Thai Tapioca Dessert

Tapioca has always been my favourite dessert since young. I get it peeled, cut into sections of about 2", halved them if it is big or else leave it as it is, boiled with lid on in a pot of water just enough to cover the tapioca with a sprinkle of salt (amount depending on your own preference), and once it has soften (I use a fork to check on doneness), I will pour off the excess water, put it back on low heat with lid on for about one quick minute, and, there it is... ready to be served! This is how I cook my 'Simple Yet Yummylicious' tapioca.  I will normally cook slightly more and keep the leftover in an airtight container in the fridge.  It is still as yummylicious when eaten cold.

Today, I am bringing this tapioca dessert to the next level... a dessert which I enjoyed once upon a time at a local Thai Restaurant, i.e. "Thai Tapioca Dessert."  I have been wanting to try a hand on it, finally, I made it! 

Ingredients:
400g tapioca (peeled and cut into sections and halved)
2 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar
few leaves of pandan (washed and knoted)
enough water

Coconut milk mixture:
150 ml. thick coconut milk
pinch of salt
3/4 tbsp rice flour mix with 1/4 cup of water (I mix with more water as I am using the thick coconut milk)

Methods:

• In a deep pot, add tapioca, enough water to cover the tapioca, sugar,  pandan leaves and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and let it simmer until the tapioca is soft. Off the heat and let it rest in the pot for a while longer in order to let more syrup sips into the tapioca flesh and has cooled down.  Dish out the cooked tapioca and put aside for later use.
• In the meantime, add the coconut milk, salt and rice flour mixture into a small pan. Bring to boil using medium-low heat, stirring often until the coconut milk starts to thicken. Dish into a bowl.

• To serve, cut the tapioca into thinner slices and place them in a serving plate. Drizzle coconut milk over the top and dessert is ready to be served!

This yummy dessert recipe is adapted from Sifu Kenneth Goh with slight amendments to suit my cooking needs and taste buds.

Braised chicken and eggs in dark soy sauce

This is a popular home-cooked Chinese dish which every family have their own version of it. Though it is just a simple dish but each individual prepare it in their own way, with some variations in terms of cooking method and ingredients used.  This recipe which I am going to share is my very own signature dish which I have been cooking over and over again, not having to measure the amount of ingredients used.  For purpose of doing a write-up of this recipe I try to be as close as possible, at the same time tasting and adding along the way. Ta...da...

Ingredients: (serves 2)

2 chicken drumsticks and 1 thigh (whole)

2 hard boiled eggs (peeled)

5 cloves garlic (washed, lightly crushed with skin)

some rock sugar (to taste)

some salt (to taste)

dark soy sauce (if necessary)

1 tbsp cooking oil

enough water (for braising)

Marinade: (mix together in a bowl)

3/4 tsp five spice powder

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp sugar

1 1/2 tsp salt

How to go about:

• Clean the chicken drumstick and thigh, rub the marinade over to make sure that they are evenly coated and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour in room temperature.

• In a heated wok add cooking oil, fry the crushed garlic in low heat until lightly brown and fragrant, dish out and put aside for later use.
• In the same wok, increase the heat to medium, add the chicken and sear both sides, then add in the marinating sauce, give it a toss, add water to cover the chicken, stir to combine and put the lid on.
• During this braising period we need to stir, turn over the chicken often and add more water if the liquid has reduced.  This is to ensure that the chicken are evenly cooked through. Put the lid back on.
• In the process of braising, if the sauce is too light, add some dark soy sauce and taste for correct seasoning.
• Half way through braising, add in the hard boiled eggs, toss and ensure that the eggs are evenly coated with the sauce to come up with nicely golden braised eggs.
• Once the chicken are almost cooked, do not add any more water, taste and add rock sugar, sprinkle in the fried garlic, stir to combine all the ingredients.  At this point the fragrance from the fried garlic will flood your whole house.  The rock sugar will caramelise both the eggs and chicken to come up an appetizing dish with a nice golden colour.
• Turn off the heat, dish out the chicken and eggs onto a serving dish, drizzle with the excess sauce and dinner is ready to be served with a plate of hot fluffy rice!

Notes:  

1. If preferred, you can cut the chicken into bite-size pieces as well as the eggs, but since I am only serving it for 2 persons (myself and hubby), we both prefer it whole.
2. My version of this braised chicken and eggs is slightly sweet and salty, do feel free to adjust to your desired preference.
3. If you prefer more sauce, add more water during the final stage of braising, taste for correct seasoning, let it braise for a minute after adding in the rock sugar and fried garlic, dish out some of the sauce into a bowl and set aside. To have a nice caramelisation of the chicken and eggs it is best to have slightly less sauce in the wok.
4. This recipe works well with 3-layer pork too!

HAPPY COOKING!

Easy Yaki Udon

The leftover udon noddles from our family's Steamboat have been sitting in my fridge and I have been thinking what to do with it.  As I was browsing through some of the online recipes I came across this "Easy Yaki Udon."  As usual anything easy and simple always interest me.  It has been my principle to cook something easy and simple for one serving, especially for myself as I am not a picky eater and I always enjoyed trying new food. Though I have been cooking for many long years, but I have never tried stir-frying udon in soy based sauce.  I believe it is never too late to experiment this popular Japanese noodles dish.

What you need: 

1/2 packet udon noodles

2 bunch cai xin (sawi) - cut into 2" pieces

some pork slices

5 medium prawns (peeled and deveined)

some julienne red carrot

1/3 onion (thinly sliced)

2 dried mushrooms (washed, soaked and sliced)

2 sprigs spring onion (washed and cut into 2" length)

1 tbsp cooking oil

1 1/2 tbsp water

Seasonings:

1/2 tbsp mirin

1/2 tbsp white vinegar

1 tbsp light soy sauce

Dash of dark soy sauce

1 1/2 tsp brown sugar

How to cook:

1. In a heated wok add cooking oil, saute onion, add in mushrooms, stir-fry for a minute, then add in pork slices, fry for aother minute and finally add in prawns, and continue to fry until prawns have turned pink. Turn the heat to low and dish out the cooked ingredients and set aside.
2. In the same wok, turn the heat to medium, add in udon noodles and 1 1/2 tbsp of water, give it a quick fry to break up the noodles, then add in red carrot, the cooked ingredients from (1) and give it a quick mix. 
3. Next, add in the sauce ingredients follow by cai xin (sawi) and toss together to combine.
4. When cai xin has wilted, add in spring onions, give it another toss and off the heat.
5. Dish onto a serving plate and lunch is ready to be served!

This noodle dish is a keeper and it taste deliciously YUMMY!  It is 'Simple Yet Yummylicious!"

Recipe adapted from Sharon Lam with slight amendments.

Pan-fried Prawns

Cooking fresh prawns does not require many ingredients and seasonings to come up with a delicious appetizing prawn dish. During our recent road-trip to Telaga Air, we bought some freshly caught big prawns from the fisherman there.  As I was trying to figure out how to cook it, a prawn recipe from Diana Gale (The Domestic Goddess Wannabe) pop up in Facebook. Without further ado I put a hand on this recipe 'Pan-fried Prawns' and the outcome is Yummylicious!

Ingredients:

15 prawns

5 cloves garlic (minced)

1 inch knob ginger (minced)

1/2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp shaoxing wine

1 tsp sugar

2 spring onion (chopped)

4 tbsp cooking oil

Methods:

1. In a heated wok, add cooking oil, saute minced garlic and ginger until fragrant.
2. Add prawns, shaoxing wine, light soy sauce and sugar.
3. Stir to cook both sides of the prawns, pressing prawns down to ensure they are cooked evenly.
4. Once prawns are cooked through the skillet will become dry, add the chopped spring onion, give it a quick stir to mix and off the heat.
5. Dish onto a plate and serve immediately. 

Steamed Prawns with Shaoxing Wine and Egg White

Steamed fresh prawns are deliciously tasty and I believe this dish is the favourite of many. Though steaming prawns does not require many ingredients and seasonings, each household do have their own technique.  Steamed prawns are also my family's favourite I bought a kilo of the very fresh medium-large prawns, intending to steam for my children and grandson who are back for holiday. Coincidentally,  I came across an online recipe which attracted me so much, so instead of using my own signature recipe to cook this prawn dish I decided to try a hand on this recipe which is adapted from "GoodyFoodies."

Ingredients:

30 prawns (washed, trimmed with shell on, head and tail intact)

2 knob 1" ginger (peeled and julienned)

1 tsp salt

3 egg whites

1 tsp sesame oil

4 tbsp shaoxing wine

1 shallots (peeled and finely chopped)

2 cloves garlic (peeled and finely chopped)

1 1/2 tbsp cooking oil

Spring onion (to garnish)

Methods:

1. Pat dry prawns with kitchen towel.  Use a scissor to cut the back of the shell, then use a knife to cut a slit to expose the flesh.
2. Pour egg white into heatproof dish (I use 2 medium size rectangular dish).  Arrange the prawns on top of the egg white, place the julienned ginger on top of the prawns and sprinkle salt over. Pour over shaoxing wine and sesame oil evenly and leave to marinate for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. In a pan heat the cooking oil, fry the shallots and garlic until golden brown. Dish out and sprinkle over the top of the prawns. Do not add the oil.
4. Steam the prawns over high heat for about 5 minutes or until cooked.  Do not overcook the prawns as the texture will become hard and rubbery.  Garnish with spring onion and serve immediately.

The prawns are so sweet and we all enjoyed this yummylicious Prawn Dish.  This dish is indeed a keeper!

Butter Cake (Mrs Ng SK)

This famous Butter Cake recipe have been made popular by many home-cooks.  Who could resist this cake which is full of buttery fragrance, light, soft, moist and deliciously yummy.  Cakes are my grandson's favourite, and as he is coming back to hometown for the school break tomorrow, myself and daughter Karen decided to bake one for the whole family to enjoy.

Ingredients:
230g salted butter (room temperature)
4 egg yolk
150g caster sugar
200g self raising flour (sifted)
60ml milk 
4 egg white
50g caster sugar

Methods:

1. In a mixer bowl, cream butter and caster sugar (150g) until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally.
2. Add egg yolk one at a time and beat it in before adding the next until all are used up.  Take out the mixer bowl.
3. Fold in half of the flour.  Add in the milk and mix with a cake spatula.  Add in remaining flour and fold until just incorporated and set aside.
4. In a clean mixing bowl, whisk the egg white until it turns foamy.  Slowly and gradually add in the 50g caster sugar, whisking all the while until stiff peaks form.
5. Transfer 1/3 of the egg white into egg yolk batter and stir it in using a cake spatula.
6. Gently fold the remaining egg white in 2 batches until all the egg white have been incorporated.
7. Pour the mixture into a greased 8 x 8" baking tin.
8. Bake in a preheated oven of 170 degree Celsius for 45 minutes or until a skewer when inserted comes out clean.
9. Let the cake rest in the baking tin until it is not too hot to handle.  I place a wire rack on the top of the baking tin, turn it over and let it cool completely.
10. Cut into slices and enjoy!

I adapted this recipe from The Domestic Goddess Wannabe with amendments.

Cake, Fruit and Yogurt Parfiat

With the Eggless Chocolate Cake which I baked yesterday, I am using some of it to make this delicious chilled dessert.

What you need: (Serves 2)
1 cup chocolate cake (cubed)
1 1/2 cup Greek Yogurt
1 1/2 tbsp honey
1 cup white flesh dragonfruit (cubed)
1 cup tinned peach (drained and cubed)
Juices from the tinned peach (to drizzle)
Red and green whole cherries (for decoration)

This is what you need to do:

1. In a bowl whisk yogurt and honey and keep refrigerated.
2. Place one layer of chocolate cake on the bottom of a tall glass/jar/cup, drizzle about 1/2 tbsp of peach juice, top with dragonfruit, peach and yogurt.  Repeat until the glass is full.  The last layer must be yogurt and decorate with red and green whole cherries.
3. Cover and chill in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

Let's have DESSERT!

This recipe is adapted from Treat and Trick with amendments.