The Occasional Cook

Fried Wonton

November 21, 2010March 3, 2021 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.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — 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.

Cakes and Cookies

Easy Sugee Cookies

November 21, 2010 7shasha7

This year, I decided to bake all my cookies – all three of them. Ha ha. Every year, we’d traipse to the other side of the Causeway and buy all our Raya cookies. And every year, I’d throw many of them in the bin. Even when I baked my cookies this year, I still have plenty of leftovers. Nobody really eats cookies nowadays. Singaporeans really are health conscious. ;p

I made sugee cookies because firstly, they’re economical. Secondly, they taste good. Thirdly, they’re white. Or whitish. Why should this be a criteria? Well, I can’t have too many chocolatey cookies on my table – some ‘white’ cookies would be a good mix to my Raya cookie table.

Recipe

1. 2 parts plain flour

2. I part ghee (yes, GHEE!)

3. I part sugar

Use the container that comes with the ghee as a unit of measurement.

The mixture must be soft but easy enough to roll into balls.

I forgot to take an after picture but just imagine them a little browner. Some were of course too brown (that went straight into the bin). After that, I sprinkled the little rounds with powdered sugar. Easiest cookies in the world. I’ll never make them again (too fattening 😦 )

Poultry

Roast Chicken with Garlic Salt, Rosemary and Lemon

November 21, 2010November 21, 2010 7shasha7

The recipe for this chicken dish are:

Chicken, Garlic Salt, Rosemary and Lemon.

OK, and a sprinkling of black pepper. What makes this dish so lovely is the fresh rosemary. Mmmm…

Oh, and of course, olive oil. I threw in my garlic bulbs, just so I could suck on the roasted garlic. And don’t forget the olive oil. I also laced the chicken with Turkey bacon strips. That got gobbled up first (pun intended), especially The Girl, who was fighting to get my piece.

IMG00334-20101121-1258 — The smell emanating from the chicken was so savoury good, I could almost just stand there all day, just smelling.

IMG00344-20101121-1455 — I served this on a bed of turmeric-infused rice.

IMG00343-20101121-1455 — And a side of romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes and a large sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.

Bread and Batter, Desserts

Cinnamon Rolls

November 21, 2010November 21, 2010 7shasha7

It took me two tries to get this recipe right. Just go to this weblink and drool.

Just a note. Follow the recipe very closely but use common sense. When it is time to roll, if the dough is still very wet and sticky and you’re torn to follow the recipe or use your head, I suggest you use your head. Go ahead and add in more flour to the mixture till you get the right consistency to roll the dough out.

Because one recipe makes many many rolls, you can afford to make two different kinds. The first half of the dough, I added Hershey’s choc chips and roasted almonds. The second one, I left it plain.

Baking them in the aluminium pans is, I believe, crucial too. It makes the centre of the rolls soft and moist, with only the tops crispy and browned. I didn’t make the frosting, though. Too sweet for my liking. Enough said. Look and drool.

IMG00331-20101121-1210 — Resting in the pan for 30 min before going into the oven.

IMG00330-20101121-1143 — Choc Chip and Roasted Almonds. Make sure you roast your almonds first.

IMG00332-20101121-1238 — Cinnamon Rolls!

Salads and Vegetables

Baby Xiao Bai Cai in Oyster Sauce

November 14, 2010November 14, 2010 7shasha7

I love my greens. I never realised how much I love them until I had to go to Chennai with my school a couple of years ago. ;p

This is one vegetable that the whole family loves, including The Little Girl. And of course, dead easy to make. Simple and fuss-free, my modus operandi in the kitchen.