Chai Choy/Vegetarian Delight

This would be my vegetable dish when i ran out of greens. The only fresh ingredients are the Nappa Cabbage or ordinary cabbage and carrots, the rest are dried. There are many ingredients involved but even with a few ingredients less, this dish will be very flavorful especially if the sauce is right. This is a classic to the vegetarian and it can be a meal by itself for there are so many nutricious ingredients involved. Although this is a vegetable dish, dried oysters can be added for flavor and oysters are acceptable and considered vegetarian.

Ingredients:
4 tbsps cooking oil
2 pieces fermented beancurd(preferably the red type which is called 'nam yee'

1/2 cup dried oysters - soaked(optional)
8 dried shitake mushrooms, soaked and halved
1 lb Nappa cabbage, sliced
1 carrot, sliced

6 - 8 pieces Fried tofu (tofu pok) - halves

3 long pieces dried bean curd (foo chook) - soaked and break into small pieces

1/2 cup black fungus - Wan yee - soaked

1/2 cup lily bulbs - soaked and tied into knots

1 small bundle glass noodles - soaked

Seasonings:

1/2 tsp white pepper

1 cup water

2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tbsp soya sauce

1 tsp sugar

2 tbsp sesame oil

Method:

In a wok, heat oil and stir-fry fermented beancurd until fragrant. Add oysters (if using),mushrooms, cabbage and carrot. Stir-fry until cooked through.

Add in the rest of the ingredients except the soaked glass noodles and the seasonings

Bring to the boil, add the seasonings, then reduce heat, cover with lid and simmer.

Add in the glass noodles and continue to simmer, you might have to add in more water/stock if the sauce has thickened too much. Do no be afraid to add more water/stock as the glass noodle will swell and soak up all the goodness.

Simmer until sauce has thickened.

Dish up and sprinkle with sesame oil.

Serve hot.

Serves

Steamed Salted Fish With Pork

This dish is one of many homestyle recipes in the Cantonese repertoire. I remember my mom hand chopping the pork with a chinese cleaver to make this dish or any steamed pork. The hand chopping creates a more al-dente texture and it is worth the effort. However, this dish is still as delicious if made with ground pork. The salted fish of choise is the soft type as the hard type does not marry or blend well.

Ingredients:

8 ozs of ground/minced or hand chopped pork

2 tbsp of soya sauce

1 tsp of sugar

1/2 tsp pepper

1 tbsp of tapioca flour

a pinch of msg(optional)

1 tbsp of sesame

1 piece "mui heong' salted fishoil

2 tbsp of julienned ginger

Method:

Mix pork with all the seasonings, then place the salted fish on top and spread the julienned ginger on top of prepared dish.

Steam until cooked in a steamer or put on top of the rice before rice cooker's function turns to 'keep warm'.

Enjoy with white rice.


Serves

Lepat Ubi Kayu/Cassava Wrap

This is a very traditional malay kuih in Malaysia which is served for breakfast or afternoon tea. I cannot have enough of eating this tuber and love everything that is made from it too. My mother and many of her generation, who had gone through the Japanese Occupation will not eat tapioca, perhaps it brings back bad memories of that era where they had nothing eat and had to depend on this tuber. I was trying to find out more of this tuber but ended reading about the Japanese Occupation in Malaysia and i now i can understand why my mother's generation has no craze for it.

Ingredients:

The recipe is the same as the bottom layer of Talam Ubi Kayu

Banana leaves - washed, boiled and cut into 4 inch x 8 inch pieces.

Method:

Wrap the cassava batter with prepared banana leaves.

Steam for 10 minutes and enjoy

Ground Pork With Salted Eggs

This is a traditional home-style dish. mostly passed on within families, and my paternal hokkien grandma used to serve this style which is very firm unlke the soft version. Trust me, it is VERY good as it is intentionally made to taste salty, so it goes well with white rice. Salted eggs are made with duck eggs but i will make with chicken eggs which are less expensive - there are 2 ways to make Homemade Salted eggs, i prefer this method better - Homemade Salted Eggs II.

Ingredients:

2 salted duck eggs, separated

1 pounds ground pork
2 eggs
1 tbsp soya sauce

1 tsp shaoxing wine
1/2 tsp white sugar
1 tsp white pepper

2 tbsp garlic fragrant oil

1 tsp sesame oil

Method:

Separate the white of the salted egg from the yolk. Divide the yolk into four pieces and mix the whites to the eggs. Beat the eggs lightly.

Mix in the ground pork and the seasonings. Lastly arrange the salted egg-yolks on top.

Drizzle with garlic fragrant oil and put to steam on low-medium heat until cooked.

Remove from steamer and drizzle with sesame oil.

Serve hot.

Serves

Sandwich Bread

I used to own a couple of sandwich bread pans which were custom maded in Malaysia and thought that these type of pan which is called - Pullman Pan" will be readily available here, so did not bring them with me. Yes, they are available but not readily, they are available online and so, so expensive that i for one, cannot afford to own one. If one wish hard enough, your wish will be granted, they are sold in Malaysia and so, so inexpensive. My daughter Sharon bought me one and it made the best sandwish bread according to Renee, who loves bread. Since she loves bread, i will try and make the bread as nutricious as possible. I will add in pumpkin, squash, sweet potatoes and zuchini and this is how i get her to eat vegetables.



Ingredients:

1 cup mashed/puree cooked pumpkin/sweet potatoes/squash/zuchini

1 egg

2 tbsp sugar

1 1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp oil

2 tbsp milk powder

3 cups bread flour(you can replace a cup with whole wheat flour)

1 1/4 tsp instant yeast

1/2 - 1 cup of milk(depending on how wet the vegetable is)

Method:

Put the ingredients according to the order as typed above in the bread-machine bowl.

Start the bread-machine using the dough function.

Add water enough to make dough into a ball.

When dough has finished cycle, remove and punch down.

Grease bread-pan and scale dough - 1 lb 4 ozs dough for 8 inch x 4inch x 4 inch.(dough should be 1/3 of the bread pan), and fold to fit the bread pan.. Cover with the lid but leave 1/2 inch gap so that you can see that the dough rising.

Let the bread proof until cover with a warm towel. When the dough has reached the top about 1/2 inch away from the lid. Close the lid tightly and turn on the oven 350F. When oven is preheated, put bread to bake for 30 minutes. Remove lid and continue to bake for another 15 - 20 minutes(depending on how brown a crust is desired).

Leave to cool for 10 minutes before removing bread from bread pan.

Cool bread totally before slicing.


Serves

Ban Jian Kuih III

My friends did not like Ban Jian Kuih II as they said that it tasted too much of alkali. So, have to search and tweak again. I came to realised that there is an Indonesian Cake called 'Terang Bulan' which is quite similar, only the filling is different. So, here i go again, making it this time with an egg and less alkali solution. It turned out pretty good for now, cos i am still trying to figure how to make it more chewy.

Ingredients:

1 Egg
225 ml water
1 1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp milk powder
1/2 salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsps baking soda

Filling: Peanut , Sesame seeds, sugar, butter/margarine.

Method:

Whisk the eggs, pour the water and keep stirring until it makes bubble.

Fold in flour, sugar, milk powder and salt until the ingredients are combined.- Stir in vegetable oil.

Leave to rest for 1/2 - 1 hr.

Heat fry pan on medium heat.

Add in baking soda and whisk well to combine.

Pour batter into fry pan which has already been warmed.

Using the base of the ladle to swirl the batter in a circular motion so that the sides of fry pan has a thin coating of batter. (This thin coating will be crispy when Ban Jian Kuih is ready).

Cover the fry-pan with a fitting lid.

Cook it until the surface has pores.

Dust it with sugar , peanuts and sesame seeds.

Cover the pan again until well done.

Lastly drop some butter or margarine.

Fold in half and remove to cake rack to cool before slicing and serve.

Serves

Boxing Enche Kabin

Boxing Chicken is a well-known finger-food for Cocktail Parties and instead of the usual marinate, the Enche Kabin flavor is used. Enche Kabin or Inche Kabin is a nyonya style fried chicken, which is so delicious that it needs no introduction.

Ingredients:

12 chicken drummettes or 6 chicken wings.
Oil for deep-frying

Marinade:
3 tbsp meat curry powder
1tbsp chilli powder(optional)
1 tsp grated ginger
1/2 tsp salt
5 tbsp concentrated coconut cream

Dipping Sauce Ingredients:
(to be mixed together)

1 tsp mustard or mustard powder
3 tbsp Worcestershire or HP sauce
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp lime juice
1 tsp light soy sauce
2 red chilies, de-seed and cut into small slices
2 shallots, peeled and sliced

Method:

Remove the tips if using chicken wings and cut the remaining into 2 parts.

Loosen the meat from the joint of drummettes and middle wing and push down to form a 'fist' shape. Remove the smaller bone from the centre part of the middle wing.

Marinade with the seasonings for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight, covered, in the refrigerator.

Pan-fry in a wok, stirring all the time until quite dry. Leave to cool.

Heat oil till smoking hot, put in the chicken pieces and fry until sizzling subsides.

Remove chicken pieces and allow the oil to heat up again.

Fry again another two more times until crispy and golden brown.

Serve hot with the sauce

Serves