How to wow your MIL and hubby.....

MIL coming for dinner, no idea what to cook? Why not try this simple wonton noodle and wonton appetizer to wow your MIL and your hubby.

A Wonton is a type of dumpling commonly found in a number of Chinese cuisine.
Each region of China has its own variations of wonton, examples include Beijing, Sichuan, Hubei, Jiangnan, Jiangxi, Guangdong, Fujian, etc.... 

Deep Fried wonton, best to serve immediately.

Wonton Ingredients
200gm chicken meat or meat ( 猪肉 )
5 water chestnuts
1 packet wonton skin

 You can buy this ready made wonton skin from supermarket.

Seasoning ingredients
2 cloves garlic - chopped finely
1 tsp salt
1 tsp oyster sauce
2 tsp soya sauce
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp corn flour
A dash of sesame oil
1/4 tsp white pepper
2 tsp Chinese rice wine

1/  Peel the water chestnut,wash and chopped coarsely.
2/  Mince or chopped the meat finely.
3/  Add the chopped garlic and all the seasoning ingredients. Mix till well blend.

4/  Place 3/4 tsp wonton filling in the centre, moisten the wonton skin edges with water and fold into a triangle. Press firmly to seal the edges.

5/ Another way of wrapping wonton, place 3/4 tsp of the filling in the centre of the wonton skin and twist to seal. It should resemble money bag or drawstring purse.

 As part of the sealing process, air is pressed out of the interior to avoid rupturing the wonton from interior pressure when cooked. 

6/  Another fun way to wrap the wonton. Fold into a triangle, bring two end together so that they overlap. Moisten with a bit of water, press to seal. It should resemble a nurse's cap.

7/  Prepare the steamer. Put the wonton on the stainless steel plate and steam for 5mins. Remove from steamer and let it cool.

8/ Cool the steamed wonton completely and deep fried until slightly brown and crisp. Serve immediately with chilli sauce.

Adding water chestnuts to the filling will give some light crunch to the wonton filling. Very addictive appetizer, hard to stop eating.

Another way to cook wonton is bring a pot of water to boil, put in the wonton slowly and let it boil for 5 to 6 mins. Remove from stove and drain off the hot water. Don't cook too many wonton at the same time, make sure there is enough room for them to move about freely.

Marble size wonton....

Serve the boil wonton with wonton noodle soup. Add a dash of pepper before serving.

Chinese noodles is the ancestor of all noodles. They are not only world-renowned but also exert far-reaching impact on noodle culture round the globe. Spaghetti was the example of a transformation of Chinese noodles: it was Marco Polo, an Italian diplomatic agent, who learnt the techniques from China in Yuan Dynasty and let the people evolve and thus had the new type of noodle created in the country.

Another example in 1912, the traditional techniques of making Chinese noodles were brought to Yokohama, Japan, from China and Japanese ramen was then introduced. Japanese ramen was initially called "Dragon Noodle" implying it was a food eaten by Chinese people-The people who are descendant of Dragon

PRAWN DUMPLING

Ingredients
200gm prawns - shelled and dice coarsely
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp soya sauce
1 tsp oyster sauce
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tsp Chinese rice wine or 1 tsp rum
1 tsp corn flour
A dash of sesame oil
5 water chestnuts - peel and dice coarsely

1/  Mixed all the ingredients together.
2/  Wrap the prawn dumplings into a triangle shape.
3/  Bring 1/2 a pot of water to boil. Add the prawn dumpling and let it boil for 5 mins.
4/  Drain off the water and serve prawn dumpling with wonton noodle soup or soya sauce wonton noodle.

For MIL serve a generous amount of prawn wonton in the noodle.

Among all special Chinese noodles, the most unique type ought to be "E-fu Noodle" (or "Yi Noodle"). Yi Noodle can be served dry or with soup. It is a creation of Scholar Yi Bingshou's chef during Ganlong time in Qung Dynasty. Yi Noodle is made in both southern and northern China with Fujian and Jiangxi provinces doing it most impressively.

The noodle is special because it does not require mixing of flour with water but with beaten eggs. After a process of boiling, cooling, drying and frying, it becomes the semi-finished product. Due to its unique making techniques, Yi Noodle can be served in a variety of ways, making it superior among other noodles and become one of the must-haves in banquets.

CHICKEN BROTH FOR WONTON NOODLE SOUP

1/  Wash the chicken carcass and remove the fat.
2/  Boil 1 chicken carcass with enough water, bunch of spring onion, few cloves of garlic, 1 piece of chicken stock cube for 30 mins. In between skim off the foam.
3/  Add salt, sugar, pepper and sesame oil to taste.

Chicken broth

Raw wonton Noodle

In Hong Kong, the popular "Wonton Noodle" is made with raw noodle, which was originated in Guangdong. Hen eggs or duck eggs are the major ingredients of raw noodle. Hen eggs can make the noodle more crispy while duck eggs can add flavor to the finished product. Good raw noodle is called rice thread vermicelli, which is thin and turns yellow when it is cooked. In addition to being pliable but not too hard or too soft, it is most important that the noodle does not carry the taste of lye.

Bring a pot of water to boil, then put in the wonton noodle. Let it boil for 2 mins, keep stirring with a chopsticks.

Remove the noodle from stove and rinse noodle with tap water for 30 seconds. Put back the noodle into pot of hot water and let it boil for 1 mins or until cook.

SOYA SAUCE WONTON NOODLE

For each serving of soya sauce noodle add 2 tsp light soya sauce, 1 tsp black caramel sauce, dash of sesame oil, 1/2 tsp oyster sauce.

Mixed the boil noodle with the sauce mixture.

Traditional noodles are delicately hand-made. From flour mixing, beating, pulling and cutting, every step is done manually. But interestingly, noodle making techniques are uniquely different in the north and south. Ramen, a kind of hand-pulled noodle, is famous in the north. To make it soft and pliable is not an easy task: one does not only need to have a pair of strong arms but also have good skill to control the force to press on the dough.

Serve the soya sauce noodle with generous amount of wonton and lettuce. Sprinkle with chopped spring onion. Blanch the lettuce in boiling water for 5 seconds. Remove and drain dry.

To the contrast, making of southern noodles requires gentle yet firm forces so that the finished products are crisp but not fragile. The critical part is the ‘bouncing' bouncing. The noodle maker's bouncing on the bamboo by using his body weight to evenly flatten the dough. The dough can then be cut into thin strips.

WONTON APPETIZER

Trim the wonton skin to fit the mini muffin tray.

Peel and shelled the prawns. Wash and pat dry, season with light soya sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, sesame oil, rum and pepper for 2 to 3 hours. Put 3 prawns in each wonton mini cup.

Bake at 180 deg c for 15 to 20 mins or until wonton skin is golden brown and crispy. Serve with plum sauce.

For varieties, before baking sprinkle some chopped mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese on top the prawns.

After a scrumptious meal, still got room for dessert? Let's join me.

SWEET CORN DESSERT

400 gm corn kernels
400mls thick coconut milk
150 mls water
Sugar to taste
Pinch of salt
Pandan leaves
3 tbsp sago

Sago is a starch extracted in the spongy centre, or pith, of various tropical palm stems, especially Metroxylon sagu. It is a major staple food for the lowland peoples of New Guinea and the Moluccas, where it is called saksak, rabia and sagu.

1/  Blend 200gm corn kernels with 150gm water until fine.
2/  Mix the balance corn kernels with blended corn, coconut milk, salt, sugar, pandan leave and bring to boil.
3/  Once boil, remove from stove immediately, do not over boil the coconut milk.
4/  Wash and soak the sago for 30 mins. Bring a pot of water to boil, add sago and cook until transparent. Rinse the sago until running tap to remove the starch.
5/  Drain dry and add the sago to the corn dessert.

COCONUT CREAM FOR TOPPING

100mls thick coconut milk
50mls water
2 tsp corn flour
pinch of salt

1/  Mix the corn flour with water.
2/  Boil the coconut milk till simmering only, add pinch of salt and corn flour mixture slowly, keep stirring to prevent burn. Cook for 2 mins and remove from stove.

3/  Serve corn dessert hot or cold with coconut topping cream.

Enjoy and cheers!
Amelia

Chicken Rice

Chicken rice is of Hainanese Chinese origins. Aka Hainan chicken, or Hainanese chicken rice. It is based on a well known Hainanese dish called Wenchang chicken due to it being adopted by overseas Chinese. And was first popular in Hainan, China. And with the immigration of Hainanese people to other South East Asian countries, this dish as well of its several varieties or recipes spread to Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines.

This is a very simple dish with bite sized steamed or poached chicken serve with fragrant rice and special dipping sauce. Here's my homemade chicken rice.

Amelia's Chicken Rice ( Serve 4 to 6 )
1 medium size ( 1.5kg ) chicken
2 tsp salt
1 in ginger
3 cloves garlic
1 stalk spring onion

Dressing
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tbsp light soya sauce
Mix the dressing ingredients together

Garnishing
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tbsp chicken broth
Cucumber - slice thinly
Spring onion - chopped

1/  Wash and clean chicken. Trim off any access fat and skin. Keep the chicken fat. Discard the chicken head and feet.
2/  Wash and slice the ginger thinly. Not necessary to peel of the skin.
3/  Ex-foliate the outside and inner part of the chicken with salt. No need to rinse.

4/  Boil a large pot of water enough to submerse the whole chicken. Add the garlic, ginger, spring onion and chicken to the boiling water with breast side facing down.
5/  Cover the pot and boil the chicken for 10 mins using medium heat. Remove from heat and leave the chicken in the hot broth for 40 mins, please do not peep. If smaller chicken boil 10 mins and keep in hot broth for 30 mins. While waiting prepare the dipping sauce.

Serve the chicken rice on a bed of sliced cucumber, sprinkle some spring onion. Drizzle sesame oil and light soya sauce to enhance the flavor.

6/  After 30 to 40 mins, check the chicken by piercing the thighs with chopstick. If blood ooze out, boil the chicken for another 5 mins using medium heat. Remove from heat, leave the chicken in the hot broth for 10 to 15 mins and check again. If no blood ooze out from chicken thighs, the chicken is cooked.

Jacuzzi bathtub for chicken.

7/  Remove the chicken from the pot and shower with iced water. Then dip the chicken in the hot broth again for 1 minute. This is to produce a jelly like skin. Leave the chicken to cool, about 10 minutes. Brush the chicken gently with the dressing mixture.
8/  When cool completely chopped the chicken into bite size. Dress up the chicken with garnishing ingredients.
9/  Sieve the chicken broth * and keep aside for the rice and soup.

You can replace the whole chicken with chicken thighs or drumsticks
10/ If you're using drumsticks, boil the drumsticks for 5 mins and keep in the hot broth for 15 mins. Do not open the pot cover. After 15 mins, pierce the drumsticks with a fork or chopsticks. If no blood ooze out then it's cook. If blood ooze out boil for another 3 mins and keep in the hot broth for 5 to mins.
11/ Keep the chicken broth* to cook the rice and soup.

The key to succulence chicken meat is in the poaching.

This meal can be made a low fat diet dish.You may remove the skin from the cooked chicken before serving.

The cilantro sauce is one of the best for this poach chicken.

Garlic, spring onion, cilantro, red chillies, ginger, chicken fat.

Fragrant Chicken Flavor Rice
2 cups fragrant rice - wash and rinse
2 cloves garlic
1/2 inch ginger
1 small cube chicken stock
3 pandan leaves ( optional )
2 pieces chicken fat
Chicken broth *

1/  Heat up the wok and render the chicken fat until oil released from the fat. You can keep the crispy fat for garnishing.
2/  Stir fry the garlic and ginger until fragrant, add in the rice and pandan leaves. Stir fry for 2 to 3 mins.

3/  Transfer the rice to the rice cooker, add chicken stock and enough chicken broth to boil the rice. Once rice is cooked, fluff  the rice with chopsticks.

Fragrant chicken flavored rice, delicious by itself......

Fish Ball Soup
Chicken broth
20 fish balls ( scalded with hot water )
Chinese lettuce
Salt and pepper to taste
Dash of sesame oil

1/  Bring the chicken broth to boil. Add fish balls, salt, pepper to taste and a dash of sesame oil.
2/  Submerge the Chinese lettuce in the boiling broth and off the stove immediately.
3/  Serve with chicken rice.

Cilantro Dipping Sauce
1 bunch of cilantro leaves - chopped 1/2 inch length
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp black soya sauce
1 tsp light soya sauce
Dash of pepper
2 shallots - slice thinly
2 tbsp chicken broth
1/2 tbsp oil

1/  Heat up the wok and add the oil. Fry the slice shallots until golden brown. Add oyster sauce and chicken broth.
2/  Lower the heat. Add light soya sauce, black soya sauce, pepper and cilantro leaves. Give a quick stir and remove from heat.

Ginger Sauce

Wash and peel the ginger skin. Chopped the ginger into small pieces. Blend the ginger with a bit of chicken broth until smooth. Add salt and vinegar to taste. You can add chili sauce if you like.

Serve chicken rice with soup, bean sprout salad and 3 type of special dipping sauce for delicious variety.

Chilli Sauce
4 red chillies
2 cloves garlic
Salt and vinegar to taste

1/  Wash and discard the chillies seeds. Chopped finely.
2/  Blend the chillies and garlic until very fine.
3/  Add salt sugar and vinegar to taste.

Need to practice and improve on my chopping skill. LOL

Bean Sprout Salad
200gm bean sprouts
2 tsp light soya sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp chicken broth
Dash of pepper
Fried shallots
Spring onion
Red Chilli

1/  Remove the bean sprouts tail. Rinse and drain.
2/  Bring 2 bowl of water to boil, off the stove. Blanch the bean sprout for 10 seconds. Drain off the water immediately.
3/  Add 2 tsp light soya sauce, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp chicken broth and dash pepper.
4/  Garnish with fried shallots, shredded chilli and spring onion.
5/  Serve with chicken rice and enjoy.

Dessert of the day 
Red Bean With Black Glutinous Rice

Beans are a healthy source of protein and by combining with brown rice or other complementary grains, you can create a meal with a complete protein, containing all the amino acids necessary for good nutrition.
Beans are naturally low in fat and cholesterol free. Red beans are also good source of iron, fibre and antioxidants.
  
300gm red beans
1/4 bowl black glutinous rice
Sugar to taste
Coconut milk
Pandan leaves

Beans aren't just good for the waistline, they may aid in disease prevention.

1/  Wash and soak the red beans for 4 to 5 hours. Drain off the water.
2/  Wash and soak the black glutinous rice for 2 to 3 hours. Drain off the water.
3/  Fill the heavy bottom pot with approximate 1500mls water, add pandan leaves, red bean and glutinous rice. When it boil, lower the heat and simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours until softened. Remember to keep checking the water level, if dry add more water.
4/  When cooked , add sugar to taste. Serve hot or cold.

The long simmer makes this red bean soup soft and creamy. For a rich creamy flavor, add 1 tbsp of coconut milk to each serving.

 Have a fabulous week ahead. Cheers!

Amelia