F.I.S.H.

With children around after marriage the time spends with your partner alone can be counted besides bedtime, unless you are the lucky ones when babysit is available where arrangement can be made.   I am not the lucky sort where we have to do everything ourselves without domestic help.  As now they are working and in college we are able to indulge in some precious time over dinner or a movie.

Classy setting of frosted glass crockery

Charcoal grill squid

Fresh and chewy accompanied by salsa sauce

BBQ Chicken Drumletts - Crispy and juicy but on a salty side

Charcoal Grill Cod Fish drizzle with lemon juice - tender, oily and fresh


Tampines Central
Tampines One

LOOFAH

A simple and delicious vegetable.  Do not add water as loofah gives out alot of water during the cooking process.   Cut loofah into strips and stir fry with oyster sauce and egg.

TOMATOE & SPRING ONION SALAD

Simple and delicious eaten on its own.  Wash and cut up spring onions.  Fry chopped garlics in hot oil till brown and mix with spring onions and light soya sauce.  Steam for 5 mins and add fresh tomatoes.

AH LIM'S NOODLES

Ah Lim's noodle stall, at Jalan Tua Kong, Upper East Coast Road is our frequent patronage.  It opens from 7am to 5pm and the place is crowded during weekend.

Sweet and tasty soup with smooth kway-teoh.  Meat balls are springy with tender crunchy prawns. Compliment with soya sauce together with chilli padi slices gives fantastic sensation to your tastebud.

Dried version gives a oomph and explosive kick.  Chilly and tomatoes sauce make a good partner - hot and sourish.

XO SAUCE TOMATOES SALAD

A very easy dish to make without cooking.  Slice mini tomatoes into quarters and mix in XO sauce.  Season with a pinch of salt and mirin sauce.  Add in one dried scallop for more bite.

(Soak scallop the night before in boiled water.  When ready to serve, shred scallops and add into the salad).

CHICKEN PIE

One dish meal caters for lunch and dinner - time saving.  Spent whole morning slaving in the kitchen to wash, peel, chop and cook the fillings for the pie.

Peel and chop potatoes, onions, carrots, Japanese and button mushrooms & garlics into cubes.  Slice chicken fillets into cubes and marinate with salt, sugar, chinese wine, soya sauce and corn flour. Set aside.  Boil potatoes and carrots till soft.  Heat oil in wok and fry onions till weeping.   Add garlic and fry till fragrant.  Add in chicken cubes and rest of vegetables.  Add oyster sauce and water. Cover to simmer.

Prepare pastry the day before and keep in fridge till ready to use.  Roll our pastry and fit into individual pie mould.  Prick bottom of pie and bake till half cook.  Fill pie with fillings, cover the pie and continue baking till crispy.

A substantial meal.

DINNER

No home cook meal when return late from work.  After picking daughter from SGH it was late in the evening and proceeded to Great World City for dinner.  Had our meal at Cz'zar Singapore the second time, it had been 1 year since we ate there.

Plum Sauce Spareribs - Tender and smoky with sourish taste

Fried Tahu with Cabbage - Tahu meltingly soft with needle mushrooms besides cabbage

Seafood Fried Rice - Big prawns, thick slices of fish and squids. Rice was fluffy and evenly coated with eggs.

Lemon Chicken - Crispy with tangy flavor

Seafood Hor Fun - Smooth and delicious, full of wok hei

A complementary piece of mango mousse birthday cake from neighbour diners.

CHERRY PIE

Cherry pie for tea. Pastry recipe was from Dorie Greenspan sweet pastry dough but had to do with canned cherries for fresh ones are too expensive and not in season.

Unbake Pie

DESSERT FOR GATHERING

Attended mooncake festival gathering at a friend's place and I made mango pudding for dessert.

I used "Robertson" mango jelly powder which was bought in Hong Kong.   I always bought dozen boxes whenever I travel to Hong Kong as this brand is not available here.

Divide half a batch into individual cups for own consumption

A big tray to bring to gathering

STEAM PORK WITH SZECHUAN VEGETABLES

Simple dish to prepare.  Soak and wash szechuan vegetables to remove saltiness, cut into slices or strips.  Marinate pork and mix with szechuan vegetables, tomatoes and garlic.  Steam over high heat till pork is cooked.

CAKES

Nowadays there are many types of cakes and pastries to choose at your fancy.  Unlike the old days the only cakes we got to enjoy were sponge and butter cakes and it was considered a luxury.  The cakes sold at confectionary were of assorted pieces and a big and elaborate cake was usually a wedding or birthday cake ordered in advance unlike now where you can buy a whole cake off the shelf at any time.

Cakes from Rive Gauche at Tampines 1

Orange Exotic Cake - a bland cake lack of chocolate flavor with a hint of orange taste

Longan Almond - A good combination of almond and longan.  Strong almond mousse and longan flavor sponge cake

SEA BASS

Bought a seabass from Cold Storage.  Deep fried till crispy to go with sweet sour sauce.  An appetizing main dish.