Chicken Noodle Soup, Malaysian Style

I made this on Sunday night and it was so good and satisfying that I just had to snap a picture with my phone and brag about it on the internet. With tender chunks of chicken swimming in a broth filled with fresh rice noodles and topped with chopped green onions, this warm hearty meal is my idea of comfort food.

I added shrimps to build a more flavorful broth but the soup would still have been delicious without them. If you're going to add shrimps, be sure to leave the shell on because that's where all the shrimpy goodness is. Garnish the soup with sliced red chilies and some caramelized onions - or if you prefer to cut your time in the kitchen like I do, keep a jar of store-bought dehydrated fried onions on hand.

Mom's Spicy Beef Noodles

This is my mom's beef mee goreng (literally "fried noodles") recipe with my own twist. She used to make this for Xmas dinner along with chicken curry to go with the roast turkey and stuffing. Yes, interesting combination but noodles and chicken curry are absolute holiday requirements in our household. Mashed potatoes with gravy are so boring and over done.

In this dish, thick yellow noodles are fried with red chilies, tomatoes, eggs and bean sprouts; tossed with fork tender chunks of braised beef and chopped fresh coriander leaves and then finished off with a squeeze of lime juice. It's spicy, tangy and satisfyingly beefy, which makes it a great dish for a festive dinner party.

Fried Rice Noodles (Kway Teow) in "Tomato" Sauce

I've been craving for this noodle dish that I loved as a child growing up in Malaysia. I also wanted to whip up something fast and easy when my mom, sister and nephews came over for dinner last Easter weekend. I've had a variant of this noodle dish in Thai restaurants but in this version from my homeland, a few dollops of ketchup are added to the gravy to give it a slightly sweet, tomatoey flavor. Hence the term "tomato sauce" - ketchup is known as "tomato sauce" in Malaysia. This is a quick and delicious meal, not to mention healthy - you get a good dose of carbs, protein and veggies all in one dish.