PICKLED VEGETABLE

PICKLED VEGETABLE

is easy to prepare and nice to eat.

So colourful and appetizing that you would like to have a 2nd helping.

It is best served in a barbecue or buffet

where meat is plenty and vegetables are few.

It is so refreshing to take a bite into it!

I have tried making this sweetened with honey.

It is yummy, but 1/2 your bottle of honey is gone!

Perhaps you can try this basic recipe & do the adjustments next time.

Pickled Vegetable

1 cucumber

1/2 carrot

1 big onion

1/4 pineapple

1 red chilli

1/2-1 lemon, juiced

4 Tbsp sugar

1. peel away part of the skin from the cucumber, and cut it into 1/4s lengthwise.  Slice away the     seeds, then slice diagonally.

2. slice carrots into thin strips

3. combine cucumber & carrots, marinate with salt

4. slice thinly onions and chilli

5. cut pineapple into pieces

6. when cucumber is soft (about 15min), wash away the salt & squeeze dry

7. combine cucumber, carrots, onions, chilli and pineapple in a big bowl

8. add sugar and lime juice, adjust to you liking. Toss or mix with chopsticks

9. let sit for 15min and chill before serving

Notes:
1. lemon juice can be replaced with apple cider or vinegar
2. sugar can be replaced partially with honey
3. feel free to adjust the taste to your liking

IKAN BILIS POWDER

Ikan Bilis 

is a good source of Calcium for Bones.

The normal pratice is to boil the Ikan Bilis,

discard them afterwards

and use the water to cook porridge for the little ones.

I prefer to grind them into powder

and add to the porridge.

The steps may be long

but you are feeding the baby the whole fish without bones and head!

If you are interested,

here is the recipe:

Ikan Bilis Powder

300g ikan bilis

Method:

1. remove the head of the ikan bilis, split open and discard the centre bones & stomach

2. rinse the ikan bilis in a sieve, under running water, drained

3. using the kitchen towel to soak up as much water as possible

4. spread out on the baking sheet

5. bake in preheated oven 80-100'C for 1 hour, until dry and crispy

    - turning the ikan bilis a few times while baking.

6. let cool & blend until VERY VERY fine!

7. keep in a bottle & refrigerate until required.

GRAPEFRUIT ORANGE LEMON MARMALADE

Grapefruit Marmalade

is your choice if you want you marmalade

fruity, sweet and with a hint of bitterness.

I love its taste.

I spread it on bread and scones,

as fillings in cakes and muffins,

I even dilute it into a drink!

A warm and refreshing Grapefruit Drink!

The ingredients are simple

but you need a bit of patience to have it done.

If you are interested in this recipe...

Grapefruit Marmalade

1 large (290g) grapefruit

1 large (150g) lemon

2 (335g) oranges

450g sugar

600g water

1) wash fruits and boil whole in water in a saucepan

2) simmer uncovered for 40min, turning once or twice, until skin is soft

3) remove fruits to cool, retain the water

4) slice off rind from fruits and cut into thin  strips

5) discard the white part or pith

6) chop up the fruits, discard the seeds

7) put all fruits and rind back into the water

8) boil for 30min or until liquid is reduced to half

9) add sugar & stir over gentle heat until marmalade gels

10) test by dropping a small drop into a glass of water. 

       If the drop does not spread, it is ready.

Ding Mee Ling July 27 at 7:43 AM Such a delightful breakfast with your marmalade. A marvelous combination Katie Foong. Bringing Flashbacks of my late Father in law enjoying his crackers. Marmalade was one.

SALTED DRIED CALAMANSI

Salted Dried Calamansi

fondly called
陳年咸桔

by moms and grandmothers alike.

It is precious to them because

 It is a natural remedy
for sore throat & throat irritation

and

also used to clear the heat from the body.

How to eat it?
Simply take out 1 or 2 salted calamansi,
tear into pieces,
and pour hot water over it.
Drink the water when it is cooled.

How to make it?
Refering to Desirable recipes:

Only 2 ingredients, calamansi and salt,
easy to combine them,
but it will take weeks to mature.

(1) Clean calamansi, snip away the stems & drain well

(2) pour calamansi into a pot of hot water (already removed from heat)

(3) stir the fruits

(4) once the colour of fruits turns dull, drain & let cool

(5) once cooled, place calamansi in a bottle, adding salt sparingly as shown,

      allow to stand for one night.

(6) next day, pour out the calamansi and salt, and spread on a stainless steel or glass pan

      to dry in the sun. Turning the fruits every day.

(7) It takes weeks for it to dry.
      I used a dehydrator to shorten the drying process.
(8) The calamansi should be dried and wrinkle before storing in a jar.

PINEAPPLE JAM

Pineapple Jam

is often used as filling for tarts.

This recipe is by Sonia a.k.a. Nasi Lemak Lover.

I find this recipe easy and need minimum ingredients.

Pineapple Jam

3 pineapples

250g sugar

4 Tbsp lemon juice

Method:

1. cut pineapple into chunks & blend in a food processor

2. strain and remove some of the juice (too much juice takes longer time to cook)

3. cook blended pineapple in a pot over medium heat, no need to stir all the time.

4. when most of the juice has evaporated, add sugar

5. continue cooking, and stir occasionally until it has become a thick paste

6. reduce heat and add lemon juice, continue cooking until jam is thick

7. cool the jam before use.

Note:

1) total cooking time is about 50-60min

2) can store in freezer, if not using within 2-3 days
3) pineapple jam needs to be fully cooked to obtain longer shelf life when baked in cookies

CANDIED ORANGE PEEL

Candied orange peels 

are good as a snack

and 

as ingredients for some fruity bakes like cakes and bread

Homemade ones are fresh and the taste is marvelous.

Candied Orange Peel

3 large Sunkist oranges

280g sugar

180g water

1. rinse the oranges & cut the top & bottom off the orange

2. cut the fruit into quarters & remove the skin

3. cut the skin into strips & scrape away part of the white pith

4. bring to a boil the orange strips with enough water to cover it

5. once boiled, drain & repeat (4)

6. stir together sugar & water in a pot, bring it to simmer

7. add the peel and continue to simmer until the peels appear translucent.

    Do not stir to avoid crystalization, but can swirl the pot or press in the peels

8. remove peels & spread to dry, may take a day or 2

9. store in air tight containers or fridge

BAK KWA (PORK JERKY)

Bak Kwa

in Hockien is dried meat

is popular during Festive Seasons.

It is a must-have for Chinese New Year

These are sold in bags of 1/2 kg 

or 
boxes of one kilogram each

Nowadays, because of its rising cost,
it is also sold in pieces.

You can see them roasting the slices of meat in front of you

and you tend to believe they are fresh,

never realise that 

many of these were processed weeks ago or even months

Well, these meat slices are really tasty

and you will not stop at one slice!

You can eat it on its own,

with bread,
or as fillings for buns

You can actually make your own
at a fraction of the cost

baked in toaster oven 

1/3 of the recipe

Bak Kwa

400g minced pork
1 Tbsp cooking wine

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 Tbsp dark soya sauce

1 Tbsp fish sauce

Glaze:

2 Tbsp maltose dissolved in some hot water (optional)

Or 

Honey or golden syrup

1) combine minced meat with all ingredients
2) stir with a spoon until the mixture turns gooey, takes about 2 min
3) leave to marinate in the fridge overnight, no need to cover

4) spread meat between 2 parchment paper, & roll to 2mm thick

5) peel off the top parchment paper & bake in preheated oven 150’C  for 3-5 min

6) glaze and bake again 3-5min 

7) drain away juice if any & turn over, glaze and bake 3-5 min

6) take care not to burn the meat!

8) when the desired colour is reached, cool on wire rack

Note:
I used my toaster oven to bake the bak kwa on 21Jan 2021 (2nd photo)

ORANGE LEMON GINGER MARMALADE

Orange Marmalade,

Orange Lemon Marmalade,

and now

combining the 2 

with additional member, Ginger

Here it is:

Orange Lemon Ginger Marmalade

Inspiration from Juliana Ding & her friend Sr W

Orange Lemon Ginger Marmalade

1 large orange (7oz)

1.5 lemon (3.5oz)

3.5oz young ginger, shredded

1 Tsp lemon juice

2.5 cup water

3 cup sugar

1. wash fruits, cut fruits in half from stem to blossom end

2. slice fruits perpendicularly

3. place fruits & shredded ginger in a deep pot, add lemon juice & water

4. bring it to boil, then simmer until fruits is soft, 40-50min

5. add water if necessary, to bring back water to original level

6. add sugar & boil rapidly to 103'C, continue cooking

7. do sheet test. If syrup pass sheet test, remove from heat to cool

Sheet Test

Put a cold metal spoon into the boiling syrup, raise the spoon 1 foot above the pot.

Run mixture in the spoon from side to side to cool. If the syrup falls off the spoon 

in one sheet instead of a drop, it is ready.

Preparation of bottles

Place clean bottles in a pot. Fill the pot with water to submerge all the bottles.

Boil for 20min. Remove bottles to dry upside down on a dish cloth.

Note:

Sugar must only be added when the fruits are soft! Avoid hardening of lemon rind

FOOCHOW SALTED EGG - CHOW LONN

Foochow people love their red rice wine

so much so that

other than cooking with it,

they also preserve vegetables, CHOW CHAI 

and 

eggs, CHOW LONN

with the red rice wine residue or lee.

Many of us like salted egg.
Some like it hard boiled to eat with plain porridge,
others like it smashed up and cooked with porridge
or
steamed with meat

More additions to the list include:
steaming together 3 types of eggs, salted, century and hen egg
and
deep fried salted egg yolk chicken or prawns


This is my grandmother's preparation
of Foochow salted egg, Chow Lonn

This is just duck egg salted with the residue (lee) from red yeast rice wine.
If you soak it longer the egg white will turn pinkist
and the wine taste will be stronger
but
the egg will be too salty

My grandmother is a Hu Chew Noin
She came from Fuzhou,
China

She married and stayed in "San Tiaw Lu", today better known as Simpang Tiga,  Sitiawan. When my grandfather passed away, the youngest uncle was only a toddler.  She single handedly raised up her 7 children, 6 boys and a girl. Although she could not afford to send her children to university education, all of them were able to learn, and master a skill to earn a good living.

Her cooking is more of simple and with inexpensive ingredients.  Nevertheless, all of us grandchildren, including her own children missed the dishes she prepared for us during Chinese New Year celebration. Simple it might be, but it was prepared with much patience and abundance of her love for us.

Here is her recipe if you are interested

Chow Lonn
400 ml water
175-200g salt
5 duck eggs, wiped clean
5-10 Tablespoon wine residue (CHOW)

1) Boil together salt & water
2) leave to cool
3) put eggs in a bottle
4) mix wine residue (Chow) into the cooled brine
5) pour onto the eggs in the bottle & cover
6) the eggs will be ready16-21 days, depend on how saltish you like
7) hard boil to enjoy

Note:
1. chow lonn has a wine taste and is usually enjoyed with plain porridge
2. chow or rice wine residue can be omitted to make plain salted egg.

PRESERVED CALAMANSI DRINK

Calamansi is

from the Citrus family

and 

it is rich in Vitamin C

It is good for throat & respiratory illness.

As such, these fresh calamansi are then preserved

and 

made available at any time

in 

either hot or cold drink

One can also order a glass from the coffee shop

and they call it Kumquat,

which is another yellowish species

Instead of the usual preservation in salt,

these are preserved in sugar solution 

and

 they call it

Honey Kat Drink!

This is an interesting way of preserving calamansi -

with salted sour plum

embedded inside the calamansi

and 

then soaked in sugar solution for a month or so before using.

If you are curious, here is the simple method:

Preserved Calamansi Drink
300g fresh calamansi
100g sour plums
3/4 cup sugar

1. boil some sugar solution (needs to be quite sweet, as preservative),

    and leave aside to cool

2. boil a pot of hot water and pour over the cleaned calamansi, soak the fruits for 5 min

3. drain

4. slit the calamansi & remove the seeds, collect the juice

5. put 1 sour plum into the calamansi & close back

6. place the calamansi into a clean & dry bottle

7. pour the juice back to the bottle

8. add the sugar solution once it is completely cooled

9. leave in fridge to mature before consuming (about 1 month)



SALTED MUSTARD GREEN

Salted Mustard

Salted Mustard Green

locally known as Ham Choy in Cantonese.

Various dishes that use ham choy are:

braised: duck, pig's trotter,

steamed: fish, tofu

stir fried: stingray, pork, chili etc

cooking 'choy giok' is another alternative

Fresh Mustard from the market

Green Mustard in brine

By chance I found this recipe in YouTube

and made it 

Salted Green Mustard

1/2 cup rice

5 cup water

500g mustard green

35g salt

1. bring to boil 10min, rice & water

2. remove rice for cooking, reserve water (let cool) to make ham choy

3. wash and pat dry the vegetable, leave to air

4. when water is cooled completely, put dried vegetable into a glass bottle

5. sprinkle salt onto the vegetable, then pour cooled water into the bottle

6. make sure the vegetable is submerged completely, top up with bottled water 

7. leave in a cool place for 4-7 days. If leave in fridge takes more days.

8. remove vegetable from brine & store in fridge up to 1 week, for later use.

PUMPKIN SPREAD

Taking advantage of the abundant supply of pumpkin, 

I try making use of it to the fullest. 

Among the several recipes that I have experimented, 

this is one of them. 

I present it in bottles as gifts. 

Many like the bright yellow colour just as I do. 

Hope you like it too.

450g steamed & blended pumpkin
130g sugar
50g corn oil
2 tsp pandan juice

1. all ingredients into a saucepan, stir with a wooden spoon and cook over medium low heathy
2. When you are able to see the base of the saucepan, turn the heat to low & continue stirring
3. Remove from heat when it reaches the consistency that you want.

HEALTHY KIM CHI

Cabbage well stacked into the bottle,  all  juice poured in.
Covered, and leave for 24 hours at room temperature

Ready to enjoy

450g Napa cabbage
1/4 cup sea salt
1 cup warm water
1/2 yellow onion
1/2 ripe apple
1/2 ripe pear
1 cup water
1/4 cup chilli flake (ko chook ah rhoo)
some warm water
1 Tsp minced garlic
1 Tsp minced ginger
3-4 spring onion-sliced

Method:
1) separate cabbage leaves & chop into bite size
2) dissolve salt in 1 cup warm water & pour onto cabbage
3) toss cabbage & leave aside for at least 4 hours
4) combine chilli flake with some warm water to form a paste
5) blend together yellow onion, apple & pear in one cup water
6) when the cabbage is ready, rinse to remove salt. Squeeze out excess water
7) Place cabbage in a large bowl & add the rest of the ingredients
8) wear hand gloves, give everything a thorough toss & rubdown
9) transfer seasoned cabbage into a large glass bottle, pressing down when          
    stacking the cabbage inside the bottle
10) pour in all the juice, make sure to leave 2" of room from the cap
11) cap tightly and leave at room temperature for 24 hours
12) next day transfer to fridge & enjoy anytime.

Recipe taken from 
http://drbenkim.com/how-make-kim-chi.html

SWEET TAKUWA

If you like pickles you may like this!

It is crunchy, juicy and sweet!

Good as an appetiser, wonderful as a side dish!

You can never have too much!

If you like to make some for yourself.....

1 kg daikon (radish)

1.5 Tablespoon salt

1.75 cup sugar

1/2 cup white vinegar

pinch of tumeric extract (optional)

Method:

1) peel and slice radish into rounds

2) combine salt, sugar & vinegar & pour over the sliced diakon

3) let it soak overnight, stir occasionally

4) next day, squeeze the diakon and pack into glass bottles

5) boil the liquid and remove scum if there is any

6) add a pinch of tumeric extract to give yellow colour if prefer

7) boil until the water is clear, remove and let cool

8) pour cooled juice into the bottles to soak the diakon.

9) leave these bottles in the fridge for 2 weeks

10) enjoy!