Goodbye 2012 and Welcome 2013

Time flies and we have come to the last few hours of 2012.  Soon it will be a beginning of a brand new year.

Was quite surprised that I did so much postings [333] during the year which means that I have been very 'hardworking' in the kitchen, lol.   This is also an indication that I have also ate such a wide variety of food [do check out my whole year's postings if you are interested to know what I have had this year].   Lucky-leh to be able to enjoy so much food but hope they are healthy too.    Anyway, I'm happy that I have accomplished this much during the year, at least it's time well spent.

Here I wish to thank all my readers and many fellow food bloggers especially Cheah [No Frills], Esther [the Fuss Free chef], Phong Hong [Phong Hong Bakes], Veronica [Minty's Kitchen], HHB [Happy Home Baking], Sonia [Nasi Lemak Lover], Happy Flour [here] and many more for sharing their tested recipes, valuable comments, advices, ideas on cooking and baking.  Looking forward to see more of these in the brand new year.

SEASON'S GREETINGS & HAPPY NEW YEAR 2013 

TO ALL READERS AND VISITORS OF THIS BLOG 

AND FELLOW FOOD BLOGGERS

MAY ALL OF US 

STAY HEALTHY AND HAPPY 

WITH DELICIOUS, YUMMY
GOOD FOOD

ORANGE POPPY SEED COTTONY CAKE [OGURA CAKE]

Another cottony, soft cake with orange flavour.    Nice cake which I baked for Autumn Solstice Festival which falls on 21 December 2012.   The cake shrinks a little but soft and cottony like the other cottony cakes which I have baked.  I like the citrus flavour of orange and slightly salty taste.

Ingredients for Egg Yolk Mixture

[using 8"  x 8" or 9" x 9" square tin]
65 gm superfine flour - sifted

1/4 tsp salt

5 egg yolks

1 whole egg

45 ml corn oil [3 tbsp]

80 ml  fresh orange juice [from 1-2 oranges]

2 tsp orange zest
2 tsp poppy seed 

 

1. Place the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and make well in the centre.  Add in eggs, corn oil, orange juice and zest.  Using a paddle hook, beat ingredients until creamy and well combined.  Add in poppy seeds and mix well. Set aside. 
2. Pour 1 and 1/2 cups water into baking tray, place baking rack on the tray and  preheat oven at 160 degrees C for 10 minutes.

Ingredients for Egg White Mixture

5 egg whites
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
65 gm castor sugar

1. Using an electric mixer, whisk egg white until frothy, add in cream of tartar and whisk until  slightly foamy.  Add in sugar in 3 batches.  Whisk until soft to stiff peaks formed.
2. Using a spatula, fold in 1/2 of the meringue into egg yolk mixture.  Lift and fold until well combined, then add to rest of meringue.  Fold again until well mix.
3. Pour into a 8" square tin [line base with baking paper at the bottom only]. Smooth the surface with a spatula and steam bake in oven at 160 degrees C for 70 minutes.  [Note: for the water bath, use 1 and 1/2 cups water for the duration of baking.  This way the cake base will be dry after baking].
4. Invert the cake after baking  and let it cool slightly [about 10-15 minutes] before removing the pan and baking paper [there maybe some vapour on the baking paper].
5. Cool cake before slicing to serve or refrigerate for serving later.

Steam bake cake batter @ 160 C for 70 minutes

Cake after 15-20 minutes baking

Cake after 40 minutes baking

Cake after 60-70 minutes baking

Cake is ready

Invert cake immediately to cool for 10-15 minutes

Remove baking tin and paper lining, base is dry

Orange Poppy Seed Cottony Cake

Note:

Original recipe was from Min's blog [Orange Poppy Seed Xiang Xi Cake] with some modifications to the method.

Fried Noodles with Red Yeast Rice Residue

A healthy fried noodle dish using 'ang chow' [red yeast rice residue] after I cooked the Fried Rice with Red Yeast Rice Residue.  This is a meatless fried noodle which I believe is light and good for our body especially after days of indulging in meaty dishes.  Easy cooking for a weekend meal.

 

 

Ingredients

[serves 2-3]

200 gm dried noodles - blanched and mix with a little sesame oil

8 pieces tofu puffs - cut thick shreds

1 piece wood ear fungus - cut thick shreds

2-3 dried mushrooms - soaked and cut thick shreds

50 gm carrot - shredded

100 gm cai xin or xiao bai cai - washed and cut thick shreds

 

Seasoning

2 tbsp red yeast rice residue [ang chow]

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1/2 tsp pepper

salt to taste

1 tbsp sesame oil

150 ml water 

 

 

 

1. Blanched dried noodles until cooked, drain and toss with a little sesame oil.
2. Heat frying pan with sesame oil, add in mushrooms and wood ear fungus.  Fry for a second, push aside and add in red yeast rice residue.  Fry until aromatic then add in tofu puffs and carrot. 
3. Stir fry and add in seasoning.  Add water, bring to a boil and taste to adjust seasoning.
4. Add in blanched noodles and vegetables.  Continue to stir fry until all ingredients are well mixed and the water is almost dry.
5. Dish out to serve immediately.
   
   

Baked Cheddar Cheese Chocolate Cheesecake

Baked another cheddar cheese cheesecake again but this time with chocolate flavour.  The cake didn't shrink much.

Ingredients

[use 7" loose bottom round cake tin]

50 gm cake flour - sifted
3 egg yolks
50 gm butter
3 slices of cheddar cheese [about 30 gm]
50 ml milk 
50 gm cooking chocolate - melted

1. Using double boil method, dissolve cheddar cheese with butter, then add in melted chocolate and milk.  Mix well and set aside to cool.
2. Sieve flour into a mixing bowl, add in egg yolks and cooled melted cheese and butter mixture.
3. Whisk on medium high speed until creamy and ingredients are well combined.  Set aside while you prepare the egg white and preheat oven at 150 degrees C.

3 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
50 gm sugar

1. In another clean bowl, whisk egg whites until frothy, add in cream of tartar.  Continue beating and gradually add in sugar in 3 batches.
2. Whisk on medium high speed until soft to stiff peaks formed.
3. Pour half [1/2] meringue into egg yolk mixture.  Mix well to incorporate ingredients.
4. Then pour into balance meringue.  Mix well.
5. Pour batter into a lined loose bottom 7" round cake tin. Smooth the surface with a use of spatula.
6. Steam baked [use 1 1/2 cups water] in baking tray.
7. Baked in preheated oven at 150 degrees for 70 minutes.  Remove from pan immediately to cool on rack [cake base is firm and dry].   This time I left the baked cake in the oven to cool for 1 hour before removing and standing cake on a pedestal to cool further.  Chill cake for several hours before slicing.

Braised Chicken Wings in Soy Sauce

Think I'm getting lazy and just will settle to prepare food the easy way out with less preparation and cleaning up.  This chicken dish is an easy dish to prepare yet suitable for the young and old.  For more flavour, just dip in your favourite chilli sauce and enjoy.  The braising sauce can be stored, refrigerated and reuse to braise other meats.

 

Ingredients

8-10 pieces chicken wings - cleaned and end tip removed
Braising Ingredients
800 ml water
5 pips garlic
2 star anise
3 cm piece cinnamon stick
3 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt to taste
1 tsp brown sugar to taste

braising sauce

1. Bring water to boil.  Add in all the spices and liquid ingredients.
2. Boil for 5-10 minutes until aromatic and fragrant.
3. Add in the chicken wings.  Make sure the liquid is enough to cover the chicken wings.  Bring to boil again, then lower heat to simmer for 10 minutes.
4. Cover and leave until serving time.

Pandan Wholemeal Steamed Buns

These are soft, moist, fluffy and healthy buns good for breakfast or teatime.  These buns can also be steamed plain without any filling and serve with meat burgers.

Ingredients

[makes 8 pieces]

Mix together - yeast mixture

1/2 tsp instant yeast

1 tbsp water

Pau Ingredients

100 gm wholemeal flour
100 gm plain flour [you can use pau flour or low protein flour]

1 tbsp castor sugar
1/4 tsp salt

170 180 ml pandan juice water *
15 gm  shortening [you can use butter or oil]
*10 pieces pandan leaves blended with some water - strained and squeezed out juice, discard the residue]

1. Combine and mix yeast mixture in a mixing bowl.  Stir well and leave aside for 10-15 minutes.
2. Then add in pau ingredients  [except shortening].  Knead into a smooth dough before adding in shortening to knead until elastic [dough is soft and sticky].   Cover and leave to proof for 15-20 minutes or until double in size.
3. Punch down and divide into 2 equal portions.  Shape each into a ball.  Then divide each portion into 4 equal parts.  Roll into round balls.  Flatten each ball into round circles.
4. Wrap each dough around chosen filling and shape into any shapes preferred [I made them into round buns].   Place on paper casing and leave to rest for 30-40 minutes or until double in size in steaming trays.
5. Steam the buns over rapid boiling water for 10 minutes [if using normal steamer].  I steamed the buns from cold water for 12-15 minutes in an electric steamer, then leave for 3 minutes before removing from steamer.
6. Serve immediately or cool on wire rack before storing in airtight container.
7. If freezing buns, thaw to room temperature and steam for 10 minutes before serving.

Stir fry yam bean filling for buns

Proof buns in steaming tray for 40-50 minutes

Fried Rice With Red Yeast Wine Residue

Looks quite a weird fried rice but the taste is good and very healthy.  If you see the ingredients you would understand what I'm trying to say.  This rice dish has at least 5 colour ingredients.  Someone told me if you eat 5 coloured food daily, your body  [5 main organs] is well taken care.

Five Colours that Nourish Five Organs [read more from this website]

Red - Heart

Black - Kidney

Green - Liver

White - Lungs

Yellow - Spleen and stomach

Ingredients

[serves 2]

2 bowls cooked rice

3 dried mushrooms [soaked and diced]

1 pieces  5 spice firm bean curd [diced]

1 small carrot [diced]

a few french beans [cut small pieces] or 3 tbsp mixed frozen vegetables

1 tbsp sesame oil

2 tbsp minced ginger

Seasoning

1-2 tbsp red yeast rice residue[ang chow]

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1/2 tsp pepper

1. Heat sesame oil, saute ginger until fragrant.  Add in mushrooms, beancurd and carrots.
2. Fry for several seconds, then add in rice and all the seasoning ingredients.
3. Toss and stir fry until well mixed.
4. Add in the green beans or mixed vegetables.  Continue to fry until vegetables are cookd through.
5. Taste to adjust seasoning.  Dish out to serve immediately.

Click here for other Fried Rice Recipes

Sweet Sour [Zesty] Braised Pork Ribs

A zesty sauce pork ribs recipe that needs sometime to braise until the ribs are tender before adding sugar.     The braising sauce can be used to cook chicken, pork, fish or prawns.  The only adjustments needed are the quantity of  water and cooking time.

Ingredients

300 gm meaty pork ribs

Braising Sauce

1/3 cup white rice vinegar [I used apple cider vinegar]

1-2 tbsp tomato ketchup

2 tsp light soy sauce

2 cups water

4 tbsp light brown sugar

2 tsp cornstarch mix with 2 tbsp water

1. Wash and blanched pork ribs in boiling water for 5-10 minutes.  Drain away water and rinsed pork ribs.
2. Marinate with vinegar, tomato ketchup and soy sauce for several hours or overnight.
3. Bring water to boil, then add in the marinated pork ribs together with the marinade.
4. Boil over high heat for 10-15 minutes, then reduce to lower heat and simmer until ribs are tender [may need to add more water if ribs are not tender enough].
5. When pork ribs are tender, add in the sugar.  Cook over high heat to reduce the gravy or thicken with cornstarch.
6. Garnish with spring onions and serve with steaming hot rice.

Sweet Potato Steamed Buns

A steamed bun with sweet potato dough and savoury stir fry yam bean filling.  Good for breakfast.

Ingredients

[dough weighs 600 gm - makes 16 buns]

Mix together - yeast mixture

1 tsp instant yeast

2 tbsp water

Pau Ingredients

300 gm plain flour [you can use pau flour or low protein flour]
150 gm  steamed sweet potato [can use any colour sweet potato]

20 gm castor sugar
1/2 tsp salt

80-100 ml  water 

20 gm  shortening [you can use butter or oil]

1. Combine and mix yeast mixture in a mixing bowl.  Stir well and leave aside for 10-15 minutes.
2. Then add in pau ingredients  [except shortening].  Knead into a smooth dough before adding in shortening to knead until elastic [dough is soft].   Cover and leave to proof for 15-20 minutes or until double in size.
3. Punch down and divide into 4 equal portions.  Shape each into a ball.  Then divide each portion into 4 equal parts.  Roll into round balls.  Flatten each ball into round circles.
4. Wrap each dough around chosen filling [I used stir fried yam bean filling - recipe below] and shape into any shapes preferred [here I shaped them into round, oval, triangle and pleated round buns].   Place on paper casing and leave to rest for 30-40 minutes or until double in size in steaming trays.
5. Steam the buns over rapid boiling water for 10 minutes [if using normal steamer].  I steamed the buns from cold water for 12-15 minutes in an electric steamer, then leave for 3 minutes before removing from steamer.
6. Serve immediately or cool on wire rack before storing in airtight container.

Vegetable Filling 
300 gm yam bean [sengkuang] - shredded
1 small carrot - shredded
1 stalk leek - finely sliced [optional]
3 dried mushrooms - soaked and shredded
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 Tbsp oil
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat oil in wok, saute garlic until aromatic.  Add in mushrooms.  Fry until fragrant.   Add in shredded vegetables and seasoning waiting.   Stir well to mix all ingredients well.  Cover to cook vegetables until soft.
2. Uncover and add in leek [if using] to cook.
3. Dish out to cool before use.  If filling is too watery strain away liquid before wrapping.