Whew! Finally got my password reset to access this blog ~! Been more than 2 years since I could write anything in here.

Ok, so pleased with the recent success with Roast Leg of Lamb at yesterday's xmas party.

So I will share the recipe here now :))

Roast Leg of Lamb (Serves about 16 pax)

Ingredients

a. 2.1 kg of leg of lamb (with bone) . Australian flown lamb from Cold Storage Jelita recommended

Marinade ingredients

a. Salt (about 1 to 2 table spoons......i estimate using my hands so not sure how much....)
b. Ground black pepper (about 2 big dashes)
c. About 20 black peppercorns (whole)
d. 1 big cup of red wine (Wincarnis recommended) about 250ml
e. Grated or sliced ginger (one piece about length of your thumb)
f. 5 cloves of garlic chopped and minced
g. 5 whole fresh button mushrooms (mixed white and brown) finely chopped

Method

Note: Important to defreeze the leg of lamb thoroughly so that the marinade can soak through the whole leg for optimised flavour

a. Make a few deep cuts on both sides of defrozed lamb leg
b. Put into a large roasting tray.
c. Pour marinade over leg, rub all over both sides and into the cuts/grooves
d. Cover with cling wrap and either keep it in fridge or in room air for 1-1.5 hours.

e. Use the rottiserie function in your oven. Skewer securely per instructions.
f. Put an empty roasting pan underneath lamb leg to collect juices.
g. Set oven to 210 degrees celsius and time it to 1 hour.
h. Let lamb roast in oven.

Occasionally check to ensure lamb is not over cooked and it is turning properly.

In the meantime, prepare the roast sauce for lamb.

a. Pour the marinade into a sauce pan
b. Heat on small fire, continuously stirring
c. Ladle 2 ladles of marinade into a separate bowl and add 2 teaspoons of corn flour into it. Stir till smooth and no more lumps.
d. Pour this mixture into the saucepan.
e. heat till it boils then switch fire off to cool.

After the lamb is cooked, collect the juices from the roast pan below, and add to the mixture in the saucepan.
Stir and heat on small fire till it boils. Switch fire off to cool.

Transfer cooked lamb onto big serving plate and garnish as required

Transfer roast gravy from saucepan to a serving container on the side.
Offer mint sauce as alternative to your guests.

Enjoy your masterpiece! Yum!

YUMMY STEAMED WILD/UNPOLISHED RICE with Steamed Threadfin Fish

Unpolished rice, when eaten frequently can reduce cholesterol levels and also help maintain good health.

However, it is not always popular with people as it is bland, harder than white rice and rough to the taste.

The recipe below brings flavour to the rice and is so easy to cook. This should give some hope those who would like to eat unpolished rice but do not like the blandness. I have been trying hard to get my dear hubby to eat unpolished rice and I finally succeeded. He gave his stamp of approval for this recipe! Whoo HOO!

RECIPE (Serves Two)
(Time to Prepare: 10 minutes; Time to Cook: 15 minutes or normal time required to cook steamed rice using a rice cooker)

Ingredients:

Unpolished rice - 1/2 cup
Normal white rice or japanese white rice - 1/4 cup
1 or 2 Ikan Kurau or Threadfin Fillet
1 fresh button mushroom or portobello mushroom sliced into small cubes
half a tomato (sliced into cubes)
2 slices fresh ginger (shredded / sliced into thin strips)
1 table spoon light soya sauce
1/2 table spoon dark soya sauce
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon hua tiao wine (optional)

Instructions:
1. Mix unpolished rice and normal rice and wash till water is clear
2. Add water over the rice. Place palm over rice in water. Water level is right when water just covers the back of palm. (Same amount of water as used for cooking normal white rice)
3. Place the fish fillet on a steamer plate (the plastic type with holes at the bottom which comes with electronic rice cooker).
4. Add the mushrooms, ginger, tomato, soya sauces, pepper and wine over fish
5. Place everything into an electronic rice cooker.
6. Cook the rice as you would normal rice.

The rice would taste quite similar to luo mi fan or lotus leaf glutinous rice and is not bland or hard at all.

Serve the rice hot with the steamed fish dish. ENJOY!

KOREAN GRILLED PORK SCHNITZEL
(Serves 2)

Recommended Source of Ingredients:
Cold Storage Supermarkets. You can get the Korean Red Pepper Paste from larger NTUC supermarkets

Note: Need to buy really thin slices of pork, the schnitzel cut available at Cold Storage is just nice. Otherwise, you need to slice them thinly yourself.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes(excludes marinade standing time);Cooking time:10 minutes.

Ingredients:

1. 1 packet of Pork Schnitzel from Cold Storage or thin pork slices used for Shabu Shabu
2. Lettuce leaves
3. Salsa Sauce / Korean Hot Pepper Paste (Use accordingly. If you don't like it spicy, use the salsa sauce as a substitute)
4. Minced Garlic - 4 tablespoons
5. 2 tablespoons of light soya sauce
6. 3 tablespoons of Wincarnis Wine
7. 2 tablespoons ground black pepper
8. 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
9. 1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)

Method:

1. Marinade pork slices in soya sauce, wine, pepper, olive oil & sesame oil & garlic. Leave to stand for 20 minutes. (If you can do this the night before and leave it in the marinade overnight, the flavour is stronger, better).

2. Heat griller pan. Ensure it is very hot & heat is evenly spread throughout the pan.

3. Lay (one-by-one), the pork slices onto the griller. Lower the fire. Turn over as required till cooked on both sides.

Tip: wait for one side to be cooked before turning over. If you keep turning the pieces over and over again, the meat does not have a nice even , grilled brown colour.

4. Serve with clean fresh lettuce leaves, fresh minced garlic and salsa/hot pepper paste by the side.

Method of Eating

1. Put individual slice of pork onto lettuce leaf, add the salsa/pepper paste, a little minced garlic, wrap together and eat.

2. Go with steamed hot rice.

This dish is low in fat, balanced as it includes vegetables with every bite and is tasty and delicious! Try it!

Cao Yao Ji (Steamed Herbal Chicken) - Serves 4-6 pax
(Not suitable for those with High Blood Pressure)


This is one of Joe's favourites :) . The juices are fantastic for adding onto hot steamed rice.

Preparation time: 10 minutes (excludes cleaning of chicken). Cooking Time: 3 hours (if you're not in a rush; 2hours if you are).

Recommended Source of Ingredients: Neighbourhood Chinese Medical Store to get all the herbs or Fu Hua / 富华 medical halls all around Singapore.

Ingredients:

1. 6 red dates (seedless preferred, less heaty)
2. 1 large chicken (whole & skinned)
3. 8 slices American Ginseng / Xi Yang Shen 西洋参
4. 3 slices Dang Gui 当归
5. 2 tablespoons of 枸杞子
6. 5 pieces of 党参 (small cuts)
7. 6 shitake dried mushrooms (soaked & sliced)
8. 3 slices ginger
9. 1/2 teacup of Shao Xing/Hua Tiao wine (or 3/4 teacup if want more soup).

Note: if heaty, don't use the wine, use same amount of water

10. Add a pinch of salt (optional) for taste

11. 3 slices of 淮山药 / Chinese Yam

Method:

1. Place chicken onto a large piece of aluminium paper cut to size. Fold the sides up to form a big pocket shape.

2. Add all ingredients into the alumnium wrap pocket.

3. Wrap the alumimum pocket fully to ensure no leakage. Ensure paper wrapped at the top is not too thick to allow sufficient steam to get through.

4. Place the wrapped chicken onto a steel steamer plate (to hold juice in case of spillage) & place onto a steamer stand in a large wok or steamer. Fill in water into the wok for steaming.

5. Steam for 2 to 3 hours.

6. Serve hot with steaming hot rice. Serve with some mixed vegetable stir fry or a salad for a well balanced meal. (See my other vegetable stir fry/salad recipes for ideas).

This meal is highly nutritious and is suitable for both young and old, male and female. The combination of ingredients ensures the dish is not over heaty. Chinese yam is good for building appetite, strengthen the spleen and digestive system, gou ji zi is good for eyes, kidneys and liver, dan gui and red dates are good to nourish the blood, and american ginseng is good for improving qi and cools a heaty constituition, it balances the heaty ingredients to ensure the overall dish is not too heaty. Mushrooms are nourishing for blood.

Take this dish at least once a month (good for women when taken one week after end of menses). And for men, at least once a month to recuperate from late nights/stressful worklife.

Juicy Pork Chops! Serves 4

Recommended Source of Ingredients: Cold Storage Supermarket for Air Pork fresh pork chops.

Preparation Time: 10 minutes; Cooking Time: 35 minutes.

Ingredients

1. 6 pieces of pork chops (tenderised with back of chopper knife or meat tenderiser)
2. Light Soy Sauce 2 tablespoons
3. 2 tablespoons Hua Tiao/Shao Xing wine
4. 2 tablespoons of Wincarnis wine
5. 2 shakes of ground black pepper
6. 2 tablespoons of Honey

Method

1. Marinade the pork chops with ingredients 2-6. Leave overnight for stronger flavour.

2. Place each pork chop in aluminium foil and wrap it up into individual pockets. Use a fork to poke some small holes on top of the alumnium foil pocket to allow steam and air to get through and avoid bursting of pocket.

3. Place wrapped pork chops into an oven and grill at high heat for 35 minutes. (Note do not use aluminium foil if using microwave oven).

Serve hot with a salad or with hot steamed rice. Use juices collected in alumnium foil to pour over meat before serving.

Pork Ribs & Lotus Root Soup with Water Cress
(Serves 2)

Preparation Time: 20 minutes; Cooking Time: 60 minutes

Recommended Source of Ingredients: Ingredients best obtained from local wet markets. Fresher. OR can get from Shop & Save.

Ingredients:

1. 6-8 pieces of lean pork ribs (preferably soft bone pork ribs)
2. 1 tablespoon wolfberry fruit (Gou Ji Zi)
3. 1 piece Ba Qi Tian
4. 1/2 Bunch Water Cress (Washed & Cut)
5. 1/3 lotus Root, Sliced thinly.

Marinade

1. 1 Tablespoon light soy sauce
2. 2 shakes of ground black pepper
3. 2 tablespoons of Wincarnis wine
4. 2 slices of fresh ginger

Method

Put pork ribs and marinade in bowl. Mix well and leave for 20 minutes to 30 minutes.

Boil 3 large bowls of water in claypot.

When boiling, put in ginger, lotus root, gou ji zi and ba qi tian and pork ribs into water. Boil for 45 minutes until meat is soft. Scoop oil from soup and discard.

Add water cress and boil for another 15 minutes with low fire.

Let simmer.

Serve hot with hot steamed rice.

* Use claypot to boil soup due to presence of herbal ingredients.

Salmon Cubes Soup (Serves 2)
Recommended Source of Ingredients:
Cold Storage Supermarkets for fresh salmon OR Shop & Save

Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cooking Time: 25 minutes
(Note: Use a claypot to boil soup as soup contains herbal ingredients. Avoid metal pots)

Ingredients

1. 200g fresh salmon cut into big cubes
2. 3 medium sized tomatoes
3. 5 stalks of spinach
4. 4 red dates (big Hebei Red Dates)
5. 4-6 pieces of American Ginseng Slices
6. 3 big pieces of salmon bone (available from fish monger or from supermarkets)
7. 4 pieces of Japanese Dried Shitake Mushrooms (soaked & sliced thinly)
8. 1 sea cucumber (small) cleaned and sliced into small pieces
9. 1 medium sized carrot sliced into large chunks.

Marinade for Salmon
1. Light soy sauced (2 tablespoons)
2. 1 Tablespoon Ground Black Pepper
3. 2 Tablespoons Hua Tiao/Shao Xing Wine

Method

1. Mix marinade ingredients & pour onto salmon cubes. Mix well and leave it to stand for 15 minutes (or overnight if you prepare night before cooking, for stronger flavour)

2. Put 3 large bowls of water to boil. As water boils, add mushrooms, red dates, american ginseng and sea cucumber. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Take out salmon bones.

3. Add salmon cubes and spinach. Let simmer till salmon turns light orange and opaque and spinach a bright dark green. (about 5 -6 minutes cooking time on high heat)

4. Serve steaming hot with steamed white rice.

A Healthy & Nutritious Meal!

Fusion Salad with Grilled Saba Mackeral Fish (Serves 2)

Recommended Shopping Place for Ingredients: Isetan Supermarket @ Shaw Centre, Orchard Road

Preparation Time: ten minutes ; Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients Used:

1. 1/4 packet of Fresh Spinach Leaves (Washed & Ready to Use)
2. 2 large portabello mushrooms (Sliced)
3. 1/3 packet Large Japanese Soya Bean Sprouts (Washed)
4. 1 rice bowl of Dou Miao (Washed)
5. 3 tablespoons of Korean Kimchi
6. 2 Whole Fillet slices of Saba Mackeral Fish
7. 1 large tomato (Washed & Sliced thinly)
8. 1 teaspoon sea salt
9. 2 tablespoons of extra virgin oil (recommended Bertolli Brand)

Salad Preparation:

Use a grilling pan to stir fry the mushrooms (without oil) till fragrant & a little scorched.

Remove the mushrooms and put them into a large salad bowl. Add ingredients 1-5 to the bowl and mix evenly, ensuring that the juice from the kimchi is mixed evenly amongst the salad ingredients.

Grilled Fish Preparation:

Rub a teaspoon of salt on the fish fillet evenly. Add the extra virgin oil and ensure the fish is evenly coated with the oil on both sides. Leave for 5 minutes for the fish to soak up the salt and oil.

Note: For those on a low sodium diet, you can replace the salt with freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Use a grilling pan. Warm the pan till very hot. Place the fish fillets onto the pan and grill till golden brown and cooked. Fish is cooked when flesh easily breaks away. Garnish with sliced fresh tomatoes.

This meal is easy to cook, easy to clean up (uses very little utencils and is not very oily) and is healthy and light on the calories. So ENJOY!

Hi, I'm Sally and "I'm cooking tonite!" records all dinner recipes I create and use to spin up yummy and nutritious meals for my dear hubby, Joe Cool. He's salivating at the moment :))

Good health starts with a good diet. Many people especially cityfolk forgets this very basic principle. The ability to cook well is a great survival skill one should be proud of. There's nothing degrading or sexist about who does the cooking at home. If you can build your family's good health through your ability to cook, then YOU should be proud of that! The traditional role of women being the cooks in the family is not all that bad if you think about it. That's why people of yesteryears have better immunity, it's all because of mama's or grandma's great dishes!

So start cooking and EAT MORE HOME COOK MEALS! It builds health & warmth in a family!And if you are trying your darndest to lose those extra pounds, learning to cook your own tasty yet balanced meals is a first and fundamental step to achieving your goal!

The first recipe in this blog is a fusion salad, inspired by fresh, green sprouts and Korean Kimchi. It's great as an appetizer, good for digestion and definitely makes non-vege lovers start eating more vegetables.

Try it and Enjoy it! I welcome all feedback on my recipes!
Simply email me at sally.kwek@gmail.com

I hope the recipes in this blog will help all busy young working women in Singapore dish out delicious meals for their family and no longer have an excuse to avoid cooking or neglect the basic fundamentals of good health i.e.consuming fresh, non-processed and nutritious meals!

STAY OFF PROCESSED FOOD! COOK and EAT FRESH Stuff! Abide by all things natural!

Let's Cook!