Pan fried chicken chops

Tired of eating rice and chicken in wine? Then try this recipe for a change.





















Two pieces of chicken whole leg (de-boned)









Use a meat hammer to break down the connective tissues and make the meat tender. Marinate with ginger juice and a spoonful of Shaoxing wine. Leave for an hour and then pan fry the chicken chops. If cooking for children, season with salt and pepper and a dash of sesame oil.





Slice the chops and serve with baked or fried potatoes and any vegetables of your choice.

Lemak sweet potato leaves

This is a nonya dish which is absolutely delicious. Not suitable for confinement.






Pounded red chilli, shallots, garlic and belacan
Dried prawns
Sweet potato leaves
Coconut milk
Sweet potato (if desired)

Bring the stock to boiling
Add the dried prawns and chilli paste
When the stock smells aromatic add the coconut milk
When the gravy start to boil, add the sweet potato leaves
Turn down the heat and simmer for 2 minutes
Remove and serve with rice





This species is better for cooking lemak because the stems are crunchy if not overcooked.









This is baby sweet potato leaves which is very nice fried with garlic or with fermented bean paste.

Urap

This is an Indonesian dish which is very delicious and non fattening. Not suitable for confinement because the bean sprouts and kangkong are cooling.
















Pound the garlic, shallots, red chilli and green chilli padi. Add a little assam juice and salt.








In a wok, fry the pounded ingredients until fragrant. Add one packet of fresh grated coconut and mix thoroughly. Remove and keep aside. The mixture can be frozen for use at a later time.

Blanch the bean sprouts, long beans and kangkong.




Put the vegetables and coconut mixture into a large bowl and mix thoroughly. Serve with rice.

Red bean, black pulut and longan 'tong sui'

This is a very nice 'tong sui' for confinement as all the ingredients are heaty


















100 gm black glutinous rice
100 gm red beans
100 gm dried longan
Rock sugar

Wash the rice and red beans
Transfer to a pot of boiling water.
Boil for about 10 minutes.
Add the longan
Reduce the heat and simmer until the rice and red beans are cooked
Add the rock sugar

Bird's nest soup

“Eating Bird's nest? How can you eat twigs and straw and call it a gourmet food?” This is a question most of my non-Asian friends ask me whenever I talk about eating bird’s nest.
















Description: cool

The nests are exclusively those of swiftlet, a tiny bird found throughout Southeast Asia. Instead of twigs and straw, the swiftlet makes its nest from seaweed and strands of gummy saliva, which harden when exposed to air. These highly prized nests are built on the ceiling of the caves as high as 70m making the process of harvesting an ordeal and expensive. The best bird’s nest is reputably from Sarawak.

Rich in protein, calcium, iron and other nutrients, bird's nest is good for everyone, young and old, men and women, the sick and mother-to-be. The Chinese have been eating bird's nest as medicinal gourmet food for centuries and believe it replenishes and nourishes the internal organs, speed up recovery from illness, and boosts overall well being. However, the most widely known benefit of consuming bird's nest is its ability to rejuvenate, restore youthfulness and ensure glowing and wrinkle-free complexion, which explains why it is such a hot commodity and luxury to the Chinese women. Last but not least, it tastes good too!













Bird’s nests are available in as a complete piece (cup shaped) which is better in quality or broken pieces and clean (often pale yellowish unless it is another variety called “bloody bird’s nest” which is reddish in color). For clean nests, soak in cold water for about 3 hours or until soft, then clean them under running water and they are ready to use.

Unclean nests are blackish, contaminated with feathers and twigs. The best kind is devoid of pinfeathers and foreign particles and in good shape. The preparation of unclean bird’s nests can be a very tedious task. First, you need to soak them for at least a day. It will expand, loosening most impurities to float to the top. Wash the nests under running water and repeat the process if necessary until nothing comes loose by itself anymore. The remaining stubborn impurities stuck in the nests will have to be patiently hand picked using a pair of tweezers aided by a pair of sharp eyes, which explains why, despite the price difference, very few people would go for the unclean nests.

Although it is a gourmet food, cooking bird's nest is very easy. Bird's nests can be served in soup with chicken, ham or quail eggs and seasoned with salt; or more popularly as a dessert where they are double-boiled with water and rock sugar. When used during confinement it is best to add some red dates and pau sam to make it more nutritious. The texture of cooked bird's nests is like that of strings of agar-agar or jelly. According to my mother, it is best to consume the bird’s nest immediately when woken up from sleep. Apparently, this will ensure better digestion and absorption of the nutrients in the nest.


According to www.yongann.com/resourcescandk.asp that specializes in the sale of bird’s nest:
“Cooking time should be adjusted accordingly to the different types of birds' nests used and time taken to soak the nests. If over soaked, simmering time must be reduced”.

Alternatively, you can buy ready-made "Bird's Nest with Rock sugar" in bottles but the quality may not be the same.

Dried apricots

This is my favourite munchie
















Whether you choose to enjoy fresh apricots or dried apricots, they are both a good source of nutrients.

Fresh apricots are a good source of beta-carotene, lycopene, vitamin A and fibre. Dried apricots are an excellent source of potassium, as well as a good source of iron and calcium. They are useful in reducing infections or skin problems.

Dried apricots, like all dried fruit, are much higher in calories due to their sugar content and may contain the preservative sulphur dixoide which may instigate asthma attacks.

Different ways to enjoy eating the slipper fish.

I call this fish the slipper fish because it is flat and looks like slippers. The Malay name is ikan lidah pasir and the Hokkiens call it ‘kah teh hoo’ which literally means the sole of the feet. A fish that measures about 6 – 7 inches is best, as it will have more meat compared to smaller ones.





Clean the fish and cut into smaller pieces if it is quite big. You have to be careful when frying because it breaks easily if handled too roughly. It is quite delicious fried.






Alternatively, you can pour some tauchew sauce over it. It is delicious with plain porridge and a favourite with children. To make the sauce – fry some chopped garlic until slightly brown. Add a teaspoonful of minced tauchew beans. Fry until fragrant and add some water for the sauce. To reduce the saltiness, add ¼ teaspoonful sugar. Bring to the boil and pour over the fish. Garnish with chopped red chilli and spring onions to make it look attractive.




During confinement, sprinkle some ginger strips fried with sesame oil over the fish. Omit the sauce if you are breastfeeding as too much salt may reduce milk production