STEAMED HERBAL CHICKEN LEGS

A simple yet tasty, aromatic, flavourful steamed chicken dish with some herbs.  This should be considered a healthy dish suitable for the young and old.  
The concentrated juices of the chicken flavoured with red dates and herbs are at the base of the parcel.  Steamed to perfect the chicken meat is tender and juicy sweet.

Recipe Source - original recipe from Delicious Chicken by MPH Books

Ingredients 

[serves 3]

2-3 chicken thighs - fats removed but keep the skin

1 tbsp ginger juice

1 tbsp Shaoxing wine

1/2 tbsp sesame oil

1/2 tsp pepper

salt and sugar to taste

5 slices of Chuanxiong

10 red dates

1 tbsp Chinese Wolfberries [kei chee]
2 sheets of aluminium foil

1. Rinse the chicken thighs and marinate with seasonings for at least 4 hours.
2. Rinse the herbs and drain excess water.  Set aside.
3. Place aluminium foil flat and place the herbs evenly followed by the marinated chicken thighs.  Wrap it up.
4. Put chicken parcel onto a wok and steam over high heat until water has dried up [about 20 minutes] or steam in a steamer for 30 minutes over high heat or until chicken  is cooked through.  Do not overlap the chicken whole legs as this may result in uneven cooking of the chicken.
5. Remove and unwrap on serving platter. Garnish with some chopped coriander leaves.
6. Serve immediately with rice.
   
   
   

CINNAMON FISH DOLL MOONCAKE - 肉桂公仔饼

Mooncake or Lantern Festival [中秋節] is coming soon and it is time again to make some mooncakes for giveaways.  This year, I noticed that prices of store bought mooncake paste filling have gone up again.  Probably, have to make them or perhaps bake more figurine mooncakes [Gong Zai Peng] which is what I intend to do this season.

I have never tried adding cinnamon powder in figurine mooncakes. This is the first time I tried after seeing the recipe from Mimi Bakery House.

While the mooncakes are baking you can smell the aroma and I also saw the pastry rising which is what I like to see when baking doll mooncakes. The best result is seeing that the design stays after baking.  The mooncakes are soft after airing for several days.
To me this is a good recipe for doll mooncakes as the dough is soft and moist, easy to handle and the design stays. 
The recipe here is triple the portion of Mimi’s and this portion yields 20 pieces with gold fish design and 18 pieces with the pineapple design.

Recipe adapted from MiMi Bakery House [method slightly modified]

Ingredients
390 gm golden syrup

90 ml canola oil

2 ¼ tsp alkaline water

570 gm plain flour – sifted together with cinnamon powder

2 ¼ tsp cinnamon powder

Any doll mooncake molds of your choice

1. Combine golden syrup, canola oil and alkaline water in a mixing bowl. Mix until the ingredients blends well. Set aside for 3 hours [I left mine overnight].
2. Add sifted flour to syrup mixture lightly until well combined [do not knead the dough]. Leave for several hours [I left mine overnight].
3. Divide dough into small portions according to the size of the mold used. Roll into round shape and dust lightly with flour. Press it into mooncake mold. Tap to dislodge dough from the mold. Arrange on baking tray lined with parchment paper.
4. Bake in preheated oven at 180 degrees C [middle shelf] for 15-20 minutes [this is without glazing with beaten egg]. OR
5. Bake in preheated oven at 180 degrees C for 10 minutes. Remove to cool for 15 minutes, apply egg wash on top and sides. Continue to bake at 175 degrees C for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown.
6. Remove to cool on wire rack then store in container to air them for 1-2 days. The mooncakes will be soft after airing.

PORK RIBS AND DRIED SQUID STEW

This kind of dishes, I like to cook cos' it can be prepared long before meal time.  Just need to reheat and you can get to enjoy a tasty, flavourful and aromatic food.  The original recipe uses lamb which I have substituted with meaty pork ribs.  If using lamb rack, it has to be blanched in boiling water for 10 minutes, then rinsed thoroughly before cooking.  The cooking time is longer than for pork and the water increased to 1000 ml.

This is one of the many comfort food recipes shared by Agnes Chan in Yum Yum Magazine.

It is my first attempt cooking a meat dish with one whole dried squid and it is worth the attempt cos' this dish has the unique aroma of the squids.
Recipe adapted from Yum Yum Magazine Issue No. 72 [my selected cookbook for August Cookbook Countdown Event#8] - with modifications

Ingredients

400 gm meaty pork ribs

1 dried squid - soaked, rinsed and cut bite size pieces

1/2 tbsp oil

5-6 slices of ginger

3 cloves garlic - sliced

Seasoning

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp dark soy sauce

500 ml water

1. Heat oil in wok, saute ginger, garlic until aromatic.  Add in the meaty pork pieces to fry until brown on both sides.
2. Add in squids and seasoning.  Stir fry until aromatic before adding water.
3. Bring to boil, then lower heat to simmer for 25-30 minutes or until meat is tender and gravy is reduced.
4. Dish up and serve with rice.
   
   
   
   

This post is linked to Cookbook Countdown #8 hosted by Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

THERMAL COOKER - CENTURY EGG PORRIDGE WITH SALTY CHICKEN

Since last month, Sundays will also be busy days of the week for me now.  This is all because I have accepted a request to be a committee member of a group which requires our contribution [time]. For the time being, if I wish to eat at home, my meal has to be simple.  

My thermal cooker comes in handy during such times.  Cooking porridge in it is quick and easy.  By meal time, my family can have a pot of porridge that is still hot or warm.

Recipe adapted from Yum Yum Magazine Issue No. 72 [my selected cookbook for August Cookbook Countdown Event#8] - slightly modified

Ingredients

[serves 2-3]

1 chicken - keep whole with skin intact - seasoning with 1 tsp salt

1 century egg - shell removed and cut into pieces

1 piece fried tofu skin [fu zhuk] - soaked

some chopped spring onions

some crispy fried garlic

150 gm rice - washed and drained

10 cups water

Seasoning

salt, msg and pepper to taste

dash of sesame seed oil

1. Bring water and rice to boil in thermal cooker pot, then add in chicken, century egg and tofu skin.
2. Add in seasoning. Simmer for a further 15 minutes.
3. Transfer pot to outer pot, close lid and leave it to continue cooking until serving time.
4. Remove chicken chop or shred the meat and serve porridge with chopped spring onions and crispy garlic.
5. Reheat porridge if you like it hot.
   
   
   

This post is linked to Cookbook Countdown #8 hosted by Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking (Makan2) Foray

EZCR#71 - FRAGRANT ONION OMELETTE

Huh!, when the lazy bugs keep coming your way or when you realised that there are not much food ingredients in your pantry for you to cook up something elaborate, then this homey dish could be the answer.

Though simple, it is tasty, delicious and comforting to enjoy with a plate of steaming hot rice.  All you need are eggs, chilli, spring onions and ginger.  I believe most of us will have these ingredients in your kitchen any time.

The portion of ingredients depends much on how many eggs  you are cooking. If you like to have some sauce, then just increase the seasoning sauce ingredients

Ingredients

3 eggs - fried sunny up eggs

some spring onions - cut 1 inch lengths

some shredded red chilli

some shredded ginger

Seasoning [adjust according to preference]

1 tbsp each of oyster sauce and cooking wine 

dash of pepper

1/2 tsp sugar

some water

1. Heat oil in wok,fry eggs one at a time over high heat until eggs are crispy.  Dish up .
2. Remove excess oil, leaving a little to saute aromatics until fragrant.  Add in seasoning and water.
3. Bring to boil and return the fried eggs into wok.
4. Bring to a rolling boil until sauce is reduced and thick.
5. Dish up to serve with rice.