Lemongrass (香茅) is a popular herb used in many Asian cooking, especially for Thai, Vietnamese, Malaysian and Indonesian cuisines. It has a refreshing citrus flavour with a hint of ginger. It blends very well with garlic, chillies and cilantro, hence is widely used in making soup, curries, marinade and stir-fry dishes. It is also used to flavour tea, drinks, baked goods, desserts and pastries. Essential oil extracted from lemongrass is an excellent natural mosquito repellent. The oil is also used for making other non-food related products like candles, perfumes, soap, insecticide, disinfectant, household cleaner and deodorant. Apart from its aromatic scent, lemongrass is known to provide numerous health benefits, such as:

• coping with cold, cough and fever;
• relieving insomnia and stress;
• detoxifying liver, pancreas, kidney, bladder and digestive tract;
• improving digestive system;
• improving blood circulation;
• coping with excessive fats in body;
• dealing with menstrual problems; and
• coping with acne and pimples

Don’t you think lemongrass is such a wondrous herb to be added to our diet?

Lemongrass is an ingredient I always want to try cooking for my family. But, to my disappointment, most of the recipes using lemongrass are spicy, hence not ideal for toddlers. When I chanced upon a Vietnamese lemongrass chicken recipe in Rasa Malaysia’s blog, I loved the simplicity of the recipe. It was easy-to-follow and did not require many ingredients. To make it a more kids-friendly version, I gave the recipe a tweak by substituting the curry powder with both turmeric powder and paprika. (Did I ever mention that turmeric powder is my favourite spice? It is another great spice that has many health benefits too. One example is curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, is known as an anti-inflammatory agent. If you want to learn more about the health benefits of turmeric, please refer to this link . )

When making the caramelized sugar, be sure to watch it closely. Once the sugar is dissolved and begins to darken, it will start to boil very quickly. Don’t panic if your caramelized sugar has hardened after cooling off. There is way to “rescue” it. You just have to reheat the pan slowly to re-liquify the caramelized sugar.

Even with my modified version, the recipe didn’t lose its shine. My family enjoyed it very much as it tasted fabulous!!! When I was stir-frying the dish, my son was so intrigued with the distinctive aroma of lemongrass that filled the kitchen. The lemongrass adds a wonderful fragrant and citrus flavour to the dish. The marinade chicken is richly flavoured by garlic and spices. The taste is also further enhanced by the perfect sweet and salty combination of fish sauce and caramel sauce. It’s really another recommended stir-fry dish that pairs well with steamed warm rice.

>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for Lemongrass Chicken Recipe..…………………………

The Christmas spirit is in the air! Can you feel it? I certainly do. I always enjoy the joyful atmosphere of Christmas even though I don’t celebrate the occasion. Seeing Christmas decorations, listening to Christmas songs and eating Christmas cookies really put me in a jolly holiday mood. With this festive vibe cheering everywhere, it makes me (ie this home chef) feel like cooking less and join in the fun instead. So, what could be better than cooking a simple, hassle-free recipe? One such recipe is the easy-to-make honey balsamic chicken drumsticks.

All it takes is to soak the chicken drumsticks in a spicy-sweet marinade for 20 minutes and then put them into the oven to bake. Easy-peasy, right? Honey, soy sauce and balsamic vinegar complement each other perfectly. With grated ginger and crushed garlic, it packs these drumnettes with flavour as well as adds a lovely glaze and stickiness to them, making this dish really finger-lick’g good!! I regret for not making enough to fill my bosses’ stomaches. Next time, I will definitely double the amount of drumnettes.

One thing worth mentioning about this recipe is that the basting method used which makes the chicken drumsticks extra juicy and succulent. Basting is a technique of brushing, spooning or pouring liquids over food, usually meat and poultry, as it cooks. It will keep the food moist, add colour and flavour of the food you are cooking. You can do basting with any tool you may have in your kitchen ranging from a simple spoon to a baster.

If you still have no idea what to cook for this Christmas, perhaps you can give this fail-proof recipe a try. It’s a yummy finger food for your little ones. Serving it with oven-baked fries and some fresh greens will make it a complete and wholesome meal for the family!

Let’s meet again after Christmas! Wishing you and your family a HAPPY and HEALTHY Christmas!

>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for Honey Balsamic Chicken Drumsticks recipe………………….

Congee or porridge (粥) is not only a staple food among the Chinese community but also one of the first few baby foods recommended for weaning. It is a versatile dish which can be easily prepared and served with added ingredients like fish, chicken, pork or veggies to enhance the flavour and increase its nutritional value. The texture and consistency of the congee is determined by three main factors which are the type of rice used, the rice-water ratio and the time spent in cooking.

My family prefers Cantonese-style porridge which has a smooth and silky texture. It normally requires 1 to 2 hours cooking time to achieve this consistency regardless of what cooking utensil is used. Therefore, I will never cook congee if I need to whip up a quick-fix meal. However, that was before I discovered a new method on how to produce congee with smooth and silky texture in just half an hour. In fact, the rice will turn into congee in merely 15 minutes!! There are no complicated steps involved in my recipe. It’s simple enough for everyone to replicate at home. All you need is to take note of the important pointers that I had listed in my recipe at PAGE 2 to ensure a bowl of silky smooth congee in a short time. Below are a few of them:

• Soak the rice and blend it into fine grain so it will cut down the cooking time by 2-3 times.
• Maintain the same boiling level throughout the entire cooking process to speed up the breaking up process for the rice .
• Use only short grain rice such as Japanese sushi rice as this variety will produce more starch to thicken the congee. Long grain rice such as Thai fragrant rice and Basmathi rice are less starchy and may not yield the same result.

This superfast congee recipe is just my quick version to whip up a Cantonese-style congee. Thus, it may not meet the expectation of those who are looking for a perfect Hong Kong style congee recipe that is served in five-star Chinese restaurant. But, if you have a sudden craving for congee or urgently need to feed your kid’s empty stomach in a very short time (where no other alternative is available), then this recipe is definitely the right solution for you. The suggested servings for this congee are chicken balls with shredded shitake mushrooms. You can find the recipe for chicken balls at PAGE 3.

Other reading reference:

• Cooking porridge by homemade chinese soup
• 太极米浆粥 (for Chinese readers)

>>> Click on PAGE 2 below for How to make superfast congee recipe with step by step photos…………..

>>> Click on PAGE 3 below for Chicken Balls recipe………………………..

The ease to manage and chew makes patties a kids-friendly food. That’s why most kids find food appealing when presented in the form of patties. Patties are suitable to be served as a light meal, during kid’s parties or even to be packed into a kid’s lunchbox. They are also great as picnic food since proper cutleries are not required for eating. I would recommend to include greens when preparing your homemade patties. Not only they come out tastier but also more nutritious for your kids as well. It’s also another fantastic trick to “sneak” veggies into your kid’s diet. 

Corn-in-a-cob is among my favourite veggies that appears frequently on my grocery shopping list. It’s inexpensive and a versatile ingredient to be added for cooking. I love the extra natural sweetness and colour it brings to my dishes. Besides that, corn (or sweetcorns) is packed with wonderful nutrients like thiamin (vitamin B1), pantothenic acid (vitamin B5), folate, dietary fiber, vitamin C, phosphorus and manganese. It is also rich in beta-carotene (a good source of Vitamin A) to protect your child’s body from disease.

Corn is high on fiber so it is not an ideal first puree for babies whose digestive system is still immature. However, for toddlers and older kids,  it makes great finger food.

My hubby and son love eating patties and corn. So, one fine day when I was figuring how to cook my ear of corn, the thought of making patties suddenly popped up. With my personal concoction, I whipped up these chicken and corn patties. I combined minced chicken, corn and a chock-full of vegetable, added seasonings and bound them with egg and breadcrumb. Then I started to cook them batch by batch.  It just took me half an hour from start to finish. They are very easy-to-make, taste delicious and satisfying to eat! Even though it was my first attempt, I had already received rave review from both my hubby and son.

Minced chicken gives the patties a soft and easy-to-chew texture for your toddler’s little teeth. The fresh corns and water chestnut provide the natural sweetness and crunchiness. If served with some dipping sauce, these homemade patties will turn up as a great super fast treat for your kids.

Other patties you may try for your toddlers:
- Pan-fried patties
- Pan-fried prawn and minced meat patties
- Tofu and crabstick patties
- Salmon cakes
- Fish spinach patties
- Zucchini cakes
- Zucchini cakes – revisit

>>>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for Chicken and Corn Patties recipe……….

Beside apples, oranges are the most common imported fruit that my mom usually used to buy for the family when I was a child. But, I disliked oranges then, as more often than not they weren’t sweet but rather sour. I thought I was the only one who had this bias against oranges until I discovered that my hubby also disliked oranges. Maybe, we might also have influenced our son who also didn’t show much interest eating this fruit. So much for parental influence! But, we knew that it’s a good source of vitamin C and need to change our mindset on oranges.

Luckily, I came to know an honest fruit seller at the nearby wet market. He would tell me if the oranges he was selling are sweet or otherwise. Not surprising, freshly cut orange has since become our number one choice as a thirst quencher. Our son, with parental influence and encouragement, has also learned to accept oranges as well. He can eat a few thinly sliced oranges without fuss, which is really a great improvement for him.

Now, getting back to this Middle Eastern inspired pilaf which I bookmarked from my son’s bi-monthly school magazine, I was intrigued by the use of orange zest and orange juice that give the dish a taste of “sunshine”. Infused with the scent of orange, the rice itself is so aromatic and flavourful. The black and golden raisins, as well as almond flakes used in the dish greatly compliment the basmathi rice. We love basmathi rice because of its fluffy and not starchy texture. All said, the combination of ingredients made the rice dish look so eye-pleasing and appetizing! Every time I cooked this orange pilaf, my husband and son would ask for an encore. In fact, I cooked it a couple of times during the recent June school holidays. My son enjoyed this rice dish so much that he didn’t mind to have it for lunch and dinner.

The recipe that you find in page 2 was modified to cater to my family’s taste buds. I substituted ground cinnamon with cinnamon stick, as well as reduced the quantity of cloves and cardamom pods used. I also didn’t crack the cardamom pods. By doing so, the smell and taste of these spices were not too overpowering and more kid-friendly. The addition of chicken meat and green peas made it a perfect one-dish meal for the family too. It can also be packed well into lunch boxes so your kids can have a delicious and healthy meal at school.

>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for orange pilaf recipe ……………

Lately I have tried out many recipes from Annabel Karmel^N1 Family Cookbook magazines (spring and summer editions) in my cooking. I love its wide selection of kid-friendly recipes which are both simple to follow and wholesome. Also, the required ingredients and seasonings are quite basic and easily found in the supermarkets. Besides that, the recipes include many fun and healthy ideas suitable for all ages from babies to adults. From the photos, they look very appetizing!! So far, her recipes haven’t disappointed me. The dishes turned out to be very tasty. More importantly, my family loves them. This led me to bookmark more and more recipes from these two magazines.

If you are interested in Annabel Karmel’s homemade recipes, you can find a number of them in my previous posts such as teriyaki salmon in a parcel, caramel popcorn and power-packed oat bars. Or, you can visit her official website.

N1 Annabel Karmel is an author of books on nutrition and cooking for babies, children and families.

This chicken pie with cheesy mash topping is one recipe from Annabel Karmel Family Cookbook magazine that I tried and found to be Awfully Delicious! My husband thinks that it will be even better if it is served with some gravy to compliment the mashed potatoes which can get a bit dry without it.

I had modified some ingredients and steps in this recipe for the convenience of parents or caregivers who seldom cook Western food. For ingredients, I had substituted leek with celery and opted for dried parsley instead of fresh parsley. Of course, you are free to follow the original recipe if you can find leek and fresh parsley. I find that these substitutions have not affected much the taste of the final dish. As for cooking the chicken breast, I used the boiling method instead of the oven to poach it. This method will suit those who are lazy to use oven (just like me, hehehe!). I included both the original and modified recipes for your reference.

There is only one reservation I have on this recipe. It’s not really a wholesome dish for your toddlers as it uses lots of high calories ingredients such as cheese, butter and milk. But if it is just eaten moderately on an occasional basis, then it will certainly be a great one-dish meal for your family. I’m sure it will put smiles on your toddlers especially your fussy eaters when they see this comforting dish on the dinner table. For those who are bored with Asian food, try this one out for a change!

>>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for Chicken Pie with Cheesy Mash Topping recipe and more photos…………….

 
My daily schedule always goes haywire during my son’s school holidays. It’s no exception for this long year-end holiday. As expected, I hardly can find time to do my photo-shooting and blogging.  My time has been “robbed’ so to speak. Whenever my son spots me using the computer, he will “bug” me like a buzzling bee! No way of escaping from his “radar screen”! HELP! 

At the end of each day, I am totally drained and have to sleep early to get my “batteries” re-charged for yet another day of excitement to come! LOL! That’s why you don’t find me updating my blog as frequent as before ever since the holidays started. Please bear with me for the time being.  

Well, from another point of view, I do enjoy having quality time with him. I will cherish these precious moments when he grows up. Look at the photos! He insisted on performing a show for me playing his ukulele. He may not be able to sing well, but I got great laughs looking at his many funny expressions while capturing his impromptu acts.

 
Coming back to my recipe, I first came to know about hoisin sauce (sweet sauce) when trying out Peking duck dish. Although I like this sauce very much, I have never thought of using it in my cooking until I discovered the “Lee Kum Kee hoisin sauce” in the supermarket. Without much hesitation, I grabbed home a bottle. As I do not yet know how to cook duck, I paired chicken with this sauce instead. After several trial and errors, I came out with this recipe. And, it’s finger lick’g good! Although this recipe is done using “AMC” method, I have included a steaming option for you to try out too.
 

 
If you are looking for a quick-fix meal during your busy weekends schedules, this is a highly recommended dish for your family. It goes well with either rice or dried noodle (干捞面). By serving with some blanched vegetables, it will give your family a wholesome, economical yet satisfying meal.  

>>>> Click on page 2 below for Chicken with hoisin sauce recipe……………..

I brought my laptop with me during my recent holiday break in KL hoping to “squeeze” in some time to update my food blog. In the end, I decided to give my laptop a holiday break too. LOL!

Now that the holiday is over, it’s time to crank up my “engine” again and get back to my daily routine. I seriously MISSED the blogging world and can’t wait to share with you all the great recipes I tried and tested recently.

Today’s recipe is a quick and easy meal that’s great for both lunch and dinner. It’s the first time I paired okra (refer note) (also known as lady fingers) with chicken and tomato sauce. The taste from this combination turned out to be absolutely delicious. This is attested by my son’s fantastic appetite and increased speed in finishing his meal. Both of us cleaned up the whole dish in no time at all. Hahaha!

The tomato sauce used in this recipe is also suitable for cooking other dishes such as scrambled eggs with tomatoes. Its sweet and sour taste also blends well with chicken or fish on its own without having to add vegetables. The sweetness and sourness of this sauce can be adjusted according to your own preference.

As many people (including my hubby) dislike the tasteless, slimy texture of okra, this sauce is perfect for okra. Alternatively, you can also substitute okra with other vegetables like peas, broccoli and brinjal. The other option is to cook okra with chili shrimp paste, but it may not suit your toddlers’ taste bud.

Note:
Okra, besides its valuable nutrients, is a perfect choice for those looking for greens with a longer shelf life. For this reason, I love to stock up okra as I need not worry of it going bad like other perishable vegetables. I would wrap them with a kitchen towel, placed inside a zip lock bag and stored in the fridge in the vegetable compartment. Properly stored, okra can stay fresh for 4-5 days.

>> Click on page 2 below for Okra with tomato sauce recipe………

Asparagus (卢笋）tops my list of premium vegetables. There are two common varieties that I can find in the local market, all imported, from Thailand and Australia respectively. If I were given a choice, I prefer the ones from Australia for its better taste. However, its price can stretch my weekly budget. Hence, I would normally buy them only when they are in season when prices can drop by half. Otherwise, I will opt for the more economical Thai asparagus.

Asparagus is best consumed immediately after purchase. But, there are some suggested tips to maintain its freshness for longer storage from this link.

I introduced asparagus to my son before he turned one and it remains as one of his favourite vegetables ever since. He enjoys eating asparagus even though I just blanched or steamed them.

There are many ways to cook asparagus. For examples: stir-frying, grilling, roasting, steaming etc. Which one is your prefer method? On days when I am in a rush, I like to stir-fry as I can easily combine asparagus with some other ingredients to come up with a one-dish meal just like the recipe I am featuring in this post.

The seasonings used in this recipe are very simple and easily available. They also work well for other Chinese stir-fry dishes too. I always refer to this combination as my basic seasoning in most of my Chinese cooking. So far, it has never disappointed me as all my stir-fried dishes have turned out to be very delicious. For a start, if you are new in Chinese cooking, these seasonings are very useful. Do give it a try!

Fun facts about asparagus:

• Asparagus is sometimes referred to as the “food of kings,” and the “aristocrat” of vegetables. (Too good to be true! I am sure my “Emperor” will like this fact.)
• Cultivation of asparagus began over 2,000 years ago.
• King Louis XIV of France loved Asparagus so much he had special greenhouses built, so he could enjoy the vegetable year-round.
• Asparagus is a nutrient-dense food which in high in folic acid. It is a good source of potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamins A and C, and thiamin.
• Asparagus has no fat, contains no cholesterol and is low in sodium.
• The larger the diameter, the better the quality!
• Edible asparagus comes in three colors – green, purple and white. Green asparagus is the most common variety.
• White asparagus, which is very popular in France, is rarely available in supermarkets. It is grown in the dark so they can’t produce chlorophyll, which gives asparagus its green color.

Other reading references:
-  Asparagus facts
-  Australian Asparagus Council
-  Asparagus – The Food of Kings

Updated on 26 Sept 2009
Below is a wonderful fact contributed by Criz Lai of Criz Bon Appetite:
“Asparagus contain glutathione, which is considered one of the body’s most potent anticarcinogens and antioxidants. In some proven cases, blended boiled asparagus has been used in the Asparagus Diet Therapy for cancer treatment and it had shown positive results.”

>>> Click on page 2 below for Asparagus and chicken stir-fry recipe………………….

It was only in recent years that cordyceps militaris/ chong cao hua (虫草花), a Chinese medicinal herb became increasingly popular among Chinese traditional medicine practitioners, nutritionist, chef, and even homemakers. I was first introduced to it by my mother-in-law recently.

Translated literally into English, it means “worm grass flower”. But it is neither flower nor grass, nor does it resemble a worm. In fact, it is a cultured fungus and has similar medicinal value and chemical composition as cordyceps sinensis (冬虫夏草). However, it may not be of comparable strength to the latter. But then, you only need to pay a fraction of the price for cordyceps sinensis. This is indeed a good news to consumers who can’t afford the expensive cordyceps sinensis.

Cordyceps militaris are neutral in nature (平性) and suitable for everybody in general. It has anti-inflammation (抗炎症）and anti-aging (抗衰老) properties. Apart from that, it can bring relieve for insomnia, strengthen one’s lungs (保肺) and benefit the kidneys (益肾) (N1).

I did a google search and found this simple and healthy soup recipe which uses cordyceps militaris.  The recipe also includes “dang shen” (党参) which can help to reinforce qi (补中益气), invigorate and improve blood circulation (养血) (N2).

I had tried it out and found it to be very delicious. It has a delectable clear taste, with a slight tinge of ginseng feeling on one’s taste buds. But just like any clear-based Chinese chicken herbal soups, it is packed with natural sweetness. My mother-in-law experienced better quality sleeps after consuming it couple of times. 

Since the H1N1 flu is still pervasive in the world, it would be great to get some natural immunity booster for the entire family. Thus, I strongly recommend this nutritious yet affordable soup to everyone.

If you want to know more about cordyceps militaris, read this article.

Sources:
N1: Soups for expelling dampness and heat by Chiu Sang
N2: The World of Nourishing & Fine Soups by Kenny Chen

Adapted and modified: 百度知道

Serve: 4-5

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (about 1 kg) (I used free range chicken/ 甘榜鸡)
12g cordyceps militaris/ chong cao hua (虫草花)
5 sticks dang shen (党参)
2 tbsp wolfberries (杞子)
2 slices of ginger (姜)
12-15 red dates (红枣)
1200-1500 ml water (adjust accordingly)

Seasoning:
Salt to taste

Methods:

1. Remove the chicken skin. Trim the excess fat. Wash and rinse the chicken. Cut into large chunks. Blanch over boiling water. Rinse again and set aside.
2. Rinse dang shen and cut into 2 portions for each stick. Wash and rinse cordyceps militaris. Wash and removed seeds for red dates. Cut ginger into slices. Set aside.
3. Bring water to a boil. Put all ingredients (except for wolfberries) into the pot and bring it to the boil again. Reduce to medium heat for 10 minutes. Then simmer for another 2 hours.
4. Turn off the heat. Season with salt and serve.

I am submitting this recipe to Weekend Herb Blogging #196, which is housed by Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once and hosted this week by Anh of Food Lover’s Journey.