BRAISED CHICKEN FEET

Braised Chicken Feet

can be ordered from most Dim Sum restaurants.

I love braised chicken feet.

You will not be surprised when one of my daughters,

once told me that she doesn't like Braised Chicken Feet anymore.

She must have eaten it so frequently last time,

 haha!

I love the aroma of these 2 spices, cinnamon sticks and star anise.

I like it spicy too, 

so some dried chilis are added to enhance the flavour.

Preparing the chicken feet may be a tedious job,

but it is worth the trouble if you love homecooked.

To prepare chicken feet:

7 pairs of chicken feet

1. cleaned & chop into 2 pieces each feet

2. wipe dry and marinate with dark soy sauce and a little salt

3. leave in the fridge for a day or 2 until the skin is dry

4. deep fry the feet in hot oil

    (make sure to cover the kuali when you put in the feet as hot oil may splash)

5. protecting yourself by holding the pan cover in front of you, turn the feet over.

6. before you cover again, splash a little water into the hot oil, cover

7. when the sound starts to subside, it is ready. 

8. remove the feet and set aside until required. If not cooking the same day, freeze it.   

To Braize:
all the fried chicken feet
3 mushrooms, soaked overnight, cut into bite size or smaller
few slices of ginger
1 large clove of garlic
few pepper seeds, optional
2" cinnamon sticks
3 star anise
5 -6 dried chilis

Sauce, 

mix together

65g light soya sauce

25g rock sugar

1/4 tsp Maggie seasoning

1. pour boiling water onto the fried chicken feet to remove the excessive oil from deep frying.

    soak for awhile and drain.

2. put chicken feet into a pot, pour enough water to just cover the chicken feet

3. put in the rest of the braising ingredients, bring to a boil

4. turn the heat down, and continue simmering

5. add the prepared sauce and continue cooking until done

6. enjoy

HOMEMADE YOGHURT

Ever tried making some yoghurt at home?

You will be surprised how easy it is!

With only 2 ingredients!

I have been wanting to show you this simple method

but 

always forget to buy a tub of yoghurt to show you.

1) buy a small tub of yoghurt,

can be of any brand.

I bought this Fernleaf, plain

  

2) Heat up one cup of fresh milk, just warm to the touch.

I mean you just touch the milk with the tip of your clean finger.

If it feels warm, it is the right temperature!

3) pour the milk into a glass bottle

and stir in the tub of yoghurt until well mixed

4) put a LOW metal stand in your slow cooker & pour in hot water.

Make sure the hot water level is below the top of the stand.

So that when you place the bottle of milk onto the stand,

it does not touch the hot water!
Place the bottle on the stand.

5) cover the slow cooker and leave it until the next morning.

Note:

1) Always remember to leave behind 2-3 heaped Tbsp of yoghurt to start the next batch!

     Like this, you do not need to buy another tub. 

2) I have tried with milk powder, also successful. 

MANGO PUDDING

Mango Pudding

I love mangoes.

I love eating them freshly cut.

My grandson also likes mangoes.

I think he may like this mango pudding

which is fragrant, sweet and soft.

If you cannot finish all at one go,

it can last for the next 2 days!

Mango Pudding

350g mango puree (from freshly cut mango)

250g mango juice (store bought)

1 Tbsp gelatin

1 Tbsp water

1. sprinkle gelatin in 1 Tbsp water, double boil until fully dissolved and tranparent

2. stir to combine mango puree, juice and gelatin until well mixed

3. pour into serving bottles or cups, refrigerate until set

4. enjoy

SWEET POTATO BALLS

Sweet Potato Balls

made with orange sweet potatoes

made with white sweet potatoes

Sweet Potato Balls

is a common snack loved by many.

For health reasons many have also refrained from eating it

because it is Deep Fried!

If you are like me,
prefer the sweet potato balls to be soft and tender,
this is the right recipe for you.

If you prefer a chewy type
add 5g of glutinous flour to the dough.

Sweet Potato Balls

300g sweet potato, cut into small pieces

30g sugar

a pinch of salt

60-65g all purpose flour

1. steam the sweet potato until soft

2. add sugar and mash with a fork while it is still hot

3. add salt and flour, knead until just combined (may not use up all flour)

4. roll into balls and leave aside while getting ready to fry

EGG WHITE BISCUIT

Egg White Biscuits

Have you eaten these biscuits before?

During my childhood days

they weren't many types of biscuits to choose from.

We call these little yellowish round biscuits,

"Egg Yolk Biscuits"

because it has the shape and colour of egg yolk.

I was so excited when I saw the photo shared by Jong Shias Chin

and 

was told that Kenneth Goh shared this in his blog.

He discovered that these were made with egg white only!

Thank you Kenneth Goh.

Here it is:

Egg White Biscuits,

 to bring back the sweet memories of childhood days.....

Egg White Biscuits

100g cake flour

80g melted butter

60g icing sugar

2 egg white

1. using a whisk to mix together flour and melted butter, leave aside

2. whip egg white until foamy, gradually add sugar. Beat until stiff peaks

3. fold egg white into the flour carefully, until well combined

4. using a round nozzle, pipe batter onto a parchment lined baking tray,

    leaving some space in between to allow for expansion.

5. before sending into the oven, drop the pan onto the table to let trapped air escape

6. bake in preheated oven 160'C in the middle rack for 15-20min

Note: 

can bake it a bit longer to get a darker shade.

ONE PROOF BUNS WITH SWEET CORN CUSTARD FILLING

There are 2 steps to this Bun.

1st we need to cook the Sweet Corn Custard Filling.

It needs to be chilled for easy handling.

After that only proceed to make the buns

I have adapted the Sweet Corn Custard Filling
 from Vivien Chong's recipe

Sweet Corn Custard Filling

150g canned cream sweet corn

160g milk or coconut milk

10g corn flour

10g cake flour

10g custard flour

40g sugar

1 large egg 

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

10g butter

1. beat egg and sugar and leave aside

2. sift together all flours into the milk, mix well

3. combine (1) & (2), strain into a sauce pot

4. cook over medium low heat, stirring all the time

5. add in cream sweet corn, stir until custard is thick and smooth

6. add vanilla and butter

7. transfer to a bowl, covered and let cool before chilling it

For the Buns,

I have adapted the recipe from Sy Yong's

Easy One Proof Bun

One Proof Bun

260g bread flour ( I used 240g bread flour+20g whole meal flour)

25g sugar

1 AA egg (take out 1 Tbsp for egg wash)

60g milk

60-70g water

3/4 tsp instant yeast

25g butter

1/3 tsp salt

1. all ingredients into the bread machine, bread dough cycle 

   (Note: after kneading need to rest only 15min)

2. divide dough, wrap in the filling and shape as you like

3. allow buns to proof 60min or until double in size

4. egg wash

5. decorate as desired by diluting the custard filling with a little milk, and pipe on the buns

6.bake in preheated oven 190'C for 20-25min

SOFT SOFT BUN

SOFT SOFT BUNS

Asian love soft soft buns.

Children love soft soft buns.

Many love soft buns, how about you?

Soft buns

comes in plain pull apart buns

or 

with sweet or savoury fillings.

These soft buns are flavourful with added milk and eggs!

You can bake it plain too.

Soft Soft Buns

215g milk

320 bread flour

80g plain flour (I used oat flour)

1.5 tsp instant yeast

1 egg

50g sugar

40g butter

1 tsp salt

1. all ingredients into the bread machine, bread dough cycle 1.5 hours

2. shape and place on lined baking tray, proof 1 hour until double in size

3. egg wash the top & decorate as you like

4. bake in preheated oven 190'C for 20-25min

PULLMAN LOAF

Pullman Loaf

need not be plain.

I have used oat flour for this recipe

and it is still soft and nice.

You can very well replace the oat flour with quinoa flour

or whole meal flour

Pullman Loaf

(sufficient for 4"x4"x12" pullman)

300g water

85g oat flour

400g bread flour

45g brown sugar

1.5 tsp salt

1.5 tsp instant yeast

30g butter

1. all ingredients into the bread machine, bread dough cycle 1.5 hours 

2. remove and shape and leave in pullman to proof 1 hour

3. when dough reaches almost to the brim, cover the pullman

4. bake in preheated oven 190'C for 45min.

WEIGHT LOSS RED BEAN SOUP

Red Beans

is loved by many for its taste and soft creamy texture.

It is commonly used to cook desserts

like sweet soups and pancakes.

It is also used as fillings for Bao and Buns.

Seldom people realize that it has medicinal value too.

It is used to eliminate 'dampness' from the body

as recorded in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

It is effective in removing fluid from the body

and reducing swelling.

It is an agent to stimulate weight Loss too.

Very often, water retention in our body makes us look fat and swollen!

Perhaps you may like to have a look at the benefits 

of red beans here

To help reduce body fluid, you may like to try this:

Weight Loss Red Bean Soup

38g red bean

38g lotus seeds, shoots removed

8g Fu Ling, break into small pieces

600g water

raw sugar to taste, optional

          

1) soak red bean, lotus seeds and Fu Ling for 3 hours or more

2) drain and add 600g water and bring to a boil

3) lower heat to simmer for 1 to 1.5 hours until the nuts and beans are soft

4) add sugar if necessary

Note:

1) After cooking, you should be having a watery soup instead of a thick creamy porridge.

2) Better to consume everything, nuts and water to get the best benefit

3) Lotus seeds and Fu Ling are added for its medicinal value too.

    You can have a look at the medicinal value on the link high lighted.

   

PORK MEAT BALLS

Meat Balls

The method and ingredients used to make these meat balls 

by the various cooks

are almost the same.

In order that the meat balls are nice and bouncy,

make sure that the meat is processed until it is gluey and comes together.

Minced ginger is recommended

because it adds flavour and crunch!

Ingredients:

500g minced pork, chilled

1/2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 Tbsp sesame oil

2 Tbsp corn flour

1 Tbsp minced ginger

2 ice cubes

Flavoring - either a shake of aromat or 1 Tbsp fish sauce 

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp baking powder (optional)

1. all ingredients into the food processor to beat until gluey and comes together

2. take a handful of the batter, squeeze it out through the thumb and the index finger

3. scoop out the ball of meat paste and drop into the boiling water

4. once the meat ball floats, it is cooked.

Meat Balls in thick soya sauce

Meat Balls in Baked Rice