Everyone's Favourite Simple, Tasty Recipes :)

[Homeowner 1]

Hi. I cook dinner every weekday and am always on a lookout for good recipes 'cos you know, it's so sian if you keep eating the same thing. So, this is a thread for everyone to share their favourite easy to do and tasty recipes.

To start the ball rolling, here's a recipe, Claypot Chicken, adapted from my first and one of my favourite cookbooks: "The Best of Singapore Cooking" by Mrs Leong Yee Soo. My first mentor (for cooking) was my best friend's mother. She said she started off not knowing how to cook like us and learnt by trial and error using this cookbook. This is one of the first dishes that I cooked after I took over the dinner job from my hubby. Hubby loved it and this was his favourite dish for a quite a while.

Serving size: 3

Ingredients

Chicken (3 pieces - drumsticks, thigh, etc), seasoned to taste with salt, pepper and sugar for at least half an hour

2 cloves garlic

4 slices ginger

4 shallots, bashed

1 carrot, sliced

1 small can button mushrooms

3 Chinese mushrooms, soaked, softened and cut into halfs/ quarters

4 leaves, long Chinese cabbage, cut into pieces

Soup

250 ml chicken stock (I cook my own and freeze, but you can make instant ones with chicken cube)

1 tablespoon light soya sauce

1 teaspoon dark soya sauce

1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Steps

1. Heat oil in pan to brown chicken on all sides. Remove to a dish.

2. Heat oil in a fairly large clay pot and brown garlic, ginger and shallots.

3. Add the vegetables and stir-fry for 2 mintues over high heat.

4. Pour in the soup and bring to boil.

5. Put the chicken in pot, cover and cook over high heat for 10 minutes.

6. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes or till chicken is tender.

If you prefer thicker gravy, add cornflour mixture (a tablespoon of corn flour mixed with 4 tablespoons of water).

Enjoy!

[applefreak 1]

mine mine mine

it's bitter gourd with ribs in fermented soy bean (si zap pai kuat in cantonese)

ingredients (for 4)

2 bitter gourd

500 grams of ribs

fermented soy bean (black colour in dry form, available at markets and supermarkets)

garlic

seasoning

dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil to taste

steps

1. mix ribs and seasoning together well, leave aside for at least 30min, but two hours is ideal

2. cut the bitter gourd into bite-size (slice or pieces up to you)

3. boil a pot of water, add salt and the bitter gourd (dun have to do this if you like it real bitter)

4. drain and keep aside (if you want to get rid of all the bitter taste, drain only when the gourd turns yellow)

5. heat up wok and add oil

6. fry the fermented beans and garlic until fragrant (you can add chili if you like a little bite)

7. add rib and fry with high heat

8. when the surface of the ribs is cooked, add bitter gourd

9. leave to simmer on low heat for about 10 - 15min

10. best served with white rice

same as homeowner's recipe, add corn flour to thicken

[Homeowner 1]

Thanks for contributing, Applefreak...will try your recipe soon. Wonder if you get the normal ribs or soft bone ones?

Footnote for claypot chicken:

Just add more water if insufficient water during cooking time. Or, start with 250 ml of stock and 250 ml of water and thicken later. If you don't like it too salty/ saucy, reduce the light soy sauce and oyster sauce in the soup.

I usually make a big pot of chicken stock and freeze it in 250 ml lots. Good stock makes tasty stews, soups, sauces in a jiffy.

Recipe for chicken stock (My own)

Ingredients:

Chicken bones

5-6 dried scallops

5-6 dried oysters

1 thumb size ginger, bashed

5-6 cloves garlic

1 bowl ikan bilis washed and drained

Steps:

1. Boil water and scald the chicken bones. Pour away the water and froth.

2. Put in just enough water to cover the bones and add dried scallops, oysters, ginger and garlic.

3. Bring to boil and leave to simmer for 7 hours.

4. Add ikan bilis and simmer for 1 hour.

You can also add vegetables e.g. celery and carrot together with the ikan bilis. You can use the stock immediately or within three days if you put it in the fridge or within three months if you put it in the freezer. Let the stock cool before putting into the fridge. If you have the time and don't mind the effort, it is better to cool the stock in a tub of ice.

Edited June 8, 2007 by Homeowner

[LinDa 0]

All yr receipes very chim lei, mine is simple simple one with canned food and its one of my favourite:

1 can ma ling luncheon meat

1 packet mcomick fry chicken seasoning powder

steps:

1. cut luncheon meat

2. heat oil

3. dip luncheon meat seasoning powder

4. pan fry luncheon meat till golden brown

VOILA! yummy, fuss-free and simple-to-cook but unhealthy food.

On a more serious note, let me go dig out my very own receipes file after I move back to my place (now its in some box) which I keep my modifed receipes after all the trial and errors. Must have some good ones to share also. I took Food and Nutrition as an 'o' subject got certificate one ok! Not Cordon Bleu standard but I do make my cooking teachers proud at Clementi Town Secondary School back in the 90's! Haha..

Edited June 9, 2007 by LinDa

[Homeowner 1]

Hahah. Thanks for your contribution. Looking forward to more recipes from you.

Anyway, for really bad days, I just smoother the chicken pieces with olive oil and marinate them with Tuscan Spice or Mixed Spice, which are available from most supermarkets. (With Mixed Spice, you need to add your own soya sauce or salt and pepper). Then, pop the whole lot into the oven, 190 degrees, 40 minutes.

[karen77sg 0]

Mine mine....Dang Gui (chinese herb) chicken or soft bones pork

Bt my mum ever mention that Dang Gui is not very good for guys so dun let

them take too often...However, Dang Gui is very good for women after menses...

Normally if my hubby is taking, I will add less Dang Gui, bt if preparing for my

girlfriends, I will add more....

So far has prepared for colleagues and friends and they love it....and keep on asking

me to prepare for them often...

Hope u like it too...

Ingredients: (Serving for 2 pax)

Chicken (6 chicken wings or 4 soft bones pork)

Dang Gui (3 or 4 pcs)

Wolfberries (2 teaspoons)

Red dates (3 pcs)

Oyster Sauce (enough to cover the chicken/pork)

Hua Diao Wine (1 big spoon)

Sugar (1 teaspoon)

Water (1 bowl)

Steps:

1. Add all the ingredients in a bowl EXCEPT the water. Marinate and put inside the fridge (preferbably

overnite or for 4 hrs).

2. Take out the bowl and transfer the marinated food in a pot, simmer over low fire and add in the water.

3. Leave to stew and add water as and when required.

4. Stew for 1 hr (for chicken) and 2 hrs (for pork).

5. Serve with rice or porridge..

Very easy rite???

Edited June 10, 2007 by karen77sg

[karen77sg 0]

Anyone noes hw to cook salted veg duck soup?

And how do we "handle" the duck when bought from the supermarket?

Learn from another forum on the preparation for Chix rice.

Tried to cook it last weekend, bt my rice is a failure leh...Very hard and

not greasy type...And the taste of cinnamon too strong, mabbe I add too much.

Bt HB still v supportive by finishing the rice up....really appreciate!

Anyone gt other methods to cook nice chix rice?

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Ingredients:

Rice

Whole chicken

Ginger

Garlic

A few cloves

Cinnamon (1-2)

Pandan leaves

Salt

Ingredients for garnish:

Sesame oil

Soya sauce (light)

Coriander Leaf

Cucumber (sliced)

Methods:

1) Cook chicken in water. Put in pandan leaves and salt for flavour.

2) Do not overcook chicken. 20-30 minutes is enough. To see if it is cooked, poke a chopstick into the chicken - it should go in easily.

3) Remove chicken, let cool and cut into serving size. Keep the stock for rice and soup.

4) Fry ginger and garlic with oil till fragrant. Add to rice.

5) Add the chicken stock, cinnamon, cloves, pandan leaves to the rice. Cook in a rice cooker.

Ingredients for chili sauce:

Fish sauce

Sugar

Fresh red chilies

Ginger

Green lime

Garlic

Vinegar

Method:

1) Put garlic and ginger in mixer and blend till fine.

2) Add vinegar, fish sauce, salt and sugar to taste. Squeeze lime while serving. To

Serve:

1) Put chicken in a plate, and serve with sliced cucumber by the side. For flavour, add a sprinkling of light soya sauce, sesame oil over the chicken and garnish with coriander leaf. Serve chili sauce in separate bowls.

2) Remove pandan leaves, garlic, ginger, cloves and cinnamon from rice. Serve rice, piping hot.

Mixed Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 a chicken, skinned and cut into 6-8 pieces

1 1/2 liters of water

1/2 a head of cabbage, chopped into medium-sized pieces

2 carrots, peeled and cut into 4-5 pieces

1 large potato, peeled and cut into 6 parts

2 medium-sized tomatoes, quartered

1 large onion, peeled and cut into half

1- 1.5 tsp salt

Directions:

1. In a large pot or rice cooker, boil the water. Add chicken into the boiling water and continue boiling, covered for 20 minutes. Occasionally turn the heat down and up to make sure not too much water has been reduced.

2. Add the onions and carrots and continue boiling for a further 15 minutes. Add in the potatoes. If too much water has been reduce, add a little more water. Continue boiling for 20-30 minutes, occasionally checking on the heat. Add tomatoes at the 15th minute.

3. Add in the cabbage and simmer until cabbage has softened. Add salt.

4. Serve hot.

[Little Blue Bear 0]

Sweet Sour Pork :

Ingredient :

Wu Hua Rou (slice or cut into cube or u like big piece and cut into big slice also... up to u...)

Sweet Potato Flour

Marinate :

light soy sauce

hua diao wine

sesame oil

Steps:

1. Marinate the pork for abt half an hour.

2. Dip the pork into the sweet potato flour

3. Dip fried it until golden blown

Sauce :

sweet chilli suace

tomato sauce

a lit dark vinegar

sugar

water

note :

1. sweet chiili sauce & tomato sauce... = amount eg. if u pour 2 tablespoon sweet chili sauce, tomoto sauce also must be 2 table spoon

2. dont add to much water... but if too much water is added... nvm... add a lit corn flour when u cook the sauce...

step :

1. On fire and pour ur sauce in to cook until boil

2. add in the pork to mixed well with the sauce

3. Serve...

Cheers...

[Little Blue Bear 0]

Chicken Cutlet :

Ingredients :

Boneless Chicken drum / tight / whole leg

Egg

Plain Flour

Bread Crumb

Marinate :

light soy sauce

hua diao wine

sesame oil

Step :

1. Marinate chicken for at least half an hour

2. cover the chicken with flour

3. then with egg

4. last cover with bread crumb

5. Deep fried

6. Cut into slice if u want... Serve with chilli suace, bbq sauce....

cheers

[korea 0]

wow! most of you are good chefs! haiz, i don't know how to cook leh.

[applefreak 1]

i love the peranakan style salted duck soup aka itek tim

ingredients

half a duck

some salted veg (usually i use one whole veg from the wet market)

some assam skin (just a few pieces, depending on how you like it)

a few sour plums (those in a glass bottle one, add about two. more if you like it real sour)

a few slices of ginger

a few tomatoes, quartered (again, depending on if you like this fruit or not)

sorry everyone, my recipe not very well written coz i cook based on feelings

so sometimes i feel like more sour will add more of some ingredients, other times less !!

preparation

1. skin the duck, cut into pieces and wash. leave to drain

2. boil water, dump duck into boiling water

3. sieve out the bubbles

4. add salted veg

5. add rest of ingredients

(optional) 6. add a dash (up to a ladle full) of cooking wine (i like cordon bleu)

that's my take on salted duck soup

[karen77sg 0]

Hey thanks applefreak,

Wat is assam skin?

Where to get? If I just walk into the shop like tat and them tel assam

skin, do they noe?

Please advise.....

[applefreak 1]

yes just go to those sundry shops in wet market

actually if you go to those old estate ones, they will even teach you how to make the dish !!

that's how i learn some dishes

[karen77sg 0]

yes just go to those sundry shops in wet market

actually if you go to those old estate ones, they will even teach you how to make the dish

that's how i learn some dishes

Ok...thanks!

[Homeowner 1]

Hi Applefreak, tried your recipe last night. Quite nice. But, dunno why my ribs are still a bit hard even though I simmered it longer than recommended - abt 15-20 min. By then, the bitter gourd was really soft...my son said it was like fruit, just slightly bitter. Think I need a little more practice! Hubby thought it was nice for a change. Thanks for sharing.

Tried to cook it last weekend, bt my rice is a failure leh...Very hard and

not greasy type...And the taste of cinnamon too strong, mabbe I add too much.

Think the greasiness of the rice depends on the greasiness of the stock. Did you add enough stock? More stock/water soften the rice.

My chicken rice recipe is very simple, no cloves and cinnnamon though.

Three chicken pieces. Make cuts and stuff with finely sliced ginger, garlic, and pandan leaves. Wash rice, fill up with required amount of chicken stock (my own recipe) - see markings on rice cooker, put in tied up pandan leaves, garlic and ginger. When the rice is cooked, throw in the chicken pieces. Let it steam inside for the a while, abt 20 min. And the chicken rice is done!

Sweet Sour Pork :

Sigh...haven't cooked sweet and sour for a long time...maybe I should try again. Mine has no chilli 'cos the kids can't take chilli yet.