Big Love Small Meals

#1 March 31, 2014. Our weekly brainstorming session. What's for dinner baby?

关于学做饭这码事，是怀孕后给自己的功课。从厌恶、束手无策、到热衷、认真学习的三年多里，指甲长了又变短，锅子烧坏了又入购，手上的烫伤痊愈了又起新水泡... 被这样的矛盾反复折磨一番后，我犯贱地爱上了烹饪。

是，是真爱...

和许多的80后一样，有孩子之前的我根本不爱做饭，一贯都是饭来张口族，没事不进厨房，怕油烟怕热锅，心血来潮时顶多只能烘个杯子蛋糕的女生。怀孕初期，想要学习健康饮食，所以开始学做饭。因为啊，就算很不会烧菜的妈妈们也总有办法做出一两道美味佳肴，所以一直以为做饭并不是一件什么难事，但发现自己所尝试的菜肴频频失败后，真心觉得烹饪其实是巨讲究的，就算只是一顿普普通通的“家常便饭”。

了解到满汉全席是遥不可及的梦想，所以初时，我只想要学会做几道简单的中式料理，那些食材和做法不复杂的家常菜，想要复制妈妈的味道。随着宝宝开始吃辅食时，觉得更应该注重食材的品质和新鲜度，所以学会了逛超市。我现在是每一个礼拜到不同的有机超市膜拜三次的虔诚信徒。食材，特别是肉类，不新鲜的话不上桌，因为肉质不好怎么做也枉费心机。之后，厌食嘴刁的宝宝又给我新挑战，让我更注意经常变换饮食的花样品种，也让我从那时候更了解食物真正原始的味道，懂得运用食材的原味做料理。


#2 这是热腾腾，今天给刘宝宝做的晚餐, Chicken Katsu Bento.


#3 Sept 5, 2014. Dinner. Baked Chicken with Parmesan and Thyme, Mac & Cheese, tomato soup and roasted veggies on side.


#4 March 18, 2014. 冬菇鸡肉+海带+Quinoa烩饭。


#5 April 14, 2014. Dinner. Pasta with tomato sauce, lettuce, pork meatballs, and Parmesan cheese. Also attempted oven baked sweet potato chips but it was an epic fail :'(


#6 March 21, 2014. Breakfast. Banana balls get dressed up like Small Potatoes~


#7 April 16, 2014. Breakfast. Organic bacon sandwich = Honey oat bread + bacon + red cabbage + mayo + grated mozzarella cheese.


#8 March 18, 2014. Breakfast. Mee suah with prawns + mix veggies + broccoli + choy sum.


#9 March 7, 2014. Lunch. Organic garden burger. Black bean tofu + soy bean tofu + shredded carrots + spring onions + sesame = Burger patty.


#10 April 9, 2014. Snack. Garden fruit salad. Organic ingredients: French breakfast radish, lettuce, avocado, blueberries, green apple, dried cranberries, olive oil, sea salt.


#11 Sept 3, 2014. Light Dinner. Creamy tomato soup.



以上的照片都在我的FB里po过。常常有许多可爱的朋友们对我加油打气，说我是个伟大的妈妈，很感谢大家，但其实转变不伟大，我真的不觉得自己有什么伟大的，我只是找到幸福的另一个定义而已❤❤

能够为孩子准备营养丰富的每一餐是很快乐，很满足的事。活过了30个年头，虽然没怎么吃过山珍海味，但也吃过不少美食，最终发现有两种味道是最难忘也是最叫人怀念的，一种叫做妈妈的味道，像是冒着大雨回家后端上的一碗热汤，温暖窝心；另一种叫做儿时的味道，像是小时候跌倒后递上的棒棒糖，甜上心头。第一种无可取代的味道，我在用心地努力着，至于第二种，就让成长为宝宝准备着。



p/s：很多人说孩子厌食是被妈妈宠坏的，但其实孩子食欲不振有很多原因，比如长牙，腹胀或消化系统不好等等，希望其他家长们不要听见别人的孩子有什么状况时就把责任往孩子的妈那儿推。养儿育儿本来就是件不容易的事，但同理心真的可以减轻其他妈妈们的心理压力。如果你的孩子很爱吃，真心替你高兴，但同样的，也请大家尊重及体谅其他妈妈们的对孩子的用心。因为当儿科医生说孩子没长高，体重没增加的那种忐忑心情，我懂。

p/p/s：顺带谢谢我那很棒的妹妹，宝宝的专属营养师，有个读营养的妹妹真的赚大了！哇卡卡～



共勉之，
Mama Bev

Yummy Avocado Mayonnaise Spread

It's about diet recipe again. Learned the recipe from a Chinese TV talk show called 《爱呀幸福女人》hosted by a Taiwanese celebrity 阿雅; she made this Avocado Mayo Spread for 刘嘉玲 (Carina Lau) while interviewing her on the show.

Chloe is super into avocado now, she eats it almost everyday but she only consumes 1/8 of a whole avocado. Therefore, Mama Bev constantly has to finish the leftover avocado by 48 hours before it became an awful brown slimy mess; that is why this recipe is so perfect!


#1 Scoop out the flesh and put it in a bowl.

#2 Mash or mush, your call. I like to be a little chunky.


#3 Mix with mayo.


#4 Add in your fave nutty goodness for a little crunchiness; walnut for me again.


#5 This is the extra step. I simply like dried cranberries in everything :p


#6 Taa daaaaaaa \(^__^)/

Super yummilicious! 阿雅 pairs the avocado mayo spread with a slice of cheese, but I decided to omit that since I'm on strict diet now. This is something that I can eat everyday, in fact, I just had for dinner! Yummy yummy in my tummy! Hehehe~~


p/s: Watch the show, it's awesome! I like the 蔡康永 episode the best!


Promise blog more often,
Bev

BS Signature Salad

Sorry for the lack of blogging, you know why I am sure... Ya, Chloe keeps me very busy, what a convenient excuse, hehe...

Anyway, those who are following me on Facebook already know that I'm currently on diet (again, for the 878582364528346 times), extremely loud this time as I'm dying to get rid of the stubborn postpartum fats. So here's the "diet recipe" that I self-invented, the BS signature salad that I shamelessly called, is something that is so simple to make and so delicious to eat~~ Not only it is packed with exponentially antioxidants and nutritional benefits but also super filling too! Perfect for lunch ^__^V

** Simple Egg Salad **

#1 This adds a little extra flavor to the veggie salad but it's totally optional, omit the egg salad if you want a super duper skinny salad.

Step 1: Mash up the chopped hard-boiled egg with a fork or spoon.

Step 2: Add in sugar if you want a little sweetness or sprinkle with salt, your call (I like it sweet).

Step 3: Mix together with 1-2 tbsp of Mayo to achieve the desired texture, creamy or a bit dry (I personally prefer the creamy & moist one).


#2 Taa daa~~ It's my all time fave, and I can eat 3 slices of bread with it despite the fact that I hate Gardenier & Popeye or any kind of bread; it also brings back lotsa high school memories... Ahem... grandmother storytelling time... Not going to steal the credit, my aunt actually taught me the recipe and this egg salad brought in so much extra pocket money back then, serious. My mum & aunts were running a canteen in a high school when I was 13-15 (15 years ago?), so I used to make the egg salad sandwiches and sold them at RM1.20 for two pieces, wakaka~~ It was good business I tell you (cause I only made a loaf, that means I can roughly earn about RM12-15 every day), the students kept coming back for more and I even had regular customers loh :p

The end. Now back to the salad...


#3 Prepacked organic spring mix veggie (the main ingredient), pecans, dried cranberries (or raisins), and sunflower seeds. As for the nutty part, just add whatever nuts that you like; it just happened that I have the pecans & sunflower seeds at home.


#4 The salad dressing: Balsamic vinegar and olive oil (also my cooking oil). Sorry about the bad pic, argh, Meitu's quality is so poor (T^T).


#5 Also, pick a type of your favorite fruit, choose something that will go with the earthy taste of the veggie salad k... Definitely no durian. Usually, apple and grapefruit are the first two options but I ran out of them, so I added avocado instead.

Then, slightly mix all the ingredient (don't overmix as the egg salad may become gooey & watery), and feel the skinniness running through your throat to your belly.

Happy dieting!!!


p/s: Feel free to add in cucumber, red/yellow/green sweet pepper, carrot, celery and etc... The sky is the limit, ermm, I mean tummy...


Have fun,
Bev

Thanksgiving, For Real!

Never in my life have I imagined myself spending 6 hours in the kitchen for dinner, a dinner for two to be precise, and the ultimate challenge this time is a 10 lbs turkey on Thanksgiving night.

First thing first, table setting. Don't be surprised by a sea of overwhelming ideas, if you google "Thanksgiving Table Setting". Some are grand & traditional, some are contemporary & classy. No matter which direction you choose to go with, most of the "google" ideas share three similarities: 1) Cost, 2) Time, and 3) Effort. Oh man, the last two elements are the true luxuries that I can't afford now :'( Also, I don't wanna risk our tabung (saving in Malay) on getting pricey decoration & dinnerware, especially on my first Thanksgiving attempt.

But I want to make it simple, special & fun for Bao Bao...


#1 So I downloaded the F.R.E.E. Thanksgiving/Fall Kit from paperglitter.com.


#2 And there's Bao Bao enjoying her first (paper) turkey! LOL~~


#3 Chean nommed most of the cupcakes since I was so busy prepping for dinner & had no time to make him lunch :p But our dinner started at 5pm loh, in order to match Chloe's sleeping schedule #goodparents ^___^V

The mini appetizers...


#4 The "cacat" (handicapped in Malay) Deviled Eggs :p


#5 Water cracker with Brie, Atlantic Smoke Salmon, Prosciutto (my fave) and Japanese cucumber!!! Ok, I come clean, we ate about 20 of them @.@


#6 Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus, then sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. O.M.G! This is so good yet super easy to make (we ate about 12); the oven literally cooks this one all by itself. Here's the recipe!

And here comes the main dish of that night...

Aheeeem...

Drumroll please...

Taa Daa~~

#7 Not a very decent angle, just wanna show you the amount of stuffing that I managed to stuff in the 10 lbs turkey. Pure satisfaction.


#8 The crispy, perfect golden brown skin on the outside and, juicy, moist, tender meat inside. Mmm...mmm... together with the smell of rosemary... A million thanks to my cleaner for her secret recipe!


#9 Super cheesy table setting btw... I'll definitely put more effort in it since I kinda master the art of roasting turkey already :p


#10 Yay, we both got the legs!!! C.H.E.E.R.S~~

Of course we can't finish the whole turkey, more than half of the turkey went down to the trash bin, really a waste of $$. So maybe next year I'll replace it with chicken or hen instead. As for now, please tell Chean I can cook!



Slurpssss,
Bev

Brown Sugar Fatt Go

Was thinking to bake something that day other than cupcakes or butter cake, a real spontaneous thought and I was lucky enough to discover this awesome food blog called 缘心缘品~*六月★空 that comes with a super easy Fatt Go (发糕) recipe! Not really a big fans of Fatt Go but I thought it's nice to make something for my father-in-law, as an appreciation of him looking after us from the heaven.


#1 First attempt, real hideous. Sorry, Baba @.@


#2 The first batch looked like cupcakes...


#3 And second batch looked a little better but still... they're more like over-exploded volcanoes
(*｀へ´*)

I'll definitely make this again, on special occasion maybe. Here's the translated recipe (refer to the link above for Chinese version).

Ingredients:
Self-rising flour, 250g
Baking soda, 1 tsp
Brown sugar, 150g
Egg, 1
Water, 200g
Butter, 50g
Vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp

Instructions:
1) Bring brown sugar & water to boil, then leave until completely cold.
2) Melt butter over hot water.
3) Use a fork to beat the egg and mix in (1), then sieve it.
4) Mix (2) in (3). Slowly add in flour and other ingredients until well blended.
5) Fill paper-lined or buttered muffin cups about 90% full.
6) Steam on high heat for 15 to 20 minutes.



Simple right? Have fun baking (*^____^*)



Love ya,
Bev

Masak-Masak

Masak means cooking in Malay, and masak-masak refers to cooking game in Malaysia, a child's activity. Guess all Malaysians are super familiar with this term; we usually play the cooking game with a group of our childhood buddies or imaginary friends during pastime (sorry if you're the single child).

As we grow up, masak-masak eventually became masak, a real chore & an inevitable task of our daily routine, that kinda sucks honestly, especially to those who doesn't like cooking at all, like myself. However, there're things in life that some of us don't seem to really enjoy yet we still have to do it for the sake of survival, say dental & doctor visit for instance, so no excuse, gonna roll up my sleeves and get busy in the kitchen.


#1 Marmite Pork Ribs


#2 Marmite Prawns

Here's the recipe~~ I'm just gonna copy it from the recipe book my aunt gave me.

Ingredients:
250ml oil for deep-frying
500g of chopped pork ribs

Marinade:
1 tsp light soya sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tbsp corn flour

Sauce:
2 tbsp Marmite yeast extract
1 tbsp maltose (麦芽糖)
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp light soya sauce
100ml water & dash of pepper

Method:
1) Mix pork ribs with marinade and leave for at least an hour.
2) Deep-fry in hot oil for 2 minutes or until cooked. Dish & drain.
3) Leave 1 tbsp oil in wok, pour in sauce and cook at medium heat until thick.
4) Put in fried pork ribs and mix well.
5) Dish up & serve.

** Same method applies to Marmite Prawns, but remember not to marinate prawns before frying.

It's really a lot easier than I thought, I've the recipe with me for years actually but only tried it out couple weeks ago. Not bad cause I ate a bowl of rice with it (only if you know how much I hate eating rice) ^____^V

Then, followed by some homemade cupcakes to satisfy my sweet tooth and sugar craving!


#3 Bite size mini cupcakes & some full size ones.


#4 I made the frosting too~~


#5

I'm still using the same old R.E.C.I.P.E as I did 4 years ago (O.M.G! Time flies! Remember when I first learned baking in 2008? H.E.R.E if you want to read that.) Yup, this proves that my baking skill doesn't improve or get any better over the years. Bottleneck. Reached my full capacity. But who cares? I'm not aiming to be a pastry chef anyway :p

I don't need to be an excellent cook but I really need to get a little more serious about cooking, at least have to make sure the dishes I made are edible (T____T). God knows why, I have this image of myself starving & food-poisoning my BB due to my horrible/lame cooking skills. S.I.G.H. That's real scary but it's a real positive motivator. Also, ermm, kinda embarrassed to say that but I used to complain about my mum's homemade dishes a lot, I'd just skip dinner or ask for "da pao". Super regret now, took things for granted all the time. Hope my BB won't do that to me, I'm so sorry Mum!!! *反省中*

It's not easy to be a good wife, and it's extremely difficult to be a good wife with superb cooking skills. And as a perfectionist, I think being a good mum is bazillion times harder than all the above.

Happy Birthday to you, Mum! Salute you, my true heroine!!! Love you always (^з^)❤❤



Good day,
Bev

What's Gotten Into Me Lately?

I've been ridiculously hardworking lately, not just blogging alone but shopping, cooking, researching and reading too @.@ Feel super energetic perhaps due to the hormone changes & high adrenalin level, I need to be productive & on the move all the time. A little bit of anxiety, nervousness, excitement plus anticipation are fundamentally contributing to my current emotional state now; it's kinda mix feeling to not knowing how my future holds & revolves around the unexpected uncertainties. Hmm...

Anyway, guess I'm gonna enjoy the ride and just go with the flow for now...

Ermm, where were we? Oh, ya, cooking. I cooked and started to get serious about cooking too (especially those traditional dishes I made on CNY eve), sigh, I wish I'm able to feed my BB with edible meals by the time she can take solid foods or know how to appreciate Asian cuisines. Ganbate Bev ❤❤

And this blog, ChingKitchen is one of my favorite "go to" food blogs whenever I was looking for some simple and quick home-cook recipes. I tried 蜜汁炸鲍鱼菇 (Fried Mushrooms with Sweet Sauce) this time, it's super good, unbelievably easy to make.

Here's the recipe (translated from the original recipe):

Ingredients:
Fresh Abalone Mushrooms (Pleurotus)... 100g
Egg ............................................................ 1
All-Purpose Flour ..................................... add moderately
Cooked Sesame ......................................... add moderately

Sauce:
Tomato Sauce ........................................... 3 tablespoons
Sugar ........................................................ 1 tablespoon
Salt ........................................................... 1/4 teaspoon
Water ....................................................... 3 tablespoons
Dark Soy Sauce ........................................ 1/2 teaspoon

Instructions:
1）Dip mushroom in the beaten egg, make sure the entire mushroom is coated, then roll in flour to coat.
2) Deep fry in oil until golden, allow excess oil to drip off and set aside.
3) Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring well-mixed sauce to boil, and stir in the fried mushrooms. Cook until the sauce thickens & well blended.


#1 Couldn't get any Fresh Abalone Mushrooms in the Asian market, so I replaced the main ingredient with Blue Oyster Mushrooms (or whatsoever that look something like this). I sliced the mushrooms into smaller pieces too.


#2 Fried ;)


#3 Uncooked sauce.


#4 The end product~~ I like it a lot, will make this again soon!

You can actually replace mushrooms with all kinds of other ingredients like chicken or pork, and turn this into your own signature dish, I'll keep exploring & experimenting ;)

By the way, I also make pancakes for breakfast this morning, browse & read further if this food post haven't bored you yet.


#5 Krusteaz Pancake Mix saved my life! Oh ya, I don't eat corn syrup, honey is a lot healthier than that, I supposed.


#6 No egg needed, no complicated mixing instructions involved, just add in water...


#7 More often than not, I love adding a handful of fresh blueberries into the batter but we run out of blueberries this time @.@


#8 V.I.O.L.A~~ Hearty & healthy breakfast.


#9 Yum Yum!!!


I'm gonna take this whole cooking haul to the next level, will challenge Soya Milk Chiffon Cake next week, gan jiong already, wish me luck peeps!


p/s: As you already noticed, I'm on instagram for awhile although I am not actively nor impulsively hooked on it, add me at Beverlymun if you feel like viewing my insta pics first hand (*^__^*)



See ya,
Bev

To The Year of Water Dragon

Happy Birthday to you!!!

It's the seventh day of Chinese New Year (CNY), traditionally known as Rénrì (人日, the common man's birthday), the day when everyone grows one year older (Wikipedia, 2012). Although I don't have 鱼生 (YuSheng, tossed raw fish salad) this year, that doesn't stop me from enjoying CNY & having a great time! Guess what, I know how to make some traditional CNY dishes, F.I.N.A.L.L.Y!!! Yay, my life doesn't have to be so miserable anymore.

I made all of these except the roasted pork on the 1st day of CNY. Totally have no idea how I actually did it, super proud of myself!


#1 南乳五香炸肉. Mum taught me this over the phone and I also referred to a recipe that Sock Peng shared me on FB.


#2 Roasted pork. Bought it from Ocean Pacific Market, an Asian market located in Broomfield. I don't eat this so I don't know if it tastes good but Chean insisted it's a must-have in order to complete our CNY menu @.@


#3 欢乐笑哈哈 aka Ketchup Prawns.


#4 Veggie & Mushrooms.


#5 年年有鱼, Garlic & Bean Sauce Steamed Fish. A recipe I stole from my mum over the phone, again.


#6 This dish was kinda like a spur-of-the-moment thing, I spontaneously invented it by adding a little bit of herbs & spices and surprisingly, it tasted amazing! Wanna called this 相亲相爱 or 一家团圆 cause it's made of chicken & eggs; however, Chean thought it sounded too cruel, we then called it 金鸡报喜 (what, chicken lays eggs mah, duh @.@).


#7


#8 Dinner for two! Ya, just me & Chean; I'm not confident enough to invite guests over.


#9 Tea time~~


#10 Ended the second day of CNY with 菜脚／酸菜 (a spicy & sour Malaysian dish that's made of leftover foods). Y.U.M.M.Y! First attempt ever, thanks to my mum again!


#11 Spot the luggage? I haven't completely unpacked it since my Aspen trip, but well, I'll soon be flying again~~ Why bother :p


#12 Dolled up and went out makan again on the 5th day of CNY.


#13 Ordered Lobster Yee Mee again, I know, I'm crazy about seafood, I can eat them everyday! :p


#14 And, he is crazy about Chicken Rice, especially the Hainanese Style, hehe...

Ohh... Before I forget...


#15 Thank you Maria for sharing the 年糕 (rice cake) that she brought over from Vancouver, Canada with us! I searched all over the town yet can't find these in any Asian markets, A.R.G.H =____=lll


#16 I only wish I could make better flour mix... Rice cake, why you no good-looking one?

Nonetheless, we feel super blessed to be able to celebrate CNY before the end of the world, if the 2012 prediction is true. LOL... I'll see you all in Malaysia next year!!!



Gong Xi Fa Cai,
Bev