Home-cooked: malabar spinach soup with anchovies and egg

Nothing beats a harvested home-grown crop! So fresh and pesticide free! As I've just started a mini edible garden, the haul is little but just nice for the 2 of us :-)

Home-grown malabar spinach

I've cooked a simple soup with egg and anchovies:

What I've used:

• malabar spinach, pinched, washed and cleaned
• anchovies, washed and cleaned
• 1 egg
• water, depending on how much soup you require
• some oil
• salt and pepper to taste

How:

1. Heat up some oil in wok on medium to low heat. Add anchovies and stir-fry until fragrant. Then add in the spinach and continue to stir-fry a minute or two.
2. Pour in a bowl of water in accordance of how much soup you require. Cover with the hood and bring it to a boil.
3. Break the egg and add it in the boiling soup. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let the soup simmer until it's cooked and ready to be served.

Home-cooked: Jamie Oliver's tomato and red onion pasta sauce

Cooked this for hub's birthday recently :-)

Easy peasy, non-hassle and completed in less than an hour. The below is for 2 person.

What I've used:

• 1 bottle Jamie Oliver's Tomato and Red Onion Pasta Sauce
• 1/2 packet San Remo spaghetti
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 potato, cubed
• minced pork (you can use other meat, lamb is highly recommended by Jamie)
• some olive oil
• a dash of salt, sugar and tomato sauce to taste

How:

1. Firstly, boil a pot of water to cook spaghetti. Add a dash of salt and olive oil once boiling and then the spaghetti. Remove and drain once the spaghetti is cook. Set aside
2. Blanch the potato in a pot of salted water. Set aside once the texture is soft.
3. Heat up wok with some olive oil. At low heat, stir fry garlic until fragrant and then add the minced pork. At medium heat, stir fry until pork is nearly cooked and then add in the sauce. Add some water to dilute the texture to your liking and continue stirring. After that pour in the blanched potatoes and let it simmer in medium to low heat. Add salt, sugar and tomato sauce to taste. Once done, it is ready to be served.
4. Optional: add some toasted French baguette to dip in the sauce

Happy birthday hubs!

MPOV: First time using Jamie Oliver's tomato and red onion pasta sauce. Very fragrant but need seasoning to taste or else it's bland. Sauce is thick so it can be diluted a bit for more serving. Priced at RM11.90 from Cold Storage Supermarket.

Eggs Benedict

Taken from Open Rice.

Home-cooked: easy peasy blanched eggplant

Ingredient:

• eggplant, peeled and cut in chunks
• shallot, peeled and sliced thinly

Method:

1. Boil a wok of water, add in a dash of salt. Add in the eggplant chunks once boiling. Remove and drain once cooked
2. Heat up wok with 1-2 tbsp oil, depending on eggplant portion. Add in sliced shallots and cook until fragrant. Remove and pour over the blanched eggplants and serve

Home-cooked: fruity cooling water

Ingredients:

• apples, peeled and quartered
• pears, peeled and quartered
• red dates, remove the seed

Method:

1. Boil a pot of water
2. Once boiling, add in all the ingredients and bring it to a boil
3. Lower heat and let it simmer for an hour or two
4. Serve chilled or iced or warm

Fish Head Noodles

Taken from Tumix
Serves 3-4 persons

Ingredients:

• 1 kg fish head (cut into pieces and seasoned with salt and pepper)
• 100 gm young ginger (thinly sliced)
• 150 gm thick vermicelli (if it's dry, soak in water until soft before blanching in hot water)
• 100 ml evaporated milk
• a few stalks Chinese celery and spring onions (for garnishing)

(A)

• 3-4 tomatoes (sliced)
• 150 gm salted cabbage (shredded and soaked in hot water for 20 minutes to remove salt content)

(B)

• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 sachet Tumix Ikan Bilis
• 1 litre hot water
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• salt to taste

 Method:
Blanch vermicelli in hot water until soft. Heat oil in a wok. Deep fry fish until golden and crispy. Drain and leave aside. In a clean wok, add 2 tbsp oil. Fry young ginger until it's fragrant. Add (A) and (B). Allow to simmer. Add fried fish head and cooked vermicelli. Cover. When boiling, pour in evaporated milk. Garnish and serve immediately.

Szechuan Fried String Beans

Taken from Tumix
Serves 3-4 persons

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooking oil
• 400 gm string beans (remove the ends)
• 150 gm minced chicken
• 1 red chilli (remove the seeds and chop finely)
• 1 sachet Tumix Ikan Bilis

Method:
Heat oil in a wok. Deep fry string beans for a few minutes. Drain. Set aside. Place 2 tbsp of oil in a wok. Stir fry minced chicken with Tumix Ikan Bilis until it is cooked and dry. Add in chopped chilli and string beans. Continue to stir fry for a few minutes. Garnish and serve hot.

Porridge with Spices

Taken from Tumix
Serves 3-4 persons

Ingredients:

• 300 gm rice
• 250 gm fresh prawns
• 25 gm dried prawns
• 200 gm fish fillet
• 1 whole coconut (for 2 cups thick and 2 cups thin coconut milk)
• 1 big onion
• 20 stalks basil leaves
• 1 tsp fenugreek
• 1 tbsp Tumix Ikan Bilis
• Salt to taste

To be blended:

• 1 tsp white pepper
• 8 shallots
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1.5 cm ginger

Method:
Clean the fresh prawns. Blend dried prawns and fish fillet. Wash the rice. Boil for an hour. Add thin coconut milk, fenugreek, Tumix Ikan Bilis and blended ingredients. Stir for 5 minutes. Add fresh prawns, onions and basil leaves. Leave to boil for 1/2 hour. Add thick coconut milk. Leave to boil before serving.