Yam Rice

Just saw someone's post in FB again and view thru the person's blog and saw yam rice. Hmm... looks kinda good and I haven't been eating this for a while, so maybe I should try it out since I manage to get yam which looks kinda nice and not too expensive from the fruit shop.

Ingredients:

For garnishing:

• Some crispy fried shallots
• Some chopped spring onions
• some hard boiled eggs, sliced

Main ingredients:

• 1.5cup rice (I used basmati here, washed and leave aside)
• 5 pieces of dried mushroom, soaked and water reserved
• 1 big handful of dried shrimp, washed and soaked, water reserved, chopped to smaller pieces
• 1 cup of small pieces of pork pieces, lean meat only (marinate with salt, pepper, sesame oil and corn flour)
• 1 chopped shallot
• 3 cloves of chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon of minced ginger
• 250g of yam, cut to small cubes
• 1/2 teaspoon 5 spice powder
• 1/5 teaspoon of sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce
• a big dash of pepper
• 2 tablespoon of soy sauce
• 3 tablespoon of oil (i used olive oil)
• water (inclusive of the reserved water above, should make up bout 1.5 cup)

Method:

1. Saute the shallot till a bit yellowish, add in the garlic and ginger. Stir for about 1mins and add in the chopped dried shrimp. Fried for bout 3-4mins.
2. Add in the yam pieces and fry till all the yams are well coated with oil and a bit yellowish.
3. Add in the pork pieces and fry. Ensure the pork are cooked before adding in the rice and a little water.
4. Add in the seasonings and fry for another 2mins.
5. Scoop the mixture out on to a big bowl or rice cooker and add in the rest of the water.
6. If you using rice cooker, just cook your rice like normal. If not, place the big bowl in a double boiler, or big wok with water and steam for 7-8mins till the rice is cooked and all water absorbed.
7. Fluffed the rice, served and decorate with the garnishing.

Taiwanese Dessert - Sweet Potato Cubes

I had been wanting to try to make the sweet potato cubes or the taro cubes for some time but just not sure why I didn't get into it. But recently, looking the tapioca starch and also the soy milk that I had for a while, I thought why not? Instead of letting those stuff rot, let's try make taiwanese style dessert.

And someone's post in FB just came the right time to inspire me with this dessert.

Ingredients (I made 4 small bowls of these):

• 700ml soy milk (unsweetened)
• 25g sugar
• 10g gelatin
• 100g sweet potato sliced as thinly and small piece as possible
• 45g tapioca starch/flour
• a pinch of salt
• 1/2 tbsp of sugar
• a pot of water to boil the cubes
• 4 tablespoon of cooked and lightly mashed red beans
• 8pcs of grapes
• 8 pieces of mango slices

Methods:

1. Steam the sweet potato for about 5-10mins depending on the size you have cut it. To test if ready, just use a fork to try mash it and if it works, it is ready.
2. Premix the tapioca starch, salt and sugar (1/2tbsp) while steaming the sweet potato.
3. Once the sweet potato is ready and hot, pour it into the dry mixture and mix till even. You can use the fork or your hand to mashed the sweet potato.
4. Shaped it to desire shape. I make them squarish. If the dough is too mushy, add a little more of the flour. Set aside.
5. Heat up the soy milk and add in the sugar (25g), stirring to dissolve it. Once dissolve, remove from heat and let it cool for a while. Slowly stir in the gelatine. Pour to the bowl/container you will like to use. Leave it in the fridge to set.
6. Boil a pot of water and add in the Sweet potato cubes. It should take bout 3-4mins to boil and turn off the fire.
7. Take out the soy jelly that is setting in the fridge (bout 10mins) and it should be semi set.
8. Arranged the sweet potato cubes and the other ingredients on it. Leave it back in the fridge.
9. It should be ready to serve after about 30mins in the fridge.

Put Chai Kou - Red Bean Steamed Rice Cake

I had been wanting to make this steamed rice cake for a while but the other day when I wanted to make, I was out of rice flour and I spent half a day trying to make my own rice flour that totally spoiled the entire dish.

Finally this time, with the right proper ingredients, it is good and yummy.

This is with the red bean paste that I blended for the mooncake

Wondering how it taste with strawberry jam, yum yum too...

Ingredients:

*Just for the cake itself

• 40g rice flour (A)
• 13 wheat starch (A)
• 55ml water (A)
• 35g sugar (B)
• 115ml water (B)

Method:

1. Mixed all ingredients for A till smooth (preferably use a whisk).
2. Heat up ingredients B in the double boiler to melt the sugar. Once all sugar dissolved, remove from heat.
3. Leave the water to boil.
4. Slowly add in item B to the A mixture and stir till even.
5. Greased the mould (I uses 4 ramekins, or u can use teacups).
6. Pour the mixture into the ramekins or teacups and put it into the boiler and steam for 15-17mins.
7. Turn off the fire and leave the cake to cool down.
8. Remove from the mould and served with some red bean paste. 

* If you dont want to serve it separately, u can just scoop some red bean (cooked till very soft) into the mixture prior to steaming.

Oat Muffin with Strawberry

Today I just thought maybe I should bake with oats instead of flour to get some healthier option bakes that can be served to people with high cholesterol. Anyway, do note that oats are not gluten free unless you bought gluten free oats.

Ingredients:

• 200g oats
• 1/4 tablespoon of baking powder
• 100g butter
• 100g sugar
• 2 eggs (white and yolk separated)
• 90ml milk
• 30ml low fat cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 3 tablespoon cream cheese
• 3 tablespoon sugar
• 3 tablespoon low fat cream
• 4 strawberries, cut to half

Method:

1. Blend the oats with the baking powder till the oats become powder.
2. Cream the softened butter with sugar till pale and fluffy.
3. Slowly add in the yolks, one by one and mix till even.
4. Then add the vanilla essence, milk and low fat cream.
5. In a separate bowl, beat the egg white till firm peak (as in it wont move even when I reverse the bowl).
6. Fold the egg white into the cake mixture till even.
7. Scoop into the paper cups (3/4 full), makes 8 here.
8. Bake for 180C for 10mins on the air fryer.

* If using oven, please preheat oven and bake for at least 15-20mins at 180c.

1. Beat the cream cheese, sugar and cream till it is fluffy and well mix.
2. Pipe it to the middle of the muffin, and decorate with half the strawberry.

Chocolate Muffins with Salted Caramel

Ever since the end of My Kitchen Rule 2013, I havent been watching tv much but recently Sophie got me into watching Master Chef Australia. Few days back, they were having the host and some guests cooking and the one that got me interested is this Chocolate Muffins with Salted Caramel by Matt. But he actually uses a little different ingredients and dusted it with sparkling red food glitter which of course I didnt have it.

Ingredients:

• 185g softened unsalted butter
• 130g caster sugar (he uses 160g raw caster, me out of stock for this)
• 2 eggs (I use XL, not sure what size he uses, cant remember, not stated on the website either)
• 230 plain flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 60g milo (he uses dutch cocoa powder.. hehehe of course I dont have stock, that's why substituted)
• 85ml low fat cream (he uses thickened)
• 85ml water
• cubes of wonka caramel chocolate (he uses caramel chews which I can't find)

Method:

1. For those using oven, preheat the oven 180C. I use airfryer, which of course I dont bother preheating.
2. Cream butter and sugar till pale and fluffy.
3. Slowly mix in the eggs, one by one.
4. Mix the dry ingredient separately till even (flour, baking powder, soda, salt and milo) before adding in the mixture and stir till even.
5. Slowly add in the cream and water and mix till they combine.
6. Scoop the mixture into the muffin tin lined with papers to 3/4 full. I didnt use the muffin tin coz cant fit in my airfryer, I use the tart single tin.
7. Gently push in the caramel chocolate cubes to the middle of the muffin mixture, not to push all the way to the bottom.
8. Bake for 20mins or till cook. I bake them for 10mins for each batch of 4 at 180c on the air fryer.

Cheese Brownies

Was at a hubby's colleague's house for BBQ and his wife served cheese brownies, just fall in love with it and decided to google and try it out. After the first attempt, I made the second with raspberry which is harder (the first was more gooey).

Ingredients:

• 85g unsalted butter
• 115g dark cooking chocolate, break to small pieces
• 120g sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 70g flour
• 1tbsp milo
• a small pinch salt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 80g chocolate chips
• 200g cream cheese
• 1 large egg yolk
• 60g sugar
• a splash of vanilla extract
• a small handful of frozen raspberry

Methods:

1. Line a 9" square pan with foil, mist with non stick spray or grease lightly. I uses my lovely air fryer, so, I lined the basket instead and used only 2/3 of the ingredients. If you prefer the gooey version, used all the ingredients and smaller pan.
2. If using normal oven, preheat it at 180C. Airfryer, just add 2mins to the baking time later.
3. In a medium saucepan, melt butter and chocolate over low heat and stirring till it is smooth. Remove from heat and add in the 120g sugar and heat and stir.
4. Next stir in lightly beaten 2 eggs. Mix in flour, milo and salt, then vanilla and chocolate chips. Stir till even and pour over the baking pan, spread evenly.
5. In a separate bowl, cream the cheese, yolk, balance of sugar and vanilla until smooth.
6. Use a spoon to scoop the mixture and drop by dollops on top of the brownies mixture the lightly swirl it. If you adding the raspberry, pop on top of the mixture not too close to each other.
7. Bake for 30-40mins till the side set (the middle will still be soft and wobbly like). If using airfryer, I set it at 180C for 17mins.
8. After baking, take it out to cool before popping in the fridge to set, cut and serve.

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Home Made Almond Milk

Ingredients:

• 150g (approximately, didnt weight) almond (I used those with skin, so got to waste time removing, try to get those without), soaked overnight to remove the skin, then soaked for at least another night
• 5 cups water

Method:

1. Soak the almond for at least a night to ease the skin removal. Remove the brown skin. Then soak for another night. The reason I remove the skin is cause I wanted to use the almond meal later for baking. If you are just throwing it away (try not to waste), dont bother then. 
2. I uses the magi mix, but I guess should be the same with the other food processor or blender. Just sieve off all the water and blend it for about 20seconds and slowly add in water. Blend till you see the entire mixture is smooth and fine.
3. Use those fine sieve or cheesecloth to sieve the milk. Press the almond meal till dry so you get all the milk. Leave aside the almond meal for other recipes. Can use it for baking or make some vegetarian food dishes.
4. I then double boil the milk for bout 20mins and ready to be served.