Chicken Pie

Makes 2 (9cm Mini Pie Pastry)
Ingredients	Amounts
Bread Flour	260g
Butter (Soften)	160g
Icing Sugar	20g
Water	50g
Salt	2g

Chicken Pie Filling
Ingredients	Amounts
Diced Chicken Breast	250g
Butter	50g
Diced Onion	1 Medium one
Ham (Diced)	4 Slices
Mixed vegetables	1 rice bowl
Salt	3 Tsp
Chicken stock	2 tbsp
Corn starch solution	40g + 2 tbsp water
Boiled diced Potatoes	2 small ones

Pie Pastry :

1. Combine all the ingredients for the pie pastry together.
   
   
2. Blend into a smooth and buttery mixture and ensure that all ingredients are combined nicely.
   
   
3. Bring to chill for at least 1 hr.
   
   
   

Chicken Pie Filling:

1. In a wok, melt the butter. Add in the diced onions and fry till fragrant.
   
   
2. Stir in the diced chicken and cook well. When chicken is cooked, stir in the ham and blend well.
   
   
3. Add in chicken stock and simmer for 2 mins. Stir in the mixed vegetables and potatoes.
   
   
4. Blend well and simmer for another 2 mins. Add in salt for seasoning.
   
   
5. Stir in the corn starch solution and blend well. Mixture should gets thicken. Set aside.

Sweet Pear Tart:

1. Roll out the chilled pastry dough.
   
   
2. Flatten into a thin round shape. Ensure that the dough shape is bigger than your pie pan.
   
   
3. Place the pastry over the pie pan and cut out the excess dough.
   
   
4. Poke holes onto the bottom of the pie pastry using fork.
   
   
5. Add the chicken pie filling into the pie pastry.
   
   
6. Cover the pie with another rolled pie pastry.
   
   
7. Bring to bake at 180 degree Celsius for 45 mins.

Baked these chicken pies for our Picnic session tomorrow. Opps, I mean today! Gosh, only to realised that it's already 2:00AM in the morning when these pies came out pipping hot.

Practically most employees are on half day work today and thus, after my work, I headed off to Takashimaya for lunch. My Royal Prince Charming had his company lunch thus, I was strolling alone in Takashimaya for almost 2 hrs before his arrival.

We shopped the whole day and only managed to reached home at 1030pm. Getting the stuffs prepared and ensuring that my pie pastry is chilled enough took me quite sometime. Nevertheles, I am satisfied with my Chicken Pies. They smell so nice and I'm hungry now :S

Picnic Session

I am so happy! Both my Royal Prince Charming and I will be going on a Picnic session tomorrow! Yes, the first day of 2008 ;) Surprisingly, it is also our 6 months Wedding Anniversary :)

Am currently cracking my brains on what to bring for our picinic. Royal Prince Charming has 千交代 and 萬交代 not to bring too much food. I've always got the tendency to overcook, as in cook too much! He's always the one clearing up the leftovers and everyone one seems to be saying that he has put on weight after getting married. Now, he's pointing at me for his weight gain. Well, I can't control myself sometimes :P

Anyway, I guessed I should be bringing:

• Mini Chicken Pies X 2
• Mini Onigiris X 2
• Sausage Cocktails X 2
• Mini Tuna Sandwiches X 4
• Potato Salad X 2
• Plain water (1.5 litres) X 1

Wish me luck in getting them prepared tonight! Ciaos!

Sweet Pear Tart

Makes 2 (9cm Mini Tart Pastry)
Ingredients	Amounts
Bread Flour	260g
Butter (Soften)	160g
Icing Sugar	20g
Water	50g
Salt	2g

Caramel Pear Filling
Ingredients	Amounts
Pear	1 Big one
Sugar	1 Cup
Water	3 Tbsp

Pie Pastry :

1. Combine all the ingredients for the pie pastry together.
   
   
2. Blend into a smooth and buttery mixture and ensure that all ingredients are combined nicely.
   
   
3. Bring to chill for at least 1 hr.

Caramel Pear filling:

1. Slice the pear up into small pieces.
   
   
2. Place the sliced pears into a pan, add in sugar and water. Blend well.
   
   
3. On medium heat, simmer the mixture till pear is soften.
   
   
4. When mixture starts boiling, lower the heat to small and allow the pear to cook further so that it will be very soft.
   
   
5. Leave to cool.

* As pear contains an amount of fluid, there will be more liquid when cooking. Thus, you may need to scoop up the excess liquid.*


Sweet Pear Tart:

1. Roll out the chilled pastry dough.
   
   
2. Flatten into a thin round shape. Ensure that the dough shape is bigger than your pie pan.
   
   
3. Place the pastry over the pie pan and cut out the excess dough.
   
   
4. Poke holes onto the bottom of the pie pastry using fork.
   
   
5. Add the caramelized pear filling into the pie pastry.
   
   
6. Cover the pie with another rolled pie pastry.
   
   
7. Bring to bake at 180 degree Celsius for 45 mins.

The pears were another complimentary "gift" from my Mother in law. They were with us for quite sometime and both me and my Royal Prince Charming hardly got the time to cut them up and swallow them down our stomach. Well, lazy bug is working up on us as usual.

Anyway, I realised that the pears were turning soft, a sign that tell me to act before they starts rotting in my fridge. Was thinking of doing a fruit salad but my Royal Prince Charming doesn't like plain yogurt because he finds that they are too sour for his liking. Thus, I decided to made them into tarts. Noticed that the shape of my pear tart looks kind of weird? That's because I did not roll the pastry big enough to cover the pan thus, I had to wrap them up instead ;)

The caramelized pear filling was done by intuition and it was miracle that it's my type of tea. I like it sweet without the taste of any spice. The tart was crispy even after it became cold. My Royal Prince Charming like the tart and asked if I could make them for our Picnic session on Monday. That's a sure do :)

Change of Blog address

Dear readers,

My Royal Prince Charming recently had his former name changed. Thus, with effect from 27th December 2007, I offically pronounced to the world that I will be known as Mrs Kwok instead of Mrs Kuo.

My blog address will be updated accordingly. Therefore, please note that my new blog will be stationed at http://thekwoks-viewfinder.blogspot.com .


XOXO,
Happy Mrs Kwok

Mee Goreng

Makes 6 servings
Ingredients	Amounts
Hokkien Mee	500g
Oil	50ml
Tau Kuar (cubed)	1 pieces
Diced onions	1
Ketchup	6 Tbsp
Chilli Sauce	6 Tbsp
Chinchalok	2 Tbsp
Mixed vegetables	1 1/2 full cup
Bean sprouts	1 cup

* Remember to wash hokkien mee before cooking for better hygiene and less greasiness*

1. Heat up the oil in a frying wok on medium heat. Bring the diced onions to cook till fragrant.
   Add in the cubed tau kuar. (I did not deep fried the Tau kuar for a healthier option)
   
   
2. Stir in hokkien mee and blend well. You may add in some water/Chicken stock to prevent the noodles from sticking to the wok if you are using a non-stick one like mine.
   
   
3. Stir in the mixed vegetables and make sure it is well combined with the noodles.
   
   
4. Add in the ketchup, chilli sauce and Chinchalok. Stir well and simmer for 2 mins.
   
   
5. Lastly, add in the bean sprouts and stir well. Simmer for another 1 min and it is ready to be serve.

This is the Mee goreng that I whipped up for my Family Christmas Dinner. It is in fact my first attempt trying on it and I am relieved that it tasted good and my family members love it :)

I did this recipe by intuition as in, I try to figure out how Mee goreng should be done. I can't say its 100% similar to the one we get from our Malay friends but I can say its resemble 80% like the one we get from the local Zi Char stall.

My cousins commented that it was nicely done up and they really like it. I added in Chinchalok because my family members are big fans of spicy food and so do I! I can't live without chilli ;)

For those who are not sure of what Chinchalok is, it is acutally a very delicious sauce that's slightly saltish and pungent. I don't really know how to describe it but I was introduced to this sauce long long way back during my primary school days. My god mum love to make Chinchalok herself and we always eat that with BBQ food and mee hoon.

Both my parents and I really adore Chinchalok to core. However, it is not recommended for freuqent consumption because of the prawn paste. Not very healthy I think? Anyway, you can get Chinchalok almost anywhere in Singapore. There are a few brands but the one that I really like is Taho. Oh, by the way, it is very cheap, $1.50 per bottle only. Try it someday!

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Updates: With effect from 27th November 2007, please address me as Happy Mrs Kwok. No longer Mrs Kuo anymore. Oh nono, don't get the wrong idea! My Royal Prince Charming had his name changed. I still have the same and doting husband. LOL. I wil get my banners updated to reflect "Happy Mrs Kwok" asap.