Home-Style Fried Rice Vermicelli

A one-dish regular and I am sure to have it once in a while during my visit back in Singapore. This is simple home-style fried bee hoon (rice vermicelli) cooked with shrimps, chicken (or pork), garlic, carrot, cabbage. Though "fried", the dish is actually moist and wet. Moist but not mushy. Wet but no gravy.


With the ingredients, seasonings and the derived broth, the rice vermicelli was lightly simmered within, to cook. This low-medium heat simmering allows flavors to develop and renders it moist and flavorful as the rice vermicelli absorbs the savory elements while simmering.

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Indian (Japanese Infused) Chicken Curry - don't be confused!

Without a thickening agent such as coconut milk, yogurt, heavy cream or any kind of thickening flour, curries may turn out the undesired consistency of being "watery". I made Indian curry the other day and wanted to share this nifty trick of alternatively thickening (and sweetening) the curry. Cooking Tip: Add a tiny piece of Japanese curry-cube (Japanese instant roux-based curry)! YESsss! Indian (Japanese Infused) Chicken Curry - don't be confused!

Usually, I will add tomatoes to my homemade curry (that is what makes some Indian curries so tasty!) to level up the depth in flavors and tinge of sweetness. But today, I am using Japanese instant curry-cube (Japanese curry tends to be sweeter; and store-bought Japanese curry-cube usually comes with some kind of thickening agent in it)!

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Gifts for Coffee Lovers and my coffee routine

Are you a coffee drinker? I am. I drink it every morning - black, with some whole milk added. That is how I like it. It is instant coffee though. This is the coffee regime in my home. Instant coffee during the weekdays and slow-brewed French press coffee during the weekends. Well, we can only afford those few extra precious minutes over the weekend.

We have been using French press (the Bodum Coffee Press) to brew our coffee for a while now. Also known as the plunge pot, the French press is not expensive to own, does not need much counter-top space when in use, portable and easy to store, wash or clean up. Plus, it brews good coffee, in our opinion. But, we are no coffee connoisseurs.

A good brew to us, means, starting with good quality coffee beans. We usually stick to whole coffee beans - light roast (organic and fair trade if budget permits) and grind them pronto using Black and Decker Electric Coffee Grinder (with French press grind selection available on the grinder dial) when brewing starts. With such burr mill grinding, uniform grinding is obtained while preserving the delicate natural oils of the beans.

What is your idea of good coffee, or do you even drink coffee?

Green Tea Red Miso Soup - 绿茶红味增汤

Red Miso Soup for the wintery days? In preparation for the cold blast of rain ahead? That's not the point. It is about Green Tea. Huh? WHAAaat? *rub eyes*


As green tea (not water) was used to make this red miso soup.


If you use a tea infuser to brew your tea, how many times do you use that same tea leaves... for brewing cups after cups?

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Hulled Barley, Pearl Barley, Soup Recipes

Like how I grew up eating white rice, I was also more familiar with pearl barley in a barley drink anytime, when I was younger.

Pearl Barley

For the past one year, white grain has been "out" of my pantry as I made my choice on brown rice to be the rice staple. Ever since I tried, love and accepted other grains/seeds such as quinoa and millet, I have also gradually used (and eaten) less and less rice as I have so many other choices! (I still have my steamed white rice when I dine out, or even when I need to cook with white rice for the characteristic texture and taste, I buy them from the bulk section at Whole Foods Market - buy the quantity I need - no wastage!)

Hulled Barley

It is only recent that I tried hulled barley. The fact is, I don't cook with barley as often as I should have. So it took me a while to experiment with barley and discover the better barley - Hulled Barley.

To Soak or Not to Soak ? 
Pearl barley vs Hulled barley, analogous to White Rice vs Brown Rice. One has most of the nutrients stripped while the other maintains its good nutrition due to minimal processing when the grain is harvested. Different from pearl barley which you can use without prior soaking, hulled barley cooks faster and better after it is soaked. The recommendation is to soak them overnight. But fact is, what happens when you decided not to use it the next day?

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Vegetarian Tofu Stew

Apologies for the unappealing-looking dish. I cooked this in the midst of clearing out the fridge the other day. I was also in need of a one-dish dinner that stays light (yet nutritious) because we had too much for lunch buffet. So, dinner was a simple tofu stew-like soup, in which the tofu - the protein, double-up as the "carbs" (adds bulk and substance)

Tofu stews are typically cooked with poultry/meat (chicken, pork) as the latter will be the main flavor ingredient (vs the bland tofu). However, today I will execute the VEGETARIAN version without losing good natural flavors. One of the secret ingredients I am using, needs no further introduction. Cooking Tip: My favorite secret weapon - tomatoes. And if you are looking for a clearer broth (like the above) with the addition of tomatoes, the trick is this: (1) Don't use a lot (half a tomato, cut into wedges will do, and don't mash them too much while cooking); (2) Don't add them too early.

White is in fact a color. And white foods can be good too. Think Garlic.Onion. Daikon. Cabbage. Napa Cabbage. Tofu. Nutritious, aren't they? What other WHITE food can you think of ?

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Egg Congee with Peas and Roasted Peanuts

We have heard that when you have a bowl of thick smooth silky Cantonese congee, it is made from a variety of rice - glutinous, "broken" rice (碎米), etc.; or selecting a starchy grain such as short-grain (Source: Food-4tots' Superfast Congee). The characteristics of each type of grain renders (make or break) the texture of that congee. So here, my Millet Congee with Egg and Sweet Peas (cooked all in a pot!), then garnished with roasted peanuts!

I classify millet as a grain/seed which easily breaks down to gruel-like consistency. Without overnight soaking of the grain/seed AND in less than 30 minutes, we have a simple and nutritious carbs. of the day. Oh, should be 2-in-1 protein-and-carbs-of-the day! Breakfast, lunch or dinner - they all work for me!

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Gobi Manchurian, Sweet Sour Cauliflower

I have shown you roasted cauliflower and cauliflower potato curry previously and I am inspired to show you MORE. More cauliflower dishes. How about Gobi Manchurian (an Indian-Chinese dish)?


The two key steps: Crispy-crusted cauliflower AND a sweet-sour-spicy sauce!

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New vegetables, grains/seeds, seafood

If there is one aspect I need to be thankful to my food blog, it is the opportunity to try alternative (good) ingredients: a knowledge into natural wholesome food ingredients that I also wish to share with you. Throughout these years, especially since last year, this food blog has spun adventure in me at trying new ingredients; and in which my cooking morphed into one that emphasizes on whole foods, and minimal cooking, especially catering to those who desire to eat nutritious, healthy without sacrificing taste and without kicking up too much fuss in the kitchen. Some of the food ingredients were my first and subsequently turned out as regulars in my kitchen. Some of them are:

Kale - added to the repertoire of good greens such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts


Spaghetti Squash - included in the family of squashes such as butternut squash, acorn and pumpkin

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Healthy Tasty Dim Sum Alternatives

Healthy Dim Sum for you and me! How about some Glutinous Rice in "Lotus Leaf" (糯米鸡 Nuo Mi Ji in Mandarin; also named Loh Mai Kai) using Black Glutinous Rice?

Healthy Alternative: Use black glutinous rice instead of the normal cream-colored glutinous rice. For the same calories, black glutinous rice is certainly more nutrient-dense. Where to buy: Organic Black Glutinous Rice (Organic Black Sweet Sticky Rice) - 1 Lb

Pre-fry the seasoned chicken and mushrooms with minced garlic, then steam with pre-cooked black glutinous rice in the steamer.


And healthy Dim Sum Chicken Siu Mai with Ground Chicken and Spinach?

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Collard Greens Stir-Fry with Cabbage and Carrot

Ventured out to Collard Greens only recently, after dealing with kale (recipes include Stir-Fry Kale, Kale Pasta, Kale and Potato Soup and even Kale Ice Popsicles!) a couple of times.

So, what can I do with collard greens? Chinese home-cooking is my comfort zone, so I fall back to stir-fry, in this first attempt on collard greens. At home, I don't control a high-heat wok like in a professional kitchen, thus I am usually into low-medium-temperature cooking, to minimize the destruction of nutrition faced in the process of high-heat cooking. There are also a couple of techniques used in food prep. to ensure even cooking of the ingredients especially for winter greens such as kale and collard greens.

Stems and leaves separated, is the way to go. Rather, thin shreds of stems and leaves, separated. Cooking Tip: Fry the stems first and when they are half-cooked, add the leaves, then cook the entire dish to completion.

I have not tried the Southern way of cooking collard greens, though I have seen it quite often on TV. To me, it just seems OVERCOOKED. Maybe it tastes good? I don't know. But (1) I do not like my greens turning yellow. And (2) I do not like it overcooked. Or perhaps, I am too used to the Asia way of home-style cooking. Here, my collard greens in a home-style stir-fry with cabbage, carrots, mushrooms and a little spices: Stir-Fry Collards with Cabbage and Carrot

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Are chocolate gifts dated and old-fashioned?

With Valentine's Day just a week away, have you got the perfect gift for your loved ones? We don't celebrate this day, so I am saved from the headache of buying the perfect gift, or rather the "correct" gift. Do you think chocolate gifts are dated? Uncreative? Old-fashioned? Personally, I think flowers are worse. I said "personally". So, it really depends on the receiver. Some of them love flowers while I prefer (dark) chocolates. I will not say "no".

I like that you can hand-pick your own chocolates as a custom gift : a custom boxed chocolates from See's Candies. If you are looking for Valentine's Day Gifts, you can check out See's Candies. They have a variety of gift ideas to cater for the big-hearted (e.g. 2lbs worth of chocolate in the Red Signature Heart or up to 3lbs of Nuts and Chews) and the petite, dainty (e.g. 4 oz. Heart with Assorted Chocolates or 3 oz. Peanut Butter Heart). Though I don't celebrate Valentine's Day, I have a few birthdays of family and friends coming up in the next few months. See's Candies might be one way out since it is easy to shop by holiday, occasion, category and by price.

Fresh Tomatoes and Mushrooms Pasta

This tomato sauce made from a base of garlic, onions, celery and carrots. Really basic ingredients giving fresh flavors to a tomato sauce made from fresh tomatoes.

The tomato sauce did have some intensification of flavors from the use of aromatics, root vegetables and fresh juicy tomatoes. And because the celery and carrot were diced real tiny and fine, it was not a chore to chew, and render the sauce a subtle chunky consistency.

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Food and Symbolism - Chinese New Year

Today (3 Feb 2001), is the first day of Chinese Lunar New Year. Here's my wish of Health and Happiness to all of you in the year of the Rabbit. We had a casual yet sumptuous six-course dinner at a friend's place last night (the eve of Chinese New Year).

Other than the Roasted Duck that was packed to-go from a nearby Chinese restaurant, the rest were delicious home-cooked fare prepared by my friend. For the Chinese, each dish that is enjoyed during Chinese New Year has symbolism for all things good and positive.

There were three vegetarian dishes (including a soup) and three non-vegetarian dishes (two seafood dishes + one meat dish), which was a nice balance.

百年好合 - Life-long happiness and perfect harmony in the family and hopefully, peace and harmony in the world. A dish of baby bok choy, carrots, mushrooms, and lily bulbs-百合.


万事如意, 如意吉祥 - To have one's wishes. Simple stir-fry of green onions and star-ingredient: soy bean sprouts that resembles the Ruyi 如意 Scepter.


百家乐, 黄金满地 - Happiness in the family, with prosperity and fortune spreading all over. The soup has mainly three different types of mushrooms - shitake, oyster and bunashimeji, and napa cabbage: symbolising coexisting and existing peacefully together. The crepe-like egg are like "gold bars" (fortune) - spreading over the soup

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Organic Chicken Jerky (Bak Kwa) - Make Your Own

To satisfy my craving for one of my favorite Chinese New Year savory goodies, I had to make my own Jerky (肉干, Bak Kwa). I did not realize how easy it was until I tried making it. I did not even have to plan ahead. Bought the only ingredient I need (ground meat) when I was shopping for my weekly groceries in Whole Foods Market. As I was not making a huge batch, I chose good quality Organic Ground Chicken Thigh Meat (from Whole Foods Market) that has some fats in it (perfect!). Who wants some Organic Chicken Jerky (Bak Kwa) ?

Spot on! The seductive irresistible savory and sweet combination inherent in Bak Kwa was definitely prevalent. Most importantly, allow the caramelization to happen, which not only intensifies the sweetness of the marinated jerky, but also imparts some charred flavors - all to come through and balance the natural fresh flavors of organic chicken and savory soy seasoning. Seriously, for once, I never felt any guilt eating Bak Kwa, as I know the source of my ingredients and how I make them healthier without sacrificing taste.

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Spring Cleaning with The Steam Team

The Chinese usually "spring-clean" the house before the Chinese Lunar New Year, to welcome the new year, to welcome Spring. Have you done your "spring-cleaning" yet? We have done ours over the last weekend. Nothing elaborate, covering the minimum essentials such as vacuuming the carpeted floor, cleaning the bathroom and the kitchen.

I dislike carpeted flooring. The vacuuming is tough especially with a heavy vacuum cleaner. I am quite sure that if I have my own house in future, I will have hardwood flooring, which makes cleaning much easier. Fortunately, there are cleaning service providers such as carpet rug and upholstery cleaning services company in Austin with core business of providing carpet cleaning service for over 25 years. Oh yes, the company does chem dry upholstery cleaning as well, so if you can't find the replacement or new upholstery for your furniture such as recliners, sofas etc., you can depend on The Steam Team in Austin of Texas. You can also check out these ceramic tile cleaning tips, that may give a clean fresh restoration to your house. Other services provided by The Steam Team includes air duct cleaning, tile and grout cleaning, drapery cleaning, leather cleaning and even commercial cleaning services.