In the past, every Lunar New Year, my mother would surely bake some festive cookies for the family. Being her key assistant cum tester, I had the least interest in making peanut cookies. To-date, I still find them neither tasty nor appealing in looks. Hence, they never make it to my “to-bake” list for Lunar New Year. As they say, never say never. I had a change of heart recently and decided to bake these “dreadful” peanut cookies. Oh!!! Woman, woman, you are a complete mystery in the universe. Professor Stephen Hawking is so right. lol!

But, in fact, I was inspired by my reader, Sandy Goh. Two weeks ago, she shared with me a precious peanut cookie recipe that she had learned from her “master sifu”. What fascinated me is that only four basic ingredients (eg peanuts, flour, sugar and oil) are used, and they are mixed according to a fixed ratio. This ratio works well whether you measure the ingredients in cups or grams. To that, I tweaked the recipe a bit by adding salt and butter. I also used more peanuts and lesser flour. So, what’s the verdict? I am pleased to say that the peanut cookies turned out to be crunchy at the first bite, and then softly crumbled with a melt-in-the mouth texture as soon as they hit your tongue. These cookies were fully packed with the fragrance of both finely grounded and tiny bits of roasted peanuts. The sweetness is just right and well balanced by a hint of salty flavour. Not only my family and friends gave it a thumb up, I also couldn’t resist the temptation to pop these little golden morsels into my mouth, one after another, and another, and……

Although this recipe is very simple and straightforward, there are a few things you need to watch out. First, as peanut is the key ingredient in the recipe, I would strongly recommend you to buy good quality peanuts and roast them yourself. This is to ensure that you get to taste more aroma of peanuts. Second, you may grind the peanuts to be superfine and smooth, but I prefer mine to be a bit coarse so that the cookies would give me something to munch on. Last but not least, remember to weigh each cookie dough to the same grammage so that they can be cooked evenly. Don’t skip this step!

Given that peanut is one of the most common food allergies, this recipe is not recommended for kids below 3 years old (age as recommended by American Academy of Pediatrics), kid who has a family history of allergies or kid who has had a food allergy in the past. If this is the first time you introduce peanuts to your child, please consult your pediatrician for further advice.

We will soon be heading back to my hubby’s hometown to celebrate the Lunar New Year. So, before I end this post, let’s me wish everyone a Happy and Prosperous Lunar New Year!!

在新的一年，祝大家龙年大吉，龙气冲天，财源滚滚，发得像飞龙，身体壮得像斗龙，龙年快乐！

-> Get the recipe and step by step tutorial at PAGE 2 BELOW.

Other festive cookies that you may bake for the Lunar New Year:

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Before my son turned one, I excluded salt, sugar and oil from his diet. For this reason, I put off the idea of using dried anchovies (or ikan bilis) to make stock for his porridge. Only when he grew older, I began to use anchovies to prepare fish soup for him.

Actually, I had bookmarked one very simple and easy anchovy recipe from a Japanese cookbook that I would like to share with you for a long time. But with too many recipes sitting in my to-try list, I almost totally forgot about it. Luckily, it struck my mind again when I came across some good quality tiny dried anchovies in the wet market recently. This recipe is called Tazukuri (dried anchovies) which is a snack prepared during New Year in Japan. The already sun-dried anchovies (or sardines) are further dried roasted, and then cooked briefly in a skillet with a sweet soy-flavoured sauce. This dish reminds me of my favourite spicy anchovies (or sambal ikan bilis) that are served with nasi lemak (a popular Malay cuisine). The difference is that there is no chilly used in Tazukuri. Hence, it makes an ideal kids-friendly dish for my son.

I had given the original recipe a little tweak. I used tiny dried anchovies (dried whitebaits, 银鱼仔 ) instead of the normal dried anchovies (江鱼仔) that are commonly used for soup as they are less salty and easier to handle by kids. Roasting is an important process in this recipe. It will help to enhance the crispiness of the anchovies as well as reduce the fishy smell to some extent. With the help of oven, I roasted the anchovies till crisp and crunchy. This method is healthier and less messy than deep-frying. After roasting, they are then coated with my concoction of teriyaki sauce, and topped with some toasted sesame seeds. This is a very versatile recipe. You can make any adjustment to the seasonings to suit your family’s liking. Once these crispy anchovies are cooled, store them in an air-tight container. If you keep them in the fridge, they can last for 2 weeks. Well, I doubt that you will have problem to clear them on time as mine was gone in just a few days! Both my hubby and son are seriously addicted to it.

It’s a great side dish to be served with rice, porridge and even noodles. However, I do not recommend it as snack for toddlers as it is considered salty for their age. For parents who are looking for calcium rich food for your kids, do give this recipe a go.

Before jumping to my recipe, let me share some good news with you all. Not long ago, a REAL FAIRY knocked on my door. She is the FAIRY HOBMOTHER who came from Appliance Online. Besides selling all kinds of white goods, her job involves spreading joy and granting wishes. Before this, she had visited Angie and gave her a lovely gift. When she saw my wish in Angie’s blog, she wrote to me and sent me an Amazon gift card of USD100 to treat myself with something nice!!

Now, here’s your chance to make your wish come true. It’s very simple. Just leave a comment below this post, provide a valid email address (important!!!) and make a wish (loud and clear, please!). If you’re lucky, the Fairy Hobmother will give you a gift too just like me! Once again, thank you Fairy Hobmother from Appliance Online and good luck to all of you!

-> Get the recipe and step by step tutorial at PAGE 2 BELOW.

Burdock is a biennial plant, cultivated for its root to be consumed as a vegetable. Burdock root 牛蒡 (other popular names: Arctium lappal, Greater burdock, edible burdock, Lappa burdock) is also called “gobō” in Japan and “u-eong”u-eong” in Korea. When I first saw burdock root at the wet market, I had mistaken it with a tuber called huai san 淮山 or shan yao 山药   (also referred as nagaimo, a Japanese mountain yam). Burdock root can grow up to 1 meter long (2.5ft to 3ft) with a diameter between 2cm to 4cm. It has a sweet but slightly muddy flavour.

Burdock root is rich in nutrients such as proteins, vitamins (Vitamin A, C, B1, E, K and folate), minerals (iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium and phosphoros) and dietary fiber. Given its high nutritional value, burdock root is also regarded as “Oriental Ginseng” (东洋参).

Burdock root provides plenty of health benefits. It is used as a diuretic, diaphoretic and a blood purifying agent in traditional herbal remedies. It aids peristalsis of the intestines, prevents constipation and abdominal flatulence. It also enhances blood circulation, prevents high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, cerebrovascular disease and cancer. It’s also used to treat skin diseases (such as psoriasis and eczema) and burns. Burdock root oil is useful to strengthen and beautify hair by improving scalp circulation, combat hair loss and dandruff. Chinese medicine practitioners combine burdock root with other herbs to treat measles, tonsillitis, colds and sore throat.

Even though burdock root is loaded with nutrients, it may trigger certain side effects. Burdock root can cause allergy reaction to those who are already sensitive to daises, chrysanthemums, or ragweed. As a diuretic, it is also not recommended for people who are suffering from dehydration. Pregnant women should also avoid burdock root as it may cause uterus stimulation. Since burdock root may also affect blood sugar level, people on diabetic medication should also avoid it. More write-ups about these side effects can be found HERE and HERE. If you intend to use burdock to treat any specific ailment or consume it as supplement, it is recommended to consult a trained medical practitioner or doctor prior to using.

Burdock root has also gained popularity for its culinary uses in Japan, Korea and Taiwan. Burdock root can be cooked in a variety of ways such as an appetizer, stew, addition to soup, baked as bread and cakes, and even made into snack food.

So far, my son didn’t really show much interest for soups that I made with burdock root.  But, this burdock root soup I am featuring today is an exception. It is a combination of corns on the cob, carrot and burdock root. I used the natural sweetness of corns and candied dates to cover the earthy taste of the burdock root. Hence, the overall taste is very delicious and welcoming to kids. When my son took a sip of the soup, he got hooked immediately. After drinking the entire bowl of soup, he ate all the ingredients served in it, including the burdock root slices too! Wow! I couldn’t believe my eyes! My trick works!!

This “kid-approved” soup is very nourishing and full of nutrients. It makes a great start for those who are new to burdock root. If you drink the soup and eat the cooked ingredients,  then you will get to enjoy more health benefits from this soup and minimise any wastage.

Other reading references:

- Wikipedia
- 百度百科
- Buzzle
- About.com
- Dick Contino

Get the recipe for BURDOCK ROOT SOUP at PAGE 2 BELOW.

Being a curious person, I always love asking questions. Since becoming a mom, a home chef and a food blogger, I have even more questions to ask – more than ever before! Unfortunately, most are still unanswered.   But I believe if I keep asking questions, it will surely lead me to some pleasant discoveries.

“FROZEN TOFU” – I found this “mysterious” ingredient in Wendy’s post when browsing her great blog. True enough, the very next moment, my mind is overloaded with question marks.

“What is it?  How does it taste?  Why do I need to freeze it?  How do I freeze it?  How can I cook it?”

Driven by curiosity and without giving much thought, I immediately went ahead to freeze a block of tofu. I felt so amused with this impulsive act. Anyway, I spent some time to explore further. After cooking this frozen tofu, I find myself prefer the texture of frozen tofu over that of the fresh ones. Why? Just read on.

Frozen tofu, also known as “Thousand Layer Tofu” (千葉豆腐), is nothing new if you go to dig more from Wikipedia (Yes, I know. I’m so slow to learn this.). Freezing tofu will not affect its nutritional value but would trigger a change in its texture from smooth and creamy to spongy and porous. Large ice crystals developed within the tofu during the freezing process cause the formation of large cavities which appear to be layered. Frozen tofu will take on a yellowish hue. When thawed, the tofu loses a fair amount of water. At this point, you can easily squeeze out any excess water from the tofu. This will give the tofu a greater capacity to absorb whatever flavour you’re cooking or marinating with.

Though you can freeze any types of tofu, the firm or extra firm ones (for silken tofu) are much easier to handle and work best. It’s also important to drain the tofu before freezing. This will ensure little moisture is retained in the tofu, which will make it structurally more stable and firm after being thawed.

Learning how to freeze tofu is as simple as it sounds. Simply follow the step-by-step tutorial in PAGE 3. Tofu can be frozen as a whole in its original container, or drained and wrapped in plastic wrap until it’s needed. The former produces a softer consistency texture than the latter. Or, you can also choose to cut it into slabs or cubes prior to freezing, separating them with greaseproof or plastic paper. The method chosen will depend on how you plan to use it.

Due to its “leathery” texture, frozen tofu is not suitable to use for creamy dishes such as smoothie, spread or dips. However, it’s perfect for stir-frying, grilling, addition to soup, stews or salad, and sandwich filling. It can also be sliced, breaded and pan-fried like cutlets. If you are looking for a vegetarian substitute that produces a chewy, meat-like texture, then frozen tofu is a good option.

I make frozen tofu salad for my family recently. It’s such a refreshing meal to enjoy during this superhot weather. After the tofu is thawed, I cut the tofu into cubes and pan-fry them till nicely brown. To give this salad a colourful touch and crunchy bite, I add cherry tomatoes, Japanese cucumbers and sweet corns. A sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds over the salad will add some wonderful aroma and crunch too. Feel free to try out other ingredients of your choice. You can eat this salad either at room temperature or chilled from the fridge. You can also include some cooked pasta and turn this salad into a wholesome one dish meatless meal.

I concocted a Japanese creamy sesame dressing to compliment this salad. The dressing is burst with fragrant sesame flavour. For a creative twist, you can prepare this sauce as a delicious dip and serve it with mini vegetable skewers or colourful vegetable sticks. It’s another effective way to encourage your little ones to eat more vegetables. This simple salad is so good – healthy, easy to assemble and flavourful. I told myself that I could eat it everyday.

A happy ending to my new discovery!

Other recommended reading references:
- 100 things to do with tofu
- Frequentlt asked questions about tofu
- How to freeze tofu wit tips and its benefits
- How to freeze tofu (cooking information and techniques)
- Can you freeze tofu?

Get the recipe for FROZEN TOFU SALAD WITH CREAMY SESAME DRESSING at PAGE 2 BELOW

Learn HOW TO FREEZE TOFU with step by step tutorial and tips at PAGE 3 BELOW

Mushi-pan ( 蒸しパン ), literally translated as steamed cupbread. But if you ask Uncle Google, you will also find it being associated with buns, cakes or muffins. Personally, I like to call it a “cake” as its texture is closer to a light version of mini cupcake, but not as dense and chewy as the tradition Chinese prosperity cakes (“fatt gou/ huat kueh” 发糕).

I must say that mushipan is the easiest thing to make when compared to all the other baked goods that I had tried so far. The original mushipan recipe only uses six basic ingredients, namely egg, sugar, low protein flour, baking powder, milk and salad oil. Mix them well, pour the batter into moulds and steam them!  With just 15 minutes of preparation and another 12-15 minutes of steaming, your piping hot steamed cakes will be ready on your table. The best thing is no electrical mixer and oven are required. If you want to learn how to make a basic mushipan, you can refer to Mushipan-Steamed cupbread/ cake recipe posted by Alice of Bits-of-Taste.

The basic recipe, which served as a reference guide, can be tweaked to become a sweet or savoury version depending on individual’s creativity. I have been doing some experiments on both types but end up liking the savoury recipes more. Today, I have selected my favourite savoury recipe (which is adapted from a mushipan cookbook) to share with you. This Japanese-inspired recipe created a touch of fusion by using cheese, sweet paprika and sausage. This perfect pairing makes the mushipans so tasty and fun to chew on. These mushipans are soft and flavourful when served warm. Even when they have cooled down, they still taste good. Of course, the warm ones taste better.

I bet your little ones would find these savoury mushipans totally irresitable as there are hidden bits of sausage and subtle cheese flavour. If you prefer a healthier version, simply substitute sausage with cooked chicken meat or frozen green peas. As these mushipans are small in size, they are easy to handle by your tots and ideal for outing, party, or packed lunches.

If you have tried and liked the steamed pumpkin muffins recipe I posted earlier, then this is another great recipe that should go to your bookmark list. This post is also specially dedicated to those who love baking but do not own any electrical mixer or oven. By putting a little effort, your family will get to enjoy this healthy yet cost saving homemade treat. Happy trying!!! (and succeeding)

Other mushipan recipes:

• Basic mushipan recipe (with milk) – Bits of Taste
• Basic mushipan recipe (with condensed milk) – La Fuji Mama
• Chocolate chips and corn cheese – Just One Cookbook
• Sweet potatoes with pandan (screwpine leaves) flavour – Cuisine Paradise
• Sweet corns – Cuisine Paradise
• Butternut squash – Pigpigscorner

=> Get the Japanese steamed sausage cakes recipe and step by step tutorials at PAGE 2 BELOW.

My family had a wonderful time during our recent holidays. We went to Kuala Lumpur first, then to Cameron Highlands and lastly ended in Penang. The only regret was that our duration in Penang was too short to cover our usual to-eat (no, must-eat) list. Just thinking of this food heaven, my stomach has already started rumblimg….oh my! I will share with you some photos I had taken during our Cameron Highlands trip in my next post.

Have you heard, seen or eaten Japanese steamed cake/ bread (mushi pan) before? I was very intrigued with this mushi pan when I first saw it sold at a specialty store in a shopping mall. Since then, I had been searching for the recipe. Lately, I had bought some mushi pan cookbooks and had tried out some of the recipes. However, some failed while some were far from perfection. Undaunted, I will continue my experiment and hopefully I can share my success story with you soon. So, wish me luck!

Meanwhile, here is my favourite steamed pumpkin muffin recipe that is especially dedicated for people who love baking but have neither oven nor electrical mixer, or both. The recipe is fairly simple and quick to make even if you are a novice in baking. It applies the same muffin/mixing method used to make baked muffins. You just need a hand whisk and a mixing bowl. Yes, it’s as simple as that. The wet ingredients are combined with the dry ingredients to form a batter. Then the batter is spooned into the moulds and steamed instead of baking. It’s so hassle-free and requires less washing too!

Even though the muffins are steamed, they produce soft and fluffy cake-like texture unlike the tradition Chinese prosperity cakes (“fatt gou/ huat kueh” 发糕) that are dense and chewy. Its gorgeous “open mouth” effect (which according to the Chinese’s belief symbolizes good luck) is what I adore most about these muffins.

Besides that, they taste yummy too!!! Each bite is packed with subtle smell and taste of coconut milk that blends well with the pumpkin flavour. As Australian pumpkin comes with  natural sweetness, I use lesser sugar than what is required in the original recipe. So the sweetness could be just perfect for those who don’t have a sweet tooth. By mashing the pumpkins and mixing it well with the batter, I am sure your picky eater won’t notice its existence when consuming it.

These muffins are not only enjoyed a lot by our family but my friend’s family as well. After sampling my muffins, she (a working mom with 2 kids) quickly requested for the recipe and made them on the same weekend – 2 days in a row!

These muffins can be frozen in the fridge for later consumption. On the day you want to eat them,  just take them out from the freezer to thaw lightly and steam again under high heat for 10-12 minutes.  It’s best to serve them warm. You can also add a dollop of jam to go with it.

=> Get the recipe and step-by-step tutorial with photos at PAGE 2 BELOW.

Hi everyone, we are nearing the June school holidays! So, what have you planned for your children for this month-long holidays? For me, I intend to engage my son with more cooking/ baking activities. My son loves playing the role of “master chef” and is always finding ways to make my kitchen his playground. During our past culinary adventures, we had so much fun and happy moments.

Cooking/ baking with your children is not limited to bonding but it is something that you can help to make the most out of this fun activity. It gives you a good opportunity to teach them a valuable lifetime skill. At the same time, it also helps to impart healthy eating habits, stimulate your children’s creativity and introduce mathematics and science in a practical sense. After all, cooking/ baking is every bits about counting, chemistry, art and taste. It is also a great time to instill on them the virtue of patience, responsibility, ownership and confidence. At the end of the cooking/baking process, the entire family will be rewarded with the labour of love.

However, remember to do proper planning beforehand and assign the appropriate tasks to your child according to his/ her age and ability. Otherwise, you may end up with a messy kitchen!

This almond crisps recipe is very suitable to be used as a parent and child baking project at home. The steps are simple and easy-to-follow. If you read through the recipe, you will find many similarities with the sesame crisp recipe I featured earlier. Mix your ingredients with hand whisk and spatula (yes, no electrical mixer is required!), spread the batter on the baking tray (in any shapes you like) and then put the tray straight into the oven. Sounds easy peasy, right? While waiting for the end product, you and your child can do washing and cleaning up together.

These crisps are incredibly addictive and highly rated by those who had tried them out. This included my mother-in-law who doesn’t have a sweet tooth. I have reduced the original amount of sugar by 30g so the sweetness is just right for our taste buds. If your child is not ready or allergic to nuts, feel free to substitute almonds with pumpkin seeds. It tastes good as well.

The key to get a crispy crisp is to spread the batter as thin as possible and make sure there is no overlapping of seeds. It’s also crucial to keep an eye on these crisps towards the last five minutes of baking so as to avoid any incidence of over-burning. I also strongly recommend the use of quality baking paper such as GLAD BAKE for this recipe for easy removal of these crisps from the paper after baking.

To all my readers, I will be away for a short 10-day break starting this Friday. Do bear with my slow response to your comments or queries as I will have limited access to the internet during this period. I know some of you may be wondering how I can go off a week before the start of the school holidays. Well, as my son is still in preschool and there will not be many lessons left during the last week of this school term, I managed to get an “informal” approval from the class teacher to “play truant”. Hehehe! So, till then, Happy Baking and Bonding!

Some simple recipes that you can use for parent and child baking projects are:
- Sesame crisps
- Banana muffins
- Oatmeal banana raisin muffins
- Cheesy cookies
- Cornflake cookies
- Coconut butter cookies
- Power-packed oat bars
- Homemade snack bars (no baking required)
- Japanese egg salad sandwiches (no baking required)

=> Get the recipe and step by step photos for ALMOND CRISPS at PAGE 2 BELOW

Vegetables are good for health and should be an essential part of a well-balanced diet. Given the fact, parents should take the initiave to familiarize their children with different types of vegetables from young. Even if your children hate/ reject vegetable, do not stop offering it to them. As long as you continue trying, there is very good chance that they would eventually accept it.

Here are some tips that parents/ caregivers can use to encourage their children to eat more vegetables:

1. variation – do not restrict to only the type of vegetables that you favour or familiar with. Introduce a variety of vegetables include new vegetables from time to time.
2. colour – brighten up your meals with a combination of colourful vegetables. Vegetables of different colours are not only pleasing to the eyes but they also provide different nutrients.
3. cooking method – try different methods of cooking your vegetables such as steaming, baking, roasting, blanching or stir-frying.
4. combination – pair the vegetables with your children’s favourite food such as cheese or eggs.
5. quantity – serve vegetables in smaller portion so it looks more acceptable to those who dislike green. Once they can accept it, you can slowly increase the portion in their next meal.
6. emphasize its importance – educate your children about the health benefits of vegetables.
7. involvement – involve your children in buying, preparing and cooking vegetables.
8. set a good example – parents should eat vegetables in front of your children.
9. camouflage vegetables in food – this should only be used if all of the above mentioned methods fail.

During my generation, this long bean omelette dish was popular among kids. Most mothers or caregivers love to cook this classic dish because it’s so simple and easy to whip up. By pairing long beans with eggs, it makes a nutritious and delicious dish that can easily win over the heart of your little ones.

I had adapted and modified this recipe from Noobcook. Although this recipe may sound effortless to cook, getting a nice-looking omelette may be quite tricky for first timers. So, do hop over to PAGE 2 for more tips and step-by-steps photos.

If you have your children who are picky on greens or new to long bean, you can make it more palatable by reducing the amount of long beans used. If you do so, don’t forget to adjust the amount of seasonings accordingly. Besides serving with rice or congee, it also makes a good finger food by dipping with tomato ketchup. Another effective way to entice your child to try out this dish is to slice omelette into triangle shapes. My son was so fascinated when he first spotted it on the dining table and exclaimed, “Mama, I love your egg pizza!” With this wonderful compliment, I promised him that it would be a regular dish in our family meal.

Other omelette recipes:
- Simple omelette
- Ridge/sweet gourd with prawn omelette
- Silver fish omelette

To all the wonderful mothers (and mothers-to-be) in the world, HAVE A MEMORABLE AND ENJOYABLE  MOTHER’S DAY! KEEP UP YOUR GREAT JOB!

=> Get the recipe and step-by-step photos for Long Bean Omelette at PAGE 2 BELOW.

“Get Grillin’ with Family Fresh Cooking and Cookin’ Canuck, sponsored by Ile de France Cheese, Rösle, Emile Henry, Rouxbe and ManPans.”

Each time we had dim sum in our favourite Chinese restaurant, we would surely order their best-selling mango pudding. Unlike others, this restaurant used fresh mangoes to make their mango pudding instead of canned mangoes or mango essences. Both its texture and taste of the pudding pleased our palate very well. So, whenever my hubby and son suggested the idea of making this dessert at home, I would refuse by saying that no matter what, mine can never be as good as theirs. But, they still insisted and kept pestering me to give it a try since mango was in season now. Finally, I “surrendered” and agreed to fulfil their request.

After trying it out myself, I was surprised to discover some great things about homemade mango pudding. It was so easy-to-make (30-40 minutes to prepare plus a little bit of patience to wait for the puddings to set), incredibly cheap (only 1/3 of the price charged by the restaurant), and absolutely delicious (as endorsed by my resident testers!).

My family was so satisfied with my homemade mango pudding. They claimed that it tasted just like (if not better than) the ones served in the restaurant. Even my sister and her family gave it a thumb-up after sampling this dessert.

This heavenly desert offers a combination of fresh mango and soft pudding indulgence. Its creamy and smooth texture compliments well with the rich and fragrant mango flavour. You also get to savour plenty of tiny mango cubes when you dig into this pudding. Oh, gosh!! It’s so satisfying and refreshing!!

One thing I like to emphasise is that, it’s important to use good quality mangoes if you want to produce a perfect mango pudding. This is because mango is the key ingredient (making up about 90% of the ingredients) of this recipe. I find that the best time to make this dessert is during mango season when good quality mangoes are easily available. I use Thailand honey mangoes for this recipe as they are bountiful in Singapore now. Other varieties that I like are Arum Manis (Indonesia), Alphonso (India), Chansa (Pakistan) and Bangapali (Pakistan). You are free to use any varieties of your choice as long as they are fragrant, sweet, less fibrous, fully ripen and fairly soft.

For those who are great fan of fresh mangoes and fruit-based pudding, this one guarantees to please your palate. It makes a perfect summer dessert for your family too!

>>>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for Mango Pudding Recipe with step by step photos…………………

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..…………………………