Shrimp and mango summer rolls, Sauteed steak in Asian style

Who doesn't like Summer rolls in a hot summer night? It can be served as a quick main dish, or, if you want something extra fancy, try pairing with a delicate piece of Asian sauteed steak! Asian inspired healthy meal ready in 30 mins!

Servings: 1
Preperation time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

Summer rolls
3 pieces Rice paper(you can get pre-packaged dried ones from international supermarkets)
A few lettuce (shredded)
1 Mango (cut into pieces)
1 Cucumber (cut into slices)
A few Shrimps (cooked)
1 Avocado (cut into pieces)
Rice Vermicelli (cooked according to package instructions)

Fishsauce
3 cloves Garlic (finely minced)
1 Chili ( finely minced)
2 tsbp Sugar
6 tbsp Fish sauce
4 tbsp Hot boiled water

Steak
1 Steak
4 tbsp Soysauce
1/2 tbsp Sugar
1 tbsp light flavoured vegetable oil
1 tsp sesame oil


1. Marinate the steak with soysauce, sugar, vegetable oil and seasame oil. Set aside.
2. Prepare the fish sauce. In a bowl, add in garlic, chili, and sugar. Then pour in the hot water and stir until the sugar is well dissolved.
3. Add fish sauce. Adjust the amount according to taste.
4. In a seperate bowl, put in lettuce, mango, avaccado, cucumber, vermicelli, and shrimps. Add 2-3 tbsp of the ready made fishsauce. Toss well. Save the rest of the sauce for dipping.
5. In a shallow round plate similar to the size of the rice paper, pour in a little bit of boiled water (room temperature). Soak a piece of rice paper in the water for 3-4 seconds, take it out and place it on a paper towel to gently pat dry.
6. In the center of the softened rice paper, assemble lettuce, mango, avaccado, cucumber, vermicelli, and shrimps. Fold in the bottom part of the rice paper, then the left and right part, and finally wrap the rice paper to form a roll. Repeat the process to form more rolls.
7. Preheat a skilet in high heat, drizzle a little bit of light flavoured oil. Sautee the steak for 2-3 minutes per side, depends on the thickness of the steak.
8. Remove the steak from the pan, cover the steak with alluminium foil and leave it to rest for 2-3 minutes. After that slice the steak in pieces.
9. Assemble everything on a nice plate and enjoy!

Tips:
1. When making the fishsauce, always taste to adjust the amount of ingredients used.
2. When soaking the rice paper, be gentle and do not over soak the paper as it will become soggy.
3. When assembling the roll, do not over do the fillings or paper will break apart.

Lemon and lime chicken

Do you know the differences between lemon and lime? Besides their obvious differences in appearance, lemon in fact contains higher vitamin C value while lime contains more vitamin A value.  Taste wise, lemon is mostly sour but lime is sweet and sour with a bit of nutty tangy flavour.

Combing the two citrus flavours, this dish is a perfect combination for sweet and sour lovers.

Preparation time: 15 mins
Servings: 2


Ingredients:
2 Boneless chicken thighs (with skin)
1 tsp Thyme
1 tbsp Salt
1 tsp Corn starch
2 tsp Light flavoured oil

Sauce:
Zest of 1 Lemon
Zest of 1 Lime
Juice of 1/3 Lemon
Juice of 1/2 Lime
1 tbsp Soy sauce
2 tbsp Sugar
1/2 cup Water
1 tbsp Corn starch
1 tbsp Butter


1. Cut the chicken thighs into bite size pieces. Add in thyme, salt, corn starch, and oil. Mix well. Set it aside.
2. In a bowl, add in zest of lemon and lime, juice of lemon and lime, soy sauce, sugar, water, and corn starch. Mix well. Set aside.
3. Preheat skillet in medium heat. Sear the chicken, skin side down. Sear the chicken for around 5 mins one side and 3 mins on the other side, or until the chicken is cooked through.
4. Put the chicken on a serving plate. In the same skillet, add in the sauce mixture. Stir occasionally until the sauce is thickened and the sauce is well heated through. Turn off the heat and stir in the butter.
5. Pour over the chicken. Garnish with some zest. Enjoy:)

Tips:
1. If you find the sauce too sour, you can add water and sugar to balance out the sourness.

Clams in white wine sauce

I recently read an article about 20 dishes that you should know how to cook. I forgot the link but it was not surprised to see mac'n cheese, perfect steaks, guacamole, grilled cheese sandwich, and more classic dishes on the list. Among all, mussels in white wine sauce is also on the list. Speaking of this, there is in fact a similar version in Chinese cuisine.

While French cooks mussels with Western white wine, Chinese cooks clams with Chinese white wine. No matter what wines you are using, they are both finger-licking good and they both leave you with fantastic dipping broth for toast, french fries, rice, rice vermicelli, or pasta!

Perpetration time: 10 mins
Servings: 2

Ingredients:
3 cups Clams (fresh)
1 Shallot
1/2 Onion
some Cilantro
1 Chili (Optional)
1 tbsp Light flavored oil
1 cup Chinese white wine (or Western white wine)
1/2 Chicken broth (salted)
1/2 Water

1. In a bowl, fill up with tap water and add 1 tsp of salt. Put the clams into the water. This will help removing sand from the clams. If you use frozen clams, you can leave this step.
2. Finely dice shallot, chop onions into bite size pieces, and thinly slice the chili.
3. Preheat a sauce pan in medium high heat, add in 1 tbsp light flavored oil. Add shallot, onion, and chili. Sautee them for 1 to 2 minutes until flavorful.
4. Add 1/2 cup of white wine then quickly add in the clams and put on the lid.
5. 10 seconds later or after the sizzling sound disappeared (which means the wine has evaporated), add in chicken broth and water. Put on the lid.
6. After 2 minutes or the first clam opens, turn off the heat, pour in the remaining 1/2 cup of white wine, then put on the lid again for 30 seconds or until all the clams are opened.
7. Sprinkle with cilantro. Enjoy!

Tips:
1. Since clams are salty, make sure you taste before seasoning.
2. You can add more or less wine depends on your preference.
3. Be careful not to overcook clams. You should serve quickly as possible once the first clam is opened since clams only take minute to cook. Even though you remove them from heat, the remaining temperature in the broth will continue to cook them through.
4. If a clam is not opened even though it is cooked through, do not try to eat it since the clam might be rotten.

Cilantro garlic butter pan sauce for steak

Who doesn't like steak? Especially when they are served along with creamy mushroom sauce, BBQ sauce, red wine sauce... This pan sauce recipe takes only 1 minute to make, so quick that you can make it when the steak is still resting!

This sauce is a classic garlic butter with a little twist. The cilantro will give you that extra kick of freshness. It would be even better if you serve it with some mash potato or french fries!

Preparation time: 1-2 minutes

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

11/2 tbsp Butter (salted / unsalted)

1 cup Chicken broth (salted)

2 tbsp Minced garlic

2 tbsp Minced cilantro

some salt and pepper

1. Sear the steak and veggies with a skillet in medium high heat. While the steak is cooking, mince the garlic and cilantro.

2. After the steak and veggies are ready, put them on a plate and cover them with aluminium foil to rest.

3. In the same skillet, heated it up with medium low heat. When the skillet is hot, pour in chicken broth and garlic, then quickly before the the broth evaporates, use a wooden spoon to lightly scrap the remaining residue which was stuck on the skillet.

4. After 15-30 seconds, turn off the heat and add in the butter and cilantro. Stir well until the butter is melted. Season with salt and pepper.

5. Serve it with the steak. Enjoy:)

Tips:

1. Be aware of hot steam when pouring broth into the hot skillet.

2. Be careful not to burn the garlic. You just want to brown it not burn it. Turn to low heat if necessary. 

Vegan chocolate- Good chocolate

People say chocolate is junk food. It is high in sugar content, saturated fat, calories. Some people say chocolate will lead to acne breakouts, headache, toothache, and of course obesity... In fact, cocao itself has a lot of benefits to our body. Not only its phenyl ethylamine makes us happy, it also boosts our metabolism, regulates cholesterol and blood sugar. Unfortunately regular pre-packaged chocolate mostly contains huge amount of artificial additives and high in sugar content, which negates cocao's health benefits.

I am recently in love with this Vegan chocolate recipe. It just needs 3 healthy natural ingredients, and trust me, it tastes exactly like normal pre-packaged chocolates! 

Ingredients:

3 tbsp Extra virgin cold press coconut oil (If the oil is in solid form, melt the oil into liquid consistency by heating it in the microwave in 10 seconds)

4 tbsp Coconut nectar/ maple syrup/ honey( note that honey is non-vegan ingredient)

2 tbsp Coco powder unsweetened

Some Shredded coconut (Optional)

Some sea salt (Optional)

Some paprika (Optional)

1. In a bowl, pour in coconut oil, coconut nectar, and coco powder, mix well. 

2. In a container, line it with parchment paper. pour in the mixture.  You can also pour the chocolate mixture in fluted cups. Decorate and add your favourite toppings to the mixture. For me, put shredded coconut in half of the chocolate, and another half with sea salt and paprika.

3. Pop it in a freezer for 30 mins to 2 hours, depends on the depth of your container.

4. Enjoy:)

Tips:

1. You can adjust the proportion of the ingredients to match your perfect consistency and sweetness level.

2. Be aware that the chocolate will eventually melt into liquid form under room temperature.

Fast and easy ginger noodle sauce for instant noodles

Sometimes you just can't be bothered to make an impressive meal? Or are you home alone and nothing to eat but instant noodles? Try this noodle sauce recipe! It is quick, easy, and most importantly, it is way healthier than the msg broth from the noodle pack!

Preparation time: 5 minutes
Servings: 1

Ingredients:
1 Instant noodles (Or noodles of your choice)
1 tbsp minced ginger
1/2 tbsp Asian chili sauce (optional)
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce

1. Cook the noodles according to package instructions. However do not add any flavourings to the noodles.
2. While the noodles is cooking, ground ginger and put it in a bowl. Add chili sauce, fish sauce, and soy sauce.
3. Drain the noodles then pour in the sauce.  Mix well and enjoy:)

Tips:
1. Since there is fresh ginger in the sauce, it could be a bit spicy. Remember to do taste tests. If you over do it, take out some ginger, add more fish sauce or soy sauce or even water to make it less spicy.

Chicken Satay with Konnyaku noodles salad

If you know me well, You will know I am a huge fan of Thai and Vietnamese food. Probably because of its richness of flavour, i.e. Sweet and sour at the same time salty and spicy, that makes me so addicted to it. One of the best Thai dishes is definitely satay. This recipe is a healthy version of Thai satay, perfect for a hot summer day.

Preparation time: 30mins
Servings: 2

Ingredients:
Chicken satay
2 cups Chicken breast (bite size pieces)
5 tbsp Curry powder
2 tbsp Natural almond butter/ peanut butter
1 tbsp Water
1 tbsp Light flavoured vegetable oil
2 tbsp Salt

Salad
1 package Konnyaku noodles
some Romaine Lettuce
some Red cabbage
some Cherry tomatos

Salad dressing
1 clove Garlic
2 Thai chili (amount depends on your personal preference)
5 tbsp Fish sauce
1 tsp Sugar
1 tbsp Hot water
1 Lime


1. Cut the chicken breast into bite size pieces. In a zip-lock bag, put in the chicken, curry powder, almond butter/peanut butter, water, oil, and salt. Mix well and massage well. Set aside to marinate.

2. Cook the konnyaku noodles according to package instructions. Normally you just need to remove the noodles from the package, rinse them under running water, then cook them in boiling water for 2-3 minutes. After that put the noodles in cold water. Set aside.

3. Mince the garlic and thinly slice the chili. In a bowl, put in garlic, chili, sugar, and hot water. Stir well until the sugar dissolved into the sauce. Add fish sauce and lime juice of a lime. Set aside.

4.  Preheat grill pan in medium heat. Soak a kitchen paper towel with a bit of oil. When the pan is hot, lightly oil the pan using the towel. Add in the chicken. Cook the chicken around 2-3 minutes per side.

5. While the chicken is cooking, drain the konnyaku noodles. Chop the lettuce, cabbage, and tomatos. Assemble them on a plate. Lightly pour the salad dressing over the salad.

6. When the chicken is ready, put it on top of the salad.

7. Enjoy:)

Tips
1. The grill pan needs to be hot enough to create the beautiful grill marks.
2. Chill the salad and dressing for better taste.

Mapo Tofu

Mapo Tofu, an adventurous traditional Zichuan dish invented by an old Chinese lady. Basically, you saute everything, then add tofu. That is it. How simple yet delicious it is! You can also customize your Mapo dish, say, Mapo chicken, Mapo fish fillet!

In this recipe, however, I made a very basic vegetarian Mapo tofu, (Since I didn't have any leftover pork on hand). Even though there is just tofu, the sauce is still very flavourful.

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Ingredients:
1 package Tofu
2 1/2 tbsp Chili bean sauce ( also known as toban djan)
1/2 tbsp Chinese styled chili sauce
1 tbsp Oyster sauce or abalone sauce
1/2 tbsp Sugar
1/2 tbsp Corn starch or flour
1/2 tbsp tap water
1/2 cup tap water
2 tbsp Chinese white wine
4 cloves Garlic
1 Chili
5-6 Chinese huajiao pepper corn (crushed) (optional)
2 tbsp light flavoured vegetable oil
Some cucumber dice for garnish (optional)

1. Mince the garlic and slice the chili.
2. Preheat the skillet in medium heat, add vegetable oil. Put in the garlic and chili. Saute for 1 minute until it is flavourful.
3. Add in the oyster sauce, chili bean sauce, and chinese styled  chili sauce. Saute for 1 minute until it is flavourful.
4. Splash in the white wine, put on the lid for 30 seconds.
5. Add 1/2 cup tap water. Add sugar. Add tofu. Put on the lid for 30 seconds.
6. In a small bowl, mix the 1/2 tbsp of tap water and corn starch.
7. Pour the corn starch mixture to the sauce, gently stir well.
8. Sprinkle on top a few diced cucumber, crushed Chinese Huajiao pepper corn, and some chili.
9. Serve with steamed rice! Enjoy:)

Tips:
1. The amount and proportion of chili bean sauce and chili sauce can be adjusted to taste. So remember to do regular taste tests throughout the cooking progress.
2. You saute the garlic to remove the raw garlic flavour and at the same time release the flavour of it. You do not want to burn the garlic. Keep an eye on it, keep stirring, and turn down the heat if necessary.

Vegetable stir-fry

Vegetable stir-fry is a very important dish on a traditional Chinese dining table. Especially in Hong Kong, it is a daily dish for every family.

However, it is not easy at all to master the skills of this dish. Some families add chicken powder (which the powder may consist of artificial flavourings) , some families marinate the veggies (which I have no idea how), some families add soy sauce or oyster sauce...

My tip is-- only add the veggies when your skillet  and oil is extremely hot.

So here is a recipe for you in case you would like to have a simple yet flavourful veggie stir-fry.

Preparation time: 10 mins

1 serving Choi Sum

1 Shallot

1 Chili pepper (optional)

2 tbsp Chinese white wine (if it is not accessible to you, use any white wine of your choice)

Light flavoured vegetable oil

Salt for seasoning

1. Wash and rinse your choi sum. Remove the flowers and rotten leaves if theres any.

2. Thinly sliced the shallots and chili. Set aside.

3. Preheat your wok/skillet in medium heat heat, add in 3 tbsps of oil. Wait until the oil is sizzling hot.

4. Saute the shallot and chili for about 45 seconds until they are flavourful.

5. Add in the veggies then quickly drizzle the wine around the edge of the skillet and quickly put on the lid for 15 seconds until the veggies are mostly downsized.

6. Season with salt and saute the veggies until its thoroughly cooked through.

7. Enjoy:)

Chicken pasta with cream sauce

I am a big fan of Italian cuisine. Recently, I was so tempted to make cream pasta. It is one of my comfort foods! However, ordering an authentic Italian pasta  may costs a fortune in Hong Kong. Since this dish only needs a few ingredients, why paying more than a hundred dollars for a dish when you can easily make one at home for only $40HKD! I can guarantee you will love it! So simple and easy to make!

Preparation time: 15 mins

Ingredients:
1 cup Frozen chicken breast (chopped into bite-sized pieces)
2 servings Pasta of your choice (I am using homemade fettuccine)
2 cloves Garlic
1 Tomato (optional)
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup Grated Parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Salt and pepper for seasoning

1. Boil your pasta according to package instructions.
2. After started boiling the pasta, season the chicken breast pieces with generous amount of salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Finely chop the garlic. Seed and peel the tomato. Then slice them into bite sized pieces.
4. Preheat skillet in medium heat, drizzle 2 tbsps of olive oil then add the chicken. Sautee each side for around 1 minute until lightly browned then remove it from the skillet.
5. Using the remaining oil in the skillet, add garlic. Saute for 30 seconds until flavourful.
6. Add tomatos and chicken.
7. Add cream. Season with salt and pepper. Add 3/4 cup of Permensan cheese.
8. Add in the pasta and add 1 tbsp of pasta water. Season the pasta if needed.
9. Serve on a plate and sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup of Permesan cheese.
10. Enjoy:)

Tips:
1. To remove the skin of the tomato, use a knife to gently cut across the tomato skin. Put it in boiling water for 30 seconds. You can also put it in the boiling pasta water.
2. Don't be afraid to season the chicken with generous amount of salt and pepper because when you over seasoned, the saltiness can be released and offset when combing other ingredients. However if the chicken is under seasoned, the chicken will become tasteless, especially when we are using frozen ones instead of fresh ones.

Chicken with mushroom gravy

I love gravy, especially roasted chicken with homemade gravy. However, roasting chicken takes you almost 1-2 hours of roasting, another 10 minutes to prepare the gravy... This is why I like using my skillet to cook chicken.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:
4 Chicken thighs
2 Shallots
1 Zucchini
1 cup of fresh mushrooms (any kind of your choice) or 1/2 cup of canned mushrooms
1 tbsp  Thyme (fresh or dried)
1 tbsp Butter
1 tsp Flour
Pepper and salt for seasoning
1 tbsp Paprika
1 tbsp White wine

1. Cut the chicken thighs into smaller chunks. Marinate with paprika, and generous amount of salt and pepper.

2. Slice the shallots and zucchini.

3. Preheat a skillet in medium-high heat, drizzle with a little bit of light vegetable oil. Saute the chicken for 4-5 minutes until they are thoroughly cooked through. Put them on a plate.

4. Saute the shallots until slightly golden brown and flavourful. Add zucchini and white wine. Then add mushrooms and thyme. Let it saute for 1 minute, then add butter and chicken. Let it come to a boil.

5. Spoon 1 tbsp of the sauce from the skillet to a small bowl/cup. Add in the flour and mix well. Pour the mixture back into the skillet to thicken the sauce.

6. Serve on a plate and enjoy:)

Greek Yogurt Mascarpone Trifle

Hot weather is slipping in. For those who have sweet tooth, do you feel resistant to bake even you are craving for a fruity creamy sponge cake? First, you do not want to turn on the "heater" in your kitchen; Second, summer is the season of bikinis! And short shorts! And crop tops! Which means NO HEAVY CREAM..:(

No worries ladies! This recipe substitute heavy cream with mostly Greek yogurt. Together with the natural sweetness of the berries, it definitely can satisfy your sweet cravings! An even better news is that it is a non-bake recipe! Let's make one and share with your bffs at your next party!

Preparation time: 30 minutes

In the fridge to set: 3 hours minimum

Ingredients:

1 package Lady fingers

1 cup Diced strawberries

1 cup Blueberries/ blackberries

2 tsp Icing Sugar

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1/2 cup Mascarpone cheese

1/2 tsp Lemon juice

1/2 tsp Lemon zest

1. Remove the stock of the strawberries. In a bowl, slightly mash the strawberries to release the juice. Add 1 tbsp icing sugar and lemon juice. Set it aside.

2. In another bowl, loosen the Mascarpone cheese with a whisk, add 1 tbsp of icing sugar. Then add in Greek yogurt. Mix well. 

3. Use aluminium foil to wrap the base of the pan in case the liquid leakage. Assemble the lady fingers in a 12-cm spring form pan. Gently press in the lady fingers to fit the pan. 

4. Drizzle half of the strawberry mixture on top. Spread half of the cheese mixture. Add half the blueberries/blackberries.

5. Layer lady fingers n top of the berries. Drizzle the remaining half of the strawberry mixture. Spread the remaining cheese mixture. Garnish by placing the rest of the blueberries/blackberries on top. Sprinkle the lemon zest.

6. Wrap the cake with plastic wrap then pop it in the fridge and let it set for at least 3 hours.

7. Transfer the cake to a plate. Enjoy:)

Tips:

1. You can adjust the amount of icing sugar according to taste since the berries itself might be sweet enough.

2. You can adjust the proportion of the yogurt/cheese mixture. I am using 1:1 to perform the best texture. However, try different proportions to create your favourite consistency or to match your health concern!

3. Try to serve at the earliest after it comes out from the fridge to avoid it from melting.

One Pot Coconut Chicken

Coconut chicken is one of my childhood favourites. The silkiness of the coconut milk with the tender chicken breast, and the natural sweetness from the veggies...just DIVINE.

 It was a common dish in old-styled Hong Kong "Cha Chen Teng"s. They usually present it with a puff pastry on top, and a bowl of steaming rice next to it. Sadly the taste is no longer original probably because they are using not-as-good ingredients to cut cost.

So why not make my own! It is so easy to make! Even make a large portion and save some in the freezer for quick dinner after a busy day!

Preparation time: 20 mins

Ingredients:
2 cups Chicken breast chunks (about 2 inches thick)
1 Medium sized carrot
1 Potato
1 Onion
1 Large can of coconut milk

1. In a large plate, marinate the chicken breast with generous amount of coarse salt (roughly 2 tbsp) and freshly ground black pepper.Add a 3 tbsp of coconut milk and mix well. Make sure the milk is evenly coated on each piece of chicken. Set it aside.

2. Prep the veggies. Slice the carrots into 3mm slices. Dice the potato into larger cubes of approx. 1.5 itches. Chop 3/4 onions into large pieces and finely dice the remaining 1/4 onions.

3. In a preheating pan (with depth since there will be sauce) at medium-high heat, add in 1 tbsp of light-flavoured vegetable oil, slightly saute the chicken for 1 minute on each side. Spoon out and set it aside.

4. In the pan, add 1/2 tbsp of oil and add the finely diced onions. Saute them for approx. 2 minutes until they turned light brown in colour. Add in the remaining onion pieces, carrots, and potatos. Saute the veggies for 1 to 2 minutes.

5. In the pan, add in the sauteed chicken and its released juice (if any), and the coconut milk. Put on the lid and let it simmer for 4 minutes or until the veggies and chicken are cooked thoroughly.

6. Taste the sauce and season well. Serve and enjoy!

Tips:

1. Season the chicken chunks generously and leave it for ideally 30 mins before cooking to make sure the marinate is fully absorbed by the chicken.
2. Do not overcook the chicken or it will become tough.
3. Try to use a non-stick pan to avoid burnt ingredients.
4. Since the flavourful sauce is the glorious highlight of this dish, bed it with good amount of rice or bread!

Spaghetti Vongole

Being a huge fan of Italian cuisine, this is the first Italian dish I made back when I started my cooking journey a few years ago-- Spaghetti Vongole, what a classic dish. I also paired it with some spinach and tomato salad for some extra freshness!

Preparation time: 20 mins

Ingredients:
2 servings of Spaghetti  (approx. 2 hand full of spaghetti)
1 bowl of Clams
2 tbsp of white wine
4 tbsp of olive oil
2 tbsp of mince garlic
1 chili
Chopped parsley
According to taste salt and pepper
According to taste grated Parmesan cheese

1. Cook the spaghetti according to the package instruction (minus 2 minutes). Drain the spaghetti however save 3-4 tbsp for the sauce
2. In a preheated skillet, pour in 3 tbsps of olive oil, put in mince garlic and chili, turn to medium hi heat.
3. Once the garlic is sizzling, add in the clams, season the clams with salt and pepper
4. Put on the lid, cook until most of the shells are opened
5. Splash in the wine, pour in spaghetti, add 1-2 tbsp of starch water, add parsley, season with salt and pepper, mix well
6. Add 1 tbsp of olive oil, sprinkle Parmesan cheese on top and serve
7. Enjoy:)

Tips of the dish
1. Since the clams already contained a considerable amount of saltiness, make sure to taste before seasoning.

Bay Scallop and shrimp in lemon butter sauce

Craving a quick decent dish after a long day of work? Try this recipe! You will only need a hand full of ingredients which you may already have! If you don't have shrimps or scallops, substitute them with any seafood you like! I would say catfish fillets would work extremely well too. 

Preparation time: 8 mins

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of bay scallop

1/2 cup of shrimp

2 tbsp of mince garlic

1/2 lemon

2 tbsp of white wine

a few chopped parsley

a few drops of olive oil, or vegetable oil

1 tbsp of butter, salted or unsalted

according to taste salt and pepper

according to taste grated Parmesan cheese

1. In a pan, add a few drops of olive oil, put in the mince garlic, and heat the pan with medium heat

2. Once the garlic started to sizzle, put in bay scallop and shrimp, try to lay them in single layer. Wait for 2-3 minutes until the side started to turn slightly golden.

3. Splash in white wine.

4. Flip the scallop and shrimp, season them with salt and pepper, add parsley. 

5. Squeeze in lemon juice. Stir well until the sauce is warmed up. Turn off the heat.

6. Stir in the butter until incorporated. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese. Assemble the dish.

7. Enjoy:)

Little tips:

1. Keep an eye on the seafood since they are very easy to cook through. Do not over cook.

2. This dish will finish with a very nice and refreshing sauce. Serve it with pasta, rice, bread, or even mashed potatos! 

Chewy sweet pumpkin cake

Chewy sweet pumpkin cake is one of the traditional snacks/deserts in Chinese cuisine. Besides adding pumpin to be the filling, we can also add some red bean paste to create an even more irresistible dessert!

Preparation time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

1/3 Chinese pumpkin

1 cup Glutinous flour

a little bit Sauteed Glutinous flour

2/3 cup white sugar/ black sugar

1. cut the pumpkin into chunks, microwave for 3 1/2 minutes till its cooked thoroughly
2. To make the sauteed glutinous flour, pour 1 cup of glutinous flour into a preheated skillet (do not need to add oil to the skillet), keep mixing until its flavourful. Set aside.

2. mash the pumpkin into puree, add sugar

3. stir in glutinous flour a bit at a time

4. on a plate, sprinkle with a bit of the sauteed glutinous flour

5. form the dough into balls, place onto the plate and slightly press down to form flat doughs

6. put a bit of  vegetable oil in the pan, fried the dough with medium low heat until its cooked through

7. Enjoy!

Little tips:

1. microwave the pumpkin a bit at a time for better result

2. Add glutinous flour according to the actual moisture level of the dough

3. pat some sticky rice flour on both hands before rolling the dough

Steamed crab on salted egg white

Wanted to make something simple yet delicious over the weekend. Probably this would be a good dish to share with your guests on the weekend table! 

Preparation time: 15 mins

Ingredients:
6 small crabs (in the size of a fist)
3 salted egg whites
some diced spring onion
1/3 cup white rice wine
3 tbsp oil
2 tbsp water

1. wash the crabs, separate the crab shells and the bodies. Place them on a shallow plate.
2. Pour the salted egg white in a bowl, add 2 tbsp of water, stir well
3. pour the salted egg mixture onto the crab.
4. Boil water in a large sized wok, place the steam rack, place the plate of crab on the steam rack, put the lid and steam the crab on medium high heat for 3-5 mins until the crab is thoroughly cooked
5. In a skillet heat the wine on low heat, in a separate skillet heat the oil on medium heat
6. Sprinkle diced spring onion on top of the crab, pour in the boiling hot wine, then the hot oil
7. Enjoy:)

Tips:
1. If you fancy a bit of weekend dizziness, add some more wine to the dish!