ORANGE YEAST WATER FRUITY TOAST

A Soft Toast 

baked with Orange yeast Water.

Besides raisins, cranberries and orange peel

I added grated rind from one orange

to get stronger orange flavour.

Orange Yeast Water Fruity Toast
(A) 10g each of raisin, cranberry & orange peel
       enough yeast water to cover & soak the fruits for an hour

(B) 120g active Sourdough, fed with orange yeast water

       200g bread flour

       100g (1 egg + fresh milk)

       1.5 Tbsp sugar

       1/2 tsp salt

       25g butter

(C) zest from 1 orange

1. knead all ingredients in the bread machine, bread dough cycle
2. before the machine stops, add the strained fruits & orange zest

2. when the machine stops, rest for 15 min, shape & put into an oiled loaf pan

3. allow to proof until 2.5 the volume, about 3 hours at room temperture

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

PRUNE BUTTER CAKE

If you like prunes and butter cake

combine them and

you will get Prune Butter Cake

2 in 1

This Prune Butter Cake 

is quite dense & moist

and 

is flavourful.

It can either be served warm or at room temperature,

and are just as nice.

I have adapted this from Ann Low's recipe

Ann Low has it baked with rum liqueur or brandy, with prunes cut into small pieces

whereas

I prefer it to be fruity with large pieces of prunes.

Prune Butter Cake

A) 100g pitted prunes

      1 small orange, juiced

B) 170g cake flour sifted with

     1 tsp baking powder

C) 150g butter, softened

     125g caster sugar

     3 AA eggs

     1 tsp vanilla extract

     1 Tbsp fresh milk

1. Soak prunes in orange juice for an hour, steam over low heat to soften.

    Remove from heat & let cool. When cooled, drain & slice open the prunes.

2. Line a 7" round pan with parchment & preheat oven to 180'C

3. Cream butter & sugar until light

4. add eggs, one at a time. Mix well after each addition

5. add vanilla extract & juice from steam prunes

6. Gently fold in sifted flour & baking powder

7. add 1 Tbsp fresh milk and fold the batter until smooth

8. pour 1/3 batter into prepared cake pan, arrange 1/2 of the sliced prunes over it

9. repeat (8), and finally topped with the balance 1/3 batter

10. bake in preheated oven 180'C for 35min, or until done

11. Leave cake to cool in pan for 10min, remove & cool on wire rack.      

MUA CHEE

Thank you Emily Koh

for such an easy recipe

Steaming in an Electric Lunch Box 

is simply fuss free.

Once everything is mixed 

and put into the steamer,

switch on,

you can come back anytime to serve it!

Like to try Emily's Recipe?

Mua Chee

100g glutinous rice flour

90g water

1 Tbsp oil

1) mix them up in a steaming bowl

2) steam it until light goes off 

3) serve with grounded peanuts and caster sugar

Note:

If you do not have an Electric lunch box, just steam it for 20min, or until cooked

YEAST WATER SWEET POTATO BREAD

Calamasi (Asian Lime)

takes longer time to ferment - 5 long days

and more sugar is required to speed up fermentation.

As a result

the yeast water is on the sweet side.

Moreover, the orange sweet potato that I bought also sweet!

Now I have a sweet bread. 

Watch out! It browns easily when baked.

Yeast Water Sweet Potato Bread

180g Bread flour

150g Sourdough fed with yeast water
70g yeast water

30g water, may need to adjust amount depending on the 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. cold retard 10hours

5. remove from fridge & shape, leave in banetton to proof 2.5hrs until risen
6. bake in preheated oven 250'C for 20min, covered

    bake another 20min @ 200'C  with cover opened.

Note: tent bread when necessary

PINEAPPLE FRIED RICE

Pineapple Fried Rice

is a popularThai Delicacy.

It is loved by many because of its

1) colourful presentation in the shell of a pineapple

2) mixture of taste, spicy, sweet & sour

3) mixture of texture, soft and yet crunchy because of the added cashew nuts

I have some sweet pineapples in the fridge
and
with the inspiration of Serena Kuan
I have come out with this simply pineapple fried rice
served in a plate.

Toasted Cashew nuts  must be added to get the authentic Thai

Pineapple Fried Rice

1 bowl cooked rice

a handful of prawns, skin removed

1 egg, beaten

1/2 Tbsp garlic, minced

1/2-1 Tbsp oil for cooking

ripe pineapples, cut into small slices

seasoning:

soya sauce, fish sauce, pepper

garnishing/topping:

spring onions, diced

red chilli, diced

fried shallots (optional)  

1) heat oil in a wok, fry garlic until fragrant

2) add prawns & fry

3) push ingredients to side of wok, pour beaten egg to the centre to cook

4) turn the egg when it is cooked, add rice 

5) stir fry everything together, add seasoning

6) lastly, add pineapple slices & garnishing 

7) dish out to serve

Note: reserve some garnishing for topping

STEAMED PUMPKIN KUIH

Pumpkin is versatile.

It can be used in cooking and baking.

The bright yellow of pumpkin adds colour to whatever you cook.

It can be a tray of yellow kuih,

some steamed yellow buns or crusty baked loaves.

I have adapted this recipe from

Rebacca Tan's post in the Facebook

Steamed Pumpkin Kuih

125g pumpkin without skin, shredded

190g water

80g rice flour

30g tapioca flour

20-25g dried shrimp, soaked & coarsely diced

1/2 Tbsp garlic, minced

salt & pepper to taste

1 Tbsp cooking oil

1. combine in a bowl, water, rice flour & tapioca flour

2. oil the bottom & sides of a steaming pan (5.5")

3. pour remaining oil into a hot pan & fry the minced garlic

4. add dried shrimp, continue frying until fragrant before adding shredded pumpkin

5. lastly, add in batter to cook until thicken

6. dish into the oiled steaming pan, level with a wet palm

7. steam for 30min, until cooked

8. Cool well before cutting

9. serve with cut chilli, fried shallots & cut spring onions

    or pan fried plain

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.