Salads

Grilled Beef with Teriyaki Sauce

Grilled Beef with Teriyaki Sauce

Ingredients

2 x 220g Scotch fillet beef steaks
Ground black pepper
Vegetable oil

Teriyaki sauce:
1/4 cup Kikkoman soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin
1/4 Japanese cooking sake
2 tbsp brown sugar (or to taste)

Method

Prepare the sauce first. Combine everything in a saucpan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes or until sauce is reduced to half. Transfer to a heatproof bowl to cool.

Place steaks in a ziplock bag (or just use a dish) and add 2 tbsp of the sauce that has cooled down. Add some ground black pepper if desired. Mix well and leave to marinade for about 1 hour.

Heat a grillpan or frying pan on high, lightly greased with some oil. Drain the excess marinade from the steaks and fry the steaks for about 3 minutes each side. Pour in 1-2 tbsp of teriyaki sauce and let it coat the steaks. When the steaks are cooked (medium rare), transfer to a plate and let it rest for 5 minutes, covered with aluminium foil. Reserve any remaining sauce in the pan for later.

Slice the beef thinly on the diagonal, and arrange on a serving plate. Drizzle with extra teriyaki sauce and enjoy with a bowl of steamed white rice.

Creamy Cheddar and Ricotta Cheesecake

The addition of milk and ricotta in this recipe makes for a light, fluffy and creamy cheesecake.

Cheddar and Ricotta Cheesecake

Ingredients

110g cheddar cheese slices, roughly torn
40g butter
125ml milk
70g ricotta cheese
20g plain flour
15g corn flour
2 egg yolks
3 egg whites
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
80g sugar

Method

Grease and line an 8 inch square baking pan with baking paper. If using springform pan, wrap the outside of the pan with 2 layers of aluminium foil as the cake will be baked in a water bath.

Prepare a large roasting tin (large enough to fit the baking pan in). You can start boiling some water for the water bath.

Preheat oven to 150C.

Place cheddar cheese, butter and milk in a bowl and place over a pot of simmering water. Stir the ingredients until dissolved and the mixture turns smooth and creamy. Remove from heat. Then stir in the ricotta until evenly mixed. Sift the plain flour and cornflour into the mixture and fold through until smooth. Then, stir in the egg yolks.

In a large clean bowl, whisk the egg whites with cream of tartar until frothy. Then add the sugar and whisk until the point when it's almost stiff (but not too stiff!). Fold one third of the egg white into the cheese mixture, then fold in the rest until evenly mixed. Do not overmix as it will knock out all that lovely air from the egg whites.

Pour into the lined baking pan, and place it in the roasting tin. Place the roasting tin halfway into the oven and carefully fill the roasting tin with boiling hot water, until it comes halfway up the sides of the baking pan. Bake for 50 minutes until the middle is just set and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Turn off the oven and leave the oven door slightly ajar (I wedge some mittens in between the doors). Let it cool in the oven for 30 minutes, then remove and set aside on a wire rack to cool. Refrigerate overnight before serving. Serve cold.

Crispy-Skin Salmon Teriyaki

One of the best cooking tips that I picked up from watching Take Home Chef was that when cooking salmon, you should always start with a cold pan, and never hot. That will give you perfectly crispy salmon skin. I tried this method and it totally worked! Crispy skin everytime, which is the main reason why we love to eat salmon, especially with sweet, salty and sticky teriyaki sauce. I usually make extra sauce and store it in the fridge, which comes in handy not only for grilled meats/seafood, but also for quick stir-fries, noodles or as a tasty drizzling sauce. Served with rice and some steamed vegetables, teriyaki salmon is a sure fire hit with the kids (and adults too)! We especially love the sauce on our rice!

Crispy-Skin Salmon Teriyaki

Ingredients

2 x 200g (7oz) salmon fillets, skin-on (preferably a thick and long rectangular piece)
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Teriyaki Sauce:
5 tbsp Kikkoman soy sauce
5 tbsp sake
5 tbsp mirin
1/4 tsp dashi stock powder (dashinomoto)
1 1/2 tbsp sugar

Method

Prepare the sauce by combining all ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer over medium heat until the sauce is reduced by almost half and starts to turn syrupy. Transfer to a small bowl. It will thicken slightly upon cooling.

Wash the salmon, then pat dry. Rub a litle salt all over the skin. Place a non-stick frying pan on the stove and add the oil to the pan. Place the salmon fillets skin side down into the cold pan, and then turn on the heat to medium-high. Cook the salmon for about 5 minutes (depending on the thickness of the salmon) until the bottom half of the salmon turns pink and cooked. Check the skin to ensure it has crisped evenly, slightly browned or charred. If not, turn up the heat to high. Once the skin is firm and crisp, brush some teriyaki sauce over the top and sides of the fillets, and flip the salmon over to cook the other side. It should cook fairly quickly in about a minute, depending on whether you like it medium or well done. Turn the heat down to medium if it's too hot. Take care not to overcook the salmon. If the teriyaki glaze on the salmon starts to burn in the pan, add a splash of water to the pan. When it's cooked to your liking, transfer the salmon to a serving plate and drizzle the extra teriyaki sauce over. Serve immediately with hot white rice and steamed vegetables.

The Ultimate Pad Thai Recipe

I was pretty excited when I saw that Lorraine had posted this wonderful recipe for Pad Thai on her blog. The photos simply said it all. The almost deep and rich orange hue of the noodles was the sign of a winner and it's as authentic as it gets. None of the dry, pale-looking noodles with dry chunks of chicken meat and scattering of chives, egg and tofu that I usually get in Sydney. For the record, I never order pad thai though Mr TFWL likes to always give it a chance. My preference is still to order pad kee mao (my favourite pad kee mao is from Pom's Thai in Burwood, now Strathfield).

Anyway, this is how I like my pad thai - saucy and moist noodles with the right balance of sweet and sour from the tamarind and palm sugar, with saucy bits of egg crumble tossed through the noodles. Notice the key word is saucy. Loving this pad thai sauce and if you make a big batch of it, the rest of the preparation and cooking is a breeze (well, almost!). Thanks Lorraine for the recipe!

Pad Thai Recipe
Adapted from Not Quite Nigella

Ingredients (for 2 servings):
125g/4.41ozs. rice noodles, soaked in hot water for 10 minutes until almost softened
Oil for frying
150g shelled prawns (or subsitute with pork or chicken)
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 carrot, julienned finely (optional)
2 tablespoons sweet preserved turnip* washed with some warm water and then squeezed and drained (optional - I didn't have any)
2 eggs
1/4 cup garlic chives cut into inch long pieces
2 cups bean sprouts
1/3 cup chopped, roasted peanuts
Sauce 1 (stir fry sauce)

Stir-fry sauce (combine in a bowl):
1/3 cup chicken stock (or use 1/3 cup water mixed with 1/3 tsp chicken stock powder)
1.5 tablespoons Thai sweet chilli sauce
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons lime/lemon juice
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 teaspoons palm sugar
Sauce 2 (pad thai sauce)

Pad Thai sauce (makes a large batch for enough for 16-20 servings):
3 coriander roots, well washed and finely chopped
150g/5ozs. garlic, peeled and chopped
150g/5ozs. shallots, peeled and chopped
50g/1.7ozs. dried large chillies (not small, they're too hot)
2 tablespoons salt
4 cups water
240g/8.5ozs. palm sugar, sliced
220g/7.7ozs. tamarind puree

Method

Prepare the pad thai sauce first. You can make a small batch if you like. I reduced the quantities by one fifth (enough for 3-4 servings). Place the coriander roots, garlic, shallots, chillies, salt and water in a medium sized pot and boil for 30 minutes uncovered. Much of the water will evaporate. Blend this mix in a food processor. Add the sugar and tamarind puree and process until smooth. Place back on low to medium heat to cook for another 30 minutes making sure that it doesn't boil rapidly - we don't want the sugar to caramelise as we want this to retain its sourness.
Heat the wok or a large frypan. Drain the noodles and have all of the other ingredients ready to add to the wok as it is quick once you start cooking it. Heat the wok and add oil and fry the prawns until about 90% cooked through. Remove and set aside. Add the garlic and cook for a minute, then add the carrot and preserved turnip.
Push to one side of the pan and then break the eggs into the pan and scrambled and mix with the rest of the pan items. Add the noodles and add half of the stir fry sauce and gently mix to combine. Add the bean sprouts, garlic chives and then the prawns back into the pan. Add the pad thai sauce 1/4 cup at a time until it coats the noodles and keep adding until it has that magical taste of sour and sweet and the noodles turn a rich amber colour. If the noodles are too dry, drizzle a few tablespoons of water around the side of the pan and toss the noodles.
Remove from the pan and serve with extra bean sprouts, lime/lemon and topped with the peanuts. Serve immediately.

Polish Plum Cake (with olive oil)

It's been a long long while since my last post. Summer has been super hot these last few days and we've been staying indoors (although the air-conditioning didn't work too well in these extreme conditions). It didn't help that I decided to bake yesterday afternoon knowing that it was already as hot as an oven outside!

So, ever since i tried the Polish plum cake from Monarch Cakes at St Kilda a couple of years ago, I've been wanting to bake something similar though I never settled on which recipe to use (there are a few on the internet, where they differ in terms of whether butter or oil is used, and some are yeast-based (which is apparently the traditional Polish version). With plums being in season right now, I decided it was time I made the attempt to bake a light, airy, sponge-like cake studded with tart plums that have caramaelized to a jammy consistency. Well, at least that's how I remembered it.

Ready for tea with a dusting of icing sugar

Although using butter gives the cake a richer and "superior" flavour compared to using oil, I wanted the cake to have that light sponge-like texture that I remembered. So, I settled on a recipe by Ren Behan who grew up in a Polish household, and she learnt this recipe from her mum. Perfect! I'm so glad I made this cake. Not only did my kitchen smell so good that I forgot how hot it was, but the cake tasted totally fabulous! Amazingly good and such a simple recipe too. It was so moist, light, sweet and delicious with the jammy plum that had partially soaked into the cake. I also topped the cake with raw sugar before baking which gave it a lovely crunchy top. And what's more, this cake is filled with plums (healthy and full of fibre!) and contains NO BUTTER! Instead, it uses olive oil which boasts plenty of health benefits as it contains monounsaturated fatty acids (the good stuff!).

Scroll down for the recipe, and start baking!

Lovely fresh plums going into the batter

Polish Plum Cake
(adapted from Ren Behan)

Ingredients

8-10 plums, stones removed (I used 6 large plums instead)
1 cup / 200g caster sugar
4 large free range eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup / 240ml mild, light olive oil
1 teaspoon vanilla bean extract
1 teaspoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons plain, natural yoghurt
2 cups / 250g self-raising flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon raw sugar (optional)
Icing sugar for dusting

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 190 degrees Celsius / 375 F. Grease and line a rectangular baking tray (20x30cm) with parchment paper.

Chop the fresh plums into halves or quarters and remove and discard the stones. Set to one side.

Put the beaten eggs and sugar into a bowl and whisk well, using an electric whisk if you have one until the mixture starts to thicken. Gradually pour in the oil and vanilla extract and keep whisking until the mixture is pale and creamy. Add in the vanilla, lemon zest and yoghurt. Mix together well.

Sift in the flour and baking powder and gently fold or mix with a metal spoon until all the flour is incorporated.

Pour the batter carefully into the tray and gently press the plums into the top.
(Optional: sprinkle the top of the cake with raw sugar)

Bake in the pre-heated oven for 35-40 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake.

Leave to cool before serving in slices. You can serve this cake with more yoghurt and fruit on the side, or with a spoonful of fresh cream. It will keep will in a tin for up to four days.
(Note: I stored it in the fridge, and it was delicious eaten cold!)

Honeycomb Ice-cream Sandwich

This quick and easy ice-cream dessert is great if you're serving a large crowd at a party. It's also very convenient as you only need to slice and serve - no plates, cups or utensils required! Even the pan doesn't need washing up!

Honeycomb Ice-cream Sandwich

Ingredients

1 packet rectangular-shaped biscuits (I used Arnotts Milk Coffee, but you can use plain, chocolate or other flavour)

1 1/4 cup thickened/heavy whipping cream

5 tbsp condensed milk

1 chocolate bar (Crunchie, Violet crumble, or Cherry Ripe if you prefer), roughly chopped

Method

Whisk cream and condensed milk until thick and almost stiff. Fold in the chopped chocolate bar until evenly mixed.

Line an 8 inch square tin with clingwrap, leaving the sides overhanging with enough to fold over later. Arrange biscuits on the base. Pour the cream mixture over. Arrange another layer of biscuits on top. Cover with clingwrap and freeze for 8 hours or overnight. Slice into sections and serve.

Quick and Easy Pancakes

I do enjoy having pancakes for breakfast once in a while, though not really as a dessert unless they are thin crepe-like ones filled with cream cheese and served with strawberry sauce (sounds familiar? Pancakes on the Rocks??). On the weekends, while I'm still half asleep in bed in the morning, the kids would come close to me and scream into my ear "Mummy! Wake up! Can you make me some pancakes/french toast/scrambled eggs for breakfast?!!".

I've made pancakes on several occasions using various recipes, and I found that the simplest one is the best. These pancakes don't use fancy ingredients and can be prepared in minutes. You really don't want to spend too much time in the kitchen making breakfast nor cleaning up after that. Moreover, the kids think I can just make food appear on the table at the snap of my fingers, or nod of the head, blink of the eyes....you know. Hungry kids just want their food quickly, because if you make them wait too long, they get distracted and might change their mind about what they want to eat.

I just love how easy these pancakes are, and they have a lovely texture that is not too airy nor too dense. We enjoy them with just butter and maple syrup, though you can use this basic recipe to make them into something a bit fancier.

Pancakes

Ingredients

1 cup self-raising flour
1 1/2 tbsp caster sugar
1/4 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Pinch of salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
Butter

Method

Combine flour, bicarbonate of soda, ugar and salt in a large bowl and mix with a whisk.
In small bowl, beat the egg and combine with the milk. Pour into the dry ingredients and mix with a whisk until you get a smooth batter. Add a little more milk if the batter is too thick.
Heat up a non-stick pan on medium heat and melt a little butter in it, enough to grease the surface.
Use a ladle to pour about 1/3 cup of the batter into the pan. Do this in one stroke so that the surface of the pancake browns evenly. I used a large pan, so I made two pancakes at a time.
Let the pancakes cook for 2 minutes or until bubbles appear on the surface and start to look almost dry and set. Flip the pancake over with a spatula and cook the other side for 1 minute or until lightly browned. Transfer onto a serving plate and repeat with the rest of the batter.
Serve the pancakes immediately with butter and maple syrup, or your favourite topping.

Char Kuay Teow (2015 edition)

Here's a new and improved recipe for Char Kuay Teow (fried rice noodles), a popular street food in Malaysia. Try this version and let me know what you think :)

Char Kuay Teow
Serves 1

Ingredients

2-3 tbsp lard (or substitute with vegetable oil)
4 prawns, peeled
6 thinly sliced fishcake
6 thinly sliced Lup Cheong (Chinese sausage)
1/2 tbsp finely chopped garlic
200g fresh rice noodles (separate the strands before cooking)
1 cup beansprouts
A handful garlic chives (cut into 2 inch lengths)
1 egg

Sauce (mix together in a bowl):
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1/2 tbsp Cheong Chan thick caramel (dark soy)
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tbsp kecap manis
1/2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp chicken stock powder
Dash of white pepper
1 tbsp water

Chilli paste:
1 cup dried red chillies, deseeded and soaked in warm water for 3-4 hours
1-2 fresh red chillies
2 shallots
3 cloves garlic
Sugar and salt to taste
Vegetable oil for frying

Method

Prepare chilli paste first. Drain the dried chillies that have been soaked, and roughly chop up. Place in a blender along with 4-5 tbsp water, and blend with the rest of the ingredients until very fine. Heat up about 4 tbsp vegetable oil in a wok and fry the chilli paste for 10-15 minutes until dry. Remove and set aside to cool.

To cook char kuay teow:

1. Take 1/2 tbsp of the chilli paste prepared earlier and mix with 1 tbsp water in a bowl. Set aside.

2. In a wok, heat up lard over high heat and fry the prawns, Chinese sausage and fishcake slices. When the prawns are almost cooked, add garlic and fry briefly.

3. Toss in the noodles and drizzle the sauce over it. Mix in with the noodles and stir-fry quickly, moving the spatula back and forth until noodles are well coated. Stir in the chilli paste from step 1 until mixed through.

4. Toss in beansprouts. Then turn the heat down to medium. Crack an egg into the centre of the noodles and give it a quick stir through the noodles.

5. Toss in the garlic chives and mix through quickly for 10 seconds. The noodles should be fairly moist, and if not, add a few drops of water (or extra lard if desired). Transfer to a plate immediately and serve hot.

Chilli paste

Best Ever Italian Almond Cookies

These are the BEST EVER, absolutely moreish and delicious Sicilian almond cookies you'll ever taste. With a thin and crispy crust outside, and amazingly soft and chewy inside, it's quite impossible to stop at one. The secret is to use roasted almond meal, which gives it a rich nutty and almost caramel-like flavour. Continue reading for the recipe.

Italian Almond Cookies
Adapted from Good Food

Ingredients

250g roasted almond meal
3 egg whites, beaten until stiff
150g white sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 tsp almond essence
Icing sugar, to coat biscuits
Flaked almonds

Method

Using your hands or a large spoon, mix all ingredients (except icing sugar) together in a bowl and rest for 1/2 an hour.

Preheat oven to 180C. Make small balls of about 3 cm by rolling them between your palms, then lightly roll them in the icing sugar. If the mixture is too soft, that's okay. Just drop spoonfuls of the mixture in the icing sugar and gently roll them until covered all over with sugar.

Place on trays lined with baking paper.

Gently press a few flaked almonds into the top of the biscuits.

Cook until biscuits become lightly browned on top - about 12 minutes.

Remove from oven and allow to cool before serving.

The biscuits can be stored in the fridge in a sealed container for up to one month.

Vinomofo Wine Review

Brought to you by Nuffnang and Vinomofo.

When I was asked to review a product from Vinomofo, I had no idea what it was about until Nuffnang told me that they would be sending me two bottles of wine. The name Vinomofo is a funny one, until I recalled "vino" means wine in Italian, and "mofo"....oh well, I was curious as to how the name came about. So I read the mile-long "About" page on the Vinomofo website which talks about how a bunch of wine geeks went a roller-coaster journey to build the most epic wine site in the universe. Or was that planet? Anyway, you should check out some of the wines available on their website. They also have "secret deals" where the only way they can get their hands on them is by agreeing to keep the identity of the wine and the producer secret. Sounds good already!

They also co-produce their own branded wines, labelled "Kinda Independent Wine Company" that isn't available elsewhere. I was fortunate to be able to try out the 2015 Clare Valley Fanny Lime Head Riesling, which by its very name speaks of tongue-in-cheek sophistication. The fancy portrait-style mural of a label with the love letter written to Fanny Lime by Dick Lemonbottom, though cryptic and suggestive, insinuates that the wine itself is made with love and will pair well with spicy Asian food with its citrusy flavours and light limey fragrance.

This is wine of notable standard, given its source, and also of great value. It is smooth and quaffable, with a refreshing hit on the palate, leaving one wanting more. The initial sips of lightness build into a delicious and delightful finish, yet never overbearing nor too astringent in nature. It is after all, juicily enchanting yet mysterious.

The Yarra Valley Bisou Bisou Blanc de Blancs Sparkling is similarly cheeky and playful with its interesting packaging, you can't help but read the fine print on the label (in all silliness!).

There is no doubt in the pedigree of this wine. The description is as it says, fruity citrus lemon flavours, a hint or 2 of golden delicious apple, with a creamy zesty mouthfeel in its finish. Another sip and the flavour builds once again, with the bubbles titillating the tongue with an element of spiciness. And so it is true, one kiss of this sparkling is not enough to sate the palate. Bisou bisou indeed!

Best Ever Korean Fried Chicken (with sweet and sticky spicy sauce)

Best ever Korean Fried Chicken (IMHO). Need I say more? Think of crispy chewy and crunchy batter coated in a candy-like sweet, spicy and sticky glaze. And oh yeah, the chicken. Juicy. Delicious. Yummy. Continue reading to find the recipe.

Korean Fried Chicken with Sweet and Spicy sauce

Ingredients

800g (about 1 lb) chicken wings (drummettes and mid-wings, separated)
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
Canola/Vegetable oil for deep-frying
Sesame seeds for garnishing (optional)

Batter:
2/3 cup plain flour
1 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
3/4 cup water

Sauce:
1 tbsp vegetable oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small red chilli pepper, finely chopped (optional if you want more heat)
1 tbsp light soy sauce
5 tbsp corn syrup
2 tsp apple cider vinegar (or rice wine vinegar)
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tsp gochujang (Korean chilli paste)

Method

Prepare sauce first. Fry garlic (and chilli if used) in the oil, for half a minute, but don't let it brown. Add the rest of the ingredients for the sauce and simmer for 1-2 minutes until it turns syrupy. Turn off heat and set aside. (Note: It will thicken slightly upon cooling. If so, heat up again before using)

Rinse the chicken wings and pat dry with paper towels. Rub all over with salt and lay out in a single layer to draw the moisture out, about 10 minutes. Brush off excess salt and pat the chicken dry again with paper towels.

Mix the batter ingredients with a whisk until you get a smooth paste. Add chicken and coat in the batter. Heat sufficient oil in a wok for deep-frying (about 2 inches deep) at medium-high heat (180C/350F). Shake off excess batter from each chicken wing before frying it in the hot oil. Do not overcrowd the pan, otherwise the batter will not stick properly. Fry in batches for 6-8 minutes until golden. Drain on a wire rack or paper towels. Repeat with the rest of the wings. Once all the wings have been fried once, bring the oil back to temperature again, on high heat this time. Fry the chicken a second time for 4-5 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Drain again. Toss the chicken in the spicy sauce until well coated. You can also reheat the sauce, and toss the chicken into the pan to coat. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with sesame seeds if desired. Enjoy immediately!

Shanghai Red Bean Pancake ("Wo Paeng")

This is a repost of an old favourite!

This is an old favourite of mine since I was little. Typically served in chinese restaurants in BP, we would often order a plate or two of it at the end of the meal. It is a thin, flaky and crispy rectangular-shaped pancake that is usually filled with a thin layer of red bean or white lotus paste, and then cut into small rectangular bite-sized pieces.

I decided to make this after browsing through a cookbook called "Dim Sum" where I came across a picture of an appetizing looking "Wo Paeng". I could just imagine the taste of it - sweet, crispy and oily. The recipe looked simple enough. However, the proportions and method of pan-frying it just didn't do it for me. I found another recipe on the web which looked like it would yield better results, and it did! Of course, it involved deep-frying the pancake to a golden crisp, just as I remembered it. I sprinkled some toasted pinenuts in the filling to add some texture.

Here is the recipe I used, adapted from Amy Beh:

Ingredients

Batter

50g plain flour
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp custard powder
130ml water
1 egg, lightly beaten

Filling
6 tbsp (approx 120g) red bean paste, divided into 2 equal portions
20 pinenuts, toasted

Method

Combine all batter ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix with a hand whisk until well blended and is a thin runny consistency. Divide the batter into two equal portions.
Meanwhile, take one portion of the red bean paste and place it between 2 pieces of clingwrap. Then, with a rolling pin, lightly roll it into a flat square piece and put aside.
Lightly grease a large flat non-stick pan with a little cooking oil. Pour in one portion of the batter. Turn and tilt the pan to allow the batter to run evenly to the edge to form a thin layer of pancake. Cook over a gentle low heat for 2 minutes or until the pancake is cooked. Do not allow the pancake to brown.
Use a turner/spatula to lift pancake onto a plate. Do the same for the other portion of the batter to make a second pancake.
Remove one side of the clingwrap and flip the red bean paste onto the centre of the pancake, and peel off the other side of the clingwrap. Scatter pinenuts over the red bean paste, if used. Fold the near end of the pancake over the filling. Tuck in both the sides. Smear a little beaten egg along the edge and fold the remaining flap over to seal the pancakes.
Deep-fry the pancakes in hot oil until golden brown and crispy. Once they puff up, do not move them around to prevent them from bursting. Remove the pancakes with a perforated ladle and drain on several layers of paper towels.
Cut the pancakes into slices and serve hot.

Pineapple Tarts (2016 edition)

I told myself I was not going to make pineapple tarts this year. It's just too much effort and physically challenging (for someone of my age) and I figured I'd just wait for friends passing through Singapore to bring back tarts for me to eat. No thanks to Facebook, I keep seeing posts of pineapple tarts spilled across the page, made by my baker/foodie friends. I tried to resist the temptation, really (for almost a day). I admit I have a terrible weakness for pineapple tarts. I've made them every year since I moved to Sydney and had to D.I.Y. these CNY ("Chinese New Year") delicacies to satiate my cravings. After all, it's not CNY until you've had pineapple tarts (and bak kwa, but that's another story).

And so, last night, I bought pineapples and made pineapple jam, so that I could roll them into balls and make the tarts this morning. By noon, the pineapple tarts were ready and mission accomplished for January 2016 (although that was not my new year's resolution, but an emergency mission to continue my annual tart-making tradition). So there!

There can never be too many pineapple tart recipes out there. Here's mine for this year of the Monkey!

Pineapple Tarts

(Makes about 30)

Ingredients

225g plain flour

2 tbsp cornflour

2 tbsp icing sugar

125g salted butter, cut into cubes and chilled in freezer

1 1/2 egg yolks

1-2 tbsp ice-cold water

Egg wash: 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten

Filling: 300g pineapple jam (approximately from 1 medium-sized pineapple - recipe here) - shaped into 10g balls (or smaller depending on the size of your tart mould)

Method

Combine the plain flour, cornflour and icing sugar in a bowl and mix well. Place the flour mixture into the bowl of a food processor together with the cubed butter. Cover with lid and pulse it several times until it resembles breadcrumbs. Mix the egg yolks with 1 tbsp iced water and drizzle it into the flour mixture with the motor running. If the dough looks dry and doesn't come together when pressed between your fingers, then add another tablespoon of cold water and pulse/blend again until dough comes together (but not too soft or wet).

Bring the dough together to form a disc and wrap with clingwrap. Set aside in the fridge to rest for 1/2 hour.

Preheat oven to 180C.

Roll out the pastry and cut out the shapes with tart mould. Top with pineapple and decorate the top with bits of shaped pastry if desired. Brush the pastry with egg wash and bake in oven for 18-20 minutes until lightly golden. Rest on the tray for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool. Enjoy and store leftovers (if any) in an airtight container.

Malaysian Vegetable Curry (Sayur Lodeh)

Sayur lodeh is a vegetable curry commonly found in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia. The version I grew up with contains cabbage, eggplant, long beans, deep-fried tofu (and sometimes tofu puffs) and glass noodles. I made this for lunch today and it turned out perfect (really!) and so I decided to post the recipe here in case I forget how to replicate the dish next time. Cooking is a bit of trial and error sometimes, especially with Asian cooking. I think I've got the recipe down as accurately as I can, and it's super duper delicious with rice (or even on its own).

Malaysian Vegetable Curry (Sayur Lodeh)
Serves 6

Ingredients

1 packet (300g) deep fried tofu
1 cup sliced carrots
3 cups cabbage (about 1/4 of a cabbage), cut into 2 inch strips
2 cups green/long beans, cut into 2 inch lengths
2 eggplants (the long and slender type), sliced into 2 inch halves
2 pieces kaffir lime leaves, torn and crushed
4 cups water
1 1/2 teaspoon ikan bilis stock powder
1 tablespoon palm sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 tablespoons chilli paste (made from dried chillies)
1 1/2 cups coconut milk
1 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
2 teaspoons soy sauce
1 handful glass noodles, soaked in water until softened

Spice paste (blend finely):
3 tablespoons dried shrimp (rinse with water and drain, then leave for 15 minutes to soften)
2 medium onions
4 cloves garlic
1/2 inch ginger
1/2 inch galangal
1 stalk lemongrass, white part only (reserve the rest of the stalk to simmer separately in the broth later)
2-3 teaspoons toasted belacan
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric

Method

In a large pot, heat up the vegetable oil and fry the spice paste and chilli paste for 5-10 minutes. Add the kaffir lime leaf and reserved lemongrass stalk (the non-white part) and fry briefly. Add water and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 1/2 hour.
Add coconut milk ikan bilis stock powder, sugar and bring to a simmer. Do not let it boil vigorously. Season with salt and soy sauce.
Add the tofu and carrots, followed by the cabbage, long beans and eggplant. When it starts to simmer, cover with a lid and let it simmer for 15 minutes until vegetables are just cooked. Just before serving, add the glass noodles until it's softened. Serve immediately with steamed white rice.

Cherry Cheese "Christmas Wreath" Pound Cake

This cake was inspired by the cover of this month's Coles magazine, which actually uses an instant butter cake mix. I decided to make the cake even more festive by making a cream cheese pound cake bursting with fresh cherries, drizzled over some orange glaze icing and decorated it with more cherries! A generous dusting of icing sugar always creates a pretty snowflake effect, and to complete the Christmas wreath look, I added a sprig of mint leaves which I picked from the garden.

Little Hilary insisted on "framing" the photo with Christmas decorations...

This cake is perfect with a cuppa for afternoon tea, and is fantastic when served warm with that delicious orange glaze icing. The cream cheese in the cake adds more of a "creamy" texture to the cake, and not so much of flavour. The recipe I used called for maraschino cherries, but I substituted with fresh cherries instead. I reckon you can use cranberries too if you like. I must admit, the trickiest part was trying to keep the cherries from falling off the top of the cake as I was taking pictures of it. Other than that, this cake is really easy to make and is sure to impress your family and friends this Christmas!

Cherry Cheese "Christmas Wreath" Pound Cake
Adapted from Allrecipes.com

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese

1 1/2 cups caster sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract (I subtituted with 1 tsp almond essence)

1 1/2 cup maraschino cherries (or substitute with fresh pitted cherries), drained and halved

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Fresh cherries for decorating

Icing sugar for dusting

Sprigs of mint leaves

Orange glaze icing:

1 1/2 cups icing sugar

About 2 tbsp fresh orange juice

Method

Preheat oven to 325F (165C). Grease and flour an 8 inch tube/bundt pan. Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large bowl, cream together the butter, cream cheese, and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla and almond extract. Beat in the flour mixture, mixing just until incorporated. Dredge the well-drained cherries in 1/4 cup flour, then gently fold into batter. Spread into prepared pan and level the mixture with a spatula.
Bake in the preheated oven for 60-80 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
Once the cake has cooled, combine the ingredients for the orange glaze icing in a bowl until you get a smooth mixture that is not too runny. Drizzle the cake with the glaze and arrange fresh cherries on top. Add a sprig (or more) of mint leaves. Dust liberally with icing sugar. This cake is best served slightly warm (a few seconds in the microwave works great!).

Tip:

I didn't have a cherry-pitter. So, in order to pit the cherries, I first removed the stem, then inserted the end of a chopstick from the top of the cherry and pushed it straight through the centre until the pit/seed popped out below. Gets a little messy but it does the job! Alternatively, just use a sharp knife to cut around the seed, twist the cherry halves apart and pry out the seed with your fingers.

Galbi Jjim (Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs)

I've been eating too much Korean Fried Chicken lately it's not funny. I decided to try a healthy Korean dish this time which is a stew made with beef short ribs. It's cooked in a light soy-based broth that reminds me of bulgogi, but made into a stew instead. It contains honey and mirin, and so tends to be on the sweet side. It's a nice change from the salty braised pork belly stew that I'm so used to at home. Galbi in Korean translates to "shortrib" and "jjim" refers to dishes made by steaming or boiling.

Galbijjim (Korean Braised Beef Short Ribs)

Adapted from Korean Bapsang

Ingredients

3 pounds meaty beef short ribs

1/2 onion

3 -4 thin ginger slices

5 garlic cloves

3 white parts of scallions

Braising Liquid:

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons honey (I omitted this)

1/4 cup rice wine (or mirin)

2 tablespoons of sesame oil

1/2 medium Asian pear, grated (about 1/2 cup)

1/2 small onion grated

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 teaspoon grated (or juiced) ginger

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Vegetables:

10 ounces Korean radish, cut into large chunks (about 1-1/2-inch cubes)

3 – 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and quartered

2 carrots, cut into large chunks (about 1 inch long)

Optional garnish:

6 – 8 peeled fresh chestnuts

6 – 8 dried Korean dates/jujube

10 – 12 gingko nuts, or 1 tablespoon pine nuts

Method

Trim off any excess fat. Rinse the ribs and let them sit in cold water for about 30 minutes to draw out excess blood. Drain. In a large pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Add the ribs, onion, ginger, garlic and scallions.

Bring it to a gentle boil, uncovered. Skim off the scum on the top. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for 30 minutes. Remove the ribs, reserving the stock.

Strain the stock and skim off the fat. (Refrigerating the stock will help the fat solidify for easier removal. If you have room in the freezer, the process will go faster.)

Mix together all the braising liquid ingredients. Return the ribs to the pot. Pour the braising liquid over the meat. Set it aside to marinate for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the vegetables.

Add 2-1/2 cups of the stock to the marinated ribs. Cover and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the vegetables, leaving out the optional garnish ingredients. Continue to simmer, covered, for about 20 minutes.

Stir in the optional garnish ingredients. Return to simmer, uncovered this time, for an additional 10 – 20 minutes*, or until the sauce is thicker and the meat is tender but not falling apart.

(*At this time, adjust the heat level and cooking time, depending on how tender you want your ribs to be and how much sauce you like to have. Use medium low heat and additional time for more tender meat with more sauce. Likewise, you can increase the heat to medium to reduce the sauce quicker. Also, leaving the pot uncovered during the last 10 – 20 minutes gives the ribs a nice sheen.)

Soboro Don (Japanese Ground Chicken Rice Bowl)

Loving this simple dish that's kid-friendly, yet perfect for a weeknight family meal if you're looking for something quick and easy to prepare. I love eggs, and especially scrambled eggs. This chicken mince rice bowl is served with an egg crumble, which is made by scrambling the eggs with a pair of chopsticks until it turns into crumbs (of course!). Leftovers also make great lunchboxes for kids the next day.

Soboro Don
Source: Adam's Big Pot

Ingredients

1 tbsp vegetable oil
500g chicken mince
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup sake
2 tbsp caster sugar
2 tbsp mirin
¼ cup water
2 cups snow peas, tailed
8 cups steamed short-grain rice,

To serve

1 sheet nori, finely sliced, to serve

EGG CRUMBLE

4 eggs
2 tbsp mirin
1 tsp caster sugar

Method

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat and add the chicken mince. Fry the mince until it turns white (you don't need to brown it) and add the soy sauce, sake, sugar, mirin and water.

Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes, or until the liquid has almost completely evaporated. Stir again to moisten the chicken and set aside.

To make the egg crumble, heat the eggs, mirin, sugar and salt together in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring frequently for about 10 minutes, or until the egg dries and is in small pieces. Blanch the snow peas in boiling salted water for about 1 minute, then refresh in cold water.

Cut the snow peas in half diagonally. Divide the rice between four bowls and press down to create a flat surface.

Arrange the chicken, sliced snow peas and egg crumble in sections over the top of the rice.

Serve with sliced nori.

TIP: This recipe works equally well with pork, turkey or beef mince. For the snow peas you could substitute cooked green peas, or blanched green beans sliced into rounds.

Crispy Deep-Fried Chicken Curry Puffs

Curry puffs are a staple teatime snack in Malaysia and Singapore, along with other tasty favourites such as banana fritters (with chili soy sauce!), sweet potato donuts (and many other deep-fried snacks!). Maybe it's just me, but whenever I'm in Malaysia, I'm constantly eating round the clock - breakfast, mid-morning snack, brunch, lunch, dessert, afternoon tea, evening snack, dinner, snack again followed by supper. Fortunately, there's a wide variety of food to choose from across different cuisines, plus there are different food stalls that operate from early morning till past midnight, and some even over 24 hours. Curry puffs are also known as epok-epok or karipap in Malaysia. I've made various types which you can find here, here and here. The recipe below is another version that uses oil and margarine, which gives it a firmer yet crispy texture, and equally delicious.

According to my mum, the "makcik" (auntie in Malay) selling curry puff in Malaysia told her that in order to get a flaky pastry, you need to "canai" the dough (meaning to flatten out and knead the dough) for about 5 minutes or long enough to incorporate air into the dough. I tried it and it turned out well, though next time, I'll need to test and see if it makes any difference if I didn't "canai" the dough.

Crispy deep-fried curry puffs

Ingredients

Filling:
Click here for recipe.

Pastry:
220g plain flour
25g rice flour
25g tapioca starch
60ml (1/4 cup) vegetable oil
30ml (2 tbsp) margarine
110ml cold water
1/4 tsp salt

Method

Prepare the curry puff filling first (click here for recipe).

After filling is cooked and cooled, prepare the pastry. Combine all the flours in a mixing bowl. Place margarine in a small saucepan and heat until melted and bubbling. Add vegetable oil and heat again until hot. Drizzle the hot oils into the flour and use a spatula to mix through until crumbly and soft. Mix 1/4 teaspoon salt to the cold water and drizzle over the flour mixture. Mix together with hands and start kneading until it forms a soft dough. Place on a flat surface like a wooden board, and knead well Stretch out and flatten the dough and fold over repeatedly, incorporating air into the dough. Do this for about 5 minutes.

Roll out little balls of dough and flatten into a disc. Place the cooked curry filling in the centre of the disc and fold over into a half moon, and pleat the edges with your fingers. If using a curry puff mould, make sure to seal the edges with tapioca starch solution so that the seal doesn't open up when frying.

Heat oil in a wok, pan or deep-fryer, enough for deep frying. When oil is hot (on high heat), add the curry puffs one at a time, fry for a minute and then turn the heat down to medium. Fry in batches, for about 5-7 minutes until golden brown. Then remove and drain on a wire rack or some absorbent kitchen paper. Serve, enjoy!

Mascarpone Cheesecake with Nutella Sauce

I go through phases once in a while. When I try a food that I really like and think that I could replicate it at home, I would do tonnes of research on the internet (I can't imagine how that would be possible 20 years ago, thanks Dr Google) and try out different recipes and variations until my mission was complete. To think of those times I had to eat char kuay teow 3 weekends in a row, the different versions of Korean fried chicken I had to go through, and all those swiss rolls and chiffon cakes (the good, the bad and the downright ugly) - I don't know why I do it, but perhaps it's determination, or maybe I just don't know when to stop. This time, I went through a cheesecake phase. Ever since I tried the New York cheesecake from Lorraine's Patisserie, I totally fell in love with its light, fluffy and cloud-like texture. Never mind that the cake was so delicate that it kept falling apart when I tried to slice it. It was like eating cheese-clouds and gingery spiced biscuit crust - simply heavenly!

I found this recipe for mascarpone cheesecake by Giada that had an almond crust. For recipe-testing purposes, I skipped the crust and made the cheese filling only, just to see how the texture turned out. So, the mascarpone makes it more Italian than New York style, though Giada claims that mascarpone makes the lightest cheesecake. It turned out pretty light and creamy (though it tends to be a bit firm when it's straight out from the fridge). The kids loved it especially with the nutella sauce. The original recipe includes the crust, which I've omitted below. A crustless cheesecake is equally delicious and much simpler too!

Mascarpone Cheesecake (Crustless)

Adapted from Foodnetwork

2 (8-ounce) packages cream cheese, room temperature

2 (8-ounce) containers mascarpone cheese, room temperature

1 1/4 cups sugar

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

4 large eggs, room temperature

Topping:

1/2 cup Nutella

1/4 cup milk or whipping cream

Method

Prepare a 9 inch springform pan by greasing and lining the base with baking paper. Wrap the outside of the pan with 3 layers of aluminium foil, making sure there are not holes/tears in the foil. Preheat oven to 180C.

Using an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, and sugar in a large bowl until smooth, occasionally scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. Beat in the lemon juice and vanilla. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating just until blended after each addition.

Pour the cheese mixture into the springform pan. Place the pan in a large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Bake until the center of the cheesecake moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 1 hour 5 minutes (the cake will become firm when it is cold). Transfer the cake to a rack; cool for 1 hour. Refrigerate until the cheesecake is cold, at least 8 hours and up to 2 days.

For the topping: Combine the nutella and milk / cream in a small bowl. Heat in the microwave until warm, stirring every 20 seconds to blend, about 1 minute.

Cut the cake into wedges. Drizzle the chocolate sauce over the wedges and serve.

Masala Dosa (Far Flung wtih Gary Mehigan)

I have a weakness for all things caramelized, golden brown and crispy. Take for example, this Okonomiyaki Pancake-style Gyoza which was featured in Adam Liaw's Destination Flavour Japan two years ago. How could anyone resist those crispy charred-bottom dumplings doused in Kewpie mayonnaise? Well, certainly not I! Nor could I resist the temptation of the golden crispy dosa that Gary made in his latest cooking show "Far Flung with Gary Mehigan" which started airing on Channel Ten two weeks ago.

Dosa is one of my absolute favourite Indian foods, especially crispy paper dosa, which is a very thin and crispy dosa served with sambar and chutney. My trips back to Singapore are never complete without having paper dosa at least once at Little India.

And so begins my inaugural attempt at making masala dosa. The most important part of all this is the fermentation of the batter, which mainly made from rice and urad dal. Without adequate fermentation, you won't get the distinctive sourish taste of dosa. It's winter in Sydney and not the best time to find a warm spot to let the batter do its job. I did chuck it in a warm oven (turned off) for a little while, though it wasn't very effective. Nevertheless, the dosa turned out marvellouslly well (sans the sourness) and the texture was perfect - crispy on the outside and slightly chewy in the middle. I made the red chutney as well a coconut chutney to go along with it. It was deeeee-licious! If only I had a large hot plate, I could make a few dosas at a time as it takes about 5 minutes for each dosa to turn golden and crispy. I'm salivating at the thought of it now.

The potato bhaji is easy to prepare. I skipped the asafoetida as the bottle I had (from making Pav Bhaji 3 years ago!) had expired and I didn't bother to buy another. I wasn't too sure if I got the red chutney right as it seemed a little dry (perhaps I used too much chana dal which I roasted/deep-fried until crisp) and so I had to add a fair bit of water to loosen the texture to a spreadable paste. In any case, it was the perfect accompaniment to the masala dosa. I made a quick coconut chutney using dessicated coconut, garlic, curry leaves and mustard seed. I'm salivating again. I think this calls for a dosa party at my house soon. Who's interested? :)

Dosa

Adapted from Far Flung with Gary Mehigan

1 cup raw short grain rice

1 cup cooked short grain rice

1 cup ural dal

1/4 cup channa dahl

1 tsp fenugreek seeds

Pinch salt

60ml oil or ghee for cooking

Place both the cooked and raw rice and dahls into a medium sized bowl and rinse a few times under running water. Add the fenugreek seeds and cover with water (about 2 inches high).

Cover with cling wrap or a cloth and leave to ferment at room temperature for 5 hours or overnight.

Drain most of the liquid but reserve to one side. Blend the rice and dahl into a batter, adding a little of the soaking liquid if required to loosen. The batter should be the consistency of double cream.

Cover and leave in a warm place to ferment for a further 8 hours or overnight until bubbly and light. Add salt and mix again. Set aside. Prepare the potato bhaji (see below).

Potato Bhaji

2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tbsp mustard oil (optional)
1/2 tsp brown mustard seeds
1 tbsp chana dal
1/4 tsp asafoetida (optional)
1 large red onion finely sliced
2 green chillies, chopped
10 curry leaves
1/2 tsp salt
3 medium potatoes diced and boiled
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/2 cup of water
2 tblsp chopped coriander
1/2 lime wedge

Heat the oils in a medium sized pan and add the mustard seeds. They will begin to sizzle and pop, add the chana dal and toast until golden. Add the asafoetida, the sliced onions, green chilies, curry leaves and pinch of salt and cook until light golden.

Add the cooked diced potatoes, turmeric, a pinch of salt and 1/2 cup of water. Stir to combine, lower the heat and cook for a further 3-4 minutes to allow the heat to draw through the potatoes and for the flavours to combine. Set aside.

To make and assemble the dosa: Heat the dosa pan over a low heat (if it's too hot, the batter will set too quickly making it difficult to spread it around the pan) and pour a ladle of batter into the centre of the pan. Starting from the middle spread the batter out in concentric circles towards the outside to form a thin pancake. Don't try to retrace the lines.

Drizzle a little oil around and over the dosa and cook gently for 3-4 minutes until the bottom is golden and crisp. Spread some red chutney (see recipe below) over the dosa and place a spoonful or two of the potato bhaji into the centre, and carefully roll into a large tube. You need to do this while the dosa is still hot, otherwise it will be difficult to roll once it cools down. You can also fold it into a half-moon shape.

Serve the dosa warm with a little bowl of coconut chutney, fresh lime wedges and fresh chopped coriander.

Red Chutney

1/2 cup roasted channa dahl

1 tbsp crush ajwain seeds

8 cloves garlic

5-6 long red chillies (I used dried chillies that have been blended and fried in oil)

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 tsp salt

Water

Combine in a spice grinder along with a little water and blend to a paste.

Here's a variation of dosa with a lightly beaten egg spread over the top and cooked till set.
Something a bit more substantial!