Memories in the Cooking

Here is a recipe for a simple Chicken Yakitori.  Ingredients: - 3 large boneless chicken thigh, cut into bite-size  - Spring Onions/Leek  - 2 tablespoons of mirin  - 2 tablespoons of light soya sauce  - 2 tablespoons of sake  - 1 tablespoon of sugar  - some grated ginger  Procedures: 1) Marinate chicken meat and light soya sauce, sake, sugar, mirin and ginger overnight.  2) Skewer 2 pieces of chicken with one piece of leek in between. 3) Add vegetable oil to frying pan. Panfry chicken meat until brown.  4) Pour all marinates into the pan and let it reduce into a sticky glaze. Serve. 

I use air-fryer and the steps for Tonkatsu for the chicken cutlet.  Ingredients: - 3 boneless chicken thighs - 1 tablespoon of light soya sauce  - 1 tablespoon of Chinese cooking wine  - pepper  - 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce  - half a teaspoon of five-spice powder  - 3 tablespoons of salted egg powder  - half a cup of milk  - salt and sugar  - 1 egg  - bread crumbs  - 2 cloves of garlic, minced - curry leaves  - 2 chili padi  Procedures: 1) Marinate chicken thighs in light soya sauce, Chinese cooking wine, pepper, oyster sauce and five-spice powder. Leave it overnight.  2) Add a beaten egg to the chicken thighs.  3) Coat the chicken thighs with bread crumbs  4) Let it air-fry at 180 degree for 30 minutes. Spray some cooking oil on it first. Flip it at the 15 minutes mark.  5) In a frying pan, add minced garlic and vegetable oil. Fry until fragrant. Add curry leaves, chili padi and salted egg yolk powde...

This is another Hakka heirloom dish which I had not got the chance to cook. Recently, my sister gifted me a bottle of wine lees. So, I am so happy to cook this dish for the first time!  Ingredients: - 1 chicken, chopped into parts  - a handful of black fungus, soaked in water  - 1 old ginger, cut into shreds  - 1 bottle of wine lees  - 2 tablespoon of Chinese cooking wine  - sesame oil - chicken cube - 1 tablespoon of sugar  Procedures: 1) Marinate chicken parts in half a bottle of wine lees for 1 hour.  2) In a frying pan, fry half the ginger shreds in vegetable oil until brown and crispy.  3) Set aside the ginger shreds.  4) In the same oil and some sesame oil, fry the rest of the ginger shreds. Add the rest of the wine lees and fry until well-mix.  5) Add chicken parts and fry until brown. Add black fungus. Fry for a while.  6) Add 2 cups of water. Simmer for 20 minutes.  7) Add chicken cube and sugar. Stir well.  ...

Today, I did chicken wings with 4 flavours. One of them is a newly experimented flavour - Parmesan Herbs Chicken Wings  Ingredients: - 1kg of chicken mid wings  - 1 tablespoon of light soya sauce  - 3 cloves of garlic, minced  - 1 egg, beatened - breadcrumbs  - 1 cup of Parmesan Cheese  - 1 teaspoon of mixed Italian Herbs - salt Procedures: 1) Marinate chicken wings with light soya sauce and garlic, overnight.  2) Add 1 beaten egg to it. Coat it evenly. Coat it with breadcrumbs.  3) Arrange them on a baking tray, spray some vegetable oil on it.  4) Bake at 180 degree celsius for 20 minutes and 225 degree celsius for 15 minutes.  5) In a mixing bowl, add Parmesan Cheese, salt and Herbs. Toss chicken wings in the mixture. Serve. 

The dish that I cooked for my first Food and Nutrition practical examination was Honey Lemon Chicken Wings. It was more than 2 decades ago. But I remember scoring high marks for it. I also remember savouring the wings with my friends at the staircase just outside the F&N lab. What lovely memories. Ingredients:  - 1kg of chicken mid-wings (around 25), wash and pat-dry - 1 egg, beaten - breadcrumbs - lemon juice from 2 lemons - 3 tablespoons of honey - 1 tablespoon of cornflour - 1 tablespoon of light soya sauce  - 3 cloves of garlic, minced.  Procedures: 1) Marinate the chicken wings with light soya sauce and garlic overnight. 2) Add a beaten eggs to the chicken wings and coat it evenly.  3) Coat the chicken wings with breadcrumbs.  4) Place the chicken wings on a baking tray. Bake at 180 degree celsius for 20 minutes. Turn the chicken wings over and bake it at 225 degree celsius for another 15 minutes.  4) In a pan, heat up lemon juice...

Have I mentioned before that I like green-colour food? How far will I go to make my favourite dishes green? What about a 'green' nasi lemak? Instead of cooking rice with whole knotted pandan leaves, I cook the rice with juice blended from pandan leaves. The end product is a visually appealing and fragnant nasi lemak rice. Yummy! Ingredients: (for nasi lemak rice) - 3 cups of rice - 100g of pandan leaves - 200ml of coconut milk - 50g ginger, grated - 1 tablespoon of salt - 2 stalks of lemon grass - 1 teaspoon of pandan paste Procedures: 1) Blend pandan leaves with 3 tablespoons of  water. Strain to obtain the juice. 2) Combine the pandan juice, coconut milk and water until it forms 3 cups of liquid.  3) Add the liquid to the washed rice. Add  salt and pandan paste. 4) Blend lemon grass and ginger. Add to the rice. Cook according to rice cooker instructions. 5) Prepare other side dishes such as fried peanuts, ikan bilis, eggs, otah, stir-fried vegetables and nasi...

I just got an air-fryer and I am excited to try many recipes with it. First in the line is BBQ chicken wings.  Ingredients: - 1kg of chicken wings  - 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce  - 1 tablespoon of sesame oil  - 2 tablespoons of sugar - 2 tablespoons of fish sauce - 2 tablespoons of light soya sauce  - 1 bulb of garlic, minced - lime  Procedures: 1) Marinate chicken wings overnight with oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar, fish sauce, light soya sauce and minced garlic overnight.  2) Place the chicken wings in the air fryer. Keep it to 1 layer. Spray some vegetable oil on the surface.  3) Roast it at 200 degree celsius for 10 minutes each side. Adjust the temperature or time to get some char brown bits. Serve with lime.  I used the same recipe for Roasted Chicken rice. 

I never knew the secret ingredients to Pad Thai is tamarind! Thai Food always impressed me with the wide range of spices and flavours.  Ingredients: - 300g of dried Pad Thai noodles, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes.  - 2 boneless chicken thigh meat, cut into small pieces  - 2 pieces of tau kwa, cut into small pieces - 4 cloves of garlic, minced - 3 tablespoons of fish sauce  - 2 tablespoons of sugar  - 1 teaspoon of dark soya sauce  - 1 packet of beansprouts (and any other cabbages)  - crushed peanuts  - lime  - 2 tablespoons of tamarind pulp and mix with water - salt and pepper  Procedures: 1) In a frying pan, add some vegetable oil. Pan-fry the tofu until it because golden brown.  2) Add chicken meat and pan fry until brown.  3) Add minced garlic. Fry until fragrant.  4) Add soften noodles and vegetables. Mix well.  5) Add tamarind water, fish sauce, sugar, dark soya sauce. Stir well.  6) Adjust taste with s...

I first had this dish at my husband nanny's place. The dish is so elegant. The chicken has to be poached just right so that the meat is smooth and tender. The rose wine raises the dish to an another level of grace. This is like the ballerina of braised dishes.  Ingredients:  - 1 chicken (you can use boneless chicken leg or chicken wings)  - thumb-size of ginger, sliced  - few stalks of spring onions  - 2 tablespoons of light soya sauce  - 2 tablespoons of dark soya sauce  - 2 tablespoons of rose cooking wine  - 2 tablespoons of sesame oil  - 2 tablespoons of sugar  - pepper  Procedures: 1) Marinate the chicken with light soya sauce, dark soya sauce, sesame oil.  2) In a deep pot, place sliced ginger and spring onions into a pot. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and enough water to cover the chicken later. Bring it to boil.  2) Place the chicken and the seasoning in the pot. Bring it up to a boil once again. Add 2 tablespoons of rose...

I love Dang Gui so it is nice to come out with another recipe with my beloved Dang Gui.  Ingredients: - 1 kg of chicken mid-wings  - 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce  - 1 teaspoon of salt  - 2 teaspoons of sugar  - 8 slices of Dang Gui  - one handful of wolfberries  - 1 tablespoon of chinese cooking wine  Procedures: 1) Marinate chicken wings with all the seasonings. Leave it overnight in the fridge.  2) Wrap them in one layer of baking paper, followed by one layer of aluminum foil.  3) Steam for 1 hour. Serve.  * We can use the slow cooker for step 3 too

Another porridge for the husband who is recovering from wisdom tooth extraction. Our family does not like chicken breast meat because of the dryness. So, we are using chicken drumsticks!  Ingredients:  - 2 cups of rice - 2 chicken drumsticks - a quarter of a pumpkin  - spring onions, chopped - fried shallots  - 1 tablespoon of minced garlic - 1 tablespoon of fish sauce  - 1 tablespoon of sesame oil  - 4 eggs - salt and pepper Procedures: 1) In a rice cooker, cook the rice into porridge. Place the pumpkin and chicken drumsticks to cook together.  2) When cooked, remove the chicken drumsticks and shred them.  3) In a pan, add minced garlic with some vegetable oil and fry until fragrant. Add the shredded chicken, chopped spring onions, sesame oil and fish sauce.  4) Set aside one of it. Add the porridge into the pan. Sieve it for a smoother porridge.  5) Add salt and pepper to taste.  6) Crack 4 eggs on the porridge.  7) Scoop the...

 It is our family tradition to cook Singaporean dishes on National Day. As part of our National Day celebration meal, I made some Salted Egg Baked Chicken Wings. Thanks to the Knorr Salted Egg Powder, I did not need to make the dish from scratch.  Ingredients: - 1 kg of chicken mid-wings  - 2 tablespoons of light soya sauce  - 4 cloves of garlic, minced  - oil spray and  - 2 tablespoons of Knorr Salted Egg Powder  - 1 teaspoon of salt  - 1 teaspoon of sugar  - 1 packet of curry leaves  - 1 big chili, chopped   Procedures:  1) Marinate chicken wings with light soya sauce and minced garlic. Leave it for a few hours.  2) Lay the chicken wings on a baking tray. Spray some cooking oil on it. Cook it at 180 degree celsius for 20 minutes.  3) In a frying pan, add some vegetable oil. Fry curry leaves and chili until fragrant.  4) Add the baked chicken wings.  5) Add salted egg powder, salt and sugar. Mix well a...

I am a full-time mum who tries to cook simple dinner during workdays. This dish is supposed to be very easy and fast. What's more? It is delicious!!! Ingredients: - 4 chicken drumsticks - 100 g of ginger  - 6 cloves of garlic  - few stalks of parsleys and spring onions  - 1 chili - 2 tablespoons of light soya sauce  - 2 tablespoons of sesame oil  - 1 tablespoon of huatiao wine  - 2 cups of rice  - salt and sugar Procedures: 1) In a rice-cooker pot, add 2 cups of washed rice and add 1.5 cups of water.  2) Place the chicken drumsticks on the rice. Add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, 1 tablespoon of huatiao wine and 1 light soya sauce. Start the rice cooker.  3) Blend ginger, garlic, parsleys and spring onions into a paste. Add 1 tablespoon of light soya sauce, 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, 2 tablespoons of warm water, sugar and salt.  Mix well into a sauce. Add shredded chili. 

Most of us would have eaten some versions of this dish at home. This is one dish that I cook from "feeling". The tender chicken with crunchy capsicum and cashew nuts give multiple texture to this dish! Ingredients: - 3 deboned chicken thigh meat, cut into bite-size - 3 capsicums (red, yellow and green, cut into bite-size - 1 handful of roasted cashew nuts - 5 cloves of garlic, minced - 2 tablespoons of lao gan ma chili - 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce - 1 teaspoon of dark soya sauce - 1 tablespoons of light soya sauce - 1 tablespoon of sugar - corn flour Procedures: 1) Marinate chicken with cornflour and light soya sauce 2) Add vegetable oil to a wok. Add garlic and fry until fragrant. Add chicken and fry until brown. 3) Add capsicum and fry until cooked. 4) Add oyster sauce, dark soya sauce, sugar and pepper. For spicy version, add lao  gan ma. 5) Add roasted cashew nuts. Mix well. Serve

This is the slow cooker version of my earlier post on Maggi Chicken. This is my husband's childhood dish cooked by his paternal grandparents.  Ingredients: - 1kg of chicken wings  - 6 potatoes, cut into cubes  - 2 large carrots, cut into chunks  - 1 cup of water  - 2 tablespoons of sesame oil - 4 tablespoons of maggi sauce  - pepper - 1 tablespoon of sugar  - 2 tablespoons of huatiao wine  - salt  Procedures:  1) Place chicken wings, potatoes and carrots into a slow-cooker.  2) Add sesame oil, water, maggi sauce, pepper and sugar. Stir well. Cook at high setting for 3 hours.  3) Taste the sauce and adjust it to your preference by adding salt, sugar or more maggi sauce.  4)Add huatiao wine. Cook for another hour. Serve.   

I remember having a bowl of delicious pumpkin rice accompanying a double-boiled soup at a Kopitiam. While the double-boiled soup was nice, it was the pumpkin rice that made an impression. So, I have decided to make it for dinner tonight. Ingredients: - 1/2 pumpkin or butternut squash, diced  - 2 pieces of chicken thigh meat, diced  - 1 handful of dried scrimps, washed  - 2 cups of rice, washed  - 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce  - 1 tablespoon of sesame oil  - pepper  - 4 cloves of garlic, minced  - chopped parsleys  Procedures: 1) Add vegetable oil to frying pan. Fry garlic and dried scrimps until fragrant.  2) Add chicken meat and pumpkin, fry until the chicken meat is brown.  3) Add oyster sauce, pepper and sesame oil. Fry until all ingredients are well-mixed.  4) Add 2 cups of washed rice to the rice cooker. Add 1.5 cup of water. Mix well with the stir-fry ingredients. Cook the rice.  5) Mi...

Lately, we have been scheduling nature walk on Saturday late afternoons. So, in order to have hot dinners awaiting us when we return, I have been using the slow cooker a lot. Tonight, we had Ginseng Herbal Chicken Soup and it was perfect for a cool day.   Ingredients: - 1 whole chicken  - 8 ginseng slices  - 2 tablespoons of wolfberries - 8 red dates - 5 sticks of dang sheng  - 5 slices of chuan xiong  - 5 slices of dang gui - 1 chicken cube  - salt and sugar  Procedures: 1) In a slow cooker, place the washed herbs and chicken.  2) Add water to just cover the chicken. 3) Let it cook at high setting for 3 hours. 4) Season with chicken cube, salt and sugar. Serve.

Few weeks ago, I cooked Lo Mai Kai which is steamed glutinous rice with chicken and mushrooms. As I have some leftover ingredients from that dish, I have decided to cook the same ingredients using the stir-fry method. Ingredients: - 6 chinese sausages or Taiwan sausages, sliced  - 3 cups of glutinous rice, soaked for 2 hours  - 1 thumbsize ginger, shredded - a handful of dried scrimps, washed and dried  - 2 boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size  - 5 chinese mushrooms, soaked and cut into slices  - 2 dark soya sauce  - 2 light soya sauce  - 1 tablespoon of cornflour  - 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce  - pepper  - chopped spring onions and coriander  Procedures: 1) Marinate chicken thigh meat, mushroom slices with half the dark soya sauce, light soya sauce, oyster sauce and corn flour.  2) In a frying pan, add vegetable oil, dried shrimps and ginger shreds and fry until fragrant.  ...

I first tasted this Taiwanese dish in 2007 at 猫空 and instantly fell in love with it. The symphony of the 3 cups (sesame oil, dark soya sauce and Chinese cooking wine) created the magic to make me feel at home even though I was many miles away. So, I decided to recreate the dish when I came home. Initially, I literally just cooked chicken in the 3 sauces, without regard for proportions or sequence. The product? A salty and oily chicken dish without any hint of wine. After a few years of improving, I managed to adjust the dish according to the preference of my family.  Ingredients: 1) 10 chicken wings cut into bite-size pieces 2) 1-2 cloves of Garlic (peel the skin) 3) 1 thumb-size Ginger sliced very thinly (I use peeler for the paper-thin ginger slices) 4) Sesame oil, Dark Soya Sauce, Shao Xing Wine and Water in proportion of 1:1:2:4. I use half cup, half-cup, 1 cup and 2 cups.   5) 1 tablespoon of sugar 6) Parsley finely-chopped  Procedures: ...

First, I must confess that this recipe uses premix. However, I have added a special ingredient, a little pandan paste, as the way the family likes it. Ingredients: - 1 kg of chicken mid-wings  - 1 packet of Dancing Chef green curry paste  - 1 large brinjal, cut into bite-size  - 10 ladyfingers, cut into bite-size  - 1 onion, sliced  - 1 tablespoon of pandan paste - 1 tablespoon of sugar  - 1 chicken cube  - 1 packet of coconut milk  - 20 lime leaves, shredded  Procedures: 1) Stir-fry onions with vegetable oil until soft and fragrant.  2) Add chicken wings and fry until brown.  3) Add green curry paste and 1 cup of water.  4) Add brinjal, ladyfingers and lime leaves. Stir well.  5) Add boiling water to cover the ingredients. Simmer until the vegetables are soft.  6) Add coconut milk, pandan paste, chicken cube and sugar. Stir well. Serve.  * Can cook this dish using the slo...