BRAISED FRESH MUSHROOMS WITH TOFU PUFFS

The 2 main ingredients [fresh mushrooms and taufu puffs] for this dish were from Tesco Store.  I like the sweet taste of the fresh mushrooms and the compact but soft taufu puffs.  These ingredients soak up the flavours and are tasty when braised.  For better flavour, add the cooking wine last before dishing up. 

This meatless dish can be a delicious vegetarian food that goes well with rice.  

Ingredients

4-5 fresh Shiitake mushrooms

100 gm taufu puffs - halved

1-2 stalks spring onions - cut sections

A few slices ginger

A few cloves garlic - peeled and crushed

1/2 tbsp oil

Seasoning

2-3 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp cooking wine

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp dark soy sauce for colour

dash of pepper

dash of sesame seed oil

1. Lightly rinse fresh mushrooms, remove the head and slice slantwise, set aside.
2. Heat a non stick wok with oil, saute garlic and ginger until aromatic.  Add in the spring onions, continue to stir until fragrant.
3. Add in the fresh mushrooms.  Stir for a minute or so, then the seasoning.  Add seasoning, bring to boil before adding the taufu puffs, stir well to combine.
4. Add enough water to cover ingredients, bring to boil.
5. cover with lid, simmer over low heat.
6. Braise ingredients until soft and sauce has thickened before dishing up to serve.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH FRESH DATES

This recipe is a similar recipe to Braised Chicken with Red Dates with a little substitution.  The difference is with the dates used.  Here, I used fresh dates which are now available in the markets.  
The fresh dates when cooked are soft and naturally sweet.  Lovely, tasty dish with rice.

Ingredients
1 large deboned chicken whole legs [with or without skin] – cut bite size pieces
9 fresh dates
4-5 cloves garlic – peeled keep whole
4-5 slices ginger
200 ml water
1 tbsp oil
Seasoning
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce for colour
1/2 tbsp brown sugar

1. Lightly marinate chicken pieces with some light soy sauce for 15 minutes. Mix well until liquid is well absorbed.
2. Heat up a non-stick wok with oil. Pan fry the chicken pieces [skin side down] about 5-10 minutes until golden. Turn over to fry the other side for another 5 minutes. 
3. Push aside and remove excess oil if  any, then add in the garlic and ginger to fry until aromatic and slightly browned.  Add in the fresh dates.
4. Mix well all the ingredients, add in dark and light soy sauce, wine and sugar. Bring to a bubbly boil then add in water to braise [add more if you like to have more sauce].
5. Cover with lid and braise until sauce is reduced or thick, the fresh dates and the chicken pieces are tender.
6. Dish up to serve.
   
   

CNY 2018 - BBQ FLAVOURED CHIPS COOKIES

I would not be baking these cookies if I hadn't bought the ingredients before Christmas. With my mother in-law already  in hospital for 18 days, I needed to do the baking during the night.
Last year I made Savoury Potato Chips Cookies [with sour cream and onion flavour potato chips] which was so good that I regretted not making more.  This time, I baked double portion of these cookies and also tried baking this batch of chips cookies with BBQ Flavoured Potato Chips.  
Preparing the dough is easy and baking them is quite fast, too.  These cookies taste savoury, buttery and aromatic.  Another batch of lovely cookies and I believe you can bake similar cookies with any flavour potato chips. 

Ingredients

[makes 110 pieces]

250 gm butter

80 gm caster sugar

50 gm toasted walnuts – chopped

160 gm BBQ flavour potato chips – crushed

2 tbsp cheese powder

250 gm plain flour + 1 tsp baking powder – sifted

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Sift flour with baking powder and mix in the walnuts, crushed potato chips and cheese powder.  Mix well.
3. Fold [2] into [1].  Mix into a dough.  Scoop into small portions and place on a lined baking tray.
4. Bake in preheated oven at 180 degrees C for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
5. Remove to cool on wire rack before storing in airtight container.
   
   
   
   
   

CNY 2018 - CHEESY GERMAN BUTTER COOKIES

These batch of cookies were baked after Christmas, just  before my mother in-law was admitted to the hospital for surgery. Just couldn't find the time to post this, then.
I just love baking German butter cookies as they are so buttery, crispy and aromatic.  This recipe is similar to my postings on the various German Cookies with a little adjustments to the ingredients by adding cheese powder and omitting the some other ingredients like cocoa powder etc.
Seems like it is never too early to start doing anything.  Life is constantly moving and anything can happen out of expectation. 

Nevertheless, I did end up with these lovely cookies that are buttery, crispy and fragrant.  This recipe is a larger portion.

Ingredients
[makes 150 pieces]

500 gm butter
150-160 gm icing sugar - sifted

500 gm potato starch

30 gm cheese powder

130 gm plain flour - sifted 

1. Beat butter and icing sugar till fluffy and lighter in color.
2. Sift in potato starch, cheese powder and plain flour, mix to form a soft dough.  Chill for 30 minutes.
3. Fill the dough into nozzle mould of your choice, press it with the thumb into the baking tray line with parchment paper and place a small pieces of cherry on top of the piped out cookie dough.
4. Bake at preheated oven at 170 degrees C for 13-15 mins depending on the size of your cookies.
5. Remove from oven, leave to cool completely on  a wire rack and store in airtight container.