For those who already know me.. you must know that i’m in love with Nigella Lawson. Now she is definitely my domesticate goddess and diva. I really wouldn’t mind looking like her.. and cooking so well. Truth be told.. i’m quite challenged when it comes to cooking. My FIL had been growing bok choi for me.. since i came to Canada. He often wonders how i cooked my bok choi. Well.. this will show him.. what i do .. with my bok choi that he sends over.. every summer. I pretty much cooked it this way.. or par boiled them. .and put some oyster sauce.. and fried onions on it.
I had made herbal chicken a few weeks ago.. but without the condiments.. so this time.. i got a little bit more adventurous.. and put in some chinese mushrooms, wolfberries and wood fungus. Very easy to prepare.. the pre-mix were sent to me by a good blogger friend.. Barbara from Malaysia. Thank you .. Barb.. yer awesome..!!
A closer look at the marinated chicken with all the goodies.
Here the man was tying up everything.. because he helped me to cook since I just got out of surgery about a week ago.
All wrapped up.. and ready to wrap another layer of silver foil before steaming.
There we go.. packed up tightly .. and ready to go into a steam. I used a big pot.. and then sit the wrapped chicken onto a plate underneath a bowl.
Ta-da..!! the steamed chicken.. with herbs.. mushrooms, wood fungus.. and wolfberries. Of course, Barbara sent more than just this .. so look out for more home cooked meals.. from home. Thanks again.. Barbara… they tasted awesome. But i didn’t get to finish the chicken this time.. because i had an emergency.. and was hospitalized for the next 5 days.
Herb chicken .. home cooked and food from home. Thanks to Barbara who had sent me a huge bag of herbs and chinese stuff. It was awesome..! the herbal chicken .. turned out so well.. that even my kid who doesn’t eat alot of meat.. asked for more chicken.
All ready for cooking now. I didn’t take a picture of it cooked.. because i had gone to run some errands.. and the man was the one.. who had finished steaming it for me. But it was wonderful tasting.. and i had put some wolfberries, mushrooms.. and wood fungus together into the chicken for steaming.
I love my vegies alot. And it is so easy to cook broccolis, in fact I can eat the whole thing that is on the frying pan. I honestly, feel that I am not getting enough vegies at all..for no on in the family loves broccolis at all.. so i end up eating everything.. lock, stock and barrel. Wish the spouse would learn how to eat some.. but nope..! and so silly eh..?? afterall .. broccoli are the best in all sorts of vitamins.
You know when you are so far away from home.. and if you wanted to eat anything.. you either have to cook yourself.. or if you can’t find the exact ingredients.. you’ll have to improvise. Here is a dish.. that i loved when i was back home.. but rarely eat.. for fear of high cholesterol.. but because I haven’t had the authentic thing for 8.5yrs now.. I had no choice but to make do. Can you guess what it is..??
I had this yesterday nite.. it could use a bit more chilli .. but it still was good.. but didn’t have the oomph..! usually it comes with some seafood and cockles.. but of course i can’t find any cockles.. so i used other things instead.
Ok..! i even show you the package of stuff that I made them with. So what is it..??
For someone like me here in Canada.. but not anywheres near Vancouver or Toronto, a taste of home is really hard to come by. Besides a few blogger friends who had bought me and sent me quite a few .. my daughter’s godmother from Toronto would bring some for me.. when she comes for her holiday or when the man’s aunt is in Toronto, she too tries and get me some. During the aunt’s last trip .. they can’t find any .. for the store that used to carry them.. no longer did. It was a really sad day for me, although i told the Aunt that it was alright. But Prima Taste Laksa made me so happy.. i almost cried.. when i had the first taste of it. It was so easy to cook.. and it really tasted like the authentic katong laksa.
After reading from so many food blogger about them eating the best Bak Kut Teh in KL and Singapore, I am of course in awe .. and envious lah..!! so i made my own tonite.. afterall, being so far away from home.. with no food court of hawker centers.. just doesn’t give you alot of choice eh. Luckily I can still buy those packet type of ready made herbs for Bak Kut Teh from the city .. and i buy lots and store them. And in the Bak Kut Teh i have mushrooms, lean pork, cloves of garlic, wolfberries … and whatever i have at the moment.. into a slow cooker.. and cooked it for 4 hrs at least. Easy peasy..!
I haven’t had duck for a good 7 yrs now. I am not one who was very fond of duck .. when i was living in Asia, but of course now it is different. Mr Choo from the chinese restaurant made these for me. It was very good.. but a wee bit too saltish for my liking.. but beggars can’t be choosers.. and i think i just might order half a duck from him real soon.. and share them with my in-laws.
First time cooking it. So country pumpkin right..?? what to do.. when you can get it real cheap back home.. in Asia. Anyways.. i made this with sago.. and some pandan essence.. since i didn’t have any pandan leaves.. and no where to be found. Thanks to Greenapple.. for sending me some Pandan essence all the way from the States. But i should have only added a drop or two.. coz’ it was very strong. So no pandan leaves never mind.. add pandan essence. It turned out pretty good.. and i really liked it.
