A week of experimental cooking

I must confess - my creation of a new recipe is usually influenced by what i have in hand / in the fridge. However, for my Green & Clean - Project CrazeeFit, i also want to create flavourful meals that don't require any bottled sauces (chilly, tomato or oyster sauce) or dashes of Ajinomoto (MSG).

GREEN = refers to meals composed mainly of veggies, nuts, herb, tubers, roots, beans but may contain seafood & some meat (but in smaller proportion).

CLEAN = as mentioned above, meals with minimum processed foods, flavours derived from spices, herbs, salt & pepper, using fresh (instead of canned) ingredients, minimum dairy products, less oil used (only Peanut oil & EVOO), cooking methods - raw, steam, blanched and light stir frying and greens from my own garden.

HOPE / VISION / MISSION -  ambitiously trying to re-do traditional Malaysian food (which is rather un-healthy), fusion food - taking the best ideas from different culinary cultures and getting people to accept this as staples or at least get people to think or rather re-think they cooking methods / choices.

Oh..also i dont measure the ingredients, just using commonsense & experimentation. Cooking time also is dependent on observation & sniffing!! LOL..I can imagine those throwing up their hands and saying that's CRAZEE!!  

Besides being short of time (lazy, too) and also wanting people who follow my recipe ideas to OBSERVE and GET INVOLVED in their own cooking process. When there's no measurement, one is forced to look, think and judge for themselves and not follow blindly and thus INSPIRE CREATIVITY!  

Wasnt that how granny used to do it?

Disclaimers aside,..let's GET COOKING !

SATURDAY'S MEAL -  SPAGHETTI  ULAM

More Clean Meal ideas (to come)

SUNDAY'S MEAL

Sup Ikan (Fish head soup)

MONDAY'S MEAL

Soba Telur Asin & Asparagus

TUEDAY'S MEAL

Steamed Chicken Breast & Asparagus with Toast & Lurpak salted butter

WEDNESDAY'S MEAL

Steamed Broccoli, Salsa & leftover mamak's Tandoori & Naan

THURSDAY'S MEAL

Broccoli & Butterhead, whole grain mustard on toast with Maasdammer cheese and more Salsa

WHY THE SUDDEN INTEREST in eating healthier?  http://crazeefit.blogspot.com/2013/10/infiniti-fitness-beyond-to-rescue.html

Spaghetti Ulam

SPAGHETTI ULAM

Shopping list :

• Spaghetti
• Bunga Kantan (edible Ginger flower)
• Serai (lemongrass - use only the bottom fragrant purplish parts)
• Daun Kaduk (Piper sarmentosum similar but not betel/sirih leaf)
• Kerisik (grate coconut, slowly & constantly stir-fried in a pan with no added oil until brown & aromatic. Then pound in a stone mortar. Cool and store in fridge)
• Onions or shallots (small onions) - sliced thinly
• Lime  or Limau kasturi (calimansi)
• Black pepper (ground)
• Salt / Braggs Liquid Amino
• Chilli padi (small yet very spicy version) or spicy sambal / sambal belacan
• Carrots (cut in large chunks)

Boost protein intake (if you are working out at the gym) :  

- Add boiled beans (Green Love Mixed beans) or steamed chicken (breast, keel with no skin)

Party food - easy, healthy, tasty!

Alternative party food!

 Last nite's NY Eve 2012 Party MENU @Kafe Muzium (National Textile Museum, KL)

• SALAD
• 3 types of salad leaves from Jusco 1U - crispy lettuce, butterhead, frill iceberg (RM2.99 per bunch, can last for a week if u wash, drain & keep in tight container)
• red cabbage (shredred/sliced), raisins, can of drained pineapple, blanched broccoli
• 1 pkt Japanese dressing, first round, then 1 pkt  Balsamic dressing & last round - EVOO & a squeeze of orange : we just keep re-filling it but changed the dressing each time.. It blended well.. all oil based, not creamy. Even had some the next morning for breakfast. Keeps well.
• FRUIT SALAD (Latifah's recipe) - mango, honey melon, grapes in yoghurt
• BREAD - French village (RM3.90) / Alpine grain (RM3.80) from La Boheme, Jusco 1U - preferably lightly toasted with 3 toppings (can top with salad too):  
• Garlic butter - finely chopped garlic, chillie flakes, AgroMas Mushroom powder, real butter
• Dried prawn sambal (mom's recipe) - onion, garlic, chilli paste, dried prawns, asam jawa
• Seafood mayo (Ayam brand) ... went on the wild side & used a few processed items to speed things up ;)
• ROASTED CHICKEN in lemon - from the cafe's chef
• CHILLI CON CARNE - minced beef with red broad beans (from the cafe)
• TUNA SPINACH BAKE (from my recipe collection)
• CAKE - Carrot cake with cream cheese topping, Oats & Prune layer cake (8 eggs!)
• LIGHT FRUIT PUNCH
• FRUITS - langsat, pulasan, mangosteen
• GREEN TEA

For way too long, Malaysians have this standard menu of too oily fried meehoon  & too rich chicken curry for parties. Sorry, but Oh so boring!  (not to mention - Unhealthy). And a separate menu for kids - fried chicken & nuggets, french fries and sausages - food i won't even feed my dog!  No wonder so many obese kids amongst obese parents :(

Here's my tried & tested suggestions (i wont say 'recipe' because its a no brainer, just throw it together) for any party.

It's simple, just understand the concept behind it & remember :

• ACTUAL food (organic is optional), ie. food from nature's plants NOT the man's processing plants
• APPEALING to the eyes - it is said, we eat from our eyes, long before we put it into our mouth. Colours (natural sources). I once saw a rainbow layer cake that is soo intense with artificial colouring, layer by layer of red syrup colour, deep blue, bright green...Another version was subtler (tinge of colour only- very pastel) yet it was classier & more appetising to me. Salads must have a combination of colours ,besides the green leaves - add cherrie tomatoes, dark / red grapes, yellow capsicum, cubed canned pineapple, blanched brocoli & nuts for texture, purple shredded cabbage.
• EASY to prepare, just cut & keep in tight containers. Guests can DIY and entertain themselves and share food stories.
• VEGGIES. Of course there r those those die-hard 'i dont eat veggie' types but it's just becos their childhood experience with veg was negative. Entice them with attractive dishes, and when he sees others enjoying, he will try. I myself is a non-veggie eater. Why? Dad is a meat man & i hate those old-style taugeh with long roots that tickle my throat. So i actually spend time pulling out taugeh strands from my cha koay teaw! (Now, thank god for short, rootless Ipoh taugeh, i started eating it again, even love it in certain dishes - its ALL about presentation, marketing). At a fashion show, i add somw japanese cucumber & carrot sticks to the menu, and hey..it all disappeared..even the fried popiah was still left over.. Sign of changing attitudes to food which we must continue to ENCOURAGE!
• RAW, BLANCHED, STEAMED - Raw salad leaves should be as dry as possible , after washing. How? Shake out as much excess water. place in a container and add lid loosely, leaving a small gap. Then overturn & start shaking. You's be surprise how much water is still there. Them close lid tightly & put in the fridge to refresh & stay fresh. Blanching - timing is important & amt of water. Add a little salt to the water to raise the boiling point. Too much water drains away the nutrients. Water should be boiling before u throw in the veg. Once it turn colour, switch off fire & drain. Add a little cold water to stop cooking, if necessary. Slice thinner if u want a quick steam. All must be of equal thickness.
• CARBOHYDRATES, STARCHES, OILS - in moderation is fine. Be creative, innovative! Boiled potatoes  mixed with yoghurt instead of cream. Serve sweet potatoes instead of ordinary potatoes. Sweet potatoes r sweeter & have lower GI, so will feel fuller for longer, as compared to potatoes. The different colours - purple, orange, light yellow would add appeal. Steam, instead of boil in their skin to retain more of their goodness. Pasta should be served with a touch of EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) and chlli flakes (chillie padi) & garlic for that more Malaysian flavour, also known as 'olio' in Italian . No creamy alfredo or boring bolognaise. I sometimes add some light soy sauce (see yau) and black pepper & EVOO, and a little lime / orange juice freshly squeezed!
• FUN should be the order of the day in parties! Less hassle, more time for hosting..

Recipe (adapted from The Malaysian Weekly Oct 2000 issue)

TUNA SPINACH BAKE

1/2 cm slice of a block of real butter, not margarine that are processed & mostly made of hydrogenated oil, a no no!
1 large onion, chopped coarsely
2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely
300 gm (2 bunches) baby spinach leaves - pluck leaves & break stems into half length (of course remove roots!)
425 gm (1 can)  flaked tuna in brine ..oops I used only 1 can that's 185g . OK, wah.. Just less fishy! Remember to press out the juice or else it will be too soggy

180ml evaporated milk  -  but i used HL Low fat milk 200ml small carton.. too much? so i added 1 more egg
3 eggs + 1 egg (too offset too much milk),  lightly beaten
90 g grated cheddar cheese   - i used sliced black pepper Bega cheese... not so good an idea as u will see afterwards..
30 gm dry breadcrumbs
Sprinkle of pepper to taste. No need salt due to brine in tuna flakes. Flakes r cheaper but chunks (more expensive sometimes) can do also, just mash them up

1. On very slower heat, heat butter in a pan (preferably with heat bottom to control heat or else butter will burn) and lightly fry onions & garlic. Or u could add butter, onion & garlic, then turn on the heat slowly to fry. Then add spinach. Looks alot but when it wilts and cooks, it'll be a fraction of the amount.Cook about a min, stirring to ensure all r cooked.
2. Scoop out into two small pie pans or but all in a large pie dish (glass would be nice for presentation to encourage people to try.
3. Sprinkle the drained tuna. I mistakenly added just a little tuna (1 can separated into 2 pans). I mixed the milk into the beaten eggs, stir & pouring into the two pans. 
4. Because i'm baking on at a time, i added the cheese slices (tore and spread it on top) 3 slices per pan. Then sprinkle the breadcrumbs 15gm or more. 
5. Then bake in a hot oven 180 degrees middle tray (small oven). If bigger oven put on the top tray. The idea was not only to cook the mixture but salso to brown the top crust. Keep checking. I tried different levels in the oven. Dangerous to keep tranferring the disk - hot cheese burns!
6. Made another mistake! Breadcrumbs didnt brown, instead burned slightly. So what went wrong?  Aiyah.. too smart. Should not have used sliced cheese.  Was supposed to mix the grated cheese with dry breadcrumbs and then sprinkle over the mixture. When it is hot, the oil in the cheese will 'fry' the breadcrumbs, so get a golden brown crust.  So, damage control? Half way through the cooking, i chopped the sliced cheese as best i can & open the oven door to sprinkle on the top!
7. Bake for 40 mins or until it browns slightly. Remove to cool
8. For 2nd pan, tried chopping the extra cheese & mix with dry breadcrumbs and again sprinkle on the 2nd dish. Put in the oven & turn the dial for another 40min a& crossed my fingers.

As i was late for my dinner party, i took a quick shower while the 2nd dish was baking. Came out just in time to stop the oven before it burned the crust.

Lessons learned :

• Dont adapt recipe too much
• Read the weight measurement closely
• When baking add preparation time, mixing time & baking time to determine delivery time. And if u need to bake twice, add another baking time.all this  + travel time and traffic jams OR ELSE if u will be fashionable late like me & MAKE EVERYONE WORRIED esp. when your phone doesnt work properly (my fault again).. Murphy's Law!

But i was glad, everyone enjoyed the food judging by the food all disappearing! But luckily enough till countdown!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013, EVERYONE!!! 

MAKE IT AWESOME :)

Healthy dessert..is there such a thing?

Yes, according to this blogger and she's got photos, recipes & calorie counts to proof it!

http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/about-2/

Here's a sample of her recipes :

Chocolate Fudge Pie

■1 package silken or firm tofu (such as 12.3 oz Mori-Nu or Mori-Nu lite)
■1 tsp cocoa powder
■1 tsp pure vanilla extract
■2 T nondairy milk
■scant 1/8 tsp salt
■8 to 10 oz chocolate chips (a little over 1 and 1/3c or more)
■2-3 T agave or other sweetener (When I make this just for me, I omit)
■optional: extracts, flavorings, or liqueurs

Melt the chocolate (either on the stove or in the microwave), then throw everything into a food processor and blend until super-smooth. Pour into a pie crust if desired. (I hate pie crust and therefore usually keep it crustless.) Fridge until chilled. This gets firmer and firmer, the longer it sits. (It’s firmer if you use firm tofu and more like mousse pie if you use silken.)

Chocolatecoveredkatie says:
I promise you, everyone will rave about it, and no one will believe it has tofu!!
You truly can make this in just 5 minutes!
Nutritional Info:
■143 calories
■6 grams fat
■2.5 grams protein
■0mg cholesterol

These stats were calculated using 8 slices. Some of my testers say it’s so rich that it should be ten slices… and I say it’s so good that it should be six . (Add about 7 calories per slice for each T of agave used.)

Finding Time to Cook

Friends always ask me when do I have time to cook / bake / roast... as I am normally out of the house by 9am & back after 10pm.

There are 3 reasons why & when I cook.

1. I am inspired!! .. after watching Rachel Ray, Martha Stewart, Queer Eye... No matter what time it is, if I have the ingredients on hand, I will cook up a storm.... sometimes into the wee hours, trying hard not to wake up the neighbours.
2. When someone really wants to eat my cooking!! .. I find pleasure in cooking for others.. Its a 'labour of love' (even if it means hours of washing up). In my school days, we would offer our house for parties, as long as everyone chips in the food bill. I once baked some muffins for the trainers at my gym. One guy was appreciative and commented that usually there's not much healthy food to eat where the gym's located. That prompted me make to a series of simple meals for them over a few weeks... spaghetti, salads, sandwiches... It's nice to see people enjoying food. During the recent CNY reunion dinner, I cooked, cleaned, washed from 8am to 3 am the next day - felt like a marathon, but it was great. Not complaining... already planning next year's dinner menu :)
3. Waste not, want not!! .. As usual, when there is a celebration or festive occassion, we tend to over stock our ingredients. Better more food, than not enough, right? So what do we with the 'extras'? With a little creativity, we will not waste food. We can still get nutritious, tasty meals out of the extras. For example, we over estimated & cooked too much rice. We had rice coming out of both refrigerators at home! So, I took some and added boiled water & some cubed pumpkin and a little salt. Boil until the rice grains breaks slightly & the pumpkin is soft. Great with yesterday's dinner, reheated. When re-heated the veggies tend to be a little soft & the sauce thickens, even dries up & taste is more intense... but that goes well with the pumpkin 'porridge' ;)

There's always time to cook. It just requires :

• a little PLANNING : Stock up regularly used dry ingredients but keep track of its expiry period. That's why I usually don't pour out the ingredients into nicely labelled containers (as recommended by many chefs). It's straight from the pack - because the cooking, shelf life, nutrition details are all there. It saves time. But if I have to, I will snip of the important details from the pack & paste it on the container.
• a little ORGANISING : If I am going to bake tonite, I will call ahead & ask my mom to take out the butter & eggs, so that they are at room temperature by the time I reach home. If I want to make sandwiches or salad for lunch at work, I will slice up the ingredients the nite before. When I return from the market, I'll wash, dry & store the salad leaves in small, tight containers (enough for 1 meal). This will keep fresh for many days & in the morning you can just pop one of it into your lunch bag and assemble the sandwich at work.
• a little CREATIVITY : Create your recipe based on what you have in the kitchen. Be inspired by what you have to work with! Experiment, but keeping in mind the main cooking/baking principles. Dont' be a perfectionist. Cooking should not be a chore, ie. following exactly by the book (except for certain recipes, especially cakes).
• a little COMPROMISE : Use as little utensils & cutlery as possible. Less washing, more time to enjoy the meal. Substitute some ingredients; use canned, pre-cooked (eg. boil a whole pack of chick peas and freeze in small packs, freeze extra soup or stock in small containers), quick-cooking (eg. 2-min pasta instead of regular pasta, instant oats instead of cooking oats).

Eating out, as everyone agrees, has lots of oil (cheap oil, oil that has been re-used over & over - each time this happens the bad cholestrol level rises... you get the idea) and artificial flavouring & colouring. Yes, this makes it look, smell & taste delicious, but only because our tongue is desensitized, constantly being bombarded with chemicals! White sugar does that to you. Wonder why you keep having to add more sugar to make your drink taste good? Try this - go off sugary drinks for a few weeks. Then take a sip of packet drink. Yuck, its too sweet!!

I know, sometimes, it's not possible to cook everyday. If 'ta pau' (take-away) is the order of the day, at least try to combine it with some homemade salad or quick stir fry (in EVOO - Rachel Ray's short form for extra virgin olive oil - the good oil).

For more tips & ideas, http://www.rwood.com/Articles/Finding_Time_to_Cook.htm

Going ORGANIC ... Justlife

I came to know of justlife through the Climate Change event @ Bukit Jalil recently. I've always been sceptical of these 'organic' kind of shops -- Expensive! .. comes to mind. This view is shared by many, .. but I always remind myself - in order to accept or reject a concept/idea, we should study it, give it a chance for we may learn a thing or two. Either way, we will benefit from the knowledge gained, regardless of whether we decide to follow the path to an organic way of life or NOT!

Having read their magazine, checked out their website, seen their commitment in organizing the Climate Change event,.. maybe there is some thing more to this....

No GMO, fair price to farmers, respect for nature, .. See, read for yourself ... and you decide ...
http://www.justlifeshop.com/pages/about_us.html

For Lui Cha lovers!

I'm intrigued by this Hakka dish (originally vegetarian). A search on the net shows that I'm not the only one.. here, pls allow me to gather all Ho Po Lui Cha sites, blogs, recipes together so we Lui Cha lovers can unite... ha. ha. UNITY through FOOD!

EatingAsia
http://eatingasia.typepad.com/eatingasia/2006/02/green_tea_soup_.html?cid=126752744#comment-126752744 (the story)

The WeekEnd Chef
http://www.theweekendchef.com.my/2005/08/22/hor-por-lui-cha/ (the recipe)

Across the causeway...
http://sg.88db.com/sg/Services/Post_Detail.page/food_entertainment/hawker_food/?PostID=206795 (where to eat it in Singapore)

Lei Cha on Wikipedia..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lei_cha (the whole story)

Also known as Thunder Tea Rice @SS2 shop
http://masak-masak.blogspot.com/2007/01/lui-cha-or-thunder-tea-rice-restoran.html

Kuali, The Star
http://kuali.com/recipes/viewrecipe.asp?r=1022 (recipe)


Lui Cha is the food of the hillside monks.. must have 7 greens, eaten only in Aug/Sep
http://www.fh2o.kuchingkayak.com/2006/07/of-lui-cha-and-vegetarian-hillside.html

Btw, how do you eat it? What's the traditional way... I read somewhere that you pour the soup into the rice & veggie !! I prefer to eat them separately... lots of chewing required, though....ha ha. Also eaten with rice crispies (mai peng) instead of white rice.

My favourite is the one in the coffeeshop across the road from Spectrum Shopping Mall, Bandar Baru Ampang (opposite end to Hong Leong Bank).

Ratatouille Spaghetti (my way.. :))

FOR VEGANS : You have a choice of veggie such as eggplant, lightly steamed pumpkin, boiled potatoes, corn kernels, peas.

1. Boil a large pot of water & cook a bunch of spaghetti until al dente (just cooked, still stiff to the bite), stirring occasionally. You can drain it out or turn off the fire & leave it to soak, if you prefer it softer. I find soaking is better for this recipe.

2. Cut one long purple eggplant (terung, aubergine) into 2cm rounds approx. with skin & put into a pot or wok. Drizzle with olive oil & let it coat & seep into the eggplant slices. Switch on the burner & lightly pan fry both sides until almost cooked. If you want spicy, add a few dried chillies & saute until dry or crispy.

FOR NON-VEGANS : Throw in some prawns or squid rounds at this point. Don't put too much seasoning or salt as seafood may will produce a salty gravy.

3. Add in 1 coarsely chopped red, large onion & fry till soft. Throw in 1 chopped tomato, 5 cm of thinly sliced celery and stir fry. Add a tablespoon of tomato paste/puree, if you have. If not, add more tomatoes! Sprinkle some sugar (whenever you have tomato - Chef Wan's tip).

If you want more flavour, sprinkle some mushroom seasoning powder (get it from vegetarian grocery shop). If you have an orange (especially the horribly sour ones), peel & chop into cubes and add in for a tangy flavour.

4. When cooked pour in the drained spaghetti and toss. For flavour, you can drizzle some light soya sauce (or Japanese shoyu - the citrus type is good) or sprinkle fine salt & lots of freshly ground pepper. Turn off the flame if it dries too quickly. Pour a little of the spaghetti water to make it moist & a bit sticky. Easier for the sauce/flavour to stick to the spaghetti (Tip from Jaimie Oliver, the Naked Chef) .

FOR NON-VEGANS : You can stir in a dollop of butter or dash of your favourite cheese.

5. Serve on a bed of yau mak (baby romaine or any salad leaves). Top with coarsely chopped coriander leaves.

Red Banana Muffins (no refined sugar added)

At last, after experimenting with different combinations of ingredients & in different amounts(sometimes edible, sometimes good enough only as paperweight, ha ha...), I finally found a combination I like. Hope you like it too and try it out!

The aim of my 'experiment' was to make muffins with NO refined sugar or artificial flavour added. The sweetness & flavour would have to come from natural sources. I chose to use the red (Jamaican) bananas as it has a strong, distinct taste and suitable for cooking.

Sweetness comes from the ripe banana and lots of raisins. I was surprised to find that many teenagers don't like black raisins. They say that it reminds them of cockcroach droppings! So, I would suggest using golden raisins (not so sweet, though) or other dried fruits. However, I suspect tropical dried fruits like mango, pineapple, Chinese plums, guava, winter melon, etc. are all candied (ie. processed/coated/dried with sugar & other artificial additives & colouring). So, choose wisely!

If you don't have bananas, you could substitute with peeled, chopped yellow apples (NZ Golden Delicious).

This time, I used chapatti (atta) flour instead of imported wholemeal flour because it's easier to find at supermarkets, finer texture and more economical, mixed with an equal portion of plain white flour. For added fiber & nutrition, I added organic hulled millet & organic omega mix (raw sunflower kernels, pumpkin seeds, flax seed & sesame seed) from the health stores.

RED BANANA MUFFINS
1 cup plain flour
1 cup chapatti (atta/wholemeal) flour
2 tablespoon millet
2 tablespoon Omega mix (raw seeds)
1 teaspoon double action baking soda
100gm raisins (black or golden)

Mix the above dry ingredients in a large bowl by hand. Switch on the oven.

50g butter or equivalent dairy spread
2 small eggs lightly beaten
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large red ripe banana, mashed with a fork
some plain boiled water

If your butter is cold, place it into the flour mixture & use a large spoon to cut it into smaller pieces and mash it while combining with the flour. It will be easier if the butter is soft. That's why, whenever I decide to do baking, the first thing I take out of the fridge is the butter & eggs (to leave at room temperature). Then only would I start looking for suitable recipes & assemble my tools & ingredients.

When the mixture is evenly combined, add the eggs a little at a time, constantly stirring & blending. Add the mashed bananas next and olive oil. Mix until you get the right consistency.

What type of consistency? Not too hard but not too watery. Scoop a large tablespoon and tilt the spoon. If it glides slowly down, its ok!. If it drips down too easily (too much banana or egg), add a little flour or millet/seeds. If it still sticks to the spoon and look lumpy, add some milk or water bit by bit. Mix evenly using the 'folding' method, ie. Stir the mixture with your spoon in a wide circle (either clockwise/anti-clockwise) twisting the spoon slightly to turn over the mixture. When you reach the start of your circle, draw down your spoon horizontally and repeat the who action until it's blended well. You could also imagine making a large figure '8' in the mixture. But don't over mix or else you will deflate your muffin!

Sccop a table spoon of the mixture into paper cups. Use plain white /unbleached ones, not the fancy coloured or golds/silver on the outside & white inside. Sometime ago, I did that and the colour leached into the muffin (eek!) and gold/silver turned an odd shade!

It should fill only half or 3/4 of the cup. Top each muffin with a sprinkle of seeds and bake in a heated oven for 25-30 mins of until the top is slightly brown & seeds are lightly toasted (must switch on the oven earlier so that it is the correct temperature, before you put in the muffin)

Makes 12. Needs one large bowl, one spoon, one 6-pc muffin tray, one cup for measurement.

Have fun trying it!
Do let me know your variations to my recipe, if any!

Any healthy recipes to share??

Japanese Udon (on a budget)

JAPANESE HOME-COOKING - simple & healthier & artistic - a feast for the taste buds & eyes. As I always say, REAL eating should be an experience of all the senses (even if its just lunch in front of the TV!). --- Mindful eating (let's leave this for a latter post)

I am very much inspired by the book-Japanese Women Don't Get Old or Fat-Delicious slimming and anti-ageing secrets (Naomi Moriyama). It has easy to follow economical recipes, strategies, arguments for Japanese home cooking as opposed to Western-style eating.

Japanese cooking ingredients can be pricey. Just take a glance at the various soy-sauces for sushi, gyoza, soba, udon & shabu-shabu. It's usually above RM10. And what if you use it once only - the rest will be in your pantry until the expiry date! If you look at the ingredients that make up the sauce, they are almost the same, in varying amounts - salt, sugar, soya sauce, mirin & bonito. Noodles are also costly - buckwheat soba, cha soba (even more).. Luckily, demand for Japanese noodles in Malaysia is sustainable, so there is now a factory in JB that produces udon, tofu & fresh soba..etc.

I was at the Jaya Grocer @Jaya33 yesterday and picked up a small packet of fresh udon for RM1.90. So for today's lunch, I cooked up my version of :

UDON in SOUP
1 small pkt fresh udon
3 stalks baby choy sum/sawi (mustard leaves)
1 egg
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
a sprinkle of chilli flakes (from Domino's pizza)

For soup:
3 tablespoon light soy sauce (less salty, the better)
1 tablespoon mirin or Chinese cooking wine (ShaoXing)
1 cup hot water
1 teaspoon light brown sugar
1/2 pkt (3gm pkt) Bonito fish flakes (from Isetan, KLCC)

In a small pot, boil some water. Add udon & cook for a few minutes. Turn off the heat. Use a tong to transfer the noodles on to a soup plate. Turn on the heat again & blanch choy sum. Pour away the water(drain) and arrange vegetables beside the udon.

Use the same pot to simmer the soup ingredients. Adjust to taste. Pour onto the udon. Wash the pot & wipe it dry. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil (not too hot). Add some chopped garlic & fry till slightly brown. Break an egg over it. Keep low heat. Gently break the yolk. Turn over. Cook until egg is just done. Don't over cook. Spoon onto the udon. Sprinkle chilli flakes & remaining packet of bonito flakes.

Easy washing up: 1 pot, 1 tablespoon, 1 teaspoon, 1 pair of tongs, 1 soup plate.

P.S. You would have noticed that the parts of a Japanese dish are cooked separately, then assembled decoratively in a bowl or plate. This, I believe is the philosophy of Japanese cooking (which may be applied to all forms of cooking). Every ingredient has its importance, has its role to play. By spending time to blanch, fry, boil each ingredient separately, one can reflect on LIFE with its various 'tastes' (happy, sweet, bitter, salty...). We all have to go through it but in the end it comes together to make a delicious 'meal' - a life well lived, well spent! Do not forget the spices, the condiments of life - just a dash of fun, a dash of adventure, a handful of experience, a bunch of optimism & enthutiasm; and a tinge of sadness, to remind us how precious life is!! Be MINDFUL of what you do in life, choose wisely each day, each action you take, each word you speak ... Do not be tempted to throw all the ingredients into the soup and hope for the best!

One-pot Lunch - Chinese Drunken Chicken (I did it my way...)

Looking through my piles of recipes for a chicken dish, I realised that all the recipes require tons of added oil, spices, sauces, marinades, etc... which got me thinking - "How then do we get to taste the real chicken?" Many people complain that the chickens nowadays have no taste. So they drench it with sauce, coat it, fry it,... I say STOP!!

Too much and your taste buds will be over-powered. So you need even more, to feel the taste. (Think, added calories, preservatives, cavities). That's probably why, some people automatically pour chillie sauce or soy sauce onto anything they eat. They say it tastes better. I say, "They may just as well eat just the sauce!

CONCEPT : Let's go back to the basics. This is inspired by watching Martha Stewart cook. She often just sprinkles a pinch of salt & pepper to bring out the natural flavour of her the ingredients in her dishes. So for lunch today, I took a quarter chicken (breast & wing part). Trimmed the fat, removed all skin from the neck area, leaving only some skin near the wings. I rubbed some salt & pepper into the chicken and left it while I prepare the ingredients - a few slices of ginger, 6 kei chee (gooseberres) and washed a bunch of baby spinach (don't cut it, leave it long - it's only about 6-8"). I like to add some canned mushroom (I used scallop mushrooms, this time) and some Chinese cooking wine (Shao Hsing Hua Tiao Chiew).

SLOW COOKING : I placed the chicken, skin-side down, in the pot and added a quarter cup of boiled water, kei chee, mushrooms and a tablespoon of cooking wine. Placed the pot on an electric cooker (steamboat pot/ ricecooker / slow cooker) and closed the lid. Slowly cook (simmer) it until the chicken breast (thickest part) is cooked and it will be tender. By cooking slowly with just a little water and a closed lid, it will be more of a steaming process and the chicken will retain much of its flavour!

ADD CARBS : We've got protein from the chicken, sweetness from kei chee, subtle flavour from ginger & wine - so to balance it off, drop a bunch of baby spinach whole into the pot. Cover it and 'steam' it for a few minutes and your DONE! All in ONE POT!

ADD-ON #1 : No patience to wait for the SLOW-COOKING? (watched pot, never boils, they say!).... WELL, ME TOO - So, while waiting, I cut some purple brinjal (eggplant) lengthwise and scored it to better absorb the olive oil. Arrange it in one layer on a 'seasoned' non-stick pan, drizzle some olive oil on each piece and heat the pan on a slow fire. Turn over when one side is slightly grilled. It's done, once the pieces become soft. Be careful not to burn it!

ADD-ON #2 : I had some pineapple paste leftover (from making pineapple tarts) and some milk, so what can I do with them? First thought - pancake?? But that takes time .... (lazy Sunday, lah!) so I created my own "Pineapple Baked Sandwich" !

Make the batter : In to a large bowl, sift 1 cup plain flour with 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda (or just use 1 cup self-raising flour) + 1 cup wholemeal flour (for added fibre and texture) + 1 pinch of salt + 1 pinch of cinnamon powder (if you have). Pour bit by bit, 1 small packet of low fat milk into the centre and slowly stir from the inside out, to get a smooth paste or else it will be lumpy! Break 1 egg into the mixture and stir. Add 25g of butter (melted) and stir. Finally add 10 coarsely pounded/chopped almonds (or any nuts you like).

Prepare baking pan : I used to line pans with tracing paper but I learned an easier way (when I ran out of tracing paper, one day!). Take a paper napkin to wipe the leftover melted butter and use it to grease the baking pan (a 5"x 8" pan). Sprinkle some flour onto the pan and tap it on its sides to spread a thin layer all around. You can pour the excess flour into the batter.




Baking it : Pour half of the batter and bake for 10 mins (180 degrees). Take it out and spread a layer of pineapple paste. Then, pour the balance of the batter and continue to bake another 15-20 mins or until you can smell it! Insert a toothpick into the centre and it it comes out clean, it's done! Take it out and leave for 10 mins to cool and keep its shape. Then use a butter knife to loosen the sides. Place a wire rack over it and invert. Leave to cool completely.

Notes:
Seasoned Pan : After spoiling so many non-stick pans, I finally managed to 'season' a small frying pan which I use solely for omelettes and pan frying. It's been some time ago, so I've forgotten how I managed to 'season' the pan but generally, we should oil a new 'non-stick' pan and leave a layer of oil (don't wash it off!) for sometime. NOW, I remember!! - After cooking an egg omelette in a lot of oil, I covered the pan and forgot about it for a few days! When I poured away the oil, there was a nice smooth layer surrounding the pan. So I heated it and managed to fry another omelette, this time with considerably less oil. So, after that I washed the pan but with only a little diluted detergent, so that it is still slightly oiled. I always cover it when not used.
Pineapple paste: You can buy ready made pineapple paste from the Baking specialty store (or supermarket) or make your own - it's easy but time consuming (stirring)! Grate 3 ripe pineapples, add 2 sticks of cinnamon (kayu manis) and stir in a pot over a slow fire. When almost dry, stir in 2 tablespoons of honey (I like the Cameron Highland Wild Honey) and some golden syrup (if you have) and 1 tablespoon (or according to taste) of brown sugar. Makes two rice bowls. It can be frozen in small containers, for later use.

Sift or whisk? : Sifting flour can be extremely messy!! I tried many type of sieves and finally found one convenient to use. Now, according to Martha Stewart, we can use a whisk instead! Why do we need to sift the flour ?? For making cakes, it is necessary, so that the cake will be light. Sifting dry ingredients together also helps to evenly mix the ingredients. BTW, a whisk can also be used in place of an electric beater to cream butter & sugar together for butter cakes.

25gm of butter : Don't you hate it when the recipe say's XX gm and you have to lug out the weighing scale just to measure one ingredient? Well, some sticks of butter have markings on the back of its wrapper in 50gm sections. That'll help!

Melted butter : How do you melt butter or chocolate ? Traditional way would be to stir it over another pan of hot water - messy! I just put the butter (or choc) in a small metal bowl and put it on top of any heat source - eg. on top of the oven, inside the oven (only a few minutes - must take care) or JUST found this out today ! -> place the little bowl on the cover of the SLOW-COOKING chicken in the pot. This will heat up the metal bowl and the butter within.

Low carb (no-starch) meal : My weekend dinner

Menu : OVEN-ROASTED FISH & GREEN SALAD WITH BALSAMIC DRESSING


PREPARING THE FISH
In the rectagular oven pan, marinate the fish (two fish tails) with a little salt & kunyit (tumeric) powder & curry powder for at least an hour. You can grate some ginger into the marinate, too- making it less fishy. Grating is much easier than cutting & pounding it. (Learned that from Jamie Oliver, the Naked Chef).

Roll the fish slices in a teaspoon of olive oil, if you like (olive oil is considered the 'good' oil). Makes the skin crispier when roasted.

Then arrange the slices top of a layer of sliced big onions & tomato. This is my way of preventing the fish from sticking to the roasting pan (easier to wash, la!) . Some people use aluminium foil but then again I think it is quite wasteful and some have health concerns about the aluminium in it. BTW, I once bought a pack of aluminium foil and opened it. It smelled funny and upon inspection, suffice to say that it was not clean. I suspect the pack left was opened for sometime & someone later re-sealed & sold it! Buyer beware..

Arrange some slices onions on top of the fish too. Then when roasted, it will be crispier and sweet! I roast the fish in my small oven for around 20-30 min on 180 degrees. How do you know if its done? My unconventional way is to use the 'Nose' test. If a delicious smell comes from the oven, then most probably it's cooked! However, if you smell something burning -- oh-oh!

Alternatively, you can also use an oven-toaster but for smaller fish slices. Small ovens, I believe are more energy efficient if you are roasting only 2 slices of fish!

PREPARING THE SALAD
I don't like to use the iceberg lettuce (a common salad veg.) as it practically has no taste. A better tasting veg. would be the baby Romaine (as in the photo), commonly known as 'Yau Mak'. After washing, you must remove as much water from the leaves as possible. There are many ways to do this, the conventional & the wacky!. The normal way would be to just flick each leaf to remove the water (make sure no one's standing beside you, though :)) or you can dab it with a clean kitchen towel (now, don't waste by using paper towels!). Or you can follow, Mr. Bean and put into a sock, hold one end and spin it. There's actually a gadget (which Martha Stewart uses) called the salad spinner.

I just put them in a plastic container, hold the lid over it with a slight gap, then turn the container upside-down and shake the leaves inside. The little gap will allow excess water to flow out! Close the lid tightly and it can keep fresh & crispy for many days.

Tear each leave into 2-3 parts and place in a bowl. For dressing, I just drizzle a little extra virgin oil and some balsamic vinegar and toss. Add a sprinkle of fine salt & black pepper. The black pepper should be freshly ground to have that nice peppery aroma but after having used & broken 2 pepper grinders, I resorted to pounding a bunch of black peppercorns in a mortar and storing it in a small container.

PUTTING IT TOGETHER
Once the fish is cooked, put it on one side of a large dinner plate, add the salad on the side and scoop the onions & tomatoes which should be a well-cooked and juicy & spicy, on to the salad. If it is hot, it will slightly blanch the salad leaves, which is fine if you don't really like raw veg.

Use a knife & fork, and you will have a quick, elegant dinner to enjoy which has protein (fish), carbohydrate & nutrients (veg., onion & tomato) and some fish oil & olive oil.

If you are having one of those 'dinner in front of the TV' nights, then break up the fish and put on top of a plate of salad, top with the onion/tomato gravy. Sprinkle a bit of black pepper to perk up the dish. Then you can eat with one hand while glueing your eyes to the TV!

Washing up : 1 oven tray, 1 bowl, 1 dinner plate, 1 grater, 1 fork & 1 knife.

P.S. Oops, just realised that my salad (on the plate) is made with 'Butterhead' salad leaves instead. Tastes great too and not too expensive.