Fried Chicken & Buttermilk Waffles

Another unusual meal I've prepared for the kids....crispy fried chicken with buttermilk waffles! I seldom make deep fried food for them, therefore when they saw this being served, they were absolutely delighted! 

I've used skinless chicken thigh, less sinful without the skin :) The buttermilk waffles tasted really crisp and light when freshly made. But alas one side of the waffle maker plate seems to be wearing off soon, uneven browning and losing its non-stick quality. 

Crispy Fried Chicken 

Ingredient

• 1 kg skinless chicken thigh
• 2 tbsp ginger juice
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp mashed garlic
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 2 tbsp fried chicken powder

Coating (mix well)

• 2 tbsp plain flour
• 5 tbsp fried chicken powder
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 1/2 tsp five spice powder

* 1 large bowl of water filled with ice cubes

Method

1. Coat the chicken thighs evenly with marinade and chill overnight.
2. The next day, remove the marinated chicken fridge and allow to come to room temperature before frying.
3. Heat oil in a wok over medium heat. Coat the chicken with coating mixture, shake away excess. Briefly dip the coated chicken into icy water. Remove and repeat coating the chicken. 
4. Gently slide the chicken pieces, in batches, and fry over medium heat until the chicken pieces are golden brown and crisp. Drain well on kitchen paper before serving.

Recipe ref : FB Lifangcook

Buttermilk Waffles
Ingredient

• 250gm plain flour
• 2 tbsp fine sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 500ml buttermilk
• 120ml unsalted butter, melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs

Method

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
2. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, butter, vanilla and eggs.
3. Pour the egg mixture into flour and mix until the batter is just combined.
4. Heat waffle machine and brush with oil. Scoop batter onto heated iron and cook until waffles are golden brown and crisp, about 5 mins. Repeat till all batter are used up.

Recipe ref : marthastewart.com

Petaling Street Longan Drink

Nowadays the weather is so unbearable that I'm constantly feeling sticky and sweaty :( Always feels so good to gulp down a glass of icy water anytime of the day! Yes I don't stock up soft drinks nor canned juice in my fridge, even when I'm out I always bring along my 800ml water bottle hahaha.....ok back to this lovely sweet herbal drink which is made up with winter melon, luohanguo, dried longans and rock sugar. Sweet, concentrated infusion which you need to dilute with lots of ice before serving. Icy cold, sweet and refreshing, just right for this hot weather!

Luo Han Guo, dried longans, wintermelon & rock sugar

Recipe ref : WendyinKK
Ingredient

• 300gm wintermelon
• 300gm rock sugar
• 3 Luo Han Guo
• 100gm dark longan flesh
• 2 litres water

Method

1. Scrub the skin of the winter melon and discard the seeds. Cut into large chunks, skin on.
2. Place winter melon into a pot with 2L water and bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 2 hours, lid on.
3. Lightly crush luo han guo and put them into the pot together with the rock sugar. Simmer for another one hour.
4. Strain the infusion into another pot,  about 1L left. Put in dark longan flesh and simmer for another 10 mins, turn off heat.
5. Cool the mixture completely. 
6. To serve, fill a small bowl full with ice cubes, spoon some of the cooled longan infusion over, let it melt for 5 minutes before serving.

* As suggested by Wendy in her blog, I've added about 1L of water to the strained mixture and simmered it again to get 2nd extract :D

Best Recipes for Everyone May 2015 Event Theme: My Favourite Desserts Organized by Fion of XuanHom's Mom and co-host by  Aunty Young

Hawthorn Apple Tea 山楂苹果茶

Oh my goodness....the haze is back!!! Hope it won't get worse as the days comes by >.<" Meanwhile let's drink more water to stay well hydrate. Bore with plain water, try this lovely sweet hawthorn apple tea.  We love to serve it chilled, refreshing and bursting with apple fragrant! :D

Recipe ref : www.tastehongkong.com

Ingredient

• 40gm dried hawthorns
• 6 small red apples
• 50gm rock sugar, or to taste
• 8 cups water

Method

1. Rinse dried hawthorns a few times. Soak in some water for 15 mins. Drain away water and rinse briefly.
2. Peel and core apple. Cut into quarters.
3. Put hawthorns and apple in a pot with 8 cups water. Bring to boil. Cook over medium low heat for about 45 mins. Add rock sugar to taste and simmer till sugar is well dissolved.
4. Serve warm or chilled.

This post is linked to the event, Little Thumbs up organised by Doreen from my little favourite DIY and me, Bake for Happy Kids, hosted by Kit from I-Lost in Austen at this post.

Mango Lassi

Mangoes season is here again?! Recently saw lots of cheap and nice mangoes everywhere so therefore it is  a good chance to grab some to make some sweet desserts :) 

Recipe source : Indian Khana
Ingredient

• 2 cups natural thick yogurt, chilled
• 2 cups chopped mango, chilled
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp fresh grounded cardamon
• for garnishing : chopped pistachio, saffron & mint leaves

Method

1. Place mango and sugar in a blender and puree.
2. Add in yogurt and grounded cardamon and blended till smooth.
3. Pour in serving glass or chill.

I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest - Indian Subcontinent hosted by Chef and Sommelier

Cloudy Lemonade

The Meyer lemon fruit is yellow and rounder than a true lemon. The skin is fragrant and thin and have a sweeter, less acidic than the common lemons. The whole fruit is being blended till fine with some soda water, thereafter sieved to get the juice. The lemonade tasted less tart and more sweeter! Very refreshing for cooling down the body!

Recipe source : 'Nigella Express' by Nigella Lawson
Ingredient

• 4 cups chilled soda water
• 2 whole meyer lemons, cut into chunks
• 1/4 cup fine sugar, or to taste

Method

1. Put the water, lemons and sugar into a blender in two batches, and blitz until the lemon is pureed.
2. Sieve the lemonade into a pitcher, pressing down into the sieve, and then pour into  tumblers filled with ice.

I'm linking this post to Cook Like A Star, All-Stars Anniversary Party, hosted by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids, Mich of Piece of Cake and Joyce of Kitchen Flavours

Cook-Your-Books #11 hosted by Kitchen Flavours

Pickled Roselle & Roselle Jam

The heat is killing me again......feeling refreshed after gulping down a glass of sparkling roselle drink!  It just resembles Ribena!  As I rarely let my kids drink Ribena 'cos of its high sugar content, that's why they are so delighted when get to drink this homemade 'roselle juice' ^0^

These are fresh roselle which I've bought from the wet market. I find it relatively cheap 100gm for S$0.30? ^0^ Therefore I've bought quite a quantity for making pickled roselle and jam! 

Making of roselle pickles

Recipe source : Vivian Pang Kitchen
Ingredient

• 250gm fresh roselle (net wgt after removing the central seedpod)
• juice from 1 lemon
• 300gm sugar

Method

1. Make a 3cm cut at the bottom of the seedpod. Push the seed out and keep the red fleshy calyx (try not to tear up the whole calyx)
2. Rinse the red fleshy calyx thoroughly.
3. Bring a pot of water to boil. Add in clean red fleshy calyx and blanch for about 5 seconds. Remove and drain. Leave aside to cool.
4. In a mixing bowl, add in cool calyx together with lemon juice and 150gm sugar. Mix gently to combine.
5. Prepare a clean jar. Spoon in calyx mixture. Add in remaining 150gm sugar over the top.
6. Close the lid and leave the jar at room temperature for 3 days before refrigerate. (turn over the jar each day to ensure all the calyx is evenly covered with the sugar syrup.

Pickled Roselle after 3rd day

Puree roselle for making the jam. A simple and fast process of cooking the jam by blending the deseeded roselle prior to cooking. 

Recipe source : Vivian Pang Kitchen

Ingredients

• 250gm fresh roselle calyx (net wgt after removing seedpod)
• 1/2 cup water
• 300gm brown sugar

Method

1. Wash the red fleshy calyx till clean. Tear into small size. Blend (in batches) with water till fine.
2. Pour the blended roselle into a pot. Add in sugar and cook at medium low heat until the mixture becomes thick, for about 30mins. Stir occasionally during the end of the process to prevent the mixture fro scorching.
3. Turn off heat. Immediately transfer the jam into a warm sterilised jar and seal up tightly.

Black Bean Soymilk

Ever since having this Joyoung soy maker, I've been making soy milk very frequently! Now there are loads of frozen soybean pulp sleeping in my freezer hahaha...Besides making the usual soybean milk, I've try out the blackbean version which my family loves it too! As blackbean has a slight bitter aftertaste, I mixed in some soybean so that the taste is more acceptable for the kids :) What to do with the blackbean pulp? Look out for the coming post on how to utilise them rather than discarding them into bins  ^o^

Ingredient

• 70gm dried black beans
• 30gm dried soy beans
• 1L water

Method

1. Rinse both beans thoroughly. 
2. Place beans and water into soy maker. Select 'dry beans' and start the maker.
3. The machine will beep when the milk is ready after 25mins. 
4. Strain the milk into a clean jug. Stir in sugar to taste. 

Apple, Apricot Kernels & Snow Fungus Tea

Let's have some homemade cooling tea to beat this warm weather! Serve this to kids rather than unhealthy packed fruit juice, which I rarely give my kids :) Homemade fruit juice? I rarely made this too as all the fibre are being separated after processed, basically drinking 'sugar' >0< So plain water is the best! hahaha 

Recipe source :  Food & Travel Sept 2005
Ingredient

• 2 large red apples
• 2 large green apples
• 30gm dried snow fungus
• 6 seedless red dates
• 100gm sweet apricot kernels 南杏
• 50gm bitter apricot kernels 北杏
• rock sugar to taste

Method

1. Wash and core the apples, cut into chunks.
2. Rinse the snow fungus and cut off the hard base. Tear the fungus into pieces.
3. Place all ingredients, except sugar, in a large pot filled with 3L water.
4. Bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 1 hour until the snow fungus is almost jelly like.
5. Add sugar to taste. Serve warm or chilled.

Homemade Soy Bean Milk

This is my latest gadget, Joyoung Soymaker, in my kitchen ^.^ no I did not buy it, is passed down from my father whom lazy to use it after a few times. But I like the soymaker as is very convenient! It takes about 25mins for the milk to be ready and my kids get to enjoy freshly made soymilk :)

Ingredient

• 90gm organic soybeans, soaked 6-8 hours (I soaked it overnight)
• 1L hot water
• 2 blades panda leave, cut into short strips
• sugar to taste

Method

1. Place soaked beans into the machine, add in water.
2. Press "good soy milk (soaked beans)" button.
3. The machine will beep when the milk is ready after 25mins. 
4. Place cut pandan leaves in a clean jug. Strain the milk into the jug and steep for a while. Stir in sugar to taste. 
5. Reserve the okara for further use!! Stay tune for my posting on using okara! ^.*

Water Chestnut, Barley & Sugar Cane Drink

Festive season is getting nearer,  while indulge in all kind of the delicious cookies and food, remember to drink more water  to prevent sore throat whatsoever! ;) 

马蹄薏米竹蔗水

Ingredient

• 340gm sugar cane, cut into short length
• 15 water chestnut, clean thoroughly & peeled
• 5 tbsp barley, rinsed
• 100gm rock sugar
• 2L water

Method

1. Place all ingredient, except sugar, bring to boil.
2. Lower heat and simmer for 2 hours.
3. Add sugar and boil till dissolves. 
4. Discard cane sugar, serve the drink with barley & water chestnut.

Savoury Fried Glutinous Rice

Ingredient

• 300gm glutinous rice, soaked for 4 hours
• 8 dried shitake mushroom, softened and finely diced
• 50gm dried shrimps, softened and roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp preserved radish, soaked and rinsed
• 3 shallots, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1/2 tsp sugar
• fried shallots, roasted peanuts & spring onion for garnish

Method

1. Drain soaked glutinous rice thoroughly and add 200 - 220ml water (I added in reserved liquid from soaked mushroom and shrimps) , steam over preheated steamer for 20mins until cook through. 
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in wok, saute shallots, garlic, preserved radish, shrimps & mushroom for 3 mins until fragrant and lightly brown.
3. Add in salt and mix evenly.
4. Add in steamed rice and the rest of the seasoning and mix well. Remove from heat. Garnish and serve.

Lovely cuppa of Rose Green Tea (1 sachet green tea bag + 200ml hot water + 5 dried rose buds) to serve with the savoury glutinous rice!

Aspiring Bakers #21: Gluten-Free Bakes (July 2012) : Sugar Free & Gluten Free Chocolate Oat Cookies

hmmm realise I've still have plenty of Splenda sugar in my fridge! While browsing for recipes and come by this Kalyn's Kitchen and found out she has quite a number of baking recipes using Splenda! So I tested out with the simplest Chocolate & Oat Cookies! I'm not really sure why my cookies turn out very dark almost like pieces of black charcoal hahaha...the texture is quite cakey compare to the normal oat cookies which is more crunchy :) But this is a much healthier version, no butter, no yolks and using sugar replacement instead :)

Recipe adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen

Ingredient

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup granular Splenda
• 4 tbsp cocoa powder
• pinch salt
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 egg whites

Method

1. Combine rolled oats, Splenda, cocoa powder and salt in a medium bowl.
2. In separate bowl, whisk together vanilla, olive oil, and egg white.
3. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients and mix together with a fork until the cocoa powder is dissolved and ingredients are well combined. Chill cookie batter several hours.
4. To bake, preheat oven to 180 deg cel. Line baking sheet with parchment paper, then put small balls of batter (about 2 tsp.) spaced apart slightly. Press down with fork to make cookies about 1/2 inch thick. Bake 12 minutes, or until cookies are firm but not hard. They will harden a bit more when they cool.

I am submitting your post to Aspiring Bakers #21: Gluten-Free Bakes (July 2012)) hosted by Hankerie.

served with a cuppa of homemade Chai Tea!

Simple Ingredients..ginger, cinnamon, black pepper, cloves, cardamon

Recipe adapted from Splenda.com

Ingredient

• 3 slices fresh ginger
• 12 black peppercorns
• 3 whole cloves
• 2 cardamom pods
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 cups water
• 2 black tea bags
• 1/2 cup evaporated milk, warmed
• 3 tbsp Splenda

Method

1. Place spices and water in a small pot, bring to boil for 2 mins.
2. Turn off heat, put in tea bags. Cover and steep for 5mins.
3. Strain away spices & tea bags. Pour in warm evaporated milk and stir in Splenda. Serve.

Chinese Pear & Honey Sweet Tonic

For the past 1 week, old kid and young kids all fall sick except Mummy still staying strong, hopefully the flu bug stay far away from ME!!!!. The kids have been running fever for 1 full week! This week my boy finally back to school after absent from school for whole of last week. But on and off they are still coughing and having running nose...sigh hope they will fully recover soon!

My boy does not really like to drink water unlike my younger daughter. So I've to think of ways to make him drink more!! Besides cooking green beans soup for them, I try this tonic recipe from Cuisine Paradise, which is well accepted by the kids :D

Recipe adapted from Cuisine Paradise
Ingredients

• 2 medium chinese pears, 雪梨
  
• 4 red dates， 红枣
  
• 1/2 tablespoon Gou Qizi，枸杞子
• 10g soaked white fungus，白木耳
• 1 tbsp Sweet & Bitter Almond，南北杏
• 6 strand Of Shan Shen，沙参
• 900ml Of Water
• 2 tbsp honey
  

Methods

1. Wash all the herbs and bring the 900ml of water to boil.
2. Peel and core pears then cut each into quarters and put into the double boiler pot.
3. When the water begins to boil, add in all the herbs and white fungus (except honey and let it simmer for about 5 minutes.
4. Next pour the herbs ingredients into the pot that contains the pears and let it double boiled in a slower cooker for about 2 hrs.
5. Remove about two tablespoon of the soup and let it cool slightly before stirring in the honey and mix well.
6. Pour the honey mixture back into the soup mixture and continue to double boil for another 1 hour.
7. Switch off the heat, allow to cool slightly and serve either warm or cold.
8. Alternately, you can add in the honey before drinking the soup instead of adding it to double-boil.
   

Su Jung Gwa 수정과

A Korean style fruit punch make with cinnamon, ginger & persimmon. First time try this beverage and is very refreshing when have it chilled!!

Cinnamon & Persimmon Tea...as I soak the sliced persimmon in the tea overnight, it becomes thicker compared to when is freshly brewed. As cinnamon, ginger and persimmon is 'heaty' food, try not to consume this beverage when you are having sore throat or headaches as it may aggravate these conditions :D

Recipe adapted from Good Food Magazine
Ingredient

• 25gm cinnamon sticks, washed
• 25gm ginger, skinned and thinly sliced
• 50gm brown sugar
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 dried persimmons, washed and sliced into strips
• toasted pine nuts

Method

1. Fill a pot with 750ml water and add cinnamon sticks, bring to boil . Lower heat and simmer for 20mins. Strain and set aside.
2. With the same pot, fill another 8o0ml water and add ginger, bring to boil. Lower heat and simmer for 20mins. Strain liquid.
3. Combine cinnamon and ginger liquids. Add in sugar & honey, bring to boil. Lower heat and stir till sugar dissolves. Set aside can cool down slightly.
4. Place sliced persimmons into cooled tea and chill overnight. Garnish with pine nuts when serve.

Cooling Brewed

Feeling heaty after consuming too much mooncakes?? Try this old-fashioned thirst quenching drink Sugar Cane + Water Chestnuts ;) Simply boil 300gm sugar cane, 12 waterchestnuts with 2 liter water for 1.5hrs, then add rock sugar to taste, best serve chilled!