Pan Fried Soy Sauce Chicken

Ever since I started doing Bento, I have to find some easy to prepare dishes so I can put up my Bento in a jiffy. Then again, I have to consider whether my boy will like what I prepared for him... so sometimes it can be brain draining just to think!

It was a relief that my boy is not that fussy with food and would gladly gobble down what I packed for him... well, certain standards must apply lar! *grin*

This dish is one simple ones which I used to do back in my uni days when food are expensive when you are living on a budget. I was lucky I stayed with my aunt back then, and though she will prepare meals for me most of the time but I do not want to be such a free loader all the time so I will cook when ever I can... with stuff I bought myself.

And in Down Under, BBQ is a very common occasion so this dish is that flexible... can be pan fried as well as grill or roast!

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Ingredients

• 3 Chicken drumsticks (cut lines so heat can penetrate)


• Light soy sauce (enough to cover when marinade)


• 1-1.5tbsp Dark soy sauce (or enough to cover all the chciken)


• Dash of pepper

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Methods

1. Clean all the chicken drumsticks and cut lines on the thick area so heat can penetrate into the meat while you pan fried especially if you are using frozen chicken.


2. Marinade the chicken drumsticks with all the ingredients and let them sit for at least an hour before frying.


3. If you are using frozen chicken, after you are done frying, put them in the microwave for 1 minute high just to make sure the drumsticks are thoroughly cooked inside (you will see some blood oozing out).


4. There will be some sauce left after you fried the chicken which you can cook them after you lift up the chicken from the wok and glaze them after you boiled them on the wok till they thicken up.

Steamed Banana Cupcakes

I have 2 over-ripe banana sitting on my table and I really wanted to use them to make banana cake but 2 is not enough for the recipe I have so what shall I do? Another was, I was lazy to bring out the mixer coz I already going to have some cupcake projects later in the week... excuses.. excuses... :mrgreen:

Then I remember I came across a few sites about making steam cakes and I thought, why not? So I went to google about 'Steamed Banana Cakes' and first on the list was from Chow Times.

Was extremely happy that the ingredients called for the recipe are so easy! Save me lots of time and electricity too! And of course they are less oily (no butter) and not heaty at all! The only thing that needs to compromise is of course the texture and taste... got to eat them fresh!

I took the opportunity to try out my silicon cups... just to test them if they can take the heat... and yes they did! :) The cakes turn out to be quite springy... like sponge... hehheehe

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Ingredients

• 2 ripe banana, mashed (if you have large banana, use one will do)


• 1 egg


• 1 teaspoon oil


• 2 teaspoons water


• 2 teaspoons baking powder


• 1/4 cup icing sugar (I used brown sugar)


• 100g (close to 1 cup) all-purpose flour


• 2 tablespoons of semi-sweet chocolate chips or raisins (optional)

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Methods

1. Mashed the bananas and leave aside.


2. Mix the rest of the ingredients in another mixing bowl and it is well mixed add in the mashed banana.


3. Heat up the steamer and steam till all the banana cupcakes are cooked which is around 10-15 minutes.

Braised Chicken Rice in Sesame Seed Oil

I love One-Pot dish not only they are convenient and easy to prepare but full of flavors.

This is another one-pot dish that I often cook as the ingredients can be easily purchased. In fact I have most of them stuffed in my freezer! How convenient is that right? :)

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Ingredients

• 3 Chicken drumsticks (cut into about 4 pieces each)


• 2 cups rice (wash and sieve dry)


• 6-8 Dried mushrooms (soaked and sliced)


• 1 Chinese pork sausage (Lap cheong)


• 1/2 bulb Garlic (minced)


• 1" Old ginger (sliced)


• 2tbsp Sesame seed oil (1tbsp to marinate and 1tsp for frying)


• Dark soy sauce


• Light soy sauce


• Fish sauce


• Pepper to taste (optional)

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Methods

1. After cutting chicken, prop them into a deep bowl and marinade with dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, fish sauce, pepper and sesame seed oil.


2. Heat up wok with some oil + sesame seed oil, saute the ginger till brownish then add in the minced garlic and saute till fragrant. Toss in the rice, stir and add in the chicken pieces (together with the sauce) and continue to stir till all well mixed.


3. Add in the mushroom pieces and Chinese sausage slices and mix well. Lift them up and put into rice cooker, add sufficient water (cover all the rice mixture) and cook like normal.


4. Alternatively, you can put into the steamer and steam till the rice cooked.

Home Made Char Siew

When I was back in KL 2 months ago, my mom showed me how to do home made Char Siew (BBQ Pork) with the Lee Kum Kee Char Siew sauce. It was pretty delicious so I thought I'll try to make some when I'm back in Penang.

However, I did not have the Lee Kum Kee Char Siew sauce but I have some really nice pork belly sitting in my freezer so I thought, 'Why don't I concoct the Char Siew sauce myself?' It was pretty easy and only require a few ingredients.

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Ingredients:

• 300g Pork belly (get those that are not too lean or too fat)


• Black soy sauce (enough to cover the entire piece of pork belly)


• Light soy sauce (based on your own taste bud)


• 3tbsp Brown sugar


• A few dash of Fish sauce


• Sprinkle some pepper

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Methods

1. Marinade the pork belly with all the ingredients and leave it for about half a day or over night (if over night please put in the fridge)


2. Heat up the oven to about 200 degree Celsius  or you can you can heat up your frying pan with some oil and fry it on small fire till it is cook. For grilling, grill for about and hour, turning it every 20 or 30 minutes.


3. The sugar and black sauce will caramelize so do turn it every now and then so it won't stick to the frying pan and get burnt.


4. Cut them into slices. For added taste, I did some sauce of brown sugar, light soy sauce, black sauce sauce and a little corn starch which I cook them until sticky and glaze the Char Siew.