Pandan Pancakes

Having another flavor to add into my pancake list is something which  I will definitely give it a try, as pancakes are my family's favorite.  If and whenever I intend to go for something light for lunch, many a times I will opt for it.  This simple yet yummylicious recipe is adapted from Lucy Wong.  As I do not intend to make so much I reduce the ingredients to half.

Ingredients:

100 g plain flour (sifted)

1/2 tsp dried yeast

60 ml. milk

30 g caster sugar

50 ml pandan juice

1 egg

1 tsp oil (added into the finished batter before frying)

Methods:

1. In a large bowl blend all ingredients together except oil with a whisk.
2. Let rest in the fridge for half hour.
3. Stir in the oil.
4. Fry in a non-stick pan until both sides are lightly golden.
5. Repeat until all is done.
6. Serve either hot, warm or cold.

Chocolate Fudge Cookies

With the leftover chocolate chips from my Christmas bakes, I've decided to try out this delicious cookies packed with chocolate.  Chocolate lovers are sure to love them to the last bits.  This recipe is adapted from "Bliss of Baking'" and is a great recipe to bake and enjoy all year round.

Ingredients:

400g semi sweet chocolate (chopped)

50g semi sweet button chocolate (halved)

1/4 cup unsalted butter

275g granulated white sugar

3 large eggs

1/2 cup flour 

1 tbsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Methods:

1. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl, whisk to combine and set aside.
2. Melt the 400g semi sweet chocolate in a double boiler with butter until smooth, set aside to cool completely at room temperature.
3. Using a stand mixer beat the eggs and granulated white sugar until pale yellow and thick.  Next, add the chocolate butter mixture of (2) into the egg mixture and beat until well incorporated.
4. Fold the dry ingredients of (1) into the chocolate egg mixture and mix using a rubber spatula. Stir in the chocolate chips and the button chocolate.  Cover the prepared mix and keep in the fridge to chill until firm.
5. Preheat oven at 165 degree Celsius and line the baking sheet with parchment paper.  Use an ice-cream scoop or spoon to drop the prepared batter  onto the baking sheet (same quantity for same size cookies), leaving enough space for the cookies to spread.  I only put six cookies in one baking sheet.
6. Bake for 15 minutes at 150 degree Celsius.  When baked the top of the cookies will have cracks and will be shiny.

The baking of this cookies is the effort of my daughter Karen.  I get to do other things during the whole baking process, especially with my portable kitchen top oven.  Well, it is indeed a worthy effort!

Deep-fried pork ribs

My children loves this dish since childhood, a Signature Dish of their grandmother. To replicate this dish needs lots of practice in getting the correct taste as there is never a recipe to measure the marinating ingredients.  What she did was, just pour the ingredients from the bottle or using a spoon direct into the pork ribs, which are all based on instincts!  When I first started to prepare this dish the taste and flavours of the deep-fried pork ribs is far from that of her's.  I believe strongly in this phrase "practice makes perfect!"  Today, I can proudly prepare this yummylicious dish for my family without any doubt.

As I've mentioned earlier, the amount of the marinating ingredients are not being measured, but solely based on my instincts.  

Ingredients:
Pork Ribs
Cooking oil (deep-frying)
Tapioca flour (dusting)

Marinade:
Oyster Sauce
Salt
Sugar
Sesame Oil
Light soy sauce

Methods:

1. Clean the pork ribs and drain on a colander.
2. Place the pork ribs in an airtight container, add in all the marinade ingredients, mix well to combine and let it marinate overnight in the fridge.
3. To deep-fry, add enough cooking oil in a deep wok.
4. Dust the pork ribs lightly with tapioca flour and deep-fry in medium-low heat until golden brown and the meat is cooked through.  Repeat until all is done.
5. Serve.

Note:  This dish can be served with rice as a meat dish and it also goes well with a glass of cold beer, and among few friends chatting the night away.

Stir-fried brinjals and winged beans with sambal belacan

Having the yearn for belacan I am cooking another dish with this authentic sambal to satisfy our taste buds "stir-fried brinjals and winged beans with sambal belacan."  Winged beans is my daughter Karen's favourite and off course mine too ~ smile ~  Since my hubby does not eat the winged beans, so I add the brinjals and this plate of two vegetables dish really satisfy our taste buds ~ YUM ~

Ingredients:

2 brinjals 

8 pcs. winged beans

Salt and msg (to taste)

3 tbsp cooking oil

1/4 cup water 

Sambal (roughly pounded)

3 red chilies 

2 chili padi

3 shallots

3 cloves garlic

1 1/2 tbsp dried shrimps (washed, soaked and drained)

1 tbsp toasted belacan

Methods:

1. Wash the brinjals, cut into medium-sized strips, in a wok of boiling water add some cooking oil and boil the brinjals until slightly soft, dish and drain.
2. For the winged beans wash, pluck off the hard edges, slice into slant medium thickness pieces and set aside.
3. In a medium heated wok add cooking oil and saute sambal ingredients until fragrant.
4. Add in the winged beans and stir-fry with drizzle of water if the dish is too dry for about 1 minutes.
5. Add in the brinjals, salt and msg, stir to mix and add in the rest of the water. let it simmer while stirring until the vegetables are cooked.
6. Off the heat and dish onto a serving plate.

Nyonya style stir-fried sambal Eng Chye (Water Convolvulus)

Sambal belacan is one popular dish of my family.  My mum used to prepare and serve with blanched vegetables and the most delicious is the young ferns.  Having exposed since born to the farm life surrounded with wild bushes, shrubs, stream of running water and all that nature has to offer, a plate of stir-fried sambal belacan with any types of vegetables and not to mention 'sambal ulam belacan' always brings back sweet memories of my young childhood days.  Life is so peaceful; air is fresh; gets to run freely within the huge compound around our house; free-flow of vegetables either planted or wild; beautiful music of birds chirping joyfully and other insects, etc...  

Today, I am sharing this simple Nyonya stir-fried sambal Eng Chye...

Ingredients:
300 g Eng Chye
Salt & msg (to taste)
Drizzle of fish sauce
3 tbsp cooking oil

Sambal (pounded)
3 red chillies (reserve few slices for garnish)
2 chili padi (for more heat)
3 shallots
3 cloves garlic
1 1/2 tbsp dried shrimps
1/2 tbsp toasted belacan

Methods:

1. Cut the eng chye according to your preferred length, wash, drain and set aside in a colander to let the water drips.
2. In a heated wok, add in cooking oil, saute the pounded sambal using medium heat (do not use high heat as it will burnt the sambal before well saute and the dish will be bitter) until aromatic.
3. Add the eng chye, stir-fry until well mixed. Season with salt, msg and fish sauce (if using).
4. Remove from heat, dish onto a serving dish and garnish with chili slices.
5. Serve hot with a plate of hot fluffy rice.

Note: If you prefer to have your dried shrimps whole, don't pound it together with the sambal ingredients, instead at (2) above fry the dried shrimps until fragrant before you saute the pounded sambal, set aside and add in at (3).

Honey Garlic Chicken Wings

As usual, each home-cook have their own 'signature marinades' which have been handed down by their grandparents or parents or it can be one or more recipe which they have personally come up with and is liked by the whole family, or a recipe being shared among friends.  I enjoyed trying out new marinating recipes, and this recipe which I am going to share is adapted from The Black Peppercorns with slight amendments.

Ingredients:
8 chicken wings

Marinade:
1 1/2 tbsp oil
3/4 tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup honey
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar
5 cloves garlic (minced)
1/2 tsp chili powder

Methods:

1. Mix all the marinade ingredients together and let it rest for 15 minutes before marinating the chicken wings.  I let it marinate overnight in the fridge.
2. Bake in a 200 degree Celsius Aspen Convention Oven until both sides are golden brown, turning the wings over at least once.
3. Serve!

Marble Butter Cake

This mouth watering Marble Butter Cake is in my baking list for Christmas, but due to being overly busy and tired I have to skip it.  Even though all the ingredients are already there in my kitchen storage, but it takes quite a while for me to kick-start my baking mode.  Today I've made it, here is this soft, light and deliciously yummy Marble Butter Cake to share with all....

Ingredients:
250 g salted butter (Golden Churn)
200 g self raising flour
150 g caster sugar
4 egg yolks
60 ml. milk
10 g cocoa powder
4 egg white
50 g caster sugar

Methods:

1. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Add the egg yolk, one at a time and beat each one into the batter before adding the next.
3. Fold in half of the flour, mix using the lowest speed, then add all the milk, finally the rest of the flour.  Mix just until all the flour has been incorporated into the batter.
4. Transfer 1/3 of the batter into a bowl, add cocoa powder and stir to mix using a spatula.  The remaining 2/3 batter put aside.
5. In a clean mixing bowl whisk the egg whites until foamy.
6. Add the sugar gradually and whisk until stiff peaks form.
7. Add in 1/3 of the egg white to the batter with the cocoa and fold in using a spatula.
8. Add the remaining egg white to the batter without the cocoa powder and fold this in.
9. Pour the batter without the cocoa in a lightly greased 8" round pan.  Place spoonfuls of cocoa batter around the sides and middle of the cake.
10. Use a spatula to make circular motions to create swirls.
11. Bake in a preheated oven of 170 degree Celsius for roughly one hour (for my oven) or until when a skewer inserted comes out clean.
12. Cool the cake in the pan for about 20 minutes before transferring into a baking rack to cool completely.
13. Slice and let's enjoy our afternoon tea!

This recipe is adapted from Domestic Goddess Wannabe.

Hainanese Pork Chop

Hainanese Pork Chop is not a popular dish of the Kuchingnites. I remember one Chicken Rice stall at Sekama selling this pork chop along side with the Chicken Rice, but the owner pack up and close his stall many years ago.  Little Hainan Chicken Rice at Bormill Estate is another shop that sell this yummy Hainanese Pork Chop.  Apart from this I am not sure where else can we have this dish, if not in our own home kitchen then.... hehe!

This recipe adapted from The Meatmen is a delicious recipe to cook and enjoy in the comfort of our home, here's to share....

Ingredients:
500 g pork tenderloin 
1 beaten egg
Breadcrumbs
1 tbsp garlic cloves (minced)
1/2 onion (sliced thickly)
1 potato (peeled, cubed and fried)
2 tbsp green peas
Cornflour mixture (for thickening sauce)
Cooking oil

Marinade:
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp five spice powder
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp minced garlic
2 tbsp preserved bean paste
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp light sauce

Sauce: (Mix all together)
1 tbsp light sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
3 tbsp tomato Ketchup
1 tbsp A1 Steak Sauce
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp shaoxing wine 
1 cup water

Methods:

1. Slice pork tenderloin into about 1 cm thickness.  I prefer to use pork tenderloin than pork loin as this part of the meat is tender.  Place in a large bowl and add all the marinade ingredients, mix well and marinate for at least 1 hour.
2. Add beaten egg into the meat mixture and give it a mix.
3. In a deep wok add enough oil for deep-frying the meat.
4. Place the breadcrumbs in a dish, dredge the pork tenderloin in breadcrumbs, deep-fry them in medium heated oil until both sides are golden brown, dish and drain on kitchen paper.  Do not over crowd the pan and repeat until all is done.
5. In a clean wok heat 2 tbsp cooking oil, saute minced garlic and sliced onion, then add in the fried potatoes, green peas, give it a quick stir-fry, then add in the sauce. Stir to mix and when the sauce has come to a boil thicken with cornflour mixture, stir and off the heat.
6. To plate the dish, arrange the pork tenderloin on a dish, pour the sauce over the top and serve immediately to prevent the meat from turning soggy.

Note:  I did not slice the fried meat but leave it whole instead as pork tenderloin is not that big and it is also tender and easy to eat.  If you use pork loin it is advisable to cut them into bite-size slices.  I made some slight changes to this recipe adapted from The Meatmen to suit my family's preference.  It is a yummylicious dish, so do give it a try...

Stir-fried pig liver

A one-time favourite of my family many years back, that was when my children are in their schooling years, and not to mention when both myself and hubby are younger. Today, this dish is more of a "controlled" food  ~ smile ~  Guess, this is so for most families....  With my children all back home this Christmas, I've decided to spoil our self by cooking this dish... It's indeed a WOW dish!

Ingredients:

1 cut of pig liver
2 sprigs spring onion 
1" knob ginger 
1 tbsp cooking oil
1/2 tbsp sesame oil

Seasoning:
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tbsp dark soya sauce
2 -3 tbsp water
Drizzle rice wine
Salt (to taste)

Methods:

1. Wash the pig liver, slice thinly and put aside for later use.
2. Wash spring onion and cut into 1" length.
3. Peel ginger and cut into thin strips.
4. In a medium heated wok add in cooking oil and sesame oil, saute ginger until fragrant.
5. Add in pig liver, give it a quick stir, then  add in oyster sauce, dark soya sauce and spring onion, stir until well mixed.
6. Add in water, stir-fry to mix, taste for correct seasoning and add salt if necessary.
7. Just as the liver is cooked, drizzle the rice wine, stir, off the heat, dish and serve hot.

Lebkuchen (Gingerbread)

Ingredients:
50g unsalted butter
60g brown sugar
1/4 cup golden syrup
1 egg
265g plain flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Large pinch of ground nutmeg

Methods:

• Place butter, sugar and golden syrup in a small saucepan over low heat.  Stir until butter melts and sugar dissolves.  Set aside to cool.  Transfer to a large bowl.
• Add egg to butter mixture and stir to combine.  Sift in flour, baking powder, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg.  Stir till well combined.  Turn into a lightly floured surface and gently knead until smooth.  Shape into a disc, cover with plastic wrap, place in fridge for 1 hr. to rest.
• Line baking trays.  Divide dough into 2 even portions.  Roll out 1 portion on a lightly floured surface until 5mm. thick.  Use a gingerbread man's cutter to cut out the dough and place on lined baking trays.

• Bake in a preheated oven of 180 degree Celsius for about 10 minutes or until golden.
• When cool, decorate with royal icing, according to the instruction on the package. As this gingerbread man biscuit is small I can only have a bit of decorations.

Notes:  I made some changes to the original recipe to meet my family's preference and the taste of the herbs is rather mild.

This recipe is adapted from Taste.com.au

Stollen

Stollen, a traditional German Bread usually eaten during the Christmas season is deliciously packed with candied fruits, raisins, citrus peel and the creamylicious texture and taste of the cream cheese is so irresistible.  This simple Stollen recipe is adapted from  Taste of Home and is made with baking powder instead of yeast which does not require rising.  

Ingredients:
2 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
7 tbsp cold butter (divided)
1 cup cream cheese
1 cup raisins, green and red cherries and orange peel
1 egg
1 egg yolk
Icing Sugar (for dusting)

Methods:

• In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder and salt.  Cut in 6 tbsp butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs.
• In a small bowl combine cream cheese, raisins, green and red cherries, orange peel, egg and egg yolk.  Stir into the dry ingredients until just moistened.
• Turn onto a floured surface, knead 5 times.  Roll dough into oval shape (roughly about 10" x 8".  Fold the long side over within 1" of the opposite side; press edge lightly to seal.  Place on a greased baking sheet.

• Bake at 170 degree Celsius for 40 - 45 minutes or until golden brown.
• Melt the remaining 1 tbsp butter, brush over loaf, remove to wire rack to cool completely.
• Dust with icing sugar.
• Slice and enjoy....

Pork and Shrimp Siu Mai

Personally for me, the first delicacy I think of Dim Sum is the Siu Mai. This pork and shrimp Siu Mai makes great finger food in a home gathering or party.  We can prepare them a day ahead, store them in an air tight container in the fridge and reheat again the next day.  This recipe is adapted from Carmen Chan Cooks with slight amendments to suit my family's preference, and here's to share.

Ingredients:
400g minced pork
1/2 cup prawns (shelled and roughly chopped)
1 clove garlic (minced)
1/2" knob ginger (finely minced)
4 stalks spring onion (chopped)
1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
Splash Shaoxing Wine
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp fried shallots oil
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp cornflour
1/2 tsp grounded white pepper
Dash of salt
Wanton skin (for wrapping)

Dipping Sauce:
2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 cloves garlic (cut into matchsticks)
1/2" ginger (cut into matchsticks)
1 stalks spring onion (chopped)
2 chili padi (chopped)
Few drops Sesame Oil
Few drops fried shallots oil
1 tsp sugar
3 tbsp water

Methods:

1. In a large bowl mix all the ingredients together until well combined.
2. Wrap with wanton skin.
3. Arrange the wrapped siu mai in a steamer tray lined with baking paper.
4. Steam using high heat for 10 minutes or siu mai is slightly firm to touch and the wanton skins have turned soft.
5. Add all the dipping sauce ingredients into a bowl and mix well.
6. Serve hot or warm with the dipping sauce.

ready for steaming

Let's taste...

Scones

A perfect scone creates an appetizing atmosphere be it on a sunny or rainy afternoon. It is normally served with Tea, but my preference is coffee.  Freshly baked scones which are still warm with a generous spread of Strawberry Preserved and a slice of butter which slowly melts and spread over the warm scones is really heavenly.  I am trying out this delicious recipe from MiMi Bakery House and here's to share....

Ingredients:

180g plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

Pinch of baking soda

1 tsp sugar

55g salted butter (cold)

120g milk

Methods:

1. Mix all the dry ingredients into a big mixing bowl.
2. Cut the cold butter into small cubes and add into the dry ingredients.  Rub the butter with fingertips until fine crumbs.
3. Make a well in the center of the mixture, add milk, use a fork to mix the ingredients until well incorporated.
4. Remove from the mixing bowl and knead into a soft dough.
5. Roll out the dough to about 2 cm thick, using a 5 cm round cutter cut out the biscuits, brush the top with milk.
6. Bake in a preheated oven of 200 degree Celsius for about 15 minutes until you get a golden brown top.

To obtain the original recipe click here

Fried Henghua Beehoon

As the name tells, this Henghua Beehoon is a dish of the Henghuas.  During the days of my parents-in-law this dish is often cooked in their kitchen, but today, how many younger generation Henghuas know how to prepare and cook them.  I am glad that I have the opportunity to learn to cook this dish from my late mum-in-law and continue to enjoy this special and unique dish.  Why is it unique?? Well, the beehoon used is not the normal type, instead its the 'fine' type.  Have you ever seen or cook it before??

I bought this beehoon from a friend's grocery shop at 3rd mile and she told me that she have made several attempts to cook this fine noodles but failed, as the beehoon will lump and stick together.  Extra care have to be taken when cooking because of its fine texture. Most home-cooked will assume that to loosen the noodles you need to soak them in water like the normal beehoon, but it's not the case.  What is required is just wash them in running tap water with a colander underneath, at the same time use our fingers to loosen out the beehoon and drain. Soaking it will makes it lump and stick together during cooking.

So, that's it, let me get on with the cooking....

Ingredients needed:

• a packet of Hsinhua Fine Beehoon (picture above) - washed and drained
• chye sim (washed and cut into 1" pieces (separate the stems from the leaves)

• 4 pieces dried mushrooms (soaked and cut into pieces)
• 3 onions (peeled and sliced)
• 3 cloves garlic (peeled and chopped)

• 2 eggs 

• Stewed pork (cut into chunks, put the meat and sauce into separate bowls)

Seasonings:

Salt (if needed)

Grounded white pepper 

Methods:

1. In a large wok, add a tbsp of oil, swirl the sides of the wok, lightly beat the egg and add into the oil, scramble, dish and put aside for later use.
2. In the same wok add 2 tbsp cooking oil, fry the onions and garlic, just before brown add in the mushrooms and stir-fry till fragrant.
3. Add in the stewed pork, give it a quick stir, then in goes the beehoon and stir to mix. Add in 1/2 of the sauce and stir to combine.  Taste for correct seasoning, for my case my sauce is tasty enough, so I do not add extra salt to season the dish.
4. Add in the rest of the sauce as and when necessary, then in goes the stems of the chye sim follow by the leaves. For information I use the whole bowl of sauce.  In this case my noodles are not soaked, so it needs more sauce to cook the beehoon, taste the beehoon to ensure that it is fully cooked.
5. Drizzle grounded white pepper over the dish and stir to combine.
6. Off the heat, dish on a serving plate.
7. Serve with sliced chillies, juice of small limes and light soy sauce.

Notes:  For the older version this Henghua Beehoon is served topped with fried peanuts, black seaweeds and slices of fried eggs.  

Stewed Pork Belly

Today, I am stewing one slab of pork belly using my slow cooker for purpose of stir-frying Henghua Beehoon for our dinner tomorrow.  As I am preparing the meat a day ahead I prefer to use slow cooker or else I can also use claypot to stew.  So, let's get on with it....

Ingredients:

1 slab pork belly (with skin)

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1 cup cooking oil

Seasonings:

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1/2 tbsp dark soya sauce

1 tbsp oyster sauce

1/2 tbsp sesame oil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

Water

Methods:

1. Clean the pork belly, cut into 3 sections, blanch with boiling water, drain and place them in a plate.
2. Sprinkle the light soy sauce over the pork belly, give it a good rub and set aside for at least half an hour.
3. In a clean wok, add in cooking oil, when oil is heated up put in the pork belly, reduce the heat to medium-low, fry with lid on to prevent the oil from splattering, turn over at least once until both sides have achieved the nice golden colour, dish and place the meat in ice water for about half an hour.
4. Put all the seasoning ingredients into the slow cooker with about a cup of water, and give it a good stir.
5. Drain the pork belly from the ice water and place them in the slow cooker.
6. Add more water if necessary (water should cover the meat to ensure the meat are well cooked) and give it a stir.
7. Put the lid on and switch on the slow cooker to high for the first hour, then change to low and allow it to stew overnight until the meat is cooked to perfection.

The nice golden colour after frying

after stewing.....

This stewed pork belly is ready for cooking my next dish Henghua Beehoon.  To obtain the recipe do check it out in my next blog article.  See yea...

Braised Pork Knuckle served with Mantou

A favourite of my children, this braised pork knuckle is enjoyed with mantou rather than rice. This recipe is my very own and I cooked it overnight using a slow cooker and before noon we all gets to enjoy this yummylicious dish with a grin on our faces ~ smiles ~

Ingredients:

1 fresh pork knuckle (deboned and omit the feet)

Braised seasonings:

1/4 cup light soy sauce

1/4 cup oyster sauce

1 tbsp dark soya sauce (add slightly more if you prefer it darker)

1 1/2 tbsp sugar

1/2 tbsp salt

1 tbsp sesame oil

Enough water to cover the meat

To thicken:

Cornflour mixture

To serve: 

Mantou

Methods:

1. For the fresh pork knuckle, I requested the butcher to debone, separate the feet and clear off the hairs.
2. Clean and wash the pork knuckle, blanch in hot water, drain and put aside.
3. Add all the braised ingredients into the slow cooker with some water and stir to mix.
4. Let the pork knuckle sit in the center of the cooker, add more water to ensure that it covers the meat, give it a stir and cover with the lid.
5. Switch on the slow cooker, first I set to high for about an hour, then I switch to low just before I go to bed and let it slow cook until morning.
6. In the early morning I turn the meat over and continue to let it slow cook until the meat is tender and the skin is soft but springy.  Switch off the heat.
7. To serve, take out the whole piece of meat and put it into a deep dish.
8. Pour the sauce into a heated wok, as it starts simmering thicken the sauce with cornflour mixture until the consistency of your liking.
9. Pour the sauce over the pork knuckle and serve with mantou on the side.

"Let's dig in!"

Kacama Chicken

Kacama Chicken is one popular dish in Sarawak and a must-have to serve the confinement mothers after they have given birth.  Today, this dish is commonly cooked and served in any normal Chinese meals for the whole family.  Apart from the Chinese, this dish has also been made popular among the local Dayaks.  However, the methods of cooking this dish differs from one home-cook to another.  Here is my version of cooking this yummylicious chicken dish.....

Ingredients:

• 1 chicken (cut into bite-size pieces) - not in the picture
• 275g chicken feet (clean, cut into half and boiled until almost soft)

• 225g chicken gizzard (clean and halved)

• 1 cup kacama leaves (fry in a pan using low heat until light brown and slightly crispy, smashed using the back of the spatula if the leaves and stems are not too big, if so, then lightly pound with mortar and pestle, but don't over-pound until powder form.

• 250g ginger (peeled, cut into smaller pieces, blended with 1/2 cup of water, squeeze out the ginger juice and separate the juice and pulp)

• 1 1/2 bottle rice wine - the amount used depends very much on individual preference. When cooking for confinement purposes normally no water is added to the chicken except rice wine.  For normal cooking some water can be added, which means slightly less rice wine is used. 

Methods:

• In a low heated wok, fry the ginger pulp (without oil) until dry, fragrant and light brown.  We have to continue stirring as it will stick onto the bottom of the pan. Dish onto a bowl and leave aside for later use.

• In the same wok, re-heat the wok using medium heat, drizzle about 1 tbsp. cooking oil into the wok, swirl the oil over the sides of the wok.
• Add in the chicken pieces, stir-fry until chicken meat has turned white (sprinkle some salt over the chicken when stir-frying to give some seasoning to the chicken), add in the chicken feet and gizzard.  Continue to stir-fry for few more minutes, then add in the ginger juice and 1/2 cup of rice wine, stir to combine and cover with lid to let it simmer until the meat and chicken feet are tender. When simmering if the liquid has evaporated and almost dry, you can either add some water or add in more rice wine, depending on whether you prefer a stronger taste of rice wine or not.
• Add in the ginger pulp, stir to mix and at this point more rice wine needs to be added as the sauce will be soaked up by the ginger pulp.  Always remember, this is a soupy dish, so the dish should not be too dry, and bear in mind that this dish is packed with the flavours and taste of rice wine.
• When the dish is almost done, finally add in the kacama, give it a good stir, again once the kacama is being added the soup will again thickens up, so more rice wine needs to be added to obtain that soupy consistency. 
• After a gentle simmer of about 1 to 2 minutes, off the heat and drizzle some more rice wine over the dish, stir to mix and dish into a serving bowl and serve hot!  The reason for the drizzling of rice wine after the heat is off is because, rice wine when evaporates during cooking looses its wine flavour and taste.

Notes:  

When preparing this dish for confinement purposes the steps differ slightly as well as some of the ingredients:

• no salt is added into this dish
• no water is used to cook this dish except rice wine BUT for some reason if the confinement mother is not able to consume much rice wine, then it is advisable to use boiled water to add into the dish during the cooking process.
• more ginger and kacama is used to cook this dish
• the double-boiling method is used to complete the final cooking of this dish, meaning after stir-frying all the ingredients in the wok, omit the simmering part, dish the half cooked dish into a double boiler and double-boiled until the chicken is fully cooked.

The above tips are handed down from my mum and mum-in-law.  However, in this modern world it is rather doubtful that the younger generation would follow accordingly.

BBQ Lamb Chop

It has been two consecutive years that our family gather for BBQ in the comfort of our sweet home during the Christmas Season.  This is the time of the year when my children takes their break and is back home to enjoy great celebration and feasting.  Lamb is among one BBQ favorite which we will include and I have adapted this simple marinating recipe from Celebration Cooking page 79, with slight amendments.

Ingredients:
12 pieces lamb chop 

Marinade:
1 tbsp garlic (minced)
3 tsp cumin powder
1 tbsp dark soya sauce (amount depend on the darkness of your soya sauce)
1 tbsp rice wine
1 1/2 tsp grounded black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil (to be added before cooking)

Methods:

1. Wash, clean, trim off excess fat, drain on colander and place them in a large bowl.
2. In a bowl mix all the marinade ingredients together except the olive oil.
3. Pour the marinade ingredients onto the lamb and combine well to ensure that the lamb are well coated.
4. Arrange them in an air tight container and place in the fridge to marinate overnight.
5. Just before BBQ sprinkle olive oil over the marinated lamb and toss to mix till well coated.
6. The lamb is ready for BBQ.... enjoy!

Ready to be BBQ

Ready to eat....