Omelette Fried Rice

A good day today seeing the kids Charlotte & Lennox!!! My two other darlings.  They came back from Germany for holiday and my Charlotte and Justin are just so overjoyed to see them again!!! Yes I did not make a mistake....there are two 'Charlottes'.  Charlotte Tan and Charlotte Mann.  All the 4 kids grew up together.  They are close in a special way.  Having them back is just so great!!!  Hate to see them leave again.  Anyway as I am typing away, kids are making so much noise!!! ahahahha They are having so much fun. 

Spent a good 3 hours chatting with Dave (Charlotte and Lennox's dad), I left with not much time to prepare a feast.  So I have decided on a quick delicious dinner for the kids.  

Omelette Fried Rice

a tray of Chicken fillet 

2 tbsp Terriyaki sauce

1 tbsp honey
dash of pepper
1/2 yellow onion cut into small cubes
Red and Green Capsicum cut into small cubes
2 tbsp cooking wine
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp cooking oil
2 cups of rice (cooked and chilled or kept overnight)


1. Marinate chicken with Terriyaki sauce, honey, pepper.  Let it sit in fridge for an hour.
2. Heat cooking oil in wok.  Add onion and fry until soft. 
3. Add marinated chicken and fry until chicken turn light brown.
4. Keep the fire high and stir in cold cooked rice, wine, light soy sauce and sesame oil.
5. Keep stirring and mix well for about 2 mins.
6. Off heat and pour rice into big serving bowl/ plate. Set aside


Omelette

1 beaten egg (for each serving)
butter 


1. Melt some butter in the same wok, pour beaten egg in and fry til light brown on both sides.


Wrapping the Omelette

1. Place Omelette on a plate and place some rice on one side of the omelette and fold it.
2. Drizzle ketchup over the omelette for decoration. Serve immediately.

A satisfying dinner for all!!! :))  Mission completed.

Sticky Sweet Pork

It is never easy being a parent. It is even more tough being a single mother. It is constant struggle and never ending stress. Five years ago when we first moved out of the family home, it was a nightmare. Life was so tough and I was seriously broke every now and then. To put up a brave front in front of others and family was a tough job. I spent many nights crying alone. Others who saw me laugh and smile did not know what i was going through. Rental of our first home, daily expenses, helper's pay etc.....everything on me. I am blessed I have beautiful family and friends to support me but I was too proud to admit how broke and how tough life was for me. At the same time I have to take care of the children's emotional wellbeing, created a lively and happy family environment for them not wanting them to feel diffirent from their peers. Then was Justin's schooling to stress about. To put him through mainstream to satisfy my ego as a parent fooling myself that my boy is able to cope with studies OR to admit that he does need special education. The catch is, to have him in special school means I have to pay high price and can I afford it???? ........ I am glad I made the right choice to placed him in Pathlight eventually. 

Then are the meals I have to serve everyday. There are times I did not even have enough money to buy groceries. Meals are usually simple. One of the dishes we always eat was this sticky pork dish I learnt from my mom. Cheap, tasty, simple. No matter how tough life is, I will never compromise my children's needs. Proper care and nice food is a must. My children are my life.

Now looking back, I am so glad I braved through. I guess being a naturally happy go lucky person helps me alot. I am the nut case in many friends' eyes. The super blur and always smiling Adriana, the 'laughing biscuit' in some friends' eyes. You know who you are ladies :p

I am going to share my ever popular Sticky Pork recipe today.

Sticky Sweet Pork

Shoulderbutt pork (a tray from supermart)
4-6 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp light soy sauce
pepper (your preference on the amount)
1 tbsp corn flour
1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
4 tbsp cooking oil (or your choice on the amount of oil you use for deep frying)


1. Sliced the pork into thin strip (slice against the grain)
2. Marinate pork with sugar, light soy sauce, pepper, corn flour and sesame oil. Let it sit in fridge for an hour or overnight.  
3. Heat oil in a wok.  Pour meat into wok in batches if using a small frying wok. (do not overcrowd the wok)
4. Fry til golden brown and serve hot with rice.

Note: In the picture above, I cooked plain rice with some butter and chopped capsicum and some salt to taste.  
  
This dish is Charlotte's favourite.  Never fail to put a smile on her face and I shared this recipe with a friend, Christine because her children love it!!! 

Sunny Face Ramen

It is been long I have not cook lunch for kids. Its always same kind of lunch if my helper cooks. So I thought maybe I make ramen today. Lotte's favourite  But somehow i overlooked on timing...... it was time to fetch Justin from Pathlight. Rushed to school and waited for him. While chatting with other mommies, Justin appeared behind me and hugged me. He started squeezing my shoulders and arms. I knew immediately something was wrong. As I couldn't see his face, i asked my friend if he was smiling behind my back and she said yes but i was not convinced. I was pretty sure he was not feeling ok. Justin is autistic and i know he has been exercising self control and self regulate his emotion when he is in public. If he is upset, i will be his 'stress ball'. He will start squeezing and twisting my arms or shoulders. Sometimes he will pinch me. PAINFUL!!!! At least he is not screaming or crying in public. I just tolerate the 'silent treatment' but I know this cannot go on for long. He is growing stronger and one day he will break my arms!!! Am waiting for a friend to pass me her stress ball. For now i tolerate. There was no way I can make him open up and tell me what happened in school so I let him cry hard in the car while we drove home.  I told him to cry as much as he wants ......he looked hurt :( Then I thought ok I will make him a nice lunch to cheer him up before I talk to him. Food is his favourite thing in the whole wide world. Mommy is his favourite person in the whole wide world!!! :-)

We stepped into the house, I had him washed his hands and passed him a soft toy.  Got him sit down on the sofa and he can squeeze the toy as much and as hard as he wants.  I then stepped into the kitchen.  Looking at the ingredients I have in the fridge and I ponder......  what else can i add to the Ramen to cheer him up.... ah BACON!!!! So there it goes.....my Ramen recipe.  

Sunny Face Ramen

a pack of Ramen noddle
4 strips of Streaky bacon (cut into pieces)
1 shredded carrot
a big piece of lettuce (sliced into small strip)
fishcake (cut into bite size cubes and boil)
1 egg (poached or pan fry)
fired garlic (can be bought from supermart)
2 tbsp Japanese sesame sauce
1 tbsp Japanese soy sauce (soup base)
2 tbsp cooking oil/Olive oil
1 tbsp of bacon oil


1. Fry the bacon pieces in hot oil until bacon is brown and crispy.  Scope bacon out from pan and drain on kitchen towel.  Reserve the bacon oil for noodle.

2. Break the egg and pan fry in hot oil to make sunny side up.  Put aside.

3. In a serving bowl or plate, mix sesame sauce, soy sauce bacon oil together.  

4. Cook Ramen according to package instruction. Once done, drain noodle and pour Ramen into prepared sauce immediately.  Mix well.

5.  In the middle of the bowl, place the egg and surround the egg with carrot, lettuce, fishcake and reserved bacon.  Sprinkle fried garlic on top of the egg.

Done and ready to tuck in!!!

I was so relief that Justin loves it!!!  He ran to me with a big smile and gave me a big bear hug and said Thank You mommy for the lunch.  Nothing makes my day :)

Some feelings inside me....

Been talking to many people lately......a lot of negative happenings to people around me.  Kind of making me feel this world maybe going through a menopause and affects everyone on this earth..... crappy.  I was cooking dinner just now and suddenly remember this quote I saw online some time ago.  Search and search and finally found it!!  I totally buy this because I am going through as well.  Treasure family,people and things and grab grab grab whatever I think is worth for me to fight for or am I blindly fighting for nothing????  

Braised Pork Belly

I am no well again!! My cough miss me and is currently here for visit.  Cant wait to send it off...... :( Since young mom said no chicken, no cold drinks, no bananas, no oranges etc when I have cough.  

So I decided to cook pork again!!!!  Yes pork..... have been eating so much fish and pork for past few weeks because Justin and I have been coughing.  Braised Pork Belly came to my mind.  I think of mom every time I braised pork.  Her braised pork belly is the best but I have my own variation.  I think if she can understand English and read my recipe, she will sure disapprove.  Well, time change!!!  

Braised Pork Belly

1 piece of pork belly (usually comes in a tray in supermart)

1 tbsp soy sauce

3 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp sugar

a pinch of five spice powder

10 cloves of garlic with skin - mashed it 

1 big shallots (small onion) - roughly chopped

2 star anise

1 cinnamon

6 cloves

1 tbsp oil

100ml water

1. Wash and pat dry pork belly.  Mix soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, five spice powder together and marinate pork belly.  Marinate for about an hour or even over night. 

2. Heat frying pan with oil and add in garlic, shallot, star anise, cinnamon and cloves.  Saute for 1 min or until fragrance.  Remove from stove.

3.  Transfer the spices mix into a clay pot or braising pot.  Add in marinated pork belly with marinate juice and water.

4.  Let it boiled and simmer for 30 mins.  Turn the pork over and continue to braise for another 30 mins or til tender.  Check water in between, add little bit more if water dries up.

5. If there is remaining gravy inside, transfer to another small pan.  Heat it up and add a little corn starch water to thicken. (This is optional)

6.  Take pork out of pot and let if cool for 10 mins before cutting it.

Note:  I like to leave the braised pork in the pot for another 15 mins after I off fire.  

Enjoy!!!! :)

Teacher's Day Ideas

Teacher's Day coming!!! No idea what to give to show appreciation to Justin's teachers for doing such great job. So was Goggling and i found this. great site with lots of ideas. Pinterest Take a look!!!

http://pinterest.com/nirolle1/teacher-s-appreciation-gift-ideas/

Enjoy :-)

Pistachio Honey Chicken

I am very busy on weekdays and i usually cook proper meals on weekends. But today i have no idea what to cook!! Feeling clueless so i asked Charlotte early in the morning what she wants to eat. She casually said oh i want your pistachio chicken!! Yeesss that's it. No more cracking brain. I have chicken in the freezer, honey in cabinet and i just need to buy pistachio nuts. Easy. So here we are, my Pistachio Honey Chicken.

We Love this recipe which I found it many years ago.  Yummy!!

Pistachio Honey Chicken

1 chicken, cut it into big pieces

2 cloves garlic, mince it (you can use 4-5 cloves if you like garlic)

1 tbsp cumin powder

juice of 1 lemon

2 tsps salt (i usually just add 1 tsp)

1 large onion, roughly chopped

300 ml water ( if you like it more more sauce, use 500 ml)

2 tbsp oil

Honey Pistachio Paste

1/3 cup honey

1 cup of shelled pistachios, ground coarsely

1. Marinate chicken with garlic, cumin, half the lemon juice, salt.

2. Heat oil in deep pan and stir-fry onion until soft.  Add chicken and mix well.  Add water when chicken turns light brown.  Bring water to a boil then add remaining lemon juice.  Simmer and covered for 30 mins, stirring once.  

3. Transfer chicken and sauce into a baking dish.  Spread the paste (mix pistachio and honey together) evenly over chicken.  Bake in pre-heated oven at 180 C for 20 mins until a crunchy crust is formed.

Note: Use a smaller baking dish so sauce won't dry out easily.

I made kids' favorite garlic oyster lettuce to go with the chicken and plain rice.  Dinner done!!!!

Welcome In!!!

Hello everyone, this is Hot Mama aka Adriana talking.  I am a mother of 3, Charlotte, Justin and Jordan. Jordan left us 10 years ago and is in Heaven now.  I think my life is a big chaos at times. I wish i have 4 hands but to think about it, i will look horrible ahahaaaa...... I work, I cook, have to take kids to and from school, I look after the whole household etc......  Friends said I am insane to add more into my hectic life but I have very good reason why I am writing a blog. 

Charlotte is a movie and animation making fanatic.  She has this Youtube account where she post videos she made and lately she received some negative feedback of her videos.  She was so upset and after some thought, I decided to start a blog to walk with her together in this cyber world.  I told her I might eventually get more 'haters' then her.  We will grace through criticism together.  Another reason is to fulfill my dream to have my own blog and share my joy of cooking and going through my not so sane life.

So here I am, my very first post for my brand new blog, Hotmama Talks.  Welcome to my little world.