Terriyaki Chicken with Chicken Rice

For the marinade

2 cloves of garlic (pressed)

4 slices of ginger

1 cup of Kikoman soy sauce

1 cup of water

1 cup of sugar (a little less than a full cup)

Mix all of the above until all the sugar dissolves. If you prefer hot you may put in 2 slices and seeded Thai bird chilli.

Marinade Chicken breasts in the above marinade for at least an hour up to overnight. Grill the chicken breast on a grill pan. Slice thinly.

For the Chicken rice

2 cups of rice

1 cube chicken stock

2 slices of ginger

2 crushed garlic

2 cups of water

Rinse the rice and put all the above in a microwavable  container and cook on high heat for 17 minutes.

My Triffle

For the egg custard

1 cup milk

1 egg yolk

1 tablespoon corn starch

a pinch of salt

2 tablespoon sugar

1 teaspoon butter (optional)

Whisk all the above in a pot over medium heat till mixture thickens. Strain through a sieve into a bowl. Then mix in 2 tablespoon of vanilla extract.

Other ingredients

1 can of fruit cocktail

1 can of peach

1 packet of strawberry jello ( jelly mixture ) -prepared as per instruction on the box

pound cake (diced)

Assembly is really up to your own creativity. The objective is to make the layers colourful and attractive.
Place half of the pound cake in a see-through bowl. Pour egg custard over the cake cubes. put in a layer of  fruits and followed by a layer of  jelly. Repeat the layering. and best if there is layer of custard over he very top . Arrange peach slices over the top layer.

Xinjiang style Pulled Noodle

This picture was one which I made earlier using the authentic Xinjiang sauce bought from China on my last trip there. However today I made this dish using a locally available sauce(Thai Chilli sauce - see below)  I found at my neighborhood grocery store. Taste was just as good  but I had forgotten to take a picture of today's noodle. I will make it again soon and try to load a new picture. But here is the recipe.

1/2 stalk medium size (about 1/4 cup)

2 stalks spring onion

1/2 stalk celery

1 cup green vegetables like baby mustard green / brocolli (or you may use asparagus, carrot, young corn or garlic shoots (as in the picture)- the choice of vegetables is really unlimited

1 cube chicken stock

3 tablespoons Thai chili paste (see picture)

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

4 coils of dried pulled noodle (see picture)

4 tablespoon vegetable oil 

1 teaspoon sesame seed oil

1 1/2 cup water

In a saucepan boil 4 cups of water. Put in the dried noodles and simmer until al dente. pour out the hot water and put the noodles in a bowl of ice cold water to stop the cooking process and give the noodles a springy texture. Put aside.

in this picture is the Xinjiang chilly paste I bought from China

In a wok heat up the oils, and put in the leek, celery and  spring onion. Toss until fragrant. Add in the chicken and stir fry for about 5 minutes. Add in the special chilli paste, oyster sauce and chicken stock. Then add in the vegetables and stir fry for a couple of minutes. Add in the water and stir till the sauce thickens a little. Pour over the noodles and serve hot. 

the pulled noodles

the Thai Tee-Pee Chilly Paste available locally

My favorite Apple Bread Pudding with vanilla custard sauce

 5 tablespoon melted butter (unsalted)

1/2 large baguette,cubed

1 cup green apple, peeled and diced

3 tablespoon raisin

2 egg yolk

2 whole eggs

1/3 cup sugar

11/4 cup whipping cream (or coconut cream)

1 cup milk

2 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 F. brush bottom of 9in square pan (or you can use individual molds) with half the melted butter. Toss bread cubes , apple and raisin together with the remaining butter and spoon into baking dish.
In a separate bowl whisk together eggs, egg yolk and sugar. Add in milk , cream, nutmeg and vanilla. Pour over bread and butter mixture, pressing down gently. Let stand for about 15 minutes. Sprinkle top with some sugar. Place the mold in a water bath and bake for about 50 minutes or until the centre of the pudding springs back and golden brown.

Vanilla Custard sauce 

2 eggs

2 tablespoon sugar

1 cup of milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract.

In a sauce pan mix all the above and whisk over  low heat until sauce thickens. Turn off the heat and strain through a strainer for a smooth sauce to be drizzle over the bread pudding.

Masak Lemak Chili padi Pucuk Paku with Prawns

10 big prawns (or you may use 2 crabs quatered)

2 cups pucuk paku ( edible fern shoots : or you may also use topiaca shoots aka pucuk ubi )

3-5 bird chilies

3 shallots

1 inch fresh tumeric root

2 sticks lemon grass -bruised

1 cup evaporated milk

salt 

1 cup thick coconut milk (or you may use 2 cups evaporated milk without the coconut milk)

In a mortar and pestle pound together the bird chillies, shallots and tumeric root. In a sauce pan put in the seafood and the vegetables. Put in the pounded ingredients and pour in the milk and coconut milk, bruised lemon grass and salt. Cook over very low heat stirring often. Simmer until the seafood changes colour and the sauce begins to boil. Serve over hot steamed rice.

3 Taste Sea Bass with Mango salad (Siakap 3 Rasa dengan Kerabu Mangga)

This is my son's favorite dish. This popular Thai dish has a blended taste of hot, sweet and sour. Unlike the normal sweet and sour dish, the sourness in this dish comes from tamarind and young mango instead of tomato. The fish is crispy on the outside but tender on the inside .

1 whole sea bass cleaned ,scored and seasoned with a little white pepper and salt
1 chili pepper finely diced
2 stalk spring onion thinly cut
1/2 cup tamarind water made by soaking 2-3 tablespoon tamarind with 1/2 cup of water
2 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoon palm sugar
1 tablespoon white sugar

For the mango salad

1 cup young mango julienne
2  shallots thinly sliced
1-5 bird chili - cut into thin slices (depending on how hot you like)
1 teaspoon chopped ginger flower (bunga kantan)
2 tablespoon sweet plum sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
fried dried shrimp or cuttlefish (optional)

vegetable oil for deep  frying
1 teaspoon sesame oil

In a bowl mix together chili, shallot, bunga kantan, plum sauce and fish sauce. Toss in the julieene young mango and if you prefer the fried dried shrimp or cuttlefish. Chill in a  refrigerator

oil for deep frying in a wok (make sure it is big enough for the fish and the oil enough for deep frying. The heat must be smoking hot when you put the fish in. Fry on both side . remove and drain off excess oil. set aside

In a wok  heat 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 2 tablespoon vegetable oil. Put in the finely diced red chili and spring onion. Stir until for 20 seconds. add in the tamarind -water mixture, fish sauce and the sugars. Bring to boil and slightly reduce the sauce . Sauce will be slightly thickened. Pour over the fish . Top the fish with the mango salad and garnish with julienne spring onion , red chili peppers and some mint or basil sprig .

Grilled Tomato and Mozarella Cheese Sandwich

2 slices of white bread
2 oz grated mozarella cheese
4 slices of tomatoes
1/2 cup plain flour 
fresh chopped parsley
1 egg -beaten
2 tablespoon butter for frying

Cut each slice of bread into 2. On one piece put grated cheese and sprinkle some parsley over Finally put 2 slices of tomatoes. Put a little of the beaten egg around the bottom slice to seal the two slices together. Dip the sandwich in plain flour making sure whole sandwich is covered. The flour will make the sandwich crispy. Finally dip in the beaten egg . In a frying pan, melt the butter and place the sandwich on the pan. When it turns golden flip to the other side and fry till golden.