Monday, June 28, 2021

Steamed Spare Ribs in Spicy Beanpaste Sauce





















Sweet, salty and spicy, this savory dish can really whet one's appetite. The quality of the spare ribs is important. Buy those that are meaty and soft. Your regular supplier should be able to pick them for you. Always blanch your ribs before you start cooking them.



Ingredients:
  • 700 g spare ribs
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper powder
  • 2-inch ginger, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp minced bean paste
  • 1 pc of chili padi, minced
  • 1/4 cup water
  • 2-3 tbsp cooking oil

Method:
  • Marinate spare ribs with salt and black pepper powder for 30 minutes.
  • Prepare a steamer of boiling water.
  • Slice sliced ginger on a metal plate.
  • Arrange the spare ribs on top of the ginger slices.
  • Steam the spare ribs till cooked.
  • Remove metal plate of spare ribs and set it aside.
  • Heat up a pan with cooking oil.
  • Saute the garlic till fragrant.
  • Add the minced bean paste and minced chili to the garlic. Stir till fragrant.
  • Add the sauce from the steamed spare ribs to the pan of garlic-minced bean paste-minced chili. Let the sauce boil.
  • Add the spare ribs to the sauce.
  • Give the spare ribs a quick stir and dish out onto a serving plate.
  • Serve.

Wednesday, June 23, 2021

No-Bake Oreos Cheesecake

   

 



A father is a pillar of strength, support and discipline in his family. He works hard to provide a good life for his wife and children by ensuring that their basic needs of food, clothing and shelter are met or are never lacking. He ensures that his children gets the best education that he can. He also protects them, making sure they are safe at all times. He is affectionate and supportive towards his wife and children; for the latter this is of utmost importance as it affects their cognitive and social development which in turn affect their self-confidence in facing society. In short, a father is selfless when it comes to provide for his family.

So, it is very apt to set aside a day in a year to celebrate Father's Day to show our love for our father. I made a No-bake Oreos Cheesecake for my children to celebrate this special day for their father.


Ingredients:

  • For the base:
    • 150 g Oreo cookies
    • 100 g butter
  • For the cake:
    • 500 g cream cheese
    • 50 g sugar
    • 400 g whipping cream
    • 12 g gelatin (fish)
    • 40 g hot water
    • 100 g Oreo cookies, broken up roughly. Can add more to your liking even up to 100 g.
  • For the top:
    • 50 g Oreo cookies, finely crushed


Method:

  • Prepare the base:
    • Remove the fillings from the Oreos cookies. Keep them for later use.
    • Crush the Oreo cookies till fine. 
    • Melt 150 g of butter.
    • Mix the crushed cookies and butter till the butter is totally absorbed.
    • Pour the mixture into an 8 inch round pan with removable base.
    • Level the crushed cookies to cover the whole base using the bottom of a measuring cup.
    • Leave the pan in the refrigerator to harden the base cookies.
  • Prepare the batter:
    • Add the gelatin and hot water to a small bowl. Stir to dissolve the gelatin. Set the bowl aside to let the gelatin cool down slightly (not totally cooled down as we do not want it to turn into solid gel).
    • Then heat the gelatin in a bowl of hot water
    • Weigh the cream cheese and let it soften at room temperature. (This should be done at least 1-2 hours earlier.)
    • When the cream cheese has softened, add sugar and the Oreo cookies fillings to it. Use a hand mixer to mix till the sugar and fillings have dissolved and the cream cheese is smooth. 
    • Whipped the whipping cream till it has stiff peaks.
    • Add the whipping cream to the cream cheese and mix till they are well-combined.
    • Add the gelatin to the batter. Mix them up using a spatula.
    • Add the roughly crushed Oreos cookies to the batter. Mix them up with the batter.
    • Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
    • Gently sprinkle the finely crushed cookies onto the top of the batter.
                OR
    • Pour half of the plain batter into the prepared tin.
    • Arrange Oreos 6 cookies in a circle on top of the batter.
    • Gently pour the remaining batter into the pan.
    • Gently sprinkle Milo powder onto the top of the batter (as in the last 2 photos).
  • Place the pan in the refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours for the cream cheese to set. It would be better if left overnight in the refrigerator.
  • Slice and serve.

Sunday, June 20, 2021

Egg Custard / Kaya (Caramel)




During this Covid 19 pandemic, it is very difficult to go out and buy the things that we need. I buy my fishes, meat, vegetables and groceries online. And in big quantities at a time. Some times I overlook the small items like the bread spreads (egg custard/kaya/jam) till they run out of stock. It would be easier to make it myself since I have the ingredients in my refrigerator.


Ingredients:
  • Caramel
    • 3 tbsp white sugar
    • 3 tbsp water
  • 4 eggs
  • 200 ml santan
  • 170 g brown/white sugar (I use brown)
  • 3 pandan leaves, knotted

Method:
  • Make caramel by boiling sugar & water till golden brown.
  • Beat the eggs & brown/white sugar till the sugar is dissolved.
  • Add the santan & stir till all are well blended.
  • Strain the mixture.
  • Add water to the bottom pot of the double boiler.
  • Add caramel, mixture & pandan leaves to the top pot of a double boiler.
  • Put the top pot onto the bottom pot and turn on the fire (low heat).
  • Stir the mixture continuously over low heat till the mixture is thickened & is cooked.

Monday, June 14, 2021

Golden Raisins Wholemeal Loaf (Autolyse)

 


   

 
I have been mixing part of the bread flour used in my bread recipe with water (autolyse) and allowing the mixture to rest overnight before mixing it with the rest of the ingredients to begin kneading. This autolyse method allows the flour to fully hydrate and helps in gluten development. As a result, window pane is achieved easily. This means that less time is required in kneading the dough.

This Golden Raisins Wholemeal Loaf turned out to be soft and remained soft till the third day. It is also flavourful.


Ingredients:
  • 100 g bread flour
  • 100 g water
  • 220 g milk
  • 75 g wholemeal flour
  • 320 g bread flour
  • 100 g golden raisins
  • 7 g yeast
  • 7 g salt
  • 30 g sugar
  • 1 egg
  • 30 g butter

Method:
  • Mix 100g bread flour with 100g water in a bowl till they are well incorporated. Cover the bowl with cling wrap and keep it in the fridge overnight. (Autolyse.) Take out the bowl from the fridge 30 min before mixing the mixture with other ingredients.
  • Soak wholemeal flour in 220g milk 30 minutes before the bread making process begins.
  • Add bread flour to the bowl of a stand mixer. Add raisins to it and mix them up.
  • Add the autolysed ingredients, soaked wholemeal, yeast, salt, sugar and egg to the bowl.
  • Knead the ingredients till a dough ball is formed.
  • Add butter and continue kneading till window pane is achieved.
  • Cover the bowl with cling wrap and let the dough proof till double in size.
  • Punch down the dough and shape it.
  • Place the shaped dough into a 9inch x 4inch x 4 inch pan.
  • Let the dough proof till it doubles in size.
  • Preheat oven at 175 deg. C.
  • Bake the dough in preheated oven for 45 minutes.
  • Remove the pan from the oven once the bread has been baked.
  • Remove the bread from the pan onto a cooling rack.
  • Brush the bread immediately with butter.
  • Let the bread cool down completely before slicing it up.