Last week I bought a packet of yam, yes frozen as I have been bitten many a times before buying fresh yam and when peeled only to find half was bad aka shades of brownish, which I dare not eat. These frozen ones are quite good and most times very floury denoting good yam taste. I happily use them – please refer to pic. Cooking our Asian dishes is sometimes a challenge in UK but it is so satisfying when a good cook come to fruition.

Actually, my family loves yam a lot especially the husband if I make my signature yam cake for him https://www.julieolive.co.uk/2019/08/10/fried-yam-cake/ but daughter requested for rice today as the weather has gone a lot colder. So, Yam rice it is. Today I made a special yam rice with abalone added. It is optional but mostly after Chinese New Year my family will use up the tins of abalone with this dish too.

Last night before bedtime I washed and soaked my flower shitake mushrooms. Then I soaked them in clean water as the water will be used to boil my rice. These beautiful flower mushrooms are easily bought in the UK and most Chinese supermarket sells them.

I often spent my nights thinking what to cook the next day and if there’s anything I need to prepare the night before. My husband thinks it is a Virgo thing. I do hate things not in proper places or lying about not tidied. However, I just like to cook with as complete an ingredient list as I could else, I rather not cook that dish or change the menu. I am fine with a bit of fusion, but some dishes needed to be true to the original. I know, I am weird. I especially hate it, really hate it, when people declare their dish ‘authentic’ when it is obviously not! One day the cooks of our future generation would not know what’s authentic and what’s not anymore and I feel very passionate and sad about this.

Note – A good bowl of Fragrant Yam Rice must have just tender yam pieces, not mushy, taste of lap cheong (Chinese sausages), Taste of heabea (dried shrimps), taste of mushrooms and leave you craving for a second bowl.

The spring onions are a must for that bit of freshness because Fragrant Yam Rice is so rich.

My hubby is a big fan of chicken breasts. He was so happy when I told him the Sunday passed we are going to Costco to get some chicken breasts. The typical Englishman that he is, is a huge fan of chicken breasts as they have no bones.

However hubby did not know that I was going to make him chicken floss. He was such a happy bunny when he realised and saw me shredding the chicken. Later he kept coming into the kitchen in between meetings and kept asking me if they were ready when I was frying, frying, frying and frying.

I told him “it was the slow and steady one who won the race, have you forgotten?” He gave me such a grin and of course I rewarded him with a small saucer of chicken floss.

He then placed an order for plain congee with chicken floss for breakfast the following morning. – kekekekeke

He got his wish of course.

Chicken breast stuffed with spinach, blue cheese and wrapped with thin bacon. Served with a blue cheese sauce and asparagus sides.

This cheese sauce recipe is just extremely easy. You can make it as a dip for chicken wings and even prawns.

We are having a heatwave in the UK and it’s hard to cook or put the oven on during the day as the temperature has been reaching the 30’s Celsius! So I have decided to make pâté last night and just un-mould, into the fridge to chill this morning. Later I will just slice to serve for lunch. It’s an easy enough dish and it only needs to be in the oven for about 50 minutes. 

Terrine of chicken, pork and sausage meat pâté is a recipe I made up because hubby is not a huge fan of chicken livers so I omitted using them. Most pâté of course contains chicken livers. I make this once a year during the summer months. Not sure why really as it can be served throughout the year.  I have also added a touch of brandy and sherry. This  terrine of chicken, pork and sausage meat pâté is very easy to make and keeps well in the fridge for at least a week wrapped well. Once you have started making it you can of course add spinach, mushrooms or anything else you fancy. 

It also makes a good starter dish for a party and the bonus is that you can make days ahead. Another terrine I like to make is smoked salmon and cheese. 

I made this chicken pie for dinner. I am not one of those Chinese who maintain the tradition of fish, meat, vegetables and soup aka the 3 dishes and one soup per meal type. Maybe I have been in UK too long. Tonight’s dinner – a pie and beer is all we need. Chicken and leek pie.

Please feel free to add in anything you like to your pie.