Mini's Chicken and Vegetables in Rice Paper Wraps

Mini (our helper) is a good cook. When she is not doing any housework she would just read a book, a cooking book that is. I never recall any complains on her cooking, she is a natural. She asked me one day if I’d like to eat a rice paper wraps with vegetables. I said yes recalling the day I first tried rice paper wrapped with vegetables. A nice couple invited us for a dinner in their home and prepared us different vegetables, marinated chicken and beef that will be wrapped in the rice paper. Oh! It was soooo good I enjoyed it very much.

The marinated chicken below is the left over from the marinated chicken we bought from the shop.

You Need:

Rice Paper
Carrots (julienned)
Cucumber (julienned)
Marinated Chicken
Mint leaf/Coriander
Lettuce

Dipping sauce:

Hoisin sauce
Water
Peanut (chopped)
Garlic
Chili

1. Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Allow the sauce to stand for 30 minutes so that the flavors can infuse. Serve at room temperature. I asked Mini about the extra measurements of the dipping sauce but she doesn’t know. She just said put the ingredients together and keep adjusting the taste.
2. In a large bowl filled with warm water, soak 1 rice paper wrapper for about 20 seconds or until soft. Lay wrapper out on a tea towel to absorb excess water. Transfer wrapper to a flat surface.
3. About 1/3 from the bottom of the wrapper, create a 3-inch long row by placing some mint or cilantro leaves followed by some lettuce, carrot, cucumber and chicken.
4. Carefully fold the bottom of the rice paper wrapper over the vegetables. Turn in the sides and continue rolling up from the bottom.
5. Serve with the dipping sauce.

Grilled Chicken Leg with Herbs

Here's another simple dish I made last month that I forgot to post.

1. Take a big ovenproof pan then lay an aluminium foil over.

2. Put the chicken legs on the foil. Season it with salt and pepper.

3. Put you favorite dried herb or whatever you have available. With this dish I just sprinkled a dried rosemary, dried basil and parsley.

4. Sprinkle an olive oil over the chicken legs.

5. Grill it in the oven at 200 degrees for about 20 to 30 minutes or until cooked.

6. Serve it with mashed potato and steamed brocolli.

White Egg Omelette with Tomato and Parsley

You Need:

2 eggs

1 chopped tomato

as much dried parsley as you like

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

1. Saute tomato in the pan about 30 seconds add salt and pepper to taste. Add parsley.

2. Transfer cooked tomato and parsley in a bowl.

3. Crack eggs and remove yolk. Whisk egg whites slightly.

4. Heat oil in the pan and pour the egg.

5. Put the cooked tomato and parsley on the side of the egg. Fold the omelet over into a half circle and cook until fluffy.

Heavenly Fish

Fish is good for us this is why I make sure we have fish in the menu every week. Salmon and Dory fillet are my husband favorites. He likes his Dory just like the fish and chips style. I wanted to make his favorite fish and chips one night but then we run out of potatoes to roast. So I decided to bake it instead (it’s healthier than deep frying anyway).

YOU NEED:

Dory fillets
Salt
Pepper
Basil
Rosemary
Olive oil
Lemon
Aluminium Foil

WHAT TO DO:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees.
2. Lay the foil in the big pan.
3. Place the dory on the foil and season it with salt and pepper.
4. Sprinkle basil and rosemary then splash some oil.
5. Cover the fish.
6. Make one big hole in the center of the foil cover.
7. Cook the fish for 20 to 25 minutes.
8. Sprinkle some lemon juice before serving.

Yummy Vermicelli

I feel like eating noodles tonight for dinner so I thought of the Vermicelli noodles I bought this morning. The packet of the vermicelli noodles I used is enough for 1 person. The noodles I cooked last Sunday were a hit to my 2 year old daughter and left me with vegetables and meat to eat. Today is the same though, my daughter ate most of the noodles and I was left with chicken and vegetables. Last Sunday I used bokchoy and marinated beef, today I used cabbage and the left over roast chicken we had yesterday. You can use your favorite veggies and as plenty or little as you like. I have to cut the broccoli and carrot into small pieces so my daughter can eat it as well.

YOU NEED:

100 grams (3.52oz) Vermicelli
Onion (half of the small onion)
1 clove of garlic
Half of a small size carrot (cut into small pieces)
Half of a small size cabbage
3 florets of broccoli (cut into small pieces)
1 cup bite size roast chicken
1 tbsp Olive oil
1 tbsp light soy sauce
½ tbsp oyster sauce
¾ cup of water
Pepper

Adjustment:

I adjusted the taste with ¼ tsp of light soy sauce and ¼ tsp of oyster sauce

WHAT TO DO:

1. Put the noodles in a bowl of water. Leave it on for 3 minutes then drain the water. Set aside the noodles.
2. Sautee garlic and onion in olive oil over moderate heat, once translucent add the chicken.
3. Add soy sauce, oyster sauce and pepper.
4. Once the chicken absorb the sauces add the water. Let it boil then quickly add the broccoli and carrot. Let is simmer for 2 minutes and add the cabbage.
5. Cook the rest of the veggies for another minute or two, quickly add the noodles stirring.
6. I added more soy sauce and oyster sauce to adjust the taste.

Double Chocolate

I often keep an easy to bake dessert or snack in our cupboard. And once again my favorite brand Betty Crocker has selections for cakes and muffins for that. I make our own banana cake, carrot cake and pumpkin bread from scratch but that is if I have ample of time to bake it. This “Double Chocolate” from Betty Crocker is sooo easy to make. All you need are 1 cup water and 1 egg!

Personalized Pizza

My husband likes his pizza with a thin crust and every time we feel like eating pizza we always go to Pizza Hut. Unfortunately they only make thick crust here in Indonesia and Singapore. The brand Betty Crocker has been very friendly to amateur cooks like me. Just like one of their products Pizza Crust, all you need is ½ cup of hot water (not boiling water). Aside from making your own thin crust you can also put your favorite toppings.