Pork Belly Satay

This pork belly satay recipe from The Meatmen is really yummylicious.  I love the flavors and this is one recipe which I will use as and when I intend to have 'Home BBQ' or even serve this pork satay as a meat dish in my meal with rice, baked from the oven.  Here's the outcome to share....

Ingredients:
300 g pork belly 
10 Satay bamboo skewers

Marinade:
1 stalk lemongrass (white part only)
6 shallots (peeled)
3 cloves garlic (peeled)
2 thick slices ginger
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp tumeric powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 1/2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp dark soya sauce
2 tbsp oil

Methods:

1. Remove the skin of the pork belly, clean and cut into roughly 1/4" thickness.
2. Put all the marinade ingredients into a blender, blend with a bit of water till fine and scoop out into a mixing bowl.
3. Add in the pork belly and mix till well combined.
4. Put in an airtight container and let marinate in the fridge overnight.
5. Soak the satay bamboo skewers in water for a while so that the meat will not stick onto the skewers.
6. Brush the wire rack with some oil, lay the skewered meat on the wire rack, brush some oil on the meat and baked at 200 degrees Celsius.
7. When the baked side has turn golden brown, turn over, brush some oil and continue to bake until done.
8. Ready to serve!

Orange-glazed fried chicken

Wanna go for a change of flavors, and with an orange in the fridge I've decided to deep-fry the lightly marinated chicken pieces and orange-glazed it.

What you need:
300 g chicken thigh and drum (cut into bite-size pieces)
1/2 tbsp cornflour
Cooking oil (for deep-frying)

Marinade:
1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp salt
3 thick slices ginger (peeled and smashed)

Orange sauce: (mix together)
1/2 orange juice
1/2 orange zest
1/2 tbsp white vinegar
1 1/2 tbsp sugar (to taste)
3 tbsp water
1/2 tsp salt (to taste)

Cornflour mixture (for thickening sauce)
1/2 tbsp cornflour
1 1/2 tbsp water

Steps of preparation:

1. Add the marinade ingredients into the chicken pieces, mix well and leave for at least an hour or more.  Just before deep-frying, sprinkle cornflour onto the marinated chicken and mix well to ensure that the chicken pieces are well coated.
2. In a deep wok add enough oil for deep-frying.  When oil reach medium heat add in the chicken pieces on a single layer and deep-fry until golden, turn over the pieces in between.  Remove from heat and repeat until all the chicken pieces are done.
3. In a clean medium heated wok, pour in the orange sauce and bring to a slow boil.  At this point you can taste for the correct seasoning of your choice.
4. Stir in the cornflour mixture bit by bit and give it a good mix, once the sauce thickens add in fried chicken and toss until all the chicken are well coated with the orange sauce.
5. Dish and serve immediately to enjoy the crunchiness of the chicken.

Prawn Paste Chicken (Har Jiong Kai)

My first taste of Har Jiong Kai was few months ago in Singapore.  At that very instant I really fell in love with this delicious and crunchy deep-fried chicken wings.  As I was figuring out this prawn paste recipe, it so happen that Diana of Domestic Goddess Wannabe posted her recipe on Food Bloggers and Foodies United.  Without wasting much time I went in search for this must-have ingredient, 'Lee Kum Kee Prawn Paste.'  I tried out both the baked version as well as the deep-fried...

Ingredients:

12 chicken wings

Marinade:

1 tbsp shaoxing wine

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1/2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp grounded white pepper

1 tbsp prawn paste
Cooking oil (to brush the chicken wings just before baking)

For coating: (mix together)

1/4 cup plain flour (sifted)

1/2 tsp baking powder (sifted)

1/4 tsp baking soda (sifted)

Methods:

1. Clean the chicken wings, cut into two portion (between the drumlets and mid-joint), add in the marinade ingredients, give it a good mix, put in an airtight container and leave to marinate overnight in the fridge.
2. Coat the chicken wings with the flour mixture.
3. Place the coated wings on a wire rack and leave it to dry in the fridge.  This makes the chicken more crispy with less moisture.
4. Brush the chicken wings with some oil, bake in the oven of 200 degree Celsius for 10 minutes.
5. Turn over and brush with some oil and continue baking until all the chicken have turn golden brown.
6. Serve immediately with chili sauce of your choice, but I prefer having them as it is as the flavor from the prawn paste is so yummy!

In my second attempt I try out the deep-frying method, and this is the outcome....

To obtain the original recipe click here

Peppery-Hot stir-fried bittergourd with prawns

Another bittergourd dish to savor your taste buds, this time I've decided to come up with something peppery-hot, and end up "calling for more rice."  

Ingredients: (Serves 1-2)
1/2 bittergourd (cored and cut into thicker slices)
4 prawns (peeled with tail on and deveined)
1 shallot (chopped)
2 garlic (chopped)
2 thick slices ginger (chopped)
3 chili padi (cut a slit, remove seed and leave whole)
2 tbsp cooking oil

Seasonings:
1/2 tsp chicken stock granules (to taste)
1 tsp light soy sauce
1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1/4 cup water

Methods:

1. Add cooking oil into a medium heated wok, light fry the prawns and as it turn pink, dish onto a plate.
2. In the remaining oil, saute shallot, garlic, ginger, chili padi and stir-fry till fragrant.
3. Add in the bittergourd and continue to stir-fry, if the dish is a bit dry sprinkle a bit of water to smooth the frying.
4. Add water and seasonings and continue to stir to ensure that the bittergourd are properly cooked through.
5. Put in the prawns, give it a few quick stir, off the heat and dish.

Notes:  At (4) do taste for the correct seasoning of your choice, add a bit more chicken stock granules if needed.  Adjust the amount of water used based on the amount of sauce for this dish.  This sauce is peppery-hot, so I advice to cook it with more sauce to go with the freshly cooked hot rice - Yummylicious!

Golden pork and prawn drumplings

A packet of The Spring Roll Pastry Sheets 5" X 5" have been staring at me bluntly each time I open the upper compartment of my fridge.  It has been there for quite a while, not knowing what to do with it.  All of a sudden a thought came to my mind this morning, remembering that I still have some leftover minced pork and prawns in the freezer.  To have this dumplings for my lunch I've decided to add some vermicelli or glass noodles.  Let's get on with it....

What you need:

200 g minced pork

100 g prawns (shelled and cut into small chunks)

50 g glass noodles (soaked and cut into 1" length)

1/4 cup red carrot (peeled and roughly chopped) - not in picture

1 tbsp parsley (finely chopped)

3 cloves garlic (peeled and grated)

Spring Roll Pastry Sheets (5" X 5")

Spring Onions (blanched, green part only) - for tying the dumplings

2 tbsp cooking oil (for stir-frying the ingredients)

Enough cooking oil (for deep-frying the dumplings)

Seasonings:

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp grounded black pepper

Steps of preparation:

1. In a big bowl add in minced pork, prawns, glass noodles, red carrot, parsley, half of the grated garlic and all the seasonings.  Give it a thorough mix until all the ingredients are well incorporated.
2. Add oil in a medium heated wok, saute the other half portion of the grated garlic until fragrant, then add in the pork and prawn mixture and stir-fry for about 5 minutes, remove from heat and dish onto a plate to let it cool.
3. To prepare the dumpling, place a spring roll sheet onto a flat plate, spoon a tablespoon of the mixture onto the center, gather the edges together and tie with the blanched spring onion.  Set aside and repeat until all is done.
4. Heat enough oil in a deep wok, when the oil has reached medium heat, gently put in the dumplings, a few at a time and deep-fry until golden brown.  Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper to get rid of excess oil.
5. Serve while still hot to retain the crunchiness of the dumplings. This dumpling goes well with the normal Maggi Chili Sauce as well as the Sweet Thai Chili Sauce.

Before deep-frying

Ready to serve!

Notes:  The leftover pork and prawn ingredients can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge.  As for the leftover spring rolls sheets, put them in a zip lock bag and kept in the freezer.  

Let's have lunch.....

Bittergourd and pineapple chicken soup

Bittergourd lovers would love this delicious soup.  It is easy and fast to prepare.  It can be served as a soup dish in a Chinese meal or just having it as a bowl of nourishing soup, especially those who prefers to go without rice.

Ingredients you need: (Serves 2)

Some chicken bones (to prepare chicken broth)

Few pieces chicken (cut into bite size)

Few pieces pineapple (cut into thick slices)

Half bittergourd (cored, deseeded and cut into thick slices)

Seasonings: 

Salt (to taste)

Msg (to taste)

Few simple steps:

1. Boil a pot of water, blanch the chicken bones and chicken pieces with some of the boiling water and drain.
2. Put the chicken bones into the boiling water and continue to boil in medium-low heat for about 20 minutes and dish out the bones.
3. Add in all the ingredients: bittergourd, pineapple and chicken and continue to boil in medium-low heat until the chicken is tender.  
4. Add in seasonings and taste for correct seasoning.
5. Off the heat and serve on individual soup bowls.

Christmas tree-shaped Citrus Shortbread

With the month of November coming up, there is always this automatic trigger to my mind that the best season of the year is just round the next two corners.  Soon, Christmas songs will be played in all Shopping Malls, on Airs through Radio Broadcasts, and not to mention in my sweet home.  With this Christmas fever filling the air, I take a peek through my drawer searching for any interesting kitchen item which will not only brings me to Christmas Dreamland, as well as something to fulfill my cravings.  See what I found?  

Ingredients:

150 g plain flour (sifted)

1 tbsp + 1 tsp rice flour (sifted)

125 g unsalted butter (chopped)

1/4 cup icing sugar (sifted)

1/2 lemon zest (finely grated)

1/2 orange zest (finely grated)

Frosting:

1/4 cup icing sugar (sifted)

1 tbsp fresh orange juice

a drop of yellow coloring

some extra icing sugar (for dusting)

Methods:

1. In a large mixing bowl add flour, icing sugar and stir in both the zests. Mix the ingredients with a spoon.
2. Using floured finger tips rub in the butter until mixture resembles breadcrumbs and press together to form a dough.
3. Turn out the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead gently.
4. Roll out the dough into about 7 mm thick and cut out using the Christmas tree-shaped cookie cutter and place them on lined baking trays.  Repeat till all is done.
5. Bake in a preheated oven of 160 degree Celsius for about 15 minutes or until golden in color.  Allow the shortbread to cool for 5 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
6. For the frosting, put the icing sugar into a medium bowl, add in the orange juice and the yellow coloring and stir with a spoon until smooth. Drizzle frosting over the cooled shortbread and dust with the extra icing sugar.

small Christmas Tree

big Christmas Tree

Notes:  If you prefer a more pungent taste, use fresh lemon juice instead of orange juice. This shortbread is not as sweet as cookies, thus the dusting of icing sugar at the final step is relevant.  I am mentioning this because most people are trying to be more health conscious these days.  So, nothing to worry....