鸡肉煲仔饭 Claypot Rice (using ceramic pot) by Angela Seah Thulin

For 2-3 pax

Ingredients - 

280g rice 

420ml water

1-2 Chinese sausage, slice thinly 

3 medium-size Chinese mushrooms, soak and slice thinly 

Deep fried shallots

Marinate meat & mushroom together -

500g meat, I use chicken thigh

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sesame oil 

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1/2 tsp dark soya sauce

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp sugar

2 tsp corn flour

Drizzling sauce - You need not use all (optional) 

2 tbsp hot water 

1 tbsp oyster sauce 

1 tbsp light soya sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp dark soya sauce 

1/2 tsp hua tiao jiu 

Mix above together in a bowl

Steps -

1. Soak rice in clean water for 30mins.

2. Fry the lup cheong first without oil and set aside (optional step)

3. Deep fried shallots and drain the oil away.

4. Add rice and water to a pot, cover lid and cook for 10 minutes in medium heat.

5. After 10 minutes, add 1 tsp shallot oil in and stir the rice to prevent sticking.

6. Then top the marinade meat with mushroom and lup cheong on top of the rice. Add the deep fried shallots on top too. Cover lid, turn to low heat and cook for another 15-20 minutes or until chicken is cooked. Do not open lid during this process. 

7. Done and drizzle SOME sauce to it, add scallions or vegetables if you like. Serve!

Smothered Chicken by Angela Seah Thulin

Ingredients -
3 big chicken thighs
2 tbsp oil
1 yellow onion, diced (est. 130g)
1 clove garlic, minced (est.1 tbsp)
1 1/2 cup chicken stock (I used water + 1 chicken cube)
1/2 cup milk


Part A
1/2 cup flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp garlic salt
1 tsp chicken powder
3/4 tbsp onion powder


Steps - 
1. Clean the chicken thighs, rub with some salt and rinse off. Then pat dry with paper towel.
2. In a bowl, mix all the seasoning (part A) together.
3. Coat the chicken thighs with the seasoned flour, ensuring all parts are well coated. Do not throw the flour away.
4. In a pot with oil, sear both sides of the chicken thighs until golden brown (chicken thigh does not need to be cooked at this stage). Then remove the thighs from pot. Leaving the fats/oil in the pot.
5. In the same pot, cook the onions follow by the garlic, then add 2 1/2 tbsp seasoned flour in and stir to mix.
6. Pour the chicken stock in, stir to mix well, ensure no lumps and let it cook for a minute.
7. Pour in the milk and let it cook for another minute. Keep stirring to mix well.
8. Place the chicken thighs back into the pot, scoop some sauce over it. Cover with lid and let it cook for 25 - 35 minutes. Flip the chicken thighs once every 10 minutes.

Serve with rice or mashed potatoes!

Recipe origin from: iheartrecipes

One Pan Pasta by Angela Seah Thulin

I came across this recipe from Martha Stewart's website. Since it is such a quick and easy ten minutes meal, i decided to give it a try. Result - Delicious! And will definitely cook again!

For 2-3 pax

Ingredients -
150g cherry tomatoes
1 big yellow onion (mine is about 150g)
350g spaghetti
4 cloves garlic
Few sprigs of basil leaves
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp salt 
3 1/2 cup water
1 tbsp olive oil
50g baby spinach
Parmesean cheese
Optional - Chilli flakes

Steps - 
1. Cut the cherry tomatoes into half. Slice the yellow onion and garlic thinly. 
2. Place all the ingredients except spinach and parmesean cheese into a 22cm or bigger pan. See picture below.
3. Turn on the heat to high and cook for 11 to 12 minutes. Do not leave the stove and keep tossing continuously.  
4. After cooking for 9 minutes add the spinach in. Remove from stove once done. 
5. To plate - drizzle olive oil and top with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Notes -
1. For this dish to be successful, sticking to the time is very important. Martha said 11 minutes while i did it in 12 minutes.
2. You must keep stirring and tossing or else it will stick to the pan.
3. I saw the water started to boil at about 3 minutes.
4. I switched to medium heat after 10 minutes.
5. I used 5 sprigs of basil leaves.
6. 23cm pan will be good for this recipe.

Recipe origin: OnePanPasta

Ready to cook.

Starts to boil around 3 minutes

Before plating

Braised Pork Belly (扣肉包) by Angela Seah Thulin

Photo credit: Novan Tan :)

Ingredients -
550g pork belly 
5 chinese mushroom, soaked and sliced
2 tbsp oil
3 shallots, sliced
6 gloves of garlic, lightly mashed
40g galangal/ginger, sliced
4 tbsp LKK dark soy sauce
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise
5 cloves
1 tbsp five spice powder
1/2 tbsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp salt (or more)
1/4 tsp white pepper
500ml water
1 tsp sesame oil
30g crystal sugar
Some leaf buns 
Some coriander leaves

Steps -
1. Cut your pork belly into slices between 40-50g each.
2. In a pot with 2 tbsp of oil, saute the sliced shallots and garlic till fragrant. Then add the pork belly in follow by the ginger. Cook till the sides of the pork belly turn slightly brown.
3. Add the soaked mushroom in.
4. Add the dark soy sauce, cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, five spice powder, cumin powder, salt and white pepper. Give it a good stir to mix well.
5.  Add the 500ml water in follow by sesame oil and crystal sugar. Let it come to a boil and then switch to low heat and simmer for an hour or longer. And done!
6. Steam the buns for 10 minutes.

Assemble with leaf buns and coriander leaves - yummy!!

Notes -
1. I added a big pinch of cumin seeds instead of using powder.
2. I added few cooked hard boiled eggs after 30 minutes of simmering.
3. I used less salt but added about 1 tsp more dark soy sauce.
4. Overall, i find the taste quite strong and fragrant. We like it and will use this recipe again.


Recipe origin: The Meatmen

Tom Kha Gai by Angela Seah Thulin

Ingredients -

350ml water
20g of galangal, sliced
2 stalks of lemongrass, cut diagonally into few
2 small red onions, chop into half
1 pkt of Tom Ka paste (shown below)
350g Chicken meat 

200ml Coconut milk 

Mushroom 

1 tomato, cut into quartered

1 tsp Knorr chicken powder
Fish sauce (few drops), adjust accordingly

5 pieces of lime leaves, teared ...

Fresh lime juice 

Bunch of coriander/cilantro
Optional - Chilli padi 

Steps - 
1. Marinate the chicken breast or thigh meat with light soy sauce and corn flour.
2. Boil the lemongrass and galangal with 350ml water till it boils.
3. Then add red small onions and the tom yum paste in. Stir to mix well.
4. Add the meat in and let it come to a boil.
5. Next, pour the coconut milk in. Stir to mix well and let it come to a soft boil.
6. Add the mushroom, tomatoes, chicken powder, fish sauce, teared lime leaves and chilli padi if any. Taste and adjust accordingly. Let it cook for few minutes.
7. Off heat, add coriander in and stir.
8. Then add lime juice and give a quick gentle stir. Taste that your soup should be salty and sour enough.

Notes - 
1. For the meat - I use chicken breast and marinated them with bit of light soy sauce and corn flour.
2. I use canned mushrooms but oyster mushroom is preferred.
3. Coconut milk - I use Kara 200ml in small box form.
4. I added about 1/2 tbsp lime juice only.

Giveaway Contest

Fun @ Sassy's Kitchen is celebrating two years anniversary with a giveaway contest. Two lucky winners will receive these lovely plates and panda claypots. 

Photo credit by Lovera Collections

For more information, please click on this link - Happy 2 Years Anniversary

End of contest - 6th April 2016 (2359hrs, SG time)

Three cup chicken (三杯鸡) by Angela Seah Thulin

Try this! It's very simple to cook!!

Facebook link - https://www.facebook.com/sassyangelakitchen/photos/a.233714530168481.1073741830.233664896840111/515283712011560/?type=3&theater

Ingredients -
4 chicken big thighs, chopped into pieces
12 gloves garlic, gently mashed
10g ginger, sliced into pieces
Big handful of fresh sweet basil leaves

Sauce (in a bowl) -
1/3 cup LKK light soy sauce  
1/3 cup shaoxing wine
1/3 cup sesame oil
1/2 tsp salt (I used 1/4 tsp)
3 tbsp sugar
Opt - Dashes of dried chilli flakes (or 1 tsp)

Steps -
1. Heat up wok with some oil (this is to pan fried/to brown the chicken thighs), add garlic, ginger in and saute till fragrant. Then add the thighs in and cooked till light brown.

2. Add the sauce mixture in, mix well and let it simmer in medium heat. The sauce will become thicker. It took about 20-25 minutes to reduce down and your chicken should be cooked by now too.

3. Add the basil leaves in, stir and off flames. Done! Serve with rice, 好吃 !

Notes - 
1. My boy does not take spice hence I added a dash of dried chilli flakes only.
2. I used 6 drumsticks to cook this on my second try. 

Recipe origin: Angel'sKitchen

Fresh basil leaves

Gula Melaka Pound Cake by Angela Seah Thulin

Another easy yummilicious bake ... If you love gula melaka as much as i do, i am sure you will like this too. 

Ingredients -

170g unsalted butter, room temperature

3 round blocks of gula melaka, slice them 
60g granulated white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
3 large eggs, lightly beaten

60ml milk 

190g all-purpose flour

1 tsp double action baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Optional (glaze) -

3 tbsp water

1 round block of gula melaka 

pinch of salt
* Boil the above in a saucepan until sugar melted.

Steps -
Preheat oven to 180 degree celsius

1. Grease your loaf pan and line with parchment paper.

2. In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and salt together. Set aside.

3. In the mixing bowl using hand mixer, beat the butter, gula melaka, sugar and vanilla essence till soft and creamy. About 5 minutes.

 4. Then add the eggs in little by little and beat for 1 minute in low speed. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. 

5. Add the flour in by 3 additions and the milk in by 2 additions. Beat until it is just combined. Do not overbeat.

6. Pour onto the loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

7. Optional - cook the glaze and drizzle on the cake after baked. 

Notes -
1. Every oven's temperature varies. I baked my pound cake at 160 degree celsius for 47 minutes. During 40 minutes, i covered with aluminum foil. 

2. This is BEST consumed the next day, however i am left with only 3 slices to test that ...

Q; What is a pound cake?
Ans; Pound cake is the mother of all butter cakes. While it’s pretty humble - blocky shape (usually bake in loaf pan), no layers, frostings, or fillings, pound cake is dense with velvety texture and pure butter flavor that makes it so undeniably delicious. By Carolyn Weil

Honey Ribs by Angela Seah Thulin

Finger licking GOOD!!! 

Ingredients - 
600g pork ribs
2 stalks of scallion/bottom green stem
5 slices of ginger
2 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp oil

Seasoning -
2 tbsp honey
1 1/2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 1/2 tbsp shaoxing wine (chinese wine)
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1/4 tsp dark soy sauce
200ml water or more

Steps -
Scallions about 8 cm long each stalk and cut into 3 parts.
1. Cut the ribs individually, blanch them with boiling water for few minutes to remove impurities. Then drain, rinse and set aside.
2.  Heat up pot or wok with the oil. Saute the ginger till fragrant then add sugar in. After sugar caramelizes, add the ribs in and toss till well mixed (about few minutes). Then add garlic and scallion in.
3. After you smell the aroma of the garlic, add the seasoning in. Stir to mix well, cover with lid and simmer in med-low heat for 45 mins.
4. Open the lid, turn the heat to med-high and cook for a few minutes to allow the sauce to thicken. And done!

Notes -
600g is not enough for family of 3 adults :p

Forest Leong's Sweet and Sour Pork by Angela Seah Thulin

Saw one of the Plate and Palate's group member cooked this dish, i knew i had to try! Overall, the meat was very tender, sauce was ok but more on a sour side. So i added more sugar.

Forest Leong's Sweet & Sour Pork recommended by Helga Soo

http://platepalate2014.blogspot.se/2016/03/forest-leongs-sweet-sour-pork-by-helga.html

Ingredients -
500g pork shoulder (cut into bite sized pieces)
Oil for deep frying

Marinade pork for -
1 large egg yolk
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ginger juice
1 tbsp corn flour
Mix all the above in a bowl then add the pork in and mix well. Into fridge to chill for 2 hours.

Sauce -
90ml water + 2 tbsp HP sauce (see pic below)
3 tbsps sugar (or more)
150g ketchup
1 tsp dark soy sauce
2.5 tbsps oyster sauce

In a bowl with 1 tbsp corn flour + 1 tbsp water and mix well. Then add into above sauce and mix well.

Method -
Coat pork with corn flour and deep fried till golden brown. Set aside.

In a wok, heat the sauce up then add deep fried pork in. Keep tossing the pork until the pork absorbs the sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds.