Inverted Sushi - My First Try

I have made many times makis but this is my first try at inverted sushis! Thought I'd make a mess of it but it actually turned out pretty well. It's harder to cut the rolls though as the rice sticks.

Shown above is a roll of inverted chicken katsu sushi. Yummmm!

Why Is My Peanut Sauce So Light In Colour?

I have tried several recipes for satay/peanut sauce but none has come close in taste to those authentic ones we get from the satay man. The last batch I made (photo above) was a light yellow colour rather than a deep reddish brown... probably due to the lack of dried chili? (I added only 1! From my previous experience, it would have been way too spicy for mes amis francais otherwise, lol.)

Now, here's a photo of the "rempah" before the addition of crushed peanuts...

There are shallots, garlic, dried chili, turmeric, ginger, lemon grass, belacan, coconut milk, salt and sugar. The batch before had galangal which was overwhelming in taste (I put too much perhaps), hence I omitted it this time. It tasted not bad at all but just not like the real thing. If anyone has an authentic recipe from the satay man, pleeeeeease post. Thanks!

Recipe For Macau Walnut Cookies?

I am hooked. This stuff is soooooo good, I can't stop at 3! According to the label, they are called "Li Li Xing Ren Bing", made in Macau. Dry and grainy in texture, not at all greasy like some of the chinese peanut cookies I had eaten before. If you have a recipe for it, please send it to me! Merci beaucoup.

"Lazy" Hot Meal #2

Any kind of meat will do. Slice meat, throw into pan with some dark soy sauce, black vinegar, chinese rice wine, sugar, slices of ginger, garlic and green onions. Heat and stir till cooked through and enjoy with hot steamy rice. Voila.

Crumbly Almond Loaf

If you like rich dense cakes with a crumbly texture, this almond loaf is for you. I've especially enjoyed the browned top and sides.

Crumbly Almond Loaf

120g butter
150g sugar
2 tsp lemon extract
3 eggs
1.5C almond powder
4Tbsp self raising flour
2 heaping Tbsp yoghurt

Cream butter and sugar together. Mix in lemon extract and eggs one at a time. Fold in almond powder and flour, then yoghurt. Bake in loaf pan at 180 degrees C for 45 minutes.

Spicy Eggplant (Yu Xiang Qie Zi)

Does anyone have a good recipe for this dish? I haven't found one yet, for the moment, I use Yeo's pre-mix which is pretty tasty with extra minced garlic and dried shrimps. I like to add a bunch of glass noodles sometimes for a heavier meal.

My "Lazy" Hot Dish

This is what I cook when I am feeling really really lazy... Taiwanese Sausage Omelette. Or when I am out of ideas. It's done in 2 minutes!

Century Eggs (Pei Dan) - An Acquired Taste

So I finally got my long-awaited Pei Dan from Hong Kong! I hated this stuff when I was a kid but grew to love it, especially its pungent soft moist yolk. I immediately brewed a pot of porridge, threw in 2 Pei Dan's, some green onions, salt, pepper and sesame oil and walloped it all! Yummmmmmm! My cholesterol level will probably go through the roof this week though, oh well...

I think I am going to get some of mes amis francais to try this stuff and enjoy the look on their faces. (lol)

Yum Woon Sen (Thai Glass Noodle Salad)

One of my favourite Thai dishes... love the refreshing lime dressing. Quite a bit of work involved though (lots of chopping and boiling) so it is not often that I make it.

Yum Woon Sen

60g (2 oz) glass noodles, soaked in warm water till soft
Cooked prawns, minced pork, dried shrimps.
5 Tbsp kaffir lime juice
Lime rind to taste, finely grated
2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp sugar
2 chillies, finely minced
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
4 stalks spring onions, finely chopped
1/4C cilantro, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2T roasted peanuts, crushed (for topping)
Mint leaves for garnish

Beer Bread Revisited

Remember my post on the Oh-So-Good Beer Bread a while back? That was the first time I tried the recipe and I have to say it has become my staple ever since I discovered it, for many reasons:

1. It takes 3 minutes to prepare the batter and I am not exagerating! That's quicker than running out to the nearest boulangerie 200m down the road!

2. It is such a forgiving recipe that I could add whatever I fancy to it - dried fruits, nuts and seeds, ground almonds, whole wheat flour etc - and it will still turn out great. My personal favorite is to crowd it with raisins :0)

3. It is really yummy... with salted butter and jam, with cheese, or in a sandwich.

I have not bought another loaf of bread since!

My Favourite Fudgy Brownies

I love dense heavy cakes and brownies (no sponges for moi!). This recipe is the best one I have encountered to date and I am keeping it.

Fudgy Brownies

200g dark baking chocolate

200g unsalted butter

150g sugar

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 heaping tablespoon flour

nuts, bananas (optional toppings)

Melt chocolate and butter together. Mix into mixture sugar till well combined, then vanilla extract and eggs one at a time. Do not overmix. Stir in flour. Bake in a lined 9-inch pan at 200 deg C for 25 minutes.

Pear Crumble Au Caramel

I am not usually a fan of fruit-based desserts but this one is an exception due to the rich caramel and crumble. Layer pear slices in pan, sprinkle a generous amount of butter and brown sugar and top with crumble (recipe as follows). Bake for approximately 45 minutes. Serve warm with double cream.

Crumble

150g butter, cold and diced
150g wholemeal or granary flour (or plain white)
80g brown sugar
40g caster sugar
100g pack walnuts

Dont Throw That Precious Stock Away

This is the chicken stock I stored away in the fridge after boiling chicken for the curry puffs last weekend. Skim away the fats and use it in soups. I like to throw in vegetables such as zuchinis or cabbage and season simply with salt and pepper... a warm hearty meal without further fuss.

Easy Snack - Baked Baby Potatoes

This quick snack is inspired by baked potato skin. Half some baby potatoes, heap on some grated cheese, sprinkle with chorizo, salt, pepper and herbs of your choice, drizzle a little olive oil and pop into an oven of 200 dec C for about 25 minutes. Enjoy.

Give Me A Curry Puff Anytime!

So I made giant curry puffs for dinner last night. A quick boil of potatoes, vegetables and chicken, mix them up with Brahim Brand Meat Curry Mix and a generous bunch of cumin seeds, wrap in puff pastry, glaze, bake and voila! A tad too spicy for mes amis francais (sorry guys) who were sniffing away halfway through the puffs (lol).



(Above photo: a sprinkle of sesame seeds to mark the puff without vegetables for the carnivore in the group.)

Herb Growing

It is wet and freezing cold here and we are only in the beginning of October! Ohlala!

The herbs on the windowsill are doing fine despite the cold, except for the parsley which had sadly dried out when I was away this summer.

The rosemary (picture above) looks the best... a tough little lady that needs little attention.

The mint getting uncontrollable, growing in all directions and looking a mess.

The oregano survived the drought back in August and is slowly fattening up... way to go!

Bienvenue, Mes Amis Francais!

Si tu voudrais une recette en francais, mets un "comment" et j'essayerai de la traduire pour toi.