Grilled Bird with Baked Broccolini

I know I have been lazy. No, not lazy to cook. In fact I have been cooking all along, just that there was no motivation to blog it down simply because time is a huge factor. With 3 kids and now helper-less, after a cookout and wash up, all I wanna do is to retreat back into my room to stone. Hahahah. 

Anyway, am running out of ideas what to prepare for the family's dinner. The usual rice and 3-4 dishes if taken everyday, really makes us grey. So, I decided to change out the menu for tonight and did a grilled bird with greens. Nothing can go wrong with chicken meal right? Lol!

Ingredient:

- 1 small Spring Chicken (discard head, neck and the butt)

- 1 onion (chopped into 4 rings)

- 1 blob of butter 

- Extra-virgin olive oil 

- Salt

- Broccolini

- 1 whole Garlic (chopped roughly)

- Lemon (halved)

- bowl of ice water

Other accompaniments: - optionals 

- baby potatoes 

- corns

- carrots 

Marinade:

- Cajun powder

- Paprika powder

- Garlic Salt

- Black Pepper

- Salt

Steps:

1. Wash the bird thoroughly by scrubbing the body with salt and wash it under the tap. Pat dry with kitchen towel and set aside. 

2. Salt the bird, follow by black pepper, then rub some Cajun powder and Prapika and finally a dash of garlic salt. Set aside for 4 hours or longer. 

3. Boil a pot of water, adding a dash of salt and some olive oil. Add in the Broccolini when the water boils. Remove the vegs when water starts to boil again, which is about 5 mins. Add the veg into a bowl of ice water. Remove and pat dry. 

4. After 4 hours, preheat the oven. Set to 180 degrees and switch to 60mins. Olives-oiled the tray. 

5. Place the 4 rings of onions in a 2 X 2 format. Lay the bird on top of the onion rings. Add the blob of butter on top of the bird. And .... Let it Roast, let it roast.

6.  20 mins into roasting, add in the optional accompaniments (baby potatoes carrots, corns). 

7. At the last 10 mins, add in the Broccolini and the chopped garlic. 

8.  Plate nicely and serve. Just before tucking in, drizzle some lemon juice onto the Broccolini and the bird for that refreshing taste. 

Enjoy!

Happy mum

Braised Chicken w/ Lotus Roots and Carrots

The As I still have some lotus roots left in the fridge, I decided to be a little more adventurous with it cos we always only use the lotus roots for soup. Hence, it's braised chicken wing w/ lotus roots an carrots. This is a relatively easy to prepare dish.  The only thing you require (other than the ingredients of cos) is patience. We will need to 焖 the root vegetables to ensure thorough cooking. 

Ingredients:

- chicken wings (mid-joints cook faster)

- lotus roots choped into 1.5in pieces 

- carrot chopped into large pieces*

- chopped garlic

* carrots should not be chopped too small as they tend to cook faster than lotus roots.

Marinade:

- 2 tbsp dark sauce

-1 tbsp light sauce

- 1 tbsp sesame oil

- dash of pepper

- pinch of salt 

Steps:

1. Marinate the chicken with the above marinade for at least 30mins.  Set aside

2. Heat up the wok with some oil and stir fry chopped garlic till aromatic

3.  Toss in the chopped lotus roots and fry over big fire for 5 mins. Stir continuously to prevent burning. 

4. Add in chopped carrots and continue frying for another 5mins. 

5. Add half a cup of hot water and continue frying till water starts drying. 

6.  Add marinated chicken into the wok and fry thoroughly to ensure the remaining marinade coats the lotus roots and carrots. Keep frying to prevent burning. 

7. Add in 2 cups of water into the wok and allows it to simmer over big fire for 10mins and switch to medium fire to continue simmering for 15mins.

8. Serve hot.*

* note that if u prefer very soft lotus roots, u may continue to simmer for 10 mins more but remember to watch the gravy to prevent drying up. 

Have fun!

Happy mum 

My Style Curry Chicken

And so I bought a kampong chicken with the intention of doing rice-cooker chicken. But the hubby fell sick, and I thought a healthy chicken soup may be better for him. Then again, I doubt he has the appetite to eat much. Hence, I used half to prepare a My-Style Chicken Curry since I conveniently found a pack of pre-mix, lemongrass and coconut milk. Well, the advantage of storing up. Lol

Ingredient:

- chicken (any parts basically)

- potatoes halved or quartered. 

- pre-mix curry paste

- lemon grass one stalk, cut into 3 parts and smashed 

- sugar and salt

Steps:

1.  Fry the potatoes into golden brown and set aside. This helps to retain the shape and prevent softening when boiled with the curry. 

2. Using 3 tbsp of the balance oil, add in lemon grass to fry till aromatic. Add the chicken and continue to fry for at least 5-8mins using medium fire. The purpose to is allow the meat to be semi cooked. 

3. When the chicken turn white (only the surface is cooked. The meat is actually still raw), add in the curry paste and continue frying. Add in more oil if drying. Keep frying till the curry paste releases aroma. When aromatic, add in the potatoes and continue frying. 

4. Add in half the coconut milk and continue frying. You may add half cup of water now. Continue to stir fry. 

5. When liquid becomes thicker, add in the about 4 cups of water (you can determine the amt depending on your chicken meat). Keep frying and stirring to prevent the bottom batch from being burnt, for about 15mins on medium fire.

6. Turn to small fire and let the curry simmer for another 10mins to ensure the meat's cooked.  Off fire and serve with your favourite bread/rice. 

Happy currying!

Happy mum 

Claypot chicken rice

Yohoo! It's been a long long time since I update the blog. Have been busy with the son's CA, then snake fighting and going Penang for a short trip. 

Decided today to whip a good meal for the love ones, that is Claypot Rice.  Glad to see them cleaning up their plates! :)

Ingredients:

- rice (your normal rice washed, and water, both portions separated out)

- chicken meat chopped into small pieces (marinate for 20mins using below marinade)

- Chinese sausage sliced

- salted fish (chopped into small slices)

- bacon (optional. Used for the oil + flavor)

Marinade for Chicken

- 1 tbsp sesame oil 

- 1.5 tbsp light soy sauce

- 1 tbsp thick dark sauce 

- 1 tsp salt 

- pinch of white pepper powder

- few slices of ginger 

Sauce for cooking (separate bowl, mixed well)

- 2 tbsp thick dark sauce

- 2 tbsp light soy sauce

- 1 tbsp sesame oil 

Steps:

1. Pour a little oil into the Claypot, and using a kitchen paper towel, soak a little of the oil and coat around the wall of the Claypot. 

2. When the oil is slightly hot, throw in the salted fish and pan fry till the fish meat turns white or 80% cooked. Dish and set aside. 

3.  If you have raw bacon at home, throw in 2 slices and pan fry too. The oil released from the bacon will be smoky more flavorful. Dish up when bacon's almost cooked. 

4. Leaving the remaining oil, add in the washed rice.  Do not add in water yet. Using a spatula, give the rice a good stir to coat the grains with the oil. That will give your rice grains a nice taste. When done, add in the water. Cover the lid. 

5. Check the rice after 10 mins. The rice should be 80% cooked, water pretty dried up and you can see and hear the bubbling.  Stir in the pre-cooked salted fish. Using this chance, u can also check if the rice is about to be cooked. Put back the lid. 

6. After 5 mins, add in the marinated chicken, spread across the surface evenly to ensure even cooking. Using a spoon, drench the sauce over the chicken and the rice. Put back the lid. 

7. 2 mins later, place in the Chinese sausages and put back the lid.  

8. Remove cover. Add in the vegetables, place the bacon slice on top of the vegs and add the spring onions over the bacon. 

At this point, you may ask why can't we throw everything into the almost cooked rice and wait for it to be cooked?  

Well, this is to bring out the various taste in the different food items. For example, if u add in the chicken and vegetables together, the vegs will turn out to be overlooked as the meat needs more time for cooking. Also, placing the bacon slices over the vegetable, gives the vegetables a nice salty- baconish taste. 

9. To serve, drench the cooked rice with thick dark sauce to get that nice black cooked rice taste. 

Happy cooking!

Happy mum