Chicken Satays with Peanut Sauce

Yeah, this is my Plan R (R=Retirement) business (ha ha ha). The satay sauce tasted just like what they are selling outside, but as my oven grill is not so strong, I spend too much time grilling (lol). On the whole, my satay can pass but of course cannot compare with those experienced satay sellers (he he he). Ingredients

Chicken Satay

2 chicken breast (cut into fillets-long strip or cubes)
2 tablespoon light soya sauce
2 tsp lime juice
2 tsp sesame oil Peanut Sauce

100 gm roasted unsalted peanuts (can buy ready grounded peanuts)
3 spring onions (chopped)
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 tbsp honey
2 tsp light soya sauce
1 cup water

Method

1. Cut chicken fillet into long thin strips or cube.
2. Thread on to skewers.
3. To make peanut sauce: combine peanut sauce ingredients in a food processor and blend till smooth. But for easy way out, I bought the ready grounded peanuts, so I just mixed all the peanut sauce ingredients together with a spoon.
4. Pour the peanut sauce ingredients into a pan or wok, stir over medium heat for 3 mins or till sauce is reduced and thickened.
5. Cook chicken satays under pre heated grill for 3 minutes on each side or until just cooked.
6. During grilling, brush satays with combined soya sauce, lime juice and seasame oil.
7. Serve immediately with hot peanut sauce.

Note: Peanut sauce may be made up a day in advance and stored in the fridge and reheat over a low heat or in a microwave oven.

HINT: If using wooden skewers, soak them in water for at least 10 minutes before using to prevent the skewers from buring during grilling.

Another recipe for marinating

Marinate for Chicken
Recipe for marinate (in the blender):
Ingredient Mix A:
2 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp ground roasted peanuts (unsalted)
1 1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp tumeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp cinnamon powder
6 tbsp sugar
Ingredient Mix B:
1 stalk lemongrass, peel and use only white portion
8 shallots
2 tbsp oil
Blend Ingredient Mix A together until they are well blended, remember freshness is the key to having these flavours in your satay marinate.
Add Ingredient Mix B (lemongrass, shallots and oil) to the powdered mix,which will create the paste for the meat marinate.
The trick is: you need some oil mixed with water to sprinkle on the meat tocreate the fire and steam. Steam keeps the meat moist, while an open flamecharred the meat as the sugar caramelise.

Photo Source: alicecozycorner
Recipe Source: Murdoch Books

Fried Kway Teow

Ha Ha Ha......actually I wanted to fried our Singapore "Char Kway Teow" but it turns out to be our morning breakfast type of "Fried Kway Teow". But it tasted good, only that it does not taste like the Singapore Char Kway Teow. Could be I did not add the sweet sauce(a must), the cockles and the fatty pork lard. Guess you need to add these to get the real taste of the Singapore Char Kway Teow.

Ingredients
600 gm kway teow
1 tsp chopped garlic
prawns,
sliced Chinese sausage
a handful of beansprouts
1 egg

Seasoning:
1 tbsp Chilli paste
1 tbsp oyster sauce (or to taste)
Pepper to taste
some dark soya sauce for colour
A little water

Method:
1. Heat wok with oil until hot and fry Chinese sausages until fragrant, then add l tsp chopped garlic . Add prawns and fry till cooked.
2. Dished up the fried ingredients.
3. Stir-fry the kway teow and add seasoning and sprinkle with a little water to mix.
4. Throw in fried ingredients and create an empty space in the centre, then crack an egg into it and stir-fry evenly. Add cockles if desired and add in beansprouts. Do not over cooked.
5. Serve hot.

Photo Source: alicecozycorner
Recipe Source:alicecozycorner

Coconut Agar Agar

Had remainder of some coconut milk, so decided to make the plain agar agar with coconut milk. It is easy to do and tasted just right, not too sweet. Yummy. Ingredients

Coconut Layer
1/2 packet of agar agar powder (white colour)
500 ml of water
125 gm of sugar
100 ml of coconut milk

Coloured Layer
1/2 packet of agar agar powder (white colour)
500 ml of water
125 gm of sugar
1 tsp green colouring (or any colouring)

Method

Coconut Layer
1. Boil agar agar powder, sugar and water together.
2. When dissolved, add coconut milk and let it boil.
3. Let it cool and pour into mould and let it set.
4. Allow to set, then lightly scratch surface with fork.

Coloured Layer
1. Boil agar agar powder, sugar and water together.
2. When dissolved, add colouring.
3. Let it boil and cool and pour over the coconut layer.

Note: I used the swallow brand agar agar powder.

photo source: alicecozycorner
recipe source: alicecozycorner

Cocoa/Coconut Agar Agar

Never tried this recipe before but just had to experiment with it (lol).
I used the swallow brand agar agar powder. Just follow the instructions behind and just add cocoa and coconut to it. To be frank, I still prefer the plain agar agar with coconut layer. Will do it the next time. But I am very happy both layers managed to stick to each other.
Ingredients
Coconut Layer

1/2 packet of agar agar powder (white colour)
500 ml of water
125 gm of sugar
100 ml of coconut milk

Cocoa Layer

1/2 packet of agar agar powder (white colour)
500 ml of water
125 gm of sugar
3 tbsp of cocoa powder

Method

Coconut Layer

1. Boil agar agar powder, sugar and water together.
2. When dissolved, add coconut milk and let it boil.
3. Let it cool and pour into mould and let it set.
4. Allow to set, then lightly scratch surface with fork.

Cocoa Layer

1. Boil agar agar powder, sugar and water together.
2. When dissolved, add cocoa powder (1 tbsp at a time).
3. Let it boil and cool and pour over the coconut layer.

Note: You can boil the cocoa layer first instead of the coconut layer. Can also replace cocoa powder with milo or coffee or just plain old agar agar (lol).

photo source: alicecozycorner
recipe source: alicecozycorner

BBQ Prime Ribs

Tonite's dinner is bbq prime ribs. It is so easy, just marinated it the night before and this evening just put it into the oven. But remember to wrap the oven heatproof dish with aluminium foil so after baking, just throw the foil away. The only problem is washing all the utensils. I think I had to follow the lifestyles of my American friends and get a dishwasher (lol).
Ingredients

500 gm prime ribs (cut into slices)

Marinate
1/2 tsp five spice powder
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp light soya sauce
2 tbsp sherry
1 tsp sesame oil
1 clove garlic (chopped)

Blasting Sauce
4 tbsp Hoisin Sauce
4 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp honey

Method

1. Marinate ribs overnight.
2. Place ribs in oven proof dish with aluminium wrapped over
and bake Ribs in Oven at 200 degrees for 20 to 25 mins.
3. Coat ribs with some blasting sauce.
4. Turning the ribs every 10 mins and coat with blasting sauce.
5. After baking, change to grill and grill for another 30 to 40 mins.
6. Keep turning the ribs every 5 to10 mins.

Photo Source: alicecozycorner
Recipe Source: alicecozycorner

Braised Mushroom

I alway loved to eat braised mushroom. Mom cooked the best braised mushroom over charcoal stove. But never get to learn it from Mom, cause Mom's method is all agak agak. I come across this recipe from one of the bloggers (it sounds just like the recipe my mother in law cooked but my mother in law's method is also agak agak...lol). Hey, the recipe worked and tasted good. I put some of the gravy over my rice and it tasted good. Yummy. Ingredients
400g mushroom (wash and remove stem, soak over night in hot water, keep the water)
dried oyster (soak about 10 mins and clean)
4 X 5 inches spare ribs
4 tbsp cornflour
8 - 9 tbsp ginger juice
4 tbsp oil
1 1/2 litre of water
1 tsp light soya sauce
Oyster sauce to taste

Method
Marinate mushrooms with cornflour, ginger juice, oil. Set aside for 10 mins.
Put mushrooms and water and boil for 1 hour.
Marinate oysters with light soya sauce and a few drops of oil.
When the mushroom has softened, add oysters and spare ribs to mushroom stew after it has been cooked for 1/2 hour.
Turned down heat to low and slowly simmer for an hour till spare rib has soften.
Seasoned with oyster sauce and salt.

Note: you can put in Fatt Choy only the last 5 mins of cooking.

My method: I make sure the mushroom are washed very clean and soaked them in hot water till they very soft. Got to change hot water if the mushroom are not soft enough. I did not used ginger juice, just added a lot of chopped ginger. Added the oysters and spare ribs after the mushroom was boiled for 1 hour and boiled/simmer for another 1 hour.

Photo Source: alicecozycorner
Recipe Source: http://preciousmoments66.blogspot.com

Kuih Bangkit

Finally get to blog after resting for a few days. Now the whole world knew that I fall and hit the back of my head and that causes a swelling (baluku) on my head (lol). Never had I had such a bad fall, now I had a phobia.

I alway loved to eat Kuih Bangkit but do not know how to bake. Saw this recipe on Little Corner of Mine. The recipe works. Must really appreciate and thanks these bloggers, sometimes those cookery books dont show so much detailed baking/cooking. Before poking holes on dough.

After poking holes on dough.

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups tapioca flour/tapioca starch
1 Tbp. melted butter
1 egg yolk (from large egg)
1 cup icing sugar
120ml thick coconut milk (or coconut cream)

Method

1. Place a paper towel on a microwave safed bowl, add the tapioca flour and microwave for 1 minute. Set aside and let it cool. (You can fry the flour in the wok if you don't have a microwave.) Microwave extra tapioca flour for standby (to flour the surface) and kneading purposes.
2. Sift tapioca flour and icing sugar in a big bowl. Add melted butter, yolk & coconut milk. Knead until the dough is pliable. (If the dough is wet or soft, add more tapioca flour, 1 Tbp. at a time and knead until it becomes a harder dough. Likewise, if it's too dry, add more coconut milk).
3. Roll out the dough on lightly floured surface to about 3mm thickness. Cut into shapes with a cookie cutter (Or you can use the kuih bangkit mould (this required longer baked time). Arrange on lined baking tray and bake at 350'F or 180'C for 15 minutes. It will puff when baked.

My finished Product.Note: I followed the exact measurements and I roll mine not too thick and cut it with a cookie cutter with no patterns. Then I used a fork to poke some holes on the kueh bangkit. My kuih bangkit did not puff when baked, I think it could be due to the holes that I poked. My dough is just right, no need to add extra flour or milk. Very good. But after all these baking, the whole kitchen table very messy (lol).

Photo Source: alicecozycorner
Recipe Source: http://belachan2.blogspot.com/2006/01/kuih-bangkit.html
Step By Step : http://belachan2.blogspot.com/2006/01/step-by-step-kuih-bangkit-guide.html

Chicken Wings and Hard Boiled Eggs in Soya Sauce

This is my youngest son's favourite dish (ha ha ha). He loves it when I cooked this as it is not so oily as those sell outside and I dont put star anise or cinnamon unless you are briasing duck, just make it simple and tasty.

For the different parts of chicken, you can view this website http://www.chicken.org.au/page.php?id=12#WingMidSectionwithTip

Ingredients

Chicken Wings (Mid Section with tip)
Hard Boiled Eggs (removed shell)
2 cups of water
1 clove of garlic (whole and flattened) & few slices of ginger
few drops of sesame oil
3 to 4 tbsp of dark soya sauce (depending on the brand of sauce)
1 tbsp of sugar (or to taste)

Method

Heat pot with oil and saute garlic and ginger till fragrant.
Add Chicken Wings, dark soya sauce and brown the chicken wings.
Add water,sesame oil and sugar.
Let it boil and add the hard boiled eggs.
Lower flame and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes.
Serve hot.

Note: Can add tau kwa or half chicken or pork belly for this soya sauce gravy.

Photo Sauce: alicecozycorner
Recipe Sauce: alicecozycorner

Kai Lan with Oyster Sauce

This is a very simple dish. I decided to put into my blog for my friends who are beginners to cooking and also for my sons future reference (lol).
Ingredients

Bunch of Kai Lan (cut stalks separate from leaves)
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
1tsp chinese wine (optional)
1/2 tsp sesame oil
fried shallots

Method

Cut outer layer of kai lan stalk and cut it diagonally or just leave it whole.
Boil half a pot of water with a pinch of salt.
Blanch kai lan stalk for about 1 min and leaves for about 30 seconds.
Drain and set aside.
Heat oil in a wok, add oyster sauce,sesame oil and cooking wine and a little water.
Bring to a quick boil.
Pour sauce over vegetables and sprinkle with fried shallots.

Photo Source: alicecozycorner
Recipe Source

Sambal Okra (Ladies Fingers)

Okra or Ladies Finger is one of my favourite vegetables, especially cooked with curry or chilli or sambal. Ingredients

200 gm Okra (Wash and brush off tiny hairs off Okra)
1 to 2 tbsp Sambal (ready type)
1 tbsp dried shrimp, soaked and coarsely chopped

Method

Blanch whole okra in boiling water for about 4–5 minutes. Remove and set aside to cool.
When cool, sliced okra diagonally.
Heat wok with oil and stir fry dried shrimp till fragrant.
Add sambal and stir fry.
Add okra in and stir fry briefly and serve with hot white rice.

Note: As I like my okra spicy, I added 2 tbsp of sambal, to those who do not like too spicy, 1 tbsp is enough. If you want to add less than 1 tbsp, then it is no longer sambal okra (ha ha ha).

Photo Source: alicecozycorner
Recipe Source: alicecozycorner

Cereal Prawns (2)-Sweet Version

Yipee, I perfect by cereal prawns. Remember the last cereal prawns that I cooked, I mistakenly removed the shell and the instant cereal that I used dont taste good as it had a lot of pepper in it. This time round, I remember not to remove the shell of the prawns and I used the original Nestum Cereal. Wow, it tasted good and was a success.
Ingredients

1 to 2 egg yolk (optional)
10 Big Prawns
2 tbsp margarine
1 desertspoon sugar
Original Nestum Cereal

Method

1. Heat pan with some oil and fry egg yolk scrambled style and set aside.
2. Heat 1 tbsp of margarine in wok.
3. Fry prawns till crispy.
4. When prawns almost done, heat a non-stick pan with 1 tbsp of margarine.
5. Add cereal and sugar and stir fry in low heat. This is to prevent the cereal from getting burnt.
6. Add crispy prawns and egg yolk into cereal mixture and turn off flame.
7. Stir evenly and dish up and serve hot.

Note: For spicer version, dont add sugar but add curry leaves and chilli padi.

Photo Source: alicecozycorner
Recipe Source: alicecozycorner

Seaweed Soup

Ingredients

Seaweed (soaked in water and drain)-cut into 2 inches pcs
100 gm minced pork (est.)
few drops of sesame oil (marinate)
1 tsp of light soya sauce (marinate)
3 cups of water
pinch of salt
light soya sauce (to taste)

Method

1. Marinate minced pork with sesame oil and light soya sauce and roll into small balls.
2. Boil 3 cups of water and add pinch of salt.
3. When water is boiled, add meat balls and seaweed. Add light soya sauce to taste
4. Let it boil and simmer for 1o to 15 minutes.
5. Serve hot.

Photo source: alicecozycorner
Recipe source:alicecozycorner

Steamed Rainbow Cake

I saw this recipe in the internet. Looks good, easy to make but time consuming and use a lot of egg white. The remaining egg yolk had to use to cook with my cereal prawn. Ha Ha Ha. Great for people who do not have oven. Can use many colours but I used only 3 colours.

ABOVE PHOTO OF STEP BY STEP

MY FINISHED PRODUCT (YUMMY)

Ingredients:
500g egg white
60g evaporated milk
1 tbsp butter oil
225g castor sugar
300g cake flour
1 tbsp ovalette/sponge cake stabilizer
a pinch of salt

150g melted butter
3 colours (red, green and yellow),

Method:

1. Beat egg whites at high speed. Add sugar bit by bit once the egg whites turns bubbly. Continue beating till soft peaks.

2. Add flour, milk, ovalette and salt and continue mixing.

3. Add melted butter and mix till well blend.

4. Split batter equally into 3 parts and add one colour to each part

5. Grease a baking tin with butter and scoop 1 tbsp of red mixture into the centre of the baking tin, continue with 1 tbsp of the green onto the red mixture, scoop 1 tbsp of the yellow mixture onto the green, and repeat with the red,green and yellow until finish.

6. Steam on high heat for about 30 minutes or till cake is done.

7. Drop the cake tin on the countertop for at least 3 times to rid of bubbles.
Steam on high heat for 30 minutes or when cake is done.
Cool before cutting.

Photo Source: alicecozycorner
Recipe Source: zurynee)

Fried Chicken Wing (Easy Way)

This is the easiest way to frying chicken wing. But you need a lot patience so that chicken wing would not be burnt.

Ingredients

Chicken Wing (6 pcs)-cut at the mid joint
30 gm (half packet) of chicken flour
sesame oil
light soya sauce
1 egg (beaten)
pepper (optional)

Method

1. Marinate chicken wings with sesame oil and light soya sauce.
2. Add beaten egg and chicken flour and mix with chicken wings and let it sit for about 30 minutes.
3. Deep fry chicken wings till golden brown in medium flame. When chicken wings are almost done, then turn on flame to high.
4. Serve hot.

Photo source: alicecozycorner
Recipe source: alicecozycorner

Steam Fish (Easy Way)

This is the easy way to steam fish. Just about anyone can do it with the help of ready fish sauce.

Ingredients

Fish
Ginger (sliced finely)
Seafood Soy Sauce (Tai Hua Brand)

Method

1. Wash fish and place in a heatproof dish and add sliced ginger on top of fish and place in steamer tray on top of rice cooker to steam when you cook your rice. (This way you can steam your fish at the same time as you cook your rice)
2. When fish is steamed, drain away excess water.
3. Heat pan with some seafood soy sauce and pour over steamed fish.
4. Serve hot.

photo source: alicecozycorner
recipe source: alicecozycorner

Stir Fried Broccoli & Mushroom with prawns

I love to eat cauliflower and broccoli. Decided to cook broccoli with abalone sauce instead of the usual oyster sauce. Tasted real good.

Ingredients

200 gm broccoli
5 mushrooms (soaked in hot water till soft)
1 clove garlic (chopped)
some prawns (shelled & devein)

Seasoning

1/4 cup water
2 tbsp abalone sauce
few drops of sesame oil

Thickening

1/2 tsp cornflour & 1 tsp water

Method

1. Clean broccoli, cut into small florrets. Parboil broccoli with hot water and a pinch of salt till cooked. Dish aside and drain.
2. Heat up wok with 1 tbsp oil, saute chopped garlic till fragrant.
3. Add soft mushroom and prawns. Add seasoning and bring to boil.
4. Pour in thickening and pour over broccoli.

Photo source: alicecozycorner
Recipe source: alicecozycorner

Honeydew Sago

A light, easy-to-prepare, delicious dessert! Perfect after a heavy meal. I made a mistake by using fresh milk. It tasted terrible and yucky. I threw the whole pot of fresh milk and sago away and remake using coconut milk and it was yummy especially putting some ice in it.

Ingredients

3 cups coconut milk (see note)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup sago
2 1/2 cups honeydews (diced into 1-inch cubes)

Method

Soak sago in water for 5 minutes.
Bring milk to a boil- keep stirring or else the milk will stick to the bottom of the pot.
Add sugar to milk.
Drain the sago and add sago to milk.
Cook milk/sago mixture until sago changes colour (it will change from white to translucent after a couple of minutes).
Add diced honeydew after milk/sago mixture has cooled completely.

SERVE CHILLED!

(P. S: you might want to add more sugar to if you like it sweeter).

For coconut milk: I used 1 packet (200 ml) of coconut milk and 3 cups of water. I think the coconut milk can be reduced to 100 to 150 ml. It is a bit too thick.

You have to be patient and keep stirring so that the sago would not stick to the bottom of the pot and use medium flame.

Photo Source: alicecozycorner
Recipe Source: alicecozycorner

Snow skin Moon Cake

Today, I bought a mooncake mould and some ingredients, planning to make mooncakes. Oh my gosh, my mooncake mould is going to be a white elephant. Making the dough is so easy and simple but the most difficult is trying to put the fillings in the dough and put in the mould and you had to hit the mould on the table to dislodge the mooncake out of the mould. Wow, I think before the mooncake get dislodged from the mould, my poor table would be broken into pieces. Arggggg, guess I need to join Phoon Huat's mooncake lesson next week. Hopefully, they still have vacancies (lol). But they are conducting classes on Japanese and Taiwanese mooncakes only.

Ingredients

For the skin
200g koh fun (commercialised cooked glutinous rice flour, sifted)
70g shortening
150g icing sugar
210ml ice-cold water
1/4 tsp lemon essence
1/8 tsp yellow colouring

Filling: Lotus Paste (ready-made) - available at Phoon Huat

Method

For the snow skin

Sift koh fun and icing sugar into a large mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre. Add shortening and essence to mix. Pour in the cold water. Quickly hand-knead into a soft, smooth dough.
Add colouring to mix.

Allow dough to stand for 20 minutes before use, cover with cling wrap to prevent dry out.

Roll out into a thin circle that is large enough to wrap a ball of filling. Do this between two sheets of plastic wrap. Press the wrapped-up dough into wooden mooncake moulds that have been lightly dusted with koh fun. Next, knock mooncakes out of the mould. Store the snow skin mooncakes in an airtight plastic container in the refrigerator. (Chef’s note: Snow skin mooncakes will only last up to 4 days refrigerated.)

Photo of my finished product. Grrrrr.....it does not looked nice. I

Photo Source: alicecozycorner

Recipe Source: Amy Beh