Recipe: Lee Kum Kee Menu-Oriented Sauces Blogger Competition "3dishes+1soup" Part 1

"3 Dishes + 1 Soup" 

If you were to watch Channel 8's variety show, you would probably be familiar with this show called 《三菜一汤》? Basically, the guest artists of the week will have to compete to cook up a "3dishes+1soup" within a given period of time. 

With a similar concept, Lee Kum Kee is hosting a "Menu-Oriented Sauces Blogger Competition" in which bloggers would have to prepare 3 dishes + 1 soup using Lee Kum Kee's Menu-Oriented Sauces and to share on our social media platforms (Instagram & Facebook)

So here is my take of the competition! I've cooked them #injust30minutes! To be more specific, 29 min and 33 sec! Yup, I timed myself. ^^ 

So how do you like my simple, homey "3dishes+1soup" dinner? 

Please show some support by liking & sharing my photos with the tag of #leekumkeemos on my Instagram (@lirongs) and Facebook page ya? <3 

Recipe: Roast pumpkin soup

I guess most of you should know that I, Lirong, is a pumpkin freak. Anything pumpkin just GIVE IT TO ME. So after seeing a friend's instagram post on roasted pumpkin soup, I told myself I NEED! 

Here's 2 huge pumpkin, I thought why not use the pumpkin as a 'bowl' as well? 

Pumpkin bowl recipe:

1. Cut off the top of the pumpkin  and scoop out the seeds with a sharp-edged spoon.

2. Once the insides are removed, season with salt and pepper and insert into a 350-degree oven for about 20 minutes, long enough to take some of the raw edge off the pumpkin. 

3. Once cooked, fill the cavity with soup. 

Ingredients:
 1 large pumpkin (mine was 2kg)

1 tbsp oil

shallots, diced

garlic, chopped

4 cups oyster (may substitute with chicken) broth (vegetarian may use vegetable stock)

Salt and pepper to taste (optional)

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 400°F. Skin the pumpkin and using a sharp knife, cut the pumpkin into smaller pieces and place on a baking sheet; bake for 1 hours.

2. When the pumpkin is cooked, smash it using a spoon. 

3. Heat up a large pot with oil, add shallots and sauté until tender, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Add pumpkin and broth to the pot, along with salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer, covered for about 15 minutes.

4. Blend in a blender and blend the soup until smooth.

5. Scoop into the pumpkin bowl, serve hot. 

Roasted pumpkin soup. 

I'm so proud of myself! LOL!

:P

  

The soup was super smooth and tasty!!

 I died and went to pumpkin heaven! :')

You could have the fresh and soup eaten together. :') OMG~ *stomach growls*  Pumpkin lovers, I swear you need to try this. 

:') :') :') 

.xoxo.

Lirong.

Recipe: Samgyetang, Korean Ginseng Chicken Soup

Sorry to keep you waiting if you have requested for this recipe! My bad, I'm sorry! So here you go. :)

Samgyetang (삼계탕/参鸡汤), is a  Korean style chicken soup which consists of a whole chicken and Korean ginseng. In Korea,  this soup is believed to prevent illness and it is traditionally served in the summer for its supposed nutrients, which replaces those lost through excessive sweating and physical exertion during the hot summer in Korea. 

Ingredients (source):
1 Whole Chicken
3 - 4 Pieces Finger-thick Fresh or Dried Ginseng Roots, washed
4 Red Dates
2 Thin Slices of Ginger
2 Cloves Garlic, washed and lightly pound
2 Stalks Spring Onion, washed 
Extra Chestnut and Gingko Nut, 4 each(optional)

Stuffing:
1/2 Cup(100g) Glutinous Rice, rinse and soaked for 30 minutes
4 Red Dates
4 Fresh Chestnuts, shell and skin removed
4 Fresh Ginkgo Nuts, shell and skin removed
2 Cloves Garlic
1/2 Teaspoon of Sea Salt

Method:

1. Clean and rinse the chicken thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside. Meanwhile drain the soaked glutinous rice and combine with the rest of the stuffing ingredients.  

2. First using one or two red dates to block the opening from the chicken neck area in order to prevent the stuffing from oozing out during simmering. Next stuff the rice mixture into the chicken.(remember not to pack the mixture too tightly as it will swell during cooking) 

3. When done, close the cavity of the chicken by threading a skewer/toothpick or using portion of the ginseng root/red dates to block the opening. 

4. Place chicken in a soup pot/claypot large enough to hold the chicken, add in enough water to cover the chicken then scatter in remaining ingredients (ginseng roots, garlic, ginger, red dates, extra ginkgo nuts and chestnut) and bring it to boil.

5. Skim off the white foam, cover and low the heat and simmer gently for about 50 - 60 minutes(turning the chicken once/twice).

Dinner is serve. Enjoy!:)

I'm submitting this entry to Aspiring Bakers #28: Chicken Feast (February 2013) hosted by SSB of Small Small Baker.

Hotpot Culture again

Hello people, be prepared for a post filled with food. Don't say never warn beforehand. 

:P

OOTD

This Thomas said my Instagram is either filled with food or a photo of me infront of a mirror. Ok, quite true.

LOL!

I seldom wear necklaces according to my outfits nowadays, I'm lazy like this. :/ So when I took this out, it was actually quite dusty. 

LOL LOL!

Started the day with a movie. OMG! So looking forward to it!:D

Caught it with the brother because both of us are #foreveralone. LOL! It was noon so we sneaked in food. Shhh... :X 

You know I eat a lot while the brother's appetite also doubled because of all his army training, so we kinda had a mini picnic in the theater. 

Sushi platter,

Old Chang Kee,

Bubble tea

and of course,

Cannot do without the best popcorn from Shaw @ NEX. :D 

I have a question, who takes their popcorn salted? No, I cannot, popcorn must be sweeted I insist! 

Ok, back to the movie. It's good, but sadly it didn't make me feel the way as Batman Return, that was real good. Anyways, I felt so sad and touched by Batman at the end that I teared. /hideface 

LOL!

After the movie we went shopping a little because the brother wanted to get a MP4 and I bought one for him in the end. WHY AM I SO GENEROUS TO THIS PIG?! 

Well, at least my investment on him didn't go to waste. He treated me to tea. :D 

We bought one each of the French's croissant and Danish's croissant to share. I prefer French as always, support the authentic. :)

Afterwhich, came home and nua-ed a little before heading out to meet the seconday clique for Chee How's farewell dinner @ Hotpot Culture. 

Brought the brother along too, since everyone knows each other. NVSS is a big family like this. ^^ We were supposed to be the earliest because I drove, but ended up being late because I spent 25mins looking for a parking lot. REASON WHY I HATE DRIVING OUT! :(

Food soon took away my anger. LOL

Tahu Telok. <3

Sweet & Sour Pork

Sweet & Sour Fish

Kung Bao Chicken

Chocolate Fondue~

Ok, I surprised the guys with my black hole again. :/ Oh wells, I can't control right?
I ought the be a fatass given the amount I eat everyday. :X Thank god! Haha!
Thomas said I probably will have 8packs if I were to gym, given the amount I can eat. Really?! I don't mind having a toned body! :D But not 8pack please. O.o

Actually this is the secret motive why I ask the brother to come along. 

LOL!

Machiam I'm the one leaving for Beijing right?! And I'm in a very awkward position. I thought I might be 'too tall' for the person behind, who knows the GAO REN was standing behind. ACT SMART!

I love NVSS! <3 

Made a very kiddish card for Chee How. :P 

***

Backlog to yesterday, my course at MOE. 

Li Ki gave me a card too. <3 <3 <3

I think one thing I have gained from this attachment is communication skill too. Good for me. :)

The hungry ghosts. 

It was such a long course and the thing I remembered the most is cyber-responsibility. I think teacher being a glutton isn't a crime right? :P



I was a sailor yesterday. :D

Leaving you with a seafood soup from yesterday's dinner.

GOOD NIGHT!

:D 

Wondergirl

Today is a Lirong-is-a-wondergirl-day. 

LOL!

Morning went to NEX NTUC to get food for steamboat tml. 

Damage: $160

Felt so lucky to have a car if not I'll die carrying these home. 

:/

Had a quick lunch before starting my weekly affair of being a Cinderella. 

LOL!

That took like 2 hours, then showered and head out to pick the brother! :D 

SO HAPPY TO SEE HIM AGAIN! 
But that stupid boy lost his voice. Felt like I was talking to a frog. 
-.-
Oh, and he is super tanned now! 

He went out to get this the moment he got home. 

Anyways, the brother has really become fitter. He lost a bit of weight too. 

:/

Being a brother slave, I tried to prepare a good dinner for him. 

Rice dumplings, which I mastered last year! 

:D

He ate one only, because of his bad throat. 

:/

So I fried a plate of rice for him. Which he didn't finish also, because of his sore throat.

:/

My first attempt on herbal duck soup. Which he didn't eat much also, blame his throat.

:/

Spicy tofu. Which he can't eat also obviously because of his THROAT. 

:/

Conclusion: Waste my effort to the max! 

LOL!

But I'm very bad also, I can't stop laughing whenever he attempts to speak. :P

Anyways, good to have him back and he is totally like a boss tonight! Because I gave in to him. Haha! 

Ok, I'll going to try to control my laughter while the brother tries to tell me his stories in army. 

Bye~

Thai-style dinner

Bro: Jie, your culinary skill has leveled up! 

^^

Because we had 2 huge ass pineapples at home so I decided to challenge myself with one of my favourite Thai dish, pineapple rice! :D

Since we are doing Thai tonight, how can we not have Tomyum Soup? 

No recipe sorry, I simply make it like a normal fried rice except with pineapples and of course pineapple rice paste! :) 

Super super super overcooked tonight. SO SO SO SO FULL! :XxX

Ok, that's dinner. :)

Anyways, today I'm suppose to be at USS with Juyin, Paula and her cool Mom. But... Juyin's not feeling well :( I guess I have no fate with USS? Always planned to go but always ended up not going. :/ So I strongly believe this is god's will that I should only go USS with you.

 LOL!

Since I've already taken my 'leave' from lab, I shall just take it and give myself a break then! :) Anyways, the brother also got cancelled by his friends, so the forever-alone-siblings got to spend their day together again.

-.-

I miss Jollibean so so so so much! :')

Ok, so this is how I spent my day! :) Actually I enjoy locking myself at home, so please lock me at home and keep me away from lab thank you!!! 

Lab lab lab

Started lab since last week and these are the techniques I need to master before I head off for my attachment end of June. Anyways this post probably gonna bored many of you. :P Alright, but still gonna blog it for my own memories to safe keep. :)

So despite being in the lab these few days just to pick up the skills, I'm already like half dead. Lab is draining, very. :( But it's cool to like really experience what a lab life is like because it's really different from what I experienced during lab sessions. Now I don't even call those lab sessions 'lab work' at all. LOL! Although I have totally pushed research off my future career path, I still find it quite interesting and it feels like Narnia whenever I discovers something eh, interesting?

A little background on my lab, it focuses mainly on discovering drugs to target on signaling pathways that are up-regulated in tumorgenesis.  In short, we work on cancer cells. So wherever in the lab you see signs like this:









Honestly I actually don't feel intimated, I think it's gonna cool. LOL! It's the kind of feeling when you see something new and extraordinary, I guess?

Have also been seeing many regents and etc. that I've only read it on the notes! LIKE A COOL~ lol! I'm a nerd I know I know! :P Oh and there's this cold room  in our lab too, which I think it should be called 'freezing room' instead. Because it's freaking freezing point inside and we have to conduct some special experiments in it. I almost died inside, especially when I went in and out like 10 times just today. SO COLD!

Anyways, today we did western blotting (chiminology) and it took a freaking 8 long hours to do just part 1 of the protocol. I imagine the number of western blot I have to do for my project. :'( #candiewilldiedefinitelydie

Despite reaching home really late and tired, I still insist I want to cook! :D If only my FYP is in the kitchen not the lab, I'll be the happiest girl on Earth. :')

Because NTUC was having a sale for Nong Shim Ramen and so I bought 3 and ate them in one go. I'm going bald. :/ 

I only take ice-blended bubble tea, never a fan of the milk tea bubble tea itself.

Ok, I'll try not to blog too much on my lab life in case I bored you away. hahaha!