Lobster Noodle

Bee of Rasa Malaysia took us out for a chinese lunch a couple of months ago. We had so much food and among the things that we ordered are the lobster noodle. I love noodle. I love lobster. Well, actually that's not quite true. I just love seafood! Normally when I buy a whole lobster from the supermarket, I would just steam them since cutting them into small pieces is not an easy task until I found out at Ranch 99 they do it for you for free!

Those 2 things (lunch with Bee and getting the lobster cut for me) are the reason why I was inspired to make this easy and delish meal on my own. It requires very minimal ingredients, which if you are my regular readers you'd know how I love easy-to-cook dish with minimal ingredients and minimal work as well.

Lobster Yee Mee

1 medium size lobster, cleaned and cut into smaller pieces
Kailan, cleaned and cut
3 garlic, thinly sliced
2in ginger, thinly sliced
2 cups water
1 egg
Salt and sugar to taste
Egg noodle, cooked according to packaging

1. In a big wok or pan, heat 3tbs vegetable oil and saute garlic and ginger, slowly add water and let it boiled.
2. Add salt and sugar, stir and taste. Add lobster and kailan and cover. 2min.
3. Uncover, give it a little stir and break an egg. Stir again.
4. Lastly add the cooked noodle and mix them up. Turn off the heat and serve immediately.
5. It can be eaten with pickled green chili and garnish with green onion.

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Step-By-Step Pictures of How I Pleat/Fold the Wonton

Pleating wonton can be tricky but I hope with these step-by-step pictures, my readers would be able to do it in no time. You can get the recipe for Fried Wonton from my previous post but for this pictures, I actually used ground turkey instead of ground chicken and they come out very good that Michael kept on eating them.

Add about a tablespoon of the mix at the center and wet 2 sides of the skin

Fold the skin diagonally, pressing the sides together and get rid as much air as possible

Wet 1 end and gently fold the 2-ends by overlapping them together

This is how the wonton would look like once they are done

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Fried Wonton

G & J were kind enough to bring these yummylicious fried chicken wonton to our 24 event and now they are sharing the recipe with me and my readers. Thank you again G & J!

She promised me that they are easy to make but I did not think it would be very very very easy until she emailed me the recipe and I went, "that's it?". Oh I just love good food and what more if it comes with a simple and easy recipe!

Fried Chicken Wonton
makes between 25-30

1lb ground chicken
3-4 stalks green onion (finely chopped)
1-2 finely chopped chili (optional)
Seasoning salt (G&J use Lawry's or Zatarains creole seasoning)
1 pack wonton skin
Oil for frying

1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and taste.

2. Fill center of wonton skin with ground chicken, dampen fingers to seal the wonton skin. (You can also use a mixture of water and flour/cornstarch)

3. Fry them batch by batch until golden brown. Serve with sweet chili sauce.

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May Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24 - Summer Party Malaysian-Style

Grilling Satay - Chicken and Beef

Summer is approaching and although we always have bbq at our place, it was never a 'full-blown' Malaysian-style bbq party. So what better way to start the summer than having a Summer Party - Malaysian Style to introduce Malaysian food to our American friends/neighbours? None of those watered-down version of 'Malaysian' food that is normally served at the restaurants here. I am so honoured that my Summer Party proposal was chosen by Foodbuzz for their May 24, 24, 24 event.

The first thing on the menu was of course Satay. Grilled on a charcoal grill (that I specifically asked my husband to get when we moved to this apartment last year!). Both chicken and beef, together with peanut sauce, rice cake and cucumber. The meat was marinated overnight so the taste infused inside the meat and also makes them tender.

Next is Grilled Jumbo Prawns with sambal dipping sauce. I just realised that I don't have pictured of my sambal but the prawn was so yummylicious. Only minimum seasoning needed to retain the taste. They are seasoned with salt, turmeric and a dash of lime juice and off they go on the grill!

Then we have Beef with Potato Murtabak and Pickled Onion on the side. I usually used spring roll skins but this time I used lumpia wrapper. They are equally good although for pictures, I would have to say that I prefer spring roll wrapper since they give that nice edges while with lumpia wrapper you would not get it since they are softer and thinner.

G and J made these droolicious Fried Chicken Wonton that are to die for! I was too busy (and too tired!) to really eat anything yesterday but I am glad I managed to eat some of these. They are crunchy and their bite-size made it easier to eat while one was going back and forth, in and out of the kitchen and patio.

For something heavier, S made these Mamak Mee Goreng with seafood. They are spicy and very flavourful. 1 of my neighbours is of American/Korean parentage and as expected, Mamak Mee Goreng is her favourite and she could not stopped for talking about how good they are.

Honey Barbeque Chicken

Among all the things that I made for the Summer Party, I would have to say that making Fried Popiah is the trickiest one. They are yummy to eat but rolling them and making sure that they are wrapped properly is a skill that I discovered I have yet to master. Thank god for K who used to worked in a chinese restaurant who helped me with wrapping them.

For dessert, I made this Malay kuih called Kuih Bakar. This pandan and coconut milk based kuih/cake is as easy to make as it easy to eat. They are usually made with a flower design mould that I could not find here until I found this disposable mould with curves that gives a little bit of that flower effect.

I would like to thank all my friends (especially S and K for helping and taking most of the pictures) and neighbours who came (and help!) to the party and also Foodbuzz for choosing my Summer Party-Malaysian Style as part of their May Foodbuzz 24, 24, 24 event. My SUmmer Party that started at 4pm ended till past midnight after a game of poker. Everybody leaves happily and with a full stomach.

I hope I have managed to introduce you a little bit of how we Malaysian do our party which basically involves lots and lots of food. I will be posting the recipes in my next post.

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Kalamansi Lime

If you have been reading and/or following my blog, you would realise that I have mentioned the name kalamansi lime a few times. It is to me, the best kind of lime. It looks like key lime but with a much softer skin. It is the most popular lime used in Southeast Asian's cuisine and drink. I have been looking for it for quite a while. Going in and out of Home Depot, nurseries, asian supermarkets and Lowe's only to be very disappointed. Not only they don't have it, most of the times nobody would even know what I was talking about. But my luck was about to change.

Last month when we went to Home Depot on Warner Ave, Huntington Beach to get a couple of plant pots, I decided to again try my luck. Michael keeps teling me that they are not going to have it but I told hm I will ask anyway. Asking is by the way, free, no? So I asked the guy at the nursery section about kalamansi lime. After a few misunderstanding and long conversation, he took me to the lime/lemon tree areas and we looked and searched one by one. The he asked me, "what is it called again?". So I told him it is kalamansi and he showed me this tree and said, "is that it?". There in the middle of the jungle (ok, that's an exaggeration :P) stood 3 kalamansi lime tree. Not 1. Not 2. But 3 of them! You can't imagine how happy I was to have found it. Already I am thinking of hot spring/summer and sipping ans ice cold lime juice made from kalamansi lime. Well, I am not sure when exactly will I get to see the fruits but I sure do hope very soon. I just hope that those pesky insects would leave my kalamansi lime tree alone.

So if you are a fan and/or have been looking for kalamansi lime tree, go to Home Depot. As you can see from the picture, it is stated as calamondin / kalamansi lime. Good luck!

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Sotong Kangkung

Roadside stall food. Just thinking about it makes me miss Malaysia so much. You know, the part where whenever you feel like eating something, you can just drive your car to the location. Or if you wakes up at 2am and feel like having something to munch be it Maggi Goreng (fried instant noodle) or Roti Canai or Nasi Lemak, all you have to do is get in your car and drive to the restaurant or stall. Lots of places are open 24/7. No more feeling cranky during that time of the month where you are just too lazy to cook yet you want to eat that delicious ............... (fill in the blank yourself).


Well, since I am not in Malaysia, the next best thing that could happen to me is when I found something at the asian store where I could make something that is familiar to me. Like this sotong which gave me the idea to make Sotong Kangkung. Sotong is squid although I think for this dish, cuttlefish is the more correct definition while Kangkung is water spinach. So I guess it would be 'Cuttlefish Water Spinach' in English? Hmmm... doesn't sound right to me and that is why I only put the title in Malay instead of Malay/English.

Sotong Kangkung

1/2lb cuttlefish
Water spinach, cut the root and rinsed thoroughly
2.5 tbs Rojak sauce, I used Boy Scout brand
1 tbs Shrimp paste, also Boy Scout brand
1 tsp Sambal oelek
1-2 tsp brown sugar
1/4 cup water
Coarse ground peanut
Salt
Toasted sesame (for garnishing)


1. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients except cuttlefish, water spinach and sesame. Taste and adjust according to your liking.

2. In a big pot, boil some water and blanch the cuttlefish for about 2min. Drain and cut into 1-2in. Keep aside.

2. Blanch water spinach for about 1min, drain and cut.

3. In a big bowl, mix cuttlefish with water spinach and rojak sauce well. garnish with toasted sesame and serve immediately

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Egg Rendang - Rendang Telur

After I made Beef Rendang recently, I found that Ummi fr Home Sweet Home made Egg Rendang and being typical me, when I just learned about making something new, I tend to make them a lot. I Immediately boiled some eggs and decided to take it up a notch by deep-frying them too. I love to deep-fry hard-boiled egg. I have done it for my Sambal Telur / Egg Sambal before.

Egg Rendang / Rendang Telur
serves 2-3

3-4 eggs, boiled and de-shelled
1 tsp sambal oelek
1 tsp coriander powder
2 shallot, thinly sliced
1in ginger, thinly sliced
1 garlic, thinly sliced
2-3in lemongrass, thinly sliced
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 small can coconut milk
1 tbs kerisik
Salt and sugar to taste

1. In a pot, heat some oil on medium heat and deep-fry the eggs until brown. The outer skin would get a bit wrinkly. Keep turning them until all sides are brown and wrinkly. Set aside.

2. Heat oil in a different pot and add in the sliced ingredients. Fry till fragrant.

3. Add in sambal oelek, lemongrass, coriander powder and turmeric powder. Stir well.

4. Add in coconut milk, salt and sugar and mix well.

6. Stir continuously and let the rendang cook on medium heat until almost dried and add in kerisik and eggs.

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Chinese Fried Rice

Fried rice is an easy all-in-one meal that everybody can make. Especially Chinese Fried Rice. When I make it, I would use minimum ingredients with no meat or seafood. Just rice, mixed veggies and egg. Well, maybe some oil for frying, garlic and salt and pepper to taste too. Now, how can you not say that it is the easiest meal to make?

Yet as simple and easy as it is, I hardly ever made them. I am not sure why but maybe because when I cook white rice, I just do not cook extra and since I am the only one eating it, there is hardly ever any rice left that is enough to make fried rice. Until recently of course. I reminded myself to cook extra rice since it has been a while that I have homemade fried rice.

Chinese Fried Rice
serves 1-2

2 cups 1-day old cooked white rice
2 garlic, sliced
1 cup frozen mixed veggie
Half medium size onion, sliced
2 eggs
Salt, sugar and white pepper to taste
2 tbs veggie oil

1. In a frying pan, heat the oil and saute the garlic.

2. Add the mixed veggie and cook until they are soft. Add in the rice together with sliced onion, salt, sugar and white pepper. Stir well.

3. In a small bowl, break the eggs and whisk a little and add into the pan. Stir until the egg mixed well with the rice. Serve immediately.

Please also check out my Belacan and Salted Fried Rice.

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Kerisik / Toasted Grated Coconut

Malay cooking is very tedious and uses a lot of ingredients especially if you really follow the kampung (village) recipes. Those that I have posted so far have mostly been 'modernised' thus they are some-what easier to make without compromising too much of the taste. Some of the ingredients are also readily available (pre-packed/instant) at the store like curry paste, rendang paste, sweet and sour paste, kerisik and etc. When I told my aunt that I uses instant kerisik, she (and my cousins!) pooh-poohed me for not making my own kerisik.

For those who are in the dark, kerisik is toasted grated coconut. One of the many important ingredients in Malay cooking. It is used in making among other, rendang and nasi ulam. To make kerisik, you will need if possible, freshly grated coconut flesh that has not been squeezed of the coconut milk yet. Alternatively, you can use the frozen grated coconut (thawed). That was what I used.

Kerisik / Toasted Grated Coconut

8oz grated coconut


1. Add freshly grated coconut in a non-stick pan, stir continuously on low to medium heat.

2. Stir until it becomes golden brown. Turn the heat off.

3. Grind in the food processor or pound using mortar and pestle.

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Steamed White Pomfret

I love going to the asian supermarket. Maybe because I am asian. :P Finding stuff that I am familiar with and in the shape that I am accustomed to and with price tags that would not make me cry. True isn't it? Somehow the stuff sold at the asian supermarkets are cheaper and fresher (for veggies and seafood at least). I don't buy prawns/shrimps at the regular supermarkets where it would cost me maybe $5-$8/lb since I can get them for $4/lb at the asian supermarket. They also have a wider varieties of fish and would clean them for you which is the way I like it since for the life of me, I can not clean them myself.

Anyways, the last visit to the asian supermarket, I bought a few types of fish and usually would eat them for a whole straight week. Previously I posted Baked Trout with Vegetables so today I am going to post my Steamed White Pomfret recipe that I made a few weeks ago.

Steamed White Pomfret

1 whole white pomfret, cleaned (mine was about 1.5lb)
2-3in ginger, thinly julienne
4 shallot, thinly julienne
2 garlic, thinly sliced
2-3 thai chili, sliced (or 1/2 serrano chili)
1 red chili, sliced
Juice from 2 lime
1/3 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar

1. Make 2 slits on each side of the fish and set aside.

2. In a bowl, mix all the other ingredients well and taste. Add salt or sugar or lime juice to your liking.

3. Pour some of the juice into a pyrex bowl (or any bowl that you are using to steam the fish), lay the fish and pour the rest of the juice on the fish. Let it marinade in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight. I did mine overnight.

4. Take the bowl out of the fridge an hour before cooking to bring it to room temperature.

5. Put it in a steamer and steam until cooked. You will know the fish is cooked when the meat will flake easily with a fork or chopstick.

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The Best Chili Sauce

Everybody have their own favourite brand. Be it the burger patties, frozen roti pratha, pastry shells or even canned coconut milk. I guess the same goes with me. Among other things that I am very particular with is chili sauce, not very common here in the US as people would usually go with kechup. I used to eat everything with chili sauce. When I get some KFC, I would use so much chili sauce that my colleague would tease me and say to me, "Farina, do eat some chicken with your chili sauce".

As you can see from the pictures, my personal favourite brand is Lingham Chili Sauce. When we first moved to California, I would get my supply from the World Market but then they discontinued bringing them in and I was left very very very sad. I was told that the closest I would get to the taste is the Mae Ploy chili sauce. Well, to me it is pretty good but it now Lingham Chili Sauce and I was not the only one thinking that way. Michael is not the type who would eat sweet chili sauce but he loves eating Cekodok with Lingham Chili Sauce and Lingham Chili Sauce only. When we ran out of supply and had to eat with Mae Ploy, he complained about the texture and the taste. Can you believe that? He is the type who eats so that he is not hungry while I, eat because the food is good.

Recently we went to Ranch 99 store in Irvine and saw them on the shelves! I was ecstatic beyond believe. Lingham has a few varieties of the chili sauce but we both like the regular hot sauce. It is a sweet chili sauce but not too sweet that you can only taste the sugar. So the next time you visit your asian store, do see if they carry Lingham and if they do, get a bottle and give it a try.

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Superbowl Menu

Honey Barbeque Chicken Wings

This weekend, the football fan in the US (in Malaysia, it is known as American football) will either be in Tampa, Florida or glued in front of the television at home or at their favourite bars to watch the SuperBowl. If you're watching the game at a bar or at the stadium, food would be the least of your problem. But what if you are watching it at home and friends are coming over? Do not fret my friends. Here are some of the food that you can prepare and maybe even impressed them. Just click on the name at the bottom of each picture to get the recipes. In the meantime, have a fun weekend everybody! Don't drink and drive ok?

Banana Fritters

Prawn Fritters

Frankly Onion

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