Simple Recipe - Creamy Tom Yum Soup

Have bought fresh tiger prawn so the best I can think of is to cook Tom Yum Goong (Prawn)

Ingredients

2 liters of water

4 stalks of lemongrass

1 inch galangal

10 kaffir lime leaves

8 bird eyes chillies

½ kilo prawn

300 grams of oyster mushrooms

2 tomatoes

2 big onions 

2 teaspoons of sugar

2 tablespoon fish sauce

3 lime for juice 

1 bunch cilantro/coriander leaves

8 tablespoons evaporated milk

Preparation

1. Put 2 liters of water in a pot to boil. 

2. Tear off outermost leaf of lemongrass, lightly pound. Then slice it diagonally. 

3 Slice galangal

4. Coarsely break about 10 kaffir lime leaves 

5. Remove stem, pound on bird eyes chilies

6. Cut the lime, squeeze for juice

7. Quarter the big onion and tomatoes into wedges

8. Clean prawns, remove shell or leave them on and devein. 

9. Rinse oyster mushroom

Cooking Method

1. Put the lemongrass, galangal, kaffir lime leaves and chilies into the boiling water for about 15 minutes. 

2. Add in tomatoes, big onion 

3. Turn to medium heat, toss in prawn and oyster mushroom

4. Put in instant tom yum paste

5. Add on fish sauce and sugar

6. Lastly the evaporated milk for creamy version

7. Once all cooked, off heat and add in lime juice and handful of cilantro.

Notes

Adjust portion of lime juice or fish sauce or bird eyes chillies or milk to your preference. Omit the milk if you prefer clear instead of creamy version. 

Bon Appetite! 

Simple Recipe - Thai Style Steam Fish with Lime and Garlic

We were given a fresh fish by a friend, so fresh that it did  not have any fishy odor.  Baramudi or called it Seabass and in malay Siakap.  This fish is best to steam thai style.  Turned out to be very good.

Ingredients

Baramundi/Siakap Fish

2 stalk lemon grass

1 chicken stock

1 palm sugar

1/2 bulb Garlic

6 Red Bird eyes chillies 

Handful coriander leaves 

Steps:-

1. Clean fish, stuff with Lemongrass lightly bruise

2. Steam in boiling water for 10 minutes or less depends on size of fish

3. In a pot of 1 bowl boiling water, put in chicken stock, add palm sugar

4. Off the heat, add in minced garlic, coriander and bird eyes chillies

5. After fish is cooked, pour the broth onto fish

Bon Appetit!

Simple Recipe - Braised Pork Taiwanese Style

Lots of first time trying out recipe during Malaysia Movement Control Order (MCO) in view of Covid-19 Pandemic happening all over the world.

I have tried out this recipe and it was thumbs up from my husband and two sons.

Ingredients
Marinate Pork Belly
2 tbsp of light soya sauce
1 tbsp of Chinese Cooking Wine
500g Pork Belly

Fried Shallots
2 shallots
3 tbsp cooking oil

Braise Pork Belly
2 tbsp of Chinese Cooking Wine
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
Fried Shallots
3 slices of ginger
2 pieces of star anise
50g rock sugar
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp five spice powder
2 liter of water

Steps
Cut the pork and blanch in boiling water for 2 minutes, drain and set aside
Marinate pork
Fried Shallots till crispy, set aside
Heat up oil in work, put in the cut into pieces pork belly till liquid in pan dry,
Then add in rock sugar, ginger, star anise, garlic follow by sauce and spice powder
Put in fried shallots, add enough water to cover the pork
Simmer till pork is tender finally put in cooking wine
Serve with rice

Europe Highlights in Autumn

Itinerary was chosen by sister in law and we follow suit. Her dream destinations, Paris and Italy.  And there we went with GTT itinerary 14 days 12 nights via Emirates Airline that covered Italy, Switzerland, France, Belgium and Netherlands.

Our first stop was Rome followed by Vatican City, Florence, Pisa, Venice and Milan before we travel across to Lugano, Switzerland.  From Lugano we took high speed train cross the world's longest tunnel to Lucerne. Then to Bern and put a night in Beaune, France. From Beaune, we traveled to Paris. After Paris, we traveled to Belgium and last stop in Amsterdam where we flew back to home country. Yup just in 12 nights we covered all these countries and attractions.

The attractions that we covered:

Rome - Colosseum (new 7 wonder of the world), Renaissance Building, Baroque churches, Trevi Fountain
Vatican City - Peter's Basilica
Florence - home of Michelangelo, city view from Piazalle Michelangelo, Santa Maria Cathedral, Giotto's Bell tower, the gates of paradise, open air and gallery of Signoria Square
Pisa - Leaning tower of Pisa, Cathedral in Square of Miracles
Venice - Gondola rides, St Mark Square, Casanova's Bridge of Sigh, Doges Palace and St Mark Cathedral, See the world's best artisan in glass blowing factory
Milan - Duomo, Gothic Cathedral, La Scala Opera House, Galleria Victtoria Emanuele, Castello Sforzesco
Lucerne - Mt Titlis in Engelberg, Chapel Bridge, Lion Monument, shopping for Swiss Chocolate
Bern - Bear Pits, Old Town, 
Paris - Drive along Champs Elysees, Arch de Triomphe, Place de la Concorde, Drive pass Notre Dame Cathedral, Louvre, visit 2nd level Eiffel Tower, shopping at Galeries Lafayette, La Vallee Vilage (Bicester Village Shopping), Fragonard Perfume Museum, Cruise on River Seine
Brussel - photo stop at Atomium, Chinese Pavilion passing by Grand Palace and visit cheeky Manneken Pis
Amsterdam - Zaanse Schans Cheese and Clog Factory, Volendam area of old fishing boats and traditional clothing worn by residents, glass doomed waterbus  cruise, diamond factory, Madurodam, The Hague (optional)

Italy meals that we went mainly pasta and pizza. It was unexpectedly snowing in Mt Titlis. Lucerne is beautiful with mountains and lakes. Paris is romantic. Brussel is famous for mussels. Amsterdam is interesting with lots of bicycles, beautiful and clean city. Glad that I have managed to cover all these beautiful countries.    

The Hague

Holland

Venice

Pisa

Adventurous Silk Road

Did not know what to expect and did not even bother to check on the itinerary as it was arranged by my uncle who asked us to join the tour of 9 days 7 nights via Air Asia direct to Lanzhou following Golden TourWorld Travel (GTT) with no shopping stop.

As end August, the systems at KLIA and KLIA2 went haywire, we were told to be earlier to airport 3.5 hours before flight depart at 5.25 pm that Sunday 8 September 2019.  The travels on flight took us 5 hours to reach Lanzhou and after so much queries at the custom airport, we reached the hotel almost passed midnight.  The next morning our flight to Urumuqi by Shandong Airline took us another 2.5 hours departed from Lanzhou at 10.30 am. Lunch served onboard but not to my liking with choice of chicken or fish.

Day 1 
Flight details (Via Air Asia which started to fly to Lanzhou)
8 Sept 2019 KL/Lanzhou (5 hrs) 1725/2220 hrs

Clearing of immigration has taken up quite a bit of time due lots of queries and they started with biometrics, so by time we check into hotel was quite late. Lucky the hotel, Ruiling International Hotel was not far from airport, approximately 9 km away.

Day 2 
Next morning we were told to wake up early as we need to board domestic flight
9 Sept 2019 Lanzhou/Urumuqi via Shandong Airline 1030/1300 hrs
After arrival straight to Heaven Mountain and Lake Tianshan
Check in U Hotel, the best hotel throughout the trip.

 

 

Urumuqi is the northern route of the Silk Road and is melting pot of various fascinating culture.

Heavenly Lake, a befitting fabled lake on high altitude

Day 3
Erdaoqiao Bazaar and then lunch before we leave to Turpan. The earlier the better to avoid any road closure due to wind and blowing sand.  When we drove through Xinjiang Highway to Turpan, we passed by Asia's largest windpower station. At Turpan, we visited Karez Well System, the main source of water supply to Turpan's citizen. After dinner, we check into Shuang Cheng Hotel for 2 nights.

Day 4
Visited Ancient City of Jiohe, the oldest largest best preserved earthen city in the world. Visited the Grapes Valley before we were treated with whole roast lamb for lunch.Visited hottest place in China, Flaming Mountain aka Red Mountain.  The temperature was 35 when we there thus not too "flaming" at all.  After dinner, we were back to hotel for early rest.

Falming mountain - a fling with the heat and the "monkey king".

Day 5
We were allocated 1.5 hours before our train depart to Dunhuang for strict custom check on your baggage and hand carry. No inflammable, knife or scissors are allowed. As for drinking water, is better to put into hand carry for them to check and they will ask you to have a zip in front of them. Lunch was onboard, box meal with rice, chicken, vege, beancurd. We visited Mingsha mountain as we arrived Dunhuang. Ride the camel and tour around Crescent Lake.   For dinner, we were served Snow Mountain Camel palm. We stayed at Fulihua International Hotel for a night.

Day 6 
We visited Mogao Grottoes, this cave is a shrine of Buddhist art treasures. Then leave by coach to Jiayuguan. We stayed in Sky Fortunes for the night.

Day 7
In Jiayuguan, we visited Jiayuguan Fort, Great Wall Museum before we leave by coach to Zhangye. The attraction Danxia Landform Geological Park with fascinating colorful mountain ridges of red rocks. We stayed at Xi Yu International 

 

 

Day 8
Proceed back to Lanzhou by train. Visited Lanzhou waterwheel, Sculpture of Mother Yellow River, Ancient Water Mill. Had dinner nearby airport and then check in for flight home.


Day 9
Home Sweet Home