Red Wine Oxtail Stew

I had adapted Jamie Oliver's insanely good oxtail stew to my own very version due to availability of ingredients in the kitchen and it is way better than insanely good, it is smack good... hehehe...

Ingredients :

• 500-600g of oxtail (scrub with salt and flour, rinse till clean)
• 500ml red wine
• 3tbsp Lea Perrin worchester sauce
• 1/2 cup of 4 mixed beans
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 1 onion cut to 12pcs
• 3pcs celery cut to small pieces
• 1 carrot cut to small pieces
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2pcs of bay leave
• 3tbsp olive oil
• 3tbsp flour
• 3tbsp chicken powder (I used my fresh home made one, no beef stock use this as sub)
• 1/2 tsp salt to season (adjust to your preference)
• 500ml water
• 1 big handful of chopped parsley to sprinkle after cooking.

Method :

1. Use high saute mode, heat up the olive oil (half of it). Brown the oxtail, all sides. Sprinkle with 1.5tbsp flour, give it a stir. Take about 10-15mins. Remove and set aside.
2. Add a little more olive oil, saute the herbs and veggies. Do this for bout 5-7mins, then sprinkle with the rest of the flour and stir for another 1-2mins till well coated and the flour dissolve.
3. Add in the rest of the ingredients, give it a stir. Change to bake mode, lid on, valve to bake mode and bake for 45mins.
4. I wanted a more brown effect, so I dish them out and place in oven, 20mins at 160c. If you don't have an oven or find this too troublesome, continue to bake in the PPC for another 15-20mins, till the sauce thicken to your preference.
5. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

Simple Easy Dhall

Tonight, I decided to try out the Airfryer Chicken Varuval recipe and since I'm making that, we go Indian theme tonight. So, to feed the girl, I made curry dhall that she loves.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dhall, pre-soaked with hot water for at least 30mins to removed the phytic acid
• 1/2 onion, sliced thinly
• 1 carrot, cut to big cubes
• few pieces of curry leaves
• 2 tablespoon of dhall spice (pre mix but if you don't have it, you can also make this combo yourself - 1 tsp garam masala, 2tsp tumeric powder. 1/2tsp curry powder, 1/8tsp cinnamon powder, 1/2tsp cumin powder, 1/2tsp cardamon powder)
• 2tbsp home made tomato sauce, recipe here
• 3cups of water
• 1tbsp oil
• 1tsp salt

Steps:

1. Pre heat the pressure cooker pot. I used high saute mode. Heat up the oil
2. Add in the onion and curry leaves. Saute till the onion is soften.
3. Add in the spice and fry till it form a paste like mixture in the pot.
4. Add in the dhall, carrot and water.
5. Change the pressure cooker to manual pressure mode and select KPT 12mins.
6. Once done, let the pressure valve fall before opening the cooker and season with salt.

*KPT = Keep pressure time

Braised Lamb Shank

I had always been a fan of lamb or mutton but can't really cook them at home coz the big and small bosses don't like it. However, since my small boss no 2 loves any meat, I thought of trying it out. Few days back when we went shopping, lamb shank was on sale.. hmmm... why not try it out with the pressure cooker. Imagining the fall apart and yummy goodness of the veggie.

Ingredients:

• 4pcs of lamb shanks
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 onion, cut to 8 chunks
• 3pcs carrots, cut to big chunks
• 2pcs of parsnip, cut to big chunks
• 4pcs of big tomato, cut to smaller chunks
• 1/2 tsp of mixed herbs
• 1/2 tsp of fresh rosemary
• 1/2 tsp of fresh thyme
• 6pcs of fresh button mushrooms
• 1 cup of salt reduced chicken stock
• a big handful of fresh parsley for serving
• some salt and pepper to season the lamb
• 2 tbsp of olive oil

Steps:

1. Heat up the pressure cooker. Pour in the oil and wait for bout 10-15 seconds for it to heat up.
2. Season the lamb shanks with salt and pepper. Then brown the lamb shanks on all side in the pressure cooker. That should take about 5-7mins.
3. Add in all the veggies and herbs and stir the mixture.
4. Then add in the chicken stock and cover the pressure cooker. Set to meat function, KPT for 25mins.
5. Once it is done, let the valve drop and then set it to vent and set to bake for 20mins to help reduce the stock to thicker sauce.
6. Served with fresh parsley.

Glutinous Rice Wrapped in Lotus Leaf and Chicken Stuffed with Glutinous Rice Wrapped in Lotus Leaf

My neighbour had given me some lotus leaf that she had bought and I had been having it in the kitchen for quite sometime not knowing what to use it for yet. And then I bumped into this recipe in FB and thought of trying it out with a tweak.

With the pressure cooker, I actually don't need to pre soak the rice but since I need to get rid of the phytic acid, so, I soaked it for bout 3-4hours prior to using it.

Here goes the recipe:

Ingredients

• 2pcs of lotus leaf, pre soaked with hot water
• 1 small young chicken (mine is 1.2kg)
• 2.5cups of glutinous rice, soaked for 3-4hrs
• 2tbsp shiao thing wine for chicken marinate
• 1tsp five spices powder for chicken marinate
• a small pinch of pepper for chicken marinate
• a big pinch of sea salt for chicken marinate
• 1 chinese sausage, skin removed and diced
• 2 pcs of chinese mushroom, reconstituted and diced (water used keep aside)
• 3 pcs of dried scallop, soaked and water keep aside, shred to small pieces
• 3tbsp dried shrimp, soaked, water disposed
• 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
• 1 big pc of shallots, sliced
• 1/4 cup of carrot, diced
• a small pinch of garlic powder for the rice
• a small pinch of sea salt for the rice
• a small dash of pepper for the rice
• 4tbsp oil
• some strings to tie
• 3 pcs of big aluminium foil

Methods:

1. Marinate the chicken and set it aside.
2. Heat up the oil on the cooking wok. Once hot, add in the shallot and saute till it is almost brown. Add in the sausage and garlic and fry till fragrant. 
3. Add in the carrot, mushroom, scallop and dried shrimp. Stir fry till the shrimp get crispy.
4. Add in the rice and the water retained and stir fry till the water dry up. Season with the seasoning listed for the rice and stir for it to mix evenly. Leave it to cool.
5. Stuff in as much rice as possible into the chicken cavity. Press it down and continue stuffing till it is full. Then use the string to tie the bottom of the drumstick to avoid the filling from falling out.
6. Wrap the chicken with a layer of lotus leaf. Then wrap it with the aluminium foil to ensure no leakage and to maintain moisture. I had left mine to heat for few hours coz I was out for school pick up and the chicken is still moist and just right.
7. Then place the rest of the rice onto the other piece of lotus leaf. Fold it up from the top, bottom then right and finally left. Tie the parcel up with the leftover string.
8. Place 2 cups of water into the pressure cooker, then the aluminium foiled wrapped chicken and finally the rice wrapped in lotus leaf. Cover the pressure cooker's cover, set to bake mode (which is 45mins) and start. Remember to set the valve to bake mode.
9. Voila, once pressure released, the food is ready to be served. :D

*Note: I'm using the Philips electric multi cooker which has the pressure cooker and bake mode.

Sup Ekor or Oxtail Soup

Just had the felling of drinking those Malay type of soup and so, I bought a bag of oxtail from the butcher the other day and wanted to try cooking it myself.

Here it goes .

Ingredients:

• 500-600g of oxtail
• 2 teaspoon of cumin seed
• 1 star anise
• some dried chills (I omitted this cause my daughter is drinking, she don't like it spicy)
• a small piece of cinnamon stick
• 1 carrot cut big chunk
• 1 potato cut chunk
• 1 tomato, quartered
• a little oil
• 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• a handful of chopped spring onion
• a handful of parsley
• half a big onion, sliced and fried till crispy, for serving
• 1.5l water

Steps:

1. Wash the oxtail, and dry it.
2. Pound the star anise and cumin seed together till it is quite fine and form a paste. put them in the muslin cloth.
3. Pan fry the oxtail till brown all side, leave the cinnamon stick in the oil too.
4. Put the oxtail, cinnamon stick and the paste in muslin cloth in the pot (I uses the pressure cooker). Add in the water. Boil for 2hours. I boil mine on high for 15mins and low fire for another 15mins. If you using chilli, add in now too.
5. Add in the potato, carrot and tomato and cooked for another 2hours (mine another 20mins).
6. Season before serving with salt and top with the rest of the ingredients.

Lentil Potato Burger

Not sure what to do with the leftover lentils that I used for the dhall curry, and dont feel like making shall again and again, so, decided to make some healthy lunch for myself instead.

Ingredients:

• 1.5cups of yellow split beans (soaked overnight in the fridge)
• 2 small size potato, cut into cubes, skin removed
• 3 tablespoon of oat
• 2 chinese mushroom, soaked
• one bunch of black fungus, soaked
• half a medium size carrot
• 2 tablespoon of water
• 1egg
• 2 teaspoon of curry powder
• a dash of cinnamon powder
• 2 teaspoon of soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
• a dash of ground pepper

Methods:

1. Cooked the bean and potato in the sauce pan with enough water to submerge the ingredients for about 15mins.
2. Then mixed it with ingredients 3 to 7 in the magi mix (or the blender). Blend till all items are fine and mixed well.
3. Add in an egg and continue to blend till it is even.
4. Season with the rest of the ingredients. 
5. Similar to the pork burger, shaped and keep in the fridge.
6. Pan fry and served as per the way you like it.

Zucchini Bacon Muffins

I have some zucchini in the fridge which I bought "wrongly" and they gonna be going into the bin soon if I dont do something with it. So, marvel of internet, google and found a recipe for it, did a little twick and here it is.. yummy.

Savoury muffins:

 Batter before baking

 Turn into golden brown nice soft yummy mini muffins 

Hubby as usual, with his chilli sauce.. even on muffins.. argghhh...

Ingredients:

• Approx 500 grams grated zucchini (mine is roughly two pieces, minus the spoiled part.. :D)
• 1 carrot grated
• 1 medium onion peeled and diced finely
• About 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• 1/2 cup diced bacon
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese 
• 1 cup self-raising flour
• ¼ cup olive oil
• Salt and fresh ground black pepper
• 4-5 eggs (depending on size) 

Methods:

1. Pre heat your oven to 180C (I uses 200C coz this oven is not so powerful)
2. Drain your grated zucchini, by placing them in a clean tea towel, and squeezing out as much moisture as you can, you will be surprised how much comes out of even very firm vegetables. 
3. Put into a large bowl, and add the grated carrot, onion, cheese, bacon, flour and olive oil. Stir together, and add salt and pepper to your taste.
4. Add 4 eggs, and stir the mixture thoroughly, it should be moist but not to runny. Unlike normal muffins, this batter can take plenty of stirring without producing a tough result. If the mixture looks to dry, add the remaining egg.
5. Bake in greased muffin trays for about 20-25 mins at 180C until golden brown. Mini muffins will only take 15-20 mins.

Yam Abacus

Thanks to the big adverts from Ying Ker Lou, I had been wanting to attempt making Yam Abacus. Finally today, I got all the ingredients from the wet market and manage to make that for dinner.

For the abacus:

Ingredients:

• 211g yam (steamed till soft and mashed with the fork)
• 75g tapioca flour
• 60g warm water
• 1 teaspoon cooking oil
• a pinch of salt
• a teaspoon of sugar
• a pot of boiling water
• shallot oil

Steps:

1. Mixed all the ingredients till even and till it forms a soft looking dough, slightly dry.
2. Take a small pinch, roughly a teaspoon amount of the dough, roll it round n give it a pinch, set aside.
3. Boiled in a pot of boiling water, drain off when floating.
4. Spoon roughly a table spoon of fried shallot with some oil on the abacus so that they dont stick together.

For the frying stuff ingredients:

• a tablespoon of minced garlic
• 4 tablespoon of dried shrimps, soaked and chopped
• a handful of julienned carrot
• a handful of julienned black fungus
• 3 tablespoon of minced meat (marinated with salt, pepper, rice wine, corn flour and oyster sauce)
• a dash of fish sauce
• 1 handful of chopped parsley
• 1 teaspoon of oil
• 1 tablespoon of water
• a dash of pepper
• a pinch of sugar

Steps:

1. Stir fry the dried shrimps along with the minced garlic till golden brown.
2. Add in the carrot and fungus.
3. Add in the minced meat and stir fry, add in the water too.
4. Season with fish sauce, pepper and sugar
5. Add in the abacus. slightly fry and dish out. 
6. Served with the chopped parsley.

Baby Food

Steam egg: contains fish paste, potato, carrot, egg and water.



Steam Cheesey Brinjal: contains cheese and minced pork.

Potato Rice Cake

Sophie is such a fussy gal, she needs lots of variation to her food and they need to taste nice (to her standard of course). She has not been taking porridge for a while coz she refuse to eat them. So I had been giving her ABC rice or some time mashed potato, home made burger patties, etc...

Last week, I made potato rice cake for her... no fix measurement for the ingredients, all based on estimate and just dump in:

- a handful of steam potato
- 1 tablespoon of chopped carrot
- 1 tablespoon of chopped spring onions
- a handful of cooked rice
- 1 tablespoon of onions
- 1 tablespoon of minced pork
- 1 tablespoon of flour
- pinch of corn flour
- olive oil for frying

Mixed everything together in a blender. Heat up the pan with olive oil. Scooped with spoon, place it on the pan, press it down and once one side is cooked (after bout half a min), flip over. Ready to serve....

Millet with Sausages...

My lunch on Friday...

Creamy Macaroni

Last night, we had a very odd combo for dinner . We had creamy macaroni and ABC soup (including Sophie).




- Macaroni
- parmesan cheese
- mixed dried herbs (those use for pizza)
- cream cheese
- butter





Sophie's one with added stuff, she get potato and carrot from the ABC soup + some fresh milk, blend to small pieces.
She loves it and was busy biting while playing with her teething biscuit.

Baby's Porridge

This is what mommy prepared for Sophie yesterday:



- broccoli
- carrot
- red bario rice
- sweet potato, yellow flesh, purple skin

Bake Fishy Potato

We had bake potato with fish paste yesterday:




Ingredients:

• 600g fish paste
• 1 black fungus, soaked and chopped finely
• 1 chinese mushroom, soaked and chopped finely
• 1 tablespoon of chopped carrot
• a pinch of salt
• a pinch of pepper
• 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon of corn flour
• 1 tablespoon of kicap manis (sweet soy sauce)
• 2 potato washed and sliced to 0.5cm thickness each
• 2 teaspoon of sesame oil

Steps:

1. Mixed all the ingredients (except for potato and sesame oil) evenly.
2. Spread the mixture on top of the potato and bake under 180 degree celcius heat for 15mins.
3. Take it out and drip one drop of sesame oil on each and put back in the oven (turn off the heat). Leave it for 5mins..

Water Gourd Steam Soup

A colleague gave us one piece of gourd (found in the internet that it is known as water gourd or dried gourd or long gourd, chinese called it wu lou) which I was not sure what to do with it... and since he proposed that I make steam soup with it, I tried it out today....

Cut the top away, scooped the content out and add in part of the content back (cut to cube), 2 pieces of pork rib, 2 pieces of carrot cube, one dried scallop, 1 sweet date and a handful of wolfberry. No salt is added...

Steam double boil style for 1hr at low fire... yummmy.

Food Pic

Had been very lazy with my update recently... only pictures.

Sweet and sour fish

Roast potato with chicken and carrot

Black pepper pork

Potato with pork

Brinjal fried with okra and french bean

Vege pork burger served on top of rice crackers