Seafood Tom Yam Soup

Simply difficult to get  the type of tom yam soup that can appease my taste buds. Just like my childhood story of 'Goldilocks And The Three Bears', I found  that some were too sour, too thick, too stingy on ingredients, too watery, too hot......me being too choosy. Well, different people have different liking for stuffs. More over, I couldn't seem to get the authentic type that I had tasted in Thailand over here, even in highly rated Thai restaurants. Just didn't taste that good and not having a certain type of ummph ! Anything to do with the 'lack of feel' due to not being in Thailand ? So, the best thing to do is cook this soup for myself and of course to the preferred version for my whole family although still not as good as the type in Thailand. I just plus and minus the ingredients (easily available in Malaysia) according to my liking. Other than that, it's very much cheaper, easy to cook and make it as big pot as I like. Cooking is like doing experiment in the kitchen.

Ingredients (plus or minus to your liking)


(A)
200 g of : 1)big prawns  2) squids 3) abalone mushrooms 4) button mushrooms 5) fishballs
150 g mint leaves    1 bowl fried onions
1 tbsp toasted sole fish powder (if any-optional)


(B)
2 stalks torch ginger
3 stalks lemongrass
3 slices galangal
10-15 kaffir lime leaves
3-4 stalks polygonum leaves
some Thai basil leaves (Ocimum)
3-4 Chinese parsley roots
5-10 red chillies


(C)
Tom Yam paste ( add according to taste or your brand of Tom Yam paste)
10 tomatoes (cut or smash)
5-10 bid's eye chilies (for that special 'ummph')
2 anchovy cubes ( if any)
tamarind juice or calamansi lime juice which I prefer (to taste)
fish sauce, salt and sugar (to taste)
3 l water


a) Stir fry (B) to add the aroma. If lazy, then omit this step for healthier version.
b) Pour in water, boil and add in (C). Bring to boil and then lower the fire/heat. Boil for half  to an hour.
c) Sieve soup to another pot (optional- to sieve out chilies, tomatoes and other residue). Boil and add in (A).
    When done, garnish with parsley and serve hot.

***Note :( If lazy... just throw B & C in a pot, boil and put in A)

Prescription : DIY as a way of life.

Jenny's Vegetarian Herbal Sambal

I love to make this and keep it in the refrigerator. It could last for a month but it is better to make just enough to last for a week because I believe freshness beats all. Sometimes when I am alone, lazy to cook...I just boil some rice to eat it with this sambal which is available in the refrigerator together with julienned cucumber if any. Mix everything just like the Koreans do with their kimchi and rice in a big bowl. Voila ! My bowl of goodness and yummy too ! If there are some crackers (vegetarian, fish, squid or prawn), just crush some into the bowl. Eat with a difference and you can't get this anywhere because it's my very own brainchild of a concoction to cater to my taste buds. Delicious for me but may be the other way for you. If you are game for it, then give it a try.

Ingredients


10 fresh chillies
10 dried chillies
3" galangal (lengkuas)
2" ginger
1" tumeric
5 kaffir lime leaves (daun limau purut)- optional
3 stalks lemongrass (serai)
1 stalk torch ginger flower (bunga kantan)
some polygonum leaves (daun kesum)
5 pips of garlics
10 shallots
2 red onions
(grind all the ingredients above)

juice of 10-15 calamansi limes- more if you like it
salt and sugar to taste (according to your liking)
oil to stir fry

Stir fry everything together until fragrant and thick. The colour should be dark reddish orange. Lastly, add juice, sugar and salt. Continue stirring. Ready to serve. Put remainder into air tight sterilized container.


Note** : most of the ingredients have medicinal value, are antioxidants and good for detoxification.

Prescription : Eat and enjoy...pampering oneself is an addition to little things in life.

Refreshing Dragon Fruit Juice

As the weather is soaring in temperature, we wish for something to keep our body heat down. What could be better than having refreshing cool drinks full of goodness for the skin and easy on our budget ? Also it is simple and easy to prepare, even for children.


Ingredients


1 red pitaya fruit (dragon fruit)-cut/chop into small chunks/cubes
Juice of 3-4 calamansi limes
Sugar/Honey to taste
Lots of ice cubes
1/2 jug water

1.  If you use sugar, it is advisable to mix with some hot water first. Add all the ingredients and stir well.
2.  Pour into a glass and enjoy your drink. If you like, you could add a pinch of salt.


Prescription : Something simple could be enjoyable

Cucumber Salad Sandwich (vegetarian)

Well, I like eating my bread with this concoction. Don't know about you but you could try because it's full of goodness. Taste better for me if the salad is cool.

Ingredients


1. Julienned 1 young cucumber (could add carrots,parsley etc to taste)
2. Juice of 2-3 limes (up to you)
3. 1-2 tsp of honey(more healthy) or sugar (more or less if you like)
4. chopped red chilies (depend on how hot you like it)
5. a pinch of salt (may omit)
6. a dash of pepper
7. bread to make sandwich
8. low fat margarine (your favourite type)

Mix well 1-5 together. Spread a thin layer of margerine on a piece of bread and put some of the salad on it.Then sprinkle some pepper on it. Cover with another piece of bread. Cut to whatever shape or size, triangle or rectangle.Repeat. 
(If it's for myself, I won't bother cutting).


Prescription : Sometimes you just need a little bit of imagination to enjoy.

Fruity Ice Combo

Cool, colourful , lots of vitamins and fiber for you as a treat on a hot day. Not bad huh ?

Ingredients

1 bowl ice shavings/ blended ice
fruits cut into cubes and bite size : mango, red & white dragon fruit, kiwi fruit, strawberries (any fruit that you like)
1 tbsp nata de coco &  1 tbsp attap fruit (optional)
1 tbsp grass jelly(cincau)/agar-agar/jelly strips           
2-3 tbsp mango juice or your favourite syrup
1-2 scoops of fruity or vanilla ice cream as topping

Put everything in a serving bowl and top it with ice cream if you like. I prefer putting some ice shavings followed by fruits etc and a tablespoon of mango juice alternately, Then lastly, top it with ice cream.


Prescription : Give yourself a treat every now and then

Porridge For Dengue Patients (Eel Porridge)

   Dengue fever could cause haemorrhage. It's caused by a type of virus spread by female Aedes mosquitoes. It's very dangerous if not treated early and may cause fatality. Actually there's no specific treatment. Only treat the symptom such as fever- give fever medicine and if dehydrated-on water drip ( given saline solution). Nothing much could be done. The patient's immune system has to do the fighting and extremely low platelets counts spelled danger.

  All 3 of my children got this fever before. Suspected that they got it from being at their tuition centre because the tuition teacher and son was down with dengue fever a few days earlier and was warded at a specialist hospital.Our house has mosquito nettings and I took extra precaution to keep away mosquitoes. A family friend recommended me to cook thick eel porridge with a little ginger (use freshwater eel is better and cook like cooking fish porridge - 1 cup rice, 1 eel  steam & take out the flesh, 3 cups water and a few slices of ginger, some fried garlic and fried shallots, a pinch of salt and little soy sauce - boil first then cook using low fire till rice is smooth and soft) because it is believed that it helps in improving platelet counts. Cooked that for my children to hopefully improve platelet count, gave them "100 Plus"(get rid of the gas), coconut water (is believed to be a good remedy for cooling and detoxification by Malay community) and made them drink lots of water (at least 1/2- 3/4 glass per hour except at night- about 2 cups) for cooling the body because to me, logically, water could dilute the strength of toxins and urinating more could maybe and hopefully flush out more toxins from the body. Luckily they recovered quite fast to my relieve and praise GOD for that. I was so scared  and worried then. Their platelet count improve each day I gave them eel porridge till become normal again. Maybe it's coincidence but my family friend swear by it because her daughter was admitted before for the same dengue fever and her platelet count also improve after taking eel porridge. No harm in trying because eel porridge is very nutritious and full of iron boost for red blood cells formation in the body since dengue fever is a haemorrhagic fever.


  I sincerely hope to share this experience and hope it will help those down with dengue fever although not exactly proven. Tell me if it works for you too but of course 'touch wood !' that you don't get dengue fever. I hope you know what I mean..... The tuition teacher and son drank lots of red guava juice because it was believed to help for recovering from dengue fever too (natural Vitamin C boost for immune system ?Probably yes too!) They recovered after more than a week in the hospital. My children was admitted to the hospital for 3 days. The earlier stage about 3 days high fever and 2 days intermittent mild and moderate fever (went to local GP only) which I thought was the normal kind of fever because they have sore throat too until I saw red patches of rashes on some parts of their bodies which made me suspicious and sent them to the hospital for blood screening. They were on water drips and on paracetamol medicine for fever only during their duration in the hospital. Another remedy which the Chinese believe helps to cure dengue fever is an organ part of the porcupine that can be bought from Chinese medical shop at exorbitant price. The last time I heard was RM 200 for very little. I didn't try it because I heard from my plumber about it after my children got well because he was down with that fever before and he spent quite a sum for the porcupine part. Another thing to remember is when having fever, don't eat oily stuff because it is believed that oily food slow down fever recovery. Better take precaution in case it's true...

Prescription : Could try some unproven scientifically remedies if it brings no harm to the body. Some natural remedies actually helps in some cases ( I am nuts about natural remedies and a believer but I balance out with western medication and Chinese medication - must know how to go about it or one might actually aggravate the situation instead of improving)

Herbal Blue Rice (Vegetarian)

Herbal blue rice is very easy to prepare. All the core ingredients are natural and contain medicinal value to boost our immune system. Furthermore, it's simply great to have it together with any dish especially hot and spicy food e.g. vegetarian pineapple sambal which I gave the recipe yesterday. 


The main ingredient is the flowers of butterfly pea, Clitorea ternatea ( bunga telang in Malay) - flowers from a vining tropical  plant. The flowers are rich in blue delphidine which is a type of anthocyanin. This antioxidant flavanoids protect many body systems from free radical damages.

Ingredients

2 handfuls of of butterfly pea ( soak for 1 hour in 3 cups of hot water to get the colour out-squeeze out the juice as well)


2 cups rice


1 stalk lemongrass, 1" ginger, 3 pips garlic, 3 shallots, 1 onion (blended)


1 tsp fenugreek seeds (halba) & 6 cardamon seeds (buah pelaga)


5 screwpine leaves (pandan)- tie into a knot


1/2 tbsp oil (for stir fry) & a pinch of salt which could be omitted


1. Stir fry blended ingredients and put in the seeds. Continue stir frying till aromatic. Add in rice and screwpine leaves. Stir for a while. 
2. Put into rice cooker. Add in the water and juice from butterfly pea. Leave it to cook until done. Serve.


Prescription : Enjoying food is precious


  

Vegetarian Pineapple Sambal

I simply love to eat especially hot and spicy food with a tinge of sweet and sour. As I can hardly resist the lure of food, it's difficult for me to control my waistline after giving birth to my third child. Thank God that I'm tall and still manage to maintain exactly on the line of normal BMI. I used to be able to eat enormous portion without feeling guilty or worrying about the kind of food that I took and still stayed lean. It's history now. Must remind myself not to pile up the plate, eat more veges, oh this is too high in calories, that contains too much  fat/cholesterol or this is too meaty. Therefore I seldom cook my favourite food to avoid having to restrain myself from eating extra. Force to control your urge for your favourite food is definitely not satisfying. May as well don't cook it at all. So I'll give myself a break, just cook my favourite and eat my heart out once in a blue moon.

Ingredients :  1 pineapple (sweet and sour type e.g Morris pineapple- cut into triangle slices , 2 lemongrass (smashed) , 2 onions, 10 shallots, 1" galangal, 3 candlenuts, 3 pips garlic, little tumeric (pound) , 5 dried chillies and 5 fresh chillies ( pound/blend finely), 1 star anise , 2" cinnamon bark, 1  tbsp oyster sauce or tspn vegetarian belacan (optional-can omit if can't find this),1 cup thick coconut milk , salt and white sugar or brown sugar to taste ( I prefer the sweeter version) , oil for stir fry

1. Stir fry the pounded ingredients with oil, put in the lemongrass, star anise and cinnamon bark. Continue to stir fry until red chilli oil ooze out. Add oyster sauce and continue for 1 minute.
2. Put in the slices of pineapple. Mix well. Then add coconut milk. Cook for a while till bubbling. Add in salt and sugar. Cook for a few more minutes.  Wait for a while before serving. Taste better if left for a few hours. If you prefer to eat while hot, you can reheat it.

** for non-vegetarian version, could add prawns and squids, and replace vegetarian belacan with non-vegetarian belacan (shrimp paste)


Prescription : No Food, No Life












             

Nutritious Double Drumsticks Curry

  
 Drumstick plant (Moringa oleifera) has incredible nutritional value. High in calcium, protein, Vitamin C, Vitamin A, iron and potassium. It could be used to cure a wide range of ailments. This plant is popular among Indians. I remember when I was small, my Indian neighbour used to cook drumstick curry and gave my family some. This dish will always bring me down memory lane...
 

   Here is a delicious curry dish and can make you eat up bowls of rice i.e. if you like curry. It is an all in one dish- vegetables and meat :

Ingredients

5 chicken drumsticks       A few pods of drumsticks (cut into 2 inches length)
2 aubergines , 3 tomatoes , 3 cabbage leaves  (cut up)
3 tbsp meat curry powder (the brand that you love) - mix with some water into a paste
2-3 fresh chillies (slice)        3 stalks curry leaves      2 stalks lemongrass (crushed)
2 cups water                       salt and sugar to taste    3-4 tbsp oil
10 shallots, 4 pips garlics  , 2 red onions (pounded)
1 glass fresh milk or coconut milk

1. Stir fry pounded ingredients till aromatic. Add curry leaves and lemongrass. Continue stirring. Then add curry paste. Stir until the reddish oil is visible and aromatic.
2. Put in chicken and drumstick pods. Keep on mixing till pods turn colour.
3. Add water and cook till boiling. Put in the vegetables, chillies and boil again. Pour in the milk. Continue stirring.
4.  Add sugar and salt to taste. Cook till done. Ready to serve.

Prescription : A meal to walk down memory lane


(25.05.11-Wednesday)


      

Calamansi Lime Juice With Sour Kana (Air Limau Asam Boi)

Sweltering heat and haze... weather especially hot and humid. Wouldn't want to go out unless necessary because the heat from the sun seems to prick through the skin. So a glass of cool drink slowly entering the throat and cooling down a simmering body would be wonderful. When we mix the drink ourselves, we could make as much as we want at minimum cost, drink as much as we want and most important needn't go out to get one because it's so hot outside! By the time we return, we are heating up again! Really envy those staying in cool temperate countries for now.....

Ingredients :   2 calamansi limes (limau kasturi)- squeeze out the juice
                     1 sour kana (asam boi)- cut / chop flesh
                     2 tpsn white sugar (gula)- to taste or could be omitted
                     1/4 glass hot water ( air panas)
                     1/2 glass water ( air)
                      ice cubes (ais ketul)


Put sour kana and sugar into a tall glass. Add hot water and stir. Then mix with water and lime juice. Lastly add ice to the brim. Now you have a nice glass of refreshing cool drink to quench your thirst and to cool down.

Prescription :  Keeping the body hydrated is important.


(11.05.11-Wednesday)

Pucuk Ubi Masak Lemak Udang (Young tapioca shoots in coconut milk with prawns)

   Cassava (Manihot esculenta) or tapioca leaves are rich in protein. Tapioca leaves should not be eaten raw because raw leaves contain 2 types of cyanogenic glucosides - linamarin and lotaustralin. These will give rise to cyanide (HCN) toxin poisoning.

  Here is a traditional village (kampung) dish that I love very much. Need to cook it because can't get it outside. My supply of young tapioca shoots came fresh from the farm.

Ingredients : half kg young tapioca shoots (blanch, wash & strain)
                        half kg prawns (shelled)
                        5 green bird eye chillies
                        2 red chillies (slice)
                        a little tumeric powder
                        4 pips garlic (chopped)
                        3 shallots (chopped)
                        1 glass coconut milk
                        salt and sugar to taste
                        1 tbsp oil


First heat up the oil in a wok or pan, then fry garlic and shallots till golden brown. After that put in tumeric powder together with the prawns and stir fry until reddish. Pour in coconut milk and put in the chillies. Wait  till it boils. Add in tapioca leaves. Then add salt and sugar. Stir well. Ready to serve with hot white rice.


Prescription : Cooking isn't that difficult if you put your mind on it.


(4.05.11-Wednesday)

Stir Fried Pucuk Paku (young fern shoots) With Oyster Sauce

 'Pucuk paku' or 'paku choy' are young edible fern shoots which are gathered when they are still curled from the fern Diplazium esculentum . The ferns grow in the wild and can be bought in wet markets, pasar malam (night market), hypermarkets or 'pasar tani'(agriculture market). Ferns contain antioxidants that help in combating free radicals and boost immune system.

     'Pucuk paku' is best stir fried with belacan or cooked with coconut milk (masak lemak cili api). My family loves another simple way of cooking which I cook at home (yet to find any restaurant offering this way of cooking pucuk paku) i.e stir fried half kg of pucuk paku ( very young ones taste better) with 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, with dash of light soya sauce and lots of garlic. I usually get my supply of pucuk paku plucked fresh from the wild which grow aplenty near the river of my husband and co.s' orchid farm. Fresh always give the extra in taste.


Prescription : There's no one way in doing anything. Be adventurous and game enough to try out new things.

(27.04.11-Wednesday)

Super Simple Roast Chicken

   Have you ever feel like eating at home and yet you don't really want the hassle of cooking. You wanted something simple yet look good and special on the table. Well, why not try this hassle free roast chicken which my 12 years old son can cook too.The ingredients are normal stuff in asian kitchen. No pounding or chopping needed.
   Clean and pat dry a less than 1 kg whole chicken.Open up into half on one side. Marinade with tomato kechup, chilli sauce, brown sugar, light soya sauce , dark soya sauce, pepper and a pinch of salt (adjust the amount of ingredients according to preference).Rub the chicken inside out with the ingredients and marinade for at least half day in the refrigerator.So you could prepare this earlier whenever you are free. Roast the chicken at 200 degree Celsius for about 35-40 minutes. Simple and yummy too.


Prescription : Simplicity can be special too


(15.04.11-Friday)

Lemon Grass with Dried Sweetened Orange for Cough

 My son is still coughing. He told me that his throat was very itchy. He is still taking his medicine and he is  fed up with it. So I tried boiling some lemon grass with dried orange to give him as his drink. My neighbour told me that it will help to ease cough. Many people is having flu and it seems that it has something to do with the weather.

Prescription: Do what we can to help.


(05.04.11-Tuesday)

Try This - Stir Fried Banana Trunk

   Have you ever had banana trunk in your menu. If not, you can try preparing this simple dish which is high in fibre content, can't get it in any restaurants and don't put a hole in your pocket (cheap).
   You will need the soft centre or core of a banana trunk which haven't flower before (even wild banana trunk can be eaten). Then cut it into half cm cubes. Boil until soft, stir and strain. Chop some fresh chillies, garlic and shallots. Chop coarsely some dried shrimps.After that heat up a wok with some oil. Put in the chopped ingredients and stir fry until aromatic. Add in the banana trunk cubes. Stir for about 5 minutes. Then add some salt to taste (can be omitted). Try eating this with a hot plate of rice... should suit the taste buds of most Malaysians or people around this region.


Prescription : We are truly blessed to be able to share just a simple meal with our family as many do not have the opportunity...


(26.03.11)

Kaki Sambal Belacan

  At the very mention of sambal belacan, saliva will start oozing out from my salivary glands. Most Malaysians especially, simply love this common dish. For me, my sambal belacan must have fresh chillies and fresh bird's eye chillies pounded together with lots of shallots. Bird's eye chillies will add more 'oomph' and  fiery hot sensation to sambal belacan. The belacan must be the type that's authentically prepared with the distinct pungent smell. Some consider belacan as smelly or smell rotten. It's an acquired smell. Roast the belacan, pound it and then add into the pounded chillies. Lastly, squeeze some lime (limau kasturi) juice and voila! Simple sambal belacan that can be prepared in just a few minutes. When eaten with 'ulam'(local salad) or fried fish flakes, the "kick" or satisfaction I get is beyond description. It's true for me anyway. Belacan is carcinogenic?Then don't eat so much and not too often...lah!When you're enjoying certain food, don't think about 'no good here' or 'no good there'....Just spoil the mood and the taste of the food. Sorry to say this, but most delicious food are unhealthy...just too bad...