I get asked many times if I use a wok when cooking Chinese dishes. Truth be told, I don’t! And there are a few reasons for that:

1. “The sink is too small.”
What? That is a fact! Ah-mm’s huge-ass wok is too small to fit in the kitchen sink. I already hate washing up. Trying to manoeuvre the wok around the sink just to get it cleaned frustrates me even more.

2. “Out of sight, out of mind.”
This is again true. The best place to leave your wok is out in the open. Because the stove space is so small, the wok is always kept in the cabinet, underneath all the other smaller pots and pans. And what do most normal people do when they need a frying pan? Go for the easiest to reach ones!

3. “This thing weighs a ton!”
Ok, it doesn’t, but it is still much heavier and cumbersome than a frying pan.

That said, my Mom swears by her wok. Lazy as I am, I can’t deny the fact that when it comes to stir-frying, everything tastes better when it is tossed over high heat in a wok. A frying pan gets your food cooked. A wok gets your food amazing. I know because everything my Mom cooks is amazing, and she cooks everything in her wok.

Today’s recipe was prepared in a frying pan (see reasons 1-3 above). Still delicious but not the best, and it’s ok, we won’t know what we’re missing.

I used chicken inner fillet for this dish. Chicken inner fillet (鸡柳) is the underside of the chicken breast and is moist and tender. It is about 10cm long and has almost zero fat. I love it! My favourite brand is LEBON from Giant because each fillet is frozen individually before being packed. Other brands I’ve bought are frozen together in a large chunk and you just can’t pick a few pieces to defrost. With LEBON, I simply open up the packet, take whatever number of fillets I need and defrost them for an easy lunch or dinner. Here’s what inner fillets look like:

Whether you choose to cook this in a wok or pan, you’re sure to enjoy this comforting dish. Serve with rice. You won’t stop at one bowl!

The post Chinese Stir-fry: Chicken and Bell Peppers with Cashew Nuts appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

Celery isn’t exactly my choice vegetable because I don’t like the feeling of chewing on them as it prolongs the taste of celery in your mouth, which to me, isn’t very pleasant. The irony is, I love celery juice, the more potent the better. I’m a bit weird like that, but it really does make sense: my problem is with chewing celery, not tasting it. I’m hard to understand, most times. Go figure.

Although I don’t like eating it, I really do love cooking celery in a quick stir-fry with a sprinkle of sugar. I once read somewhere that adding sugar to a celery stir-fry enhances the dish, but I don’t remember why it does. All I know is when I cook celery with a bit of sugar, Ah-mm and 88 never fail sing praises of the dish, but when I leave out the sugar, their reaction is almost always muted, like they’re not very excited at all. I associate that with the sugar, or lack of it. And after my mini-experiment with and without sugar, I have always added sugar when cooking celery for cleaned-out plates every time.

Makes 3 servings

What I used:

3 strips chicken fillet, cut into small pieces and marinated with: 1.5 tablespoon shaoxing wine, 1 teaspoon light soy sauce, half teaspoon sugar and a dash of white pepper
4 stalks celery, sliced diagonally
Half a carrot, sliced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 cloves shallots, sliced
1 teaspoon olive oil
Half teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons chicken stock or water
Parsley and red chillies, for garnish (optional)

1. Heat up oil in wok til very hot, add shallots and garlic and fry for a minute. Add celery and carrots, then the half teaspoon of sugar. Mix well to combine.
2. Add in the chicken together with the marinate, stir fry for a few minutes then add the chicken stock.
3. Cook til heated through and stock is reduced. Dish up and garnish with parsley and sliced red chillies if using. Serve hot with rice.

How much I spent:

$1.50 for chicken fillet
$0.60 for celery stalks
$0.20 for half carrot
Everything else from my pantry!

Total cost per serving: $0.77

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I marinated the chicken in a bit more shaoxing wine this time because it truly goes well with the celery, chicken and sugar. When preparing the celery, try to remove any visible fibres so you have an easier time when eating. Most of you know that I don’t particularly like frying vegetables (they almost always end up in soups or stews), but stir-frying has got to be one of my favourite things to do with celery. I also love cooking them in stews, or in chicken pot pies. Add this to your collection of vegetable recipes- it is a great accompaniment to any home-cooked meal. :)

The post Chinese Stir Fry: Celery Garlic Chicken in Shaoxing Wine appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

Who doesn’t like creamy gravy over rice? This afternoon, I made a variation of Chicken Stroganoff, cooked Asian style without sour cream, with plenty of sliced onions and button mushrooms in a creamy Carnation white sauce. Oh yes, I airfried the chicken pieces. They’re so tender and juicy.

Many people associate Carnation evaporated milk with Teh-Si, and rightly so. Most would be surprised at the savoury dishes you can whip up with a can of Carnation milk! You can cook mac and cheese, shepherd’s pie, butter chicken, potato soup, baked fish, and lots of other breakfast, lunch and dinner options you never thought possible. And with a 330ml can just costing $1.80 thereabouts (I use low fat. The regular can is even cheaper), it is a budget alternative to cooking cream that comes in little tiny cartons.

For mind-boggling recipes with Carnation milk, go to http://www.carnationmilk.ca/recipes.aspx

Try this recipe over the weekend with a side of crunchy asparagus. You’ll love it as much as we do.

Makes 4 servings

What I used:

16 strips chicken fillet (or you can use chicken breast cut into strips approx. 1- 1.5 inch in diameter)
Garlic powder, a dash of salt and black pepper, and optional italian herb flakes/ paprika (for seasoning)
Half a can of Carnation low fat evaporated milk
1 knob butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion
1 can button mushrooms
1 tablespoon Djorn mustard
Cornstarch solution (1 tablespoon corn flour dissolved in 2 tablespoons room temperature water)
200 ml chicken stock
Scissors-cut spring onions

1. Season chicken with garlic powder, salt and pepper and airfry at 160 degrees for 12 minutes. Alternatively, pan-fry them in shallow oil til just done.. don’t over brown them.
2. If panfrying the chicken, remove chicken pieces and add butter and olive oil. If airfrying, heat up your frying pan and add butter and olive oil.
3. Add sliced onions and cook under low heat for about 5 minutes, til onions are soft and fragrant. Add Carnation milk and cook til bubbly, then add chicken stock. Bring to boil and lower to simmer. Stir in the Djorn mustard and continue to simmer for 2 minutes.
4. Add in cornstarch solution, stir to combine. Add button mushrooms, mix well and cook til sauce is thickened. Do a taste test and add some salt if needed.
5. To serve, arrange 4 chicken strips on top of rice and spoon creamy sauce over. Sprinkle spring onions on top and tuck in while hot!

How much I spent:

$5 for chicken fillet
$0.30 for onion
$1.30 for button mushrooms
$0.90 for carnation milk
Everything else from my pantry

Total cost per serving: $1.88

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The best thing about this recipe if that you don’t have to spend lots of money on exotic ingredients rarely used in an Asian kitchen. Sour cream and cooking cream are not essential in this dish.. when you don’t have what a recipe calls for and don’t see yourself using that ingredient frequently, substitute!

If you’ve cooked this ahead of time and want to heat up the sauce for dinner, add some chicken stock to the hot pan and stir to “loosen” the milk and starch. Enjoy!

White sauce cooking on the stove top:

The post Creamy Chicken Stroganoff appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.

I really should be eating more lotus root because it is high in fibre, vitamin C, and most importantly for me, it can supply me with a healthy dose of copper, zinc and iron. Comparatively though, it is higher in carbohydrates (17g carbs per 100g) than carrots (10g carbs per 100g), broccoli (3g carbs per 100g serving), and is almost close to the carb content of potatoes (21g carbs per 100g). For diabetics, you can still enjoy this dish, lotus root, carrots and all, and even potatoes and rice (balsmati, for its low GI), as long as it is eaten in moderation. The key word is always moderation.

For example, I moderate myself to eat a maximum of one slice of black forest cake, one butter scone, one peach tart, 1 apple strudel, and 3 chocolate cookies in one sitting. Just kidding. That’s my secret wish.

Makes 3 servings

What I used:

One segment lotus root, sliced, enough to fill a regular plate (about 150g to 200g)
2 chicken fillets, chopped into pieces
50ml water or chicken stock
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp minced ginger
Half a carrot, cut into flower pattern or not is up to you LOL
Some spring onions for garnish
1 tbsp spicy bean paste
1 tbsp light soy sauce
Half tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp hua diao jiu; chinese cooking wine
1 tsp sugar
White pepper
1tbsp olive oil

1. Marinade chicken in bean paste, soy sauce, sugar, wine and pepper.
2. Fry ginger in olive oil for a minute, then add garlic. Fry together til fragrant.
3. Add lotus root and carrot, fry for a few minutes then add the water or stock.
4. Add in chicken pieces and stir fry to coat veggies with sauce.
5. Cook til chicken is cooked and heated through. Garnish with spring onions.

How much I spent:

$1 for lotus root
$1.50 for chicken fillet
$0.30 for carrot
Everything else from my pantry

Total cost per serving: $0.93

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If there’s one thing I would change, I would cut the chicken into strips instead of pieces so that more sauce is coated on them. If you prefer more gravy, add more water or stock, then season to your liking. As with all types of dishes, taste, taste taste during the cooking process!

Serve hot with rice and a clear vegetable soup for a balanced meal.

The post Chinese Stir Fry: Lotus Root & Chicken in Spicy Bean Sauce appeared first on Budgetpantry | Singapore Mummy Blog on Food, Recipe & Baby.