Crispy Tapioca Shoots

Most kids love munching on potato chips....My kids love munching all day on this Negeri Sembilan dish of Pucuk Ubi Goreng. I am so glad I got this fantastic recipe from Din's Mak Lang! I'm pretty sure this huge bottle I made of it won't last very long...




Crispy Tapioca Shoots Recipe

New England Clam Chowder

The moment my sister Mariam placed the hot Clam Chowder she just made on the dining table, all attention was on the most delicious New England Clam Chowder I've had in a long time. Considering she was studying near the San Francisco region before, it could be the San Francisco Clam Chowder?? Well, whatever it is.....it was GOOD!!



Ingredients:~

• 1 1/2 tbsp of butter
  
• 1 cup of finely chopped onions
• 3 tbsp flour
  
• 1 cup of water
• 2 medium-sized potatoes, cubed
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup cream
• 1 cup clams, cleaned & diced (Steam for 10 mins if using fresh clams)
  

~Method~

1. Melt butter in a pan.
2. Sautee' the onions till limp and transparent.
3. Put in the flour & stir till combined.
   
4. Pour in the water gradually, then put in the cubed potatoes.
5. Season with salt & pepper.
6. Cook covered on medium fire for 15 minutes or till potatoes are done.
7. Reduce the heat and pour in the milk & cream.
8. Lastly, put in the clams and cook for a further 5 minutes.
9. Do not allow the Clam Chowder to boil. Just allow it to heat through.
10. Serve with bread, or better still, crackers!

Sweet Potatoes Hash Brown

Everyone felt like having Hash Browns & I didn't realize we ran out of potatoes. So, I used the next best available ingredient....sweet potatoes! A choice I didn't regret.... the result was a super crunchy & super yummy Sweet Potato Hash Browns!!

Ingredients:~

• 2 medium-sized sweet potatoes, peeled & grated
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp oil
• 2 tbsp butter

~Method~

1. In a large bowl, mix together the grated sweet potatoes, salt & pepper.
2. Heat the oil & butter in a non-stick pan on medium flame.
3. Place a handful of sweet potatoes in the pan and press the sweet potato down to form a pancake.
4. After about 5-6 minutes, flip it over to brown the other side of the hash brown.
5. Remove from the pan & serve immediately.

Rolled Steak

We've been having such a hectic week! So I thought, Din would be really happy to come home to his love of Rolled Steak & greens.....and he was :-) Even my kids were trying to attack each others plates! I can only shake my head at their lack of table manners!

Ingredients:~

• 1 piece of flank steak (part between the hips & ribs)
  
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• cotton string for tying
• 2 tsp butter
• 1 tbsp oil

Ingredients for black pepper sauce:~

• drippings from the beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp of flour
  
• 2 tbsp coarsely chopped black peppercorns
• 1/2 cup of beef broth
  
• 2 tbsp cream
  
• a pinch of salt
  

~Method~

1. Smother the steak with salt & pepper.
2. Roll it up and tie it with a cotton string.
3. Alternately, you could buy the ready-tied ones sold at supermarkets.
4. Heat the oil & butter in an ovenproof pan.
5. Place the rolled steak on the pan over medium high heat.
6. Brown for 3-4 minutes on all sides of the steak.
7. Place the pan into a preheated 200ºC oven and cook for about 25-30 minutes.
8. Place the steak on a chopping board and let it rest for 5 minutes.
9. Discard the cotton string and cut the steak in 1/2 inch slices.

~To make the black pepper sauce~

1. Put the pan with the beef drippings back on the stove over low fire.
2. Sautee the onions till soft.
3. Put in the flour and stir. Add the pepper.
   
4. The pour beef stock very gently over the pan and stir vigorously until the gravy is smooth & shiny.
5. Pour in 2 tbsp of cream and a pinch of salt.
   
6. Simmer until sauce thickens for about 5 minutes..
   
7. Serve over the rolled steak.
   

Tofu Omelette

We had Tofu Omelette at a restaurant recently and really enjoyed it. I did something similar for my family and the good thing about making it at home is that I can improvise it to suit everyone! Smaller-sized tofu, add onions, more pepper...etc. Everyone's happy!

Ingredients:~

• 3 eggs
• 1 tbsp milk
• 2 tbsp of oil
  
• 1 block of tofu (any type can be used, I use the hard tofu but the cylinder ones are also lovely), cut into cubes.
• 1 onion, sliced into rings
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper

~Method~

1. Beat the eggs in a clean dry bowl.
2. Put in some salt & pepper.
3. Pour in the milk and set aside.
4. Put the oil in a small non-stick pan with high sides.
5. Sautee' the onion briefly.
6. Then pour in half the eggs and stir.
7. When the eggs are half-set, put the tofu over the eggs.
8. Pour in the balance of the eggs and reduce the heat.
9. After about 2 minutes or when it had browned on the bottom side, flip the omelette over and cook another 2 minute.
10. Serve immediately.