花雕酒雞 Chinese Wine Chicken by Angela Seah Thulin

Facebook link - Fun @ Sassy's Kitchen

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

Ingredients - 

3 big chicken thighs

1 tbsp shaoxing wine or hua diao jiu

1 tbsp light soy sauce

*Marinate above for 15 minutes

2 tbsp sesame oil

20g ginger, slices

1/2 tbsp of sugar

2 tbsp light soy sauce

100ml shaoxing wine or hua diao jiu

15g wolfberries

2 pieces of dang gui

1 clove garlic, minced

480ml water

1 tbsp shaoxing wine (to drizzle after cooked)

Steps -

1. Marinate the meat first.

2. In a pot with sesame oil, saute the ginger until fragrant and crisp at the sides.

3. Add the chicken thighs in and cook until opaque. 

4. Add the sugar, light soy sauce and shaoxing wine in. Let it come to a boil.

5. Then add the wolfberries, slices of dang gui and minced garlic in.

6. Pour the water in, cover with lid and let it cook for 30 minutes or until meat is cooked.

7. Off heat and drizzle 1 tbsp shaoxing wine in. 

Serve with rice or mee sua..

Chocolate Lava Cake by Angela Seah Thulin

I have tried many lava cake recipes and this is by far the best and easiest that I have tried / and after a couple of attempts I have finally dialed in the perfect baking time!

Note that this will vary between ovens, but for me 16 minutes with 6 minutes of cool down is just perfect, with the cake fairly firm but still slowly running out once you cut it open. For my husband it's 14 minutes as he likes it more wet and runny. My previous attempt had it baking for 12 minutes and that was way too runny.

16 minutes result

Baked for 12 minutes and cooled for 8 minutes result

Make 4-5 ramekins

Ingredients -
52g all purpose flour, sieved
90g sugar
112g unsalted butter, room temperature
225g dark chocolate
3 eggs

Steps -
Preheat oven to 200 degree celsius.
1. Grease your ramekins with butter and coated them evenly with sugar.
2. Double boil method - Melt the dark chocolate and leave it aside to cool.
3. Using hand mixer, whisk the butter and sugar together.
4. Then add the eggs in one at a time. Whisk to incorporate well. 
5. Add in sifted flour. Give a quick whisk.
6. Pour the cool melted chocolate in and mix well.
7. Pour onto ramekins and bake for 10-15 minutes. Remove from oven, set it aside to cool for 5-10 minutes before serving. Dust with powder sugar (icing sugar).


Notes -
1. Coating with sugar will help prevent batter from sticking to ramekins and also a crispy crust as it bakes.
2. Use a good quality dark chocolate.

Baked for 14 minutes and cooled for 8 minutes result

Mango Sago in Coconut Milk 楊枝甘露 by Angela Seah Thulin

This is one of my favorite cold desserts. Because I don't like evaporated milk, I replaced it with coconut milk and water. On another day, I tried making it with evaporated milk just for my family so I have two recipes below.

Ingredients -
200ml coconut milk (I used Kara)
170ml water
3 tbsp sugar
70g sago
4-5 ripen mangoes


Steps -
1. Soak the sago with water for 5 minutes. Then cook it in boiling water for 8 minutes. Remove from heat, cover with lid and close for 10 minutes. Drain and cool with cold water. Set aside.
2. In a pot, mix the coconut milk, water and sugar together. Bring it to a soft boil or until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool completely.
3. Puree some mangoes to achieve 300g (keeping some to cut into cubes to deco) and pour it in to above point 2. Add the ready sago in too. Stir to mix well. Refrigerate for 2 hrs. 

Serve and top with more mango cubes. Best served chilled.

Alternative 

Ingredients -
150ml coconut milk (I used Kara)
150ml water
150ml evaporated milk
3 tbsp sugar
70g sago
4-5 ripen mangoes
pomelo

Steps -

1. Soak the sago with water for 5 minutes. Then cook it in boiling water for 8 minutes. Remove from heat, cover with lid and close for 10 minutes. Drain and cool with cold water. Chill in fridge.

2. In a pot, mix the coconut milk, water and sugar together. Bring it to a soft boil or until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool then pour the evaporated milk in. Mix well. 

3. Puree some mangoes to achieve 300g (keeping some to cut into cubes to deco) and pour it in to above point 2. Add the chilled sago in too. Stir to mix well. Refrigerate for 2 hrs.

Serve and top with more mango cubes and pomelo. Best served chilled.

Coquilles St Jacques (Baked Scallop & Mushroom Gratin) by Angela Seah Thulin

Our 2017 Countdown meal !

We all had our favorite food - Coquilles St Jacques for all of us, beef with red wine sauce for my husband, salmon for the kids and lobster cooked with butter and thyme for myself.

Happy New Year to everyone of you following my blog! Hope you have been inspired by my recipes and looking forward to post more in 2017. Cheers!

Ingredients -
20g unsalted butter
1 shallot, minced
140g mushroom, cut into quarters
1/2 cup white wine
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp dried thyme
200g scallops, cut into quarters
20g unsalted butter
1 tbsp all purpose flour
1/2 cup heavy cream
 salt and ground black pepper to taste
bread crumbs
grated parmesean cheese

Steps - 
1. Melt the 20g butter in a pan. Add the shallots first and cook until soft. Then add the mushrooms in. Cook until it starts to release the juices... Set aside.
2. Then in another pan, pour the white wine in, add bay leaf, dried thyme and let it come to a boil. Then add the scallops in. Let it cook for 3-5 minutes until just cooked/firmed. Dish up the scallops and you should have about 1/2 cup scallop broth.
3. In another saucepan, melt the 20g and add the flour in (forming a paste). Then add the scallop broth in and heavy cream. Mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Let it cook until slightly thickened. Add back the cooked mushrooms and stir until combined.
4. Scoop onto scallop shells, sprinkle with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese. Baked in 200 degree celsius until bread crumbs crispy and cheese melts.

Maple Black Pepper Pork Chop by Angela Seah Thulin

Ingredients -
2 pork chops
1/4 - 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 medium size red shallot
1/4 tbsp dried thyme
2 1/2 tbsp dry white wine or cider vinegar
1/4 cup maple syrup
olive oil

Steps -
1. Season the pork chops with some salt. Keep some salt for later.
2. In a pan with oil, cook the pork chops for 3-5 minutes on each side or until they are nicely browned. Dish up and set aside.
3. In the same pan, add the shallot, dried thyme and balance salt in. Cook until shallot turns brown.
4. Low heat - pour the white wine in and deglaze the pan, then add maple syrup and black pepper in. Adjust the amount of black pepper to your preference. Stir and let it simmer for a few minutes.

Serve the sauce over the pork chop... 

Recipe origin: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/08/maple-black-pepper-pork-chops-recipe.html

Leftover Chicken Soup by Angela Seah Thulin

Homemade chicken soup is a comforting dish on a cold rainy day. Yes, it is raining today (not snowing!) with 5 degree celsius outside. Using the leftover roasted chicken meat we had on Christmas eve and minimum ingredients available (otherwise you could add mushrooms, peas etc), I turned it into this rustic soup.  

Click this link to the Christmas eve whole roast chicken

Ingredients
200 - 250g leftover chicken meat, shredded
30g unsalted butter
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 carrot, quartered
2 potatoes
100ml dry white wine
3.5 cups chicken stock (I used water with 1 chicken knorr cube)
2 tbsp corn starch with 2 tbsp water
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp heavy cream
1/4 - 1/2 tsp dried thyme
Salt and pepper to taste

Steps -
1. I used 22cm Le Creuset pot for this dish. In the pot - melt the butter, add the potatoes, carrots and yellow onions and cook until soft. 
2. Pour the white wine in (to deglaze) and cook for a minute.
3. Then add the chicken stock with cornstarch mixture in, bring it to a boil and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add the bay leaf, dried thyme, heavy cream and the cooked shredded chicken in. Mix well.
5. Cook for another 10 minutes in med-low heat, add salt and pepper to taste and done!

Christmas Meal 2016

In Sweden, they celebrate Christmas on the 24th Dec rather than 25th, so this is our meal for Christmas Eve!

This is the table that we set, and its a fusion between traditional swedish christmas food and some of my own preferences :-)

The swedish food consists of cooked & mustard smeared ham, beetroot cream salad, "Janssons temptation" which is made up of potatoes, milk, anchovis and small sausages.
https://sweden.se/culture-traditions/janssons-temptation/


YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ND4IliJ1hM

Whole Roast Chicken

Ingredients - 
1 whole chicken (about 1.2kg)
2 potatoes
1 big onion
1 sweet potato
Olive oil

Marination - 
40g unsalted butter, soft room temperature
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
ground black pepper


Steps -
Preheat the oven to 200 degree celsius.

1. In a small bowl, mix together the butter, dried thyme, minced garlic, salt and pepper. 
2. Stuff the mixture under the skin of the chicken between the breast and skin for both sides. Remaining mixture - rub it inside the cavity and massage on outer skin as well. Then sprinkle skin with salt and pepper. Tie the chicken legs together.
3. Drizzle some olive oil to the roasting pan. Add both potatoes in, drizzle some salt and pepper, give it a toss together and push the potatoes to the sides of the pan. Arrange the onions in the middle of the pan. Place the chicken on top of the onions and tuck the wings under.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour, rotate the pan, cover the top with aluminum foil and bake for another 20 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 170 degree celsius. 

Rest the chicken for at least 10 minutes before carving.

Chocolate Ganache Log Cake

Something which is a tradition from Singapore - and which I brought with me to Sweden - is the log cake. It's a soft roll cake covered by chocolate ganache, and as you can see I create a textured surface using the ganache to create the appearance of a tree log. Cute isn't it?

The roll cake is actually based on a recipe from my Swedish mother in law. It takes only 5 minutes to bake but it is soo soft and yummy.

Recipe - http://platepalate.blogspot.se/2016/05/5-mins-roll-cake-by-angela-seah-thulin.html

Ganache - using double boil method and melt 120g dark chocolate, then add 40ml heavy cream or just follow this recipe http://platepalate.blogspot.se/2014/12/chocolate-ganache-christmas-yulelog-cake.html

Dessert - Cheng Teng

Christmas is about having lots of food so having a log cake for dessert is not enough! 

This is called Cheng Teng and is a common dessert in Singapore. It's made up of dried longan, red dates, white fungus, sago & gingko nuts cooked with fragrant pandan leaves and rock sugar.

Creamy Bacon Mushroom Chicken by Angela Seah Thulin

I saw this recipe online with the below description -

Creamy bacon mushroom thyme chicken is honestly one of the best skillet meals you will ever make! Tender chicken in creamy sauce with bacon, mushroom and herbs... The flavor is out of this world!

Would you try??? I did! And we LOVE it! 

Ingredients -
3-4 chicken thighs
2 tsps herbs de provence
salt and pepper

For the sauce - 
220g cremini or white button mushroom, sliced
7 slices of bacon, cut and cooked
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried thyme 
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder

Steps -
Preheat oven to 180 degree celsius
1. Rub the chicken thigh with herbs de provence, salt and pepper.
2. In an oven proof skillet, sear the chicken thighs until brown about 1-2 minutes each side.
3. Into the oven and bake for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.
4. Remove chicken thighs from skillet. In the same skillet, cook the bacon until brown. Then remove the bacon from skillet and set aside. Drain the oil and leave about 1 tbsp of oil in it. 
5. Cook the mushrooms until soft. Add the cooked bacon back in, add heavy cream, salt, dried thyme, pepper and garlic powder. Bring it to a simmer until the sauce starts to thicken. 
6. Add back the chicken thighs and cook it for another 2 minutes.

Serve immediately..

Video link - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRJGONSbd2o

Chocolate Chips Cookies by Angela Seah Thulin

Here's a recipe from a dear friend Evelyn Lim on chocolate chip cookies. I find them very light and airy in their texture and perfect as a snack during ''Fika'' (coffee break in Swedish).

Ingredients -

120g butter

85g brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence/extract

1 egg

1/2 tsp baking soda

140g all purpose flour, sieved

120g chocolate chips

Steps -

1. In a bowl with sieved flour, add the baking soda and chocolate chips. Mix well. Set aside.

2. In another mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy (I beat for about 7 mins).

3. Add vanilla essence. Mix well.

4. Add the egg in and whisk till well mixed.

5. Add point 1 in and whisk till just combined, do not over beat it.

6. Bake in preheated oven at 170 degree celsius on convention mode till brown. 

Notes -

1. I baked in top and bottom heat for 16 minutes.

2. I used 70g brown sugar with 150g chocolate chips.

Caramel Popcorn by Angela Seah Thulin

When I lived in Singapore, I always love going to Sentosa and buy Garrett's caramel popcorn! Here in Sweden it is nowhere to be found, salted or butter popcorn are the only ones they sell here. 

Popcorn is ready! Let's watch a movie!!!

Ingredients - 
100g popcorn

Caramel sauce -
200g sugar
100ml water
20g butter

Steps - 
1. Place a packet of kernels (100g) into the microwave and heat according to the instructions.

right after the microwave

Pour them into a big bowl

2. Cooking the caramel - In a saucepan over medium heat, boil the sugar and water until golden brown. It will take a while/few minutes. Do not stir.

golden brown

3. Remove from heat and stir in the butter. It will fizz up abit.

4. Slowly pour the caramel sauce into the popcorn. Pour as you stir. Stir until all popcorn are coated with caramel. Be careful as you stir, caramel sauce is very hot.

5. Then spread the coated popcorn out evenly in one layer and leave it aside to cool.

Yummy!

So CRUNCHY!!