Hokkien Noodle

This is one of the first few dishes I had cooked for my in-laws and the first one to earn a compliment from them. I wonder if I am the only Mum out there who feels anxious and worried every time I whipped out a meal for my in-laws. I am a very competitive person... almost a perfectionist. I don't like failure and I will get upset at myself if things don't come out the way I had planned.

So on one fine day I decided to give this traditional Hokkien dish a try. I do not have a recipe for this, this was done from the sheer memory I had from my childhood... My Mum used to cook this for us when we were kids. Luckily this dish is simple enough for me to attempt.

Ever since that attempt, I had cooked this dish most frequently and after so many attempts, I can say my noodle is very near to perfection! My parents tried it once and immediately gave me the thumbs up! The real proof of my success in this dish comes from my Husband one day when he requested me to cook this for his classmates Pot Luck Dinner :) that was indeed a very happy day for me!

Here's my Hokkien Noodle... Cooked by a pure blood Hokkien...

Here's my recipe for this simple one-dish-meal, this recipe is re-created from my childhood memory. Hope you like it!

Ingredients:

(Serve 5 adults)

- 1 kg Yellow Flat Noodles (Hokkien Noodles)

- 400g Fresh Prawns

- 2 pieces Fishcakes

-  300g Pork Lean Meat (Can substitute with Chicken Fillet)

- 3 to 4 bunches of Malaysia Chye Sim 

- 3 cloves garlic

- 3 tbs of Fried Dried Onions

- 3 tbs cooking oil

Seasoning:

- Pepper

- 2 tbs Oyster sauce

- 5 tbs Dark Soya Sauce (or lots more depending how dark and salty you prefer)

Preparations of Ingredients:

- Wash Prawns, Remove heads and shells, keep the tails and devein

- Boil a medium pot of water with the Prawn Heads and Shells till bubbling hot and fragrance, switch to lowest fire. (We need the broth later)

- Slice Pork and Fish Cakes to thin slices

- Marinate Pork with some corn flour and light soya sauce

- Wash and cut Chye Sim to about 2.5 inches long

- Wash Noodle with Tap Water and drain dry

- Chop/Mince Garlic

Method:

- Heat wok, add 1tbs oil and half portion of garlic, fried until fragrance then add in prawns and fried until it turn pink. Remove from wok and set aside.

- Add 2 tbs oil and remaining garlic, fried till fragrance, add in pork, follow by fish cake and fried till pork well cooked

- Add in half the broth, then add in noodles. (At this moment, the fire should still be at the highest)

- Check if the broth fully cover the noodles, if not, add in more broth till noodles are completely covered 

- Add in all the seasoning and stir till well mix

- Add in Vegetables. (Vegetables must be submerged under the broth)

- Let it simmer for a while till broth become thick, add in Fried Dried Onions and Prawns (previously set aside)

- Simmer till broth dried up till noodles is no longer submerged but still quite wet (as the broth will be absorb further by the noodles even if its cooked)

- Done

Notes:

1) You may add in squids 

2) You may want to taste the noodles while it simmer so you may i increase the pepper or dark soya sauce

Microwave Cookies

This is the the perfect "Lazyman" baking cookies... Baked using normal Microwave Oven. The cookies are cooked from the inside hence they look pale (unlike oven baked cookies). The taste resembles English shortcakes and its very buttery. The chocolate chips provide crunchiness and contrast well with the shortcake texture.

These are my daughters' favourite! They always wait by the microwave oven as the baking time is only about 2 to 3 mins and they eat it as soon as it slightly cooled down.

I like to bake this shortly after dinner on weekdays as its easy and fast, best of all, minimum cleanups! We have lots of fun making this cookies together.

I followed this recipe from Ochikeron's YouTube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IoLStf_-HgU

You can find the original recipe from her at her blog here

Peanut Cookies

This is the first Chinese New Year that I attempted baking my own festive cookies. I had never thought once in my life I could achieve this feat! So here's proudly presenting... "Melt in your mouth" Peanut Cookies!!

I am very happy with the outcome. Peanut Cookies baked very well using Happycall Pan because the top does not cracked, unlike conventional oven. The egg wash turn out very well too!

After baking...

 

Before baking... 

I followed this simple recipe by Esther Leow, a member of Munch Ministry here

Below is my adaption of the original recipe. I had lessen the sugar and add on Peanut as topping :)

Ingredients:
- 100g pure peanut powder (no sugar)
- 100g plain flour
- 70g icing sugar
- 100ml peanut oil (or Knife Brand cooking oil)
- Egg yolk for glazing
- Salted or unsalted roasted peanut

Method:
1. Mix the peanut powder, flour and icing sugar till well combined

2. Add in peanut oil gradually and knead the mixture into a dough.

3. Cut baking paper into small sizes around 20 cm by 15 cm, so it would fit nicely into the HappyCall Pan (HCP) (you may need around 3 to 4 pieces)

4. Mould them into ball and slightly flatten it on a piece baking paper.

5. Add half a piece of roasted peanut on top of each cookie. Glaze the cookies well. (The egg yolk glazing is important to hold the cookies together so it will not "Shattered", so be very generous with the glaze.)


6. Place a doubled layered (folded) baking paper into the HCP (this will add as a base and prevent cookies from being burnt).

7. Preheat HCP for 3-4 minutes, then transfer the small piece of baking paper with cookies on top carefully into the HCP. Place this on top of the doubled layered baking paper.

8. Bake for 8-10 mins for the first batch and 5-8 mins for subsequent batches.

9. While baking, using a pair of chopstick, gently lift up the cookies to check the colour of the bottom (of the cookies), if it is brown and cookies appeared to be firmed. It is done. Lift up the small piece of baking paper with cookies on top carefully, leaving the doubled layered baking paper in the HCP. Repeat step 7 for the rest of the batches.

10. Cool the cookies well and keep in air tight containers.

About this blog...

I am a full time working mum who loves to bake and cook occasionally. I enjoy handicrafts and loves making doll clothes. My secret wish is to open an Art school that teaches children’s art and craft. I have a supportive husband and two school-going daughters, their ages 7 years apart. 

In the corporate world, I command a team of people and together, we “get things done”. At home, when it comes to parenting and mothering… I often find myself at my wit’s end. I believe the best life lessons I had learnt come from my children. I never truly grow up until I became a mother.

This blog is created to document my baking and cooking adventures, and perhaps some of my handicrafts.

Stop trying to perfect your child, but keep trying to perfect your relationship with him

Enjoys making Doll Clothes... 

Pls view my creations at:

http://www.facebook.com/IrisCreation