Have you heard of Konnyaku?

Konnyaku (蒟蒻) is also known as “konjac, konjaku, devil’s tongue, voodoo lily, snake palm, or elephant yam”. (Can anyone tell why so many eerie nicknames? ). It is a natural food made from a type of mountain potato mixed with calcium hydroxide or calcium oxide extracted from eggshells.

It is a traditional Japanese health food and has been consumed for over 2000 years. It appears in many dishes in Japanese cuisine such as oden, sukiyaki and sashimi. Besides that, it is also widely used as a substitute for gelatin in making jelly dessert.

Konnyaku has no fat, low in calories and rich in dietary fiber. Hence, it can bring us many excellent health benefits as below:
a)      normalize cholesterol level.
b)      control sugar level in blood for diabetes.
c)      prevent high blood pressure.
d)      clean toxin in the intestines and prevent intestinal cancer
e)      ideal for weight control as it expands in the digestive system and gives the feeling that the stomach is full.

Apart from its nutritional value, Konnyaku jelly yields a firmer and springier texture compared to normal jelly. Because of these two signature qualities, it caught on fast to become a popular household choice for healthy snack after it was first introduced to Singapore and Malaysia about one decade ago.

You can find Konnyaku jelly moulds of different types and shapes as shown in the photo below. As for preparing Konnyaku deserts, it’s idiot proof. You only need to follow the simple manufacturer’s instruction on the packaging of the Konnyaku powder, and adding on fresh or canned fruits of your own liking.  Properly supervised, even a kid can do it!

However, parents and caretakers should be aware that jelly products containing Konnyaku may pose choking hazards as it is extremely difficult to remove if it gets stuck down the throat. Thus, it is not suitable to serve children below 4 years old and the elderly. Even for older kids and adults alike, to prevent getting choked unnecessarily, it is recommended that the jelly be first cut or bite into smaller pieces and chewed properly before swallowing.  

I like to share this jelly desert recipe with you because it uses Konnyaku, a not-to-be missed super food. This recipe is also made mostly of fruits juice and fresh fruits. I only used a little bit of sugar for this recipe to suit my personal palate. You can adjust the amount according to your preference. It is also not necessarily to use any special Konnyaku jelly moulds to make these jellies. However, they are great for presenting attractive and cute looking jellies to your kids.

This homemade jelly may not be one of the healthiest snacks, but it is definitely a healthier version compared to those bought off the shelf in the store that comes with preservative and colouring additives. I bet this delicious jelly, when served chilled, would be a cool treat that can surely cheer your little ones up during this hot weather.

Suggested reading references for Konnyaku:
- http://www.shakespeare-w.com/english/konnyaku/whatis.html
- http://www.konnyaku.com/e_data/konnyaku.html

Konnyaku jelly cooking video clip by Phoon Huat:
- http://www.phoonhuat.com/special.htm

>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for Konnyaku jelly recipe………………………

My son doesn’t like rice so much. What upsets me is that he always quick to finish eating his dishes but takes his time to labour over his rice even though I only gave him six to seven spoonfuls.  His usual excuse is he is already full. To circumvent such an unhealthy habit, I only allow him to have two third of his allocated dishes to be finished with the rice. If he finishes, he gets the rest. He usually abides. However, this tactic of mine still doesn’t improve his appetite for rice. The ONLY exception is SUSHI!

He is absolutely fond of sushi and usually ends up eating more rice than usual. You can see the twinkle in his eyes which gave me the idea of making onigiri (rice ball) for him.

Onigiri (also known as rice ball, 饭团) is made from white rice formed into triangular or oval shapes and often wrapped in nori (seaweed). There is a slight distinction between onigiri and sushi. Onigiri is made with plain rice (perhaps lightly salted), while sushi is rice with vinegar, sugar and salt.

Onigiri comes in difference shapes and forms. Unlike sushi, it is pretty easy to make and required less skill. Making onigiri at home is a breeze if you can get hold of some simple gadgets so as to save time and ensure uniformed end products. I used a triangle shape rice mould and two seaweed punchers that I bought from Daiso to make these onigiris. You can find many choices of onigiri gadgets at Daiso. Do pay a visit to your nearest Daiso outlet to check it out.

There are two common methods for making onigiri. You can either mix the ingredients with the rice before putting into a mould, or stuff the ingredients inside the rice.  As for the selection and combination of ingredients, I prefer to use my own creativity to mix and match them. You can refer to those suggested ingredients in my tips at page 2 below. Let’s have some fun and make some onigiri today. It’s ideal for your kid’s school lunch boxes and picnic outings.

Oh yeah! I almost forget to mention about my son’s first reaction about onigiri. When I awarded him two “6-star” rated onigiris, he was overjoyed and very proud of himself ,  so much so that he couldn’t wait to eat up his “prize”.  Well, he finished all of them in no time, and then requested for more “prizes”!  This marks another success story in my diary!

Other reading references:

• Just Bento - Onigiri on parade – a guide to onigiri (omusuhi) rice ball shapes, types and fun
• Cooking Cute – Onigiri with filling

>>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for Onigiri (rice balls) with salmon and cucumber recipe……………..

 
You probably heard a lot about Omega-3, the polyunsaturated fat that is essential in life. It protects against heart disease, promotes healthy skin and joints and is essential for proper neurological development in unborn babies and young children. The American Heart Association’s (AHA) dietary guidelines recommend that adults eat at least two servings of fish high in Omega-3 per week. 

If you want more Omega-3, then add more salmon in your daily diet as salmon is an excellent source of Omega-3. One 4-ounce serving gives you 2.1 grams of Omega-3. For more information, visit Salmon Facts. 

Salmon is one of my family’s favourite fish. Besides its nutritional value, the price of salmon at supermarkets in Singapore is also reasonably cheap (S$23.90 per kg) as compared to cod fish (S$30 per kg) and threadfin (ranging from S$30- S$50 per kg). Even with the approaching Lunar New Year, where prices of most fishes generally inflate “out of control”, the price for salmon isn’t affected much at all. Hence, I have been buying and consuming more that usual amount of salmons in the past two weeks.

To us Chinese, fish (鱼) symbolizes “abundance” (余). So, it’s a must-have dish when celebrating the Lunar New Year. Today I like to share with you a simple yet healthy fish dish which I had chanced upon from Annabel Karmel Family Cookbook. This dish is cooked in parchment (also known as en papillote in French). The fish fillet is sealed inside a folded package of parchment paper and baked briefly in an oven.  This method cooks the enclosed fish in its own moisture and creates its own sauce of natural juices. As a results, this helps the fish retains its full flavour, hence making it juicy and delicious. 

Besides fish, this method is also suitable to cook any cut of meat, chicken, pasta and vegetables. It has now become my favourite cooking method because it is incredibly simple, easy-to-clean up and fun to see the aromatic steam releases when tearing out the packaging. Cooking such prosperous yet healthy fish dish during CNY will surely bring a smile to your diners. May the Year of Tiger bring you and your family lots of joy and happiness! Gong Xi Fatt Cai!! 

Other CNY dishes that you may be interested:
- Braised dried oysters with minced meat
- Scrambled eggs with tomatoes
- Luo Han Zhai/ Loh Han Chai 1
- Luo Han Zhai/ Loh Han Chai 2 

>>>> Click on page 2 below for Teriyaki Salmon in a Parcel recipe…………. 

I have a few must-have ingredients in my weekly grocery shopping list. They are mushrooms, tomatoes, eggs and tofu. Given that they are highly versatile and can be cooked in a variety of ways, I regard them as my “last minute savers” when circumstances called for whipping up a 30-minutes meal.

For mushrooms, I prefer to use the fresh ones in my cooking. Unlike the dried ones, they need no soaking and are ideal for either steamed or stir-fry dishes. It’s just perfect to a “lazy and absence-minded cook” like me.    I don’t need to worry so much about no having already softened mushrooms in time for my cooking. Of course, I don’t deny the fact that dried mushrooms are still best used for braising and other rice meals (eg claypot rice, pumpkin rice and yam rice). They are more flavourful, and hence not exactly interchangeable with the fresh ones.

Compared to dried mushrooms, fresh mushrooms are always a great choice for toddlers as the texture is softer and easier to digest. It’s ideal for parents who want to introduce mushrooms into their toddlers’ diet. My suggestion is to try starting them off with some simple mushroom dishes such as mushroom soup and kiddy mushroom rice.

Today, I like to share a super-quick stir-fry dish that everyone can replicate at home even if you are a novice in cooking. The sauce used is my own concoction of teriyaki sauce, which can also be used in many other Japanese dishes like  pan-fried salmon with teriyaki sauce, teriyaki chicken skew (yakitori), one-dish meal and mushroom rice.

All it takes is only 15 minutes from preparation to finish cooking up this healthy yet delicious dish. I’m sure it will sound great to those who are short of time, agreed?  Hope you will like it as much as I do!

>>> Click on page 2 below to get the recipe for Shiitake Mushrooms Stir-Fry……….

My first experience in tasting stir-fry udon was at a Chinese restaurant many years ago. After trying it out, I got hooked on udon, especially this stir-fry version even until now. But I never expect my son to also enjoy eating this fat and chewy noodle as much as I do. In fact, udon is his first choice among all Japanese noodles (such as somen, soba and ramen) on the menu at a Japanese restaurant when ordering. As part of my “cost-saving’ project, I started to make udon noodle soup (kitsune udon) and stir-fry udon (yaki udon) to please our cravings.

The first stir-fry udon I experimented making was adapted from an udon recipe in Cooking for Kids by Pansy Seng. (This cookbook is very useful guide to me as it provides many creative ideas and methods for mothers to prepare interesting dishes suitable for their toddlers ranging from main dishes to desserts.). After several “trial and error” attempts, I finally came up with this simple, nutritious yet tasty recipe (using my own concoction) to share with you.

The method I used in this recipe is slightly different than the usual stir-frying. As udon is quite bland in taste, I blanched it lightly first and then used the braising method to let the udon absorb the seasonings. This makes the noodles more flavourful.

It is a versatile recipe when it comes to the selection of ingredients. As colour is important in our diet (as mentioned in my previous post, I select my vegetables from different colour groups so that it will give this dish more nutritional value. For example, capsicum (red), carrots (orange), baby sweet corns (yellow) and snow peas (green). You can replace these vegetables with any other combinations of your choice. Other suggested alternatives are french beans, fine french beans, lettuce, mushrooms (enoki, shitake or button) and bean sprouts. As for prawns, you can either substitute it with or add in other types of seafood such as crabsticks, slices of fish or squids. Since you can have so many combinations, remember to go through all the stuffs in your fridge first before rushing out to buy any ingredients. I like to do this kind of “spring-cleaning” exercise from time to time as it can be real fun and challenging. Sometimes I also get to discover new recipes too.

I hope you will enjoy preparing and savour this one-dish meal!

Note: You can learn more about udon from: here and here. 

I am submitting this dish to Presto Pasta Night, founded by Ruth of Once Upon A Feast, and hosted by Girlichef  this week.

>>Click on page 2 below for stir-fry udon with prawns recipe…………

Colours don’t just make our food look more appealing but also play a vital role in a healthy diet. Thus, the more colours in our diet, the healthier we will be.

Eating fruits and vegetables of different colours provide important vitamins, minerals, fibre and natural plant compounds known as, phytochemicals, that may help protect us from major diseases such as cancer and heart disease. Dr. David Heber, author of “What Color is Your Diet?” and director of the UCLA Center for Human Nutrition, recommends a diet with fruits and vegetables across the spectrum of color. (Source: CBS News)

You may sometimes have difficulty in getting the right balance but you definitely can’t go wrong if you eat a combination of different coloured fruits and vegetables every day – they can be fresh, frozen, canned or dried. This is the approach I always follow since I started to plan my family’s meals.

Other reading reference: fruit and vegetable benefits

Eggplant (also known as brinjals / aubergine) falls into the purple colour group. Even though purple is my son’s favourite colour, he had not shown much interest in eggplant dishes. Recently I found an eggplant recipe which I used to successfully convince my son to enjoy eggplants, without having to camouflage the eggplants in my cooking. This method gave the cooked eggplants a crunchier texture and more tasty with the coating of a thickened sweet and sauce sauce. I had modified the recipe by adding minced meat, onion and spring onion, thus giving this dish a more enhanced flavour and wholesome value. If your child doesn’t like to eat soggy eggplants, this is another highly recommended recipe you can opt for.

Recipe adapted and modified from The Sugar Bar.

Serve: 2-3

Ingredients:
2-3 Japanese eggplants or 1 local eggplant
60g minced meat
¼ onion (chopped)
Sesame seeds and spring onions for garnishing (optional)

Cooking sauce (mix all the ingredients together):
3 tbsp mirin (Japanese sweet wine)
3 tbsp light soya sauce
2 tbsp rice vinegar
3 tsp sugar
1 tsp sesame oil

Methods:

1. Marinate minced meat with a dash of light soya sauce, sugar and cornflour for at least half an hour.
2. Slice eggplants lengthwise and immediately soak in salted water (about 20 minutes), drain and pat dry with kitchen towel. Set aside.
3. Prepare the cooking sauce.
4. Heat wok with oil. Pan-fry the eggplants until they are lightly brown and cooked but not too soft. Dish up and set aside.
5. Heat wok with oil again. Sauté onion until slightly brown and fragrant. Add in marinated minced meat. Do not stir fry immediately. Let it cook for a while until it is slightly caramelized. Turn it over and break it slightly. Let it cook for a while until caramelized. This will increase the aroma of the minced meat. Reduce the heat to low and start breaking up into small piece. (I learnt the tip here)
6. Return the cooked eggplants into the wok and mix well.
7. Reduce the heat and add in the cooking sauce. If it starts bubbling furiously, lower heat again. Let it simmer until all the cooking sauce is thickened and absorbed into the eggplants.
8. Dish up. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and spring onions. Serve with rice.

Notes:

1. If the eggplants turn soggy before the sauce is properly thickened, dish up the eggplants and minced meat. Leave the remaining sauce in the wok and continue to simmer until it is thickened. Pour the sauce over the dish.
2. Most eggplants can be eaten either with or without their skin. Thus, I personally prefer to retain the skin during cooking because the eggplant skin contains an anthocyanin phytonutrient called nasunin. (note: nasunin is a potent antioxidant and free radical scavenger that helps protect cell membranes from damage). (Source: WHFoods)
3. Soaking eggplants in salted water is to reduce its naturally bitter taste.

When I started introducing fish to my son, I steamed fish fillet. It is less risk for him to get choke with fish bone. Even now, I still prefer to steam fish for the family because it is easy, healthy, no-messy and will bring out its original flavour. Usually, I select fish fillet instead of whole fish which can be easily fitted into my electrical steamer. (This steamer can be used to cook rice and reheat food too!). Sometimes, for a change, I will pan-fry salmon and cod fish. I made this dish during my mother-in-law’s current visit and she loved it very much.

I always love to admire those beautiful sushi rolls posted by other food bloggers but have never attempt to make it myself. Until recently, when my son started to crave for Japanese food especially sushi, I decided to give it a try. It took me quite a while to learn the “theory” before proceeding to the “practical”. As compared to baking, the risk of “disaster” is definitely lesser. No matter what disaster you face, you will still manage to “salvage” all the ingredients.

For this posting, instead of writing in details, I am going to share with you all the relevant links I had used before so that you will not miss any great tips from the original source. Below is a simple guide for you to go through these links.

This teriyaki chicken skew (Yakitori) is a very simple and easy dish. You can even marinate the chicken the night before and grill it the next day. It is our family latest hit. I hope my special visitor who had requested for this recipe (when I put a picture of this dish at my previous posting) will enjoy making it for her children from a Japanese cookbook shared by my cousin in Japan.

Sometimes, I really don’t favour the idea to dine out. If I go to Ikea, under normal circumstances, I need to spend around 20 minutes for traveling and another 20-30 minutes to find a place and order my food (during peak hours). The total time spent is actually equivalent (or maybe more) to cooking a simple one-dish meal at home. This is why I love one-dish meal so much. Among the entire one-dish meals I had tried before, I personally find that this recipe is the best – easiest and fastest. No special cooking experience required. You just need to make sure all the ingredients are available and read the steps properly.