1st till 7th February Home Cooking

CNY is normally a feasting month but being freshly widowed, I can't enjoy my usual CNY celebrations and feasting. This year marks a quieter affair for me as this is the 1st time in 5 years my Hunny is not with me during CNY.

Breakfast - Sausage, Mashed Potato over a bed of fried yellow onions, Sunny side Up Egg, Pineapples, Lettuce and tomatoes served with Banana Pineappe Smoothie



A closer look at Breakfast -

A closer look at Breakfast - Sausage, Mashed Potato over a bed of fried yellow onions, Sunny side Up Egg, Pineapples, Lettuce and tomatoes served with Banana Pineappe Smoothie

My Homemade Mashed Potato tastes so good and so much better than the KFC powdered type. You will enjoy a light creamy mashed potato and to me, I don't need any extra gravy to go with it. Sometimes, I even eat it cold and it tastes like savoury ice cream!

Here's the recipe for it



Homemade Mashed Potato (can last 4 servings for me)

1 Medium Russet Potato

1 Tbsp Butter (can be omitted)

3 Tbsp Japanese Mayo (Approximate measurement because I squeeze from the bottle)

4 Tbsp Milk (Approximate measurement because I just pour out of the milk carton due to gut feel)

Salt and Pepper to Taste

1. Fill a pot with enough water to cover the potato at least over by 1 inch. Boil the washed potato over medium heat for 30 to 40 minutes. Test with a fork to make sure the potato is cooked through

2. Prepare a basin or bowl deep of icy cold water enough to submerge the potato in

3. Put the hot potato in to the icy cold water for easier peeling. The sudden shock of cold water against the hot potato will make the skin easier to peel.

4. Put the skinned potato into another bowl and mash with a fork till the consistency you like. I don't mash mine too fine as I like fine bits of potato to bite on. Russet Potatoes are good for mash as it's a powdery potato

5. Put the butter, Mayo and Milk in to the hot mash and mix till light and fluffy

6. Season with Salt and Pepper to taste

7. U may serve it hot or let it cool before storing in the fridge. Please consume within 3 to 4 days as it contains dairy products

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Quickie Lunch - Leftover KFC, Cherry Tomatoes, Lettuce, Mash Potato and an Orange Pineapple Smoothie

Dinner - Lamb Stew over mashed potato, Soup Carrots and Lettuce

Breakfast - Cornflakes, Raisins and Milk, Sausage, Mash Potato, Cherry Tomatoes and Orange Pineapple Smoothie

Fruity Lunch - Guava and Pineapple sprinkled with Assam powder, Kiwi and sweet Korean strawberries

Lunch - Leftover Lamb Stew and Banana Yogurt Smoothie

A closer look at my happy breakfast - Lettuce, Sunny side up Egg, Tomato and Sausage

Happy Breakfast with Strawberry Banana Smoothie

Quick Lunch - Maggi Mee Asam Laksa, Fried Gyoza and Mixed Berries Smoothie

Breakfast - Blueberries pancakes, Kiwi, Guava and Mixed Berries Smoothie

Breakfast - Prata Cheesey Dog, Mashed Potato, Kiwi, Lettuce and Pineapple Orange Yogurt Smoothie

Prata Cheesey Dog is really delicious although it's a sinful combination. To make the Prata Dog, you will need

Prata Cheesey Dog
1 x Frozen Prata/Roti Canai (I use Kawan brand)
1 x Sausage
1 slice of cheese
Oil to fry the sausage and Prata

1. Oil the pan and fry the sausage till browned and cooked
2. Using the same pan, fry the Prata till golden brown on both sides
3. Put the hot Prata on a plate and put a slice of cheese on to it and then put the sausage and roll it. You may want to secure the ends with a toothpick till the shape sets.
4. You may want to add some lettuce in for a healthier add-on

One Pot Chicken Rice served with ginger scallions dipping sauce and cucumber. This dipping sauce recipe was adapted from http://www.mykitchensnippets.com/2010/09/ginger-scallion-dipping-sauce.html 

As it's only me eating. Here is my One Pot Chicken Rice Recipe.

One Pot Chicken Rice

Chicken and Marinade
1 x Boneless Chicken Maryland (Thigh and Drumstick Attached)
1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
1 Tsp Salt
1 Inch Old Ginger, finely chopped
A sprinkle of ground white pepper

Rice
1 Cup Rice ( I used a mixture of long grain fragrant rice + short grain rice + Barley), soaked in water for at 20 minutes before cooking
1.5 Cups of Water/Chicken Stock Broth
2 x Garlic Clove, finely sliced
1 x small onion, finely sliced
1 Tbsp Cooking Oil
1 Tbsp Butter/Planta
1 Knot of Pandan/Screwpine Leaves
Salt to taste

Garnishing
1 x sliced cucumber
1 stalk of spring onion

Dipping Sauce
Please refer to http://www.mykitchensnippets.com/2010/09/ginger-scallion-dipping-sauce.html

1. Marinade the whole Maryland with Salt, ginger and sesame oil and pepper for at least 30 minutes
2. Heat up the Oil and Butter/Planta and add in the garlic and onion to fry till light golden brown and fragrant.
3. Add in the soaked rice that has been drained of water and fry around a bit and then add in the 1.5 cups of water. Add in salt to taste
4. Lay the chicken maryland flesh side down on top of the rice mixture and add the knot of pandan/screwpine leaves.
5. Let it boil on high heat till it bubbles (about 5 to 10 minutes) and then reduce to low heat and let it slowly cook for the next 15 to 20 minutes. Off the fire and let the pot sit for another 10 minutes.
6. Remove the screwpine leaves and take out the Chicken Maryland and cut to slices. Scoop the rice out.
7. Arrange on plate and serve with sliced cucumbers and the ginger dipping sauce.

Blueberry Pancakes, Guava and Pineapple Banana Smoothie

The blueberries pancakes are really light, fluffy and tasty. Here's my recipe for it.

Pancakes 

100g Self Raising Flour (If you don't have Self-Raising Flour, then use all-purpose flour with 1 tsp of baking powder added in), sifted
1 Tbsp Caster Sugar
1 pinch of salt
100ml Milk
2 Tbsp of Olive Oil/Vegetable Oil/cooled melted Butter
1 egg
Oil for frying

1. Mix the flour, sugar, salt together and make a well in the centre.
2. Add the egg, milk and oil in and slowly mix till you get a not too thin or thick mixture. Thin mixture will make you crepes instead of pancakes. Thick mixture will give you hotcakes. You have to get an in between consistency
3. Heat up the pan and evenly coat it with oil. I used a pouring cup to pour the batter into the pan. Less mess than ladling
4. Adjust the heat to medium and pour a portion of the batter in. Add as many blueberries or any fruit as u like into the still liquid batter in the pan
5. Wait for a minute or two and then flip the pancake over to the other side carefully. Wait till the other side browns and then remove and put on your serving plate.
6. Repeat till your batter finishes. You may need to re-oil the pan

Lunch - Wholemeal Spaghetti with Sundried Tomatoes tossed with Olive Oil and sprinkled with chilli flakes, broccoli, and luncheon meat fries served with honey mustard lime mayo 

Simple Dinner - Mee suah with Baby Kailan in Rooting For You Soup and Curry Chicken

This wraps up 1st week of Feb 2013 home cooking.