Mongolian Beef with Vegetables

This is almost as good as in the restaurant! It's nice and easy to make and tastes really good.

The marinade for the beef is unusual, but quite good. I add soy sauce to the marinade. I prepared this dish with a few vegetables to make an healthy meal.

I served this meal over brown rice.

I would recommend this dish if you wish to prepare a hearty and quick meal for your family.

Here, I will share the recipe with you and maybe give you some ideas.

Please don't hesitate to drop me any comments or questions regarding this recipe, I need it to improve my cooking in the future. Thank you :-)

Source: food.about.com modified by me

What you need:

1 lb sirloin or flank steak

Marinade:

• 1 egg white
• Pinch of salt - I didn't put any salt
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce

Sauce:

• 3 teaspoon Hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoon water
• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce, I substituted with regular soy sauce
• 2 tsp rice vinegar, or 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
• 1/4 tsp chili paste, or to taste

Other:

• 1/2 tsp sugar, I substituted with brown sugar
• 1 cup oil for frying beef
• 1 teaspoon oil for stir-frying
• 4 green onions, sliced on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces
• 1 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
• 1/4 lb string bean, slice on the diagonal into 1-inch pieces.
• 1/2 cup carrot
• 1 garlic clove, minced

How to make it:

1. Slice the beef across the grain into thin strips. Add the marinade ingredients in the order given and marinate the beef for thirty minutes.
2. Mix together the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
3. When the beef has finished marinating, heat the wok and add 1 cup oil. When oil is ready, add the beef and fry until it changes color. Remove the beef from the wok and drain on paper towels.
4. Clean out the wok with a paper towel, and add 2 tablespoons of oil for stir-frying. When the oil is ready, add the garlic. Stir-fry briefly, and add green peas and carrots. Add the green onions.
5. Make a well in the middle of the wok by pushing the vegetables up to the side. Add the sauce and bring to a boil, stirring to thicken.
6. Stir in the sugar. Add the beef and combine with the sauce and vegetables. Serve hot.

Serves : 2

Preparation : 20 minutes

Cooking : 15 minutes

Pad Thai (Thai Stir Fried Noodles)

Usually we've ordered this dish at the our favorite Thai restaurant. This time, I tried to make my self.

I added spices to make the taste same as what we always eat at the restaurant.

Instead of sprinkle chopped peanuts on top of the noodles, I added and mixed peanut butter cream with the sauce.

I didn't use tofu in this recipe, but you could add it as you wish.

Feel free to substitute chicken with shrimp, beef or tofu for the vegetarian version.

Here, I will share the recipe with you and maybe give you some ideas.

Please don't hesitate to drop me any comments or questions regarding this recipe, I need it to improve my cooking in the future. Thank you :-)

Source : Food Network modified by me

What you need:

4 ounces rice stick noodles

1 cup sliced chicken

2 cloves shallots, minced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 whole eggs, beaten

1 cup sliced cube tofu, I used medium firm Tofu

2 teaspoons salted cabbage

3 ounces bean sprouts, divided, I substituted with sliced cabbage

1 to 2 tablespoons peanut oil, for saute

salt to taste

Sauce :

1/3 teaspoon tamarind paste, I used ground tamarind

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 tablespoons palm sugar

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

1 spoonful peanut butter (optional)

chili paste, I used sambal oeleg

Garnish :

1 lime, cut into wedges

1/2 cup roasted salted peanuts, chopped, divided (optional)

What you need:

Place the tamarind paste in the boiling water and set aside while preparing the other ingredients.

Combine the fish sauce, palm sugar, and rice wine vinegar in a small bowl and set aside.

Place the rice stick noodles in a mixing bowl and cover with hot water.

Set aside while you prepare the remaining ingredients. Once the other ingredients are measured out into separate bowls, drain the water from the noodles and set them aside.

Cut the tofu into 1/2-inch wide strips, similar to French fries.

Press the tamarind paste through a fine mesh strainer and add to the sauce.

Stir to combine.

Place a wok over high heat. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon of the peanut oil.

Heat until it shimmers, then add the tofu. Cook the tofu until golden brown, moving constantly, for no longer than 1 minute.

Remove the tofu from the pan to a small bowl and set aside.

If necessary, add some more peanut oil to the pan and heat until shimmering.

Add 2/3 of the scallions and then the garlic, cook for 10 to 15 seconds.

Add the eggs to the pan; once the eggs begin to set up, about 15 to 20 seconds, stir to scramble.

Add the remaining ingredients in the following order and toss after each addition: noodles, sauce, cabbage, shrimp, and 2/3 of the bean sprouts and peanuts.

Toss everything until heated through, but no longer than 1 to 2 minutes total.

Transfer to a serving dish. Garnish with the remaining scallions, bean sprouts, and peanuts. Serve immediately with the ground chili peppers and lime wedges. Enjoy!

Preparation : 15 minutes

Cooking : 20 minutes

Servings : 2-3 servings

Kung Pao Chicken

This is a good foundation recipe and the sesame oil gives it a great flavor.

I add onions, bell peppers and green peas.

Also, you can use the standard red pepper flakes; still gives the heat without the danger of biting into one of those big boys.

Makes a great meal served on rice.

Here, I will share the recipe with you and maybe give you some ideas.

Please don't hesitate to drop me any comments or questions regarding this recipe, I need it to improve my cooking in the future. Thank you :-)

Source : about.com modified by me

What you need:

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, 7 to 8 ounces each

Marinade:

2 teaspoons soy sauce

2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

Sauce:

2 tablespoons dark soy sauce, I substituted with regular soy sauce

1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

1 teaspoon sugar, I substituted with brown sugar

8 small dried red chili peppers or red pepper flakes

2 cloves garlic

2 green onions (spring onions, scallions)

4 tablespoons oil for stir-frying, or as needed

1/2 cup peanuts or cashews

a few drops sesame oil, optional

white pepper

How to make it:

Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Combine with the marinade ingredients, adding the cornstarch last. Marinate the chicken for 25 minutes.

While the chicken is marinating, prepare the sauce and vegetables: In a small bowl, combine the dark soy sauce, rice wine, and sugar. Set aside.

Cut the chilies in half so that they are approximately the same size as the chicken cubes. Remove the seeds. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Cut the green onion on the diagonal into thirds.

Heat the wok over medium-high to high heat. Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken. Stir-fry until it turns white and is 80 percent cooked. Remove from the wok.

Add 2 tablespoons oil. When the oil is hot, add the garlic and stir-fry until aromatic (about 30 seconds). Add the chili peppers and the Szechuan peppercorn if using. Stir-fry briefly until they turn dark red.

Add the sauce to the wok. Bring to a boil. Add the chicken back into the pan. Stir in the peanuts and the green onion. Remove from the heat and stir in the sesame oil. Serve hot.

Preparation : 20 minutes

Serves : 3 serves

Cooking : 20 minutes

Homemade Individual Chicken Pot Pie - Gluten Free Pie Crust

I love chicken pot pie. This is a comfort food and perfect for cool weather.

Source : Yahoo Answer modified by me

What you need:

CRUST:

1 1/2 C all-purpose flour , I substituted with Gluten Free Flour

3/4 tsp salt

2 egg yolks

3 tablespoon ice water

2/3 C cold butter

FILLING:

1 C sliced carrots (3 carrots)

1 C sliced celery (1 stalk)

2 C frozen peas

1 C chopped white onion

4 boneless, skinless breasts (or more if you like a lot of chicken!)

4 tablespoon butter

5 tablespoon all-purpose flour

2 1/2 C chicken broth

2/3 C milk

1/2 tsp salt

Dash of pepper

1 egg, beaten

How to make:

For the crust:

1. Prepare the crust by sifting together the flour salt in a medium bowl.

2. Make a depression in the center of the flour with your hand.

3. Put the yolks and ice water into the depression.

4. Slice the butter into tablespoon size portions and add it into the flour depression as well. Using a fork, but the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

5. When all of the flour is moistened, use your hands to finish combining the ingredients.

6. This will ensure that the chunks of butter are well blended into the dough.

7. Roll the dough into a ball, cover it with plastic wrap and put it into the refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.

Note : This will make the dough much easier to work with!

For filled:

1. When the dough has chilled, preheat the oven to 425 degrees, and start on the filling by steaming the vegetables.

2. Steam the carrots and celery for 5 minutes in a steamer or a saucepan with a small amount of water in the bottom.

3. Add the frozen peas and onions and continue to steam for an additional 10 to 12 minutes or until the carrots are tender.

4. Prepare the chicken by poaching the breasts in lightly salted boiling water for 8 to 10 minutes.

5. In a separate large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat, remove from the heat, then add the flour and whisk together until smooth.

6. Add the chicken broth and milk and continue stirring over high heat until the mixture comes to a boil.

7. Cook for an additional minute or two until thick, then reduce the heat to low.

8. Cut the poached chicken into large bite sized chunks and add them to the sauce. Add the salt and a dash of pepper.

9. Add the steamed vegetables to the sauce and simmer the mixture over medium/low heat for 4 to 5 minutes.

10. As the filling simmers, roll out the dough on a floured surface.

11. Use one of the casserole dishes you plan to bake the pies in as a guide for cutting the dough.

12. The filling will fit four 16-ounce casserole dishes perfectly, but you can use just about any comparable size, as long as they are oven safe.

13. Spoon the chicken and vegetable filling into each casserole dish and carefully cover each dish with the cut dough.

14. Fold the edge of the dough over the edge of each dish and press firmly so that the dough sticks to the outer rim.

15. Brush some beaten egg on the dough on each pie.

16. Bake the pies on a cookie sheet for 30 to 45 minutes or until the top crust is light brown.

ENJOY!!

Servings : 4 individual pieces

Preparation : 45 minutes

Bake : 30 minutes

Chicken Soup made with leftover Costco Rotisserie Chicken

My "cheap" meal, but it tastes good (trust me, you'll make this more than once) better than soup in the can.

Stir-fried Chinese Long Bean with Shrimp, Mushroom and Red Paprika ( Tumis kacang panjang plus jamur, udang dan paprika)

I'll write down the recipe soon...

Chicken cooked with mushroom and soy sauce ( Tumis , jamur, ayam dan kecap)

Here, I will share the recipe with you and maybe give you some ideas.

Please don't hesitate to drop me any comments or questions regarding this recipe, I need it to improve my cooking in the future. Thank you :-)

Source : my creation

What you need :

- 2 Chicken Thigh or any part from the chicken

- 2 clove garlic, thinly sliced

- 1/3 part from 1 big chunk onion, diced

- 1 stalk green onion, sliced

- 2 pieces medium size tomato, diced

- salt and ground white& black pepper for adjust the taste

- 3 tbsp ABC's Sweet Soy sauce - available at Asian Store

- 1 tbsp butter

- 100 ml water

- 1 cup sliced button mushrooms

Note :

- If you don't find sweet soy sauce at your place. You can substitute with original soy sauce then add sugar for adjust the taste.

- Adding more if you use soy sauce because sweet soy sauce are more thicken.

How to make it:

- In a hot skillet, saute garlic, onion and tomatoes with butter until fragrant, under low heat.

- Add chicken, saute continuously until chicken are no longer pink.

- Add water, sweet soy sauce, green onion, pepper, and salt, combine and saute continuously.

- Don't add salt to much, because the water will absorbed. You can added a little then adding another 2 minutes before done.

- Let it cook until the water evaporate and chicken are fully cook. Reduce the heat.

- Add mushrooms, cooked for about 2 minutes then turn off the heat.

- Serve hot with rice.

Preparation : 10 minutes

Cooking : 30 minutes

Served : 2 persons

Chicken and Mushroom Sauce Over Steamed Broccoli ( Rebusan brokoli saus ayam plus jamur)

I'll write down the recipe soon .... :-)

Easy Spicy BBQ Salmon

I'll write down the recipe soon .... :-)

How to BBQ and marinated this salmon is very easy and perfect during summer.

Black Pepper Chicken with Green Paprika

I'll write down the recipe soon .... :-)

Source : Chinese cook book by Marie Winata modified by me

Easy Swordfish BBQ

I'll write down the recipe soon .... :-)

Spicy Swordfish BBQ

I'll write down the recipe soon .... :-)

Steamed String Beans with mushroom sauce (Buncis siram saus jamur)

I have no idea what I have to cook for lunch. I checked refrigerate have little bit of mushrooms, and string beans. I have to cook them before they're going bad.

This lunch I made Chicken with hoisim sauce and this dish as side dish. Because we need fiber in our dish, so I always try to serve vegetables in our dishes.

Here, I will share the recipe with you and maybe give you some ideas.

Please don't hesitate to drop me any comments or questions regarding this recipe, I need it to improve my cooking in the future. Thank you :-)

Source : my creation

What you need :

- 1/2 lb string beans, steamed until almost tender, set aside.

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1/3 teaspoon ground ginger or 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

- 2 teaspoon oyster sauce

- 2 teaspoon soy sauce

- 1/3 cup water or chicken broth

- 1 stalk green onion, thinly sliced

- 1/2 cup diced onion.

- 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixture with water

- 1 tablespoon peanut oil + 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil for saute

- 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

- salt

- white pepper

Make it :

1. In a hot wok, add oil+sesame oil, saute garlic and ginger for 1 minute. Add mushroom and onion, saute for 1 minute.

2. Add water/chicken broth, oyster sauce, soy sauce, salt, green onion, white pepper. Let simmer for 2 minutes. Don't forget to taste.

3. Pour mixture cornstarch+water into the sauce, stir gently until thicken. Let simmer for 1 minutes.

4. In a plate, put steamed string beans then pour the sauce over the top. Serve immediately. Enjoy.

Preparation : 10 minutes

Cooking : 10 minutes

Servings : 2 servings.

Thai Chicken Coconut Soup - Tom Kha Gai

Today I'm craving for Thai and spicy food. Firstly, I checked the ingredients that store in refrigerate.

I think I can make this dish. Actually on the weekend we ate at Thai Boat at Morro Bay, this dish is so delicious. While we was there, the weather little bit chills, so this soup is perfect.

I browse the recipe on the Internet, then I mixed from some recipes. I tried to adjust the ingredients with my taste.

This dish is very famous at Thai restaurant in the US, hmm actually number 2 after Tom Yam Goong. This dish is very easy and quick to make it. You can get the ingredients at Asian Store or even you can buy spices at Amazon.com.

Here, I will share the recipe with you and maybe give you some ideas.

Please don't hesitate to drop me any comments or questions regarding this recipe, I need it to improve my cooking in the future. Thank you :-)

Source : Some Thailand websites then I modified.

What you need :

- 8 oz coconut milk

- 2 pieces chicken thigh, cut into bite size

- 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

- 3 pieces kaffir lime leaves

- 1 cm knuckle of galangal

- 1 stalk lemon grass, brushes

- 2 cloves shallots, minced

- 1/2 teaspoon tamarind paste or 2 teaspoon lime juice

- 1 cup sliced carrot

- 1/3 lbs string beans

- 2 stalk green onion, thinly sliced

- 1/2 bunches cilantro, thinly sliced

- 1 piece jalapeno, seeded, long cut

- 3 tablespoons fish oil

- salt

- sugar

- 1 cup chicken stock or water

- 2 teaspoon chili paste, I used siracha chili sauce

Make it :

1. In a big pot, bring coconut oil into broil, put 6 oz of coconut oil. Add chicken, galangal, shallots, kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass, cook until chicken is half way cooked.

2. Add string beans and carrots until almost tender, add rest of the coconut milk, chili paste, green onion, cilantro, mushrooms, water/chicken stock, fish sauce. Let it simmer for about 3 minutes.

3. Adjust taste with salt, sugar. Stir gently. Let it simmer for 1 minutes.

4. Pour into individual bowl, garnish with green onion and cilantro. Serve immediately. Enjoy.

Preparation : 10 minutes

Cooking : 15-20 minutes

Servings : 2-3 servings

Stir-Fried String Beans and Tofu

Craving for tofu today and actually I have little bit of tofu in refrigerator. This recipe's spices originally base on Sapo Tofu Recipe, but I made little bit adjustment for the best taste.

You can substitute string beans with another vegetables such as broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, carrot.

Here, I will share the recipe with you and maybe give you some ideas.

Please don't hesitate to drop me any comments or questions regarding this recipe, I need it to improve my cooking in the future. Thank you :-)

Source : many sources then I modified.

What you need :

- 1/2 lb Medium Firm Tofu, sliced into 2x2 inches pieces

- 1 piece chicken thigh, sliced into bite size

- 1 stalk green onion, thinly sliced

- 3 cloves garlic, minced

- 1/3 teaspoon ground ginger or 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger

- 1/2 cup peas

- 1/2 lbs string beans

- 2 teaspoon oyster sauce

- 2 teaspoon fish sauce

- oil for fried the tofu

- 1 tablespoon peanut oil + 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil for saute

- salt

- sugar

- white and black pepper

- 1/3 cup water or chicken stock

- chili paste, if you wish spicy taste

- fried onion for garnish, you can buy at Asian Store and actually last week I found it at Trader Joe's grocery store.

Note : 1 US cup = 236.588237 ml

Make it :

1. Fried tofu until little bit brown at both side. Set aside.

2. Bring a wok into hot, add peanut oil+sesame oil, add garlic, saute for about 10 seconds, add ginger, saute gently.

3. Add chicken, saute and let it the chicken cooked. Add water, let it simmer for about 2 minutes.

4. Add string beans, saute occasionally until half way cooked, add oyster sauce, fish oil, peas, tofu, chili paste. Saute gently.

5. Adjust taste with salt, sugar and black+white pepper. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes.

6. Remove it into prepared baking dish, garnish with fried onion, serve immediately with steamed rice. Enjoy.

Preparation : 15 minutes

Cooking : 20 minutes

Servings : 2-3 servings

Vegetables, black rice and Shrimp Balls Clear Soup

In my previous recipe I showed to you how to made the shrimp balls, now it's the time to make the soup.

You can use any vegetables that you prefer or even you can eat the shrimp balls with ketchup or chili sauce.

Here, I will share the recipe with you and maybe give you some ideas.

Please don't hesitate to drop me any comments or questions regarding this recipe, I need it to improve my cooking in the future. Thank you :-)

Source : my creation

What you need :

- 12 pieces Shrimp balls

- 1/2 cup cooked black rice, you can add more as your wish

- 1 cup sliced carrot

- 1/2 cup sweet peas

- 1 cup broccoli

- 1 piece chicken thigh, sliced into bite size

- 2 cup water or chicken stock

- 1 stalk green onion, thinly slice

- 3 cloves garlic, minced

- salt

- white pepper

- ground nutmeg

Make it :

1. In a pot, bring water or chicken stock until boil. Put the chicken and garlic until chicken is fully cooked.

2. Add carrot and black rice until carrot is half way cooked.

3. Add peas, broccoli, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Let it cook for 5 minutes under low heat.

4. In a bowl, add shrimp balls then pour the soup over the top, serve immediately. Add chili sauce for that spice taste. Enjoy.

Preparation : 5 minutes

Cooking : 20-25 minutes

Servings : 2 servings

Homemade Shrimp Balls ( Baso Udang )

We bought 1 lbs of shrimps at Costco. I really want to buy it because they always have big shrimps with competitive price.

I want to cook some kind of soup, decided to make shrimp balls.

If you checked the picture, the balls surface isn't smooth. Shrimps and the other ingredients quick chopped (I used chopper machine). You have to make sure the other ingredients smooth chopped.

You can substitute shrimp with beef or chicken.

Here, I will share the recipe with you and maybe give you some ideas.

Please don't hesitate to drop me any comments or questions regarding this recipe, I need it to improve my cooking in the future. Thank you :-)

Source : my creation

What you need :

- 1 cup shrimps, peeled the jacket (I used 8 pieces of big shrimps)

- 2 cloves garlic

- 1/2 teaspoon sugar

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1 teaspoon sesame oil

- 1 spoonful cornstarch

Make it :

1. Put garlic into chopper, chopped it until smooth. Add shrimps, sesame oil, sugar, salt and chopped them. Add cornstarch, mix with them smoothly.

2. In a pot, bring water into broil. Used to spoon to make a little ball, put into boiling hot water until it flood. Repeat until the dough is finish.

3. While the ball was flood, put it into a plate. Set aside.

Preparation : 15 minutes

Cooking : 10 minutes

Servings : 15 balls

"Santa Maria Style BBQ" Rib Eye Steak

We still have rib eye meat on freezer, we decided to cook it for dinner tonight. First, I tahwed the meat because it frozen.

On Saturday, sometimes we like to go to AG Farmers Market. I like to go to Farmers Market because you can get fresh vegetables and fruit or even flower with a good deal.

We went there and bought some vegetables for salad, I think salad is always perfect with steaks.

About the corns, I bought couple days ago at grocery store because I got a good deal.

We marinated the meat with Santa Maria Style Barbecue. You can check the similar recipe, I posted Tri-tip steak's recipe.

Here, I will share the recipe with you and maybe give you some ideas.

Please don't hesitate to drop me any comments or questions regarding this recipe, I need it to improve my cooking in the future. Thank you :-)

Source : modified by My husband

What you need :

- 2 lbs beef rib eye

- Santa Maria Suzie Q seasoning mix

- Lizano sauce - as your wish, you can skip or substitute with other sauce.

Note :

- Santa Maria Suzie Q seasoning is available at Costco, especially at Central Coast, CA.

- Lizano is vegetable seasoning mix.

Make it :

1. In a bowl, add all ingredients.Rubbing it in as you would a dry rub. Let rest for 1 hour or more at room temperature.

2. Prepare a grill with medium heat. Place the steak in the middle of hot.

3. Flip steaks with tongs. Grill steaks 6 minutes per side for medium rare.

4. When steak is done to your liking, transfer to plate.

5. Let rest for about 5 minutes to allow the meat juices to redistribute and settle before servings.

6. Serve as individual steak or slice just before serving on plate. Enjoy.

Serving Suggestion :

- Salad

- Cooked white sweet corn

Preparation : 10 minutes

Cooking : 20 minutes

Servings : 3-4 servings

Chiken Balls Soup with Broccoli and Chinese Radish (Sup Bola Ayam Lobak)

On the weekend, we went to A.G. Farmer's Market and we spotted a Chinese Radish. I have no idea, what I have to cook with this. I talked with my friend, Myen, at chat room, and she said this is very good for soup. Her mom cooked for her, but she's never tried to cook this.

Okay, it's time to explore and experiment to cook it. I made a soup and served this for dinner.

It's turn out so good. Actually, this vegetable doesn't give you any taste for the soup, so the soup it self should be tasty.

I made easy chicken meatballs instead of just sliced the chicken.

No hurt to try, and I wish I can give you some idea.

More information about Chinese Radish or Daikon Radish, click this link : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daikon

Here, I will share the recipe with you and maybe give you some ideas.

Please don't hesitate to drop me any comments or questions regarding this recipe, I need it to improve my cooking in the future. Thank you :-)

Source : my creation

What you need :

Meatballs :

- 1 piece chicken thigh, finely chopped

- 1/3 cup shredded carrot

- 1 stalk green onions, thinly slice

- 2 cloves garlic, shredded

- 2 tablespoon tapioca flour

- 1/3 teaspoon salt

- 1/2 teaspoon sugar

- ground pepper

Soup :

- 3 cup chicken broth

- 2 cloves garlic, thinly slice

- 1/3 cup diced onion

- salt, pepper

- 1 cup sliced Chinese Radish

- broccoli or baby bok choy

- a stalk green onion, sliced

Note : 1 US cup = 236.588237 ml

Make it :

1. Combine meatballs ingredients in large bowl. Mix thoroughly. Shape into 1-inch balls. Set aside.

2. Meanwhile, in a pot, bring broth to boil. Add garlic and onion. Let it cook for approximately 3 minutes. Add shaped balls into boiling hot water until it float.

3. Add sliced Chinese radish, let it cook until tender.

4. Add salt and pepper and don't forget to taste. Add bok choy or any vegetables, let it simmer for another 2 minutes.

5. Transfer to serving bowl. Serve hot and add chili sauce as you wish. :-)

Preparation : 10 minutes

Cooking : 20 minutes

Servings : 2 servings

Fresh Strawberry Pancake

I made this pancake with Trader Joe's Gluten Free Pancake Mix. This pancake served as brunch on the weekend. We prepared this dish with team work effort, I made the pancake and my husband made the fresh strawberry sauce.

Sometimes we would like to get breakfast at some restaurant on the weekend. But mostly, we eat breakfast at home, because I have had problem with the portion of the food around here.

If we dine out in the morning, we don't eat anything in whole day because our stomach still felt full.

I'm so happy when I found gluten free pancake mix was available in store. My husband has had Celiac disease, so he supposed to be didn't eat any kind of wheat product.

Source : My husband made this sauce.

What you need :

- Trader Joe's Gluten Free Pancake mix

- 2 cups sliced strawberries, cut a strawberry into 4 pieces

- 100 ml water

- 1 sachet 

Make it :

1. For the pancake mix, please read the instruction on the box.

2. In a small pot, mixed water, sliced strawberries, cook with medium low heat.

3. Stir gradually until strawberry soft, then add sugar. Stir for about 1 minute, remove from the heat.

4. Pour the strawberry sauce into the pancake. Enjoy.

Preparation : 2 minutes

Cooking : 10 minutes

Black Pepper Beef with Serranos Pepper

It's been long time I have never cooked this dish. Mostly we cook the meat to do BBQ. 

This is one of famous Chinese dish, and you can find at Chinese Restaurant. I like to made by my self, because when I bought it, it's so greasy. If you cooked by yourself you can choose the better oil to fried the marinated meat.

I made some improvement from the original recipe and actually I've posted this recipe a couple times.

You can find the complete recipe from this link : http://d3sydailydishes.blogspot.com/2009/01/black-pepper-beef-cooked-with-green.html

I used Serranos pepper instead of paprika, and you can substitute with bell pepper or jalapeno.

Source : Chinese Food by Mary Winata, Gramedia Publisher modified by me

Javanese Spiced Fried Beef ( Empal Daging Manis )

Wat do you thinking after you've seen this picture. No idea huh!

Maybe next time, I have to make a nice picture of this. But if you tried this, I guarantee you'll love it.

This is one of Javanese food, Java is part of Indonesia. We like to serve this for daily dish.

How was the taste? Definitely this it tasty, you can check from the ingredients that used to cook this.

Sweet, salty and little bit taste from tamarind, then the other spices make it have a wonderful smell.

I ate this with steamed rice, steamed vegetables like broccoli , and chili sauce, I've never forget about this.

Here, I will share the recipe with you and maybe give you some ideas.

Please don't hesitate to drop me any comments or questions regarding this recipe, I need it to improve my cooking in the future. Thank you :-)

Source : my mom recipe modified by me

What you need :

- 1/2 lb beef, sliced

-

Make it :

1.

Chewy Chocolate Cookies - Gluten Free

While I was online at Facebook, I've seen one of my friends posted this recipe and gave us the link. I though that this is an interesting cookie and I think easy to try.

That's true. This is great cookie. I love it. The cookie's tasty. I will make it in another time.

I tried to make it just 1/4 recipe, and I think it served around 10 pieces.

I tried using Gluten Free flour instead of regular flour, because my husband couldn't eat any wheat flour.

Here, I will share the recipe with you and maybe give you some ideas.

Please don't hesitate to drop me any comments or questions regarding this recipe, I need it to improve my cooking in the future. Thank you :-)

Source : allrecipe.com modified by me

What you need :

- 1 1/4 cups butter,softened

- 2 cups white sugar

- 2 eggs

- 2 teaspoon vanilla extract

- 2 cups all-purpose flour

- 3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

- 1 teaspoon baking soda

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Make it :

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Then stir in the vanilla.

3. Sift together the flour, cocoa, baling soda and salt, stir into the creamed mixture.

4. Mix the chocolate chips. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.

5. Bake 8 to 9 minutes in the preheated oven. Cookies will be soft. Cool slightly on cookie sheet, remove from sheet onto wire rack to cool completely.

Indonesia version :

1. Panaskan oven dengan temperatur 350 derajat F atau 175 derajat C.

2. Didalam mangkuk besar, kocok mentega dan gula hingga agak mengembang. Kemudian masukkan telur satu persatu dan kocong dengan menggunakan mixer. Masukkan vanila dan kocok kembali.

3. Campurkan tepung terigu, coklat bubuk,soda kue, dan garam, campurkan kedalam bahan yg sudah di mixer diatas.

4. Campurkan coklat chips. Taruh adunan diatas kertas kue, ambil satu sendok penuh untuk 1 buah kue.

5.  Oven selama 8-9 menit. Biarkan hingga dingin sebelom disajikan dan disimpan dalam wadah.

Preparation : 15 minutes

Cooking Time : 10 minutes

Servings : 4 dozen or 48 servings

Hominy, Vegetables, Wild Rice and Chicken Soup

This is my first time to cook the hominy. I bought a small can of hominy at Mexican store in our town. You can buy them at regular store and I think they're available at Costco.

Actually, I have no idea what is hominy, even my husband tried to explain to me.  When I opened the can then I tried to eat a piece, hmm it's taste like corn, I know it's a corn but the taste is mild than fresh or sliced corn on the can.

So, I decided to cook as one of the ingredients on the soup, and it's turn out so good. 

Please don't hesitate to drop me any comments or questions regarding this recipe, I need it to improve my cooking in the future. Thank you :-)

Source : my own creation

What you need :

- 1 piece chicken thigh, cut into small piece and don't throw away the bone

- 1 can Hominy, drain the water

- 2 cup of water

- 1 cup diced carrot

- 1/3 cup cooked wild rice or 1/3 cup uncooked rice

- 1 stalk green onion, thinly slice

- 3 cloves garlic, minced

- 1/2 cup diced onion

- 1 piece tomato, dice

- 1/2 cup sweet peas

- salt

- ground white and black pepper

- ground nutmeg

Note : 1 US cup = 236.588237 ml

Make it :

1. Bring water into boil. Then add chicken include the chicken's bone. Let's cook for 10 minutes.

2. Add wild rice, hominy, garlic, onion and carrot. Stir and let cook until carrots crisp.

3. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Don't forget to taste it.

4. Add green onion and sweet peas. Let simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove the chicken's bone from the soup.

5. Place into prepared bowl and serve hot.

Indonesia version :

1. Masak air hingga mendidih. Masukkan ayam beserta tulangnya. Masak selama 10 menit.

2. Masukkan wild rice, bawang putih, hominy, bawang bombay, dan wortel. Aduk dan masak hingga wortel ahmpir lunak.

3. Tambahkan garam, merica dan pala. Jangan lupa cicipi.

4. Masukkan bawang daun, dan kacang polong. Masak hingga mendidih selama 5 menit. Keluarkan tulang ayam dari sup.

5. Sajikan didalam mangkuk dan sajikan hangat.

Preparation : 5 minutes

Cooking : 25 minutes

Servings : 2 servings

Homemade Tomato and Chili Sauce (Sambal Tomat)

I have a few tomatoes in refrigerate, I cooked them  a piece everyday. We got a good deal in an little store along Guadalupe while we was driving from Pismo Beach then used the back street.

If my mom cooked this, she used a tool to grind the spices and the tomato. But I didn't found in here, actually I found one at Asian Store in Santa Barbara but the price is too much.

So this time I chopped all the ingredients with chopper.

The serving suggestion is any steamed vegetables or salad mix, with or without steamed rice, and fried/bake chicken.

How about the taste? The taste is little bit spicy (depends on how much chili did you put), tangy and sweet.

Here, I will share the recipe with you and maybe give you some ideas.

Please don't hesitate to drop me any comments or questions regarding this recipe, I need it to improve my cooking in the future. Thank you :-)

Source : my family recipe modified by me

What you need :

- 1 big piece tomato, diced

- 2 cloves shallots

- 1 cloves garlic

- 1/3 teaspoon shrimp paste

- 2 teaspoon brown sugar

- 1/2 teaspoon tamarind paste

- 1/2 teaspoon salt

- 1 teaspoon crushed chili or sambal oeleg

- 2 tablespoon lime/lemon juice

Make it :

1. Chop into paste : tomato, crushed chili, garlic, shallots, shrimp paste, tamarind paste.

2. In a hot wok, add the paste, saute gently then add, brown sugar, salt.

3. Let cook until water are dissolved. Stop the cooking process.

4. Place into prepared bowl, then add lime juice, mix it. Serve with the vegetables.

Preparation : 2 minutes

Cooking : 6 minutes

Servings : 1 cups ( 2- servings)

Ridged Gourd or Luffa Soup with chicken meatballs (Sup Oyong/Gambas plus bola-bola daging ayam)

Yesterday afternoon my husband and I went to Philippine Store in our city. I run out shallots and fried shallots, so I have to buy them. When I walked into vegetables section, I found this fruit. In Indonesia we called with Oyong or Gambas and commonly known as ridged gourd.

This fruit is grown and eaten  as a vegetable and very common in Asia and Africa.

More detail and picture about this fruit, you can read from this link : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luffa

My grandmother and my mom cooked this for me while I was young. I want ask my mom about the spices but I remember if right now is midnight in Indonesia. Maybe next time, I'll cook with original recipe from my family after I ask her.

I found this recipe from Herty Kitchen. I reducing and adding ingredients from the original recipe. I substitute shrimps with chicken and also I added sliced tofu.

How about the taste? This soup has sweet taste, little bit kick taste from black pepper and tasty for sure.

Here, I will share the recipe with you and maybe give you some ideas.

Please don't hesitate to drop me any comments or questions regarding this recipe, I need it to improve my cooking in the future. Thank you :-)

Source : Herti Kitchen modified by me

What you need :

- 2 pieces medium size Ridged Gourd, peel of the jacket then slice

- 1 cup sliced medium firm Tofu

- 1 stalk green onion, sliced

- 3 cloves garlic, thinly slice

- 1 spoonful oyster sauce

- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil + 1 tablespoon sesame oil, for saute

- 2 cup water

- 1 piece chicken thigh, chopped the meat part, and set aside the bone for the broth

- 2 teaspoon tapioca flour

- 1/2 cup shredded carrot

- salt

- sugar

- ground white and black pepper

- fried shallots for garnish.

Make it :

1. Combine chopped chicken, tapioca flour, shredded carrots 1/3 tsp salt and sugar. Mix thoroughly in a bowl. Shape in to 1/2-inches balls. Repeat until the dough is finish. Set aside.

2. In a wok, saute garlic with oil and sesame oil for 3 minutes. Set aside.

3. Meanwhile, in a pan, bring water into boil. Add chicken bone. Let shimmer for 5 minutes.

4. In a hot boiled soup, add sauteed garlic, then add one by one the chicken balls. Let shimmer for about 5 minutes. 

5. Add oyster sauce, tofu, sugar, salt and pepper. Don't forget to taste. Let shimmer for 5 minutes. Remove the chicken bone from the soup.

6. Add cut ridged gourd and sliced green onion in the soup. Let shimmer then turn of the heat. 

7. Place into prepared dish, serve warm with steamed rice and garnish with fried shallots. Enjoy.

Indonesia version :

1. Campurkan daging ayam cincang, parutan wortel, tepung kanji, 1/3 sdt garam dan gula. Aduk rata. Bentuk bulatan sesuai selera. Ualng hingga adonan habis. Sisihkan.

2. Tumis bawang putih dengan menggunakan minyak+ minyak wijen  hingga harum. Sisihkan.

3. Sementara itu, didalam panci, rebus air hingga mendidih, masukkan tulang ayam dan rebus selama 5 menit.

4. Didalam kuah yg mendidih, masukkan tumisan bawang putih, masukkan satu persatu bola daging. Biarkan hingga kuah mendidih selama 5 menit.

5. Masukkan saus tiram, garam, gula, potongan tahu dan merica bubuk. Jangan lupa cicipi. Buang tulang ayam dari sup.

6. Masukkan irisan bawang daun dan oyong/gambas. Rebus sebentar hingga mendidih. Matikan api.

7. Sajikan didalam mangkuk, bersama nasi putih dan beri bawang daun diatas sup. Sajikan.

Preparation : 5 minutes

Cooking : 25 minutes

Servings : 2 servings