【宝宝食谱 -- 马铃薯鸡肉焖饭】Potato & Chicken Claypot Rice

俊宝最近胃口开始变化，对食物的要求也渐渐高了，除了味道和口感，人家现在对食物的颜色也懂得选择了。

今晚做了这个马铃薯鸡肉焖饭，加上漂亮的绿叶蔬菜和小番茄，宝宝吃了半碗还嚷着要，结果吃了快要一饭碗的饭呢！是长这么大吃得最多的一次了。看来为娘的不能偷懒了哦！

（鸭哥，绿玫瑰是受您启发的哦！：））

Dinner in our house is mostly revolving around Baby A's appetite nowadays. He is currently at the color and shape phase, that includes his foods. I had to make his meal more colorful so that he would eat a few more spoonful.

I made this easy Claypot rice with a little cherry tomatoes and small Pok Choy as garnishing (the green "rose" is the head part of mini pok choy, beautiful, aren't they?).

Baby A was so happy that he was singing along when I was feeding him!

Mini Custard-Filled Cream Puff (Choux à la crème)

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These puffs are definitely my absolute favorite dessert! I used to buy them a lot from the nearby bakery when I was in England. And was thrilled to see a big box of cream puffs sold in Costco when I first came to the States! The cream filling was good, but I still much preferred my good old custard in the puff.

I made these for the weekend Valentine's Soiree, it was a instant hit and didn't even made it to the dessert time! It were all chow down in no time!

I tweak my version a little based on this -- happyhomemaker88.com/2007/09/17/yummy-cream-puffs-recipe/ 

Lava Cake/Molten Chocolate Cake

      Valentine's day this year coincide with the Chinese version of lover's day -- Chap Goh Meh, which only happened once every 19 years or so.

      We just had our No. N snow storms yesterday and expecting another tomorrow, I wasn't in the mood for elaborate cooking due to the weather. Hubby and I decided to go out for lunch while baby A stays with a sitter. Later in the evening, I made this Lava cake as a surprise for hubby, it was yummy to the core and a good way to end our valentine's celebration!

Braised Pig Trotter with Sea Cucumber【海参焖猪脚】

Mom wanted to eat healthier this year and reduce some meat dishes during the Chinese new year reunion dinner. When she conveyed her plan to my dad, the only thing my dad told her was that you can take out any dish but THIS Braised Pig Trotter with Sea Cucumber! 

Despite the price of sea cucumber skyrocketing in the past years, the Hokkien clan is still adamant about having sea cucumber for their reunion dinner, it is the roots and culture that our ancestors passed down for generations. So mom ended up cooking about 1 kg of sea cucumber and everybody licked the plate (well, ok, bowl) clean!!

This recipe has been in the family for generations and the first time I tried cooking was a couple of years back under mom's supervision. Since I discovered frozen sea cucumber in Bj's couple of months back, I have been meaning to prepare this dish for some times.

And there is this little thing, hubby secretly ordered a set of LC (Le Creuset) cookware after hearing me mumbled about I was the only one in my friend's circle that has no LC pot! The set reached last week just in time for Chinese new year!

So I can't wait to cook my favorite dish in my favorite pot for my favorite people! LOL

马来西亚的福建（永春）人过年的时候一定要有一道海参烧猪脚再加上碱水糕（米庚仔粿），原来是因为相信猪脚可以去晦气，所以过年的时候是一定要吃的。这个传统在我家几十年不变，今年我也来做一道海参烧猪脚过节吧！

今天用的海参是急冻的海参，不必泡发，方便很多，味道也很不错哦！

Kerabu Nanas【旺来（黄梨）沙拉】

Pineapple is pronounce as "ONG LAI" in Hokkian, which also means "Good fortune come my way" in Hokkian!! A very obvious reason why pineapple is a must when it comes to the prayer and celebration of Chinese New Year!

This year as usual I had Chinese new year celebration with a couple of friends, I made a pot of Sea cucumber braised pig trotter -- also a very typical Hokkianese food and this "Good Fortune" Salad.

I am tagging along with this post to wish everybody a good fortune year ahead with lots and lots of laughter and luck!!

黄梨/菠萝在闽南语里谐音“旺来”，非常吉利。是闽南人过年拜拜一定会准备的水果。

这个春节聚会的时候，吃喝团的姐妹们做了一大桌子的好菜。我就多做了个黄梨沙拉，既能解腻帮助消化，还很吉利，借此祝各位私房的姐姐妹妹，哥哥弟弟们马年大吉，“旺旺”来！

Claypot Wax Meat Rice (Lap Mei Fan) 腊味煲仔饭

It is a tradition that sometimes before Chinese new year that the Chinese will prepare Wax meat or waxed meat (Lap Mei) to preserve meat for the use in Winter. The cold and low humidity condition during the season is perfect to dry the meat and preserved it for many many months to come.

This year I was lucky to have some free times around winter solstice, I made some Lap Cheong or Chinese Waxed Sausage, Waxed duck , Hakka Waxed Meat and Cantonese Waxed Meat

冬至前后是制作腊味的好时节。“秋风起，腊味香” 是广粤那里耳熟能详的口头禅，过去很多家庭都会趁着秋风起，空气冷冽干燥的时候腌制腊味。

今年秋季遇上我工作比较闲，制作了腊肠、腊鸭、客家腊肠和广式腊肉，
腊味做好了，赶紧做个腊味煲仔饭，给家里添点新春的气息！

【辣炒马铃薯肉丝】Spicy Meat & Potato

这道菜堂妹前阵子做了摆到FB上，据说是阿嬤生前爱做的，但我却没有什么印象。只记得阿嬤的另外一道豆酱炒豆干和花生（这道小菜我也是要做一次滴）。

感谢堂妹分享了食谱。在这个大雪纷飞的日子，做一道阿嬤的菜，思念我那开朗活泼的奶奶。希望她在天国一切都好。

My Cousin made this dish and posted a picture on her FB page couple of days ago, it was my grandma's recipe and my aunt's favorite she said. I have no recollection of this as grandma's but another dish with fermented toucu and tofu, which I intended to make and post soon.

Thanks to my cousin for her sharing and the recipe, it has been really cold and snowy lately in NJ, recreating this spicy dish as lunch not only warm up the body, it also reminds me of my jovial and happy go lucky grandma. I hope that she is all well up there wherever she is now, and hope that one day we will meet again .......

Yam Rice (Oh Ah Peng 芋头饭)

My mum used to make this Yam rice back home, there are similar dishes made with pumpkin, Chinese mustard (Gai Choy) and long bean.

It is prepared almost like Spanish Paella, the rice is cooked together with ingredients and seasoning, in a pot/wok, and later simmer to perfection.

Its simply irresistible as the tastes of yam, meat and other ingredients were all well blend into rice, every spoon of it is a charm! All you need is another bowl of soup, and that is! A great dinner already!

咸饭是我在家乡时妈妈常做的一个饭食，妈妈常做的有菜豆饭，芥菜饭，芋头饭和南瓜饭等等。就是把蔬菜类的食材加上香菇，虾米，葱蒜和五花肉焖好，再炖一锅汤，就能美美地喂饱一家子。

很方便，又美味喔！