Curried chicken with cardamom

 Ingredients:

1. 4 Chicken Breasts Boneless, Skinless & cubed in to 1″ pieces
2. 2 Medium sized Potatoes Peeled & Cubed
3. 2 medium Onions Cut into half and sliced thinly into half moons
4. 2″  piece of Ginger peeled and ground into paste
5. 5 cloves of Garlic mashed
6. 1/2  Cup Tomato Puree mixed with 1/2 cup water
7. 1 teaspoon Turmeric
8. 3 Teaspoon Red Chilli Powder (Optional)
9. 4 Cloves
10. 8 Small Green Cardamoms
11. 2″ Cinnamon stick
12. 3/4 Cup of Coconut Milk
13. 5-6 Tablespoons of Oil
14. Salt
15. 1/2 Teaspoon Sugar
16. 1/2 Cup Chopped Cilantro

Preparation:

Grind the seeds of 8 Green Cardamoms and mix it with the Coconut Milk and Keep aside.

Heat Oil in a deep Pan. Add the Cloves, & Cinnamom Sticks. When they start to sizzle, add the sliced Onions & the sugar. Fry till they are glazed & slightly brown.

Add the cubed chicken, salt, Turmeric & Chilli Powder & fry the Chicken tossing them often till they are light brown on almost all the sides.

Add the Potatoes, mashed Garlic,  the ginger paste, & Tomato Puree fry at medium heat till the oil starts to bubble up and the mix leaves the sides of the pan. Be careful to scrape off the bottom of the pan often to prevent it from burning. If you feel the bottom is sticking too often, feel free to add few spoons of water.

Add the coconut milk with cardamom & cover & cook till the chicken pieces are tender.

Switch off the heat & garnish with chopped cilantro.

Cinnamon Anise Pork

 Ingredients:

2 + 1/2 pounds country-style pork ribs

6 cups water

2/3 cup soy sauce

2/3 cup Chinese Shaoxing wine or medium-dry Sherry

1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar

1 head garlic, halved crosswise

3 (3inch) cinnamn sticks

1 whole star anise

5+1/2 ounces bean thread noodles

Preparation

Boil everything together in pressure cooker until pork is tender. Add noodles and eat. 

12345 Pork Ribs

This recipe should be for about 500g pork ribs

1 tablespoon Chinese Cooking Wine

2 tablespoons sugar

3 tablespoons rice/black vinegar

4 tablespoons soy sauce

5 tablespoons water

Pressure Cooke - 20 minutes

Philips 2137 - Steam/Stew mode

Note : You can add 1 head of garlic and fry with the pork at the end 

Spanish churros

Ingredients

COATING
1/4 cup caster sugar (superfine sugar) (55g)
2 tsp ground cinnamon

CHURROS
150 g/ 1 cup plain white flour (Note 1)
1 tsp baking powder
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp olive oil or other neutral flavoured oil (not extra virgin olive oil)
250 ml / 1 cup boiled water
2 cups+ oil , for frying

CHOCOLATE SAUCE
1/2 cup / 100g dark chocolate chips (Note 2)
1/2 cup / 125 ml thickened cream (heavy cream)

Instructions

Combine sugar and cinnamon in a shallow bowl, set aside.

Mix flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add oil and water and mix until just combined - it should be a thick batter, like a wet sticky dough, not thin and watery.

Transfer dough into a piping bag with a 8mm / 1/3" star tip nozzle (see video). Let cool while oil heats.

Heat oil over medium high in a wok or small but deep skillet (Note 3), to 170C/340F, or until it takes 20 seconds for a small 1cm / 1/3" cube of bread to turn golden.

Pipe 15 cm / 6" lengths of dough into the oil, snipping with scissors. Do 3 to 4 per batch, makes 8 to 10 in total.

Cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden, rolling occasionally.

Remove onto paper towel lined plate to drain. Then roll in sugar. Serve hot with Chocolate Sauce!

CHOCOLATE SAUCE

Place in a heatproof bowl and microwave in 30 second bursts, stirring in between, until smooth.


Recipe Notes:

1. Use plain white all purpose flour, not self raising flour.

2. Make sure you get chocolate chips for cooking, not chocolate confectionary for eating! It melts smoother.

3. Normally I deep fry in a saucepan. But it's too difficult to snip the dough in a saucepan. To minimise oil required, I like using a wok. Otherwise a deep small skillet will also work great!

4. MAKE AHEAD: Do not roll in sugar. Allow to cool completely, then store in airtight container (not in fridge). It will go soft. Reheat in 180C/350F oven for 5 minutes or until crisp, then roll in sugar.

5. GENERAL NOTE: Some people have commented about the absence of sugar in the batter. It isn't needed - the coating adds loads of sweetness, not to mention the dipping sauce!

6. This is a recipe by Nigella Lawson that I found online but no longer seems to be available. There is a version on Food Network but the ingredient measurements are slightly different and I found it does not work as well, so I have stuck to the original recipe that I am grateful I printed out to save in my recipe folder!

7. Different Measures in Different Countries - Measuring spoons and cups differ slightly between some countries. The difference is quite small so it does not affect most recipes, but for baking recipes, it usually does matter. For all recipes on my site, where the difference does matter, I very specifically provide different measures depending on where you are located, like for my Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. For this Spanish Churros, the measures specified in the ingredients will work whichever country you are in.

8. If you are in a high altitude or very humid tropical area, you may find the dough is sloppier than what you see in the video. In which case, just adjust by adding a touch more flour. And vice versa if your dough looks too dry.

9. No nutrition today. Because it's deep fried. Don't know how to calculate it, but I do know the calorie count is higher than a celery stick.

Choc chip banana muffins

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 large egg

1-1/3 cups mashed ripe bananas (about 3 medium)

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Directions

• Preheat oven to 375°. In a large bowl, whisk flour, sugar, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In another bowl, whisk egg, bananas, melted butter and vanilla until blended. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moistened. Fold in chocolate chips.
• Fill greased or paper-lined muffin cups three-fourths full. Bake 17-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve warm.
• ** I substituted butter for oil

Molten Lava Chocolate Cake

100g dark chocolate (I used 70%)
100g unsalted butter
2 eggs
50g castor sugar (I reduced to 40g but adjust according to sweetness you prefer and chocolate you use)
20g self raising flour

Melt chocolate and butter
Beat egg white with alittle sugar til stiff
Beat egg yolks and sugar, slowly add melted chocolate followed by flour
Fold in egg white
Pour mixture into individual greased ramekins til 3/4 full
Airfry 180 for 5min (do check as I have come across recipes that cook for 8min)

It is also ok to beat whole eggs rather than separate white and yolk.

***
There is another version

Honey Chicken Wing

Honey Chicken Wing
Ingredients:
6 pieces of wings
3 tsp of honey
1 tsp of sesame oil
2 tsp of soy sauce
1 tsp of black soy sauce
2 dashes of white pepper

1. Marinate the wings with the ingredient and leave it for 2 hours, at least in the refrigerator
2. Placed the marinated wings into the Airfryer (on the mesh-tray).
3. Set the temperature to 180oC 
4. Set the timer for 10 minutes first, and thereafter, flip the wings, and set it for another 10 minutes

3 cups Chicken

1 lb. chicken (I used chicken drumsticks)
6 slices peeled ginger
6 cloves garlic (skin peeled)
2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
1 1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
1 1/2 tablespoon dark sweet soy sauce (Kecap Manis)
A big bunch of Thai basil leaves
1 tablespoon baking soda (to tenderize the chicken, optional)

Method:

Cut the chicken into pieces and marinate them with baking soda. Set aside for 10 minutes before rinsing the chicken off with water. Make sure the baking soda is completely rinsed off. Pat dry the chicken pieces and set aside.

Heat up a claypot on high heat and add the dark sesame oil. Add garlic and ginger and stir-fry until aromatic. Add in chicken and do a few quick stirs. Add soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and continue to stir-fry the chicken. Cover the chicken and lower the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add basil leaves and stir well with the chicken, dish out and serve immediately.

Lam Yu (Fermented Beancurd) Chicken

Looks like ordinary chicken recipe but in fact very yummy. I bought 15 pieces of mini drum sticks. Marinated with 2 pieces of fermented bean curd, 2 tbsp minced garlic, 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 teasp sugar and dash of pepper. Let it marinated in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Then coat the drum sticks with a thin layer of corn starch and let them stay in room temperature for few minutes. Airfry in the basket for 12 min at 200 degree. As usual, give turns in midway.

< Coating with corn starch is not a must, depends if you want to have the crispiness. With or Without, same delicious! >

Philips Airfryer

So, I bought the Philips Viva Airfryer, digital version, at last. It was on promotion in Harvey Norman at RM1,200 with a free double rack, 2 baking pans and 1 grill pan. I wanted white but after some warning on discoloration, I decided to be practical.

It took me a lot of research to decide on this one instead of the Tefal Airfryer. I reckon Philips won because the Tefal paddle had too many bad reviews and the baking capability of the Philips. My decision to buy or not reached a point where even hubby could not keep track if I wanted it anymore or not.

The first thing I did when I brought back my Viva was to put away the toaster oven I had. That space is now consumed by my Viva.

The first thing I cooked with my Viva was roti prata and banana. It did not turn out as well as expected. And as advised, I will need to get to know my Viva better before I get thumbs up results.

My 2nd dish from the Viva was fried fish. I halved my fish length wise so I had only one side of skin to crisp. Worked well with the Viva since I could put it on the grill pan (the grill pan giving more allowance to space within the fryer) and oil and salt only the top part of the fish. I put it at 200 degrees for 15 min. Flesh turned out still moist, skin was paper crisp. And near the fish stomach area, I could even munch through the fish bones.

What I loved best about my Viva is that it allows me to put the dish in and walk away. I don't have to contend with the heat and standing there to watch the dish cook. So, in the 15 minutes, I managed to at least get my washing chores done and then enjoy dinner.

Now....what else is on my list to cook? Let me see....

'Kak sam tau' pork shoulder

Learnt another new part of a pig.

Normally to make pork chop, people use the tenderloin. However for my kids, it is pretty lean and without the fat, the chop is not that aromatic.

Learnt recently that the shoulder is also a great place to use for pork chop. It has a layer of fat on top and slightly in between. My mum takes the pork fat to extract the oil to make rice more aromatic for the kids.

This new part of the pig is the shoulder - 'kak lei' next to the 'sam' heart and 'tau' head. The skin has to be taken off.

That is how I remember this part.

The meat seller told me this part of best used for char siew. I can imagine....

Yummy!!!

Arrowhead vs Arrowroot

Hubby's aunt is going through chemo.

She told us that day that someone bought a tuber for her called 'fan kok' which according to her helped increase her red blood count. She asked me to get some for her if I can.

So, I went to the market and asked the vege man for some fan kok.

It is arrowroot in English. Not the arrowhead (nga ku) which is used to make chips.

The chinese claim it is to remove body heat. There was other benefits to it found here:

http://blog.morethanalive.com/arrowroot-powder-and-its-benefits/

NOTE:

After some research, found there are some other tubers that are beneficial for cancer, like these:

http://www.naturalnews.com/031524_burdock_root_herbal_remedy.html
This seems to be the real cancer healing tuber

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dioscorea_opposita
And this can be eaten for general building up.

Burger grandma style

My grandma used to make the loveliest burger patties. It's different from the way my mum makes it. Hers is:

Minced pork (about 250gm)
Dark soya sauce
Light soya sauce
Sugar

The minced pork has to be marinated for a few hours. I used about a teaspoon of dark sauce, 1 and a half tablespoon of light soya sauce and 1 tablespoon of sugar.

The patties has to be thin, not those thick kind with juicy centres.

I used my Happy Call pan and it filled it up from end to end at about 1 cm (to 1 and a half cm) thick.

Hubby says it tastes like bak kua. Christopher LOVED it and ate up more than his share.

Char Yoke (Hakka Braised Pork)

■250g lean pork cut into pieces
■3-4 pieces of wood ear fungus soaked
■2 cloves of garlic chopped
■1 piece of fermented beancurd (“nam yue”/ “tau ju”)
■Dash of oyster sauce
■Water
How to:

1.Marinade the pork with 3/4 piece of the fermented bean curd and a dash of oyster sauce. Set aside for at least half an hour. Half a day would be better.
2.Wash and soak the wood ear fungus (mu er – Mandarin or mok yue – Cantonese or bok nee – Hokkien) then when rehydrated, slice it into thin slices or into small pieces according to taste.
3.Saute the chopped garlic in a pan with some oil. Then, add the marinated meat and stir fry gently until the meat is semi cooked.
4.Pour some water in the pan to cover the meat halfway, and add the wood ear fungus. Add the remaining bit of fermented beancurd, stir through and then cover and simmer on low heat.
5.Stir occasionally and ensure that the water does not dry out. Add more water of necessary. Braise for about 1 hour until meat is soft.
6.Dish out and serve with hot white rice

Chicken in Spicy Tamarind Sauce

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (approximately 1.5 to 2kgs, chopped into large pieces)

Marinade (blend together)
200 grammes shallots
3 tablespoons ketumbar (coriander) powder
225 grammes tamarind (asam jawa) mixed with 350 ml water (squeeze the juice and remove tamarind seeds)
10 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 tablespoons dark soya sauce
1 heaped teaspoon white pepper powder

Method

Wash chicken pieces thoroughly. Marinade chicken overnight or for at least 10 hours.
Transfer chicken and marinate to heavy bottomed aluminium saucepan and boil for 20 minutes over a moderate heat.
Turn the chicken pieces, reduce heat to low and boil for another 20 to 30 minutes or until chicken is very tender.

note : originally meant for duck since the duck meat is tougher and would withstand the sour marinade better.

Link to find Cantonese herb name

Always at a lost as to what the cantonese name or mandarin name is for a herb which you have googled and found its english name ?

Found a site that has worked pretty well for me so far. Hope it helps you too!

New soup for cough

I went to the herbal shop today since my son showed some symptoms of a dry cough.

Wanted to get some yuk chuk but the herbal lady told me that yuk chuk may be a little too cooling for cough.

She recommended this herb (note : she showed me the packet and told me the name. And based on what I remember of the name, I googled it and found this:) - Asparagus Tuber.

To be boiled with wai san kei chi and red dates. Added in RM10 of soup pork to sweeten the whole pot.

Lemon Yogurt Cake

To be baked in an 8 inch by 4 inch loaf pan.

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
1 cup sugar
1 whole large egg, 3 large egg whites
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest (2 lemons)
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
⅓ to ½ cup vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 350° F.

Grease and flour an 8½ by 4¼ by 2½-inch loaf pan. Line the bottom with parchment paper.

Measure the flour (scoop and level), baking powder, and salt into a small bowl and whisk until combined. In a large bowl, mix together the yogurt, sugar, eggs, lemon zest, and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and slowly whisk together. Fold the vegetable oil into the batter until it’s all incorporated. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for about 50-60 minutes, or until a cake tester placed in the center of the loaf comes out clean.

Tung Sum,Pak Kei tea

Ingredients:

30 gm “Tung Sum”
30 gm “Pak Kei”
20 gm Red Dates, Removed stones
20 gm Black dates, Removed stones
2.5 litres (10 bowls) water

This is boiled as a sweet tea instead of a soup! Used to relieve stress or tiredness.

Chinese Herbs Info

I find that most of the time soup can be used as a base for porridge. Christopher loves his soup and nothing beats our Chinese herbal soup.

Found some information on the following herbs.

(a) kei chi: tiny little red seeds. It is suppose to improve function and also believed to be good for the kidney and the eyes;
(b) dried longan: good for the spleen, kidneys and lungs;
(c) lotus seeds(lin chi): promotes virility and good blood circulation;
(d) pak kei: Fights fatigue and bad blood circulation;
(e) yoke chok: for illness related to the pancreas,lungs, and throat;
(f) tong kwei: usually consumed by women;
(g) wai san : helps to relieve inflammation of the uterus;
(h) cordceps; (toong choon chou) combat body aches and pain;
(i) ginseng: (pau sum) It adds as a tonic, helps respiratory ailments,relieves insomnia, back pains, lumbago and many others
(j) tung sum/"poor man's ginseng" : improves blood circulation, increases metabolism and reduces fatigue
(k) pak hup/magnolia petals : beneficial for cough and lung ailments