Roasted Chicken with lemon, garlic & parsley by Angela Seah Thulin

Merry Christmas, Everyone!  

Just a simple pre-Christmas meal together. Roasted chicken, brussels sprouts served with pan fried potatoes with thyme and green salad. And what is a Christmas revelry without log cake? So...I baked a chocolate ganache log cake.

Using Gordon Ramsay's recipe from his roasted turkey video, however i used chicken instead. This is pretty easy to do yet yummy. Despite the long hours roasting in oven, the chicken breast meat remains tender and juicy with crispy skin...

Part (A) Ingredients 
1.4kg free range chicken
1 Big yellow onion, halved
1 Lemon, halved
5 dried bay leaves
Olive oil
Bacon 6-8 slices
salt and pepper

Part (B) Lemon, garlic, parsley butter 
120g unsalted butter, room temperature
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground pepper
2 cloves garlic, grated
1/2 tbsp olive oil
Zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
few dashes of dried parsley

Steps -
1. Rub the chicken with salt, wash away and pat dry the chicken.
2. Prepare the part B in a bowl. Mix well.
3. Season the chicken cavity with generous amount of salt and pepper.Then stuff cavity with onion, lemon and bay leaves.
4. With your hands, loosen the skin on the breast and other side so that you can stuff the part B into it. Make sure you keep the skin intact. Repeat the steps to the legs and both side of the body.

Point 4

Ex. spread the butter mixture all over

Preheat oven to 220degree celsius. 

5. Use the part B to rub gently on the outer skin of the whole chicken. Season with some salt and pepper again.
6. In a big roasting tray with olive oil, place the chicken with breast side up. Drizzle some olive oil on the chicken.
7. Into the oven for 10-12 minutes. Baste the chicken with the juices from the tray. Then covered the breast with bacon. Baste with juices again.
8. Reduce the oven temperature to 180degree celsius and cook for 1.5hrs. (Every 1/2kg chicken at 30minutes.)
9. Check that your chicken is done by inserting skewer at the thigh/legs and that the juices run clear. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Pour the balanced juices with the lemon, garlic, bay leaves to a small pot and cook it a while or you may serve it like that. Done.

After the first 10 mins in oven. Point 7

Done after 1.5hrs

Link to the Gordon Ramsay's video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I93nany8nQI

Note -
1. Every oven temperature varies. I baked my chicken at 165 degree celsius for 1hour 35minutes.
2. I stuffed the balanced butter mix into the cavity :)

Brussels sprout and Potatoes

Recipe:

http://platepalate.blogspot.se/2014/12/chocolate-ganache-christmas-yulelog-cake.html

Christmas Yule/log cake (4) 2015

My son requested for lychee roll cake again!!

Reference link - http://platepalate.blogspot.se/2015/12/lychee-snowflakes-roll-by-angela-seah.html

Part (A) - filling
250ml of heavy cream (34-36% fat)
3 tsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp lychee juice from can

1 tsp lychee essence

Some lychee fruit from the can and cut into bite size pieces

*Whisk all the above ingredients except lychee fruit till trails formed/creamy (3-4mins) then chill in fridge.

Part (B) - batter
4 egg yolks
2.5 tbsp sugar
80ml water
60ml vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla essence
80g cake flour, sieve

*Coloring

Part (C) - meringue
4 egg white
2.5 tbsp sugar 

1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp of cornflour
*In a clean metal bowl, whisk the egg white till foamy. Then add cream of tartar and continue whisking till soft peak forms. Add sugar in gradually follow by corn flour and whisk till stiff peak formed. Set aside.

Steps -
1. Do Part A and chill in fridge.
2. Then do Part (B) - Whisk the egg yolks n sugar till fluffy and pale light in color. Then add water, vegetable oil, vanilla essence n quick whisk till mixed. Add the sifted cake flour in and quick whisk till well-mix.
3. Then do Part (C)
4. Scoop 2 tbsp of batter and 2 tbsp of meringue into a small bowl, mix them up gently and pour into piping bags. Proceed to pipe your snowflakes. Then freeze it for 20 minutes or until your snowflakes have harden.

*Preheat your oven now at 170degree celsius.

5. Add coloring to your batter and mix gently till well corporated.

6. In 3 additions - scoop 1/3 of your meringue part (C) and FOLD in to colored batter Part (B) till well-combined. 

7. Pour onto a 11x11 baking tray lined with baking paper. Into the oven and bake for 14-16mins.
8. Dust some icing powder on the top. Roll it tightly together with the baking paper. Let it chill in fridge to cool faster.
9. Release the roll, spread the chill filling on it, top with lychee fruit and roll the same way again. Back into the fridge to chill for hours before you cut.

Notes -

1. Every oven temperature varies. Mine was baked at 160 degree celsius for 16 minutes.

2. I used Wilton violet coloring.

3. Alternatively, you may bake the snowflakes design at 170 degree celsius for 2 to 2.5 minutes. Then remove from oven and pour batter in gently.

Christmas Pinwheel cookies by Angela Seah Thulin

My son loves these raspberry cookies so much that i had to bake again the very next day :)

Recipe for chocolate cookies, please click the link here - http://platepalate.blogspot.se/2015/12/christmas-swirl-cookies-by-angela-seah.html

Raspberry cookies 

Ingredients - 

320g All purpose flour

220g room temperature unsalted butter

140g granulated sugar

1-2 tsp raspberry emulsion (see below pic)

Some rainbow rice

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

1/4 tsp salt
Food coloring 

Steps - 

1. In a baking bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fuffy (about 2 minutes).

2. Add the egg, vanilla extract and raspberry emulsion in - beat till well mixed. 

3. Then add the flour in and beat till they are just well combined.

4. Divide the dough into two and place one half of the dough back into the bowl. Add raspberry emulsion and drops of red food coloring in and beat until fully incorporated. Now you have a plain dough and a red dough.

5. Place the two dough on 2 different parchment papers. 

Roll the plain dough out individually to 5mm thickness. 

Roll the red dough out individually to 5mm thickness. 

6. Then take the red dough and place it on top of the plain dough and roll them together like a log. Wrap it up with the parchment paper and freeze it for 25 minutes or until they are firm. 

7. When firm, remove from freezer. Open up the parchment paper, scatter rainbow rice on it and then roll your log to get it coated. Rewrap and freeze for another 10-15minutes. 

Preheat your oven now to 180 degree celsius.

8. Remove and cut them into 1cm thick. Place them on the baking tray with 5cm apart. Into preheated oven and bake them for about 8-10 minutes or until you see the browning at the cookies edges but still soft in the center of the cookies. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool completely. 

Notes:

1. I am using the cake flour sifted from the all-purpose flour together with corn flour. http://www.thekitchn.com/the-easy-way-to-make-cake-flour-substitute-baking-tips-from-the-kitchn-44521

2. Every oven's temperature varies. I baked them at 165 degree celsius for 11 minutes.

3. I'm using Wilton sky blue and leafy green coloring for these.

4. If you like to use one recipe but to bake two different colors, divide the dough into 4 portions and each dough will weigh about 182g. 

Raspberry emulsion

Packed to give away :)

Christmas swirl cookies by Angela Seah Thulin

I got my husband to buy the raspberry emulsion and Hershey's (special dark) cocoa powder from USA during his last week business trip. So yesterday, i tried them on cookies. I'm glad that i baked two different flavours. My husband goes for chocolate (which was actually planned for myself) while my son loves the raspberry cookies so much that he finished it within a day. And my oven is currently baking a new batch of raspberry cookies - http://platepalate.blogspot.se/2015/12/christmas-pinwheel-cookies-by-angela.html

Hershey's swirl cookies 

Ingredients - 

320g All purpose flour

220g room temperature unsalted butter

150g granulated sugar

2 tbsp Hershey's special dark cocoa powder, sifted

Some chocolate rice

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

1/4 tsp salt

Before bake

After baked

Steps - 

1. In a baking bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fuffy (about 2 minutes).

2. Add in the egg and vanilla extract, beat till well mixed. 

3. Then add the flour in and beat till they are just well combined.

4. Divide the dough into two and place one half of the dough back into the bowl. Add the cocoa powder in and beat until fully incorporated. Now you have a plain dough and a chocolate dough.

5. Place the two dough on 2 different parchment papers. 

Roll the plain dough out individually to 5mm thickness. 

Roll the chocolate dough out individually to 5mm thickness. 

6. Then take the chocolate dough and place it on top of the plain dough and roll them together like a log. Wrap it up with the parchment paper and freeze it for 25 minutes or until they are firm. 

7. When firm, remove from freezer. Open up the parchment paper, scatter chocolate rice on it and then roll your log to get it coated. Rewrap and freeze for another 10-15minutes. 

Preheat your oven now to 180 degree celsius.

8. Remove and cut them into 0.75cm thick. Place them on the baking tray with 5cm apart. Into preheated oven and bake them for about 8 -10 minutes or until you see the browning at the cookies edges but still soft in the center of the cookies. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool completely. 

Notes:

1. I am using the cake flour sifted from the all-purpose flour together with corn flour. http://www.thekitchn.com/the-easy-way-to-make-cake-flour-substitute-baking-tips-from-the-kitchn-44521

2. Every oven temperature varies. I baked them at 165 degree celsius for 11 minutes.

Raspberry cookies after baked

Raspberry swirl cookies 

Ingredients - 

320g All purpose flour

220g room temperature unsalted butter

140g granulated sugar

1-2 tsp raspberry emulsion (see below pic)

Some rainbow rice

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 large egg

1/4 tsp salt

Red food coloring 

Before bake

Steps - 

1. In a baking bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fuffy (about 2 minutes).

2. Add in the egg and vanilla extract, beat till well mixed. 

3. Then add the flour in and beat till they are just well combined.

4. Divide the dough into two and place one half of the dough back into the bowl. Add raspberry emulsion and drops of red food coloring in and beat until fully incorporated. Now you have a plain dough and a red dough.

5. Place the two dough on 2 different parchment papers. 

Roll the plain dough out individually to 5mm thickness. 

Roll the red dough out individually to 5mm thickness. 

6. Then take the red dough and place it on top of the plain dough and roll them together like a log. Wrap it up with the parchment paper and freeze it for 25 minutes or until they are firm. 

7. When firm, remove from freezer. Open up the parchment paper, scatter rainbow rice on it and then roll your log to get it coated. Rewrap and freeze for another 10-15minutes. 

Preheat your oven now to 180 degree celsius.

8. Remove and cut them into 1cm thick. Place them on the baking tray with 5cm apart. Into preheated oven and bake them for about 8-10 minutes or until you see the browning at the cookies edges but still soft in the center of the cookies. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool completely. 

Notes:

1. I am using the cake flour sifted from the all-purpose flour together with corn flour. http://www.thekitchn.com/the-easy-way-to-make-cake-flour-substitute-baking-tips-from-the-kitchn-44521

2. Every oven temperature varies. As i cut them thicker, i got to bake them longer too. At 165 degree celsius for about 14 minutes.
3. I'm using Wilton Christmas red food coloring for this.

Raspberry Emulsion purchased in USA

Chocolate pound cake (Hershey) by Angela Seah Thulin

Simply love Hershey's and the dark black color achieved on this pound cake.. Sinfully RICH taste ... 

Ingredients -
7 tbsp Hershey's cocoa powder (special dark)
140g cake flour (see notes below)
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
130g unsalted butter
180g sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence

140ml heavy cream (36% fat content)

Ganache
60g Hershey's chocolate bar
70ml heavy cream

I'm using this for the ganache.

Steps -
1. Grease and line parchment paper at the loaf pan.
2. In a bowl, sift and mix the cocoa powder, flour, baking powder and salt.
2. Whisk the room temperature butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Then add vanilla essence in and quick mix.
3. Add the eggs in one by one and whisk at low speed just to get it corporated.

Preheat oven to 160degree celsius

4. In 3 additions, add the flour mixture into the batter and whisk at low speed for 10 secs. Pour the heavy cream in, in 2 additions and mix well.
5. Pour the batter onto the loaf pan and bake for 40-50minutes or skewer inserted center comes out almost clean.
6. Ganache - I'm using double boil method to melt the chocolate bar first then pour the heavy cream on it and mix well.

Notes - 
1. Every oven temperature varies. I baked my pound cake at 145degree celsius for 44 minutes.
2. I am using the cake flour sifted from the all-purpose flour together with corn flour. This is not as soft as the store bought cake flour but will be a nice for this recipe. Otherwise you could use all-purpose flour too. http://www.thekitchn.com/the-easy-way-to-make-cake-flour-substitute-baking-tips-from-the-kitchn-44521
3. Using the Hershey's chocolate bar as ganache is alittle sweet but any ganache with this will definitely goes well. 
4. Top with chocolate shave or chopped nuts.

Lo Mai Gai 糯米雞 (Steamed glutinous rice with chicken) by Angela Seah Thulin

Ingredients -
480g chicken breast meat/thigh meat
2 cups glutinous rice
5 big Chinese mushrooms
2 lup cheong

Marinade to meat & mushroom overnight for few hours
1 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp corn flour
1/2 tsp pepper

Marinate to the rice
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp light soya sauce
1 tsp dark soya sauce
2 tsp chicken powder


Steps -
1. Wash the rice and then soak the rice with clean water and add seasoning in, soak for hours. I soaked for 2 hrs. Keep the marinated water.
2. Cut the meat into bite sizes and the mushroom into slices. Then marinate both together for 2 hrs or more.
3. Soak lup cheong in hot water for 10mins to remove wax paper. Then slice it.
4. Using aluminium disposal tray or any container, place the lup cheong, follow by meat and mushroom then add rice and marinated water to it. The water level should just reach the brim of the container.
5. Steam for 20mins for small aluminium container. I use a bigger one so I steam for 30mins. What you can do is open up and see the surface - rice, you can tell when it's cooked.

Taste great when slightly cooled.

Stir fry noodles by Angela Seah Thulin

Meat was pre-marinated last night and all i have to do is just to stir fry everything in. Done in 13 minutes! Quick, yummy easy whip up dish!

Ingredients -
430g breast/thigh meat, cut into slices
Noodles/Chow Mian
1 stalk scallion
1 big yellow onion, slices
1 carrot. strips
1 glove garlic, minced
2 tbsp oil

Marinate to the meat -
Meat
1 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp corn flour
Few dashes of pepper

Sauce -
1.5 tbsp oyster sauce
1.5 tbsp light soya sauce
1/2 tbsp sesame oil
bit of dark soya sauce
some water

Steps -
1. Heat up wok with oil and pan fried the chicken till cooked and dish up.
2. In the same wok, wipe away the residue and then add 2 tbsp of oil.
3. Saute the garlic first follow by carrot and onions. Then add the noodles in, water, bit of dark soya sauce, oyster sauce and light soya sauce.
4. Off flames, add scallion and sesame oil. Stir to mix. Done.

Steamed Yam cake by Angela Seah Thulin

I like to pan fried my yam kueh. The crispiness at the edges, mmm .. along with the sweet soya sauce and chilli .. Its like having dim sum too :)

Recipe adapted from Susan Kwek - https://plus.google.com/108854154044884708244/posts/FwLe39pCdTZ

Ingredients:
300g yam, diced into 2cm cubes
600g rice flour
200g dried prawns (pounded roughly)
8 pcs dried mushrooms (soaked and diced into cubes)
3 pcs lup cheong (Chinese sausage) (diced into cubes)
10 shallots (slice thinly)
2 litres of water (to be divided into 2)
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:-

(1). Heat a pan over medium high heat, and fry the onions and dried shrimps until they become aromatic. Add lup cheong and cubed mushrooms and stir fry until fragrant. Add in cubed yam and continue to stir fry for about 3 miniutes. Then add 1 litre of water and mix well and bring it to a boil.

(2). In a separate bowl, mix the rice flour with the balance 1 litre of water and stir until it forms a smooth paste. Make sure there are no lumps in the mixture.

(3). Add the flour mixture into (1) slowly, and stir until everything forms a thick paste.

(4). Add salt, sugar and pepper to taste and mix well.

(5). Pour the mixture into a tray and steam over high heat for 40 minutes, or until cooked.

P.S. We like to cut it into square pieces and pan fry and then serve or you can also sprinkle with deep fried shallots, chopped spring onions, sliced chillies and chopped dried shrimp.

Christmas lychee log cake 2015 (3) by Angela Seah Thulin

Part (A) - filling
250ml of heavy cream (34-36% fat)
3 tsp granulated sugar
2 tbsp lychee juice from can

1 tsp lychee essence

Some lychee fruit from the can and cut into bite size pieces

*Whisk all the above ingredients except lychee fruit till trails formed/creamy (3-4mins) then chill in fridge.

Part (B) - batter
4 egg yolks
2.5 tbsp sugar
80ml water
60ml vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla essence
80g cake flour, sieve

*Coloring

Part (C) - meringue
4 egg white
2.5 tbsp sugar 

1/4 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp of cornflour
*In a clean metal bowl, whisk the egg white till foamy. Then add cream of tartar and continue whisking till soft peak forms. Add sugar in gradually follow by corn flour and whisk till stiff peak formed. Set aside.

Steps -
1. Do Part A and chill in fridge.
2. Then do Part (B) - Whisk the egg yolks n sugar till fluffy and pale light in color. Then add water, vegetable oil, vanilla essence n quick whisk till mixed. Add the sifted cake flour in and quick whisk till well-mix.
3. Then do Part (C)
4. Scoop 2 tbsp of batter and 2 tbsp of meringue into a small bowl, mix them up gently and pour into piping bags. Proceed to pipe your snowflakes. Then freeze it for 20 minutes or until your snowflakes have harden.

*Preheat your oven now at 170degree celsius.

5. Add coloring to your batter and mix gently till well corporated.

6. In 3 additions - scoop 1/3 of your meringue part (C) and FOLD in to colored batter Part (B) till well-combined. 

7. Pour onto a 11x11 baking tray lined with baking paper. Into the oven and bake for 14-16mins.
8. Dust some icing powder on the top. Roll it tightly together with the baking paper. Let it chill in fridge to cool faster.
9. Release the roll, spread the chill filling on it, top with lychee fruit and roll the same way again. Back into the fridge to chill for hours before you cut.

Notes -

1. Every oven temperature varies. Mine was baked at 160 degree celsius for 16 minutes.

2. I used Wilton sky blue coloring