Honey Peach Panna Cotta

Honey Peach Panna Cotta

Recipe source : Adapted from Dairy Goodness

The original recipe used peach puree. But I opted to chop the peaches instead of blending into a puree. I like a slight bite to the peaches and I like the speckled design of the peaches against the creamy milk. The honey was a brilliant addition instead of using sugar.

This is a wonderful and very refreshing dessert.

Ingredients

2 1/2 tsp agar-agar powder      ( original recipe used gelatin )
500 ml milk, divided into 2 portions
a pinch of salt
2 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 can sliced peaches in juice
Ground cinnamon                     ( I omitted this )

Fresh milk

 Canned peaches

Preparation

1.  Sprinkle agar-agar powder into one portion of milk. Stir to mix well.
2.  Pour the other portion of milk into a small pot and heat over low heat until steaming.
3.  Add in the portion of agar-agar mixture. Continue stirring until it comes to a boil.
4.  Remove from flame and add in honey, salt and vanilla extract. Allow to cool.
5.  Chop 3/4 cup of peaches and add in 1 tbsp of the canned juice. Pour the chopped peaches into the slightly cooled down pudding. 
6.  Pour into 4 small cups. Leave to cool. 
7.  Cover the cups with cling film and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
8.  When chilled, use a sharp knife to run around the edge of the panna cotta and invert onto a serving plate.
9.  Garnish with sliced peaches and sprinkle with ground cinnamon (optional).

 Pour into small cups and allow to set before chilling

I am linking this post to Little Thumbs Up

The theme for May 2014 is Milk

Hosted by Tze of  Awayofmind Bakery House

This event is organised by Zoe of Bake For Happy Kids 
and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY

Chawan Mushi

Chawan Mushi

Recipe source :  Adapted from The Miele Workshop

Chawan mushi, a Japanese steamed egg dish which I learnt from the Miele Workshop

I have prepared this before on my own but it was not as smooth as this recipe. This time round I kept to Chef Amy Beh's instructions carefully and the result was six wonderful cups of soft and silky smooth chawan mushi.

Very smooth and tasty!

 

Ingredients

3 eggs
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp mirin (a type of Japanese cooking wine)
some fresh mushrooms  (shimeji mushrooms)
30g dried scallops, soaked until soft
some chopped spring onions (optional) 

 Dried scallops

Fresh buna shimeji mushrooms

Method

1.  Beat eggs in a large bowl.
2.  Mix eggs with stock. Strain the egg mixture and set aside.
3.  Put some dried scallops, which have been soaked into teacups ( about 8 to 10 teacups or ramekins)
4.  Add in a few pieces of fresh mushrooms which has been cut into sections.
5.  Pour egg mixture into the teacups until almost full.
6.  Arrange teacups into a steaming tray.
7.  Cover the teacups with aluminium foil.
8.  Steam at 85 degree C for 20 to 25 minutes.
9.  Top with chopped spring onions (optional)

 

Very smooth and tasty!

Apam Balik (Ban Chean Kuih)

Apam Balik (Ban Chean Kuih)

Recipe source :  Flavours magazine

Apam balik or ban chean kuih in the Hokkien dialect, is an ever popular local kuih. I always pick up a piece or two of this delicious kuih each time I pass by the hawker selling it near the wet market. Each time I have to queue up because demand exceeds supply! The lady is literally selling "hot cakes" because there is always a long queue waiting for her to make them. 

The Chinese lady who sells this apam balik makes them thick and spongy. She uses a very large and heavy metal mould and cut the kuih into several pieces once it's done. Malay hawkers tend to make thin and crispy apam balik which are smaller in diameter. Both versions are equally delicious.

I am so glad I came across this recipe. It's so satisfying to make this at home!

Ingredients for flour mixture (makes 5 pieces)

250g plain flour
20g custard powder
30g rice flour
1 tsp salt
45g sugar
1 tsp instant yeast
1 large egg, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
310ml water
1 tsp bicarbonate soda or alkaline water
cooking oil for greasing pan 

 The flour mixture which has been set aside for one hour. 

Add bicarbonate of soda or alkaline water after one hour

 Crushed toasted peanuts

Sugar

Toppings

60g sugar
100g crushed toasted peanuts
60g margarine or butter
50g cream corn  (optional)              

Method

1.  Mix all the ingredients of the flour mixture except bicarbonate of soda or alkaline water  together.  Whisk until smooth. Cover and set a side for one hour.
2.  After one hour add bicarbonate of soda or alkaline water. Whisk the batter again to mix well.
3.  Heat a non-stick frying pan over low heat until hot. (I used a 20cm non-stick frying pan).
4.  Add some cooking oil to lightly grease the frying pan. 
5.  Add 3/4 cup batter and swirl the batter around to coat the whole frying pan and the sides as well. 
6.  Cook over low heat until bubbles appear. Add sugar and crushed toasted peanuts.
7.  Add a bit of butter or margarine and spread some cream corn on top of the peanuts.
8.  When the bottom is browned fold the pancake in half and transfer to a plate. 

  Do you find it mouth-watering?

Kuih Bingka Ubi (Cassava Cake ) 木薯糕

Kuih Bingka Ubi (Cassava Cake) 木薯糕

Recipe source :  Adapted from here

I love to eat this baked cassava cake which I often buy from Malay stalls selling an assortment of kuih-muih. The vendors usually displayed a wide array of choices which at times I find it hard to make a choice as to which kuih or cake I wish to eat!

Now making this kuih at home is another story. Grating the tapioca is no joke. It is a lot of hard work. But it is well worth the effort as the end result yielded a very fragrant and tasty cassava cake.

I made this for a family gathering and everyone likes it. As I was baking this for the first time, I only made a small loaf.  I have to take note to increase the amount the next time.

 

Ingredients

700g grated tapioca (cassava )
450ml coconut milk
50g grated coconut
70g palm sugar ( gula Melaka)
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 pieces pandan leaves
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp butter

Tapioca or cassava

Method

1.  In a pot, mix coconut milk, palm sugar, granulated sugar, salt and pandan leaves. Heat over low heat until palm sugar and granulated sugar melted. Add butter. Stir to mix well. Discard the pandan leaves.
2.  Add grated coconut and grated tapioca.
3. Stir over low heat until slightly thicken. keep stirring to prevent burning at the bottom of pot.
4.  Line a loaf pan with aluminium foil. 
5.  Pour thicken tapioca mixture into the prepared loaf pan.
6.  Bake at preheated oven at 180 degree C for about 1 1/2 hours or until firm. 
7.  The top should be browned. 

Ginseng Chicken Soup ( Samgyetang 삼계탕 )

Ginseng Chicken Soup ( Samgyetang 삼계탕 )

Recipe source : Adapted from Maangchi 

I used a dried ginseng root to make this famous Korean Samgyetang. I reckon I cannot follow Maangchi's method which calls for the use of a fresh ginseng root, strictly because fresh ginseng is not available. So I need to boil the dried ginseng to soften it first before using it. If I were to stuff the dried ginseng root into the chicken cavity directly, the root will remain hard and uncooked, while the chicken becomes soft and tender. Then the goodness of the ginseng root will not be released into the chicken and soup.

The aroma of ginseng was rather strong during the cooking process and there was an instance where the flavour of garlic was strong as well. But it was only for a short while. 

The end result? The soup was richly  flavoured by the ginseng root and the chicken. 

Ingredients

1 chicken

1/4 cup glutinous rice

10 cloves garlic

3 red dates

1 ginseng root

 2 litres water.

Top picture: First row :Ginseng root

Second row :Red dates

Third row : Garlic

Bottom picture : Soaked glutinous rice

Method

1.  Soak 1/4 cup of glutinous rice for a few hours.
2.  Place ginseng root in a pot, add water to boil until the root turns soft.  
3.  Stuff chicken with glutinous rice, red dates, garlic and the softened ginseng root.
4.  Place the stuffed chicken into the ginseng soup and throw in the remaining garlic into the soup and boil over rapid fire for 45 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
5.  Serve with salt and pepper.

 

I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest  : Korea

Hosted by Sharon of Feats of Feast

Stir-fried Vermicelli With Black Fungus

Stir-fried Vermicelli With Black Fungus

Recipe source : Doris Choo of Sumptuous Flavours

It is believed that black fungus clears blocked arteries. There are many articles expounding the goodness of this fungus which is reported to be able to diffuse cholesterol the natural way. However, such articles usually advised us to boil the fungus for several hours, after which the fungus is discarded and we are to drink the soup only. 

There is another belief that black fungus helps build the cartilage surrounding the joints of bones, like the knee caps. I believe this because it works favourably for me! Each time I consumed black fungus, my aching knees usually felt better! But then, one or two pieces cannot work wonders! You have to eat more and eat them regularly before any effect can be felt. 

With this piece of advice in mind, I was purchasing a bag of black fungus from my regular provision shop when the elderly proprietress  told me that black fungus can be used to fry vermicelli and that it is very crunchy and tasty! She told me to cut them into thin strips and fry them with lots of garlic. She did not give me an exact recipe. Thus I had to use my imagination to try it out this way.

Ingredients

200g vermicelli or beehoon, soaked until soft and drained
150g carrots, cut into thin strips
50g dried black fungus, soaked until soft and cut into thin strips
50g anchovies
5 chilli padi, sliced
1 bulb of garlic, chopped
1 tsp salt
3/4 tsp chicken stock granules
1 Chinese rice bowl of water
4 tbsp cooking oil

 

Method

1.  Heat wok and fry the chopped garlic until light brown and fragrant. Remove the garlic crisps.
2.  In the remaining oil, add anchovies, black fungus and carrot. Stir-fry for 2 minutes over high heat.
3.  Add water, salt and chicken stock granules.
4.  When it comes to a boil, add in the soaked vermicelli.
5.  Use a pair of chopsticks to stir the vermicelli and mix well. 
6.  Continue cooking and stirring until the vermicelli nearly dries up.
7.  Switch off flame and dish up.
8.  Spread the garlic crisps on top of the fried vermicelli.

 Without the garlic crisps

Fried vermicelli topped with fried garlic crisps 

Stir-fried King Buna Shimeji With Parsley 灵芝王菇炒芫荽

Stir-fried King Buna Shimeji With Parsley 灵芝王菇炒芫荽

Recipe source :  Doris Choo @ Sumptuous Flavours

A healthy and very tasty dish. It is even crunchier if you used fresh inoki mushrooms. If you like to eat Chinese parsley, you can add more for extra flavour. 

We usually eat this with rice but this goes equally well with congee.

Ingredients

300g king buna shimeji (2 packets) or you can use Inoki mushrooms, cut off the roots and rinse.
30g parsley, cut off the roots and cut into sections of 5cm. Soak in water for 15 minutes and rinse
3 pips garlic, crushed
2 tbsp cooking oil

 Parsley

 King buna shimeji

Seasonings

2 tbsp oyster sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
1 Chinese rice bowl water

Dissolve all ingredients in the bowl of water.

Thickening Solution

1/2 tbsp tapioca flour dissolved in 1 tbsp water

Method

1.  Heat oil in wok over medium fire. Saute crushed garlic till light brown.
2.  Add in the sauce ingredients. Then add in another Chinese rice bowl of water and bring to a boil over high heat.
3.  Add king buna shimeji/inoki mushrooms and let boil for 5 minutes.
4.  Add parsley and the thickening solution. Stir thoroughly.
5.  Let boil for another half a minute.
6.  Dish up and serve.