Best Chwee Kueh Recipe 水粿

This is a tried-and-tested recipe for Chwee Kueh.

A good Chwee Kueh is soft, light and supple in body.  The savoury chai-poh (preserved radish) topping plays an important role too.  It must be aromatic and nicely browned with the right amount of oil in it.  Those who have tried the famous Chwee Kueh at Tiong Bahru and Bedok Hawker Center, would definitely know the criterion for good Chwee Kuehs.

This recipe produces Chwee Kuehs of almost perfect consistency.  Follow the steps in this recipe diligently and you will definitely earn a thumbs-up from your family.

Mediterranean Sauce

Mediterranean Sauce

Mediterranean Sauce is a perfect combination with pan seared fish.  Made with Vitamin C rich vegetables such as tomatoes and capsicums, this sauce is definitely a healthier option as compared to a butter or cream based sauce.

Besides serving it with fish, you can also toss it with pasta or switch it up as a filling/topping for a quick snack like Pizza Roll and Cheesy Bruschetta.

Traditional Mediterranean Sauce calls for white wine and olive in the recipe.  However, as Asian families rarely keep these ingredients in their kitchen, I've twigged the recipe a little to suit Asian home cooking.
  
 

Mediterranean Penne Pasta

Whip up this nutritious and easy meal with the pre-made Mediterranean Sauce in less than 30 minutes.  A perfect solution to your leftovers too!

 

Hong Kong Style Poached Fish Head

The older Cantonese living in Singapore would be very familiar with the famous Loy Sum Juang Cantonese Restaurant (黎三元酒家).  It first started  business in the 70s at Outram Park and subsequently shifted to Tiong Bahru Plaza in the 80s.  Just found out recently that it is now located at Murray Terrace.

The mention of Loy Sum Juang will always remind me of its Hong Kong Style Fish Head.  Although I have not visited the restaurant for a long time, the taste of the succulent fish head still lingers in my mind. 

I'm not sure if the Hong Kong Style Fish Head is made famous here by Loy Sum Jung Restaurant, but you will see almost all zhi-char stalls at the Outram Park area hawker centre selling this dish now.
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Some people may say Song Fish Head gives a muddy taste, but the texture of the flesh of this fish is so soft and succulent that no other fish can replace it.  Song Fish Head is also very cheap at the wet market.  Price range from $6 - $10 for a fish head that weighs around 1.2 - 1.8kg.  It is definitely much more economical to prepare this at home.

Fried Oyster Cake 炸蚝饼

My son has been raving about the Fried Oyster Cake (炸蚝饼) sold at Chomp Chomp Hawker Center for a long time.  After trying it myself, I have to agree with him that it does taste really good.  However, the price of $2.50 for a piece of snack that could hardly fill the stomach seems ridiculous to me. 

NTUC Supermarkets has started to carry frozen oyster recently which costs only $3.80 a packet (200g).  I used it to recreate this hawker-snack based a recipe I found on-line and the result was very satisfying!  The oyster cake is crispy outside and moist inside.  Even my son gives a thumbs-up for it!  

For the cost of less than a fraction of what you pay outside, this recipe is definitely a keeper!   



 

Fried Oyster Cake 炸蚝饼

Fluffy Pancakes

This is by far the best pancake recipe I've ever tried.  The pancakes are light and fluffy.  Although ideally served as breakfast with maple syrup and butter, you can also whipped up these easy pancakes for snack anytime of the day with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream.

Restaurant-Style Steam Fish Soy Sauce

This is my children's favourite recipe for Chinese Steam Fish. They could gobble down bowls of white rice just with the pipping hot aromatic sauce from the steam fish.


This sauce goes well with steamed Seabass, Groupa and Soon Hock.  The texture of these fish is super delicate and smooth, but of course they are pricy too.  So, the perfect way to cook these expensive fish is to steam it without any seasoning to retain its original 'sweetness'.  Just place a few pieces of sliced old ginger and some spring onion (white section) on top of the fish, drizzle 2 tbsp of chinese white wine and steam the fish for 8 - 10 minutes.  Remember to discard the liquid in the steaming tray - this will give the fish a bitter and fishy taste.  


Timing is also of essence in preparing this dish.  Prepare the sauce and ginger-onion oil while steaming the fish to ensure everything is pipping hot when serve.  Nothing taste better than a sizzle hot steamed fish straight from the kitchen.

Restaurant style Steamed Soon Hock with Soy Sauce

Avocado Puree with Vanilla Ice-Cream

I had this dessert last week at a Chinese Restaurant.  And oh my, never did I know avocado could taste so good as a dessert!!

Although this tiny fruit is know to be packed with essential nutrients our body needs, Avocado had never been an ingredient in my kitchen.  It would be a challenge to gain my children's fancy because it is a rather tasteless fruit that is too rich in taste.

Relying on my loyal taste buds, I replicated this dessert yesterday.  

My whole family simply loves it!!  The buttery-creamy texture of the avocado goes really well with the coconut cream, giving the dessert a silky smooth texture.  A scoop of vanilla ice-cream on top adds to a right amount of sweetness too.  

While the fruit is still in season now, try the recipe and enjoy the goodness of this wholesome fruit today!

Nutritional Facts of Avocado:

• Avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients our body needs, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid. 
• They also act as a "nutrient booster" by enabling the body to absorb more fat-soluble nutrients, such as alpha and beta-carotene and lutein, in foods that are eaten with the fruit. 
• Avocados can also help reduce blood cholesterol levels and risks of Cardiovascular disease because it contains both monosaturated and polyunsaturated fat, the 'good' fats we need.

 

`Sushi-Tei' Salad Dressing

This is what made my boys eat salad for the first time in their lives...and they are still loving it.  

This tangy-sweet japanese style salad dressing, drizzle on a plate of cold crisp lettuce and freshly cut sashimi, is their must-order dish whenever we visit the Sushi-Tei Japanese Restaurant.  

After much trials and errors, I finally managed to come up with the concoction of this dressing.  Although it is a little thicker than the one serve at the restaurant, the taste is almost similar.  Try this, if you want to get your children to eat their greens!
 

'Sushi-Tei' Salad Dressing (Serve 5 - 6) 

 

Sweet and tangy japanese-style salad dressing

Chives Dumpling (Pot-Sticker) 锅贴

My two growing-up boys are always hungry.  I have to ensure that my fridge is always packed with ready-to-eat food.  This is one good recipe to prepare ahead and store in your freezer.  Use ready-made dumpling skins to save you preparation time.  Uncooked Chives Dumpling can be stored in the freezer for up to a month. 

Crispy Roast Pork Belly (烧肉)

It's never easy to replicate the crispy roast pork prepared by Hong Kong Chefs at the Chinese Restaurant.  But this recipe produces the most succulent and crispy roast pork that is comparable to those serve at the coffee shop 烧腊店 .  The secret to the perfect crackling is the use of Rice Wine Vinegar.  Brush a little on the skin at the end of cooking and grill the pork belly under high heat, you will see the skin 'popping' and cracking away almost immediately.

Crispy Roast Pork Belly (serve 5)

 

Smoky Buffalo Wings

After having their first taste of buffalo wings at Jerry's BBQ & Grill, my children have been pestering me to replicate the dish at home.  The wings serve at Jerry's, though delicious, were a little too spicy for them.  After experimenting with a few recipes, this is by far the tastiest and easiest to prepare.  

The success of this recipe lies in the perfect balance of sweetness and spiciness in the sauce.  The use of paprika in this dish is essential. It gives the smoky flavour without too much heat.  

This is a perfect party food item and definitely a crowd pleaser.  I prepared these for a kid's party a few weeks ago and it was a huge hit.  The children raved about them to their mummy and I was kept very busy sending out the recipe after that.  Try out this extremely economical dish - a big bag of chicken wings (2kg), which costs only about S$9, is enough to feed 8-10 very hungry children!!  Just remember to keep lots of tissue by their side when eating this. 

These smoky buffalo wings are as good as those serve in restaurants. Yummy!