Sweet Sour Pork 咕嚕肉

Early this week, hubby requested for sweet sour pork for dinner.  Sweet sour pork is a very delicious dish that most of us will order from zi char stall.  It have been almost 2 years since I last cooked this dish.  Original recipe and method is from a facebook friend, Tiffy Boo.

After deep frying and pan frying

Ingredients:

300g pork shoulder butt

1tbsp Chinese Cooking Wine

1 egg yolk

1tbsp cornflour

Lot of potato starch flour

Chunks of 1 tomato

Chunks of 1-2 capsicum of any colour

Sauce:

5tbsp of tomato sauce

1tbsp of Lee Kum Kee plum sauce

1/2 tsp vinegar

2.5 tbsp sugar

1tbsp cornflour water (1tbsp cornflour: 1tbsp water)

Preparation of sauce:

Mix everything together till sugar dissolve then add cornflour solution in it.

Marinate of pork:

1. Cut pork into cubes of about 1.5cm, each with some fats in it. 

2. Marinate the pork with chinese wine overnight in the fridge in airtight container.

Method of cooking:

1. Coat pork with egg yolk and cornflour for tenderness.

2. Heat up a pot of oil.

3. Coat the marinated pork with potato starch flour thoroughly just before frying.

4. Deep fry the pork under medium heat till golden brown. Dish it up.

5. In a wok, pan fry the pork again to make it crispier. Pork will be totally cooked by now. Dish it out.

6. Heat up 1 tbsp of cooking oil. Add shallot and fry till fragrant.

7. Add tomato and capsicum in the wok. Toss it after 2 minutes and cook for another 1-2 minute.

8. Add in the sauce mixture and cook for 1 minute.

9. Add in the pork and toss it few time till the sauce is evenly coated on the pork.  This step should be fast and complete in less than 1 minute.

Earl Grey Lemon Chiffon

When I saw this recipe from "The Kitchen Story", I tell myself must give it a try.  It is my first time baking tea chiffon and I can say I like it.  I can smell the nice aroma of earl grey when it is almost finish baking in the oven.  Thank you "The Kitchen Society" for sharing your recipe.

Recipe adapted from https://thekitchensociety.comand with my minor adjustment stated

Ingredients:

5 egg whites (I used egg weighing 58g without shell)

70g castor sugar

40g veg oil (I used 50g unsalted butter)

100g top flour (I used cake flour)

1tsp baking powder

1/4tsp cream of tartar

5 Earl grey tea bags

90ml milk

1/2 tsp vanilla bean paste

1 lemon zest

5 egg yolks

18cm tube pan (I used 19cm)

Method:

1. Pour milk in a small pot with 3 tea bags in it.  Let it heat up till hot. Off heat and cover the pot for 30mins.

2. Sift flour and baking powder together.

3. Separate egg whites and yolks.

4. After 30mins reach, squeeze the tea bags and remove the tea bags. Then add butter into the pot and heat it to melt the butter. Once you see bubbles appear at the side of the pot, off heat.

5. Add in egg yolks, vanilla bean paste, tea dust from 2 tea bags, lemon zest and mix it using hand whisk.

6. Add in the sifted flour and baking powder and mix it with hand whisk.

7. In an electric mixer, whisk egg whites at high speed till foamy. 

8. Add cream of tartar when it turn foamy.

9. Add in sugar in 3 batches and continue to whisk till stiff peak form.

10. Mix 1/3 of the meringue to the egg yolk mixture.

11. Transfer this mixture into the reminding egg whites mixture. Use spatula or hand to fold in the mixture thoroughly.

12. Pour batter into tube pan and bake at 160deg for 45 mins.

NOTE: Temp and timing depend on individual oven.

Potato and Luncheon Meat in Tomato Sauce

This is a simple delicious dish which my family like.  Potatoes and luncheon meat is their favourite so today I cook it with tomato sauce.  My hubby said the gravy made him think of sweet and sour pork.  Ok ok I will cook that soon!!!

Ingredients: 

Sauce Recipe adapted and adjust from http://peepor.net/pint/blog/?p=1259

Ingredients:

1 potato, remove skin and cut into cube

1/2 can of luncheon meat, cut into cube

1 green capsicum, cut into pieces

1 red onion, cut into quater

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2tbsp cooking oil

5 tbsp Ketchup sauce

3tsp sugar

3/4 cup water

Cornstarch solution (1tbsp cornflour mix with 1 tbsp water)

Method:

1. Soak the cubed potato in water with salt

2. Heat oil in wok.

3. Pan fry the cubed luncheon meat till all side turn brown. Dish up and set aside.

4. Use kitchen paper to dry the cubed potatoes then pan fry till slightly brown and potatoes is soft. Dish up and set aside.

5. Fry the garlic and onion till fragrant

6. Add in capsicum and stir fry for few minutes.

7. Mix the ketchup, sugar and water in a bowl.  Then add into the wok and let it boil. Add in cornflour solution to thicken the gravy.

8. Add in the pan fried potatoes cubes and luncheon meat cubes and mix to coat with the gravy.

9. Serve with plain rice

Kuih Bahulu

Oh Yes!!! I finally made these super nice Kuih Bahulu which is soft inside and crispy when out of oven.  I had tried two other recipe before but after few hours it turn hard.  Today the recipe from my friend, Juls, is very good.  It is indeed a keeper and I will definately stick to her recipe.  Thank you, Juls, from https://m.facebook.com/julskitchenonfire?_rdr for sharing with me your recipe.

Ingredients:

3 fresh eggs, each weigh 50g without shell
1/2 cup cake flour, sifted
1/3 cup castor sugar or about 73.5g
Pinch of salt

Unsalted butter for greasing the mould

Method:
1. Preheat oven 180 deg
2. Grease the mould with butter and heat the mould in oven for 2 mins. Let the mould stay inside oven before batter is ready.
3. Whisk eggs at high speed till foamy. Add in sugar and continue to whisk.  Add in pinch of salt and continue to whisk till it turn triple in volume.
4. Fold in sifted flour using spatula.
5. Bake at 180 deg using fan mode for about 5-7 minutes.

Perfect Wobbly Silky Smooth Steamed Egg

Sharing with all of you my perfect wobbly silky smooth steamed eggs.  To get a smooth silky texture, the ratio of water to egg play a part and method of preparing the egg mixture is important too.  Never skip a step if you want your steamed egg to be perfect texture.

Ingredients:

3 eggs, per egg weigh 58g without shell

1.5 tsp chicken powder

1 tsp light soya sauce

350ml water

1 tsp sesame oil

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients together using hand whisk.

2. Sift the whole solution into a steaming bowl.

3. Steam using low heat for 15 to 20 min or till set.

Butter Chocolate Marble Chiffon (Cooked Dough Method)

I saw alot of member in a facebook group bake the butter chiffon cake using a blog's recipe.  After alot of good comments on this recipe, I try making chocolate marble chiffon using the same recipe. The texture is soft and light.

Ingredients:

7" tube pan

60g salted butter

85g cake flour, sifted

4 egg yolks

60g milk

1/2 tsp baking powder

4 egg whites

75g caster sugar

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Method:

1. Separate egg yolks and whites.

2. Melt butter in saucepan over low heat. Once bubbles appear at edge, remove sauce pan from heat.

3. Place 2/3 of flour in a karge bowl and immediately pour in the hot butter, quickly stir to become a smooth batter, then add in milk, mix well.

4. Next, add in egg yolk one at a time, stir well after each addition.  Lastly, mix in the remaining 1/3 flour.

5. Beat egg whites till foamy, add in cream of tartar and gradually add in sugar abd continue whisk until firm peak.

6. Take 1/3 of the meringue and use hand whisk to mix well with egg yolk batter.

7. Fold in 1/3 of meringue and use silicon spatula, gently fold with egg yolk batter till slightly combined. Fold in the balance meringue and gently fold till well combined.

8. Pour into tube pan and bake at 150deg for 44min

NOTE: To do Chocolate Marble Effect

Split the egg yolk batter into half

Add 1.5 tsp cocoa powder and 1 tsp milk to one of the splitted yolk batter.

Mango Pudding

Mangoes is in season now and I bought a few last few days ago.  Since it is ripe I got to clear it fast.  Chance upon the recipe from food-4tots.com, so I decided to give it a try.  It is a good try.  The natural smell from mango in the pudding is nice.  For those who wish to try, go ahead.  Sweetness got to adjust according to how sweet is your ripe mangoes.

Pudding mixture in container.

 Ready to chill to set

Recipe adapted from: http://food-4tots.com

Ingredients: 

250g mango puree

300g mango cubes ( I used 200g)

1tbsp gelatin powder (I used 1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp)

1 tsp lemon juice

50-60g sugar (I used 40g)

100 ml + 40ml water

80ml whipping cream (whip up to firm peak)

Method:

1. In a glass bowl, sprinkle gelatin powder over 40ml water. Let the gelatin absorb the liquid and bloom. Set aside.

2. Cut mangoes. Blend 250g into puree. Add in 1/2 tsp lemon juice and mix well.

3. Add another 1/2 tsp lemon juice to mango cubes and set aside.

4. Use a medium saucepan, add in 100ml water and sugar. Use low heat, boil till sugar dissolve. Off heat. Add in soaked gelatin into the saucepan to combine with sugar solution.

5. Add in mangoes puree and mix well.

6. Add in mangoes cubes and mix well.

7. Add in whipped cream and mix well.

8. Place this saucepan over a big large pot fill with cold ice water. Use spatula to stir the mixture until it becomes slightly thick. Remove from ice water.

9. Scoop pudding mixture into mould. Cover with cling wrap and chill in fridge for few hours or overnight till it set.

10. Serve cold with fresh fruits.

Chicken with Ginger In Oyster Sauce

Everyday my daughter will ask me what I cook for dinner.  I am running out of idea what to cook for the family.  Last minute decided to cook chicken with oyster sauce and since she love mushroom, I added mushroom to it.

Ingredients:

(Marinade for chicken)

3 chicken thighs, chopped

2 tbsp oyster sauce

1.5 tbsp light soya sauce

2 tbsp dark soya sauce

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp salt

1 tbsp corn flour

1 tbsp sesame oil

3 ginger, sliced

1 med size red shallot, slice thinly

6 white mushrooms, cut into quarter

1 tbsp rice wine

150ml water

1 tsp sugar, (increase to your own preference)

Dash of pepper

1 stalk of spring onion, cut into shorter length

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken thighs with the marinade for 30 mins

2. Heat wok under medium heat. Add sesame in. Add in ginger and shallot and fry till the shallot is soft.

3. Add in the marinated chicken together with the marinade and add in the mushroom.  Stir fry for few minutes.

4. Add in rice wine and continue stir fry till chicken almost cook.

5. Add in water and cover the wok to let it boil. Once boil, add sugar to your preferred taste.

6. Add in pepper and spring onion. Stir fry for awhile then dish up.

Mango Ice Cream

Last few weeks ago, the mangoes I bought is $0.99 each. Last week, my friend told me price reduced further.  It cost only $0.89 each.  Haha how can I resist not buying so I went to buy some to make ice cream.  I used Kenneth Goh's recipe and made amendment to the condense milk used according to the sweetness of my mangoes.

After blending and whipping done!

Set!!! Ready to enjoy the ice cream

Recipe adapted and with my amendment: https://kwgls.wordpress.com

Ingredients:

300ml thickened cream

80g condensed milk

300g mango puree

some diced mangoes to mix into ice cream batter and decorate when serving

Method:

1. Cut mango flesh out and put it into blender with condensed milk. Blend till very smooth and set aside.

2. In a mixer, whisk the thickened cream until firm peak.

3. Fold in half of the cream to the mango puree lightly. Then pour this mixture to the other half of the whipped cream. Fold until well combined.

4. Transfer to a empty 1 litre ice cream box and mix in some diced mangoes. Cover and place in the freezer for the ice cream to set.

5. To serve, you can add some dice mangoes onto the ice cream.

Korea Pancake

I saw the video on making Korea Pancake by Just One Cookbook and it seem so easy.  Without much hesitation, today afternoon I made this as tea break snack.  The only thing is need to use rice vinegar as it is mention in the blog that rice vinegar has milder taste so it is advisable to use rather than normal vinegar.  I saw this rice flavour distilled vinegar at my neighbourhood supermart. I went ahead to buy it although packaging is different from the blog recipe.  Anyway it is still belong to mizkan product.

Recipe adapted from: http://www.justonecookbook.com

Ingredients:

10 stalk green onions

1 large egg

100g medium prawns, cleaned and deveined

1-2 tbsp cooking oil

Batter:

72g cake flour

1/2tsp kosher salt (I used normal salt since do not have kosher salt)

120ml cold water

Dipping sauce:

1 tbsp soy sauce

1tsp rice vinegar

1 thinly slice green onion

1/4 tsp chilli flakes

1/4 tsp roasted sesame seeds

1/8 tsp sugar (optional, if vinegar is too strong)

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients for dipping sauce and set aside.

2. Cut the end of the green onion and then cut into half.

3. Beat the egg in a small bowl and set aside.

4. Combine cake flour and salt in a mixing bowl to make batter. Slowly add cold water and whisk till just combined. Do not overmix the batter as it will create gluten and the pancake won't have good texture.

5. Place a non stick pan over med heat and add the oil when pan is hot. Then spread out the green onion on the bottem of the pan and add the prawns

6. Drizzle batter to cover the green onion and prawns and make sure the is batter between the ingredients so that they will held together.

7. Lightly pour the beaten egg over the batter. Cook for 3 mins until the edge of the pancake get crispy and the bottom is nicely golden brown. Flip and cook for another 3 mins, press down the pancake with spatula occasionally until it is crispy and golden brown.

8. Transfer to plate. Cut with a scissor and serve with dipping sauce.

Ginseng Herbal Chicken Soup

I have not cook herbal soup for very long time.  Even last time when I cooked, I usually buy prepacked herb from chinese medical hall shop.  Today, I used the herbs that I have in my fridge to cook this simple ginseng herbal chicken soup.

Ingredients:

2 pieces chicken thigh leg

3-4 pieces dang sheng

3 pieces dang gui, wash 2-3times before use

3-4 pieces bei qi

1 ginseng

Some wild yu zu

10 to 12 red dates

Some wolfberries

1500ml water

salt to taste

Method:

1. Remove fats from the chicken

2. Wash all the herbs and put into a pot.

3. Fill pot with water.

4. Place chicken thigh into the pot and cover pot.

5. Bring it to boil then lower the heat to low and simmer for 2.5 hrs or 3hrs.

6. Serve

Non-Bake Oreo Cheesecake

This is my 2nd Birthday Cake and it is ready to cut tomorrow!!! It is another non-bake cheesecake and I choose oreo because oreo cheesecake is very well like by alot of people including myself.
Again I used the recipe from Mandy's Baking Blog.  Thanks Mandy for your recipe.

Recipe adapted from :http://mandysbakingjourney.blogspot

Ingredients for Base:

100g Oreo Cookies without filling

50g melted butter

Method for Base:

1. Line the base of 8inch(i used 6inch) spring form tin. Crush the oreo cookies and add the melted butter.

2. Press firmly into the base of the tin and chill for 30 mins in the fridge.

Ingredients for filling:

300g cream cheese

80g icing sugar

10g lemon juice

50g milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

200g whipping cream

10g gelatine soften in 50g water

6 pieces oreo cookies without filling, crushed and set aside

Some oreo cookies, cut into half for deco on top of cheesecake

Method for filling:

1. Dissolve gelatine in water under hot water bath.

2. Whisk cream cheese with icing sugar then add milk and combine till smooth. Set aside.

3. Whisk the whipping cream to soft peak and slowly pour in the cooled gelatine and keep whisking until it has completely mixed in well.

4. Fold in the cream cheese mixture with the whipped cream mixture. Then pour in lemon juice and vanilla extract and whisk to combine.

5. Split the mixture into two portion.

6. Add crushed 6 pieces oreo into one portion and mix well. Pour this mixture into the prepared spring form tin.

7. Then pour the other portion on top.

8. Chill for overnight.

9. Next day remove cheesecake from spring form tin. Pipe some frosting cream on top and deco half oreo biscuit on the frosted cream.

Pork, Prawns, White Mushrooms with Oyster Sauce

A simple dish today or can always called it one dish meal served with rice.  Nothing special about this dish but it is yummy which my kids love it too. Today is a lazy day for me so I just cooked this as main dish.

Ingredients:

150g pork fillet, sliced
10 prawns, remove shell and deveined
2-3 white mushroom
1/4 red bell pepper
1/4 green bell pepper
3 clove garlic
2 slice ginger
Dash of Hua tiao wine
Cooking oil
1 tsp oyster sauce
Abit of dark soya sauce
1/4 tsp chicken powder
pinch of salt
130ml Water

Marinade for pork:
1.5 tsp Corn flour
1 tsp Light soya sauce
Dash of pepper
1/8tsp chicken powder

Method:
1. Marinate the pork and set aside.
2. Heat wok with oil. Sauteed ginger and garlic till fragrant.
3. Add in bell pepper and mushroom and stir fry for few mins.
4. Add in marinated pork and stir fry to separate the pork.
5. Add in oyster sauce, light soya sauce, dash of pepper, chicken powder, hua tiao wine and water then bring to boil.
6. Add in prawns and give a few stir till prawns is cooked.
7. Serve

Non-Bake Mango Cheesecake

Last week my friend share with me that Giant supermarket was having offer on mango. 1 mango only cost $0.99.  Thus I made a trip to the supermarket and bought back some mangoes which still not ripe at all.  Waited a few days for it to ripe and I can made the non bake mango cheesecake.  As my birthday is also approaching, I made this cheesecake as my birthday cake too.  I used a 6 inch cake tin with removable base type and still can manage to make 2-3 cupcake size cheesecake.

These mangoes from giant supermarket

selling at $0.99 each.

Recipe adapted from: http://mandysbakingjourney.blogspot.sg

Ingredients:

For base

100g digestive biscuits, crushed

50g melted unsalted butter

For filling

250g philadelphia cream cheese, softened

100g castor sugar

2tbsp lemon juice

1tbsp gelatine

200g mango puree

200ml whipping cream

For jelly topping

150g mango puree

1tbsp gelatine

4tbsp water

Method:

1. Place the biscuits in a ziplock bag. Seal the opening. Use a roller to roll and crush the biscuits into crumbs.

2. Add melted butter into the crumbs and mix it thoroughly.

3. Press the crumbs into removable base cake tin and few cupcake cases. Chill for 30 mins.

4. Dissolve gelatine in lemon juice over hot water bath.

5. Beat cream cheese and sugar in mixer until smooth. Add gelatine mixture and beat until well combined. Add in mango puree and beat well. Set aside.

6. Whip up the whipping cream till almost stiff.  Fold in the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture.

7.Pour over the prepared cake tin and cupcake cases. Place in the fridge.

Prepare jelly topping:

1. Place gelatine with water over hot water bath for the gelatine to dissolve.

2. Pour the gelatin mixture into mango puree and mix well with any utensil(spoon or spatula)

3. Take the the cheesecake cake from fridge and pour the jelly topping onto the cheesecake.

4. Return the cheesecake into fridge for few mins till the jelly topping is half set.

5. Prepare some strawberries and blueberries then deco on top of the jelly topping.

Lastly let the cheesecake chill overnight in the fridge.

NOTE: To remove the cheesecake from cupcake case, I cut the top of the cakecup case. Then slowly cut downward. Insert a small knife at the bottom of the cheesecake, slowly push up then serve it on the small round mini cake board.