Creamy Potato, Bacon & Egg Salad

Ingredients:

4 chat (small coliban) potatoes (about 275g), scrubbed
70g bacon
1/2 cup diced cucumber
1/3 cup diced celery
2 hard boiled eggs
salt & pepper, to taste
2 sprigs fresh parsley, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
1 tsp olive oil

• Cook potatoes in their skins in salted water until tender, about 20 minutes.  Drain well and set aside to cool. Remove the skin from potatoes (or you can leave the skin on if you wish).  Cut into big cubes.
• Grill bacon until brown and crispy.  Drain the bacon slices on paper towels. 
• Mash the hard boiled eggs.
• Combine mayonnaise, yogurt and olive oil in a bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.  Mix in the mashed eggs.
• Place the potatoes, diced cucumber, diced celery, chopped parsley and crumbled bacon in a mixing bowl.  Add in the mayonnaise dressing  and gently toss to combine.  
• Serve.  

This post is linked to the event Little Thumbs Up (July 2014 Event:  Potato) - organised by Mui Mui, My little favourite DIY and Zoe,  Bake for Happy Kids and  hosted by Jasline, Foodie Baker. 

Chinese New Year Prosperity Toss / Lou Sang / Yee Sang (鱼生)

Rén rì  (人日) [literally Human Day] falls on the 7th day of Chinese New Year and according to Chinese legends, human beings were created on this day.  Therefore it is everybody's common birthday, the day when everyone grows one year older. Traditionally, it is the day when Yee Sang (鱼生) is eaten; however nowadays it is available throughout the Chinese New Year.  This custom is unique to the Chinese in Southeast Asia, such as Malaysia and Singapore. 

"Yúshēng”  (in Mandarin), "Yee Sang" or "Yu Sahng" (in Cantonese) literally means "raw fish" in Chinese but it sounds like Yúshēng (余升) which means an increase in abundance. Yee Sang or Prosperity Toss  is the must-have dish as part of the Chinese New Year dinner due to its symbolism of "good luck" for the new year.    It is actually a mixed salad which consists of finely shredded vegetables, fruits, some colourful condiments (to make the dish more festive) and raw fish tossed in a plum sauce dressing.  

When eating Yee Sang (or commonly known as 'lou sang') the ritual is to toss the ingredients enthusiastically using chopsticks, high into the air while uttering  "auspicious wishes for abundant of luck and happiness" aloud to signify good omens.  It is believed that the height of the toss reflects the height of the diners' growth in fortune in the year ahead.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVERYBODY !  人日快乐

Ingredients:
1 small daikon (white radish), julienned
1 small carrot, julienned
1 cucumber, deseeded, julienned and squeeze dry
1 Granny Smith apple, julienned
leaves of cos lettuce, finely shredded
4 sprigs coriander leaves, finely chopped
pomegranate seeds
wonton wrappers, cut into strips - deep fried

Condiments:
toasted peanuts, crushed
toasted white sesame seeds

Dressing:  Combine everything together
4 tbsp plum sauce (to taste)
3 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/8 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
1/8 tsp pepper
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp shallot oil

Note:  For non-vegetarian Yee Sang, sashimi salmon slices or jellyfish can be added.

• Soak the julienned daikon in a bowl of ice water for at least 2 hours, changing water about every 30 minutes  (this is to get rid of the smell of daikon).  Drain and squeeze dry.  
• Soak julienned apple in lemon juice mixture (1 tbsp lemon juice + 1 cup water) for about 5 minutes to prevent oxidation.  Squeeze dry.
• Arrange all the ingredients on a large plate.  (If using fish, arrange on a separate plate).
• Before serving, add all the condiments into the salad and pour dressing over and toss as high as you want.

Sundried Tomato Pesto Pasta Salad

A no-fuss pasta salad which is great for hot summer days where minimum cooking is required.  In fact, you don't really need a recipe to make a salad.  Just look in your refrigerator to see what you may have on hand.  It will be more interesting to add a variety of different colours and textures into the salad.  Instead of whisking up your own dressing, just open a jar of store-bought pesto and add to your salad.

Ingredients:

150g Angel Hair Pasta
1 jar of Sundried Tomato Pesta (190g)
celery (cut into small chunks)
salad leaves
cherry tomatoes
cucumber (cut into small cubes)
button mushrooms (sliced)
carrot (cut into small cubes
salt & pepper
olive oil

• Cook pasta according to package instructions.  Drain.  
• Combine everything in a big mixing bowl.  Toss well.
• Drizzle some olive oil before serving.

I’m submitting this to Little Thumbs Up, hosted by Mui Mui@My Little Favourite DIY & Zoe@Bake for Happy Kids.

This is Mui Mui@My Little Favourite DIY’s 1st time in co-hosting an online cooking event with Zoe@Bake for Happy Kids.

Kimchi (Repost)

[Some changes I've made on my previous post Kim Chi]

Ingredients:

1kg napa cabbage, cut into big pieces

3 carrot, cut into sticks
1 daikon, cut into sticks

1/2 cup sea salt dissolved in 1 cup of warm water

enough cold water to cover all the vegetables

1 cup red chilli flakes/chilli powder

4 cloves garlic

1 knob ginger

1/2 small brown onion

1 ripe Packham pear (peeled and cut into chunks)
1 ripe apple (peeled and cut into chunks)

1/4 cup fish sauce (to taste)

5 tbsp sugar (to taste)
salt to taste

3 spring onions, sliced
glutinous rice paste (optional. This rice paste is to speed up the fermentation process)

To make the glutinous rice paste:   Cook 1 tbsp glutinous rice flour with 1/2 cup water  over low heat until the mixture has thickened and turned white and bubbly.

• Dissolve the sea salt in warm water and add in the cold water.  Stir well.
• Place cabbage, carrots and daikon in a big mixing bowl and pour salt water over it.  Toss gently.  Leave vegetables in the brine for  about 3 hours, making sure that they are all fully submerged in the salt water.
• Wash the vegetables  to rinse off excess salt.  Squeeze and drain well.  Transfer to a large mixing bowl.
• Place pear, apple, onion, ginger, garlic, sugar and glutinous rice paste into a blender and blend until fine.  Then add in chilli flakes, salt, sugar and fish sauce.  Combine well.
• Add sliced spring onions to the drained vegetables.  Pour in the blended paste and toss well.  
• Once all the vegetables  have been coated, transfer to an airtight glass container and press down the vegetables.  Pour in the liquid as well.    (Do not fill right up to the rim).
• Cover and store the Kim Chi  in a cool, dark place for 24 hours to stimulate the fermentation process.  Then refrigerate it.  Kim Chi keeps well in the refrigerator for 3 - 4 weeks.

Acar

Ingredients:

1 kg cucumber (skin on, halved lengthwise and remove seeds and  cut into 3cm strips)
500g carrots (peeled and cut into 3cm strips)
800g cabbage (cut into chunky pieces)
600g cauliflower (cut into small florets)

'Blanching mixture':
800ml water
800ml white wine vinegar
4 tbsp salt
4 tbsp sugar 

Pounded ingredients:10 shallots
10 cloves garlic
1pc belacan
thumbsized fresh tumeric
thumbsized fresh galangal
5 candlenuts
2 stalks lemongrass, sliced finely
2 tbsp hot chilli powder
100g dried shrimps (soak 10 min and drain - pounded)

Seasoning: (adjust quantity of ingredients to suit taste)
1 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
3 tbsp fish sauce
sugar
salt

roasted peanuts, pound
lightly roasted sesame seeds

  

• Sprinkle  salt over cucumber slices.  Toss well.  Set aside for about 30 minutes. Rinse off the salt.  Squeeze out excess liquid.  Do the same with carrots. 
• Bring 'blanching mixture' to the boil.  Blanch cabbage and cauliflower separately for about 15 seconds.  Drain well.
• Heat oil in a wok and lightly fry the pounded dried shrimps.  Transfer into a bowl and set aside.  Add more oil into the wok and  fry the pounded ingredients until aromatic.  Stir in the pounded dried shrimps and seasoning.  Adjust the taste accordingly.  Bring to the boil.  Remove from heat and set aside to cool completely.
• Add all vegetables into the wok and stir well.   Keep refrigerated.
• Add in peanuts and sesame seeds before serving.

Note:  Acar  is best served the next day.  

Raw & Cooked Salad

A healthy lunch of salad and vegetables soup.

Salad with organic flaxseed oil, low fat yoghurt, organic raw honey & lemon juice dressing.

Tuna Salad

,

Canned tuna with boiled potato, green beans, soft-boiled egg, mushroom and tomato drizzled with the tuna oil, cracked pepper and olive oil.

Vegetables Stack & Quinoa

Grilled eggplant, zucchini, pumpkin and red capsicum with white quinoa with basil pesto and flaxseed oil. 

Mango, Pineapple & Prawn Salad

Ingredients:

pineapple chunks
mango cubes
cucumber slices
cherry tomatos - halved
fresh coriander (or mint leaves)
basil
cooked prawns - chilled


Dressing: 

2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp grated palm sugar
1 tbsp pineapple juice

• Add dressing to the prawns and salad and toss well.