Recipe: Kim Chi Soup

Ingredients:

1. 1 small bowl of kim chi (with gravy)
2. 1 carrot (thick julienne cut)
3. 1 potato (thick julienne cut)
4. 1 clove of garlic (finely chopped)
5. 1 Tbsp olive oil
6. 2 1/2 small bowls of water

Optional ingredients (pick your own preference):

1. Veges: oyster mushroom, golden needle mushroom, califlower
2. Meat: 1/2 can of tuna in salt water (drained and flaked), sausage, beef strips, ham
   

Steps:

1. Heat the pot with olive oil.
2. Stir fry garlic, carrot and potato until mildly cooked (about 1 - 2 minutes).
3. Add in kim chi (with gravy) and water.
4. Shimmer for 10 minutes.
5. Add in optional ingredients.
   
6. Season with salt when the optional ingredients are fully cooked.

Tips:

1. You can substitute salt and tuna with 1/4 chicken cube if you don't like the fishy taste.
2. The taste of the kim chi soup might vary (depends on the kim chi used). So, better buy it from some Korean mart.
   

A Warm Birthday Dinner

Was thinking to have a dinner at my place for birthday celebration. But, I'm afraid it is too rush for preparation as I will only be back on the night before. Besides, I also worry that nobody will entertain me as that day is a week day and many of my friends are busy working. Somehow, I sent the invitation to them for a try (I think I miss out some... Sorry ya...), Surprisely, almost all of them turn up. As an appreciation, Hubby and I tried our best to prepare a healthy dinner consisiting kim chi steamboat, 'boogoogee' (cola beef), crabs and fruit juice.


My Lovely Birthday Cake


Time for a Wish


Like the Presents (pleasant smell of fragrance and lovely T)


Pretty Friends... ;)

"I had a wonderful dinner and a great time together with you all on my birthday. Thanks for coming, thanks all your greetings and presents as well... ;)"

Do I Look Like a Pregnant Lady?

Went to the super market yesterday to get some veges and other stuff. At the fruits session, the durian store had attracted me as it smells really great. I felt a strong craving for buying it. But, was thinking of eating too much will cause in weight gain. While I was standing beside the store with my hubby and was struggling to make a decision between 'yes, just buy it' and 'no, just forget it', a 'makcik' (a shopper) just said something to me. "Moi, belilah, belilah! Kalau pregnant mesti mau makan sesuatu punya." "Makcik, I tak ada pregnant lah!!!" Exclaimed me.

'Gosh! do I look like a pregnant lady???' This is the first question I thought of. I better behave and control my diet. Sob sob sob :( :(

However, we bought the durian also (he was the one to seduce me to buy... actually he wanted to eat too ler...). Hehe...

Movie: All About Women

Went for a movie on Tuesday, tittled "All About Women". Before watching the movie, I have quite a high expectation on it as it was directed by Xu Hak, a popular director in the Chinese movie industry. However, when I was in the cinema watching the movie... Question turned up: "OMG! Is this movie really by him? " "Huh? like that also can? Sigh!!!"

The movie (for me) is very bad ler... It is like a combination of several genres (kung fu? love story? animation? music? comedy?). But, it did not meet any categories (kung fu scene is not outstanding enough, love story is not touching enough, animation is not lively enough, music is not attractive enough, comedy is not humorous enough). May be you try to fit it into a category and tell me. Yeah, not to forget, the main story is about phernomone... phernomone... and phernomone... The story line is terrible too (may be I am not that "high level" enough to understand and appraise the story).

So, when I walked out from the cinema, I really have no idea about what have I watched. My mind was totally blank and confused about the story. My suggestion to those who wanted to watch the movie, please not to expect much. Or, a better suggestion, not to watch the movie if you have option.

Perhaps my comments are not too harsh... ;)

Recipe: BBQ Chicken with Honey Lemon

Ingredients:

1. 4 portions of chicken
2. 1/2 lemon
3. 1 Tablespoon honey
4. 1 Tablespoon olive oil
5. 2 cloves of garlic (with skin)

Steps:

1. Clean the chicken.
2. Squeeze lemon juice into a baking tray (the squeezed lemon can be placed into the tray as well).
3. Add olive oil, honey and garlic.
4. Put in chicken into the tray.
5. Season with salt and pepper.
6. Bake in a preheat oven (with fan) at 180ºc for 50 minutes.

Tips: You can turn the chicken occasionally (about 15 minutes once) to ensure all parts are baked evenly.

It is rather easy to make a delicious BBQ chicken, without setting up the BBQ equipments. Feel free to try it out.

Food Processor Really Makes Things Easier

Preparation Time: 10 minutes (chopping) + 4 hours (Marinating) + 10 minutes (wrapping)
Cooking Time: 12 minutes

You can place a piece of banana leave and some Chinese cabbages on the bottom of the steamer to add fragrance and avoid stickiness.

Make sure the steamer is covered well.

Eat while it is warm.

Ingredients:

• 200g minced chicken/ pork
• 200g minced prawn
• 4 soaked mushroom (finely drained and chopped)
• 80g bamboo shoots (finely drained and chopped)
• 1 teaspoon chicken essence
  
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon of pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
  
• 1 egg white
• 1 1/2 Tablespoon corn flour
• 30 pieces wantan skin (rounded-shape)
• 2 salted egg yolk (cooked) or some ebiko or crab egg for dressing

Steps (Preparing)

1. Mix chicken, prawn, salt and chicken essence into a big bowl
2. Add in mushroom and bamboo shoots, sugar, sesame oil and pepper
3. Add in egg white and stir thoroughly (mixture looks wet a bit)
4. Add in corn flour and mix well (flour will lock and firm the mixture)
5. Put the mixture into refrigerator for at least 4 hours (you can cover with plastic seal)
6. Cover meat with wantan skin and shape it well (like "siew mai")
7. Add dressing on top of each "siew mai"

Steps (Steaming)

1. Add enough water into the wok or steamer
2. Put a piece of baking paper (punched holes) or few pieces of chinese cabbage ("pak choi") on the steaming stray to avoid stickiness.
3. Place "siew mai" onto the tray and steam for 10 minutes

Tips: Meat, mushroom and bamboo shoots MUST be "dry" enough, else the excessive water will ruin your delicious "siew mai".

Recipe: Basil Beer Bread

When I found this recipe, I was attacted by its simplicity (basically there is only 1 step, that is, to mix everything together... hehe... it suits me well). And, not to forget, I have basil plant at my place and have no idea on when to use it except for creamy cheese spaghetti. But, the thing is, I over-estimated the weight of basil leaves. I thought 10 leaves will make up 30g. At the end, I have to clear all (try to imagine the basil plant is "botak" now) for this bread.

About the taste, it tasted like... beer (but not as strong as you drink as sugar was added). It is bitter for me cox I don't like beer very much. I think next time I got to substitute the beer with milk. But I have to plant some new basil plants first... ;) hehehe...

If you like to try on something different, it is good to experiment on.
Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 375g self-raising flour
• 30g chopped fresh basil leaves
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp crushed black pepper
• 375ml beer

Steps:

1. Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl.
2. Bake in 50 minutes at 160ºc .

Extra easy, right?