Steamed Tofu on Egg with Fish or Shrimp

On most days I have tofu, eggs, fish and prawns in my refrigerator. I just have to get creative and make delicious dishes out of them. One of such dishes is steamed tofu on egg with slices of fish or shrimps on it. I was able to savour three different tastes in one bite - taste of the egg, tofu and fish/prawn. I had added fried garlic on the fish version. For the prawn version, the coriander made the dish very aromatic. Besides fried garlic, we can sprinkle green onions, fried shallots, parsley or coriander on top of the dishes.

Ingredients:

• 2 tube of egg tofu or plain tofu
• Fish slices or shrimps, the number depending on the number of tofu cylinders.
• For marinating fish slices or prawns:
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 egg and 1.5 times of water
• For seasoning the egg:
• 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1 tbsp sesame oil for greasing the plate for steaming
• Topping
• fried onions, or 
• chopped parsley, or
• chopped coriander, or
• chopped green onions or
• fried shallots, or
• bird's eye chili

Instructions:

• Fillet the fish (snapper, grouper or threadfin) and slice it thinly or peel and de-vein the shrimps. (I left the tail on the shrimps.)

• Marinate the fish or shrimps with soy sauce, salt, pepper and sesame oil for at least 30 minutes.

• Beat egg into a bowl. Add water and seasonings. Sieve.

• Grease a steaming plate with sesame oil.

• Arrange the tofu cylinders on the plate.

• Slowly pour the egg onto the plate of tofu.

• Arrange the fish slices or shrimps on top of the tofu.

• Boil water in the steamer.

• Once the water has boiled, transfer the plate to the steamer.

• Steam the tofu with fish slices/shrimps over low heat (we want a silky egg layer).

• Remove the plate from the steamer once the fish/shrimps and egg are cooked. (Should not take more than 5 minutes. Otherwise the fish/shrimps will be overcooked.)

• Sprinkle the following on top:
• fried onions, or 
• chopped parsley, or
• chopped coriander, or
• chopped green onions or
• fried shallots, or
• bird's eye chili.

• Drizzle some soy sauce on top if the dish is not salty enough.

• Serve with rice.

Tiramisu

Tiramisu is a no-bake Italian dessert. It is made of layers of coffee-soaked ladyfingers followed by cream, the number of layers depending on the amount of the ladyfingers and cream and finally, a dusting of cocoa powder on top. Most recipes incorporate egg yolks in the cream and alcohol in the coffee and cream. However, I have made the version without egg yolks nor alcohol.

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp instant coffee powder
• 350 ml hot water
• 200 ml heavy cream
• 250 g mascarpone cheese
• 80 g castor sugar
• 24 pieces lady fingers

Tool:

• Glass baking dish 18 cm x 12 cm

Instructions:

• Dissolve instant coffee powder in hot water and set it aside to cool down.

• Whip heavy cream until stiff peak is achieved. Set it aside.

• Beat mascarpone cheese and sugar till sugar dissolves.

• Combine whipped cream with mascarpone cheese till they are well incorporated.

• Dip ladyfingers into coffee and line them at the bottom of the glass baking dish. (Do not soak the ladyfingers; a quick dip will do.)

• Layer cheese mixture over them.

• Line another layer of ladyfingers on the cream.

• Then, layer cheese mixture over them.

• Dust a generous amount of cocoa powder on the cream.

• Chill the tiramisu for at least 4 hours before serving.

• Enjoy.

Twisted Ring Bread

I have been baking a lot of sourdough bread and only once a while have I gone to bake yeasted bread. Twisted Ring Bead is a yeasted bread. It is so pretty but more important it is delicious. This bread may be done plain or added with inclusions such as chocolate chips, chocolate buttons, chocolate rice or any dried fruits like cranberries, raisins and what have you. The way the inclusions are arrange is up to one's imagination. This recipe is a big one, yielding 2 loaves. I baked such a large recipe as I wanted to gift one away to a nephew-in-law who came a calling with his family. However, if you are baking just for a small family, you may half the recipe except the yeast. Use only 7 g instead of 10.

Ingredients:

• 180 - 200 ml warm water
• 60 g sugar
• 10 g yeast

• 725 g bread flour
• 25 g milk powder
• 1 tsp salt

• 2 eggs
• 240 ml milk

• 45 g butter

• Inclusions - either chocolate chips, chocolate buttons, chocolate rice or any dried fruits (raisins, cranberries, etc) - as much as you like

• Egg wash - egg yolk and 1 tbsp milk.

Instructions:

• Line a baking tray with greased parchment paper.

• Activate the yeast - add sugar to warm water (start with 180 ml first), stir to dissolve the sugar and sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside for 5-10 minutes.

• Once the yeast has been activated (there are bubbles in the yeast mixture), pour it into the bowl of the stand mixer.

•  Add the eggs and milk to the bowl.

• Add the bread flour, milk powder and salt into the yeast mixture.

• Start kneading the mixture on a low speed until all the ingredients are incorporated. Then increase the speed to medium high.

• When the dough has formed into a ball, add butter to it.

• Continue to knead the dough till it is smooth and elastic. Then transfer it to an oiled bowl.

• Cover the bowl with cling wrap and put a damp towel over it.

• Let the dough proof in a warm place till it has doubled in size.

• Lightly flour or grease your table top.

• Punch out the air from the dough. Then remove the dough from the bowl onto the floured / oiled surface.

• Roll the dough into a rectangle.

• Spread the inclusions on the rectangular dough.

• Then, roll it up into a ball.

• Use a rolling pin to roll it into a rectangle.

• Cut the dough into 2, lengthwise.

• Take 1 dough. Fold one side onto a third. Then, take the other side and fold it over the 1st third.

• Start to twist the dough from one end and form a ring by letting the 2 ends meet. Overlap the ends and seal them.

• Place the twisted ring onto the prepared baking tray.

• Repeat the same with the other dough. Then place it by the side of the first twisted ring.

• Let the twisted rings proof until they have doubled in size.

• Pre-heat the oven at 180 degrees C.

• Egg wash the rings.

• Bake the dough for 30 minutes until the rings are golden brown.

• Let them cool down on a metal rack.

• Enjoy.

Fish Fillet in Lemon Butter Sauce

 

I usually eat fried fish with chilli padi soy sauce. Today, I try another style, that is, drizzling the fish with lemon butter sauce. The sweetness of the fish coupled with the tangy buttery sauce brings the dish to another level. I have used the grouper. However, other fishes that can be cooked this way include the salmon, snapper or any other white fish that you can get your hands on. This recipe is the simplest one for lemon butter sauce. However, I have seen recipes which use heavy cream and wine to make the sauce.

Ingredients:

• 350 g Grouper fillet
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp rice flour
• 1 tbsp a-purpose flour
• cooking oil for frying

• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 2 tsp minced shallots
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 tsp chopped coriander or parsley

Instructions:

• Marinate fish fillet with salt and pepper for half an hour.

• Mix rice flour and all-purpose flour.

• Heat up cooking oil in wok or pan.

• Coat fish fillet with flour mixture.

• When cooking oil is hot, pan fry the fillet till golden brown.

• Transfer fried fillet to a serving plate.

• Or, some may prefer to just pan fry the fillet without any coating.

• Preparing the lemon sauce:

• Heat up wok or pan.

• Pour in lemon juice.

• Add minced shallots and salt.

• Cook till lemon juice is reduced to half the original amount.

• Add butter and let it melt.

• Add in chopped coriander or parsley.

• Pour lemon butter sauce over the fish fillet.

• Serve.

Soy Sauce Fish

Soy Sauce Fish is a simple but very delicious dish. I usually use golden snapper (jenahak) or grunt (ikan gerut) for this dish. However, I would say that golden snapper provides a sweeter dish than the grunt.  But the golden snapper is more expensive than the grunt. This dish is best eaten with white rice.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 of a jenahak (fillet), about 500 g
• 3 inches ginger
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp pepper

• Batter
• 3 tbsp rice flour
• 1 1/2 tbsp wheat flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• Water, enough to form a thick batter

• Cooking oil
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
• 50 ml water

Instructions:

• Cut the jenahak into cubes. Marinate them with salt and pepper for at least half an hour.

• Mix the rice flour, wheat flour, salt, pepper and water to form a thick batter.

• Heat the cooking oil in a wok.

• Dip the jenahak cubes into the batter and drop them into the wok or pan when the oil is hot.

• Fry them until they are brown. Ladle them up and set aside.

• Julienne the ginger and add them to the wok. Fry them till they are crispy. Ladle them up and set them aside. 

• Add light and dark soy sauces to the remaining oil (used to fry the ginger) in the wok.

• Add water to the wok. Let the sauce boil.

• Add the fried fish to the wok and stir them till they are coated with the sauce.

• Scoop them up onto a serving dish.

• Sprinkle the crispy ginger on the fish.

• Serve the fish with white rice.

Steamed Egg with Po Choy

Steamed Egg with Po Choy is a simple dish which can be cooked speedily. Preparation takes a short while most of the time is spent on waiting for the egg to be steamed. But more important is that this dish is tasty and will surely appeal to most people. 

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs
• 100 g - 120 g po choy
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 4 cloves garlic
• sesame oil for greasing the glass baking dish
• glass baking dish 18 cm x 12 cm

Instructions:

• Wash the po choy and cut them into 6 cm length.

• Boil a pot of water and blanch them for about 7 minutes.

• Scoop them out with a stainless steel food strainer and let the water runs through the strainer.

• When the po choy has cooled down, use your hands to squeeze out more water from them. Set the po choy aside.

• Beat the eggs and add the seasonings.

• Grease the baking dish with sesame oil.

• Pour the eggs into the baking dish and add the po choy to it.

• Put the baking dish into the steamer and steam the eggs for about 10 minutes over high heat or until they are cooked.

• While waiting, mince the garlic and sauté them till they are golden brown. Set them aside.

• Once the eggs are cooked, remove the baking dish from the steamer. Let the eggs cool down.

• Overturn the steamed eggs onto a flat plate.

• Sprinkle the sautéd garlic onto the steamed eggs. Slice them up or cut them into diamond shape and serve.

Tofu Omelette

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As we know an omelette is a dish made from eggs. The fillings that can be included are up to our imagination - chives, potato long beans, spinach, onion, prawns, etc. One day I ran out of idea of what to cook and finding a piece of tofu in my refrigerator I decided to try making tofu omelette. It turned out to be so delicious that I have cooked it a couple of times, the first time with just chilli padi and the second with coriander and chilli padi. I will try to add other fillings later.

Ingredients:

• 1 piece of tofu
• 1 egg
• 1 piece chilli padi
• 1 small sprig coriander or green onion (only green part)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 3 tbsp cooking oil

Instruction:

• Half the tofu horizontally and slice the tofu into 4 mm thickness or just slice the tofu into 4 mm thickness. Set aside.

• Cut the chilli padi into small pieces and roughly mince them.

• Cut the coriander and mince it. (Or, cut the green onion into small pieces.)

• Crack the egg into a bowl and beat it with the salt, soy sauce and pepper.

• Add the chilli padi and coriander (or green onion).

• Add the tofu to the bowl of egg and coat all pieces with the beaten egg.

• Heat up a frying pan with cooking oil.

• Use a spoon to scoop the tofu, piece by piece, into the pan. Arrange the tofu anyhow you like.

• When the bottom is cooked, turn over the omelette and cook the other side.

• Once the omelette is done, slide it from the pan to a serving plate.

• You may decorate it with some coriander or green onion on top of the omelette.