SPECIAL DAY

Yesterday was my hubby's birthday. I made a cake for him, Opera Cake. My kids & I gave him a surprise once he reached home. My daughter played a Birthday song with violin to him. He was so happy :D

This was my 1st attempt. It turns out great.

For dinner, I fried mee ( bought by a friend of mine from Sg.Belik-It's homemade & very popular ) as 寿面 & Baked Crispy Chicken again. Hahaha... We had a wonderful dinner.

Here's the Opera Cake recipe ( Adapted from Le Cordon Bleu Home Collection ). I added some toasted almond nibs to the butter cream :)

Almond Sponge :

• 65g icing sugar ( reduced )


• 2 1/2 tbsp flour


• 75g almond powder


• 3 eggs


• 15g unsalted butter, melted & cooled


• 3 egg whites


• 1 tbsp caster sugar

Ganache :

• 200g dark chocolate, finely chopped


• 120ml milk


• 110 whipping cream


• 50g unsalted butter, softened

Coffee syrup :

• 1 tbsp sugar ( reduced )


• 1 1/2 tbsp instant coffee


• 90ml water

Butter Cream :

• 60g caster sugar ( reduced )


• 1 egg white


• 1 tbsp instant coffee


• 100g unsalted butter, softened


• 50g almond nibs, toasted

1. To prepare the sponge layer, first, preheat the oven to 200c. Line a 20x30cm baking pan with parchment paper. In a large bowl, sift icing sugar & flour, then add the almond powder. mix well. Add eggs, one at a time, & beat until pale. Add the melted butter. Mix well.


2. Beat the egg whites until stiff, then gradually add in sugar & continue beating until stiff peaks are obtained.


3. Add 1/3 of the beaten egg whites to the batter, mixing well, then incorporate the remainder, folding until just combined. Pour batter onto the baking pan & spread evenly. Bake for 6-8 minutes, or until golden brown & springy when touched. Loosen the edges with a knife and carefully turn out onto a wire rack covered with a sheet of parchment papre. Allow to cool.


4. Place finely chopped chocolate in a heatproof bowl & set aside. Bring milk & 30ml cream to a boil. Pour the hot liquid onto to chocolate. Wait for 30 seconds, then add the butter & mix until smooth. Let cool until a spreadable consistency obtained.


5. To prepare the coffee syrup, place sugar & 90ml water in a pan & stir until sugar dissolved. Bring to boil & add coffee.


6. To prepare butter cream, place sugar & 3 tsp of water ina heavy skillet & make a sugar syrup, i.e. stir until sugar is completely dissolved, then boil, without stirring, until syrup reaches soft-ball stage, between 116c.


7. Beat the egg white until soft peaks are obtained. Continue beating while incorporating the hot syrup. Beat until mixture is cold. Dissolve instant coffee in 1 tsp of boiling water & add to butter. Add 1/2 of the egg white mixture & beat well, the gently fold in the remainder until well combined. Mix in toasted almond nibs.


8. Using a knife, divide the sponge into 3 equal sections. Each should be 10x20cm. Place each cake layer on boards respectively & brush with coffee syrup, then spread chocolate ganache on top evenly. Chill for half and hour.


9. Remove & spread butter cream evenly on top of the chocolate ganache. Chill for another half and hour.


10. Remove & ply up the 3 cake's layer.


11. Melt the rest of the ganache over a pan of very hot water. Bring the remaining cream to the boiling point & incorporate into ganache. Allow to cool until a smooth spreadable consistency is obtained. Spread over top of the cake & chill before serve.

Happy Birthday My Dear :)

FINALLY

Finally, my daughter's school exam is over. But I'm not very happy with her results. Careless! Careless! Careless! Haiz......
Today i would like to share 2 recipes that i tried last few weeks with you guys:) The very 1st is Steamed Spare Ribs With Tomato & Bean Paste. It's a nice & delicious dish when it goes with rice.


Here's the recipe :

• 300g spare ribs ( cut into sections )


• 3 tbsp minced garlic


• 100g tomato ( cut into small pieces )


• 1 tsp sugar


• 1/2 tsp salt


• 2 tbsp plum sauce


• 1 tbsp bean paste


• 2 red chillies ( diced )


• 1 tbsp corn flour

1. Marinate spare ribs with sugar, salt, plum sauce, red chillies & bean paste for about 1/2 hour.


2. Add in garlic & tomatoes.


3. Steam over medium heat for about 25 minutes till cooked.

Isn't easy??? heheeee.....

The 2nd is Baked Crispy Chicken. This is super easy. I used ready-mix salted chicken powder to marinate. Then I just bake it with the oven. I post the ready-mix powder picture later because i finished & threw. Hee hee......

AS A PROMISED

Hi friends, as a promised from my last post. I'm back with 2 new recipes. The very 1st one i would like to share with you is Spicy Curry Leaves Chicken Cubes.This simple dish was from my mum. I cooked it once since long long ago. The original recipe is with alittle gravy, not too much as mine. Due to my kids & hubby love gravy so much, i cooked it more. Hehehe :P

Here's the recipe...

• 1 piece of chicken breast / 5 chicken fillets ( cut into small cubes )


• 5 stalks curry leaves


• 2 pips garlic ( chopped )


• 3-4 chili padi


• 2 tbsp fish sauce


• 4 tbsp water


• 1 tbsp oil

1. Heat up oil, stir-fry garlic & curry leaves until fragrant.


2. Add in chicken breast/ fillet cubes, chili padi,fish sauce & water. Stir-fry over high heat until cooked. Lastly, thicken with alittle cornstarch water. Dish up.

The second is Spaghetti Carbonara. Is a Italian pasta cuisine. Simple to make, yet delicious.... my kids & my favourite spaghetti dish at the moment! Do you know what my kids tell me while they are having it for lunch?? " Mummy, it taste very nice & nicer than the shop one!!!" hahaha.... ya, I agreed with them!! LOL ..... Back to this recipe.... last few days, I searched for carbonara recipes online, & I found this recipe is the best among the others. Let's share the recipe now......

• 450g spaghetti


• 1/2 cup Thickened cream/ Heavy cream/ Double ceam


• 2 eggs ( well beaten )


• 6 sausages ( cut )


• 3 tsp olive oil


• 1/2 tsp salt


• 1 tsp black pepper


• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese


• 2 tbsp parsley ( chopped )

**All ingredients have to be at room temperature before you start**

1. Fill a large pot with water & add in 1 tbsp of salt. Boil the water & cook spaghetti for 6 minutes or as per package instructions.


2. In a pan, stir-fry sausages with 1 tbsp olive oil until crisp. Set aside.


3. While the spaghetti cooks, combine & mix well the cheese, salt, black pepper, cream, & olive oil in a pot. Cook in low heat until chees is melted ( Do NOT Boil )


4. Take the sauce of the heat, & wait till it slightly cold. Add in the beaten eggs & keep stirring until well blended.


5. Drain spaghetti & put it into the fried sausages pan. Pour sauce on top & stir well.


6. Preparing each individual plate, sprinkle some black pepper & parsley.Serve.

Serve 4 ....... Enjoy!

Have a Nice Weekend

NEW MENU

It's August, I'm quite busy doing revision with my kids, preparing for her 3rd term examinations:( But I can't wait to try out those delicious dishes from my new cook books.
The 1st recipe that I wanted to share with you is Stewed Pork Belly With Peanuts a recipe adapted from the book " Flavours From My Kampung" by Bryan Ong.



Actually this is not a new recipe, i think most of you, know how to cook it. To me, was my 1st attempt :P I love it. Here's the recipe :

• 150g peanuts, washed & drained


• 1kg pork belly


• 1 tsp dark soy sauce


• 1 cup oil for deep-frying


• 10 pips garlic, peeled

Seasoning :

• 1 tbsp fermented soya bean paste


• 2 tbsp light soy sauce


• 1 tbsp oyster sauce


• 1/2 tbsp sugar


• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil


• 2 tbsp shaoxing wine


• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce


• 2000ml water

1. Put peanuts & 800ml water into a saucepan & bring to boil. Lower the heat & simmer for 10 minutes. Dish & drain.


2. Cook pork belly in boiling water for 10 minutes. Dish & drain. Rub a little black soy sauce all over the pork belly & deep-fry in hot oil until golden brown. Dish & drain. Cut pork belly into about 1cm thick slices.


3. Heat up 2 tbsp oil & fry garlic until aromatic. Add in peanuts, seasoning & simmer for about 1 hour. Add in pork belly & continue to simmer until tender. Dish up & serve.

*** To save cooking time, you can add in 1 small tin of "Braised Peanuts" when the pork belly is tender to replace the raw peanuts. Reduce 500ml-800ml water & seasoning if you use "braised peanuts" because you already saved the 1 hr cooking time.***

Last 2 days, my neighbour gave me a pumpkin. Thinking what can i do with that. So i keep searching for pumpkin recipes. At last i decided to make this "Steamed Pumpkin Cake" adapted by Steamed Cake & Kuih Muih by Karen Tan.Yes, I have had this book for long long time, but this the first time trying out her recipe..& is my 1st attempt trying out chinese steamed cake :P
Yeah!!!!! Successful!!! It's very nice. The texture is just nice that i make some adjustment in the water.



Want the recipe?? Here you go....

• 400g pumpkin ( peeled, shredded )


• 200g minced pork


• 50g dried shrimps


• 3 chinese mushrooms ( soaked, diced )


• 6 shallots ( chopped )

Batter :

• 300g rice flour


• 1tbsp corn flour


• 1 tbsp wheat starch


• 1 tsp salt


• 1 tsp caster sugar


• 1 nos egg


• 800ml water

Seasoning :

• 1 tsp pepper


• 1/2 tsp salt


• 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce


• 1 tsp sesame oil

1. Combine batter ingredients, stir lightly, strain well until smooth, keep aside.


2. Heat up 2 tbsp oil to saute chopped shallots at medium heat until fragrant. Add in shredded pumpkins, minced pork, dried shrimps, mushrooms & seasoning, stir-fry briskly until aromatic.


3. Gradually add in batter, stirring until thicken, remove & pour into a 9 inches square steaming tin, level the surface.


4. Steam in the preheated steamer at high heat for 35-40 minutes until cooked though. Remove from heat, leave to cool before cut into pieces.

Wah... another dish to share with you that I cooked for tonight's dinner " Chicken in spicy sauce " ( 口水鸡 ) from the same recipe book I mentioned just now.
Do you know why it's called saliva chicken in chinese? Anybody know the answer? hahaha..... But once i tried, I will name it as 流口水鸡..... hahahahahahaaa...... :D because it's really taste good.

My family love it so much. My son told me : Mummy, same like the chicken rice". Haha.. yes yes, i think i can open a chicken rice shop with this nice recipe.

Do try it & let me know whether I can open a chicken rice shop with this yummy chicken anot? LOL..... Just joking, here's the recipe go.....

• 1 small cucumber, diced


• 2 chicken whole legs, deboned


• 3 tbsp oil


• 1 tbsp chopped garlic ( I put 3 tbsp )


• 1 tbsp chopped ginger ( ! put 2 tbsp )


• 1 tsp chilli powder

Seasoning ( Mixed )

• 2 tbsp light soy sauce


• 1/2 tsp sugar


• 1 tsp sesame oil


• 1 tbsp shaoxing wine


• 1 stalk coriander leaf, chopped ( I avoided )


• 1 stalk spring onion, chopped ( 1 avoided )


• 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

1. Cook chicken thighs in boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove from heat, leave to immerse in the stock till cool. Cut into pieces & place onto a serving platter lined with cucumber.


2. Heat up oil, saute chopped garlic & ginger until aromatic. Dish & drain. Add in 1 tsp chilli powder into the hot oil & stir well. Remove from heat.


3. Pour seasoning over the chicken, sprinkle fried chopped ginger, garlic, chopped coriander leaves, spring onion. sesame seeds ontop. Lastly dizzle chilli oil over & serve.

I will try out a new recipe tomorrow & share with you all soon :D Good Night & Have A Nice Day.......

GIFT IN JULY

Hello friends, I'm back with my July projects even though it's August. Hehehe.... This was a gift cupcakes to my friend's son, little Issac. He loves his ginger breadman soft toy so much. He brings along everyway he goes. So her mum asked me to do this for him :D
Just a simple decoration with butter cupcake, hope little Issac loves it.

Another gift here, was a birthday cake for little En Ya's 1st birthday. Finally, she turns 1. Time flies..... :P She is just 1, i think she might not know who is Hello Kitty. But I'm sure she will love it because it's cute. Hahahaa.....

Besides that, I make a cupcake for my dear dear friend's birthday. It's piggy in Angry Birds. Hahaha....

Did all this in 1 whole day. It's wonderful !