tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10448872696211920852024-03-05T15:21:01.322+01:00Singlish SwenglishCreating Food that InspiresAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04928766993712640370noreply@blogger.comBlogger207125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1044887269621192085.post-18870660321147944842014-11-21T11:09:00.001+01:002014-11-21T11:09:08.935+01:00Pop Up Asian Chefs - “Food is our common ground, a universal experience.” - James Beard“People who love to eat are always the best people.” – Julia Child <br /> <span class="text_exposed_show">“Laughter is brightest in the place where the food is.” – Irish proverb <br /> <br />
One of the best way of dispensing happiness is through making food and
eating together. A couple of us have started this initiative/venture and if you like to cook
and eat together, then let's do it together here in Lund, Sweden where we might
be far away from our home country but we can still enjoy the fellowship
and food!</span><br />
<br />
<span class="text_exposed_show">Join us at our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/popupasianchefs </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04928766993712640370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1044887269621192085.post-7129346945819118202014-05-10T11:12:00.002+02:002014-05-10T11:13:12.143+02:00I'm more active in Facebook than Blogger!Yup, this is a confession. I need to find a better way to update my blog with the schedule of a mom of a 2 year old, Phd candidate and cooking aspirations!<br />
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I'm also at the stage where there are so many other (and very professional) cooking blogs and I need to find my USP. Maybe I can start cooking from my 30 over cookbooks that I haven't had time to try all! It will fill me up for quite a few years I suppose.<br />
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Despite all these brainworks, the kitchen is still kept busy and I always take a quick snap and upload to my Facebook page <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Singlish-Swenglish/117779461576612">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Singlish-Swenglish/117779461576612</a> instead, if you would like to follow and also ask for the recipes or references! :) Like me on Facebook and you can manage the notifications from there.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04928766993712640370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1044887269621192085.post-9404422203935207082013-03-25T22:58:00.001+01:002013-03-25T22:58:04.197+01:00Mapo Tofu eller Spicy Beancurd with minced sauce<br />
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Its been a long while and I have been feeling guilty about not updating the blog but I'm still here and cooking everyday! We were away in Singapore for a couple of months and I have been pampered by the ease of just buying what we want to eat or having my dear Dad cook meals for us that it was starting to become a habit.<br />
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However, now that we are back to reality (and Sweden), its home cooked meals most days now and this is one of those dishes that I have been cooking so often that I thought I must have post it up, but no, I haven't. It's a very good recipe from Fuschia Dunlop, who, if you haven't heard has a new cookbook called Every grain of Rice. Since I already had two of her cookbooks, I was quite wary that the recipes might repeat themselves but I was pleasantly surprised that there were plenty of new recipes, with just a few duplicates. I skipped the salted chilli and used a fresh chilli padi instead.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="IMG_1816" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8476/8128655036_921a35eff5.jpg" width="375" /></div>
<b><br /></b>
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
100g minced pork<br />
½ teaspoon dark soy sauce<br />
2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine<br />
1 block (about 550g) firm tofu<br />
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic<br />
2 soaked and drained dried shiitake mushroom, diced finely<br />
1 chilli padi sliced finely (optional)<br />
1 tablespoon chilli bean paste<br />
1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes<br />
150g water or stock<br />
1 teaspoon potato flour mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water (for thickening the sauce)<br />
3 spring onions, green part sliced finely<br />
1 teaspoon sesame seed oil<br />
3 tablespoon cooking oil<br />
Sprinkle of roasted ground Szechuan pepper <br />
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<br />
<b>Steps </b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/8128655910/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_1813 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><br /></a></div>
<ol>
<li>Mix the pork with the dark soy sauce and Shaoxing wine and set aside.</li>
<li>Cut the tofu into large cubes and let it simmer gently for about 5 mins in a pot of salted water. This, according to my Chinese friend helps the tofu stays firm, I also think it flavours the tofu a bit making it more tasty. Drain and set aside.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/8128655910/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="IMG_1813 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1813" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8191/8128655910_72a6c0beb2.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>Heat the wok over high heat until smoke rises and add the cooking oil, then the minced pork, stir-frying it until it separates and changed colour.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/8128656232/" title="IMG_1812 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1812" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8465/8128656232_815637619e.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
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<li>Add the garlic, mushrooms, chilli bean paste and stir fry until fragrant. </li>
<li>Add in the chilli flakes and chilli padi and fry a little bit more.</li>
<li>Add the tofu into the wok and add in the water, along with a sprinkle of chicken stock granules if you are not using stock.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/8128629477/" title="IMG_1814 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1814" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8050/8128629477_77b120676d.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
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<li>Reduce the heat and let it simmer until the sauce has reduced a bit with the tofu absorbing the goodness.</li>
<li>Add in potato flour mixture a little bit at a time until the gravy reach your desired consistency, then add in the spring onions and sesame seed oil and give it a quick stir.</li>
<li>Serve hot with a sprinkle of roasted ground Szechuan pepper.</li>
</ol>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/8128629197/" title="IMG_1815 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1815" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8055/8128629197_59f9d24423.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04928766993712640370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1044887269621192085.post-23070944621448315312012-10-27T22:52:00.000+02:002012-10-27T22:52:15.529+02:00Chee Cheong Fan (Steamed Rice Rolls) <br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/8128684863/" title="IMG_1753 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1753" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8463/8128684863_53428a15e4.jpg" width="375" /></a> </div>
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About one more month before a long overdue visit back to Singapore! Meanwhile, this breakfast item was made using the recipe from <a href="http://www.mykitchensnippets.com/2010/08/homemade-steamed-rice-rolls-chee-cheong.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">My Kitchen Snippets</a>. Rather than going through the trouble of making the sesame sauce which, to me is the most important part of chee cheong fan, I got my sister to bring me a bottle of this sesame sauce from Kwong Woh Hing. I highly recommend this for chee cheong fan sauce or if you like it on your niang tofu etc. It's not too expensive either but you have to order a certain amount before they deliver and it's not really available on normal stores. Their thick dark soy sauce is also perfect for half-boiled eggs.<br />
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<i><b>Ingredients</b></i> <br />
150g rice flour<br /> 1½ tbsp wheat starch <br /> 2 tbsp cornstarch<br /> 1 tbsp Oil<br /> 450ml water<br /> ½ tsp salt<br />
toasted sesame seeds <br />
2 tablespoons of Kwong Woh Hing sesame sauce diluted with 1 tablespoon of hot water<br /><br />
<i><b>Steps</b></i><br />
<ol>
<li>Mix the dry ingredients together first in a bowl before adding the water, stirring it well so no lumps are formed. Add the salt and oil last and set aside for at least 30 minutes.</li>
<li>Meanwhile, prepare your steamer. For me, I use two lightly oiled metal plates that fits snugly on top of a steaming rack for my pot and interchange them while steaming. Always heat up the plate first in the steamer before pouring in the batter for about a minute. I have a small ladle that produces just the right thickness of chee cheong fan, so you might need to adjust accordingly for the right amount for the size of the plate you are using.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/8128712890/" title="IMG_1740 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1740" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8185/8128712890_f3fa5e2d64.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>Steam the batter for about 2-3 minutes (cover it with the pot cover), then remove it and let it cool before rolling up the rice sheet.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/8128712698/" title="IMG_1742 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1742" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8463/8128712698_5088a74d36.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/8128686707/" title="IMG_1743 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1743" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8465/8128686707_2af97894de.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/8128686473/" title="IMG_1744 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1744" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8467/8128686473_20a2d64f8d.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/8128686087/" title="IMG_1746 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1746" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8469/8128686087_dcbbd60016.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/8128711364/" title="IMG_1748 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1748" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8046/8128711364_2ae3bdca84.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>Slices/cut it with scissors, pour over the sesame seed sauce and some fried shallots and some toasted sesame seeds if preferred. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/8128685353/" title="IMG_1750 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1750" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8328/8128685353_d9a20900a5.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/8128685113/" title="IMG_1751 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_1751" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8329/8128685113_8f51f4807c.jpg" width="375" /></a> </div>
</li>
</ol>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04928766993712640370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1044887269621192085.post-58738786935314205842012-10-12T20:54:00.001+02:002012-10-12T20:54:16.607+02:00Spicy Stewed Chicken with Potatoes<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7174034079/" title="IMG_0315 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0315" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7213/7174034079_4d2101d7af.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
You know there are certain dishes you cook so that you can just soak your rice with the gravy? Well, this is one of those. If you don't like it spicy, you can skip the dried chili or add more if you like it. This is nicer with chicken drumsticks or thighs because the meat is considered not as 'tough' as breast meat. I like to cook such one pot dish nowadays because time is of the essence when taking care of an active baby, but when I still missed the goodness of simple Chinese dishes.</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><b>Ingredients</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
4-5 drumsticks</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Thumbsize ginger, sliced thinly</div>
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3-4 potatoes, peeled and quartered</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
3 dried chilli</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2-3 tablespoons oyster sauce</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7359263560/" title="IMG_0311 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0311" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7237/7359263560_816270524f.jpg" width="375" /></a><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><b>Steps</b></i></div>
<ol>
<li>Heat up 2-3 tablespoons of cooking oil and brown the potatoes first, scoop it up and set aside.</li>
<li>Add the ginger slices and stir fry until fragrant. Add the chicken next to brown it and then the dried chilli.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7359263266/" title="IMG_0312 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0312" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8160/7359263266_ae9b2cae6b.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>Pour the dark soy sauce over and stir fry it well, then add in the potatoes and oyster sauce and pour enough water to cover the ingredients. Let it come to a boil then turn it down to simmer until the potatoes is tender and chicken is cooked through and falling slightly away from the bones.</li>
<li>Taste to check the seasoning, add some light soy sauce or sugar to taste if you prefer. Serve it with plenty of gravy with rice :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7359261972/" title="IMG_0316 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0316" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7105/7359261972_3f1e1a9dab.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
</li>
</ol>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04928766993712640370noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1044887269621192085.post-71220477898305129782012-09-09T22:52:00.000+02:002012-09-09T22:52:24.808+02:00Thai Grilled Chicken<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7965411638/" title="Thai Grilled Chicken_Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Thai Grilled Chicken_Singlish Swenglish" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8443/7965411638_5588869ea1.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I never imagined a simple ingredient such as the coriander root can make such a difference to a marinade. Yes, that is the secret to this super-delicious grilled chicken shared by a very generous lady Nuk from her chef sister. She made this for one of our gatherings and I immediately begged her for the recipe, with measurements that is. And so, here it is to be shared with all you readers :). Just a note, I marinade this for two nights in a fridge, so the flavours really seeps into the chicken, but one night would be enough too.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>Ingredients</b></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">1-1.5kg fresh chicken, cut into four parts</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b> </b></i>Coriander root (2-3)</div><div style="text-align: left;">4 garlic cloves</div><div style="text-align: left;">Freshly ground pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tablespoon oyster sauce</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tablespoon olive oil</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tablespoon sugar</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 teaspoon salt</div><div style="text-align: left;">3-4 tablespoons coconut milk, for basting the chicken while grilling it</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>Steps</b></i></div><ol><li>Clean and cut the chicken into four parts, you may cut it even smaller if desired, but it might make the basting a bit more challenging ;)</li>
<li>Pound the garlic, coriander and black pepper together in a mortar, then add the rest of the ingredients except coconut milk and mix well.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7965416910/" title="Thai Grilled Chicken_Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Thai Grilled Chicken_Singlish Swenglish" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8442/7965416910_4a18923edc.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7965416522/" title="Thai Grilled Chicken_Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Thai Grilled Chicken_Singlish Swenglish" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8447/7965416522_974ac75045.jpg" width="500" /></a></div></li>
<li>Rub it well into the chicken pieces and leave to marinade overnight.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7965415510/" title="Thai Grilled Chicken_Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Thai Grilled Chicken_Singlish Swenglish" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8305/7965415510_965cfe4db7.jpg" width="375" /></a></div></li>
<li>Take the chicken out of the fridge 30 minutes before grilling in the oven preheated to 180<span class="st">°C. Remove the garlic and coriander pieces and pat dry the chicken pieces before placing it skin side up on a aluminum lined tray.<br />
</span><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="st"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7965413862/" title="Thai Grilled Chicken_Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Thai Grilled Chicken_Singlish Swenglish" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8317/7965413862_c78242b737.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></div><span class="st"></span></div><span class="st"><br />
</span></li>
<li><span class="st">Bake for about 45 minutes, using the coconut milk mixed with the remaining marinade, basting every 15 minutes.</span></li>
<li><span class="st">For the last 5-10 minutes, turn up the oven temperature to 225</span><span class="st">°C if you like the skin brown and crispy, but keep a close watch on it otherwise it will burn easily at this point.</span></li>
<li><span class="st">Traditionally, this is served with som tum and sticky rice. In our household, it just went very well with some hot rice and chili :)<br />
</span><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="st"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7965413460/" title="Thai Grilled Chicken_Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Thai Grilled Chicken_Singlish Swenglish" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8299/7965413460_1182e7358b.jpg" width="375" /></a></span><span class="st"> </span></div></li>
</ol>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04928766993712640370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1044887269621192085.post-82494159997247647022012-08-28T16:52:00.000+02:002012-08-28T16:52:39.691+02:00Salted Vegetable Seafood Soup<div style="text-align: center;">
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When I was working in Singapore, I used to like to 'tabao' or pack food back to the office so I can enjoy my lunch without joining the lunch crowd with a book. A little bit anti-social I must admit but lunch crowds in Singapore are quite a turn-off sometimes. One of my favourite item to tabao is a soup with some rice, and there was this stall in a coffeeshop at the end of Killiney Road that sells fish soup with rice that comes with a side of sambal and fried anchovies and egg. It was quite value-for-money too although the stall owner can be a bit 'cold' at times. So fast forward to life in Sweden now where there's no coffee shop to buy food from, this is a home-made version which is, besides knowing exactly what goes into the food is that you get to decide what 'liao' / ingredients to put in. And no extra charges for more vegetables or chilli!;)<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7359251880/" title="IMG_0366 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0366" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7075/7359251880_a49c9f173f.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong><em>Ingredients (serves 2 or a greedy one person)</em></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 block of tofu</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 tomato</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Half a carrot</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Half a packet of salted vegetable or 'suan cai'</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Choice of seafood (prawns, fishballs, fish roll or fish cake)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Choice of meat (chicken or pork or fish slices)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
A thumb size knob of ginger</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 preserved sour plum (left-most in picture, you use it for steaming fish or cooking salted vegetable duck soup too)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Half a cube of ikan billis stock with enough water for a big bowl of soup or use home-made stock if you have</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Pepper and fried shallots for garnish</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7174025729/" title="IMG_0354 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0354" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7083/7174025729_9a6cf7c79e.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong><em>Steps</em></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<ol>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
Cut the tofu and tomatoes into quarters and slice the pork, ginger, carrots and salted vegetable.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7174024831/" title="IMG_0359 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0359" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7229/7174024831_6c110d0168.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
Bring your stock or water with stock cube to boil before adding all the ingredients and let it simmer for about 10-15 minutes until all the ingredients are cooked through and tender. Adjust seasoning if required.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7359252372/" title="IMG_0363 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0363" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8151/7359252372_be657aca39.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
</li>
<li><div style="text-align: left;">
As an alternative, you can turn this into a noodle soup by adding noodles or vermicilli into the soup. Otherwise, serve it hot with rice along with a side of chili padi.</div>
</li>
</ol>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7174023439/" title="IMG_0365 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0365" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7240/7174023439_40f253f99b.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04928766993712640370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1044887269621192085.post-66540015768910170692012-08-24T23:50:00.001+02:002012-08-24T23:58:05.931+02:00Messy Baby FoodSome of you already know we had a son who is about 6 months + now and we have been letting him try new flavours and texture since he was about 4 months old. So here's a blog about what we've tried so far besides the normal cereal you can buy in powder form from the stores. But before that, here's a picture of him and a call for followers of this blog to help vote for him (<b>the video is named '<span class="object_title">Isac försöka sitta 4+ månader')</span> in a Swedish baby product contest that's ending 4 September</b>, daily votes are allowed, so thanks for your votes in advance! :)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/MAMBaby/app_421533767881196?app_data=video_131" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7853234784/" title="2012-07-19 20.42.06 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="2012-07-19 20.42.06" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8027/7853234784_d26f24d267.jpg" width="377" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
You can either click on this link if you are </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
a) using mobile phones (<br />
<a href="http://m.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsecure.exhost.se%2Fmam%2Fsite%2Fmam_games_compete%2F3&h=lAQG5ndNE&s=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://m.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fsecure.exhost.se%2Fmam%2Fsite%2Fmam_games_compete%2F3&h=lAQG5ndNE&s=1</a>) or</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
b) using the computer (<a href="https://www.facebook.com/MAMBaby/app_421533767881196?app_data=video_131" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/MAMBaby/app_421533767881196?app_data=video_131</a>) </div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Despite all experience in cooking, when it comes to baby's food and taste, I must say I still feel like I haven't got the hang of making my own baby food. I especially want to introduce Asian flavours to him since it will be what I will be cooking most of the time.</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Sometimes it feels quite discouraging when he just takes one or two spoonfuls and decided he doesn't like it. The rest of the meal time is then just spent cleaning up mess. Good that we have quite a tolerant and baby-food-loving dog in the house. So far he really likes mangoes, avocados, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, pears and prunes. He doesn't like potatoes, carrots, rice porridge and peas. If you have any ideas, please share with me! One thing I picked up from the Swedish handbooks for baby food is <b>using garlic press to purée food</b> since I cook in small amounts and my one attempt at freezing a larger batch of food also went down the drain since he doesn't like defrosted food cubes.</div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7853051784/" title="2012-08-24 23.55.20 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="2012-08-24 23.55.20" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8302/7853051784_d40ff0854a.jpg" width="375" /></a> </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Carrot purée with rice cereal - score was 3/10 :/</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7853052166/" title="2012-08-22 19.08.46 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="2012-08-22 19.08.46" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8307/7853052166_b7b6abec98.jpg" width="375" /></a> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> Carrot, broccoli and pork purée with rice porridge - score was 5/10</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7853052832/" title="2012-08-03 20.25.39 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="2012-08-03 20.25.39" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7255/7853052832_7676a66b3f.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Anchovies, dried scallops and chicken with rice porridge - score was 7/10 for first day, and then went down to 4/10 after that</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7853053372/" title="2012-07-29 16.51.31 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="2012-07-29 16.51.31" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8288/7853053372_a57f4a0482.jpg" width="375" /></a> </span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Broccoli and carrot mash</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"> - score was 7/10 </span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7853054164/" title="2012-07-27 17.05.32 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="2012-07-27 17.05.32" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8432/7853054164_5656355dac.jpg" width="375" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">How the garlic press is essential in making your own baby food</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7853054362/" title="2012-07-15 20.37.23 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="2012-07-15 20.37.23" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8299/7853054362_d43a7c650d.jpg" width="375" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">I was using the fine sieve before that for the potatoes and broccoli mash...took me ages and he only ate a little</span></div>
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7853055196/" title="2012-07-09 18.36.13 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="2012-07-09 18.36.13" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7277/7853055196_32b7277247.jpg" width="375" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">My piggy peas ice cube..they only lasted once </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7853458200/" title="2012-07-22 00.27.07 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="2012-07-22 00.27.07" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8430/7853458200_b838e2d244.jpg" width="375" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Our messy eater :) </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04928766993712640370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1044887269621192085.post-87157142271497741002012-08-01T00:19:00.003+02:002012-08-01T00:19:50.189+02:00Sambal Tofu Goreng (Without tempeh)<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7359295068/" title="IMG_0395 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0395" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7215/7359295068_5e3cc68bb3.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
I've always liked Malay food and this is one of those dishes I like to order when I am at any Malay store and I've never thought about making it myself since one of the ingredients - tempeh is not available here in Sweden. I've contemplated making my own and even got a sample of the starter from http://www.tempeh.info/, but I haven't got around doing it yet. I promise I will do it!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><b>Ingredients</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>to grind</i> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 large onion</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
3 garlic cloves</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
8 dried chilli, soaked in hot water</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1/2 thumb size galangal</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>for the dish</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 block of tofu, cut into cubes and deep fried until golden brown</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 large onion, sliced</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 lemon grass, sliced</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 large thumb size tamarind paste<i> </i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 green chilli, sliced</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
6-8 prawns</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
a handful of green beans (I used the frozen kinds which works well in this dish)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 box/can of coconut milk, about 160ml</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
salt and sugar to taste<i> </i> </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7174068707/" title="IMG_0386 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0386" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7072/7174068707_9d78dc7d22.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><b>Steps</b></i></div>
<ol style="text-align: left;">
<li>Blend the ingredients stated above until fine and fry it with 2-3 tablespoons of cooking oil in a pan over medium heat<i><b> </b></i>until fragrant.<br /><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7174020447/" title="IMG_0379 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0379" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7073/7174020447_738a099048.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7359297152/" title="IMG_0388 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0388" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7235/7359297152_c9227e3742.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>Add in the lemon grass, and the fried tofu until well mixed.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7359296762/" title="IMG_0389 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0389" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7243/7359296762_f206f50752.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7174067685/" title="IMG_0390 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0390" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8004/7174067685_5c0c004c5f.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>Add in the coconut milk and let it simmer while you blend the tamarind paste with about 3 tablespoons of water, sieve to remove the seeds and add in to the pan.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7359296100/" title="IMG_0391 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0391" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7242/7359296100_9ba5c84890.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>Add in the rest of the ingredients except the prawns and turn the heat down to low and let it simmer until it is almost dry.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7359295612/" title="IMG_0393 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0393" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7236/7359295612_c1e51536b1.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>Add in the prawns before it's done and cook it through, adding salt and sugar to taste. It should be slightly sourish sweet and spicy, with a sticky sauce coating the ingredients. Serve with rice. </li>
</ol>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7174066627/" title="IMG_0394 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0394" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7082/7174066627_91e48b0a93.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04928766993712640370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1044887269621192085.post-64160554746972750592012-07-27T23:34:00.043+02:002012-08-16T22:49:32.200+02:00Carrot Cake Muffin<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7359249806/" title="IMG_0376 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0376" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7245/7359249806_4b04604608.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">It's been a while since I baked, and this was made a while back for a gathering with some friends who brought their toddlers along. I know there's a few camps about giving kids sugary stuff beyond or before a certain age. I haven't decide which camp we will be but this cup cakes has the natural sweetness of carrots and raisins, so if you decide to scale back the sugar amount in the recipe, I'm sure it will still be delicious :). Most of the 'sinful' stuff can be blamed on the icing, but this is made from cream cheese which you can lightly sweeten to 'convince it is a dessert', using the words of Jamie Oliver. This recipe is adapted from Alex Goh's Carrot Muffin recipe.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>Ingredients</b></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">140g margarine</div><div style="text-align: left;">180g sugar</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 teaspoon salt</div><div style="text-align: left;">40g honey</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 eggs</div><div style="text-align: left;">400g milk</div><div style="text-align: left;">400g plain flour</div><div style="text-align: left;">3 tablespoons baking powder</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 teaspoon baking soda</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder</div><div style="text-align: left;">220g grated carrots</div><div style="text-align: left;">100g raisins</div><div style="text-align: left;">115g cream cheese</div><div style="text-align: left;">50g soft butter</div><div style="text-align: left;">150g icing sugar</div><div style="text-align: left;">grated zest of one orange</div><br />
<div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>Steps</b></i></div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Cream the margarine, sugar, salt and honey until light and then add in one egg at a time, ensuring it is smooth and light.<i><b> </b></i></li>
<li>Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon powder well in a bowl first, then add in to the egg mixture alternating with the milk until well-blended.</li>
<li>Add in the carrots and raisins towards the end and scoop into individual muffin cups (80%) full. Bake at 190<span class="st">°C for 20-30 minutes.<br />
</span><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7174022701/" title="IMG_0369 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0369" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8015/7174022701_2d11707b04.jpg" width="375" /></a><span class="st"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7359251064/" title="IMG_0370 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0370" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8167/7359251064_572059bf8d.jpg" width="375" /><br />
</a></div><span class="st"></span></div></li>
<li><span class="st">Prepare the icing by beating the cream cheese, butter, icing sugar and orange zest together until well mix and smooth. Ice the cup cakes when they have cooled.</span></li>
</ol></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7359250796/" title="IMG_0371 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0371" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7225/7359250796_fe927a1d3c.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04928766993712640370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1044887269621192085.post-1180271463169773542012-07-14T23:50:00.001+02:002012-07-14T23:50:05.762+02:00Mee Sua Soup - Longevity noodles in soup<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7177494825/" title="IMG_0143 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7086/7177494825_1406e7b8dc.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="IMG_0143"></a><br />
<br />
I am trying to start posting from my iPad so if any alignments looks strange, please pardon me while I make adjustments. With taking care of our 5 month old son, I have gotton really lazy at switching on my mac, but I would still want to keep updating the blog and especially since there has been quite a few likes even though I have not been able to update so regularly.<br />
<br />
Living in Lund, one of the highlights is gathering with friends over a home-cooked meal. That's where I learn new dishes, new flavors and this is one of them. Chef Anlai, who has just become a restaurant owner ( Mui Kong at<br />
Kyrkogatan 21, Lund 22222, Sweden) cooked this for their son's first year birthday earlier this year. I love it so much that I asked him how it was prepared and this is my take on it and hope it do justice. One thing you should be aware that these longevity noodles are quite salty in nature, so if you cooking a large amount, I suggest you soak the noodles otherwise the soup stock would be too salty to be enjoyable. The toppings can be varied, this is just a suggestion of what you can use.<br />
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<b><i>Ingredients (3-5 servings)</b></i><br />
1 packet of longevity noodles<br />
200g lean pork, sliced into thin stripes and marinade with soy sauce and pepper<br />
A handful of dried lily bulbs, wood ear mushroom, dried chinese mushroom, all soaked till hydrated.<br />
A large handful of bean sprouts, soaked in hot boiling water<br />
Quails eggs or normal eggs hardboiled<br />
Fish balls and meatballs of your preference<br />
300g pork ribs to make the stock,6-7 slices of ginger<br />
3 spring onions, sliced finely<br />
Sesame seed oil for drizzling over<br />
<br />
<b><i>Steps</b></i><br />
1. Prepare the stock by boiling 1.5 litres of water with the pork ribs and sliced ginger. Remove the ginger and pork ribs when done. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7362714272/" title="IMG_0122 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8152/7362714272_ec2c29d901.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="IMG_0122"></a><br />
<br />
2. Stir fry the lean pork, dried mushrooms and wood ear mushroom until done, set aside as topping for the noodles. <br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7362717018/" title="IMG_0135 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7100/7362717018_9cac5e571a.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="IMG_0135"></a><br />
<br />
<br />
3. Prepare the dried lily bulbs by snipping away any hard ends, tie a knot(optional) and blanched it for a few minutes in boiling water, drain and set aside.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7362715306/" title="IMG_0127 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7230/7362715306_ffc7ca9a2b.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="IMG_0127"></a><br />
<br />
4. Wash the noodles once and bring the stock to boil. Add the noodles and cook until al dente. Add in the sliced spring onions and sesame seed oil.<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7362717858/" title="IMG_0141 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8159/7362717858_37d9104c28.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="IMG_0141"></a><br />
<br />
<br />
5. Serve hot in individual bowls and top with the toppings and the best part is, you get to decide which and how much topping you want!<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7362717440/" title="IMG_0139 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7234/7362717440_147a01920a.jpg" width="500" height="375" alt="IMG_0139"></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7177495209/" title="IMG_0148 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7091/7177495209_3f954705e1.jpg" width="375" height="500" alt="IMG_0148"></a><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04928766993712640370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1044887269621192085.post-27478110787470330072012-07-04T23:04:00.000+02:002012-07-04T23:04:59.929+02:00Strawberries and Cream Cheesecake from Martha Stewart<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7359284988/" title="IMG_0440 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0440" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7087/7359284988_3558708d34.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Sweden is quite famous for its summer strawberries because they are incredibly sweet (and cheap too during the season). So this is a nice recipe to make dessert with, I especially like the technique of roasting the strawberries because it does intensify the flavor very much unlike any other methods. This is taken from <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/340256/strawberries-and-cream-cheesecake" target="_blank">Martha Stewart's website</a>, but I have adapted the recipe to make a smaller cake and put this out in metrics system instead.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><i>Ingredients</i></b></div><div style="text-align: left;">250g fresh strawberries, hulled, you can save a few for decoration</div><div style="text-align: left;">1.5 tablespoons light syrup</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 pack digestive biscuits, crushed finely</div><div style="text-align: left;">115g sugar</div><div style="text-align: left;">1.5 tablespoons butter melted</div><div style="text-align: left;">400g cream cheese room temperature</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/8 teaspoon salt</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 large egg</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 vanilla bean, scrapped</div><div style="text-align: left;">115g mascarpone cheese, room temperature</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>Steps</b></i></div><ol><li>Preheat the oven to 150<span class="st">°C, toss the strawberries in the light syrup and line them in a single row on baking paper and bake for 1.5 hours. It will shrink slightly, mash it up with a fork together with the liquid produced and set aside to cool.<br />
</span><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="st"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7359288636/" title="IMG_0424 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0424" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7223/7359288636_44a28bc70c.jpg" width="375" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7174058909/" title="IMG_0429 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0429" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8022/7174058909_1e9d0cb482.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><span class="st"></span></div><span class="st"><br />
</span></li>
<li><span class="st">Increase the temperature to 180</span><span class="st">°C while you mix the melted butter, 1 tablespoon of sugar and crushed digestive biscuit together and press it tightly to the bottom of the cake pan (I use a 20cm one). Bake it for about 10 minutes and let it cool.</span></li>
<li><span class="st">Reduce the temperature to 160</span><span class="st">°C, beat the cream cheese with a electric mixer until smooth, then add in the sugar, salt, egg,</span><span class="st"> </span><span class="st">vanilla bean seeds, mascarpone cheese one at a time ensuring there are no lumps.<br />
</span><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="st"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7174058579/" title="IMG_0430 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0430" height="375" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8002/7174058579_cc98c2c32e.jpg" width="500" /></a></span></div><span class="st"></span></div><span class="st"><br />
</span></li>
<li><span class="st">Reserve a third of the cheese mixture and set aside. Use the remaining cheese mixture and combine with the mashed strawberries and mix well, pour into the cake form.<br />
</span><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="st"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7174058415/" title="IMG_0431 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0431" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7236/7174058415_fe0d763582.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7174058211/" title="IMG_0432 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0432" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7211/7174058211_b8b585defd.jpg" width="375" /></a></span></div><span class="st"></span></div></li>
<li><span class="st">Dollop the remaining plain cheese mixture over the top and wrap the cake form in tin foil and bake in a large pan filled half way with water for about 1h 10 minutes. Let it cool and set in the fridge for at least 4 hours before serving. <br />
</span><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="st"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7359286434/" title="IMG_0433 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0433" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8017/7359286434_9461a8a8cd.jpg" width="375" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="st"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="st"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7174056557/" title="IMG_0441 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0441" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7239/7174056557_7b4e437fc8.jpg" width="375" /></a> </span></div><span class="st"></span><i><b> </b></i></div></li>
</ol><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04928766993712640370noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1044887269621192085.post-18246858919784663002012-06-27T22:04:00.000+02:002012-06-27T22:07:06.724+02:00Poached Salmon with Asparagus, new potatoes and green things<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7174040235/" title="IMG_0270 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0270" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7233/7174040235_4e1ee297bc.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
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Contrary to the frequency of Asian recipes I post up, we do eat Western dishes. This is one of those. There's three components to the meal but they are easy to put together, maybe it can go under one of Jamie Oliver's 30 minutes meal. I have that cookbook, just haven't try any of the meals yet. Maybe I should, you think? Now that's its summer in Sweden, fresh new potatoes are everywhere and goes really well with salmon, one of the most commonly eaten fish here.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Ingredients (Serves 2)</i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2 slices of salmon<i> </i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Half a lemon</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
250ml water and 250ml white wine </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i> </i>1 bunch of asparagus</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
6-7 new potatoes</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Half a leek, paprika, 4-5 button mushrooms</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>Steps</i></div>
<ol>
<li>The potatoes will take the longest (about 15-20 minutes) to cook, so start the pot of water (generously salted) to boil it first while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.</li>
<li><i> </i>Take a shallow pan and fill it up with the water and wine, along with 3 slices of lemon, some salt and pepper. Slide the salmon slices in when it is gently simmering and poach it for about ten minutes, drain and set aside.</li>
<li>Prepare the asparagus by breaking the woody end parts, and slice the leek, paprika and mushroom. </li>
<li>Heat up a frying pan on high heat, and put in a knob of butter. Fry the asparagus first until your desired crunchiness, and season with salt and pepper just before dishing it up.</li>
<li>In the same pan, add more butter if required and stir fry the rest of the 'green things' (leek, paprika, mushrooms) again to your desired level of crunchiness and season with salt and pepper towards the end.</li>
<li>Serve everything on a plate with a slice of lemon and some type of sauce, here we normally use romsås, which is a combination of creme fraiche, mayonaise, salt and orange cavier.</li>
</ol>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7174041073/" title="IMG_0267 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0267" height="500" src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8009/7174041073_053c440668.jpg" width="375" /></a> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04928766993712640370noreply@blogger.com0Nöbbelövsvägen, Gunnesbo, Lund, Sweden55.7228734 13.172847855.718401899999996 13.1629773 55.7273449 13.1827183tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1044887269621192085.post-15889299498138027912012-06-11T21:55:00.000+02:002012-06-11T21:55:00.515+02:00Pork Ribs and White Radish Soup<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7362778154/" title="IMG_0006 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0006" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7097/7362778154_5ce67cfc9e.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">White radish, also known as daikon or white carrot is the main ingredient used in the <a href="http://singlishswenglish.blogspot.se/2009/12/carrot-cake-chinese-style-or-fried-chai.html" target="_blank">Singaporean carrot cake</a> is also quite good as an addition to soup. This is a simple soup using just three ingredients, yet very flavorful.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>Ingredients (2 portions)</b></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">Half a large white radish, peeled and sliced into thick medallions</div><div style="text-align: left;">150g pork ribs (this one I used was the soft bones part of the ribs which can be quite fatty, you can use other parts if preferred)</div><div style="text-align: left;">3-4 red dates</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine</div><div style="text-align: left;">Salt to taste</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>Steps</b></i></div><ol><li>First blanch the pork ribs in boiling water for a few minutes. Drain, rinse and set aside while you boil up 3 bowls of water again.</li>
<li>Return the ribs to the boiling pot of water together with the sliced radish and red dates. Wait for it to come to boil again then turn down the heat to let it simmer for about 30 minutes.</li>
<li>Add the Shaoxing wine and salt to taste just before serving.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/7362777858/" title="IMG_0007 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0007" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7217/7362777858_47bf84edd5.jpg" width="375" /></a></li>
</ol>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04928766993712640370noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1044887269621192085.post-80951800010362138182012-06-01T16:36:00.001+02:002012-06-01T16:36:19.595+02:00Stir Fry Celery With Wood Ear Mushroom, Baby Corn and Carrots<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6970188377/" title="IMG_0142 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0142" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7059/6970188377_a65e311c5e.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
<br />
Its fast but it's almost been four months since our baby boy arrived and life has never been the same again (especially for the blog!) and my husband suggested I can blog about parenthood and stuff. So since he starts tasting solids (we've tried rice cereal so far), you may see some baby food recipes coming up in this blog :)<br />
<br />
First, this really nice refreshing dish to add to your Chinese dinner table. It was cooked by a friend who helped during the confinement period and I've grown to like it more and more. I wanted to make it for my Dad who visited us in Sweden late last month but didn't get the chance too. So hopefully my sister will see this and make it for him instead ;)<br />
<br />
<i><b>Ingredients</b></i><br />
4-5 stalks of celery<br />
1 carrot<br />
1 can of baby corn<br />
A handful of dry wood ear mushroom<br />
Chicken stock powder to taste<br />
<br />
<i><b>Steps</b></i><br />
<ol>
<li>Peel the celery and carrot and slice into sections. Soak the mushroom until soft, remove any hard bits, drain and set aside. </li>
<li>Heat up a frying pan on high with 3 tablespoons of cooking oil until smoke it coming out.</li>
<li>Add in the celery and carrots first and fry until they are bright in color before adding in the mushroom and corn.</li>
<li>Season with chicken stock powder and some water, I prefer them with a bit of crunch but you can cook it longer if you want it softer. Serve with rice.</li>
</ol>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6970188087/" title="IMG_0140 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0140" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7207/6970188087_a4437b5d46.jpg" width="375" /></a> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04928766993712640370noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1044887269621192085.post-69837900458946900582012-06-01T14:50:00.001+02:002012-06-01T14:50:20.467+02:00MyMoment Yogurt DrinkI got an invitation recently to test this yogurt drink called MyMoment. You can check out the video <a href="http://www.blogger.com/%28http://youtu.be/j-4is_nSty0" target="_blank">here</a>. I actually bought the strawberry flavour before and am looking forward to test the other flavours. You can also be a test pilot, just click on this link (it's in Swedish) <span style="font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://newsletter.smartson.se/t.aspx?S=1&ID=1173&NL=197&N=1131&SI=309706&URL=http://smartsontestpilot.se/mymoment/bli-testpilot/" target="_blank">http://smartsontestpilot.se/mymoment/bli-testpilot/</a> to participate. Enjoy!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04928766993712640370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1044887269621192085.post-21548544516682915652012-05-14T21:09:00.003+02:002012-05-14T21:10:21.096+02:00Sweet and Sour Fried Fish Fillet<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6781316973/" title="Sweet and Sour fried fish fillet Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Sweet and Sour fried fish fillet Singlish Swenglish" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7025/6781316973_6ed322e180.jpg" width="375" /> </a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
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<div style="text-align: left;">
Time pass by so fast and it's already the middle of May, and just two more days before my Dad and my sister comes to visit me in Sweden for the first time and to meet his grandson/her nephew too! My Dad promised to cook me many delicious food while he's here so hopefully some of those dishes will end up on this blog too. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Motherhood has been very tiring but it doesn't stop the craving. I can't remember exactly when I cooked this (definitely not recently) but it's one of those dishes we will order when eating at a zi char store. This is my simple version of it and the fish I used was what they called 'pangsiu' on the package here. It's some kind of white , boneless, frozen fish fillet, which I'm sure would have tasted better with fresh fish if you can get them.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><b>Ingredients</b></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2-3 large white fish fillet, thawed</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 egg</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
salt and pepper</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
½ green bell pepper</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
½ red bell pepper</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 large onion</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
thumb size ginger</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
potato flour</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
oil for deep frying</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
4 tablespoons ketchup</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
3 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Water or stock </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
A few drops of sesame seed oil <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6781314793/" title="Sweet and Sour fried fish fillet Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Sweet and Sour fried fish fillet Singlish Swenglish" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7161/6781314793_95b51f5505.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><b>Steps</b></i></div>
<ol>
<li>Slice the fish into large pieces and marinate it with the wine, salt and pepper and 1 egg. Coat it generously with potato flour to be deep fried.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6781314187/" title="Sweet and Sour fried fish fillet Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Sweet and Sour fried fish fillet Singlish Swenglish" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7031/6781314187_625d25a0b8.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>Fry the fish slices until golden brown, drain on kitchen paper and set aside.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6781315775/" title="Sweet and Sour fried fish fillet Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Sweet and Sour fried fish fillet Singlish Swenglish" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7156/6781315775_755bd06ef2.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>Cut the bell peppers into bite size pieces and the onion into similar slices. Minced the ginger finely.</li>
<li>Using a hot pan with about 2 tablespoons of cooking oil, fry the minced ginger and onions until fragrant, then add the bell peppers and mix well until slightly soften. Add in the ketchup and chilli sauce enough water or stock to create a thick gravy and bring it to boil.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6781316399/" title="Sweet and Sour fried fish fillet Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Sweet and Sour fried fish fillet Singlish Swenglish" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7001/6781316399_f5e2f38b04.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
</li>
<li>Toss in the fish slices and mix well. Mix in some sesame seed oil just before serving.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6781317983/" title="Sweet and Sour fried fish fillet Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Sweet and Sour fried fish fillet Singlish Swenglish" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7165/6781317983_f922662024.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
</li>
</ol>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04928766993712640370noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1044887269621192085.post-82295551855389288542012-04-27T22:37:00.000+02:002012-04-27T22:37:09.959+02:00Stewed Bittergourd with Chicken<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6970184857/" title="IMG_0093 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0093" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7197/6970184857_7b98023065.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I first tasted this dish when I was giving tuition to my colleagues' kids as a favor for a period of time. Since we went directly after work to her mother-in-law's place, it was a blessing to eat good home-cooked food there. And every time I tasted something good, I will asked her how she cooked it, especially those I thought my Dad would like. It's simple but a good variation from the normal way of how bitter gourds are cooked.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>Ingredients</b></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 large bitter gourd or a small one, cut length wise into four and cut further into large chunks</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 boneless chicken thigh fillet, sliced into equal size as the bitter gourd</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 tablespoon fermented black beans, rinsed and chopped roughly</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tablespoon finely minced garlic</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tablespoon finely minced ginger</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 or 2 chili padi, finely minced (optional)</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tablespoon oyster sauce</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 teaspoons dark soy sauce</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6824058862/" title="IMG_0075 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0075" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7204/6824058862_6971c3075b.jpg" width="500" /></a> </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>Steps</b></i></div><ol><li>Heat up about 2 tablespoons of oil in a hot pan and briefly stir fry the minced ginger, garlic, fermented black beans and chili until fragrant.</li>
<li>Add in the chicken thigh fillets and cooked until just changed color.</li>
<li>Add in the bitter gourd chunks and mix well. Add in the dark soy sauce and oyster sauce before adding enough water to just cover the ingredients.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6970181399/" title="IMG_0078 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0078" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7194/6970181399_ba58062dd1.jpg" width="375" /></a></div></li>
<li>Turn to medium heat to simmer for about 10 minutes or until bitter gourd is soft (or to your preference).<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6824061456/" title="IMG_0084 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0084" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7061/6824061456_5859c6af2d.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
</div></li>
<li>Season with salt to taste before serving with rice.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6970183375/" title="IMG_0087 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0087" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7190/6970183375_178cc760f2.jpg" width="500" /></a></div></li>
</ol><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b> </b></i></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04928766993712640370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1044887269621192085.post-28027280430565042612012-04-16T14:08:00.000+02:002012-04-16T14:08:16.710+02:00Borough Market Brownie<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6970197085/" title="Borough Market Brownies by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Borough Market Brownies" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7190/6970197085_f69675313c.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">If you have ever been to London and visited the Borough Market, you might have tasted this delicious brownie that's situated right at the end of the area. My friend Sylvia and her hubby are coming to visit us in a couple of weeks' time to take pictures of our son Isac (we are very honored!) and you should definitely check out their Facebook page for<a href="https://www.facebook.com/EightDotPhotography" target="_blank"> Eight Dot Photography</a> and also her blog, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Peaches-and-Donuts/145275032219171" target="_blank">Peaches and Donuts</a> which I have mentioned before. She is bringing me some goodies from London that I can't get here in Sweden, unfortunately, no brownies, so I googled and found this recipe from <a href="http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/3747/borough-market-brownies" target="_blank">BBC Good Food website</a> and it's a keeper! I halved the recipe so it's enough to make one square pan (20 x 20 x 3 cm) of brownies and also had to adjust some ingredients since I didn't have quite enough dark chocolate in my pantry when I first made it, but it works fine and I've done my version a couple of times now that has always turned out well. Serve it warm with a nice vanilla ice cream....ah the pleasure of life :)</div><br />
<i><b>Ingredients</b></i><br />
170g dark chocolate (at least 55 per cent cocoa solids) <br />
160g unsalted butter <br />
3 whole eggs <br />
150g caster sugar <br />
25g cocoa powder <br />
40g plain flour<br />
<br />
<i><b>Steps:</b></i><br />
<ol><li>Preheat the oven to 180<span class="st">°C while you prepare the batter by first melting the chocolate and butter in a small pot or in a bowl over boiling water. Let it cool slightly.</span></li>
<li><span class="st">Whisk the sugar and eggs together until pale yellow, then add in the chocolate butter mixture.<br />
</span><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="st"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6970195873/" title="Borough Market Brownies by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Borough Market Brownies" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7053/6970195873_4116685805.jpg" width="375" /></a></span></div><span class="st"></span></div></li>
<li><span class="st">Sieve the flour and cocoa powder and fold it into the mixture until well blended. Line the pan with baking paper and pour in the batter and bake for 20 minutes. Let it cool in the pan before enjoying this rich brownie.<br />
</span><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="st"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6824074868/" title="Borough Market Brownies by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Borough Market Brownies" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7207/6824074868_9de2f71756.jpg" width="375" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="st"> </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="st"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6970196597/" title="Borough Market Brownies by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Borough Market Brownies" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7178/6970196597_09f4dfb0c2.jpg" width="375" /></a> </span></div><span class="st"></span></div></li>
</ol>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04928766993712640370noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1044887269621192085.post-71340040800695057432012-04-02T22:03:00.001+02:002012-04-02T22:03:35.982+02:00Pig's Trotters in Sweet Vinegar Confinement Food<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6824073930/" title="IMG_0308 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0308" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7046/6824073930_a0d09c1f29.jpg" width="375" /></a> </div><br />
In Sweden where it's not common to hire help after giving birth, I had to do my own confinement in my own way. What I discovered from many Chinese friends is that there are different ways how confinement is being done, and this dish is certainly more unique to South East Asian Chinese or the Hokkiens. I got a slow cooker or crock pot for my birthday from my in-laws (nice huh!) and used it to cook this for myself. It's a very simple recipe but the key thing is to use the correct vinegar - which is the sweet vinegar, identified by its name or one of the brand, Ba Zhen as shown in the picture. Contrary to belief, this dish can be eaten by anyone and is one of my Dad's favourite too.<br />
<br />
<i><b>Ingredients</b></i><br />
1 pig trotter<br />
1 large piece of ginger, about 200g<br />
2-3 tablespoons of sesame seed oil <br />
1 bottle of sweet vinegar<br />
1-2 blocks of gula melaka <br />
Hard boiled eggs (optional)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6970193157/" title="IMG_0290 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0290" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7196/6970193157_800d900fb7.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<i><b>Steps</b></i><br />
<ol><li>The night before cooking, prepare the vinegar solution by crushing the ginger with a cleaver and place in a pot to fry without oil until<i><b> </b></i>dry before adding the sesame seed oil and fry until fragrant. Add the whole bottle of vinegar and let it simmer for 10-15 minutes. Let it cool overnight.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6824072514/" title="IMG_0293 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0293" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7042/6824072514_45ef04f1e7.jpg" width="375" /></a></div></li>
<li>The next day, scald the pig trotters in a pot of boiling water, rinse and drain. Heat up the pot with some cooking oil and brown the scaled trotters slightly. <br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6970194319/" title="IMG_0294 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0294" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7070/6970194319_1e6a67c27a.jpg" width="375" /></a></div></li>
<li>Place the trotters, gula melaka and the vinegar solution together in the crock pot and let it cook on low heat for four hours or until the meat is falling off the bone. Add in the peeled hard boiled eggs half an hour before serving. Serve with rice.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6970195049/" title="IMG_0301 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0301" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7189/6970195049_b958d75b72.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6824074204/" title="IMG_0310 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0310" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7184/6824074204_b520b6fbf0.jpg" width="375" /></a></div></li>
</ol>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04928766993712640370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1044887269621192085.post-58535446222412921102012-03-21T21:56:00.000+01:002012-03-21T21:56:49.765+01:00Macarons with Raspberry Jam Filling<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6970192851/" title="IMG_0216 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0216" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7070/6970192851_9a596d0f37.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">My birthday this year was spent in the hospital, but for a good reason since our son arrived just the day before. So for his first month celebration, I decided to try making macarons again. Yes, I have tried making them before but it wasn't very successful. Since my darling hubby got me an expensive macaron making kit (baking sheet with 'built-in circles and a pipping gadget), what better time to give it a try again. I have to say it's not my favourite dessert but it is very pretty when done correctly. So for my friends who wanted to try it out, here's the recipe and you may have to adjust the temperature and timing depending on the type of oven you have. This is adapted from a Swedish baking book 'Macarons, Cupcakes, Cakepops och andra söta bakverk' from Mia Öhrn, also a birthday present :). So I had a really good birthday this year after all! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>Ingredients</b></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">170g icing sugar</div><div style="text-align: left;">110g grounded almonds without skin </div><div style="text-align: left;">90g egg whites (about three eggs)</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tablespoons castor sugar</div><div style="text-align: left;">A few drops of food colouring</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>for the filling</i></div><div style="text-align: left;">200ml raspberry jam</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i> </i>50ml syrup</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>Steps</b></i></div><ol><li>If you can only get almonds with their skin on, you would need to do an extra step of soaking them in hot water and peeling the skin off. Otherwise, try to look for those that has no skin and use a food processor to grind it until very fine or as fine as you can. The book recommend a almond grinder which I have not found, but if you can even get almond flour (100% almonds), good for you! This and the following two process of grinding and sieving is the most tedious I find but necessary if you want pretty products in the end. Sieve the ground almond once.</li>
<li><i><b> </b></i>Weigh the icing sugar and mix it with the ground almond and sieve it through once more.</li>
<li>Whip the egg whites in a clean and dry bowl until foamy, then add in the castor sugar and whip until firm.</li>
<li>Fold in the almond/icing sugar mix into the egg white together with the food coloring if using. Do not overmix, the final result should be like flowing lava.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6970188697/" title="IMG_0178 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0178" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7057/6970188697_bb05be24ab.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6824067378/" title="IMG_0180 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0180" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7189/6824067378_624560ff02.jpg" width="375" /></a></div></li>
<li>Pipe it into a fancy baking sheet like I have or on normal baking paper. You might find it helpful to draw the circles first before piping if you are not so good at it. Let it rest for 45 minutes. At this point, if your mixture spreads out from the circle you have piped too much, it may mean you have overmix it previously. Try to have more space between each circle in that case to 'save' your work.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6970189581/" title="IMG_0186 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0186" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7052/6970189581_459cc5a7a1.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
</div></li>
<li>Preheat the oven at 125<span class="st">°C and place your baking tray at the lowest rack and the original time suggested was 20 minutes. I found that to be sufficient for the smaller macarons I made (about 2.5cm in diameter), but about 30 minutes or more for the larger one (4cm in diameter).<br />
</span><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="st"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6970190707/" title="IMG_0190 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0190" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7058/6970190707_9fabeb709e.jpg" width="375" /></a></span></div><span class="st"></span></div><span class="st"><br />
</span></li>
<li><span class="st">Remove from baking sheet while warm.<br />
</span><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="st"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6970190949/" title="IMG_0191 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0191" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7210/6970190949_3aa8f3062d.jpg" width="462" /></a></span></div><span class="st"></span></div><span class="st"><br />
</span></li>
<li><span class="st">For the filling, I boiled the jam and syrup until it thickens and piped it on accordingly.<br />
</span><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="st"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6970191809/" title="IMG_0212 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0212" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7046/6970191809_056d1838c4.jpg" width="375" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6824070826/" title="IMG_0214 by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_0214" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7069/6824070826_1aca045e6a.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><span class="st"></span></div><span class="st"><br />
</span></li>
</ol><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04928766993712640370noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1044887269621192085.post-50988795913761300352012-03-10T22:04:00.000+01:002012-03-10T22:04:13.775+01:00Stir Fried Bitter gourd and Egg<div style="text-align: center;"><i><b><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6970179655/" title="Stir Fried Bittergourd with Egg by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Stir Fried Bittergourd with Egg" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7188/6970179655_dcaaaa1976.jpg" width="375" /></a></b></i></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I just saw I only had one posting in February. So sorry about that, but now I am adjusting more to parenthood, the postings should be more regular again hopefully! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">Some people say the older you get, the more you appreciate things you don't used to enjoy when you are younger. The same can be said for my growing appreciation for bitter gourd. To the point that I recently paid SGD7 for a medium size bitter gourd from the local Asian store. I probably wouldn't buy it again in the near future but the two dishes I made was this classic one stir fried with egg. I like the egg more omelet style so this is my version of it.<i><b> </b></i></div><br />
<br />
<i><b>Ingredients</b></i><br />
1/2 bitter gourd, cut lengthwise and sliced thinly<br />
2 egg, beaten with a little salt and pepper<br />
1 clove of garlic, minced<br />
1 shallot, minced<br />
Chicken stock powder to taste<br />
<br />
<i><b>Steps</b></i><br />
<ol><li>Pan fry the omelet first, I like it a bit brownish and use the spatula to cut it into bit size pieces. Remove from the pan and set aside.</li>
<li>Using the same pan, add about 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and stir fry the minced garlic and shallot until fragrant, then add in the sliced bitter gourd. Cook until the bitter gourd is bright green before adding in the omelet.</li>
<li>Add some water and chicken stock powder to taste. At this stage, you can adjust accordingly to how tender you want the bitter gourd slices to be. I like them soft with just a slight crunch. Have them with rice or some plain porridge, the way my Dad likes it.</li>
</ol><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6970178737/" title="Stir Fried Bittergourd with egg by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Stir Fried Bittergourd with egg" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7052/6970178737_590330b1c2.jpg" width="375" /></a> </div><ol></ol>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04928766993712640370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1044887269621192085.post-66889820401923979242012-02-21T21:56:00.000+01:002012-02-21T21:56:10.003+01:00Bee Hoon Ze Char - Rice Vermicilli with Meat and Seafood Gravy<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6781294753/" title="Bee Hoon Ze Char Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Bee Hoon Ze Char Singlish Swenglish" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6781294753_dabeb38b74.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">This could have been a healthy dish except for the addition of the fried pork lard, but without it, it taste oh so different. So indulge in them once in a while, especially when you are overseas with no Zi Char store to go and just buy them from. I did this with bee hoon, but you can chose to use egg noodles or hor fun or any noodles you fancy.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>Ingredients (2-3 portions)</b></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">Fried pork lard (cut up the pork lard into large cubes as they will shrink and render them to crispy bits over medium heat until golden brown. Keep the oil for frying later or in other dishes too)</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b> </b></i>6 fishballs, cut into halves (you should use fish cakes if you can get them)</div><div style="text-align: left;">7-8 prawns</div><div style="text-align: left;">100g lean pork, sliced thinly</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 sheet of dried bee hoon, soaked in cold water to soften and drained</div><div style="text-align: left;">2-3 bunches of caixin or bak choy, cut into 2 cm sections</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 garlic cloves, minced finely</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 egg</div><div style="text-align: left;">2-3 teaspoons dark soy sauce</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 teaspoon chicken stock powder</div><div style="text-align: left;">white pepper</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 tablespoon soy sauce</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 tablespoon oyster sauce</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6781291507/" title="Bee Hoon Ze Char Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Bee Hoon Ze Char Singlish Swenglish" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6781291507_4d94cbdc00.jpg" width="500" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>Steps</b></i></div><ol><li>Marinate the prawns and pork with some white pepper and soy sauce while you prepare the bee hoon first.</li>
<li>Over a hot wok, heat up 2 tablespoons of the oil you rendered from the pork lard and add in half the minced garlic, stir frying it quickly so it doesn't burn and add in the soaked bee hoon. Add in the dark soy sauce and mix well until it is evenly colored, adding a little water if necessary. It should still remain relatively dry as you will be adding the gravy over it when you serve.</li>
<li>Once the bee hoon is cooked, place in a serving bowl and set aside. Using the same pan, add in 1 tablespoon of the oil rendered from the pork lard and add in the rest of the minced garlic.</li>
<li>When the garlic are slightly browned, add in the fish balls first and stir fry. Add in the prawns and pork next and fry until they are 80% done before adding the vegetables and mix well.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6781292229/" title="Bee Hoon Ze Char Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Bee Hoon Ze Char Singlish Swenglish" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7144/6781292229_eabd9e80da.jpg" width="375" /></a></div></li>
<li>Add in enough water to cover the ingredients and stir in the oyster sauce, chicken stock powder and some dark soy sauce for color if desire. Taste and adjust seasoning where necessary. Let it come to a boil before cracking an egg in the middle of the gravy and stirring it slightly to get those eggy whirls.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6781293219/" title="Bee Hoon Ze Char Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Bee Hoon Ze Char Singlish Swenglish" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6781293219_a6cee9fa08.jpg" width="375" /></a></div></li>
<li>Once done, scoop over the bee hoon in and serve hot with some sliced chili padi or pickled green chili if you have prepare beforehand. Top it up with some crispy pork lard cubes and it might just bring you a bit closer to home.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6781293719/" title="Bee Hoon Ze Char Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Bee Hoon Ze Char Singlish Swenglish" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7166/6781293719_4ded314c8a.jpg" width="375" /></a></div></li>
</ol>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04928766993712640370noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1044887269621192085.post-53956232998999292062012-01-29T21:22:00.001+01:002012-02-16T20:27:17.813+01:00Tau Sar Piah 豆沙饼 Mung Bean Paste Biscuit<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6781309971/" title="Tau Sar Piah Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Tau Sar Piah Singlish Swenglish" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6781309971_d1780205d6.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">We welcomed our little one early this month and I must say, motherhood needs some getting used to! This is probably something I won't have time to do for the time being but I have had this craving for the Penang tau sar piah since when I went back to Singapore last July and I finally got some from Sylvia in a yummy package she sent to me with goodies from Malaysia when her hubby went back recently. I could have eaten them all in a day but restrained myself to spread them out over a week. They came to an end eventually and the only thing I could do is to finally try them out, as it was also one of my resolution for this year and good that I tried making them before the little one came along! I didn't have any recipe of my own and followed the one from<a href="http://www.mykitchensnippets.com/2011/08/penang-tau-sar-pheahmung-bean-biscuits.html" target="_blank"> My Kitchen Snippet</a>s, so all credit to her. However, after making it I came to a few conclusions:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">1) It's definitely worth it to pay for those good brands of this biscuit because it takes quite a lot of work.</div><div style="text-align: left;">2) It's not going to be as good as those famous brands but it suffices as a craving when you are overseas and not able to buy it readily.</div><div style="text-align: left;">3) Some people like it freshly baked, but I find it was better after sitting in a container for a day or two.</div><div style="text-align: left;">4) The bean paste filling needs a really good balance of seasoning, otherwise it will just taste strange. Having said that, I hope there is another way to make this filling next time so it doesn't taste as dry, be more savory and doesn't remind one of it being a green bean paste so much.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">You can follow her blog which comes with detailed instructions and pictures, the following are my observations while making them. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>Ingredients</b></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i>Oil Dough </i></div><div style="text-align: left;">175 gram Flour<br />
100 ml vegetable oil<br />
<br />
<em>Oil & Water Dough</em><br />
345 gram Flour<br />
180 ml vegetable oil <br />
135 ml water<br />
¾ teaspoon vinegar<br />
<br />
<em>Mung Bean Paste:</em><br />
<br />
50 ml vegetable oil<br />
2 shallots - thinly sliced<br />
150 gram sugar </div><div style="text-align: left;"> 1 1/2 teaspoon salt<br />
1 1/2 teaspoon white pepper<br />
400 gram dried mung beans<i><b> </b></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b><br />
</b></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>Steps</b></i></div><ol><li>Wash the mung beans a few times and let it soak for at least 4 hours or overnight. Drain and steam it for 30 minutes or until soft. (I took about 6-7 tablespoons out to try making tau saun separately this time round)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6781301513/" title="Tau Sar Piah Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Tau Sar Piah Singlish Swenglish" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7014/6781301513_1b6d2c2362.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6781302069/" title="Tau Sar Piah Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Tau Sar Piah Singlish Swenglish" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6781302069_463b2aa9e9.jpg" width="500" /></a></div></li><li>While steaming, prepare the oil dough and the oil & water dough, cover and let it rest in separate bowls for at least 30 minutes.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6781306013/" title="Tau Sar Piah Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Tau Sar Piah Singlish Swenglish" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6781306013_b6b2e85fca.jpg" width="500" /></a></div></li><li>Let the mung beans cool a bit before blitzing it it briefly in a food processor together with the sugar.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6781303603/" title="Tau Sar Piah Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Tau Sar Piah Singlish Swenglish" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7012/6781303603_aa9f0efba6.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
</div></li><li>Heat up the oil in a pan and fry the shallots until slightly brown before adding in the processed mung beans and add the rest of the seasonings, adjusting it where necessary.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6781304325/" title="Tau Sar Piah Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Tau Sar Piah Singlish Swenglish" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7023/6781304325_fe737a5476.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6781305019/" title="Tau Sar Piah Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Tau Sar Piah Singlish Swenglish" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7009/6781305019_061a94c90d.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
</div></li><li>Don't fry it too long but you should be able to form firm balls about 9-10g each. If it gets too dry to hold well together, add some water. I formed about 60 balls of fillings.</li><li>Divide the doughs each into 60 portions. I weigh each dough and divide each weight by 60 so I get a roughly equal amount of dough.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6781306649/" title="Tau Sar Piah Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Tau Sar Piah Singlish Swenglish" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6781306649_64330c7ed6.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
</div></li><li> Flatten the oil & water dough, using it to envelope the oil dough, forming a ball.</li><li>Using a rolling pin, flatten the mixed dough ball once, then roll it up like a Swiss roll, and flatten it one more time . Roll it up again like a Swiss roll, pinch in the sides and roll it out into a rough round shape to place the prepared filling on (you might get some kind of thin 'skin' at this point of time when you roll out the dough but it's normal and not a mistake).<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6781308899/" title="IMG_3009Tau Sar Piah Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="IMG_3009Tau Sar Piah Singlish Swenglish" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7007/6781308899_0a2372bc94.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6781307803/" title="Tau Sar Piah Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Tau Sar Piah Singlish Swenglish" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7153/6781307803_00027c620b.jpg" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6781308355/" title="Tau Sar Piah Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Tau Sar Piah Singlish Swenglish" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7034/6781308355_bfacd8e19e.jpg" width="500" /></a></div></li><li>Beat up one egg and use it to help seal the edges, resting the biscuit on a baking sheet on its sealed edge.</li><li>Egg wash the top of the biscuits and bake it at 190<span class="st">°C for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.<br />
</span><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="st"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6781309495/" title="Tau Sar Piah Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Tau Sar Piah Singlish Swenglish" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7163/6781309495_491d4491b3.jpg" width="375" /></a></span></div><span class="st"></span></div></li><li><span class="st">Let it cool completely before storing it in an airtight container.<br />
</span><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="st"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6781311423/" title="Tau Sar Piah Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Tau Sar Piah Singlish Swenglish" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7023/6781311423_568925a76e.jpg" width="375" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="st"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="st"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="st"><br />
</span><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6781311835/" title="Tau Sar Piah Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Tau Sar Piah Singlish Swenglish" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7169/6781311835_3d79ea2c24.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><span class="st"></span></div></li></ol>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04928766993712640370noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1044887269621192085.post-18197519235552924512012-01-29T12:26:00.001+01:002012-02-02T15:35:03.245+01:00Quick Lunch Idea: Pad Ga Prao or Spicy Minced Beef with Thai Sweet Basil<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6781290935/" title="Fried Minced Beef with Thai Sweet Basil Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Fried Minced Beef with Thai Sweet Basil Singlish Swenglish" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7015/6781290935_2347e210a1.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">This dish always reminded me of that one trip I took with a Thai couple so many years back. I had a male colleague who was a architect turned designer and now turned Thai restaurant owner in California with his wife (Check out their Facebook page at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Summerthai">https://www.facebook.com/Summerthai</a>). They are the nicest and most creative couple I have ever known and I am still glad they let me tag along and be a light bulb on their trip from Singapore to Phi-Phi Island. Mind you, we didn't travel by the usual route of budget airlines but took a tour bus from Golden Mile Complex (Singapore), all the way to Hat Yai (southern Thailand near the Malaysia border) and then boat to a less-known island (Trang something) before heading for Phi-Phi Island. AND, then we just took the bus back again all the way to Singapore. Needless to say, this is probably the once-in-a-lifetime thing I would probably do for traveling exclusively on buses and the way back is probably one of the longest I've ever experienced.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">However, being with them was a really authentic and interesting experience. Besides getting to see the not-so-tourist side of things and traveling on off-beat tracks, the food was fantastic and I got to eat many good Thai dishes and this was one I really liked and I ate it almost everyday on Phi Phi Island. I used to cook it with this ready sauce from Knorr, but I can't find it anymore so have to resort to cooking it from scratch. Having said that, if you have all the ingredients at hand, it's really a matter of stir-frying everything in one pan. I like it with a nice fried egg on top of rice and it has been my first choices for quick and fast lunches/dinner.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">So James and Nooch, this post is dedicated to you! </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>Ingredients (2-3 portions as a side dish with rice)</b></i></div><div style="text-align: left;">1 egg (if you like a fried egg with your rice) </div><div style="text-align: left;">250-400g minced Beef (or pork or chicken)</div><div style="text-align: left;">1 onion, quarted</div><div style="text-align: left;">2-3 bird chili, chopped</div><div style="text-align: left;">1/2 or 1 paprika, sliced thinly</div><div style="text-align: left;">A good handful of sweet thai basil (This is different from holy basil!)</div><div style="text-align: left;">2 tablespoons oyster sauce</div><div style="text-align: left;"> 1 tablespoon fish sauce or to taste</div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;">Sugar to taste </div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6781289125/" title="Pad Ga Prao Spicy Minced Beef with Thai Sweet Basil Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Pad Ga Prao Spicy Minced Beef with Thai Sweet Basil Singlish Swenglish" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7157/6781289125_a66de19ae5.jpg" width="375" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><b>Steps</b></i></div><ol><li>Heat up a pan with 2 tablespoon cooking oil till hot fry the egg first. Remove and set aside before adding in the onion and fry until slightly soften before adding the minced beef to brown slightly.<br />
</li><li>Add in the paprika, bird chili and basil. Mix well before adding the oyster sauce and fish sauce. Add some sugar to taste or bring down the heat of the chili according to your liking. Add some water if required, otherwise let it simmer till the minced meat is done and the paprika is soften.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6781289683/" title="Pad Ga Prao Spicy Minced Beef with Thai Sweet Basil Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Pad Ga Prao Spicy Minced Beef with Thai Sweet Basil Singlish Swenglish" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7014/6781289683_c6d95062d4.jpg" width="375" /></a><br />
</div></li><li>Dish it over rice, add in your fried egg and eat!<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/14041687@N03/6781290221/" title="Pad Ga Prao Spicy Minced Beef with Thai Sweet Basil Singlish Swenglish by send2sasa, on Flickr"><img alt="Pad Ga Prao Spicy Minced Beef with Thai Sweet Basil Singlish Swenglish" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7145/6781290221_167165cb5b.jpg" width="375" /></a></div></li></ol><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04928766993712640370noreply@blogger.com0