Easter 2013 Eggs

I prepared these eggs slightly different this year by adding alphabets to the eggs. The recipe and instructions remain the same as in my earlier post.

Easter Egg Muffins

I used a simple cake recipe for these muffins which are frosted with buttercream icing and decorated with mini chocolate eggs.

Ingredients (yields 24 muffins):
350 g soft butter
350 g sugar
350 g flour
1 pkt baking powder (20 g or 5 tsp)
8 eggs
muffin cases
muffin baking tin

250 g soft butter
500 g icing sugar, to be sifted
4 tsp hot water

mini chocolate eggs

Method:
Whisk butter and sugar together until creamy.  Sift flour together with baking powder into a bowl.  Add 2 tablespoons flour and an egg alternately, folding in well after each addition. Repeat until the flour and eggs are used up.

Place muffin cases into the muffin baking tin.  Drop 1 tablespoon of dough into each muffin case.  Bake in a preheated fan oven at 170° C for about 20 minutes or until done.  To check whether the muffins are done, slip a fine satay stick into the middle of muffin.  If it comes out clean, the muffins are ready.  Remove muffins onto a wire rack to cool down completely.

In a mixing bowl, whisk butter until creamy.  Add icing sugar by the spoonfuls and whisk until well combined.  Lastly, add hot water and whisk well.  Spoon mixture into a piping bag with a large star nozzle.  Pipe butter frosting onto muffins starting from the sides towards the centre.  Place a mini chocolate egg in the centre.

Happy Baking!

Rosemary & Garlic Roast Lamb

I prepared this dish for our Easter Lunch today.  French Beans & Cherry Tomatoes Salad and Roasted Rosemary Potatoes are served on the side.

Ingredients (serves 4):
1,4 kg leg of lamb (with bone)
1 pip garlic, to be sliced into sticks
1 stalk fresh rosemary
salt & pepper to taste
3 carrots, to be peeled and coarsely chopped
1 celery root, to be peeled and coarsely chopped
1 big onion, to be peeled and coarsely chopped
hot oil or ghee (Butterschmalz)
100 ml vegetable stock or lamb stock
200 g fresh cream

500 g french beans, to be washed and both ends cut
1 tsp dried savory (Bohnenkraut)
2 tbsp butter
2 shallots, to be peeled and finely chopped
250 g cherry tomatoes, to be washed and stalk end cut
1 tbsp chopped parsley

750 g small or medium-sized potatoes, to be brushed clean under running water with skin on
sea salt
olive oil
1 stalk fresh rosemary, to be plucked

Method:
Preheat conventional oven to 225° C.  Remove fat from lamb.  With a sharp knife, make slits in the "muscles" or "veins" all over leg of lamb.  Insert garlic sticks or rosemary into the slits. Rub with salt and pepper.  Place lamb in a lightly greased baking pan.  Add chopped carrots, celery root and onions around lamb.  Before putting lamb into oven, pour hot oil or ghee over lamb.  Pour about 50 ml vegetable stock over the chopped vegetables.  Place lamb in oven and after about 10 minutes cooking time, reduce heat to 210° C.  Roast for about one hour and 45 minutes (2nd rack from below) - do bear in mind that the cooking time varies with the weight of meat.  Pour another 50 ml vegetable stock over chopped vegetables after 45 minutes.

Once done, wrap lamb in aluminium foil and allow it to rest in the oven (switched off) for about 10 to 15 minutes.  While the lamb is "resting" in the oven, remove cooked vegetables into a pot and mash or purée them to a pulp.  Add cream and bring to boil over medium heat.  One may add milk if the gravy is too thick.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Remove bone and slice lamb before serving.  Serve with gravy.

Grease a medium-size casserole lightly with olive oil.  Sprinkle sea salt on base of casserole. Pour some olive oil in a small bowl.  Coat each potato lightly with olive oil and arrange in casserole.  Then, sprinkle some sea salt and plucked rosemary over the potatoes.  Once the lamb is roasting for about 45 minutes in the oven, place casserole on the lowest rack.  The potatoes will be ready at the same time as the roast lamb.

Boil french beans together with dried savory in salted water until the beans are almost tender. Remove from heat and drain beans in a sieve.  In a pot, heat butter and add chopped shallots. Fry until translucent before adding the beans.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Lastly, add cherry tomatoes and remove from heat.

Serve roast lamb slices with French Beans & Cherry Tomatoes Salad and Roasted Rosemary Potatoes.

Bon Appetit!

Strawberry Tiramisu

Another Tiramisu version without using any eggs.  According to our friends, this dessert tastes better than strawberry ice cream.

Ingredients (for a 23 cm x 32 cm casserole dish):
750 g fresh or frozen strawberries
400 g sponge biscuits (one can also use Amarettini)
cold milk to soak sponge biscuits

1 1/2 pkts red or clear Tortenguss (glaze) or 1 tbsp cornflour
4 - 5 tbsp sugar
6 tbsp water

400 g fresh cream
2 pkts Sahnesteif (2 x 8 g whipping cream stabilizer)
1 pkt Vanillinzucker (8 g vanilla sugar)
500 g mascarpone
100 g yoghurt
40 g icing sugar

Method:
Clean, remove stalks and purée strawberries to a pulp.  In a saucepan, add Tortenguss, sugar and water.  Stir thoroughly until no lumps appear.  Then, add puréed strawberries and cook over medium heat.  Keep stirring and let mixture simmer lightly for about a minute.  Remove from heat.  Remove 3 tbsp of mixture and leave aside.

In a mixing bowl, whisk fresh cream, Sahnesteif and Vanillinzucker together until stiff.  In another bowl, mix mascarpone, yoghurt and icing together.  Add whipped cream and mix well.

Soak the sponge biscuits in cold milk for about a minute.  Arrange sponge biscuits in a casserole dish.

Add half of puréed strawberries and spread evenly.  Then, add half of mascarpone cream and spread evenly.  Arrange another layer of soaked sponge biscuits, puréed strawberries and mascarpone cream.

Lastly, add teaspoonfuls of puréed strawberries all over and by using the spoon handle, make decorative designs.

Cover casserole dish and store in the fridge for at least 4 hours or better overnight before serving.

Bon Appetit!

Ban Chien Kuih (Peanut Pancakes)

This is one my favourite pancakes during my childhood days!  It has several names but the only ones I know are Ban Chien Kuih, Man Chien Kuih and Peanut Pancakes.

Batter Ingredients (yields 12 pancakes):
3 eggs
80 g sugar
330 g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (Natron)
1 tsp dry yeast
425 ml water

Filling Ingredients:
350 g roasted peanuts, to be coarsely chopped
70 g sugar
30 g soft butter

Note:  One can use canned sweet corn kernels or chocolate chips as filling variations.

Method:
In a large bowl, mix all batter ingredients together until well combined.  Leave aside for at least 30 minutes.

As for the filling, mix chopped peanuts, butter and sugar together in a bowl.  Leave aside.

Heat a non-stick pan (20 cm in diameter) over medium heat.  Brush with a little oil.  Pour a ladle of batter into pan and swirl batter also up the sides of pan to form a round pancake. Cover pan and cook over medium heat for about 2 minutes or until the sides of pancake turn light brown.

Remove lid.  Sprinkle filling evenly on top and fold pancake into two.  Remove to a plate. Repeat procedure until all ingredients are used up.

Serve either warm or cold.

Bon Appetit!

Nagasari

Nagasari is a traditional malay kuih which is made of rice flour, sugar, coconut milk and filled with a banana slice in the centre.  They are wrapped in banana leaves before they are steamed.

Ingredients (yields about 20 pcs):
120 g sugar
800 ml coconut milk
200 g rice flour
1/2 tsp salt
4 pandan leaves, to be tied in a knot
1 tsp cooking oil

1 packet (3 x 1/2) banana leaves
6 medium-sized bananas

Method:
Clean banana leaves and cut them in 15cm x 18cm.  Soften banana leaves by either soaking them in hot water or held against an open fire.

In a pot, add sugar, salt, cooking oil and coconut milk.  Stir thoroughly.  Add rice flour by the spoonfuls and stir well after each addition.  Add pandan leaves and cook over low/medium heat until mixture thickens.  It is important to keep stirring in order to avoid lumps from forming.  Once mixture is thickened, remove from heat and leave aside to cool down a bit.

Wipe banana leaves dry.  Peel one banana at a time, cut into two and then, halve them.  Add about one and a half tablespoon of mixture onto a banana leaf and a banana piece.  Then, add another one and a half tablespoon of mixture onto banana and fold banana leaf as shown in the following photos.  Make sure that the banana slice is well enveloped into the coconut/flour mixture.

Repeat procedure until all ingredients are used up.  Steam the prepared parcels in a preheated steamer for about 30 to 35 minutes.  Leave to cool down completely before serving.

Bon Appetit!

Yangzhou Fried Rice

This is a simple and delicious dish using left-over cooked rice.  It is quick to prepare and will fill any hungry tummy in no time.

Ingredients (serves 4):
200 g chicken, to be cut into cubes
200 g prawns, to be shelled and deveined
3 eggs
1/2 cup shredded cabbage
1/2 cup diced carrots
2 pips garlic, to be finely chopped
a bunch spring onions, to be washed and finely sliced
a bowl of cooked rice, enough for 4 persons
cooking oil for stir-frying

Seasoning Ingredients:
light soy sauce
salt to taste
1 tbsp chicken stock granules
a pinch of chilli powder

Method:
Heat oil in a wok and fry chicken until golden in colour.  Add prawns and cook until cooked. Then, add in eggs and fry until well mixed.

Add shredded cabbage, diced carrots and chopped garlic.  Fry until half cooked.  Then, add in rice and mix well.  Add seasoning ingredients and stir-fry over low heat for about 10 minutes. Lastly, add half of sliced spring onions and mix well.

Serve hot sprinkled with sliced spring onions.  One may add sliced sausages or shredded crabmeat on top before serving.  Serve with sliced chillies in soy sauce.

Bon Appetit!

Kuih Keria

Kuih Keria is one of the traditional malay kuihs.  The main ingredient is mashed sweet potatoes combined with flour.  This kuih is simple to prepare and tastes good!

Ingredients (yields 24 pieces):
1 kg sweet potatoes (white ones), to be peeled and cut into large cubes
(Note:  If white ones are not available, one can still use the other colours.  Just bear in mind that one will need to add more flour.  For this recipe, I used the orange colour sweet potatoes.)
1 litre water
1 tsp salt
2 - 3 pandan leaves, to be tied in a knot

200 g flour or enough to make dough easy to handle
cooking oil for deep-frying

250 g sugar
180 g water

Method:
In a pot, add sweet potatoes, salt, pandan leaves and water.  Bring to a boil.  Cover pot and reduce heat to medium.  Cook for about 15 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender.  Drain in a colander.

In a large bowl, mash cooked sweet potatoes.  Add flour and knead well.  Divide dough into 50 g balls and set aside.  With floured hands, flatten a ball and make a hole in the centre by using your finger - like a doughnut.  Repeat procedure.

Heat enough cooking oil in a wok over medium heat.  Add formed dough into oil and deep-fry on both sides until golven brown.  Remove to a tray which is lined with kitchen paper.  Repeat until all dough has been fried.

In a wok, add sugar and water.  Cook mixture over low/medium heat until thick and sticky.  (Do NOT cook mixture over medium/high heat, by doing so, the sugar will have a very dry and hard consistency.)  Reduce heat and then. add fried dough into sugar mixture one at a time, coating well each time.  Stir carefully and cook further until the sugar mixture has dried up.  Remove from heat!

Serve warm or cold!

Bon Appetit!

Sliced Turkey Meat in Mushroom Cream Sauce

Literally translated into german, this dish is called Putengeschnetzeltes in Champignon-Rahm-Soße.  This dish is easy to prepare and is popular with both adults and children.

Ingredients (serves 4 persons):
400 g turkey meat, to be sliced
1 medium-size onion, to be peeled and diced
300 g brown mushrooms, to be brushed clean and sliced
200 g fresh cream
1 tsp (heaped) vegetable stock granules (optional)
3 tbsp cooking oil
2 tbsp chopped parsley

1 tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp water

Method:
Heat oil in a pot over medium heat.  Add sliced turkey and cook until browned on all sides. Then, add in diced onions and cook until translucent.  Add sliced mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes.

Add fresh cream and stock.  Then, season with salt and pepper.  If one needs more sauce, more water may be added.  Mix cornflour and water together and add to sauce.  Check seasoning again before serving.

Serve warm sprinkled with chopped parsley.  This dish may be served with either potato rosti or potato chips or buttered rice.

Bon Appetit!

Chocolate Éclairs

The french word "Éclair" literally means "flash of lightning".  An Éclair is an oblong choux pastry filled with either vanilla or chocolate pudding/custard or whipped cream.

Ingredients (yields 12 pieces):
1 cup (250 ml capacity) water
80 g butter
1 cup plain flour, to be sifted
4 eggs "M" size

130 g dark chocolate, to be melted
65 g butter, to be melted

Filling:  1 packet of Dr. Oetker Original Chocolate Pudding - prepare according to packet instructions.  Once done, transfer to a plastic bowl and let it cool down before storing in the fridge for one hour.

Method:
In a pot, add butter and water.  Bring to boil.  Then, add flour all at once and stir thoroughly over medium heat until mixture leaves the sides of pot and forms a smooth dough.

Transfer to a mixer bowl and let it cool down slightly.  Add the eggs one at a time, one needs to beat the egg slightly before adding to the dough.  Beat well after each addition.  Mixture should be glossy.

By using an icing bag with a 2 cm diameter plain nozzle, pipe out 12 cm lengths onto a baking tray which is lined with baking paper.  Ensure that the lengths are about 3 or 4 cm apart from each other.

Bake in a preheated conventional oven (no fan) at 220° C for about ten minutes.  Then, lower oven heat to 200° C and bake for a further 10 minutes or until the top is light brown and crispy.  Once done, remove from oven and cut eclairs in half.  Remove any soft dough in the centre at the same time.  Note:  One must work fast in order that the baked pastry do not "collapse". Return halved eclairs with cut sides facing upwards back to oven and bake for 5 or 10 minutes in order that they dry up.  Remove and let them cool on a wire rack.

In a bain-marie, melt chocolate and butter together over medium heat.  Dip top half of each eclair in mixture and leave aside to dry.  Then, join eclair halves by adding chocolate pudding in the centre.

Happy Baking!

Polka Dots Easter Eggs

As Easter is approaching, I would like to share with you on how to prepare Polka Dots Easter Eggs.  For these eggs, I did not use any chemical dye.  Instead, I prepared a natural dye made from onion skins.  If you want to try this out for Easter this year, you better start saving your onion skins from now on.

Ingredients:
eggs, to be hard-boiled (brown or white or mixed)
onion skins
water
1 tbsp white vinegar
polka dots stickers
a little cooking oil

Method:
In a big pot, add onion skins and enough water to cover the onion skins.  Add white vinegar and stir well.  Cook mixture over medium heat for about half an hour.  Once the required tone of colour is attained, remove from heat and pour through a sieve into another pot.  Return pot to stove over low heat.

Stick polka dots stickers onto the shells of the hard-boiled eggs as shown in the photo below.

Add eggs to onion dye mixture and leave them for about 10 minutes or until the required tone of colour is attained.  Once done, remove eggs carefully by using a tablespoon.  Let them cool down slightly before removing the stickers from the eggs.  Lastly, dab a kitchen paper with a little cooking oil and rub eggs to give them a shining finish.

Happy Easter!

Fried Kway Teow (Malay-style)

Literally translated, this dish is called Fried Flat Noodles.  The malay version is less oily and does not use any lard.  The dish normally incorporates beef or chicken to cater to the Muslim malay population.

Ingredients (serves 4 persons):
400 g flat rice noodles
250 g chye sim (chinese mustard) or spinach, to be cleaned and cut into 7 cm lengths
200 g lean beef, to be sliced
250 g fresh prawns
6 fishballs, to be sliced
salt to taste
4 tbsp cooking oil

To be mixed together:
1 tsp ground white pepper
2 tsp cornflour
3 tbsp light soy sauce
1 cup water

Pounded/Blended Ingredients (to be coarsely pounded/blended):
5 shallots, to be sliced
2 pips garlic, to be sliced

Method:
If using dried noodles, prepare according to packet instructions and drain.  Or heat a big pot of water over medium heat.  Once the water is hot (not boiling), add noodles and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes.  Once noodles are soft, drain into a colander.  Leave aside.

Heat oil in a wok and add the pounded ingredients.  Stir-fry until fragrant.  Then, add sliced meat and stir well until it changed colour.  Add prawns and fishball slices.  Mix thoroughly. Then, add the cornflour mixture and bring to a slight boil.  Season with salt to taste.

Lastly, add kway teow noodles and mix thoroughly.  Serve immediately with sliced chillies in soy sauce.

Bon Appetit!

Chicken Tomato Soup served with Noodles

A simple and healthy noodle soup which is perfect for kids.  No spices are added  except pepper and made of carrots, celery and peas.

Ingredients (serves 4 persons):
1 kg chicken breast meat, to be washed, patted dry with kitchen paper and cut into bite pieces
5 medium-size tomatoes, to be deseeded and finely blended
2 pips of garlic, to be peeled, sliced and finely blended with the tomatoes
2 tsp ground white pepper

2 large carrots, to be peeled and finely diced
3 celery stalks, to be finely diced
150 g frozen peas (optional) - this ingredient was omitted as our son hates peas
3 tbsp tomato paste or puree
700 - 800 ml water
salt to taste
2 tbsp butter

cooked noodles i.e. macaroni
2 tbsp chopped parsley for garnishing

Method:
In a bowl, mix together chicken pieces, blended tomatoes/garlic and pepper together.

In a pot, heat butter over medium heat and add chicken meat mixture.  Cook until chicken meat changes colour.  Then, add in diced carrots and celery.  Stir well before adding tomato paste or puree.  Add in water and bring to boil.  Season with salt to taste.  Then, add frozen peas.  Cook until carrots and chicken are done.  Check seasoning again.

Serve hot over a bowl of noodles and garnished with chopped parsley.

Bon Appetit!

Minced Beef Quiche

Quiche is a pie dish with a savoury filling of meat, cheese, cream and eggs.  There are many varieties of Quiche and this dish can be eaten hot and cold.

Crust Ingredients:
250 g plain flour
1/2 tsp salt
130 g cold butter
3 - 4 tbsp fresh milk
1 egg (size "M")

Method:
In a mixing bowl, mix flour and salt together.  Add butter and by using your finger tips, do the "rubbing-in" method until the mixture resembles like bread crumbs.  Add in milk and egg. Knead until a pliable dough is formed.  Wrap dough in cling film and store in the fridge for about one hour.

Grease a pie tin or a loose bottom baking tin (28 cm in diameter) with butter.  Leave aside. Roll out dough between 2 plastic sheets to a 32 cm diameter circle.  Remove top plastic sheet and invert dough circle onto baking tin.  Remove the second plastic sheet.  Store baking tin in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

By using a fork, make several punctures on the base.  Place a baking paper over base and add dried beans.  Bake in a preheated conventional (no fan) oven at 200° C for about 15 minutes.  Once done, remove baking paper and dried beans.  Bake further for about 10 minutes.  Once done, remove from oven.

Filling Ingredients:
300 g minced beef or mutton
4 shallots, to be peeled and finely diced
1 pip garlic, to be peeled and finely diced
1 stalk red chillie, to be finely diced
2 tbsp chopped dill
1 tbsp tomato puree
3 tbsp olive oil
150 ml red wine or beef stock
salt & pepper to taste
pinch of cayenne pepper

200 g Schmand (sour cream)
150 g grated Emmentaler cheese
2 eggs
salt & pepper to taste

1 tbsp chopped dill for garnishing

Method:
In a pot, heat olive oil over medium heat and add diced shallots, garlic and chillie.  Stir-fry until onions are translucent.  Then, add minced beef and stir-fry until minced beef changes colour. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper.  Then, add tomato puree and stir well.  Lastly, add red wine or beef stock. Cook until the liquid is evaporated.  Leave aside to cool down. Once cooled down, add chopped dill and mix well.

Add minced beef mixture to pre-baked crust shell and spread evenly.  In a mixing bowl, combine sour cream, eggs and grated cheese together.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour mixture over minced meat mixture and spread evenly.

Bake at the same oven temperature for about 25 to 30 minutes.  Once done, remove from oven.  Sprinkle with chopped dill just before serving.  Serve warm or cold.

Bon Appetit!

Kalbsrahmgulasch serviert mit Semmelknödel

Literally translated, Veal Goulash is a typical Bavarian dish which is normally served with Bread Dumplings.  I also prepare Shredded Cabbage Salad (Krautsalat) on the side.

Ingredients (serves 4 persons):
700 g veal (bug), to be cut into cubes
2 big onions, to be peeled and diced
1 tbsp tomato puree
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp Paprika edelsüß (sweet paprika)
1/4 litre beef or vegetable stock
200 ml fresh cream
salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp oil

Method:
In a medium-size pot, heat oil and add half the amount of veal cubes.  Brown all sides over high heat.  Once done, remove to a plate and repeat with the other half.

Then, add diced onions to pot and stir-fry over low heat until translucent.  Add tomato puree, flour and paprika.  Stir-fry for about one minute.  Then, add stock and veal cubes.  Bring to a slight boil.  Cover pot and reduce heat.  Cook for about one hour or until meat is tender.

Lastly, add fresh cream and season to taste.  Serve with salad and dumplings.


Krautsalat (Shredded Cabbage Salad)
Ingredients (serves 4 persons):
1 small cabbage (about 700 g)
1 tsp salt

100 g bacon or turkey bacon, to be finely diced - optional (note:  I omitted this ingredient)
1 small onion, to be peeled and diced
1/8 litre beef or vegetable stock
3 tbsp white wine vinegar
4 tbsp cooking oil
1 tsp hot mustard
1/2 tbsp cumin grains (Kümmelkörner)
salt and black pepper to taste

Method:
Quarter, clean and wash cabbage.  Shred cabbage by using a vegetable slicer into a big bowl.  Add 1 tsp salt and mix well.  Cover bowl and leave aside while the rest of the ingredients are being prepared.

In a small pot over low heat, add bacon.  Stir-fry until the fat oozes out.  If not using bacon, heat 1 tbsp oil.  Add diced onions and stir-fry until translucent.  Then, add stock and vinegar.  Bring to a slight boil and keep stirring at the same time.  Add cumin, mustard and oil.  Mix well.

Pour mixture to the shredded cabbage and mix well.  Cover bowl and leave aside for about 3 hours at room temperature.  Season with salt and plenty of freshly ground pepper before serving.


Semmelknödel (Bread Dumplings)
Ingredients (serves 4 persons):
7 Semmeln or Brötchen (bread buns), to be sliced - one can also use ready-made "Knödelbrot" which comes in 400 g bag in the supermarkets
1/4 litre hot milk
1 tsp salt

3 tbsp chopped parsley
1 medium-size onion, to be peeled and diced
1 tsp butter

2 eggs
1 tbsp flour

Method:
In a large bowl, add hot milk and salt to bread slices.  Mix well and cover bowl.  Leave aside for about 20 minutes.

In a small pan, heat butter and add diced onion.  Stir-fry until translucent before adding chopped parsley.  Remove from heat and add to bread slices.  Add eggs and flour.  Mix well.

By using wet hands, make 8 dumplings and leave aside.  Bring a big pot of water to boil.  Add a little salt.  Then, add dumplings and reduce heat to medium.  Cook for about 15 minutes or until the dumplings rise to the surface.  Remove to a serving bowl.

Bon Appetit!