Fried Rice

No fuss, all in one dish. Suitable for a night when I have to eat dinner alone.

This variation used lap chong, dried mushroom and lots of diced carrot.

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Finally back into the kitchen

As most of you have already known, I went back to Singapore, in order to renew my re-entry permit. While I was at it, I decided to fly back to the land below the wind- KK, to celebrate Chinese New Year with my family.

Before we flew back, I was very ambitious and set out a long list of "Food to eat" and "friends to meet". Unfortunately, I ate some raw spikey arugula one week before we departed which eventually caused some ulcers on my upper mouth cavity and led to a full bow of inflammatory actions. Because of that, I couldn't fully enjoy the local foods on my first few days in Singapore. And also because of that, I missed a few friends. Especially those who had made plans to leave Singapore for CNY.

As for myself, I flew back to KK a week before CNY. With a year of baking experience, I finally got mum's approval to use her oven. Eventhough we acquired the oven since I was 9, I was not allowed to go near the oven until I went back this CNY. Mum always worried that I would injured myself. She still did, when I baked my first batch of cookies this CNY. But after a few batch of cookies, she let me to do whatever I wanted, as long as I followed her rules. That is to bake only in the morning. Yeah, mum only allowed me to bake in the morning. According to her, morning is the best time to make pastry, because afternoon is too hot and at night, the noice of the mixer would disturb our maid who sleeps in the room next to the kitchen.

We managed to bake quite a lot of stuff actually. A few successful ones included the Oatmeal Chocolate Cranberry Cookies, which mum likes; Chocolate Pistachio Cookies, which dad thought could be served in hotel; Chocolate Almond Biscottis, which everyone approved and Snowball Cookies. And a few unsuccessful attempts to make cakes.

Even with the nice local foods and mum's home cooked meals, I missed my own cooking. OCT shared the same sentiment, and told me that he missed my food, in spite of his mum's home cooked food. I am not saying that I am a better cook, I guess I simply miss the freedom of cooking whatever I wanted. However I wanted.

Now that we are back, I have resumed my role as the cook and can't wait to cook and bake up a storm in our tiny kitchen!

A new recipe I tried yesterday- Kielbasa, Golden Onion and Apple was a simple and unexpectedly delicious dish. The savory kielbasa, sweet caramelised onion and the soft and tart granny smith made the plain looking dish a pleasure accompanist of a bowl of steaming rice.

Kielbasa, Golden Onion and Apple
Adapted from Gourmet December 2006

2 lb smoked kielbasa (preferably beef and pork), cut crosswise into 3-inch lengths
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 large onions, chopped (6 cups)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
1 large Granny Smith apple
1 3/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (14 fl oz)
*I halved the recipe*

Lightly score each piece of sausage in several places with a sharp paring knife. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then brown half of sausage, turning occasionally, until golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover to keep warm. Pour off fat from skillet and wipe skillet clean. Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet and brown remaining sausage in same manner, transferring to bowl as cooked.

Wipe skillet clean again, then cook onions with salt and pepper in butter over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Meanwhile, peel, core, and finely chop apple. Stir apple and broth into onion mixture and simmer briskly, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until apple is tender, 6 to 7 minutes. Add sausage and simmer, stirring, until heated through, about 1 minute.

Makes 6 (main course) servings

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A batch of delightful treats

The last treat day before we flew back to Singapore, I made OCT's colleagues a batch of chocolate raspberry cupcakes. They were absolutely delicious even though the taste of raspberry puree was undetectable. They weren't too sweet but had a sophisticated chocolate flavor. Certainly the kind of chocolate cake recipe that's worth keeping and making over and over again.

The only complaint, was the tedious part of straining the raspberry puree over my small fine-mesh sieve in order to remove the raspberry seeds. It must have taken me almost an hour just to get the 1/2 cup the recipe required. Well, I am glad that the end result justified the effort involved. And a simple chocolate swirl on top of the cupcakes dressed them up, making them ready, even for an elegant affair.

Raspberry-Laced Chocolate Cupcakes with Marbled Glaze

1 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup seedless raspberry puree (from frozen unsweetened raspberries or from 3/4 pint fresh raspberries)
3 tbsp brandy or rum
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
10 tbsp (1 1/4 sticks) unsalted butter, softenend
1 1/3 cups sugar
3 large eggs
powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze
(makes about 1 cup)
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
8 tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into several pieces
1 tbsp corn syrup

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350F. Line the muffin tin with fluted paper liners.

Whisk together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl, then sift onto a sheet of wax paper. Set aside.

Combine the raspberry puree, brandy and vanilla in a small bowl, set aside.

In a medium to large bowl, with an electric mixer, beat the butter on medium speed for a few seconds, until creamy. Add the sugar in a steady stream and continue to beat until light and fluffy, about 4 to 5 minutes.

Break the eggs into a cup or small bowl and whisk to combine the whites and yolks. Take a full 2.5 to 3 minutes to dribble the eggs gradually into the butter mixture, beating constantly.

Stop the mixer and add one third of the flour mixture. Beat on low speed only until no flour is visible. Srop the mixture and add half of the raspberry mixture. Beat only until absorbed. Repeat with half of the remaining flour, all of the remaining raspberry mixture, and finally the remaining flour. Scrape the bowl as necessary and beat on low speed only enough to incorporate the ingredients after each addition.

Scrape the batter into the paper liners, and bake for 20 minutes. When the cupcakes are completely cool, make Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze.

Place the chocolate, butter and corn syrup in a small heat proof bowl set in a wide skillet of barely simmering water. Stir frequently and gently with a spatula or wooden spoon until the chocolate is almost completely melted. Remove the glaze from the water and set aside to finish melting, stirring once or twice until the glaze is perfectly smooth. Or melt in a microwave on Medium (50%) power for 2 minutes. Stir gently until completely smooth; do not whisk or beat. Let the glaze cool, without stirring, until nearly set and the consistency of easily spreadable frosting.

Melt one ounce each of milk chocolate and white chocolate into individual bowls.Dip one cupcake top (or bottom) into the glaze. Turn the cupcake glaze side up/ Dip the tip of your finger or rubber spatula into the melted chocolates and drizzle a little of each on the glaze. Swirl a skewer or toothpick through the wet glaze to marble the chocolates. Let the glaze set at room temperature.

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Pizza night

The cold weather is making me lazy. I have no desire to tackle any complicated recipes than to simply sit in a warm place, with a cup of hot coffee and a book. But there's OCT I have to feed. And I can't possibly dish out the instant noodle with frozen dumplings on a weekday night. No, that is too irresponsible.

But I am still feeling lazy. So I made pizzas. I would have used the store bought dough in a heartbeat, if there's any in the fridge. But there is none. So, I made my own pizza dough. No big deal. It's not remotely difficult at all. All one needs, is plenty of time, and patient, to wait for the dough to rise into something that can eventually be baked and devoured.

One thing I like about homemade pizzas is the absolute control of all ingredients used. For our dinner, I made one with pineapple chunks, pepperoni and mushroom, and another one with green peppers, roasted onion, pesto,mushroom and pepperoni. Both have been topped with "reasonable" amount of monterey and mozzarella cheese.

And because I have problem making the crust into perfect 12-inch round, I decided to make them into rectangular. I believe that shouldn't affect their taste.

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Something healthy

Like a salad, is perfect for a lazy Sunday night when I don't feel like cooking up a storm. Besides there are too many distractions from TV on Sunday night!

So, here's what we had on Sunday night: Cornmeal Crusted Tilapia Salad.


Cornmeal Crusted Tilapia Salad
Adapted from CL Jan 07

4 (6-inch) corn tortillas, cut into 1/4-inch strips
Cooking spray
1 teaspoon chili powder, divided
3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1/4 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 ounce)
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1 teaspoon onion flakes, crushed
4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
7 teaspoons canola oil, divided
6 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 1/2 cups chopped red bell pepper (about 1 large)
1 cup halved grape tomatoes
1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup preshredded reduced-fat 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese

Preheat oven to 425º.
Place tortilla strips on a baking sheet lined with foil; lightly coat tortilla strips with cooking spray. Sprinkle strips with 1/2 teaspoon chili powder and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bake at 425º for 10 minutes or until crisp, and set aside.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, cornmeal, onion flakes, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon chili powder in a shallow dish. Sprinkle fish with 1/4 teaspoon salt; dredge in cornmeal mixture.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish; cook 3 minutes on each side or until browned and fish flakes easily when tested with a fork or until desired degree of doneness.

Combine romaine and next 4 ingredients (through cilantro) in a large bowl. Combine juice, mustard, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Gradually add remaining 4 teaspoons oil, stirring constantly with a whisk. Drizzle juice mixture over lettuce mixture; toss gently to coat. Place 1 1/2 cups salad mixture on each of 4 plates; sprinkle each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese. Place 1 fish fillet on each salad; top with 5 tortilla strips.

Yield: 4 servings

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Some cookies for the sweet tooth

Last Friday I baked a batch of chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookies with some new twists for a special guest. Unfortunately, the inner shopaholic had gotten the better of him, and he ended up lugging more than what he was allowed on a long haul flight, and decided to leave the full batch of cookies behind....

I remember the last time I baked these cookies, I made them huge, using the 1/4 cup as a guide. This time however, I wanted to make them small. So small that they can be squeezed into the festive containers, and passed around during Chinese New Year (I opted to use the teaspoon as a guide in the end).Yes, I have developed a serious craving for new year goodies after our friend passed us some that she brought back from Singapore. I would have been making pineapple tarts or peanut cookies, if I had the necessary ingredients. But I digress. I was thinking of making these small cookies as goodies for new year. So this batch was actually an experiment. To give it a festive flair, I added the colourful kisses on the little mossels. For some, I added the Andes peppermint pieces on top; which you can't see from the photos above, unfortunately.

Both types with the new size turned out well. I have even took the liberty to reduce the amount of sugar and added in some milk chocolate chunks. With so many modifications, maybe I can claim it as my own recipe. Maybe not. I shall wait until others have tried, and give their approval. Then I will casually add that it's my own recipe. If not, I will say it's OCT who made them. Sounds like a plan!



Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (6 1/4 ounces)
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1 1/4 cups rolled oats , old-fashioned, (3 1/2 ounces)
1 cup toasted walnut(4 ounces), chopped
1 cup dried cranberries(5 ounces), chopped coarse
1/2 cup chopped 72% chocolate
1/4 cup chopped milk chocolate
12 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 1/2 sticks), softened but still cool
1 cup plus 2 tbsp packed brown sugar, preferably dark
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Andes Creme De Menthes Baking Chips
Hershey Kisses


1. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions; heat oven to 350 degrees. Line 2 large (18 by 12-inch) baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in medium bowl. In second medium bowl, stir together oats, walnuts, cranberries, and chocolate.

3. In standing mixer fitted with flat beater, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until no sugar lumps remain, about 1 minute. Scrape down sides of bowl with rubber spatula; add egg and vanilla and beat on medium-low speed until fully incorporated, about 30 seconds. Scrape down bowl; with mixer running at low speed, add flour mixture; mix until just combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer still running on low, gradually add oat/nut mixture; mix until just incorporated. Give dough final stir with rubber spatula to ensure that no flour pockets remain and ingredients are evenly distributed.

4. Use teaspoon as a guide to scope out dough and place them on2 baking sheets, spacing them 1.5 inches apart.Press one kisses onto each cookie dough, or a few pieces of Creme De Menthes. Bake for 6 minutes, rotate them front to back and top to bottom, then continue to bake until cookies are medium brown and edges have begun to set but centers are still soft (cookies will seem underdone and will appear raw, wet, and shiny in cracks), 5 to 8 more minutes longer. Do not overbake. (the baking time is just a guideline, check your cookies often for your desired doneness.)

5. Cool cookies on baking sheets on wire rack 5 minutes; using wide metal spatula, transfer cookies to wire rack and cool to room temperature.

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More Thai Cuisine: Thai Seafood Noodle

I think I am hooked on Thai food. Fish sauce, to be more specific. Yes, I know it's weird, but I am afraid I have fallen in love with fish sauce. The complex taste that I savoured in so many Thai dishes, but could'nt pinpoint what was THAT ingredient that contributed to the exciting taste. Now I know. It's fish sauce.

Thais are clever, because they use fish sauce in place of salt. With fish sauce, they can achieve more sophisticated flavours with fewer ingredients.


This recipe that I have choosen for our weeknight meal is an " all-in-one-wok winner".Although OCT may not be the most picky eater, he insists on having a balance meal everyday. With balance, I mean the inclusive of carbohydrate ( any type of grains, preferably rice), protein (in the form of meat, definitely not TOFU, we consider tofu a vegetable dish. weird, i know) and fibre (which is vegetable). The Thai Seafood Noodle I have selected, consists of all of the above. And it tastes great.




(Recipe will be uploaded soon)

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Pineapple Fried Rice and Onion Mustard Monkey Bread

I made more rice the previous night so that I could have enough to experiment on another Thai recipe - Pineapple Fried Rice. Although we have been making our version of Pineapple Fried Rice for quite some time now, I decided to follow the recipe and see how different would it turn out compared to ours.

According to the book, this recipe uses only fish sauce and soy sauce to flavour the meat and rice. My usual version normally include sesame oil, oyster sauce, ketchup and rice vinegar. But the simple version from the book actually yields a more authentic Thai flavour. The taste and smell of fish sauce is more distinct here, without the distractions from other sauces.

The original recipe called for cashew nuts, but I used peanuts, because that's what I have on hand. The marriage of crunchy nuts, soft tangy pineapple chunks, juicy prawn and chicken with rice make this Oriental Fried Rice a destined crowd pleaser.

The cold weather also make me crave for some warm fresh bread. As a result, I made half a recipe of Onion and Mustard Monkey Bread from Food and Wine magazine. It would be the perfect side dish with roast chicken or pot roast. But we were too engrossed with the fried rice and ended up not eating much of the bread. I kept 4/5 of the bread in a paper bag, hoping that it will not turning into an inedible rock the next day. It looked absolutely stunning when it first came out from the oven. From the little piece that I ate, I know that this is going to be a keeper. As for OCT? He prefers RICE over any other types of grains anytime. He will be very grumpy if he didn't get his RICE fix every few days.....

Onion Mustard Monkey Bread
adapted from Food and Wine Magazine

1 stick unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoons sugar
1 envelope dry active yeast
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
Salt
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3 tablespoons whole-grain mustard
2 tablespoons snipped chives
1 teaspoon chopped thyme


In a saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter. Add the milk and sugar and heat just until warm. Transfer to a large bowl, stir in the yeast and let stand until foamy, 5 minutes. Stir in the flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt until a sticky dough forms. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead until smooth, 5 minutes. Oil the bowl and return the dough to it. Cover with plastic and let stand in a draft-free spot until doubled in bulk, about 1 hour.

Butter a 10-inch tube or Bundt pan. Punch down the dough and divide it into 4 pieces. Roll each piece into a 12-inch log and cut each log in 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a ball.

Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a skillet. Add the onion and cook over moderate heat until softened, 6 minutes. Stir in the mustard, chives and thyme. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of butter; stir until melted. Season lightly with salt and transfer to the large bowl to cool slightly. Add half of the dough balls and turn to coat with the onion mixture. Arrange the balls in the bottom of the pan. Repeat with the remaining dough balls. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand until risen to the top of the pan, about 1 hour.

Preheat the oven to 425°. Bake the bread in the lower third of the oven for 25 minutes, or until golden. Cover the pan loosely with foil, reduce the oven temperature to 375° and bake for 30 minutes longer, or until risen. Let the bread cool in the pan for 15 minutes. Set an inverted plate on top and turn the bread out onto it. Set another plate on top and invert the bread so it’s right side up. Break into rolls or cut into slices.

MAKE AHEAD: The bread can be prepared through Step 3 and refrigerated overnight.

Note: I halved the recipe, and make it in a 9-inch loaf pan.

Thai Pineapple Fried Rice ( Khao Phad Suparod)

2.5 cups cooked rice
4 oz skinless, boneless chicken breast
8 large shrimps, shelled, deveined (5 oz/150g)
1/2 cup pineapple chunk
6 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp chopped garlic
2 eggs
3 tbsp soya sauce
2 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/3 cup roasted unsalted cashews
2 stems green onion, thinly chopped
strips of red pepper
fresh coriander leaves
slices of tomato and cucumber

Slice the chicken into 1/4inch/5-mm strips. Reserve along with the shrimps.

Heat oil in a wok (or a large frying pan) until it is just about to smoke. Add garlic and stirfry for 30 seconds. Add chicken and shrimps and stirfry for 1-1.5 minutes, until the meats have turned white, then decrease heat to medium high. Break the eggs directly into the wok. Fry the egg without breaking them up for 2 minutes, until they are partially set.

Push the eggs and meat to one side of the wok, and add the rice to the other side. Add soy sauce and fish sauce on the rice and then using a shoveling motion, combine the 2 sides of the wok, tossing- stirring for 2 minutes, mixing the rice with the eggs, chicken and shrimp, working from the bottom up so that all the rice has a chance to fry in the oil and everything is integrated.

Sprinkle black pepper on the rice and add cashews, green onion and the reserved pineapple chunks. Toss-stir for 1- 2 minutes, folding the new ingredients into the rice and then remove fom heat. Transfer to a serving dish and top with red pepper strips and fresh coriander leaves.

Garnish sides with slices of tomato and cucumber. Serve immediately.

Serves 2-4

Note: Use the ingredient list as a guideline and season the fried rice as you cook.

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Baking for some Very Important People

OCT is meeting with his graduation committees today for the last time before he prepares for his thesis and defense. After that, he will be called Dr Ong. Too bad there isn't any nice designation for the wife. Anyway, OCT requested some "not too sweet breakfast pastries" for the committee.

After consulting my piles of recipes, I settled on a Blueberry Muffin with Almond Streusel Topping. Not only that it's presentable, but it's also something healthy, wholesome and tasty. Compared to the rest of muffins I made before, this Blueberry Muffins used much less sugar and oil. Most the sweetness comes from the Streusel, which one has complete control on how much to put.

I read somewhere that blueberries are packed with antioxidant and vitamins but I rarely buy the fresh stuff. They are simply too expensive here. I used the frozen berries from Trader Joes instead. They have been chucked in the freezer since Summer, when I used them to make smoothies.

I tried one of the muffins when it came out from the oven and thought it wasn't sweet enough. Interestingly, after sitting overnight, the flavour improved. And the texture was still moist and tender.

A healthy option for weekend breakfast. According to the recipe, these muffins freeze well. Too bad I run out of blueberries, or I could whip up another batch for another SUPER VIP coming to our place in less than 48 hours!

Blueberry Streusel Muffins
adapted from Southern Living

1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
1/2 cup uncooked regular oats
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup oil
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Pulse almonds 2 or 3 times in a blender or food processor until chopped. Add brown sugar and 1 tablespoon flour; process 5 seconds. Add butter; pulse 5 or 6 times or until mixture is crumbly. Stir in oats; set aside.
Combine 2 cups flour and next 5 ingredients in a large bowl; make a well in center of mixture.

Whisk together buttermilk, oil, and egg; add to flour mixture, stirring just until moistened.

Toss blueberries with remaining 2 tablespoons flour; gently fold into batter. Spoon batter into greased muffin pans, filling two-thirds full; sprinkle batter with oat mixture.

Bake at 400° for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Remove immediately from pans, and cool on wire racks.

Note: Freeze muffins up to 1 month.

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Gochujang and Miso

Monday night dinner features a Korean condiment- Gochujang and a Japanese condiment- Miso.

A recent discovery of Gochujang has allowed me to include some korean meat dishes to my repertoire. The mildly spicy and sweet sauce pairs extremely well with pork. This time however, I want to try it with chicken breast, making it into Dakgalbi (marinated chicken stirfry in Gochujang sauce). I like the way in which many veggies can be incorporated into Dakgalbi, making it an all in one dish. For most Koreans, rice cakes and sesame leaves are added into the dish on top of slice onions, cabbage, carrot and green onion. Since I don't have rice cakes and sesame leaves, I simply add more cabbage to make up for it.


Another side dish- Corn with bacon and miso butter, is a nice twist on buttered corn. The flavour of miso in this dish is subtle, but we like the colour constrast of corn kennels and bacon. The combination of sweet corns and savory bacon is highly addictive. It keeps drawing me to go back for more. I now proclaim this one of my favorite side dishes in 2007.

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What I crave on a cold winter afternoon

A warm scone from the oven.

A huge mug of coffee.

And some almond biscottis.

I love biscottis, not only because they are generally low in fat, but they also have pretty long shelf life. Unlike other cookies that are best devoured over the next few days after they are baked, biscottis can be kept in a container for more than a week. Well, theoritically, if they can be kept that long before the glutton/s gobble them down.

This recipe that I adapted from Fine Cooking is a good change from my usual Chocolate Hazelnut Biscottis. The citrus zests and fennel seeds added to the dough impart an exotic flavour to the otherwise dull almond biscottis. I added some 72% chocolate, because I like everything with chocolate! On hindsight, maybe I shouldn't have added the chocolate. The biscottis would have looked neater without the awkward dark spots. If I were to make this biscottis again, I would also reduce the amount of sugar. I think it is a bit too sweet to eat on its own. But it's great if you were to eat it with a cup of strong coffee. The sweetness of the biscotti balances the bitterness of coffee.

I never learn to appreciate a good cup of black coffee. But I never make my coffee too sweet either. A few years ago when one of my superiors saw me making coffee, she commented that I should add more sugar to my coffee. "There is enough bitterness in this life, why not make your coffee sweeter?" She said. She was an outstanding sales manager, but there was many unhappiness going on in her personal life at that time. So she was naturally bitter, towards most of us.

I remember I told her that I left my coffee slightly bitter, so that I will be reminded of the sweet things in my life. It's all relatively speaking, isn't it? Whether something is sweet or bitter. It depends on what you compare them with. Not long after that, she was headhunted by a competitor company for an important role. I heard that she has done very well there, but I hope she is a happier person now.

Almond Biscotti

adapted from Fine Cooking

7 oz (1 1/3 cups) whole almonds, skin on

11 oz (2 1/2 cups) unbleached all purpose flour

1 2/3 cups granulated sugar

1/2 tsp table salt

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp aniseed

grated zest of 1 lemon, 1 lime and 1 orange

3 large eggs plus 3 large egg yolks

1 tsp vanilla extract

(I added 3.5 oz of 72% chocolate)

Heat the oven to 375F. Toast the almonds on a baking sheet in the oven until they emit a nutty aroma but haven't turned dark brown inside, 10 to 15 minutes. Let cool.

In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, aniseed, and grated zests on medium low speed.

In a separate bowl, lightly beat together the eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla extract with a whisk. With the mixer running on medium low, pour the egg mixture into the flour mixture. When the egg mixture is almost completely incorporated, reduce the speed to low, add the almond and mix until the dough come together. Do not overmix. The dough will be stiff and sticky.

Dump the dough onto a lightly floured work surface and knead in by hand any remaining dry ingredients from the bottom of the bowl. Divided the dough into three equal parts. With floured hands, roll each part into a log about 10 inches long and 2 inches in diameter. Place the logs 4 inches apart on greased or parchment lined baking sheets.

Baking the logs at 350F until they are light brown but still soft, about 45 minutes. Remove the baking sheet from the oven and reduce the temperature to 300F. Let the logs cool on the baking sheet for at least 10 minutes. Cut the logs on a slight diagonal into 3/4 inch thick biscotti. Place the biscotti flat on the baking sheet and dry them in the oven until they offer resistance when pressed, but the cut side hasn't begun to darken, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool.

Yield about 3 dozens biscottis.

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The Most Ugly Friday Treat

Last week, I baked a batch of Lemon Scented Blueberry Cupcakes for OCT's lab meeting. Although they were healthy and yummy, they looked depressingly ugly. So ugly that I almost threw them out of the window. I thought my poor frosting skill didn't do the light and fluffy cupcakes justice. OCT didn't even try to console me, but to reaffirm my foreboding that the ugly cupcakes would be poorly received.

Luckily, it was not as bad as I had imagined. The cupcakes were all finished without a crumb left. I guess they must be very hungry that morning....

Lemon Scented Blueberry Cupcakes

adapted from Cookinglight
Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups (about 6 3/4 ounces) plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided
10 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 large egg
1/2 cup low-fat buttermilk
1/2 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
3/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries, thawed

Frosting:
1/4 cup (2 ounces) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese, softened
2 tablespoons butter, softened
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
Fresh blueberries (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°.
Place 12 decorative paper muffin cup liners into muffin cups.

To prepare cupcakes, lightly spoon 1 1/2 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Measure 1 tablespoon flour; level with a knife. Sift together 1 1/2 cups flour plus 1 tablespoon flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and baking soda in a large bowl. Combine melted butter and egg in another large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add buttermilk, milk, and 1 teaspoon rind to butter mixture; stir with a whisk. Add buttermilk mixture to flour mixture, stirring just until moist. Toss blueberries with remaining 1 tablespoon flour. Fold blueberries into batter. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 5 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack.

To prepare frosting, place cream cheese, 2 tablespoons butter, 1 teaspoon rind, vanilla, and 1/8 teaspoon salt in a bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed just until blended. Gradually add powdered sugar (do not overbeat). Stir in juice. Spread frosting evenly over cupcakes; garnish with blueberries, if desired. Store, covered, in refrigerator.

makes 12 cupcakes

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Exploring Thai Recipes

One of the highlights on this week's menu is Thai food on Wednesday. I got this Thai recipe book from the library that really put me into the mood of cooking Thai food. Building on what I have on hand, I decided to make a Sweet and Sour Pork and Shrimp with Green Beans in Chilli Sauce.

In many ways, recipes from Southeast Asia share many similarities. Like the condiments they use. But here, I want to talk about Thai Food only. Most of the Thai recipes use soy sauce, lime leaves, lime juice, fish sauce, different kinds of curry pastes, tamarind and coconut milk. Fish sauce in particular, is the essence of Thai food (in my humble opinion, of course). It never fails to appear in any recipes. I guess they use it in the same way we use salt?

Because I wanted to get the flavor right, I followed the recipe religiously. Most of the time when I cook, I just eyeball everything. But not on this. I didn't want to mess with this and end up having yet another disappointing dinner. My effort was paid off when we finally sat down for dinner. Both dishes turned out great~

I am so proud that I made the sweet and sour sauce from scratch! Although it was not exactly my own recipe, but nevertheless, it's still better than using the ready mix sauce that who knows how much MSG is in there! And the aroma and bright colours of this dish lifted up my spirit on the cold gloomy night.

The Shrimp with Green Beans in Chilli Sauce was nice too. Except that it's kind of too spicy for both of us. I believe this can easily modified to suit our taste in the future. But I like the technique of stirfrying the curry paste before adding other ingredients, instead of diluting the paste first, like in other recipes. The heat of the pan helped the curry paste to release some of its flavour before it was mixed with the prawn and green beans. It would have been nicer if I have lime leaves and lime on hand. I am sure the dishes would taste more authentic that way. But for the time being, lemon juice is a good substitute.

With dishes like these, it's no surprise that we each had an extra bowl of rice.

Sweet and Sour Pork (Moo Preow Waan)

10 oz trimmed pork tenderloin
1/2 tsp tomato paste (or 2 tbsp of ketchup dissolved in 1 tbsp water)
1 tbsp water
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp rice (or white) vinegar
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp sugar
5 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp chopped garlic
1/4 small onion, roughly chopped
1/3 medium red pepper, cut into 1 inch/2.5 cm squares
1/2 small tomato, cut into 1 inch/ 2.5cm chunks
1.5 inches english cucumber, cut into 1 inch/2.5 cm wedges
1 cup pineapple, cut into 1/2 inch/1 cm pieces
1 tbsp soy sauce
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cornstarch
1 tbsp water
pinch black pepper
strips of red pepper
fresh coriander leaves

Slice tenderloin into strips that are 1/4 inch/5mm thick, 2 inches/5cm long and about 1 inch/2.5cm wide. If you find it difficult to cut thinly through fresh meat, leave it in the freezer for 15-20 minutes to harden slightly, then slice. Reserve.

In a small bowl mix together tomato paste, water, fish sauce, vinegar, lime juice and sugar and beat until blended. Reserve.

Heat oil in a wok (or a large frying pan) until it is just about to smoke. Add garlic and stirfry for 30 second. Immediately add reserved pork and stirfry for 2-3 minutes until all th pork has fried in the oil and is turning white. Add onion, red pepper, tomato, cucumber and pineapple as well as soy sauce and black pepper and stirfry for 2 minutes, unitl all the vegetables have begun to wilt.

Add reserve sauce (tomato paste etc, stirfry for 1-2 minutes until everything is integrated and shiny. Dissolve cornstarch in water, add to work and stirfry for less than a minute, until the sauce has thickened somewhat. Take off heat.

Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle with black pepper. Top with stips o red pepper and coriander leaves. Serve immediately, accompanied by steamed rice.

serves 4.

Shrimps with Green Beans in Chili Sauce (Phad Prik Khing Goong)

4 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp red curry paste
2 lime leaves, cut into quarters
1 cup water
16 large shrimps, shelled and deveined (10 oz/300g)
14 long green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch/2.5c.m pieces
1 tbsp sugar
strips of red pepper
fresh coriander leaves

Heat oil in the wok (or a large frying pan) on high heat until it is just about to smoke. Add the red curry paste and stir to dissolve for 30 seconds. Turn heat down to medium low and stir cook for another 30 seconds. Add lime leaves and stir fry for 1 minute. Turn heat back to maximum and add 1/2 cup/ 125ml of the water and stir cook for 1 minute.

Add shrimps, green beans and sugar. Stir fry for 1 minute. Turn heat down to medium heat, and add the rest of the water (1/2 cup / 125ml). Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until shrimps are pink white and springy. Take off heat.

Transfer to a serving dish and top with red pepper strips and coriander leaves. Serve immediately, accompanied by steamed rice.

Serves 3 to 4.

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Pasta & Mushroom with Parmesan Crumb Topping

I love all kinds of mushrooms. So when I see a recipe using lots of mushrooms, I am immediately sold and know that I have to make it! Mum knows that I love mushrooms. So she always cook Chinese Braised Mushrooms with dried oyster and scallop when I am home. Too bad I couldn't reproduce this dish here, but I get my mushroom fix through experimenting other dishes. Some works, but some don't. When a dish with mushrooms in it turns out disappointing, I blame the person who develops the recipe.

And yes, I am blaming the one who develops this recipe. It looked all promising when it came out from the oven. I have such a high hope on this.

But it was really bland!

I am glad I made something else too, because I won't be able to eat this pasta alone. On the scale of 1 to 10. If eating boiled pasta without any sauce was rated 1, then this pasta & mushroom casserole would rate 3, at most 4. Definitely not pass as a stand-alone dish. This leads us to the next dish that I made, which savaged the dinner.

I made a simple fish dish - Tilapia with Balsamic Butter Sauce. Lucky for us, the balsamic butter sauce has an intense flavor, that paired well with the pasta. With the help of the tilapia, we managed to finish half of the pasta. As for the other half, I am still thinking what to do with it......

Tilapia with Balsamic Butter Sauce
adapted from Bon Appetite

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 4- to 5-ounce tilapia fillets

Simmer vinegar and garlic in small saucepan over medium heat until reduced to thick syrup, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in each of 2 large skillets over high heat. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper. Sauté fish until golden, about 2 minutes per side.

Rewarm balsamic syrup over medium-low heat. Whisk in 1/2 cup butter 1 piece at a time.

Drizzle sauce on Tilapia.

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So simple and so gooood....

This is so yummy and the preparation couldn't be simpler. I am talking about Monday's dinner, when we had crispy chicken wings, mustard roasted potatoes and Caesar salad.

After my recently discovery of oven roasted chicken wings, I decided to make another batch, together with the mustard roasted potatoes. Perfect food on a cold winter night. Plus it doesn't need much attention. After 40 minutes of roasting, all food appeared on the table like magic. And OCT said it was better than eating out. I couldn't agree more.

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Friday Treat -Orange Chocolate Chunk Cake

In the continuation of a healthy treat theme this month, I baked a Orange Chocolate Chunk Cake for OCT's Friday lab meeting.

This cake, which is full of vitamin C (from orange) and antioxidant (from bittersweet chocolate) comes from Barefoot Contessa Parties. My favorite cookbook author, Ina Garten. So far, every recipes I tried from her series of cookbooks have been nothing short from excellent. I really like her style of using the simplest ingredients and turning them into showstopping kind of dishes.

This cake is no exception. In this recipe, Ina incorporated lots of orange zests and semisweet chocolate into the cake. I took the liberty to switch the semisweet chocolate to bittersweet, because I simply like bittersweet chocolate better! And because oranges are in season and plentyful, I know I have to make this cake. I did add one secret ingredient into this cake though.
Instead of cutting up chocolate chunks, guess what I use?

thanks Santa, for your selfless sacrifice....

After the cake was cooled, I couldn't wait to cut a small piece to try. And needless to say, I love it! If you like citrus fruit and chocolate like I do, this is for you. It's a perfect with a cup of coffee or tea, for breakfast, tea or just anytime of the day.

Orange Chocolate Chunk Cake

1/2 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 extra-large eggs at room temperature
1/4 cup grated orange zest (4 large oranges)
3 cups all-purpose flour plus 2 tablespoons
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3/4 cup buttermilk at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups good quality semisweet chocolate chunks

FOR THE SYRUP
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice

FOR THE GANACHE
8 ounces good quality semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch Bundt pan.

Cream the butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment for about 5 minutes, or until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, then the orange zest.

Sift together 3 cups flour, the baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. In another bowl, combine the orange juice, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the flour and buttermilk mixtures, alternately in thirds to the creamed butter, beginning and ending with the flour. Toss the chocolate chunks with 2 tablespoons flour and add to the batter. Pour into the pan, smooth the top, and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, make the syrup. In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, cook the sugar with the orange juice until the sugar dissolves. Remove the cake form the pan, set it on a rack over a tray, and spoon the orange syrup over the cake. Allow the cake to cool completely.

For the ganache, melt the chocolate, heavy cream and coffee in the top of a double boiler over simmering water until smooth and warm, stirring occasionally. Drizzle over top of the cake.

Note: I omitted the chocolate glaze for a healthier version and used bittersweet chocolate. Also, I think 2 cups of chocolate chunk is too much, I will use 1.5 cup next time, and reduce the syrup by half. Plenty of citrus flavor and sweetness even with half the syrup.

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The end of a series of extortion and the beginning of a new chapter

Other than stuffing myself silly with lots of food over the holiday period, I also spotted a few good deals on things that I have eyed on for a very long time. I decided it's time for me to acquire them. So, I extorted from the one and only person I could, and got myself the following:

5 brand new cookbooks!

And a new Pentax DSLR with image stabilizer!!!!!!

Of course, all of the above were bought at a bargain price. But buying the DSLR is a major decision that we have thought, discussed and monitored the price for months. In the end, we bought it at $502.99, after rebate. Just 2 days before the rebate ended, and 100% sure that the price couldn't go any lower than this. I can't tell you how excited I am to finally own a DSLR. Hopefully, I can take better food photos with this new gadget. But, I am not putting my old Canon, which has served me well for over 4 years to retire yet. Not until I master the new DSLR.

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Asiago and Balsamic Caramelised Onion Focaccia

OCT shuddered when I told him that focaccia was part of the menu last week. Because the last time I attempted to make focaccia, it took us forever to finish it. Moreover, it was not really a success. (at least that's what OCT thought) .

the focaccia I baked 2 weeks ago, and took us forever to finish....

But I determinely like focaccia, and endeavour to bake a killer batch one day. I even borrowed a book on how to bake bread from the library. It's sitting prominently on my apartment floor. I will read it from front to back on one fateful day...

But before that, I made a simple focaccia, adapted from Cookinglight magazine. And I halved the recipe this time, so that we could finish it in 2 days. Interestingly, this small batch seems more manageable compared to the past batches I made. It worked out nice for us, since even the half batch can feed 4 people. So, I could even tear some to snack on before dinner.

I baked it in a 9-inch cake pan, which it rose up nicely. However, the texture of the focaccia was a bit too soft for my liking. I prefer the chewy type. But the soft texture suited OCT's taste, so he didn't complaint this time.

Asiago and Balsamic Caramelised Onion Focaccia
Adapted from Dec 2006 Cookinglight

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons extravirgin olive oil, divided
1 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons honey, divided
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt, divided
1 package dry yeast (about 2 1/4 teaspoons)
1 1/4 cups warm water (100° to 110°)
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 17 ounces), divided
Cooking spray
3/4 cup (3 ounces) grated fresh Asiago cheese

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, 1 tablespoon honey, and thyme; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in vinegar and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cool completely.
Dissolve yeast and remaining 1 tablespoon honey in 1 1/4 cups warm water in a large bowl; let stand 5 minutes. Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Add onion mixture, remaining 2 tablespoons oil, remaining 1 1/4 teaspoons salt, and 3 1/2 cups flour to yeast mixture; stir until a soft dough forms. Turn dough out onto a floured surface. Knead until smooth and elastic (about 8 minutes). Add enough of remaining flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, to prevent dough from sticking to hands.

Place dough in a large bowl coated with cooking spray, turning to coat top. Cover and let rise in a warm place (85°), free from drafts, 1 hour or until doubled in size. (Gently press two fingers into dough. If indentation remains, dough has risen enough.) Punch dough down; cover and let rest 5 minutes. Gently press dough into a 15 x 10-inch jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Cover and let rise 25 minutes or until almost doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 400°.

Sprinkle dough with cheese. Bake at 400° for 18 minutes or until browned. Cool in pan on a wire rack 10 minutes. Remove from pan; cool completely on rack.

Note: I halved the recipe.

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Salmon with Sweet and Sour Pan Sauce and Warm Potato Salad

I should have posted this entry earlier. Because after I uploaded the photos of what we had on Wednesday night, I can't remember much about the dish. Except that the salmon was easy to prepare, its sweet and sour sauce was wonderful. And for the potatoes, I love it, though not as much as the roasted one. But I generally like potatoes, so whether it's smashed, fried, roast or boil doesn't really matter. Potato could easily win me over rice, anytime. Looking at the photo almost make me want to roast another batch of mustard roasted potato tonight. Maybe I should..... It would be perfect for the cold weather.

Coming back to the Warm Potato Salad, the original recipe called for new potatoes, but I only have Russett (which is excellent for roasting, by the way). So, I proceed with Russett. The dressing was made with 2 type of mustards: Dijon and Grainy which is weight friendly compared to mayonaise and other wholesome stuff. (see recipe below). I wouldn't mind making it again for picnic come Spring, since it can stay at room temperature.

As for the salmon, I didn't expect it to be so nice! The sweet and sour flavor combination striked a great balance in this dish. And I am sure it would taste nice with rice too.

Warm New Potato Salad with Grainy Mustard
Adapted from Gourmet

2 lb small (1- to 1 1/2-inch) potatoes, preferably new potatoes
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots (about 2)
1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 tablespoon white-wine vinegar, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cover potatoes with water by 1 inch in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan, then bring to a boil with 1 teaspoon salt. Simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes, then drain.

Whisk together shallot, mustards, vinegar, pepper, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified.

When potatoes are just cool enough to handle, halve them, then add to vinaigrette along with parsley and toss to combine. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Makes 4 servings.

Salmon with Sweet and Sour Pan Sauce

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/4 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over low heat.
Combine broth and next 5 ingredients (broth through garlic).

Increase heat to medium-high, and heat 3 minutes.

While pan heats, sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper. Add fillets to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Remove fillets from pan.

Drain fat from pan, and discard fat. Add broth mixture to pan, scraping to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; cook 30 seconds. Remove from heat. Serve sauce over fish.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 fillet and 1 1/2 tablespoons sauce)

Note: The sauce is quite thin. To thicken, add some cornstarch dissolved in water to the pan, and bring to a boil together with broth mixture.

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Banana Loaf Cake

We have run out of bread. And this is the rare occasion when OCT will ask me to bake something for him to eat as breakfast. Perfect timing for me to try out Nick Malgieri's latest book: Perfect Light Recipes. A book full of dessert ideas, all under 300 calories per GENEROUS serving.

I chose a Banana Cake recipe, because I had some bananas in the freezer, urging to be used. And banana sounds healthy enough for breakfast. It was a simple recipes, using 5 bananas, 3 egg whites, some sugar and plenty of flour. Compared to my favorite banana cake recipe, I found this cake to be a bit too compact, eventhough the cake is bursting with banana. On hindsight, it may make the cake better had I remembered to include some lemon zest. I guess I will never find out, because I don't think I will revisit this recipe. Sorry Mr Malgieri. Maybe I will try other recipes in your book to make up for this. I heard lots of good reviews with other recipes from people who had tried them. I think I would try them soon, particularly the biscottis! And maybe the chocolate chips cookies and oatmeal raisin cookies.

Banana Loaf Cake
Adapted from Nick Malgieri's Perfect Light Desserts

2.5 cups bleached all-purpose flour (spoon flour into dry measure cup an level off)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 large egg whites
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2.5 cups mashed banana (about 5 large, very ripe bananas)

One 9x5x3-inch loaf pan, sprayed with vegetable cooking spray and the sprayed surface coated with fine, dry breadcrumbs

Set a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 350F.

Stir together flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites to break them up, then whisk in the granulated sugar and the brown sugar.

Whisk in the butter and vanilla, followed by the mashed bananas.. Sift the flour mixture over the banana mixture and thoroughly fold it in.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake the cake for about 55 to 65 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center emerges clean.

Cool cake in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes, then unmold it and cool completely on a rack.

Serving: This cake is excellent unadorned, or it can be spread with a little low fat cream cheese.

Storage: Keep the cake wrapped in plastic at room temperature after it has cooled. For longer storage, double wrap and freeze for up to a month. Defrost and bring to room temperature before serving.

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