Traditional Chinese Steamed Egg Cake

I have wanted to make this traditional steamed cake for a long time, someone told me it was very easy, just 1 cup egg, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup flour and using a coil spring whisk, whisk till one joss stick finish burning and of course it was not successful. Not until this friend of mine from Sg. Pelek showed me how it was done and got to taste the final product too. By the way her mother demonstrated to me how she make the Hokkien Alkaline Rice Cake "tei yar ker".










INGREDIENTS
450g Eggs nett weight without shells
350g Flour
400g Castor Sugar
1 Tbsp cooking oil

METHODS:
1. Line a rattan basket with baking paper and set aside
2. Sieve the flour and set aside
3. Whisk eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl until thick for about 30mins
4. Transfer the egg mixture into a larger mixing bowl and gently fold in the flour.
5. Lastly add in the 1 tbsp of cooking oil and mix well.
6. Pour mixture into the prepared rattan basket and steam over rapid boiling water for 30mins
























Have fun and be happy!♥

Hokkien Alkaline Rice Cake "ti yar ker"

This "ti yar ker" is a must for Hokkien during their festive season. When my Sg. Pelek 's friend heard that I am interested to learn this traditional steamed cake, she arranged his 80 years old mother to show us how she prepared them. No measuring needed cos she using estimation method to make all her kuih.








1500ml water
1 packet of rice flour (500g)
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp "pang sar"
3/4 tbsp soda















METHOD
1. Mix the flour with 750ml water
2. Mix the salt, "pang sar" and soda in a small bowl
3. Bring to boil the balance of 750ml in another pot
4. Pour the batter into the boiling water and keep stirring till almost cook
5. Add in the soda mixture into the half cooked batter and turn off heat
6. Using a wooded ladle keep stirring the mixture till thicken and smooth















7. Greased a 9" round tray with some cooking oil and pour in the mixture
8. Steam on high heat for 1½ hours and remove cover and steam another 10 mins so the surface will turn dry.
9. Leave it to cool completely and it will be tougher and chewy
10. Best served with "lor bak", stewed pork

Cheese Tartlets

This is my children favorite and each of them can easily consume 5 cheese tarts at one go. This recipe is for 42 to 47 pieces cheese tarts depending on the thickness of the pastry press onto the tart mould

Ingredients:

375g Red Rose Flour
100g Corn Flour
125g Icing Sugar
½ tsp salt
250g Butter
5 Egg Yolks
½ tsp Vanilla Essence

















1. Sieve the red rose flour, corn flour and icing sugar onto the butter in a mixing bowl.
2. Using a pastry cutter to mix the dried ingredients with the butter by cutting them till you have created a uniform mixture that is crumbly and about the size of frozen peas.
3. Lastly add in the egg yolks and vanilla essence to make into pastry















4. Press the pastry onto the tart mould. Prick using fork on the pastry shell.
5. Chill for 10 - 15 mins and bake at 190°c for 15 mins or until light golden brown. Leave to cool.















FILLING
500g Cream Cheese
250g Home made yogurt
150g Castor sugar
40g Gelatine
115ml Hot water

1. Beat together the cream cheese, yogurt and castor sugar until soft and creamy
2. Mix the gelatine with hot water till totally dissolved
3. Gradually add the gelatine into the cream cheese mixture
4. Using an ice cream scooper to fill ready tart casing with the cream cheese mixture and chill them before serving

Have Fun and be happy! ♥

Agar-agar (Jelly)

This recipe was given by Junaidah, our Shaklee member who always bring this refreshing agar-agar or jelly during Shaklee potluck.

Ingredients:-
2 packets Agar-agar strips
2400ml water
4 eggs
400g Gula Melaka (palm sugar)
1 cup of castor sugar
400ml coconut milk










METHOD
1. Cook the agar-agar strips with 2000ml of water till dissolve completely

2. Cook the 400g of gula Melaka and 1 cup of castor sugar with 400ml water and sieve them

3. Mix the 4 eggs with the coconut milk and sieve them and set aside.
















4. Mix the sieved sugar syrup into the cooked agar-agar and off the flame and let cool for 5 mins

5. Pour the coconut and eggs mixture into the agar-agar mixture and stir constantly and bring to boil
















6. Pour the mixture into 2 trays and set aside to cool then put in the fridge for 1hr or ovenight

7. Remove jelly from tray and using the "zig-zag" jelly knife to cut before serving

Red bean kuih

This red bean paste kuih is very easy to prepare.

500g red bean paste
250g castor sugar
250g "Rabbit" tapioca flour

Mix all the ingredient in a mixing bowl and pour the batter into a lightly greased square tin. Steam over rapid boiling water for 20 minutes till cook.

Remove kuih from the steamer. Leave aside to cool completely in the tin. Turn out kuih and cut into bite-sized pieces.












Have fun and be happy! ♥

Thai Salad

We were treated to this dish at China Press Canteen. The cook told me how to prepare this simple salad to go with any fritter or fried rice.

Slice cucumber, mango and carrot. Cut onion into thin slices. Mix them with Thai chili sauce and lemon powder. Bravo..there you are the Thai salad to go with fried fish balls.

Cuttlefish Groundnuts Porridge "Yau Yee Fah Sang Chook"

We volunteered to cook "Yau Yee Fah Sang Chook" (cuttlefish groundnuts porridge) for Nalanda Food Fair on 22 August 2010. The last food fair we cooked "Tong Sui" such as red bean, green pea with barley and the popular demand "bobo chacha". During the Bazaar Sale Fund Raising Campaign at "Ah Pak San" we cooked this porridge for fund raising for the Sze Chuan Earthquate (China) and Myanmar Cyclone Nargis . This portion is for 100 bowls and above.

■ 2 kg rice, washed and soaked overnight
■ 1½kg "tai tau choy" (preserved salted radish), wash and soaked for 10 minutes. Cut into thin
slices.
■ 200g "yau yee see" (cuttlefish slices), washed
■ 250g "mak yee" (squid), washed.
■ 2kg groundnuts, boiled groundnuts with just enough of water for 25 minutes over slow fire.
wash groundnuts thoroughly and drained. Cooked them in pressure cooker till soft.


Bring water to boil in a large pot, add in rice, "tai tau choy" and "mak yee" and cook over a gentle flame for 1½ hours until rice turn into congee. If congee is too thick, add in more water. Keep stirring the congee to prevent it from being burnt on the bottom of the pot. Lastly add in the cooked groundnuts, "yau yee see" and enough of salt to taste. Dash some pepper just before serving.

Have fun and be happy! ♥

Chicken Salads

Went to Cameron Highland to deliver Shaklee products to Soo Yin's cousin. We had breakfast at the Sg. Palas Boh Teh Plantation. We had scones, sandwiches, strawberry tarts, nasi lemak and the famous Cameronian Tea. The scones are really good especially taken in that enviroment overlooking the tea plantation. Mama J♥ shared with us this chicken salad recipe which can be made into sandwiches too.

2 Tbsp Olive oil
2 Tbsp Lemon juice
4-6 Tbsp Mayonnaise
Shredded Chicken meat
Mango slices
Mini Tomato (slice)
Lettuce (cut into pieces)


Mix the olive oil, lemon juice and mayonnaise in a salad bowl. Add in the shredded chicken meat, mango slice, mini tomato slices and the coral lettuce.

Breadsticks

Our Gunung Benom trip have been postponed to 2nd week of July so do my Wholemeal English Muffins . On the 1st week of July we plan to go to Cemerong Waterfall again. (refer to trekking blog) During this trip I planned to bake some breadsticks for our lunch during trekking. Will coat the breadsticks with salt because we really need them. These breadsticks are light to carry.

200ml Water
350g Bread Flour
3 tbsp Olive oil
1½ tsp salt
1½ tsp Yeast

poppy seeds/sesame for coating

Mix all the ingredients using a dough hook. Knead dough for 3-5 minutes till dough are elastic.

To shape breadstick, roll the dough to a rectangle (8"x9") about ½" thick. Cut into three 8" long strips. Cut each strip width ways into ten. Roll and stretch each piece to 12" length. Roll in poppy seed and leave them to prove for 10 minutes. Brush lightly with olive oil and bake them for 15-20 minutes at 200°C. Transfer to a wire rack to cool and store them in a airtight container.




By the way, need to break the breadstick into 2 for storing purposes!

Have fun and be happy!♥

Scone with Tea

Last week we went to Cameron Highland with Soo Yin, BH Gan and Mama J♥. Soo Yin was once a local there since 16 years ago. On a previous trip a group of more than 30 of us went there to climb Gunung Irau (refer to blog trekking). We have been to Cameron Highland many times but have not eaten the famous scones. Our friend BH Gan had suggested to have scones this trip but unfortunately we did not make it due to time constrain. I told him I will make some scone and serve him when we are back in KL. Search on the net and found many recipe on scone. This is the simplest recipe and easy and fast to prepare.

230g Red Rose Flour
10g baking powder
40g Cold unsalted butter, cut into cubes
½ cup milk





Combine both the dried ingredients and cut in the cubes butter using a pastry cutter until mixture look like coarse crumbs. Add the milk into the flour mixture. Knead it into smooth dough and shape into round shape and bite size. Preheat the oven 200°C and bake them for 20 minutes.





Best eaten while it it still warm and serve with lots of jam or butter. Having scones served with hot tea overlooking the tea valley in Cameron Highland definitely will taste better anytime.

Yummy! Yummy! Soo Yin always said that whenever she tasted delicious food. Yet to let BH Gan taste them!

Have fun and be happy!♥

Wholemeal English Muffins

I have thought of making this wholemeal English Muffins for our coming trip to Gunung Benom in June. So have to test them out first!

Ingredients

350ml Milk
225g Bread Flour
225g Wholemeal Bread Flour
1 tsp caster sugar
1½tsp salt
15g butter
1½tsp Instant yeast
Rice Flour for dusting


1. Using a dough mixer, mix all the dry ingredients and add in the milk and lastly the butter.
Continue kneading the dough for 5 minutes.

2. Place the ready dough on a floured surface (Rice Flour) and knock it back gently. Roll out the dough until it is about 1cm thick. Using a floured 3 inch plain cutter, cut out 14 muffins. Cover the muffins and let it rise until double in size.


3. Heat a griddle over a medium heat. Cook the muffins slowly for about 5 minutes on each side. Serve warm. Cut it apart and spread thickly with butter.


Have fun and be happy! ♥

Pancakes

These thick, succulent pancakes are often served during American breakfast in the hotel. Served them with maple syrup and butter or your favorite jam.

Ingredients:

2 eggs
280ml milk
15g Butter (melted)
225g Bread Flour
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp Instant yeast


1. Separate one egg and set the white aside.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the 1 whole egg plus the reminder egg yolk and milk. Mix in all the dry ingredients together, breaking up any lumps. Blend in the melted butter. Whisk the reserved egg white and fold into the batter.


3. Heat up the griddle and place over a medium heat. Using a ladle to pour the batter, letting it spread out to form a pancake about 8cm wide.

4. Cook until bubbly, a little dry around the edges and lightly brown on the bottom, turn and brown the other side.


When your children are bored with the bread, try making these pancakes and you will know how easy it is. These pancakes are delicious when served warm. The butter will melt and maple syrup soaked into them, yummy! yummy! My youngest son can take 8 pcs at one time.



Have fun and be happy! ♥