Mee Suah

For those who aren’t familiar, mee suah is the Hokkein  name for what is known as flour vermicelli.  The ingredients in this type of noodles are mainly wheat flour, salt and water. They are often arranged in small bundles  The noodles cook really fast (like about 2 minutes in boiling water), that’s why I always keep a packet in my pantry at all times as it is good for emergencies. Today I prepared it for my little baby as a noodle soup. I also added some dried beancurd and chicken.

Ingredients

Noodles

Meat, Seafood

Garlic - minced

Vegetables

Chicken bouillion

Salt, Pepper

1.  Cook noodles in boiling water and little oil till soft.  Drain out and keep aside.

2.  Saute garlic and meat. Add vegetables, water, chicken bouillion. Adjust seasoning.

3.  Lastly add the cooked noodles. Sprinkle with some onion leaves.

Waffle

We bought the waffle maker sometime ago but was too lazy to make my own waffle. Just recently came across a website with different flavors of waffle's, so finally this morning me and my girl decided to make it.  Yes.....and the result is a wonderful fluffy pancake.

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar ( can reduce if do not want too sweet)
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
6 tablespoons butter/oil
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Fresh fruit, jam, or syrup**

 Instructions: 

1. In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, and baking powder.

2. In another bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.

3. In yet another bowl, lightly beat egg yolks and then add milk, butter, and vanilla, mixing well. Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold egg whites into batter.

4. Bake in a pre-heated waffle iron according to manufacturer's instructions, until golden brown.

5. Serve warm with fresh fruit, jam, or syrup.**

Finally a stack of fluffy yummy pancakes

Striped Cake

Ingredients

2 egg

1 stick (113gm) butter

1 1/3 cup (150 gm) cake flour

3/4 cup ( 150gm) sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a 8in round pan by greasing and using a parchment paper.

Beat butter and sugar till fluffy and white. 

Add eggs and vanilla. Beat well.

Lastly add the dried ingredients and milk. Beat well.

Bake for 35 - 40 minutes.


Note : Substitute for cake flour - 1 cup cake flour = 3/4 cup all purpose flour plus 2 tbsp of cornstarch. Sift mixture before using

Beat sugar and butter

Eggs added in

Flour, baking powder and milk added alternately

Dont mind the messy plating. I could not wait to get my hands on that piece of cake....

Lamb Gyros

Lamb Gyros

1 pound lean ground lamb
2 cloves garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves, crushed
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1 large tomato, cut in half and then into slices
1 small onion, thinly sliced
4 whole pita pocket breads, cut in half, warmed

In a large bowl, combine lamb, garlic, dried oregano leaves, onion powder, salt and pepper; mix lightly but thoroughly. Shape into two oval 1/2-inch thick patties.
Place patties on rack in broiler pan so surface of meat is 3 to 4 inches from heat. Broil 8 to 10 minutes or until no longer pink, turning once. Carve each patty into thin slices. Place equal amounts of lamb, tomato and onion in each pita half; serve with Cucumber Yogurt Sauce. Serves 4.

Cucumber Yogurt Sauce

8-ounce carton plain low-fat yogurt
1/3 cup seeded, chopped cucumber
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon sugar

In medium bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well. Serve with Lamb Gyros.


Note : The ground lamb can be substituted for lamb steaks, marinated and grilled. Slice thinly before putting it into the pita.

Char Siew Pau

Ingredients for Filling

285g char siew, diced

5 cloves garlic, minced

  2 tbsp coriander leaves, chopped

  1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted

  2 tbsp oil

  1 tbsp flour

  Seasoning:

  3 tsp light soy sauce

  2 tsp sesame oil

  1/8 tsp pepper

  2 tbsp oyster sauce

  4 to 5 tbsp sugar

  1 tbsp water plus 1 tsp cornstarch

Heat oil and fry the garlic, add the char siew and the seasonings.

Lastly add in the coriander leaves and put the fillings in refrigerator to cool.

For the Dough:
1 packet of pau ready mixed
1 cup milk/water
1/2 cup sugar

Follow the directions stated at the back of the packet.

Just before steaming the pau, I added some vinegar to the water. Pease refer to my earlier blog on making pau with yeast.

Dough proofing

Steaming

Some pau even manage to smile at me....

After steaming as you can see the pau is white and fluffy

At last a bite of my tasty char siew filled pau

Dhal with Spinach

Nothing fancy today for dinner as I had to take the kids for concert. Had some leftover frozen spinach so I made some lentils with spinach. Also made a super simple and spicy egg sambal.

Mixed vegetables

Had some salmon and tilapia and decided to make a pan fry tilapia with little butter and bake the salmon. To go along, I stir fried mixed vegetables with taufu.

Ingredients for Tilapia ( my super simple marinate for this delicate fish fillets)

Onion powder

Garlic powder

salt and pepper

Paprika

Butter for pan fry.

Ingredients for stir fry vegetable

Carrot
Button mushroom
Baby corn
Snow peas
Napa Cabbage (optional)
Firm taufu ( fried slightly)
Shrimp/Chicken/any kind of meat
Oyster Sauce
Minced ginger and garlic
Cornstarch mixed with water

Saute the ginger garlic. Add the meat.
All the vegetables and the taufu. Season with oyster sauce.  You do not need to add salt as the oyster sauce has salt in it. Cook for couple of minute, then add the cornstarch, stir.  Done...

Buttercream Icing

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup shortening
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 tablespoons milk
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• 
  
• Beat butter and shortening together. Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Mix then add milk and beat till fluffy and light.
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• * You can omit the shortening and use butter instead if just for spreading on the cake and cupcakes.  Shortening is to hold the piped decorations hold their shape.
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Tandoori Chicken Kebab

Made this wonderful chicken tandoori from a recipe provided by my friend who is in Colorado. Thanks Sharmila. The only thing that was missing is the sliced lime.  I was too lazy to go out and get it since it was too cold.

The ingredients here are listed without measurement.  

Tandoori paste/powder

Little chili powder for added spice (optional)

Ginger garlic paste

Salt

Lemon juice

Red and Yellow food coloring ( to obtain orange color)

Yogurt

Boneless Chicken Thighs - cubed

Mix all the above, taste before adding to chicken.  You can either use drumsticks but I preferred using boneless thighs and put them into skewer.  Let marinate for couple of hours. Outdoor grill or I just used a stove top grill pan.

Buttercream Rose

Roses are the most impressive, beautiful and popular of all icing flowers. A rose is created in a number of steps. I was so fascinated by the way it was done and so tried to do it. Well, it was little hard as i did not have any lessons on it.  I just watched some video's online on how to do it.  Need more Practice !!


Things Needed


Tip No. 104
Flower nail
Wax Paper (cut into little squares)
Buttercream Icing ( I got Wilton's buttercream, since I was just practicing)

Tip # 104 and a flower nail

I think I did a good job for a first timer. Need more patience and practice.

Sausage Bun

Another round of sausage bun making.  I have inserted picture step by step.  Hope it helps.

After baking

Char Siu ( Roast Pork)

BBQ pork or “char siu” (also spelled as “char siew”) is a famous Chinese dish that everyone loves.

Char siu (char siew) is of Cantonese origin where skewers of Pork meat is marinated in a honey hoisin sauce, and then roast in oven to charred, savory, and sticky sweet perfection. If there is a pork recipe that defines Chinese cooking, I think char siu (char siew) would be it.

Whenever we go to the chinese eatery, my kids love to snack on the char siew or get the char siew pau so hence I thought  I would try making it at home.  

1. Choice of meat – if you love your char siu (char siew) tender, juicy, moist, and a little fatty, use pork belly. If you prefer a meaty char siu (char siew), then go for pork loin. 
2. Maltose –  maltose is the secret ingredient that gives char siu (char siew) that sticky sweet taste and texture. Honey is just the icing on the cake.
3. Chinese rose wine – this wine is very fragrant and lends a very nice flavor to this BBQ pork or char siu (char siew) recipe.
4. Five-spice powder  – mixture of 5 spices used in chinese recipes

INGREDIENTS:

1lb of pork tenderloin
3 clove garlic (finely chopped)
1 1/2 tablespoons cooking oil

CHAR SIU (CHAR SIEW) SAUCE:

1 1/2 tablespoons maltose
1 1/2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese rose wine
3 dashes white pepper powder
3 drops red coloring (optional)
1/2 teaspoon five-spice powder
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

METHOD:

Add all ingredients in the char siu sauce in a sauce pan, heat it up and stir-well until all blended and become slightly thickened and sticky.  (It will yield 1/2 cup char siu sauce.) Transfer out and let cool.

Marinate the pork  with 2/3 of the char siu sauce and the chopped garlic overnight. Add 1 1/2 tablespoons cooking oil into the remaining char siu sauce. Keep in the fridge.

The next day, heat the oven to 375 degree F and roast the char siu for 15 minutes (shake off the excess char siu sauce before roasting). Transfer them out of the oven and thread the char siu pieces on metal skewers and grill them over fire (I used my stove top). Brush the remaining char siu sauce while grilling until the char siu are perfectly charred. Slice the char siu into bite-size pieces, drizzle the remaining char siu sauce over and serve immediately with steamed white rice.

You don’t have to roast the pork in the oven if you use an outdoor grill. As I used the stove top to char the char siu, I roasted the char siu in the oven so they were cooked. It’s impossible to cook the char siu by using the stove top alone. You can roast the char siu thoroughly for 25-30 minutes in the oven. It’s best to use the S-shape hook and hang your char siu at the top layer of the oven, with a roasting pan or aluminum foil sheet at the bottom for the drips.

Kuih Lapis

A visually delightful and simply tasteful dessert, kuih lapis means many layers and is therefore characterized by several layers in different colors. Kids usually love to eat it by peeling off the individual layers. Excellent idea to impress your guests, beats serving cake anytime!

Ingredients

300 ml coconut milk

600 ml water

1/2 cup plus 9 tsp sugar

3 tbsp tapioca flour

1 1/2 cup rice flour

1/4 tsp salt

Mix all ingredients with a wire whisk.  Divide the mixture into 3 or 2 bowls. Color them as preferred.Prepare a steaming tray ( I used a 8 in tray) grease slightly.  Pour 1/2 cup of mixture. Steam on a slow heat for about 4 - 6 minutes. Open cover, wipe, pour the next color. Repeat till all is done.  The final top layer ( whichever color is on the top, color it a little darker before pouring the last layer)

Hainanese Chicken Rice

One of my favorite dishes. Just love the juicy chicken with the fragrant rice.  The method below is a little tedious and takes some time but the effort is worth it.  Even my picky 2 year old was asking for seconds.  This recipe is a keeper. 

INGREDIENTS

1-2  kg chicken
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 cm knob ginger
1 spring onion, pounded together with the ginger
1 tbsp rice wine
5 litres white chicken stock
1 slice ginger (extra)
1 spring onion stalk (extra)

METHOD
Season the chicken cavity with salt, soy sauce, ginger, spring onion and rice wine and leave aside for 1 hour.

Fill a large pot with water and bring to the boil. It is essential that the chicken be fully immersed at all stages to ensure thorough cooking. Blanch the chicken, 1 minute at a time, a couple of times, carefully lifting it in and out of the pot under the wing, so as not to bruise the skin. This process of 'changing the water' washes the salted cavity of excess blood and impurities, and at the same time, seals the cavity. Remove the chicken, and refresh it in very cold water to firm the flesh and seal the skin.

In another pot, bring chicken stock to the boil with the slice of ginger and spring onion stalk then lower the chicken gently into the stock with a carving fork just under the chicken wing, taking care not to bruise the skin. Repeat the same lifting and submerging process used during the blanching process, this time to heat the cavity, which will be less cooked than the exterior. Then submerge the chicken completely in the stock.

Bring the stock to the boil, skimming off any impurities. Remove the pot from the stove and allow the chicken to steep in the stock for 25 minutes(30 mins for 2 kg chicken. Remove the chicken gently from the pot and place it on a serving dish to cool for 30 minutes. By this time the bird is fully rested and is ready for slicing.

HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE

3 tbsp oil/margarine/chicken oil
1 tbsp chopped garlic and shallots
1/2 tbsp chopped ginger
3 cups rice, washed and drained
4 1/2 cups chicken stock(use the stock from the above)
1 tsp salt to taste

METHOD

Heat up oil, saute chopped garlic and shallot and ginger until fragrant. Add rice, salt and mix well. Dish into a rice cooker, add chicken stock and taste(add more salt if required). Leave to cook until dry and fluffy.

CHILLY SAUCE

10 red chillies,
3 cm young ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
dash of sesame oil
2 tbsp chicken oil(scoop from chicken stock)
2 tbsp lime juice

METHOD

Pound/blend red chillies, chilly padi and ginger.
Mix in the rest of the ingredients and adjust taste accordingly.