Mamak Style Mee Goreng using Peanut Butter

My New Year Resolution for next year started early, last week actually with my aim to cook dinner 6 days a week. I realize eating out is an easier option but finding quality food for a good price is difficult. This will also be a good reason to browse through my ever growing number of cookbooks and making good use of them.
So far I managed to achieve my aim last week and going strong this week....do hope the enthusiasm lasts through the coming months.... :)

I made this fried noodles yesterday and it was really tasty, enjoyed by my 2.5 years old too. The added Peanut Butter enhances the flavour, giving it a yummy nutty taste.

Serves : 3 persons

1 small pack of  Yellow wet noodles, washed and drained
1 onion, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced / pounded
chilli paste

Combine together:
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp bottled chilli sauce
3 tbsp bottled tomato sauce
some salt and white pepper powder to taste
1 tbsp creamy peanut butter

some sliced fishcakes / slightly fried beancurd
1 large tomato, sliced
a handful of mustard leaves (sawi), cut into 1 inch pieces
a handful of beansprouts

1 egg, beaten with a little salt

Method :

Heat oil in a wok, fry onion, garlic till fragrant. Add in chilli paste and cook till fragrant,
Add in fishcakes/ tofu, mix well. Add in the combined sauces and fry for a few seconds.
Add in tomato, noodles and mustard leaves, mix well to combine. Add in beansprouts.
Add a little water in needed. Cook covered for a few minutes.
Now move the noodles to a side, add some oil and pour in egg. After 30 seconds, combine egg with the noodles. Mix well. Add salt if needed.

Serve hot with some sliced red chilli, lime and mint leaves. YUMMM

Asian Style Orange Chicken

Hi everyone! Yesterday I made this yummy orange chicken recipe, something you can whip up for a quick weeknight dinner. Do give it a try ya.

                            

Here's the recipe :

2 skinless, boneless chicken breast, cubed, 

seasoned with some sea salt and ground garlic and pepper. Set aside.

Mix together:

rind and juice from 2 small oranges

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1/2 tbsp distilled white vinegar

2 tsp cornstarch

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp garlic powder

some freshly ground pepper

2 stalks spring onion, sliced

Method :

Heat some oil in a non-stick pan and pan fry chicken pieces till lightly brown and keep aside.

In now empty pan, add the orange sauce mixture . Cook and stir in medium heat till thickened. add in the chicken pieces, coat well, cover and let it cook in the heat.

Turn off fire, dish out and sprinkle spring onion. Serve hot with rice.

Rice Cooker Chicken Rice

I've been looking for easy to do dinner recipes for weekdays and ways to avoid take-out dinner. This one pot chicken rice cooked in a rice cooker surely fits into the category and was a comfort food on a rainy day.
It is best eaten hot and can be paired with some stir-fry vege or soup.

Serves 4

You need :

2 cups basmathi rice, soaked for 30 mins
1 skinless boneless chicken breast, chopped
8 fresh shittake mushrooms, sliced
3 cm ginger, sliced thickly
spring onion, chopped

Marinade :
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp thick soy sauce
2 cm ginger, grated
salt and pepper, according to taste
few dash of sesame oil

Method :

Combine together chicken pieces and sliced shittake mushrooms with the marinade mixture and set aside.

In a rice cooker pot, place rinsed rice with enough water, ginger slices and some salt and switch on the cooker.
When rice is 3/4 cooked, add in the marinated chicken mixture on top with spring onions, close lid and let rice cook fully. Once cooked, mix all together and serve hot.

Bakmi Goreng Ayam

This is an Indonesian style fried noodles with chicken I made for dinner yesterday and it brought fond memories of my years in Yogya during uni. You can get this in most restaurants and stalls there.

Me and my housemate used to rent a house in a residential area when we were there and during the rainy days and exam time, we opt to dine in rather than going out for dinner. Dine in meaning you wait for this 'tok tok guy' who pushes a cart and cooks for you at your doorstep. Yes, you heard me right.

We will wait for the sound 'tok tok' and call out to him and he will stop in front of your house and cook friend noodles or fried rice, served on the plate that you give him. He adds crackers and pickles as well. The cart and utensils he uses are very clean and food tastes good too.
Hmm...I miss my door step chef. How convenient it was especially during the 2 weeks exam time when we didn't have the time to go buy food.

So, I tried making bakmi goreng yesterday but used yellow wet noodles rather than the dried egg noddles we used to have in Indonesia. To achieve the taste I used Kecap Manis by ABC (made in Indonesia). I bought it at Tesco.

Bakmi Goreng Ayam

You need :

1 onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
350 gm yellow noodles, washed and drained
1 small skinless, boneless chicken breast, cubed
some white chinese cabbage, sliced
some mustard leaves (sawi), sliced
2 tbsp Kecap Manis ABC
1 tbsp oyster sauce
salt and ground pepper to taste

Method :

Heat oil in a wok and saute onion and garlic. Once aromatic, add in diced chicken and cook till 3/4 cooked.
Add in the vege and stir well. Now, add in the sauces and mic well. You can cover and cook for a while. Then add in yellow noodles, salt and pepper. Coat well and cook.
Serve hot with fried shallots.

This is not a spicy dish so you can add chillies or modify according to your taste.

Green Curry Prawns

 

I love Thai food....and thai curries...one of my favourites...especially Thai Green curry....usually it's Thai Chicken Curry....but this time, in an attempt to try something new...I made it with prawns...yummilicious I would say ;)

Ingredients :

10 big size prawns...cleaned and deveined...leaving only the tail on

4 tbsp green curry paste (this must be according to the paste you use- I used store bought paste by Thai Heritage and it is not very spicy)..if u are using a spicy paste, do reduce the amount to 2-3 tbsp

150-200 ml coconut milk (this depends on the thickness of the milk that you use)

1 brinjal (sliced)

4-5 long beans (sliced about 2inch lengths)

100 gms of baby spinach leaves (cleaned)

rind of 1 lime

juice of 1 lime

1 1/2 tsp fish sauce

salt to taste

Heat oil in a pan and fry brinjal and long beans till half cooked....Add in the curry paste fry for a few minutes...pour coconut milk, little by little and stirring always, to get the right colour...u can always adjust the amount of the paste and milk...bring it to a boil...Add in the prawns and spinach....let it simmer for about 5-8 mins...Add in fish sauce and salt to taste.Add also the lime rind and juice..mix well..turn off heat. Serve hot with rice ;)

Tom Yam Fried Beehoon

I used the paste I made earlier for this easy Tom Yam Fried Beehoon.

Ingredients :

1/2 packet beehoon (soaked)

1 big onion

1 carrot (shredded)

1/2 chicken breast meat (cubed)

sawi / mustard greens (cut into 1 inch pieces)

tom yam paste (see homemade-tom-yam-paste)

2 tbsp light soy sauce

salt

fried egg (shredded)

method :

Heat olive oil in a wok, fry onions till golden brown, add carrot and cook a little, add tom yam paste and chicken meat.

Add light soy sauce and salt.

Stir in the beehoon and mustard green and mix well till the paste is evenly coated.

Cook and serve hot with shredded fried eggs.

Homemade Tom Yam Paste

Homemade Tom Yam Paste

This is a homemade tom yam paste that I made for tonite's Tom Yam Fried Beehoon..

This is an easy way to make your own tom yam paste as long as you have all the ingredients handy...here you go...

Ingredients :
2 stalks lemongrass (cut into small pieces)
4 kaffir lime leaves (cut into small pieces)
5 shallots
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tbsp taucu
2 tbsp or more dry chilli paste (as desired)
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp tamarind water
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp dry prawns
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

Put all the above mentioned ingredients in a food processor and blend to make a smooth paste. Then heat a wok with some olive oil and fry the ingredients till fragrants and keep aside. You can even make in a bigger batch and refigerate once it's cool.

For those who want a vegetarian version, do not add the dry prawns and fish sauce.
This paste is good for Fried Beehoon, Fried rice or Seafood Soup

Easy Tofu In Oyster Sauce

This is a very easy tofu recipe....for those days when u need to make quick lunch or dinners..and tastes yummy, too :)

Ingredients :
3 firm, fresh tofu (diced)
1 onion
4 garlic cloves (minced)
1/2 inch ginger (cut into thin strips)
1 green chilli (or more if u prefer)
some chives (cut 1/2 inch long)
2 tbsps oyster sauce
1/2 tbsp light soya sauce
1/2 tsp dark soya sauce
salt (to taste)

Method :
Saute onion till soft, add in garlic, ginger and chopped green chillies - till fragrant.
Add tofu and chives. Mix well. Close with a lid and let it cook for a few minutes. Add in the sauces and salt and mix well. Let it cook till tofu is cooked. Dish it up and serve hot.