Traditional Macaroni & Cheese

A traditional recipe. There are many types of Macaroni & Cheese which have over time been adjusted to local tastes and individual preferences. Well, I thought starting off with the traditional one would be more fitting. Not those that you buy in a box and prepare but here's one of the recipes I had gotten from the internet.

Ingredients:-

• 1 2/3 cups dry, small elbow macaroni, cooked and drained
• 2 tbsps cornstarch
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 cup water
• 2 tbsps butter or margarine
• 2 cups shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided

1.Preheat oven to 190 degrees C. Grease 2-quart casserole dish.


2.Combine cornstarch, salt, mustard and pepper in medium saucepan. Stir in evaporated milk, water, and butter. Cook over medium-heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat. Stir in 1 1/2 cups cheese until melted. Add macaroni; mix well. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Top with remaining cheese.

3. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until cheese is melted and light brown.

It was simple and yet yummy!!! Cheesy and just yum. So, give it a shot!!!

Fideo (Mexican Spaghetti)

It's been too long since I've been able to try out new recipes and finally; I get to and I look forward to cooking more new dishes and sharing with you all. Came across this recipe on the internet and it looked real interesting. Not the regular type of pastas, a common dish amongst Mexicans.

Ingredients:-

• 2 tbsps of vegetable oil
• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts halves
• 1 packet (12oz) spaghetti noodles broken into half
• 2 cans of diced tomatoes (you can used those with cajun, celery, etc)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1/2 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp of chilli powder (optional and you may add more for a more spicy taste)
• salt & pepper to taste
• 1 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese (or any of your preference)

1.Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken breasts in the oil until nicely browned on the outside. Remove from the skillet and set aside.


2.Add remaining oil to the skillet, and add the broken spaghetti. Cook, stirring constantly until spaghetti is browned. Drain off any excess oil, and add tomatoes and onion. Dice the chicken breasts, and return them to the skillet. Season with cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Pour in chicken stock, cover, and simmer over medium-low heat until pasta is tender, and water has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. Check towards the end, and add more water if necessary.

3.Spoon the chicken mixture into bowls to serve, and garnish with shredded cheese.

Voila!!! An easy recipe and absolutely yummilicious. You can always have it with some garlic bread.

Till my next recipe.

Sago Gula Melaka

This is an all-time favourite local delicacy of mine. I can hardly resist this dessert whenever any restaurants serve them. Hahhaahhaha....so, as usual, I decided to learn to make it!!! Not a difficult dessert to make but it can be quite cumbersome because of the standing by the stove to stir the pearl sago.

How did I actually come about making this dessert? It was because of my niece, Isabelle's 10th birthday. A last minute do which I volunteered to make a Chicken Cottage Pie and since the desserts are normally birthday cakes; I decided to make Sago Gula Melaka. To be honest, I was praying and hoping that it'll turn out well.

And it did!!! It was a real hit!!!

Anyway, here's the recipe. Serves for about 10 people thereabouts.

Ingredients:-

- 500g-600g pearl sago
- 2 1/2 cups of coconut milk
- 1 cup water
- 4 pandan leaves
- 400g palm sugar (gula melaka)
- 2 cups water


1. Rinse and soak pearl sago for about 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile boil about 3 litres of water.
3. Once water is boiled, add the drained pearl sago into the hot water. Reduce heat to medium heat and stir constantly so that the pearl sago doesn't stick to the bottom of the pot. The pearl sago is ready once it becomes transparent in colour which would take approximately 20-30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, pound the palm sugar. Add 2 cups of water to a pan and bring to boil. Add the palm sugar and stir till palm sugar dissolves. Pour palm sugar through a sieve into a container and store in the fridge to chill for a while.
5. Take another clean pan and add 1 cup of water and coconut milk and pandan leaves and stir till it boils. Add 2 tbsps of sugar to the coconut milk mixture and then remove from fire and store in a bowl or container and chill in the fridge,
6. Once the pearl sago is ready, pour the pearl sago through a sieve and put the sieve under a running tap till cool. You may need to do it multiple times depending on how big your sieve is.
7. Pour the cooled pearl sago into a bowl; add 6 tbps of sugar and a pinch of salt and stir.
8. You may then scoop the ready pearl sago into small cups or leave it in a big bowl and chill in the fridge.
9. Serve with coconut milk and palm sugar.

Voila!!!!!!!!!

**Do take note that the reason sugar and salt is added into the peral sago is to make it taste better because many a times if you just chill the plain sago, it has this very bland taste. If you are making a smaller portion like only about 250g of pearl sago, then use less sugar. It is entirely up to you.**

Chicken & Vegetable Soup

I came across this recipe. Looked absolutely simple and healthy. Another single dish meal which I absolutely love when I'm not so hot about cooking so many darn things. Hehehehehhehe....

Ingredients: -
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp chopped garlic
- 1 chopped onion
- 4 carrots, chopped
- 4 celery sticks, chopped
- 1.4kg skinned whole chicken
- 2 litres water
- 2 vegetable stock cubes
- 2 cups rice or pasta
- Fresh chopped parsley


1. Heat oil in a deep pan and garlic and onion. Stir-fry for 15secs and then add carrots and celery. Stir-fry for 4 mins until onion is soft.
2. Add chicken as a whole, water and the vegetable stocks. Bring to boil over high fire, then lower to simmer, covered for 1 ½ hours. Remove chicken from pan to cool.
3. Add pasta and rice. Simmer uncovered for 10-15mins or until pasta or rice is done as desired.
4. Remove meat from chicken, and shred roughly. Return shredded chicken meat to pot with some fresh parsley. Heat until boiling.
5. Serve hot.

Quick Bake Macaroni Cheese

I believe this is an all-time favourite of many families especially when it comes to feeding their children. Well, for one I am one of the very lucky mummies in the world who has a daughter who is not a picky eater. That's one of the reason she is so round. Hahahahahahhaha......

I have had this very easy recipe for a while now but never came to trying it. This is what I call a simple single dish with all basic nutrients from vege to chicken, cheese and pasta......

Ingredients: -

- 250g macaroni, cooked according to the packet instructions

- 150g broccoli florets boil or steam till tender

- 200g chicken, sliced thinly or into biteable cubes
- 6 crabsticks, cut small
- 60g butter
- 50g plain flour
- 350ml Evaporated Filled Milk
- 400ml water
- 250g pizza cheese mix
- Salt and pepper to taste (I didn't put any and it still tasted good)

1. Melt butter and add in flour. Cook stirring until mixture bubbles. Stir in Evaporated Filled Milk, water and cook until sauce boils and thickens. (Use a whisk to do this)
2. Stir in cooked macaroni, broccoli, crabsticks and half of the cheese. Spoon it onto a casserole dish (2 litres) and sprinkle the remaining cheese.
3. Put under grill in an oven until cheese melts and turns light gold in colour for about 15 mins.

As I'm updating this blog, Caitlin's attacking her lunch with relish. So, I guess it's a good recipe. So, do give it a shot. Another simple single dish. Probably the next ti,e round, I may try it with Chedar Cheese instead. Of course, you can always replace the vege, chicken and crabstick with any other ingredients that you would prefer.

Here is the macaroni mix.....

Here it is with the cheese topping.....

Hope you will like this recipe as much as I do.............

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Teriyaki Chicken with Noodles

I seem to be getting these 'single' dishes but honestly, it just so convenient if you're always in a rush or in one of those days you are not just in the mood to cook but somehow, you need to....this is also another dish!

Ingredients: -

- 2 tbsps cooking oil
- 1 sliced or diced onion
- 500g sliced chicken
- 40g halved French Beans
- 40g sliced zucchini
- 1/4 cup Teriyaki sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 or 3 packets Maggi Mee (cooked and drained without adding the flavouring)
- some sliced pring onion

1. Heat oil and stir-fry onion for 2 mins.
2. Add chicken, French Beans and zucchini and stir-fry for 3 mins
3. Mix honey into Teriyaki sauce and mix well. Then, add into the vege mixture and cook for about a min or so.
4. Take drained Maggi Mee and toss through the stir-fry until well mixed.
5. Serve, topped with spring onion.

Easy, isn't it? Cooked this last night and it was yummy!

Chicken, Carrot, Cucumber & Capsicum in Plum Sauce

This is a dish that you can always have on its own because of the varieties in one dish. All you need is some steam rice.......

Ingredients: -

- oil for frying
- 500g chicken breast, sliced thinly
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed or diced
- 1 tsp chopped ginger
- 1/2 a carrot, peeled and sliced thinly
- 1 red capsicum, seeded and sliced
- 1/2 a cucumber, sliced
- 230g water chestnuts, peeled and halved (optional; I didn't use this in this cooking)
- 2 tbsps light sauce
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 1/4 cup plum sauce
- 1 cup bean sprouts, trimmed
- Some roasted cashew nuts

1. Heat some oil over high fire and fry the chicken for about 2 to 3 mins and transfer it out of the wok onto a clean plate.
2. Heat a little oil using the same wok and stir0fry garlic and ginger for about 10 seconds.
3. Add the capsicum, carrots and cucumber and cook for 2 mins.
4. If you are using water chestnuts, add them and continue to stir-fry for another minute but if not, move to the next point.
5. Once veges are tender, turn fire to low and quickly mix the soy sauce with the cornflour and add on to the cup of plum sauce.
6. Return the chicken with bean sprouts and add the mixed sauce and stir-fry for 2 mins.
7. Add a 1/4 cup water as the sauce may be too thick and stir-fry for another 30 seconds with the roasted cashew nuts.
8. Serve with wam rice.

Ta da!!!!! A simple meal. .................

Chicken Noodles

A very simple recipe which I absolutely LOVED!!! Tasty and easy to cook. You can cook another vege dish to complement this dish so that you and your family can have a balanced meal.

Ingredients:-

- 100g glass noodles (soaked in water till soft)
- oil for frying
- 300g-500g of minced chicken (depending how many people you want to cook for)
- 1 chopped onion
- 2 crushed garlice cloves (you may dice it as well)
- 2 chopped red chillies
- 1/4 cupHoi Sin Sauce (you can get it from the supermarkets)
- 2 tbsps oyster sauce

1. Heat oil and cook the mince chicken together with the garlic, onion and chillies for about 3 mins or until the chicken is cooked.
2. Add the glass noodles.
3. Add the Hoi Sin sauce and the oyster sauce.
4. Toss all the ingredients for about 2 mins and serve.

**For better presentation, you may always serve it in a big lettuce leaf or smaller lettuce leaves.

Have fun with this dish! I trully say it is yummy!!!! This is what I had it with......steam broccoli with diced garlic...

By the way, I saved some for Caitlin's lunch the following day and she absolutely loved it! She even refused to have it with rice but just wanted to eat like that. So in future I will add more glass noodle.

Teriyaki Chicken & Tofu Noodles

Another easy meal to prepare. For those who would prefer a vegetarian version, just remove the chicken from the recipe.

Ingredients:-

- Oil for frying
- 400g taukwa, sliced (it's the hard white tofu which can be sliced)
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 115g baby corn, halved lengthwise (you can use those from the tins)
- 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
-  2 tbsps light soy sauce
- 2 tbsps sweet chilli sauce

- 400g packet yellow noodles

- 3 stalks spring onions, chopped

1. Heat oil in a wok over high fire. Use more cooking oil to fry the taukwa so that it will not stick to the base of the wok. Pat dry the slice taukwa and fry in 2 batches until golden. Remove and set aside.

2. Pour off the excess oil but leave about 1 tbsp in the wok, stir-fry chicken for about 1 minute. Add the broccoli and corn and stir-fry for another 1-2 minutes over medium fire until just tender. Add teriyaki sauce, light soy sauce and chilli sauce. Mix well.

3. Add noodles and spring onions. Sitr-fry for about 1-2 minutes until heated through.

4. Return taukwa to wok and toss ingredients together for another minute until well combined. Serve hot.

**Note**

- When rinsing the noodles, just running through cold water and DO NOT soak.

- Ensure you have enough cooking oil for frying the taukwa and ensure that oil is hot before deep frying the taukwa.

- For the teriyaki sauce, soy sauce and chilli sauce, I would recommend for you to pre-mix the sauces first before adding in so that it is already well mixed.

I just had this meal for lunch just now and it tasted good!!! Have fun cooking!

Stir-Fried Beef & Broccoli

Hmmm....it's really been a while since I've tried any new recipes. Well, I have been cooking but it's just that I've been cooking my regular and familiar recipes which I have already shared on this blog. So, I got hold of this easy recipe and here is the recipe...........

Ingredients: -

- 2 tbsps oil
- 500g beef rump or topside, sliced thinly (you may also buy the pre-sliced ones from supermarkets)
- 1 onion, diced or sliced thinly
- 2 tsp finely grated ginger or thinly sliced
- 1 bunch of broccoli, cut into florets
- 1/4 cup oyster sauce
- 2 tbsps light soy sauce
- 2 tbsps sherry (I used hua tiao wine)
- 2 tsps brown sugar
- hot rice to serve

1. Heat 1 tbsps oil in a wok over high fire. When hot, stir-fry beef in 2 batches for 2 to 3 minutes, until brown. Remove and set aside.
2. Heat remaining oil in the same wok over medium fire. When hot, stir-fry onion and ginger for 1 to 2 minutes until soft and fragrant. Add broccoli and stir-fry for another 1 to 2 minutes until just tender.
3. In a bowl, combine oyster sauce, soysauce, sherry (hua tiao wine) and sugar. Return beef to wok with sauce mixture. Stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes or until heated through.
4. Serve hot with rice.

See!!! A healthy meal and simple to prepare and cook. You won't even need to prepared additional dishes if you're pressed for time. This dis itself already have its meat and vege. A balanced meal if you ask me.