Coca Cola chicken

Ingredients
1kg of chicken wings
1 cup of coca cola
2 tbsp of soya sauce
1 dash of pepper
1 dash of salt

Methods:
Marinate the chicken wings with all the sauces except coca cola for about 1 hour.
Overnight will be best.
Then heat up the work and fry till both side of the wings are brown.
Pour in 1 cup of coca cola and let it simmer till the sauce become sticky
Off the flame and serve warm

Note: The chicken wings should be shiny and sticky after they were done.

White wine spicy garlic mussels

Ingredients:

1kg fresh mussels

some olive oil

1 clove of garlic ( minced )

4 red chilli ( sliced)

1 stalk fresh parsley

2 cup of white wine

Methods

Soak the fresh mussels in salt water for 5 minutes and drain dry

Heat up the wok, add olive oil

Stir fry the garlic till fragrant and crispy

Add in the chilli slices and fry

Add in the mussels and pour in the white wine

Turn up the heat and stir for a few seconds

Cover the wok and simmer for about 3-4 mins till mussels are cooked

Turn off heat and add the fresh parsley for garnish

Serve warm and the stock is sweet and spicy.

Beef stew with dark chocolate and red wine

Ingredients

2 kg of beef brisket

1 large onions, chopped

4 carrots peeled and cut into 1 inches slices

200g of daikon or parsnips  peeled and cut into 1 inch slices

2 cups of red wine

3 cups of beef broth

100g of dark chocolate, if using chocolate squares about 4 pieces

1 tsp of salt

A few dashes of freshly ground black pepper

2 bay leaves

Instructions

1. In a large skillet set over medium heat,  season the beef with salt and pepper and cook the beef till brown on all sides and transfer to the pot. Then put the onions in the skillet, and saute them until they soften -- about 5 minutes. Transfer to the pot. Then add the carrots and parsnips to the skillet, and let them cook until slightly caramelized -- about 5 minutes on each side. Into the pot they go. Finally, pour red wine into the skillet and scrape the remaining bits of  meat left and pour into the pot. Lastly add in the red wine, beef broth, bay leaves into the pot. Ensure that the broth cover the ingredients.
2. Bring to boil over high heat and cover and simmer till the beef is tender . I am using a soft cooker so about 4 hrs on low heat . If you are rushing, a good 2 hrs on high heat will be enough.
3. Serve with warm rice or breads . 

NOTE: The aroma of chocolate will give the beef stew a  very flavourful after taste and you will definitely love the gravy and melt in your mouth beef . Enjoy on a cold day to keep warm.

Lemongrass pandan drink

 A decoction of “Pandan” and “Lemongrass” leaves can make a good detoxifying drink. By the way, “detoxification” or “detox” for short is the medicinal way of removing toxic substances in our body.

Benefit of pandan leaves:
Aside from its aromatic smell and slight flavor when added while cooking rice or making gelatin, “pandan” or “screwpine” leaves can be considered more as an herbal plant. It can reduce fever and relieve headaches. It can also treat chest and ear pains, wounds, smallpox, arthritis and even leprosy as well. It has beneficial aids for stomach spasms and has healing effects on some skin problems with a bonus of strengthening our gums.


Benefit of lemongrass:
Lemongrass might help prevent the growth of some bacteria and yeast. Lemongrass also contains substances that are thought to relieve pain, reduce fever, stimulate the uterus and menstrual flow, and have antioxidant properties.
More information can be found below:
http://lemongrassherbal.blogspot.sg/p/lemongrass-benefits.html


Benefit of honey :
If you wanted your honey to be nutritious with vitamins and minerals, have it raw and pure. The darker the color of the honey, the higher its antioxidant contents. Honey is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and probiotic. It can prevent us from cancer and heart disease, and good for blood sugar regulation. In addition to that, it has the ability to reduce ulcer, cough, and throat irritation. Also good for healing wounds and burns and can help us to have a blooming skin. Still, it wouldn’t be good if you overdose yourself with honey.



Ingredients:
 3 stalks lemongrass
 4 pandan (screwpine) leaves
 500ml of water
1 thumb size of Rock sugar
Good grade Honey
Lemon juice and lemon slices


Methods:

1. For lemongrass,  peel off the the outer layer and cut off  both ends. Slice into half 
2.  Pound till they are crushed so that the fragrant can be released later.
3. Wash the pandan leaves and tie them in a knot.
4. In a pot, add water, pandan leaves , rock sugar and lemongrass. Cover the lid and bring to a boil. Then, lower the heat and allow it to simmer for 30 minutes.
5. Turn off the heat and strain the drink when it cools
6. Stir in honey and squeeze some lemon juices.
7. You can add in lemon slices as well.
8.  Served it warm or chilled.
9. This is a healthy and easy drink. Enjoy!

Steamed Red Snapper fish



Ingredients

• 780g Snapper fish
• 2 tsp salt - To rub on the fish, 1 tsp at each side.
• 5  slices of ginger
• 5 Dry mushrooms ( soak till soft and slice into thin slices)

For the sauce

• 2 tbsp. Premium Soy Sauce
• 2 tbsp Shao Xing Wine
• 1 tsp crushed Rock Sugar (or just ordinary fine sugar)
• a dash of pepper
• a tsp of sesame oil

For garnishing

• 1 sprig spring Onion, cut thinly and soak in ice water
• 3 slices of ginger, Shredded and fry till crispy with sesame oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, chopped into small pieces and fry till crispy with  sesame oil
• some coriander
• some julienned chillies (Optional)

Method

• Clean fish, pat dry. Rub 1 tsp salt at each side of the fish. Rub some into the stomach too. And then, put 5 pieces of ginger into the stomach.
• On a steaming dish,  place the fish on top.
• Arrange the mushroom slices nicely on top of the fish
• Use a small sauce bowl, mix all the sauce ingredient together
• Bring water in the steamer to a boil. Place the whole bowl of sauce beside the fish, steam fish over high heat for 15 minutes.
• While the fish is steaming, prepare your crispy ginger and garlic by frying with sesame oil till brown and crispy. Take note not to burn them or else it will turn bitter.. I usually fry the garlic first then use the remaining oil to fry the ginger .You can add more oil if you want.
• Remove fish from the steamer, pour away the steaming liquid.
• Pour the sauce on the fish, and place the crispy ginger and garlic over the fish.
• Lastly then pour the sesame oil over.
• Garnish, and serve!

 Separate steaming method - the fish and the sauce are separated, but steam together.

Remove the steaming liquid

If you are keen on this fresh fish, you can order from this website : http://ahhuakelong.com/home-delivery/

Oven baked Crispy Lemongrass Turmeric chicken wings

Ingredients 1 kg of fresh chicken wings washed and drained dry

Seasonings:

Add 1 tablespoon of turmeric powder
Add 1 teaspoon of ground pepper
Add 1/2 tablespoon of  brown sugar
Add 1 egg (beaten mix well)

Add 2 stalks of lemongrass (washed & cut halves and smash them flat to release the aroma)

Add 1/2 tablespoon of truffle salt or seasalt

Method:

Mix all the seasonings and wings together.

I use a glove and massage the wings

Next, place the wings into a ziplock bag.

Marinate overnight if possible.

If not, I usually marinate in the morning and cook over dinner time.

Method:

Preheat  the oven in grill mode till 220 degrees for about 10 minutes

Coat the wings with self raising flour on both sides

Dust off excess flour and place on a baking sheet

By the time you finish all the wings, the flour should have absorbed into the wings. ( you will see less flour on the wings)

Place the tray into the oven and baked for 30 to 35 mins till crispy and brown on both sides

Remember to turn the wings in the first 15 mins to bake the other side.

Enjoy !



Special thanks to my baking and cooking buddy Christine Tan for sharing her recipe. I did some modification to suit my taste bud. I choose to oven bake instead of frying for a healthier recipe.



Home made prawns mee soup Hae Mee (虾面汤)

Soup Stock:

 Prawn Heads and Shells 1 kg
500g Dried Shrimps (Haebee), soaked overnight
500g of pork bones ( Pre boiled for  2 hours in a slow cooker)
 10 Shallots chopped finely
10   cloves of garlic chopped finely
Light soya sauce
Dark soya sauce
Rock sugar 3 cubes
Sea salt
Chilli powder 2 tablespoon
Cooking oil 2 tablespoon

Methods:

Wash and dry the prawn heads and shells
Heat up your wok with cooking oil
Stir fried the shallots first then follow by garlic
Fry till fragrant
Then add in the dry shrimps. Fry till golden brown
Add in prawns shells first
Then follow by the prawns heads
After frying for about 20 mins, the shells should have reduced in size
And the nice prawn stock should appear.
Next, transfer all the shells and prawns stock
into the pork stock that you boiled earlier and continue on slow boil for another 3 to 4 hours.
After that, remove all the heads and shells
Blended the prawns head and shells into a coarse paste.
This is to extract the maximum flavour from the shells!
Transfer the strained liquid from the blended shells and
 the remaining soup stock into a huge stock pot to simmer and season!
Add  rock sugar, light soya sauce, dark soya sauce, sea salt, and chilli powder.
Leave soup stock to simmer and reduce to desired taste and consistency!

Noodles & Toppings:
Fresh Egg Noodles (Yellow Mee)
Kway Teow / Beehoon
Tiger prawns , Deveined
Lean pork loin / pork ribs
Fish cake
Kangkong
Beansprouts

Garnishes:
Fried port lard
Fried shallots crisps
Chilli powder
Spring onions

Methods:
blanched and precooked all the prawns, fishcake and ribs in the soup stock in order to flavour the soup as well as retain the sweetness of the ingredients.
Noodles and Kway teow can be preboiled
Vegetables  like beansprouts and kangkong can be blanched in another pot of boiling water or steamed.
Arrange the noodles into a bowl and all other cooked ingredients.
Add in the yummy prawn stock
Add in your favourite garnishes
Enjoy your hardwork labour .