Homemade Bacon Potato Corn Chowder Soup – no flour! (budgetpantry.com)
Makes 1-2 servings

What you need:

800g potatoes (about 4 medium sized, cubed)
2 large yellow onions, chopped
8-10 tbsps corn kernals (I used frozen)
12 slices no-nitrates bacon, sliced into 1-cm pieces
1 can evaporated milk (320-330ml doesn’t matter)
1 litre water
3 tbsps concentrated chicken stock (I used Woh Hup)
1 tbsp garlic powder (or use 3 cloves minced garlic)
1 tsp salt
4-5 sprigs spring onions, divide white and green parts and slice thinly
Black pepper

Steps:

In a large pot on medium heat, cook bacon for 6-8 mins until crisped. No need to add any oil.

Once crispy remove bacon pieces and leave the grease in the pot.

Add chopped onions and white part of spring onion. Fry for 5 mins until translucent. Add minced garlic (if using this. If using garlic powder, see next step). Cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add the corn, potatoes, garlic powder, salt, water and concentrated chicken stock.

Bring to boil and lower heat. Simmer until potatoes are fork tender (but not super mushy), about 20 minutes. Turn off the flame.

Using a hand-held blender, blend soup until your preferred consistency. I like to leave a few pieces of potato chunks for some bite. Add the evaporated milk, bacon and green part of spring onions and stir through.

Finish with a dash of black pepper if you like. Serve with warm crusty bread!

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Tip: Can you do this without a hand held blender? Yes, if you can transfer the soup to a stand blender, it works too. Can you do this without ANY type of blender? Well yes, but you need to cook the potatoes till they’re mashed and even so, the consistently won’t be as creamy because you’ll get small onion and corn pieces. Not a problem if you don’t mind it though. Let me know how it goes!

Quick & Easy Braised Ee Fu Noodles (budgetpantry.com)
Makes 4 servings

What you need:

4 servings Ee Fu noodles (I use Sun Brand Dried Hong Kong Yee Fu Mee from any supermarket)
200g lean meat, sliced into strips (you can use chicken or pork – I used shredded leftover pork ribs because well, they were leftover, but lean fillet meat is better)
100g chinese cabbage (wongbok or wawa cai, sliced into strips)
Half a can of straw mushrooms, cut into half (the mushrooms, not the can)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon light soy sauce (I use hand flower brand)
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
Drizzle of chinese cooking wine
Pork bone stock, enough to just about cover the noodles (you can mix some 味霸 seasoning (I get mine from Donki) or concentrated stock with water or just use water)
Oil for frying

Steps:

Loosen noodles in boiling water for 1-2 minutes. Drain and set aside. The noodles shouldn’t be completely cooked because we still need to fry them.

Heat up the oil and fry the ginger and garlic till fragrant. Add the meat and fry till it changes colour. Add the straw mushrooms and cabbage and fry for 2 minutes.

Toss in the noodles and add the soy sauce and oyster sauce. Fry for a bit then add stock or water till it just about covers the noodles. Put on the lid and braise for 4-5 minutes.

When time is up, open the lid to reduce the liquid, then finish with a drizzle of chinese cooking wine.

Tip: if you can find yellow chives, add it!

Cajun Seafood Boil (budgetpantry.com)
Makes 2-3 servings

What you need:
400g fresh tiger prawns, veins removed and legs/whiskers trimmed
200g skinless cod chunks (you can also use any white fish)
100g pork belly slices
150g smoked sausages (or you can use luncheon meat)
Handful of broccoli florets
200g pasta (penne or fusilli)
1 large yellow onion, sliced thinly into rings
1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
6 fresh shitake mushrooms
1 ear of corn (cut into chunks, and boiled or steamed – or you can use frozen kernels)
2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
1 tablespoon Cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sugar
Sprinkle of black pepper
200ml chicken stock or enough to just about reach the top of your ingredients
1 tablespoon salted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil

Steps:

Cook the pasta until al dente and set aside.

Heat up the butter and oil and fry onion till wilted. Add the mushrooms and garlic.

Add the pork belly and sausages and fry until pork is no longer pink. Add the broccoli and corn, followed by chicken stock until it just about covers all the ingredients. Add the Old Bay, Cajun, garlic powder and sugar. Mix well.

Toss in your seafood and stir until prawn and fish are cooked, about 3-4 minutes. Return the pasta to the pot. Mix everything together. Sprinkle with black pepper and serve immediately.

刀削面 Shaved Noodles “Chilli Pan Mee” Style (budgetpantry.com)
Makes 4 servings

What you need:
4 portions刀削面
4 eggs
Handful of spinach or xiao bai cai
Crispy prawn chilli according to taste
Chopped spring onions
Prawns (optional)
Other ingredients as below

Crispy ikan bilis:
5 tablespoons ikan bilis
3 tablespoons oil

Braised meat topping
300g minced pork, marinated for 20 minutes in:
– 1.5 tablespoon oyster sauce
– 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
– 1 teaspoon light sauce
– Dash of pepper
(for later use) 1 tablespoon minced garlic
(for later use) 4-5 tablespoons water

Seasonings for noodles (per bowl)
1 teaspoon each of:
– Dark soy sauce
– Light soy sauce
– Shallot oil (together with shallots)
– Ikan bilis oil

Steps:

Fry the ikan bilis in 3 tablespoons oil on medium heat til golden brown. This should take about 2 minutes. Once done, transfer the ikan bilis to a plate lined with kitchen paper. Reserve the oil and set aside.

In the same pot, add the minced garlic and marinated minced meat. Fry for 1-2 minutes, then add the water. Continue cooking for 2 minutes, then transfer meat along with gravy to a bowl and set aside.

Boil the prawns if using, remove and set aside. Do the same for the vegetables.

Boil the noodles portion by portion, then mix well with the seasonings. If you have leftover ikan bilis oil, divide it among the 4 bowls.

Now for the poached eggs. I cook mine by cracking each egg in a ladle, then lowering it into simmering water for about 3 minutes. Otherwise, you can check out Simply Recipes for instructions on poaching eggs.

Assemble! Top noodles with ikan bilis, minced meat and gravy, poached egg, vegetables, spring onion and crispy chili. Toss all the ingredients with the noodles and enjoy!

Milky pork bone broth (or stock) for your baby (budgetpantry.com)
Serves 3-4

What you need:

500g pork ribs with some fat (I used baby spare ribs / xiao pai gu)
400g chicken bones (optional – ok to skip – or you could just use 500ml chicken stock)
1 carrot
1 large potato
2 stalks celery
8-10 cloves garlic
1 yellow onion
2 honey dates
Water to just about cover all the ingredients and more for topping up
Salt to taste (optional)

Steps:

Blanch the pork ribs and chicken bones in boiling water for five minutes and rinse under running water to get rid of gunk.

Chop the carrot, potato, celery, and onion into chunks. Rinse honey dates.

Place all the ingredients in a large pot, fill with water until the water just about covers all the ingredients. Bring to a rolling boil for 10 minutes, then turn down the heat to a small simmer. Cook with lid on, leaving a small opening. Simmer for 3-4 hours and check periodically to top up with chicken stock (if using) or water. When done, remove the chicken bones if you have used them. Add salt to taste if desired.

For a wholesome meal, add tomato, spinach, broccoli or other greens 4-5 minutes before serving. You can have this with different pastas, noodles or rice. Freeze excess in an airtight container.

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