STUFFED BEAN CURD

The original recipe is a big portion using about 12 pieces of firm beancurd.  I have reduced it to only 4 which is one third portion.  For the stuffing, you can substitute pork with prawns and vice versa according to own preference.  If using pork add 1 tablespoon of dried shrimps [rinsed and minced] and omit the salt.

The water chestnuts are crunchy and blends well with the nice aroma of fresh prawns, usually sweet.  The fried bean curd is aromatic and goes well with the simple sauce ingredients.  Homey dish.  If you have leftover stuffing ingredient, it can be used as stuffing for fried tofu puffs or as topping for steamed shiitake mushrooms, too.

Recipe adapted from ‘You Can Cook Anything Chinese’ by Madame Yee Yo with modifications

Ingredients

[serves 3-4]

4 pieces firm beancurd – cut each squares diagonally into triangles

Some chopped spring onions or leeks for garnishing

½ tbsp cornstarch + 1 tbsp water - thickening

Sauce Ingredients

1 tbsp each of light soy sauce and wine

Dash of msg and pepper

100 ml water

Stuffing Ingredients

100 gm prawn meat – coarsely minced

1-2 water chestnuts – crushed and chopped

1 tsp chopped ginger

1 tbsp chopped spring onions

Dash of salt and pepper to taste

¼ tsp sesame seed oil

1. Combine the stuffing ingredients well into a paste.
2. Make a slit along the long side of the beancurd triangles and fill it with some stuffing.  Finish doing the same for all the triangles.
3. Heat up a non stick wok with some oil.  Over medium heat, stand the triangles with the opened side down in oil.  Fry until light brown before turning to brown the 2 sides of the beancurd triangles.  Remove excess oil before adding the sauce ingredients. 
4. Bring to boil, stir in thickening and throw in some chopped spring onions or leeks.
5. Dish up to serve immediately.
   
   
   

I am sharing this post with Cookbook Countdown Event #21 hosted by Joyce and Emily of Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking [Makan2] Foray respectively 

LOTUS PASTE DOLL MOONCAKES

This doll [figurine] mooncake dough recipe is similar to my earlier posting Peach Doll Mooncakes.  As mentioned in my earlier post, this dough recipe is a keeper.  You can make use of it to make any shapes of your choices and is endless.  Aunty Young has made numerous lovely doll  mooncakes with this dough which is easy to handle and mould.  The dough is soft and moist, does not stick to the mould.

Here, I have used a small size mooncake mould to shape the dough with sesame seeds topping.

Ingredients
[makes 40 pieces]
350 gm plain flour - sifted
230 gm golden syrup
100 gm peanut oil
5 gm alkaline water [1 tsp]
150 gm lotus seed paste
For surface
some toasted sesame seeds
1 egg + 1 tbsp milk, mix well and strained.

1. In a mixing bowl, add in syrup, peanut oil, alkaline water and lotus seed paste. Stir mix until well combine.
2. Add in sifted flour and form dough. Cover the dough with a cloth and rest for 2 - 3 hours.
3. Divide the dough into portions that fits the mould you are using. Roll each into a ball. Press in some sesame seeds. Press the dough into the plastic mould. Tap lightly to unmould. Arrange in a baking tray.
4. For vegetarian version, bake mooncake in preheated oven at 160 degrees C for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. 
5. After allowing the mooncake to cool on a metal rack, it can be kept in an air-tight container. It can be kept up to weeks if it is dry enough after baking.
6. For non-vegetarian version, bake mooncake for 10 minutes, remove from oven, leave tray of mooncake to cool for 10-15 minutes. Apply sparingly egg glaze. Return to oven and bake for another 10 minutes or until golden brown.
7. Remove to cool in a tray before storing. Mooncake will be soft after resting for several days.
   

EGGS AND SCALLIONS

The Chef of this dish has asked ‘Who says a Chinese meal has to be complicated?’ If you can’t think of anything else for dinner, try this simple, easy and pleasing dish. Just add a stir fried vegetable and a pot of hot rice, dinner is ready.

My answer is ‘Not At All’ after trying this dish. Yes, Chinese meal aren’t complicated and difficult, most important is, eat it right away, you are sure to enjoy a satisfactory meal. 

I served this fluffy fried egg with a stir fried bok choy and braised pork belly on a weekend. We enjoyed it very much. This plate of scrambled eggs is fragrant, soft and moist. Best of all, it is packed with proteins and economical, too.

Recipe adapted from ‘You Can Cook Anything Chinese’ by Madame Yee Yo with modifications

Ingredients

[serves 3]

3 eggs

2 stalks scallions [spring onions] – chopped

½ tsp salt to taste

2 tbsp oil

1. Chop scallions.  Mix eggs with salt.  Beat well.
2. Heat a non stick wok with oil until smoking hot.  Swirl the oil to coat the wok.
3. Pour in the eggs and stir quickly continuously until set.
4. Dish up on serving plate.  Serve hot.  Sprinkle some chopped red chillies if preferred.
   
   

 

I am sharing this post with Cookbook Countdown Event #21 hosted by Joyce and Emily of Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking [Makan2] Foray respectively 

PASTRY MOONCAKE WITH MUNGBEAN/MEAT FLOSS

This recipe is adapted from Yum Yum Magazine Issue No. 102.  I used the pastry mooncake skin recipe from their Three Coloured Sweet Potato Mooncake recipe.  The pastry dough is similar to cookie dough and is easy to handle.

The pastry is crispy and can be used to bake any kind of pastry mooncakes with various fillings of your choice.

This pastry mooncake recipe is a keeper.  I will use it in future with other types of mooncake fillings.

Ingredients

[makes 16 medium size pastry mooncakes]

150 gm butter

100 gm icing sugar

A pinch of salt

2 eggs

300 gm plain flour

60 gm milk powder

20 gm custard powder

1 tsp baking powder

Fillings – mungbean paste [store bought]

Some crispy meat floss

Some egg glaze and melon seeds

1. Skin: Beat butter and icing sugar until soft in a mixing bowl. Add in eggs one at a time and beat until well mixed.  Fold in the flour ingredients and mix into a dough.  Set aside in the fridge.
2. Meanwhile, divide filling into 16 equal portions [about 20 gm].  Roll into rounds and wrap meat floss with paste.
3. Divide pastry dough into 16 equal portions [about 40 gm each] and wrap up filling.   Arrange onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.  Brush egg glaze over pastry and decorate with some melon seeds.
4. Bake in preheated oven at 180 degrees C for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Remove to cool on wire rack before storing or cut into pieces to serve.
   
   
   
   
   
   

SHRIMP OMELET

This is a lovely omelet with a twist and very versatile.  You can substitute the shrimps with pork, beef, crabmeat [fresh or canned].  The fluffy egg omelet is light, soft and moist and aromatic.  It is a simple omelet served with the fried bean sprouts, shrimps and light sauce that looks tempting and delicious to the young and old.  Good flavor.

I would definitely try this recipe  again with other substitutes mentioned above.  I believe it would turned out awesome.

Recipe adapted from ‘You Can Cook Anything Chinese’ Cookbook by Madame Yee Yo with some modifications

Ingredients

[serves 3]

50 gm prawn meat – coarsely chopped

3 eggs

50 gm bean sprouts – tailed, rinsed and drained

1-2 stalks spring onions – chopped

Sauce Combined

125 ml water or stock

¼ tsp dark soy sauce

½ tsp sesame oil

Dash of salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp cornstarch

1. Marinate shrimps with some salt, pepper, wine and cornstarch.  Mix well.
2. In a bowl, mix together  1 tsp flour, 1 tsp water and ¼ tsp salt.  Add in the eggs and beat until foamy.
3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a non-stick wok, sauté shrimps until firm, add in bean sprouts and spring onions.  Quickly stir to cook, do not overcook.   Dish up onto serving platter without liquid.  Drain liquid into sauce mixture.
4. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a non-stick pan, pour in the egg mixture to fry.  Cover to cook over medium heat until the edges are crispy and firm, flip over to fry the other side until omelet is cooked through.
5. Dish up and place on top of fried bean sprouts.
6. Using the same pan, bring sauce ingredients to boil until thick, pour over omelet.
7. Serve immediately.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

I am sharing this post with Cookbook Countdown Event #21 hosted by Joyce and Emily of Kitchen Flavours and Emily's Cooking [Makan2] Foray respectively