Braised Mushrooms with Waterchestnuts（马蹄卤香菇）

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I seldom use mushroom as star ingredient in dishes as my kids not appreciate mushroom. After looking at Wendy’s beautiful braised mushrooms with waterchesnuts dish, I can’t wait to try. This is a great dish to serve during reunion dinner.

Oatmeal Desiccated Coconut Cookies椰蓉燕麦酥饼

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I choose to bake these Oatmeal Desiccated Coconut Cookies as it has oats as part of the ingredients. It is pretty simple to shape and I love the rusty look of it. In order to make the cookies look more even I measure the dough with measurement spoon. It is alright if just scoop the dough with a spoon by agak-agak (roughly estimate).

Almond Cookies (杏仁饼)

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I love nutty flavour of almond. When I read these almond cookies at Cass@揾到食 I knew I am going to bake it. This cookies dough is very simple to prepare, almost same as traditional peanut cookies. Mixing all ingredients till form wet dough and shape. You can shape the dough into round and decorate with a piece of almond flake, just like Cass did. Or roll out the dough and cut with cookies cutter. Make sure the dough has at least 1cm thickness. Thin cookies would not have the effect of soft and crumbly texture.

Oatmeal Tangyuan/健康燕麦汤圆

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This year Dongzhi festival is on 22^nd December 2013. Tangyuan are eaten on Dongzhi because their roundness symbolizes family unity and harmony. Last year I made colourful tangyuan filled with chocolate. This year I am sharing oatmeal tangyuan. They might not so appealing but they are healthier. Adding oatmeal into the glutinous rice flour make these tangyuan easy to digest and increase the nutritious value too.

Pumpkin Steamed Cake(Fa Gao) 金瓜发糕

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Fa Gao is usually seen during Chinese New Year especially for praying. ‘Fa’(发）, the Chinese word is synonymous with wealth and prosperity. It symbolise bringing good fortune. Fa Gao with orangey colour signify good luck! This steamed cake is not only nice to see but also nice to eat. Besides pumpkin, coconut milk, egg and palm sugar are added too. I would say is kind of nutritious and fragrant steamed cake.

 

Recipe adapted from 快乐厨房

Ingredients:

(A) Starter

50g all-purpose flour

50ml water

1 teaspoon instead yeast

(B)

50ml water

90g palm sugar (gula melaka)

320g all-purpose flour

2 teaspoon double action baking powder

200g pumpkin puree (steamed and mashed)

100ml coconut milk

1 egg

Methods:

1. Mix all the starter ingredients and set aside for ½ hour to rest.

2. Prepare palm sugar syrup by adding diced palm sugar into water. Bring to simmer till all sugar melt. Strain and leave to cool. 

3. In a mixer, put in cool palm sugar syrup, pumpkin puree, coconut milk and egg. Mix till well combine. Set aside.

4. In a big bowl, sift in all-purpose flour and double action baking powder. Make a well in the center.

5. Pour in palm sugar mixture from step 3 together with starter. Fold till well incorporated.

6. Pour batter into lined paper cups till 90% full. Set aside to rest for 15 minutes.

7. Bring water to rapid boil. Place the proof batter cups into steamer and steam at high heat for 15 minutes. 

I am submitting this post to Chinese New Year Delights 2013 hosted by Sonia of Nasi Lemak Lover

After all the marathon blog posting (almost every day !) is time to pack  and ‘Balik Kampung’. I will take a break for Chinese New Year celebration. 

Wishing all friends and readers a Great Prosperous Chinese New Year and Happy Holidays!

恭喜发财，福贵花开，

事事顺利，蛇年行好运！

Yee Sang 鱼生

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Yee Sang is a popular festive dish contains variety of colourful prosperous ingredients which usually served on the 7th day of Chinese New Year. These ingredients are tossed together with a sweet dressing and raw fish. Now days raw salmon and smoked salmon are commonly used. The act of tossing the salad together symbolises ushering of prosperity and abundance for the New Year. 

After comparing Yee Sang dressing recipes I found mostly use plum sauce as main ingredient. The salads and condiments are pretty much same. Since plum sauce comes in bottle, it is hassle free to make own dressing. After knowing how to prepare I think I won't order anymore from restaurant :D I'm glad I can prepare Yee Sang in my kitchen.

Ingredients:
fresh fish fillet, salmon or any white fish of your choice

(I used salmon, not shown in photos)

~Vegetables

Carrot, peeled and julienned
Daikon, peeled and julienned
Cucumber, remove seed and julienned
Big red chilli, remove seed and julienned
Shallots, peeled and slice thinly
Coriander leaves, cut 
Spring onion, cut
Homemade pickled ginger
Candied ginger(store bought)

*It will be great if adding pomelos or grapefruits

~Condiments

Fried wanton wrappers (cut wrapper into strips and fry)

Toasted peanuts

Toasted white sesame seeds

Dressing adapted and slightly modified from Adam Liaw

~Dressing

75g plum sauce

1 tablespoon honey

juice of 2 limes

1/2 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2-3 tablespoon shallot oil

*add together and mix well

¼ teaspoon five spice powder

¼ teaspoon pepper

Methods:

1. Arrange all the ingredients into sections on a large serving platter.

2. Make the dressing by whisking all the ingredients together.

3. When about to serve, pour dressing over the salad. Sprinkle five-spice powder and pepper. Add in fried wonton wrappers, toasted peanuts and sesame seeds. Dinners simultaneously toss the salad high with chopsticks.

I am submitting this post to Chinese New Year Delights 2013 hosted by Sonia of Nasi Lemak Lover

Braised Chicken Wings with Mushroom

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Believe it or not these golden brown wings are cooked without adding any oil. It is cooked on its own fat. After placing in hot wok the fat will release and sear the meat till golden brown colour. In Chinese cuisine, braising is commonly used especially braising pork. The process might take hours to get maximum flavour and soft texture. But not for chicken as it is easy to get cooked. Let see how to cook without adding any oil :D

Braised chicken wings with mushroom

Recipe from Vivian Pang kitchen

Ingredients:
(A)
5 wings
3 slices ginger
3-4 stalks green onion (white part)
2 gloves garlic
10 pieces dried mushroom
10g dried black fungus （黑木耳）

(B) seasoning
1 tablespoon light soya sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine
150ml water (reserve from soaking mushroom)
1-2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon black vinegar (甜醋）
salt to taste
Dash of pepper

(C) thickening sauce
1 teaspoon cornflour
1 tablespoon water
*dissolve and set aside

Methods:
~Preparation
1. Cut wings into 3 parts. Use drumlet and middle part of wings. Pat the wings dry with kitchen towel.
2. Soak dried mushroom till soft and expand. Wash and cut into pieces if too big. Keep the soaked water for later use.
3. Soak dried black fungus till expand. Wash and remove the hard portion (root) if any.
4. Diced garlic.


~Cooking
1. Heat up wok on high heat. Without adding any oil, arrange wing pieces in hot wok. Lower the heat to medium-low. Cover with lid and leave to cook for about 15 minutes. Check time to time to prevent burnt. Wings will release oil as it cook. Turn over once achieve golden brown.
*wings are easy to turn over without sticking once nicely brown.*brown wings give more flavour to this dish.  

2. Once all wings have been turn over add in ginger slices and green onion into wok. Cover and let other side of wings brown for about 8-10 minutes. 

3. Add in diced garlic and fry till lightly brown.

4. Now add in seasoning. Start adding soya, cooking wine and lastly water. Add in sugar,  black vinegar and salt. Add in mushroom and bring to boil. Cook about 5 minutes or till wings cook through.

5. Add in cornflour mixture to thicken the sauce. Lastly add dash of pepper. Dish out and serve!

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~ Chinese New Year Delights 2013 hosted by Sonia of Nasi Lemak Lover 

~ Aspiring Bakers #28: Chicken Feast (February 2013) hosted by SSB of Small Small Baker 

~ Recipe Box#32 hosted by Bizzy Bakes

Stir Fry Leek with Chinese Sausage

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My mum used to prepare this dish during Chinese New Year, especially the 2^nd day. After the reunion dinner mostly we have leftovers (roast pork, chicken etc) which go well in stir fry leek. Leek is another auspicious ingredient for Chinese New Year.  “蒜” in Chinese name sounds like calculating (“算”) in Mandarin. It symbolizes wealth with lots of money.

I personally like my leek with Chinese sausage. In order to bring out the flavour I fry the sausage before adding into leek. If you happen to have leftovers, this stir fry leek is good to go.

Stir fry leek with Chinese Sausage

Recipe from my mother kitchen

Ingredients:

(A)
200g leeks (about 3 stalks)
1 Chinese sausage (腊肠)
2 firm tofu (tau kua)
3 gloves garlic

2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil

(B)

1 teaspoon light soya sauce

1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine
100ml water

Methods:
~Preparation
1. Wash the leek. Slice diagonally about 5cm lengths. Keep white part separately from green leaves.

2. Slice Chinese sausage diagonally.

3. Cut tofu into 5-6 slices each.

4. Dice garlic.

~Cooking
1. Heat up wok. Add in vegetable oil. Pan fried tofu slices till brown. Remove and set aside. Drain out excess oil and leave about a teaspoon of oil in wok.

2. Add in sliced sausage. Fry at low heat till fragrant and brown at edges. Some oil will release from sausage. Remove and set aside.

3. With the oil in wok, add in diced garlic. Fry till fragrant and lightly brown. Add in light soya, oyster sauce, cooking wine and lastly water in sequence. Bring to boil.

4. Pour in brown tofu and bring to boil again. Add in white part of leek. Stir fry for few minutes. Lastly add in green leek and brown sausage. Toss for 1-2 minutes and dish out. 

I am submitting this post to Chinese New Year Delights 2013 hosted by Sonia of Nasi Lemak Lover

Prawns with Garlic 蒜酥虾

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Today is another recipe with prawn as main ingredient. This easy stir-fry garlic prawn definitely is quick to prepare. 

Ingredients:

(A)

150g pea sprout shoot
¼ teaspoon salt

(B)
300g shrimps

6 gloves garlic

(C) marinate

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon Chinese cooking wine

1 egg white

1 tablespoon corn flour

(D) seasoning
½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon Chinese cooking wine

1 teaspoon corn flour

2 tablespoons water

Methods:
~Preparation
1. Remove the prawn shell. Make a slit at the back and remove the vein. Pat prawn dry with kitchen towel. Marinate with ingredients (C) except corn flour and set aside for 10 minutes. Add in corn flour and set aside.

2. Dice garlic.

3. Mix all the seasoning in a bowl and stir well.

~Cooking
1. Add in 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in heated wok. Add in pea sprout, salt together with 1 tablespoon water. Make quick stir fry till sprout turn bright green. Dish out on serving plate. Set aside.
 

2. Add in 2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil into hot wok. Arrange prawns inside the hot oil. Fry at high heat till turn orangey and cooked. Remove and set aside.

3. With the remaining oil in wok, add in diced garlic. Fry till fragrant and lightly brown. Add in cooked prawns together with seasoning. Stir fry and toss well. Dish out and serve together with pea sprout.

I'm submitting this post to Chinese New Year Delights 2013 hosted by Sonia of Nasi Lemak Lover and Recipe Box#32 hosted by Bizzy Bakes

Golden Prawn Bar (金虾棒)

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During Chinese New Year, prawns commonly serve on dining table. In Cantonese dialect ‘Ha’ means laugh (哈哈笑) which symbolizing happiness. This crispy golden prawn bar definitely will catch attention from dinners especially kids. Although is time consuming to prepare, it definitely worth seeing your love one enjoying. Why not gather around preparing this crispy outside and juicy inside prawn dish for coming reunion dinner?

Inspired by 快乐厨房magazine

Ingredients:
(A)
300g prawns (mine 10 pieces)
200g minced pork

(B) marinate
½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 tablespoon corn flour

(C) Coating
All-purpose flour
1 egg
Bread crumbs

Methods:

~Preparation

1. Add in all ingredients (B) with minced pork. Stir till combine and turn sticky. Divide into 10 portions (for ten prawns) and shape into ball. Set aside.

2. For prawn, remove shell with only tail attach. Remove vein and pat dry. Make few diagonal cuts on prawn (leg side). This will ease the wrapping process. Prawn will stay straight once cooked.

3. Get a ball of minced pork, flatten about equal length size of prawn. Place the prawn in the center with back facing up. Gently cover the prawn with minced pork except tail. Repeat the same for the rest.

4. Crack an egg in a shallow pan and slightly beat to mix.

5. Place flour and breadcrumbs separately in shallow pan.

6. Coat the wrapped prawn with flour, egg and lastly breadcrumb in sequence. Proceed with the rest till finish. Now is ready for pan fry.

~Cooking

1. Heat up a wok. Pour in vegetable oil (about half way cover the prawn). Arrange the coated prawn inside. Fry with medium low heat till cooked and golden brown. 

*do not fry with high heat as the breadcrumb will get burn easily.

2. Place on kitchen towel to drain excess oil. Serve with vegetable of your choice.

I am submitting this post to Chinese New Year Delights 2013 hosted by Sonia of Nasi Lemak Lover

Melted Butter Cookies-CNY Cookies#5

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Butter cookies are my last cookies of the year, which happen to be popular in food blog sphere. These butter cookies have the texture of melt-in-mouth. You hardly stop eating after the first bite. I choose to shape it with Nastar mould as I found it is easy to handle compare piping. 

High protein flour is being used in this recipe. With the present of high protein flour the cookies pattern will not change much even after bake. However it can be replaced with all-purpose flour. 

Melted Butter Cookies 
Adapted from Bernice's kitchen
Yield about 25 pieces 
Ingredients:
(A)
100g butter, softened at room temperature
25g icing sugar

(B)
75g high protein flour
25g rice flour(粘米粉)

Methods:
1. Beat the butter and icing sugar until fluffy and pale. 
2. Add in sifted flour mixture. Fold till well combine.
3. Put dough into a Nastar mould and press out into strips about 3-4cm long.
4. Bake in preheated oven at 170c for about 15 minutes or till golden brown.
5. Remove from oven and let them sit for 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack until completely cool down.

I am submitting this post to Chinese New Year Delights 2013 hosted by Sonia of Nasi Lemak Lover

All my cookies are being packed and ready to be given to friends as gift. This year I choose to give variety of my bakes instead of jars of cookies. 

Along with cookies there are butter cake, cheese yeasted scones together with homemade roselle jam. Hoping my friends will like it ^^

Chinese Peanut Cookies(Gluten Free)-CNY Cookies#4

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Peanut cookies are my old-time favourite cookies. Every year I will bake some to satisfy my craving. This year I found this gluten free version which use rice flour instead. It tastes kind of melt-in-the-mouth texture compare with the usual one.

Reference from Roti and Rice

Yield about 70 pieces

Ingredients:
(A)

335g toasted peanut

* I used shelled peanut and pan fry till slightly dark brown (make sure not too dark as it will taste bitter)

180g rice flour

90g icing sugar (sift)

½ teaspoon salt

(B)

90ml peanut oil

(C)

1 egg yolk (for glazing)

Methods:

1. Grind the toasted peanut with some of the rice flour in batches. This will help and ease to achieve superfine ground peanut. 

2. Mix (A) till well combined. Add in (B) slowly, mix till form dough.

3. Roll the dough into a small ball and place on a lined baking tray. 

4. Brush the surface with egg yolk. Bake in preheated oven at 180C for 13-15 minutes. Transfer to wire rack for cooling. Keep in airtight container after cool down completely.

I am submitting this post to Chinese New Year Delights 2013 hosted by Sonia of Nasi Lemak Lover

Brown Butter Chocolate Cookies-CNY Cookies#3

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You might wonder what is brown butter? How and where to get it? It is actually make from unsalted butter. The butter is melted over low heat and allowed to separate into butterfat and milk solids. The milk solids naturally sink to the bottom of the pan. If left over gentle heat it will begin to brown. As the milk solids reach a toasty hazelnut colour, the pan is removed from the heat. It may be used in its liquid state, or cooled to a solid form. It has a nutty flavour.

I saw brown butter chocolate cookies at Rima house and it is very tempting. Since my kids like chocolate cookies this one is good to try. These cookies are with soft chewy texture. With the present of cashew nuts it provides some crunch bites. I added some cocoa powder to make it more presentable to kids too.  

Adapted and modified from Rima 

Ingredients:

(A)
115 g unsalted butter 
100 g sugar
30g brown sugar

(B)
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

(C)
300g all-purpose flour
20g cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
100g chocolate chips 
100g toasted cashew 

Instructions:
1. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Once melted, continue to cook until it turns golden brown. Swirl the pan occasionally if needed so that it browns evenly. Watch it fairly closely, as it can go from brown to burn quickly. When the colour has turned golden, small flecks speckle the butter, and it has a nutty aroma, remove from heat and poor into a shallow dish. Chill in the fridge until it becomes solid. You want it to be soft, but not melted. If it cools too hard, let it come back to room temperature before using.

2. Beat the brown butter, sugar, and brown sugar on medium high speed with an electric mixer until light and creamy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing after each. Add the vanilla extract.

3. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Add the chocolate chips and nuts. Mix until incorporated.

4. Measure about a tablespoon and shape into ball. Place on lined baking pan, leaving 2 inches in between each cookie. Slightly press with spoon to flatten the balls. Bake in preheated oven 170C for about 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Let cool for 5 minutes on the pan before removing to a wire rack to cool completely before store in an airtight container. 

I am submitting this post to Chinese New Year Delights 2013 hosted by Sonia of Nasi Lemak Lover

Crunchy Almond Cookies杏仁脆饼-CNY Cookies#2

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This almond cookies are indeed very crunchy and fragrant. My cookies are a bit out of shape due to expand after baked. I should follow Sonia recipe, roll out the dough with 1 cm thickness and not lesser than that. Besides the not pretty looks the taste wise is great!

Adapted from Sonia, Nasi Lemak Lover
Ingredients:

(A)

160g butter

100g sugar

(B)

120g almond meal
170g corn flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ teaspoon salt

Methods:

1. Sift corn flour and baking powder. Set aside.

2. Cream the butter and sugar till light and creamy.

3. Add in almond meal. Mix well.

4. Add in salt, sifted corn flour and baking powder. Combine till form soft dough.

5. Flatten the dough to about 1 cm thickness. Use a cutter to cut to desired shape.

6. Bake in preheated oven at 170C at lower rack for 20-25 minutes.

I am submitting this post to Chinese New Year Delights 2013 hosted by Sonia of Nasi Lemak Lover

Lime & Raisins Rolls (Nastar) 桔子葡萄酥-CNY Cookies#1

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I want to try making Nastar rolls from Nasi Lemak Lover. Her pineapple Nastar rolls look so pretty and cute. However I don't feel like making pineapple filling. Not keen to buy pineapple paste too. Initially I plan to buy red sweet dates (ready to eat type) as filing. The shop that I used to buy told me they not selling anymore. After knowing my intention, the shop owner suggests quite few items available at her shop as tart filling. At last I came out this pickled lime and raisins combo. Lime itself is more on sour while golden raisins are more on sweet. Sweet and sour just like pineapple paste :D Hope you like it!

~Lime and raisins filling 

Yields about 45 pieces

Recipe from Vivian Pang Kitchen

Ingredients:

150g pickled lime (one box)

150g golden raisins

Methods:

1. Cut pickled lime with scissors into small pieces to ease the blending process. Remove big seeds as you cut.

2. Put the pieces of pickled lime into blender. 'Pulse' till form rough paste. Add in raisins and 'Pulse' again to get both slightly mixed. * it is alright if some are still in whole.

3. Keep the filling in fridge till easy to handle. Chilled one is much easy to shape without much sticking. 

4. With ½ teaspoon measurement spoon, measure amount of filling for each roll. Keep the filling in fridge while preparing the pastry.

~Pastry Recipe from Sonia, Nasi Lemak Lover, Pineapple rolls (Nastar) 凤梨酥

Ingredients:yields about 55 pieces

(A)
175g butter(unsalted)

50g condensed milk (I use F&N Sweetened creamer)

1 egg yolk

(B)

255g all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1 egg for egg wash

above lime and raisins filling

Methods:

1. Cream butter and condensed milk till light.

2. Add in egg yolk and beat until combine.

3. Mix in sifted flour and salt. Fold till combine. The dough should be soft and not sticky.

4. Put dough into a Nastar mould and press out into strips about 5-6cm long.

5. Place jam filling on the edge of a strip and make a small elongated roll.

6. Cut off excess dough, brush with egg glaze.

7. Bake in preheated oven at 170c for about 15 minutes or till golden brown.

8. Cool on wire rack before store.

I'm out of lime and raisins filling for few rolls. How about using prunes as filling? The taste is quite match. Prunes are definitely a lot easier to get and handle. Well another options of filling for this buttery rolls ^^

I am submitting this post to

~ Chinese New Year Delights 2013 hosted by Sonia of Nasi Lemak Lover

~ Tea Time Treats hosted by Lavender and Lovage and What Kate Baked