Baked Honey & Vegemite Chicken

Just gotten back from our little holiday in Australia and decided to make some tummy vegemite dish to introduce to my LO so what's easier than baked chicken !

Ingredients
500g chicken pieces
1 tbsp vegemite
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp honey
2 clove of garlic (chopped)

Method
Marinate the chicken in vegemite , sesame oil, garlic and honey and leave it in the fridge for at least 3 hours.  Overnight is best but I did not have the time .

Bake the chicken for 15-20 min at 200 degrees until it is nice and brown. 

Oat & Vegetable Omelette

Mummy decided to be creative again and
attempted to sneak in more oat into her diet.

Oat & Vegetable Omelette

Ingredients
1 egg
2 tbsp oat milk
2 tbsp blended oats/baby oat
11/2 tbsp cheddar cheese
1/3 cup frozen veg (as desire)
Olive oil

Method 

Beat all the ingredients together  (except the olive oil ) and pan fry at medium heat in olive oil .

She loves it and finished the entire Oat Omelette .

Rosemary & Thyme Chicken in Pumpkin & Apple Sauce

Came home late from an outing and had to whip up a quick dinner for the hungry tot and to my dismay, I ran out of homemade tomato sauce so this is my quick fix ! No additional seasoning needed.

Rosemary & Thyme Chicken in Pumpkin Apple Sauce

Ingredients
2 chicken drumsticks
1 cup of pumpkin puree
1/2 cup of water
3 tbsp tomato puree
1 cherry apple (chopped)
1/8 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried rosemary
2 bay leaves
2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
Olive oil

Method
Stir fry the chopped garlic and bay leaves in olive oil till it is fragrant  , add in the chicken drumstick and let it cook for a while.

Add in pumpkin puree, tomato puree, apples,  water , thyme and rosemary and let it simmer at medium heat for 30 min or until the chicken is nice and tender.

Serve it with rice for a quick and sweet dinner.

You can choose to add some sea salt and black pepper but I omitted both as my little one has a slightly sweet tooth and pumpkin apple sauce is YUMMY!!☺

Simple Chicken Stew

Simple Chicken Apple Stew for the Family.

Ingredient
1 clove of garlic (chopped)
Some yellow onion (chopped)
5 slices of ginger
8 pcs of chicken
2 cherry apples
2 cups of water
1 carrot
1 potato (optional and I omitted it)
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil

Method
Stir fry some chopped garlic, onion and ginger till it is fragrant , add in chicken and let it cook for a while .

Add in apples, carrot , potatoes,  water and leave it to simmer on medium for at least 30 min for the chicken to soften and absorb the sweetness of the apples. Add salt and pepper to taste . 

Zucchini Fritters with breadcrumbs

Made simple zuchinni fritters to accompany LO's udon in ikan bilis & kombu soup.

Zuchinni Fritters

Ingredients (makes 4 patties)
1/2 cup shredded zuchinni
Handful of shredded carrot
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 garlic (chopped)
Some yellow onions (chopped)
1/8 tsp dried basil
2 tbsp cheddar cheese
1/2 egg
Olive oil

Method
Stir fry chopped garlic and onion until it is fragrant and add in shredded zuchinni and carrot. Mix it well and fry it till it is dry. Remove it and drain it through a sieve to remove the excess moisture. 

Mix in the breadcrumbs,  egg , basil, cheese with the zucchini & carrot and form into patties.

Heat up the olive oil in and pan fry the patties till both sides are nice and brown.

Crunchy Cornflake & Oat Chicken

Crunchy Cornflake & Oat Chicken

Marinate 3 chicken tender/chunks with blended mixture ( 1 clove garlic, some yellow onion, some ginger and 1 bunch of coriander leaf) with 5 crushed grapes and set aside in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Add salt & Pepper if desire . I chose to omit it .

Remove the chicken and coat in plain flour , followed by 1/2 egg ( lightly beaten) ,  cornflake mix (blend 1cup Cornflake , 1/3 cup oat &  1/4 cup pumpkin seeds).

Drizzle some olive oil and bake at 180 degrees for 25-30 min depending on thickness of chicken tender.

This will taste great with yoghurt dip or homemade tomato sauce too ☺

* If you have left over flour,egg and cornflake mix, just mix the a little flour, egg and cornflake mix into a batter and roll into balls and bake it too. No wastage ☺

Zucchini Fritters

Toddler @ 22 mths

Decided to make some Zucchini fritters LO's after school snack.

Zucchini Fritters 

Ingredient
1 cup grated zucchini
1/3 cup grated carrot
1 wedge of yellow capsicum diced
Some chopped spring onion
1 clove of garlic diced
1/4 cup plain flour
1/4 cup cheddar cheese
1 egg
Salt & Pepper
Oil

Method
Grate the zucchini and carrot and squeeze out the excess liquid before adding it to the garlic, capsicum , cheddar cheese , spring onion and flour mixture .

Add in the egg and mix everything well. Add salt and pepper to taste if desire.

Heat up some oil and drop spoonfuls of batter into the pan and pan fried till it is golden brown on both sides.

Here's why fritters where made , so that mummy can enjoy the nuggets while she munch on her healthy snack . No macs allowed yet. 😊

Cornflakes & Oat Pork Bites

Decided to make something different this weekend so I marinated some pork loin strips in freshly squeezed orange juice to make her own special pork strips . 

Cornflakes & Oat Pork Strips

Ingredients
4 strips of pork loin
1/2 orange (squeeze out the juice)
1/2 egg
1/3 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup corn flakes
Black Pepper to taste
Olive oil

Method
Marinated the pork loin stripes in freshly squeezed orange juice and keep it in an air tight container overnight .

Blend the oats and cornflakes till desired size . I like it slightly more fine so that it coats well.

Beat the egg and dip the marinated pork strips in the eggwash and coat it with the cornflakes & Oat mixture .

Pan fry in olive oil or unsalted butter till both sides  is a nice golden brown. Remove from pan.

Mix the remaining egg and cornflakes & Oat mixture and pan fry it to make the crumbs.

Assemble and serve with a dash of black pepper . 

Baked Fish in Rosemary, Garlic Butter & Leek

The Chinese New Year is a busy period of house visiting and dining out so I decided to make something more western style for LO's lunch today .

Baked Fish in Rosemary, Garlic Butter and Leek

Ingredients
1 fish filet ( I used frozen tilapia)
1 cup of fresh milk
2 cloves of garlic (chopped finely)
2 tsp unsalted butter
1/2 leek (chopped as desire)
11/2 tsp rosemary (or more if desire)
Some coriander
Dash of black pepper

Method
Soak the fish fillet in fresh milk for 2 hours .

Once done , shake the excess milk off the fish and coat the fish with unsalted butter , garlic, rosemary and black pepper .

Place on a foil and place the chopped leek and coriander on top of the fillet. Fold the foil into a parcel.

Bake for 20 min at 180 degrees.

A nice and succulent lunch is ready 

For a more savoury dish, you can top it with cheddar cheese too.

Baked Fish with Orange juice in Parchment

I have been wanting to try baking in parchment and I am glad I tried it today .

Another healthy, juicy and yummy dish for my jelly bean!

Baked Fish with Orange juice in Parchment

Ingredients
1 fish fillet ( i used frozen tilapia )
1 cup of fresh milk
4 slices of tomatoes
2 slices of firm beancurd
4 slices of onion
Handful of red capsicum
Handful of cilantro
Juice of 1/2 orange
Some orange zest
Rosemary
Black pepper
Olive oil
Parchment paper

Method
Marinate fillet in milk and pinch of rosemary for at least 15 min.

Place the fillet on the parchment paper and top it with the vegetables, drizzle some olive, add a dash of black pepper and more rosemary (if desire) . 

Drizzle the orange juice over the fillet, add in the orange zest and wrap up the parcel. 

Bake for 15 min at 180 degrees. I am using a turbo broiler so do adjust timing based on your own oven if needed .

Hearty Beef Stew

I love beef stew especially with lots of carrots and herbs so I decided to cook some for dinner to surprise my hubby and LO.

Hearty Beef Stew 

Ingredients (serves 4 adults & 1 hungry tot)
600g beef chunks or shin
1 big carrot
1/2 yellow onion
3 cloves garlic
3 slices of ginger
2 ripe tomatoes
1/2 red capsicum
1 potato
1 sprig Chinese parsley
2 small bay leaves
1l of water
2 tsp tomato paste
1/8 tsp Thyme
1/2 tsp Basil
Black Pepper
Olive oil

Method
Heat up the olive oil in a pot and add in garlic cloves and beef chunks. Brown the beef in medium heat till it is partially cooked and a nice brownish liquid appears.

Add in all the chopped vegetables, water , herbs (to your preference ) and simmer it for 2 hours. Add in the tomato paste to taste.

Check that beef is nice and tender and serve it warm. 

Cheesy Carrot Biscuits

Since my LO loves her cheese biscuits so much, I decided to make it healthier by adding some sweet crunchy carrots to it . 

While I took a quick shower, a cute little mouse decided to taste the new biscuits. :P

Cheesy Carrot Biscuits

Ingredients 

2/3 cup cake flour

1/3 cup cheddar cheese

1/3 cup shredded carrot 

40g unsalted butter  

2 tbsp fresh milk

Method

Rub in butter into the flour until it resembles bread crumbs. Stir in grated cheese, carrot and milk until mixture forms a dough.

Cut into desired shapes and bake at 180 degrees for 20-25 min .

Corn & Milk (Powder) Steamed Cake

Corn & Milk (Powder) Steamed Cake

Ingredients 

1/2 cup cake flour
1 tsp baking powder.
1 egg
2 tbsp milk powder (1 pkt - 28g)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/3 cup corn puree
Handful of corn kernels 

Method
Mix cake flour, baking powder and milk powder and set aside.

In another bowl, mix egg, olive oil and corn puree.

Combine flour mixture and wet mixture, add in the corn kernels and mix well and scoop into mould.

Steam for 10 min and fluffy cake is ready. (I used electric steamer)

Cheese Balls & Chicken Spinach Nuggets

LO was going to attend a MacDonald's Birthday Party so mummy make some snacks for her to munch along with her cousins and friends.

 

I love cheese balls especially when it is hot as the cheddar cheese was nice and chewy in the center ...hehehe

 

 

Cheese Balls

Ingredients

1 potato

1/2 sweet potato

1/4 cup cheddar cheese

1 egg (eggwash)

Panko breadcrumbs

Method

Mash potato and sweet potato and mix it well.

 

Form into balls and make a dent in the centre and place some cheddar cheese inside and close it well .

 

Dip it in egg wash and coat it with breadcrumbs.

 

Bake for 15 min at 180 degrees or until slightly brown .

 

 

Chicken & Spinach Nuggets

Ingredients

2 chicken fillet

1 garlic

1/4 yellow onion

1/2 cup spinach

1/4 cup cheddar cheese

Handful of coriander

Oregano

Basil

Black Pepper

1/2 -1 cup Panko breadcrumbs

Method

Blend all the ingredient above and form into desired shape. You may want to coat it with more breadcrumbs for additional crunch .

L

Bake for 20 min at 180 degrees.

Roasted Cilantro & Lemongrass Chicken with Vegetables

We went to a friend's party last week and LO enjoyed bits of the drumstick I gave her so I knew I had to try it on my own and omit the salt that goes in with the original recipe.

So here is my improvised salt free version for her Christmas Roast !

Am glad she loved it and had almost 3 pieces ... <3

Roasted Cilantro & Lemongrass Chicken with Vegetables

Ingredients

10 pieces of chicken parts

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 yellow onion

2 stalks of lemongrass

7-8 stalks of cilantro

1/2 Chinese pear

Method

Blend all the ingredients above and marinate for at least 5 hours or overnight is best !

Place the vegetables ( pumpkin, carrot, celery, onion) in a tray and drizzle some olive oil and give it a good toss.

Place the marinated chicken on top of the vegetables, drizzle some olive oil and bake it at 180 degrees for 45min.

Yummy !!!

Pork Loin with Apple Blueberry Sauce

Little one skipped her main lunch as she was too distracted with all the sights and sound while we were out so I decided to make something different for dinner .

Pork Loin with Apple Blueberry Sauce

Ingredients

1 pork loin

5 grapes

1 small apple

Handful of blueberries

Thyme

Black pepper

1/2 yellow onion

Water

Method

Marinate the pork loin in crushed grapes , thyme and black pepper for at least 1 hour.

Heat up a pan with some olive oil and cook the chopped onions on low heat for at least 20-30 min until it is soft and caramelised.

Remove the onion and using the remaining oil, place the pork loin into the pan and cook it well .

Once pork is done, you can choose to use the remaining liquid in the pan to cook the sauce . Just add in chopped apples ,  blueberries and some water and let it simmer till the apple softens. Do add in water as you cook to avoid burning the sauce .

Assemble and serve !

Sugar free Apple & Raisins Baked Oat Cake

I have been flipping through my recipe books recently for more inspiration and this simple sugar free recipe caught my eye.  Apple, raisins and cinnamon , how lovely !

Apple & Raisins Baked Oat Cake

Ingredients 

2 regular sized apples

1/2 cup raisins

2 cups of rolled oats blended to breadcrumb consistency (see pic)

1 tsp baking powder

1 cup fresh milk

1 egg (beaten)

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp water

Cinnamon powder

Method 

Peel and cut the apples into cubes . Put apples, raisins, water and a pinch of cinnamon into a saucepan and cook for about 10 min till the apple softens. Add more cinnamon if you like.

After cooking the apples, you can choose to mash it but I wanted a smooth consistency so I blended the cooked apples in a processor and then mix it with the raisins.

Put the blended oat, baking powder , egg, milk and oil in another bowl and mix well.

Add in the apple and raisins mixture and mix well again .

Scoop the mixture into well greased moulds and sprinkle some cinnamon on top.

Bake for 30-35 min at 170 degrees. Remove from oven and let it cool and a yummy snack is done !

Sugar Free Steam Banana Milk Pudding

Steam Banana & Milk Pudding

Ingredients

1 egg (white only)

2/3 cup (approx 150ml) fresh milk 

1/2 banana

Method

Heat the milk in a saucepan ( do not let it boil) and set aside to cool . If you choose to add sugar, you should melt it in milk at this stage.

In another bowl, whisk the egg white till it is foamy.

Slowly add the cooled milk into the egg white and mix well. Pour the entire mixture through a sieve to remove the foam.

Add in the bananas or whatever variation you like and steam for 15 min. I am using an electric steamer so please adjust timing accordingly to your steamer.

Remember to cover the bowl with a cloth to prevent the water droplets from falling in.

Serve warm or chilled, equally yummy and smooth !

Pork Ribs & Lotus Root Peanut Soup

Our soup for tonight using the slow cooker

Ribs & Lotus Root Peanut Soup

Ingredients

1 L water

5 prime ribs (blanched)

1/4 yellow onion 

6 seedless red dates 

100g raw peanut

Lotus root (I cut about 10 pcs)

3 water chestnut (optional, I just happened to have them) 

1 smashed ginger

Method

Put all the ingredients in a slow cooker and cook on high for 2 hours or until ribs soften.

No seasoning needed.

Egg Muffin

Since LO is still recovering, I made some simple egg muffins or mini frittata for her to share with her cousins.

Egg Muffins

Ingredients 

5 eggs 

2 tbsp milk

1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/2 cup mixed veg

Black pepper

Method 

Whisk the eggs and milk, add in the cheddar cheese and black pepper and give it a good stir. This is not too cheesy so do add in more cheddar or some salt if you prefer a more savoury muffin.

Place the mixed vegetables in the greased muffin tray and pour in the egg mixture till 3/4 full.

Bake at 180 degrees for 20 min.