It never occurs to me before that I need to master my culinary skills or at least learn some basic skills for survival. My dad has been a GREAT Cook and we are so lucky to have readily cooked and delicious home cooked food. He has imparted some of his skills to my domestic helpers.

I have been pretty particular over my boys’ diet and prefer healthy home cooked food for them except to have a change of taste over the weekends to savour other delicacies.

Lately, I have been enthusiastic over trying out new cooking menu so that we could have new varieties for the family. Darren has been choosy over food and this is another reason that urges me to squeeze a little time out to explore cooking menu. Although sad to say that my domestic helper is the one wokking up all these dishes for a busy mummy who has to rush home from work everyday, I am the one who hardworkingly plan every meal for the family. It has become part of my routine in life to prepare the weekly “food to cook list” one week ahead, with cooking and ingredient instruction for my domestic helper.

This is one of the new menu that we have savoured.

chicken cubes in black bean sauce

A satay style for kids except that it is topped up with green capsicum

Ingredients

1 piece boneless chicken breast meat

1/2 tbsp sliced garlic, 5 slices ginger

2 tbsp fermented black bean, soaked, chopped

1 green capsicum, sliced

1 onion, sliced, 1 red chilli, sliced

Marinade

1 egg white, 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsb light soya sauce, 1/4 tsp pepper

1 tbsp water, 1 tbsp corn flour

Seasoning

1/2 tsbp oyster sauce

1 tsp light soya sauce

1 tsp dark, soya sauce

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp shaoxing wine, 2 tbsp water

1 tsp corn flour, mixed with 2 tbsp water, for thickening

Method

1) Combine chicken breast with marinade and season for 30 minutes. Deep-fry in hot oil until golden brown. Dish and drain.

2) Heat up 1 tbsp oil, saute garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add in fermented black beans and stir-fry until aromatic.

3) Add in green capsicum, onion, red chilli and stir well. Addd in seasoning, chicken cubes and mix well. Thicken with corn flour water and dish up.

Source: Hawkers’ Fair Simplified