The 50th post competition results!!!!!

The champion entry is out!!!!!

Thanks for all the support and publicity, I've received response from my readers and they are simply so well done. I will be posting the top 3 entries and their prizes! For now please enjoy my favourite entry~~~~~~

Today Amins will show you how easy it is to cook lasagna..or to be exact "Amins' Inner Beauty Lasagna"

What you will need:Baking ovenElectricity (ok thats lame =X)

Baking tin (tall longish rectangular shape)

Aluminium foil (optional)

(and the im-sure-you-have-them-at-home stuffs)

Boiling PotContainer

Cooking oil

Frying pan

Ingredients:Some potatoes (5 regular-sized ones will be enough)

Shredded cheddarCheese slices

Spaghetti sauce

Spaghetti cream sauce

Minced meat (beef/chicken) / or you could use burger patties

Actually lasagna will taste better with beef....so why chicken?Well..some people can't eat beef in the same way that some people can't eat pork....so let us try using chicken and see how it tastes.Well, I used chicken burger patties.. for convenience sake.Remember to thaw the patties until they are soft.If not, you could use a microwave oven to help you thaw em.Pre-heat oven to 350 degree F (175 degree C) before you start.

Step 1: Boil the potatoes with high heat (For at least 15 mins / or until the potatoes turn soft)

Step 2: While waiting for the potatoes, cut the patties into as many small pieces as you can.

Step 3: Fry the "minced chicken patties"

Step 4: Peel the boiled potatoes and cut them into similar thickness..

Step 5: Mix the fried minced chicken and spaghetti sauce.Make sure that it's chunky and not too watery.

Step 6: First layer. Spread layer of the sauce mix into the baking tin.Not too thick though!

Step 7: 2nd layer. Place potato slices on top of the mix.Try to cover every "holes" and make em evenly spreaded out.

Step 8: 3rd Layer. Spread cream sauce.

Step 9: 4th layer. Put cheese slices.

Step 10: 5th layer. Sprinkle shredded cheddar.

(Okay~~ Time to repeat the few previous steps)Step 11: 6th layer. Spread sauce mix again.

Step 12: 7th layer. Potato slices again.

Step 13: 8th layer. Cream sauce again.

Step 14: 9th layer. Cheese slices again.

Step 15: 10th layer. Sprinkle cheddar cheese again.

Step 16: 11th & final layer. Finally~~! Spread sauce mix again.And then sprinkle some shredded cheddar again.

Step 17: Time to bake!! Approximately, 30-40 mins.Depends on your oven's capability. =S

Step 18: When you see some edges of the top layer being slightly burnt,this means it's ready!!

Step 19: Remove from oven and let it cool for 10-15 minutes before serving.Total time I took: Abt 1 hour

Okay okay..... I know it doesn't look the best..Now you know why it's called the Inner Beauty Lasagna.. =XDoesn't look good but taste good! =D

Me not pleased with the look of the lasagna. =(

Ermm.. a half-eaten lasagna pic.. =SMy mom, sis & maid were too anxious to try and I haven't take the "end product" pic yet.. =S(And im suppose to send the pics for an online food contest.. =/ )Anyways, they said it was very nice... =DYay~

Preparation : 25 mins
Cooking Time: 35 mins

Thank You Amin, that was superb!

I will be posting the other 2 soon. :)

The coooking show

Time for some cooking before school starts. This meal isn't the cheap kind and requires some sourcing of ingredients. But fret not because its not too difficult. There will be 2 parts to the cooking procedures as there are 2 dishes.

Cold soba with Japanese vegetables soup
Soba noodles
2 cups Soba concentrated sauce
Soba noodles
Soup
1 Dashi stock in tea bag form
2 packets Mushrooms
5 bowls of water
1 Carrot
1 piece Tofu
1 plain Fish Cake
Japanese Seaweed
4 tablespoon of soya sauce
Chawanmushi
4 Eggs
2 cups of water

Half cup of Dashi stock
50g Chicken cubes
Half teaspoon of salt to taste

Soba noodles
Firstly, Boil a pot of water deep enough for you to cook the soba noodles.

After boiling till soft put it under cold water. After it cools, place it in the fridge covered.



Before serving, use the ratio of 1:7 of soba sauce to water and put them into the fridge.
Soba sauce is quite expensive, 1litre cost 27SGD
Noodles done.



Japanese Soup
While waiting for the water to boil, prepare all the ingredients. Sliced them into any cute shapes you like.

Boil the dashi stock tea bags.

You can find similar brands in Cold storage. They are really good and super seafoody fresh. For mums who don't have enough time to cook just add in a tea bag and let it boil while you bath and it'll be ready real soon.

Take out half a cup of stock for the chawanmushi and the rest works as your soup base. For 5 bowls worth of soup.

This is how my dashi stock lookes like.

I also used organic japanese seaweed for healthier choice. These are dried and will "bloom" once it touches water. This small little pack can cook for an army

Soak all the different mushrooms of your choice to get rid of the dirt.

Add in all the ingredients to the pot and boil. Simmer for 20 minutes to allow the flavours to be sweeter.
Add in 4 table spoons of soya sauce to taste.

Chawanmushi

Crack the eggs and add in 2 cups of water.
Add half a teaspoon of salt to taste


Cut the chicken fillet into cubes, chicken cubes should be small to place into the chawanmushi.

Marinate it with some soya sauce, pepper and corn flour.

Place the ingredients in the bowl.

Distribute the half cup of dashi stock evenly into 5 bowls. Make sure it is not too hot, or else eggs will be cooked once you pour it into the bowl.
Distribute the egg mixture and now it is ready to be steamed.

Steam it under big fire for 5 minutes then simmer for 5 minutes.
Ensure that the time is not exceeded or else your eggs will harden.

Good luck!

Auntie note: you can use ikan bilis stock cubes if you find the dashi stock tea bags too exp. :)

三菜 but no 一汤

Food reviews are still overdue but what if you don't feel like getting out of the house? Why not try your hands on something you haven't tried before? Afraid of all the oil and smoke? I shall introduce you to 3 simple dishes that you can easily cook without worrying about the clean up.

First up: Bittergourd with Eggs.
Ingredients:
2 Eggs
Half a side of Bittergurd
3 teaspoon of Light soya sauce
Some minced garlic
some pepper
2 Table spoon of Oyster sauce

Beat the eggs together with light soya sauce and pepper till you see bubbles forming.

Heat the wok and add in garlic. Fry till light brown.

Add in the bittergurd.

Add in the oyster sauce and continue frying for about 2 minutes.

Add in the eggs. And fry till eggs are golden brown.

Notice that the eggs that i fry are not very appealing in colour. This is because it lacked the yellowish tones of the eggs as i added oyster sauce. Many tze char and restuarants produce yellow eggs that taste great is because they substituted oyster sauce with MSG. But definitely when we eat at home we should choose a healthier choice right? We still wan to have some hair on our heads.

Next up: Chicken stir fried with ginger and sesame.

Ingredients:

Half Chicken

10g ginger (depending on personal pref)

5 table spoon sesame oil

3 table spoon Light soya sauce

Water (if you want some sauce with your rice you can add more)

Prepare the ginger by getting off the skin. You can do this easily by using a teaspoon to scrape.

Cut them up into thin shreds.

Heat the wok, add in sesame oil and ginger. Fry till fragrance of the sesame oil comes floating.

Add in the chicken.

Fry and make sure the chicken pieces are coated with sesame oil evenly

Add water, light soya sauce and simmer from 20 minutes. The longer you simmer the softer and more tender the chicken will be. And it is ready to be served! The picture below is the colour of the sauce you should get so that you can gauge the amount of light soya sauce to add depending on the amount of water you add.

And this is for professional use. hehehe....

Last but not least: Sweet mushroom

Ingredients:

40g of mushrooms. can be any kind, portobello, crimini, Enoki, shitake, i used agaricus.

2 table spoon oyster sauce

2 table spoon sugar

2 table spoon light soya sauce

Some minced garlic

Wash and prepare the mushroom. Use a scissors to cut off the tip of the stalk so that it will be more hygienic.

Cut the mushrooms up into slices.

Heat the wok, add in some vegetable oil. Wait for the pot to slightly warm up and then add in garlic. Stir the garlic for about 30 seconds till it is light brown.

Then add in the mushrooms.

For better taste, you can use oyster sauce. My family uses this brand as it is value for money and there is vegetarian version.

The pictorial ratio of oyster sauce and the mushrooms.

Add in water, sugar and light soya sauce to taste. And its done!

Do, did, done. All within 1 hour.


Good luck for your cooking adventure.