Bechamel Sauce (bay-sher-mel)

Otherwise known as the Mother of All Sauce, bechamel sauce is really a breeze to prepare and it's soooooooooo versatile, you can add it to almost anything as a base.

Using equal portion of butter to flour and cook it with milk, it's easily done in less than 10mins. Son1 likes it on its own with his spaghetti, turning it instantly to his version of 'carbonara spaghetti'.

Just throw in loadful of fried bacon and mushroom, some salt for seasoning and a meal is served.

Son2,... like I said, prefers Oriental.

Quite coincidentally, Man likes this version of white sauce Carbonara too. Of course we all know there's more to carbonara than this. But hey, really, who cares to differ? As long as the diners are happy, the chef is too.

Here's what you'd need:

* 2 tbsp butter (heaps, about 30gm, salted / unsalted no matter)
* 2 tbsp plain flour
* 2 cups milk
* Salt to taste

This is what I did:

1. In a heated pan, heat up butter till melted. Using a wooden spoon, lightly spread butter to a wider circle.

2. Add in flour and cook the mixture over low fire. Stirring constantly.

3. Add in milk and continue to cook and stir gently till sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Sauce is done at this point! You may now add to any pasta / lasagne tomato sauce or as a base to your pizza... and continue your other cooking.

If however you are proceeding to cook Son1's version of Carbonara,...

4. Add in sliced mushrooms midway through step 3. Do not add in all the milk here as yet! Let mixture slow simmer and cook the mushrooms, stirring and adding more milk as you go till mushrooms are cooked and sauce thickens.

5. Add in pre-fried bacons. You may add in some mixed herbs... dried or fresh as you fancy. Salt and pepper to taste.

6. Throw in cooked and drained pasta. Toss to combine and serve immediately.

Simple Meatballs

My mom's dish. My favourite since a little girl. Simple, fuss free, tasty, any child's favorite.

The best about this, you can liberally add in any other vegetables that your (fussy) eaters will not usually eat. Be it diced french beans or sniped spinach. Just make sure you chop it up real mad till it's minced and completely tiny.

Here's what you'd need:

* Pack of minced pork
* Carrot (diced)
* Onion (diced)
* 1 egg
* Soy sauce, sesame oil and pepper
* Corn starch

This is what I did:

1. Season minced pork liberally with soy sauce, sesame oil and pepper

2. Add in diced carrots and onions. Stir to mix.

3. Beat in an egg. Mix to incorporate.

4. Add in one spoon of corn starch. Mix till incorporated. End mixture should be rather thick and somewhat sticky (resembling fish paste; if the end mixture is too dry, meatballs will end up being too tough).

5. In a shallow pot with oil (enough to cover at least half the ball's height), heat up oil on medium fire.

6. With a small teaspoon, scoop minced mixture and shape roughly into a ball, and fry on small fire, till light golden brown.

7. Dish up and drain of oil on kitchen towel. Serve on a dish of lettuce to absorb excess oil.

8. Enjoy! (Realised that the meatballs taste quite good with lingonberry sauce!)

Psst psst... you know you can...
1. add this into simmering baked beans...
2. convert this dish to a Meatball Spaghetti... 

Sky's the limit!

Fried Tang Hoon

I love this dish since I knew my husband yore ago. His mom, now my MIL, fries lovely tang hoon! I remembered she will dish this up at every festive get-together, and each time, I have to force myself to stop scooping more; politely and diplomatically declining any top-ups. (Come on, I was only girlfriend then, can't be 'showing my capacity' right?!)

I love the crunchiness, the taste, the aroma. It was always very very nice. I like this better than fried noodles or fried mee hoon for that matter. It was just totally different.

Well, its been 10 years now (at least), and I only just managed to give it a try myself. I'm so proud of myself! I made it! I did it!!!

This time, I also serve it with fried shallots. Woooooo, am I in love with myself!? It tasted just like the real thing.

Man was, of course, diplomatic. "Hmmm,... very nice..." were his only words. To know if he really truly likes it? See if he finishes it. AND HE DID!

Wahahahahahahahaha... Top of the world really.

Here's what you'd need:

* Dried Tang Hoon (aka glass vermicelli, soaked for at least 30mins in cool tap water to soften)
* Green leafy vegetables (I used Xiao Bai Cai)
* Pork fillet (sliced thin. seasoned)
* Garlic
* Salt & Pepper to taste)
* Soup Stock (I used some Dark Soy Sauce Pork gravy)

This is what I did:

1. In a wok, fry garlic till fragrant.

2. Add in pork fillet and fry till almost cooked. Add in vegetables and fry.

3. Add in stock, and simmer slightly. (Ensure you have ample stock coz tang hoon will soak it all up)

4. Add in softened tang hoon and with a chopsticks, quickly and gently loosen it by stirring continually. Allow the tang hoon to soak up the stock, add more stock if required. (Important to keep stirring).

5. Add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Dish up in a casserole and cover (I find the heat from within gives the glass vermicelli its glossy and crunchy feel).

7. Serve with chopped chili padi and fried shallot. 

Oven roasted Tomato & Garlic

I made these for the Bread. But this can be used for more than that!

The oven dried tomato can be pureed and be used as pizza sauce base. If you are a fan of garlic, use it for any other purpose, even if you fill it in the pizza too. Roasting it does take away its pungent taste, making it a lot more palatable.

Here's what you'd need:

Oven Dried Tomato

* 1 punnet of cherry tomatoes
* 1tsp Salt
* 1tsp Sugar
* Herbs -- rosemary, thyme (I used Masterfoods Mixed Herbs)

1. Half the tomato lengthwise. Lay them on the baking tray, skin down.

2. Sprinkle some Salt and Sugar

3. Sprinkle some Herbs all over.

4. Bake for 2hrs at 100degC (I did it at 180degC, 30mins), till tomatoes are browned and dried.

5. Store up to several weeks in fridge. You may add olive oil to it, else store it in airtight container like I did.

Oven Dried Garlic

* 2 cloves of Garlic (peeled, about 20pieces)
* 25gm Butter
* 1tsp Sugar
* 3tbsp Olive oil

1. Remove garlic skin.

2. In a oven proof dish, place on stove over medium heat. Heat up the oil, melt the butter in it.

3. Toss in the garlic pieces. Add in the sugar.

4. Transfer dish into oven and roast for 20-30mins till garlic is caramelized and is soft, offering no resistance to the fork's poke.

5. Let garlic cool in the cooking oil

6. Lift garlic to drain on kitchen towels. You may store in fridge in airtight container.

Beef Lasagna

It's been a long time since I last baked this for lunch. It's my boys' favorite -- like I said, they like anything CHEESE. And I am very generous with my mozzarella. LOL

I did it slightly differently from all the other recipes that I read and find. I 'cheated' with Campbell's Creamy instant soup as its base. *wink* But hey! It tastes good okay!

Ingredients (serve 2):
200gm minced beef
Diced carrot
Diced french beans
Diced tomato
Campbell's Cream of Corn (soup powder, mixed in hot water per instructions)
1 tsp tomato ketchup
Water
Sugar to taste (optional)
Sheets of San Remo Instant Lasagna
Mozzarella cheese

Here's what I did:

1. Season minced beef with salt, pepper and some herbs (I use Masterfood Mixed Herbs), and a pinch of corn starch.


2. In a pan, fry minced beef with carrot, french beans and tomato. Add in Campbell's soup base and add more water to make the mixture slightly more watery.

3. Add in 1 tsp of tomato ketchup to achieve that 'red' base lasagna. Add sugar to taste (optional).

4. Let it cool. In the meantime, soak the lasagna sheets in warm water.

5. Prepare the baking tray and scoop the Beef mixture onto its base. Follow by cheese, then a sheet of lasagna. Next, the beef mixture, then cheese and another sheet of lasagna. So on and so forth, ending with a generous topping of cheese.

6. Tent the lasagna bake tray. Bake in a cold oven 200degC for 30mins.

7. Remove the cover and bake for another 20mins or until golden brown.

8. Remove from oven and let it cool for a further 10mins to set the pasta. Serve.

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