When I read that this month’s theme for Monthly Mingle (hosted at Live to Eat) is “Grill it”, I know that this must be another sign for me to activate my pretty (and) underused grill pan

I’ve always wanted to make kebabs and I even bought the metal skewers in advance knowing that I’ll need them someday. So when I saw an interesting recipe that uses orange juice to marinade the chicken, I was all set to make my first kebabs .. which tasted tangy … sweeettt… nicee!

Orange Chicken Kebabs -
with homegrown red bell pepper, and white scallopsm, served on warm rice

Ingredients
(Serves 2 - makes approximately 10 sticks of kebabs)

Credit: Recipe largely adapted from ‘Chicken Kebabs Shanghai’ recipe from ‘Grill by the Book - Chicken & Other Poultry’.

A) Main ingredient

220g skinless/boneless chicken breast meat (or fillet)

B) marinade:

1/4 teaspoon grated orange zest
30 ml orange juice
1 tbsp brown sugar
3/4 tbsp light soy sauce
1.5 tsp grated ginger
1.5 tsp rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp sesame oil

C) Optional foods (to thread with chicken)
1 medium sized bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1 inch squares
10 fresh scallops, season with salt and pepper
1/2 stalk celery, cut to 1 inch squares
pineapple, cut into 1 inch cubes

Directions

1. Combine the ingredients for the marinade in a ziplock food bag or food bowl. Seal bag or cover bowl.

2. Cut chicken into 1.5 inch cubes and add to marinade in container. Mix well. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to hours, turning chicken occasionally.

3. Remove chicken cubes from bag/bowl and drain, reserving marinade. Thread chicken and the foods at (C) on skewers, alternating pieces. Brush the remaining marinade over the threaded kebabs.

4. Oil grill pan or grease with cooking spray. Heat grill pan, and once hot, cook the the kebab on each side for about 5-6 minutes each.

Notes::
- Use tongs to handle the kebabs when they are on the hot griddle pan.
- If you’re using wooden skewers, soak them in hot water for 20 mins before skewering.
- I bought the metal skewers from Daiso (Singapore) for only S$2 for a pack of 5!
- If you are grilling a few batches, note that the cooking time may need to be adjusted (i.e. reduced) for the later batches as the grill pan gets hotter.

More photos::

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More grilling recipes

- Grilled Miso Salmon
- Basic Grilled Steak

Moo cards and a summer tote bag, complete with a personalised ‘Noob Cook’ site badge and a pack of wildflower seedmix. Coolness! I love receiving gifts in the mail

I’m really loving the tote bag and I use it whenever I’m grocery-shopping … it’s so pretty! And yup, that’s ugly me in the photo (you should thank me for blocking out my face :P)

So, what’s the buzz about foodbuzz? It’s a huge community where you can meet fellow foodies, submit stuff such as recipes, videos, news, photos, restaurant reviews, blog posts … and vote on content submitted by others. If you join their featured publisher program like I did, you not only receive surprise gifts now and then, but you can also earn a bit of pocket money

I’ve not tried other programs so I don’t have any basis for comparison, but I’m definitely happy to be part of the Foodbuzz FP family.

If you are a food blogger and wish to join foodbuzz as a featured publisher, you can send a request from here. (I will be grateful if you mention www.noobcook.com as a referrer but you absolutely don’t have to if you don’t wish to do so ).

This is what I wokked with my home-grown eggplant

Ingredients
(Serves 2)

1 small eggplant, cut to about 1 cm thickness
1 egg, beaten
1 tbsp chopped garlic
4 tbsp chopped large onion
100g minced pork
1 tbsp oilive oil

marinade (for the minced pork)
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp light soy sauce
dash of white pepper
1 tsp cornflour
1/2 brown sugar

Directions

1. Add the eggplant slices to a pot of boiling water and boil for about 3 minutes, till the eggplant slices are slightly softened. Take out the eggplant slices, rinse them with cold water (to prevent them from cooking further), drain and set aside.

2. Mix the minced pork with the marinade and leave for about 10 minutes.

3. In a wok, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil & saute the garlic and onion, till the latter is slightly transparent.

4. Stir fry the marinated pork for about 3 minutes, till it’s cooked entirely on the surface (no more pink parts).

5. Add the eggplant and pour the egg mixture over.  Stir gently with the spatula till the egg is well mixed and cooked. Be careful not to break the eggplant slices. Serve with warm rice.

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This post, together with Part 1, is submitted to Andrea’s Grow Your Own event, hosted by Jungalbandi this week.

Warning: Picture spam ahead - I got a little too carried away with the photos.

So, what’s the excitement about?

Today, I had a mini, teeny weeny harvest from my little gardening endeavour. 2 bright red bell peppers (capsicums) and 1 eggplant to be exact! Lookie!

My mini harvest - a mini eggplant and 2 pretty & big bell peppers

Ok, in case you jump too quickly to the conclusion that I have green fingers, let me tell you that I think I’m the last person on earth who have green fingers. My plants are frequently behaving oddly and I had the worst looking plants along the entire floor I’m living at. My neighbours must be wondering what I am doing to the plants. And nope, I didn’t grew these plants from seeds either. Most of them are bought from the nurseries so I just had to water and fertilise them (and ‘replace’ them if they become really sick, opps) ;P

So why do I still grow these plants despite my inexperience? For one, I think it’s wonderful to own a few pots of my favourite edibles as the produce is as fresh and organic as it can get. If you are only cooking for 2-3 people like I do, it’s all the more better because you don’t have to buy a big packet of veg/herbs just to use a little bit. Some edibles such like rosemary, lime and pandan leaves - can be harvested as and when I need them. And it’s so convenient to have them around too, you never have to run to the supermarket every time u needed a herb. A little gardening (especially seeing them blossom n fruit) is theurepeutic and good for the soul too

My mini collection of potted edibles resides outside my corridor, where there is strong sunlight throughout the early half of the day.

I’m posting a photo of what the place looks like, just to show that 1) you don’t need a garden to do gardening, and 2) no space is too small.

My mini corridor edibles ‘garden’ - can you spot some of the edibles?

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Moving on to today’s star - my potted eggplant.

Pretty? Ok, I admit this shoot was taken quite soon after I bought the pot =P I bought it for S$7.50 and so far I’ve already enjoyed 3 eggplants, one of which was born under my care

There are still new flowers blooming so hopefully I get more eggplants next month (keeping fingers n toes crossed). Very worth for S$7.50 right? Especially considering how pricey organic vegetables cost in Singapore, I’ve more than got back the money I paid for.

These eggplants need ample sunlight, lots of water and well drained soil. I fertilise them with organic neem fertiliser once a week, and added a kind of pink fertiliser that supposedly helps induce flowering every fortnight. Yep, that’s all the care they required so far, so it’s pretty fuss free. You may not see these potted plants at nurseries all the time in Singapore, although I have seen them selling at World Farm, and Far East Flora (Thomson) occasionally (I bought mine from a neighbourhood store). If you are getting from these two places, you may wish to call them to check if they have stock first.

Kind of harvested this a little too late so the purple was beginning to fade.  It still tastes good, nevertheless.

Ok, wanna know what dish I whipped out with the eggplant? Checked out Part Two!

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Previously growing:
- Pandan leaves, and making green bean soup

This post, together with part two, is submitted to Andrea’s Grow Your Own event, hosted by Jungalbandi this week.

Old Cucumber Soup 老黄瓜汤

The Chinese name of this vegetable (yes, I know technically it is a fruit, but I don’t think it’s wrong to call it a vegetable in cooking :P) is 老黄瓜, literally translated as ‘old yellow cucumber’. According to this site, old cucumber is actually matured cucumber, hence its brown, wrinkled and hard skin. Looking at its dried-out skin, you might never have guess that consuming it is good for the skin and helps prevent aging! It is also high in dietary fiber, calcium, iron and rich in vitamin A, B6, and C … So, are you sold on the wonderful properties of this soup yet? If you are, let’s start cooking!

Ingredients
(Serves 3)

One small to medium size Chinese old cucumber
1.3 litres of water
10 red dates
6 dried scallops
200g pork ribs
1 piece dried cuttlefish (optional)
1 sweet corn, cut to small pieces (optional)
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut (optional)
salt

Directions

1. Scrub the skin of the old cucumber clean and cut it in half, length-wise. Scoop out the seeds using a spoon. Cut into small pieces.
2. In a small pot, blanch the pork ribs in boiling water for about 5 minutes (so as to remove the irky bits). Drain and set aside.
3. In a pot, add all the ingredients and bring to a boil for about 5-10 minutes. After which, simmer the soup over low heat for about 30 minutes. Season with salt if desired.

Notes:

- The reason for leaving the skin on is to prevent the flesh from turning mushy after cooking.
- Some people like to consume the seeds so if you do, then you don’t have to scoop them out.
- If you like your soup to be thick and rich, you can continue boiling for up to 2 hours.

Adding a piece of dried cuttlefish (along with the dried scallops, red dates & other ingredients) makes the soup sweeter.

Scoop out the seeds using a spoon.

Another photo

Another ‘Yin’ soup
- Watercress Soup

Further Reading about Yin and Yang Foods
- Yin & Yang of Chinese Cooking
- Chinese Food Theraphy
- Yin & Yang: balancing health with food

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This recipe is submitted to Weekend Herb Blogging, a food blog event started by Kalyn’s Kitchen and hosted this week by Archana’s Kitchen.

Pancakes look so cheery to me when topped with all kinds of wonderful foods - a great way to uplift moods & kick start a day ^^

Home Made Pancakes
(topped with honey kiwi fruit, blueberries & banana nut crunch cereal, drizzled with diluted honey syrup, & … served with words that don’t really rhyme :P)

Ingredients
(makes 8 pancakes)

Credit: This recipe is taken entirely from here.

- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or plain flour)
- 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
-  1 tablespoon white sugar
-  1 1/4 cups milk
-  1 egg
- 3 tablespoons butter, melted

Directions

1. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center and pour in the milk, egg and melted butter; mix until smooth.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

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Note: You can use fruits, ice cream, cereals and nuts as toppings for your pancakes, and also drizzle some maple syrup to sweeten if desired. Get creative! I don’t have maple syrup, so I substitute with using honey that’s diluted with just a little bit of water at room temperature.

Experimental - I use kiwi honey which my mum bought for me from NZ to make the syrup for one of the pancakes.

(Almost) Half Eaten =x

The kiwi & kiwi honey my mum bought for me from New Zealand. Sweeeet

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This post is submitted to Pancakes on Parade, a food blog event by the wonderful, wonderful Susan, aka The Well-Seasoned Cook

Of course, I am talking about finally finding the perfect Bak Kut Teh spices One whiff of the herbs and you can feel the difference, one taste of the soup and you know it is the one!!

Ok, maybe I exaggerate a little, but I do find the spices really good. Maybe it’s no false modesty that it’s called “Best Bak Kut Teh Spices”, or for me at least

Starflower Brand “Best Bak Kut Teh Spices” S$3.20

Not sure if it can be found elsewhere, but I got it from the famous “Lim Chee Guan Bak Kwa Shop”, Singapore (in Chinatown on New Bridge Road between Temple and Mosque streets).

A herby concoction - an assortment of chinese herbs such as dang gui , yu zhu, wolfberries and a packet of herby tea pack.

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Additional Reading: All About Bak Kut Teh

This meal cost like S$8 for two persons and takes less than 30 minutes to cook & prepare. So easy and economical, heh

Ingredients
(Serves 2)

200g spaghetti
200g minced beef & 100g minced pork (or use 300g minced beef)
100ml vegetable stock
1 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tbsp chopped
10 tbsp pasta tomato paste
1 tbsp chopped parsley/basil
1/2 cup red wine/red cooking wine (optional)

Directions
1. Bring a pot of water containing salt and oil to a boil. Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the package, drain and set aside.
2. In a saucepan, heat oil and saute garlic & parsley/basil.
3. When fragrant, add pork and fry for 2 minutes, gently breaking the minced meat to bits using a wooden turner.
4. Add the minced beef and fry evenly till the meat is cooked.
5. Add the tomato paste, followed by the red wine & vegetable stock.  Stir evenly. Simmer for about 5 minutes without covering until the meat sauce has evaporated to the right consistency.
6. Serve the cooked spaghetti on a plate and pour the meat sauce over.

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This dish is submitted to Presto Pasta Nights, a food blog event by Ruth.

Thanks to We Are Never Full for the reminder on adding red wine

Only one photo because I was really so hungry when I was preparing this meal, I swear I almost feel myself fainting, haha! I wonder if anyone has fainted while preparing a meal? This reminds me of the characters in the game Sims 2, who will collapse on the floor due to inadequate sleep/food/shower, but the minute you do something about it (like feed them), they will rejuvenate on the spot (& you see their health bar rising). While I was cooking this, I pictured my health (the green bar) slowly dropping to red, and my mission is to cook and eat this in time before my health bar drops to zilch (over imaginative mind at work again?).

Luckily, this is such a quick and easy pasta dish so I didn’t faint (thankfully)! It tastes so good this time round too (most probably due to my hunger :P)

Aglio Olio is a dish that holds sentimental value for me, because when I was a TOTAL noob cook (I consider myself a beginner noob cook now, haha), this was the dish I use to learn some culinary basics. In the words of my friend w who taught me the dish, it’s “very easy to cook, but difficult to perfect”. The first few times that I cooked this, the fire was too strong and the garlic was burnt. If I didn’t put the correct amount of salt, the dish turns out either too bland or too salty. And there must be a correct amount of garlic and olive oil to bring out the favour. If you want to practise your culinary skills, this is a good dish to start, heehee!

Ingredients
(Serves 1)

100g spaghetti
1.5 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp chopped garlic
5 large prawns/shrimps (shells & veins removed)*
1/2 cup chopped fresh english parsley/basil (I use 1/2 tbsp of dried basil)
chilli flakes (optional)
salt

* Note: Didn’t have the time to de-vein my prawns this time round, though the extra-large tiger prawns I buy usually do not comes with veins :[

Directions

1. Add some vegetable oil and salt to a pot of water, and boil the spaghetti till al dente (according to the instructions on the package). Drain & set aside.
2. In a saucepan, heat olive oil and stir fry chopped garlic, parsley/basil and chilli flakes till they are infused with the oil.
3. Add the prawns and stir fry till they are cooked. Toss in the pasta and stir evenly.
4. Season with salt and stir well. You can garnish with parsley flakes, cheese and garlic bits before serving.

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I’m submitting this dish to Presto Pasta Nights, guest-hosted (for the first time) by Closet Cooking this week.

This is a quick and healthy vegetable dish, and fuss-free enough for busy nights

Ingredients
(Serves 2)
200g Napa Cabbage, cut to 2 inch length
1/2 carrot, sliced thinly
100g button mushrooms, sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp garlic

Seasonings
1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp Chinese rice wine (hua tiao jiu/shao hsing jiu)

Directions
In a wok, heat oil. Saute garlic till lightly browned. Stir fry carrot for one minute, then add the mushrooms and stir fry for another minute. Add the cabbage and cook for about 2 minutes, or till the leaves are softened. Add the seasonings, mix well and serve.

Another Photo

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Brief Info on Napa Cabbage

Napa Cabbage, also known as Chinese cabbage, Peking Cabbage & Celery Cabbage, is a vegetable that is rich in Vitamin C and other nutrients. If you think you are not familiar with this vegetable, it will probably ring a bell if you hear “kimchi”, as this is the cabbage which is used in most varieties of the famous Korean appetizer.

Napa cabbage has long, oblong-shaped leaves that are flat and wide. Napa has crispy, fibrous leaves, which is why it is often called “celery cabbage”. It is a mild and sweet favour, and is often used in stir frys in Asian wokking. Always store this vegetable in a plastic bag as it absorbs the flavors of the foods around it.

For some strange reason or another, some of the local supermakets in Singapore labeled this vegetable as “endives”, which do not seem like the correct name for this vegetable. Please correct me if I am wrong!

Credits & further reading::

- Different varieties of napa cabbages
- Basic Info from About.com
- Wiki: Napa Cabbage
- Info from Melissa.com

This post is submitted to Weekend Herb Blogging, created by Kalyn’s Kitchen, and hosted by Maninas: Food Matters this week.