Golden Sand Pumpkin-金沙南瓜

I had this dish a month ago in a restuarant at Simpang Rengam when my extended family celebrated my mother-in-law's 89th birthday. We liked this dish as it has  both the flavours of the salted egg yolk and the natural sweetness of the pumpkin.

I know that salted egg yolk is not healthy, but eating this once in a while should not be too bad for the body.


Recipe:

Ingredients:

300 g  pumpkin (without skin), cut into 1.5 cm x 4 cm pieces
5 pieces of salted egg yolk, steamed and mashed
some plain flour for coating
cooking oil

Method:
1) Blanch pumpkin in boiling water and dish up when the water boils.
2) Drain the coat blanched pumpkin with plain flour.
3) Heat up a non-stick frying pan with little oil, Pan fry the pumpkin till crispy and then dish up.
4) Leave some oil on the same frying pan. Over a low flame, stir-fry the mashed salted egg yolks till it bubbles and eventually becomes drier (make sure it does not get burnt). Throw in the pumpkin and toss till every piece is coated with the salted egg yolk.
5) Dish up and serve.

Enjoy!!!

Steamed Chicken With Black Fungus

Just simply like this easy and healthy steamed chicken for today's dinner.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

1/2  Royale or Kampong chicken
15 g small dried black fungus
5 g Cordycep flowers (虫草花）

Seasoning:
1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
dash of rice wine (optional) to taste
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/8 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon corn starch
some shredded ginger
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil

Garnishing:
spring onion and coriander leaves

Method:
1)  Wash, clean and pat dry the chicken. Cut into pieces and put in a bowl.. Marinate with seasoning and put in the fridge (covered with clingwrap) for 30 minutes.

2)  Soak dried black fungus with warm water for 2 hours. Remove the stem, clean and drain.

3)  Soak cordycep flowers with tap water for few minutes, clean and drain.

4)  Arrange black fungus and cordycep flowers in a deep dish, and place chicken on top of them. Steam over high heat for  25 minutes.

5) Sprinkle spring onions and coriander leaves as you like. Serve.

Disgusting!!!!

Just came back from my 10 days group tour from China. I have not many post recently and many post still appending for me .

Today I would like to illustrate an anecdote which I encountered on the flight back to SG. 

There was a middle-aged man sitting diagonally in front of me across the aisle. He must be unwell because he had a lot of phlegm to clear. Every time he needed to clear the phlegm, he will make the iconic noise of bringing the phlegm to his oral cavity and i couldn't help but notice him dealing with his phlegm many  times. 

The first time, he spitted his phlegm into the sanitary bag which comes with each seat. After that, he proceeded to read the newspapers provided. For a few times after that, he will spit into the newspaper he is actually reading and continue reading like nothing happened. I also noticed he will used his finger to clear the remnants of his phlegm from the edges of his mouth and wiped his finger on the edge of his seat and the flight blanket provided. One other passenger later asked to read his copy of newspapers and he readily lent it to him. The other passenger went on to absorb all the information in the newspaper without making much of a fuss.

I didn't think I will believe this story if someone else told me about it but I have witnessed it for myself now.

Soft Beancurd Top With Minced Meat

 Beancurd has always been one of my family's favourite.  Today I prepared a dish of  beancurd topped with minced meat. 

Recipe:

Ingredients:

1 box beancurd (any brand)

100 g minced meat

1 shallots (sliced) 

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon light soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon dark soy sauce

1/2 cup water

pepper

a pinch of sugar to taste

cornstarch water (for thickening the sauce)

Garnishing:

spring onion, coriander leaves

Method:

1) Remove beancurd from the box,  Slice them into pieces and arrange them onto a plate.

2)  Steam the sliced toufu (beancurd) for 3 minutes. Using a tablespoon to scoop away the water on the surface after steaming.

3. Heat up oil (about a tablespoonful) in a wok, stir-fry  shallots until fragrant, add in minced meat and stir-fry until meat is cooked. Add in oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, water and sugar, allow to simmer for few minutes.  Thicken the sauce with cornstarch water.

4)  Pour the minced meat over the steamed toufu, garnish and serve.

Blueberry Pound cake - 蓝莓磅蛋糕

The blueberry pound cake belongs to one of the classic pound cakes. When compared to the everyday pound cake, it contains a smaller ratio of sugar and butter and eggs. This is why the blueberry pound cake lacks some of the iconic strong flavour commonly associated with the common pound cake. However, the soft and moist texture due to the sour cream mixed with the light fragrance of the blueberry have resulted in a uniquely flavourful creation.

Recipe:

Ingredients:

170 g All purpose flour (Plain flour)
30 g Almond flour
5 g Baking powder
2 whole eggs (lightly beaten)
130 g unsalted butter (at room temperature)
120 g fine sugar
120 sour cream
a pinch of slat
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

* 70 g fresh blueberry  (lightly dust with 1 tablespoon  of plain flour)

Method:

1) Beat butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
2)  Add egg in 4 batches, until well blended.
3)  Add in sour cream and vanilla.
4)  Fold in flour with the help of rubber spatula, mixed well.
5)  Add in blueberry.
6) Pour mixture onto a lightly greased tin. Bake in preheated oven at 170 deg C for 40 -45 minutes and until cooked.