Mei Lum

This is a special dip for steamed chicken and my children love it.  Most people use cilli sauce but my family being of Kwongsi dialect would cook this for our steamed chicken especially on festive occasions.  As this is a traditional recipe, there is no exact measurement.

Ingredients:

1/2 bowl of chopped shallots
1/2 bowl of chopped garlic
1/2 bowl of young ginger (smash the peeled ginger with the back of the cleaver before chopping them into  
                                         smaller  pieces)
1 bowl of  chives (cut into small pieces)
5 tabsp of oil
half cup of water
1 tsp salt
2 tsp of sesame oil

Method

1)     Heat up the wok on low fire  and put in the chopped ginger (without oil).
        Continue frying for about 8 mins.      Dish out.
2)     Heat up the oil and put in the garlic. Stir for awhile before adding in the shallots until fragrant.
         Add in chopped ginger and continue stirring to avoid the ingredient sticking to the wok.
3)     Pour in the chives and mix together.  Add in the water and cover the wok for about 5 mins.
        Lastly add in salt and it is ready.   Add in the sesame oil only when it is ready to serve.

Baked Salmon

Here is the simple baked salmon with potatoes which I cooked for my dinner yesterday. Not knowing how to handle fish, I turned to my good friend Josephine to give me tips on doing this dish.  I tweaked the recipe a bit and this was the result.  Surprisingly the salmon didn't have a 'fishy' taste.

Ingredients:

A piece of salmon
1 potato
some mozzarella cheese
3 tabsp of cooking oil
oregano powder
salt
pepper
a small knob of butter

some mayonnaise/tomato ketchup/cilli sauce

Method:-

1)    Wash the salmon and pat it dry with kitchen paper.  Sprinkle both sides with a bit f salt and pepper.
2)    Peel the potato and cut into wedges.
3)    Heat up the pan/wok and pour in the oil.  When hot, put in the potatoes and fry them until golden.
       Dish out, sprinkle some salt  and set aside.
4)   Fry the salmon on both sides too, dish out onto a baking pan/dish together with the fried potatoes.
5)   Sprinkle some oregano powder onto the potatoes and salmon.  Put the butter next.
      Spread the mozzarella cheese on top of the salmon and potatoes and bake in the oven at 200 deg. C
      for about 13 min. or until cheese has melted and turn a bit golden. Transfer to a plate and pipe some
      mayonnaise on top.

Almond Crispy

With the Chinese New Year only about 2 weeks away, everyone must be busy baking away their favourite cookies and cakes.  Nothing is easier than this Almond Crispy biscuit with the cookie mix bought from the baking shop.  Just follow the instructions on the packet and you have these delicious crunchy almond crisp.

1)  Mix the almond flakes (I toasted them for about 10 mins at 150 deg. C) together with the cookie
      mix.
2)  Spread them thinly on a tray which has been lined with parchment paper.  Bake for about 7 -12 mins at    
     180 deg. C.
3)  Cut into squares with a pizza cutter while still warm.  Cool and put them into air-tight container.
      Enjoy!

Black Vinegar Pork Trotter Soup

Today I cooked my 1st  Black Vinegar Pork Trotter soup.  This soup is normally taken by  ladies during the confinement period after giving birth.   There are many recipes on this and thanks to my good friend Josephine who taught me this easy method.  It is really delicious.

Recipe

1 pork trotter -   cut and clean
400gm Old ginger -  skinned and cut into small pieces & give them a smash with the cleaver
1 tabsp of sesame oil
1 bottle of black vinegar (Hei me chu)  750 ml 
1 bottle of water  750ml
90gm gula melaka (or rock sugar)
some black beans - washed

Method

1)     Pour the bottle of black vinegar and same amount of water into a pot.
2)      Heat the sesame oil in a wok and fry the ginger pieces until fragrant. Add into the
         pot of black vinegar solution.  Put in the black beans and the gula melaka.
        Let it boil and lower heat for another 20mins.
         Off the fire.  This done preferably the night before.
3)     Blanch the pig trotter pieces in hot water for 15 mins.  Drain the water and wash the meat.
4)     Fry the meat in the wok (without oil) for a while.  Transfer them to the black vineger solution
        and boil for about 40 mins  or so on low heat depending on how tender
        you want the meat to be.

Homemade Long Yuk (Yuk Kon)

Homemade Long Yuk

This is one recipe I have wanted to do long ago but I guess I  KIV it for too long and finally made it today.  Chinese New Year is coming soon and this is one of the favourite items to have in the house  and also  as a CNY gift to friends and family members.  It is very expensive now as it can cost RM80/= a kilo!   I more or less followed the recipe given by my sis-in-law Pat who has done it before and also increased the quantity of the meat.

It turned out alright but my husband said something is missing and I supposed the 'long yuk' has to be BBQed to get that special flavour  instead of doing it in the oven.  Not bad for the 1st time and I am pleased with the result.  Took some to the office for colleagues to sample and everybody agreed it was good!

I wish everyone a Very Happy New Year  and may 2013 bring you all happiness, good health and good fortune! 

                                    The meat will leave the sides of the tray on the 1st 20 mins .
  
Recipe

600gm  minced meat (tender part)  with some fats
2  Tabsp fish sauce
1   tsp dark soya sauce
1  1/2 Tabsp soya sauce
2  Tabsp cooking oil
150 gm sugar
1  Tabsp cooking wine ( I use rose wine)

Option:    I  made another batch of  'yok kon'  by adding a pinch of 5-spice powder, 2 tsp of  red
                 bean curb solution (lam yue), replace one tabsp of the soya sauce with oyster sauce.
                 The result was better.

1)     Put minced pork and all seasonings into a big bowl and use chopsticks to stir in one
        direction untuk meat becomes gluey.
2)    Spread the mince meat onto a big tray. Use 2 trays if not enough.  Put a plastic sheet on top
       and use a rolling pin to flatten the meat to a thin layer (2mm).
3)    Bake in oven for 20 mins. at 125 deg. C on bottom rack.  There will be some liquid in the pan.
4)   Take out the meat and cut them into squares.  Place the 'long yuk' onto the wire rack and
      put back the tray to catch the drippings.  Bake on middle rack  for 20 mins or more at 180 deg. C.
      Flip over to the other side to bake for another 10 mins.
      Do watch the oven and not burn the meat.  Enjoy!

This photo shows the 2nd attempt on this recipe.  Notice that I have made this thinner but the texture is a bit tough probably due to baking the 'yuk kon' too long or not enough fat in the meat.   I prefer the thicker version.  600gm raw meat yields about 400 gm cooked meat.

No Fail Banana Muffins

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everybody!  May you all be blessed
with happiness and good health for the coming year.

Made these muffins this Christmas morning.  I call this the No Fail Banana Muffins as it is so easy to make and indeed yummy too. Thanks to Jenny Chan who kindly shares this recipe.

Recipe

2 cups plain flour                       )
1 1/2 tsp sodium bicarbonate     ) sieve 3 times
pinch of salt                               )

4  ripe bananas (Montel size)    )  mash and mix together.  Set aside
1 cup brown sugar                     )

6 oz melted butter                       )
2 eggs                                         )   mix and beat well

1 tsp vanilla essence                   )

Some walnuts.

Method

1)     Mix all ingredients together well with a spatula. ( Add in chocolate chips/raisins if desired).
2)     Spoon into muffin cups - 2/3 full. Sprinkle walnuts on top and bake for 20 to 25 mins
        at 180 deg.C  depending on the size of your muffin case. Test with a skewer.

Note:   I added in 1/2 tsp of cinnamon powder.

Water Lily

This is my little red fish pond with water lilies in bloom.  I hope I can take a photo of  the bee sucking the honey from the flowers.