Steam Minced Meat

Ingredients

250g minced meat .. I used pork

1 tbsp light soy sauce

1/2 tbsp oyster sauce

1/2 tbsp taiwan soy bean paste with chilli

Some pepper

1 tbsp sesame oil

1-2 tsp corn flour

Thumb size old ginger cut into thin strips

Method:

1.Mix all ingredients together.

2.Boil water in wok. Once water is boiled, steam the meat for 10min.

3.Garnish with spring onion and fried onion n oil

With the same method, you may want to try Steam Boneless Chicken With Mushrooms 

You may also want to try Black Pepper Stir Fry Meat

Snow Skin Mooncake (Cook method)冰皮月饼

Ingredients 用料 (冰皮 Snow Skin)
45g Glutinous Rice Flour 糯米粉45克
35g White Rice Flour 粘米粉35克（大米粉）
20g Wheat Starch 小麦淀粉20克（澄面）
18g Vegetable Oil 植物油18克
185g Milk 牛奶185克
50g Icing sugar 糖粉50克(too sweet should reduce to 35g)

Filling:
450g lotus paste 莲蓉馅450克
20g melon seeds 瓜子20克

Method for snow skin 制作冰皮
1. Combine milk, vegetable oil (sunflower/corn oil) and icing sugar together. Do not use olive or peanut oil. As the aroma for the oil is too strong.
将牛奶、植物油（选择如玉米油、葵花籽油等色浅无味的植物油，不要用橄榄油、花生油等有特殊气味的油）、糖粉倒入碗里，搅拌均匀

2. Combine glutinous rice flour, white rice flour and wheat starch  in a bowl. Add above 1 into flour and mix them well.
糯米粉、粘米粉、小麦淀粉倒入另一个碗里。将上一步的牛奶混合物慢慢倒入粉类里，边倒边搅拌，直到混合均匀

3. Sieve the liquid mixture 1-2 times
混合好的粉浆，过筛1-2遍

4. After sieved, cover the bowl of mixture with cling wrap and put into boiling water to steam for 25min.
过筛后，静置半个小时。表面盖上保鲜膜，放入烧开水的蒸锅，大火蒸25分钟

5. Immediately after steam, remove from heat and use a pair of chop stick to stir the dough into a smooth dough.
蒸好的面糊，趁热用筷子用力搅拌，直到变得顺滑均匀

6 Let the dough cool down and then store in fridge.
面糊冷却后使用。同样，如果想尽快冷却，可摊薄在盘子里，放入冰箱

7. Prepare some kou fen (fried glutinous flour). You may fry some glutinous flour in low fire  if you do not have ready made kou fen. Remove from heat once it turn light yellow. Kou Fen is done.
准备一些糕粉，如果没有现成的糕粉，将糯米粉放入锅里小火翻炒，炒到微微发黄。蘸少许品尝，没有生粉味道，就表示熟了。冷却后即为糕粉

8. Add melon seeds to lotus paste.
将瓜子加进莲蓉馅。

9. When the snow skin dough is cold, divide the dough and lotus paste filling into small portion. Snow skin is 25g and lotus filling is 47g.
冷却后的冰皮面糊与莲蓉馅分别分成小份. 则冰皮分成25克1份，莲蓉馅分成47克1份

10. Put snow skin dough on hand and flatten it. Place filling on the snow skin. Wrap the lotus filling with the skin.
将冰皮放在手心压扁。然后把莲蓉馅放在冰皮上。用冰皮把 莲蓉馅 包起来，收口捏紧

11. Sprinkle some kou fen(cooked glutinous flour) into mould, shake  off excess flour. Lightly coat mooncake with cooked kou fen. Shake off any excess flour. Place into a mooncake mould. Press to print the pattern. Repeat this step until finish all the dough and fillings. Store the mooncakes into an air-tight container. Refrigerate for few hour. Serve it cold.
月饼模里撒一些糕粉，晃一晃，使糕粉均匀的沾在月饼模上，再把月饼模在手心磕一磕，将多余的糕粉磕出来。把包好的面团放入月饼模。压出月饼形状。到这一步，冰皮月饼就做好了。做好的冰皮月饼，放冰箱冷藏数小时后再食用，口感最佳。

Apple Cinnamon Scones

16Jul2015
Bought a scones recipe book for many years. It was left in my book shelf for many years and has yet try any of the recipe in it. Today I wanted to try making cinnamon with scones.  After searching through my recipes books, found this easy recipe. The result was very good. Most importantly the scones taste very yummy. Soft inside and a little crispy on the outside while it is hot.   After dinner, my husband took one and continue to take another 2 more.  He loved it. He complimented that it tasted very good. So, this is considered a good and easy recipe.

Ingredients
2 cups self-raising flour (250g)
30g butter
1/3 cup caster sugar(65g)
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1tsp ground cinnamon
1 red apple -grated

Extra 1 tablespoon of milk for glazing

Method
Rub flour with butter until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, then stir in the sugar and cinnamon and apple.  Mix egg and milk and pour into the dry mixtures and make into a soft dough.

Turn onto a lightly floured surface, knead very gently (do not over knead) then roll out to a 2 cm thickness. Cut into 5cm rounds and place on a baking sheet. Brush with milk and bake in a preheat hot oven , traditional oven 220° C for 10 min -12min or when it is slight brown on the top. Cool on a wire rack.

Mushrooms Aglio Olio

Mushrooms aglio olio for hubby...

If you are thinking of instant noodle, why not try making aglio olio? It is easier and cooked within 10-15minutes ..it is a healthier choice :)

Detail method of cooking spaghetti is found in my recipe for Bolognese Spaghetti.

http://cathteo-john1427.blogspot.sg/2015/06/bolognese-spaghetti.html?m=1

Ingredients:

8-10pcs swiss brown - sliced

4 cloves of garlic - chopped

1-2 tablespoons olive oil

2 stalks spring onion - cut 1 inch length

1/2 tsp chicken stock powder/knorr chicken seasoning powder

100g -125g  spaghetti

Water for cooking spaghetti

1 tablespoon of oil

2 tsp salt

Method:

1. Cook the spaghetti in boiling salted  water(added oil) according to packet instructions and drain  thoroughly. Set aside. Note : keep 1/2 cup of water after boiling the spaghetti.

2. Fry garlic in olive oil until fragrance and golden brown.  Remove fried garlic into a bowl, leave  the oil in the wok. Add mushrooms in the wok and fry until soft. Add chicken powder and 1/4 cup of the water from boiling spaghetti. 

3. When the mushrooms sauce is boiled, add the cooked  spaghetti.  Stir well. Check saltiness. Adjust to your taste. Last add the fried garlic and spring onion. Off fire and turn into a serving dish. Serve while it is hot.

Ama's Pan Fry Dark Soy Pork Chop

This is mother-in-law's signature dish.  Hubby and children love this dish very much. Mum-in-law used to use more sugar and dark soy sauce for this dish. Over years, for healthier choice, I have reduced the sugar and dark soy sauce. And I have added plum sauce. For this dish, the kind of soy sauce play a important part.  I use Tai Hua special grade dark soy sauce because my Mum-in-law has been using it for years and I follow. Mum-in-law is very loyal to this brand. She doesn't like to change brand once she finds it is good.  Similarly,  I too do not like to change the type of soy sauce in my house.  Personally,  I prefer the taste of special grade soy sauce both dark and light. 

When I started to learn cooking,  I did tried other brands. But after several trying,  I still find this brand is more to my liking. It could be my taste buds has been accustomed to my Mum-in-law's dish.  :)

To do this dish, it is better to half frozen the meat first then cut. Then you will be able to get a thinner slice.

Ingredients:

600g pork chop without bone

2.5 tablespoons dark soy sauce*

1 tablespoon plum sauce

1/4 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons sesame oil

1.5 tablespoons soft brown sugar

1 small onion -chopped

1 clove garlic - chopped

1 tablespoon cooking oil

Method:

1. Cut the pork chop into thin slices 3mm thick. And use the top of the knife or a kitchen hammer to  gently chop/hammer each slice of meat. 

2. Place all meat in a big bowl, seasoned the meat with the rest of ingredients.  Mix well. Cling wrap and leave in the chiller for at least 30min.

3. In a wok , put in oil and chopped onion and garlic and fry until fragrance and light brown.  Remove the fried onion and garlic and leave the oil in the wok.

Alternatively, if you are using a stainless steel wok, you may turn you stainless steel into Non-stick wok and do not required any oil for healthier choice.

4. With moderate fire in the same wok with leftover oil, spread each slice of meat onto the wok to pan fry.Do it piece by piece until you finish all the meat. Flip the meat as you are spreading the meat on the wok. You may want to low the fire if the meat is burning.  Make sure every piece is pan fry on both side. There might be some liquid, turn to high heat and let the meat soaked up all liquid. Once all are done. Add the fried onion and garlic. Off the fire. Remove from wok and serve.

Note* : the saltiness depend on what brand of dark soy you use. I use tai hua special grade dark soy. 

You may like to try this braised pork recipe to cook pork in the different way. And this good for kong bak bao. 

Ama's Nonya Chang (Rice Dumplings)

Lunar 5th month 5th day is dumpling festival. Approaching this day you will see everywhere in Singapore selling dumpling 粽子(Hokkien called it bak chang). One month before the festive,  supermarket and wet market or provision stalls will be seeing them selling the ingredients for making dumpling.

Mum-in-law makes very nice nonya dumpling. She has experience in making this dumpling for over 50 years. She is a very good cook. Over years she has fine tuned her recipe to suit our taste. She likes to experiment new recipe with her taste buds. She did many homecooked food based her knowledge and wisdom and fine tune along the way. Hubby also like eating Nonya Dumpling and  the only bak chang he will eat is his mum's nonya chang.

In the past years especially those years when I was living with my in-laws, I do help in the wrapping process when mum-in-laws make this dumplings. I have never really help 

in preparation or frying the fillings or ingredients. 

Few years ago, I asked my mum-in-laws for her recipe. The older generations have their recipe all stored in human "memory chip". Mum-in-laws has been making this for over 50years that it is like drinking water - easy. Of course it is alot of work involved. After asking her for recipe, I kept the recipe for few years and did nothing about it because she make such yummy bak chang that I prefer to eat her bak chang. 

Few weeks ago, I was at Sheng Siong supermarket and saw this packet coriander seeds hanging on the rack. I bought it and came home pan fry it and grind it into powder. This is how I started...perhaps I should try making mum-in-law's bak chang...So I started buying the dried bamboo leaves and string and kept them in my store room. Preparing, in case I want to make dumplings someday...

Yesterday, since I have all the ingredients in my kitchen. Started soaking the glutinous rice at 10am. And defrost the fresh meat which I bought earlier from wet market. In the process I realised this:

Eating bak chang is so easy...just open your mouth and you can finish it within minutes. But making bak chang is really an experience and long "process". From preparation to cooking the ingredients, washing the leaves.. to wrap, then boiling the bak chang in hot water and continue adding hot water to make sure no drying up and the patiently wait until it is completely cooked is really alot of work and time. Today I made 11 bak changs using 500g of rice with 800g meat plus 100g winter melons with all other spices and ingredients. ..took me few hours. 

I cut the meat at about 2pm and put it aside in the chiller. Started at 4pm cutting the onion and garlic and then frying the meat and and the rice and washing the leaves..finished wrapping at about 6pm..cooking them until 8.30pm. Total time is 4.5hours.

Yes, alot of work and time spent. But it is worth it. My daughter gave me a thumb up as she tried the first mouth of dumpling...she said.."Mmmmm nice! Taste like Ama's dumpling!"

It is great achievements for me because this is somethings that i have KIV for years and finally I did it!

Ingredients:

500g glutinous rice

800g pork -shoulder meat 五花肉

100g small onions - chopped

3-4 cloves garlic - chopped

100g winter melon candy- cubed*

1.5 tablespoon homemade coriander powder

1/2 tablespoon five spices powder

3 tablespoons dark soy sauce

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon of salt

20-24 dried bamboo leaves

strings for wrapping

3 tablespoons of oil

Water for boiling dumpling

750mil water and 2tsp salt for boiling meat

Method:

1. Wash rice and soak it overnight. (I soaked it for 6hours) Discard water the next day.

2  Put dried bamboo leaves in a big basin, pour 2 litres of hot water over them and let them soak until it is soft. With a small towel, clean every leaves on both sides. Rinse twice.  Set aside. 

3. Wash meat and cut it into small size of 1x1x1cm. Set aside.

4. Boil 750mil water in a wok. Add 2tsp of salt into water like how you boil spaghetti.  Put in the meat once water is boiled. Let the meat cook for 1-2 minutes in the boiling water until it is 3/4 cooked. This is to remove the blood and smell and make it easier to fry. Remove meat from water and discard the water. 

5. Add 2 tbsp oil in wok and fry onion and garlic until it is fragrance and light brown.  Add meat and winter melon. Stir fry for 30sec, add dark soy sauce to taste. Continue to stir fry another 1 minutes.  Add coriander powder, five spices powder and pepper and fry until meat is totally cooked.

Remove from wok. Keep the oil if any for fry the rice.

6. In the wok, add 1tbsp of oil and garlic. Fry garlic until fragrance and light brown.  Add any oil from frying meat if any. Add rice and 1tsp of salt.  Quickly stir the uncooked rice for a minute.  Off fire and remove rice from wok.

7. Wrap the bak chang.

8. Prepare a big pot that can contain 10-12 dumpling (bak chang). Boil water in the pot. When water is boiled,  put in all the bak chang and let it boil for 2.5hours on high fire. Keep watch the fire make sure water always cover the bak chang. Replenish with hot water if water evaporated.  

9. Remove bak chang from pot after 2.5hours. Serve while it is hot.

Note*: I bought the ready cubed winter melon candy. If you can't find them, just get the normal one and cut them into size of 0.5x0.5x0.5cm.

Bolognese Spaghetti

The first time I learnt to cook bolognese sauce was 15years ago when I first this cook book called Family Meals from a cheap sale. Back then I was working. After lunch my colleagues and I like to go shopping in the industrial building near my office. In one of the GSS , I browsed through many cook books and found this book which has simple recipes and cost only $5. I bought it because it was cheap. Eversince then I have been doing this bolognese sauce. Now I no longer need to refer to the book when I cook this sauce. And of course I have also modified the recipe to our taste. We have bolognese Spaghetti very often because my children love all kinds of pasta. 

For personal taste, I do not like pasta or spaghetti which are too soft. I prefer 

it to be "al dente". That is undercooked and let the heat of the spaghetti "cook" the spaghetti further after drained. Though I have cooked spaghetti for many years , however, until today I still do the "spaghetti test" when I cook. I find different brand the texture is different and time to cook to "al dente" is different too. So, I prefer to do the test. It should not be powdery but yet it is hard. After drained thoroughly,  I will add butter or margarine and let the heat in the spaghetti "cook" the spaghetti till "al dente". Try it. :)

Ingredients for sauce:

500gm minced beef

1 big carrot- diced

2 big ripe tomatoes - diced

1 big red onion - chopped

3 cloves garlic - chopped

10 or 125g swiss brown mushrooms - sliced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 bottle of pasta  sauce(250g)

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

1 tsp chicken stock powder (optional)

1/4 teaspoon of dry basil

1/4 teaspoon of dry oregano

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Seasoning for meat:

1.5 tablespoons light soy sauce

Dash of pepper

2 tsp of cornflour/potatoes flour

Dash of dry basil

Ingredient for spaghetti:

Aprox 2 litre of water

2 tablespoons sea salt

Spaghetti

1/4 tsp dry basil

1tbsp butter or margarine

Method for sauce:

1  Add meat seasoning into meat and mix well and set aside.

2. Heat up olive oil in  big saucepan, add onion, garlic and fry until onion turn softened and translucent and garlic turn light golden brown. Add the meat and fry briskly, stirring, until evenly browned. Add carrot and tomatoes and mushroom and continue to fry until mushrooms turn soft. 

3. Add pasta sauce and remaining of the ingredients and seasoning to taste. (You may replace light soy sauce with salt if you do not like using light soy sauce)

4  Bring bolognese sauce to simmering point, keep stirring. Then cover and simmer over low heat for an hour. Stir occasionally to prevent sauce get burn. You may transfer sauce to cook in slower cooker if you do not have time in the kitchen. That is instead of simmer over low heat, cook it in slow cooker.

Method for spaghetti:

1. Boil water in a big pot. Add salt. When water is boiled,  put in the spaghetti.  Boil it according to the packet instructions.  Most spaghetti instructions stated 13min. But I like spaghetti not too soft. I like "al dente" texture. So I usually undercooked the spaghetti. That is, I reduce the cooking time to 8min.  Test a strand of spaghetti and it doesn't have powdery taste but hard.

2. Drain thoroughly.  Add butter or margarine and basil.

3. Turn into serving dish and top the Bolognese sauce. You can sprinkle with parmesan cheese.