Pineapple Chicken

You can use spare ribs to replace the chicken.If use spare ribs, that'll be Pineapple Spare Ribs......lols.I tried both,and its same , delicious. For the pineapple, try to fine ripe,sweet pineapple,it goes well in this pineapple chicken, and friendly to your tongue too...haha.Some pineapple, when you eat , can cause your tongue uncomfortable.Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:      
2 chicken whole leg
300 gm pineapple

Marinade:
1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
11/2 tbsp shaoxing wine
1 tbsp water
2 tbsp cornflour

Sauce:
2 tbsp sugar  
3 tbsp tomato sauce
2 tbsp plum sauce
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp white rice vinegar
150 ml water

Method:
Wash and cut the chicken into pieces.
Cut pineapple into pieces.
Mix the chicken with marinade and marinade for 1 hour.
Deep-fry chicken in hot oil until golden brown and cooked.Dish and drain.
Cook the sauce ingredients until thick.
Add in pineapple and chicken, stir-fry until well mixed.
Dish up and serve.

*If worcestershire not available,you may substitute with 2 tsp soy sauce mix with 1 tsp white vinegar.

Portuguese Egg Tarts

Portuguese egg tarts ,is one of the favorites egg tarts.My family favorites too, and can say it's number 1 at the moment.With the crispy skin and yummy creamy filling,while it still warm, its so delicious. For the pastry I used puff pastry and you can refer here for how I press the pastry into the tart mould.This recipe I adapted from Alex Goh's book I share the recipe here.I did some changes in the recipe, which you can find it in the red text.
Ingredients: makes: 24 pcs

For puff pastry
(A)
200 gm flour
25 gm butter
1/8 tsp salt
110 gm water.

(B)
150 gm Pastry margarine

Filling:
200 gm dairy whipping cream
300 gm milk
80 gm sugar *(edited on april 2012)
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Method:
to make puff pastry:
Mix (A) to form a smooth dough,let it rest for 15 minutes.
Roll the dough into square, and wrap up pastry margarine.
Then roll into rectangular,fold into 3 layer once and 4 layer twice.
In between the folding method, you can rest the dough, if you fine it hard to roll out.
You can wrap in cling floil, and rest for 30 minutes, but I like rest it overnight.


to make filling:
Cook whipping cream and milk until 70C. 
Stir in sugar and cook until the sugar dissolves.
Add it into the beaten eggs and egg yolks.
Mix until well blended.
Lastly add in vanilla essence and set aside to cool.
Roll  the pastry to a rectangular shape about 3 mm thick.Roll it up like swiss roll.Chill until firm.
Divide pastry into 25 gm portions,flatten the pastry and roll it into about 3 mm thickness.Press onto the tart moulds.Or, directly press it onto the tart mould, as here, no need to flatten it first.
Pour the filling into the pastry tarts about 80% full.

bake at 220C for 20-25 minutes.Serve.

*For filling, I do shortcut way, I add all the filling ingredients,stir until the sugar dissolve.

  Strain the mixture, then pour it into the tart mould and bake.
  Pour in the filling just before put it into the oven.Don't let the filling sit in the tart mould for a long    time.

You can roll it first , then press onto the mould , OR...

You can directly press it onto the mould......I prefer this method, easy.

Thai Style Curry Fish

Usually I cooked this dish with sting ray fish.But, I still had my parrot fish head in my fridge, so I give it a try.Its tastes great too.

Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:   
1/2 fish head
1 tbsp oil
6 lady's finger (okra)
1 eggplant,cut into pieces
1/2 tbsp chopped garlic
150 ml water

Spices:
1 stalk lemongrass, bruised
1 piece kafir lime leaf
2 slices galangal

Seasoning:
1/2 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp tom yam paste
1 tbsp chilli paste
1 1/2 tbsp lime/lemon juice
80 ml thick coconut milk.

Method:
Heat up 1 tbsp oil, saute chopped garlic until fragrant.
Add in spices, lady's finger, eggplant and water.Cover and cook for 3 minutes.
Add in all the seasoning except lime/lemon juice .
Add in fish head,cover and cook for 3 minutes.
Lastly add in coconut milk and cook for 2 minutes.
Add in lime/lemon juice, stir and dish up ,serve hot.

Cheese Brownies

The original recipe comes with nut topping.But I didn't top any nuts,so just name it Cheese Brownies.On the second thought, I might have top it with nuts,to cover the cracked surface.Probably, the cracked was cause by the eggs I used, a grade A's egg.After whip the cheese part, I found it quite runny, And I'm having a hard time to bake it nicely.I keep adding the baking time,till I've to cover it with the aluminium foil to stop the browning.Anyway, its taste  yummy,especially the second day.Here's the recipe from Kevin Chai ( A piece of cake)

Brownie Ingredients: 
150 gm dark chocolate
50 gm butter
2 eggs
50 gm caster sugar
40 gm plain flour
20 gm self-raising flour
1/2 tsp vanilla essence

Method:
Lined 7 in square baking tin with aluminium foil.Set aside.( I use 9x5 in baking tin)
Melt the chocolate and butter over a simmering water,till the chocolate melt.
Whisk eggs and sugar until light and fluffy.
Stir in sifted flours,chocolate mixture and vanilla essence.
Spread mixture into prepared tin and refrigerated it for 30 minutes.


Cheese Ingredients:
60 gm butter
200 gm cream cheese
50 gm caster sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
2 eggs ( grade B)
2 tbsp plain flour

Method:
Beat butter, cream cheese ,sugar and vanilla essence until creamy and smooth.
Add in eggs, beat well after each addition.
Mix in flour.

Spread the cheese mixture over the brownies.
Bake in pre-heated oven for at 180C for 40-45 minutes, or insert a skewer and comes out clean.

Black Sesame Macarons

Saw lots of macarons on the web,looks so beautiful with the colors.Makes me want to make some.My first badge of macarons was failed.Then I saw Jeannie post her macarons. I would like to try it for a second time.And thank you Jeannie for the recipe,and here it is.Although it got feet, but these macarons looks dry, not shiny.Probably due to longer time baking and high heat.But, anyway here's the recipe that I copied from  Jeannie's .

Ingredients:
1/2 cup black sesame seeds ( I used store bought ground black sesame)
1 cup granulated sugar
2 egg whites (about 56-60g, room temperature)
1 tsp egg white powder (I omit this as I have none)
5 tablespoons sugar( I used 3 tbsp)
Method:
Mix sesame seeds and 1 cup sugar.  Sieve and set aside.
Beat egg whites until foamy and add the 5 tablespoons of sugar.  Continue beating until stiff peaks.
Add all the sesame powder and fold in until you achieve a lava like consistency.
Pipe out on parchment paper and let it rest for about 15 minutes to form crusts.( I rest it for about 1 hour)
Bake at 140 C for 12-13 minutes until the tops are firm.  I turn the tray half way through the baking for even browning.( I baked at 150C in conventional microwave oven for 13 minutes)
Cool completely before sandwich with chocolate ganache.
Filling:
100g dark chocolate
40 ml low fat cream ( I used whipping cream) 10-15 fresh cherries, pitted and chopped (omitted)
1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar (i used the white vinegar)

Method:  Place chocolate and cream in saucepan and simmer gently until chocolate melts.Add vinegar and stir to mix. Add the cherries if using and allow to cook for a further 30 seconds. Cool slightly before briefly blend the filling with immersion blender. Cool in fridge to firm up the filling before using.

Fried Fish With Shredded Apples

As you can see, the shredded apples in this dish was so thick (lols) but it was so yummy.I used Granny Smith green apples.It absorb  all the flavours,  spicy and sweetness from Thai chilli sauce,  and sourish from the lemon, very nice.I love the flavour, just like pickles.

Here's the recipe:
1 fish tail
1 green apple,peeled,shredded and soak in salt water
1/4 tsp salt
Some cornflour
Oil for deep-frying

Seasoning:
50 ml Thai chilli sauce
1 tbsp tomato sauce
1 tbsp lemon/lime juice


Method:
Rub the fish tail with salt and coat with cornflour.
Deep-fry in hot oil until golden brown.Dish and drain.
Place onto a serving platter.
Put shredded green apples and seasoning into a mixing bowl and stir well.
Pour the mixture over the fried fish.
Serve.

Sesame Chicken Wings

Sometimes,when we cook refering to a cookbook, we don't have all the needed ingredients.This goes with this fried chicken wings too.The recipe call for reddish cheese, but I don't have, I only have Sichuan Beancurd with Chilli and Sesame oil.So I replaced the reddish cheese with Sichuan Beancurd, and its turn tasty too.Although it says Chilli in Beancurd, but it's not spicy.

From: My Favourite Chicken Wings by famous Cuisine.

Ingredients:  
5 chicken wings
sesame seed

Marinade:
1 egg
2 pieces of reddish cheese (I used Sichuan Beancurd with Chilli & Sesame oil)
1 tsp of reddish cheese juice
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp tapioca flour

Method:
Rinse chicken wing and drain well.
To make chicken stick: Remove the chicken meat from the bone until to the edges,turn over the chicken meat.
Season with marinade and marinate for 30 minutes.
Sprinkle some sesame seeds onto the wings,and deep fried into hot oil until golden in colour.
Dish out ,drain well and serve.

*As for the chicken stick, the meat will go back to normal shape while marinate, you need to push the meat to the edges and sprinkle some sesame seed and immediately put it into hot oil,then you'll get the boxing type.

Almond Torte

Last month, NutriPlus got this promotion,buy NutriPlus product Rm 30 and above can get cookbook for FREE!! I quickly grab it, although still got many eggs ,chicken franks in my fridge,I don't care!I just want that cookbook!!..lol..I'll show you later.
And,today, I tried this Almond Torte recipe by Mei Kei from this cookbook.Very nice.I cut down the sugar, cause,I think about the chocolate ganache is quite sweet.

Meringue discs:   
155 gm toasted whole almonds
55 gm cornflour ,sifted
55 gm icing sugar
300 gm egg whites (from about 8 eggs)
3/16 salt(I just add 2 pinches)
110 gm sugar ( I used 80 gm)

Chocolate Ganache :
320 gm dark chocolate
340 gm whipping cream

Topping:
Cocoa powder

To make the meringue discs:
Draw 5 circles of 8 inch diameter on parchment paper.
Grind the toasted almond until fine.
Mix in the sifted cornflour and icing sugar until well combined.
In a separate bowl, whisk egg whites with salt until foamy.
Add in sugar gradually and continue to whisk until whites are stiff, but not dry.
Fold  the almond mixture into the egg whites.
Spread mixture equally onto the prepared parchment papers.
Bake in pre-heated  fan oven at 160C,several layers at a time for approximately 15 minutes or, bake all at once in a single layer in a conventional oven at 180 C for 15-20 minutes until discs are golden brown.
Cool discs, peel off baking sheet.


To make chocolate ganache:
Heat the chocolate and 170 gm of the whipping cream in a double boiler until chocolate has melted, leave it to cool.
Whip the remaining cream and fold into the chocolate cream.

To assemble:
Brush a disc with a little water.Spread chocolate ganache onto disc.
Repeat until disc and chocolate ganache are used up. There should be 5 layers of meringue and 5 layers of chocolate ganache filling,ending with chocolate ganache.
Refrigerate torte until ganache is set.
Before serving,sift an even layer of cocoa powder over the top of the torte.
Serve.

Front page....This is the book that I craze for....lol.

Back page.....I made this Torte.....her's looks perfect, but mine.....need practice......lol.

Durian Doughnuts

A doughnut filled with durian filling.For those who loves durian , will surely love this.For doughnuts,I used the same  recipe I got from here.  I think I'll paste the recipe here :

Ingredients:
(A)
300 gm bread flour(high protein flour)
200 gm plain flour
5 gm salt
60 gm sugar
20 gm milk powder
1/2 tbsp baking powder
31/2 tsps instant yeast

(B)                   
2 egg yolks
280 ml cold water


(C)
50 gm shortening

Method:
Mix (A) till well blended.
Add (B) and knead to form a dough.
Add (C), knead to form a smooth dough.
Cover the dough with wet cloth and leave it to prove for 45 minutes, or till it doubles in size.
Here is how I prove my dough.
Mould it into a ball then let it rest for 15 minutes.
Roll it out into a thin sheet about 10mm thick, then cut it with a round cutter.
Use scissor to clip the surface ,to make the thorns.
Place uncooked doughnuts onto a lightly flour baking tray and cover with a wet cloth,leave it to prove for 35 minutes.
Deep fry doughnuts in hot oil till golden brown.Dish up and let it cool.

Filling :
100 gm whip topping cream.
125 gm durian flesh

Methods:
Whip the topping cream, put in the fridge.
Strain the durian flesh through a filter,so you can get a fine texture.
Combine whipped whipping cream and durian flesh.Set it in the fridge.

Take a doughnut, use knife prick a hole,fill in the filling.Serve.

Mom's 88th Birthday

This is a post that I want to remember for my entire life.I'm not a good writer nor chatter,so it'll be a short post.
Last Saturday , we celebrate birthday for our beloved mother.She turned 88 years old this year.We made a reservation for 7 tables in a restaurant, all tables ,except 1 table, are for our family members..ie..mom's children, grandchildren and great grand children.The other table was for mom's close friend.
As you can see, the cake above,it's ordered by my niece.It's 2 layers cake, bottom layer weigh 4 kg, top layer ( peach) weigh 2 kg.....pretty, isn't it?I was responsible for the delivery of the cake, the first moment I saw it in the bakery shop, I was stunned.The bottom layer cake was a pandan sponge cake,top layer was chocolate sponge cake.It was decorated with buttercream icing except the leaves.
The moment the waitress took out our cake, we heard lots of ooh..ahh,so pretty!!

We were so happy chatting and eating,until I forgot to snap food photos...haiz..

    Happy Birthday Mom!! Although , I joined you right after my 1 month old,but I love you very much!!
    You raised me up as your own child, you gave me warm, you gave me hope, you gave me whatever I
    needed......that I will never never never FORGET !!!
  
                                                    I  Love You forever!!

Blueberry Cheese Tarts

Bluberry Cheese tarts !! I made this few times, one of the tarts that my kids request regularly.The recipe I adapted from Alex Goh's book, and slightly modefied.Here's the recipe:

Ingredients: 


For Pastry:
250 gm Flour
150 gm Butter
2 tbsp sugar
1 egg yolk
40 gm cold water

Method:
Mix sifted flour with sugar.
Add butter ,mix it until crumbly.
Add in egg yolks, mix it again.
Then add cold water, and mix it, to form a dough.
Shape the dough into a ball and press it flat.
Wrap it with cling film and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

For Filling :

(A)
250 gm Cream Cheese
50 gm caster sugar
25 gm Butter

(B)
1 egg

(C)
25 gm whipping cream

(D)
20 gm Flour

Some Blueberry filling.

Method :

Cream (A) until light and smooth.
Add in (B) and cream until well blended.
Add in (C)  and mix until well combined.
Lastly add in (D) and mix until well incorporated.Set a side.

Press the pastry into the tart mould.Can refer here
Prick some hole onto the pastry shell and bake at 180C for 12 - 15 minutes or until light golden brown.Leave it to cool.
Put some blueberry filling into the baked pastry shells.
Top  it with the cheese filling.
Place some blueberry filling onto it and swirl it into a marbling effect,or you can make pattern that you like.
Bake at 200 C for 10-12 minutes

Durian Cheese Cake with Chocolate Fudge

Everytime, when we pass through durian stall,my little girl reminds me of Durian Cheesecake with Chocolate Fudge.She requested me to make this Durian Cheesecake with Chocolate Fudge for quite sometimes, since she saw it here. This Durian Cheesecake with Chocolate fudge tastes a little bit sweet for me,and the base a bit hard and compact, maybe due to I press it too hard.A lesson to learn hah!But , overall taste, still ok,I'll cut down the sugar, if I  make this Durian Cheesecake with Chocolate fudge again.As for my little girl, she like it,even my eldest also like it very much.Here's the recipe that I adapted.


Ingredients For Crust:
225-250 gr Oreo biscuit, finely crushed(I removed the cream)
150 gr Unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Method:
Use a 9 inch round cake ring.
Slowly drizzle in the melted butter into the biscuit crumbs then stir till the mixture it's almost combined press into cake ring and chill in the fridge until firm. (or put in the freezer about 30 mins).

Ingredients For Durian Fillings:
50 ml hot water
1 Tbsp Gelatin powder
250 gr Cream cheese
70 gr Caster sugar (I'll use 20gm,if I make again)
250 gr Durian flesh
125 gr Plain yogurt
200 gr Non-dairy Whipping cream( whipped)

Method:
Dissolved the gelatin powder in 50ml hot water and set aside.
Beat the cream cheese until soft and fluffy then add sugar,beat until creamy and light, then add in the durian flesh and continue to beat until well combined.
Next pour in the melted gelatin mixture and yogurt then stir till combined.
Lastly pour in the whipped whipping cream and slowly stir till the mixture is creamy and well mixed (if you prefer smooth texture, I would suggest mix it with mixer).
Pour the mixture into the prepared biscuit base tin and chill for at least 3 hours or overnight then proceed to the chocolate fudge.

Ingredients For Chocolate Fudge:
150 gr Semi bitter dark chocolate
100 ml Whipping cream
30 gr Unsalted butter
Method:
Put all the ingredients in a pan/glass bowl over boiling water (or double boiler).
Whisk the ingredients until the fudge is smooth and glossy.
Let the warm fudge cool down to room temperature before pouring into the firm cheesecake top and tap the cake a few times to release any air bubbles.
Put it back into the fridge and let the chocolate fudge set for about an hour or so before cutting into slices and served.

Honeydew and Sago Pearls Dessert

My sister invited us for a dinner on Saturday.Erm...not nice to go with empty handed, right?So, I made this dessert ,and bring it along.I made it thick,without adding too much water, easy to carry over.This honeydew was so fragrance,I like it.This combination honeydew and coconut milk, is fantastic,and moreover when it's chilled....If you want to try the recipe, and in small family,cut down the recipe into half..

 Here's the recipe:
4kg of honeydew
100 gm pearl sago
300 ml thick coconut milk, I used packet coconut milk.
1/2 tsp salt
150gm sugar
1 cup  water
3 pcs pandan leaves(screwpine leaves)

Method:
Remove and seeds of honey dew.Grated some honeydew ,so you can chew some honeydew flesh and some for garnishing.
Liquidise the remaining honey.Chill in the fridge.
Soak pearl sago for 1/2 hour.
Cook coconut milk with salt, until just boil,remove from heat.Set a side for cool.
Cook sugar and water with pandan leaves, till sugar dissolve.
Prepare a big bowl of drinking water.
Put pearl sago into a pot of boiling water,stir and cook till transparent (it'll float up).
Scoop up and drain the cooked sago and put it into the drinking water.
Leave it for about 3 minutes.Then, drain the water away.
Mix pearl sago,coconut mixture ,sugar syrup, liquidise honeydew,all into one big bowl.Add some grated honeydew too,save some for garnishing.Chill again in the fridge.
Dish into small bowl/cup and garnish with some grated honeydew.Serve.

I bought 3,I'd grated 1, so left 2 for the photo....lol.

Oreo Cheese Soft Cookies

This cookies taste sooo good! I saw it from My Personal Food Journal  blog.It's  a soft cakey cookies.Not like normal  crunchy cookies.Nevertheless, its taste so good.Will sure make this again.Here's the recipe I adapted and did a slightly modifications from here :

 Ingredients:

170gms butter-soften at room temperature
3/4 cup caster sugar
120 gm cream cheese
1/2 tbsp vanilla essence
1 egg yolk
2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 cup roughly crushed Vanilla Oreo Cookies( I used 9 pcs oreos)

Method:
Sift flour, then add in salt, slightly stir. Set aside.
In large mixing bowl,cream butter,sugar,cream cheese and vanilla.
Add in egg yolk and whiz at medium speed till well mix.
Add in the sifted flour and salt ,beat till well combine.
Add in chocolate chips and crushed oreo with wooden spoon.
Using ice-cream scoop,scoop the cookie mixture onto the baking sheet and flattten a little.
Bake for 12-15 minutes,until the cookie turned brown.
Cool on wire racks.


*you can keep the cookies in air tight canister up to 2 weeks, and they still tastes softly in the center.

Egg Tarts with Frozen Puff Pastry.

I saw Sonia did this,and it looks so yummy.And, yes indeed so yummy!...I used homemade puff pastry, it's very crispy,and the sweetness are just right.And, it's easy to make.Here's the recipe I copied and modified a bit from Sonia.

Ingredients:

Puff pastry from freezer, thaw and roll in 2 -3 mm thick.Cut into square.

 Egg Custard Filling;
240 gm hot water
 90 gm coarse sugar
 3 eggs
 1/2 vanilla essence
 1/4 tsp white vinegar

Method:
Dissolved sugar in hot water,set aside to cool.
Break eggs in a mixing bowl, lightly stir.
Add in syrup (no1),vanilla essence and vinegar.lightly stir well to combine.
Strain the mixture twice, and set aside.
Arrange the square puff pastry in a muffin pan or small tarts mould.
Pour egg custard filling in the puff pastry,about 80-90 % full.
Bake in pre-heated oven at 180 C for 35 minutes or till golden brown.
Remove from oven and leave to cool.