OYSTER SAUCE CHICKEN

Oyster Sauce Chicken

A simple but satisfying dish

Oyster Sauce Chicken

1/2 chicken, cut into bite size

6-8 slices old ginger

1 Tbsp cooking oil

1 tsp sesame seed oil

2 Tbsp oyster sauce

sugar, salt & pepper to taste

1. heat up cooking oil in a frying pan

2. add ginger slices & fry until fragrant

3. add chicken pieces & stir fry 

4. add sesame seed oil & continue frying until chicken meat shrinks

5. add sufficient water, cover & allow to cook until chicken is tender

6. If gravy dries up, add more water. 

7. Add sugar, salt & pepper to taste

8. serve when done

ORANGE OGURA CAKE

Ogura Cake

相思蛋糕

This Ogura Cake is soft and fluffy.
It wobbles when I remove it from the pan and place on the cooling rack.

This fluffy jiggling cake is so flexible
that you can twist and turn a slice of it without breaking it.

Thank you Jeannie Tay
for sharing her Pandan Ogura recipe.

I have replaced the pandan juice with orange juice.

If you are interested, this is her recipe:

Ogura Cake

Pan size: 7" square or 8" round

line bottom & slightly grease the sides of pan

Ingredient A

30g coconut oil

30g corn oil

5 egg yolks

1 whole egg (65g eggs)

70g cake flour/superfine

70g pandan juice/orange juice

1/4 tsp salt

Ingredient B

5 egg white

80g castor sugar

1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Method:

For ingredients A

1. In a bowl, hand whisk together eggs, oil, orange juice & salt until well combined

2. sift the the flour & mix until smooth, set aside

For ingredients B

3. In another bowl, using an electric whisk to whisk the egg white until foamy before adding cream        of tartar

4. continue whisking until thick foams, slowly adding sugar  & whisk to stiff peaks

5. fold meringue into egg yolks batter gently, 1/3 portion at a time until you get a nice creamy batter        that can be poured into your cake pan easily.

6. gently shake the pan from side to side to even out the batter before baking in a water bath for              90min at 160'C. Tent with foil if the top gets too brown.

REFRESHING SOURSOP JUICE

SOURSOP

紅毛榴槤

福州話：”破布榴槤”

My late grandmother had a soursop tree in her backyard.

Every time when she came from Sitiawan to visit us,

she would bring along some soursop for us.

She called it,"puay wo liu lian" in Hockchiew.

I do not know why it is called "durian in rags"

Do enlighten me if you know the reason.

Soursop has been found to be a superfruit!

It is great for the eyes,

 can treat infections

and

is a potential cancer fighting food,

These recent findings

 has contributed to the soaring price of this once humble fruit

commonly found in most homes.

Grandma just cut the fruits into slices to eat,

now I prefer it juiced instead.

How about you?

Soursop Juice

100g soursop pulp, seeds removed

250g cold water

sugar to taste, optional

1. blend all 3 together and you will have a refreshing drink

MINCED PORK WITH POTATO

Minced Pork with Potato

Soft and 'powdery' potato 

and tender minced pork 

in thick gravy is a common dish on our dining table.

It is easy to cook and satisfying.

If you look carefully

there are few slices of ginger among the potato,

making it more flavourful.

Seasoning includes salt, pepper, soya sauce, oyster sauce and sugar.

Dark soya sauce is optional.

QUICK AND EASY NO KNEAD PIZZA CRUST

Quick & Easy No Knead Pizza Crust

comes handy 

when we need a crust within the shortest possible time.

Thanks to Shiokman Eddie's sharing

This recipe produces a 12" hand pulled pizza crust.

No knead, 

you have not heard me wrongly!

Quick And Easy No Knead Pizza Crust

170g lukewarm water

7g sugar

5g instant yeast

270g bread flour (I used 1/2 BF and 1/2 AP flour)

5g salt

20g olive oil

1. add sugar and yeast to warm water, leave aside for 10min until frothy

2. In another bowl, mix together salt  and flour

3. pour oil into the yeast mixture and mix well

4. add yeast mixture to flour mix, mix until everything comes together in a ball

5. cover, and leave aside for at least 10min to proof

6. place dough in between 2 sheets of baking paper and roll flat until 12" wide
7. place the dough sheet onto a 12" oiled pizza pan
8. pull the sides to the edges. If it shrinks, rest awhile & pull again.
9. spread a layer of pasta sauce onto the spread dough

10. add shredded cheese all over & add your favourite toppings

11. add shredded cheese again for final topping

12. bake in preheated oven 180'C until the pizza turns golden brown, about 30min

Notes:

1. if you do not have a pizza pan, you can leave the dough on the parchment paper to bake

2. dough can be made advance and refrigerate overnight to allow the flavour to develop

3. dough flour, can use all purpose flour for softer crust or bread flour for more chew, or mix!

LONG BEANS FRIED EGGs

Long Beans Fried Eggs

is a dish that I grow up with.

Those days, long beans were cheap, some were also home grown.

 Eggs from own chicken! 

If you know how to fry onions and eggs,

you will know how to cook this.

Long Beans Fried Eggs

4-5 lengths long beans

1/2 onions

2 eggs

salt & pepper to taste

1. clean & cut long beans into short lengths

2. shred onions thinly

3. lightly beat the eggs

4. heat up 1-2 Tbsp oil in the pan

5. add onions to fry until fragrant

6. add long beans and fry until soft

7. add salt & pepper to taste and spread evenly in the pan

8. pour egg over the vegetables

9. turn over to cook the other side when the eggs start to set

10. dish out when slightly brown on both sides

11. enjoy

DATE CAKE OR KEK KURMA

Dates are nothing new to you and me.

If you ask google,

you will have a long list of its benefits!

Dates are rich in many of the vital nutrients for the body

to function effectively and well.

It is commonly known to promote digestive health

because of its high fibre content.

Other write out includes boosting heart health

and reduce blood pressure.

Recently I came across this recipe shared by Panasonic.

I have made some adjustments

and

would like to share with you here:

Date Cake or Kek Kurma

Date Cake or Kek Kurma

Dry Ingredients: (sifted together)

   225g self raising flour

   1 tsp baking soda

Wet Ingredients:

   120g butter   

   125g dark brown sugar

   2 eggs large

   10 dates

   30-40g milk

   1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Method:

1. remove seeds & stems from dates, chopped into small pieces

2. cream butter and sugar until light & fluffy

3. add vanilla essence

4. beat in eggs, one at a time

5. add chopped dates and mix until dates are evenly distributed

6. using the spatula, fold in the dry ingredients

7. while doing so, mix in the milk

8. pour batter into a line loaf tin, level

9. bake in preheated oven 170'C for 40-45min

AGAR AGAR SANTAN BLUE PEA

 Agar Agar Santan Blue Pea

Love the colour,

so refreshing!

Love this familiar fragrant Agar agar Santan

now in blue !

If you like to try...

Agar Agar Santan Blue Pea

10g agar agar powder

700g water

200g hot water 

100g fresh santan

200g sugar

30-50 dried blue pea flowers

3 pandan leaves, knotted

1. pour hot water over blue pea flowers to soak for 15min, strain & discard the flowers

2. combine both blue and clear water, sugar, agar agar powder and pandan leaves & bring to a boil.

3. lower the heat & let simmer until sugar and agar agar powder is dissolved

4. remove pandan leaves, and stir in the santan, remove from heat

5. pour into molds or cooling plate

6. chill before serving

PAN SEARED HONEY CHICKEN

Pan Seared Honey Chicken

Love these sticky honey chicken?

Love it juicy and sweet?

Try this easy honey chicken.

It is done over the stove.

Pan Seared Honey Chicken

1 chicken thigh, de-boned and seasoned with 

    salt & pepper &

    1/2 tsp garlic, crushed.

1-2 Tbsp cooking oil

For sauce, mixed together

1 Tbsp honey

3 Tbsp water

1/2 tsp vinegar

1/2 tsp soy sauce

sugar to taste

dark soy sauce for colour, optional

Method:

1. heat up oil in a pan, sear chicken thigh on both sides until golden & cooked through

2. remove, cut into bite size & arrange in original shape

3. heat up the same pan again & pour in the sauce to cook

4. when it starts to sizzle, slowly slide in the chicken pieces to absorb the sauce

5. increase heat to reduce the sauce as it thickens

6. dish up the chicken carefully, and drizzle the sticky sauce over it

7. garnish and serve

EASY GUACAMOLE

Guacamole

is a traditional Mexican snack enjoyed by many.

I was overwhelmed with its unique taste and texture

when I was first introduced to it!

Its main ingredient is 

Avocado.

Avocado has often been referred to as a Superfood,

because it is loaded with healthy fats, fibre and various nutrients!

It is therefore popular among the health conscious individuals.

This creamy Avocado Dip

is easy to prepare 

and 

nice to eat with tortilla chips and crackers

I have 2 variant here:

One with chopped fresh cilantro 

and another without!

Enjoy it with crackers if you like!

Easy Guacamole

2 ripe avocado
2 lime, juiced
1 onion, diced
1 tomato, diced
1-2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro/coriander/parsley, optional
salt to taste

Method:
1. pit and take out the pulp from avocados
2. place the pulp avocado in a bowl and mash with the lime juice
3. add salt to taste (if you are serving with savoury crackers, you may omit the salt)
4. fold in tomatoes, onions and chopped cilantro if using
5. chill before serving

Note:
Guacamole can be served within 2 days

ONE BOWL CHOCOLATE CAKE

One Bowl Chocolate Cake

If you want a simple chocolate cake

in the shortest possible time

and 

with minimum washing and cleaning up,

I will recommend you this cake.

This is in fact a Traditional Butter Cake

with Cocoa powder added.

After getting ready the ingredients,

Just follow these normal cake making steps:

One Bowl Chocolate Cake

250g butter

180-200g caster sugar

4 large eggs

220g self raising flour

30g cocoa powder

1/2 tsp double action baking powder

125ml milk

Method:

1) cream butter and sugar until light & fluffy

2) while machine is still running, add eggs one at a time

3) off the machine once the last egg goes in

4) using a spatula, fold in the sifted dry ingredients in 3 additions

5) while doing so,  slowly mix in the milk to combine

6) DO NOT OVER MIX as by doing so you will get a cake with doomed or cracked top.

7) scrape batter into a lined cake tin

7) bake in preheated oven 175’C for 45-60min depending on the size of pan used.

DARk SOYA FISH

Dark Soya Fish

is familiar to many of us.

I like the mixture of sweetness from the onions
 and sour from added vinegar,
not forgetting the cut chillis and scallions.

Dark Soya Fish

1 pc cut fish, fried to cook

1 large onion, sliced

few slices of old ginger

1 chilli, sliced

1 scallion, sliced

Seasoning:

1-2 tsp dark soy sauce

1 Tbsp soya auce

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp vinegar

1/2 cup water

salt & pepper to taste

Thickener:

1/2 Tbsp corn flour mixed in

2 Tbsp water

1) heat a little oil in the pan, fry onions and ginger pieces until fragrant

2) add fish & water & seasoning to cook

3) stir in chillis & scallion

4) add thickener to the required consistency & dish up