My First Blog

INTRODUCTION


This is my first blog. This will be one of many to come. The reason for setting this recipe blog is in memory of my late parents.
With heartfelt gratitude to my father for his indulgence in us through all the dining treats at restaurants, cafes, hawker centres, coffee shops and home dining with takeaways.
With deep appreciation to my mother for imparting her love for cooking and her culinary skills to me through the years.
They may be gone but certainly not forgotten.




RECIPE #01


Soya Sauce Chicken Wings


When my father bought the microwave oven in the 1980s, we were wondering what dishes to cook other than using it for re-heating food.
My mother suggested using her marinate recipe for baked chicken. To our delight, we found the chicken wings cooked using the microwave method to be soft and tender. She also added taupok (fried beancurd)  and taukwa (firm bean curd) to the gravy and it became one of our favourite side dishes.


Ingredients
10 chicken wings
2 tbsp dark soya sauce
1 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp chinese cooking wine
1 tsp sugar
Half tsp pepper powder
3 slices of ginger (1cm thickness)
5 cloves garlic


Method
Wash the chicken wings thoroughly. Pat dry and place in a microwaveable pot. Add all the ingredients and mix well to marinate. Leave it in the refrigerator for about 4 hours.
Place the pot with the cover in the oven and set on high heat for 10 minutes. Remove the pot from the oven and stir the contents before cooking it for another 5 minutes. When ready, transfer the chicken wings to a serving dish. Add the taukwa or taupok to the gravy. Cook over stove or microwave oven for 10 minutes.






Recipe #02


Chilli Sauce (Dipping Sauce)

I grew up watching my mother and 2nd sister making the chilli sauce using this mortar and pestle.

Due to our work commitment, we no longer have the luxury to spend hours preparing this chilli sauce using the laborious pounding method. However, I was told that the quality of the chilli mix will never be as good using the food processor as the ingredients are affected by the heat generated from the rotating blades.

We normally use this chilli sauce for chicken rice, steamed fish and steamboat.

Ingredients

10 fresh red chillies

15 fresh chilli padi

200g small onions

100g young ginger

50g garlic

1 tbsp white rice vinegar

1 tsp salt

Method
Peel the onions, garlic and ginger. Remove the stems of the chillies, wash and pat dry. Place the chillies, onions, garlic and ginger in the food processor. Grind to a smooth paste. Transfer to a bowl and add the rice vinegar and salt. Mix well. Keep the chilli sauce in air-tight bottles in the refrigerator for up to a week or freezer for up to 3 months. You may wish to add lime juice and light soya sauce before serving.






Recipe #03


Chicken/Shark's Bone Soup

This chicken soup gives a warm and soothing feeling especially when consumed on a cool, rainy day. The shark's bone is rich in collagen, a protein which is a major element in skin, bone, cartilage, tendon and teeth. The red dates, dry abalone and dry scallop enhance the flavouring of the soup.

Ingredients

1 chicken leg

50g shark's bone

5 red dates

2 dry scallops

2 slices of dry abalone

1 litre of water

Method

Soak the shark's bones in water overnight. Put the chicken leg (preferably with the skin removed) in a soup pot. Add just sufficient boiling water to cover the meat. Bring it to a boil and discard the water. Fill the pot with 1 litre of boiling water. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for one hour using low flame. Alternatively, you may use the slow cooker for the simmering.