CRISPY DEEP FRIED CHEMPEDAK

Chempedak 

is a 'soft version' of the jackfruit.

It has a distinct smell you either like it or hate it
just like the King of Fruits, durians!

I bought the kampong type 

where there are many seeds covered with a thin layer of flesh.

If you come across a 'kahwin' type you may get less seeds but the flesh is thick!

A word of caution:
The fibre of the chempedak is quite difficult to bite and break,
so it is usually swallowed after chewing for sometime!

If you deep fry it, then it is easier to eat!
Like to try?
Here is the batter for deep frying:

Crispy Deep Fried Chempedak

batter enough for 20 pieces:

60g self raising flour

10g rice flour

1/8 tsp salt

1/8 tsp baking powder

90g water

1) mix all ingredients until smooth

2) heat up oil for deep frying

3) coat chempedak with the batter

4) lower the heat & drop the fruits individually into the hot oil

5) when it starts to brown, increase temperature & let it brown

6) remove & drain

7) serve warm

Note:

1) too high heat will not cook the seeds! Normally the seeds are eaten together!

YELLOW WINE CHICKEN

黄酒雞

Yellow Rice Wine Chicken

is a well loved dish among the Chinese

especially the ladies!

It is a dish fit for new mothers.

It helps to expel 'wind' from the body and keeps it warm.

The ingredients are simple but the taste is really good.

Yellow Wine Chicken

1 chicken thigh, chopped into pieces

10 slices old ginger

some black fungus, soaked & cut into strips

1/2 Tbsp sesame seed oil

150ml rice wine, can be less

200ml water

1) fry ginger in sesame seed oil until fragrant

2) add chicken pieces and black fungus to fry

3) add rice wine when the chicken pieces start to shrink

4) add water, cover and bring to a boil

5) when chicken is soft, add salt to taste.

6) serve hot!

SHANGHAI PANCAKE

Shanghai Pancake

was once very popular. 

It was usually served together with a sweet cold dessert 

at the end of a heavy 8 course dinner in a Chinese restaurant.

This recipe is adapted from dingoozatfood.blogspot.com 

(A) sift together 

90g All Purpose Flour

30g Rice Flour

1/2 tsp Baking Powder

2 tsp Sugar 

1/4 tsp Salt

(B) Combine

1 large Egg

230g Water

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

250g red bean paste or lotus bean paste.

Cooking Oil

Method

1. Add B to A, mix well and strain through a sieve
2. Lightly oil a non stick frying pan
3. Heat up the pan. 
4. Pour 1 ladle batter into the pan, swirl to form a thin pancake 
5. Once set, remove from pan and spread filling onto the pancake (do not press in the filling)
6. Fold into rectangle by folding in the 4 sides, Brush some batter on the sides to secure the edges
7. Heat some oil in the pan, pan fry the pancake until golden brown on both sides. Dish out and drain the excess oil. Cut into pieces and serve 

BASQUE BURNT CHEESECAKE

Basque Burnt Cheesecake 

is easy to make,

from scratch to out of the oven within an hour!

No special skill required,

only beating, mixing & beating!

When warm, it tastes like custard

and when chilled, it tastes like normal cheesecake with burnt top!

It is simply delicious!

This recipe is adapted from here

Basque Burnt Cheesecake

6" round cake

250g cream cheese

80g sugar

3 eggs

125ml whipping cream

15g cake flour

1. Line 6" loose bottom cake tin with baking paper

2. beat cream cheese & sugar until light

3. add eggs, one by one & beat in after each one

4. add whipping cream, mix well

5. add sifted flour & beat well again

6. pour into prepared tin, & put the tin into a bigger cake tin

7. bake in preheated oven 220'C for 30min at the LOWEST rack 

8. cake will rise high

9. serve warm or chilled

MIRACULOUS SAVING GRACE OF GOD

Mom on her 90th birthday
8th July 2019

Miraculous Saving Grace of God

My mom had been a fervent ancestor and idol worshiper for all the days of her life until the last few miraculous days. All family members and friends who came to her wake service were surprised to see a Cross and Bible Verses accompanying my mom as she laid there in the living room, in the house that she spent decades worshiping idols!

On 30th July morning, a day after being admitted to the hospital for fluid retention in her body, my mom shocked us by suddenly singing ‘天堂是我家‘ in Chinese, loud and clear! She did not just sang it once but repeated the same song with enthusiasm to everyone who came to see her that day.

As she was singing this song, the Holy Spirit prompted me to take action, ‘This is the moment’! I asked my mom for permission to contact Pastor Grace, a family friend. My mom had earlier rejected her several times when she wanted to visit her, saying that she did not want to leave her faith at this old age. Praise God that she finally said ‘yes’! The sudden change of mind was a miracle!

When the Pastor came, my mom sang the same song for her too and told the Pastor that Heaven is beautiful because her late husband told her about it. Without hesitation she said the sinners' prayer and accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior. As everything happened so suddenly, some family members thought that she would probably change her mind the next day, thinking she could have agreed to it at the spur of the moment.

Glory to God! The next day she was firm about her decision when asked by the Pastor and she was baptized and took Holy Communion in the hospital. I was in awe as I witnessed her faith , trusting God in her last days and her complete surrender to God which brought her peace.

She told me Heaven is beautiful and she wanted to go there. She also wished that she could breathe her last with no struggle, best if she could go peacefully in her sleep. I explained to her that now she is a child of God, the Holy Spirit is in her. Jesus loves her and He will surely hear if she asks. We talked about Jesus’ saving grace and His abundant love for her. I explained to my mom how she could pray to Jesus to tell Him her wishes. 

My mom had gone back to the Lord on Sunday 4th August 2019 @ 7am, breathing her last breath in her sleep in a peaceful manner just as she had wished it would be. Praise God for her wish granted.

God is merciful and faithful. The song which my mother had suddenly sang that day was a song she learnt in church near her house, when she was a little girl of 6 or 8 years old. My mom was on a detour for 82 long years. But God is in control. He never give up on my mother.  He patiently waited for her to come back, with His arms opening wide, waiting to receive her, not willing anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance. This is our God!  Hallelujah! 

This is God’s love and His miraculous saving grace. All glory be our God Almighty, amen.

OPEN BURGER

OPEN BURGER

Stacking up of Open Burger,

recipe inspired by Ding Mee Ling's Bunless Burger.

These are the ingredients used-

Open Burger

180g minced pork or chicken or beef

1/2 big onions, chopped

1/8 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp minced ginger

2 pcs cream crackers, crushed

1/2 egg, beaten

to taste: mix herbs

             black pepper

             salt 

             mustard powder

1. combine all ingredients & leave aside until required

2. shape into 3 patties & fry in cooking oil until done

     - melt some butter in the pan for added flavour

For sauce:

3. combine ketchup, honey and Maggi or A1 sauce

4. add some water & cook over medium heat

To Serve

1) as Ding Mee Ling has done or

2) simply tuck into a burger bun,
    with sauce,  a slice of cheese, fried egg & some vegetable

LUFFA SPONGE GOURD

Luffa Sponge Gourd

Are you familiar with this Sponge Gourd?
Those days many of us have a plant at the fence in the backyard.

The endless supply of the gourd

provides a soupy egg dish regularly on the dining table.

So much so that many of us got tired of it!

My hubby is one of those who does not like it anymore!

I still like it, haha!

So whenever I stumble on it, I will buy one for myself.
I can only cook 1/2

Last time, we had a plant at the backyard.
When it bloomed, it was such a beautiful sight-
blooming bright yellow flowers with so many gourds hanging down!
So much fruits that we had to give away.
Those that were left hanging on the plant just withered and dried up.

When we removed the dried skin and the seeds
we have a supply of sponge for use.

FUZHOU BRAISED TOFU 香乾

香乾
Fuzhou Braised Tofu
is one of the popular delicacies among the Fuzhous in Sitiawan.

These are only available in the morning in the local markets.

If you are late, get from some of the 'ju chou' restaurants.

It may be served plain after slicing
or
cook Fuzhou Popiah
or
braised with pork or chicken or duck.

These are made with firm tofu,
braising until tender and flavorful!

Fuzhou Braised Tofu

10 cubes of firm tofu, cut half

2 plants scallion (green onions)

80g superior light soya sauce

25g sugar

1/4 tsp maggi seasoning

1/8 tsp salt, to taste

2 Tbsp dark soya sauce

500ml water (more to cover the tofu)

1. combine all seasoning & bring to a boil

2. in a slow cooker, put the whole plant of scallion at the base of the pot

3. arrange the tofu closely together in the pot, layer by layer

4. pour the hot seasoning sauce over the tofu, add more boiling water if necessary

5. simmer but do not boil, for 3 hours

6. let cool when done.

Note: 

1. Can leave the tofu to soak in the hot slow cooker overnight.

    Remove them the next day.

FUZHOU POPIAH 春餅

福州春餅

Fuzhou Popiah

Those days we only have it once a year

i.e. during Spring time 春季

Chinese New Year

Nowadays the popiah skin is easily available

(can get from the local market)

so we tend to have it more often.

Fuzhou Popiah is somewhat like the Nonya Yiu Hu Char

because the basic ingredients & preparation are quite similar

except that Roasted Cuttle fish strips is omitted.

This is the Fuzhou Popiah filling

Fuzhou Popiah
Filling:
1/2 mengkuang, cut in thin strips
1" carrots, cut in thin strips
1 Fuzhou Tofu, cut in strips
some shrimps, shelled
1-2 Tbsp minced pork
1/2 handful bean sprouts
some garlic, smashed & coarsely chopped

Seasoning:
1 tsp oyster sauce
salt & pepper to taste

Wrapping:
10 popiah skin
10 lettuce, leaves, optional
fried shallots, must have!
spring onions, chopped
chilli sauce, optional

Method:
1. heat up kuali, add 1 Tbsp cooking oil
2. fry garlic until fragrant, add minced pork & shrimps to fry
3. add carrots & mengkuang to fry
4. add enough water to cook, until mengkuang is soft & tender
5. when the water is almost dry, add tofu, bean sprouts & seasoning
6. dish up & ready to serve
7. place a sheet of the popiah wrapper on a plate
8. smear some chilli sauce, if used, on the popiah skin
9. line it with lettuce & place some filling to side of the skin & wrap up
10. serve hot or deep fried for crunch.

EASY STEAMED EGG CAKE

Easy Steamed Egg Cake

Traditionally,  steamed egg cake
requires much muscle work of beating the eggs until white!

The texture is soft and spongy.
Its ingredients are simple and easily available in the pantry,
a bowl each of sugar, egg and flour!

It is popular among families with many children,
because mom just bake a big tray and the children can eat the whole day!

My husband's family has 6 children.
His eldest sister was usually given the instructions to bake for the family.
So, when she took out the tub and mixer,
all the siblings would conveniently 'disappear'!
You know why!

If you want a recipe of steamed egg cake that is easy,
simply mix and pour,
and can have the little ones to participate in the making,
this is the right recipe for you!

If you are thinking about the soft texture,
this cake is not as soft as the traditional steam egg cake.
It is more for the fun of working together with your kids
and for them to enjoy afterwards!

You can have it plain as I have done
or
added chocolate for marble effect.

I have adapted this recipe from
here

Easy Steamed Egg Cake

1 egg

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp condense milk

1 Tbsp fresh milk

1/2 Tbsp oil

30g self raising flour, sifted

1) beat/mix together all ingredients except flour

2) when well combined, sift in self raising flour

3) mix well

4) pour into 2 lined muffin cups

5) steam on HIGH heat for 15min

Note:

I steamed it in a small electric steamer