GAI LAN WITH OYSTER SAUCE

I was lucky to have a good health visitor when I was bringing up my babies. A health visitor, for those not in the UK, is a health professional who guides Mums on how to take care of their babies.

THAI STICKY RICE AND MANGO DESSERT

Sticky rice is enjoyed in the east as in the west. Although treated differently, they are usually made into comforting desserts. 

ALMOND JELLY

I still have to find out how almond extract smells unlike the almond nut. Nevertheless, I love almonds in both in forms. 

Almond jelly is one of the few desserts on the Chinese restaurant menu and the one that I like best. Slivers of soft set almond flavoured jelly is served with fruits and more almond flavouring. It is a very simple concoction, yet the taste is so perfect.

KOREAN STYLE BEAN SPROUTS

The one thing that I like best about Korean cuisine is the myriad accroutrements that come every dish. Although each one is delicious, it is the bean sprouts salad (sookju namul) that I like best. The bean sprouts are blanched before being mixed with a dressing. It's simple taste makes it the perfect side dish. Although it is best served with Korean dishes (like bulgogi), it can be served with anything. 

AVOCADO MAYO

Summer swings our moods to a high level, thanks to the good weather and plenty of sunshine. It is the perfect and perhaps the only time we can do our barbies and picnics. Although some summer food such as fruits, salads and grills are healthy, there are also those that aren't but we can't help but eat.

KUEH LAPIS LEGIT

For Chinese new year, cakes symbolize a rich and sweet life and layers signify rising abundance. Hence, this cake is the perfect offering at the beginning of the year.

LEMON AND CORIANDER HUMMUS

My daughter asked me to buy some lemon and coriander hummus for her at the supermarket. Ok, that won't be hard, or so I thought. Reaching the supermarket shelf, I was faced with a wide variety of hummus and it took me some time to find the one I was supposed to buy. Mmmm, I was such a hummus novice. I thought it only came in chick pea flavour.

MELONADE

HSBC's advert with a pretty little girl behind a lemonade stand is so charming. Talk about pushy Moms (why are we always the bad guys?), but it is her Dad who makes her lemonade. It is so sweet that she is so business savvy. It is so sweet that she is multi-lingual at a very young age, such a good foundation for a future business mogul. It is fascinating that though the street is an ordinary residential area, it is the on the tour bus route. It is so clever that none of the neighbours have noticed the business opportunity except this cute little girl.

FRUIT HALO HALO

All hail to halo halo, the stuff that Filipino dreams are made of. You might scream for ice cream but if you were Pinoy (Filipino), it is halo halo that you will always hanker for. Halo means to stir and halo halo means an assortment. It is a dessert with as many ingredients (all individually cooked in syrup) as you could name at the bottom, topped with shaved ice,  then crowned with a dollop of ube jam (purple yam jam), a slice of leche flan (creme caramel) and if you can still take it, a scoop of ice cream. All of that is drizzled with evaporated milk then served to you as is so you can grapple with stirring the ingredients. The ingredients can include canellini beans, azuki beans, chick peas, macapuno (coconut sport), kaong (palm seeds), nata de coco, sweet jackfruit, sweet bananas, sweet potato in syrup, sago, leche flan, haleya and puffed rice. 

SPICED POPPED BEANS

We all love food that pop: popcorn, pop rocks, soda pop to name a few. They are fun food that taste good but unfortunately do not have much in nutritional value. If you want something different that pops, tastes good and has so much benefits for your body, pop some kidney beans. We all know that beans are rich in protein, calcium and fiber among other good things. It is good to know that we're not noshing on empty calories when we choose beans. 

HOMEMADE BANANA KETCHUP

Banana ketchup is a staple Filipino dipping sauce. It is probably more popular and more consumed than tomato ketchup. A lot of Filipino dishes are best eaten with this sweet condiment.

BUCO PANDAN CUPS

In line with the trend for sweets to be spiked with salt, I am sharing a recipe for a fusion Asian dessert that is just that. 

COUSCOUS WITH APRICOTS, SULTANAS AND TOASTED PINE NUTS

Side dishes usually take the sidelines at meal times. We sometimes over think the main entree and just spin the roulette and randomly choose the sides. Rice, potatoes, vegetables usually go on the boil just to make things easier.

FRESH RICE PAPER SPRING ROLLS

The British summer is so short. It is always gone before you even know that it's there. When the sun shines everyone scampers out of their houses and goes outdoors. 

FRIED APPLE PIE (APPLE TURON)

Short cut pocket sized apple pies! This is a twist of the classic Filipino snack and street food turon na saging (banana turon) whick is basically cooking bananas with brown sugar wrapped in spring roll pastry and fried. Slivers of jack fruit are sometimes added for a special touch. 

TAHO (SOY MILK JUNKET)

Every day, people wait for the distinctive holler of the vendor: "Taho! taho!". This signals for them to come out of their houses for their daily dose of their beloved comfort food. Both children and adults get excited to get their fix.

CRISPY PEANUTS

Malaysia produces a lot of peanuts, hence peanuts are favourite nibbles as well as ingredient in a lot of dishes. 

I was sorting out my husband's luggage after a trip to Malaysia once when I found a slip of paper in one of the pockets. It was a recipe for crispy peanuts, secretly slipped in by my sister-in-law for me to find. Sweet lady. I tried it one day and, although the original recipe did not exactly produce the expected results, after a bit of tweaking did make yummy, crispy peanuts. This recipe makes quite a lot, so I suggest it be made when expecting company.

Ingredients:

500 gms. raw shelled peanuts

2 tsps. salt
1 tbsp. garlic powder
1 cup sugar
1 medium egg, beaten
1 c. all-purpose flour
1/2 c. water

cooking oil for deep frying

Method:
 

Mix all of the ingredients, except for the peanuts and cooking oil, into a smooth batter. Add the peanuts and stir until well coated with the batter. Heat up the cooking oil until very hot. 

Drop a spoonful of battered peanuts at a time into the hot oil. Nudge gently with a slotted spoon to separate the kernels. Take care not to stir too much as this will cause the coating to come off.

Fry until golden . Lift with a slotted spoon onto a kitchen paper lined tray to drain off excess oil. The peanuts wil crisp up as it cools.

Store in a clean jar. 

Flavour may be varied by substituting the garlic powder with other powdered seasonings such as curry, barbecue or cajun.

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