work after a year long break to regain my health and well-being.  There are a lot of things I'd like to achieve and I hope I can still blog regularly in the future.  I have not had enough fun working with pastry yet.  I'm going to make tart and soup in July.  It is actually very nice working with pastry in winter as the butter is so hard and you don't need to put the pastry into the fridge back and forth to harden it.

Have a great day 4th July to my American friends!

Hong Kong Style Borscht Soup

Ingredients:
500g or 4-5 pieces of ox tails, trim off excess fat
2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
3 large tomato, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 large potato, peeled and chopped
1/4 drumhead cabbage, chopped
2 heap tablespoons tomato paste
1 thin slice of ginger
3 litres water

Method:

1. Boil the ox tails with hot water for half a minute.  Drain.
2. Pour water into the soup pot, add the ox tails and all the vegetables.  Let it boils for 20 minutes, add the tomato paste and reduce the heat to low.  Let the soup simmer for about 2 hour or until the meat is tender.  Seasoned with salt.  (If you are using bacon bones, there is no need to add salt)

Tips: If you don''t want to the veggies overcook, you can simmer the ox tails with water for 1 hour before adding vegetable and tomato paste, then continue to simmer for another hour until the meat is tender.

Note: You can replace oxtail with chicken, substitute ginger with bayleaf.

羅宋湯

材料：

牛尾 500克 或 4-5 塊，去肥

紅蘿蔔2條

西芹2條

番茄3個

洋蔥1個

馬鈴薯1個

椰菜1/4個

蕃茄膏2大湯匙

薑1片

水3公升

用法：

1. 牛尾飛水。其餘蔬菜切大粒。
2. 把牛尾和菜放入湯煲，加水。大火煲20分鐘，轉慢火加2湯匙番茄膏，再2煲小時或至牛尾軟化。加鹽便成。

Tips:如不想蔬菜煲太久流失營養，可以慢火煲牛尾和水1小時，然後才加蔬菜再煲1小時。

   

Easy Casserole - Apricot Chicken

This easy casserole can be prepared on weekdays as it only take 15 minutes to prepare and you just leave the rest of the cooking to the oven.  It was taught by one of my old neighbour who had 6 children but she could still maintain her house spotless clean and feeding the children well.  What a super woman!  When you have a big family, you always have to utilise everything and have a good budget.  It's a challenging job to do indeed.  I have added more vegetables into the dish to add flavours and the fried onions work very well with the dish.

Apricot Chicken
(serve 4)

Ingredients:
5 chicken thigh cutlets (skin or skinless) or a mixed of chicken portions
1 x tin of 425 ml apricot nectar
1x packet salt-reduced French onion soup mix
5-6 pieces of tin apricot halves (optional)
1 onion, cubed
1/2 green capsicum, cubed
1 carrot, sliced
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
cucumber, sliced
Asian fried onions

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180c.  Marinate the chicken with salt and pepper.
2. Heat oil in the casserole, pan fry the onion for a while then add the chicken and garlic.
3. Add in the rest of the vegetables, stir a few seconds, then pour in the apricot nectar and soup mix.  Mix well and let it simmer for a few minutes.
4. Add in the apricot halves and seasoned it with salt if you wish. 
5. Bake, covered for 50 minutes.  Serve it with rice, cucumber and fried onion. 

Pork Chop Roll Vietnamese Style

After the post of pork burger, I have readers visit my blog searching for the recipe of pork chop burger.  Pork chop burger is another famous dish in Macau.  I missed the chance to taste it when I visited there last time.  It was featured in Hong Kong's cooking and travel show, the bun supposed to be crusty on the outside and soft inside, and the meat should be tender.  It would be something I have to try next time when I'm in Macau.

As I have no idea of the taste of Macau's famous pork chop burger, I could only make something that I can manage.  I find this vietnamese style bread roll in the supermarket which is perfect to work with pork chop, then I get an idea to create this pork chop roll.  I marinate the pork chop with lemon grass and fish sauce to give it a strong favour.  A little of dijon mayonnaise and tomato sauce are just enough to give it a kick.  Delicious!
  
Pork Chop Roll Vietnamese Style
(serve 2)

Ingredients:
2 Crusty Vietnamese Rolls
2 pork loin chops
tomato, sliced
butter lettuce
red onion, sliced
dijon mayonnaise
tomato sauce

For the marinate:
1 teaspoon garlic mince
1 1/2 tablespoon lemongrass powder
3 tablespoons fish sauce
3-4 teaspoons raw sugar

Method:

1. Trim off excess fat from the pork chop.  Remove the bone as you don't want to bite onto the bone.  Use a meat mallet to pound pork thinly.  If you don't have a meat mallet, you can use the back of the knife pounding.  This helps to tender the meat.
2. Mixed the marinate in a small bowl and season the meat with the marinate for at least 30 minutes.
3. Heat pan with 1/3 oil, pan fry the pork until brown and well cooked on both side.  Half the pork chop vertically.
4. Butter the bread roll, fill it with lettuce, tomato, onion, pork chops and the sauce.

pounding the pork chops

absorb excess oil with kitchen paper

a cross-section look of the bun

Mother's Day Special - Chicken Ravioli with Fresh Tomato Sauce

Besides my birthday, I always look forward for Mother's Day as it means breakfast in bed, receiving little presents from the kids and perhaps special dinner.  I had my first breakfast in bed on Mother's Day with a glass of milk and some sweet biscuits.  And it came along with the little present my daughter bought from the school's Mother's Day stall.  Over the years, it got improved to cereal, jam on toast, bacon and eggs and french toast.  Her brother joined in the cooking as he started school and I'd a collection of presents from photo frames, candles, teapots set and a lot of teabags.  One of my favourite and probably the cheapest present is a "Kit for Cheer Up" which is packed with a rubber, a piece of elastic, a ball, a 5c and a candy.  The candy has gone already but I stick the kit next to the computer desk and it makes me smile every time I read it.  It's so true that being a mother, a parent is not an easy job but the joy of seeing the children grow up healthily and happily is the biggest reward.

A KIT TO CHEER YOU UP

1. An eraser to make all those little mistakes go away.
2. Five cents fo you will never be completely broke.
3. A marble for those days when you're sure you have lost yours.
4. Elastic to help you stretch beyond your current limits.
5. A sweet treat to remind you that someones cares for you.

As chicken is my theme this month, my special for Mother's Day would be a 3 course meal:

entree - chicken ravioli with fresh tomato sauce

main - stuff chicken maryland with vegetables

dessert - chocolate lava cake with raspberry coulis

I haven't made ravioli before, I usually buy the instant one from the supermarket and mixes it with some Italian sauce.  I'm taking the easy way to make it with gow gee pastry for my first trial.   

Chicken Ravioli with Fresh Tomato Sauce
(serve 4)

100g chicken mince
1/2 tablespoon chopped basil
1 1/2  tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 shallots, finely chopped
25g ricotta cheese (about 1 heap tablespoon)
32 round gow gee pastry

Tomato Sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon garlic mince
1/4 cup tomato paste
1/5 cup red wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 tomato chopped
1 tablespoon basil, chopped
shaved parmesan cheese
baby spinach, for garnish

Method:

1. Combine the chicken, basil, parmesan, shallot, ricotta in a bowl, seasoned with salt and pepper.  Lay 16 pieces of gow gee pastry onto the kitchen bench, brush with a little water around the edge. Spoon in a teaspoons of the mixture onto the middle.  Place another pastry on top and press firmly around the edge to seal.
2. Bring water to boil in a large saucepan, add a bit of oil into the water.  Then add the ravioli a few at a time and cook for 2-3 minutes or until it floats.  Drain and place 4 into each serving plate, serve with tomato sauce and freshly cracked black pepper.  Garnish with shaved parmesan cheese and baby spinach.
3. To make the sauce: Heat oil in a saucepan, add the onion and garlic, then stir in tomato paste, wine, stock and tomato.  Let the sauce simmer for 20 minutes or until it starts to thicken.  Stir in the basil and season with salt and pepper.

Source: Adopted and modified from the cookbook "Homestyle Chicken" published by Murdoch Books.

cooked ravioli

Stackable food - Oshi Sushi

I always fancy how the professional chef can arrange a dish beautifully that is nearly too good to eat.  I am pretty happy with the look of this Oshi Sushi (boxed sushi) as it is my first trial.  The first thing my husband asks me is how to eat it.  Unlike the rolled sushi, this sushi is liked a piece of cake.  I try to eat it like a sandwich but it is too big to fit into the mouth, my daughter mush it all up and eat it with chopsticks, then I find the easiest and most respectable way to eat is using knife and fork.  This sushi is suitable for sushi hunger as it has two favours instead of one.  If you can't roll sushi, you should try this method and you would be surprised how easy it is to make and your guest would give you a WOW!

Oshi Sushi  
(make 16)

Ingredients:
rice:
8-9 cups cooked sushi rice
3 teaspoons of salt
4 tablespoons vinegar

fillings:
3 nori sheets

1st layer:
2-3 avocados, cut into stripes
1 1/2 cups of marinated teriyaki chicken pieces
(refer to the recipe of teriyaki chicken ciabatta)

2nd layer:
6 crabmeat sticks
egg, lighten beaten
breadcrumb
1/2 continental cucumber, remove the centre and cut into thin stripes
mixed salad leaves
Japanese mayonnaise

Topping:
egg, lightly beaten
Japanese rice seasoning
(it has shaved bonito, sesame seeds and seaweed)

Method:

1. Season the cooked rice with salt and vinegar, mix well and set aside.
2. Cook the chicken until it is done and set aside.
3. Cut the crab stick sideway into two long strips.  Repeat the process for the rest of the crab sticks.  Dip them into the egg, and cover with bread crumb.  Cook it into a pan heated with 1/2 cup oil until it is golden brown.  Absorb excess oil with kitchen paper and set aside.
4. Cook the egg for the topping and cut it into stripes and set aside.
5. Divide the rice into 3 equal portions.  Wet your hands with water and press a portion of the rice into a square box that fit the size of the nori sheet.  (I only use a cake box)
6. Lay the first nori sheet onto the rice, arrange the cucumber evenly along the nori, then add the salad leaves and mayonnaise.  Finally add the crab sticks.
7. Cover the first layer with another nori sheet.  Then cover it with the second portions of rice and press evenly.  You may need to wet your hands again to prevent sticking.
8. Arrange avocado, then chicken evenly along the rice and cover it with the last nori sheet.
9. Lay the last portion of rice over the second layer and press evenly.  Spread the egg strips onto the top and sprinkle with the rice seasoning.  
10. Cut the sushi with a sharp knife into 4x4 to get 16 pieces.     

Green Tea Muffins (綠茶豆蓉鬆餅)

Green tea and red bean are the perfect match.  The combination creates a subtle flavour when the sweetness of the bean paste blend in with the plain tea flavour making it so special, so Japanese.  If you like green tea, you would like this muffins.  Thinking of green tea, make me think of the Japanese people suffering from the earthquake and tsunami.  Let's hope the country recover very soon, people get back to their life and safe for us to visit again.

Green Tea Muffins
(makes 12)

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon of green tea powder (Maccha)
1 tablespoon warm milk
2 eggs
2 cup self-raising flour
1/2 cup  caster sugar
1/3 teaspoon salt
red bean paste (store bought)
1/4 cup mix of sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds

Methods:

1. Melt butter and milk in a saucepan.  Leave it cool for a few minutes then beat in eggs.  Add in flour, sugar and salt and mix well.
2. Dissolve green tea powder with the warm milk.  Add to the cake mix and stir evenly.
3. Roll the red bean paste into 2cm round balls.  Set aside. 
4. Fill the muffin case 1/3 with cake mix, put a red bean paste ball into the middle then fill up the case about 3/4 full.  Sprinkle some sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds over the top.  Bake the muffins in a pre-heated 200c oven for 15-20 minutes or until cooked.

綠茶豆蓉鬆餅
(12 個份量)

材料：
牛奶 1 杯
牛油 1/2 杯
綠茶粉 1 茶匙
溫奶 1 湯匙
雞蛋 2 隻
自發粉 2 杯
幼砂糖 1/2 杯
鹽 1/3 茶匙
現成紅豆蓉
南瓜子和太陽花子 1/4 杯

做法：

1. 把牛油和牛奶放入煲中直至溶化，離火待涼。然後加入雞蛋混和，再加篩過的麵粉，糖和鹽攪拌至剛剛混和為止。
2. 用溫奶混和綠茶粉成糊，倒入蛋糕糊混好。
3. 把現成的紅豆蓉揉成 2cm 小圓球, 備用。
4. 把蛋糊倒入鬆餅紙模直至 1/3 杯滿，放一粒紅豆球到每一個模，然後再加些少蛋糊直至每個模都 3/4 杯滿。最後面上灑上南瓜子和太陽花子，放進預熱 200c 的焗爐烘 15-20 分鐘。

Teriyaki Chicken Ciabatta

It is getting common to find asian flavour in western meal creating the fusion style of cuisine.  By using exotic ingredients, we can explore different flavours that can compliment each other to create delicious meal.  Allowing our taste buds to try and experience new taste is one of the main reason for us to love food and keep cooking more.  This teriyaki chicken ciabatta does not need too much dressing to add favour to the meal as the chicken already absorb the full favour from the marinate.  The clean and crispy salad balances the sweet soy favour which is a good combination of the east and the west.     

Teriyaki Chicken Ciabatta

Serve 4

Ingredients:

4 ciabatta rolls

2 pieces of chicken thigh fillets

1/4 cup Japanese soy sauce

2 tablespoons mirin

1 tablespoon sugar

low-fat mayonnaise 

mixed green salad (baby spinach, purple coral lettuce, red onion and capsicum) 

Method:

1. Slice the chicken fillets thinly into big thin pieces so that it will not take long to cook through in the pan.
2. Marinate the chicken with soy sauce, mirin and sugar for at least 2 hours.
3. Pre-heat the grill to high setting.  Slice the ciabatta rolls in half horizontally and spread both sides with butter.  Toast the cut sides until slightly crisp.  Remove from the grill immediately.
4. Heat oil in a hot pan.  Place chicken pieces into the pan and turn the heat to slow.  Turn over the chicken a few time to get an even cook of both sides.  Pour the rest of the marinate juice onto the chicken until it glazes over the chicken.
5. Arrange the green salad onto the bottom of the rolls, place chicken over the salad and drizzle with mayonnaise. Finish up with the top buns. Oashi!