Chicken, Prawn & Tomato Paella

This is one of Donna Hay's recipes I tried & enjoyed by my kids.

Ingredients:
1.5 tablespoons olive oil
200g chicken thigh fillet, trimmed and chopped
200g green prawns, peeled, tails intact
1 small brown onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes (optional)
3/4 cup rice
400g can diced tomatoes ( I used tomato puree)
310ml campbell chicken stock
Parsley and lemon wedges, to serve

Method:
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick frying pan over high heat. Add chicken and prawns & cook until golden (cooked through). Set aside.

Add the remaining oil to the pan with the onion, garlic, chilli (optional) & paprika until softened. Add the rice, tomato & stock, reduce heat & cook until the rice is cooked. Stir in the chicken & prawns and cook for a further 1 min.

Top with parsley and serve with lemon wedges. Serves 2.

Enjoy !

A healthy indulgence

My all-time-any-time indulgence - OYSTERS with lemon & tabasco! Cheap, fresh & juicy oysters are easily available everywhere. Cant believe they are LOW in fat, calories, cholesterol & rich in protein !

Two weekends ago, my friends & I had our ladies night out. We had the best beef/ribs combo, oysters & beer at Hurricane's Grill & Bar in Darling Harbour.

Yum !

Tasty tomato sauce

Kieran LOVES tomato sauce & cant get enough of it ! We had breakfast at the nearby mall last Sat & all he wanted was toast bread with lots of tomato sauce !!!



Very contented !


After a tasty tomato sauce breakfast, we brought him for a haircut. Sorry nai nai, he needed a trim badly!

Piping hot beef soup

I come from a family of soup lovers. My children grew up drinking yummy home-cooked soups & I think its the best way to get any vegetables, proteins & vitamins into them. No mess too - just throw everything into the pot & simmer for hours !!




2 pcs of 牛剪 (cantonese)
White radish
Carrots
2 slices of ginger

Simmer for 2.5hrs. Serve warm with rice !

Granny's recipes

I havent been putting much effort to cook for the family. Daddy & kids had to put up with boring meals for the last 2 weeks.

I am not someone who enjoys cooking & baking. I need alot of motivation, inspiration & idiot-proof recipes to do so. Both grannies (popo & nainai) have been very patient. Nainai even compiled some good basic homemade recipes !

Today I made soy sauce chicken wings & I knew it was yum because my fussy son loved the dish!

I also cooked Thai style oven baked wings for daddy. The secret lies in the chilli sauce Nainai made !

Sumo Salad

Something is terribly wrong with me. I am addicted to Chicken Cobb Salad (eggs, grilled chicken, avocados, tomatoes, cheese, lettuce & corns). People who know me well will know that if I love a particular food, I DONT eat in moderation !!

Bento tools

This is a very backdated post. Finally I had the time to open & look thru the cute bento tools my friend got from Sg & HK.

"Kimi's mummy, thank you so much. Simply love the items and cant wait to start my bento-making journey !! "


Polka-dot lunch bag, strawberry & 2 tier lunch box.


Mini plastic fork and spoon set.


Cheese and fruit cutters.


Rice moulds.


Sauce containers.


Silicone holders for wet food or use as separators.

Ikan billis fried rice

This was the first dish my mother in law cooked when daddy brought me to his house for the first time, and I love this dish ever since !

Its so easy to prepare! It is made up of cucumber, eggs, chillis, tomatoes, onions and ikan billis of course.


I've packed some for daddy to bring to work tomorrow & the rest (no chillis added) will be enjoyed by me & the kids.

Baked with love (Part 3)

Another secret receipe !!

Raisin & cheese scones



p/s: I didnt bake it. My duty was to eat and gain back all the lost kgs Ha ha ha !!!

Baked with love (Part 2)

Postdated: 23rd Dec'08
Nai nai's 10 mins secret receipe !!

Bread pudding

Baked with love

Postdated: 20th Dec.'08

Nai nai wanted to teach mummy me how to bake blueberry muffins, but it was her granddaughter who was more enthusiastic about it ! :P Kayla really loves to help out in the kitchen. She is always so patient & focus.

They were the most delicious baked-with-love muffins !

Thank you, Kayla & Nai nai.


The muffins were filled with so much walnut toppings (all thanks to Kayla!).

Prata has never tasted so gd!

Postdated: 1st Nov'08
Its so difficult to find delicious asian food so when our friends gave us prata, we totally enjoyed every single bite!!




Their brand of prata is selling like hot cakes here. They even gave us some chicken & mutton curry to go with it!!

Mint & Chips

My latest (sinful) addiction- Mint & Chips ice cream!!!


Pink outfit, pink crocs and strawberry ice-cream :p

Mummy's favourite food

Kids, this is my all time favourite food- TOM YAM rice noodle seafood soup!! Drooling as I am writing this..

Craved for ice-cream

Postdated: 1st July
Popo craved for ice-cream so off we went to Swensen's at T3.

Love the clippies!

Banana split ice-cream for popo.

"I want some too!!"

San Francisco kid for Kayla.

"Hat toppled, mummy!"

Yummy yum yum

Felt like pigging out so got the receipe from my dear cousin and made this yummy miso soup steamboat. I prepared too much food and I really feel like a oink oink now!

Steamed apples

My 3 weeks in tumble tots (Kayla's school) was a fruitful one. Why? Firstly, bonding between mother & child. Secondly, I've learnt many children's songs ha ha. Lastly, I got to know this kid's ah ma and she gave me many traditional receipes to boost immune system & to improve complexion.

They are suitable for children and adults. Ah ma said she is very particular about her granddaughter's well being so she spends alot of effort in preparing her meals.

Today I tried steamed apples. This is no ordinary steamed apples. It is supposed to "lun fei" or to treat minor cold/cough. My kids love it.

Ingredients:
- 1 red apple
- 1 wu hua guo (wet)
- a pinch of zhen chu fen (pearl powder) & chuan bei
- 1-2 small drops of honey

Methods:
- Slice apple into half (with skin)
- Remove seeds/core
- Rinse and slice (thinly) wu hua guo
- Put wu hua guo and zhen chu fen/chuan bei into the center of the apple & put the two halves tog (1 whole apple)
- Steam for 2-3hrs
- When ready to serve, remove apple's skin and wu hua guo. Add 1-2 small drops of honey. ENJOY!

Note:
- Purchase zhen chu fen & chuan bei from chinese medical hall and request to grind into powder form. Next time, I will just get chuan bei becuz mom told me not necessary to add zhen chu fen (too ex!).

- I bought top grade honey as it has no sugar and no preservatives. Better for kids. 1 small bottle cost me $25. You can choose not to add honey as wu hua guo and apple are naturally sweet.

Clockwise (front): Wu hua guo, zhen chu fen/chuan bei (powder), honey, apple (sliced into half).

Ready to serve!