Strawberry Yoghurt Chiffon Cake

Ingredients:
4 egg yolk
40g castor sugar
40g canola oil
80g cake flour
120g  strawberry yoghurt
6-10 fresh strawberry fruits
1/2 tsp baking powder

4 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
60g caster sugar

Directions:

1. Blend the strawberry fruit together with yoghurt and set aside.
2. In another bowl, beat the egg & sugar till pale.  Then add the oil & strawberry blended together with the flour to form a batter.
3. In another bowl, beat egg whites & cream of tartar until frosty then gradually add in sugar till stiff peaks form.
4. Gently fold the meringue into the egg yolk batter in 3 portions until blended.
5. Pour batter into ungreased 23cm tube pan.  Bake in a preheated oven at 150-160 deg C for 50-60 mins or until cooked.
6. Remove from oven, invert cake onto the table until completely cool.

Homemade Creamy Mushroom Sauce for Steak

Ingredients:
1 tbsp butter/olive oil
150g button mushroom ~ sliced
150-200ml thickened cream
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Heat butter or oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add sliced mushrooms & stir-fry until they are lightly browned, reduce heat to medium.
2. Add cream, salt & pepper; bring to a boil.  Cook for 5-8 mins, stirring occasionally & watch that the cream doesn't over boil.
3. Remove from heat & serve over your favorite steaks.

German Chicken Schnitzel aka Chicken Cutlet

Ingredients:
2 chicken breast ~ sliced halves
1 cup plain flour + salt + pepper
1-2 eggs + 1/4 cup milk
2 cups breadcrumbs/panko
2 cups vegetable oil

Directions:

1. Place the chicken breasts on a chopping board & use a sharp knife to slice horizontally through the breasts to create 2-3 thin, even slices per breast.  Flatten the slices with a meat mallet.
2. Layout three-wide bowls.  Put the flour in one & season it with salt & pepper.  In another, beat the egg with milk.  Place the breadcrumbs in the other.
3. Using one hand, lightly coat each piece of chicken in the flour, shaking off the excess.  Dip into the egg then coat with breadcrumbs.
4. Heat a deep frying pan with the oil & fry the schnitzels 1 or 2 at a time, cooking until golden brown on each side.  When cooked, stand upright in a deep bowl lined with a paper towel to drain.  Cook the remaining schnitzels.

Vegetable Stir-Fry

Ingredients:
1 cup broccoli
1/2 cup baby corn
2 carrots ~ cut into strips
1 large onion ~ sliced thin
1/2 red/yellow/green capsicum ~ cut into strips
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp ginger & garlic paste
1 tsp lemon juice
Salt to taste
1 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp sugar

Directions:

1. Clean & chop all the vegetables.  Bring some lightly salted water to a boil in a big pan.  Add in the carrot strips; let them boil for 2-3 mins then add the broccoli.  Turn off the heat immediately & drain.
2. In a wok, heat oil & add ginger-garlic paste.  Stir fry for a few seconds then adds the sliced onions.  Fry them until soften.  Add the strips capsicum & fry those for another couple of mins on low heat.  Add the carrot strips & baby corn.  Sprinkle the salt & sugar.
3. On low heat, keep stir-frying the vegetables until they are nicely cooked but with a crunch to them.  Finally, add the broccoli & the soy sauce.  Stir fry for another couple of mins.
4. Turn off the heat, squeeze in the lemon juice & adjust salt & spice to taste.

Stir-fry Beef with Sweet Soy

Ingredients:
1/2 kg of meat - cut thin
3 shallots - pounded
2 cloves garlic - pounded
1cm ginger - pounded
1/2 tsp fennel seeds (Jintan manis) - crushed
1 tbsp chili paste
5 tbsp sweet dark soy sauce (Kicap manis)
1 tsp sugar
Pinch of salt
1 star anise
3 cardamom
2cm cinnamon
1/2 cup water
3 green chilies - cut halves
1 onion - cut round
3 tbsp oil

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, marinate the meat with the pounded ingredients together with chili paste, sweet dark soy sauce, sugar & salt for 30 mins or overnight.
2. Heat oil in a wok on medium heat, add the spices (star anise, cardamom & cinnamon) till fragrant.  Then add the marinated meat & water; let it cook or boil till the meat is tender.
3. Add the halves chilies & cut onion, french beans; mix well & cook for another 3-5 mins.  Remove from heat & serve with steamed white rice.

Singgang Squid

Ingredients:

500g medium squid ~ cut

3 red chillies ~ deseeded

1 large red onion

1" fresh turmeric

1/2" galangal

2 stalk lemongrass ~ bruised

3 dried tamarind pcs (Asam keping)

Kesom leaves

Little belacan (dried shrimp paste)

Salt & sugar to taste

500ml water or more

Directions:

1. Clean the squid & cut about 2cm round or to your choice.
2. Blend the chilies, garlic, onion & turmeric until smooth paste.
3. Add water & the blended paste into the pot, include galangal, lemongrass, dried tamarind & shrimp paste (belacan).
4. Bring it to boil & allow abt 5 mins then add the squid, kesum leaves, salt & sugar to taste.  Then bring to a boil again & immediately remove from heat.
5. It can be served & eaten with steamed white rice.

Fried French Beans aka Jawa

Ingredients:

15 French beans ~ sliced oblique washed & drain

20 major medium prawns ~ remove the skin, wash & drain

1/2 soo hoon short ~ soak until soft

1/2" shrimp paste ~ dissolved in 1/4 cup water

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1 large onion ~ sliced

2 cloves garlic ~ sliced

1 large red pepper ~ sliced oblique

1 large green pepper ~ sliced oblique

Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Heat a little oil in a pan, add sliced onions, garlic, sliced red & green chilies, stir-fry until fragrant.
2. Add oyster sauce & shrimp paste earlier, stir & add the prawn.  Cook for abt 2 mins.
3. Then add beans & soon hoon.  Continue to stir the mixture & add salt to taste.  Cook until beans are tender but slightly crisp & the sauce thickens.  Remove from heat & serve immediately with steamed white rice.

Berry And Banana Smoothie

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Blueberries ~ frozen
2-3 strawberries ~ frozen
1 ripe banana ~ frozen
1/2 cup strawberry or any mixed berry yoghurt
1 tsp honey
1/2 cup crushed ice

Direction:
Combine all the ingredients and puree in a blender until smooth.

Kentang Ball Soup

Ingredients (A)

1kg potatoes ~ peeled, cubed, fried & mashed

Season salt + pepper + chicken powder

Ingredients (B)

300-400g ground beef

2 cloves garlic ~ minced

1 onion ~ cut cubed

1 tbsp meat curry powder

1 carrot ~ cut cubed

Salt & pepper to taste

Ingredients (C)

1 tbsp sweet soy sauce (Kicap manis)

1 tbsp tomato sauce

1 yellow onion ~ julienne/sliced thinly

2 cloves garlic ~ mined

2cm ginger ~ bruised

Spices (1 cinnamon / 2 cardamom / 2 star anise / 3 cloves)

5-6 cups water

3 cubes beef / chicken knorr

Salt & pepper to taste

Garnish

Cucumber ~ sliced thinly

Spring onions ~ chopped

Coriander ~ chopped

Fried shallots

Spicy soy sauce (refer to Mee Bakso’s spicy sauce)

Direction:

Heat large frying pan with some oil, sauté garlic, onion until fragrant.  Add ground beef & carrots, cook till the carrot is soft.  Add the meat curry powder & still well.  Season with salt & pepper & mix well.  Leave it aside to cool.

In a pot, sauté the onion, garlic, ginger & spices in the oil until the onion is translucent about 5-10 mins.  Add water, sweet soy sauce, tomato sauce, black pepper & cubes beef knorr.   Add salt to taste if necessary.  Boil on medium-low heat.

For the potato balls ~ mix all the ingredients together.  Take some mashed potatoes & flatten on the palm.  Scooped some of the filling & put in the middle; then shaped the mashed potato into balls.  Dipped in the beaten egg & corn flour & back into the egg; then fry in hot oil till golden.  Drain the fried balls with kitchen paper towel.

Place fried potato balls in soup bowls & cover with hot boiling soup.  Garnish with cucumber, spring onions, coriander & fried shallots with the side spicy soy sauce.

Garlic & Lemongrass Fried Rice

Ingredients:
5 cloves garlic ~ finely chopped
2 stalks lemongrass ~ ends only & finely sliced
4 tbsp cooking oil
2 large eggs ~ lightly beaten
3 cups cooked rice
2 tbsp fish sauce
Salt & black pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
Spring onion ~ chopped for garnish

Directions:

1. Heat pan on medium heat with oil, saute garlic & lemongrass until turn golden.  Remove & set aside.
2. Use same pan & oil, add in beaten eggs.  Scramble it & when it is about to set, add in cooked rice.  Quickly stir-fry with the eggs.
3. Add the fish sauce, sugar, salt & pepper for seasoning.   Add in the reserved garlic & lemongrass.  Continue to stir to mix well.
4. Remove from heat & garnish with chopped spring onions.

Ayam Penyet aka Flatten Chicken

Chicken
1 whole chicken ~ cut into 8 parts, boiled for 10 mins & drained (save broth for soup & cooking rice)
1/2 tbsp Fennel seed ~ roasted
1/2 tbsp Cumin seed ~ roasted
3 tbsp coriander seed ~ roasted
1 tbsp chicken curry powder
1/2 tbsp white pepper powder
3 cloves garlic
1cm ginger
Litte water
1 tsp salt
Cooking oil for bottomless fries

Sambal
2 tbsp oil
5 red chili (add more if you want spicier)
5 red birdeye's
5 shallots
2 cloves garlic
3 tomatoes ~ cut 4
3" dried shrimp paste (Belacan)
3 tbsp brown sugar

Rice
3 cups Basmathi rice ~ washed & drained
3 cloves of garlic ~ sliced
1 stick cinnamon
4 cardamom pods
2-star anise
3 tbsp butter
Salt ~ to taste
1 cube chicken/meat
4 cups chicken stock

Directions
Ayam Penyet
Put all ingredients (except cooking oil) in a blender, blend until smooth paste.
Marinate the chicken with the blended ingredient & set aside for overnight (Save excessive ground ingredients for fried tempe & tofu)
After marinating overnight, dap on rice flour.  Heat the oil & fry until golden crispy.

Sambal
Heat the oil, fried belacan briefly & set aside.  Add shallots, garlic & chili.  Once wilted, add the tomatoes.  Mix well & turn off heat & set aside.
Put all the fried ingredients into a blender or mortar stone.  Blend or mash until semi-smooth paste.
In a small saucepan, pour the blended/mashed paste on a medium heat.   Add brown sugar & mix well.
Taste the sauce, add salt or sugar according to taste bud.
(Sambal dish can be prepared the day before serving.  Store sauce in air-tight container & put in the fridge.)  Heat the sauce before serving.

Soup
In another pot, boiled the balance of chicken broth & add salt to taste.  Add cinnamon stick, star anise, cardamom & coriander.  Let it boils.  Heat the soup before serving.  Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves & spring onions in the soup when done.

Rice
Heat the butter on medium heat; saute garlic, cinnamon, star anise & cardamom until fragrant.   Add rice already well-drained.  Stir about 2-3 mins.   Add chicken broth, salt & cubes of chicken/meat.  Wait until the bubbling slightly.  Move to electric rice cooker & cook as usual.

Breakfast Casserole Muffins

Ingredients:
2-3 pcs whole bread
2 pcs deli ham (I used hotdogs)
1 cup shredded cheese (own choice)
4 eggs
1 cup whole milk
2 tbsp fresh parsley ~ finely minced
2 tsp ground mustard
1 tsp ground pepper

Direction:

1. Preheat oven to 200 deg C.  Grease muffin tin.
2. Drop bread pcs evenly in the muffin tin until they come about halfway up the tin.
3. Sprinkle about 1 tbsp cheese in each.
4. Sprinkle ham/hotdog pcs evenly in each tin.
5. Whisk together milk, eggs, parsley, ground mustard & pepper.
6. Pour egg mixture evenly in each muffin tin.  It should completely cover the bread, ham & cheese.  Leave just a little room at the very top so it doesn't overflow.
7. Sprinkle a little more cheese on the top of each one.
8. Bake for 20 mins until golden brown on top & cooked through the middle.

Thai Steamed Fish

Ingredients:
2 fish fillet
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp rice wine (sake or miring may be substituted)
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp of sesame oil
1/2 yellow onion ~ julienne/sliced
2 cloves garlic ~ chopped/sliced thinly
2 stalk lemongrass ~ sliced thinly
2 red chili ~ deseeded & sliced thinly
2" ginger ~ cut matchstick
3 spring onions ~ cut 1" lengths
Coriander ~ as garnish

Direction:

1. Scatter half cut ingredients on aluminium foil; fish on top of the ingredients.
2. Mix together the soy sauce, rice wine & sesame oil.  Pour over the fish.
3. Then scatter the balance cut ingredients & fold the aluminium to secure.
4. Steam the fish over boiling water for 20 minutes.
5. Sprinkle with the coriander leaves & serve immediately

Lipton Tea Chiffon Cake

Ingredient (A)
2 bags of Lipton Tea leaves
75ml Hot water

Ingredient (B)
4 egg yolks
40g castor sugar
1/4 tsp salt
40ml vegetable oil / Salad oil
65g tea liquid
10g tea leaves
80g cake flour
1/2 baking powder

Ingredients (C)
5 egg whites
80g castor sugar
1/4 tps cream tartar

Direction:

1. Add hot water to the Lipton tea bags & leave the mixture to cool.  Strain 65ml & set aside.
2. Using a hand whisk, combine egg yolks, caster sugar & salt together till well mixed.  In sequence whisk in vegetable oil & Lipton tea followed by the sieved flour mixture.
3. Next stir in Lipton tea leaves, mix well & set aside.
4. In another bowl, beat egg whites using electric mixer till foamy, gradually add in caster sugar & cream of tartar till egg whites turn stiff peak.
5. Fold meringue into flour mixture gently using a hand whisk or spatula in 3 batches till mixture is thoroughly mixed.
6. Pour batter evenly into the ungreased chiffon pan & gently give the pan a bang on the tabletop to release air bubbles.
7. Bake chiffon at 180 deg oven for 30 mins.  When baked, turn the mould upside down to cool before unmoulding the cake from pan.

Fish Briyani

Ingredients:
5-6 pcs Threadfin fish
3 cups Basmathi ~ risen & soak for 30 mins, drained
1-1/2 tsp Briyani Powder
2 Tied knot screwpine leaves (Pandan Leaves)
1 tomato ~ cut cubes
1 large red onion ~ sliced
2 cloves garlic ~ minced
1" fresh ginger ~ minced
1-1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 cube chicken knor
1 lime ~ juice
4 tbsp cooking oil
2 tbsp ghee
3 cups of water
1 cup of evaporated milk
Orange food coloring (Optional) ~ 3 tbsp water + a drop of food coloring
Salt to taste

Spices:
2 cinnamon stick
2-star anise
2 cardomon seeds
8 cloves

Marinate:
2-3 tbsp mayonaise
1 tsp Briyani powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp paprika/chili powder
1 tsp garlic ginger paste
1 lime ~ juice
Salt & sugar ~ to taste

- Marinate the above ingredients together with the fish for 3 hours or best overnight.

Garnish:
Coriander leaves ~ chopped
Fried shallots

Directions:

1. Add 1/4 cup of cooking oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Deep fry the marinated fish & drain on paper towel; set aside.
2. Heat cooking oil & ghee on a rice cooker over medium heat.  Add the spices to fry for  1 or 2 mins.  Then add the sliced onion, garlic, ginger & saute till the translucent.
3. Then add the tied pandan leaves, chopped tomatoes & stir fry another min.  Add the chicken cubes, briyani powder, turmeric powder & lime juice.  Cook for about another 3 mins.
4. Add the drained rice & coat the mixture well.  Then add water, evaporated milk & salt.  Stir the mixture well & let it boil on medium/low heat for about 10 mins.
5. Fold in the rice gently, sprinkle the orange food coloring & fold in the rice gently from bottom to up.
6. Then transfer the rice to electric rice cooker & press the button to let it cook.  After the rice completely cook, sprinkle the chopped coriander & fried shallots & serve.

Mee Soto Ayam aka Chicken Noodle Soup

Ingredients:
300g chicken (with bone such as the chicken breast)
1 packet Rice Vermicelli ~ soak with hot water
1 lemongrass ~ halves & smash
1cm galangal ~ peel & smash
1 tbsp white pepper powder
1 tbsp salt ~ to taste
1-1/2 liters of water
4 tbsp cooking oil

Blend:
3 cloves garlic
2 medium onion
1cm fresh ginger
1/2cm fresh turmeric / 0.5 tsp turmeric powder

Spice:
2 pcs cinnamon sticks
8 cloves
2 cardamons
2 star anises

Garnish:
Spring onion ~ chopped
Fried shallots
Bean Sprout ~ blenched
2 boiled eggs ~ halves

Directions:

1. Heat a non-stick pot with cooking oil over medium heat.  Add the spices & saute for about 3 mins.
2. Then add the blended ingredients together with galangal & lemongrass.  Stir fry for about 10 mins over medium heat.  Make sure the oil does not dry up & the ingredients do not burn.
3. Add the chicken & stir them together with the content for 3 mins.
4. On medium heat, add water, salt & white pepper to taste.  Stir well & cover the lid.  Check & stir occasionally.
5. Simmer for 40 mins.  When chicken is cooked, take the chicken out from the pot & shred the meat & put aside.  Put the bones back into the pot.
6. To serve, blanch the bean sprouts in a separate pot for less than 30 sec.  Put the bean sprouts in a bowl with the rice vermicelli & add the chicken soup.  Top it with the shredded chicken, half boiled egg & place it beside the shredded chicken.  Garnish with little spring onions & fried shallots.

Churros aka Spanish Donut

Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt (if using unsalted butter)
1 cup water
1 cup AP flour
Cinnamon sugar ~ coating

Directions:

1. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine butter, sugar, salt & water.  Bring to a boil & remove from heat.  Stir in flour until mixture forms a ball.  Then transfer into a pastry bag, using tips #826
2. Heat oil for frying in deep-fryer or deep skillet @ 190 deg C.  Pipe strips of dough into hot oil & fry until golden.  Then drain on paper towels.
3. Roll the drained churros in cinnamon sugar to coat.

Dipping sauce:
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate
2 tbsp fresh milk

- Use a double boiler to melt the chocolate & add fresh milk, ready for the dipping sauce.

Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients:
125g butter ~ melted, cooled
2 eggs
1/2 cup fresh milk
2 cups AP Flour
3/4 cups sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt (if used unsalted butter)
1-1/2 cups frozen blueberries

Directions:

1. Heat oven at 190 deg C.  Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
2. Whisk butter, eggs & milk in a bowl.
3. Combine flour, sugar & baking powder in another bowl.
4. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients.  Fold in blueberries.
5. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, sprinkle with remaining 1 tsp sugar.
6. Bake until muffins are golden brown for about 25-30 mins or a knife comes out clean.   Serve warm.

Pok Pok Wing (Vietnamese Fish Sauce Wings)

Ingredients:
1-1/2 pound chicken wings
2 tbsp cooking oil + for deep frying
4 cloves garlic ~ minced
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 tbsp cilantro ~ chopped
1 tbsp mint ~ chopped

Marinade:
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup super fine sugar
4 cloves garlic ~ minced

Directions:

1. In a bowl, whisk fish sauce, sugar & minced garlic.  Add wings & toss to coat.  Refrigerate for 3 hours, tossing the wings occasionally.
2. Heat a 2 tbsp of oil in a small skillet.  Add the minced garlic; saute over moderate heat until golden.  Drain on paper towel.
3. In a large pot, heat 2" of oil to 350 deg.  Pat the wings dry on paper towel; reserve the marinade.  Coat the chicken with cornstarch.  Fry the wings in batches until golden & cooked through about 10 mins.  Drain on paper towels & transfer to a bowl.
4. In a small saucepan, simmer the marinade over moderately high heat until syrupy for about 5 mins.  Strain over the wings & toss.  Sprinkle with chopped cilantro, mint & fried garlic.  Serve immediately

Nutella Cream Puffs

Ingredients:
125g butter
1 cup water
2 tsp sugar
1 cup AP flour
4 eggs

Filling:
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 tbsp powdered sugar
1/4 cup Nutella

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 225 deg C.   Line cookie tray with parchment paper or baking mat & set aside.
2. Place butter, water, sugar in a small saucepan & bring to boil over medium heat.
3. Immediately remove from the heat & stir in all-purpose flour until mixture pulls away from the sides of the saucepan & forms a ball.
4. Add eggs one at a time, stirring well after each addition, until the mixture is smooth & satiny.
5. Pipe rounds onto a baking sheet & bake for 10 mins, then lower heat to 180 deg for 20 mins. or until the puffs are golden & puffed up.
6. Remove from oven & let cool on a cooling rack.
7. For the filling, add whipping cream in bowl & beat until stiff peaks are formed.  Add powdered sugar & mix for about 30 seconds, then add Nutella & beat until light & fluffy.
8. Fill cream puffs with Nutella filling & freeze for an hour or 30 mins.  Or cut puffs in half horizontally & fill with whipped cream.