Black black squid

Quite a long time I've neglected my blog...I just do not have the time to sit in front of the computer and type. I feel I'm very tired theses few days. Well, after all the busy day, I came out with my mum's Signature Black Squid! Why black? Because it is cooked by using dark soy sauce and not squid ink!

I still remember when I was still single and staying with my mum..she cooked this squid for the first time, I was so impressed and love this squid so much. And I will asked my mum : "Mum, can you cook a bit more next time..it's so delicious and this portion is not enough for us"? She will reply me :"next time cook yourself"!...................

With her signature squid I really can add more rice! Just the sauce already can take up half of my rice. After I got married, I need to cook for my family and I'm craving for this black squid, I decided to cooked this dish. The hardest thing about preparing this dish is to clean the squid! Oh gosh! This is what I hate the most...

So, if I want to eat then I need to clean it lo............................................................(pulling hair)

This is after cleaned and already in the wok! hahahahahaha....its looked abit pale but after cooked it will became black black edy hehehe.. if still pale can add in more dark soy sauce. It depends on your own liking~

Black black squid
Recipe source from : Fiona Low

What you need:-
Marination:-
-Squid (wash until clean)
-soy sauce
-dark soy sauce
-sugar

Ingredients:-
-shredded ginger
-minced garlic

Method:-
1) marinate the squid overnight
2)Stir fry the ginger and garlic till fragrant
3) Add in the squid and the sauce
4) cook on low flame around 20 mins or till the sauce thicken
5) dish up and serve with hot rice

Apple French Fries

How we served apple to our kids or ourself... just cut and eat right.... but I came across this Apple Craft on the net while I was searching for potatoes recipe. Is it cute and very creative? So I too joined the handcrafting.. It looks hard but actually it is very very easy.... I done it in a few minutes... 

Doesn't it look like french fries? 

 I cannot imagine I done this too... they are so adorable!

Apple French Fries
Recipe source from : Internet

What you need:-
-2 big apples
-a scoop
-small knife
-salt water (to prevent the apple turned brownish)

Method:-
1) Cut the top off and scoop out the apple and set aside
2) dip the apple into the salt water after cutting
3) cut another apple into stripes and they looks like french fries
4) put the stripped apple into the apple holder
5) lastly use a small knife to craft an 'M'

And it is done!

Cute right? So this is the healthy version of french fries. Even my boy believe it is..hahaha

Happy boy keep showing his daddy from work that he is eating french fries!

Mushroom Soup

Homemade mushroom soup was in my cook list a long time ago but I never cook it before because I found it is too much work to do... cook, stir, simmer and lastly blend it..fuuuhh..But now with my TM..I can cook it any time, any day!

Eventhough the boy disliked mushroom soup all the while...but when the first time I cooked this mushroom soup using TM.. he came over and told me:-

K : Mummy, what are you cooking? Smell nice wor....
M : I'm cooking mushroom soup!..
K : Yucks! (and he went off)
(a minute later)
K : Mummy, smell very nice~~ can I try? (while I was tasting the taste)
M : Of course....
K : Wow...Mummy can I have one bowl please~now....

Happy mummy serving the boy one bowl of mushroom soup! (>‿◠)✌

On the left side, was my first time cooking..little bit darker (not chau tar) ^^... darker is because of more mushroom using...On the right side, was my second attempt... using less mushroom because I cooked less because just the three of us only...

Let me show you the ingredients I'm using for my mushroom soup...with my TM ~ super easy n quick..

Homemade Mushroom Soup
Recipe adapted from : TM Website (but I changed a bit)

What you need:-
-500g Button mushroom (black/white/both)
-250g Fresh milk (I used cooking cream)
-40g butter
-40g flour (I used self raising flour)
-500g water

Seasoning :-
-1 tsp Ajinomoto (I omitted)
-salt and pepper (I'm using 'homemade chicken powder' and pepper)

Method:-
1) Place all the ingredients into TM bowl (MC/15 mins/100c/Speed 2)
2) Add in homemade chicken powder and pepper to taste
3) Blend the mixture (MC/30 sec/Speed 5)
4) Place some pan fry slice mushroom for garnishing/parsley or mint

See, only 15 mins and 30 sec and my yummy mushroom soup is ready!

Pandan Kaya (4th trial)

This is the 4th time I'm making kaya. I found that this time round the texture is more concentrated than the previous and I'm happy with the consistency. (✿◠‿◠) Yes, trial and error! Since the previous batch texture are watery, so I cooked a little bit longer this time (15mins extra). So total time used is 1 hr.

My TM is doing great job by blending the pandan leave so fine! Thanks babe~❤(ˆ‿ˆԅ)

Smooth and shiny homemade kaya is served after 1 hr. Hubby is happy when he heard kaya in the making!

I let the kaya cool down on the dinning table and the next morning the texture is thicker than yesterday. Perfect! So I divided it into small containers and I got 4 of them. Gave one out to my best colleague and one for my mum. 

Then left 2 only lor... Hubby will take one to work tomorrow I guess hahahaha... Last one will be consume at home. But unfortunately, my eldest boy do not like it. He prefer butter only..( ˘︹˘ )... So he asked me, do we have any jam spread for him instead of kaya? mmmm..I asked him what jam you prefer so I see whether I can fulfill him or not... He told me grape jam! HUH!!! ~~Okay! let me google......and I believe my babe can do it!

Homemade Pandan kaya
Adapted from : TM website

What you need:

-200g concentrated coconut milk
(~fresh coconut milk or packet (any brand)~)
-160g sugar
-4 whole eggs (large)
-20g pandan juice (blend pandan leave with a bit of water)

Method:- (using TM)

1) Place sugar and eggs into the mixing bowl, mix 30sec/speed 3
2) Insert butterfly whisk. Add in coconut milk and pandan juice
3) cook 30 mins/90c/speed 2 without measuring cup
4) Blend 20 sec/speed 4, increase speed gradually, to get smooth texture.
5) Allow Kaya to cool before serving or transferred into a jar and store in the fridge.

I toasted the bread this morning and ate with my homemade kaya, feeling really sin fu~ If can eat with half boiled eggs and a cup of coffee... that's life! But sad that I was rushing to send the boy to daycare before teacher sound me again....

The first bite for me, I was like 'wow, the world is beautiful'! Soooo delicious! No wonder my hubby love it so much looooo~~

Wanton wrap

This was my second trials of wanton wrap. I bought the wanton skin from the store and made my own homemade filling. I suddenly saw this Japanese Gyoza Pastry and found it very special. The skin is white colour that very different with other type of wanton skin. I usually bought the yellowish colour. 

Then I thought why not try cook wanton mee for dinner? Since this wanton skin is already bought and my freezer still have leftover marinated minced meat sitting inside. 

I usually will standby this marinated minced meat at home. It's easy for me to cook whenever I need it. Like baby porridge, spaghetti, fried rice, fried mee/meehoon, pastry or dumpling. There are quite a lot of dishes you can use for this meat. So start from now..keep this minced meat in the freezer..make sure you nicely packed it in different container or zip lock bag.

I want it to look like a money bag, it's cute....so I made the shape and pinch a bit on top the skin. This Japanese Gyoza skin are more higher in quality than the usual ones... I love it ♥

Then you tie it up with the blench spring onion. Handle with care. Aren't they cute? ❣

My boy ate 8 pcs in one go after came back from tuition ^◕‿◕^

Next time I will try to steame it then only tie the spring onion. Some of the spring onion got off when I put it in the boiled soup. (ㆆ_ㆆ)

Homemade Wantan 
By Fiona Low

What you need:-
-Wanton skin (store bought or homemade)
-Spring onion (blench with hot water)

Filling:-
-minced pork
-carrot (diced)
-spring onion (diced)
-water chestnut (diced)
-prawn (chopped) ~ optional

Seasoning:-
-homemade chicken powder
-homemade garlic powder/minced garlic
-sesame oil
-pepper
-a dash of corn flour

Method:-
1) mixed everything up and marinate overnight.
2) scoop the filling on the centre of the wanton skin
3) then wrap it nicely
4) tie with spring onion and it is done!
5) drop it into the boiling soup for about 3-5 mins

I will try to make my own wanton skin next time. Stay tune ya ❣

Steamed Herbal Chicken

As I want my family to have healthy meals so I prefer steamed instead of fried.  This steamed herbal chicken that I cooked is an easy and fast dish. Of course this dish is very famous in the family too...You just need to get fresh chicken and those herbs for this dish. And I sure that all those herbs are easy to get and every household surely will have this in the fridge. 

These are the herbs I used for my steamed chicken. I added dong guai (当归) as my father taught me, it will give more flavour. 

Steamed Herbal Chicken
By Fiona Low

What you need:-

-2 pcs chicken whole legs
-3 slices ginger
-handful wolfberries
-red dates
-dong guai
-Huai shan
-yuk zhuk
-dong sam

Seasoning:-
-homemade chicken powder dilute with some water
-pepper
-sesame oil
-shaoxing cooking wine

Method:-
1) Clean the chicken and remove any oil at the side and pat dry
2) arrange the chicken and the herbs in the steaming bowl

3) add in the seasoning (except shaoxing wine)
4) steam for 30 mins on high heat (depend on your chicken size)
5) turn of the fire and add in the shaoxing cooking wine and let it sit for 5 mins before serving.

My TM is doing her job. 2 in I.... Cooking rice and steaming my herbal chicken at the same time while I enjoying watching my Masterchef Australia. My little helper, Mummy love you so much!

(after 30 mins) Ding ding dong~My TM is calling me...my rice and chicken is done! Hubby is back too... so what are we waiting for~~~ Happy dinner~ing...^^

Fluffy steamed mantou

Mantou is very famous in China. It is also called Chinese steamed bun. I once made mantou two years ago. Without my TM, I knead with hand for about 20 mins. But the hard work really surprised me. Its came out gorgeous! I made Japanese sweet potato with a few shape. Let's see my hard work hehehe...

Those are all mini size and I am very happy with the result yet there was the last time I made mantou! Now with my new TM, I can make mantou at any time any day!

I put different types of filling instead of just plain mantou. The results are awesome! My boys love it. Just pan fried some bacon or luncheon meat, put some fresh salad vege and eat together. If you eat together with braised pork belly I tell you, that's even more delicious!

You can keep the leftover mantou in the freezer. Just before steam, take out and thaw then steam for 5-8 mins.

Look at the dough..is so fluffy and soft.. I'm even scared to touch it but one touch I cannot stop pinching it...hahaha it is so soft~~~~~~~

Closer look! ^^ want to try pinch it, then make yourself... Blek!

After steamed! Still soft and fluffy~my house full of mantou smell..

So how's it look like inside? Try this~

Fluffy steamed mantou

Recipe source from : TM Website

What you need:-

-250g pao flour

-130g water

-20g sugar

-15g olive oil

-1 tsp instant yeast

-A pinch of salt

Method:-

1) Mix water, sugar, olive oil and yeast into TM bowl, 30sec, 37c, speed 3

2) add in flour and salt, 2 mins  

3) Shape dough into desired shape and let it rest for about 30 mins or double size

4) Steamed for 15-20 mins (depend on the mantou size)

  So is as easy as ABC!

If you do not have TM at home, just mix water, yeast, oil and sugar then add in the flour and salt, knead for 20 mins till elastic.

Hope you enjoy it! Happy shaping~~