CRIZ BON APPETITE

When you think about convenience, Pacific West’s products would be the first brand which come into your mind. Pacific West has become a caring household seafood brand name throughout the Asia Pacific Region, Europe, South Africa, New Zealand and the Middle East. In conjunction with the holy month of Ramadan as well as the celebration of Hari Raya Aidil Fitri, the company has launched a “Taste-At-Home” Contest, where you could share your creative Ramadan recipes and stand a chance to win some attractive prizes. The contest would be ongoing from 1 May 2020 until 15 June 2020. Hurry up to submit your entries. Terms and conditions apply.

Just follow the easy steps below and you are on your way to your eligibility for the contest.

With Ramadan as the stated theme, all my creations are of curry based, with herbs and spices packed fresh ingredients to make Sahur, Iftar as well as your festive celebration simple, easy to pep up with some slight twists to impress your family members and guests, with recipes included below too.

Pacific West’s products have always been great for convenience to pep up dishes within the shortest time, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, where Muslims would break fast during Sahur and Iftar~ Here a great dish idea – THAI-STYLE SWEET CHILI FISH COCKTAILS WITH CHOO CHEE CURRY~ 🙂

Pacific West’s products are simple to cook, especially when you have some guests around~ It’s as easy as taking them out from the freezer and right into your frying pan~ However, I would always like to impress my guests with something local, right from Penang~ Thus, here’s my tweaked version of BELACAN PANKO COATED SQUID STRIPS WITH SWEET SAMBAL TUMIS DIP~ They could be rather addictive too~ 🙂

As a Penangite, I always appreciate the Nyonya/Peranakan heritage by trying to keep its cuisine alive~ However, time has changed and everyone barely has much time in the kitchen~ Thus, I’ve created something fast and tasty with one of Pacific West’s convenient products~ Now I wished I had cooked more~ 😛 Here’s my TEMPURA PRAWNS IN NYONYA-STYLE CREAMY CURRY WITH WILD BETEL LEAVES~ 🙂

Do check out the latest products by Pacific West at your nearest supermarkets.

#TasteAtHome #PacificWest #PacificWestMY

Pacific West is no longer a new name in the F&B industry as well as in many households throughout the Asia Pacific Region, Europe, South Africa, New Zealand and the Middle East. Since its inception in Australia in 1995, Pacific West has evolved over time to become a caring household seafood brand name which exudes friendliness and warmth. It evokes a vibrant calibration that gels well with the cosmopolitan lifestyle of the people who enjoy good food and good health.

In conjunction with new improved Cheezy Fish Fillets launched, Pacific West is in collaboration with Holiday Tours & Travel Sdn. Bhd. (Penang Office) to bring you the ‘Win Your Dream Holiday’ contest from 15th November 2017 until 15th January 2018. Stand a chance to experience the riverside capital of Western Australia, Perth (4D3N for 2 pax) or the famed island of the gods, Bali (4D3N for 2 pax) by purchasing a minimum of any one (1) Pacific West product in one receipt from any of the participating outlet in Malaysia within the contest period stated above. Joining the contest is easy as you could either fill up a form available at the outlets and send via Pos Malaysia or Whatsapp to +6013-601 9224 with all the necessary details stated in the poster below.

Pacific West Products can be real versatile if you just put on your thinking cap and think out-of-the-box or you could merely just fry them and enjoy with your family members and friends, especially during this coming festive seasons. Let’s me show you some simple preparations which you could use to impress your family members or guests. I’ll be using the newly formulated Cheezy Fish Fillets, natural white flaky fish fillet, topped with a mixture of premium Mozarella and Nacho cheese and coated with a crispy Japanese breadcrumbs, thus giving the product a unique aroma and taste for consumers.

You can check out the recipe below:

Other products usages might be as shown below:

Product: Pacific West Oven Baked Fish Fillets
Item Created: Cheezy Oven Baked Fish Puff

Product: Pacific West Calamari Rings
Item Created: Deep Fried Calamari Ring with Thai Style Mango Pomelo Salad on Cheezy Toast

Product: Pacific West Cheezy Fish Fillets/Pacific West Tempura Fish/etc
Item Created: Deep Fried Cheezy Fish Fillets with Wasabi Mayo on Greens with Sesame Dressing

#PacificWestMy #PWDreamHoliday

As a consumer, we have to be aware on whatever we put onto our plate. However, most people tend to take their food for granted without knowing the source behind each ingredient and how beneficial it is to our health. One such ingredient is the potatoes. Potatoes are the third most important food crop in the world, just after rice and wheat and the leading vegetable crop in the United States. They are also grown in over 125 countries in the world at different sea level, from lowlands to highlands. Many consumers, especially those calorie-sensitive ones had always deemed potatoes as the main culprit behind their failed diet plans. Controversially, potatoes are healthy to consume but it’s the cooking methods and ingredients used that matter most. To clear the myths behind the consumption of potatoes, Potatoes USA (formerly known as US Potato Board) had recently on 26 August 2017, launched an awareness program at The Wembley, Penang, to highlight the nutrients found in potatoes with hands-on live shows on cooking potatoes in healthy ways. Guests speakers included Mr. William Tan, Marcom Manager of Penang Chef Association, Mr. Richard Lieu, Trade Promotions Director of US Potatoes, Ms. Khoo An Jo, practicing dietitian from a leading hospital and none other than our Celebrity Chef of the Day, Chef Audee Cheah, President of Penang Chef Association. It was an enjoyable, fun-filled and knowledgeable program for many bloggers and guests.

There are actually 5 categories of US Potatoes products offered, namely Fresh/Table-stock Potatoes (Russet Potatoes, White Potatoes, Round Red Potatoes, Yellow Flesh Potatoes, Blue Purple Potatoes, Fingerling Potatoes & Petite Potatoes), Frozen Potatoes (Whole Frozen Baked Potatoes, Frozen Half Shells, Frozen Wedges, Frozen Mashed Potatoes, Individually Quick Frozen aka IQF Shreds, IQF Dices, Frozen Straight Cut Fries, Frozen Crinkle Cut Fries, Loop/Curly Fries, Lattice/Basket Weave Cuts, Tater Drums & IQF Hash Brown Patties), Chipping Potatoes (There are 15 US chip-stock varieties available throughout the year for your potato chip products’ needs), Dehydrated Potatoes (Standard Flakes, Low Peel/Low Leech Potato Flakes, Standard Granules, Mashed Potatoes Mixes, Slices/Dices/Shreds, Granular & Fine Flour) and Seed Potatoes (All seed that is exported also meets U.S. seed potato export standards established by the United States Department of Agriculture). You can see some of the samples and brands as displayed on the table here. These ingredients can be easily bought off the shelves of major retail stores throughout Malaysia. To find out more, do check out the Potatoes USA website.

After a short introductory message by Mr. William Tan, a welcoming message by Mr. Richard Lieu, and a short presentation by Ms. Khoo An Jo on the myths and nutritional benefits of potatoes where we finally found out that potatoes contribute key nutrients to our diet, in which included Vitamin C, potassium and dietary fiber. In fact, potatoes have a more favorable overall nutrient-to-price ratio than many other vegetables and are an important staple worldwide. We then adjourned to watch the live cooking demonstration by Chef Audee Cheah. Some of the bloggers were chosen to participate in the cooking as well.

Chef Audee Cheah churned out 4 simple and incredible dishes for us to try out, namely U.S. Potatoes and Prawn Kerabu, Curry Chicken Stuff U.S. Potatoes, Kimchi Seaweed U.S. Lattice Cut Fries and Chili Flavoured U.S. Potatoes Wedges in Lettuce Cups. We also had the opportunity to try out some of the potato products pepped up by the hotel, together with some beautifully concocted dipping sauces.

You can click to view or download the recipes below.

On top of that, I also managed to pep up a recipe by using US Russet potatoes. It’s Spicy Tamarind Russet Potatoes with Whitebaits. It can be real addictive. You can also download the recipe below.

It was indeed a great experience for all the attendees. Not only did they gain more knowledge in the awareness program, everyone went home with some Russet potato samples and gift pack. Thank you Potatoes USA for a great evening~ 🙂

About Potatoes USA: Potatoes USA is the marketing organization for the 2,500 commercial potato growers operating in the United States. The organization promotes five main potato products, namely fresh table-stock potatoes, fresh chipping potatoes, seed potatoes, frozen potato products and dehydrated potato products. They do not directly sell potatoes and potato products but offers services that help their customers all around the world to increase demand for potatoes. Potatoes USA has invested heavily in marketing and product management research to bring you information that grows your business.

GARTIEN@小田佳園, Penang’s foremost pineapple cake manufacturer, has recently launched their limited edition of Seasonal Crystal Pineapple Confiture, retailed at RM16.80 per bottle. It’s basically chopped up pineapple slices, slowly stewed under pasteurized conditions with minimal added sugar, combined with a mild touch of lemon zest. The differences between confiture and jam is that confiture contains more fruits and is normally prepared using a whole or chopped up piece of fruits while jam is normally mashed up and cooked until a puree like consistency. Gartien’s Seasonal Crystal Pineapple Confiture is almost near the natural flavors of pineapple with just the right amount of sweetness to make it the perfect, convenient and versatile ingredient to complement with many sweet and savory dishes.

Before I show you how versatile this confiture is with my own creations, let me show you the many ways you can get your hands on the product. Firstly, you can purchase a bottle off the counter. However, please take note that the crystal pineapple species is seasonal, thus the supplies are quite limited. Secondly, you can try to win yourself a bottle by joining in the simple requirements as listed below.

The Gartien Crossover Partners are:

Name: ZI ZAI RESTAURANT (自在飯店)
Address: 1239-G, Ground Floor, Jalan Paya Terubong, 11600 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +604-826 5173
Business Hours: 5.30pm – 10.30pm (Closed Tuesday)
GPS: 5.387212, 100.274013
FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/zizairestaurant
Seasonal Dish Promotion: CRYSTAL PINEAPPLE SWEET & SOUR PORK (RM12)
Other recommended dishes: Poon Choi, Salted Fish Steamed Minced Pork, Sambal Lala, Braised Hammock, Belacan Chicken and more.

Name: KAI CURRY BAR
Address: 15, Jalan Phuah Hin Leong (Off Jalan Burma), 10050 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +604-226 0322
Business Hours: 11.00am-3.00pm, 6.00pm-9.00pm (Closed Sunday & Monday)
GPS: 5.423637, 100.322570
FB Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kai-Curry-Bar-15-Jalan-Phuah-Hin-Leong-Off-Jalan-Burma-Penang/1513938712195108 and http://www.facebook.com/UmaiKitchen
Seasonal Dish Promotion: CRYSTAL PINEAPPLE JAPANESE CURRY RICE (RM18.90)
Other recommended dishes: There will be options for pork, chicken, fish and hamburg on rice/udon with either pork gravy or vegetarian gravy.

Name: 43 CAFE
Address: 43, Jalan Sungai Dua, 11700 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +6016-430 7009
Business Hours: 5.00pm-10.00pm (Daily)
GPS: 5.353265, 100.303813
FB Page: http://www.facebook.com/43Cafe
Seasonal Dish Promotion: CRYSTAL PINEAPPLE TOPPING ON HOMEMADE ICE CREAM (RM9)
Other recommended dishes: Dry-aged Pork Belly, Dry-aged Pork Steak, Sous-vide Chicken, Pork Satay, Egg Pecah and a wide selection of homemade alcoholic & non-alcoholic ice cream.

Name: SOUL CAFE
Address: 12, Jalan Kek Chuan, 10400 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: +6016-430 7009
Business Hours: 11.00am-11.00pm (Closed Sunday)
GPS: 5.415079, 100.324503
FB Page: https://www.facebook.com/yourSoulCafe
Seasonal Dish Promotion: ANANAS PUNCH (RM11)
Other recommended dishes: Linguine al Vongole Pesto, Spaghetti al Amatriciana, Chicken Roulade with Aioli Sauce, Salmon Steak with Mustard Tarragon Sauce, Gula Melaka Cheese Cake and more.

Since I have some of the Gartien’s Seasonal Crystal Pineapple Confiture around, I created some healthy recipes out of the product and the end products were excellent.

The first creation was Prawn & Meat Ball with Crystal Pineapple Salsa. The prawn and meat ball had a little marinate of soy sauce, sesame oil, pepper, sugar, corn starch with lots of chopped onions. The inner part was moist and juicy while the crust had that mild crisp from slow pan searing. The Salsa basically consisted of chopped crystal pineapple confiture, onions, cherry tomatoes, parsley with some light touches of extra virgin olive oil and salt. The whole concoction will be great for tapas parties.

The next creation was the Crystal Pineapple Mint Tuna Yoghurt on Cheese Toast. As for the bread, I had a piece each of round cut and ring cut wholemeal bread with a piece of cheese stuffed in between. These were oven toast for 5 minutes to bind them into a “cup” base. The filling had yoghurt, chopped mint leaves, dry herbs, tuna chunks in olive oil and chopped crystal pineapple all stirred together to get the right balance in flavors. I had some sprinkles of ebiko and sweet paprika to boost up some colors. This would be another great party idea to impress your healthy guests.

Since most of us have been indulging in rich meals most of the time, I had decided to come out with a healthy beverage to help you all in detoxification. LOL~ 😛 I called this drink – Healthy Detox Juice with Crystal Pineapple and it’s full of digestion-boosting enzymes. You can either juice or blend the ingredients. However, I only have a blender in hand, thus I just sieved the end product and pour it into a glass filled with a scoopful of the Gartien’s Seasonal Crystal Pineapple Confiture. Just top up with some ice cubes and you can start enjoying your refreshing drink. The recipe is rather easy as you need to blend in just a green apple, 10 mint leaves, a cup of fresh coconut water, a teaspoon of honey and a mini pinch of salt. Sieve and serve chill.

You can also check out Nicole’s Homemade Delicacies. She came out with a nice Crystal Pineapple Cheese Cake to share with some of us. Nicole is not new in the game of making and baking delicious homemade cakes. Some of her orders include Mango Cake, Belgium Chocolate Cake, Party Cupcakes, Tambun Biscuit, Bak Kua, Bak Hu and so on. Do check out her FaceBook for more information. Please also take not that she’ll also be producing the limited edition of Crystal Pineapple Cheese Cake for the month of May 2015. You can call Nicole Ann Ng at +6012-492 1648 to make your order now~ 🙂

Overall, I personally feel that this is a great add-on product to ease many kitchens. Not only will it save a long period of time in pepping up some confiture for a dish, it also adds some boosting flavors to many dishes. In short, it’s a miraculous creation for just any dish, from meat, poultry, seafood, vegetables to desserts. I have created some recipes here and let’s see what else you can create with this product. So, go grab a bottle or more at Gartien now before the season is over. Lastly, let’s hope Gartien can keep the supplies ongoing by coming out with other pineapple species as well?

Name: GARTIEN @ 小田佳園
Address: 380, Jalan Penang, 10000 Penang, Malaysia.
Contact: 604-229 0068
Website: www.gartien.com
Email: info@gartien.com
FaceBook: www.fb.gartien.com/
Business Hours: 9.00am-6.00pm
GPS: 5.416298, 100.329380

Another recipe that I had created during the recent Fathers’ Day celebration this year was the JAPANESE TOFU WITH SHIMEJI MUSHROOMS & WOLFBERRIES IN AMERICAN GINSENG SAUCE (西洋參枸杞姬菇日本豆腐). It’s such an easy and healthy recipe to storm out within minutes for your family or guests. For vegetarian version, you could always use mushroom sauce and omit the garlic plus the deep fried sole fish powder.

I came out with the idea of creating this healthy dish as it has a lot of medicinal values. Firstly, American Ginseng is can help to slow the absorption of sugar in food and also help the body to cope with stress. Mushrooms on the other hand can have tremendous boosts to your immune system as well as promote dietary management. Wolfberry is believed to be the national treasure of many Asian countries as its medicinal values is so broad, which include anti-disease, anti-aging, anti-fatigue, promote blood circulation, reduce stress and anxiety, promote better vision and more.

Here’s the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
4 pkt Japanese tofu (cut into 6 pcs per packet)
2 pkt shimeji buna/bunapi mushrooms (cut off the roots)
2 tbsp wolfberries (goji berries – wash & drain)
3 tbsp oyster/mushroom sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp American ginseng powder
Salt & pepper to taste
1 tbsp chopped garlic
Oil
Water

GARNISH:
1 tsp deep fried sole fish powder

PREPARATIONS:
1. Heat up some oil and deep fry the Japanese tofu until golden brown. Scoop up and leave aside.
2. Leave about 2 tablespoon of the remaining oil in the wok on low fire and sauté 1/2 tablespoon garlic until golden brown.
3. Add in the shimeji mushroom and sauté for 1-2 minutes. Scoop & leave aside.
4. Heat up 2 tablespoon of oil and sauté 1/2 tablespoon garlic until golden brown.
5. Add in the oyster sauce and sesame oil and about 1/3 cup of hot water. Let it boil. Add salt & pepper to taste.
6. Stir in the shimeji mushrooms, wolfberries and American ginseng powder.
7. Add in the deep fried Japanese tofu.
8. Dish out to serve.
9. Garnish with some deep fried sole fish powder.

(Serve: 3-4)

Here’s the Chinese version as appeared in the Foodsion Magazine June/July 2014 Issue No. 39~ You can click to enlarge it for a clearer view.

YOU CAN CHECK HERE FOR MORE RECIPES.

During the recent Fathers’ Day celebration this year, I was given a task to come out with some recipes which would make Dad’s special day very memorable. Instead of sticking to those “quite norm” to me recipes, I had decided to create my own. Thus, you have the DEEP FRIED TURMERIC CHICKEN WITH JACKFRUITS (菠蘿蜜薑黃炸雞). The dish was a hit as it had some unique fruity flavors from the added jackfruits. Combined with the mildly sweet and sour sauce from my own concoction, it sure boosted up everyone’s appetite.

This recipe is quite versatile as you could always replace the meat with pork chop or beef slices. Moreover, due to the availability of jackfruits in certain countries, there are other alternative fruits to use such as ripe pineapples, young mangoes, green apples, dragon fruits, orange slices, etc.

Here’s the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:
4 pcs chicken thigh meat (500gms – remove bones)
3 jackfruits (cut into strips)
6 cherry tomatoes (halves)
1” young ginger (grate & juice)
1 big onion (slice into semi rings)
1 small green capsicum
5 tbsp all purpose frying flour
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Oil

SAUCES: (mix well in a small bowl)
5 tbsp tomato ketchup
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp corn flour
1/2 tsp sesame oil
4 tbsp water
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Shao Xing wine (or 1/2 tsp brandy/whisky)

GARNISH:
Coriander
Green/Coral Lettuce

PREPARATIONS:
1. Cut the chicken thigh meat into bite pieces.
2. Marinate the chicken meat with ginger juice, one tablespoon light soy sauce, half teaspoon sesame oil, one teaspoon turmeric powder, 5 tablespoon frying flour, pinch of salt & sugar. Add in some water if it’s too dry. Leave aside to marinate for 30-40 minutes.
3. Heat up some oil and deep fry all the marinated chicken meat until golden brown. Scoop and leave on kitchen towel to drain all the excess oil.
4. Leave about 2 tablespoon of the remaining oil in the wok on medium fire. Add in the onions and stir about half a minute.
5. Add in the sauces stated above and simmer for another minute or so.
6. Add in the cherry tomatoes, capsicum and jackfruit strips and stir for about a minute.
7. Put the fire on low and add in the fried chicken pieces. Stir for another two minutes.
8. Dish out to serve.
9. Lace the plate with some lettuce and garnish with some coriander leaves.

(Serve: 3-4)

Here’s the Chinese version as appeared in the Foodsion Magazine June/July 2014 Issue No. 39~ You can click to enlarge it for a clearer view.

YOU CAN CHECK HERE FOR MORE RECIPES.

Everyone knows that a healthy appetite would reflect positive health on a person. What would happen when a person had a reduced or sudden loss of appetite? Most of the time, it might just be the causes of some prescribed medications or even emotional stress. Little do we know that loss of appetite might also be triggered by the presence of soon-to-come infections such as hepatitis, lungs/kidney infections, influenza, liver inflammation, etc. What you need would be a booster to strengthen your body’s immune system by having some brewed homemade soup such as the CHINESE STYLE APPETIZER BOOSTER SOUP (中式開胃湯).

Here are the recipes:

INGREDIENTS:
400g-500g of any white meat ribs (skinless chicken drumsticks would be best)
2 large carrots (remove skin & cut into coarse pieces)
10 Chinese mushrooms (soak & cut into 2-3 pieces)
3-4 cloves garlic (remove skin and slightly smash)
4g Ginseng slices (人參)
4g Polygonatum odoratum (玉竹)
3g Angelica sinensis (當歸)
3g Poria cocos (Tuckahoe/茯苓)
3g Cyperi (香符)
3g Glycyrrhizae (甘草)
1/2 tsp grounded pepper
2L water
Salt & soy sauce to taste

PREPARATIONS:
• Bowl 2L of water in a pot.
• While waiting for the water to boil, wash your ribs with some coarse salt and put them into a bowl. Pour some hot water into the bowl and let the ribs soak for about 5 minutes to get rid of any slimy stuff.
• As the water boils, pour in the ribs and the rest of the ingredients (except carrots).
• Lower the fire and let the soup simmer for 15 minutes.
• Add in the carrots and let the soup simmer for another 30-40 minutes.
• Add in salt and soy sauce to taste.

Note:
1. If you have a pressure cooker, it would be even easier to cook the soup. It would just take about 12 minutes for the soup to be ready.
2. If you are not sure what are the ingredients, just print the recipe and get any Chinese medicine shop people to combine them for you.

(Serve: 4)

YOU CAN CHECK HERE FOR MORE RECIPES.

With such unpredicted hot and wet weather, who won’t get sick? Occasionally, we’ll need something to strengthen our immune system. Little known to the world is a miracle fruit that has been used as far back as the 1st millennium BC. Bael or commonly known as wood apple (Aegle marmelos/Bengal quince/beel/maja/maja batu/stone apple/golden apple/matam/木橘/硬皮橘), is a species of fruit with great medicinal properties, originated from native India but available throughout Southeast Asia. It’s also one of the ten best herbs frequently used in Ayurvedic medicines due to its strong digestive and carminative properties. All parts of the tree are believed to have many health benefits such as the improving digestion, remedy for respiratory infections, scurvy, peptic ulcer, diabetes, fever, chronic inflammation and more.

Well, there are no side effects in consuming this fruit whether it’s fresh or dried. Thus, let me share with you a simple soup that would keep the whole family free from any undesired illness during this period of crazy weather. As the health guru always state, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” Let’s consume this different species of apple instead. Do enjoy this slightly bitter fragrant DRIED WOOD APPLE (BAEL) SOUP. 🙂

Here are the recipes:

INGREDIENTS:
400g-500g of any white meat ribs
5-6 slices dried bael fruit
6 red dates
100g dried longan
2L water
Salt to taste

PREPARATIONS:
• Bowl 2L of water in a pot.
• While waiting for the water to boil, wash your ribs with some coarse salt and put them into a bowl. Pour some hot water into the bowl and let the ribs soak for about 5 minutes to get rid of any slimy stuff.
• As the water boils, pour in the ribs and the rest of the ingredients.
• Lower the fire and let the soup simmer for 40-45 minutes or until the meat on the ribs become tender.
• Add in salt to taste.

Note: If you have a pressure cooker, it would be even easier to cook the soup. It would just take about 15 minutes for the soup to be ready.

(Serve: 4)

YOU CAN CHECK HERE FOR MORE RECIPES.

Chocolate has been the favorite of most ladies and thus it’s a great way to celebrate this Valentine’s Day with a dish not of sweetness but with a twist of savory and spicy delight. Let me share with you this simple concocted savory chocolate sauce that would go with just any meat dish, whether it’s grilled, baked or even batter fried to your preference. As for Valentine’s Day, I would couple the sauce with my baked chicken dish which I would call it as BAKED CHICKEN WITH SAVORY CHOCOLATE SAUCE.

Here are the recipes:

INGREDIENTS:

SAVORY CHOCOLATE SAUCE:
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic (chop & blend)
1 large onion (chop & blend)
1/2 tsp cumin (blend)
1/2 tsp grounded nutmeg (blend)
1/4 tsp grounded cloves (blend)
1 tsp paprika or 1/2 tsp chili powder (blend)
1 can (220g) tomato puree
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tbsp chopped coriander
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
Some sprinkles of grounded black pepper
Water

MEAT:
2 large size chicken drumsticks (about 450g each – remove bones)
1 stalk rosemary
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Dash of Worchester sauce
Pinch of salt & black pepper

SIDE DISHES 1:
1 large potatoes (300g – slice thinly)
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp parsley (chop finely)
Some sprinkles of grounded black pepper

SIDE DISHES 2:
1/2 mango (dice)
4 cherry tomatoes (dice)
1 tbsp parsley (chop finely)
1/2 tsp lemon zest
1 tbsp lemon parsley oil (or a light squeeze of lemon juice and olive oil)
Some sprinkles of grounded black pepper

GARNISHES:
Coriander leaves (whole)
Some cherry tomatoes

PREPARATIONS:
• Marinade the chicken pieces in a sealable plastic bag with all the ingredients above for 2-3 hours in the chiller. Use a fork to poke through the meat evenly for better flavor.
• Remove the chicken from the chiller and let it sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes. Heat the oven at 200°C for 5 minutes and arrange the rack in the middle. Bake the chicken for 40-45 minutes or until the skin has turned golden brown.
• While waiting for the baked chicken, blend the chopped big onion, garlic, cumin, grounded nutmeg and grounded cloves until fine.
• Heat up 2 tablespoon of extra virgin oil and sauté the blended ingredients until fragrant. Pour in the tomato puree and the rest of ingredients and stir thoroughly. Add in some hot water to get your required thickness.
• For Side Dish #1, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a pan and sauté the sliced potatoes until cook. Add in the chopped parsley and some sprinkles grounded black pepper to taste.
• For Side Dish #2, just toss everything in a bowl and keep in the chiller until needed.

(Serve: 2)

YOU CAN CHECK HERE FOR MORE RECIPES.

For those mushroom lovers, you are in luck today as I’m going to share a simple bean curd sheets dish with an assortment of the earthly flavored mushrooms. I call this dish DEEP FRIED BEAN CURD SHEETS WITH ASSORTED MUSHROOMS. The rich in antioxidant mushrooms are low in fat and carbohydrates plus zero cholesterol with high proteins, vitamins, minerals, water and fiber. They contain natural insulin and enzymes which break down the starch and sugar in food. So, it’s surely a healthy dish for all~ 🙂

INGREDIENTS:
10pcs fresh bean curd sheets (tao bor/yuba/腐皮卷 – Each piece cut into 3 pieces. Deep fry until golden brown)
1/2” young ginger (scrape off skin, julienne)
1 palm size wood ear fungus (soak, cut into bite size)
10 medium size Chinese mushrooms (soak, cut into halves)
20 straw mushrooms (cut into halves)
2 packs Shimeji mushrooms (50g x 2, cut off roots, wash well, drain dry)
1 small carrot (remove skin, cut into half and slice into 1/4” thick semi circle, blanch)
5-6 tbsp mushroom sauce/vegetarian oyster sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1tbsp corn flour (dilute in some water)
1 cup vegetable stock
2tbsp vegetable oil
Salt & pepper to taste

OPTIONAL:
Enoki mushrooms
Button mushrooms
Shao Xing wine (1 tsp)
Spring onions (cut into 1” length)

PREPARATIONS:
• Heat up the oil in a wok and sauté the julienned young ginger until fragrant.
• Add in the mushroom sauce and sesame oil. Stir evenly for about 1 minute.
• Add in the vegetable stock and bring to boil.
• Set fire to LOW and add in the wood ear fungus, Chinese mushrooms, straw mushrooms and Shimeji mushroom and simmer for another 5 minutes.
• Add in salt and pepper to taste plus the diluted corn flour to thicken the gravy.
• Pour in the deep fried bean curd sheets and sliced carrots. Stir evenly for about 2-3 minutes.
• Scoop out and serve with hot steaming rice.
• You might want to garnish with some spring onions to bring out the colors.

(Serves: 5-6)

You might wonder what fresh bean curd sheets are? Here’s a photo on this wonderful ingredient.

YOU CAN CHECK HERE FOR MORE RECIPES.