Steamed Grouper Fish (Cantonese style)

Fish again! Not my forte! I don't eat fish neither I know how to handle/clean a fish :p

Anyway, who is not cooking for love?? I'm doing it for my kids and to a good friend who love steamed fish so here I go again ...

My good friend was laughing and asked - how come the fish is in U-shape? My reply was - this is my first time to steam such a long fish so I do not have a plate for it, lolxxx ...

Ingredients

400g Grouper fish

10 slices of ginger

3 stalks of spring onions cut into 3cm

Salt

Sauce

3 Tbsp of light soya sauce (I use Lee Kum Kee) 

1 tsp brown sugar

1/2 Tsp sesame oil

*Mix the above together in a bowl

Garnishing

2 stalks of spring onion cut into thin strands

6 slices of ginger cut into thin strands

2 Tbsp cooking oil

Steps

1. Season the fish with some salt. Stuff some spring onion and ginger slices into the fish. Then lay some on the plates. Place fish on top of it and steam for 10-15 mins over high heat or until its cooked through.

2. When fish is done, remove the steamed fish water, the ginger and spring onions.

3. Pour the sauce around the fish.

4. Top the fish with ginger strands then spring onions.

5. Heat the 2 tbsp cooking oil and drizzle on top of the ginger/spring onion.

End result - They love it!

Sweet Potato Ball 地瓜球

Missing Taiwan! Sweet potato ball is very popular in Taiwan especially sold in the night market. It is quite a big thing in Taiwan, simple to make yet delicious. 

Ingredients -

200g Purple sweet potato

85g Tapioca starch (sift)

55g Fine/caster sugar

1-2 tbsp water (may not need all)

Steps -

1. Peel and cut sweet potato into cubes. Put to steam for about 12 minutes until fully cooked. 

2. Remove the cooked sweet potato and put it into another clean bowl.

3. Mash the potato, add sugar and tapioca starch in immediately and mix well while it is still hot.

4. Add water in bit by bit until a play dough forms.   

5. Pinch abit of the dough and form a 1-inch diameter ball.

5. Oil in a pot in medium-low heat, drop the sweet potato balls in and keep stirring around.

6. Press the balls while frying, it needs to be done maximum twice. The balls will expand in size and hollow. Do not fry more than 6 minutes.

 

Steamed Snapper Fish (Chinese style)

 

Ingredients -

Snapper fish fillet

Spring onion

40g ginger

Sauce - 

3 tbsp light soya sauce

3 tbsp water

1/3 tsp sugar

Steps - 

1. Lay some spring onion and slices ginger on the plate. Place fish on top of it. Top some ginger on top of the fish. Steam for 8-10mins in boiling water until cooked. 

2. Pour away the dirty water from the steamed fish plate, remove all the ginger and spring onion.

3. Cook or microwave the sauce. 

4. Plate the cooked fish in a nice plate and pour the sauce on it. Garnish with spring onion :)

3-Eggs Pandan Chiffon Cake

 

Pandan Chiffon Cake

Ingredients A -
3 egg yolks
10g granulated sugar
60g cake flour, sifted + 1 tsp baking powder (combine them)
60ml coconut milk
3/4 tsp pandan extract 
2 tbsp organic coconut oil

Ingredients B -
3 egg whites
40g granulated sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Steps for ingredients A -
1. With a mixer, beat the egg yolks and sugar till light and frothy. 
2. Then add the coconut milk and pandan extract in and beat for few seconds.
3. Add the cake flour and baking powder in two batches and beat for few seconds just to combine. Follow by adding coconut oil in and beat for few seconds to combine.
4. Set aside.

Steps for ingredients B - 
1. In a clean metal bowl, using mixer, beat the egg whites till bubbles forming then add cream of tartar in. Continue beating then add sugar in slowly. Beat till stiff peak formed.

To assemble - 
1. Scoop half of the ingredients B into ingredients A and fold them in gently. Follow by the other half.
2. Pour onto 17cm mould pan and bake in preheated oven 160 degree celsius for 45-60 minutes or until its baked. This time - I baked mine for 55mins, I will reduce to 50mins next round.
3. Invert cake immediately onto cooling rack until completely cooled.


Here's a guide on choosing the right chiffon pan size -

1 egg recipe - 14cm mould
2-3 eggs recipe - 17cm mould
4 or 5 eggs recipe - 21cm mould
6 eggs recipe - 23cm mould
8 eggs recipe - 25cm mould

Keto Friendly Banana Bread

Yes! Keto banana bread! Its shocking to know how healthy minded people are nowadays. Joining the hype, I decided to bake this low carb banana bread... Surprisingly I like it too.

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas
3 large eggs

2 cups of almond flour

1/4 cups of coconut oil

1 tsp of sugar sweetener

1 tsp baking soda

Steps

Preheat oven to 175degree C. Line your pan with parchment paper.

1. In a big bowl, beat the eggs and mashed bananas. Add the coconut oil and mix well.

2. In a separate bowl, mix the almond flour, baking soda and sweetner.

3. Combine the two mixtures together until well blended.

4. Pour the mixture into the baking pan. Bake for 40-60mins until a toothpick insert center and comes out clean. 

Burn my arms while removing the pan :D

Keto Brownies

What!!! I'm actually baking KETO brownies??!! Yes, totally inspired by a colleague to bake something healthy... Super easy recipe, just few ingredients and its only 1g net carb per pop. Low carb chocolate dessert!

Ingredients

130g unsalted butter

70g almond flour

140g Xylitol powdered erythritol 

80g cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

2 eggs at room temperature

Steps

Preheat oven to 180degree C. Line your pan with parchment paper.

1. In a heatproof bowl, add butter, sweetner, cocoa powder and salt. Melt over a water bath whisking constantly. Heat it up until most sweetener has melted (note that erythritol unlike xylitol, won't dissolve much at this point).

2. Remove from heat, allow mixture to cool slightly.

3. Add one egg at a time, whisking well at each time. The texture should be smooth.

(If using erythritol and batter ends up thick -  you may add an extra egg).

4. Add the almond flour in and whisk vigorously until well blended.

5. Pour into baking pan for about 15-25mins until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out moist.

Cool and serve!

Thai Crab Fried Rice

Ingredients -
200g uncooked rice/keep overnight
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 big eggs
120g cooked crab meat
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp fish sauce
3-4 tsp thai light soy sauce
pepper
scallions - optional*

Steps -
Cook the 200g rice and then fluff and let it cool aside, keep in fridge overnight.
1. Few tbsps of vegetable oil into the wok, once the oil is hot, add in the minced garlic.
2. Add the eggs in after smallest piece of garlic turn brown. Break the yolk, let it set for a bit then scramble gently.
3. Add the overnight cooked rice in. Mixed well.
4. Add the cooked crab meat.
5. Add the sugar, fish sauce, thai light soy sauce and pepper. Toss to mix well. 

Done and garnish with scallions! Enjoy along with cucumber and lime if you like.

Steamed Pomfret Fish (Teochew style) 潮州蒸鱼

Thanks Brother for the fish

Ingredients

Pomfret fish

10g Ginger (cut into strips)

1 Tomato (cut into wedges)

100g Salted vegetables

3 Salted plums

1 tbsp Lee Kum Kee light soy sauce

1 tbsp Hua Tiao wine

Coriander for garnishing (optional)

Steps 

1. Rinse and soak the salted vegetables for at least 30 mins. Cut into small strips.

2. Lay half of the ginger stips on the steaming plate, place tomatoes, salted vegetables around the plate. Place the fish on top.

3. Add the salted plums around the fish.

4. Pour the light soy sauce and hua tiao wine on the fish.

5. Place the balance of the ginger strips on top of the fish.

6. Steam the fish for 8-10 mins depending on the size of the fish. My fish is quite big so I steam for 14 mins.

Garnish and serve!

Braised fish with bittergourd

If you know me well enough, you know I don't take fish ... So this dish was specially ''ordered'' by him to cook.. Well well, first try and unexpected feedback - son likes it! 

Ingredients -
550g Fish meat (I use ang go li)
300g Bittergourd (cut into slices)
20g ginger slices 
5 cloves of garlic (lightly smashed)
3 stalks of spring onion (only the white part)
3 cloves of shallots (sliced)
2 tbsp fermented black beans 
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp dark soy sauce
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp shaoxing wine
1 cup water

Marinate -
550g Fish meat
1 egg white
1 tbsp shaoxing wine
1 tbsp ginger juice
Few dashes of pepper
1/4 tsp salt
*Mix well and marinate for 30mins

Steps -
1. Marinate the fish meat and set aside
2. Coat the fish meat with potato flour and deep fried until golden brown. Drain and set aside.
3. In a wok with 2 tbsp of oil, saute the ginger slices, then garlic, spring onion, shallots and add in fermented black beans. Give a good stir.
4. Add in bittergourd slices, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, pepper, sugar. Stir and mix well.
5. Add the ready fried fish meat in. Mix well with the sauce.. Splash the Shaoxing wine around the wok.
6. Pour 1 cup water in. Bring it to a boil, let it simmer in medium heat for 2 mins.

Garnish with spring onions (green part) and slices of red chilli...

Recipe from MeatMenChannel.

Curry Chicken (Paste by Daddy Seah)

For my own record purpose :D

First try to use Daddy's paste to cook Chicken Curry, I no longer need to buy A1 paste :)
Result - Excellent, whole pot finished!

Ingredients -
Half chicken + 1 big chicken thigh
2 big potatoes
4 big hip of chilli paste
2 stalks of curry leaves
1 lemongrass if you like
400ml water
200ml kara coconut milk
Salt to taste (2 tsp)

Steps -
1. Fry the chilli paste till fragrant is out. Couple of minutes only.
2. Then add the chicken pieces in, stir to mix well.
3. Add curry leaves in (add lemongrass if you like), mix well.
4. Add water in. Let it come to a boil, boil for 10 minutes.
5. Add potatoes in, let it cook for 15-20 minutes.
6. Add salt to taste, follow by coconut milk. Off heat, cover with lid.