I'm beat today as I drove for 4 hours back. We came home one day early as it would be a horrifying traffic jam as many would be on the way home to their kampungs as it is the Hari Raya on Monday. We had a smooth journey home.
I'll be snoring like a walrus tonight!
Friday, 25 July 2014
Wednesday, 23 July 2014
Same Old, Same Old
So on Monday morning we went to Tan Tock Sing to see the immunologist. His answer to my condition did not surprise me a bit. It was 'No solution, no answer and no cure.' He labeled it as Idiopathic Food and Environmental Intolerances/Sensitivities.
He also said to slowly experiment in new foods and to also get rid of the mentality of being afraid to try/being afraid of going into shock.
He said that it is unlikely for these reactions to food to result in an anaphylactic attack.
As for eating out, he told me to find a restaurant that would specifically cater to my needs and to stick to only one place and not go all over to eat. Eating out is a problem as there are too many herbs, spices and additives which are used. Even a change of chef on that day could pose a problem. He told me to only go for 'bland-outside-food'.
As for now I will maintain my normal way of living until I-don't-know-when...
Saturday, 19 July 2014
380 Kilometres
I drove for 380 kilometres straight for the first time in my life. It was a stress-killer. I could feel the stress melting away as each kilometre went by. This is our first time driving to Singapore as we always flew for our past trips.
We are currently in Singapore again for my follow-up with the immunologist.
I'm definitely going to be snoring the loudest in this building tonight! Haha!
We are currently in Singapore again for my follow-up with the immunologist.
I'm definitely going to be snoring the loudest in this building tonight! Haha!
Thursday, 17 July 2014
Yong Tau Foo
The Yong Tau Foo dish is a very popular Hakka Chinese soup dish found in China, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand.
Basically it is a clear consommé soup served with a variety of food items such as fish balls, crab sticks, cuttlefish, vegetables and tofu which are stuffed with fish paste (also known as surimi). The usual vegetables that are used are bitter gourd, brinjal, lady fingers, and chillies.
These are cooked briefly in boiling broth and is served in the boiled broth.
Some people eat this dish with a bowl of steamed rice or with noodles. Some people serve this in a bowl of curry sauce!
This dish is usually served with a dipping sauce. It can be a spicy, vinegary chili sauce which is made from red, fermented bean curd or hoisin sauce.
Ingredients:
1. 20 okras (large in size if possible)
2. 1 bitter gourd (cut into medallion size)
3. 2 packets of firm square tofu.
4. 600gm of fish paste (click on LINK)
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1. Slit open the okras. Slit the half-ed tofu. (Don't slice it into half.)
2. Scoop about 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of fish paste and stuff it into the slits. It should look something like this:
3. For the remaining fish paste, I made them into fish balls.
4. For the okras, bitter gourd and tofu stuffing, I steamed them for about 20 minutes. For the fish balls I baked them at 200C for about 20 minutes.
5. Serve warm with soup and rice or noodles.
Bon appétit!
Basically it is a clear consommé soup served with a variety of food items such as fish balls, crab sticks, cuttlefish, vegetables and tofu which are stuffed with fish paste (also known as surimi). The usual vegetables that are used are bitter gourd, brinjal, lady fingers, and chillies.
These are cooked briefly in boiling broth and is served in the boiled broth.
Some people eat this dish with a bowl of steamed rice or with noodles. Some people serve this in a bowl of curry sauce!
This dish is usually served with a dipping sauce. It can be a spicy, vinegary chili sauce which is made from red, fermented bean curd or hoisin sauce.
Ingredients:
1. 20 okras (large in size if possible)
2. 1 bitter gourd (cut into medallion size)
3. 2 packets of firm square tofu.
 |
| This is how the tofu looks like. Just cut it into half. |
--------------------------------------------
1. Slit open the okras. Slit the half-ed tofu. (Don't slice it into half.)
2. Scoop about 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of fish paste and stuff it into the slits. It should look something like this:
3. For the remaining fish paste, I made them into fish balls.
4. For the okras, bitter gourd and tofu stuffing, I steamed them for about 20 minutes. For the fish balls I baked them at 200C for about 20 minutes.
5. Serve warm with soup and rice or noodles.
Bon appétit!
Baking Soda Rescued The Peas!
The green peas which I had bought from the organic shop were a pain in the ass. They refused to soften no matter what I did to them. I think if they were around during Jesus' time, he would have yelled at them, 'You stiff necked peas!' I think the peas were 1000 years old.
I had soaked them for almost 24 hours.
And then I boiled them for 2 hours.
And they were as hard as ever. I think they overdosed on Viagra.
And then it struck me!
Why not add some baking soda to the water?
I did!
And they softened within 15 minutes.
Haha!
Baking soda saved the peas!
Here's a link which I found after I experimented! Click on LINK.
I had soaked them for almost 24 hours.
And then I boiled them for 2 hours.
And they were as hard as ever. I think they overdosed on Viagra.
And then it struck me!
Why not add some baking soda to the water?
I did!
And they softened within 15 minutes.
Haha!
Baking soda saved the peas!
Here's a link which I found after I experimented! Click on LINK.
Wednesday, 16 July 2014
Yang Chow Fried Rice
The Yang Chow fried rice was invented by Yi Bingshou (1754 - 1815) during the Qing dynasty in China. The dish is given such a name as Yi was once the regional magistrate of the city of Yangzhou. Though there are many versions of the Yang Chow fried rice, but the staple items are cooked rice (which is preferably one day old rice), cooked shrimp, spring onions, fresh vegetable (peas, corn, carrots, bamboo shoots) and eggs. Many people add ham or char siew pork to their Yang Chow fried rice.
Below is my salicylate-tolerable-version of the Yang Chow fried rice.
Ingredients:
1. 4 cups of cooked white rice (cooked, kept in freezer overnight and thawed the next day)
2. 2 large eggs (beaten)
3. 200gm of fish cake (for recipe, click on LINK) (cut into small pieces)
4. 200gm of prawns (cut into small pieces and seasoned with sea-salt and some sunflower oil)
5. 1/2 bulb of garlic (sliced into thin pieces)
6. 2 carrots (cut into cubes)
7. 1 cup of green peas
8. 2 stalks of spring onion (chopped into fine pieces)
9. Sea-salt
10. Sunflower oil
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1. Heat a wok.
2. Add three tablespoons of sunflower oil into heated wok.
3. Once oil is heated, add the sliced garlic and stir fry until it is slightly browned.
4. Add the fish cake, carrots and peas and stir fry until carrots and peas soften slightly.
5. Add the prawns and fry until throughly cooked.
6. Add the rice and some sea-salt. Mix everything thoroughly
7. Pour the beaten eggs over the rice.
8. Stir fry until eggs are cooked and well blended with the fried rice.
9. Add the spring onions and stir for another 2 minutes.
10. Scoop onto serving dish.
11. Serve warm.
Bon appétit!
Below is my salicylate-tolerable-version of the Yang Chow fried rice.
Ingredients:
1. 4 cups of cooked white rice (cooked, kept in freezer overnight and thawed the next day)
2. 2 large eggs (beaten)
3. 200gm of fish cake (for recipe, click on LINK) (cut into small pieces)
4. 200gm of prawns (cut into small pieces and seasoned with sea-salt and some sunflower oil)
5. 1/2 bulb of garlic (sliced into thin pieces)
6. 2 carrots (cut into cubes)
7. 1 cup of green peas
 |
| I bought a packet of dried garden peas from the organic shop. I had to soak it for about 18 hours to get it to soften. And then I had to boil it for 2 hours. But they were yummy. |
9. Sea-salt
10. Sunflower oil
-----------------------------------------------------
1. Heat a wok.
2. Add three tablespoons of sunflower oil into heated wok.
3. Once oil is heated, add the sliced garlic and stir fry until it is slightly browned.
4. Add the fish cake, carrots and peas and stir fry until carrots and peas soften slightly.
5. Add the prawns and fry until throughly cooked.
6. Add the rice and some sea-salt. Mix everything thoroughly
7. Pour the beaten eggs over the rice.
8. Stir fry until eggs are cooked and well blended with the fried rice.
9. Add the spring onions and stir for another 2 minutes.
10. Scoop onto serving dish.
11. Serve warm.
Bon appétit!
Monday, 7 July 2014
Gluten-Free Baked Banana Fritters
Ingredients:
1. 4 large over-riped bananas
2. 1 1/2 cup of rice flour
3. 1 large egg
4. 1/2 cup of sunflower oil
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1. Break the bananas into small chunks. Place them in a large bowl.
2. Add the flour, egg and oil.
3. Mix the ingredients until they are well blended.
4. Preheat oven at 200.
5. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
6. Using a tablespoon, place scoops of the banana batter onto the baking tray.
7. Bake for about 1/2 hour or until golden brown.
8. Allow to cool before attacking the delicious baked fritters!
Bon appétit!
1. 4 large over-riped bananas
2. 1 1/2 cup of rice flour
3. 1 large egg
4. 1/2 cup of sunflower oil
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1. Break the bananas into small chunks. Place them in a large bowl.
2. Add the flour, egg and oil.
3. Mix the ingredients until they are well blended.
4. Preheat oven at 200.
5. Line a baking tray with baking paper.
6. Using a tablespoon, place scoops of the banana batter onto the baking tray.
7. Bake for about 1/2 hour or until golden brown.
8. Allow to cool before attacking the delicious baked fritters!
Bon appétit!
Wednesday, 2 July 2014
Gluten-Free Fish Croquettes
Ingredients:
1. 600gm potatoes
2. 450gm cod
3. 2 eggs
4. 50gm rice flour
5. 5ml sea-salt
6. 1 spring onion (chopped into very fine pieces)
7. 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil
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1. Wash and peel the potatoes. Boil them until they are well done (or soft). Mash them.
2. Poach the fish.
3. Remove the flesh of the fish from the bones.
4. Add the potatoes and fish. Mix well.
5. Stir in the flour to make a thick mixture.
6. Add the salt, sunflower oil and spring onion.
7. Shape the mixture into balls and flatten them.
8. Bake at 220C for 1/2 hour or until golden brown.
9. Serve with bread or rice.
Bon appétit!
1. 600gm potatoes
2. 450gm cod
3. 2 eggs
4. 50gm rice flour
5. 5ml sea-salt
6. 1 spring onion (chopped into very fine pieces)
7. 3 tablespoons of sunflower oil
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1. Wash and peel the potatoes. Boil them until they are well done (or soft). Mash them.
2. Poach the fish.
3. Remove the flesh of the fish from the bones.
4. Add the potatoes and fish. Mix well.
5. Stir in the flour to make a thick mixture.
6. Add the salt, sunflower oil and spring onion.
7. Shape the mixture into balls and flatten them.
8. Bake at 220C for 1/2 hour or until golden brown.
9. Serve with bread or rice.
Bon appétit!
