Yam Beehoon (Vermicelli) Soup

A yummy soup meal prepared by lazy mum for the family. This is Yam soup with Beehoon (vermicelli), garnished with fried shallots, spring onion and strips of omelette. A very easy and simple dish to prepare with little fuss. I have used the thick vermicelli that needs soaking for about an hour before blanching, alternatively you may used the thinner version for this dish too.

The base of the soup is made up of dried prawns and yam pieces. See the photo below.
This tuber root plant is obtainable from the fresh market. It's skin is rough and a bit hairy and the inner layer is a little slimmy. Just put under the running tap water to rid the slimmy feel before cutting into pieces.


To prepare soup : Serve 4 person

1 small yam - cut into pieces
50gm dried prawns
some shredded ginger
salt & pepper to taste

1. Heat a little oil and saute the shredded ginger and dried prawns till aromatic, add 1.5 litre water and allow it to simmer over medium heat for the next 20 minutes. Add the yam slices to allow it to soften. Add salt to taste.
2. The soup is ready once the yam has soften.

Next....

1. Blanched the soaked vermicelli till it is soften
2. Serve the blanched vermicelli in a bowl, pour the hot yam soup over it
3. Garnished with spring onion, fried shallots and omellette strips
4. A dash of pepper would taste good

Nyonya Lam Mee (Noodle)

I considered myself as one of those lucky ones to have learnt from my mum on how to prepare Nyonya Lam Mee . Lam Mee literally means "pour soup over the noodle". This special dish is normally served during a birthday celebration for the elders. Long long time ago, we only get to eat this Lam Mee during our grandmother's or grandfather's birthday. The noodle will be served in a gigantic enamel plate and beautifully garnished with red coloring strips of egg omelette. Red is considered important for an auspicious occasion like birthday celebration.
My kids are much lucky as they now get to taste this noodle as and when they feel like eating as mummy can accord to their request. :))

Nyonya Lam Mee has to be eaten with Sambal Belacan in order to boost the wonderful taste of soup. So with the added Sambal Belacan (Chilly pounded with roasted shrimp paste n lime juice), this is how beautiful the bowl of noodle appears to be....


This "flat fish" is one of the most important ingredient to be added to the soup as it gives the soup it's unique taste. It is boiled together with pork belly or chicken and prawns to make the tasty soup for the noodle.



All you need to make the soup are :

• 1/2 chicken or 2 pcs of pork belly
  
• 1 kg medium size prawns -boiled and use the water to add to the meat stock
  
• 1 piece "flat fish"
  
• 2 litres of water

Garnishing for the Noodle :

• 5 beaten eggs to make omelette - then slice it finely
  
• cooked prawns - cut into small pieces
• cooked meat - cut into small pieces
  
• fried shallots
• chopped spring onions or blanched chives

Simple Process :

• Lightly pan fried the flat fish before putting into the water to boil with the meat over medium heat for at least an hour
• Add the boiled prawn water into the meat stock to give it a rich taste
• Get those ingredients for garnishing on standby
  
• Blanched the noodle or vermicelli and just pour the soup on top of it
• Ready to serve with the toppings..
  

Enjoy a Happy Meal...

Red Wine Vermicelli

Wow...this is a real tasty bowl of "red wine vermicelli" or "ang chiu mee sua", which is greatly eaten among the hokkein clan in the chinese community. The chinese red wine is made from fermented pulut or sticky rice plus some herbs added on. I was given a bottle of this chinese red wine by a friend who specially made it for me. According to the old mother's tale, this "ang chiu" or red wine is very nutritious and good for the body.

I just cannot resist to make it into a hot chicken soup to eat with vermicelli aka mee-sua. It taste really, really good with fried shredded ginger and chopped spring onion as garnishing... I find it great to be able to cook at home as I find the Red Wine Mee Sua sold at stalls has lots of MSG in it....feeling real thirsty after a good gulp of the soup in the bowl.... :((



It is very simple to prepare and this is how it goes :



All you need:

• 1/2 chicken - chopped into pieces
• 2 pcs breast meat for the chicken stock
• lots of ginger strips
• 1 bowl of chinese red wine
• 2 Tbs dark soy sauce
• salt to taste

Simple Process :

1. Boil 1.5 litre water with the 2 pcs breast meat over medium heat as chicken stock for 30 minutes. Add salt to taste.
2. Heat the wok and saute the ginger till golden brown, dish out half and set aside
3. With the balance ginger in the wok, drop in the chicken pieces and stir fry, add a little water and allow the chicken to simmer for next 15 minutes over low heat
4. Next, when liquid is almost evaporated, add the 2 Tbs dark soy sauce, stir well and allow it to further simmer for 5 minutes
5. Finally add the 1 bowl chinese red wine into the cooked chicken, give a quick stir and dish out and mixed into ready cooked chicken soup
6. Blanched the dried vermicelli and just serve with the cooked red wine chicken and the chicken soup, garnished with chopped spring onion and fried shredded ginger...

Have a Good and Healthy Meal!

TomYam Soup with Vermicelli

If you enjoy a bowl of sour flavour soup with vermicelli, then go for this easy to make Tom Yam Soup with vermicelli (TomYam Beehoon Soup) . If you cook it yourself you can control the level of sour and spicy flavor. Simply add more if you enjoy real spicy and sour stuff - just add in a few pieces of chilly padi (small green chilly) and to increase the sour taste, just add more tom yam paste or just add extra lime juice to it. I find this a taste good process though some may prefer the long process of grinding the "many fresh ingredients" to make their own tomyam paste...but not me :) lazy mum has some easy way out.

Voila....a nice home cook Tom Yam Soup with Vermicelli. Find my recipe on simple steps to prepare the beautiful flavour sour soup - Tom Yam , a Thai Speciality.

Happy Cooking!

Spinach Noodle Soup

This is Spinach Noodle Soup. I just love this noodle as it is smooth and has great taste. It comes in dried form and obtainable from any grocery store. It need to be boiled to soften before serving. The soup for the noodle is simple and easy to prepare as it just consist of dried shrimps and eggs with a good spread of chopped spring onions upon serving. The dried shrimps and eggs makes the soup very tasty. Well, the noodle looks simple but most important it gives us great values upon consumption - Yeah, eat healthy!

Look at the great values of spinach which I have extracted from Antioxidants-guide.com

Extract from antioxidants-guide.com

The health benefit of spinach. Spinach...yes a staple diet of Popeye. Unlike the cartoon character it won't give you big muscles and great strength instantly...but it has an extraordinary high nutritional value especially when fresh, steamed, or quickly boiled, and contains vital antioxidants. Click here to read more on the values of spinach

All you need : Serve 4

• a packet of dried spinach noodle
• a handful of dried shrimps (hae bee)
• 2 eggs
• ginger - cut into fine strips
• salt - to taste

Simple Process :

1. Saute the ginger strips together with the dried shrimps till aromatic

2. Once its ready, drop the ingredients into a pot of 2.5 litre water and let it boil over medium heat for the next 20 minutes
   
3. Next, break the eggs into the soup and give a quick stir and bring to boil
   
4. Soup is ready for use
   
5. Boil the dried spinach noodle till it soften and is ready to serve with the ready made soup
   
6. Garnish with chopped spring onion over the noodle

Have a Healthy Meal

Goodie Fish Ball Noodle Soup

It is a long time we have not had fresh noodles aka yellow mee for lunch. So as it came as a suggestion from the kids, I just go for it, hmmmm, why not? ^ - ^..lazy mum as usual, going for something quick and simple to prepare. Aha... here comes the beautiful fishball noodle soup that I have prepared for them... yes two types of fishballs, white and brown ones. The brown ones are fried fishballs. I have boiled the chicken breast bone together with the fishballs as the soup for the noodles.

Look at the colourful bowl of noodle, it is a must to have the fried garlic and garlic oil in order to give the soup a great boost of good flavour. The bowl of noodles were garnished with chopped green lettuce and red chilly slices....looks beautiful isnt it?

All you need :

• 1 packet of fresh noodle - serve 4
• 15 fresh fishballs and 15 fried fishballs
• 1 pc chicken breast
• 2 clove garlic - 1 clove for the soup - 1 clove chopped finely for fried garlic
• some green lettuce
  

Simple Process :

1. Heat 2 litres of water in a pot and boil the chicken breast bone with 1 clove of garlic, some salt to taste over medium heat for 30 minutes
2. Add in the fishballs when soup is almost ready and bring to boil or till fishballs are cooked
3. Heat some oil and fry the chopped garlic till golden brown - dish out for garnishing
4. Blanched the noodle and add the cooked fishballs, garnish with chopped lettuce, and most essential, the fried garlic. Add in adequate soup to the bowl of noodle

....Serve the Noodle Soup hot! Enjoy your Meal........

Tasty Rice Noodles

This is just another option of serving a bowl of rice noodle aka kueh tiaw with add-on "fish products" like fish roll, fish balls - made from fish paste and stuffed fish paste in green chilly and beancurd skin. My kids loves fish rolls and fish balls, so that becomes the main choice when serving my family. A simple recipe and easy to prepare.



Our locals called it "yong tau foo" - basically it is stuffing fish paste into certain vegetables like green chilly, red chilly, brinjals, ladies fingers and roll in beancurd skin, fish balls, fish rolls etc.

Tips : What makes the soup taste real nice and giving it a good aroma is the fried garlic and garlic oil . so dont leave the soup without it!

All you need : Serve 4

• 600gms rice noodle / kueh tiaw
• some fish rolls, fish balls and other yong tau foo - obtainable from wet market or frozen pack
• some beansprout (taugeh)
• 1 piece of chicken breast meat
• a clove of garlic - for the soup
• a clove of garlic - chopped finely for fried garlic
• a sprig of spring onion - for garnishing
  

Simple Process :

1. Soup - Boil 2 litres of water with the chicken breast meat and a clove a garlic over medium heat for 40 minutes, add salt to taste


2. When soup is almost ready, add in the fish roll, fish balls and others and bring to a boil, dish out the fish roll, fish balls and others - set aside


3. Fried Garlic - heat some oil and add in the chopped garlic and saute it till golden brown over low heat. Dish it out together with the oil.


4. Blanched the rice noodle, beansprout separately


5. Serving - Put into each bowl some blanched rice noodle, beansprouts. Add in the cooked fish rolls, fish balls and others, pour in sufficient hot soup over the noodles. Garnish with fried garlic / garlic oil and spring onion....

Simple yet Taste Yummy...enjoy your Meal!

Chicken-Prawn Soup with Rice Noodle

Care to try this simple to cook recipe for rice noodles in chicken and prawn soup?



A rich and tasty soup to go with rice noodle - kueh teow, a copy-cat version of Ipoh Hor Fun minus the MSG and eat healthy. Do you know that the rice noodle (kueh teow) from Ipoh taste very smooth and free from the pungant chemical stuff.. ??? If you do travel to Perak, do drop by the closest wet market @ Ipoh town and get a packet of the noodles and I am sure you are going to love it .......



Okay, let's look at this simple recipe.....

What do you require : Serve 4


800 gm rice noodle - kueh teow
800 gm prawns
2 pc of chicken breast
some chives



For the Soup :

1. Boil the prawns with 1 litre water with the shells on till prawns turns red in color
2. Drain the prawns and shell it later, keep the prawn stock and add another 1 litre water
3. Boil the prawn stock together with 2 pieces of chicken breast meat till meat is cook over low heat
4. Add salt to taste, when meat has cooked, take it out and set aside
5. Soup is Ready......

Garnishing for the Noodle :

1. Shell the cooked prawns
2. Hand shred the chicken meat
3. Blanched chives

Note : Chives adds nice aroma to the bowl of noodle....

Tasty Rice Noodle Soup for the Family - Enjoy your Meal!

Wheat Noodle Soup

We all enjoy this tasty "mi-hoon" in hokkein (wheat) noodles especially when the weather is wet and cool. I got these fresh wheat n egg noodle from the wet market. If you cannot get the fresh ones, alternatively, use the dried packet wheat and egg noodles from the hypermart..taste good too.

I like this fresh wheat n egg noodles as it is non-oily also free from boric acid and coloring as compared to the fresh yellow noodle. Give a try as it is very simple to cook, just make sure you get the soup right. The onion brings a natural sweetness to the soup, and gives the soup a nice aroma. Alternatively, the soup can be made up of a handful of lightly fried ikan billis (anchovis) - not so healthy for those with high cholestrol!!

You see the sambal belacan in the photo...it blends well with the noodle as compared to chilly padi in soya sauce! (Optional - depends on individual taste) For us in the family, the sambal is Ohhh...so yummy and a good blend of taste to the bowl of noodle. Here it goes for lazy and busy mum.....

Simple Ingredients : serve 4

• 600 gms of fresh wheat and egg noodles
• 3 pieces chicken breast meat - 2 pc for boiling soup and 1pc to mince
• handful of ikan billis (anchovis)
• some choy sam (green mustard) - to blanch
• 3 big onions - 2 for soup, 1 to chop
• some salt, pepper, 1 Tbs cornflour
  

Simple Process :

1. Heat 2 litres water in a pot, drop in 2 big onions and the 2pcs chicken breast meat, salt to taste, boil over slow fire for 30-40minutes..
2. Minced the chicken meat, add in some salt, pepper and 1 Tbs cornflour and mix well
3. Heat some oil and fry the ikan billis till crispy, drain well and put aside
4. Next, fry the chopped onion till fragrant and add in the minced chicken meat and stir fry. Add just a little water and let the meat simmer for 8mins, dish out and put aside
5. When soup is ready, time to blanch the veggie and also the noodle. It takes about 5 minutes to blanch the noodle in hot boiling water.
6. Put the soup over the noodles and garnish with crispy ikan billis, cooked meat and some green veggie.

Simple and taste great! Enjoy Your Meal

Delicious Yam Soup with Beehoon

Simple to cook and great taste......with natural sweetness that comes from the dried prawns.

If you love Yam, this is another way to cook it.... Try using the "fat strand beehoon", I did not use that cos' I am going by my family preference for the medium strand. The fine strand is for frying. Do not be deceived by the look - so white and no colors, looks boring right...hahahha....believe me it taste good if you cook it right..... I learnt this dish from my grandfather who loves to serve us this Yam soup whenever we visit him...he grows Yam at his backyard...so wonderful! Those good old days...house with big backyard, full of fruit trees and free vegetables to be consumed anytime...

Time to prepare : about 45 minutes

What do you require?

Fat or Medium Strand Beehoon

1 small Yam - cut into cubes

Handful of Dried Prawns

a sprig of spring onions

fried shallots or bawang merah - for garnishing

salt n pepper - to taste

How do you cook it?

1. 2 litres water into a pot and while it is put to boil, go to step 2

2. Heat a little oil in a pan and stir fry the dried prawns till aromatic

3. Put the fried dried prawns into the soup and let it boil over medium heat

4. Drop in the Yam cubes and boil till the soup looks powdery or till yam has soften

5. Blanch the beehoon

6. When soup is ready, serve it with the beehoon and garnish with spring onion

and fried shallots.....

Hmmm....yum! yum! Hot, nice smooth feel of the yam!

Fried Fish Beehoon Soup

It's drizzling and thought good to have hot soup for dinner. Got a big fish in my refrigerator, what to do with it? Ahhh... why not let me try to dish out this dish for the family today... Wow! It came up yummy and the whole family enjoyed it....Believe me, it is easy and fast to cook. It took me only an hour to complete this delicious hot meal...

Would you like to try it out.........here's the recipe to share, do ask if there's doubt.

Ingredients for the soup
1 piece of chicken breast
1.5 litre water (eqvl to 3x500ml drinking bottle)
1 cube of Maggie ikanbilis
1 packet of preserved salted vegetable (kiam-chai)
Few ginger slices
Salt - to taste
Evaporated Milk - to taste


How to get the Soup?
1. Put chicken, ikanbilis cube, preserved salted vegetable, ginger slices and boil over low fire for about 40 minutes
2. Add in evaporated milk when the soup is ready.


Main Ingredients for serving
1 medium size fish - preferred "red fish - angchoe"
1 packet of soft taufoo - sliced into small pieces
2 tomatoes - cut into slices
1 sprig chopped spring onion for garnishing
2 bundle Vermicellli (beehoon) - soak for 10mins before scalding in boiling water for 1minute


What to do Next?
1. Cut the fish into small pieces and coat with cornflour and deepfry till light brown
2. Garnish the scalded beehoon with slices of tomatoes, taufoo and chopped spring onion and the fried fish.

Ready to serve once the soup is ready.


Cheers and happy trying.....