It is 2015 and time for my first cook of the year! It has been ages since I last cooked something beyond scrambled eggs. I love scrambled eggs and I often cook them especially when I am too lazy to takeaway from the neighbourhood. They are such a great fix for breakfast/lunch along with a toasted bread and they are super easy to make. So today, I attempted to make some baked ribs for dinner with my folks. It has been way too long since I last cooked and I miss cooking and experimenting with recipes so much! I have made ribs before (with a different recipe) and I failed terribly. The ribs from my first attempt were tough and difficult to chew even though I rubbed the meat with kiwi before marinating because I've heard that kiwi helps to tenderize the meat. Unfortunately, it doesn't work for me. Not only the meat was not tender but they also did not absorbed the marinade. The main reason for this was due to the membrane underneath the ribs. The membrane prevents the rub, marinade from reaching the meat. So, do remember to remove the membrane when you are making pork ribs! 

Baking pork ribs require a substantial amount of time and effort. The traditional baked pork ribs call for them to stay in the oven for approximately 3 hours and sadly, they would definitely take up quite a bit of your electricity consumption. While researching for alternatives, I stumbled upon a method by chef John from Food Wishes, which require 1hr of boiling and 1/2 hr of baking. 1/2 hr vs 3 hrs? Although it is different from the conventional means, definitely it is worth a try! I have made some changes from the original recipe, making do with what I have in my kitchen. The verdict? Comparing to the common fully oven baked pork ribs that may yield extremely soft meat falling off from bone, the meat from this method do not fall from the bone. Nevertheless, the pork ribs were well marinated, tender and tasted amazing when you bite from it. This recipe is certainly a keeper if you are looking for a shortcut to your 3 hour oven baked ribs and I'll definitely make them again.

Recipe: (Original recipe from food wishes) 
600g of pork ribs

Soup stock: 
4 cups of Water
1tbsp Salt
1tbsp of 5 Spices Powder
1 Onion
5 cloves of Garlic
1/4 cup of rice vinegar

Marinade: 
1.5 tbsp Ketchup
1.5 tbsp Dijon mustard
1.5 tbsp Soy Sauce
1.5 tbsp Rice vinegar
1.5 tbsp Brown Sugar
1/2 tsp 5 Spices Powder

1. Cut onion into pieces and crush garlic. Add all the ingredients of the soup stock into a pot and bring it to boil.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the pork ribs. Remove the membrane and slice the slab of ribs into pieces.
3. After the soup stock has boiled, add the pork ribs and simmer for about 1 hr.
4. Prepare the marinade by adding all the ingredients and mix it well and separate equally into 2 portions: marinade and sauce for dipping. Keep one portion in the refrigeratior.
5. 15 mins before the pork ribs are done simmering in the soup stock, pre heat the oven to 180 degrees celcius.
6. Lay your pan or cooking dish with aluminium foil. Drain the pork ribs and lay them on the foil. Brush some marinade on the pork ribs and bake them for 15 mins.
7. After 15mins, flip the ribs to the other side and apply another layer of marinade on them. Bake for another 15 mins.
8. Optional: apply another layer of marinade and bake for another 2-3 mins.
9. Heat the sauce for dipping in the microwave and serve with the pork ribs.

So after my brunch with Kiat at Maison Ikkoku 3 weeks ago, I had been craving for the guacamole that was served along with their Smoked Salmon Scrambled dish. The best thing about this side is that it is so easy to make and no cooking is involved. No fancy ingredients, just simple ones that you can find at your nearest grocery store. Guacamole is a staple in Mexican cuisine. They are an excellent source of vitamin E which supports your metabolism and immune system. Similar to the one I had from Maison Ikkoku, I served this dish of guacamole with smoked salmon scrambled eggs on a lightly toasted walnut bread for dinner. This side is so refreshing and it is definitely an appetite enhancing appetizer. 

Last weekend, while almost everyone else have ended exams, I was still cooped in the GSR busy cramping my marketing notes. Instagram and Facebook were flooded with pictures of celebratory meals to the end of exams. This calls for a more elaborated lunch to comfort and motivate myself to last through the next three days while everyone else party their holidays away. Pampering myself with my favourite salmon. I am a great fan of salmon but they are so expensive (to a student). So I usually eat chicken breasts or toufu for protein instead of fish. Make sure you don't overbake your salmon lest it turns tough. Remember to lay a piece of aluminium foil beneath your salmon fillets if you do not want to end up spending half a day scrubbing the overburnt sauce off your pan. I was surprised how delicious the salmon was. It was soooooo good! I use a knife to make several small cuts on the fillets to allow it to absorb the marinate better.

Recipe ( Adapted from Foodiebaker) 

500g prawns (about 20 pieces, depending on size) 

1tsp salt 

8 cloves garlic 

1 handful of Italian Parsley

55g Unsalted Butter (softened to room temperature) (omit salt if using unsalted butter) 

Salt and freshly ground black pepper 

Juice of 1/3 lemon 

1/3 lemon zest 

Garnish: Lemon Wedges 

1. Butterfly the prawns. Snip off the sharp, pointy spike at the tail and head as well as the prawn legs if desired. Using a pair of kitchen scissors, cut the prawns shell along the middle of the back all the way to the end of the tail to get an incision. Use a sharp knife and slice the prawn along the incision to make a deeper incision and remove the prawn's digestive track (the black line running along the body). Make sure you don't cut all the way through the shell. Open the prawn like a butterfly and press it down gently so it stay open. 

2. Prepare the seasoning: In a pestle and mortar, combine the peeled garlic cloves, Italian parsley and salt and pound until a paste forms. Combine the paste with the softened butter and season with black pepper. Add in the zest, if using, and the lemon juice. Spread the butter mixture onto the prawns and refrigerate the prawns until needed.

3. Preheat the oven to 230 degrees Celsius (top and bottom heating element). Roast the prawns on the highest rack possible for 5 to 6 minutes until the prawns are pink and opaque. Serve garnished with chopped parsley and lemon wedges on the side. Best to serve while it is still hot. 

What can be better than hot piping fried sweet potato balls for your mid-day snack? If you know me, you would have probably known that I am a huge huge huge fan of sweet potato!! I could eat that  everyday for all my meals! I have a little dream to grow my own sweet potato plant at my back yard in future! I fell in love with sweet potato balls when i first tried those sold at maxwell hawker centre. They were so delicious and it is definitely a must-try when you go to maxwell. Unfortunately, they don't open everyday. My sweet potato balls are slightly different from theirs. Those that are served at maxwell is more chewy and hollow at the center. On the other hand, mine is crunchy on the outside, mushy and chewy on the inside. I love them both and they are totally worth the sinful calories. I prepared the dough and rolled them into balls and pop them in the fridge the night before i deep fry them. 

Recipe: (Original recipe adapted from my Kitchensnippets, Makes about 50-60 small balls) 

450-500g Orange colour sweet potato flesh

250g glutinous rice flour

30g corn flour

110g sugar

1/4 tsp Salt

Oil for deep frying 

1-1.5 bowls of water (Depends) 

1. Steam or boil sweet potatoes until very soft.  Mash sweet potato with a fork or masher.

2. Mix the glutinous rice flour, corn flour, sugar and salt well in a large bowl. 

3. Add the mashed sweet potato into the large bowl. 

4. Mix all the ingredients together and add water slowly until the mixture becomes a smooth dough. ( I used my hand to mix and added water while i continue kneading to form a smooth dough)

5. Roll into small balls. (15g per ball) 

5. Prepare wok and add oil for deep-frying. Make sure oil is hot before deep frying. Slowly add one by one as they might stick together. 

Don't quickly eliminate the darker sweet potato balls because they are the ones which are extremely crunchy on the outside. Allow them to go for another quick swim in the deep hot oil after they are cooked to give them extra crunch on the outside.  

Recipe: 

1/4 Pumpkin, cut into cubes

A little headache when it comes to making salad because i always run out of ideas of what to make. Apart from one of my favorite rosemary balsamic chicken, I am sick of the usual oyster sauce marinated chicken and my steamed salmon (I really love this but it is too expensive) for my salad. So, I decided to try something new. This dijonaise curry marinade surprisingly turned out to be really fantastic. You could use this marinade for your chicken steak or drumstick too. This recipe is definitely a must try! Salad don't have to be plain and boring. Spice it up with some savory and delicious chicken. Simple ingredients, awesome food! Usually chicken is best marinated for at least 3 hours or overnight. However, i only had 2 hours or less to marinate my chicken. So, I pierced my chicken breasts with a fork to quicken the process of marinating and pop them in a ziplock bag and chill for about 2 hours! It worked!