No-Frills Recipes ... cooking, baking & excerpts on travel

A refreshing salad for a hot day ~ consisting of  a stir-fry chicken from the pan,  paired with freshly blanched rice vermicelli, julienned carrots, lettuce and topped with roasted peanuts.  Rounded up with a lime and chilli dipping sauce.  This makes a satisfying main-course salad or even a wholesome meal on its own, fuss-free! Vietnamese Rice Vermicelli Salad   ~  越南米粉沙拉 Ingredients 200 gm dried Vietnamese rice vermicelli 200 gm chicken breast, seasoned with some salt, light and dark soya and sugar 1 small carrot, julienned 3 limes, chilli padi, romaine lettuce, roasted peanuts Sauce Mix 4 Tbsp lime juice with 2 Tbsp sugar and 2 Tbsp fish sauce or to taste. Method Season the chicken breast and pan-fry till cooked with some sauce.  Let cool and cut into slices. Soak the rice vermicelli till slightly tender. Boil a pot of water and toss in the vermicelli, stir and drain when noodles are al dente, cool uncer running ...

What do you do when you're told last minute that you are eating alone?   That was what happened to me recently and fortunately I had some chicken breast meat, a Japanese cucumber and some rice vermicelli.  So I just mixed all these together and  topped with some homemade sauce and lightly toasted cuttle fish, whipped up this salad...... Yum! Rice vermicelli and cuttle fish salad ~   米粉和墨鱼沙拉 Ingredients 2 pcs dried cuttle fish, lightly toasted and shredded 150 gm rice vermicelli, blanched and drained 100 gm chicken breast meat 2 kaffir lime leaves, cut finely 2 shallots, sliced thinly 1 Japanese cucumber, seeds removed and sliced Seasoning for chicken - season with some salt, a bit of sugar, pepper Homemade dressing 2 bird eye chillies, cut 1 heaped Tbsp peanut butter (creamy or chunky) 1 Tbsp honey 2 Tbsp fresh lime juice 1/2 Tbsp fish sauce lightly toasted sesame seeds to garnish Method Poach or steam ...

I was introduced to this dish when we dined out recently and the waitress recommended that this would pair very well with white porridge.  I've never thought of a dried shrimp salad and naturally we were game to give it a go.  True to what she said, this dish did go very well with the porridge and I tried to replicate it at home.   This is indeed delicious and can double up as an appetiser as well.   Think it will be a good accompaniment with a glass of cold Beer too! Dried Shrimp Salad ~  虾米沙拉 Ingredients 150 gm tiny dried shrimps 1 onion, sliced 3 bird eye chillies, cut 6 limau kasturi/limes 6 tsps sugar or to taste Method With some oil, pan-fry the dried shrimps until they pop up and fragrant. Dish out into a mixing bowl. Squeeze out the juice from the limes and mix with the sugar till sugar is dissolved. Mix in the sliced onion and toss in the chillies. Pour the lime juice into the mixture and mix well.  Fine tune to des...

This warm salad with freshly pan-fried pork fillet can be on served on its own as light lunch.  Served with some lightly toasted garlic bread, it can double up as an evening meal. There's no specific recipe for this simple warm salad but I append below what were the ingredients I put in to whip this up :- Ingredients pork fillet, cut and seasoned with some salt, pepper, sugar and light soya sauce purple cabbage, sliced Japanese cucumber, peeled and cut Cherry tomatoes Dash of sea salt Olive oil + honey, mixed  Method Pan fry the pork fillet till cooked and tender. In a warm salad bowl, mix in the cabbage, cucumber, tomatoes and a dash of salt. Toss in the pork fillet, mix well. Drizzle on the olive oil and honey mixture. Serve immediately.

After having stuffed in so much food during the Chinese New Year holidays, I made myself a very simple salad.  Had to make do with what was available from my larder and it turned out to be a satisfying and refreshing lunch. Not much of a recipe for this dish, just personal preference for what you'd like to put into your salad and dressing is totally up to your wishes.  But for my own reference I append below what and how I made this salad. Simple Chicken Salad Ingredients 2 chicken thighs, deboned and skin removed 1 small carrot, cut into strips 2 sticks of celery, sliced 1 small cucumber, cut into strips some fresh Coriander leaves Dressing 1 clove garlic, smashed and chopped 2 tsp sweet chilli sauce juice from 1 lime 1 Tbsp chicken stock Sugar and fish sauce to taste Garnishing Peanuts, roasted and finely chopped Lightly roasted sesame seeds Bird eye chillies, finely chopped (optional) Method Season the chicken with some sa...

This is a lazy man's one-dish meal, quick and easy to prepare, fuss-free.  I just marinated the chicken legs with some sauces,  cooked them in a non-stick pan, cooked the vermicelli, added a sprinkling of carrot, cucumber and greens,  squeezed on some lime juice for that tangy taste and it's done! Recipe for Vermicelli Chicken Salad Ingredients 2 chicken legs, cut into 2 pieces 100 gm vermicelli or more, soaked and cooked in hot water 3 Tbsp chilli sauce 2 tsp fish sauce 3 tsp brown sugar Carrot, cucumber, some lettuce, red chilli and lime Method Marinate the chicken pieces with the sauces and brown sugar for about 2 hours. Heat up some oil in a non-stick pan and cook the chicken till tender. Meanwhile blanch the vermicelli in a pot of boiling water, drain well. Cut up the carrot and cucumber into match stick sizes and mix with the vermicelli.  Toss in some lettuce and red chilli. Drizzle on some sauces from the chicken. Serve the sala...

I whipped up this simple noodle salad for a quick lunch during the weekend as it was too hot and humid to eat out.  There's no exact recipe for this salad.  I just panfried the piece of seasoned Salmon, break it up into chunks, cooked the noodles, tossed in whatever veggie that was in my fridge, squeezed on some lemon and it's done! Salmon Noodle Salad Ingredients 250 gm Salmon Some salt, pepper and mixed dried herbs Cabbage, Carrot, Coriander and Tomatoes Fish Sauce and some Olive oil Dried noodles 1 Lemon Method Season the piece of Salmon with some salt, pepper and mixed dried herbs Pan fry the Salmon, 2 or 3 mins. on each side Dish out and break into chunks, set aside Slice up the cabbage and carrot Dice the tomatoes Cook the noodles in a pot of  boiling hot water Drain off  the water and put noodles onto a plate,  drizzle on some fish sauce and Olive oil, toss it well Arrange some Salmon chu...

It's time to get back to some healthy food after having indulged in a variety of 'sinful' foods during the New Year.  This is a vegetarian salad, rubbery in texture with crunchy seaweed and the sweetish black vinegar did make this salad very appetising.  In fact I could just have it on its own and can never get tired of it!   Recipe for Wood Ear ~ Mu'er Fungus Salad Ingredients 2 cups about 30 gm wood ear fungus, soaked, stemmed and cut into strips 1/2 tsp salt 2.1/2 Tbsp sweet black vinegar OR Balsamic vinegar 2 Tbsp white sesame seeds, lightly toasted 3 tsp oyster sauce 3 tsp sesame oil 2 tsp sugar 2 tsp light soya sauce some chopped coriander Method Bring to the boil a pot of water.  Cook wood ear fungus for about 5 mins. Drain and place in a mixing bowl. Mix all the sauces together, test for desired taste. Pour the sauce into the wood ear fungus, toss well, throw in the chopped coriander and sesame seeds. Chill for at least an...

A quick and easy chicken salad which is laced with a chilli and lime dressing.  With vermicelli add-on, it makes a good wholesome one-dish meal!  You can also make use of  left-over chicken meat for this salad. Recipe for Thai Chicken Vermicelli Salad  ( adapted from a book 'The very best of Chinese and Asian cuisine' ) Ingredients 1/2 chicken breast, marinated with some seasalt and pepper 1 onion, finely sliced 1/2 cucumber, cut into match sticks 1/2 carrot, cut into match sticks 1 stalk lemon grass, finely chopped 1 to 1.1/2  Tbsp fish sauce 4 tsp sugar or to taste Juice of 8 calamansi/limau kasturi 2 bird eye chillies, chopped Dried vermicelli, soaked till soft Sesame seeds, lightly toasted Cashew nuts, lightly toasted (optional) Coriander to garnish Method Poach or steam the chicken meat till cooked.  Let cool and shred the meat into slices. In a bowl, mix the calamansi juice and sugar till dissolved.  Add...

This is a light and refreshing salad which is simple, tangy and super easy to whip up for all seasons and occasions.  You can serve  this as a meal on its own.  I used leftover roast chicken, tossed in some vegetables and mango slices, drizzle on some dressing and it's  done! Recipe for Chicken Mango Salad Ingredients 1 chicken breast seasoned with some seasalt and pepper, pan fried and sliced. 1 mango, sliced thinly Cherry tomatoes, cut Mescluin mix vegetables Dressing - Mix altogether 1 tsp Balsamic vinegar, 2 tsp honey, 1.1/2 tsp sesame oil and 1/2 tsp light soy sauce Toasted peanuts Method Arrange the salad green, cherry tomatoes on a serving dish. Top with the sliced mango and chicken slices. Drizzle on the dressing and sprinkle on some lightly toasted peanuts. Serve immediately.

I was browsing through a book .... Women's Weekly - 'Toss" and it contained many recipes for salads, stir-fries and quick meals.  This is a very straightforward salad making use of greens and fruits but I threw in some leftover pork fillet as well!  Pork fillet, one may ask.......  Sounds weird with added meat but then it's just personal preference and moreover I just don't like to put food to waste. Recipe for Pork Salad with Apple and Raisin Ingredients 250 gm pan fried pork fillet seasoned with some salt, sugar and light soya sauce. 1 medium size green apple, sliced, thinly.  (Drizzle on some lime juice to prevent browning). 1/2 cup raisins 2 cups salad greens Lime Dijon dressing 1  tsp Dijon mustard 2  tsp lime juice 2  Tbsp olive oil 1 clove garlic, pressed -  All mixed well together Method Slice up the pan-fried pork fillet.  Place them into a large bowl with the salad gr...

This is going to be the shortest post in my blog, with no recipe, nothing, just follow your heart!  Bought some fresh Salmon fillet from Victoria Market during my recent holiday in Melbourne, slice them up, arrange them on a platter of mixed salad tossed in balsamic vinegar and olive dressing and that's it, value for money .......  Salmon Sashimi !    Dip the succulent Salmon into some wasabi mixed with some light soya and you're on Cloud 9 ....... Yummy!

  After tucking in all the yummy food and goodies during the Chinese New Year, it's time to have something simple but refreshing for a change.  There is no recipe for this fruit and vegetable salad, you can just use whatever fruits and veggie you have or fancy. I've here in my salad bowl, cherry tomatoes, red cabbage, cucumber, some toasted cashew nuts, hard boiled egg and homemade Thousand Island dressing.  For ease of reference here's the recipe for the Thousand Island dressing. Recipe for Thousand Island Sauce Ingredients 1 egg yolk 2  tsp white vinegar a few drops of olive oil 2  tsp honey 20 gm chilli sauce Salt to taste Method With a wire whisk, whisk the egg yolk with vinegar till creamy. Add in the rest of the ingredients one by one and continue whisking till thick and creamy. Fine tune to desired taste. Serve as required.

This chicken salad is tasty and delicious yet takes very little time to prepare.  Looks a bit 'undressed' as I've only used juices as a 'top-up'. Use some orange juice, mix with some calamansi juice, toss in a bit of salt, add in some sugar to taste, mix and just drizzle over .............. tangy and appetising!

I made this seafood rice vermicelli salad and it's not just an appetiser or starter  for me.   It doubled up as another one-dish meal for my dinner and  although  it's light, it can be filling too ..... and what's more, it's really delicious!

Whipped up this simple salad for dinner recently, something light and refreshing after having a heavy lunch.  I  enjoyed it tremendously and look forward to concocting  more of  such one-dish meal in future.