Garlic Chicken with Green Asparagus & Bell Peppers

Some people dislike garlic but we love it, especially because of its medicinal qualities.  I also add Chinese black vinegar to enhance the taste and aroma of the dish.  The following recipe uses a moderate amount of garlic.

Ingredients (serves 4):
550 g chicken breast, to be cut into bite-size cubes
2 tbsp cornflour
2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine or sherry (or light soy sauce)

250 g green asparagus, to be peeled (about 1,5 cm from cut ends) and cut into 6 cm pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, to be deseeded and cut into bite-size pieces
1 green bell pepper, to be deseeded and cut into bit-size pieces
2 medium-size carrots, to be peeled and sliced
3 spring onions, to be cut into 6 cm lengths
2 dried wood ears or cloud ears (telinga tikus), to be soaked in warm water and sliced

8 pips garlic, to be peeled and finely minced
5 cm fresh ginger, to be peeled and finely cut into strips
6 tbsp cooking oil

Sauce Ingredients:
4 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp chilli oil
1/2 tsp salt or to taste
2 tsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp Chinese black vinegar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp cornflour
9 tbsp water

Method:
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.

Mix all sauce ingredients in a bowl and leave aside.  Heat 2 tbsp of cooking in a wok over high heat.  Add chicken pieces and stir-fry until chicken pieces are opaque in colour or half-cooked. Remove to a bowl and leave aside.

Heat the remaining cooking oil in wok over high heat.  Add minced garlic and ginger strips. Stir-fry until fragrant.  Then, add in wood ears slices, green asparagus, carrot slices and bell peppers.  Stir-fry until asparagus and carrot slices are almost cooked.

Return chicken pieces to wok and stir well.  Then, add sauce ingredients and mix well.  Cook until chicken is done and check seasoning.

Serve hot with rice!

Bon Appetit!

Mini Yoghurt-Lemon Cakes

These mini cakes have a refreshing taste of lemon and are very popular with children. Although the recipe does not require any special ingredients, the texture is very spongy and moist.

Ingredients (yields 24):
220 g butter
450 g fine sugar (this may seem a lot but the taste is not sweet due to the addition of lemon juice in the recipe)
350 g plain flour
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda (Natron)
1 tsp salt
3 large eggs
1 tbsp lemon zest
110 ml lemon juice
160 ml plain yoghurt
1 tsp vanilla aroma

Glaze Ingredients:
250 g icing sugar
2 - 3 tbsp lemon juice

Method:
Preheat fan oven to 160° C / conventional oven to 180° C.  Grease mini cake tins with butter. I use baking moulds made of silicon.

Beat butter and sugar until creamy.  Add in eggs, lemon zest and lemon juice.  Mix thoroughly. Then, add in yoghurt and flour alternately until all are used up.  Lastly, add in vanilla aroma and mix well.

By using a tablespoon, fill batter into cake tins (about 3/4 full).  Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.  Leave to cool slightly in mould before removing them to a wire rack.  Leave to cool down completely.

Mix glaze ingredients together until a thick glaze is reached.  Trickle glaze over mini cakes and leave aside until the sugar glaze is hardened.

Happy Baking!

Chicken & Aspagarus in Soya Bean Sauce

A healthy and tasty dish using soya bean paste for a change.  Green asparagus and red bell pepper really complement the chicken very well.

Ingredients (serves 4):
450 g chicken breast, to be cut into bite-size pieces
1 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp cooking wine or sherry (or light soy sauce)

4 pips garlic, to be peeled and finely minced
5 cm fresh ginger, to be peeled and finely cut into strips
4 tbsp of soya bean paste with chillies (see photo below), to be lightly smashed

250 g green asparagus, to be peeled (about 1,5 cm from cut ends) and cut into 6 cm pieces
1 red bell pepper, to be deseeded and cut into bite-size pieces
1 small onion, to be peeled and cut into wedges

Sauce Ingredients:
8 tbsp water
1 tbsp cornflour
a few dashes of ground white pepper
4 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp sugar

cooking oil

Method:
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.

Mix all sauce ingredients in a bowl and leave aside.  Heat 3 tbsp of cooking in a wok over high heat.  Add chicken pieces and stir-fry until chicken pieces are opaque in colour or half-cooked. Remove to a bowl and leave aside.

Heat 2 tbsp of cooking in a wok over high heat.  Add ginger strips and minced garlic.  Stir-fry until light brown in colour.  Add in soya bean paste and stir well.  Then, add asparagus, red bell pepper and onion wedges.  Stir-fry until asparagus are almost cooked.

Return chicken pieces to wok and stir well.  Then, add sauce ingredients and mix well.  Cook until chicken is done and season with salt to taste.

Serve hot with rice!

Bon Appetit!

Roasted Chicken Wings & Drumsticks

This dish is easy and quick to prepare and can be eaten as a snack or served with Chicken Rice.

Ingredients (to serve 4 persons):
8 chicken drumsticks
8 chicken wings

Marinade Ingredients:
2 tbsp dark thick soy sauce (sweet)
2 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp 5-spice powder
1 tbsp ginger juice (taken from freshly grated ginger)
1 tsp salt

Method:
Mix all marinade ingredients together.  Preheat conventional oven to a temperature of 200° C (fan:  180° C).

Marinate chicken pieces and leave aside for 20 minutes.  Arrange on a baking tray which is lined with aluminium foil (shiny side down).  Bake for about 50 minutes to an hour.  Note:  If the chicken pieces tend to brown quickly, cover top with aluminium foil and bake further until done.

Once done, remove baking tray from oven.  Brush the chicken pieces using the gravy in the tray.  Return to oven and bake uncovered for another 5 minutes.

Serve hot with chillie sauce.  They taste as good even without chillie sauce.

Bon Appetit!

Fried Bee Hoon (Malay-style)

This dish is an all-time favourite of my two boys.  One can use any kinds of vegetables and I also added beef slices in my recipe.

Ingredients (to serve 4 persons):
400 g dried bee hoon (rice vermicelli - Wai Wai Brand if possible), to be soaked in warm or cold water for 2 minutes and drained

300 g beef, to be thinly sliced (against the grain)
1 tsp cornflour
1 tbsp light soy sauce

20 g dried mushrooms, to be soaked in warm water until soft, drained and thinly sliced
20 g dried black fungus/wood ear/cloud ear (telinga tikus), to be soaked in warm water until soft, drained and thinly sliced
20 g french beans, to be thinly sliced (at a slant)
1 sheet dried tofu skin, to be soaked and cut into thin strips
100 g carrots, to be peeled and thinly sliced (at a slant)

Stir-fry Ingredients:
1 medium-sized onion, to be peeled and finely diced
4 pips garlic, to be peeled and finely diced
1 stalk red chillie, to be deseeded and finely diced
1 stalk green chillie, to be deseeded and finely diced
400 ml water
4 tbsp light soy sauce (kicap putih)
ground white pepper and salt to taste

6 tbsp cooking oil

Method:
In a bowl, combine beef slices, cornflour and light soy sauce together.  Heat 2 tbsp cooking oil in a wok over medium heat and stir-fry beef slices.  Once the colour changes, remove to a bowl and leave aside.  Do not overcook the beef slice or else it will turn hard and chewy.

Heat the balance of cooking oil in a wok and add diced onions, garlic and both diced chillies. Stir-fry until fragrant and then, add sliced mushrooms, black fungus and dried tofu strips. Then, add water, light soy sauce and pepper.  Bring to a boil before adding the sliced carrots and french beans.

Lastly, add in the bee hoon - portion by portion.  Stir thoroughly and check seasoning.  Serve hot with sliced chillies in soy sauce on the side.

Bon Appetit!

Asparagus in Herbs-Yoghurt Sauce served with Grilled Entrecôte

It is still the asparagus season and as a side dish for our dinner tonight, I prepared a simple herbs-yoghurt sauce to be served with steamed white asparagus.   Our main dish is Grilled Entrecôte served with Rosemary-Garlic-Olive Oil.

Herbs-Yoghurt Sauce Ingredients:
1 kg white asparagus, to be peeled and ends trimmed
150 g yoghurt
2 tbsp of chopped mixed herbs i.e. parsley, chives, etc.
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp mustard
salt and pepper to taste
100 g whipped cream

Method:
In a bowl, mix together yoghurt, lemon juice and mustard.  Mix well before adding the chopped herbs.  Season with salt and peper to taste.  Lastly, add whipped cream and mix well.

Steam asparagus for about 11 minutes.  Serve immediately with the herbs-yoghurt sauce.

Ingredients for Rosemary-Garlic-Olive Oil:

6 garlics, to be peeled and diced finely

1 rosemary twig, to be washed, dried and cut finely

olive oil (good quality)

Method:

To make garlic-rosemary-olive oil, mix all ingredients together and set aside.

How to prepare Entrecôte:  One person's portion is about 250 to 300 g meat.  Ask your butcher for entrecôte or roast beef cut.  I do not season the meat at all and my hubby just grilled the beef to our liking i.e. medium.  Our tip:  Depending on the thickness of the entrecôte, grill each side over high fire for about 3 to 4 minutes.  It is very important to remove entrecôte from fire once the juice starts to ooze out.

To serve, add 1 or 2 tsp of rosemary-garlic-olive oil onto grilled entrecôte and season with salt and pepper.

Bon Appetit!

Aprikosen-Streusel-Tarte

Last weekend, I baked an Aprikose-Streuselkuchen for tea and this morning, our son requested for an apricot tart.  So here it is - a simple apricot tart which is quick to prepare and tastes equally good.

Base Ingredients (for a 26 cm diameter tart tin with a loose base):
100 g cold butter
200 g plain flour
a pinch of salt
1 "M" size egg
25 g icing sugar

Filling Ingredients:
2 tbsp apricot jam
1 can (850 ml) halved apricots
3 tbsp fine sugar

Topping Ingredients:
200 g plain flour
150 g soft butter
a pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla aroma (fluid) - optional

1 tsp icing sugar as garnishing

Method:
Grease tart tin with butter and leave aside.  Preheat conventional oven to 200° C (fan:  175° C) and place oven rack on its first position from bottom.

Knead all base ingredients together to form a pliable dough and store in fridge for about 30 minutes.  Drain canned apricots into a sieve and leave aside.

Roll out dough in a circle of a diamenter of about 30 cm on a floured worktop.  Line tart tin with rolled out dough and poke several holes with a fork.  Spread apricot jam over base as shown in photo:

Arrange apricots with the cut side down as shown in photo:

Knead all topping ingredients together to resemble crumbs.  Sprinkle over apricots.  Lastly, sprinkle 3 tbsp sugar over crumbs as shown:

Bake in preheated oven for about 30 minutes.  If the top of tart is not brown enough to your liking, place tart under the grill for about a minute or two.  Leave to cool down completely.

Just before serving, sprinkle icing sugar on top.  This apricot may be served with whipped cream on the side (optional).

Happy Baking!

Bingka Ubi Kayu (Tapioca Cake)

It is also known as Cassava Cake and is a traditional malay kuih.  Its main ingredient is grated tapioca and no flour is used.  It is sweet and tasty in taste - just perfect to be served with coffee or tea.

Ingredients (for a 24 x 24 x 4 cm square tin):
1,5 kgs grated tapioca (from about 2 kgs unpeeled tapioca) - tapioca to be finely grated by using the grater attachment of your mixing machine
or
just buy the readily grated tapioca (frozen), needs to be thawed
620 ml coconut milk
300 g fine sugar
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1 - 1 1/2 tsp yellow colouring
3 tbsp melted ghee or butter
3 eggs, to be lightly beaten with a fork

Method:
Drain grated tapioca in a sieve for about 15 minutes to get rid of the starch.  Preheat conventional oven to a temperature of 160° C.  Grease cake tin with a little cooking oil and line the bottom with a piece of baking paper.

In a big mixing bowl, add grated tapioca, sugar, salt, vanilla essence, coconut milk and yellow colouring.  Mix thoroughly.  Then, add in the beaten eggs and mix well again before adding the melted ghee or butter.  Ensure that the mixture is well blended before pouring into the cake tin. Spread evenly, making sure the surface is smooth.  Bake for about one hour.  If the top is not brown enough, switch on the grill function of your oven and bake for another two minutes or until your preferred colour is attained.  It is very important to keep an eye in order to avoid it being overburnt.

Once done, leave the tapioca cake in its tin overnight.  By doing so will ensure easy slicing before serving.

Happy Baking!