Recipes from and for the people I love
You make Sunday roast..
..recipe from your favourite cookbook..
..read between cool sheets with the air conditioning on (can anyone stand the mid year heat and humidity in Singapore now??)
..Tea was homemade Valrhona cookies after a long nap with a glass of very cold milk.
More to come with recipes.. And photos of the mess in my kitchen after cooking a meal. I’m exhausted from all the cleaning rather than cooking!
A couple of people have asked me why they’ve not been invited to the house yet. Truth is, we are struggling with the house parties having had two weekends in a row with H’s side then my mom’s. Starting with the smallest number first, we had to test out the kitchen and the logistics like having enough forks. We thought of having my dad’s side over the next weekend (the largest number and with the smallest kids) but I think we’re skipping a weekend and probably having it the week after. Its exhausting, no matter how much we love our family, I think I need a weekend off. My Indonesian helper has been a great hand, marketing, cooking, plating, serving, washing up AND wiping down my floors and cleaning my house. All on the same day while I catch up on my much needed sleep. Hey the weekend is the only time I get an afternoon nap!
My grandma’s kuih lopis above. Its a glutinous rice cake shaped like a log and wrapped with banana leaves then steamed. Its eated with freshly grated coconut and palm sugar or gula melaka. She makes the best kuih ever. Its one of the things I will never master.
I realise I don’t have large enough bowls to serve noodles in. Or tablecloths or tablemats or coasters. This cloth was on loan from mom. We had mee rebus which are egg noodles eaten with a beef gravy thickened with sweet potato and get this:crushed plain butter crackers or what is often sold here as cream crackers. Its my grandmother’s recipe and it may sound strange but it really is delicious in consistency and taste and certainly beats the cornflour thickened crap they sell at Malay food stalls all around the island.
I bought the heavy steel flower like bowl from Barang Barang for at 70% off for about S$15 and it was used exactly what I dreamed it would be used for, to put the condiments like diced chinese parsley, green chilli, halved tiny limes and beansprouts. My aunty asked how I had the time to hunt for all the little items. I guess you all know this by now, I bought a lot of things as early as 2 years ago like the little white porcelain spoons from Chinatown. My WMF saucepans and knives were all bought at ridiculous prices on sale way back. Post Christmas, post New Year, we bought stuff while walking past malls.
It Sunday! I had such a wonderful Saturday, having a good long night sleep then waking up and deciding to make the most of my Saturday since this is the first Saturday I’ve had off since mid October. When you’re deprived, everything tastes twice as sweet. I’m weekend deprived! Let’s move on now, here at happygrub we focus on the present and never look back. Well actually, I was still moping about my ruined sugee cake recently and messed up another butter cake. I give up. I’m done with large cakes, my last few cakes just didn’t work out. So how I spent Saturday was having that breakfast, then this moussaka, then I spent last night planning the family dinner we’ll have on Christmas Eve with Aunty F. We don’t celebrate Christmas, just like we don’t celebrate the Lunar New Year but we always have a gathering and toss yu sheng. Let’s just say its a family tradition to find any oppurtunity to eat. So for Christmas, I’m in charge of the hors d’oevres or canapes as well as the petit fours for the coffee after. I’m also going to help make part of the salad. Aunty F will prepare her turkey, its really delicious, with the stuffing and the gravy with morrels. She’ll do the roast potato and brussel sprouts and tiramisu for dessert. More soon!
Back to the moussaka. No one seems to sure but it’s likely that the Greek moussaka is Arabian in its origins and related to the Levantine musakhkhan from which the word moussaka probably was derived. Moussaka is a casserole of baked lamb and eggplant or aubergine covered with a lovely thick layer of bechamel sauce that, when baked, becomes golden and crusty.
Remember I had made a large amount of bolognaise when I was sitting for the exam? I froze a batch and I recently had to clear space in the freezer so using up the bolognaise became top priority. I had already eaten it with pasta, baked it into a sheperd’s pie and was running out of ideas. Yup, I know that was just two ideas, but well, I ran out after two. While clearing the fridge, I found two lone round purple eggplants and one of them was having a mild case of frost bite. There was also half a block of Red Leceister which is a fatty bright orange cheddar. Fatty in a way that it exudes a lot of oil when grilled. Its a great tasting melting cheese.
So moussaka it was! I sliced the eggplants right into the pan with hot oil. Eggplants glug up oil so put a generous amount. I sprinkled some salt while they were in the pan. An important element in cooking is to season all the elements in the dish. For example, if you were making a pizza, you would add salt into the dough as well as the sauce that goes on top.
The eggplants are done when they turn from white to soft of a translucent grey. Layer onto an oven proof dish like Pyrex.
For the bechemal sauce, I’ve included the recipe below. Pour it over the eggplant in an even layer.
I sprinkled pepper and dried herbs. Zaatar would be good it u have any at hand. I used dried basil. Phoon Huat has good and cheap herbs and some spices.
It will look like this
We were a little impatient, I would have liked it to turn crispy and golden on top, but well, H was really hungry. I baked it at 200C for 15 mins, it should go for 25-30 mins. Serve hot with toasted pita to mop up the juices!
Easy bechamel sauce
1 tablespoon flour
1 tablespoon butter
1.5 cups milk
1 cup shredded cheese, I mixed cheddar and mozarella
Salt to taste
Method
Melt butter in saucepan. Add flour and stir vigourously with a wooden spoon to form a roux or flour paste. This will thickening agent of your sauce. Add milk and continue to stir till it comes to a boil and the roux has completely dissolved. Add in cheese and stir till all the cheese melts and you have a homogenous sauce. Season with salt. Use immediately. Makes over 2 cups.
I also made Pierre Herme’s truffles with my Valrhona chocolate and received an order to make half a kilo of truffles for a birthday present from the person I gave it to. I’m excited. I will post the recipe and more about the truffles soon.
I went to Bollywood Veggies today and we spent a good 3 hours there. It was really a surreal experience. I have so much to share with you.
What did you do this weekend?
I think these birthday posts may span another week, there are too many photos. Yes, we did have a bbq, in response to Faa’s query. We had it on Saturday in conjunction with our cousin who celebrated her birthday 2 days before H’s. I spent today recovering. Spent the morning studying then had a nap for over 4 hours. I’m creating a visual chart to track my progress thru these days of leave so I can keep motivated. I find it a real struggle to keep on track with work, home and many things in between. Hats off to all those studying and juggling kids, family, it really gets chaotic! I met a friend a couple of years my senior who was sitting for the final part of the exam at the end of the month. She used the word busy about 5 times in one sentence, describing her active 2 year old, her exams, the end of her bond and the start of the subspecialist training and her husband just moving his practice to a private hospital.
Personally, I’m taking my time to take things one step at a time. I didn’t rush to choose a subspecialty and neither am I in a rush to complete my training, in fact I’ve barely started! I think medicine is a lifelong journey and no time is lost on the way. Its really ok if you haven’t decided or unsure, I think things fall in place somehow and meanwhile you do meet loads of fantastic people.
I think I’ve digressed.. So where were we? The bbq..
Getting started
My contribution: fresh sausages, this were grilled basted in BBQ sauce which gave it sort of a sticky tasty exterior. The chicken kebabs were made by marinating chicken pieces (I used the breast since H and I don’t eat any other part but feel free to substitute) in yogurt, ginger and galic pounded into a paste in a pestle and mortar and salt and pepper. Yogurt is a great tenderizer and really juices up the meat. Its then threaded with different colourful bell peppers using a long skewer which is found, u guessed it, at Mustafa’s! I’m officially and ad for this place.
Satay by H’s grandma. On a special satay bbq pit. The problem with other pits is that the stick tends to burn and drop off thus the need for this special pit for satay. The heat is all in the middle and the sticks stay on. Notice the pandan leaf tied with a rubber band? Its the classic basting brush.
Chicken satay
More chicken satay
Please help yourself.
Marinated feta for the pita. I find the Danish feta extremely soft and sticky compared with the traditional Arabic feta. And as all feta, it is very salty! Use sparingly with kebabas rolled in pita bread I made. (I managed to return the stale pita from the shop with a full refund)
The moon was full that night, photo taken by H as of most of the photos this post.
H is special and being married to him for close to 3 years still makes me feel like its the first day everyday. With his constant hugs and kisses, with the constant warnings to watch my step and not step on the puddle/crack/stone/branch on the floor, the meals delivered to me when I’m on call, always the reminder to drive carefully, to cross the road carefully, the slipping of notes in my hand, the careful pulling this person out of bed in the morning, ironing my clothes when I’m late, appreciating every single meal like its his first, sometimes licking the utensils much to the alarm of his mother “I hope you don’t do that in public!!”
Some people say he’s lucky to have me to cook for him, but have you ever cooked for someone who truly appreciates what you cooked? To really say “this is craazy, this is like the best!” and “can I have a little bit more, maybe just a little bit more, oh I’ll just finish it!” For someone who is very careful with money, he doesn’t hesitate to buy me whatever gadget I need for the kitchen. H said full of wonder once, with the right equipment you can make ANYTHING. Well, maybe not anything, but its nice someone feels that you can. Its coming to our 3rd year wedding anniversary and I feel truly blessed. Happy birthday H, you are the person who makes me truly happy.
This was the post I promised you from last Friday’s evening break fast. Start with a basketful of stuff from Mustafa.
Pandanus water, distilled from male pandanus flowers, is popular in Northern India and mainly used to flavour the fantastic sweets Indians can prepare from so commonplace ingredients as milk and sugar. Some common Indian sweets, especially attributed to Bengali cuisine but available all over the country, are ras gulla [रस गुल्ला] (balls of chena and flour cooked in syrup), gulab jamun [गुलाब जामुन] (fried balls of khoya and flour served with syrup) and ras malai [रस मलाई] (chena balls in a rich, creamy rabadi sauce). In order to not waste the delicate scent, pandanus water is sprinkled over the balls just before eating; only the ras gulla are often let steep in pandanus-flavoured syrup for longer time, but in that case it’s important to have the container tightly closed. As an alternative, saffron may be used to flavour the milk-based ras malai sauce, but for the other recipes, saffron wouldn’t work so well.
Shan is the best
But this was lousy, it wasn’t nice. Homemade garam masala is still the best.
This was used for the butter paneer dish, I didn’t know fenugreek had leaves.
My unappetizing looking mint chutney. I think I need to ask Sheerin for the recipe.
Just a touch of ghee in the briyani, I was surprised how sparingly this is actually used in the Indian kitchen. My grandma used to use lots and lots.
My samosas which ended up looking like a spring roll because I didn’t have the right sized wrapper.
Dry prawn masala
Raita freshly made as the sunsets
Razlyn helping me with some mixing. Before we ate, she said: I better wash my hands, I’ve been touching patients the whole day. Lucky for us–
– we didn’t get her to roll out the roti
Only made with Pillbury atta!
It was a real adventure, but the pleasure was all mine as H ate so happily, it was such a long time since I managed to cook.
I’m on call this weekend!! Goodbye sleeping in on Sunday! Goodbye sleeping in on Sunday night!!
H and I had Mel and beau over for a birthday dinner. Mel is turning a cool 26 and to celebrate 14 years of best friendship, what better way than having a home cooked dinner? We had mushroom tartlets for starters and an assortment of crackers with Boursin, a garlicky creamy soft cheese. Then the pasta I made specially inspired by the Italian dinner at Z’s. I used scallops in a sauce made with anchovies, tomatoes, capers and lots of garlic. I used capellini, a thinner spagetti. And sprinkled it with a generous amount of chopped basil and grated parmaggiano. For dessert, it was tiramisu, Mel’s all time favourite dessert. And of course cappucino at the end with Italian espresso and chocolate bonbons! It was fun, Happy Birthday Mel, there are many people who love you!
Special mention to H who peeled and chopped all the garlic for me and assisted in making the sauce. He makes a great sous chef!
Scallop Capellini in a Tomato Sauce
Ingredients
20 scallops split into half
10 cloves of garlic (yes, lots of it..)
6 tablespoons olive oil
10 large diced tomatoes
10 anchovy fillets, diced
1 tablespoon whole capers
Salt and pepper to taste
A good handful of chopped basil and parmesan to serve
Method
Fry garlic till golden brown, add anchovies and capers. Put in all the tomatoes and simmer till sauce thickens. Season to taste. Toss in pasta just before serving and top with basil and parmesan.
Now, that’s 2 birthday dinners down… 1 more tonight and a wedding on Wednesday.. I need to start exercising.
Surprise, “roti jala” or netted crepes are not on wikepidia! This kind of surprised and disappointed me. So far, they’ve had roti john and teh tarik.
I was convinced every Singaporean or vaguely Singaporean food could be found in wikepedia. Someone please drop them a note? This meal started off as a question to H about what he wanted for dinner. Because my marriage is a democracy, I always ask what he’ll like for dinner and then try to steer the conversation in a direction that uses up any leftovers or early expiring items in the fridge (there’s always some manipulation in every democracy after all). Interestingly, H never ever actually says what he wants to eat, he’ll always use something vague like “something light” and “easy to prepare” (this is the part he’s afraid his wife will turn into a harrassed sweaty monster over the stove, it happened before) and then “not rice” and “maybe something like bread” and “is there any more breakfast beef?”. I don’t know what it is with H and processed meats. He loves bacon and sausages and corned beef. It worries me how much nitrates and nitrites he’s consuming. I try to ration these items and let him have them only once a week in one of those fry ups. Anyway I try to decipher what he actually wants to eat and most of the time he always exclaims beaming and happy “that’s exactly what I was thinking of eating!” when its presented to him. Well if you actually thought of it, you could say it out in the beginning right 
I had some leftover beef curry, so decided to make these quick and easy crepes to go with it. A great tip is putting in the oil into the batter itself so with a non stick pan, there’s no need to grease the pan at all. Just make the crepes on an oilless pan and the oil in the batter will come out and self grease the pan.
Here’s the recipe
2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup neutral tasting oil like corn oil
1 teaspoon salt
A pinch of yellow food colouring
Just whisk everything in a large bowl. If you can’t get rid of lumps, you’ve got to sieve it or the lumps will clog up your cup device (see below). I just whisked mine for sometime and it was ok.
This is a roti jala cup. A cup with 5 small holes punched into it about 3-4 mmm diameter would work fine too.
Heat up your non stick pan and scoop the batter with the cup and then swirl in a circular motion. As soon as the white spots in the middle of the picture turn yellow, its cooked. Flip onto a plate. There’s no need to flip the pancake to cook the other side, its cooked through.
Now put 2 crepes on a plate. The one below was not so lacy. I was distracted and looked away so a huge amount of batter ended up in the middle of the pan. Its ok, roti jala is very forgiving.
The lighting was poor, it was raining again! Fold in half.
Fold again and ready to eat dipped into your favourite curry!
And H loved it!
The first rice post on happygrub! This is what I actually eat. Like a true Asian, I faithfully eat my daily bowl of rice. Sometimes three. Rice for breakfast is really very nice, it makes such a great start to the day. H of course eats rice once a week, but that’s a different story altogether. This was lunch before work one day. I think leek is an undereaten and underused vegetable, I’ve only discovered it recently. And it is really delicious. Here is the recipe for an easy meal.
Leek and Fish Stirfry for one
Ingredients
2 tablespoon corn oil
1 piece of fish of your choice, I used a small whole snapper, rubbed in salt and deep fried
1 red chilli, sliced
1 clove of garlic, crushed
1 cm2 ginger, crushed
1 small onion, sliced
1 medium leek, sliced
1 tomato, quartered
Light soy to taste, about 2 tablespoons
Method
Pat fish dry, rub fish with salt and deep fry in oil till golden and crisp. Drain on kitchen paper then put on serving plate. Fry onion for 3 mins, then add garlic, ginger, chilli and leek. Continue stirring for 3 mins. Add quartered tomato. Add light soy and about 3 tablespoons of water. The contents of the pan will start to bubble. Pour over fish and serve with rice.
Some people eat chicken soup when they’re ill. Some swear by essence of chicken of a certain brand, which really just causes hypertension with its salt content. Some people eat congee with condiments. I eat my grandmother’s healing macaroni. Since I was small, whenever I was sick, Grandma would fry up some macaroni and bring it over. The key to the macaroni is the brand she uses. She uses a brand that is only found in 1 shop in Teck Whye. I’ve tried looking for it else where but with no success. Unlike thick starchy macaroni made else where with ugly ridges, these are thin, smooth and shell like. Almost like the thinnest home made pasta. With the simple meat stir fried with tomatoes, onion and chilli, it really makes a sick grandchild well again.
My grandmother’s macaroni
Serves 2 Ingredients
300 g minced beef
3 medium onions
10 stalks dried chillies soaked in boiling water and drained
2 cloves garlic
2 tablespoon tomato paste
Salt to taste
300 g of macaroni, boiled till al dente
2 tablespoon ghee (sadly this recipe just can’t do without it, so enjoy the coronary clogging goodness)
3 tablespoon corn oil
Garnish
Sliced boiled egg
Crisp fried shallots
Chinese flat leafed parsley
Method
Grind soaked chillis, onion and parlic in food processor to a paste. Heat oil and ghee in wok. Fry paste till crisp and fragrant over small flame, about 12-15 mins. Add tomato puree. Add macaroni and toss to combine. Serve hot with garnish.
Pasta always pleases. I got this recipe from a kind elderly stranger who ran a western stall in a tuckshop in a secondary school. He has a theory that any tomato based pasta must be based on 6 vegetable ingredients: tomato, carrot, celery, onion, mushroom and garlic. To this base, add seafood and it becomes pasta marinara, minced meat and it becomes a bolognaise. Add chilli and the spice gives it an entire new dimension. I blitz all the ingredients in a blender and fry up with olive oil for a smooth sauce. When I’m too lazy to lug out the blender, I just dice everything up and mush it all together in the pan for a more chunky, rustic sauce, For pasta, it’s a matter of personal preference. But I strictly reserve certain sauces for certain types of pasta. This definitely needs long strands to slurp up. Use angel hair, spaghetti, fettuccini or parpardelle (that’s in increasing thickness of strands). The brand Barilla makes the most delicious pasta. Get it from Carrefour or Cold Storage. My repertoire of pasta dishes has grown as H really loves pasta. He has a theory that it is the least fattening of all carbs. Haven’t been able to verify that though.
Mr tuckshop man tomato pasta sauce
Serves 2
Ingredients
1 stalk celery
1 large onion
1 red chilli
½ a large carrot
3 cloves garlic
5 tomatoes
4 button mushrooms
Choice of meat: made mine with slices of pink salmon
Choice of pasta, boiled
Salt and pepper
½ tsp mixed dried Italian herbs
Method
Chop all ingredients. Fry onion till golden brown, add rest of vegetables. Add water and simmer till tender, about 10 mins. Add in pasta, toss. Season to taste and serve garnished with chopped basil.
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