TRI FLAVOUR COTTONY CAKE [OGURA CAKE]

This Xiang Si cake [Ogura cake aka Souffle cake] was inspired by Min's blog. Quite mild in flavours but texture is perfectly soft, cottony and light. Baked this cake for CNY which is low in fat, sugar and gluten for prayers.

During CNY, visitors are served with my SIL's store bought carrot cake with cream cheese topping from a popular bakery store. My MIL prefers store bought cakes rather than homemade, maybe it's more 'classy'. I noticed most of our visitors discard the topping [I think nowadays they must be quite health conscious, too].

Ingredients for Egg Yolk Mixture

65 gm superfine flour - sifted

1/4 tsp salt

5 egg yolks

1 whole egg

60 ml milk

45 ml corn oil [3 tbsp] 

1. Place the dry ingredients in the mixing bowl and make well in the centre. Add in eggs, corn oil and milk. 
2. Using a paddle hook, beat ingredients until creamy and well combined. Set aside. 
3. 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

1-2 tsp green tea powder - dissolve with 15 ml hot water 

1-2 tsp good quality cocoa powder - dissolve with 15 ml hot water

1. Using an electric mixer, whisk egg white until frothy, add in cream of tartar 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. Divide batter into 3 equal portions. Keep one portion plain. Mix in the green tea paste and cocoa paste into remaining portions. Mix well with a spatula. 
4. Pour the three types of batter into a 8" square tin [lined 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. 
5. Invert the cake after baking and let it cool for about 10 minutes before removing the baking paper. 
6. Cool cake before slicing to serve. Cake keeps well for 7-10 days if refrigerated. 

Lemon Honey Chicken

An easy to prepare yet very appetising chicken dish definitely welcome by all who likes chicken and lemon.

Ingredients

[serves 3]

3 chicken thighs - deboned with skin intact [remove excess fats]

Marinade with 1/2 tsp salt, dash of pepper for 30 minutes

Sauce Ingredients

1 lemon - sliced thinly, seeds removed

4 tbsp sugar

200 ml water

1/2 tsp cornstarch

1. Heat a non-stick pan without oil.  Pan fry chicken thighs, skin side down until golden brown.  Flip over chicken pieces to fry the meat side until cooked and golden brown.
2. Dish out on a plate.  Discard the fats.  Using the same pan, add in sugar, sliced lemon.  Caramelise sugar a little, then add in water.  Bring to a rolling boil, cook until lemon slices are soft and sauce is flavourful.  Taste to adjust seasoning [should be sweet and sour].  Use 3 tbsp sugar with 150 ml water if you prefer less  sauce.
3. Stir in the cornstarch, add in the fried chicken and continue to boil until sauce is thick to consistency preferred.
4. Dish out to serve, garnish with finely shredded carrots, big onions and coriander leaves.

I'm submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #28: Chicken Feast [February 2013] 

hosted by Small Small Baker.

Cold Oven Cream Cheese Pound Cake

Never knew we can bake cakes without preheating oven until I saw Lena's post on Cold Oven Cream Cheese Pound Cake [Bake Along] and all the lovely pictures of the various cold oven bakes.  No venture no gain, I tried baking one following Mimi's Bakery recipe [see here] cos' I just have ingredients sufficient for this recipe.

The cake is soft, fine texture and buttery.  Lovely cake which I wouldn't mind baking often.  I noticed the cake shrinks a little after cooling.

Ingredients

[I used loaf pan 15cm x 5cm x 5cm]

[original recipe from Mimi's Bakery with some modifications]

75 gm butter - melted with cream cheese - double boiled
75 gm cream cheese
75 gm castor sugar [I used 60 gm]
2 eggs - separated
1/2 tbsp vanilla essence
1/2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tbsp grated lemon zest
125 gm self raising flour [I used 125 gm plain flour + 1/2 tsp baking powder]
1/4 tsp salt

1. Beat egg yolks with sugar until creamy, drizzle in melted butter and cream cheese.
2. Add in essence, grated ginger and lemon zest, then fold in sifted flour and salt.
3. Fold to incorporate well all the ingredients.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites until stiff peak.  Fold in 1/3 to egg yolk batter, then the remaining egg whites.
5. Pour into a loaf pan.
6. Bake on lower middle rack in cold oven at 160 degrees C for 50-60 minutes or until skewer comes out clean.
7. Remove and cool in tin for 5-10 minutes then invert cake to cool completely before slicing.

Notes

Cake keeps well for 3 days in room temperature.

Steamed Rice with Waxed Meat [CNY 2013]

This is my favourite dish for CNY , a must have for my family which all of us really enjoyed.

Quite a simple dish to prepare yet very satisfying so long as you love waxed meats [Chinese sausages, waxed duck meat etc].

Ingredients

[serves 3]

3 bowls cooked rice [I used 1 1/2 cup rice - washed and cooked in rice cooker]

1 piece waxed duck meat - breast part

2 pieces Chinese sausages [I used the short and fatter type]

1 chicken thigh - skin removed - cut strips

some finely shredded ginger

some shredded spring onions

Sauce Ingredients

 [mix and boil together]

3 tbsp light soy sauce

1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce

1/2 tsp chicken stock granules

1/2 - 1 tsp sugar

1 tsp sesame oil

a dash of pepper

4-5 tbsp water

1. Boil waxed duck meat in boiling water for 3-5 minutes.  Drain and rinsed.  Sliced.
2. Remove the wrapping of Chinese sausage and sliced thinly.
3. Marinate chicken strips with a little oil and cornflour.
4. Place rice in 3 bowls or small casserole dish.  Arrange the 3 different meats on top of rice.  Top with some shredded ginger.
5. Steam over high heat for at least 25-30 minutes.  Meanwhile, combine the sauce ingredients and bring to a boil.  Set aside.
6. Before serving, spoon sauce over steamed rice and garnish with shredded spring onions.

I am submitting this post to Chinese New Year Delights 2013

hosted by Sonia aka Nasi Lemak Lover

Chicken in Tomato and Vinegar Sauce

Simple yet yummy chicken dish that goes well with steaming hot rice.  Also good when served with a combination of freshly cut cucumber and tomato.

Ingredients

3-4 chicken thighs - skin removed and cut strips.  Marinate with 1 tbsp light soy sauce, 1/2 tsp salt, 1 tsp sugar and 1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp chopped garlic

1 red chilli, seeded and chopped

1 tbsp oil

Seasoning Sauce - Mix together

2 tbsp each tomato sauce and black vinegar

1 tbsp light soy sauce and wine

1/2 tbsp each sugar and cornstarch

1. Marinate chicken for about 30 minutes.
2. Heat up wok with oil,  pan-fry the marinated chicken until golden brown on both sides.  Push aside.
3. Saute garlic and red chilli until aromatic.  Pour in the sauce.  Bring to boil over high heat.  
4. Mix in the chicken, stir fry to mix well.
5. Dish up and serve with hot plain rice.

I'm submitting this post to Aspiring Bakers #28: Chicken Feast [February 2013] hosted by Small Small Baker.

Spare Ribs in Black Vinegar Sauce

The dish was prepared during CNY.  A very tasty and appetising spare ribs dish that's easy to prepare [can cooked a day earlier, it tasted even better].  Goes well with steaming hot rice and a plain stir-fry vegetable.  

Ingredients

700 gm spare ribs - cut into bite size pieces

8 shallots - peeled

2 star anise

5cm piece cinnamon stick

1 tbsp oil

Seasoning

150 ml black vinegar

3 tbsp light soy sauce

3 tbsp sugar

600 ml water

1. Blanched spare ribs in boiling water to remove scums.  Rinsed in water and drained.
2. Heat oil to saute shallots until aromatic.  Add in star anise, cinnamon stick and stir fry until fragrant.
3. Add in spare ribs, seasoning and bring to boil.  Lower the heat and continue to cook until the sauce is thickened.
4. Dish up to serve.

Chicken Sweet Potato Curry Steamed Paus

A soft, fluffy pau with savoury and a little spicy filling for a change from the usual sweet varieties.  Refrigerate paus in airtight container if not eating soon.

Ingredients
[makes 16 pieces]

350 gm pau flour or plain flour sifted together with 1 tsp double action baking powder

Mix together - 200 ml lukewarm water, 40 gm caster sugar and 1/4 tsp vinegar

1 tsp instant yeast

1 tbsp shortening
Filling - Chicken, Sweet Potato Curry Filling [recipe here]

Using a Dough Mixer or Hand Knead

1. Combine all the ingredients [except shortening] in a mixing bowl.  Knead until soft [about 5-10 minutes].  Then add in the shortening, continue to knead until soft, smooth and elastic.
2. Shape into a ball and cover to rest for about 20-30 minutes or until double in size.
3. Punch down dough and remove dough to a floured surface, shape into a round ball.  Divide into 16 equal portions. Shape each into a ball, then roll into flat circle.
4. Wrap a tablespoon of filling with each flatten dough.  Gather the edges into round or pleated shape paus.
5. Place shaped paus on parchment or greased proof  paper in the steaming tray.
6. Leave to prove for 15 - 20 minutes or until double in size.
7. Steam over high heat for 12 minutes in bamboo or electric steamer.  Off heat and leave paus for a further 3 minutes before uncovering to cool on rack. This is to prevent wrinkle, rough looking pau skin.

Chicken, Sweet Potato Curry Filling

This is a curry puff filling which I use for this steamed pau.  The idea came from Chicken Curry Bread  [very famous in Kampar, Perak.  But much simpler yet nice for hot steaming pau.  Not too spicy for the taste bud though. 

Ingredients

[enough to make 16 medium size paus]

1/2 chicken breast - bones removed and diced

1 medium size sweet potato - parboiled/steamed till soft - diced

1 big onion - chopped

2 sprigs curry leaves

2-3 tbsp meat curry powder mix with 2 tbsp water into paste

2 tbsp oil

salt, pepper and sugar to taste

1. Heat wok with oil, saute onions and curry leaves until fragrant.  Add in curry powder paste.
2. Stir fry until aromatic, add in the chicken.  Continue to fry until chicken is cooked.
3. Add in parboiled potato, stir to mix and add in 100 ml water.
4. Bring to boil and lower heat to cook until chicken and potatoes are soft and almost dry.
5. Dish out to cool and refrigerate until required.

Note

Filling used for my Chicken, Sweet Potato Curry Steamed Paus [recipe here].