ABC Soup

Ingredients:
1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
2 quarts tomato juice
1 can (15 ounces) mixed vegetables, undrained
1 cup water
2 beef bouillon cubes
1 cup alphabet pasta or small pasta
Salt and pepper to taste

Instruction:

In a large saucepan, cook beef and onion over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink; drain. Add tomato juice, vegetables, water and bouillon; bring to a boil. Add pasta. Cook, uncovered, for 6-8 minutes or until pasta is tender, stirring frequently. Add salt and pepper. Yield: 10-12 servings (2-3/4 quarts). If you don't have small pasta on hand for ABC Soup, use quick-cooking barley or instant rice. Cook until tender. If you're out of bouillon cubes, 2 teaspoons of bouillon granules can be used instead.

Asam Laksa

Ingredients:
500 gm fresh laksa
heiko (black prawn paste mixed with boiled water to flowing consistency)
1 kg ikan kembong (mackerel)
1 bunga kantan (ginger flower) - cut into halves
6 stalks daun kesum (Thai basil leaves)
2 cups tamarind juice
2 tsp salt
1 tsp oil
1 tsp sugar
3 stalks serai (lemon grass)
3 cm piece lengkuas (galangal)
250 gm shallots
12 dried chillies - soaked
1 cm piece turmeric
1/2 cm piece belacan (shrimp paste)
1 small cucumber
1 stock lettuce
1/2 pineapple
100 gm mint leaves
3 fresh chillies - sliced
1 onion - finely sliced

Instruction:

Put fish, salt and 5 cups of water in a pan and bring it to boil . When fish is cooked, remove bones and keep fish aside. Simmer bones for at least 30 minutes.Remove bones. Add ground ingredients to fish stock and bring to boil . Add tamarind juice, daun kesum, ginger flower, sugar, fish meat and oil .

Simmer for 20 minutes . Gravy should be kept warm till serving time.

Watermelon Lemonade

Ingredients:

8 cups seeded watermelon cut into 1-inch chunks

1 cup hulled and quartered fresh strawberries

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 3 lemons)

2 cups water (approximately)

Thin watermelon wedges with the rind (optional)

Instruction:

In a food processor fitted with a steel blade, pulse the watermelon, strawberries, and sugar until blended and smooth. Strain through a fine-mesh strainer into a 2-quart container, pushing down on the solids to get all the juice. Add the lemon juice and enough of the water to make 1 1/2 quarts.

Chill until very cold. Serve over ice with a wedge of watermelon, if desired.

Strawberry Wine Punch

Ingredients:

2 - 10 oz pkg. frozen sliced strawberries in syrup

1/2 c Sugar

1 Bottle rose' wine

1 (6 oz.) can frozen lemonade concentrate

1 c Pineapple juice, chilled

1 (28 oz.) bottle club soda chilled

Ice or Ice Ring

Instruction:

In a punch bowl, combine strawberries, sugar and 2 cups rose' wine. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Before serving punch, add frozen lemonade concentrate and pineapple juice. Stir until lemonade is thawed. Stir in remaining wine and club soda. Add ice or Ice Ring. Makes 24 (4 oz.) servings. For kids substitute the wine with grape juice.

Creamy Irish Coffee

Ingredients:

1 1/2 oz Bailey's Irish Cream liqueur

Hot black coffee

Whipped cream

Instruction:

Stir first 2 ingredients together in a glass mug. Top with a generous amount of whipped cream.

Malay Beef Satay

Ingredients:

750 g rump steak
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground fennel
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon sugar
4 tablespoons thick coconut milk

Finely grated rind of hald lemon

Instruction:

Cut beef into small cubes, about 2 cm thick each way. Trim off excess fat, leaving a thin layer of fat on some of the cubes. Cut the trimmed-off fat into thin squares.
Combine turmeric, cumin, fennel, lemon rind, salt, sugar and coconut milk in a bowl and stir to dissolve sugar.

Add beef and mix well, cover and leave to marinate for 1 hour or longer. The longer it is left, the more the flavors will penetrate the meat. Thread on bamboo skewers that have been soaked in cold water for a few hours.

Put about 5 pieces on the end of each skewer and leaving at least half the skewer uncovered.
Use the squares of fat where necessary, for they keep the meat tender. Grill over hot coals or under a preheated griller until beef is well done and crisp and brown on all sides.

Serve immediately with ketupat and spicy peanut sauce.

Mee Goreng

Ingredients:
500 g fresh hokkien noodles
50 ml oil
100 g deep fried tofu
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 medium onion, choppede
1 ripe tomato, diced
1 tablespoon hot chili sauce
4 tablespoons ketchup
1 1/2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 stalk spring onion, sliced
1 large green chilies, deseeded and sliced
2 cucumbers, chopped

Instruction:
Put the noodles into a colander and rinse under warm running water, or separate according to instructions. Drain and set aside. Heat the oil in a wok. Add curry powder and onion and stir-fry over medium heat until soft, about 4 minute. Add the noodles, tomato, chilli sauce, tomato sauce and soy sauce and stir-fry over medium heat for 3 min, mixing well.

Pour over the beaten egg and leave to set for a min or so, then mix in with the noodles. Add the tofu, spring onions, cucumber and chilli. Serve with additional tomato and chilli sauce, and cucumber slices on the side, if desired.

Spaghetti With Mushrooms

Ingredients:
1 pound uncooked spaghetti
2 (10 ounce) packages frozen chopped broccoli
2 (4.5 ounce) cans sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 cup butter
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried basil

Instructioni:

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, add spaghetti and bring the water back to a rolling boil. Cook pasta until al dente; drain well.

Combine broccoli, mushrooms, butter, salt, pepper, Parmesan cheese, lemon juice, garlic powder and basil in a large saucepan. Heat the mixture over a low heat, stirring often, until the mushrooms and broccoli are hot.

Place the spaghetti and the hot mixture in a large serving dish, toss lightly before serving.

Mango Pudding

Ingredients:

2 packets of Unflavored gelatin

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup hot water

3 cups pureed fresh mangoes

1 cup evaporated milk

10 ice cubes

Instruction:

Add gelatin and sugar to hot water and mix until dissolved and smooth. Using a large bowl, mix the mango puree, evaporated milk and the ice cubes.

Pour the gelatin mixture into the mango mixture and stir until ice cubes are melted. Pour mixture into jelly mould and chill until set for at least 3 hours. To serve, dip the jelly mould briefly in hot water then turn the pudding out onto a platter.
Best eaten within a day.

Chinese Fortune Cookies

Ingredients:
3 egg whites

1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted

45g unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup plain flour

Instruction:

Preheat the oven to moderate 180oC. Line an oven tray with baking paper. Draw 3 circles with 8cm diameter on the paper. Place the egg whites in a medium bowl and whisk until just frothy.
Add the icing sugar and butter and stir until smooth.
Add the flour and mix until smooth. Let stand for 15 minutes.

Using a flat-bladed knife, spread 1 1/2 level teaspoons of mixture over each circle. Bake for 5 minutes or until slightly brown around the edges. Working quickly, remove the cookies from the tray by sliding a flat-bladed knife under each. Place a written fortune message on each cookie.
Fold the cookie in half to form a semicircle, then fold it again over a blunt-edged object like the rim of a glass. Allow to cool on a wire rack. Repeat with the remaining mixture.
Cook no more than 2 or 3 cookies at a time, otherwise they will harden too quickly and break when folding.

Bubur Pulut Hitam

Ingredients:
240 g Black glutinous rice (washed & drained)
60 g White glutinous rice (pulut) (washed & drained)
7 c Water
2 Pandan leaves, knotted
1/2 c Sugar
Pinch of salt
1/2 T Tapioca flour or cornflour Combined with

2 Tbs water to Form a paste
1/2 c thick cocnut milk

Instruction:

Put rice in pot with water and pandan leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, remove pandan leaves and simmer for 45 minutes until liquid is thick. Add sugar and simmer for 10 minutes. Add salt and thickening. Remove from heat.

Serve in small bowls topped with 1-2 tablespoons thick cocnut milk.

Hot & Sour Thai Chicken Soup

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken broth, homemade or canned
12 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breast or thigh

4 quarter-size slices of ginger root

1 teaspoon brown sugar

4 stalks lemon grass

2 limes

3 tablespoons minced shallots

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 to 2 tablespoons garlic chili pepper sauce
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

Instruction:

Add to a medium soup pot; broth, chicken, ginger and brown sugar. To prepare lemon grass, remove all but bottom 5 inches of stalks. Place 8 to 10 outside sheaths into soup pot (it's used like bay leaf). Mince the bottom 2 inches of the tender inside leaves and set aside 2 to 3 tablespoons.

With a potato peeler, peel 6 strips of rind from one lime and add to broth. (Make sure to use only outer green rind - not any inside white pith, which is bitter-tasting.) Bring broth to a boil and turn down to a simmer. Cover, and cook at an active simmer for 15 minutes.While chicken is cooking, grate rind (and no pith) of remaining lime to measure 1 teaspoon and set aside. Then juice limes, to measure out 3 tablespoons juice; set aside.

When chicken is cooked through, remove from broth to plate, and shred with two forks. Strain broth of any solids. Put chicken and any accumulated juices back into seasoned broth. To the pot, add minced lemon grass, grated lime rind and juice, shallots, fish sauce and garlic chili pepper sauce. Bring back to a simmer and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve immediately. Serve small bowls of chopped cilantro and garlic chili pepper sauce on the side for added garnish and spice.

Cheese Omelette

Ingredients:

2 eggs
2 teaspoons butter or margarine
1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
Salt and pepper -- if desired

Instruction:

Beat eggs in small bowl with fork or wire whisk until yolks and whites are well mixed. Heat butter in 8-inch skillet over medium-high heat until butter is hot and sizzling. As butter melts, tilt skillet to coat bottom with butter. Quickly pour eggs into skillet. While rapidly sliding skillet back and forth over heat, quickly stir eggs with a fork to spread them continuously over the bottom of the skillet as they thicken. When they are thickened, let stand over heat a few seconds to lightly brown bottom of omelet. Do not overcook... the omelet will continue to cook after being folded. Sprinkle with cheese.

Tilt skillet and run a spatula under edge of omelet, then jerk skillet sharply to loosen omelet from bottom of skillet. Fold portion of omelet nearest you just to center. Allow for a portion of the omelet to slide up side of skillet. Turn omelet onto warm plate, flipping folded portion of omelet over so far side is on bottom. Tuck sides of omelet under if desired. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Mushroom With Chicken Feet

Ingredients:
30 chicken feet
20 pieces of mushroom
Hard-boiled eggs (Optional)

Spices:
Orange Peel
Cinnamon Stick
Gloves
Anise Star
Cardamom

Seasonings:
3 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
1 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
2 teaspoon Dark Soy Sauce

Instruction:

Wash & cut away nails on the chicken feet. Marinade with 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce. Soak mushroom in water till soft, remove stalks. Drain chicken feet from soy sauce. Deep fry chicken feet till golden brown. Remove & drain.

Add fried chicken feet, mushroom, spices & hard-boiled eggs (optional) into a pot of boiling water. Add in the seasonings and let in simmer for 4 hours so till the chicken feet & mushrooms are soft. You can add more seasonings if you find it too bland.

Crusine: Malaysia / Chinese

Cheese Naan

Ingredients:
1lb white flour

1oz dried yeast

1 tsp nigella seed (charnushka or kanolfi seed)

6 tbsp plain yogurt

2 tbsp ghee or melted butter

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

3/4 cup warm wateroil or ghee to coat

for stuffing:
50 gms rated paneer or Indian cottege cheese

1 medium sized onions, chopped

1 tbsp chopped coriander

2 chopped chilies

1/2 tsp salt or as per your taste
Mix all the stuffing ingredients together.

Instruction:

Dissolve sugar in warm water. Add yeast. Yeast should froth, if it doesn’t, start over with fresh yeast.

In a seperate bowl, sift salt with flour and add nigella seeds. Make a well in the centre and add yoghurt, ghee and yeast mixture. Knead well until it forms a dough. Shape into a ball. If dough is sticky, add more flour until elastic. Coat a seperate bowl with oil or ghee and roll dough into it until fully coated.

Shake off excess oil and cover with damp tea-towel or cloth. After 2 or 3 hours, dough should have doubled in size. This happens best in a warm area. Knead the dough and divide into around 6 equal portions. Flatten and put one tsp of the paneer stuffing in the center. Close the edges and roll into pear shape. Preheat oven to 450oF/230oC and bake all the naans for 10 mins, if possible on a brick (that makes all the different). Brush with ghee or butter and serve.

Crusine: India

Curry Chicken

Ingredients:

300-400 grams chicken cut into chunks
1 large white onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup (60ml) olive oil

8 fl.oz (240ml) chicken stock

28 oz (796ml) can plum tomatoes, including juice

2-3 tablespoons (30-45ml) curry powder (to taste)

1 cup (250ml) frozen peas

2 tbsp (30ml) fresh lemon juicealmond sliversdried raisins

Instruction:

Sauté chicken in olive oil and add onions and garlic after a few minutes. Continue to cook on medium heat until onions are translucent and soft and chicken is reasonably well-cooked. Add chicken stock, tomatoes, curry powder and stir well, breaking up the tomatoes. Simmer uncovered to thicken, stirring occasionally on low-medium heat for about 30 minutes.

Add peas and simmer for an additional 15 minutes, then add the raisins and almond slivers along with the lemon juice. Simmer an additional 5 minutes and serve.Pineapple tidbits can be added to this recipe for a more West- Indian flavor, and dish can be garnished with fresh green coriander leaves.

Baby Spinach Soup

Ingredients:

500g baby spinach

2 cloves garlic, chopped

800ml water

Fried anchovies

Seasoning:

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp soya sauce

A dash of pepper

Some Tumix chicken stock base seasoning

Instruction:

Heat the wok with oil and saute chopped garlic until fragrant. Pour in water and bring to boil. Put in baby spinach and cook for 3 minutes. Add in seasoning and bring to boil. Dish up. Sprinkle fried anchovies on top and serve hot.

Crusine: Malaysia / Chinese

Kam Heong Lala

Ingredients:

1 kg La La,soaked in salt water for 1 hour and drained

2 - 3 tbsp dried prawns, soak and chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

3 shallots, chopped

3 sprigs curry leaves, use leaves only

2 chilli padi, chopped

5 tbsp oilSeasoning

2 tbsp curry powder

2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp light soya sauce

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp dark soya sauce

Corn flour

water for thickening.

Instruction:

Heat up oil, saute dried prawns, chopped garlic and shallot until fragrant. Add in curry leaves, chilli padi, seasoning and stir fry until aromatic. Add in la la and stir-fry at high heat until well mixed. Cover the lid,cook for about 2 minutes until la la are opened.

Thicken with corn flour water,mixed well and dish up.

Crusine: Malaysia / Chinese

Bak Kut Teh

Ingredients:
600 gram of meaty pork ribs and/or prime ribs
1 cup of dried Chinese shitake mushroom, soaked and stem removed
1 cup of button mushroom
2 strips of dried bean curd skin
Handful of lettuce leaves, soaked for 15 min
1 – 2 whole garlic, with skin intact
1 pot of water, 50% filled (about 2000ml)
1 packet of ready packed Bak kut teh herbs.

Seasoning:
2 tablespoon of dark soy sauce
2 tablespoon of oyster sauce
4 tablespoon of light soy sauce
Pinch of salt


Instruction:
Blanch pork ribs in boiling water. Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Place pork ribs, shitake mushroom, Chinese herbs (or the spice packet) and whole garlic into the boiling water to cook over medium fire, for 30 min.

Add in button mushroom, boil for another 10 min. When pork rib is cooked and tender, stir in seasoning i.e. dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and salt. Put in lettuce, before heat off. Serve hot with "You Tiao" and dipping sauce.

Bubur Cha Cha

Ingredients:
300g yam, diced

300g sweet potatoes, diced

75g black-eyed beans, soaked for 3 hours

75g pearl sago

450g grated coconut

5 cups Water

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons tapioca flour

Syrup -

125g sugar

4 pandan leaves, shredded and knotted

1 cup water

Instruction:
Steam the sweet potatoes and yam separately for about 15 minutes or until soft. Set aside.
Boil soaked black-eyed beans until soft. Drain and set aside. Put the sago in a sieve. Then place sieve in a large bowl. Rinse sago under running tap water before cooking the sago in a pot of hot water until transparent.

Remove and rinse under cold water and drain. Coat with the tapioca flour. Squeeze and strain grated coconut to obtain thick coconut milk. Add salt to the coconut milk and keep refrigerated.
Add 5 cups of water to the coconut residue and squeeze to obtain thin coconut milk.
Boil sugar, water and pandan leaves until sugar dissolves.

Add thin coconut milk and continue to boil for 5 minutes. Add yam, sweet potatoes, black-eyed beans and sago. Stir evenly. Add thick coconut milk and at the first sign of boiling, immediately remove the pot from the heat. Remove the pandan leaves and serve either hot or cold.