Things to Do to Be Happy

Of late, I have been doing some reading on ways to be happy. Just to summarise some of the things that I have learnt. 

Things to do to achieve happiness:

1. Being mindful: 

- Live in the present (like what Buddha says). The present moment is the most wonderful moment. How could this be if we are feeling stressed or sad right now? Just concentrate on the present and try not to let our minds wander. It is not easy as we think about a lot things that happened in the past or will be happening in the future at the present moment. The worst part is most of these thoughts are negative and worrying.

- Also try mindful walking around the park. It helps to bring your attention to the present. Just look at your feet / shoes when you walk. 

Being mindful also means you are more aware of your surroundings

2. Have compassion towards yourself: 

- Be compassionate and kind towards ourselves. Listen to our body. When we are tired, we should rest. Do not strain or stress ourselves.
- Next, we should be able to forgive ourselves for our mistakes. We learn from our mistakes and move on. 

3. We should accept that we are just human and imperfect: 

- It would be ideal if we could finish what we want to do in a day but we have only 24 hours in a day and we are not machines. Even machines have downtime. So try not to push ourselves too hard. Prioritize our work and fulfill what is good enough to call it a day's work. Thus, we would have less stress and be light-hearted.

4. Eat well, sleep well and exercise well:

- Eat well ~ Choose to eat healthy 90% of the time and allow ourselves to indulge in our favourite "not so healthy" food 10% of the time. 

- Sleep well ~ Getting enough sleep is the key to start our day fresh and energetic. Get at least 7 or 8 hours of sleep a day. If we can't sleep well at night, we can consider taking nap during the day.

- Exercise well ~ We need to work out about thrice a week and about half an hour each time. Exercising produces endorphins (the natural feel good chemical) and reduces stress. It also helps us to sleep better at night.

If we eat, sleep and exercise well, we would reduce the risk of getting sick and thus, be happier. 

Give in to temptation 10% of the time!

5. Be patient  - take your time:

- Many times, we are rushing to achieve things in our lives like getting married, having children, etc. Sometimes, we have to defy the idiom "Time and tide wait for no man" and believe in "Nature knows best". In this way, it takes the pressure off our shoulders and we will be much happier.

6. Have hobbies:

- Make it a point to spend some time on our hobbies each week. Doing things we enjoy makes us happy.

- If you do not have a hobby, try not to do anything at certain time in a day or week. 

Let's take a break!

7. Know what you really want to do with your life:

- If we know what we really want, we would be happier. If we have goals that we really want to achieve, we would be able to handle barriers on the way and yet be happier. This is because we know that we are suffering for the time being and our ultimate goal is waiting for us.

If you find yourself enjoying this post till this part, I guess you are interested to know which books or websites that I have read. Here are the info and links:

1. Even Happier by Tal Ben-Shahar

2. Why Worry by K.Sri Dhammananda

3. Concentrate on the here and now by Bridget Menezes http://www.thesundaily.my/news/861237

4. The Space Between Self-Esteem and Self-Compassion By Kristen Nef http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvtZBUSplr4

Exploring Vegetarian Dishes

During the Nine Emperor Gods festival recently, I managed to indulge in delicious and yet simple vegetarian dishes. I was lucky enough that the vegetarian stall was on my doorstep. The combination of ingredients used are very interesting and creative. 

Here are the wonderful recipes that I have learned from them but have yet to try cooking them on my own:

Dish 1: Stir-fried sweet potato leaves, tau pok (fried bean curd) with tau ju (fermented tofu) (I guess salt is not needed here as fermented tofu should be saltier enough)

Dish 2: Cook bitter gourd (cut in cubes), thin slices of soy-sauced bean curd and tausi (fermented black beans)

Dish 3: Stir-fried slices of brinjal, tomatoes and red chilli (a little too oily but good) (Although there are rings of red chilli in the dish, the dish is not spicy.)

Dish 4: Stir-fried chopped long beans, tong cai (a kind of salted vegetable) in small cubes with fried salted peanuts. (This dish is crunchy.)

Our lunch box ~ featuring Dish 8 (left) and Dish 4 (right)

Dish 5: Cook slices of tomatoes, red and green capsicums, pineapples and a gluten-based meat. (A little sweet and sour and feels light.)

Dish 6: Stir-fried tau bor (a kind of bean curd skin product) and black fungus with deep fried thin strips of gingers sprinkled on top. 

Dish 7: Stir-fried chopped lady's fingers with tau jian (fermented beans) and red chilli. (It is not spicy as one can easily pick out the rings of red chilli.)

Dish 8: Cook yam (in cubes), mushroom (in slices) and vegetarian mutton

This lunch box features the vegetarian otak-otak (on the right) (made of tofu, instead of egg and fish)

Homemade Pandan Rose

Are you health conscious? Are you tired of all the chemicals that are used in home fragrance and air freshener products? If you are like me, try using pandan or screw pine leaves to freshen up your home. I heard that they are also used to get rid of cockroaches in the house. However, I have learned that they need to be replaced once they have dried up. Anyway, they are economical. If you have planted your own screw pine plants, you can use them anytime.

Besides using them as air freshener, I have also used them as home decor. They look good when they are rolled up into roses and bundle as a bouquet. 

Homemade pandan rose bouquet

Pandan leaves can also be used in cooking like in snow fungus dessert. I also heard that it can be boiled in water and drink to reduce cholesterol. Well, try it out!

Use pandan leaves as air freshener

Salmon Spaghetti in White Creamy Sauce

The Ingredients:

1. Spaghetti
2. Choppedd parsley 
3. Pine nuts
4. Shredded cheese
5. Cream milk (a cup)
6. Chicken soup (a small bowl)
7. Smoked salmon (in strips)
8. Garlic (in slices)
9. Rice wine (a tablespoon)

The Steps:

1. Slice smoked salmon into thick strips.
2. Heat up oil in non-stick frying pan.
3. Fry the salmon strips until they are fragrant.
4. Add in slices of garlic and a tablespoon of rice wine.
5. Stir them with the salmon for a while.
6. Then switch off the gas stove and pour out the salmon and garlic into a bowl of cooked spaghetti.
7. Stir them well.
8. Using the rice cooker: pour in the salmon, spaghetti, chicken soup, cream milk, cheese, parsley and pine nuts and let it cook.

(Source: Feng Shu's Cooking Class TV programme)

Spaghetti in white creamy sauce

My version of this recipe:

Instead of salmon, I have used "kala" fish. To prevent the strong fishy smell, I have marinated the slices of fish with black pepper, Nuoc Mam (Vietnamese fish sauce) and ginger slices for about an hour.

Instead of using the rice cooker, I cook the spaghetti and the fish in cream milk, chicken soup and a piece of cheddar cheese in the non-stick frying pan. It works for me!

Pumpkin and Pork Rib Rice

The Ingredients:

1. Pumpkin (with skin)
2. Pork ribs
3. Chopped garlic
4. Chopped ginger
5. Chopped spring onion
6. Soy sauce
7. Rice wine

The Steps:

1. Make sure the ribs and pumpkin are cut into cubes.
2. Boil a pot of water and when the water is boiled, dip in the pork ribs for a while to get rid of the pungent smell and to clean them.
3. Then, drain the pork ribs and put them into a non-stick frying pan. No oil is needed here as the pork ribs are already oily.
4. Cook them until they are fragrant.
5. Add in chopped garlic and ginger.
6. Put in the cut pumpkin into the pan and stir.
7. Add in chopped spring onion, 3 tablespoons of soy sauce (or more if needed) and a little rice wine.
8. Prepare the uncooked rice and water in the rice cooker. 
9. Pour in the cooked pumpkin and pork rib into the rice cooker and let them cooked again together with the rice.

(Source: Feng Shu's Cooking Class TV programme)

Pumpkin and pork rib rice

Here, brown rice is used.

Three-Cup Broccoli and Cauliflower

Heard of three-cup chicken? Yes, it is a Taiwanese cuisine with rice wine, sesame oil and soy sauce.

For this recipe, broccoli and cauliflower are used instead of chicken. So, it is suitable for vegetarians.

The ingredients:

1. Broccoli 
2. Caulifower
3. Sesame oil
4. Thin slices of ginger
5. Chopped spring onions (about an inch size)
6. Chopped red chilli (about an inch size)
7. Chopped red onions
8. Rice wine
9. Sugar
10. Salt
11. Soy sauce
12. Black sesame oil
13. Chopped basil

The steps:

1. Oil the non-stick frying pan with two table spoons of sesame oil.
2. Place the thin slices of ginger in the pan and fry the ginger until the sesame oil has dried up and the ginger is fragrant.
3. Add in the chopped spring onions, red chilli and red onions.
4. Then, add in about two to three table spoons of rice wine and a table spoon of sugar.
5. Next, add in soy sauce and a little water.
6. Keep them boiling until the sauce thickens. If it does not, add more sugar. (Beware! It can be too sweet.)
7. In a different frying pan / pot, boil water. When the water is boiled, add in a little salt, broccoli and cauliflower. Close the lid for 30 seconds and quickly drain them.
8. Transfer the broccoli and cauliflower into the first frying pan to soak them with the sauce.
9. Lastly, transfer the broccoli and cauliflower into a claypot. Add in black sesame oil and chopped basil into the claypot and cook for about 5 minutes.

(Source: Feng Shu's Cooking Class TV programme)

Three-cup broccoli

My version:

I used only broccoli. I skipped the claypot as I did not have one. Instead, I cooked them longer with a small fire with the lid on. Overall, everything was okay except it was a little too sweet for our liking (as I have cautioned in Step 6). 

Stir-fried Glass Noodles

Fancy something simple yet filling for your dinner? Okay, try stir-frying glass noodles.

The ingredients:

1. Glass noodles
2. Minced pork
3. Dried shrimps
4. Tong cai (salted vegetables)
5. Minced garlic
6. A bowl of soup (chicken/pork) (can be the leftover soup from the previous day)
7. Soy sauce
8. Sesame oil
9. Chopped spring onions

The steps:

1. Boil a pot of water and when it is boiled, switch off the gas stove. Put in the uncooked glass noodles into the pot, close its lid and leave it aside for less than 5 minutes.
2. Put in a small bowl of minced pork into the frying pan (no cooking oil is needed here as the pork is oily but you need a non-stick frying pan). Stir it until it is cooked and fragrant.
3. Put in a small portion of dried shrimp into the pan and stir it well.
4. Next, put in a small bowl of tong cai and mix them well.
5. Add in chopped garlic and a small bowl of soup (chicken or pork).
6. Then, add in two table spoons of soy sauce (may add in more if prefer saltier).
7. Drain the glass noodles and scoop them into the frying pan.
8. Close the lid of the pan for 40 seconds.
9. Open up the lid and sprinkle some chopped spring onions and sesame oil (optional).

(Source: Feng Shu's Cooking Class TV programme)

Fried glass noodles

My version of the recipe:

I have replaced the salted vegetables with fresh leafy mustard. Therefore, I have added a teaspoon of salt. To add colour to the transparent glass noodles, I have used dark soy sauce in addition to the soy sauce.

Note:

• Glass noodles which are also known as cellophane noodles or tang hoon (in Hokkien dialect) are common in Chinese cooking. They can be stir-fried or cooked in soup. They are tasteless on their own but they can absorb the flavour of the sauce that they are cooked with.
• This recipe uses soup to cook the glass noodles. So, if you have leftover soup from the previous day, this is where you can use the soup. Therefore, you do not need to add sugar to the glass noodles.
• If you follow step 1, the glass noodles will have more elasticity as it is not overcooked.
• This is a healthier meal as cooking oil is not used at all.

The Simplest Recipe: Coke Chicken

For the past weeks, I have been watching a Taiwanese cooking show: 'Feng Shu's Cooking Class'. Somehow, I am stuck to this cooking show for its simple recipe yet delicious meal.

This is the one that I have tried recently, 'Coke Chicken with Soy Sauce'. This sounds strange, right? However, it tastes alright. The reasons behind using Coke for this dish are when Coke has been cooked, it becomes like caramel and therefore, it makes the chicken sweet and it also makes chicken wings' shiny black. The taste of the 'Coke Chicken with Soy Sauce' is sweet and salty.

The ingredients:

1. A small bottle of Coca-Cola / Coke
2. Chicken wings (I have tried with drumsticks) (advisable not to use breast meat as it will be hard)
3. Soy sauce of any brand (mine is Rose brand)
4. White sesame
5. Shichimi powder

The steps:

1. Pour about half bottle of Coke into the cooking pan and boil it.
2. Boil the chicken wings in another pot of hot water for 3 minutes (as a way to clean it)
3. Place the chicken wings into the pan of Coke and cover up the pan with a lid.
4. Check from the time to time to see whether the Coke has dried up.
5. When it has dried up, pour in some soy sauce (about three table spoons).
6. Stir the chicken wings until all the sauce has dried up.
7. Place them on a dry plate.
8. Sprinkle some white sesame and Shichimi powder (if you want them to be spicy) on them.

(Source: Feng Shu's Cooking Class TV programme)

The sweet and salty Coke Chicken

Plus it is a bit spicy too with Shichimi powder