Pulled chicken

I wanted to cook pulled pork, but had to resign making pulled chicken instead. The reason is that pork is so expensive. Gosh! Anyway, I am not such a fan of pork so I was totally fine with it.

I have tried the dish twice now and both times were a success.

The recipe I used is pretty similar to that of Laura Vitale (click for recipe here). The only change I made is using breast pieces instead. I know that breast chicken can get dried up easily, but I prefer using breast chicken in my dishes (simply a habit of mine).

This dish is absolutely delicious, served with some coleslaw. Must try!

First time trial:

Second time:

Dinner: Egg tofu stir-fry

This will be a really short post about what I cooked for dinner the other night. I have always been fond of egg tofu (I really like the texture and the taste). So we really like to order sizzling tofu when dining out because it looks like a really special dish to me. Well, not anymore, since I finally cooked it myself (obviously not quite like the restaurant-version) and it turned out surprisingly good. It's so easy to cook actually and I will definitely try it again (substituting/ using new ingredients). Isn't this the best thing about home cooking- you can choose the ingredients. Right, have a look.
I'll be posting recipes soon. So until then, stay tune and happy healthy eating :)

 

Throwback in the kitchen

I was finally able to get my photos sorted today and it will be a matter of days (hopefully) to post all the dishes I have been cooking since a while. Alright, this might take a lil while longer because I have my exams next week and guess - by what I'm doing right now- I'll be doing some catch-up the coming days. Anyway this dish is one of my typical stir-fry. I think I said somewhere but I have learned how to cook pulses (sometimes it's hard to believe how things are easy before actually doing it) and it is so simple. I love pulses so much; my mum used to cook it often back in the old days- right now so old but still (unfortunately and fortunately for the best) time goes by so quickly.
Right picture time:

Steamed veggies and chicken

From watching Janella using the bamboo steamer on the Good chef Bad chef cooking show, I really wanted to try too. Actually I saw them using it on Ready Steady Cook too to steam vegetables and I thought 'what a genuine idea, oil-free food, and so quick' because simply need to wait the steamer to do its magic lol. So I bought them from the Asian store and for my first time I wanted to steam some chicken. I also steamed some Brussels sprouts. I actually do not like the taste though, a bit too bitter for me. The awesome thing about those bamboo steamer is that you can stack them, thus enabling you to cook several food items at once. The other good thing is about steaming itself, such a healthy way to cook food. Guilt-free cooking and eating.

 

Oven baked chicken breast

This is what I made the other day, pretty much to try oven baking (?) some chicken, that is, without frying. Well, it turned out to be great. I love eating chicken breast (don't I sound like such a carnivore nanana). I think it is a great way to cook chicken. Interesting.

Sesame honey chicken

This has been on my list for a long time. Okay not so much. Since it hit my mind and I saw the recipe last week. hehehe. To be honest, I would never have gone for such recipe because personally I am not so fond of deep frying. Mind me, I am in the progress side as far as this is concern. Another resolution about overcoming your fears and/or doubts. The recipe I found looked quite simple, so I was up for it.
Result was alright. I alternate a little here and there. I mean for a first time and all, it was good.

Chicken rice soup with celery, carrot and potato (recipe)

This is a soup that my mum usually made when I was little and would always request her to. This soup is so delicious; it is a combination of veggies that go so well together. I trust that celery is made for that soup; it would not taste the same without it. This soup is perfect on a cold night. It will definitely keep you warm.

Yesterday was my first time cooking it. Yes, I am trying a multitude of  recipes lately, learning so much. Watching or reading a recipe is not enough until you actually 'put your hands in the dough'. I can second that. Alright, so I was quite sceptical about the way the soup will turn out- you know that incertitude of doing something for the first time . Anyway I went through all the steps and despite being quite hectic in the kitchen, it tasted just quite like my mum's- which is amazing. I ended making a casserole full of it, definitely more that I expected. No complaints though.

 

 

 Recipe (I'm quite new at this but this is how I cook the soup yesterday. Writing while it is still fresh in my mind hehe)

Ingredients
 5-6 drumstick depending on the size
1 bunch of celery, sliced thinly
5 carrots, shredded
6 potatoes, cut into 1cm cube
1 litre chicken stock
2 tsp chicken stock powder
1 1/2 cup of rice, rinsed about 2 times.
salt and pepper to taste

Method
1. Cook the drumstick, by putting in boiling water (about 2 litres) and let simmer for about 30 minutes, until the meat come of the bone quite easily. Remove any excess fat of the water surface.

2. In the meantime, bring you chicken stock to a simmer. Put in the celery, carrots and potatoes. Cover and let cook for about 15 minutes.

3.Once you chicken is ready, do not throw out the water. Reserve stock. Pull out the meat of the bone finely.

4. Put about 4 cups of the reserved stock in the pot with the vegetable and put you rice in, stir and let cook. Also add the chicken.

5. Once the rice starts to cook, add in the chicken stock powder. Add salt and pepper per tasting.
The soup should be ready to be served.

Other night for dinner

Two of those dishes that I like to eat. Healthy, tasty, delicious, colourful, balanced. Pure goodness.
I kind of like to cook those because they combine the ingredients that I like a lot and it is fairly easy for me because I have cooked them so many times. 
I'm of course talking of my chicken, bok choy tofu dish and brocoli dish.Yummm

Cauliflower, carrot, chicken and green pea curry

I had a cauliflower in the fridge and wondering what dish I could cook with it, the idea of making a curry popped into my head. So I just went ahead and did this. I have not had curry since a very long time. I like curry, especially the flavours from the masala and tumeric. I recently learned that tumeric is good against cancer, so while it is hard to put in your meals, try to where you can.

This meal is quite simple. First I cook my chicken (marinated with masala and tumeric powder) Then, I cook your vegetables until tender. After which I add the masala and tumeric powder (with water) to the vegetables and cook through. Add back the chicken and green peas and the meal is ready.

Meefoon soup (recipe)

Sometimes after having a copious meal, you would rather like your next meal to be light and healthy, not oily but tasty. Solution is to have a soup. However, I reckon that some soup are time consuming to make and other too rich. The dish I am proposing today is this: meefoon. It's a typical Mauritian dish, easy to prepare and cook. It is basically a combination of bok choy, shiitake mushroom, carrots and chicken, and rice noodle. It's usually accompanied with a fried egg. I can say it's almost oil-free except for the fried chicken and egg. Some people like to add soy sauce to give colour to the dish. Personally I am not fond of soy sauce because it contains lot of sodium and quite salty. So I usually have to avoid or put as little as possible where I can. Simple and delicious.

Recipe
Ingredients:
500g chicken breast, sliced and cooked
Half a pack of rice noodle
2 carrots, chopped (see picture)
10 shiitake mushroom (I used dried ones- tip- put them in hot water about 5 min to soften them and then sliced them)
1 bok choy, washed and chopped roughly
Soy sauce
A small amount of preserved chinese vegetable (see link for more info)
Salt

Method:
Put some water, about 2 litres in a heavy pan. Put your carrots, bok choy in until the water boils. Then add the preserved vegetables, the mushroom, and the chicken. Add soy sauce, and salt per tasting. After which add the rice noodle. Let simmer about 10 minutes until the noodle is tender and smooth.
Here you go, simple as it looks.

Chicken broccoli & snow pea sautee

After reading and coming across so many articles taking about eating green vegetables, I felt obliged to cook some. I have not been cooking broccoli for a long time, so it was about time to rectify this mistake. Health benefits of broccoli include strengthening bones, protecting your heart, controlling blood pressure,  saving eyesight and combating cancer. I also added snow peas, which is also a super veggie.
The dish is a complete meal, vegetable, protein, fibre and carbohydrates (accompanied with rice). My advice is to try having at least one green vegetable in your meal daily. It is definitely worth it.

I come across this picture which I took after cooking a vegeterian version:

Chop Suey (Chicken)

One of my favourite dish to cook: Chop Suey. It is an asian dish. What I like about it is that it is delicious and healthy. It's all about balance. It is full of colours and look great.

It's a rather simple dish, the only hassle is about the ingredients, having everything prepared beforehand.

My recipe is simple. You need about 1 bunch of bok choy, carrots, mushroom, 1 canned baby corn, 500g breast chicken, oyster sauce and cornflour.

It is so much better to cook home rather than take away or dining in restaurants. Anyway cooking home is always a healthier option. I'm a real pro-home cooking. Make me remind that I shall expand my cooking skills over this short break. This is something I really look forward to because this is one skill that will be of use for your entire existence. So don't be afraid to cook. Another thing, the excitement of eating her/his own dish. It's an enjoyable experience.

Chicken with mushrooms and zucchini

Dinner time. I had a few sliced chicken breast in the fridge and decided to go for this easy dish. You know I like simple. I absolutely like eating mushrooms, especially shiitake mushroom. I absolutely love the taste and even better, it helps to fight against cancer. I'm starting to like zucchini now. It actually is a nice veggie. The dish tastes divine (or is it that I was starving and like the saying goes everything tastes good when you are hungry...well well well).

Just cooked

Can't wait to try

To be served with rice

Some leftovers---> in the fridge you go

 Recipe: (Okay you'll have to be nice to me, I don't usually write recipes, so forgive me if I don't follow any rules)

Ingredients:

1 breast fillet, sliced (or more to your liking)
1 zucchini, sliced in julienne
8 shiitake mushrooms (I had the dried one, so put them in hot water and leave for abt 5 min-to soften them- and then sliced them)
5 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
 Oyster sauce
Cornstarch
Cooking oil

Marinade for the chicken (to be mixed with the chicken and leave aside  for about 10-15 min)
White pepper
Rice wine
Sesame oil
Dark soy sauce
Cornstarch



For the sauce:
I'm simple so I usually mix some oyster sauce with cornstarch...as per taste.

Instructions:

Stir fry chicken. Remove from the wok.
Stir fry garlic and onion, then add mushroom. Let stir fry for about 1-3 min.
Add back the chicken and mix well.
Remove all from the wok.
Cook the zucchini for about 2 minutes.
Add back the chicken mix.
Let cook and then add the sauce.
Let it to boil and dish is ready to be served.

Okay so I hope you like the dish. As you see, it is a really easy and fast dish to cook. Enjoy :)

Corn, mushroom and chicken curry

I had to make this recipe for my bro's birthday, you know in chinese we say that we should eat noodles on your birthday as it will bring you long life. Not sure about this, but likewise, it is THE tradition and couldn't escape that. So since I was not in the mood to make fried noodles - yet to make- I just opt for this simple dish. It's just as easy as it looks and was really yummy and of course healthy.

This is the dish:

Recently, I've really turn crazy about healthy dishes. So bear with me saying 'healthy' for about a million times throughout this blog sorryyy.
By healthy I mean having veggies in all the meal I eat and try maintain an equilibrium and having a balanced meal for all your meals. Try that, you feel so much better, mind saying. Your body will thank you later I can assure you ;)
Anyway, I've been thinking that a positive state of mind is as powerful as a healthy body.