Noodles

Noodle wrapped Prawns

As you know, I used instant noodles here. Cook that in water with 1/2 tablespoon of salt. Drain and cover with a damp cloth. What we want is to let it cool so you can handle it with your hands but not dry as they will stick together. But don't add oil because we do want the noodles to stick together later. If you add oil here to prevent them from sticking, you will have a hard time later.

Next, while waiting for the noodles to cool down, you blanch your shelled prawns with tail intact in hot water with 1 teaspoon of salt till 50% cooked. Don't over cook them as they will be too hard after you fry them. Drain and set aside.

Once the noodles are cooled, you can take a few of them and start to coil round the prawns from the tail. You don't want too much noodles on it. Just enough to cover the prawns. If you have added oil earlier, the noodles will slip off the prawns.

After all prawns are wrapped with noodles, refrigerate them for 15 minutes. This helps to 'dry' them so it's easier to fry later.

Heat the oil. You can throw in a noodle. If it sizzles, not just bubbling, then it's hot enough. Put the prawns in and fry till the noodles till the noodles turn light brown. Drain and serve immediate with your desire sauce.

Flour Vermicelli in Thick Soup

Ingredients:

• 2 bunch of Rice Vermicelli, crushed
  
• 10 Fresh Shitake Mushroom, sliced
  
• 10 Scallops, sliced halfed and blanched
  
• 750ml Chicken Broth
• Cornflour Mixture (Thickener)

Seasonings:

• 1 teaspoon Sugar
• 1 teaspoon Salt
• 1 teaspoon Light Soy Sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon Chinese Cooking Wine
• 1/2 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
• 1 teaspoon Sesame Seed Oil

How to do it:

1. Add mushroom to the broth and bring to a boil.
2. Add in seasonings.
3. In another pot with, add in a teaspoon of oil and bring to a boil.
4. Add in the crushed Rice Vermicelli.
5. Gently stir while cooking.
6. Drain after 2 minutes of cooking.
7. Add the Rice Vermicelli to the broth.
8. Gradually add in thickener, when the soup begins to boil.
9. Add the scallops to cook for 20 seconds or till thoroughly cooked.
10. Serve.
    

Note:
The ingredients is used here are whatever I find in my fridge.
You can add (cooked) shredded chicken instead of scallops. Add in before thickening the soup.

Braised Noodles

Ingredients:

• 10 mid joint wings
• 20 fresh Shitake mushrooms, sliced
  
• 4 Hard boiled eggs
  
• 1.5 litre Water or Chicken broth
  
• Salt to taste
• Instant Noodle or Fresh Wanton Noodle

Seasonings:

• 1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
• 1 teaspoon Dark Soy Sauce

How to do it:

1. Blanch the wings.
   
2. Add the wings & hard-boiled eggs into a pot of boiling water.
3. Add in the seasonings and let in simmer for 1 hour.
   
4. Add in the mushrooms and continue to simmer for another 1/2 hour.
   
5. Add salt to taste.
6. Discard the seasonings for the instant noodles.
7. Cook the noodles till just done, don't over cook.
   
8. Discard the water.
9. 'Rinse' in previous boiled water.
10. Put into a pot, pour in some some sauce from the chicken and bring to a just a boil.
11. Place in a dish with all other ingredients.
12. Add a few drops of sesame seed oil and garnish with spring onions.
13. Serve.
    

    Soba with Chilli Prawns

    

    Chilli Soft Shell Clams

    Ingredients:
    
    
14. 700g Soft Shells Clams, soaked in salted water for them to ‘split out’ the sand and brushed to clean the dirt on the shells
15. 1 teaspoon Apple Cedar or White Vinegar
16. 2 eggs, beaten
17. Salt to taste
18. Cornflour Mixture (thickener)
19. 3 tablespoon Oil

Pound or grind coarsely:

• 5 Fresh Red Chillies
• 5 Dried Chillies, soaked to soften
• 5 clove Garlic
• 2 tablespoon Dried Shrimp, soaked to soften

Sauce:

• 3 tablespoon Tomato Sauce
• 2 tablespoon Chilli Sauce
• 1/2 tablespoon Sugar
• 1/2 tablespoon Fermented Soya Bean Paste

How to do it:

1. Heat oil in a wok and stir fry the grind ingredients till fragrant.
2. Add in clams.
3. Stir fry till the clams open up.
4. Add in the sauce and stir well.
5. Cover and simmer over high heat for 5 minutes or till cooked.
6. Add vinegar and add salt to taste.
7. Gradually stir in cornflour mixture to thicken the sauce.
8. Add in egg while stirring slowing.
9. Dish and serve immediately.

Note:

• This is my recipe of Chilli Crabs but it works for prawns and crayfish too!
• Add more chilli if you prefer it more spicy.The other day I had cravings for chilli crabs (again). I got the prawns meant for another dish to make Chilli Prawns instead, using the same ingredients and same way I did 0the previous dish but using prawns of course.
  
  I didn't want to have rice. So I grab a bunch of soba and cooked it. Add the prepared chilli prawns to it and voila! Hmmm ... Italian dish with Japanese and Singaporean flavours! Very fusion!
  
  I wished I had used Penne instead of Soba. Why? So I can eat quietly but still be able to grab more sauce in every bite. I was slurping so loudly with my plate of soba I think the Japanese would be happy.

  Pasta in Mushroom Sauce

  Ingredients:
  
• 2 palm sized Portobello Mushroom, diced
• 8 Brown cap Button Mushroom, sliced
• 1 teaspoon Minced Garlic
• 200ml Whipping Cream
• 1 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese
• 1 tablespoon Butter or Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• Cooked Pasta for two

How to do it:

1. Heat wok, add olive oil or butter.
2. Add garlic and saute till fragrant.
3. Add portobello mushroom.
4. Saute till well cooked. You will see sauce from the cooking.
5. Add button mushroom.
6. Saute well.
7. Add in the cream and bring to a simmer.
8. Add half of the Parmesan cheese, cooked pasta, salt and pepper to taste.
9. Simmer till sauce thickens
10. Dish and top with the remaining Parmesan cheese.
11. Serve.

Note:

• You can choose not to add portobello mushroom and use more button mushroom instead.
• Portobello mushroom will help increase the taste of mushroom.

  Roasted Duck Noodles in Herbal Soup

  I deboned the duck but kept the bones to make soup. It so rich in flavours, it would be a waste to throw them away. This duck was roasted with Chinese Herbs and Spices stuffed in it, so it was rather aromatic.
  
  To make the soup, I simmered the bones, fats and some skin that was too tough to chew with 1.5 litre of water for 3 hours. During the last hour, I added six red dates and half an hour later, a handful of wolfberries. No seasonings was required here. Yeah, I cheated in making the soup. LOL But at least nothing is wasted. Well, maybe except for the head and parson's nose. *wink*
  
  I only had Dried Soba at home so I used that instead of the usual yellow noodles. Drain the cooked soba, placed some leftover roasted duck meat on top and poured the soup over. Hmmm... nice supper we had.
  
  Try it the next time you buy a whole duck.
  

  Udon in Dashi Broth

  

  Ingredients:

• 2 packet of precook udon
• Assorted ingredients, I used Shitake Mushrooms, Carrot, Crabstick and Fish Rolls
• 2 tablespoon Mirin
• 2 tablespoon Light Soy Sauce
• 2 Egg, 1 each per serving

Dashi:

• 1050 litre of water
• 20g Kelp aka Konbu
• 15g Bonito Flakes

How to do it

1. Blanch the precooked udon and set aside.
2. To make Dashi, soak kelp in a pot of 1 litre of water for 2 to 3 hours.
3. Bring the water with kelp to simmer.
4. Turn of the heat before it starts to boil.
5. Remove the kelp.
6. Bring to boil for 1 minute and turn off heat
7. Add the remaining water to reduce temperature.
8. Add in the bonito flakes.
9. Do not stir. Let it stand for 20 mintues.
10. Strain and the soup base is ready to use.
11. Add mirin and light soy sauce.
12. Add the assorted ingredients and udon.
13. Bring to a boil.
14. Serve udon with an egg.

Note:
The Dashi made here is the very basic Japanese Broth. It can used in Miso Soup, Chawamushi, Sauces, Soup.

Laksa

Ingredients:

• Rice Vermicelli, scalded and drained
• 500 ml coconut milk
• 300g Medium Prawns
• 2 Fish Cakes, sliced
• 100g Bean Sprout, slightly blanched just before serving
• 10 pieces Tau Pok
• 100g Cockles (optional)
• 10 sprig Laksa Leaves aka Vietnamese Mint aka Daun Kesom
• 50g Dried Prawns, grind
• 150ml Oil
• 750ml Water
• Salt and Rock Sugar to taste

Grind into paste:

• 1 whole Garlic
• 10 Shallots
• 1/2 tablespoon Turmeric aka Kunyit
• 1 tablespoon Galangal aka Lengkuas
• 4 Candlenuts aka Buah Keras
• 1 stalk Lemon Grass aks Serai
• 2 teaspoon Shrimp Paste aka Belachan
• 12 Dried Chillies, soaked to soften

How to do it:

1. Blanch prawns in 750ml of water till 90% cooked.
2. Remove shells and return them to the pot of stock.
3. Set prawns aside.
4. Add in Laksa Leaves and bring to boil and simmer for 15 minutes.
5. Heat oil in wok.
6. Fry the paste for about 15 to 20 minutes.
7. Add in dried shrimp and continue frying the paste for another 5 minutes.
8. Pour the content to the pot of stock.
9. Bring to boil.
10. Gradually add in coconut milk.
11. Simmer till you see red oil surfacing.
12. Add salt and rock sugar to taste.
13. Add in the tau pok to cook for 2 minutes just before serving. This helps tau pok absorb Laksa gravy.
14. Put rice vermicelli in a bowl.
15. Top with tau pok, fish cakes, bean sprout and cockles.
16. Pour hot gravy over and serve immediately.

Note:

• If you prefer your Laska to be spicy, add chilli paste to your bowl of Laksa.
• Chop some Laksa Leaves for garnishing if you like.
• For convenience, I used packed coconut. Fresh coconut milk extract will taste and smell better.

  Soba - Spaghetti Style

  
  Ingredients:
• Soba
• 1 can of tomato puree
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/2 carrot, diced finely
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1 small can button mushroom, sliced
• 8 fresh button mushroom, sliced
• 12 medium prawns, shelled and deveined
• 2 squid, skin removed, cleaned and sliced into smaller pieces
• 1/2 minced Garlic
• Oil for cooking
• Corn starch with water (thickener)
• Salt to taste

How to do it:

1. Cook soba in a pot of water. Drain water and set aside.
2. Add 2 teaspoon of oil to prevent the soba from sticking together.
3. In a wok, add in 2 teaspoon of oil.
4. Saute the garlic and onion till fragrant.
5. Add in prawns and squid and saute till almost cooked
6. Add in tomato and mushrooms and saute for about 1 minute.
7. Add in tomato puree and water.
8. Boil it to a boil.
9. Add salt to taste.
10. Thicken the sauce with cornstarch.
11. Dish soba on to a plate and pour the sauce over.
12. Serve with some herbs and Parmesan cheese.

    Soba with Back Bacon and Vegetables

    Ingredients:
    
13. Soba, cooked
14. Bone Broth
15. Chinese Cabbage, chopped into sections
16. Onion, sliced
17. Back Bacon,
18. Salt to taste

How to do it:

1. Put cooked Soba in a bowl of water to prevent it from sticking together.
2. Set aside.
3. Saute the back bacon then brown.
4. Remove and set aside.
5. Saute the onion till brown.
6. Put the onions and Chinese cabbage into the broth.
7. Cook in low fire till Chinese cabbage is cooked.
8. Add salt to taste.
9. Drain soba and place in a bowl.
10. Place onions, Chinese cabbage and back bacon on the soba.
11. Pour the soup over.
12. Serve hot.

Note:
You can use other vegetables and meat. I use the 2 vegetables because they add sweetness to the broth and get cooked fast. If you are using back bacon like me, cut down on the salt as back bacon is salty too.

Chinese Spaghetti

Ingredients:

• Yellow flat noodle
• Cai xin, chopped finely
• Prawns, shelled and deveined
• Fish cake, sliced
• Carrots, sliced
• Chicken broth (I always use home-made ones)
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon oil
• Salt to taste

How to do it:

1. Heat wok with oil.
2. Sauté garlic till fragrant.
3. Add in prawns and cook till 70% cooked
4. Add in fish cake, carrots and cai xin.
5. Cook till prawns and fish cake are done.
6. Dish and set aside.
7. In the same wok, add in the noodle and broth.
8. Simmer till the noodle is cooked and there isn’t much fluid left.
9. Now add in the previously cooked ingredients and mix well.
10. Add in salt to taste. (I don’t find it necessary as the noodle is slightly salty)
11. Dish and serve.

    Saik Mee Teng aka Trishaw Noodles

    Ingredients:
12. Flat yellow noodles
13. Cai Xin, cut into sections
14. Prawns, blanched
15. Chicken Broth
16. Salt to taste

How to do it:

1. Blanch the prawns.
2. Remove shells and slice prawns in half.
3. Blanch the noodles to get rid of excess ghee.
4. Boil your broth.
5. Add in your vegetables and noodles.
6. Add salt to taste.
7. Serve with prawns when noodles are cooked.

Note:

• This dish is meant to cook when ready to eat. You can ‘keep’ the noodles in the soup as it will turn soggy and the soup will have the taste of ghee.
• You can use stock cubes if you don't want to make home-made broth.

  Pork Ribs and Prawn Noodle Soup

  Every time I buy prawn to cook dishes, I would keep the shells in the freezer. I had 3 portions of shells before I cooked this. It’s shells from 1.5 kg of prawns. Hmm… the soup is full of sweetness from the prawns.
  
  Ingredients
  
• Prawns, shelled
• Pork ribs, blanched
• Fish cakes, sliced thinly
• Water Spinach (Kang Kong), cut into sections
• Fresh yellow noodle
• 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• Rock Sugar to taste
• Salt to taste
• Oil for frying

How to do it:

1. Add ½ tablespoon garlic and stir fry till fragrant.
2. Add prawn shells and stir fry till cooked. Set aside.
3. Bring water to boil in a pot.
4. Add in the prawns and remove when cooked.
5. In the same pot, add in the cooked prawn shells and pork ribs.
6. Simmer in low heat for 2 hours.
7. Strain the soup into a clean pot.
8. Return the pork ribs.
9. Add in dark soy sauce, rock sugar and salt.
10. In another pot, bring water to boil.
11. Add in noodle, water spinach and fish cake.
12. Drain when they are cooked.
13. Place prawns and pork ribs on top.
14. Ladle over some hot soup.
15. Serve with pepper and fried shallots.

Note:
You can add bean sprout and lean pork too. Ohhh… and those sinful crispy pork fat cubes if you like

Hokkien Mee

Cook this dish last week for the first time. Not too bad. My hubby rated it 4-star. ^_^ I like it because it's simple and fast to cook. ^_-

Ingredients:

• Yellow flat noodles
• Prawns, shells removed and deveined
• Squids, sliced
• Cai Xin, cut into section
• Fish cakes, sliced
• Stock or water
• Corn starch mixture

Seasonings:

• ½ tablespoon dark soy sauce
• ½ oyster sauce

How to do it:

1. Stir-fried the prawns, squids, fish cakes and cai xin with garlic.
2. Set aside.
3. In a pot, cook the noodle with enough stock to cover it.
4. When the noodle is cooked, add in the seasonings, prawns, squids, fish cakes and cai xin.
5. Let it cook for ½ minute then slowly stir-in the corn-starch mixture to thicken the sauce.
6. Serve.

Note:

You can add any other ingredients of your choice. You can also blanch your ingredients instead of stir-frying. I only add-in the ingredients to the noodles during the last part so not to over-cook them. Adjust the amount of seasonings. If you like a darker look for your noodles, add more dark soy sauce.