A Very Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Thanks you very much to all my friends and family members for your kind wishes and concern re my lower spine injury. I'd fully recovered from my injury and back to my usual routine and exercise.

As the year comes to a close, it's with a sense of satisfaction that we can look back on a year that in many respects been fun, challenging and rewarding. The dawning of a new one provided an excellent opportunity to wipe the slate clean and make a fresh start. Life is full of obstacles and tests. It's up to us to pass them. Certain things are not mean to be, we just have to learn from it, accept it and move on. Forget the things that made us sad and remember those that make a fresh start. Forget the troubles that passed your way and remember the blessing that come each day.

If you are right then there is no need to get angry.
And if you are wrong then you don't have any right to get angry.
Patience with family is love.
Patience with others is respect.
Patience with self is confidence and patience with GOD is faith.

Never think hard about the PAST, it brings tears.
Don't think more about the FUTURE, it brings fear.
Live this moment with a smile, it brings cheer.
Every test in our life makes us bitter or better.
Every problem comes to make us or break us!

The choice is ours whether we become victims or victorious.
Beautiful things are not always good but good things are always beautiful.
Do you know why God created gaps between fingers?
So that someone, who is special to you, comes and fills those gaps, by holding your hand Forever.
Happiness keeps you sweet but being sweet brings happiness.

Today I'm posting some throwback cakes and desserts which I'd made sometime back but have not shared the recipes in my blog.

Banana Chiffon Cake

This Chiffon cake is cottony soft.

Ingredients A
4 egg yolks
60 gm sugar
1/4 tsp salt

Ingredients B
110 large ripe banana - mashed with fork till mushy
80 mls water
75 gm corn oil
1.5 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp grated lemon rind.

Ingredients C
135 gm cake flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp bicarbonate of soda

Ingredients D
4 egg white
1/8 tsp cream of tartar
60 gm castor sugar

1/ Preheat oven to 180 deg c.
2/ Sift ingredients C twice.
3/ Cream A till sugar dissolve, add in ingredients B and mix well.
4/ Fold in ingredients C and mix till well blend.

5/ Cream egg white and cream of tartar till frothy. Add in the sugar gradually and beat till stiff peaks form.
6/ Fold in half of the egg white mixture to the yolk mixture with a rubber spatula. Add the balance egg white and fold gently until well blend.
7/ Pour into a 20cm chiffon cake pan, bake at 170 -180 deg c for 40 to 45 mins. ( Do not grease the pan.)
8/ When cake is cooked, remove from oven and invert the cake pan immediately. Remove the cake from the cake pan when it's cool.

Note for chiffon cake.
1/ The eggs must be at room temperature.
2/ When separating the egg yolks and whites, make sure not even a drop of yolk in the egg whites.
3/ Egg whites must beat until stiff peak but not over beat.
4/ When folding in the egg white to egg yolk mixture, fold in thoroughly until well blend.

Oreo Coffee Cake

Ingredients:
200g self-raising flour
200g butter
170g sugar
4 eggs
1 tbsp instant coffee powder
1 tbsp hot water
1 tbsp Bailey cream
½ tsp vanilla essence
7 Oreo cookies – chopped 3 Oreo cookies, additional for topping

Method:
1) Preheat oven to 175 deg C. Line an 8” diameter cake tin with grease proof paper.
2) Dissolve the instant coffee in hot water. Set aside.
3) Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy.
4) Beat in the eggs, one at a time and beating well after each addition.
5) Stir in the dissolved coffee, vanilla essence, Bailey cream and the chopped Oreos.
6) Fold in the flour and pour into your prepared tin.
7) Decorate the additional Oreos on top of cake and bake for 40-45mins or till cooked.

Pandan Chiffon Cake

Ingredients A
230 gm cake flour
150 gm castor sugar
1 tsp baking power
1 tsp salt
6 egg yolk
55 mls corn oil
200 mls water
1.5 tsp pandan paste

Ingredients B
6 egg  white
150 gm castor sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

1/ Sieve flour and baking powder. Add the rest of the ingredients A and mix with cake mixer for 5 mins. Keep aside.
2/ Beat egg white and  cream of tartar until frothy, add sugar gradually. Beat until stiff peaks form.
3/  Mix the egg white mixture to the egg yolk mixture in batches with a plastic spatula. Use cutting and folding method until completely blended.
4/ Pour into a 9" tube pan, bake at preheat oven at 180 deg c for 40 minutes. ( Do not grease the pan.)
5/ Remove from oven and invert the cake on a wire rack immediately.
6/ Cool completely before cutting the cake.

Sweet Corn Dessert

Ingredients
1 can cream corn
10 water chestnut
2 tbsp sago - optional
200 mls coconut milk
300 mls water
1/2 tsp salt
Sugar to taste
Pandan leaves - if don't have can omit.

1/ Wash the waterchestnut and peel off the skin. Rinse and cut into cubes.
2/ Bring the water to boil, add the sago and cook until transparent.
3/ Add the waterchestnut, salt, pandan leaves, cream corn and sugar, bring to boil. Add the coconut milk and mix well, remove from heat. Do not over boil the coconut milk. If too thick add a little more water to the consistency you like.
4/ You can add additional 1/2 tbsp thick coconut milk before serving. Serve hot or cold.

Wash and soak sago for 20 mins, Drain off the water.

Red Velvet Cake With Cream Cheese Frosting

For the cake:
2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
15 gm cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup sugar
120 gn unsalted butter, softened
2 large eggs
1 cup buttermilk ( I used 240mls milk + 1 tbsp lemon juice )
2 ounces red food coloring
1 teaspoon  apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F or 180 deg c. Line 2 (9-inch) cake pans with grease proof paper..
2. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt, set aside. Cream the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time.
3. Add flour and buttermilk alternately. Add in food coloring, vinegar and vanilla. 4. Spread the batter evenly in the pans. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
5. Turn cake out onto a rack to cool. Sandwich the cake with cream cheese and spread the balance cream cheese on the cake and decorate with buttercream as desire.

Vanilla Bean Cream Cheese Frosting:
12 ounces or 1-1/2 packages of Philly cream cheese
1/2 stick butter
4-5 cups sifted powdered sugar
seeds of 1/2 vanilla bean
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Bring cheese and butter to room temperature.
2. Sift powdered sugar 3 times into a bowl.
3. Beat butter and cheese at medium speed until creamy.
4. Add 4 cups of the sugar and beat until combined.
5. Add vanillas and beat until combined.
6. Add more sugar until you get to the consistency and sweetness you like.
7/ Sandwich in between the cake and spread the balance on top and side of cake.

Bitter Sweet Chocolate Ice Cream

Ingredients
1 oz bitter sweet cooking chocolate (chopped)
1/4 cup Hershey cocoa powder
1 1/2 cup milk
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1 cup whip cream
1 tsp vanilla extract

 Method
1/ Mix the milk, cooking chocolate, cocoa powder and sugar cook in medium flame until sugar and cooking chocolate melt. Whisk till smooth.
2/ Cook until you see small bubbles at the side, turn fire to low but don't let it boil.
3/ Use a hand whisk to beat the eggs lightly. Take 1 cup of the hot milk mixture and add it to the eggs, whisking all the time to prevent the eggs curdle.
4/ Then pour the entire egg mixture to the milk mixture. Continue cooking until the mixture thicken and coats the back of the ladle.
5/ Remove from stove and let it cool. Add vanilla extract and whip cream, stir till well blend.
6/ Cover with cling wrap and leave in the fridge overnight or at least 4 hours.
7/ Put in ice cream maker and start churning.

For Those without ice cream maker.
1/ Making ice cream can be done without the use of ice cream maker. An electric mixer or food processor can be used to break up the ice crystals during the freezing process.
2/ Place ice cream mixture in the freezer and allow the mixture to freeze for 2 hours.
3/ Remove from freezer and beat mixture to break up the ice crystals that are beginning to form. Repeat step 2 & 3 = 4 times for a smooth and creamy ice cream.

4/ The ice cream should be thick but soft to scoop. If not thick enough return to freezer for additional freezing time and beat the mixture again.
5/ Once ice cream thickened properly, stir in any condiment of your choice and mix well. Suggestion of condiments @ toasted chopped almonds, hazelnuts, chocolate chips, peanuts butter chips, chopped oreos.
6/ Pour in air tight container to freeze till set. Enjoy!!

May this Christmas bring all of you joy, laughter and abundance of good health. Be seeing you all again in my 2017 postings. Thanking all of you for your kind support and lovely comments especially to friends and buddies who had been with me since year 2011.

Sweet, Crispy & Savory Waffles

I happened to read the G20 meeting in China about Canada's very good looking PM, etc... thus came across this Toronto waffle with fried chicken. Few years back, this sweet, crispy and savory dish trend took Toronto by storm, since then a lot of F & B establishment are jumping onto the bandwagon.

Waffle with fried chicken wings with maple orange sauce. We can easily make this dish in a bit under an hour.

Waffle - make 4 pieces
1 large egg - lightly beaten
1 cup butter milk
1 1/4 cup flour
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/4 cup melted butter
2 tsp baking powder
1/ tsp vanilla extract

1/  Sieve the flour and baking powder together.
2/  Mix the flour, brown sugar, butter milk, egg and mix well.

3/  Add the melted butter and vanilla extract. Keep aside for an hour.

4/  Heat up the waffle iron, brush both side of the hotplate with butter. Scoop the batter onto the waffle iron and cover the lid.

5/ Cook the waffle till golden brown.  For best result, serve immediately.

Fried Chicken
6 chicken wings
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp light soya sauce
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp rum
1 chicken egg - lightly beaten

Coating for chicken wings
300 gm plain flour
2 tsp salt
2 tsp all spice
1 tsp pepper
Mix all ingredients together and mix well.

1/  Wash the chicken wing and pat dry, cut into 2 section.
2/  Marinate the chicken wings with salt, light soya sauce, pepper, cayenne pepper and rum.
3/  Refrigerate for about 2 to 3 hours.

4/  Coat the chicken wings with flour mixture evenly.

5/ Then dip the coated chicken wings into the egg mixture.

6/ Coat the chicken in flour mixture again and shake off the excess flour.

7/ Heat up the oil and deep fry the chicken wings until golden brown and cooked through.

Maple orange sauce
Juice of 1 orange
4 tbsp maple syrup or to taste
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp corn flour mix with 1 tbsp water.

Mix orange  juice with salt and maple syrup. Cook till warm then add the corn flour mixture. Cook till thicken and slightly boil. Remove from heat.

 A sweet, crispy and savory comforting combo that can be serve anytime of the day.

If you got nothing better to do, cut the watermelon into maple leaf shape.

A drizzle of sweet maple orange sauce on the waffle and chicken can really hit the platter hard.

 Another holy combination to enjoy waffle.

Waffle with caramelized banana and ice cream.

Add 1 tbsp of sugar with 1 tbsp of water onto the non stick pan. Cook till sugar melt and add the slice banana. Cook till sugar caramelized. Sprinkle cinnamon powder on top the banana.

An irresistible snack, if you like can take this for breakfast too.

Waffle chicken sandwich is a great appetizer for potluck or parties.

Cut waffle into 4 pieces, put one slice of tomato, lettuce and fried chicken meat, top with another slice of tomato, lettuce and waffle again. Use the sandwich toothpick to hold the sandwich.

Drizzle the syrupy maple orange sauce over the waffle sandwich.

Crispy, crunchy pieces of chicken stacked on a fluffy golden waffle will definitely tease your taste buds.

The Flavors Of Malaysia

Malaysia is a food lover's paradise, with our multiracial community, we have exposed to all sorts of delicacies and desserts. Malaysia food is heavily influenced by Thai, Chinese, Indonesia, Indian, Portuguese, Dutch and British cuisines. This influences from the use of the wok to the combinations of spices used in many popular dishes, the result in a symphony of flavors making Malaysian foods highly complex and diverse.

The flavorful food of Malaysia is one of the best part of the country, its literally a melting pot. A complex mix of salty, sweet, sour and spices heat makes Malaysian food a joy to savour on your taste buds.

Some of our Malaysian  popular street foods which we can easily prepare at home with simple ingredients.

"Rojak" is a traditional fruits and vegetables salad commonly found in Malaysia, Singapore  and Indonesia and some part of Asian countries.

 Rojak aka fruits & vegetables salad

You can easily prepare rojak at home as and when you like, you need pineapple, guava, green mango, cucumber, turnip and fried bean curd. Cut  or slice all the fruits and vegetable into bit size.

Stir fry the groundnuts in non stick pan until slightly brown. Cool it and remove the husk.

Blend or pound the groundnuts coarsely.

For the sauce, you need shrimp paste.

It is a gooey paste make out of fermented shrimp heads, shells and salt. This is a common ingredients in Southeast Asian cooking. 

Rojak Sauce
200mls water
100mls tamarind juice
3 tbsp  shrimp paste
1/2 cup sweet black caramel sauce
Sugar to taste
3 tsp corn starch mix with 1 tbsp water, mix well.

1/  Dissolve 1 tbsp of tamarind pulp with 100mls water and sieve.
2/  Mix the water, tamarind juice, shrimp paste, caramel black sauce together and let it boil using medium low heat. Stir constantly, add sugar to taste.
3/  Add the corn starch mixture to thicken and remove from stove.
4/  Cool completely before use.

Blanch the bean sprout in boiling water for 1 min. Drain and keep aside.

Mix 3 to 4 tbsp rojak sauce with 1 tbsp chili sauce of your choice. Add the fruits, vegetables and mix well. Sprinkle generous amount of groundnuts on top and serve immediately.

Squeeze one or two calamansi  for extra kick.

One of the main ingredient in rojak is youtiao aka fried cruller which I did not add in. You can either buy from hawker stalls or frozen youtiao at supermarket. But if you are adventurous to try making your own youtiao, click here for recipe. 

Blanched cockles is another favorite street food in Malaysia.

1/  Wash and scrub the cockles with toothbrush. Give the cockles a good body scrub.
2/  Soak the cockles in water with a tsp of salt for few hours to remove the mud and sand.
3/  Rinse several times and drain.

4/  Bring a pot of water to boil, switch off the stove.
5/  Plunge the cockles into the pot, leave the cockles in the hot water for 1 minute or 1 minute 20 second depend on the cockles size. Do not cover the pot.

The cockles is cooked yet tender. To eat the cockles, spring open the shell, use the fork to dig out the cockles flesh and dipped in chili sauce to enjoy. If there is any sand at the edge of the cockles flesh, just remove it with  a toothpick.

Another meaning for cockles.....What are the Cockles of Your Heart?
One of the meanings of "cockle" is the chamber of a kiln: in reference to the heart, it refers to the chambers, of which there are four (two atria and two ventricles). The heart has always been associated with emotions, especially love, excitement and fear, probably because when we feel a strong emotion we feel our heart thumping and beating faster. So when something "warms the cockles of our heart", it is a reference to something pleasant that makes our heart beat faster and makes us feel good. It is probably also the origin of the saying that something gives us that "warm and fuzzy feeling". BY: John Frith, Paddington

The cockles of the heart are its ventricles, named by some in Latin as "cochleae cordis", from "cochlea" (snail), alluding to their shape. The saying means to warm and gratify one's deepest feelings. BY: Patricia McPhee, Booker Bay. Article source from here.

Sotong Kangkong aka Cuttlefish with water spinach is another popular appetizer in our country.

You need 2 cuttlefish, 1 bunch of water spinach, groundnuts and sweet sauce.

Pluck the water spinach shoot and leaves into bite size, wash and rinse several times. Blanch the water spinach in hot water for 1 minute. Drain dry and keep aside.

Water spinach is a tropical vegetable for its tender shoot and leaves. This water spinach is from our little heaven.

Cut the cuttlefish into 2 -3 inch rectangle pieces. Then using a sharp knife make thin diagonal cuts on one side of the cuttlefish without cutting all the way through. Bring a pot of water to boil and cook the cuttlefish for 3 minutes and drain dry. Do not overcook or else it turn rubbery.

Cuttlefish from the wet market.
You need to wash, rinse and soak the cuttlefish for one day before cooking. Rinse and change the water several times, at least 5 to 6 times.

To serve, mix the water spinach with cuttlefish, chili sauce, sweet sauce and generous amount of groundnuts. Mix well and serve immediately. ( For this batch I used ready made sweet sauce )

For homemade sweet sauce
4 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp shrimp paste
3/4 bowl Water
Sugar to taste
2 tsp cornstarch mix with 1 tbsp water.

1/  Boil the water, hoisin sauce, shrimp paste and sugar.
2/  When boil, add the corn starch mixture and remove from stove.
3/  Drizzle the sauce on cuttlefish with water spinach to enjoy.

Grilled fish with hot chili paste

1/  Clean and gut the fish. Best to use stingray fish.
2/  Cut 2 pieces of banana leaf about 7 x 8 inch size. Wash and dry properly.
3/  Heat up the wok with 1 tbsp of oil, put in the banana leaf. Put the fish on top the banana leaf, scoop 2 tbsp of hot chili paste on top the fish and cover the wok with lid.
4/  Use medium low heat cook for 4 minutes and turn the fish, add another 1 tbsp of hot chili paste cook for 3 minutes.
5/  Remove from stove, squeeze 2 calamansi or lemon juice on top the fish and serve immediately.
Optional:
You can grill this fish in the oven or BBQ pit using aluminium foil.

Grilled Squid with long beans and four angle beans.

500gm fresh squid
4 pieces of angle beans - slice thinly
4 length of long beans -  cut into 1 inch length

Hot chili paste for fish or squid.
3 tbsp dried chili paste**
2 bird eyes chili
3 cloves garlic - chopped
3 shallots - slice thinly
2 stalk lemon grass- use the bottom section, cut into small pieces
1/2 inch galangah
1 tbsp tamarind pulp mix with 1/2 bowl water
1 tsp salt or to taste
3 tsp sugar or to taste
2 tbsp oil
1 large onion

**Dried Chili Paste**
Cut 1 bowl of dried chili into 1/2 inch length. Soak in hot water until soft, approximate about 30 minutes. Remove the seed and drain. Blend the soak dried chili with a bit of water into fine paste, add 1 to 2 tsp of salt and cook for 5 minutes. Cool completely and store in jar. You can freeze the chili paste for other cooking.

1/  Blend or pound the bird eyes chili, garlic, shallots, lemon grass, galangah into fine paste. Add in the chili paste and mix well.
2/  Mix the tamarind pulp with 1/2 bowl hot water.  Smash the pulp and remove the seeds. Strain the tamarind with a sieve. Keep aside.
3/  Heat up 1/2 tbsp of oil, saute the onion for 2 minutes. Keep the onion aside.
4/  Add the balance oil add in the grind paste and stir fry for 10 minutes. Add tamarind juice, salt and sugar to taste. Continue cooking using low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes. The oil must be separate from the chili paste. Add in the saute onion and mix well.

Hot Chili paste for BBQ fish or cuttlefish.

1/ Wash and cut the squid to 1/4 inch ring. Toss the squid in wok without oil to remove the water and fishy smell.

1/  Remove the squid from wok and drain off the squid water.
2/  Wash and dry the banana leaf. Cut the banana leaf to about 7 x 8 inch size
3/  Heat up the wok with 1 tbsp of oil. Put banana leaf into the wok and pour the squid on top the banana leaf. Add in the four angle beans, long beans and 3 to 4 tbsp of hot chili paste.
4/  Mix well and cover the wok with lid for 5 minutes.
5/  Open the wok lid, add salt and sugar to taste, mix well and remove from stove.
6/  Best to serve immediately.

Optional:
You can grill the squid using oven or BBQ pit using aluminum foil.

This grilled squid is great to go with white rice. Squeeze one or two calamansi juice for extra kick.

Until next time, I will share the part two of "The Flavors Of Malaysia."
Amelia