STEAMED PORK RIBS WITH FERMENTED BLACK BEANS

Steaming is the easiest way of Chinese cooking.

Firstly, assemble the ingredients,

arrange them on a steaming dish,

and 

steam over boiling water.

Once done, the gravy is clear 

and at the same time,

all the goodness has gone into it.

I love cooking this way,

especially in my little Electric Lunch Box.

It saves a lot of work cleaning up of the utensils!

This Steamed Pork Ribs with fermented black beans

is a common dish in Dim Sum Restaurants.

The secret of having the ribs soft & juicy

is the addition of 'wonder powder', 

Corn Starch!

Corn starch is often used in Chinese Cooking

but how many of us really know its function?

It is used as a tenderizer for meat

and

to thicken up the gravy.

Besides this, it makes your food look glossy and appetizing!

Steamed Pork Ribs with Fermented Black Beans

250g pork ribs, chop into bite size

2 tsp corn starch

1 Tbsp water

1 tsp old ginger slices

1 tsp fermented black beans, rinsed

1 red chilli, chopped

Seasoning:

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp shaoxing wine

1/2 tsp sesame seed oil

salt & pepper to taste

1. marinate pork ribs with seasoning and leave aside for 1/2 hour or so

2. mix corn starch & water to marinated ribs

3. arrange ribs on steaming plate, add fermented black beans & ginger slices

4. cover & steam for 30min, or until the ribs are cooked

5. sprinkle chopped chilli on top and serve hot.

PEPPER CORN PIG'S STOMACH SOUP

This Pepper Corn Soup

is popular among the Chinese.

Often times you can order this dish from a coffee shop

which offers simple stir fry dishes. 

It is also one of the popular Confinement Food.

Pepper corn and ginger has been added to expel 'wind' 

If you have a lot of bones left, be it chicken or pig's,

it can be used to cook this soup.

Why bones?

Pig's stomach needs long hours of cooking to soften,

and 

bone needs long hours of cooking to extract the collagen & nutrients.

So, it is just nice to pair them this way.

Of course, if you love to have some meat in the soup,

add it when it is almost done!

There is no exact measurement as how much to put in the soup.

The 2 important ingredients:

pepper corns and ginger, 

both smashed and added to give the extra ordinary taste of the dish!

To clean the Pig's stomach:

1. snip off all fats from the surface of the pig's stomach

2. turn the stomach inside out, wash away the slime under slow running water

3. use a knife to scrap off the remaining sticky substance

4. drain, add 2-3 Tbsp salt & scrub as you would scrub your kitchen towel with your hands

5. add 2-3 Tbsp tapioca starch or corn starch, continue rubbing & scrubbing

6. rinse off the sticky substance & repeat 4 & 5

7. rinse & put into boiling water, cover & turn off heat. Leave aside for 15min

8. can leave to cool or just add tap water to cool down

9. use a knife to scrape off any loose white skin

10. the pig's stomach is now ready for cooking.

SOURDOUGH KENNIE SWEET POTATO BREAD

There are many posts in the Facebook baking with 

Purple Sweet Potato

I cannot help but try my hands on it too!

In this recipe

I added the steamed, mashed sweet potato to the dough together with salt.

I love the different shades of purple

in this Sourdough Kennie Sweet Potato Bread

It is so colourful!

Sourdough Kennie Sweet Potato Bread

180g Bread flour

150g Sourdough

100-140g water, depends on the wetness of sweet potato 

50g steamed sweet potato, mashed

1 tsp salt

1. combine bread flour, sourdough and water, autolyse 45min

2. knead in salt & mashed sweet potato, allow to rest 45min

3. SNF twice at interval of 45min

4. rest another 45min when completed SNF

5. preshape, rest 15min

6. final shape & rest in banetton for 45min

7. cold retard 10hours

8. bake cold in preheated oven 250'C for 20min, covered

    bake another 20min @ 225'C  with cover opened.

HOMEMADE LUNCHEON MEAT

Luncheon Meat 

is 

ready cooked meat.

It can be eaten on its own 

or 

pan-fried with eggs,
can also be used to fry rice or vegetables

I have adapted this recipe from Peng's Kitchen

Homemade Luncheon Meat

350g minced pork,with some pork fats

2 Tbsp cake flour

2 Tbsp corn flour

2 egg whites
1 Tbsp water

Seasoning
1.5 Tbsp light soy sauce, make sure it is really light
1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp 5 spice powder

2 tsp red rice wine lee, mashed with back of spoon

1 Tbsp fresh ginger juice

1/4 tsp white pepper

2 tsp sesame seed oil

1. combine all seasoning with minced pork, mix well

2. add egg whites & stir until mixture binds together
3. add corn flour & cake flour, stir until sticky
4. stir mixture vigorously in one direction for 1-2 min.
5. Add water in between stirring
6. line a steaming bowl with parchment paper

7. pour in the mixture, compact & smooth the top with wet palm 

8. cover bowl with aluminium foil

9. steam for 35min or until cooked through
10. cool before slicing

I used this simple electric lunch box to steam my homemade luncheon meat.

SOURDOUGH KENNIE PUMPKIN

Pumpkin 

when added to bread dough

gives a bright and lovely colour.

Laurie Smith

from Pure Sourdough Banking

has given me the inspiration of shaping the bread into a pumpkin.

This Pumpkin shaped bread is fragrant.

With its bright yellow soft and spongy crumbs,

it is particularly attractive!

The crust is fragrant and crusty!

Simply delicious!

Sourdough Kennie Pumpkin
200g bread flour
150g sourdough
130g pumpkin puree (steamed & mashed with spoon)
20g water
1 tsp salt

1. mix all ingredients except salt, allow to autolyse 45min
2. knead salt into the dough, rest 45min
3. SNF twice at 45min interval, rest another 45min
4. preshape, rest 15min
5. shape, tie with string & rest in banetton at RT 1.5 hrs (double 45min)
6. bake in preheated oven 250'C for 20min (covered)
    bake another 20min @225'C, remove cover.

This is the string I use to tie the bread

SOURDOUGH KENNIE SOFT TOAST

My Sourdough, 

Kennie

is happy and very active.

Kennie is always at its peak after 2 hours feeding.

Kennie Soft Toast,

 a soft and spongy white loaf

is great for sandwiches and toasts.

It is machine knead 

with

Kennie working very hard to blend & stretch.

In less than 4 hours,

you will have a steaming hot loaf on the table.

Love it?

Kennie Soft Toast

140g active starter

160g bread flour

25g sugar

25g butter

1/2 tsp salt

80g (1/2 egg + water)

1. all ingredients into the bread machine, mix, autolyse & knead (1/2 hour)

2. shape & place in an oiled loaf pan

3. allow to proof at room temperature until at least 2.5 times (about 2.5 hours)

4. bake in preheated oven 175'C for 35 min

5. tent the bread if necessary.

SOURDOUGH RED BEAN FLAT BUNS

Sourdough

has become very popular among the bloggers

Most people use the Sourdough Starter for Artisan Bread

while others prefer the Asian Soft Bread

The difference is the amount of sourdough used.

Artisan Bread requires long hours of proofing to get the distinct taste

so less sourdough is used, about 20%

Whereas, the Asian Soft Bread needs a shorter proofing time 

so that you will not get the sour taste.

As such, to speed up fermentation, about 50-70% of sourdough is used.

I have adapted this recipe from

Sonia

Nasi Lemak Lover

Sourdough Red Bean Flat Buns

310g bread flour

250g sourdough

25g sugar

1/2 tsp salt

115g fresh milk

25g butter

Filling: 350g red bean paste, divided into 14 balls

1. all ingredients into the bread machine, bread dough cycle, knead for 30min

2. remove, shape and wrap the filling

3. place on parchment lined baking tray

4. wet centre of bun with a wet finger, add some black sesame seeds to decorate

5. cover the buns with a parchment & place another baking tray on top to weigh down the buns

6. allow to proof until double in size (2-3 hours)

7. bake in preheated oven 200'C for 20min, half way remove the top tray & parchment on top

Notes:
Using the same recipe, I have made some kaya swirls.
These are just as soft and spongy as the buns

CHOCOLATE CHIP SPONGE CAKE

Chocolate Sponge Cake 

is nothing new to us

What attracted me in this cake is its appearance.

It is topped with so much chocolate chips!

"The cake texture is light and moist"

This is the findings of the owner of the recipe,

Rumbling Tummy 

Chocolate Chip Sponge Cake

A) 65g cake flour      ) sifted with

     25g cocoa powder) and leave aside

     5 egg yolks

     50g oil

     90g fresh milk

B) 5 egg whilte

     1/8 tsp vinegar

     70g sugar

C) 100g chocolate chips

1. preheat oven 150'C & prepare bain-marie baking. Line a 8X8" square pan

2. heat oil to warm, add sifted flour mixture. Mix until incorporated & free of lumps

3. add fresh milk & egg yolks. Mix until batter is smooth & leave aside

4. In another clean bowl, whisk egg white & vinegar until foamy

5. add sugar in 3 additions. Whisk until stiff peaks

6. fold meringue into yolk batter in 3 additions also

7. pour 1/3 batter into baking tin, scatter some chocolate chips on top.

8. repeat the next 1/3 and the next. Sprinkle all remaining chips over the cake

9. steam bake 30 min. Dry bake another 10 min until cooked, test with a skewer

HOW MUCH DOES GOD CARE FOR YOU AND ME?

God created the earth and everything that is in it. When he created mankind, He gave dominion of all His creation, the birds in the air, the fish in the seas and all the animals on earth to them. He wanted them to enjoy His creation.

When man sinned because of disobedience, was expelled from the garden of Eden. Suffering, disease and death crept in as a result of sins.

God has not left us on this earth to suffer the consequence of our sins. He 'became flesh and made His dwelling among us' as the person Jesus Christ. (John 1:14). He lived His earthly life as a human, experiencing difficulty, uncertainty, threats and betrayal. He has been through it all and He understands the problems we face today.

Having said that, if we read through the 4 Gospels in the New testament: Mathew, Mark, Luke and John, we get to see all that Jesus has done on earth. He is full of compassion and LOVE for all those around Him. He heals the sick and the broken hearted. He raised the dead.

His life-giving love continues even after Jesus was crucified and gone back to be with the Father, and seated at the right hand of God. He has not left us orphaned. God send us His Holy Spirit to live in us, continue to guide us and to teach us. He promise to never leave us nor forsake us.

God's powerful restoration is still available to all of us if we trust His unfailing love and call upon Him. God knows what we want before we pray. As we open our mouth to pray, the Holy Spirit will lead us and guide us. Jesus, who sits at the right hand of God intercedes for us too.

God the Father has provided the way for us to go. All we need to do is simply believe and trust in His promises and claim our inheritance as children of God. God did not give up on us when we sinned. As a loving Father, He provided the way that we can still be in His great plan.

By now, I am sure you are able to answer this question:

How much does God care for you and me?

Praise God, for He is good. His plans for us are good, amen.

STEAMED ONE POT CHICKEN RICE

I like simple meals,

more so if it is one pot.

It saves a lot of time cleaning up.

Sometimes when you are busy with chores,

too troublesome to get dressed and go out and eat,

this is an easy way out, 

One Pot Meal

Just these 3 easy steps: cutting, marinating & steaming

and 

it is stress free bacause

you will probably have all the ingredients in your pantry!

Like it?

Here is the straight forward recipe.

You need to adjust the seasoning according to your liking.

Steamed One Pot Chicken Rice

chicken, cut into bite size

ginger, shredded

Chinese sausage, sliced

Marinate: amount of seasoning is not fixed but to your liking:

soya sauce, dark soya sauce, oyster sauce,

Chinese cooking wine, sesame seed oil, pepper

and a little sugar

Garnishing: spring onions, red chili & fried shallots

1. marinate chicken & leave aside for an hour or so

2. cook rice in a steamer, reduce the water 

    (how much to reduce depends on the amount of marinate sauce you have)

3. keep an eye on the rice when cooking. 

4. when water in the rice starts to dry up, add the marinated chicken, sauce & all

5. also, add the shredded ginger & sausage slices on top

6. continue steaming until rice & chicken is cooked.

7. serve with cut spring onions, red chili & fried shallots.

Note:

you can cook this in the rice cooker too.

Steamed Chicken Rice

you can actually cook it inside this small steamer

SINGLE PROOF SOURDOUGH SANDWICH LOAF

Many of us love soft sandwich bread.

This is a soft sandwich bread recipe
adapted from Xiuli Zhang's
Soft Herman Bread.

 Sourdough baking
requires long hours of proofing.

With this single proofing method
the bread can be done within the same day
and
 the bread remains soft.

Single Proof Sourdough Sandwich Loaf

130g Sourdough

210g bread flour
50g whole meal flour

1 egg

50-60g milk (to adjust consistency)

1/2 tsp salt

30g butter

1. all ingredients except butter into a bread machine, bread dough cycle

2. 1/2 way add butter & continue kneading 

3. when machine stops kneading, remove dough & divide & shape into a loaf

4. Allow loaf to proof on greased loaf pan until double in size

5. bake in preheated oven 175'C for 35 min

HERMAN SOUFFLE PANCAKE

Pancakes for breakfast

many of us love it

especially if you can have a splash of maple syrup to go with it!

This pancake is spongy, soft & tall

hence its name

Souffle Pancake

This pancake is naturally yeasted with herman or sourdough
and is shared by

 Melissa Ho Lee cheen

Herman Souffle Pancake

2 egg yolk

10g corn oil

10g milk

20g herman

38g cake flour, sifted

2 egg white

few drops of lemon juice

16g sugar, can be more if you have sweet tooth

1. Beat yolk & oil, add milk & starter. whisk until combined

2. fold in sifted flour until all ingredients incorporated, leave aside

3. use electric mixer, whisk egg white, lemon juice & sugar until stiff peak

4. fold 1/2 meringue into egg yolk mixture until all blended, fold in the remaining

5. preheat a non-stick pan, apply a little oil

6. scoop the batter into the hot pan, cover during cooking

7. flip the pancake over to brown the other side

8. serve plain or with maple syrup & fruits

Note:
Herman can be replaced with the following:
10g milk
5g cake flour

SOURDOUGH RED BEAN BUN

Sweet Red Bean Buns

are my hubby's favourite

So long as it is stuffed with red bean paste,

the buns or bread can be of any texture,

he will finish all for me.

I started making bread because he loves to eat.
Happiness is able to see him enjoying my bakes!

Honestly, I am not a fan of bread.

He can never get tired of eating bread.

He has never stopped eating bread ever since he started during schooling time.

He says it is convenient to have bread for breakfast.

Sometimes, he even chooses to have bread for dinner too.

He does not eat his bread plain, even if it is a sweet bun.

He likes with a spread of peanut butter.

This is a simple machine knead sourdough red bean bun.

Sourdough Red bean bun

120g sourdough

190g bread flour

30g cake flour

1 egg

50g whipping cream

50g fresh milk

30g sugar

30g butter

1 tsp salt

Filling: 360g red bean paste 

1. all ingredients into bread machine, knead for 30min, allow to proof 1 hour

2. divide dough and shape into balls, wrap with fillings

3. arrange on parchment lined baking sheet to proof until double, about 3-4 hours

4. bake in preheated oven 170'C for 35-40min

5. unmould to cool on wire rack.

SOURDOUGH CINNAMON SWIRLS

Cinnamon Rolls 

are known for its sweet & a little gooey texture

with cinnamon sugar taste

and

a bright glossy finish

Thank you Mandy Ng for your advice and sharing

Sourdough Cinnamon Swirls

120g sourdough

190g bread flour

30g cake flour

1 egg

50g whipping cream

50g fresh milk

30g sugar

1 tsp salt

30g butter

Filling: melted butter, cinnamon powder. brown sugar

Topping: melted butter, caster sugar & almond meal (optional)

1. all ingredients into bread machine, knead for 30min, leave to proof 1 hour

2. roll dough out into rectangle shape

3. spread a thin layer melted butter, sprinkle some cinnamon powder & brown sugar generously

4. roll dough up into a log

5. divide into 9 or 18 equal pieces & arrange cut side up on a square baking tin

6. leave to proof until double, about 3-4 hours

7. apply topping if used & bake in preheated oven 170'C for 35-40min

8. unmould & leave to cool on a wire rack when done

Note:

Topping will give a nice glossy look. Mine is without the topping