The Prawn Gala served in Royal Albert's Old Country Rose Platter

After my little extravaganza with my grandmother (See the previous post or click here), I was left with nothing but 10 dollars in my pocket (sob sob). "Ring Ring", there went my phone (sorry for the gaudy ringtone, but if I didn't put 'Ring, Ring' would you have known its a phone?) and I was tasked with a simple all too easy plan to set up lunch for mum. The only catch, I had 10 dollars left.

Nothing too elaborate though, that's what I thought, just cook her favourite - restaurant style. So I went ahead to buy prawns, salted eggs, garlic sprouts, giant Thai lime. Approximately 8 dollars worth of ingredients. (Yeah I have 2 dollars left to pay for the booking of Badminton Courts tomorrow!) It really is amazing how the dollar can be stretched when there are stuff on offer. For eg. The Prawns were sold at 99cents per 100g (I chose about 20 pieces, about $3.00++) 

Golden Pieces of Salted Egg Yolk drizzled like snow flakes (or rather hailstones because of the size) on the prawns!

This is one dish that is extremely high high high high in calories, fat and everything. But that is what makes it so good.

I won't be revealing the recipe here (it's my trade secret) - hehehehehe..for the future.

Today's creation included an extra dip made from a wondrous mix of butter, garlic sprouts, garlic, onion, mini peppers, salted egg, salt, sugar, lime, and more stuff which tasted very well with rice. Well that's what my mum said after she started eating it with rice instead of prawns with the rice.

For the prawns itself, I garnished it with more pieces of salted egg yolk (ones that were soaked in a spa like atmosphere though the hot liquid is butter) and the zest from the Thai big lime. Nice mix, I must add.

If you have eaten salted egg yolk prawns in a good Chinese restaurant before, this is perhaps what you can imagine about my dish. Though there is that thing about the extra kick from the dip =)

My mum enjoyed this dish [For less then 8 dollars] at her six star restaurant at home. I believe you will too when you make your own version of the fabulous creation =)

For dessert, you might want to pair it off with dragonfruit (like what I did) since they are in season and it is necessary to wash down all those goodness.

Let learn more about the dragonfruit (Click here)

Ye Old Country Beef Stew served in Royal Albert's Old Country Rose Platter

In my culinary books, Ye Old Country Beef Stew is my favourite. The recipe was once called Island Beef Stew, but I improved on it by adding certain more spices and herbs, and cheese and butter for that added fragrance and taste. Yum!

Whipping up beef stew is actually very simple. And the best thing about stews is that different tastes from the ingredients fuse together to form a fantastic dish that warms the soul. Hmmm I wonder if stew would be considered soul food? I know Hot Chocolate is one.

When choosing beef for stews, its best if you get those sold specifically for stews. Or else you could always get the Shin area and if there are pieces with a little fat on it, it will be perfect. The fat will literally melt in your mouth when stewed. Mmmmmm=)

Look at that beef! =)=)=)

A simple beef stew recipe is all you need to entertain and delight your guests and family. One lovable dish with lots of love in it, that is the most important ingredient of all.

Ye Old Country Beef Stew

• 800grams of beef stew cubes or the shin area, sliced to bite size pieces
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 4 pieces shitake mushrooms, sliced
• 1 300g can tomato puree
• 1 300g can of button mushrooms, drained of liquid or 10 pieces large white button mushrooms, sliced
• 4 Granola Potatoes, cubed or quatered
• 4 pieces of Star Anise
• 2 Cinnamon Quills
• 2 teaspoon whole white pepper or 4 dashes of ground white pepper
• 5 tomatoes, quartered
• 1 Medium red onion, sliced
• 2 pieces dried bay leaves or 3 pieces fresh bay leaves
• 2 slices processed cheese or 2 tablespoons of cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon salted butter
• salt
• cooking oil  
• water
• 2 tablespoons dark sweet sauce (kecap manis)
• 2 tablespoons light soy sauce

Ok the hard part of preparing the ingredients is over, the rest is very simple.

1. Pour the tomato puree over the beef and leave aside for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, in a large stew pot, heat about 3 tablespoons of cooking oil. Stir fry the sliced onions until fragrant or slightly browned.
3. Place in the beef and tomato puree into the pot and fry for another 5 minutes.
4. Add in the carrots, both types of mushrooms, cinnamon quills, pepper, tomatoes, bay leaves and star anise. Leave to simmer for another 5 minutes.
5. Add in 1 litre of water and cover the pot.
6. Once half the water content has evaporated, add in the cheese and butter. Stir to melt the cheese and butter into the mix. Thereafter, add in the potatoes.
7. Finally, add in the dark sweet sauce and light soy sauce. Leave to simmer for another 20 minutes. Add salt to taste.
8. Serve hot with bread or rice!

Chef's note :

• If you find the gravy too watery, try adding a little cornstarch water to thicken it up.
• If you like more meat in the stew, I would recommend adding back bacon bone. About 400grams will do. This will add even more to the flavour of the stew and if you do add in the back bones, don't add any more salt and reduce the light soy sauce to 1 tablespoon.
• The best thing about stews is you can always add more ingredient or substitute other ingredients to create your own special recipe. Try to experiment a bit and good luck =)

The Banana Muffin

Singapore is currently in a Muffin craze. With muffin shops popping up almost everywhere. Even the papers did a little article (ok large article) about muffins. Well to go with the flow, perhaps for those of you who are craving for a little nuts on your muffins, maybe you should try the ones at The Singapore Marriott Hotel Pastry Shop.

 

For today's afternoon tea at home, I had the Banana muffin (drizzled with Walnuts) and the Apple & Cinnamon muffin (plastered with Almond Slices).

The Apple & Cinnamon Muffin

The nuts add a lovely crunch to the sponginess of the muffins. The muffins by themselves were found not to be too dry or too wet, it was perfectly moist. Usually, the muffins sold at the bakeries would be too dry for my liking and would leave my throat high and parch.

The Marriott's muffins were found to be better, though I must say that the taste could have been slightly sweeter.

Nonetheless, having Marriott's muffins for tea is an excellent afternoon snack...(If you don't mind the calories)

Tea served in Royal Albert's 1920 | Spring Meadow Design

Certainly a refreshing Royal Tea(Lipton though...not Earl Gray) . Muffins?

Price $2.90 each

Rating : 4/5

Stall Name : Singapore Marriott Hotel, Pastry Shop

Venue : Above Tang's Marketplace (direct route from Orchard MRT Station), Hotel Lobby Lounge