Asparagus in Egg-Vinaigrette Sauce served with Grilled Saibling Fillet

Asparagus is in season at present and I will include it in our menu at least twice or three times a week.  For today's dinner, I prepared an egg vinaigrette to accompany the steamed white asparagus and grilled fish fillet.

Ingredients:
1 kg white asparagus, to be peeled and ends trimmed

Vinaigrette Ingredients:
4  hard-boiled eggs
2 tbsps chopped flat parsley
2 tbsps olive oil
1 tbsp white wine vinegar or plain vinegar
1 tsp mustard
3 tbsp white wine or plain water
salt & pepper to taste

Method:
Separate egg whites from egg yolks.  Chop egg whites finely and leave aside.  In a bowl, mash egg yolks with a fork.  Add olive oil, vinegar, mustard and wine.  Mix thoroughly and then, add chopped parsley.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Steam asparagus for about 11 minutes or until done to your liking.  Serve asparagus with Egg-Vinaigrette.

To prepare the fish fillets:  Season with salt and pepper.  Place fish fillets under grill for about 10 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Aprikose-Streuselkuchen

Literally translated, it is called Apricot Cake with Crumble Topping.  For the base, I prepared a yeast dough whereas the filling consists of Schmand (sour cream), vanilla pudding and apricots.  To top it, I prepared a crumble dough which consists of flour, butter, sugar, etc.

Base Ingredients (for a 24 cm dia cake tin with loose base):
160 g plain flour, to be sifted
80 ml warm milk
10 g fresh yeast
20 g fine sugar
a pinch of salt
1 egg yolk "M" size
60 g soft butter

Filling Ingredients:
1 big can (825 ml) apricots or 650 g fresh apricots, to be washed, halved and deseeded
150 g fresh milk
60 g sugar
1/2 packet vanilla sugar
10 g vanilla pudding powder
100 g Schmand (sour cream)

Topping Ingredients:
1 egg "M" size
250 g plain flour
125 g cold butter
a pinch of salt
a pinch of baking powder

2 or 3 tbsp icing sugar to garnish

Method:
In a mixing bowl, add flour and make a well in the middle.  Crumble yeast into the well and add a little warm milk.  Stir mixture a bit before sprinkling with a little flour over top.  Cover bowl with a clean dishcloth and leave aside for about 20 minutes.  Then, add sugar, salt, egg yolk, butter and balance of milk.  Knead until a soft dough is formed.  Cover bowl again and leave aside for another 20 minutes.  Greased a cake tin lightly with butter.  Line cake tin with dough by bringing a slight edge on the sides as shown:

For the filling, mix sugar, vanilla sugar and vanilla pudding powder together in a bowl.  Add a few tablespoons of milk and stir until there are no lumps.  Bring milk in a pot to a slight boil. Remove pot from heat and add the pudding mixture.  Whisk thoroughly by using a hand whisk. Return to stove and bring pudding to a slight boil and keep stirring.  Remove from and leave aside to cool down completely.  Once cooled, add sour cream and stir well.  Add mixture to dough and spread evenly as shown:

If using canned apricots, add into a sieve and drain the syrup (to be thrown away).  Prepare fresh apricots as mentioned above.  Arrange apricots on pudding filling as shown:

Mix all topping ingredients together until they resembled like crumbs.  Sprinkle on top of apricots as shown:

Bake in a preheated fan oven at 175° C for about 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown.  Once done, remove from oven and leave it to cool down completely.  Sprinkle with icing sugar before serving.

Happy Baking!

Strawberry-Quark (Curd Cheese) Tart

This tart is one of our family's favourites.  The base is made up of puff pastry and marzipan, whereas the filling consists of curd cheese and strawberries.  It is a hit with both adults and children alike.

Base Ingredients:
1 packet (300 g fresh rolled puff pastry
100 g marzipan

Filling Ingredients:
250 g curd cheese (Quark) - 20% fat
250 g curd cheese with cream (Sahnequark) - if unavailable, use normal curd cheese as above
2 eggs "M" size
160 g sugar
1 packet vanilla sugar
2 tbsp (level) freshly grated lemon zest
a pinch of salt
1 tbsp cornflour

Topping Ingredients:
700 g fresh strawberries
1 packet red cake glaze (Tortenguß)
2 tbsp sugar

Method:
Grease a 28 cm in diameter pie pan (if possible, with loose bottom) with butter.  Line pan with puff pastry until up the sides.  Roll out marzipan between two plastic sheets to the size of the base of pie pan.  Place marzipan on top of puff pastry base by using the plastic sheet. Remove plastic sheet.

Preheat fan oven to 180° C (conventional:  200° C).

In a bowl, mix all filling ingredients together until well blended.  Add filling into pie pan and spread evenly.  Bake for about 45 minutes.  Once ready, remove from oven and allow tart to cool down completely in pie pan.

Important Note:  During baking, the filling might tend to bulge i.e. rise up in the middle.  If this happens, place a wooden spoon between the oven door and the oven as shown.  By doing so, the filling will not get any cracks on the surface.  Continue baking until done.

Brush strawberries clean (if necessary, wash them).  There are various ways of arranging the strawberries:

Slice strawberries into slices and arrange on top of tart as shown in the photos below:

OR

Just halve strawberries and arrange on top of tart with cut surface up.

OR

Cut the stalk part of strawberries and arrange them with the cut side down.

Prepare glaze according to packet instructions.  Pour glaze from middle of tart.  Don't worry, the glaze will cover the strawberries on its own.  Remove tart from pan and serve.

Bon Appetit!

Claypot Chicken Rice

This is a one-meal chinese dish which is normally served in Singapore, Malaysia and China.  Traditionally, this dish is cooked in a claypot over a charcoal stove.  This type of cooking gives the dish a distinctive flavour but nowadays, it can be baked in an oven - the simple and quick method. There are several variations of this dish i.e. with salted fish, chinese sausage, etc. but the following recipe uses chicken meat.

Ingredients (serves 4):
600 g chicken breast, to be finely diced
2 cups (250 ml capacity) rice, to be rinsed and drained
300 ml chicken stock
2 tbsp cooking oil
8 dried mushrooms, to be soaked in hot water until soft and finely sliced (throw the stems away)

5 shallots, to be peeled, finely sliced and deep-fried until golden brown

Marinade Ingredients:
15 slices fresh ginger, to be cut into shreds
14 pips garlic, to be peeled and halved
2 tbsp dark, thick soy sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
1 tsp salt or according to taste
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp cooking oil

Method:
In a bowl, mix all marinade ingredients together and add diced chicken.  Mix well, cover bowl and chill for at least one hour.  Preheat conventional oven to 180° C.

In an ovenproof dish, mix sliced mushroom, rice, cooking oil and chicken stock together. Then, add diced chicken and its marinade.  (Note:  To improve the taste, I suggest that one stir-fry the chicken and marinate in a wok (without oil) for a few minutes or until chicken changes colour.)  Mix thoroughly and cover dish with aluminium foil (shiny side down).  Bake for about 30 minutes.

Remove dish from oven and by using a wooden spatula, mix rice by bringing the bottom rice to the top.  This is to ensure even cooking.  Cover dish with foil and bake for another 30 minutes. Check whether rice is done.  If not, return to oven and bake for a further 10 to 15 minutes.

Serve hot sprinkled with fried shallots.

Bon Appetit!

Apam Balik or Ban Chien Kuih (thin version)

Due to the many requests which I received from my blog readers, I am posting the recipe for the thin version of Ban Chien Kuih or Apam Balik/Apam Pulau Pinang.

Batter Ingredients (yields about 15 - 20 pcs):

100 g rice flour

50 g plain flour

15 g cornflour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

1/2 tsp salt

100 ml thick coconut milk

100 ml water

3 "M" size eggs

80 g sugar

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

Method:
Mix all filling ingredients in a bowl and leave aside.

In a small bowl, whisk eggs and sugar together until the sugar is dissolved.  Sift all dry ingredients together into a mixing bowl.  Add thick coconut milk and water.  Mix thoroughly until no lumps can be seen.  Then, add egg mixture and mix well.

Heat a small pan (non-stick) over medium heat.  Add a small soup laddle of batter to pan - just enough to cover the base of the pan.  Put on the lid and cook until the sides are crispy and brown in colour.

Remove lid and sprinkle peanuts filling.  Fold into half and remove from pan to a wire rack. Repeat procedure until the batter is used up.

Serve immediately!

Bon Appetit!

Imagawayaki

This is a Japanese sweet with a red bean paste filling.  It is similar to Dorayaki, which consists of two pancakes sandwiched together with the filling in between.  One can also use other sweet filling i.e. vanilla custard or savoury filling i.e. curry, potatoes. etc.

Ingredients (yields about 10 pcs):
250 g plain flour, to be sifted
2 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
a pinch of salt
2 "M" size eggs
60 g fine sugar
200 ml fresh milk

a packet of Azuki (sweetened red bean paste)

Method:
In a bowl, mix eggs and sugar together.  Add milk and mix well.  Then, add in salt, baking soda and flour.  Mix thoroughly in order no lumps are formed.  Leave aside for about 30 minutes.

If you have a Imagawaki pan, heat it over low/medium heat and brush with a little oil.  If not, heat a small pan over low/medium heat and brush with a little oil.  Brush an egg ring with oil and place in pan.  Add 1 tbsp batter into ring and cook with the lid on. Once it is half cooked, add 1 tbsp red bean paste and then, add 1 tbsp batter.  Put the lid on and cook until it is almost cooked.  Note:  I suggest that you shape the red bean paste into a ball and press it flat before adding.

Remove from ring and turn it over to cook the other side and also the sides until golden brown. Remove to a plate.

The above is just a suggestion on how to prepare them.  I must warn you that it is a bit time consuming.  If one does not have the patience to do the above, one can just make pancakes out of the batter i.e. the Dorayaki method.  Just add about 2 tbsp batter into a pan and cook just like a small pancake.  Repeat until the batter is used up.  Take one pancake and spread 1 tbsp red bean paste before topping with another pancake.  Or one can make  medium-size pancakes, add filling and fold into two.  Serve warm or cold.

Happy Baking!

Slovenian Gibanica

Gibanica is a round-shaped pastry with golden brown crust.  It is multi-layered and filled with curd cheese and eggs.  A traditional Balkan pastry which can be prepared either as sweet or savoury.

Ingredients:
100 g dried apricots
4 tbsp apricot brandy (clear) or hot water

750 g flour
7 g (or one small packet) dry yeast
1/2 tsp salt
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 egg
400 ml warm milk (not over 35° C in temperature)

Filling Ingredients:
1 packet or 1 tsp vanilla sugar
4 eggs
1 kg curd cheese (Quark - 20% fat)
2 tbsp semolina (Grieß)
150 g butter
2 tbsp sugar to be mixed with 1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

Method:
In a bowl, add dried apricots and apricot brandy (or hot water).  Leave to marinate for at least 6 hours.

Drain curd cheese in a sieve over a bowl.  In a mixing bowl, add flour, dry yeast, salt, one egg and warm milk.  Knead well and leave aside covered with a dish cloth for about 45 minutes for it to rise to double its volume.

For the filling, beat sugar, vanilla sugar and 4 eggs together until creamy.  Add drained curd cheese, semolina and marinated apricots (without marinade).  Melt butter in a small pot over low heat.  Preheat oven to convection 200° C or fan 180° C.

On a floured worktop, roll out dough to a large circle with a thickness of 5 mm and a diameter of 40 cm.  Place dough on a baking try which is lined with baking paper.  Brush dough evenly with melted butter.

Spread half quantity of the filling to the centre of dough, leaving a "free of filling" border (about 12 to 14 cm) from the edges.  Cut the border towards the edge of the filling into 6 segments. Take one dough segment and spread it out thinly to a size which is able to cover the whole filling.  Place it over the filling and brush top evenly with melted butter.

Then, spread the balance of filling on top and cover with a 2nd dough segment which has been spread out thinly, just enough to cover the filling.  Brush top evenly with melted butter.  Repeat procedure (without adding filling) with the other dough segments until a round shaped dough is formed, brushing with the melted butter after each segment.

Leave aside for about 15 minutes to rise.  Bake in oven for about 45 minutes or until golden brown.  Brush top with melted butter and sprinkle with cinnamon powder while the cake is still warm.

Serve with stewed fruits.

Happy Baking!

Chicken & Pasta in Tomatoes-Rosmary-Ragù

This Ragù dish is simple to prepare and is popular with children.  One just needs to buy the chicken breast and the rest of the ingredients can be found in any well-stocked kitchen.

Ingredients (serves 4):
400 g chicken breast (skinless and boneless)
1 small shallot, to be finely chopped
1 stalk celery, to be quartered
5 tbsp white wine (optional)

500 g pasta (i.e. Penne, Gnocchetti, Maccheroni, Conchiglie), to be cooked according to packet instructions

Sauce Ingredients:
1 can (400 ml) chopped tomatoes
1 shallot, to be finely chopped
3 pips garlic, to be finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped parsley
1 tbsp chopped celery stalk
1 tbsp chopped rosemary or 1 tsp dried chopped rosemary
1 tsp grated lemon zest
4 tbsp olive oil
salt and ground black pepper to taste

Method:
In a pot, add chicken breast, chopped shallot, celery, wine and enough water to cover chicken. Heat slowly over medium heat and cook for about 10 minutes.  Do not bring stock to boil or simmer.  Leave to cool down completely before passing through a sieve, keeping 4 - 6 tbsp of chicken stock.  Cut chicken breast into 1 cm cubes and leave aside.

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add chopped shallot and stir-fry until soft. Then, add in chopped garlic, parsley and rosemary.  Stir-fry for about 1 minute before adding lemon zest, chopped tomatoes and 4 tbsp of chicken stock.  Reduce heat to low and cook gravy for about half an hour.  Season with salt and pepper.

Then, add in cubed chicken and cook for a further 5 minutes.  Lastly, add in the cooked pasta (noodles) and mix thoroughly.  Serve immediately.

Bon Appetit!

Kuih Makmur

This is a traditional malay kuih which is normally served during the Eid celebrations.  The dough is made of butter, ghee and flour - some recipes use only ghee but my recipe uses both butter and ghee due to preference.  As fillings, chopped peanuts or dates can be used.

Filling Ingredients:
300 g peanuts, to be baked in oven or fried without oil
40 g soft butter
100 g fine sugar or icing sugar

Dough Ingredients:
400 - 450 g plain flour (as needed to form a pliable dough), to be sifted
1 egg yolk size "M"
1/4 tsp vanilla powder
a pinch of salt
250 g butter
2 1/2 tbsp ghee
1 tbsp fine sugar
green colouring (optional)

fine sugar or icing sugar to coat the kuihs

Method:
Pound or chop peanuts coarsely.  Add sugar and soft butter.  Mix well and leave aside.

In a large bowl, add butter, sugar, egg yolk, vanilla powder and salt.  Add colouring if using. Mix well and then, add flour a little at a time.  Knead until a pliable dough is formed.

Take a portion of dough (about 10 g) and place on a square piece of pergament paper.  Flatten dough to form a circle.  Add 1 tsp of filling in the centre and fold dough (by using the pergament paper) to form a crescent, making sure the edges are sealed.  Shape dough into a leaf shape.  By using a crimper or pincer (see photo below), crimp top as shown in the following photo.

Repeat until all dough are used up.  Bake in a preheated conventional oven at 160° C for about 20 - 25 minutes.  Leave to cool completely before coating with fine sugar or icing sugar.

Happy Baking!

Chicken with Cashew Nuts

This simple dish is easy and quick to prepare.  One may use any kind of vegetables to one's liking - the choice of vegetables in this recipe are our favourites.

Ingredients (serves 4):
600 g chicken breast (skinless and without bone)
1 tbsp sherry or chinese cooking wine
2 tbsp cornflour

1 pc green capsicum (bell pepper), to be deseeded and cut into bite pieces
1 pc red capsicum (bell pepper), to be deseeded and cut into bite pieces
6 spring onions (scallion), to washed clean and cut into 3 cm lengths
20 pcs snow peas, both ends to be trimmed
5 cm fresh ginger, to be peeled and thinly sliced
60 g roasted cashew nuts
salt to taste
3 tbsp cooking oil

Sauce Ingredients:
50 ml water
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sherry or chinese cooking wine
2 tsp sugar
3 tsp cornflour
ground white pepper

Method:
Cut chicken breast into 3 cm cubes.  An excellent tip from my mum's friend who was a good cook and owned a Hainanese Chicken Rice stall on how to tenderize chicken meat:  Before marinating them, add 2 tsp bicarbonate of soda (Natron) to the chicken, mix well and leave aside for about 15 minutes.  Then, wash chicken cubes in a colander under running water until there is no trace of baking soda. Wipe chicken cubes dry with kitchen paper before marinating them with cornflour and sherry or cooking wine.  Leave aside for about 20 minutes.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in wok over high heat.  Once the oil starts to smoke, add marinated chicken and stir-fry until chicken cubes change colour.  Do not overcooked chicken.  Remove to a plate.

Heat remaining oil in wok over high heat and add both capsicums, spring onions, snow peas and ginger slices.  Stir-fry for about 5 minutes before adding the chicken.  Pour sauce ingredients and stir well.  Bring to a slight boil and season with salt to taste.  More water may be added at this stage if one wants more gravy.

Lastly, add in roasted cashew nuts and stir well.  Serve immediately with hot rice.

Bon Appetit!

Telur Masak Kicap (Hard-boiled Eggs in Soy Sauce)

To use up Easter Eggs, I prepared this simple malay dish which also contains fried potato wedges and onion rings.  It is normally served with rice and vegetables on the side or for a change, serve in a bowl with baguette.

Ingredients:
6 hard-boiled eggs, to be scratched lightly with a knife

2 tomatoes, to be halved or a few cherry tomatoes (whole)

4 potatoes, to be cut into wedges and deep fried until golden brown

2 big onions, to be sliced into rings and deep fried until soft (not brown)

½ cup dark salty soy sauce (kicap masin)

1 tbsp vinegar

3 tbsp sugar

freshly ground white pepper

a bit of grated nutmeg (buah pala)

1 stalk green or red chillie, to be halved and deseeded

Dry ingredients:

1 pc cinnamon stick

1 pc clove (bunga cengkih))

2 pcs cardamom (buah pelaga)

2 petals star anise (bunga pe’kak)

Blended ingredients:

1 tbsp (level) coriander seeds (ketumbar biji), to be soaked in water

1 tsp (level) cumin seeds (jintan putih), to be soaked in water

3 cloves garlic, to be sliced

1 small onion, to be sliced

5 stalks dried chillies, to be cut into small pieces and soaked in warm water

1½ cm fresh turmeric (for fragrance)

Method:

Heat some oil in a wok and fry the potato wedges until golden brown.  Remove to a plate.  In the same oil, deep fry the onion rings until soft.  Remove to a plate and keep aside.

Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pot.  Add in the blended ingredients and stir-fry till fragrant.  Then, add in the dry ingredients and mix well.  Add in sugar, vinegar, dark salty soya sauce, pepper, grated nutmeg and water (about 1/4 litre).  Mix well and then season with salt to taste.  If necessary, more sugar can be added to taste.

Add in the fried potato wedges, onion rings, hard-boiled eggs, halved tomatoes and green chilli.  Stir well and serve hot with rice & a vegetable dish.

Bon Appetit!