Mie Ayam Jamur (Indonesian Noodle Soup with Chicken and Mushrooms)

This is our family's favorite, especially during winter. This noodle would really be a good brunch idea for anyone. :)


You will need:
1. For chicken and mushrooms stir fry:
- 2 pieces chicken breast with its skin and bones or 4 pieces chicken thighs (w/ skin and bones)
- 1 can straw mushroom.*
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced.
- 1 onion, peeled and chopped finely.
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 tsp worchester sauce
- 1 tsp shaoxing wine or dry sherry
- 1 Tbsp Indonesian sweet soy sauce (Kecap Manis/Ketjap Manis)
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp canola or sunflower oil
- 1/4 tsp white pepper powder

* straw mushrooms can be replaced with the fresh or canned button mushrooms and slice the button mushrooms thinly.

How to make:
a) Remove the skins and bones from the chicken breasts/thighs. Wash and chop the chicken fillet into small cubes.
b) Open the can of straw mushrooms and drain the liquid, then halve the mushrooms.
c) Heat the wok or frying pan and pour the cooking oil and sesame oil. Stir fry the onion and the garlic until the onion is translucent and the garlic fragrant.
d) Add chopped chicken fillet and stir fry until cooked through.
e) Add chopped mushrooms and stir fry, then put the fish sauce, worchester sauce, Kecap Manis, and shaoxing wine/dry sherry and mix well until all chicken and mushrooms are coated with the sauces.
f) Season with white pepper and pinch of salt, then stir well.
g) Once cooked, set aside.

2. For the soup:
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled and minced.
- 6 pieces of asian beef/meatball.
- 1.5 L water
- chicken skin and bones from the breast or thighs that are used on the recipe above
- 1/2 tsp canola or sunflower oil
- 3 bunches of spring onion or a handful of chives, washed and finely chopped.
- salt and white pepper
- cooked noodle for 4 portions
- 1 bunch of choy sum/chai xin, chopped.

How to make:
a) Prepare 4 bowls and put in each bowl: 1/2 tsp cooking oil mixed with 1/4 tsp sesame oil and 1 tsp soy sauce.
b) Divide the cooked noodle into 4 portions and mix the noodle and the oil and soy sauce mixture in each bowl. Garnish each bowl with the chopped choy sum/chai xin. Set aside.
c) Heat a stockpot and pour the cooking oil. Fry the chicken skin until crisp, then discard the skin.
d) Fry the minced garlic until fragrant.
e) Pour the water into stockpot and boil the chicken bones and the meatballs. Skim the bubbles from the broth.
f) Once the water is boiled, turn off the heat and discard the bones, then put the chopped spring onion/ chives into the broth.
g) Season with salt and pepper. Stir well.

How to serve:
a) Put 1-2 Tbsp of the stir-fried chicken and mushrooms into each bowl.
b) Put 2 meatballs into each bowl.
c) Spoon the broth into each bowl with the soup spoon.
d) Serve warm.

Yield 4 servings.

Onigiri (Japanes Rice Balls)

Western people eat sandwich for their lunch, while Japanese eat onigiri. Onigiri is always found in the lunch box of Japanese kids and adults because for the Japanese, a lunch is not complete without onigiri.

Ingredients:

• 350 g uncooked Japanese rice or short grain rice
• 1 ao nori (seaweed) sheet
• 3 sachets (30g) of furikake (Japanese rice seasonings)

Method:

1. Wash the rice and cook it in a saucepan with 400 ml water, cover and bring to the boil before reducing the heat to low and cooking for 10-15 minutes.
2. Turn off the heat and leave without taking off the lid for a further 10 minutes.
3. Cut the ao nori into 8 small squares with scissors.
4. Mix the rice and the furikake together and shape into four small onigiri rice balls by hand, while the rice is still warm.
5. Stick the ao nori square to the both front and back sides of the onigiri.
6. Serve warm with soy sauce.

Note:
* A rice cooker can be used for cooking the onigiri rice. When the rice cooker is used, skip the step 1&2 and cook the rice normally in the rice cooker.
* Furikake can be substituted by cooked minced meat, cooked minced chicken, or cooked fish flakes. You just need to be creative with the mixture of onigiri. ;)

Nachos

When hubby and I feel so hungry and need to eat the food that is quick to make, we always opt for nachos. :) It's so simple, quick and tasty.

Ingredients:

• 1 pack corn tortilla chips (500 g)
• 350 g chunky salsa (home-made or ready made in a jar)
• 400 g minced beef
• 250 ml sour cream
• 1 onion
• 1 can of sweet whole kernel corn (250g)
• 1 Tbsp cooking oil
  
• 250 g grated cheese (cheddar, mozarella or emental).

Method:

1. Pre-heat the oven at 180'C.
2. Peel, wash and chop the onion finely.
3. Heat a frying pan in a medium heat, pour the cooking oil and fry the onion until soft and slightly brown.
4. Put the minced beef into the frying pan and fry it together with the chopped onion until brown and cooked. Turn off the heat and set aside.
5. Combine the chunky salsa, 100 ml sour cream, kernel corns and 150g of grated cheese in a mixing bowl.
   
6. Grease the baking dish/pyrex with a little oil or butter. Put the tortilla chips to cover the bottom of the dish. Layer it with meat mixture and salsa mixture. Then, top with the tortilla chips. Repeat this step until all meat mixture, salsa mixture and tortilla chips are used.
7. Sprinkle the top surface with the rest of the cheese. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes or until the cheese has melted and golden brown.
8. Serve warm with the rest of sour cream.
   

Cheesecake with Glazed Strawberries

This cheesecake is my favourite cheesecake. :) I made this cake to celebrate our 2nd wedding anniversary. Definitely, one slice a day is never enough for hubby. :p

Ingredients:
For the crust:
§ 200g digestive biscuits, crumbed
§ 50g unsalted butter, melted

For the filling:
· 2 packages cream cheese (@ 250g each)
· 100 ml castor sugar
· 1 tbsp vanilla sugar
· 2 eggs
· ½ tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

For the topping:
Ø 250 g strawberries, hulled and sliced
Ø 2 tsp gelatin powder
Ø 250 ml water
Ø ½ tsp icing/dusting sugar

Tools and preparation:

- Preheat oven to 180’C,
- Grease the cheesecake pan or the pyrex/glass pie mould (diameter 23 cm) with a little butter or oil.

Methods:

1) Crust: In a bowl, combine digestive cookie crumbs and melted butter. Press into bottom of pie mold or cheesecake pan and freeze.
2) Filling: In a big bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until very smooth for 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition. Mix in lemon juice and vanilla sugar.
3) Pour over frozen crust, smoothing out to sides of pan. Baked in preheated oven (180'C) until top is light brown and centre has a slight jiggle to it, 45 to 55 minutes. Let cool in a pan on a wire rack for 2 hours. The cake will sink slightly. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before decorating with the topping.
4) Topping: Heat the water in a milk pan over a low heat. When the water is almost boiling, turn off the heat and take the pan out of the stove. Sprinkle the gelatin powder and the icing sugar onto the water and mix well until there’s no lump. Pour the mixture over the chilled cheesecake slowly and top with sliced strawberries. Refrigerate the cheesecake again for 2 hours or until the gelatin is set.

Tips:

- Make sure that the filling ingredients are well beaten. Otherwise, the egg whites and yolks will be separated during baking process.
- Don't let cool the baked cheesecake in the oven to avoid burning or overcooked. Instead, take the baked cheesecake away from the oven immediately and let it cool on a wire rack on the counter.

Spaghetti Bolognese

Spaghetti bolognese is easy to make, yet delicious. :) Who can resist this food, anyway, unless you're a vegetarian or vegan? :p

Ingredients:

· 150g mushrooms (in a can), drain the liquid and diced into tiny cubes
· 1 carrot, diced into tiny cubes
· 1 onion, diced into tiny cubes
· 1 clove of garlic, crushed
· 400g minced beef
· 2 tbsp tomato puree
· 200g crushed tomatoes (in a can or in a carton)
· 125 ml beef stock
· 125 ml red wine
· 1 tsp dried thyme
· 1 tsp dried oregano
· 125 ml single cream
· 3 tbsp butter
· 400g dried spaghetti, boil until al dente and drained
· Salt and pepper

Methods:

1) Heat the frying pan in a medium heat. Melt the butter into the frying pan.
2) Fry the diced onion, diced carrot, crushed garlic and diced mushrooms until tender.
3) Add minced beef into the frying pan and fry until the meat cooked through.
4) Add the crushed tomatoes, tomato puree, meat stock and red wine. Stir until well-blended.
5) Season with dried thyme, dried oregano, salt and pepper.
6) Pour the single cream and mix well. Let the mixture boil without stirring for 15 minutes on a medium heat or until the mixture is thickened.
7) Serve the boiled and drained spaghetti into four plates. Pour the meat sauce on the top of the spaghetti.
8) Serve immediately with grated parmesan cheese on the top of each dish.

Yield 4 serving.

Nabeyaki Udon

Nabeyaki udon is a Japanese noodle soup made of thick buckwheat noodle called Udon. Nabeyaki udon is usually cooked individually in earthenware pots. Since I don't have the that pots, I just cooked it in a dutch oven (soup pan). This noodle soup makes a good accompany when the weather outside is chily.

Ingrediets:

115 g boneless chicken thigh
½ tsp salt
½ tsp sake or dry white wine
½ tsp soy sauce
1 leek
300 g dried udon noodles, boiled and drained

For the soup:

· 1.5 L stock made of instant dashi stock
· 4 ½ tsp soy sauce
· 1 ¼ tsp salt
· 1 tbsp mirin (Japanese sweet cooking rice wine)

Methods:

1) Cut the chicken into small chunks and sprinkle with the salt, sake and soy sauce. Set aside.
2) Cut the leek diagonally into 2 cm slices.
3) Bring the ingredients for the soup to the boil in a saucepan and add the chicken and leek. Skim the broth and then cook for 5 minutes.
4) Divide the boiled and drained udon noodles into four bowls. Pour the soup with chicken and leek into each bowls.
5) Sprinkle each bowl of the noodle soup with shicimi togarashi (Japanese seven flavor spice) before serving. Serve immediately.

Yield 4 serving.

Kimchi Bokkeum Bap (Kimchi Fried Rice)

Kimchi fried rice is the best way to use the left over kimchi. Some people love to eat kimchi with pork, but I love to eat kimchi with chicken. ;) For those who doesn't know what is kimchi, well..kimchi is one of the famous korean dish made of spicy pickled chinese cabbage.

Ingredients:

- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 150 g chicken fillet, chopped
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- 2 plates cooked rice (left over is the best for this dish)
- 2 spring onion, chopped
- 250 g kimchi, coarsely chopped, with its liquid
- Salt to taste

Method:

1) Heat the oil in a wok over high heat. Add the onion and chicken, cook until the onion is browned and the chicken is cooked through.
2) Lower the heat to medium heat, add the sesame oil.

3) Add gochujang and stir until well blended.
4) Add the rice and stir-fry until the whole ingredients are mixed well.
5) Add kimchi with its liquid and the spring onion. Cook for 3 minutes.
6) Add salt to taste.
7) Serve immediately.

Yield: 2 servings