Salted egg yolk cookies by Angela Seah Thulin

Many members in Plate and Palate group have been baking these salted egg yolk cookies, it seems like i have to give it a try too. Well, the result is -  indeed very tasty with rich buttery taste. I received good feedback from my loved ones too and my kitchen was filled with fragrance!!!

Ingredients -

125g plain flour
10g cornflour
1/8 teaspoon double action baking powder
1/8 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1/2 tablespoon milk powder

3 salted egg yolks
85g butter, at room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
40g caster sugar

1 egg yolk, beaten lightly, for egg wash
Some black or white sesame seeds for topping

Steps -
1. Crack salted eggs, take the yolks only and steam in boiling water for about 5 minutes. Then mash with a fork and set it aside.

2. Sift the flour, cornflour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and milk powder together and set it aside.

3. In a mixing bowl with butter, salt and sugar, whisk on medium speed until sugar is dissolved.

4. Add the mashed salted egg yolks in together with the dry ingredients (point 2). Mix for couple of secs then use hand to knead into a soft and pliable dough. 

Preheat oven to 170 degrees

5. Roll out dough to 5mm thickness and cut into desired shapes using cookies cutters. Place them on baking pans and brush with egg wash. Sprinkle with sesame seeds as decorations.

6. Bake for 20 minutes at 170 degrees or until golden brown. Remove and let it cool completely before storing in airtight containers.

Notes - 
1. This recipe yields about 32 cookies.

2. At point 4 - If the dough is too soft, wrap with cling film and rest in refrigerator for 30 minutes.

3. Every oven's temperature varies. I baked these at 155 degree celsius for 15 minutes.

Recipe adapted from http://messywitchen.com/recipe/cookies/chinese-new-year-cookies-salted-egg-yolk/

Bacon Fried Rice by Angela Seah Thulin

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kbCCkdjYQvo

Ingredients -
1 3/4 cup of cooked overnight rice
10 strips of bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 big onion (about 130g), diced
1 garlic, minced
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 3/4 tbsp of light soya sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
dashes of ground pepper to taste
scallions to garnish

Steps -
1. In a wok with NO oil, pan fried the bacon till crispy. Scoop up the bacon and set aside. Leave about 1-2 tbsp fats in the wok. Do not discard the rest of the fats. You might want to use it to add on if your rice is too dry.
2. Add the garlic in and cook till fragrant, then push it aside and add in the eggs. When the eggs start to settle, separate them gently. 
3. Add the onions in and cook for a while.
4. Then add the cooked rice in, stir to mix well. Use the spatula to flatten the rice. Break up the lumps. Cook for about 2 minutes.
5. Add the soya sauce, salt, sugar and pepper in. Taste and adjust accordingly. Stir to mix well.
6. Off flames. Pour the cooked bacon bits back in and done! Garnish with scallions.

Notes -
Sprinkle water or chicken stock or add bit of that bacon fats if your rice is alittle dry.

Braised Chicken with noodles by Angela Seah Thulin

Ingredients -

3 big chicken thighs

3.5 cups water

1 cinnamon stick

1-2 star anise

Some dark soya sauce (about 3 tbsp, I'm using Lee Kum Kee)

5 cloves

3/4 tsp five-spice powder

dashes of pepper

30g garlic, peeled

1 crystal sugar

1 can of button mushroom

1/2 tbsp chicken powder 

Optional - hard boiled eggs

Steps -

1. Rub the chicken thighs with salt, rinse and then season with bit of salt and pepper. 

2. In a pot or wok with some oil, pan seared the chicken thigh both sides. Add 3 tbsp dark soya sauce in and continue to brown the chicken thighs.

3. Add water in, cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, five spice powder, chicken powder, garlic, crystal sugar and can of mushroom. Stir to mix well. Taste and adjust accordingly.

4. Let it come to boil then lower the heat to simmer until all thighs are cooked and tender.

5. Assemble with your desired noodles. 

Goes with well with this chilli

Curry pork ribs with 'thai flavour 'by Angela Seah Thulin

I was so inspired by Jo Lim's dish when i saw her posting in Plate and Palate Facebook group. And because this is my first time to cook curry with pork ribs, i reused my curry chicken recipe with 1 added ingredient - lime leaves. It makes it so fragrant and it gives a very fresh taste. 

http://platepalate2014.blogspot.se/2016/01/pork-ribs-curry-with-thai-flavour-by-jo.html
http://platepalate.blogspot.se/search/label/curry

Facebook link - 

Pork ribs

1 kg pork ribs

3-4 cups water, enough water to cover the ribs

2 lemon grass, chop into 3 parts, smash gently

5 cloves of garlic, lightly smash

To cook -

1 packet of A1 instant curry meat mix (pic shown below)

1 lemon grass, chop into 3 parts, smash gently
3-4 gloves of garlic, smash it gently 

5 pieces of lime leaves, tear into half

6 tbsp kara coconut powder + 200ml hot water

800ml water or more

1/2 tsp sugar or adjust accordingly

Bit of light soy sauce to taste
 

Steps -

1. Rinse your pork ribs. In a pot with water, lemon grass and garlic, bring it to a boil before adding pork ribs in and let it simmer till the meat is just cooked. Drain the water, remove the ribs and set aside.

2. Heat up wok with some oil and fry the smashed garlic, teared lime leaves and lemon grass till fragrance.

3. Add the whole packet of instant paste in and fry for a minute.

4. Then add all the cooked pork ribs in and stir to mix well. 

5. Add the coconut milk in as well as the 800ml water, stir to mix well. Let it cook for another 10-20 minutes in medium heat with lid cover or until pork ribs are cooked and tender.

6. Then at this point - i added some sugar. Taste and adjust if you like to add more sugar or light soya sauce accordingly.

Notes -

1. Using cast iron pot to boil the ribs, it took 35 minutes to get it just cooked. 

2. I added 1 tsp sugar and the spice level is just nice for my family members.

Ngoh Hiang by Angela Seah Thulin

Ingredients -
400g minced pork meat
70g carrot, diced finely
1 big onion about 130g, diced finely
200g prawns

Seasoning 
1 egg
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp corn flour
1/2 tsp of white pepper
1/2 tbsp five-spice powder

Steps -
1. Mix everything well combined together and leave it aside. I chilled them in the fridge overnight.
2. Clean your beancurd skin with slightly wet cloth.
3. Place your meat filling to the beancurd skin, wrap and then seal with egg white.
4. In a big wok with boiling water, place the rolls to steam them for 10 minutes. Remove and the set aside to let it cool and then freeze them if you do not wish to cook them immediately.
5. In a wok with oil, deep fried them until skin is crispy and golden brown. Let it cool alittle before you cut them.

Homemade Salted Eggs (鹹蛋) by Angela Seah Thulin

The lack of salted eggs in Sweden spurred me to make my very first batch of salted eggs! It's so easy to do. And look at the gorgeous orange color at day 30..

Ingredients - 
12 eggs (i use chicken eggs)
4 cups water
1 cup sea salt
1 tbsp Hua Tiao Jiu
1 star anise

Steps - 
1. Rinse the eggs and make sure there are no cracks on each egg.
2. In a pot with water, boil the salt and star anise. Boil until salt dissolves, and let it cool completely. 
3. After it has cooled completely, pour in the wine and mix well.
4. Using a glass container, carefully place the eggs in and then pour the point 3 in slowly. Because there will be some eggs floating to the top, i use a small saucepan to lay on top of the eggs. If you noticed my above pic, my saucepan has actually drop to the bottom while i was carrying it out from my storage room :)
5. This brining process takes about 30 - 40 days and that it needs to be in a room temperature, i placed them in my storage room with a note stick to it when's the start date and the day 30th to open. 


Original recipe - http://en.christinesrecipes.com/2010/09/homemade-salted-eggs.html

Nian Gao 年糕 by Angela Seah Thulin

A traditional steamed Chinese New Year cake in Singapore. So what is Nian Gao?
 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nian_gao

The direct translation of nian gao (年高) means 'year high' which symbolizes higher position, growth of children... Generally, a better year...

Ingredients -

620g hot boiling water

400g glutinous rice flour, sifted

400g granulated sugar

Optional - Few pieces of banana leaves

Steps -

1. Optional - Rinse and then wipe dry your banana leaves with a cloth. Lay them on your mould. More fragrant if using banana leaves.

2. In a pot, melt the sugar with low heat. After it turns brown, add in the hot boiling water slowly. Stir till all sugar melt. Set it aside and let it cool completely.

3. In a big bowl, add in the sifted glutinous rice flour and stir to mix well. Then sieve the liquid to remove lumps.

4. In a pot, pour the above liquid in with low heat and cook that liquid till it turns alittle thick. Then sieve it again to remove lumps.

5. Steam your mould for 5 minutes.

6. Pour the ready liquid into moulds and steam for 60 minutes.

Notes -

1. I steamed my nian gao for 1.5 hours.

2. There shouldn't be any lumps so remember to sieve your liquid. 

3. Do not skip point 4 and note to cook it with low heat and stir well.

4. Point 2, i cooked the sugar to slightly dark brown.

5. After resting this nian gao for 21days, i find there is no sweetness at all after steaming it, i would probably add another 30g sugar the next time.

Thanks Cindy for sharing the recipe to me :)

Lemon Poppyseeds Pound Cake by Angela Seah Thulin

Best lemon cake I ever had was in France, Paris. Thereafter i have never gotten to taste anything close to it. Until this recipe - i love it! I have baked this many times and despite that, i still swallow my saliva whenever i'm cutting it. My husband loves it and now my mother in law also compliments that it is great. Moist and taste of lemon is perfect!

Ingredients -

190g all-purpose flour

1 tsp double action baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 tbsp grated lemon zest (outer yellow skin of one lemon)

Opt - 1.5 tsp poppy seeds

170g unsalted butter, room temperature

140g granulated white sugar

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

60ml milk 

Lemon Glaze:

3 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 to 3 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar (adjust sweetness accordingly)

*Pop into the microwave for 25 seconds to melt the sugar.

Optional - 
Lemon frosting
115g icing powder
2-4 tbsp fresh lemon juice

   

Steps -
Preheat oven to 180 degree celsius

1. Grease your loaf pan and line with parchment paper.

2. In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, lemon zest, poppy seeds and salt together. Set aside.

3. In the mixing bowl, beat the butter till soft and creamy then add sugar in and beat till light and fluffy. Then add the eggs in one by one and beat till just combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Then add vanilla essence in. Mix well.

4. Add the flour in by 3 additions and the milk in by 2 additions. Beat till its just combined. Do not overbeat.

5. Pour onto the loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes or until the bread is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

6. Microwave the glaze and then brush it on top of the hot cake. Let it cool aside for 20 minutes.

Notes -
1. Every oven's temperature varies. I baked my lemon cake at 175 degree celsius for 50 minutes. 
2. I cooked 1/2 tbsp poppyseeds in a small pot till warm, this has enhanced the fragrance.
3. I've baked this many times. And super love this easy recipe. The best is to consume it next day..
4. Omit poppyseeds and replace with chia seeds, it works as well. 

Poppyseeds

Gyoza (pork dumplings) by Angela Seah Thulin

Ingredients - 
Filling
250g minced pork meat
2 tbsp chopped spring onions
6g ginger, grated
3g garlic, grated or minced finely

Marinating for 30mins -
Few dashes of ground pepper
1/2 tbsp of sesame oil
3/4 tbsp sake
2 tsp jap light soya sauce
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp corn starch

To see wrapping - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGCLULby_EY

Steps -
1. Marinate the meat for 30mins. Then start wrapping and seal. Freeze it if you do not wish to cook it immediately. 
2. To cook - heat up pan with oil on high heat. Then place the gyoza in (sitting), switch to medium heat and let it pan fried till bottom is golden brown look.
3. Add water in to cover at least 1/3 of the gyoza height. Cover lid and steam for few minutes or until water evaporates.

Stewed potatoes with minced meat and onions by Angela Seah Thulin

With the leftover homemade Teriyaki sauce i had from Sticky Teriyaki Chicken http://platepalate.blogspot.se/2016/01/sticky-teriyaki-chicken-drumsticks-by.html, i tried making a dish that my friend recently shared. Oh.. i love it! Good feedback from my husband and son too.

Recipe origin from Helga - http://platepalate2014.blogspot.se/2016/01/stew-potatoes-with-minced-meat-and.html


Ingredients -
3 large potatoes (300g washed & slice)
230g minced pork
1 big yellow onion (170g)
1 tbsp of minced garlic
2 tbsp Olive Oil
Some chopped spring onions or Chinese Parsleys

Marinate the minced pork (for 30 mins) -
1/4 tsp salt 
2 dashes of ground pepper
1 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 full egg
1.5 tbsp potato starch

Sauce -
500-600ml Water
3-4 tbsp homemade teriyaki sauce or thick teriyaki sauce
1/4 knorr mushroom cube
2 tbsp mirin
Few dashes of black pepper

Method -
1. Soak the sliced potatoes in cold water for 10mins, drain/pat dry. Then rub the sliced potatoes with olive oil and air fry for 20 mins at 190 deg cel. Set aside.

2. Heat up wok with oil and stir fry the onions till soft then add garlic and sauté till fragrant.

3. Add minced pork and stir fry till 80% cooked, add potatoes and sauce in, let the sauce come to a boil, cover with lid and turn to medium heat. Simmer for 20 mins or till the potatoes are soft. 

Garnish with chopped spring onions or Chinese Parsleys before serve.

Notes -
1. My friend used 500ml water with 3 tbsp store-bought teriyaki sauce while I used 600ml together with 4tbsp of my homemade teriyaki sauce. 
2. As i do not have mushroom seasoning powder, i replaced it with Knorr mushroom cube.