Grilled Bacon Strips with Garlic and Eggs

Grilled Bacon Strips with Garlic and Eggs

This dish looks simple, but to cook it, it is actually quite "tedious" as you will need to boil, pan-fry, grill and stir-fry.

I will think that this recipe will be great for a weekend breakfast.

I love bacon as the flavoured taste of bacon minimise the need to add in more seasoning to the ingredients.

This dish look exquisite but yet, it is so simple to cook.

It will definitely look great for a party, in a intimate event or just as an appetizer before the main course.

Ingredients

1. 1 Egg
2. 6 Streaky Bacon
3. 1/2 tablespoon of Chopped Garlic
4. Coarse Black Pepper
5. 1 teaspoon of Olive Oil

Preparation

1. Boil Egg for approx 5 minutes (Hard Boiled Egg)
2. Deshell Eggs and Chop it into small pieces
3. Stir-fry Garlic with Olive Oil

Steps

1. Spread Bacon on hot pan without oil. Flip after approx 1 minutes, before the side turn brown. Remove it from the pan.
2. Spread Garlic from Preparation 3 onto Bacon
3. Spread Egg from Preparation 2 onto Bacon
4. Sprinkle Black Pepper
5. Place them into Preheat Oven, Grilled Function for approx 10 minutes

Serve while hot!

Good as a finger food in a party or as a side or starter before the main course.

Tips and Comments:

• Pan-fry bacon before grilled to "force" out the bacon's taste and the bacon texture will be crispier than direct grilling.
• Do not add Oil on hot pan when pan-frying bacon as bacon contained fats strip

Chinese Potato Soup

Chinese Potato Soup

I have the craving of having a bowl of clear chinese soup for my dinner tonight. Looking all over my kitchen, I only have a few Russet Potatoes and a chicken bone in my fridge. I decided that I should just use these 2 ingredients to make a simple soup.

This recipe requires less than 10 minutes preparation and 30 minutes cooking time. It is a very simple, fast, economical, but yet, a very light and healthy soup. The natural flavour of the potatoes and chicken bone are all you need for the soup to taste good!

Ingredients (Serve 2 Pax)

1. 3 Russet Potatoes (Cut into Big Chunks)
2. 1 Chicken Bones
3. Salt (Optional, as the natural flavour is good enough if you prefer something light)

Steps

1. Boil Chicken Bone for a few minutes and drain it
2. Put Chicken Bone into pot filled with approx 4 to 5 cups of water
3. Add Potatoes into pot
4. Boil it for 30 to 45 minutes
5. Add Salt to taste

Good to go with Rice and 2 to 3 more Chinese dishes.

Braised Lean Meat Kou Rou with Lettuce

I used to dislike Kou Rou Pau as the fats looks oily and I did not even give it a try until recent years.

2 years ago, when I am having my Chinese New Year Reunion Dinner in a Chinese Restaurant, I decided to give it a try. I removed the fats from Kou Rou, and to my surprise, the meat and lettuce with the bun (Pau) combination surprised me. It really taste GOOD! From then, I start to crave for Kou Rou Pau occasionally.

As my age catches up, my weight increases drastically, I realise that I have to go on a low carb diet. Hence, I decided that I should try and cook Kou Rou Pau using Lean Pork and lettuce. Low fats,  Low carbs! And it really tastes good and yet, it is very healthy.

It is important to note that do not slice the meat before cooking as the meat will turn tough easily. Only slice the meat after cooked.

Ingredients (2 pax)

1. 100 to 120g Lean Pork
2. 1 1/2 tablespoon of Oyster Sauce
3. 1 1/2 tablespoon of Dark Soya Sauce
4. 1 to 1 1/2 Cinnamon
5. 2 Anise
6. 1/2 teaspoon of 5 Spices Powder
7. 4 Cloves of Garlic (Peeled and Lightly Smashed)
8. 1 1/2 tablespoon of Dark Soya Sauce
9. 1/2 teaspoon of 5 Spices Powder
10. 3 tablespoon of Water
11. 1 tablespoon of Cooking Oil
12. Lettuce (Washed)

Preparations

1. Marinate Lean Pork using Ingredients No. 2 to 7 overnight (Do not throw away the marinating ingredients, it will be use for the steps below)

Steps

1. Add Oil in hot pan
2. Add Garlic (from marinate) and stir-fry until fragrant
3. Add Cinnamon and Anise (from marinate) and stir-fry for 1 minutes
4. Add Lean Pork and pan-fry for 2 minutes
5. Add Marinating sauce (from marinate) and stir-fry for 1 minutes
6. Add Ingredient No 8 to 10 and simmer for approx 12 minutes

Check if meat is cooked, once remove it from pan. And slice meat thinly. Add sliced meat on lettuce and pour gravy on it.

 Wrap Meat in Lettuce. Serve while Hot!

Stir-fry Drunken Chicken with Harvey Bristol Cream and Garlic

Stir-fry Drunken Chicken with Harvey Bristol Cream and Garlic

This recipe is a variation of the Steamed Drunken Chicken that I have shared previously.

My boyfriend cooked this dish and recipe is supplied by him too. Simple recipe with easy steps and more importantly, it tastes good! =)

Ingredients

1. 1/4 Small Chicken (Cut into small pieces)
2. 1 tablespoon of Cooking Oil
3. 1/2 tablespoon of Chopped Garlic
4. 5 tablespoon of Harvey Bristol Cream

Steps

1. Add Cooking Oil on hot pan
2. Stir-fry Garlic until fragrant (before it turns brown)
3. Add Chicken and stir-fry for 2 minutes
4. Add Harvey Bristol Cream and stir-fry and simmer until chicken is cooked

Serve while hot!

Good to go with Rice and 2 to 3 more Chinese dishes with a bowl of soup.

[Guest Post] How to pick the perfect pack of strawberries by Casey Haslem

How to pick the perfect pack of Strawberries

Summer. The season brings long, hot days to the table as well as a wealth of fresh, ripe fruit. One such summertime treat is the strawberry. Red, juicy and sweet, this delicious fruit is a staple in the hot months and can be very affordable for today's family. Here are just a few tips to pick the perfect pack of strawberries and save money while getting the pick of the crop.

The first rule of thumb when selecting a good strawberry is to take in its color. What you'll want are berries that are a vibrant red and as free from green and white spots as possible. Keep in mind, strawberries do not ripen after being picked, so finding fruit with a rich red hue is key in picking the perfect fruit.

In addition to the color, you'll need to steer clear of any berries with visible soft spots. Strive to choose fruit which is firm and without any patches of mold. Even if only one berry in the bunch has mold, it can quickly spread to the rest of the pack.

Another tidbit to keep in mind is the size of the berry. While some strawberries in the local grocer's are an impressive size, it is said berries on the smaller size (think one-and-a-half inches for length and width) have a more concentrated sweetness.

Once you've got the hang of what to look for when picking out a package of delectable red berries, you'll want to seek out ways to make this summer bounty even more affordable. As with any fruit (or vegetable, for that matter), buying something that's in season will always lessen the cost. Yes, you can find strawberries around Christmas, but you can also expect a hefty pricetag to accompany the package whereas June or July will find the same fruit much more affordable.

Another way to keep your costs down when shopping for strawberries is to watch your local store circulars for sales. Learn what a good base price is for a pack of berries so you can be a savvy shopper, and when you see a good deal, pounce while the price is as hot as the temps outside.

Using coupons is also a great way to maximize savings and can be used even for fresh items like strawberries. Writing a company (such as Driscoll's) can net you money saving coupons; use in conjunction with a sale for the best price possible.

If you are interested in learning more money saving tips, try FreeStuffAndSamples.com or TheCouponCupboard.com.

Pan-fry Meat Patties with Red Wine Sauce (Pork or Beef)

Pan-fry Meat Patties with Red Wine Sauce (Pork or Beef)

I love this recipe as after pan-fry the meat patties, it still taste very juicy. Perhaps is because of the marinating effect.

Ingredients

1. 300 grames of Minced Pork
2. 1 tablespoon of Chopped Yellow Onion
3. 1/2 tablespoon of Red Wine Sauce (eg. Brand Masterfood)
4. 1/2 tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce
5. A pinch of Coarse Black Pepper
6. Olive Oil

Steps

1. Mixed all ingredients (except Olive Oil) into Minced Pork or Beef and marinate for a good 20 minutes
2. Divide portion into flat round patties
3. Add Olive Oil into pan
4. Put patties into hot pan and fry for 5 minutes and turn patties until fully cooked.

Good as a Finger Food in a party or as Side or simply a meat patty in a burger