Tajine Chicken ~ Chef Wan

Source: Chef Wan

August 15, 2009, I attended Demo by Chef Wan @ Courts Mega Tampines.  He shared & demo 4 dishes.  Sampled his dishes & oh my it's heaven....so yummy that I can't wait to do this dish by myself & share with my relatives & friends.....

Ingredients:
1 whole chicken (cut 8 pieces)

1 tbsp paprika powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp white pepper powder

2 tsp cumin powder

60ml olive oil

1 large onion ~ cut cubes

2 cloves garlic ~ chopped finely

2" ginger ~ chopped finely

1 cup water (or less)

1 tbsp coriander leaves ~ chopped

10 pcs olive fruits

2 medium potatoes ~ sliced

1 tbsp parsley leaves ~ chopped

2 medium tomatoes ~ chopped

Directions:

1. In a bowl, marinated the chicken together with paprika, turmeric, white pepper & cumin seed for a minutes.
2. Heat olive oil on a wok, saute sliced onion, garlic & ginger till fragrant.
3. Add the marinated chicken & cook for about 5 minutes.
4. Pour a cup of water, add olive fruits, coriander leaves, parsley leaves, potatoes & tomatoes.  Turn the heat on slow, covered wok & cook for 30 minutes so as the chicken cooked.

Bake Black Sweet Chicken aka Ayam Hitam Manis ~ Chef Wan

Source: Chef Wan

Ingredients:
4 chicken pieces (discard the fat)
10 pcs shitaka mushroom ~ tear pieces
2 medium potatoes ~ boiled together w/skin, cut halves
1 tsp sugar
2 tbsp sweet soy sauce
1 tbsp shallot ~ chopped finely
1 tbsp garlic ~ chopped finely
1 tbsp ginger ~ chopped finely
1 large onion ~ sliced
2 tbsp black soy
couple of spices (star anise, cloves, cardamon & cinnamon stick)
1 cup water

Directions:

1. In a big baking dish, put the chicken & all the ingredients & mix well.
2. Preheat the oven at 180 deg & bake for about 1/2 hr
3. Serve with hot rice.

Cornflakes Snaps Cookies

Ingredients:
200g QBB Ghee (I used butter)

180g caster sugar

1 tsp grated rind of lemon

1 tsp vanilla essence

2 egg yolks

250g cornflakes ~ crushed lightly

260g self-raising flour

20g corn flour

some cherries glaced ~ chopped

Directions:

1. Cream the QBB/butter, sugar & vanilla essence until the mixture becomes fluffy.
2. Beat in egg yolk & grated lemon rind.   Fold in sifted flour & mix well.
3. Put mixture into the refrigerator to chill for half an hour until it turns slightly firm so that you can handle easily.
4. Drop teaspoonfuls of mixture onto the crushed cornflakes.   Shape into balls & place on baking trays lined with non-stick paper.
5. Press a cut cherry in the centre of each dough.
6. Bake in preheated oven at 180 deg C for 20-25 minutes or until lightly golden in color
7. Cool on wire racks before storing in airtight containers.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

Ingredients:
200g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

250ml natural yogurt

180g caster sugar

3 large eggs (180g)

Zest of 2 lemons

1 tsp vanilla extract

125ml melted QBB Ghee

3 tbsp marmalade

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180 deg C.  Line a loaf tine with non-stick paper.
2. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into mixing bowl.
3. Combine yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest & vanilla extract in a large bowl & whisk until well blended.
4. Gradually whisk in dry ingredients.  Using spatula, fold in melted QBB Ghee.
5. Transfer batter to prepared pan & place in a preheated oven.   Baked for 40 minutes or until a skewer inserted into centre comes out clean.
6. Cool cake in pan for 5 minutes & then turn cake on rack to cool.  Brush marmalade over top of cake.  Cool cake thoroughly before cutting.

Prwan Noodle aka Hay Mee ~ Chef Wan

Source: Chef Wan

After watching Asia Food Channel, hosted by Chef Wan, shown us his aunty in Singapore cooked prawn noodle soup.  This is my favorite dish.  Each time I'm out for a meal, I would order prawn noodle soup.  So, y'day my families had homemade prawn noodle soup for dinner since it was my very first time to cook my own prawn noodle, I wasn’t so sure whether it can taste like one. But after I took the first sip of the broth, oh boy, this is so Real, as good as the prawn noodle I had at hawker center's stall....

Ingredients:
½ kg big prawns (wash clean)

6 cloves garlic ~ minced

2 tbsp white pepper

1” roasted shrimp paste

5g rock sugar

2 cubes of fish knor (u can use fish stock boullini)

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

Salt / Ajinomoto

Garnish ~ Blanch

1 packet water spinach

¼ g bean sprout

500g yellow noodle (called Hokkien noodle)

2 fish cakes ~ thinly sliced

Fried shallot

Directions:

1. Boil 15 cups of water in a big pot on medium heat, add the big prawn, together with the head & shell, and cook till the prawn turn pink.   Removed the prawn & peel the head & shell.  Set aside.  (Note: the water from the prawn, do not throw as needed to make a broth for the noodle)
2. Heat 2 tbsp of oil on a pan, sauté the garlic, roasted shrimp paste & white pepper for about 2 minutes.   Add the prawn head & shell & cook for another 5 minutes.  Pour the cook shells into the prawn broth & simmer for about 30 minutes or more.
3. Add rock sugar, fish cubes, dark soy sauce & salt/Ajinomoto.  Simmer till the rock sugar dissolve.
4. Sieve the soup & set aside.
5. To serve in a bowl, add the blanch water spinach on the bottom, noodle, bean sprout & garnished with prawns & sliced fish cakes.  Ladle the hot prawn broth & fried shallots.

Barbie / Princess Doll Cake With Marshmallow

This is my 3rd baking of Princess cake for my daughter, Ally.  She has been pastering me since the day I baked for her sister, Ashley's b'day.  So, I decided to bake her a Princess cake & this time, I'm using marshmallow for the princess' skirt as a deco.

When I bought this Princess cake to her school, all the kids & even the teachers keep asking me where do I bought this cake.  I told them that I baked myself, they were surprised.  Couple of the teachers asked me the recipe for the icing, so here I am to share the buttercream icing with you....give a try & you wouldn't regret!

Ingredients:
3 Boxes Betty Crockers (Yellow/Chocolate)

3 Packets Marshmallow (Deco for the skirts)

Some Sugar Flowers (Deco for the top skirts) ~ You can purchased at the bakery store.

Buttercream Frosting:

2 cups confectioners sugar (icing/powdered sugar), sifted

1/2 cup (113 grams) unsalted butter

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 tbsp milk or light cream

Assorted food colors (if desired)

Directions:

1. In an electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, cream the butter until smooth and well blended.
2. Add the vanilla extract. With the mixer on low speed, gradually beat in the sugar. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Add the milk and beat on high speed until frosting is light and fluffy (about 3-4 minutes). Add a little more milk or sugar, if needed. Tint the frosting with desired food color.

Cheesecake Bars

Crust:

200g digestive cookies

2 tbsp granulated sugar

113g unsalted butter

Filling:

454g cream cheese (2-8 ounce) ~ softened

100g granulated sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2 large eggs

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 160 deg C.  Have a 23cm square pan that has been lined with aluminum foil across the bottom & set aside.
2. In a small bowl combine the digestive cookies crumbs, sugar & melted butter.  Press mixture evenly over the bottom of the prepared pan.  Bake for 10 mins & set aside to cool.  Increase the oven to 180 deg C.
3. In the bowl of your electric mixer, beat the cream cheese until smooth.  Add sugar, lemon juice & vanilla extract & beat until smooth.   Add the eggs one at a time, beat until incorporated.   Scrape down the sides of the bowl, as needed.   Pour the cheesecake filling over the digestive cookies base & bake for abt 20 mins or until the cheesecake batter is just set.
4. Remove from oven & place on a wire rack to cool.   Place in the refrigerator for a few hours to make the squares easier to cut.   Cut into 2” squares & garnish with fresh berries, if desired.

Yellow Butter Cake

Remember couple of days ago, I had baked Angel Food Cake...lots of egg yolk leftover?  Well, not only you can used egg yolk to make Caramel Custard/Leche Flan, you also can used egg yolks for YELLOW BUTTER CAKE. 

Let me tell you this butter cake is very SINFULLY rich, moist & deliciously fragrant.  Can you imagine 10 egg yolks and 375g of butter in one puny 8″ cake?? And I think the addition of melted butter made the cake even more moist. When I pressed down a little on a slice, I could almost see the butter oozing from the crumb. *immediate coronary* But it tasted divine and the texture was perfect. Although I won’t be making it too often, because of health concerns (I don’t usually bother about calories but this IS a little overboard), this is the recipe I’d go to for a special occassion

Ingredients:
375g butter

10 egg yolks

1 cup sugar

1 ½ cups plain flour

½ tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in the microwave or over gentle heat on the stove. Leave to cool.
2. Lightly grease and line the bottom of an 8″ round cake pan. Preheat oven to 165 degree C.
3. Cream yolks and sugar until creamy and pale yellow. Remember to scrape down the sides and bottom periodically.
4. Add in the cooled melted butter and vanilla.
5. Sift the flour and baking powder (and a pinch of salt if using) and fold carefully into the creamed mixture.
6. Scrape into pan and level surface. Bake for 45 mins until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Angel Food Cake

This is another version of Chiffon Cake but it's more cloudy, fluffy & SWEET

Ingredients:
1¾ cups castor sugar

¼ tsp salt

1 cup cake flour, shifted

12 egg whites

1 tsp orange extracts or extract of your choice

½ tsp vanilla

1½ tsp cream of tartar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 180 C.   Sift half of the sugar with the salt & cake flour together & set aside.
2. In a large bowl, use a balloon whisk to thoroughly combine egg whites, warm water and orange extract until frothy.   Add cream of tartar & whisk on high speed.  Add the remaining sugar slowly into the egg whites & continue to whisk at medium speed to medium peaks
3. Using a spatula fold in gently into the foam.  Continue until all the flour mixture is incorporated.
4. Pour into a 22cm ungreased or line tube pan.   Bake for 40-45 minutes before checking for doneness with a wooden skewer.
5. Remove from oven, invert & leave to cool completely before removing cake from the tin.

Chili Hotdog

It's 4th July, I decided to have American Chili Hotdog for my family.  It's been quite sometimes we had not eaten Chili Hotdog.

Ingredients:
350g pound ground beef

2 large onions ~ chopped

2 can (8oz) tomato sauce

½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

¼ tsp hot pepper sauce

½ tbsp cumin powder

1 tsp chili powder ~ or more

1 tbsp brown sugar

Salt & pepper to taste

8 hotdogs ~ cooked according to package directions

8 hotdog buns

Cheddar cheese shredded

Directions:

1. In a medium skillet, brown beef & onions, and break up the beef into small pieces over medium heat.  Drain fat from skillet & reduce heat to low.
2. Stir in tomato, Worcestershire, hot pepper sauce, cumin powder, chili powder, brown sugar, salt & pepper.   Simmer for about 10-12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Place cooked hot dogs into buns, ladle ¼ cup chili sauce over each hot dog & top with cheese.   Serve together with chips.

Caramel Custard / Leche Flan

Last night, I baked an Angel Cake which consist 12 egg whites.  So, leftover egg yolks & I'm not sure what to do with these egg yolks.  Till my helper came over to clean my house once a week and I told her that I had so many egg yolks left.  She told me to do Philippine's Leche Flan and give me her recipe.  Tell you the truth, I never heard Leche Flan till I make it then I realized there's another word called "Caramel Custard".....Give a try as it so easy & taste heavenly..mmmm....

Custard:

12 egg yolks

1 can condensed milk

1 can evaporated milk

1 tsp vanilla essence

Caramel:

¾ cups sugar

¼ cup water

Directions:

1. In a sauce pan, dissolve sugar & water over medium heat, do not stir, just swirl the pan gently, caramelize in low heat if you don't want it burnt. Pale brown means sweeter and too dark means bitter. When you have achieved the desired color, pour the syrup in the mould and make sure to coat all the parts of the pan.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine all the egg yolk, condensed milk, evaporated milk and vanilla.  Use a whisk to mix thoroughly but gently to prevent bubbles from forming.
3. Use a sieve & pour the mixture in a mould & cover it with an aluminum foil, so that the moisture from the steam won’t get into the pan as it will become watery.
4. Steam cook for 40-45 minutes or until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.   Let the custard cool at room temperature, then refrigerate for several hours before serving.   Carefully invert unto a serving dish, let the caramelized sugar flow over the custard.

Sweet & Sour Chicken / Pork

I'm sure everyone knows how to cook sweet & sour dishes, either chicken, prawn or fish but still I want share this recipe.  The secret ingredient I use in this dish is oyster sauce + Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce + Plum sauce....

Ingredients:
500g boneless chicken (cut into bite size or strips)

½ green & red bell pepper ~ cut into cubes

2 stalks scallions ~ white part cut into 2” length

1 canned pineapple cubes

1 tbsp chopped garlic

Oil for frying

Marinate: (15-20mins):

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tsp corn flour

1 tsp rice wine

Batter:

½ cup water or pineapple juice

6 tbsp plain flour

3 tbsp corn starch

½ tsp baking soda

1 egg

1 tsp cooking oil

½ tsp salt

Sauce:

1½ tbsp tomato ketchup

1 tsp plum sauce

1/8 tsp Chinese rice vinegar (Transparent color)

½ tsp Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce

1 tsp oyster sauce

1 tsp corn starch

1 tsp sugar

2 tbsp water

Directions:

1. Prepare the batter, sweet & sour sauce ingredients well, set aside.
2. Transfer the chicken pieces into the batter & make sure well coated.  In a deep skillet, add in the cooking oil enough for deep-frying until turn golden brown dish out & drain on paper towel.
3. Heat 2 tbsp cooking oil, sauté chopped garlic till light brown, follow by bell peppers & pineapple cubes.  Stir fry till smell the peppery aroma & add in the sweet & sour sauce.  As soon as the sauces thicken, add the chicken & scallions.  Stir well, dish out & serve hot with steamed white rice.

Basic Chiffon Cake

Lately I've been trying to bake Pandan Chiffon Cake for couple of days & it fails 3 times.  Each time I baked, I tried to figure where do I go wrong.  It's so simple yet I failed.  So, I decided to do some research on how to bake Chiffon Cake.  Everybody can bake this simple cake but there's a catch to it. 

I searched on youtube & none mentioned about the method of baking chiffon cake.  Then one fine day, luck on my side, I found a site on youtube called "I-Hate-Cooking-Recipes.com" by Chef Todd Mohr explaining ways & method.  I sat all day to watched & I found it very useful.  For those who wonder why the chiffon cake doesn't rise, check this website for self educate....

Finally, my chiffon cake turns out good.....My hubby request me to bake him an "Angel Food Cake" similiar to Chiffon Cake & I'm going to bake him one tomorrow.

Ingredient A

5 egg yolks

150g self-raising flour

75g castor sugar

5 tbsp canola/corn oil

5 tbsp water

Ingredient B

5 egg whites

½ tsp cream of tartar

75g castor sugar

Directions:

1. Put all ingredients A into a mixing bowl & use a whisk to stir in one direction until smooth & well-combined.  Set aside
2. Put egg whites into another mixing bowl & use an electric mixer & whisk until frothy.   Add cream of tartar & whisk on high speed.  Add in sugar slowly into the egg whites & continue to whisk until stiff but not dry (egg whites can form into soft peak).
3. Pour the mixture A into egg white mixture.   Use a spatula & fold the mixture until smooth & well-combined.
4. Pour into a 22cm chiffon cake tin (does not grease or line).   Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 deg C for about 30 minutes until lightly brown or cooked.
5. Remove from oven, invert & leave to cool completely before removing cake from the tin.

Using flavors:

(A) Orange Chiffon Cake:

     - 5 tbsp orange juice plus 1 tsp grated orange rind

(B) Pandan Chiffon Cake:

     - 5 tbsp pandan juice plus 5 tbsp coconut milk (to replace canola/corn oil)

(C) Mocha Chiffon Cake:

     - 2 tbsp instant coffee dissolved with 5 tbsp boiling water (leave to cool)

Koleh-Koleh aka Green Bean Cake

This is a very traditional cake but now you can find green bean flour at the supermarket.  I find this cake needs only 3-4 ingredients but the time is very consumming....it takes me almost 2-1/2 hours to do this traditional kuih.

Ingredients:
500g green bean flour (Tepung Kacang Hijau)

250g plum sugar (gula melaka)

100g sugar

1kg coconut milk (in a packet form) ~ for the topping

500ml coconut milk (in a box form)

1000ml water (about 5 cups)

Directions:

1. In a pot, add 400ml water with plum sugar & white sugar to a boiling point.  Shift the plum sugar & put aside to cool.
2. In a big pot, add coconut milk, water, 1/2 tsp salt & the flour.  Stir the mixture together.
3. On a medium heat, keep stir the mixture & add the plum sugar.  Continuously stirring to prevent from lumpy.  Once the mixture is thicken, pour it on round pan & let it cool aside.
4. Heat a medium fire on a non-stick pan, add the 1kg coconut milk.  Stir once a while till the coconut becomes a tiny lump.  It should turn into dark brown & off the fire.  Shift the oil & spread the fried coconut on top of the green bean as a topping.
5. Let it really cool, then cut & serve.

Butter Cake

A friend of mine give me a butter cake recipe but I've modify a little.

Ingredients:
250g butter, softened

250g plain flour (I used 150g AP flour + 100g cake flour)

1 tbsp baking powder

200g castor/fine sugar

4 eggs

1 tsp vanilla essence

3/4 cup evapourate milk

Directions:

1. Cream butter & sugar together till light & fluffy.
2. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla essence.
3. Sift dry ingredients and add alternatively with milk, mixing well.
4. Grease and line 2 layer cake tins or a large square tin. Place the cake batter into the tins. Tap the pan lightly to break large air bubbles.
5. Bake at 160ºC for 55-60 minutes. Turn onto a wire rack and allow to cool completely.

Banana Loaf Cake

Ingredients:
3 large bananas

2 large eggs

50g pecans / walnut ~ roughly chopped

50g raisins

150ml buttermilk / plain yogurt

100g unsalted butter ~ softened

140g light brown sugar

280g all-purpose flour

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 160C.  Butter a 20x13cm loaf tin & line the base with greaseproof paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together butter & sugar with an electric whisk until creamy.  Add eggs one at a time.   Stir in the mashed bananas puree, pecans, raisins & buttermilk / plain yogurt.
3. Sift the flour & bicarbonate soda on top of the banana mixture; fold in until evenly mixed.  Do not over mix.
4. Pour the bananas batter into the loaf tin.  Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes until a skewer pushed in the centre comes out almost, but not quite dry.   Remove from the oven & leave for about 10 minutes.   Turn it out of the loaf tin onto a cooling rack to cool.

American Apple Pie

Crust:

2½ cup of all purpose flour

¼ cup cake flour

¾ cup fine sugar

½ stick butter

1 tsp baking powder

2 eggs ~ lightly beaten

Apple Filling

6-8 apples ~ Peel, core & cut into ¼” thick slices.

½ cup all-purpose flour

1 cup white sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon powder

2 tbsp butter

Directions:

1. Blend the 1st five dry ingredients in the food processor.   Pour in a medium bowl, make a well in the middle & add the eggs.  Mix well into a dough.
2. Press half of the dough in a 9” pie-pan & cover with a plastic & refrigerate for about 30 mins.  The other half wrap in the plastic & refrigerate for about 30 mins.
3. In a medium bowl combine the apples, with the brown & white sugar.  Add flour, cinnamon & continue mixing until they are well coated
4. Remove dough-lined pie pan from refrigerator.  Fill with apple mixture, gently packing apples & mounding slightly in center; dot with butter.
5. Remove remaining circle of dough from refrigerator.  Lie over apples; press along the rim to seal.  Brush the egg wash (1 egg yolk + 2 tbsp water) all over the top of the dough.
6. With a floured paring knife, cut 5-6 slits on top of pie, radiating from center; place pie plate on a rimmed baking sheet. 
7. Pre-heat the oven 180 deg C & bake for 40-50 minutes or until crust is golden & juices are bubbling.

Stained Glass Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
2 ¾ cups all-purpose flour

¼ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

250g butter ~ softened

¾ cup granulate sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tin Fox’s Fruit Sweet

Directions:

1. Using an electric mixer, cream together butter, sugar & vanilla until pale & creamy.  Occasionally scraping bowl with rubber spatula. 
2. Add egg & vanilla, beat until well mixed.
3. Reduce speed to low, gradually beat in sift flour mixture just until blended, occasionally scraping bowl.
4. Mix well & divide the dough into half, press each half into a disc then wrap in cling wrap & refrigerate for about 1 hour.
5. Preheat the oven to 160 C & line 2 baking trays with baking paper.
6. Roll each disc out between 2 sheets of baking paper to about 3mm thick.   Using cookie cutter cut out the desire shapes & place onto the trays.   Repeat the process until the dough finish.
7. Bake the cookies for 15-20 minutes until light golden.   Remove from oven & add 1 candy per cookies in the centre & return to over for an extra 5 minutes to melt.
8. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before removing from the tray & store in an air-tight container.

Seaweed Crackers

Today I went to Giant for my groceries,  I'm so craving for crackers then I saw this Nori on sale & I decided to buy & thought I would eat it while watching TV tonight.  Unfortunately, that didn't happen cuz I remember I had a recipe for Nori.   This recipe was given by my Japanese neigbour.  It's so sample & would like to share this recipe to my friends but I've to warn you that this is very addictive as you'll keep munching will frying them....so, enjoy & have a great day!

Ingredients:
1 packet of Nori Seaweed

1 packet of spring rolls

Some sesame oil

A tiny sprinkle of salt & pepper ~ per piece of seaweed

1 egg white

Directions:

1. Spring roll skins peel them apart nicely.  Don’t separate them all at once as they tend to dry out.
2. With a brush, spread egg whites on one piece of spring roll skin.   Lay seaweed on top.   Rub some sesame oil, salt & pepper on seaweed.   Brush another piece of spring roll skin with egg white & lay it on top of the seaweed, preferably covering the entire piece of seaweed.   Repeat for all ingredients.
3. Cut into any shape or roll like a Swiss roll.   Heat up oil & deep fry till golden brown &crispy in batches.    Separate the pieces which stick to one another.    Cool till the batches feel lukewarm before storing in an air-tight container.

Homemade Pattie Sausages aka McDonald Sausage

Couple of days ago, my eldest daughter asking me to take her to MacDonald for breakfast.   Each time we had breakfast, she'll asked me to order for her "Sausage McMuffin with Egg".  Even it costs only S$2.00 plus, (not to mentioned about our MRT fares, back & fro) I still find it expensive.  Especially family of 6.....So, I asked my dear hubby to get recipe from his family!
This morning, I decided to try how to make breakfast sausage for my family & some for my neighbours for breakfast.   Everyone loves it and I would like to share this recipe with you, my friends.....give yourself a try!

Ingredients:
16 ounces (450g) ground beef / turkey / pork (look for lots of fat in the meat)
½ tsp salt
½ tsp dried parsley
¼ tsp rubbed sage
¼ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
¼ tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp MSG (Ajinamoto)

Directions:

1. Mix the entire ingredient in a large bowl & well blended.
2. Roll into a ball & pat into patties.
3. Fry the patties in a skillet on each side until golden brown on both sides & done in the middle.
4. Drain on paper towels.   Serve immediately with your favorite egg, sliced cheese & English muffin.