Jamaican Jerk Chicken Drumsticks

Another baked chicken recipe which I've tried, adapted from Domestic Goddess Wannabe is a recipe full of flavors. Not only that it is healthier but also less messy as the oil doesn't splatter during baking, but most of all it is time saving.  What I need to do is just put them in the oven, set the timer while I get on with my other chores.  As I am only making three chicken drumsticks as compared to the actual recipe of eight, thus I reduce the amount of marinating ingredients for the overall recipe.

Ingredients:

3 chicken drumsticks

Marinade:

3/4 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/3 onion (coarsely chopped)

1/4 tsp ginger powder

3 bird's eye chili (cut a slit across the center but still remain whole)

3 cloves garlic (roughly chopped)

3/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp black pepper

1 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

1/2 tsp allspice powder

dash of ground nutmeg

dash of dried thyme

Garnish: 

Spring onions or coriander leaves

Methods:

1. Add all the marinating ingredients in a bowl and mix until well combined.
2. Place the chicken drumsticks in a zip lock bag, pour the marinating ingredients over the chicken and from outside the bag mush the chicken around to ensure that chicken are well coated.  Seal the bag and let it marinate overnight.
3. Place the chicken on a lightly greased baking tray.
4. Brush with a bit of oil and bake in an Aspen Convention Oven of 180 degree Celsius until lightly brown, turn over the chicken and brush with oil again and continue to bake until the chicken has turn golden brown.
5. Dish onto a serving plate and garnish with spring onions.
6. Serve hot!

Grilled Cheese Sandwich (Julia Moskin)

I love Grilled Cheese Sandwiches!  My daughter Karen introduce this yummy sandwich to me and since then I have been in love with it. To grill this cheese sandwich I am using a non-stick flat pan.  This sandwich recipe adapted from Julia Moskin is a simple recipe which is easy to follow and yummy to the last bits.  Here's to share....

Ingredients:
4 slices square bread
Butter
Mayonnaise
Enough grated cheddar cheese

Methods:

1. Heat a non-stick pan over medium-low heat.
2. Thinly spread one side of the bread slice with butter and the other side with mayonnaise.
3. Place the bread, mayonnaise-side down in the pan.
4. Add enough grated cheddar cheese evenly on top of the buttered slices.  Adjust the heat so the bread sizzles gently.  If the heat is too high the outside will scorch before the cheese melts.  A great grilled cheese sandwiches is having a golden, crusty outside and oozy inside, and this takes a little patience.
5. When the cheese is about halfway melted, use a spatula to flip on slice over on top of the other and press gently to melt. Keep turning the sandwich, pressing gently until the sandwich is compact, both sides are crusty and the cheese is melted.
6. Serve as it is or with some fruits at the side.

Fried Yam Rice

If I decided to cook something simple for my meal, either lunch or dinner, I prefer to go for one-plate meal.  It is simple yet delicious as it comprises of several nutritious ingredients such as egg, meat, vegetables and off course our staple RICE, all in one plate! This recipe is adapted from No-Frills Recipes with amendments to suit my preference. Let's get on with it.....

Ingredients: (Serves 3)
3/4 cup cooked long grain rice (cooled) - not in the picture
1 egg 
1/4 cup dried shrimps (soaked)
1/4 cup anchovies (fry until crispy)
1 Chinese sausage (blanch with hot water, remove the outer skin and cubed)
1/2 cup french beans (cubed)
1/2 yam (peeled, cubed and shallow fry till slightly brown and drained)

Seasonings:
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
Dash of light soy sauce
Dash of grounded white pepper
Salt (to taste)

Methods:

1. Add 1 tbsp leftover oil from frying the anchovies into a wok, break in egg and stir to scramble, sprinkle few drops of light soy sauce, stir, remove and set aside.
2. In the same wok, add a tbsp of oil, stir fry sausages follow by dried shrimps until fragrant.
3. Add in the french beans, give it a quick fry and toss in the rice and continue to stir, then add in seasonings and mix until well combined.  Taste for correct seasonings.
4. Finally, toss in the scrambled egg and fried yams, stir to mix and off the heat.
5. Dish onto a serving plate and served with crispy anchovies.

Cinnamon Cake Loaf

If you love cinnamon this is one simple cake loaf to enjoy with a cup of either coffee or tea at any time of the day  This is one simple recipe to bake and enjoy even on a week day.  Here's to share....

Ingredients:

60g unsalted butter

1 egg

100g caster sugar

110g self-raising flour

1/2 cup yogurt

2 tbsp cinnamon sugar

Methods:

1. Beat butter, egg and caster sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add in flour and yogurt, stir to mix till combined.
3. Lightly grease a loaf pan with some butter, pour half mixture into the pan and spread evenly.
4. Sprinkle the cinnamon sugar evenly over the top of the mixture.
5. Pour in the remaining mixture and smooth the top.
6. Bake in a preheated oven of 180 degree Celsius until a skewer when inserted comes out clean.
7. Let it stand in the loaf pan for about 5 minutes, then turn over a rack.
8. Time to enjoy this soft cake loaf.

Chinese Meat Rolls - Ngo Hiang

During my childhood days this is one dish which we only gets to eat during the Lunar New Year, meaning, getting to eat them only once a year!  Today, this delicious meat rolls can easily be bought, and for those who doesn't know how to prepare or having no time to do so can also gets to enjoy them in any food outlets as well as ready-made ones are being sold in marketplace which can be bought, deep-fried and enjoyed by the whole family. However, I believe that most home-cooks would prefer making their own as it is one recipe which is packed with yummy ingredients and full of flavours!  This recipe of mine is adapted from my late mother-in-law, and is loved and enjoyed by the whole family. Though the ingredients and seasonings used might differ from others, but it is one recipe which brings smiles to our faces each time when I serve them on our dining table.

Ingredients:

• 3 kg minced pork (I always request for not too fine)

• 1 medium-large mackerel or 2 medium-small ones (obtain the meat)
• 1 kg prawns (roughly chopped)
• a bowl of dried mushrooms (soaked and finely chopped)
• 1 red carrot (finely shredded)
• 2 pkts water chestnuts (peeled and get the good ones only, finely chopped and squeeze out the juice)

• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup oyster sauce
• Salt (to taste)
• Grounded white pepper (put more)
• Plain flour (about 2 tbsp spoon)

Notes: I don't actually measure the ingredients for the seasonings, I just use my own instinct. For the oyster sauce, I will look at the colour of the mixture as I mix along the way.  To obtain the correct seasoning I will steam a small portion of the mixed ingredients, taste it, and if extra seasonings are needed I will add in a bit more salt and oyster sauce, give it a good thorough mix again.

Methods:

1. Put the minced pork in a large deep container.
2. Gradually add in all the ingredients, one by one, spreading them out so that each ingredients won't lump together and it helps ease the mixing.  At this point we have to use our two hands to mix them well.
3. In between the ingredients I also starts adding in oyster sauce, salt, and pepper.
4. Add in the egg, give it another good mix, finally in goes the flour  and mix till well combined.
5. Check the correct seasoning as per Notes above.

Wrapping of the meat rolls:

1. Prepare the beancurd skin by wiping it with a wet kitchen towel to get rid of the salt as well as moisten the skin to ease the wrapping process.
2. Cut into your desired width size, but leave it long, do not cut into individual small pieces as it is difficult to wrap.
3. Take a portion of the ingredients, use both hands to press and shape it into the length which is also the width of the skin, lay on one end of the skin and roll to cover.  Use a scissor to cut off the excess skin.  Place the rolled meat rolls onto a lightly greased (with cooking oil) steamer tray.  Repeat till all is done. 

The final step is to steam them over high heat until cooked, dish and let them cool totally before storing them in zipper bags and put in the freezer.  I prefer putting few in one zipper bags (which is enough to cater for each meal) so that each time when we want to defrost for deep-frying we just take out one packet.  This helps to maintain the freshness of the meat rolls.

The steamed and cooked meat rolls