Spicy Cinnamon French Toast

Spicy Cinnamon French Toast

Recipe source :  Deen Brothers

This is a spicy variation of the French toast by the Deen Brothers. 

I like the crusty base of the toast where the sugar and melted butter had cameralised. The spicy flavour is a welcomed change from the usual French toast. Add more cayenne pepper if you prefer a fiery hot toast.

To borrow a phrase from the Deen brothers, this is a recipe worth waking up for!

Ingredients

1 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1 1/2 cups milk
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice            ( I did not add lemon juice )
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch of salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
12 slices bread

Instructions

1.  Preheat oven to 180 degree C.
2.  In a bowl, whisk together the sugar and melted butter. Spread the mixture in a large baking pan. Set a side. ( Adjust and divide the ingredients if the oven and baking pan are small ).
3.  In another large bowl, whisk together milk, eggs, vanilla, lemon juice, cinnamon, salt and cayenne pepper. 
4.  Dip each slice of bread in the egg mixture and soak for 30 seconds. Transfer to the prepared baking pan.
5.  Bake for about 20 to 25 minutes or until golden.

 I am submitting this post to Cook Like A Star 

Organised by Zoe of Bake For happy Kids, Joyce of Kitchen Flavours and 

Diana of Domestic Goddess Wannabe 

Cook like a Star (Paula Deen and Deen brothers theme) organised by - See more at: http://www.bakeforhappykids.com/#sthash.4jBisJVD.dpuf

This post is linked to Cook like a Star (Paula Deen and Deen brothers theme) organised by me, Bake for Happy Kids, Joyce from Kitchen Flavours and Diana from Domestic Goddess Wannabe - See more at: http://www.bakeforhappykids.com/#sthash.4jBisJVD.dpuf

This post is linked to Cook like a Star (Paula Deen and Deen brothers theme) organised by me, Bake for Happy Kids, Joyce from Kitchen Flavours and Diana from Domestic Goddess Wannabe - See more at: http://www.bakeforhappykids.com/#sthash.4jBisJVD.dpuf

 

I am linking this to Little Thumbs Up

The theme for June 2014 is Butter

Hosted by  Spice Up My Kitchen

This event is organised by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids 

and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY

Macau Pork Chop Bun 澳门猪扒包

Macau Pork Chop Bun 澳门猪扒包

Recipe source : Adapted from  Cook4YourMan

After my last Macau trip, I started searching for the recipe. But it appears like there are not many recipes available online on Macau's famous pork chop bun except for the above link. Probably it is a closely guarded trade secret or probably the blogs on pork chop buns are written in the Chinese language.

I like pork chop buns very much. In fact, I ate several pieces during the short duration of my stay in Macau. It is no wonder that pork chop bun is among the top food attraction of Macau!

The authentic ones comes with the piece of bone attached to the pork chop. Unlike burgers, this bun does not require any garnishing or accompaniments like lettuce, tomatoes or sauces. Not even butter on the toasted bun.The piece of deep-fried pork chop wedged between a bun is all there is to it. 

Well, this helped tide over my craving for pork chop buns temporarily until my next trip to Macau or to the nearest outlet of the famous Tai Lei Loi Kei's signature Macau pork chop bun which are now operating at a few outlets in Kuala Lumpur.

Ingredients

4 pieces pork chop ( 1/2 inch thick)
2 pips garlic, chopped
2 tsp white rice wine
1 tsp soya sauce
1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
1 cup all purpose flour               ( I used tapioca flour )
11/4  tsp salt                               ( I used 1 tsp salt )
1 tsp olive oil                              ( I used ordinary cooking oil )
1/4 canola oil for frying              ( I used ordinary cooking oil )
4 pineapple buns                       ( I used ordinary buns )

 Fresh pork chops

 Buns from the supermarket

 Brown them in a dry wok

 Fried pork chop ready for serving

Instructions

1.  Wash and wipe dry the pork chops with kitchen towels. 
2.  Use the back of a cleaver to tap the pork chops to tenderise them.
3.  Marinate the pork chops overnight with chopped garlic, rice wine, soya sauce, Chinese five-spice powder, 1 tsp oil  and salt.
4.  Prior to frying, bring pork chops to room temperature.
5.  Place flour in shallow pan, dredging the chops with flour. Shake off excess flour.
6.  Fry in hot oil until cooked. 

To serve :

1.  Cut the buns into halves and place them into a dry saucepan to brown them slightly or you can brown them in the oven.
2.  Place a piece of fried pork chop between the cut bun.
3.  Ready to serve. 

I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest : Hong Kong + Macau - Jan & Feb 2014, hosted by Annie from Annielicious Food

Killer Club Sandwich (Ree Drummond)

Killer Club Sandwich (Ree Drummond)

Recipe source :  Ree Drummond

The moment I came across this club sandwich, I wanted to try it out. YS and I love eating club sandwiches. The last one we ate was at a hotel and that burnt a hole in my pocket.  Club sandwiches don't come cheap and not all restaurants have this in their menu. 

Ingredients ( makes 2 sets )

6 slices wholemeal bread, toast until golden brown
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp basil pesto
1 tbsp tomato paste  ( original recipe used sun-dried tomato pesto )
1 packet bacon, fry until crispy and drain on paper towel
150g pineapple glazed ham
150g turkey ham
2 tomatoes, sliced    ( original recipe used avocados )
4 slices cheese
2 pieces lettuce

 Turkey ham and pineapple glazed ham 

 Streaky bacon

 Packaged basil pesto

Instructions

1. Mix 1 tsp of basil pesto with 1 tbsp of mayonnaise. Set aside to be used as a spread for the toast.
2  Mix 1 tbsp tomato paste with 1 tbsp mayonnaise. Set aside to be used as a spread for the toast.
3  Ree's blog shows a detailed step-by-step guide on assembling the sandwich.

YS snapped this photo just before biting into it

I am linking this post to "Cook Like A Star" 

 

Hosted by Baby Sumo of Eat Your Heart Out, 

Zoe from Bake For Happy Kids and Mich from Piece of Cake 

Home-made Spicy Pork Burgers 咖哩汉堡包

Home-made Spicy Pork Burgers 咖哩汉堡包

Recipe source :  Adapted from Amy Beh's Culinary Conundrums ~ The Star Newspapers


We had these home-made spicy pork burgers for lunch. A nice change from our usual staple which is rice or porridge.  Add more curry powder to the seasonings if you prefer a hotter and spicier burger.


SK found these burgers "tolerable" as his food preference has always been Chinese, while YS and I gobbled up the burgers with gusto!

Ingredients 

350g minced pork
1 big potato, boiled and mashed
1 big onion, chopped
Mayonnaise ( optional )
Barbecue sauce ( optional )
Chili sauce ( optional )

Seasonings

2 heaped tsp curry powder
3/4 tsp ground black pepper
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp sugar
1/3 tsp pepper

Other ingredients

6 burger buns or hot dog buns
Slices of tomatoes
Lettuce leaves, shredded

Instructions

1.  Put minced pork, mashed potato and seasonings together in a large mixing bowl. Add chopped onions and mix to combine well.
2.  Shape the mixture into round or oval burgers ( depending ) on your choice of bread  to thickness of about 1 cm.
3.  Shallow fry the burgers in a flat based saucepan until both sides are cooked.
4.  Cut burger buns into halves. Place shredded lettuce on a cut burger bun.
5.  Add a piece of pan-fried home-made pork burger on top of the shredded lettuce.
6.  Top with slices of tomatoes.
7.  Add mayonnaise, barbecue sauce or chili sauce of your choice
8.  Place the other half of the burger bun on top.

I am submitting this post to Miss B of Everybody Eats Well In Flanders

The theme for June 2013 is curry powder

This event is linked to Little Thumbs Up

The event is organised by Zoe, of Bake For happy Kids and Doreen, of My Little Favourite DIY    

Dried Shrimp Sambal Sandwich 辣椒虾米酱三明治

Dried Shrimp Sambal Sandwich 辣椒虾米酱三明治

 

Ingredients

4 pieces of bread
4 tbsp dried shrimp sambal
some butter or margarine to spread on the bread 

Dried shrimp sambal

 

Instructions

1.  Spread butter on the 4 pieces of bread
2.  Add 2 tbsp of  dried shrimp sambal  on one piece of buttered bread
3.  Top up with another piece of buttered bread
4.  Cut the set of sandwich into triangles
5.  Repeat the steps to make another set of sandwich.

Yummy!

Bread Fried With Egg Batter & Oyster Sauce

Bread Fried With Egg Batter & Oyster Sauce

 

 A modified version of the French Toast

I have more than half a loaf of bread left and everyone is tired of eating it with jam and butter. I thought of making french toast but I do not have fresh milk in my fridge nor do I have fresh mushrooms and cheese to make an omelette to go with the bread. I looked with dismay into my almost empty fridge that badly needed stocking up. I thought hard and then I remembered reading somewhere about a Malaysian lady who worked overseas and she used to make "Malaysian Toast" for her young charges. Okay, so I have bread, eggs and oyster sauce in my fridge, and that's what I am going to prepare today.

Ingredients

2 eggs

1 tbsp oyster sauce

4 to 5 slices of bread

2 tbsp cooking oil or butter

Instructions

1.  Beat the eggs in a deep dish or plate

2.  Add in 1 tbsp of oyster sauce and beat well together to mix thoroughly

Egg batter with oyster sauce

Cooking Instructions

1.  In a wok, add in 2 tbsp of cooking oil.

2.  Heat it up and reduce the flame to low

3.  Dip both sides of the bread into the egg mixture. Let any excess egg mixture drip back onto the plate.

4.  Fry the bread in the wok. Flip it over after half a minute. 

5.  Keep flipping until both sides are done

6.  It should not take more than 2 minutes to fry each slice of bread.

7. Add more oil to fry more bread.

 

Simple to do, good to eat and filling!