cocoa@Recipes

Pancake

2010-06-16T21:11:00.000-07:00

Ingredients :
1.5 cup Self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
2 tbs sugar
1/4 tsp salt
2 medium size egg
1 cup milk/soy milk
60g of melted butter (salted)
250-300ml water

(Makes about 10 thin slices, serve with butter and honey)

1) Measure butter and melt it in a microwave oven for 20 secs.
2) Measure all dry ingredients and place them in a mixing bowl, create a hole in centre and pour in eggs, melted butter and milk.
3) Whisk everything together in one direction, circular movement.
4) When the batter is no longer lumpy, slowly add in water to achieve a thinner texture.
5) Heat up a non-stick pan with a drop of oil, reduce to medium-small heat, and pour in about half to three-quarter cup of batter (this depends on your pan size, pour in enough to spread the pan evenly to the sides).
6) When bubbles start to form and the sides turn brown, flip it over and cook for one more minute until golden brown.
7) Serve and enjoy!

Random food images

2009-06-03T16:09:00.001-07:00

Email me if you want any of the recipes.

Hershey Dark Chocolate Chip Cookie with Macadamia !

2008-10-22T21:27:00.001-07:00

These are the best chocolate chips cookies I've ever tasted. I modified it according to the sweetness I like since the original recipe is a little too sweet for me.

All ingredients in room temperature :

Sift dry ingredients together :
4 cups unbleached all purpose flour,
1 tsp salt,
1 tsp cream of tartar;
1 tsp baking soda

Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream together :
1/2 cup white sugar,
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 cup unsalted butter

Then, Add :
1 cup vegetable oil,
1 egg
1 tbs cold milk
1 tsp vanilla essence.

Now, add the dry ingredients and beat until just blended.

Add : 1 cup Hershey's dark Chocolate Chips and 1 cup macadamia nuts. Mix well.

Preheat oven and line baking tray with parchment paper. Bake cookies at 350 degree for 8 to 12 min.

(I am using a small toaster oven so I bake 325 degree for 10 min. Bryan likes it just gently baked. The cookies are softer on the day you bake them but they taste heavenly on the next day!)

Food Gallery 2006-07

2008-01-10T22:35:00.000-08:00

Click here for a photo gallery tour...

Yam Cake

2007-11-19T15:11:00.001-08:00

Ingredients :

400g yam
some dried shrimps (soaked, reserve liquid)
some dried mushrooms
300g rice flour
1 tsp pepper
3 tsp salt
550 ml water
700 ml water
oil

garnish : fried shallots, red chilli and spring onions

Soak dried shrimps after rinsing them once, once softened squeeze out the liquid and set aside this liquid.
Do the same for the dried mushrooms, slice them into thin slices, set aside liquid from soaking.
Peel and cut yam into small cubes, rinse well, drain and set aside.
Sift rice flour and mix with 700 ml water, add salt and pepper, mix well and set aside.
Heat some oil in the wok and stir fry dried shrimps and mushrooms for 1 min.
Add the yam and stir-fry over high heat, slowly add in some liquid from soaking the mushrooms and dried shrimps, alittle at a time, fry until the yam are softened, abt 10 to 15 min.
Add in 550 ml of water, let it boil and then reduce heat to medium, cover and let it simmer for 5 min.
Now add in the flour mixture from Step 4.
Keep stirring until it thickens a little.
When it begins to thicken, turn off heat and transfer onto 2 steaming tray, sprayed with some oil to prevent sticking.
Steam on high heat for 20 to 25 min.
When done, add the garnish.

Curry Puffs

2007-07-16T08:22:00.000-07:00

Filling :

550g potatoes
1 large onion, chopped
2 tbs curry powder
1/4 to 1/2 tsp chilli powder
70g mixed vegetables
200g chicken meat, cut into small cubes
2 tbs soy sauce
1 tsp salt

Dough A :

200 g All-purpose flour
130 g butter or margarine

Dough B :

500 g All-purpose flour
50 g sugar
200 g butter or margarine
180 ml water

Wash and peel potatoes. Boil until cooked through and cut into cubes. (Use a fork, if it can poke thru potatoes easily then it is done.)
Heat 3 tbs of oil and stir fry chopped onions. Add curry and chilli powder and fry until fragrant.
Add chicken meat, and fry until almost cooked, add mixed vegetables, and salt and fry until cooked throught.
Remove and set aside to cool.

Now make the dough...

Dough A :

Sift flour.
Rub butter into flour and knead until smooth. Divide into small balls.

Dough B :

Sift flour.
Add butter and sugar and knead, slowly add in water and work into a smooth dough.
Divide into small balls (in equal amount to Dough A)

Making the curry puff...

Wrap one Dough A with Dough B to form a ball.
Dust extra flour onto working surface to prevent sticking.
Using a rolling pin, flatten it into a rectangular, then roll up to form a cylinder, fold length-wise into half and shape into a ball.
Flatten this ball until about .5 cm thick and wrap with fillings.
Twist pattern along open edges.
Place on trays that are slightly dusted with flour (to prevent sticking).
Heat 2 bowl of cooking oil in work and deep fry curry puffs until golden brown.

End-of-Semester Beehoon

2006-05-08T16:00:00.000-07:00

Its actually just 炒米粉. I call it End-of-Semester Beehoon as this is the 2nd time I'm cooking for the Singaporean students here during their End-of-Semester BBQ.

However, I am actually cooking this version for the first time. (Slightly different from last year's because of the uses of cabbage instead of green leafy vegetables. Bryan is just jealous that this version is better than the ones I normally will cook for him.... So, in order to cook it again next time, I gotta remember how I hv cooked this one. And also, upon Tian Lin's request, I'm posting this for her.

Ingredients :

1 pack beehoon (rice vermicelli) – I use Taiwanese brand XingZhu Beehoon
2 tbs dried shrimps (chopped)
5 to 6 shallots (thinly sliced)
2 to 3 clove garlics (chopped)
½ Cabbage (sliced)
1 carrot (shredded or julienne cut)
Light soy sauce
Dark soy sauce
2 cups chicken stock
Korean red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
Sesame oil

(Optional)
Toppings :
3 eggs
Luncheon meat
Green onions (chopped)

Servings : 8 persons

Preparation :

1. Soak beehoon until soft.
2. Beat the eggs and add a pinch of pepper and tiny bit of salt.
3. Fry on pan into thin sheets and then fold in half. Set aside, slice them when cooled.
4. Cut luncheon meat into thin strips, bake in a 350 degree F oven until golden brown and lay on paper towel to rid of its grease.
5. Heat oil, deep fry shallots till golden brown, set aside on paper towel to cool.
6. Using the same oil, fry dried shrimps and garlics together until fragrance, add in cabbage and carrot.
7. Fry for abt 2 to 3 min, add in a few drizzle of light soy sauce and then add in 1 cup of chicken stock.
8. Add beehoon, using 2 pairs of chopsticks on both hands and start to mix everything together.
9. Lifting the beehoon in all directions to cook evenly.
10. Reduce fire to medium low, drizzle in some dark soy sauce and a little sesame oil and continue to fry the beehoon.
11. Add the remaining stock, a ladel at a time to prevent beehoon from drying out fast.
12. Add in red pepper flakes, and some white pepper and done.
13. Garnish with fried shallots on the beehoon when its still hot and garnish with eggs, luncheon meat and green onions.

Lemon Chicken

2006-03-29T21:23:00.000-08:00

Another simple recipe to share!

2 pcs chicken thigh or breast meat
salt and pepper
Olive oil

Wash chicken and pat dry with paper towel. Season with salt and pepper all over. Saute chicken in oil, set aside.

Lemon Sauce :
1/3 cup chicken stock
2 tbs fresh lemon juice
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp honey
2 tsp wine
2 tsp soy sauce
2 clove garlics (finely chopped)

Combine the above in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir in 1 tbs cornstarch mixed with 2 to 3 tbs water. Pour onto chicken and serve with lemon slices.

Potato Croquettes

2006-03-20T22:01:00.000-08:00

These are Bryan's favourites. He kept asking me why I stop making them. Actually it is really not that difficult to make, just that I really wasn't a big fan of any potatoes whatsoever... Anyway, these are really easy to make, and they're so soft and creamy inside. Must try!!

4 potatoes (medium sized)
3/4 cup frozen vegetables peas (chop lightly)
1 onion (chopped)
salt and pepper
1 egg
3 tbs butter
1 tbs shredded cheese
2 tbs milk
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 cup breadcrumbs

Unpeel potatoes and cut into chunks, boil in water for 20 min or until soft.
Transfer to mixing bowl and mash them.
Add peas and onions, season with salt and pepper.
Add cheese, butter and abt 1 tbs of flour.
Add milk and mix.
Check the texture if it holds together.
Divide and form into 14 croquettes.
Coat them lightly first with a layer of flour, then dip into egg and then breadcrumbs.
Deep fry on medium low heat.
Drain oil on paper towel and serve.

Chicken Rice

2006-03-11T15:39:00.000-08:00

My favourite food from Singapore is definitely Chicken Rice. They are everywhere, can be found in any food court. However, the best chicken rice I've ever tasted has to be the one I grew up with... Can never find the exact same taste anywhere else. After we have moved to another neighbourhood, its the only food I really missed. So I've been trying different recipes to cook chicken rice. I'm posting the one that Bryan likes the most... Well, this recipe is to feed 2 persons :

To cook chicken soup...

2 or 3 chicken thighs
3 cloves garlic, bruised
2 slices ginger
a few red dates
a few dan gui
a few dried scallop **optional (Bryan loves these so I hv to add...)
a pinch of salt
pepper
5 to 6 cups water

Boil everything in a pot over medium fire for 20 to 30 min.
Remove chicken and run under COLD running water for a few seconds.
Drain and rub with some oil.
Let cool.

To cook rice :

2 cups rice
6 cloves garlic, bruised
3 slices ginger
1 cinnamon stick
a few cloves
pinch of salt
pandan leaves (tie in a knot)
2 cups chicken soup (cooled)

Heat wok with some oil and brown garlics and ginger.
Add to washed rice.
Add pandan leave, cinnamon stick and cloves
Add 2 cups of chicken soup
Cook rice in a rice cooker.

To make chili sauce :

I use a store-bought garlic chili sauce (abt 3 tbs) and add in some finely chopped garlics and a tsp of sugar, a little lime juice and 2 tbs of boiling hot chicken soup. (Mix until sugar dissolves)

To serve :

Cut chicken after smashing it with chopper. I have no idea why the hawkers like to do this but it certainly spread out the chicken meat nicely. Garnish with tomatoes slices or cucumber slices and place chicken on top of rice.

Splash with a dash of sesame oil and light soy sauce over the chicken and rice and serve with chicken soup.

Daddy's Sambal Belachan Chilli Paste

2006-03-09T08:54:00.000-08:00

Dried chillies (3 to 4 cups)
10 shallots
20 cloves garlics
3 tsp balachan (may add more for stronger taste)
1 lemongrass (cut into 4 inch length and bruised lightly)
1 tsp salt
2 to 3 tbs sugar

Discard stems of dried chillies, using a scissor cut into smaller pieces, discard seeds of chillies.
Soak chillies in hot water or boil briefly until soften. Let cool.
Using an electric blender, chop and blend chillies, shallots and garlics until all blended together.
Add belachan and mixed.
Fry chilli paste and lemongrass in approx. half cup of oil over low heat (20 min)
Keep stiring (You may want to have an open window while doing this....)
Add salt and sugar and continue stirring for another 5 to 8 min.
Add in more oil when done and let cool.

You may cook Sambal Asparagus using this paste. Just stir-fry together asparagus with chopped garlics, shrimps, carrots and scallops, and add abt 1 tbs of this sambal chillies with a dash of light soy sauce and pepper. Serve.

Egg Tart

2006-03-07T08:45:00.000-08:00

Pastry :

40g fine sugar
Half an egg (beaten)
90g butter
180g plain flour

Beat sugar, egg and butter until sugar just dissolved, add flour (sifted) and mix until dough holds together. Divide into small portion and press dough evenly onto greased tart moulds.
Bake at 350 degree F for 8 min and remove, let cool.

Fillings :

3 eggs, lightly beaten
75g sugar
240ml water
1 tbs honey
40ml evaporated milk
1/4 tsp vanilla essence

Dissolve sugar in boiling water. Set aside to cool.
When the syrup has cool, add in beaten eggs, evaporated milk, honey and vanilla essence. Mix well and strain (to get rid of bubbles)
Fill in egg mixture to the half-baked tart about 90% full.
Bake until custard is set. (or approximately 20-25 min)
Leave the tarts in moulds for 10 minutes before turning onto wire rack to cool.

WuXi Pork Ribs

2006-03-01T09:05:00.000-08:00

500g pork ribs (wash, pat dry)
1 to 2 red chillies (remove seeds)
1 yellow onion
3 to 4 stalks spring onions (cut into quarters)
4 slices ginger
10 cloves garlics (smashed)
700 ml water
stewing spices (usually comes in a pack of 5g, the ingredients are sichuan peppercorn, star anise and cinnamon powder)

Prepare these seasonings in a separate bowl :
2 tbs oyster sauce
2 tbs cooking wine or hua tiao wine
1 tbs tomato sauce
35 g rock sugar
a little dark soy sauce

Marinate pork ribs with 2 tbs light soy sauce and a little dark soy sauce for 15 min.
Heat oil and deep fry chilli, onions, garlics and ginger until fragrant. Drain.
Using the same oil, deep fry pork ribs for 4 to 5 min till brown.
Then place the pork ribs in another pan, dump in all other ingredients, together with the seasonings.
Cook over low fire for one hour. Or until meat is soft and tender.

Pineapple/Char Siew Tarts (凤梨酥.叉烧酥)

2006-01-27T18:07:00.000-08:00

This recipe is taken from Bryan's mom. She made the nicest tarts that I've ever tasted. In the past, I hate pineapples, hated anything pineapple-related. Now, I've grown to love it, and I missed it. No matter how troublesome it is to make these, I'm still gonna make them every year, it's our way of celebrating CNY here in this "atmosphereless" country.

Making the Fillings : (2 pineapples, 200g rock sugar, 1 tsp cinnamon powder)

Chop pineapples using food processor, remember to discard the inner (harder) portion of the fruit. Use ripe pineapples, if it is sweet, may reduce amount of rock sugar. In a pot, place all the ingredients and let it boil over low fire until almost all liquid has evaporated. Strain and let cool.

Making the Pastry : (500g butter, 720g plain flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 4 tbs cold water, 100g fine sugar, 2 egg whites, 1 tsp vanilla extract) Note : to save egg yolk for brushing on tarts before baking)

Using an electric mixer, beat butter (softened) and egg whites for 5 to 10 min. Beat until fluffy. Add sugar and baking powder, and vanilla. Beat until mixed or sugar melted.
Sift half the amount of flour into mixture and beat for a few seconds to mix.
Using hand, knead the dough and add water (by each tbs) and add the remaining amount of flour and continue to knead until it form a soft dough. Adjust the texture of the dough accordingly by using extra flour or water. Dough shd be soft and if it breaks easily, sprinkle with water and knead again.
Divide each dough into equal amount and roll it out on one hand, and feed in pineapple fillings. Make sure you are able to wrap the fillings completely into the dough.
Preheat oven at 350 degree F.
Place each tart into baking tray, abt 2 to 3cm apart. (There is no need to grease the tray.)
You may decorate your tarts, using a fork, and gently press it down from the top.
Brush with yolk before baking.
Bake for 15 to 20 min.
Cool completely before storage.

Actually, on the day of making these tarts, I've got some leftover char siew roasted on the previous day. I suddenly have this idea that I can make them into char siew tarts using the same recipe to make pineapple tarts pastry. Bryan are totally nuts over these char siew pastry.

This is how you can make the char siew fillings :

Using half pound char siew, cut them into small pieces, then mix them with 1 tbs sugar, 2 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp rice wine, 1 tbs oyster sauce, 1 tbs hoisin sauce and some sesame oil. In a saucepan, bring it to boil until it turns bubbly. Then stir in some cornstarch mixture to thicken it.

Cool to room temperature.

ta-da!! char siew tarts!

Fried Carrot Cake ("Cai Tow Kuay")

2006-01-14T18:08:00.000-08:00

This recipe is written in request. It has gotten some pretty good comments from our friends (YG, MC, Jane, Boon, TingTing, Kevin, Adrian, Lin, GeokWah and Zijian) who've tasted it before... Well, we all know and loved fried carrot cake. Those who like it "white" never really like the "black" version. Those who love it "black" thinks the "white" version sucks....

I can never pick from those 2 types. I love both. In Singapore, you simply has to find out before you order, on which type is more popular....

Ingredients :

300g Rice Flour
1.2 litre water
1 Radish (abt 9-inch long)
1 pkt Pickled Radish ("cai poh"), use abt half a pound.
6-8 cloves finely chopped garlics

Sweet Soy Sauce (for black)
OR
Fish Sauce (for white)

oil
lots of beaten eggs
chilli paste (optional)
spring onion for garnish

This recipe makes up to 5 plates.

Preparing the caipoh in advance

Soak caipoh in water for 30 min to reduce the saltiness.
Rinse it dry and chopped it finely.
Heat a wok with oil, abt 2 tbs or more, fry the caipoh and garlics on medium heat for abt 10 min. Add 1 tsp sugar to it and continue frying for another 5 min. Remove and set aside.

Preparing the cake

Shred the radish, place it in a pot together with water and rice flour and mix it thoroughly. Add 2 tsp salt to it.
Boil the mixture under medium small fire until the mixture becomes sticky, this takes abt 10 min.
Transfer to a heatproof tray (oiled), steam it on medium-high heat for 30 min. (I use a two 9-inch stainless steel tray and steam in 2 batches)
Remove from steamer and let cool for up to a few hours.

For best result, store both the caipoh and cake in the fridge overnight.

When Ready to eat :

Get ready all the ingredients.. Caipoh, egg, sauce...etc. Cut the cake into big pieces.

You need a very hot wok to fry the cake to prevent sticking. Heat 3 to 4 tbs oil, throw in the cake and pan-fry until just brown, add caipoh (for each serving plate I uses 1 tbs of caipoh). Fry for a few seconds and then using the frying ladle, chop the cake into smaller pieces. Then pour in the beaten egg.

You know the rest. For black carrot cake, add sweet soy sauce. For white, add a few dash of fish sauce, and finally the chilli paste.

Serve with spring onion on top of fried carrot cake.

Sometimes, when you run out on caipoh and egg etc... you can just eat the carrot cake pan-fried. Like this...

Samsui Chicken

2006-01-10T16:21:00.000-08:00

I must be crazy when create this dish, I dun even know if anyone will like it or agrees with me that I am crazy. haha..

I tot it was quite straight forward to name the dish, Ginger Chicken. However, for some strange and unexplainable reason, Bryan decided to name it Samsui Chicken.

2 chicken thigh

2 tbs shredded ginger

green vegetables (ie. 小百菜)

1 cup chicken stock

Marinade 15 min :

Soy sauce, pepper, cornstarch, and sesame oil.

Wash chicken and debone it. You can use the bone to make chicken stock. (Note : to make stock, just add some water to the bones, throw in some onions, afew red dates and a little salt.)
Heat oil, throw in 1 tbs of ginger and pan-fry chicken until it brown on both sides.
Add the rest of the ginger and fry for a few seconds, then pour in 1 cup of chicken stock.
Reduce fire to medium and cover the pot, let it slow cook for abt 15 min until chicken is thoroughly cooked thru.
Remove chicken and set aside. Gravy shd turn sticky at this point, not watery. Let it cook another 5 to 10 min if it is too watery. Add more stock if it is too dry.
Throw the vegetables into that gravy, keep stirring until it is cooked.
Then return the chicken back to the pot. Ready to serve.

Onion Ring

2006-01-05T21:56:00.000-08:00

2 large onions, sliced.
Place in the refrigerator to chill for half an hour.

Ingredients of Batter :

1 large egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup milk
1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
a little pepper

Set aside another 1/2 cup flour in a plate for coating onions.

Method :

Mix egg, oil and milk on low speed of electric mixer. (Hand mix also can...just stir it fast)
Then add in all dry ingredients (flour, salt and baking powder, pepper)
Keep mixing until batter is smooth.
Coat each onion into flour before dipping into batter.
Well, need I say anything abt deep-frying?
Njoy!

Claypot Rice

2006-01-05T21:03:00.000-08:00

1 chicken thigh (breast meat can be used too)

2 chinese sausages

2 stalks celery (cut into 1cm length)

some salted fish - cut into tiny pieces

1 tbs ginger (shredded)

half cup water

sesame oil

some light soy sauce

some dark soy sauce

oil

spring onion - chopped (for garnish)

rice (1.5 cups)

Wash and dry chicken, deboned and cut into small pcs. (no need to marinate)

Cook rice in rice cooker as normal. When almost cooked, place the chinese sausage on a heatproof plate and place it on top of rice to steam for 10 min (The rice cooker shd be at the "keep warm" mode)
Heat oil in wok, throw in ginger to brown, then add chicken. (oil must be hot enough)
Fry chicken and add some dark and light soy sauce and cook untill it is done.
Add water and let it boil. (Taste at this point and add more soy sauce if necessary)
Finally, add a little sesame oil and set aside.
Add more oil and brown the salted fish until crisp. Set aside.
At this point, if you have a claypot, you can transfer the rice to it, if not it is ok to make this using the rice cooker.
If using a claypot, coat with a little oil. Put in the rice, then followed by chinese sausages, salted fish, and pour in the chicken.
Place the claypot on fire to cook for a few more min over medium fire. You will know when it is ready when the rice at the bottom begins to "stick". (keep a lookout here, risk of going "chao da" (burnt) here.
In a separate bowl, mix some more dark soy sauce and sesame oil.
Splash them in at the serving table when you are ready to eat. Sprinkle some spring onion over and serve.

Chicken Stew

2005-12-26T05:55:00.000-08:00

3 chicken thigh meat
2 to 3 onions (if onion is big use 2)
2 tsp chopped garlics
1 tbs minced ginger
1 tsp salt
some pepper
2 and a half cup chicken broth
2 potatoes
2 carrots
2 stalk celery
oil for frying
1 and half tsp soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce

*optional ingredients :
mushrooms, tomatoes, etc.

Cut chicken into small and medium pieces, remove bones, and marinate with 1 tbs of cornstarch, pepper and 2 tsp soy sauce. Set aside.
Prepare the vegetables, cut potatoes, carrots and celery into small pieces or cubes.
Heat wok and fry onion, ginger and garlics till fragrant. Add chicken.
Stir fry chicken for 1 or 2 min, add in dark soy sauce, and then add in potatoes, carrots and celery.
Continue frying and add in chicken broth. Bring to boil.
Broth shd cover almost all ingredients. Add in some water if necessary.
If you want a thicker texture, can add in some cornstarch and water mixture here.
Reduce fire to medium-small, cover and simmer till liquid almost dry up.
Alternatively, you can also transfer to a slow cooker, so that you dun hv to keep watching fire...
Njoy!

Apple Pie

2005-12-12T17:08:00.000-08:00

At this moment, Bryan is still struggling at the exam hall with his final exam paper... While waiting, I made my 1st apple pie. I got the recipe from Betty Crocker website. Jump-start your pie baking with Betty Crocker pie crust mix. Mmm! Apple-licious.

1 pkg Betty Crocker® pie crust mix
1/3 cup cold water
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
5 cups thinly sliced peeled apples (about 3 large)
1 tablespoon butter or margarine
Milk
Additional sugar

Heat oven to 425°F. Make pie crust mix as directed for 9-Inch Two-Crust Pie, using 1/3 cup cold water--except trim overhanging edge of bottom pastry 1 inch from rim of plate.

Stir together 1/2 cup sugar, the flour, cinnamon and nutmeg in large bowl. Add apples; toss. Spoon into pastry-lined pie plate. Dot with butter.
Roll remaining pastry; cut into 10 strips, each about 1/2 inch wide. Place 5 strips across filling in pie plate. Weave a cross-strip through by first folding back every other strip of the first 5 strips. Continue weaving, folding back alternate strips before adding each cross-strip, until lattice is complete. Trim ends. Fold trimmed edge of bottom crust over ends of strips, building up a high edge. Seal and flute. Brush lightly with milk; sprinkle lightly with additional sugar.
Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until crust is golden brown and juice is bubbly.

Braised Spicy Porkribs

2005-12-06T18:37:00.000-08:00

Pork Ribs (10 to 15 pcs)
Marinate with very little light soy sauce and some cornstarch

Mix and grind or chopped the following together :
4 cloves garlic
1 whole shallots
1 fresh chilli

1 tbsp of Crushed Salted Soya Bean (I use the brand SinSin) if cannot find crushed type, just buy those half bean and use a spoon to crush it.

1 cup Water

Cooking instruction :

Simply stir fry the grinded ingredients with oil, over medium fire.
Add the soya bean. Stir fry...
Add pork ribs. Stir fry until almost cooked...
transfer everything to a pot.
Add water until it just cover the porkribs.
Cook over small-medium fire for 1 hour, or more. Until the liquid almost dry up.

Soysauce Honey Cod

2005-12-06T18:12:00.000-08:00

2 pcs of Codfish (you cld use any fish fillet or a whole fish)
2 cloves shallot (sliced)
cornstarch

Marinate :
2 tsp shaoxing wine
pepper

Seasoning : (Mix in a bowl)
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
3 tbsp water

Wash fish, wipe dry, marinate for 1/2 an hr.
Pour 1 tbsp of oil into wok, stir fry shallot until fragrant. Add seasoning and bring to boil.
Lightly coat fish with cornstarch, dust it lightly and pan fry until both sides lightly browned. (If not using codfish, deep fried instead of pan fry)
Pour seasonings on fish and serve.

Pork Cutlet

2005-11-25T20:51:00.000-08:00

I grew up hoping my mum will make this everyday for dinner... The following is a recipe that I've gotten from her before I leave Singapore. The only way to kill missing the food she cooks is to learn to make it myself..... Unfortunately, I am still not able to find out the exact portion and the right meat to use in her recipe. I can never figure out what she meant by using "S$5 worth of "bak tou" (肉头?)". (ps : only just found out from YG that 肉头 meat is really not taken from the head of a pig... (sigh, I really thought so ... And hv always assumed it is....) So, It is through my own experiment cooking to use 2 lbs of lean pork. However, I still am not quite sure if it is near to getting equivalent ... Are there anyone who knows? Pls advise me so that I am able to improve the following recipe.

I made this for the Thanksgiving dinner. From the good feedback, I still think the following recipe is worth a try... It is actually a very simple recipe, just that I'm abit lorsoh here and go into all the details.... after some time u dun even need to refer to the recipe anymore and everything will just go into your head.... trust me!

1.5 to 2 lbs lean pork (or any part as long it is boneless)

Marinate :
2 tbsp oyster sauce (use sparingly if you do not like it too salty)
1 tsp light soy sauce
2 to 3 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp sugar
1 flat tbsp cornstarch
1 egg
several dash pepper

1.5 cup Breadcrumbs (get the type used in making tempura)
several dash of dried parsley (*optional)
oil for deep-frying

Cut pork into 1-cm thickness each, size wise, your preference.
Beat each slice flat with a metal meat tenderizer, on both sides.
Marinate them for at least 1 hour, without adding the egg. (half an hour also can, if you can't wait that long...) Place in the fridge, covered with plastic if the room temp is too warm)
Remove from fridge. Beat in an egg and mix with the marinated meat.
Heat oil now.
Mix dried parsley with breadcrumbs, and coat each piece of meat in it.
Dust the excess, make sure the oil is hot, and then place into the oil.
A few pieces at a time, reduce fire to medium.
Fry for at least 3 to 5 min or until it turns light golden brown and turn the fire to the max. to fry for a final minute.
Drain and Serve.

Kimchi Noodle

2005-11-11T16:12:00.000-08:00

6 to 7 cups Chicken or Beef stock
1 stalk scallion (cut into 3 cm length)
1 tsp salt
5 tsp light soy sauce
1 tbs finely chopped garlics
4 tsp chilli powder
4 tsp korean chilli paste
1 tsp sesame oil
1 egg
Kimchi (there is always a jar in my fridge, you can store kimchi for a long period.)
Oriental style noodle (a.k.a. "asian pasta") - i used the brand "Kikkokin"

Optional :
minced meat, shrimps, crabmeat/crabstick
if using minced meat, marinate with some cornstarch and very little soy sauce for 10 min, drop a spoonful when stock is boiling.

Boil stock. (I'm using leftover chicken stock), so I can forget abt adding salt here.
Add scallions, and the rest of the ingredients, followed by kimchi, then beat in an egg. Simmer another 5 to 10 min.
In another pot of boiling water, prepare to cook the noodles over boiling water. Add some salt and cook the noodles until soft (abt 3 min), rinse over tap water and back into the boiling water for a few seconds and transfer it to the kimchi soup.
Let it soak for 1 min, covered, before serving.

The recipe above makes 2 to 3 bowl.

You may reduce the amount used for soysauce for a milder taste. I've never used exactly 6 cups of stock calls for in the recipe, becos I usually increase the stock to hot a pot to make extra soup. (Bryan always wants a second serving!)

Banana Cake

2005-11-07T13:24:00.000-08:00

125 g butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
2 tbs milk
1 tsp baking soda, dissolve in milk
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1.5 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup walnuts, chopped
1 tsp vanilla essence
Pinch of salt

1. Using an electric mixer, Cream butter and sugar, add egg and soda mix.
2. Add bananas, flour and all remaining ingredients.
3. Bake in an 8" square or rounded pan, and bake at 350 degree F. for 20 to 30 min, or until top layer turn dark brown.

PS : You may create your own favourite icing.

Bean Paste Balls

2005-11-07T13:22:00.000-08:00

Commonly known as "Jian Dui"... my Dad used to call them "the younger brother of a hamburger" (Dun ask me why cos me and my sisters, including my mum...all didn't understand him. I agree that he's not making any sense... but i think my 2 younger sisters will be laughing and nodding their heads with me..

Well, they are commonly found in Singapore, but not here in the US. Some ppl might be able to find them in the Chinese markets here..

Make the filling first :

200g peanuts, roasted
40g sugar
20ml water

1. Chop up roasted peanuts
2. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl.

To make the Pastry :

280g glutinous rice flour
1 tsp baking soda
160g fine sugar
100g sweet potato (steamed and mashed)
120ml boiling water
50g raw sesame seeds (do not roast)

1. Mix all ingredients except sesame seeds in a mixing bowl until the dough holds together.
2. Divide doughs into small balls.
3. Wrap the filling with dough and shape them into balls.
4. Coat with sesame seeds.
5. Heat cooking oil and deep fry until golden brown.