Another Day...

Recently keep waking up around 6am plus, but I will usually laze in bed till 7am :P Sometimes feeling lazy to cook twice a day, I would prepare meals that will last through dinner time! This morning after waking, I prepare a corn soup, upon reaching home after sending my boy to school, starts busy preparing 2 stir-fry dish...after cleaning the dishes & have a quick bathe, rush to fetch my boy again...this is one of my usual days :) but luckily school holidays coming! can slow down my pace & laze in bed longer? hahaha...

Onion Omelette

Beat 3 eggs (add pinch of salt, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1/2 tsp light soya sauce)
Slice 1 white onion finely, saute till soft, add beaten eggs, panfried till golden brown on both sides..

Fine Long Beans with minced

• 200gm fine long beans
• 100gm minced pork
• 1 tbsp dried shrimps, softened & chopped
• 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
  

Method

1. Marinate minced pork with 1 tsp light soya sauce, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1/2 tsp cornstarch. Set aside.
2. Heat 3 tbsp oil in wok, deep fry long beans till crispy for about 5 mins. Dish up & drain well.
3. Leave about 1 tbsp spoon oil in wok, add garlic & dried shrimps, fry till fragrant. Add minced pork and mix evenly.
4. Add fried long beans, 1/2 tbsp light soya sauce, 1 tbsp wine & some pepper, stir evenly. Serve.
   

Baked Teriyaki Chicken

Succulent & tender!

Ingredient

• 3 chicken thighs
• 1/2 cup teriyaki sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
  

Method

1. Marinate chicken thighs for at least 24hrs.
2. Bake in preheated oven at 200 deg cel for 40mins, baste with remaining sauce & honey on both side during bake time.
   

Vanilla Cupcakes

Vanilla Cupcakes again?? confirmed that I've made some mistake with the proportion of flour used for the previous recipe!! I happen to see BakingMum also have a similar recipe so I 'restudy' the recipe and half the recipe from there :) better result this time, raise properly & fluffier texture...

Ingredient

• 90gm cake flour
• 70gm plain flour
• 120gm castor sugar
• 1/2 tbsp baking powder
• 1/3 tsp salt
• 110gm unsalted butter, cubed
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 tbsp vanilla essence

Method

1. Sift flour & baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Mix in sugar & salt evenly.
2. Beat in butter on medium speed till just evenly coated with flour.
3. Mix eggs, milk & vanilla essence in a bowl. Beat in gradually into flour mixture till just combined. Do not overbeat.
4. Scoop into baking cups 2/3 full and bake in preheated oven at 180 deg cel for 20-25mins till golden brown.

Recipe adapted from BakingMum

Marmite Chicken

Since young till now I never really like Brovil or Marmite. Sometimes I do add a small amount to my boy's porridge :) . Happen to find this recipe and since got a bottle of Marmite at home, thinking no harm trying out this dish, curious how it will taste like :) tasty savoury dish, great along with a bowl of hot rice with the gravy...but I still would not add a scoop of Marmite into my porridge though hahaha....

Ingredient

• 500gm chicken
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp corn flour

Sauce:
2 tbsp Marmite yeast extract
1 tbsp maltose
1 tbsp honey
1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
A dash of pepper
100 ml water

Method

1. Mix chicken with marinade and marinate for 1 hour. Pan fry in hot oil for till golden brown. Dish and drain.
2. Leave 1 tbsp oil in wok, pour in sauce and cook at medium heat until thick. Put in fried chicken and mix well. Simmer for 2 mins, dish up and serve.

Steamed Moist Chocolate Cake

Happy Birthday To Me...
Happy Birthday To Me...
Happy Birthday Happy Birthday...
Happy Birthday To Me!

No need oven nor mixer, just a hand whisk, mixing bowl & steamer! Very good recipe indeed, soft & moist :) I've adjusted the butter & sugar content for the cake & fudge, sweetness is just right!!

Ingredient

• 150g unsalted butter
• 170g fine sugar
• 200ml evaporated milk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 125g plain flour
• 70g cocoa powder (I used Valrhona Brand)
  
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Method

1. Combine sugar, evaporated milk, vanilla essence and butter in a saucepan. Stir over low heat until sugar is dissolved and butter has melted. Remove from heat.
2. Add the beaten eggs into the slightly cooled mixture and stir till well mixed.
3. Sift the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and baking soda into a large mixing bowl. Add the eggs mixture over the flour and stir till smooth. (Batter should be runny).
4. Heat up the steamer. Lined and grease a 7" baking pan. Pour the batter into prepared pan and place into the steamer. Cover the top of the pan loosely with a piece of aluminum foil.
5. Steam over medium heat for 45 minutes. Check for doneness by inserting a skewer into the cake. If it comes out clean, it’s done. If not, steam for a further 5 minutes.
6. Cool the cake in pan before turning out for frosting.

CHOCOLATE FUDGE

Ingredients

• 35g cocoa powder, sifted
• 50gm corn flour, sifted
• 1 cup evaporated milk
• 2 egg yolks
• 175ml water
• 120g sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 50g unsalted butter
  

Method

1. Mix all ingredients well (except the butter. stir over double boiler at low heat till thickened. (takes abt 10mins to thicken)
   
2. Add butter, turn off fire and stir till the butter melts.
3. Spread the warm fudge over the cake to coat evenly.
4. Chill the cake in the fridge before serving.
   

Recipe modified from cuisine asia

Honey Cornflakes

Crispy sweet cornflakes in little cups :) easy to prepare but timing consuming when filling them into small cups.

Ingredient (makes abt 85 cups)
* 60gm butter
* 50ml honey
* 1 tbsp sugar
* 1/4 tsp salt
* 150gm corn flakes
* 60gm groundnuts (toasted)
* 3 tbsp white sesame (toasted)
Method

1. Place butter, honey, sugar & salt in a wok. Turn on low heat, stir till sugar & butter dissolved. Turn off heat.
2. Add in corn flakes & groundnuts, mix evenly. Add in sesame and mix again.
3. Spoon into small paper cups and bake in preheated oven at 160 deg cel for 10mins. Cool completely before storing.
   

Mushroom Sesame Salad

my latest 'toy' in the kitchen :P bought at Daiso for only $2, great for grinding small ingredient ...

Ingredient

• 4 large fresh shitake mushroom, sliced
• 1 bunch enoki mushroom
• 2 杏鲍菇, sliced
• 3 slices ginger
• 2 stalk spring onion, chopped
• 1 small yellow capsicum, sliced
• 1 small red capsicum, sliced
• 1 small japanese cucumber, sliced
• 1 1/2 tbsp white sesame, toast & mill
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tbsp mirin
• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• dash of pepper

Method

1. Put ginger in a pot of water, bring to boil. Add shitake mushroom & 杏鲍菇 and cook for 2 mins. Add enoki mushroom and cook briefly (overcook will toughen the enoki). Remove from heat. Drain well.
2. Place all ingredient in a mixing bowl and toss well. Can be served warm or chilled.
   

Matcha Cold Noodles

Taste refreshing when eaten in hot weather! slurp.... ^o^ can use any types of Japanese noodles but my favourite is Cha Soba (green tea noodles)! For this dish, the sauce and noodle must be very chill. So I actually prepare the sauce the night before and chill in the fridge till use :) How to chill the noodles?? After cooking the noodles according to package, I drain away the hot water, rinse with tap water and drain well again. Throw in a bunch of ice cube and mix evenly and drain well before serving.

For sauce making, dissolves 10gm instant dashi in 700ml boiled water, stir in 1/2 tbsp mirin & 1/3 cup soy sauce. Chill thoroughly before serving. Serve with cold noodles, seaweed, omelette, spring onions & wasabi.

Fruity Prawn Salad

No complicated salad dressing, I only toss the salad with lemon juice and some sweetener.

Ingredient : Prawns, avocado, mango, apple, kiwi, lettuce, mint leaves, lemon juice & sweetener.

Birthday Cupcakes

'Flower Blossoms' Cupcakes for my sis-in-law birthday! :) hope she likes them...decorate with buttercream & homemade fondant.

Lemon Cupcakes

Ingredient
* 200gm unsalted butter
* 170gm sugar
* 4 eggs
* 230gm self-raising flour
* 1/2 tsp baking soda
* 2 tsp grated lemon rind
* 4 tbsp lemon juice

Method

1. Sift flour & baking soda in a mixing bowl. Add all the ingredient, beat till smooth & pale for 3 mins.
2. Spoon batter into cupcases 1/2 full. Baked in preheated oven at 180 deg cel for 20-25mins till golden brown.
   

Buttercream

Ingredient

• 100gm unsalted butter
• 100gm shortening
• 200gm -300 gm icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
  
• colouring paste

Method

1. Sift icing sugar. Beat butter & shortening together. Add vanilla essence and mix evenly.
   
2. Add icing sugar gradually (add 100gm each time to reach the consistency require, u may not need to use all the icing sugar) and beat till smooth & fluffy.
3. Using a toothpick, add a little colour paste to appropriate amount of plain buttercream and mix evenly with a small spatula.
   
4. Use immediately or chill in fridge in air-tight container. Can be kept in fridge for 2 weeks.

Okonomiyaki

Okonomiyaki is a Japanese-style pancakes. Okonomi means favorites in Japanese which mean you can add your favorite ingredients in a okonomiyaki! Upon browsing through online, realise there are 2 version of okonomiyaki, Osaka-style & Hiroshima-style!! In Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, chopped cabbage is cooked on top of thinly spread batter, whereas Osaka-style okonomiyaki, chopped cabbage is mixed with the batter and cooked together. What I did over here is the Osaka version serve with homemade okonomiyaki sauce & mayonnaise :)

How to create ripples patterns on the pancakes? Pipe mayonnaise horizontally across the pancakes, use a chopstick or stick, draw vertically down the straight lines. Voilapatterns appear!

Ingredient (3 pancakes)

• 180gm cabbage, finely shred
• 5 tbsp bonito flakes
• 2 stalk spring onion, finely slice
• chicken/prawn/squid, thinly slice
  
• salt
  
• pepper

Batter

• 2 eggs
• 3/4 cup instant dashi stock
• 130gm plain flour
• 1 tsp baking powder

Okonomiyaki Sauce

• 6 tbsp worcestershire sauce
• 8 tbsp tomato ketchup
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp sugar

Method

1. Marinate chicken/prawn/squid lightly with salt & pepper. Set aside.
2. Beat egg until frothy, stir in stock. Gradually sift in flour & baking powder. Mix till smooth.
3. Mix cabbage, bonito flakes & spring onion in a large mixing bowl. Stir in egg batter.
   
4. Warm up sauce ingredient till sugar dissolves. Set aside. Scoop 1/3 cabbage mixture into a bowl, add in some chicken/prawn/squid and mix evenly.
   
5. Lightly grease a non-stick pan, pour the mixture onto the heated pan, press lightly down to shape into round shape. Cook on medium heat for 8-10mins till set & brown. Using 2 spatulas, turn the pancakes over and cook the other side till brown. Repeat procedures with balance batter.
   
6. Remove and place of serving plate. Spread with some okonomiyaki sauce, drizzle mayonnaise over and top with extra bonito flakes.

Vanilla Cupcakes

hmmm...not sure why the cupcakes did not raise properly. But the brown cases one did have a nice dome. The cake texture is slightly dense but is still soft to taste. I follow the instructions carefully and did not over beat the mixture, is it because I half the recipe that affect all these hiccups? clueless.....

Ingredient

• 110gm cake flour
• 80gm plain flour
• 100gm castor sugar
• 1/2 tbsp baking powder
• 1/3 tsp salt
• 125gm unsalted butter, cubed
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

1. Sift flour & baking powder into a large mixing bowl. Mix in sugar & salt evenly.
2. Beat in butter on medium speed till just evenly coated with flour.
3. Mix eggs, milk & vanilla essence in a bowl. Beat in gradually into flour mixture till just combined. Do not overbeat.
4. Scoop into baking cups 2/3 full and bake in preheated oven at 180 deg cel for 20-25mins till golden brown.
   

Recipe adapted from Jthorge

Shaped Egg

One of my gadgets in my pantry :P Initially I used a small egg and I could not get a proper shaped egg, therefore I used a large egg to try out again. To mould the egg without breaking into pieces, the egg must be hot when the white is still resilient for easy shaping. That means after the egg is cooked it must be removed from water immediately and remove the shell!

Onigiri

Dunno what to cook today, so just prepare simple japanese rice balls! I used short grain rice eg. calrose instead of long grain rice, as it is more starchy and makes it easy to mould the shape. Using a rice mould to shape the onigiri, less messier than shaping with hands! :) din add any seasoning to rice so hubby commented it tasted bland :P

Salmon Onigiri

Seaweed & Sesame Onigiri

Japanese Theme Lunch

Chawanmushi & Sushi Handroll

Ingredient : Teriyaki Salmon, Unagi, Crabstick, Prawns, Cucumber, Avocado, Wasabi-Mayo, Yaki-Nori Seaweed, Sushi Rice

Method of Cooking Sushi Rice : Boil 2 cups calrose rice till cooked, stir in vinegar mixture (3 tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar & 1/2 tsp salt) while rice is hot, fanning at the same time. This will give the rice a glossy appearance :) . I've added extra 1 tbsp toasted white sesame for extra flavour!

Chawamushi
Ingredient

• 3 eggs
• 300ml instant dashi
• 2 tsp light soya sauce
• 2 tsp mirin
• shitake mushroom
• crabstick
• chicken breast
• gingko nuts

Method

1. Beat eggs lightly, add in dashi stock, soya sauce & mirin. Mix evenly.
2. Add appropriate amount of mushroom, crabstick, chicken breast & gingko nuts into individual ramekins, sieve egg mixture over the ingredient.
   
3. Steam over boiling water on high for 3mins, reduce heat and continue to steam for 12 mins or till set.

Happy Mother's Day!

My first flourless cake! Simple & easy to bake, only 3 ingredients needed!! It is normal for the surface to sink :) Soft & moist....

"Chocolate Valentino"
Flourless Chocolate Cake
Ingredient
* 250gm dark chocolate converture
* 75gm unsalted butter
* 3 eggs, separated

Method

1. Double-boil chocolate & butter together till melted. Cool completely.
2. Beat egg yolks lightly, stir into melted chocolate.
3. Add a pinch of salt into egg whites, beat on high speed till stiff.
4. Fold into 1/3 of egg white foam into chocolate mixture. Pour the batter into the balance egg white foam. Fold till evenly mix.
5. Line a 7" pan, bake in preheated oven at 180 deg cel for 30mins. Cool completely in pan. Dust with cocoa powder.

Recipe adpated from Chef Wan

Green Tea Ice Cream

Another homemade ice cream!! I just love green tea ^-^... is creamy & taste of green tea is distinctive enough, though a couple of hiccups during the making process! As I did not control the heat properly, the custard starts to curdle during the process! I panic and quickly remove the pan from the stove. The custard is not as smooth due to the curdling, not wanting to dump the whole mass, I continue with the rest of the procedures hoping it will turn out fine -.- "

When folding the custard into the whipped cream, realised the tone of the green not as vibrant as what I wanted! kind of disappointed..I've only added 1.5 tbsp of matcha powder for the 1st batch and I think I've added too much cream causing the green tone to 'fade away'. Nevertheless the end result is satisfactory for me :)

Weather very hot causing the ice cream to melt very fast! This is the 2nd batch which I've added more green tea powder :)

Ingredient

• 300ml milk
• 4 egg yolks
• 90gm sugar
• 1 tsp cornflour
• 300ml thickened cream
• 3 tbsp matcha green tea powder

Method

1. Pour the milk into a saucepan. Bring it to the boil, then remove the pan from the heat, add the green tea powder and leave to infuse for 30 minutes or until cool.
2. Whisk the egg yolks, caster sugar and cornflour in a bowl until thick and foamy. Warm up green tea milk, then gradually whisk it into the yolk mixture. Pour the combined mixture back into the saucepan.
3. Cook the mixture over a low heat, stirring it continuously until it approaches boiling point and thickens to the point where the custard will coat the back of a wooden spoon. Do not let the custard overheat or it may curdle. Take the pan off the heat and continue stirring, making sure to take the spoon right around the bottom edges of the pan.
4. Pour the custard into a bowl and cover the surface with a clear film to prevent the formation of a skin. Leave to cool, then chill in the fridge for at least 12hrs.
5. Whisk cream to soft peak. Fold the whipped cream into the chilled custard and pour the mixture into a freezer proof container.

Recipe modified from Elinluv & Passion Baker