Tag: Sauce

Mushroompride

Soy Sauce Chicken – Delishar

The girls walked in after running amok at the playground and asked if I’m making chicken and rice. They then announced very loudly that they are hungry and can’t wait to have dinner. The excitement and smile on their faces, told me that dinner is not going to be a broken record of me saying, “Sit down and finish your food!”. True enough, dinner was a breeze, even on the next day! I reserved the sauce to season the egg noodles, blanched some xiao bai cai, and heated some left over soy sauce chicken. Lunch was served in 5 minutes, and the girls asked for 2nd servings. 

I served this soy sauce chicken with rice cooker chicken rice, omitting the chicken pieces used in that recipe of course. The husband was grinning from ear to ear when I served this up. I vividly remember him wolfing down his dinner while mumbling to himself, “So good, so good…”. Yes, this dish earn me another one of his ‘That was a great meal’ kiss. And he even ‘liked’ the soy sauce chicken picture I posted on my facebook! That’s like a double confirm yummers! 

soy sauce chicken 3

The recipe is easy to follow, and the prep time is minimal. Clean up was a breeze too as it only requires one pot. I used my trusty 26cm Le Creuset French oven to help me cook this gorgeous bird. If there is only one piece of cookware you need to own, it will be Le Creuset French oven. It truly is a multi-purpose pot, frying, stir-frying, slow cooking, searing, braising, steaming, or baking. You name it, it does it all. The black phenolic lid knobs on the enamelled cast iron are heat-resistant up to 480°F / 250°C.

Cast iron can be used reliably on any heat source, from your stovetop to the oven or even on the grill. It retain heat so efficiently, that it allows for use of lower heat settings on your stovetop and oven cooking. Always use medium to low heat when cooking with cast iron. Use high heat only when boiling or reducing consistency of stock and sauces.

Because cast iron retains heat so well, be sure to allow hot pan to cool for a few minutes before washing. Plunging a hot pan into cold water may cause thermal shock, and may result in cracking or loss of enamel. Never use scourers or abrasive cleaners on the enamel. To remove stubborn food residues, fill the pan with warm water and let soak for 15 to 20 minutes before washing. 

Soy Sauce Chicken Process

Soy Sauce Chicken

Sharon of Delishar

  • 1.5-2 kg whole chicken cleaned
  • 2 tsp oil
  • 8 slices of old ginger
  • 6 cloves garlic smashed
  • 2 stalks scallions chop into 2 inch pieces
  • 3 star anise
  • 1 1/4 cup Shao Xing wine
  • 1 1/4 cup light soy sauce
  • 1 1/4 cup dark soy sauce
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 8 cups water

  • Heat oil in dutch oven.

  • Saute garlic, scallion, ginger, and star anise until fragrant.

  • Add salt, light soy, dark soy, wine, sugar, and water.

  • Bring to boil and simmer for 20 minutes.

  • Add chicken into the simmering liquid, making sure cavity is filled with cooking liquid.

  • Bring to boil, and lower heat to a simmer and allow to cook for 30 minutes.

  • Periodically baste the exposed area with cooking liquid, if the whole chicken is not submerged.

  • Remove from heat and allow chicken to rest in the liquid for 15 minutes before serving.

  • Baste the chicken occasionally with the sauce in the pot.

  • This will keep the skin moist as it cools.

The remaining sauce goes great over steamed rice or as a sauce base for egg noodles.
Adapted from thewoksoflife

Soy Sauce Chicken 2

 

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Pan Seared Scallops with XO Sauce – Delishar

If you are looking for a dish that will impress, this is the one. These big, fat, and juicy scallops topped with XO sauce makes perfect appetizers or as part of a multi-dish meal. This dish took me less than 15 minutes to put together, and it was swept of the plate even faster than I can finish plating my entrée. I have to admit that I found it hard to sneak a few scallops for myself while I was plating it. 

Seared Scallops with XO sauce

There is something about XO sauce that makes one wooo and ahhh. I always think of it as the Asian style truffle, just not as pricey, it is also known as the ‘Caviar of the Orient’ . For those who do not know what XO sauce is, it is a savoury gourmet condiment made from Chinese ham, dried scallops, dried shrimp, dried squid & spices. In this dish, I’m using Lee Kum Kee’s new Seafood XO sauce, which is available in major supermarket.

The outcome of the dish is amazing, both amazingly simple to make, and amazingly delicious. The husband was talking to me during dinner, and the casually popped one of these babies into his mouth. Then he went silent, and his eyes closed as he savoured the sweetness of the caramelised scallops, the savoury goodness of the XO sauce, and then the bite of the scallions sets in. It’s almost like a party in the mouth, and I for one didn’t want the party to end. 

Don’t forget to take part in the $100 Tangs Gift Card Giveaway!! Click on this link to go to the giveaway page.

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Pan Seared Scallops with XO Sauce

Delishar

Serves 2-3 as appetizer

  • 6 large scallops thawed overnight in fridge if frozen
  • 1/2 tsp curry powder
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp seafood XO sauce or regular XO sauce
  • 1 wedge of lemon
  • Chopped spring onions to garnish

  • Pat dry scallops.

  • Season with salt, pepper, and curry powder on both sides.

  • Heat pan on medium high heat, add oil and butter.

  • When butter is melted, place scallops in and allow to sear for 2 minutes each side.

  • Place scallops on plate, spritz a little lemon juice on scallops.

  • Add a dollop of XO sauce on each scallop and garnish with spring onions.

  • Serve immediately.

XO scallops 3

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XO Sauce Pasta – Delishar

Just before Chinese New Year, Lee Kum Kee sent me a gift pack with all their popular items. In the pack, sits a bottle of XO sauce. Think of XO sauce as the Asian style truffle, it is also known as the ‘Caviar of the Orient’ . For those who do not know what XO sauce is, it is a savoury gourmet condiment made from Chinese ham, dried scallops, dried shrimp, dried squid & spices. In this dish, I’m using Lee Kum Kee’s new Seafood XO sauce, which is available in major supermarket. The first dish I made with this XO sauce was Pan Seared Scallops with XO Sauce.

When I posted that recipe online, my page hits went through the roof. I have since gotten many great feedback from readers on that dish. I feel that using XO sauce on anything at all, makes the meal a whole lot more delicious. 

XO Spaghetti 1

I thought of this dish while I was walking my girls to their enrichment class on a Sunday morning. The husband went out to play soft ball that morning, so he will be coming home famished and hunting for food. Sunday also meant that my refrigerator and pantry will be low on fresh produce, as I usually go marketing on Tuesdays to stock up for the week. I had an hour to queue up for a caffeine fix, rush back home, make food, shower, and go pick the girls up. So I thought up this perfect dish, a slight variation from the usual aglio olio.

xo-spaghetti-insta-2

It only took me 10 minutes to put this together. Taste-tested it, and instantly knew I had to share this with all of you. Such a quick fix, but so darn delish! The husband came home had 2 servings, then asked if I could make him more of whatever this sorcery is. Lucky for him (and me), it was so easy to put together I could make him more in minutes. If you are looking for a quick fix meal, I highly recommend this. Personally, I felt that the new XO seafood sauce isn’t as spicy as the regular one. So do feel free to add some chilli padi to the recipe if you like your food hot & spicy. I made my girls’ portion without XO sauce but tossed it with a little crispy fried shallot. 

XO Sauce Spaghetti

Delishar

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 15 minutes

  • 100 g angel hair pasta
  • 3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
  • 3 cloves garlic minced or thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp XO sauce + 1-2 tsp XO sauce to serve
  • Handful of bonito flakes divided
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp chopped spring onions
  • 1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

  • Cook angel hair pasta just shy of al dente in a large pot of salted water (about 2 minutes)

  • Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of pasta cooking water, and set aside.

  • Meanwhile, heat pan with 3 tbsp olive oil over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes.

  • Add garlic to infuse oil, stir occasionally and watch heat so the garlic doesn’t brown/burn.

  • Add 2 tbsp XO sauce, and saute until heated through.

  • Add pasta, and toss to coat. Adding in the reserved pasta water if needed.

  • Season with salt and pepper.

  • Remove from heat, and plate.

  • Top with bonito flakes, spring onions, coriander, and a little more XO sauce.

XO Spaghetti

Disclaimer: This post was made possible by Lee Kum Kee. However, all opinion expressed are my own. 

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Pulut Hitam Rice Ball in Coconut Sauce – Delishar

I’m obsessed with Bubur Pulut Hitam, that sticky & gooey warm black glutinous rice porridge that’s sweetened with gula melaka and finished with a slight drizzle of rich fragrant coconut milk. If there is one Asian dessert I can have every single day without having to worry about weight gain, it has to be Pulut Hitam. Just writing this post is getting my mouth all watery, and tummy all rumbly. 

The other thing I like next to bubur pulut hitam is tang yuan or glutinous rice balls. I prefer the plain ones with no filling/stuffing as compared to the ones with it, and I like to have mine with warm and thick almond paste. There’s something about the thick and rich consistency that I really enjoy. So when I chance upon this recipe, I was elated!

Putting the 2 top Asian dessert on my list together as one, and a darn easy one to make too! Although I prefer plain glutinous rice balls more than the ones with filling in it. It keeps ringing in my ear that it’ll be nice to wrap a little piece of gula melaka in it. Maybe next time, I might might just do that, for that ondeh ondeh effect. But for now, I’m really enjoying this lovely dessert. 

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Bubur Hitam Rice Balls

Delishar

Rice Balls

  • 125 g white glutinous rice flour
  • 75 g black glutinous rice flour
  • 40 g granulated coconut/palm sugar or fine sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 150 ml luke warm water

To cook rice ball

  • 1 pandan leaf knotted
  • Gula melaka/palm sugar to taste
  • Water

Coconut Sauce

  • 400 ml coconut milk
  • 1 pandan leaf knotted
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 tsp salt

Coconut Sauce

  • In a saucepan, add coconut milk, pandan, salt, and sugar.

  • Bring to a simmer, stirring frequently until fragrant and thickened.

  • Remove from heat and set aside.

Rice ball

  • Combine all the rice ball ingredients into a bowl, and knead until dough comes together, and is smooth.

  • Roll dough into 1 inch size balls.

To cook rice ball

  • Bring water to boil, sweetened with gula melaka to taste. (this just adds a bit more flavour to the rice ball.)

  • Add pandan leaf.

  • Add rice balls, and cook until done. When it’s done, it will float to the surface.

  • Place cooked rice balls in a bowl of tap water to stop cooking process.

The glutinous rice ball isn’t very sweet, you can add more sugar to the mix if you like it a little sweeter.
Adapted from Daily Cooking Quest

Black Glutinous Rice Balls 4

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Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce – Delishar

One skillet cooking makes it so easy to clean up!! I only have one pan to wash, and that also means that I do not have to be cooking multiple dishes at once to get dinner ready in time for the husband to come home too. The husband comes home famish and ready to eat a whole cow every single work day. He usually skips lunch because he doesn’t have enough time, or he has his lunch too early in the day because that’s his only break time. So I always made sure that food is ready, plated, and served the moment he steps into the house. 

Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce insta 1

I made this meal about a week or 2 ago. I was trying to cut down on carbs after my Thailand trip which I probably overloaded on carbo! So I made this protein rich meal to compensate for the lost in carbs to keep our belly satiate. The husband took a bite, opened his eyes wide, and said,”Wow, this is gooooooood!”. It hit the spot for him. Perhaps it’s the wine! lol! If you are worried about the alcohol, don’t be. The alcohol cooks off and evaporates in the cooking process leaving the essence of the wine that gives the sauce it’s depth. This is coming from someone who DOES NOT drink any alcohol at all. I get hives if I drink, and this meal did not give me any hives. 

However, if you just want to be extra safe especially if you are cooking for pregnant, breast-feeding ladies, or kids. Then substitute the alcohol with chicken stock. Also, I used the pan to saute my beans with onion, garlic, salt, and pepper. Gave it a little wipe down before making my chicken. So this is truly a one skillet meal. 🙂

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Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Delishar

  • 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
  • 1/2 cup flour seasoned with salt and pepper
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbso olive oil
  • 400 g button mushroom sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 1/2 yellow onion diced
  • 1 &1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
  • 2 tsp dried thyme or 1 heaping tbsp chopped fresh thyme
  • 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
  • 2 tbsp dijon mustard
  • 1/2 cup heavy cream

  • Drege chicken in flour, and set aside.

  • Melt butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.

  • Cook chicken on both sides until golden brown, remove from pan, and set aside. (4-5 minutes each side)

  • Reduce heat to medium, and add onion, saute for a minute, then add mushroom & garlic.

  • Saute for a few minutes until mushroom are limp.

  • Add wine/broth, scraping up the bottom of the pan, and add thyme.

  • Bring to boil, and add chicken back into the pan.

  • Lower heat to low, and allow to simmer for 15-20 minutes.

  • Add cream, mustard, and parmesan cheese.

  • Stir to combine, and allow sauce to thicken.

  • Remove from heat and serve.

Adapted from Laughing Spatula

Get the pre portioned cook kit for this amazing dish and
cook it in your own kitchen! Order Now

Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce

 

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Apple Crumb Cake with Salted Caramel Sauce – Delishar

This cake requires a bit of work but the effort was well worth it. Of course, you can skip making your own caramel sauce, and use a store-bought one. But you know it’s going to be different. There’s actually 3 recipes in this post. Streusel, salted caramel sauce, and a cake recipe. You can use the streusel recipe to top any coffee cake or muffins for that crumbly edge. 

The salted caramel sauce needs no introduction. It goes amazingly well with any and every dessert! Salted caramel is another one of my kryptonite. I can go in spoonful after spoonful if I’m out of control. I tend to find quick ways to get rid of it. Either by using it for other bake products or giving it away to friends and family. I’m not sure how strong my will power is to keep myself away from that delicious thang if I know it’s still in the house. 

So anyway, the sour cream and the apples keeps the cake nice and moist. The streusel gives it a contrasting texture, and the sauce hits all the right notes. There’s a lot going on, in this cake. And I’m certain that you’ll enjoy it as much as I did.

  

Apple Crumb Cake with Salted Caramel Sauce

Delishar

Makes an 8 inch cake

Salted Caramel Sauce (makes about 1 1/2 cup)

  • 1 cup 225g castor sugar
  • ½ cup 117.5ml heavy cream
  • 2 tablespoons 28.5g unsalted butter
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt or to taste

Streusel Crumb

  • 1 1/2 cup 192g flour
  • 1/2 cup 100g brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup 56g castor sugar
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon powder
  • 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/2 cup 113g butter, melted
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Cake Batter

  • 4 Tablespoons 56.5g butter, softened
  • 1/2 cup 100g castor sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 cup 128g flour
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 granny smith apples-peeled and sliced
  • 1 tsp cinnamon powder

Salted Caramel Sauce

  • In a medium saucepan set over medium-low heat, melt sugar.

  • Cook, without stirring, until the sugar has turned a deep amber hue, approximately 10 to 12 minutes.

  • Then add butter while stirring constantly.

  • Slowly whisk in the cream and continue simmering the mixture until it is smooth

  • Remove from heat, then whisk in salt, to taste.

Streusel Crumbs

  • In a bowl, whisk together all the dry ingredients.

  • Pour in melted butter and vanilla, stir until moist and crumbly.

  • Set aside.

Cake

  • Preheat the oven to 175C.

  • Toss sliced apples with cinnamon powder, then set aside.

  • Line and grease a 8 inch round pan.

  • In a mixing bowl, cream butter, sugar, and vanilla extract together until light and fluffy.

  • Add egg and beat well.

  • Add sour cream and beat until combined.

  • Sift in dry ingredients (salt, baking powder, baking soda, and flour) to the butter mixture.

  • Stir until combined.

  • Spread half the batter at the bottom of the pan.

  • Lay the apple chunks evenly on top of the batter.

  • Sprinkle 1/2 of the crumbs mixture over the apples.

  • Spread the remaining batter over the crumbs and on the top spread the rest of the streusel.

  • Bake 35-40 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.

  • Drizzle salted caramel sauce on top and serve.

Adapted from yummiestfood

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Braised Chicken in Oyster Sauce – Delishar

Any food with the word ‘braise’ in it, automatically triggers salivation for me. It is a healthy slow cooking method that produce healthy, yet flavour-some food that is tender and falls apart in your mouth. The protein will soak up all the amazing flavours in the pot while it slowly simmers on a low and slow heat. The sauce of any braised dish is often so rich and umami-packed. My goodness, just typing this is making my tummy go cray-cray! 

This dish was a hit with the family. The husband could not stop eating it. Even after he was done with his food, his fork make its way to another chicken, piece after piece until the last one was gone. My elder daughter who is not a big meat eater, asked me for more chicken and sauce over her rice. My youngest claimed this to be her newest favourite chicken dish. And she wanted me to make it again the next day, and for the rest of her life. Lol! 

Cooking has never failed to amaze me each time. It’s like a gamble with the family because it is something new that they have never tried. But I’m grateful that they are so adventurous and willing to try out any food I put on the table. 

Talking about new dishes and recipes, I wanted to share with you that my cookbook is ready! I picked up my copy from my editor and I absolutely love it! There are 45 recipes in this book, 40 of which will only be exclusive to the book. In the book, I wrote sections on kitchen tips and tricks, as well as food planning strategies to minimise food wastage and be more efficient in your meal preparations. Here’s a sneak peek of ‘Daily Cooking with Delishar’.

The book is still at the warehouse, pending delivery to major bookstores. It should be on the shelves and for sale at $32 sometime late February. However, you can also pre-order it from me at a special price of $28 incl of GST. You can choose to self collect from me at woodlands or have it mailed using smartpac +$3.80. Pre-order will end 5th Feb. If you are interested, please email me at [email protected]. Those who live out of SG, the book is available on Amazon as well. 🙂

Update: Cookbook is on sale at all major bookstore. I have a couple to spare at a special price of $28. If you are interested, email me at [email protected]

Braised Chicken in Oyster Sauce

Delishar

Chicken Marinade

  • 4 chicken legs chopped
  • 1 tbsp shao xing wine
  • 2 tsp light soy sauce
  • dash of white pepper

Ingredients

  • 4 fresh shiitake mushrooms sliced into 4
  • 3 cloves garlic peeled & lightly smashed
  • 1 inch thumb old ginger sliced
  • 3 stalks spring onions cut white part into 2 inch length (reserve some for garnish)
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • Corn starch slurry

Sauce

  • 2 cups water
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp light soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 2.5 tsp sugar
  • salt adjust to taste

  • Marinate chicken with all the ingredients listed under ‘chicken marinade’ for 30 minutes.

  • Heat sesame oil in wok or pot over medium high heat.

  • Stir-fry garlic, ginger, and spring onion until fragrant.

  • Add chicken to brown both sides.

  • Add mushrooms to cook for 30 seconds.

  • Pour in all the ingredients for sauce, and give it a stir.

  • Bring to boil, cover, and reduce heat to low.

  • Allow to simmer for 35-45 minutes until chicken is tender and sauce reduced.

  • Drizzle in cornstarch slurry while stirring to thicken sauce.

  • Serve garnished with chopped spring onions.

 

 

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Crab Bites with Thai Seafood Sauce – Delishar

Oh hey hi! I’m back with another video and a super easy recipe to whet your appetite. This time, it’s a no-cook recipe that requires very little preparation. As a busy working mom, I often look to create quick and delicious recipes for snacks or mini get-togethers. With the group size capped to 5/household at any one time, these bite-sized hors d’oeuvres are perfect for entertaining. I brought it to a family gathering for taste testing and it was 3 generations approved!

Using DoDo‘s crab chunks, I don’t even have to peel the plastic wrapping off or slice the crabsticks. Just remove it from the package and it’s ready to be devoured. What I love most about these affordable DoDo crab chunks are the 90g package size and the $1.70 price. It’s the perfect size for 1-2 pax. It’s also the perfect amount to use for your stir-fries, personal hotpot, pasta, and more…

For this recipe, I was inspired by little tapas with Thai flavours infused into them. The sauce made is also known as Nam Jim Talay, a popular Thai seafood dipping sauce. The mayonnaise on the vessel adds depth with its creaminess to bring all the fresh herby flavours together. It also balances out the spiciness of the sauce while the sweetness of the crab chunks marries the tanginess of the sauce beautifully. If you’d like to see more recipes like that, let me know. 🙂

Crab Bites with Thai Seafood Sauce

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 0 minutes

0 minutes

Total Time 10 minutes

  • 3 packs Dodo Crab Chunks
  • 1 cucumber shredded & liquid squeezed out
  • Crispy toasts or crispy baguette See notes for alternatives
  • Mayonnaise
  • Chives to garnish

Dressing:

  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 chilli padi or to taste
  • 1 shallot
  • 50 g coriander roots included
  • 3 tbsp fish sauce
  • 4 tbsp sugar
  • 4 tbsp fresh lime juice
  • ½ tsp salt

  • Method:

  • Add everything for dressing into the blender and blend.

  • Pour enough dressing over crab chunks and toss to coat.

  • Spread some mayo over the crispy toasts.

  • Top with shredded cucumber and add crab chunks.

  • Garnish with chives and serve.

You may also use pie tie cups, ritz crackers, rice crackers, wafer/crackers, tostitos scoops etc.

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