Braised Beancurd Stick and Napa Cabbage

If you have made your own soya bean milk before, you would have noticed a layer of skin forming on top of the surface when you are boiling it.  This is how fresh beancurd sheets are made. These sheets are rolled or folded into long tubes and dried to form dried beancurd sticks. They are also known as dried bean milk skin rolls, dried tofu skin rolls, Yuba, fu Zhu or tofu bamboo. They need to be rehydrated before you are able to use them. They can be braised, stewed, cooked in soups or stir-fried. Mildly flavoured, they absorb the flavours of whatever ingredients they are cooked in. They are delicious as one of the ingredients of vegetarian dishes.

Here, I have braised the beancurd stick with dried Shiitake mushroom and Napa cabbage.

Ingredients:

• 50 g dried beancurd sticks
• 150 g Napa cabbage
• 3 pcs Shiitake mushrooms
• 2 tbsp cooking oil
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper powder
• 500 ml water
• 1 small stalk of green onion, cut into 1 cm length
• 1 pc bird's eye chilli, cut into small pieces

Method:

• Rehydrate the beancurd sticks with hot water. For the beancurd sticks to be very soft, I prefer to rehydrate it overnight. When they have softened cut them into 4-inch length.

• Cut the Napa into 1-inch length.

• Soak the Shiitake mushrooms till they are soft. Slice them thinly.

• Heat the work with cooking oil.

• When the oil is hot, add the mushroom to the wok and fry till they are aromatic. Then add the chopped garlic and fry till it is fragrant.

• Add the beancurd stick and Napa cabbage to the wok. Stir-fry them for a few minutes.

• Add water to the wok.

• Cover the wok and let the ingredients simmer for about half an hour or till the beancurd sticks and Napa cabbage are very soft and the sauce is greatly reduced.

• Season with salt and pepper.

• Dish them up and decorate the dish with green onion and bird's eyes chilli.

• Serve hot with rice.

Chocolate Loaf Cake

I love chocolate and any product made from chocolate or cocoa powder like chocolate butter cakes, brownies, chocolate fudge cakes, chocolate breads/buns, chocolate drinks, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate muffins, chocolate cup cakes, chocolate waffles and so on. While it is easy to buy these from cafes or bakeries, I find more satisfaction making them myself as I can control the amount of the ingredients that go into making them, for example, sugar. I will always use a lot less sugar in my cakes, etc. than the amount called for in the recipes.


When I bake any cake, I usually use the traditional creaming method. However, it is a more time-consuming method. An easier method is the mix and bake method. However, the texture of the cake using creaming method is finer than the mix and bake method.



Ingredients:

• 125 ml melted salted butter
• 170 g sugar
• 2 eggs
• 120 g cake flour
• 25 g cocoa powder
• 5 g instant coffee powder
• 1 tsp baking powder

Method:

• Pre-heat oven to 180 deg. C.

• Grease and line an 8 inch x 4 inch x 4 inch pan with parchment paper. (You may use a shorter pan for a higher cake.)

• Mix melted butter and sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves.

• Add the eggs, one at a time. Whisk till the eggs combined with the melted butter and sugar.

• Sieve the dry ingredients - cake flour, cocoa powder, instant coffee powder and baking powder.

• Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, a third at a time. Mix till the wet and the dry ingredients are well combined before adding the second third and the last third.

• Pour the batter into the prepared pan.

• Run an oiled knife along the middle of the batter to have nice crack on top. (See the photos above which show the natural crack i.e. I did not run an oiled knife along the top of the batter.)

• Bake the batter for 30 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the cake.

• Remove the pan from the oven and let the cake sit in the pan for 5 minutes before removing it from the pan.

• Remove the parchment paper and let the cake cools down completely before slicing it.

Poppy Seeds Buns/Bread (2)

 

We can vary the texture and taste of buns/breads by varying (either adding, subtracting or reducing) the amounts and types of ingredients that go into making them. In this second version of my poppy seeds bread, I added some baking soda and it became much more delicious. As I also vary the other dry and wet ingredients, this bread is not as soft as the first one.

Ingredients:

• 500 g bread flour
• 30 g sugar
• 25 g poppy seeds
• 3 g salt
• 5 g baking soda
• 225 g warm milk
• 75 g butter
• 1 egg
• (Optional - 1 egg + 1 tbsp milk for egg wash)

Method:

• Activate the yeast - add sugar to some of the warm milk, stir to dissolve the sugar and sprinkle the yeast on top. Set aside for 5-10 minutes.

• Add the dry ingredients - bread flour, poppy seeds, baking soda and salt into the yeast mixture to the bowl of your stand mixer. 

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

• Then add the remaining warm milk and egg to the bowl.

• Mix and knead the ingredients.

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

• 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.

• Remove the dough from the bowl onto the floured / oiled surface.

• Punch out the air from the dough and knead it for about 5 minutes.

• Divide the dough into two.

• Roll them up into balls and place each ball into a round pan which has been greased and lined with parchment paper.  

• Let the dough proof until it has doubled in size.

• Pre-heat the oven at 175 degrees C.

• Bake the dough for 28 - 30 minutes until the buns are golden brown.

• You may:

• Eggwash (just egg yolk with some water) the dough just before baking.
• Brush the bread with butter immediately after you take the bread out of the oven.

•  Let them cool down on a metal rack before slicing or cutting them up.

• Enjoy.

Cheesey Garlic Butter Green Onion Buns

Cheesey Garlic Butter Green Onion Buns are good for breakfast and teatime. They are savoury and delicious to the bite. My second daughter said that it was so good. So I guess I will be making them more often for my children to enjoy.

Dough

• 325 g bread flour
• 30 g sugar
• 7 g yeast
• 1 egg
• 7 g salt
• 1 egg
• 160 g milk
• 50 g butter

Filling

• 25 g green onions
• 30 g butter
• 15 g garlic

Egg Wash

• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp milk

Method:

• Put all the ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer.

• Knead till a smooth dough ball is formed.

• Add butter to the bowl.

• Continue to knead till window pane is achieved.

• Transfer the dough to a greased clean bowl. Cover the bowl with a moist towel.

• Let the dough proof till it is double in size.

• While waiting for the dough to proof, prepare the fillings:
• cut the green onions into 0.5 cm length,
• chop the garlic,
• mix the green onions and garlic with butter,
• set the fillings aside.

• Once the dough has doubled in size, transfer it onto a counter top.

• Punch out the air from the dough.

• Knead the dough back into a round ball.

• Divide the dough into the number of buns that you want. Roll each piece into a dough ball.

• Flatten each piece into a flat round dough.

• Roll it up into a small rectangular dough.

• Place it onto a tray lined and greased parchment paper.

• Once all the dough balls have been shaped, cover them and let them proof till double in size.

• Once the shaped dough has double in size and ready for baking, use a sharp knife or a lame to make a slit on top of the dough.

• Use a small spoon to fill the slit or for a cleaner job, pipe the filling into the slit.

• Egg wash the top and sides of the dough. (If you do not wish to egg wash the dough, you may immediately brush the baked buns with melted butter when they are out of the oven.)

• Bake the dough in a pre-heated oven at 175 deg C for 18-20 min or till the buns are golden brown.

• When the buns are done remove them immediately onto a wire rack to be cooled down.

    

Chocolate Cornflakes

Chocolate cornflakes are very easy to make.  I usually make them for my own consumption; I consume them after lunch and dinner. I also make them as gift to relatives and friends especially those with children when I plan to visit them. Chocolate cornflakes are good snacks to be made available when relatives and friends visit us with their children. During Chinese New Year, bottles of chocolate cornflakes go into my hampers for relatives, friends and neighbours. I will make them plain if they are for my own consumption. However, if they are to be gifted, I will sprinkle them with colourful sprinklers or put a golden raisin or a white chocolate chip on each chocolate cornflake to make them look more interesting.

Ingredients:

• 350 g cornflakes
• 400 g semi-sweet chocolate coins/bars/chips
• 100 g salted butter
• 25 g sugar
• Cupcake liners (diameter up to you)
• Colourful chocolate rice / golden raisins / white chocolate chips (optional)

Method:

• Add semi-sweet chocolate, butter and sugar to a bowl.

• Put the bowl over a pot of boiling water (bain-marie).

• Stir the ingredients till the ingredients melt.

• Remove the bowl from the pot and let the mixture cool down slightly.

• Add the cornflakes to the mixture. Mix them up thoroughly.

• Scoop the cornflakes into the cupcake liners.

• Optional: Sprinkle the chocolate rice on top if you wish or put a piece of golden raisin or a white chocolate chip on top.

• Put the chocolate cornflakes into the refrigerator for about 15 minutes.

• Remove from the refrigerator and store the chocolate cornflakes in a bottle and put it into the refrigerator.

Chinese Cabbage Stir-fry

A simple dish that can be consumed by everyone is Chinese Cabbage Stir-fried with carrots, Shiitake mushroom, fungus, tofu and tofu puffs. Cooking this dish is easy and fast. And most of the ingredients can be found in most homes. 

 

 Ingredients:

• 150 g Chinese cabbage
• 15 g carrots
• 1 pc square tofu
• 5 pcs tofu puffs
• 3 pc Shiitake Mushroom
• 15 g fungus
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp light soy sauce
• 1/2 tsp pepper powder
• 3 cloves garlic 
• Cooking oil

Instructions:

• Wash and cut Chinese cabbage into 1-inch length.

• Peel and cut/slice carrots into preferred shape.

• Wash and cut the tofu into 9 pieces. (You may use the cylindrical ones.)

• Soak tofu puffs and then slice each puff into 3 pieces. (It is better to use Bentong tofu puffs which are softer and tastier than others.)

• Soak Shiitake mushrooms. Slice them when they have softened.

• Soak fungus and remove any barks attached to them.

• Add 4 tbsp cooking oil to the wok.

• When oil is hot, add the tofu. Fry till the tofu pieces are slightly brown. Then dish them out and set them aside.

• Pour away the oil which would have been watery after frying the tofu.

• Add 2 tbsp cooking oil to the wok.

• When the oil is hot, add the sliced mushrooms. Saute till they are fragrant.

• Add the garlic and saute them till they are fragrant.

• Add the Chinese cabbage and carrot, fungus and tofu puffs and fry them for a couple of minutes.

• Add water and let it simmer to soften the ingredients.

• Add seasonings of salt, light soy sauce and pepper. Stir to mix.

• Finally, add the fried tofu. Stir gently to mix up all ingredients without mashing up the tofu.

• Dish up and serve.

Kuih Seri Muka Gula Melaka

 

Kuih Seri Muka (aka Kuih Pulut Kaya) is made up of a lower glutinous rice layer and a top egg custard layer made from a combination of pandan juice, santan, sugar, wheat flour and corn flour. I have made this so often that it is high time to do something different. So, I tried with making the kuih with a brown top made from gula Melaka, thus, Kuih Seri Muka Gula Melaka. It turned out equally delicious.

Ingredients:

(a) The Top Layer

• 140 g gula Melaka
• 100 g hot water
• 215 g thick coconut milk
• 2 eggs
• 15 g all-purpose flour
• 25 g corn flour
• 1/4 tsp salt

(b) The Bottom Layer

• 300 g glutinous rice
• 250 ml thin coconut milk
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 pandan leaves cut into 6-inch length

Method:

Bottom layer:

• Soak the glutinous rice for at least 4 hours.

• Drain the water after 4 hours.

• Mix the rice with thin coconut milk.

• Add salt and stir.

• Grease an 8 inch square or round pan. You may line the base with a piece banana leave.

• Pour the rice with thin coconut milk into the pan. Place the pandan leaves in between the rice.

• Steam for about 30 minutes in total over low to medium heat. After the first 15 minutes, open the cover of the steamer, remove the pandan leaves and press down the rice to compress it. Close back the cover and steam for the remaining 15 minutes.

• While waiting for the rice to cook, prepare the top layer.

Top layer:

• Add hot water and gula Melaka into a pot.

• Turn on the fire and boil the gula Melaka till it dissolves.

• Remove the pot from the fire and let the gula Melaka syrup cool down.

• Add the syrup, coconut milk and eggs to a mixing bowl.

• Whisk till all the ingredients are well combined.

• Add flours to the mixing bowl. Stir with a whisk to ensure that all are well incorporated and a smooth batter is formed.

• Sieve the batter to get rid of any remaining lumps.

• Optional. You may pour the batter into a saucepan to heat it up slightly (over very low heat) before pouring onto the glutinous rice layer. Stir it continuously to prevent any lumps from forming.

• Open the steamer cover and pour the heated batter on top of the glutinous rice layer.

• Close  the cover and steam over very low heat (to obtain a smooth surface) for 35 minutes.

• Once cooked, remove the kuih from the steamer.

• Let it cool down completely before cutting it up with a plastic knife.