Pan Fried Tilapia

I think among other dishes, cooking fish is one of the easiest (in term of preparation and cooking process and time required)
Having that thought, I decided instead of Tuesday, I'll make Saturday and/or Sunday as fish day
Weekends are family day, we go out most of the time in the morning and back home usually already in the late afternoon, no more energy to cook complicated dish, especially knowing my baking mood often conquers my weekend evenings :)

This is my first time cooking tilapia fish
(can you believe it before that I don't even know this fish exists!)
Initially I didn't really like the too fishy smell during cooking process, but I did enjoy eating it so much - I love the soft texture and it's indeed tasty and not fishy at all (strangely)
Next time I'll try it grilled

What you need:

1 black tilapia fish
2 tbsp juice of lemon
2 tsp turmeric powder
salt and pepper, oil

Marinade the fish with lemon, turmeric powder, salt and pepper for at least 1hour
Heat oil and pan fry the fish til golden brown

Perfect companion to eat the fish:

What you need:

shallots, cut into small cubes
2 bird eye's chillis, cut small
1/2 tomato, cut into small cubes
juice of 1lemon
kicap manis (Indonesia dark sweet soya sauce)

Mix all ingredients

Minced Chicken Stew (Semur Ayam)

I like this dish with a little gravy but since the kids love this too so I add a little more
And I don't use minced chicken but instead I use blended lean chicken breast
A heavily Dutch influenced Indonesian dish (it's called semoor in Dutch)

What you need:

1 chicken breast, cut and blend
3 shallots, cut thinly
1/2 onion - julienned
2 carrots - cut
2 potatoes - cut into cubes
1 tomatoes, quartered
oil, water, oyster sauce, kicap manis (Indonesian sweet dark soya sauce), salt, pepper

Heat oil, fry onion and shallots til fragrant
Add chicken, oyster sauce, kicap manis, water
After chicken cooked, add in carrots, followed by potatoes
Cook for approx 5mins, add in tomatoes, bring to boil
Add salt and pepper
Simmer for around 15mins or til water lessen and a bit thicker

Corn, Carrot & White Raddish Soup

One more kids' fave (and mine too)
This sweet and tasty soup does make me feel good especially knowing that it's nutritious too :)

What you need:

approx 3l water
300g pork spare ribs
2 big carrots, cut into big chunks
4 sweet corns, cut into 4pieces
1 big white raddish, cut into big chunks
wolfberries
dried red dates
salt to taste

Boil water together with ribs
After boiled, add in corn - wait til it floats
Add in carrots and white raddish followed by wolfberries and dates
Bring to boil and then put to small fire and simmer for 2hours
Add salt just before putting off the fire

Fruit Pastry Cake

Adapted from Happy Home Baking
I fell in love at first sight when I saw the picture and vowed to try to make
Been postponed for a few weeks, finally I managed to try out
It's a keeper!!! Hubby loved it to the bits, Abby who usually dislikes non chocolate cakes also ate and asked to include the cake in her lunch box - but she didn't fancy the strawberries and blueberries, only the peach :)
Only Ian who is not so friendly with fruits and everything with fruits didn't really enjoy

This is before going into the oven...



And...ready to eat! :)

What you need:

100g butter
180g caster sugar

50g low fat yogurt
3 eggs, lightly beaten, room temperature
1 tspvanilla extract
1 tsp lemon zest

210g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder

some icing sugar
500g fruits 

You can use strawberries, blueberries, peaches, bananas, oranges, pears, apples, pineapple, or any other fruits - drain well after washing!

For canned fruits, wash them well  to reduce the sweetness - drain well

Wash, cut and drain fruits - set aside

Grease with butter the side of a 9" or 8" round pan and line the base with parchment paper

With an electric mixer, cream butter, sugar and yogurt till light and fluffy

Add in the eggs gradually and beat till incorporated in the batter. (The mixture may appear slightly curdled)
Add vanilla extract and zest. Mix to combine
Sieve over flour and baking powder and mix till smooth
Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth out the top with a spatula
Arrange fruits on top, don’t press the fruits down into the batter. Decorate the fruits as desired
Bake in pre-heat oven at 180degC for 60minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the cake. Cover the top with foil in the last 15 mins of baking to prevent the top from getting over browned
Leave the cake to cool in the pan for about 5~10 mins
Dust the cake with some icing sugar if desired

Salmon In Teriyaki Sauce

Been so long since the last time we eat salmon - I mean cooked one (sashimi is not counted heee...)
Bought 1 chunk of salmon fillet but too lazy to cook something fancy, so I just made this easy yet yummy dish...



What you need:

1 pc salmon fillet (approx 400g)

5 tablespoon teriyaki sauce

olive oil

Marinade salmon in teriyaki sauce for min. of 1hour

Heat oil, pan fry salmon til browned both sides

Pour the remaining sauce til caramelized

Off heat

No need anything else, just this dish and hot fluffy rice - yum

!

Sweet Beans In Oyster Sauce

So simple yet delicious - one of my fave veggies :)



What you need:

3 cloves of garlic - crushed

1 pack sweet bean, cut both ends

oil. oyster sauce, a little water, salt, pepper, sugar

Heat oil, fry garlic til fragrant

Add in sweet beans - stir

Add in oyster sauce, followed by water, salt, pepper, sugar

Mix well and bring to boil til water lessen but not too long to maintain its crunchiness

Hard Boiled Eggs In Spicy Sauce (Egg Sambal)

Again, adapted from ICook4Fun - her recipes are sure win ones, so many in my waiting to be tried list :)
I adjusted a little to suit my family's (read: my) preference - hehe....



What you need:

6 hard boiled eggs

3 cloves of garlic - crushed

1 onion - julienned

2 tablespoon chilli paste

2 tablespoon tomato ketchup

a little water, oil, salt and sugar to taste

Heat oil, pan fry eggs til slightly browned - set aside

Remove oil and leave a little oil to fry onion followed by garlic til fragrant

Add in chilli paste and tomato ketchup - stir

Add in water, salt and sugar - mix well

Add in fried eggs, bring to boil til sambal mixture reduces in liquid

Stir Fry Salted Vegetables With Tofu

This is nice to eat with Kalasan Fried Chicken

What you need:

2 cloves of garlic - crushed

3 shallots - cut thinly

1 big red chillies - cut

1 pack salted vegetable - give a good wash so it'll not be so salty - cut

1 fistful of beansprout

1 pack firm tofu - cut int ocubes and fry with oil til golden brown

a little oil, water, sugar, pepper

Heat oil, stir fry garlic and  shallots also chillies til fragrant

Add in beansprout, cook til it turns softer

Add in salted vegetables, followed by water, sugar and pepper

Cook til the desired softness

Add in fried tofu - mix well

Off heat

Kalasan Fried Chicken (Ayam Goreng Kalasan) & Fried Sambal (Chilli Paste)

Another famous dish from Indonesia - yum! :)



What you need:

1 chicken (i always like to buy female kampong chicken) - cut into parts

5 cloves of garlic - cut

salt, palm sugar, a little coconut milk, coconut water mix with a little water, oil

Blend garlic and salt til smooth -

In a big pot, pour coconut water mixture, add in garlic mixture

Add in palm sugar, coconut milk, and lastly, chicken parts

Bring to boil and put into medium fire til water only a little bit left

Heat oil, and fry the chicken

Best to eat with this sambal:

What you need:

3 shallots, cut

5 big red chillies - cut

belachan, salt, sugar

a little oil

1 tomato - small cut

Blend shallots, chillies, belachan, salt and sugar (not too smooth)

Heat oil, fry the chilli mixture and add in tomato, mix well

Cook for approx 1-2 minutes

Off heat

Salt & Pepper Fish Fillet

Adapted from ICook4Fun with some adjustment to my family's preference - it's a keeper! :)

What you need:

3 big pieces of white fish fillet (I used sutchi) - cut square
5 cloves of garlic
2 bird's eyes chillis
1 tsp chopped ginger
a bunch of spring onions – cut
1/2 tsp sugar

salt and pepper to taste
a few dash of Chinese cooking wine

oil

To marinate fish (mix together):
2 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine

salt, pepper
1 egg white
corn flour

Add fish in the marinate mixture and set aside for approx 1hour (or more)

Heat oil and pan fry the fish on high heat til golden brown

Use the oil to sautee garlic, ginger, chilli til fragrant, add in salt, pepper and sugar

Add in the fried fish, add in a few dash of chinese cooking wine and toss quickly

Add in spring onion

Off heat

Stir Fry Enoki Mushroom With Greens

I always love mushroom and enoki is one of my fave...

What you need:

3 cloves of garlic - crushed

2 packs of enoki mushroom - cut the bottom part, separate

1 pack of greens (I use bokchoy) - cut into 3parts

a little oil, a little water, oyster sauce, salt, pepper

Heat oil, fry garlic til fragrant

Add in mushroom, cook til soft

Add oyster sauce, water, salt, pepper

Add in green, mix well

Bring to boil - off heat

"Everything Dumped In" Soup *grin*

This is one of emergency dish I always cook when I have no idea what to cook or I just want to clear whatever leftover I have in the fridge :)

What you need:
 

3 cloves of garlic - crushed

approx 1.5l chicken stock

half of chicken breast - cubed

6 fuzhou balls

5 mushroom balls - cut into 2

6 pork balls - cut into 4

(you may use your own preference of balls)

frozen corn

1 big carrot - cut thinly

6 shitake mushroom - cut thinly

1 pack silken tofu - diced

a little oil, salt, pepper, light soya sauce to taste, corn flour mixed with a little water to thicken the soup

Fry garlic til fragrant, add chicken, cook til chicken changed color

Pour chicken stock, add all the ingredients one at a time (except carrot)

Add salt, pepper, light soya sauce

Bring to boil

When it's almost reaching the boiling point, add in carrot

After boiled, add in corn flour and stir continuously til the desired thickness achieved

Off heat

Eat with rice and chilli sauce

Chocolate Chips Muffin

Another recipe without mixer needed *grin*
Recipe is from Aunty Yochana

Soft and moist inside - and look at the generous chocolate chips filling! :)

What you need:

280g self raising flour

1 large egg

120g sugar

1/2 tsp salt

180g butter

100g freh milk

1 tsp vanilla essence

120g chocolate chips

Sift self raising flour into a mixing bowl

Add in butter and rub with fingertips til it resembles breadcrumbs

Add in sugar, salt and mix well

Mix egg, milk and vanilla essence

Add in the above mixture into the crumbs mixture

Stir lightly, dont overmix

Add in chocolate chips, stir lightly

Scoop batter into paper cups 3/4 full

Bake 200degC for about 15mins (or when skewer comes out clean)

Remove from oven

Makes 12 big muffins

Sauteed Sausage With Butter & Tomato Sauce

It's also good to add and/or substitute with prawns

What you need:

1 pack of frozen chicken sausage (you may use any kind of sausage) - cut 1cm

3 tablespoon butter

tomato sauce, dark sweet soya sauce (kecap manis), salt, sugar, pepper

add chilli sauce if you prefer this dish to be slightly spicy

Heat butter, add sausage, cook for around 2mins

Add tomato sauce, kecap manis, salt, sugar, pepper and chilli sauce

Mix well

Mixed Fruits & Jelly Ice

So refreshing on hot sunny humid days...

What you need:

canned peach

canned lychee

sweetened grass jelly

oranges

red agar2 - prepared accordingly

yellow agar2 - prepared accordingly

2 limes

brown sugar

Cut all ingredients acording to preference and put in a large serving bowl

Add in half of the lychee water and plain water to the desired amount

Add a little brown sugar if not sweet enough

Squeeze lime

Add ice cubes or you may keep the bowl in the fridge for half a day

My fave lychee...

You may change and/or add other fruits such as pears, apples, strawberries, canned longan, etc.

Agar colors are up to individual's preference

So so so very refreshing!!!

Fried Prawn With Tamarind

This is the best companion for Clear Spinach Soup

What you need:

Approx 25pcs grey prawn - remove head and tail
Tamarind - mix with a little water, discard the seeds
A little oil, salt, a little sugar

Fry prawn til color changed (approx 2minutes)
Add tamarind water, salt and sugar
Mix well

Fried Black Pomfret

Tuesday is usually a fish day for my family
I always like deep fried fish which is crisp on the outside - more tasty :)
But still soft and juicy inside...

What you need:

2 medium black pomfret - season with salt, pepper and light soya sauce
I like to keep them in the fridge in the airtight container for approx. 3hours or more
Deep fry close to meal time
Eat while it's still hot with rice

The best companion for the fish - kicap manis chilli

What you need:

shallot, cut thinly
bird's eye chilli (green) - crushed
dark sweet soya sauce (kicap manis)
Mix altogether

Clear Spinach Soup (Sayur Bening)

This is one typical Indonesia food recipe from my mum, sweet and very refreshing

What you need:

1 pot of water
5 shallots
3 candlenuts
a little belachan
3 sweet corns, cut into 4
1 bundle of round spinach
1 green squash - cut into cubes
salt, sugar

Blend shallots, candlenuts and belachan til smooth
Boil water and corn
After boiled, add in the blended mixture - stir well
Add squash, salt and sugar
When close to boiling, add spinach
After boiled, off heat

Chocolate Cheese Cupcakes

Having a sudden urge to bake on a Monday evening is something very unusual happened to me
So I decided to bake this...

Adapted recipe (with some adjustment) from Aunty Yochana - one of my fave blog :)

My first bite :P

What you need:

A
butter 200g (I use SCS)
sugar 230g

B
1 tsp coffee emulco
4 medium eggs
200g fresh milk

C
270g plain flour
25g cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
100g grated cheddar cheese

Cream A til creamy
Add B
Cream til light and smooth
Add C slowly
Beat til creamy and thoroughly mixed
Pour into mufin pan lined with paper cups
Bake 190degC for around 20mins

I topped the cupcakes with dark chocolate icing and M&M chocolate
This yummy cupcakes have soft texture, not so chocolatey or cheesy - just nice! :)

Makes 24

Revitalising Chicken Herbal Tonic Soup

Using the easy pack from Eu Yan Sang

The content:

What a convenience for a lazy bump like me who still want to consume something nutritious :P

What you need:

1 chicken, cut into pieces (I remove skin since the whole family dislike chicken skin)

1 pack revitalising tonic soup ingredients from Eu Yan Sang

a little salt, approx. 2l water

Boil water together with chicken - remove all excess oil

After boiling, add in all ingredients in the water

Simmer for 2hours

Add salt to taste

Eat with rice

Yummy and nutritious! :)

Indonesian Style Chicken Ball ABC Soup & Fried Tempeh

Another hit for the kids especially

What you need:

chicken bone (I use breast part)
approx 150g chicken breast - diced
1 can luncheon meat - diced
fried onion - crushed
5 shallots - thinly sliced
1/2 onion (small size) - julienned
3 medium potatoes - diced
3 medium carrots - cut approx 3cm
a bunch of spring onion - cut approx 3cm
oil, water approx 3l, salt, pepper, nutmeg, fried onion
macaroni - boil til the desired consistency (optional)

Boil water with chicken bone to make the stock
Add in shallots and nutmeg
In a pan, heat oil and stir fry onion til soft, add in the soup
Add in half of luncheon meat in the soup

To make the balls:
Mix the balance of the luncheon meat and chicken - blend well to paste form
Add salt, pepper and crushed fried onion - mix well
Make balls and add in the soup - balls floating shows that they're cooked

Add in carrot, followed by potatoes
Add in salt and pepper to the soup
Bring the soup to boil - check the potatoes and carrots, when cooked, off heat
Sprinkle spring onion and fried onion

Best eat with rice
For the kids, I usually alternate between rice and macaroni, and sometimes both :)

Added this dish to eat together

What you need:

approx 300g tempeh, cut
5 cloves of garlic - crushed
2 pinch of coriander seeds - mix with a little water and crush with mortar
salt, a little water, plain flour, baking powder, oil for frying

Mix garlic, coriander, salt, flour and baking powder til paste form
Dip tempeh and fry til golden brown

Ian's fave - he knows tempeh and once he sees me frying this, he said, 'Mommy, I want tempeh!' :p

Pan Fried Fish With Carrot & Asparagus

Having been absent from cooking for a few days and feeling so guilty for feeding my family with hawker food, today I cooked a healthy meal that tastes yum!
Positive response from DH and the kids - so glad! :)

Adapted from My Kitchen, one of food blogs I silently follow - and adjusted to my family taste preference

What you need:

5 cloves of garlic - thinly sliced
2 packs (approx. 600g) toman fillet - deboned (original recipe is using cod fillet - not sure why but I couldn't find it in nearby supermarket today (grrr...) - never mind, perhaps next time *sigh*)
1 big carrot - thinly cut
1 pack asparagus - cut into 2parts
olive oil, garlic oil, oyster sauce, light soya sauce, sugar, a pinch of salt and sugar

Heat olive oil and stir fry garlic til light brown - set aside
Using the same pan, pan fry fish til golden brown
In a bowl, mix oyster sauce and light soya sauce (2:1) and sugar (original recipe doesn't use sugar but I find it too salty)
When the pan is still hot, pour over the sauce over the fish, off the heat
In a pot, boil water, sprinkle a pinch of salt and sugar, put carrot and asparagus in the boiled water for approx 2mins, drain
In a large plate, spread the veggies and put the fish on top
Sprinkle with the garlic and oil
Add some garlic oil if desired

Eat with rice