Bacon Wrapped Shrimp

My partner said "Everything taste good wrapped in bacon!". Indeed he's right. It's tricky to cook bacon wrapped shrimp because shrimps generally take less time to cook than bacon. So, in order to get the shrimp and bacon done at the same time (while not having overcooked chewy shrimp or worse uncooked bacon), choose large shrimp and thin sliced bacon. I'm using "extra jumbo" shrimps in this recipe, which basically has 16-10 count per pound. You can de-vein the shrimps if you want but I generally do not bother doing it. If you are using medium sized or small shrimp, you can microwave the bacon for 2 minutes to get a head start.

1 lb. shrimp, 16-20 count (shelled, with tail on)
1 package bacon, cut slices into halves.
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
Salt and pepper to taste
Wooden skewers or picks

Mix shrimps with Old Bay seasoning, salt and pepper. Wrap them with bacon and secure with wooden skewers or picks.

Grill on each side for 2 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the shrimp.

Grilled Asparagus ... With Bacon?

Here's a quick and easy way to prepare asparagus. Grilling them! What's better? Wrap them in bacon and then grilling them! I don't really have a measurement for this recipe, just get some asparagus and grill them. If you want to wrap them in bacon and then grill them, just get a package of bacon (although you want to avoid the thick cut ones). And congratulations, you just became the hero of meat eaters and vegetarians alike!

Asparagus
Salt and pepper to taste
A drizzle of olive oil (you don't need it if you're using bacon)
Bacon (cut slices in half)
Wooden skewers or picks

Wash and clean asparagus. Trim the fibrous stem.

If you're wrapping the asparagus with bacon, this is the time when you want to wrap them. Continue until you've finished wrapping the asparagus. Skewer two or three of these wrapped asparagus together. This will make turning them easier when grilling. Season with salt and pepper. In a hot grill, grill for about 2 minutes on each sides. Serve warm.

If you're just grilling the asparagus as is, skewer two of three of them together. This will make turning them easier when grilling. Season with olive oil, salt and pepper. In a hot grill, grill for about 2 minutes on each sides. More if you don't like your asparagus al dente. Serve warm with some Parmesan cheese or balsamic vinegar.

Teriyaki Baked Salmon

I saw really fresh salmon fillets the other day when went to Whole Foods and decided I should get some. I haven't cooked fish in a while and thought this would be good paired with the oyster mushrooms I've got the day before. You don't need to use oyster mushrooms for this recipe but it adds more texture to the dish and goes well with the marinate as well.

Salmon fillet (about 2 lbs.)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon chili flakes
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon sugar
2 lbs. oyster mushroom, break into small clumps (optional)

Marinate fish with olive oil, chili flakes, dried rosemary, salt and pepper . Let it sit for an hour.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place fish in a baking dish and cook in the oven for 30 minutes.

In a bowl, mix teriyaki sauce, sugar and sesame oil together. Microwave mixture for 2 minutes. Mix until sugar dissolves. Take the fish out and pour teriyaki mixture on top of fish. If you are using oyster mushrooms, this is the time you want to add it into the baking dish.Put them on the side of the fish, not on top.

Bake for about another 30 minutes, basting and turning the mushrooms occasionally. The doneness of the fish really depends on what type fillet you use (a big piece or a few pieces). Fish is done when it’s flaky.

If most of the marinate sticks to the bottom of the baking dish, you can use more teriyaki sauce or water to deglaze it for extra robust sauce.

Belacan Fried Chicken Wings

Belacan are fermented shrimp ubiquitous to Southeast Asian cooking. I've actually never eaten belacan fried chicken before, not even when I was in Malaysia. Saw them while food shopping the other day in an Asian supermarket. Though I'd picked up a few packets of "Belacan Chicken Powder" so I can try it on some frozen wings I have in my freezer. These wings are good as party food, appetizer or entree. You can also use chicken thighs, drumsticks, breast meat or even small chicken pieces. This is an easy recipe, the hardest part is to restrain yourself from finishing all those wings!

If you don't have a supermarket that sells Southeast Asian food products, you can try to buy them online. The product I use is "Hup Loong Belacan Chicken Powder".

4lbs. chicken wings
1 packet Hup Loong Belacan Chicken Powder (90g)
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Mix wings and seasoning. Marinate for an hour. Deep fry until golden brown. Serve immediately!

Kuih Bakar (Kuih Kemboja)

Sorry for not posting for a while. I haven't been cooking but been busy preparing for graduate school.

Kuih Bakar is kinda like a baked custard. It's not a "cake" in the sense that vanilla cake is, nor is it a custard like what flan is. One of the most popular "kuih" from Malaysia, Kuih Bakar is a dessert eaten throughout the day. Try a piece for breakfast! Kuih Bakar is also known as Kuih Kemboja, possibly due to the traditional mold used to make this kuih looks like a flower. Kemboja is the Malay word for Plumeria.

I used black sesame seeds in this recipe for the color contrast, although you can always use the regular white sesame seeds. Pandan leaves are sold frozen in Asian supermarkets. Also known as "screwpine" leave, it is the vanilla essence of Southeast Asian cooking.


11/4 cups sugar
2 cups flour
2 1/4 cups coconut milk
1 cup pandan juice (10 pandan leaves + 1 cup water in food processor, strained)
4 large eggs
2 tablespoon melted butter
sesame seeds for garnishing

Add all ingredients, except sesame seeds, in a bowl. Mix well. Preheat oven to 325 °F.

Grease a baking pan. Pour mixture into the pan and sprinkle sesame seeds on top of the batter. Bake for about an hour or until cooked. Insert skewer in the middle, if it comes out clean then it's cooked. You also want the top to be slightly browned.

Let it cool before cutting into squares. Eat your heart out!