Pork Ribs with Pickled Plums

Ingredients:-

300g pork spare ribs

1 tbsp mashed salted soya beans

1 tbsp finely sliced ginger

2 pickled plums

1 tbsp corn starch

Pinch of sugar

1 red chilli, sliced

Method:-

1) Mash pickled plums and mix with mashed salted soya beans into a rough paste. Add pinch of sugar in.

2) Marinate spare ribs with mixture, ginger slice and corn starch. Mix well and set aside.

3) Sprinkle sliced chilli on top of the ribs and steam over high heat for 15 mintues.

[adapted recipe from kitchen culture Food & Travel magazine]

Minced Pork on Tofu

Ingredients:-

100g minced pork

1 packet silken tofu

1 tbsp oil

1 tbsp salted soya bean

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp Hua Tiao wine

Method:-

1) Marinate pork with salted soya beans, sugar and Hua Tiao wine.

2) Blanch silken tofu in hot wated for 30 seconds and drains.

3) Heat up oil then add minced pork and fry quickly over high heat for 1 minute.

4) Remove from fire and place minced pork on the tofu.

Note:-

1) Alternatively, you can use minced chicken instead of minced pork for this dish.

[adapted recipe from kitchen culture Food & Travel magazine]

Fried Beans with XO Sauce Pork

Ingredients:-

400g french beans
200g minced pork
1 tbsp light soy sauce
4 tbsp oil
1 tbsp chopped tung chai (preserved salted cabbage)
2 tbsp Hua Tiao wine

Dash of sesame oil
Pepper to taste
XO sauce


Method:-

1) Wash beans and cut into 5 cm lengths.
2) Mix pork with say sauce and pepper and set aside.
3) Heat 3 tbsp of oil over medium high heat. Add beans and stir fry until beans are lightly browned and wrinkled. Drain on paper towels.
4) Add remaining oil into pan. Add tung chai and fry for 30 seconds. Add pork and fry for 2 - 3 mins or until port is cooked. Add beans and toss well. Add wine, sesame oil and XO sauce. Remove from heat and serve.


[adapted recipe from Food & Travel Magazine October 2007 issue]

Lemon Baked Chicken

Ingredients:-

8 chicken mid wings
1 lemon

salt and black pepper to season


Method:-

1) Season mid-wings with salt and plenty of black pepper. Marinate for at least 1 hour.
2) Cut lemon into wedges, remove though core.
3) Mix lemon wedges and chicken together. Place chicken in a shallow baking tray spreading out in a single layer.
4) Baked in 220C for 15 mintues and grill for another 5 minutes to crisp the chicken.


Note:-

1) If you prefer a stronger lemon flavour, give the wedges a little squeeze before mixing.


[adapted recipe from kitchen culture Food & Travel magazine]

Spinach with White Bait

Ingredients:-

Spinach, roots trimmed
Dried white bait fish

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:-

1) Give the dried white bait fish a rinse and dry it.

2) Heat up a wok, add a little oil and fry the fish until crisp. Alternatively, you can use a non-stick pan and dry roast the fish. Set fish aside.

3) Cut spinach into segments. Seperate out the stems and leaves.

4) Heat up oil in a wok, throw in the stems and give it a quick stir until the stems turn color. Add in the leaves and fry till leaves wilt.

5) Add a little water and seasoning. Give a quick stir and allow water to reduce.

6) Place spinach and sprinkle fried white bait on top. Serve.

Note:-

1) You may want to go easy on the dried white bait because it can be quite salty if too much is added. However if you have excess, store the remaining in an air tight container. It is nice to eat it on its own or can be used as toppings to fried rice or other stir fried vegetables.

[adapted recipe from kitchen culture Food & Travel magazine issue 06/06]

Grilled Miso Chicken

Ingredients (Serves 3):-

3 chicken thighs fillet with skin (about 450g)

2 tbsp miso paste
1 tsp sesame oil
100ml hot water

PAM cooking spray


Method:-

1) Stir miso paste with hot water to dissolve it. Add sesame oil.
2) Put chicken pieces in a deep dish or plastic container and add marinade to it.
3) Cover and leave in the fridge to marinate for at least 2 hours.
4) Preheat oven to 200C and bake for 10 mintues.
5) Spray a laying of oil on chicken skin and using grill function to grill for another 5 minutes or less. Stop grilling once skin is browned.


Note:-

1) I've served my grilled chicken with rice, egg and baked beans ... abit like those western food sold in coffee shop.
2) Alternatively, you can serve this as a dish together with your other meal dishes.




[adapted recipe from Cuisine Asia]

Chicken Mushroom Potato Bake

Ingredients (serves 4):-

6 - 8 chicken thigh fillets, cut into 2 cm chunks
4 - 5 portabella mushrooms, sliced thickly (can use fresh button/brown mushrooms)
1 carrot, peeled and diced
2 hard-boiled eggs, sliced thickly
1 tbsp olive oil
4 large or 8 medium waxy potatoes
1 can cream of mushroom soup
Black pepper to taste
Dried thyme leaves
Mozerella Cheese
Cooking spray


Method:-

1) Boil potatoes until cooked, peel the skin and roughly slice.
2) Heat up olive oil in pan and sear mushrooms over high heat. Add carrots and then chicken, stir-frying over high heat. Sprinkle black pepper and continue to fry till chicken is almost cooked.
3) Add the can of soup and turn down to medium heat. Mix until soup is melted down. Turn off heat.
4) Pour 1/2 the chicken mixture in a deep dish or pie tin. Arrange egg slices of 1 egg on top of chicken mixture. Sprinkle desired amount of moozerella cheese then spread a layer of potatoes on top of the mixture.
5) Pour the remaining 1/2 of the chicken mixture, arrange egg layer with the other egg then top with the remaining potatoes.
6) Sprinkle some dried thyme leaves over the potato surface. Evenly coat the potato surface with cooking spray.
7) Bake in a hot 220 deg C oven for 15 minutes until potatoes get a nice golden crust. Serve with crusty bread.

[adapted recipe from Cuisine Asia]

Prawn, Mango, Pineapple Salad

Ingredients:-

3 - 4 prawns
1 mango, peeled & cubed
1 small canned pineapples, diced
1 small japanese cucumber, diced

Lettuce leaves for garnish
Mango Puree


Method:-

1) Blanch prawns in a pot of boiling water. Remove from heat. Cool prawns before removing shell and slice prawn into 1/2 length-wise.
2) In a bowl, add mango, pineapple and cucumber. Toss them to mix them well.
3) Place lettuce leaves on serving plate. Scope a few spoonful of salad onto the leaves. Place prawns on top of the salad.
4) Drizzle some mango puree sauce over salad.


Note:-
1) For mango puree, I've used ready made ones bought from Phoon Huat.


[adapted recipe from Food & Travel Magazine July 2007 issue]

Baked Chicken Fillet w Cream Herb Sauce

Ingredient:-

(serve 2)

250g chicken breast fillet
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
200ml of thicken cream
1 tsp dried coriander


Method:-

1) Marinate chicken fillet with oyster sauce, salt, pepper for at least 15 minutes.
2) Heat up a non-stick pan and spray some cooking oil (or butter) in it. Place chicken fillet in pan and sear each side till browned.
3) Remove from pan and placed on a baking dish.
4) Heat cream and coriander for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pour over chicken fillet and bake for 20 minutes at 180C.
5) Serve with desired sides or see below for Prawn, Mango, Pineapple Salad.

[adapted recipe from Food & Travel Magazine May 2007 issue]

Chilled Mango Cheesecake

Ingredients:-

Sponge
110g cake flour
1 tsp baking powder

70g corn oil

5 egg yolks

85g water

1/2 tsp vanilla essence

5 egg whites

1/8 tsp cream of tartar

110g sugar

Mango Filling
200g cream cheese
1/2 tbsp mango essence

1/2 tbsp vanilla essences
55g sugar
200g mango puree

1 tbsp gelatin
3 tbsp boiling water

200ml whipping cream
2 tbsp icing sugar

200 - 300g fresh mango (cubed)

Mango Puree Topping
100g mango puree
2 tsp gelatin
3 tbsp boiling water


Method:-

To make sponge.
1)Preheat oven to 180C. Lined base of a 8-inch square cake tray.
2) Beat egg yolk till foamy then add in oil, water and vanilla essence. Sift cake flour and baking powder before adding into egg yolk mixture. Mix well till batter is smooth.
3) Whisk egg whites with cream of tartar at until formy. Add sugar slowly and continue to whisk on until stiff peaks.
4) Take some of the egg white mixed into the egg yolk batter. Fold well, then pour everything into the egg white. Fold mixture well.
5) Bake at 180C for about 25 - 30 mins.
6) When done, run a knife along side of the tray to loosen the side then remove cake from tray immediately onto a baking paper.
7) Allow to cool for awhile before turning it over and remove the baking paper. Cool completely before slicing the sponge into 3 layers horizontally.

To make mango filling.
1) Whip whipping cream with 2 tbsp icing sugar till about 70% stiff or mousse state, keep chilled.
2) Dissolve gelatine powder in 3 tbsp boiling water. Keep warm but not hot for use later. Heat it up in the microwave for about 8 - 10 sec if it cools off.
3) Cream cheese, sugar, and essence together till smooth and creamy.
4) Add the warm gelatin solution to mango puree and blend well.
5) Stir mango puree mixture into cheese mixture and combine till well mixed. Blend in the whipped cream. Stir in the cube mango pieces.

To assemble cake.
1) Place a 7 - inch cake ring over a cake board. Place a layer of sponge at the bottom (trim the sides so that sponge is slightly smaller than the ring).
2) Pour 1/3 the cheese mixture onto sponge. Spread out evenly.
3) Place 2nd layer of sponge and pour another 1/3 of cheese mixture over. Spread out evenly.
4) Place the last layer and pour the remainder cheese mixture in. Spread evenly. Run a knife along the side to even out mixture along the side. Chill for at least an hour before doing the topping.

Add on mango puree topping.
1) Dissolve gelatin powder with 2 tbsp boiling water and stir this into mango puree. Pour topping gently onto chilled cheesecake. Spread evenly and chill for at least 3 hours before serving.


Note:-

1) You can add on thin slices of mango on top of the cake before pouring the topping to give more mango to chew on.
2) To remove the cake ring, place a thin knife in a cup of hot water. Dap dry the knife and slice along the edges. Keep repeating till all sides are 'cut'.
3) For mango puree, I've used ready made ones bought from Phoon Huat.

Hainanese Pork Chop

Ingredients:-

500g pork loin
Breadcrumbes for coating
Potato flour, mixed with a little water
2 tomatoes, cut into small wedges


Marinate for pork loin:
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
A dash of pepper
A dash of 5-spice powder
A few drops of sesame oil
1 tbsp cornflour
1 egg


Sauce mix:
1/2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
6 tbsp tomato sauce
2 tbsp sugar
4 tbsp water
1/2 tbsp vinegar
Frozen mix vegetables
A few drops of sesame oil


Method:-

1) Tenderise pork loin by using a tenderiser or the back of a chopper.
2) Mix pork with marinade and set aside for at least 30 minutes.
3) Coat pork with breadcrumbs and deep fry till golden brown.
4) In a non-stick pan, give the mix vegetables a quick stir. Add in tomatoes.
5) Add in sauce ingredients and bring mixture to a boil. Thicken with potato starch.
6) Pour sauce over the crispy pork and serve immediately.


[adapted recipe from Food & Travel Magazine April 2007 issue]

Lemon Pepper Baked Fish

Ingredients:-

2 snapper loin or any other fish fillets
1/2 lemon
Dash of salt
Dash of cracked pepper
Dash of dried basil leaves


Method:-

1) Marinate fish fillet with salt, pepper, basil leaves and juice from 1/2 lemon.
2) Heat a frying pan with butter and brown both sides of fish fillets.
3) Place in an oven proof ware and bake fish for about 10 - 15 mins or till cooked in a preheated oven at 200 C. Cover baking dish with foil to prevent the fish from drying up.
4) Served with desired side dishes.

Blueberry Yogurt Muffin

Ingredients:-

(A)
145g self raising flour (sieve)
125g fresh blueberries or more (wash and dry with paper towel)

(B)
1 egg (lightly beaten)
65g sugar
60g melted butter
2 tbsp milk
120g blueberry yoghurt / plain yoghurt
1/2 tsp vanilla essence


Method:-
1) Mix (A) together.
2) Cream butter and sugar. Add in egg slowly.
3) Pour in milk and yoghurt and give it a quick mix.
4) Pour flour and blueberry mixture in and fold everything in with minimal strokes.
5) Spoon batter into muffin cups.
6) Bake at 180C for 20 minutes - 30minutes or till cooked.


[adapted recipe from Florence]

Blueberry Tarts

INGREDIENTS:-

Pastry
83g butter, chilled
150g high-ratio/cake flour
40g icing sugar
10g milk powder/coffee creamer
1/4 tsp vanilla essence
1 Grade C egg

Filling
Blueberry Filling


INSTRUCTIONS:-

To prepare pastry
1) Sift flour, icing sugar and milk powder together into a mixing bowl.
2) Rub in butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
3) Add in the egg and vanilla essence. Mix it until the pastry begins to form large lumps.
4) Press together gently with your fingers until the pastry forms a ball.
5) Chill pastry dough for about 30 minutes.

To prepare tarts
1) Press some pastry evenly into tart mould. Trim the edges to remove excessive dough.
2) Prick base of each tart with a fork.
3) Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degC for 5 minutes.
4) Remove tart from oven and fill tart with blueberry filling.
5) Top filling with strips of excess dough.
6) Send back to a preheated oven at 180 degC for further 15 - 20 minutes or till the tart edge
turns brown.
7) Leave the tarts in moulds for 10 minutes before turning onto wire rack to cool.


[adapted recipe from Jo's Deli & Bakery]

Thousand Layered Tofu with Pork Floss

Indregients:-

1 Silken Tofu (for cold dish or miso soup)
2 tsp Miso paste
6 tsp Mirin
2 tbsp Water

Pork floss


Method:-

1) Dry tofu as much as possible with kitchen towel.
2) Cut tofu thinly, length wise.
3) Place 1 layer on a plate and sprikle pork floss generously. Repeat step till all layers are used.
4) When complete, leave it in the fridge & keep chill.
5) Dilute miso paste with water. Mix well.
6) Add in mirin.
7) Pour miso mixture over tofu just before serving.


Notes:-

1) I've cut the tofu using a sponge cake cutter.
2) Miso mixture is based on estimation. Adjust according to taste.

Tiramisu

Ingredients:-

Cake Base
24 sponge fingers

Syrup
45 ml water
45 ml milk
30 ml Bailey's
1 tsp rum essence
1/4 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 tbsp chocolate syrup

Cream
450 g mascarpone cheese
450 g liquid whipping cream
200 g sugar
1 tsp vanilla essence
30 ml Bailey's



Method:-

1) Roast the sponge fingers in the oven at 160°C for about 5 minutes.
2) Add 1/2 of the sugar to the whipping cream and whip it till moose state. Place in the refrigerator.
3) Add the remaining 1/2 of the sugar to cheese and mix till smooth
4) Combine whipped cream, cheese mixture. Add vanilla essence and the Bailey's.
5) For the syrup, place all the ingredients into a measuring cup and warm 30 seconds in the microwave.
6) Place a 7" x 7" cake ring on a cake board.
7) Arrange a layer of sponge fingers on the bottom. Sprinkle or spray syrup on the sponge fingers. Wet the sponge fingers to your liking (not using more than 1/2 the syrup).
8) Take a tea strainer and powder the fingers with cocoa. Next, take 1/2 of the cream and pour all over the top of the powdered fingers. Spread the cream all over the surface.
9) Repeat steps 7 & 8.
10) Level well and sprinkle plenty with cocoa. Refrigerate over night.



[adapted recipe from Kitchen Capers by MamaC]

Mini Steamed Egg White Marble Cake

Ingredients:-

500g egg white
60g evaporated milk
1 tbsp vanilla essence
150g melted butter
225g castor sugar
300g top flour
1 tbsp ovalette
1 tsp chocolate emulco


Method:-

1) Beat egg whites at high speed. Add sugar bit by bit once the egg whites turns bubbly. Continue beating till soft peaks.
2) Using low speed, add in flour, evaporated milk and ovalette. Mix well.
3) Add melted butter and mix till well blend.
4) Split batter equally into 2 parts and add chocolate emulco in one of the splited batter.
5) Using baking cups, scoop 1 spoon of orignal batter into the centre, continue with 1 spoon of the chocolate mixture. Repeat the steps till the cup is about 80% filled.
6) Steam on high heat for about 15 minutes or till done.


Note:-

1) The original recipe uses more than 2 colour. If desired, split the batter into equal amounts and mix in desired colours.
2) If desired, cake could be steamed as a whole cake. Be sure to grease baking pan before adding the batter and steam for 30 minutes or till done.
3) The vanilla taste is quite distinct. Hence if you are not much of a vanilla lover, try reducing the amount of vanilla essence.


[adapted recipe from Zurynee]

Lemon Cheese Tarts

INGREDIENTS:-

Pastry
83g butter, chilled
150g high-ratio/cake flour
40g icing sugar
10g milk powder,
1/4 tsp vanilla essence
1 Grade C egg

Filling
250g cream cheese
100g sugar
1 Tbsp Plain flour
1 Egg
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 Lemon zest grated
80g Yoghurt

Lemon Curd
1 egg yolk
60g sugar
20 - 30g lemon juice
1/2 Tbsp Butter


INSTRUCTIONS:-

To prepare pastry
1) Sift flour, icing sugar and milk powder together into a mixing bowl.
2) Rub in butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs.
3) Add in the egg and vanilla essence. Mix it until the pastry begins to form large lumps.
4) Press together gently with your fingers until the pastry forms a ball.
5) Chill pastry dough for about 30 minutes.

To prepare filling
1) Beat cream cheese and sugar till creamy.
2) Add in flour and egg and beat till creamy.
3) Then put in lemon juice and yoghurt. Finally add in zest, give it a gentle stir to mix zest in.
4) Set aside.

To prepare tarts
1) Press some pastry evenly into tart mould. Trim the edges to remove excessive dough.
2) Prick base of each tart with a fork.
3) Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degC for 10 minutes.
4) Remove tart from oven and fill tart with cheese filling.
5) Send back to a preheated oven at 180 degC for further 10 - 15 minutes or till cheese is firm.
6) Leave the tarts in moulds for 10 minutes before turning onto wire rack to cool.

To prepare lemon curd
1) Beat butter, yolk and sugar till well mixed.
2) Cook over a pot of simmering water (double-boiler) until it thickens and flowy. While cooking, add in lemon juice bit by bit and adjust the sourness to your liking. Do not overcook otherwise you can't pour on top of the set cheese tart.
3) Set aside to cool.
4) Pour mixture into piping bag, snipped off the tip and pipe on top of cooled tarts.


Note:-

1) When making pastry, size of egg very important. If egg too big, mixture will be too wet. In such situation, add in more cake flour till it could form a dough.


[adapted recipe from Jo's Deli & Bakery & Aunty Lucy]

Dragon Fruit Snowskin

Ingredients:-

150g kou fen
200g icing sugar
70g shortening
120g dragonfruit (chilled)
80g iced water
Extra kou fen for dusting


Method:-

1) Dice dragon fruit and blend into a puree.
2) Sift kou fen and icing sugar into a mixing bowl.
3) Rub in shortening.
4) Mix in the dragon fruit puree and iced water. Mix till dough is smooth.
5) Cover and set aside to rest for 30 minutes.
6) Scale fillings and skin to fit your mooncake mould.
7) Enclose fillings in skin and press into well dusted mooncake mould.
8) Turn out and chill.


Note:-

1) Base on the mini mould that I have, the weight of filling is 30g and dough is 22g.


[adapted recipe from Kitchen Capers by Rusti]

Chocolate Snowskin Mooncake

Ingredient:-

Skin Part
130 ml water
70 gm brown sugar
40 gm melted chocolate Couverture (bitter/strong)
10 gm cocoa powder
10 gm chocolate emulco
20 gm shortening
60 gm Kou Fen

Filling
50g melon seed /pine nuts
300 gm white lotus paste
60 gm melted chocolate couverture
half tsp choco emulco


Method:-

1) Melt brown sugar in water using double boil.
2) Add in melted chocolate, cocoa powder and emulco. Mix well and cool slightly.
3) Mix shortening with kou fien first before adding choco mixture.
4) Mix well and then rest the dough for about 20 mins.
5) Toast melon seeds at 180C for 10 mins.
6) Mix white lotus, melted chocolate, choco emulco and melon seeds.
7) Divide dough into required weight and wrap with filling.
6) Press into mould and chill before serving.


Note:-

1) Base on the mini mould that I have, the weight of filling is 30g and dough is 22g.


[recipe from PH Demo Class provided by Chawanmushi in Kitchen Capers]