Category: Sides

Asian Dishes, Chinese, Sides, Singapore

Fried Wonton

7shasha7

I learnt to make these years and years ago. And even though I’ve tried making them with different fillings, I always find myself sticking to this recipe: minced chicken, shredded carrots, light soya sauce, fish sauce, white pepper, minced garlic. Why? Because I never buy water chestnuts to keep in the fridge, and I’m just plain lazy to shell and devein and mince some prawns.

That said, this does not mean that the above recipe is not delicious. Let me tell you for a fact that anything wrapped and fried with a filling inside will taste darn good. What more if you dip them in chilli sauce first. ;p

These wontons were juicy and unlike my family members who like to douse their wontons in chilli sauce, I like mine with sweet thick caramelly soya sauce.

In a bowl, dump all the ingredients and mix well. Wrap filling in ready-made wonton skins. I used the round big kinds and the smaller square ones.
You can wrap them like this if using the round wonton skins.
Fry till crisp. Serve hot.
Salads and Vegetables, Sides

Egg Salad Sandwich

7shasha7

Growing up, my mother loved to pack for me egg sandwiches for recess. Every school excursion without fail, I’ll have these sandwiches for my break. Needless to say, because of this, the very first few things I learnt to make was ‘egg sandwich’. Besides, it’s so easy to make and so tasty.

I learnt to make these using margarine, salt and white pepper.

Then, recently I watched a show on the Food Network and Ina Garten made these egg salad sandwiches for lunch. What amazed me was that she used a food processor to mash up the eggs – all 12 of them. She added mayonnaise and fresh dill.

I used her recipe the next time I made an egg sandwich sans the food processor bit. I used a fork instead. Ha. Also, I didn’t use fresh dill but the dried one. It tasted good.

The egg on top of a bed of lettuce. I'd always top with slices of cucumber.
breakfast, food, Sides

Breakfast Tapas

7shasha7

Here are some ideas for breakfast. I’m a savoury person so very rarely would I make sweet dessert like breakfast e.g. pancakes or muffins. One weekend morning, I had bits of this and that and decided to have a tapas like breakfast. I placed the food on the dining table and you just take what you like. Well, since I didn’t have like a smorgasbord of food, that was like practically everything on the table.

 

Breakfast Tapas Numero Uno: toasted sliced French bread (not in picture); sardines in olive oil; battered mushrooms, cheddar sliced chese; emanthal sliced cheese; low-fat sliced cheese; salad

 

 

Breakfast tapas Numero Dos: leftover honey mustard chicken, edamame beans, egg salad sandwiches

 

Since I love starters so much, I might just want to host a party and serve only appetisers and finger food. Yumz!

Asian Dishes, Salads and Vegetables, Sides

Pacheri Nenas (Pineapple Relish)

7shasha7

I invited my colleagues for the first time to my house for Raya. I cooked, for the first time in my life, Pilav Rice, following loosely a recipe I found in my mother’s Indian Cookbook and the Internet.

Pacheri Nenas can be found at almost every Malay wedding. I love this to bits because it really cuts the richness of the other Malay dishes i.e. the rice, the sambal chicken, the sambal goreng.

Traditionally, one would use fresh pineapples. However, one can also use tinned pineapples. Of course, I used the latter.

In a pan, fry in a little bit of oil, cardamoms, cinnamon sticks, cloves. Add sliced onions. Add a bit of turmeric and chilli powder and then pineapples. Mix well and then add a little bit of sugar and cut red/green chillies. I used chilli padi instead.

Interestingly, the pacheri nenas was a hit with my colleague’s sons. 😀 They ate it with such aplomb that I feel like making again as a gift for the sons during the holidays.

 

Salads and Vegetables, Sides

Crispy Mushrooms

7shasha7

I saw at NTUC one day those cheap packets of shitake mushrooms from China. I know I should really cut down on China-made fresh produce but I love mushrooms and mushrooms are expensive. Anyway, the ones that I saw were small ones instead of the rather large ones in the bag.

Back in the kitchen, I poured equal amounts of plain and rice flour and then mixed with cold water. Then I dumped the mushrooms in and fried them till crisp. And crisp they were. After which, liberally sprinkle salt over. Mmmmm…

Mushrooms sizzlin' in the pan

 

Battered Crispy 'Shrooms. Vrooom!!

 

Ah, who can resist mushrooms, especially when fried crisp. By now, you should know that, due to a lack of patience and maybe skills, I only make easy peasy recipes so anyone can try them! Go ahead, I know you want to try making these lovely morsels of goodness…  😉