A super-delish three-course meal that you can easily rustle up? Yes, please!

Sam-Leong-receipes-main

Satisfy your comfort food cravings with these hearty family favourites that will make you feel oh so content. Using fresh and easy-to-find ingredients, these dishes, by award-winning local Chef Sam Leong and his family, are exactly what a hungry brood needs. Even better, they are a cinch to whip up.

Sam-Leong-receipes-soychicken

Soy Sauce Chicken

Serves 6–8

Ingredients

5 litres/20 cups water

1 chicken, about 1.5 kg, cleaned

Herbs

3 cinnamon sticks

3 pods Chinese black cardamom (also known as tsao kuo or cao guo)

3 star anise

3 bay leaves

3 tsps ground ginger

Seasoning

500ml/2 cups light soy sauce

500ml/2 cups dark soy sauce

60g rock sugar

Method

1. Place water and herbs in a large pot. Bring to the boil, then lower heat and simmer for 30 minutes until water is fragrant with the aroma of the herbs.

2. Add seasoning and the whole chicken. Simmer over very low heat for about 40 minutes until chicken is cooked through and tender.

3. Remove chicken and set aside to cool before chopping into pieces.

4. Strain sauce and discard herbs.

5. Drizzle sauce over chicken and serve with your choice of noodles.

Click here for a zesty salad to tempt your taste buds…

 

Sam-Leong-receipes-spicy-bittergourd

Spicy Bitter Gourd and Egg Salad

Serves 2–3

Ingredients

250g bitter gourd

50g prawns, shelled and deveined

30g dried prawns, soaked to soften

30g shallots, peeled and thinly sliced

1 hard-boiled egg, shelled and cut into wedges

Dressing

4 tbsps lime juice

3 tbsps fish sauce

2 tbsps olive oil

2–3 coriander (cilantro) stems, chopped

1 red chilli, chopped

2–3 bird’s eye chillies, chopped

1 tsp sugar

Method

1. Cut bitter gourd lengthwise in half. Scrape out the soft centre and discard. Slice thinly.

2. Prepare a bowl of iced water. Add a pinch of salt and soak bitter gourd for several minutes to get rid of the bitterness.

3. Combine ingredients for dressing (for kids, leave out the chilli) and set aside.

4. Boil a small pot of water ― put in prawns until just cooked. Drain and slice thinly. Set aside.

5. In a dry wok over medium heat, dry-fry dried prawns for about 5 minutes until dry. Place in a blender and process until fine. Remove and set aside.

6. Drain bitter gourd and place in a mixing bowl. Add prawns, dried prawns and shallots.

7. Add half the dressing and mix well. Taste and adjust with more dressing.

8. Transfer to a serving bowl and top with hard-boiled egg. Serve immediately.

Click here for a toothsome treat to end your meal on a sweet note…

 

Sam-Leong-receipes-matcha

Matcha Financiers

Makes about 30 small cakes

Ingredients

70g butter

100g ground almonds

50g cake flour

¼ tsp baking powder

115g icing sugar

15g matcha powder

100g + 35g egg whites

Method

1. Preheat oven to 165 deg C. Prepare 2–3 silicone financier or madeleine moulds that are 4cm deep.

2. Heat butter in a small pan until melted and brown. Remove from heat and set aside.

3. Using an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix ground almonds, cake flour, baking powder, icing sugar and matcha powder on low speed until ingredients are well mixed.

4. With the mixer running, gradually add 100g egg whites and mix well.

5. Add browned butter and mix until incorporated.

6. In a separate bowl, whisk remaining 35g egg whites until stiff. Fold into mixture.

7. Spoon mixture into a piping bag and pipe into prepared moulds. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes. Check if financiers are done by inserting the tip of a small knife or skewer into the centre of cake. The knife or skewer should come out clean.

8. Remove from oven and let cool slightly before releasing from moulds. Serve.

Recipes adapted from Sam Leong: A Family Cookbook Cooking Across Three Generations, by Sam Leong, Forest Leong, Eng Pit Yoke and Joe Leong.

Like us on Facebook and check SmartParents regularly for the latest reads!

You may also like these stories…

Make it: 2 more amazing chiffon-cake recipes

Five quick and easy stuffing recipes for Christmas

New ways to eat avocado