Red velvet cupcakes ~ Happy 2012

Red velvet cupcakes were what I made to usher in 2012.  These crimson red cute little cupcakes were soft and moist and everyone liked the vibrant colour, just right for the New Year.  As my family members were not fond of cream or cheesy icing of any sort, I resorted to using good old icing sugar to spice up and give a contrasting colour to these cupcakes.Read on for the Rec...

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Tong yuen in red bean soup

F or this year's Winter Solstice festival aka 'Dong Zhi', which is today,  I've churned out a slightly different version of 'Tong Yuen'.  Yes, the tong yuen ~ glutinous rice balls are the same but the sweet soup base is different.  Instead of clear syrup, I made a red bean sweet soup to go with the rice balls. To those of you who are celebrating this festival, have a wonderful and joyous...

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Mango Trifle

Mango Trifle ~ a light and refreshing dessert to round up a sumptuous X'mas dinner.  Basically, there's no recipe for this, no hard and fast rule, you just load on what you have at hand, layer by layer, sponge cake or any leftover cake, custard, jam, fruits, whipped cream, whatever you can think of.  Drench it with more alcohol if you want to be intoxicated during this festive season! Read...

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Almond crusted rhubarb cake

I've heard of rhubarb many a time and I was thrilled when I spotted them in the supermarket during my recent vacation.  Rhubarb is a vegetable, a perennial plant growing from short, thick rhizome with large triangular leaves.  Mind you, the leaves are toxic and they are discarded from the stems before they are cooked.  Without much hesitation I grabbed a bunch, googled for recipes,...

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Yoghurt Fruitcake

T is the festive season again and the all-time favourite for X'mas is undoubtedly the ubiquitous fruit cake.  This Yoghurt Fruitcake caught my eye when I was browsing through a Food and Travel magazine.  As I've never baked a fruit cake with yoghurt before, I was very eager to try.  Read on for the Rec...

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Salted egg steamed chicken

Of late, I notice that various salted egg dishes have surfaced on the menu of restaurants and eateries.  Most popular of all is the salted egg with crabs with both the wet and dry versions.  I've also recently tasted salted egg with pumpkin and salted egg with beancurd and lately some bloggers have posted fried rice with salted egg.  I  have recently coined this dish ....... 'Salted...

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Teriyaki chicken noodle

Teriyaki chicken noodle is another all-in-one comfort meal which I served for dinner recently.  I'm always game for an easy and quick meal.  Simple, yet wholesome.........   Read on for the Rec...

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Brunch at Fu Tien Vegetarian

Recently, we had brunch at a vegetarian shop in Medan Ipoh Bistari ~ Fu Tien vegetarian.  I find that the menu is slightly different from the norm as they have sushi, bento and other a-la-carte dishes that sound interesting.  I ordered some sushi as I've never tasted vegetarian ones before.Read on for the Rec...

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Taro~Yam bundt cake

T aro~Yam  is a versatile vegetable which has various derivative products after process.  It can be roasted, fried, grilled, boiled and here I'm presenting a bundt cake made with steamed and smashed yam.  Yes, I love yam served in any form and this tuber root is grown in semi-tropical and tropical climates all over the world.  Taro is high in dietary fibre, rich in vitamins E and...

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Braised pork belly

 This is a very simple porky dish.  I just braised it with some spice, garlic, soya sauces and it turned out quite tasty.  Should have added in some hard boiled eggs but forgotten all about it after I left it to simmer and attended to other chores.  Nonetheless, it was well received when it was served for dinner.Read on for the Rec...

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Apple curry chicken

I overheard two ladies chatting at my usual market place and one of them said she recently made curry chicken with red apple and it was just delicious,  The other lady looked at her in awe and so did I.  I only heard that the apple which was used in lieu of the usual potatoes must be crunchy.  Curiosity prompted me to experiment with this and here's my version of Curry chicken with...

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Purple sweet potato chiffon cake

P urple sweet potato chiffon cake has been on my 'wanted' list for a long, long time.  I adapted the recipe from 'Do what I like' but tweaked it a bit to suit my 23 cm chiffon cake pan.  I was delighted to be rewarded with a pinkish purplish cake with bits of potato cubes that didn't sink to the bottom!The highly nutritious purple sweet potato is the latest food item to be presented to...

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Orange Choc-chip cupcake

This recipe is slightly different from my previous post of  Orange cupcake.  I added choc-chips to this cupcake and instead of using self-raising flour, I opted for plain flour.  The reward was a soft and delicious cupcake filled with orange and choc-chips flavour.Read on for the Rec...

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King Prawn Spaghetti

A n 'East meets West' straightforward one-dish meal  ~  Spaghetti cooked 'al dente', laced with King crustacean cooked in Asian oyster sauce with baby asparagus on the side.  This is a three-in-one dish of carbohydrates, protein, dietary fiber cum vitamins from the greens ~ asparagus.Asparagus, low in saturated fat and very low in cholesterol comes from the edible stem of a plant. ...

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Sour plum chicken

This crispy sour plum chicken dish is another family favourite and in this instance I've used boneless chicken leg.  Easy to prepare ~ just marinate the chicken with some seasoning, dip it in some cornflour to coat, deepfry, ladle on the sauce and is ready to be enjoyed.Read on for the Rec...

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Kugelhopf

 K ugelhopf, a raisin filled part bread part cake has been on my to-do list for a long, long time.  So, when I was presented with a Kugelhopf  bundt pan, a gift from my niece who hails from Aloha land, I wasted no time in making this.  Kugelhoph is best eaten on the day it's made.  Any leftovers are best lighlty toasted ~ laced with a bit of butter and jam.Read on for the...

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Walnut Sesame sweet soup ~ Hup Toh Chee Ma Wu

Walnut Sesame sweet soup ~ Hup Toh Chee Ma Wu  is a much enjoyed sweet soup or 'tong sui' amonst the Chinese.  But of  late, I don't seem to be able to get this particular dessert from the tong sui stalls.  They do come in pre-mix form but the taste is not so authentic as when it's freshly made with black sesame seeds.  I surfed the net and managed to find this recipe but...

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White chocolate strawberry muffin

I've never baked with white chocolate before and when I saw some leftover white chocolate in the fridge, thought it best to mix in with my muffins.  I was curious as to how they would turn out, especially the colour.Read on for the Rec...

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Braised flat noodles with scallops

I spotted these mini scallops from a seafood wholesale outlet near my house and was surprised when the  proprietress told me that these were local.  The source ..... from Kelantan, a northern east coast state  of peninsular Malaysia.  They ended up in my dish of noodles and weren't too bad, tastewise, sweet and a bit chewy.Read on for the Rec...

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Baklava

B aklava is a Middle-Eastern sweet pastry which is made only with thin dough pastry and loaded with nuts and then soaked with honey or syrup.  It is widely believed that  Baklava  is of Assyrian origin, dated back to around the 8th Century B.C.  They, the Assyrians baked this sumptuous treat only on special occasions and at that time only the rich could afford this luxury....

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Pumpkin Chiffon Cake

The moment I set eyes on Christine's post on Pumpkin Chiffon cake, I can't help admiring the vibrant natural orange-red colour of her cake.  It was just lovely.  Then not long later, Lena of Frozen Wings posted hers and added pumpkin bits to her cake.  Another beautiful creation.  The temptation is just too irresistible and I just had to try and bake one myself.Read on for...

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Banana Almond Slice

Made these Banana almond slice with some leftovers that I salvaged from my fridge .... near expiry Digestive biscuits and slivered almonds.  I adopted the recipe from  The Australian Women's weekly, Biscuits and Slices but had to modify the recipe to suit my 9" x 13" pan.Read on for the Rec...

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Steamed Loh Mai Kai

'Steamed Loh Mai Kai'.  This 'loh mai kai', literally translated as " chicken glutinous rice" is different from the normal loh mai kai that is available at the dim sum restaurants.  This is not served in dainty bowls but it's a whole chicken stuffed with semi-cooked savoury glutinous rice and steamed ....... served as a meal on its own!   When I cooked this dish I was juggling...

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Cranberry Raisin Walnut Loaf (Gelatinized method)

I made this after gawking at Elin's  Almond Cranberry Bread which she made using the gelatinized dough method.  As I've tried making my Meat Floss Buns with this method before, I had no qualms making this as well.  The result was a soft, fluffy loaf of bread filled with vibrant colours of berries, rasins, nuts and not forgetting the custard filling.Read on for the Rec...

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Country style steam chicken

This is one simple recipe of  steamed chicken dish which I'm sure many bloggers have blogged before.  Tasty yet easy and quick to prepare, this dish pairs very well with steamy hot white rice.Read on for the Rec...

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Pumpkin walnut bundt cake

Yes, I experimented with raw Japanese pumpkin again and baked this.  The idea was to determine the colour of the cake based on the ingredients used.  Also I want to 'endorse' that baking a cake with grated raw pumpkin + butter will produce a  yellowish coloured cake.  Whereas, a cake baked with grated raw pumpkin + oil will deliver a brownish coloured one albeit with...

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Pumpkin Bundt cake

I bought Japanese pumpkin on my recent trip to the Cameron Highlands and baked this cake.  I was excited as this was the first time that I grated the pumpkin with skin intact and was very eager to see how it will appear with specks of green and golden yellow pumpkin shreds.  So, I waited patiently for the cake to cool before I could perform the opening ceremony.Read on for the Rec...

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Grilled chicken salad

This chicken salad is tasty and delicious yet takes very little time to prepare.  Looks a bit 'undressed' as I've only used juices as a 'top-up'. Use some orange juice, mix with some calamansi juice, toss in a bit of salt, add in some sugar to taste, mix and just drizzle over .............. tangy and appetising!Read on for the Rec...

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Traditional Mooncakes ~ 2011

This is my third attempt at  making traditional mooncakes and now I believe that I'll always need to experiment thrice before I can sort of 'succeed'.  I've been watching videos on You-Tube, reading up recipes on traditional mooncakes just to get the hang of making them.  Have to admit that the more videos I watched the more confused and disillusioned I got.  So, before I raise...

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Spiral Mooncake ~ 2011

After two failed attempts at making this spiral mooncake I was hopeful when I saw this post on Jeannie's blog.  Her post led me to Annie's post @ House of Annie and I was determined to give it one last try.  I was indeed delighted that I finally made it.  However, I tweaked it a bit as I used shortening instead of butter.  The pastry was crispy and stayed fresh for another...

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Apple Turnover

I made these  Apple Turnovers  with the Kawan puff pastry and they turned out great.   I served these for tea and they were well received by my family members.  Not only were these flaky pastries delicious but they were extremely easy and simple to make.  Aromatic pastries with apples, raisins and much more ..........Read on for the Rec...

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Selamat Hari Raya and Happy Merdeka

I would like to wish all my Muslim readers and friendsSelamat Hari Raya AidilfitriMaaf Zahir Batin&to all MalaysiansHappy Merde...

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Pingpei mooncake ~ 2011

'Pingpei or Snowskin Mooncakes'' ....... don't they look unusual, the shape I mean.  I chose to differ from the norm and made these using jelly moulds instead.  These antique jelly moulds were handed to me by my mother.  I doubt anyone has ever seen pingpei mooncakes in this shape.I adapted this recipe from  Anncoo, who doesn't need much introduction as her blog is very popular...

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Strawberry, apple crumble cake

This cake was made with Cameron Highlands strawberries which I bought when I was there for a short holiday recently.  Strawberries were in season at that time and surprisingly they were quite sweet.  Going cheap too, at 10 rgt for 6 packets of medium sized ones and 10 rgt for 3 packets of larger ones.  We couldn't finish them off and for experiment, I rinsed some, pat dry and stored...

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Double boiled Black chicken soup

This chicken soup is slightly different from the normal good old chicken soup as it's double-boiled with black chicken.  Flavoured with traditional Chinese herbs like sweet wolfberries/goji berries/Boxthorn fruits, Ginseng aka 'Pau Sum' in Cantonese and Yuzhu aka Solomon's seal rhizome/polygonatum, this soup is believed to be invigorating and nutritious.  According to the...

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Chicken pie

This is a cheat version of Chicken Pie with an Oriental twist.  I call it 'cheat' because the pastry is store bought, 'Oriental', as  I cooked the filling with Asian sauces.  This was our family's dinner and all of us enjoyed it thoroughly...... another one-dish meal!Read on for the Rec...

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Tofu chiffon cake

When I first saw the Tofu chiffon posted by  Sonia, the Nasilemak lover,  I was struck with awe and wondered  how  tofu would  taste in a cake.  Bookmarked straightaway of course,  but only found  time to experiment with it lately.  None of my family members who tasted the cake believed that it was tofu chiffon until I convinced them that tofu...

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Tangy Pork Belly

This porky dish tastes and resembles somewhat like 'char siew' or BBQ pork except  that it's got a slightly tangy taste and I find it rather unique.  The tangy taste comes  from the effect of adding tamarind aka Assam Jawa and other sauces into the meat.  This dish does go well with white rice and it can be very appetising indeed.Read on for the Rec...

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Meat Floss Buns ~ Take 2 (Gelatinized method)

This is my first attempt at making bread/buns using the gelatinized dough method.  I'm very much overwhelmed with the result as the buns came out soft, fluffy and remained that way the next day.  Another plus point is that the dough is not sticky which makes handling and shaping a breeze.   This recipe is a keeper for sure and this is going to be a lengthy post!Read on for...

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Baked beans with mince pork

I would label this as a 'saviour' dish as it'll certainly save your day when you have unexpected guests who happened to 'overstay' for dinner.  Open a can of baked beans, toss in some mince meat and if meat is unavailable, eggs will do just fine.  I remember that many years ago, I cooked this for my then school-going children.  I was busy that day, just managed to boil a lotus...

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Blueberry yoghurt coffee cake

Don't be misconstrued by the word 'coffee' in this 'Blueberry yoghurt coffee cake' as coffee is certainly not an ingredient required in the making of this cake.  Coffee cake is just a class of cakes to be served alongside coffee or tea for breakfast, during coffee/tea breaks or even afternoon tea.  Some may have a streusel or a light glaze drizzle as topping but more often than not ...

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Coconut konnyaku jelly

One of the key ingredients of   Konnyaku,   a traditional Japanese health food is flour derived from a taro/yam plant.  This is mixed with calcium hydroxide or calcium oxide extracted from eggshells.  This yam plant known as konjac, Devil's tongue  or elephant yam is grown in the mountains of  Japan and also in Indonesia.Konnyaku is a very low calorie food,...

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Double boiled fish bladder and spare ribs soup

 To combat the hot, dry and humid weather, I made this  'Double Boiled fish bladder and spare ribs soup'.  Fish bladder or swim bladder or ' yue piu' in Cantonese looks similar to fish maw/'far kau' in shape, colour and texture.  But 'yue piu' is often sold deepfried, hence it needs to be soaked before cooking.  Of course, there's also the price factor.  'Yue piu' is...

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Long beans chicken noodles

Being too lazy to cook a proper dinner, I made these noodles and dumped in whatever greens, meat I can lay my hands on.   The greens happen to be long beans and the meat, chicken.Long beans aka 'Dau Gok' in Cantonese are yardlong beans also known as bora.  This climbing vine is subtropical/tropical and widely grown in the warmer parts of South East Asia and southern China. ...

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Cornflake raisin slice

Itching for a snack?  Ahhh.... think these crispy cornflake slices are just what you need to satisfy your craving along with a hot cup of coffee, tea or even a glass of  milk.Read on for the Rec...

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Sea coconut with snow fungus sweet soup

This cooling and refreshing dessert soup is what we need to cool down our system in this current hot, humid, hazy weather........'Sea coconut with snow fungus sweet soup'.  This 'tong sui' or 'leong sui' is easy to prepare and also tastes fabulous both taken warm or chilled.Read on for the Rec...

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Steamed sponge cake ~ Take 2

I made this using the same recipe as my previous post of  'Steamed sponge cake' but this time added in black sesame seeds to lend an extra flavour.  I was very pleased with the result as the cake was soft, not too sweet and tasted good with a slight sweet aroma of sesame.  I can never resist steamed sponge cake as it's light, oil free and the best part is that I can have more without...

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Spare ribs in sour plum sauce

This spare ribs dish is indeed appetising because of its sauce .....sweet and sour with a slight tinge of chilli.  It's not fiery hot and I think kids will be able to enjoy it too.  As for me and my family members, we'll certainly need to top up our bowls with more rice to mop up the sauce.Read on for the Rec...

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Banana Blueberry Upside Down Cake

I made this  'Banana Blueberry Upside Down Cake'  based on the recipe of my previous post of  Pineapple Upside Down Cake.  Prior to that I've also tried baking this cake with peaches and I find that they all are delicious in their own way as each of them have a fruity flavour of their own.Read on for the Rec...

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