Dragon Fruit & Vitagen Ice-Cream Stick-龙珠果冰棒

HOT!HOT! What a hot weather! Can hardly bear the hot wave. So I made some ice-cream just to cool down and quench the thirst. Easy and fool-proof, this popsicle is everyone's favourite - and it reminds me of my childhood days, cycling my old bicycle on the dirt tracks, school bag slung over one shoulder, with one popsicle in hand...(My brothers did that, not me lol).

Recipe: (Get the idea from this book "Tang Shui - DESSERT ICE")

Ingredients:
100g red dragon fruit
100g sugar
300ml cool boiled water
1 bottle Vitagen

Method:
 Combine ingredients in a liquidizer, blend till fine, pour into ice-cream moulds.  Leave in freezer till set.

材料：
100克     红色龙珠果肉
100克     白糖
300克     冷开水
1瓶         维他精

方法：
用果汁机把材料打至幼滑，倒入冰棒模型内，放入冰库冷冻至结冰即可享用。

Cheese Chiffon Cake - 芝士戚风蛋糕

Hi! I am back. I have been missing for a short break. Due to the hot weather, I just don't feel like doing any thing. 

Anyway, today I came out with a soft and light chiffon cake with slight hints of cheese. It was not very well done though as you can see the cake is full of air holes, but it did not affect the taste and the flavour of the cake at all. 

Recipe:

Ingredients:

A: 

90g fresh milk

60g unsalted butter (room temperature)

30g cream cheese  (room temperature)

10g parmesan cheese powder

30g castor sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

100g low protein flour

80g egg yolk

B:

175g egg whites

60g castor sugar

10cc lemon juice ( I use 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar)

Method:

1) Place fresh milk, unsalted butter, castor sugar, salt, cream cheese, parmesan cheese powder into a mixing bowl, melt them over a double boiler, mix well.

2) Fold in shifted flour into 1), mix well. Then add in egg yolk, mix till the mixture is incorporated.

3)  Beat egg white , sugar and lemon juice  till thick and peak form but not dry.

4)  Take 1/3 of mixture of 3) mix with egg yolk mixture, then pour into 2/3 egg white mixture. With a rubber spatula fold the mixture till well mixed.

5) Pour the batter into an 8" chiffon cake mould.  Bake  in preheated oven at 180 degree C for 25 -30 minutes or till cooked.

6) Remove from oven, invert the cake mould till the cake is cool. Remove the cake  from mould. Cut into pieces and serve.

Recipe is taken  from this book

Golden Seafood Bean-curd 黄金海鲜豆腐

Made from simple ingredients bean-curd, prawns and egg, the humble golden seafood bean-curd packs more flavour than it looks. Its crispy skin is all but a disguise for the soft filling inside. Consume while hot and crispy in order to taste the full texture and flavour of this dish.

 Tip: In the market, there are 2 types of tofu - with and without salt. If you are using the former, please reduce the salt addition.

Recipe

Ingredients:
5 pieces of bean-curds  (mashed)- about 700g
150g nett prawns (shelled, deveined and minced)
50g shredded carrots
1 tablespoon spring onions (cut into small pieces)
1 tablespoon coriander leaves (cut into small pieces)
2 tablespoon tapioca flour
1 tablespoon plain flour

Seasoning:
2 eggs
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1.1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 teaspoon fine sugar
Dash of pepper
1/2 teaspoon sesame oil

For coating: Some corn flour

Method:
1) Place all the ingredients in a big mixing bowl, mix well. And add in seasoning  and  mix well.
2) Pour (1) into a greased 8"x8' square mould.  Steam for 10-15 minutes. Remove from heat. Leave to cool.
3) Cut no. (2) into desired shapes, coat with corn flour and deep-fry till golden brown. Serve with Thai chilli sauce or mayonnaise.

材料：
豆腐　　５片 （大约700克），搅烂
150克       净虾（剁碎）
50克         红萝卜丝
1汤匙       青葱切成碎粒  （随意）
1 汤匙      芫荽切成碎粒　（随意）
２汤匙　木薯粉
１汤匙　普通面粉

调味料：
２粒　　　鸡蛋
２汤匙　　生抽
１个半(1.1/2) 茶匙幼盐
2/3茶匙　幼糖
胡椒粉　　少许
半茶匙　　麻油

粘料：玉米粉／粟米粉

做法：
１）将全部材料放在一个大碗里，加入调味料一起搅拌均匀。
２）把（１）倒入一个涂油的８ｘ８的方摸，隔水蒸１０至１５分钟，取出待冷。
３）将（２）切成喜欢的形状，裹上粘料，放入油锅炸至金黄色，沥干油即可享用。

注：在菜市场有两种豆腐，有咸的和淡的。假如买咸的豆腐要减盐的分量，

  

Steamed Cheddar Cheese Cake

I was craving for cheese cake and the feeling got stronger when my eyes set sight on Honeybee's fluffy cheese cake  looked nice and yummy, so I decided to give it a try as well. Alas, realised that my oven was down so I had to re-think. With reference to XXXX's recipe, instead of baking in the oven, the cheese cake would be steamed over fire.

To my surprise, the end product turned out to be not as expected. Upon cutting, I realised that the cake has many big pores. This could be due to the introduction of air when folding the flour . It tastes more like traditional Chinese steamed egg cake, and saturated with the taste of Cheddar cheese. I think I still prefer the creamy cheese cake as compared to cheddar cheese ones.

I would not recommend this recipe.

Thailand Pandan Cream Cake - 泰式香兰蛋糕

If I would have added in more green colouring, the cake should look more attractive.

Ingredients:

Sponge Cake: ( you can make your own desired sponge cake)

A) 160g sugar

~~15g cake emulsifier

B)  5 eggs

~~ 120g plain flour

~~ 1 teaspoon baking powder

C)  40 ml water

D)  75g melted butter

Method:

1) Pour ingredients A into the mixing bowl and mix well.

2) Add ingredient B and beat till thick.

3) Stir in ingredients C

4) Beat the batter till light and fluffy.

5) Mix ingredient (D) till well blended.. Pour the mixture into a 10" round cakes mould. Bake at 180 degree C for 30 minutes.

6)  When the cake is cool, slice horizontally into 2 equal pieces.  Cut away the top and bottom crust.  Cut and trim the cake into 9" round cake. Leave aside for use later.

Pandan Cream:

80g castor sugar

7 pieces of gelatine leaves  (soak in tap water for a while, drain)

3 egg yolks

275g thick coconut milk (santan)

100ml fresh milk

50g pandan juice (extract from 6 pandan leaves)

300g whipped fresh cream

green colouring

1 no. 9" round cake ring or a 9" round springform  pan.

Method:

1)  Boil milk, coconut milk and sugar over medium heat till sugar dissolves.

2)  Add in soaked gelatine and continue boil till dissolve.

3)  Add in beaten egg yolks and pandan leaves till boil.  Take out and discard pandan leaves.

4)  Add in green colouring, leave to cool completely.

5)  Fold in whipped fresh cream, mix well.

6)  Place a piece of cake onto a springform cake pan, pour half of the pandan cream on top, then place the 2nd half of the sponge cake, and top with the remaining pandan cream.  

7)  Chill the cake in the fridge until the pandan cream is completely set. Cut into pieces, serve.

Orange Sweet Potato And Yam Cake -

Recipe: Adapted from "Aromas of Kuih" by Amy Wong

Ingredients A ( Mixed and filtered):
100g     rice flour
80g       tapioca flour
40g       flour
200ml   coconut milk

Ingredients B:
180g      sugar
300ml     water
4 pieces   pandan leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt

Ingredients C:
250g orange sweet potato > steamed and mashed
150g shredded yam (steamed)


Ingredients D (Mixed and filtered)
120g   rice flour
15 g    sugar
250ml  water
200ml  coconut milk

Ingredients E:
150g    sugar
250ml   water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method:
1)  Boil ingredients B and pour it into Ingredients A, stir well.  Add mashed sweet potato and mix till smooth.  Filter the mixture and boil over low heat, keep stirring all the time. Remove from heat when it is slightly thickened. Divide the mixture into two portions.

2)  Boil ingredients E and pour in ingredients D, stir well. Boil over low heat (Keep stirring all the time)  till slightly thickened.

3)  Lightly grease an 8" x 8" square baking mould/pan.  Pour a portion of  sweet potato mixture and steam for 18 minutes.

4)  Pour yam  mixture (I added purple colouring) and arrange shredded yam on top.  Steam for 18 minutes.

5)  Pour the remaining sweet potato mixture in and steam for another 20 minutes and cooked.

6) Leave it to cool, cut into pieces with a plastic knife, serve.

材料A：
沾米粉        100克
木薯粉        80克
面粉           40克
椰浆           200毫升

材料B：
白糖            180克
水                300克
香兰叶        4 片
盐                1/4 茶匙


材料C：
橙色肉番薯  250克  （蒸熟后压烂）
芋头丝          150克 （蒸熟）

材料D：（拌匀后过滤）
沾米粉          120克
玉米粉          15克
木薯粉          20克
椰浆              200毫升


材料E：
白糖         150克
水             250毫升
盐             1/2 茶匙

做发：
1） 把材料B煮滚，冲入材料A拌匀。加入蕃薯泥搅拌至滑，过滤后煮至稍微浓稠，分成两    份。
2） 把材料E煮滚，冲入材料D拌匀，煮至稍微浓周稠。（随意可加上紫色）
3） 先将8寸方盘涂上少许油，倒入一份番薯粉浆（做法1），蒸18分钟。
4） 倒入紫色粉浆（做法2），然后放入芋头丝，蒸18分钟。
5） 倒入剩余的蕃薯粉粉浆，再蒸20分钟即可。
6）  待冷后，用朔胶刀切成块状。

Roast Pork 脆皮烧腩肉（1）

This is another recipe which makes my family drool for more. It can compete with any restaurant's standard. Believe me and give it a try if you are meat lovers. Do you have the same feeling as me? Some food you eat with feeling or with emotion or give you memory. I am having this emotional feeling whenever I cook this dish. Let me touch on this.

Three years ago, the author of this recipe book and her friend came to visit my sister's hometown. At the request of her fans, the author conducted a cooking class just for them. And this is one of the dishes she demonstrated and my sister was one of the fans. At that time, my sister had already been diagnosed with final stage of lung cancer. I visited her and also had short stay with her. She was very optimistic, cheerful and active. During my stay at her place, she prepared this roast pork for me to try. The skin was sooo..... crispy and you can hear the sound "popopo,crak... crak....crak..." when you bite into the skin. The meat was tender and moist. It was really awesome. But now sigh, she cooks no more for me, because she had lost the battle with lung cancer two and the half years ago, and joined my parents in the other universe.

I've passed this recipe to my friends, they all gave me the thumbs up. It is simple to prepare and you should give it a try.

 Pardon me if the photos are not well taken. They were taken with my HTC mobile phone. 

Recipe: Adapted from "Delicacies of China Town" by Lin Yong Hao 林永好

Ingredients:
(A)
1 kg pork belly (with skin)

(B)
2 pieces fermented red bean curd (南乳) - I used 1 piece only
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon "Shaoxing" wine - Chinese cooking wine
1 tablespoon fine salt
1/2 tablespoon five spice powder
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon caster sugar

(C) some salt - to cover the skin

Method: 
1) Wash and rinse the pork belly. Use kitchen tissue to pat dry. Slit the meat repeatedly with a knife about 2-3cm depth (See picture 1 and 2) .
2) Mix ingredients (B) and rub on the meat only (not the skin, see picture 3 and 4).
3) Place the meat, skin side up on a plate. Allow to chill in the fridge (in the chiller compartment) for 2-3 days until the skin is dry. do not cover the meat so the skin will dry up.
4) Transfer pork belly directly from the chiller onto a wire rack, and sit on the roasting pan, add some water to the roasting pan. Skin face upwards.
5) Cover the skin with salt generously (see picture 6 and 7). Bake in a preheated oven at 250 degree C for 20 minutes, remove from the oven when the bubbles appear on the surface of the skin (seen from the side of the meat). Carefully discard all the salt from the skin.
6) Return the pork belly to the oven (skin face upwards), continue to roast for 20-25 minutes until cooked and the skin is crispy. Take out from the oven, leave to cool and cut into pieces. Serve.

NOTE: I USE SHARP MICROWAVE CONVENTION OVEN AND PLACED THE PORK ON LOWER RACK.
   

食谱取自“吃在茨厂街” 作者：林永好

材料：
1 公斤 带皮五层花腩肉

 腌料：（拌均匀）
2块 南乳 （我用一块）
1大匙 蚝油
1小匙 黑酱油/嗮油
1大匙 绍兴酒
1大匙 幼盐
1/2大匙 五香粉
1小匙 胡椒粉
1/2小匙 幼糖

适量盐巴 - 涂皮用

做法：
1）五花肉洗净后抹干水分，然后用刀在肉面上直切数劃如图1和2。约2-3公分深度）
2）把腌料充分的涂抹在肉面上和切开的空穴内 如图3和4。
3）把肉块翻覆放在盘子上（皮朝上)，盛放在冰箱内（冰格下层, 不必加盖)。冷藏2-3天，待皮风干。
4）准备烤箱，盘内注入适量清水，加上烤架，并把肉块从冰箱拿出直接铺在铐架上（皮朝上）。
5）在肉皮上铺上适量盐巴（如图6)，涂抹均匀，然后盛入预热烤箱以250度先烤20分钟，让皮面出现少许泡泡时再将肉块取出，把表面的盐巴去除。
6）把肉再盛入烤箱内，继续以250度C 烤约20-25分钟至熟透及表面长满金黄泡泡及香脆，取出，待冷卻后即可切块食用。