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Lentil and vegetable curry

I discovered moong dal (mung bean, 绿豆) through my Indian friend who introduced me to Indian cuisine some time ago. The husk of moong dal is green in colour, but the bean itself is yellow after de-husking.  It is commonly used by Chinese in making dessert (such as green bean soup and sweetened green bean paste). Amongst all the beans and lentils, split moong dal is the easiest to cook as it do not need pre-soaking...

Hot cross buns – A date with Chef Sam

Yes, it was a date with Chef Sam, the young, handsome and talented food technologist baker. Rain or shine I must turn up, that’s what I told myself. It was an important and special date for me. On that faithful day, I went along to Orchard Central, with my bag in hand. No, it’s not a lady handbag with make-up stuff but my camera bag filled up with lenses and flash. Got the clue now? Sorry, no prize...

Chicken and cordyceps militaris soup (虫草花煲鸡汤)

  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...

Meatballs & Pasta – the Jamie Oliver’s way

I am a big fan of Jamie Oliver, the famous English chef, not only for his unpretentious cooking style, but also his campaigns in promoting proper eating habits for kids as well as adults. In 2005, he signed up as a dinner lady in the School Dinner TV series to challenge the junk food culture in schools by showing them that they too can serve fresh nutritious food that kids can enjoy eating as well. He actively...

Stir-fried brown beehoon (rice vermicelli)

  Have you tried eating brown beehoon (brown rice vermicelli) before? If this is the first time you come across it, don’t be taken aback with the word “brown” and associate it with brown rice or whole wheat noodles. The one that I tried is totally different in term of flavor and texture. It is a product of Thailand (Star Lion brand – see photo below) which I bought from my local supermarket. I...

Black beans soup

  In our healthy promoting diet, black bean is an exceptionally great legume with its unique and solid nutritional profile. They are an excellent source of molybdenum, fat-free high quality protein, dietary fiber, flavonoid anti-oxidants (anthocyanins), vitamins (B1) and minerals (folate, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus and iron). It also contains a small amount of omega-3 fatty acids which is about 3...

Steamed lady fingers with chili shrimp sauce

  Lady finger (also known as okra) is a powerhouse of valuable nutrients, nearly half of which is soluble fiber in the form of gums and pectins. According to Ms Sylvia W. Zook, Ph.D. (nutritionist), this versatile vegetable has many important health benefits as belows: 1) stabilizes blood sugar level 2) binds cholesterol and bile acid carrying toxins dumped into it by the filtering liver. 3) prevents constipation 4)...

Rainbow seafood pasta salad

  Before posting the photos I shot in Penang, I would like to begin my 2009 posting with a food recipe.   Do you like salad? I never have a chance to made one so far as my Emperor is not supportive enough for this idea. But after all the Christmas and New Year festive celebrations, I desperately need one now. Remember what I mentioned in my last post? It is my 2009 New Year resolution! As we know,...

Sushi rolls 寿司卷

  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...

Broccoli – How to blanch

  “What is your favourite vegetable?” “BROCCOLI!!” That’s the immediate response I always get from my son. The strange thing is he enjoys eating broccoli using his fingers. Maybe it is really a “finger lickin’ good” vegetable!     When I first started to make my own baby food, I read about broccoli is one of the high-nitrate vegetables (besides beets, cabbage, carrots, celery,...