Beef Lasagna

Ingredients:
9 lasagna noodles

¾ lb extra lean ground beef

3 cloves garlic ~ minced

1½ tsp dried oregano leaves

1 jar (26 oz) Spaghetti sauce

1 large tomato ~ chopped

1 onion ~ finely chopped

1 carrot ~ finely chopped

1 egg

16 oz Cottage Cheese (I used Breakstone’s)

¼ cup KRAFT grated Parmesan Cheese

2 cup KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180 Deg C.
2. Brown meat with garlic, onion, carrot & oregano in saucepan.  Stir in spaghetti sauce; simmer 5 minutes.   Stir occasionally.  Remove from heat & stir in tomatoes.
3. Mix egg, cottage cheese & Parmesan.   Spread ½ cup spaghetti sauce mixture onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking dish.
4. Top with layers of 3 noodles, 1 cup cottage cheese mixture, ½ cup mozzarella & 1 cup remaining sauce mixture.   Repeat layers.   Top with remaining noodles & remaining sauce mixture.   Cover with foil.
5. Bake 30 minutes or until heated through.   Uncover; top with remaining mozzarella.   Bake & uncovered for 5 minutes or until mozzarella is melted.   Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Simple Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
250g butter ~ soft
250g icing sugar
500g self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
3 eggs
Cherry for decoration (Optional)

Directions:

1. Beat butter & sugar till the mixture turn pale & fluffy.
2. Add in egg yolks & white & mix well.
3. Add flour to form soft dough.
4. Place the dough in the cookie & shape.
5. Arrange cherry on cookie & bake at preheat 180 deg C for about 15-20 mins or till golden brown.

Thai Steam Fish

Ingredients:
2 or more white fish fillet (or snapper & cod fish will do)

½ cup chicken broth

3 tbsp white wine (I used Chinese cooking wine)

1 tbsp rice vinegar

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp fish sauce

1 stalk lemongrass ~ sliced finely

1 red chili ~ sliced finely

1-2 tbsp sesame oil

1 tsp cornstarch ~ dissolved in 3 tbsp cold water

Garnish

1 thumb-size ginger ~ sliced like matchstick

3 spring onions

2 tbsp olive oil

Handful of fresh coriander sprigs

Directions:

1. Pound or process lemongrass slices.   Add into the chicken broth & wine in a pot over medium-high heat.  Allow to come to a boil.  Cook for 5 minutes until lemongrass is soft.
2. Turn down heat to minimum & add vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, and chili & sesame oil.  Do taste tests for salt – if not salty enough, add more fish sauce (Note: sauce needs to be fairly salty in order for the combined sauce & fish to taste its best).   Add cornstarch & stair until slightly thickened.  Remove from heat.
3. Place fish in a shallow casserole or baking dish that will fit inside your bamboo steamer or colander.  Make sure there is 1-2 inches of water in the bottom of the work.
4. Pour 1/3 – 1/2 of the lemongrass sauce over fish.  Set the rest aside but keep it warm.  Sprinkle the ginger & spring onion over fish.  Cover the steamer & steam at high heat for 10-15 minutes.  Fish is done when inside is easy to flake & white.
5. Remove the fish from the steamer.  Place on a serving platter.   Add olive oil over the fish.  Pour the remaining sauce & sprinkle with sprigs of fresh coriander & spring onion.   Serve with Jasmine rice.

Cheesy Baked Salmon

Ingredients:
1 pound salmon fillet

1 clove garlic ~ crushed

½ tsp dried drill weed

Salt & pepper to taste

½ cup shredded Cheddar Cheese

3 green onions ~ chopped

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180 deg. C
2. Place the salmon on a large piece of foil, season with garlic, dill, salt & pepper.   Seal foil around the salmon & place on a baking tray.
3. Bake 20 minutes in the preheated oven.   Top with Cheddar cheese & green onions & continue baking 5 minutes or until cheese is melted & fish is easily flaked with a fork.

Steamed Egg White Rainbow Cake

Found an old recipe in my recipe file and thought of giving it a try. This cake uses only egg whites which happen that my neighbor gave me during her baking cake lapis for CNY and I had left in the freezer to clear.   The layering of the cake can be quite a time consuming but it was worth every effort.

Ingredients:
500g egg white (about 20 large eggs ~ 60g)

¼ cup evaporate milk

1 tsp vanilla essence

150g melted butter

225g castor sugar

300g top flour

1 tbsp ovalette

½ tsp for each color (Red/Green/Yellow)

1 tbsp chocolate emulco

¼ tsp salt

Directions:

1. Beat egg white at high speed.  Add sugar bit by bit once the egg white turns bubbly.  Continue beating till soft peak.
2. Add milk, vanilla, ovalette & butter into the egg batter & continue mixing
3. Add flour & salt & mix till good blend.
4. Split the batter equally into 4 parts & add color to each part & chocolate emulco into 1 part.
5. Grease a baking tin with butter & scoop 1 tbsp of yellow mixture into the center of the baking tin, continue with 1 tbsp of the red onto the yellow mixture, scoop 1 tbsp of the green mixture onto the red, scoop 1 tbsp of the chocolate mixture on the green and repeat with the yellow, red, green and chocolate until the finish.
6. Steam on high heat for about 30 minutes or till cake is done.

Suji Cookies aka Semolina Cookies

Source: QQB Site

Ingredients:
250g QBB
1 tsp vanilla essence
500g plain flour
2 tsp bicarbonate soda
170g icing sugar
¾ tsp fine salt

Directions:

1. Melt QBB over low heat & cool.
2. Add vanilla essence to cooled ghee.
3. Sift flour, b. soda, icing sugar & salt into mixing bowl.
4. Pour ghee mixture in flour mixture & knead well to form firm dough.
5. Preheat the oven to 180 deg C.
6. Roll dough into melt-in-your-mouth ball sizes and place on greased tray.
7. Bake for 10-15 minutes till cooked but not brown.   The cookies should be white & crumbly in texture.

Shrimp With Snow Peas

I've been very busy since December for baking X'mas cookies & chocolate tart for my daughters' teachers as a gifts.  Then Chinese New Year cookies order in January.  I was so damn tired that hubby was so nice to cook us dinner.  He used to cook meal for me before we had kids.  After having our 3rd child, a son, I begun to learn how to cook & bake.  Since then he had laid off for quite awhile.  So, here is the dish that hubby cooked.....

Ingredients:
1 pound shrimp ~ peeled & deveined

6 oz snow peas ~ removed strings

3 cloves garlic ~ minced

2” fresh ginger ~ minced

Chives ~ chopped

2 cups cold water

1/3 cup chicken broth

2 tsp rice wine

1½ tsp soy sauce

1½ tsp cornstarch

¾ tsp sugar

1 tsp ground white pepper

Oil

Salt

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, stir salt into water until dissolved.  Add shrimp & set aside for about 5 minutes.  Rinse shrimps & dry on paper towels.
2. In a small bowl, mix together broth, rice wine, soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar & pepper.   Set aside.
3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat.  Cook shrimp, turning constantly until pink on all sides about 1 minute.  Stir in garlic, ginger & 2 tsp oil.   Stir in snow peas, chives & ¼ tsp salt; stir-fry 1 minute more.
4. Stir broth mixture into skillet & continue cooking until sauce thickens.  Serve immediately.

Homemade Fish Fingers

Ingredients:
400g fillet of white fish ~ partially thawed

120g breadcrumbs

2 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1 tbsp parsley ~ finely chopped

1 tsp lemon ~ grated

½ tsp paprika

½ tsp dried thyme

¼ tsp garlic salt

150ml double cream

1 egg

100g plain flour

100ml vegetable oil

Salt & pepper

Directions:

1. Cut the cod fillets into strips & put aside.
2. Place the breadcrumbs into a bowl, season with salt & pepper.  Add the parsley, parmesan, garlic salt, lemon grind, paprika & thyme.  Mix well together thoroughly.
3. In a separate bowl, pour in the double cream & egg.  Beat them together with fork.
4. Lightly dust the fillets in the flour.  Then dip the fillet into the egg & double cream & finally coat with the breadcrumbs mixture.
5. Heat oil on medium-low heat.  Place the fillet in the pan.  Turn them over & cook until the fish flakes easily & the breadcrumbs are golden brown
6. Drain the fillet onto the kitchen paper to remove any excess oil.  Serve with wedges or chips.

Bangkit Cookies / Kuih Bangkit

Ingredients:
2 ½ cups Tapioca flour / Starch

1 tbsp butter ~ melted

1 large egg (yolk)

1 cup icing sugar

120ml thick coconut milk / cream

Directions:

1. Place tapioca flour on a paper towel of microwave container & heat for 1 minute.  Set aside & let it cool.  (You also can fry the flour in a wok if don’t have a microwave oven).  Microwave extra tapioca flour for standby & knead purposes.
2. Shift tapioca flour & icing sugar in a big bowl.   Add melted butter, yolk & coconut cream.  Knead until the dough is pliable.  (If the dough is wet or soft, add 1 tbsp of tapioca flour at a time until it becomes harder dough.  Likewise, if it’s too dry, add 1 tbsp of coconut cream)
3. Lightly floured the surface & roll out the dough about 3mm thickness.  Cut into shapes with a cookie cutter.   Arrange on lined baking tray & bake at 180 deg C for 15 minutes or more.  It will puff when baked.

Tips

1. Just make sure the dough is not too wet, if not it can't hold the shape. How to know is when you rolled it out and cut it with a cookie cutter and placed it on the baking tray, the shape disappeared before your eyes. If this happen, add a little more tapioca flour and knead it again. (Microwave extra tapioca flour for backup and kneading purposes) But if the shape hold, you are fine to go.
2. Also, give your kuih bangkit a taste test after 15 minutes and cool off a bit, if it still tasted like not fully dried out in the middle, put it back in the oven and bake it some more until it's completely dried, crispy and melt-in-your-mouth (can be as long as 30 mins). Baking time depended on the thickness of the kuih bangkit, so don't follow blindly by the stated time. For example, after 15 mins, you taste and middle not dry out yet, pop it back for another 5 mins, take it out and do a test taste after it's cool a bit, if still not, in the oven it goes for another 5 mins, until when you tasted the kuih bangkit, it's completely dried in the middle, whole thing crispy and melt-in-your-mouth. I have baked my thicker one for as long as 30 mins before and no harm done.

Chocolate Cornflake Cookies

Ingredients:
200g Milk Block Chocolate (Couverture)
200g corn flakes

50g margarine/butter

50g honey
50g roasted Almond
Colorful rainbow ~ decorator
Mini paper cups

Directions:

1. Prepare a muffin pan with paper liners and set aside.
2. Place the chocolate, butter, and honey in a heat-proof bowl on a double boiler.  Stir until completely smooth.
3. Place the cornflakes in a very large mixing bowl and pour the warm melted chocolate over them. Use a spatula to mix them together until all the cornflakes are evenly covered in chocolate.  Then add the roasted almond and mix again.
4. With a spoon, place the chocolate cornflakes in each muffin liner, gently pressing on them to ensure they are tightly and compactly packed together.
5. Place in the fridge to set for about 1 hour or until the chocolate is fully set and hard.  Store in an air-tight container.

Peanut Cookies

Ingredients:
250g ground peanut powder

200g plain flour

110g icing sugar

½ tsp baking powder

200ml Canola oil

1 egg yolk ~ lightly beaten with 1 tsp water

Directions:

1. Mix ground peanut powder, plain flour, baking powder, icing sugar & salt in a big mixing bowl well combined.
2. Pour in oil slowly & mix till pliable dough is formed.  (If dry, add little more)
3. Shape into small bite-size pieces & place 2cm apart on baking tray.  Apply egg wash.
4. Preheat oven at 180 deg. C & bake for about 18-22 minutes or golden brown.

Ikan Bilis Sambal Tempeh aka Spicy Anchovy & Tempeh

Ingredients:
250g Ikan Bilis (Anchovy)

250g Tempe ~ cut into dice sized

8 shallots ~ Sliced thinly

5 cloves garlic ~ Sliced thinly

1” galangal ~ pound into a paste

3 tbsp palm sugar

1 tsp shrimp paste

2 tbsp sweet dark soy sauce

2 curry leaves

2 fresh red chilies ~ sliced thinly

1 tsp tamarind (Add 3 tbsp water)

1 tsp salt

Cooking oil

Directions:

1. Heat oil and fry the tempe and ikan bilis (Anchovies) until golden brown. Dish out and set aside.
2. Heat 3 tbsp oil and fry the shallots, garlic, galangal paste, and curry leaves for about 3 minutes.
3. Then add the shrimp paste & chilies & stir-fry for about 1 minute.
4. Add the sweet dark soy sauce, palm sugar, tamarind juice & salt.  Mix well the mixture & let simmer slowly for about 2 minutes.
5. Lastly, add the Tempe and Ikan Bilis (Anchovies) and simmer for a few minutes. Serve with rice or by itself. It can also be a snack.

Pineapple Tarts

Ingredients:
400g sifted plain flour (I used All-purpose flour)
250g butter (I used Buttercup)
2 eggs ~ beat the eggs
½ tsp salt

Direction:

1. Preheat oven at 180 deg. C
2. Rub butter into sifted flour till like crumbs.  Add in egs & make into dough.
3. Roll pastry & cut with mould.  Brush with 1 (beaten egg) egg.
4. Bake the pastry for 10 mins first.  Take out & then add pineapple balls.
5. Bake again for another 10-15 mins or golden.  Total baking time 20-25 mins.

Fried Bee Hoon ~ Singapore Style

Ingredients:
1 packet of Bee Hun

200g beef fillet

200g squids

200g fish balls

200g Chye Sim

1 carrot ~ cut sticks

2 eggs ~ scramble

Salt to taste

Water

Blend:

1 medium onion

3 cloves garlic

1" ginger

½ tsp white pepper

Directions:

1. Heat oil & sauté the blend ingredients till fragrant
2. Add beef fillet till cook & a little of water & mix well
3. Add chye sim’s stalk & carrot till soften
4. Add fish balls & squids & stir-fry
5. Add the balance of chye sim & stir-fry.  Then add salt & stir well
6. Add the bee hun & fried scrambled eggs.

Chocolate Chips Cookies

Who doesn't like chocolate chip cookies. I make them at least once a month for my family and friends. Everyone says how good they are... And I just say they are homemade. Of course, they are way better than store bought cookies (which I never buy).

Ingredients:
1 cup butter ~ softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

2¼ cups all-purpose flour (I used plain flour)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1 cup chopped walnuts (Optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180 deg C
2. Combine flour, baking soda & salt in small bowl.
3. Beat together the butter, white sugar, brown sugar & vanilla extract in a larger mixer bowl until creamy. 
4. Add eggs one at a time, beat well after each addition.  Gradually beat in flour mixture.
5. Stir in Chocolate chip & walnuts.  Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheet.
6. Bake for about 10-14 minutes in the preheated oven or until edges are nicely browned.

Baked Spring Roll ~ Singapore Popiah

Ingredients:
½kg minced meat (optional)
1 medium onion ~ diced
1 carrot ~ diced
1 medium potato ~ diced
1" ginger ~ chopped
2 cloves garlic ~ chopped
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp 5-spice powder
2 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat, add garlic, ginger, onion, carrot, potatoes & minced meat.   Stir-fry the mixture well.
2. Add soy sauce & spices powder into the mixture & stir well.
3. Transfer to a bowl, set aside & let it cool down.
4. Now peel off the first layer of the spring roll wrapper from the stack & spread onto a clean surface.
5. Place the cooked filling in a diagonal fashion.   Add fresh uncooked spinach.
6. Pull one side of the flap over to close the filling.   Fold the two ends as in the picture & proceed to roll the wrapper, pulling over the flaps to close the roll.
7. Place the spring rolls on a baking dish, brush olive oil over the rolls.   Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Ingredients:
1 can of Pineapple
1 bottle of Red Cherries
50g butter
50g brown sugar

Batter for Cake:
180g All purpose flour
150g butter
1½ tsp baking powder
100ml butter milk
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup castor sugar
2 eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 deg C.
2. Melt the butter & mix with the brown sugar, spread on the pan bottom.   Arrange the pineapple rings on the pan.   Put a cherry in the middle of the each ring.
3. Cream butter & sugar until creamy.   Add eggs one at a time.   Mix in flour & baking powder & finally the buttermilk.
4. Carefully spread the mixture over the pineapple & make it level.
5. Bake for 40 minutes & invert into a plate while still warm.

Fried Mini Popiah With Dried Shrimp aka Popiah Udang Kering

Ingredients:
1 packet (250g) of grated coconut
¾ cup dried shrimp ~ soaked & blended
3-4 tbsp oil
Salt
Sugar

Paste:
3 stalk lemongrass
5 shallots
3 cloves garlic
3 tbsp chili boh / paste (depends how spicy you want)
½ tsp turmeric powder

Directions:

1. Toast the grated coconut in a wok until they turn golden brown in color & set aside.
2. Heat oil & saute the paste ingredients till fragrant.   Add sugar & salt, continue stirring the mixture well for about 3 minutes or until the mixture is thicken.
3. Add the dried shrimp & grated coconut into the mixture.  Mix all the ingredients well.
4. Transfer to a bowl, put aside & let it cool down.
5. Now peel off the first layer of the spring roll wrapper from the stack & cut into a 9 square & spread onto a clean surface.  Place the cooked filling in a diagonal fashion.
6. Pull one side of the flap over to close the filling.  Fold the two ends & proceed to roll the wrapper, pulling over the flaps to close the roll.
7. Heat oil for deep fry the mini popiah.  Let it cool & store them in airtight container.

Claypot Chicken Rice

This is one of those effortless one-pot meals where everything is thrown and cook together. Really delicious and full of flavour.

Ingredients:
2 cups rice

2 cups water

3-4 chicken drumsticks

5 dried mushrooms

2 dried Chinese sausages (Optional)

2 stalks mustard green

1 small salted fish

Marinate for Chicken:

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

½ tbsp ginger juice

1 tbsp Chinese rice wine

A dash of white pepper

1 tsp cornflour

Directions:

1. Soak mushrooms in warm water till softened.  Cut the stalks, drain & squeeze dry.
2. Wash sausages & cut each into 6-8 pieces.  Wash vegetables & cut into pieces
3. Fry salted fish in a little oil till crispy & crumble into small pieces.
4. Wash & cut chicken drumsticks into bite size.  Mix with marinade & salted fish & set aside for 30 minutes.
5. Wash rice, drain & put into the claypot with water & 1 tbsp Maggi concentrated chicken stock.  Bring to the boil over high heat.  When steam holes appear from the claypot, add the chicken, mushrooms & sausages.
6. Cover claypot & continue to cook over low heat for another 15-20 minutes till chicken is cooked.
7. Add vegetables on top, cover & cook for further 5 minutes.  Remove from heat & let stand for 10 minutes.
8. Mix well before serving & drizzle some dark soy sauce over the rice.

Thai Spicy Squid Salad ~ Yum Plak Muk

A spicy squid salad made from fried chopped squid (calamari) and a bed of chilies, mint, coriander leaves (cilantro) and other green vegetables

Ingredients:
300g squid

1 medium onion ~ sliced thinly

3 shallots ~ sliced thinly

4 bird’s-eye chilies (Chili padi) ~ minced

1 small ginger ~ sliced thinly

2½ tbsp lime juice

1½ tbsp Thai fish sauce

1 tomato ~ cut into wedges

1 spring onion ~ chopped

1 sprig coriander leaves ~ chopped

¼ mint leaves ~ chopped

Directions:

1. Clean the squid & cut into bite-sized pieces & crisscross pattern.
2. Blanch the squid in boiling water until it turns opaque.  Remove immediately & drain, then place on a serving platter.
3. Combine the shallots, chilies, onion, ginger, lime juice & fish sauce.
4. Add the tomato wedges, spring onion, coriander & mint leaves.   Serve immediately with steamed rice.