ginger and dried longan drink

Here is an age-old remedy for bloatedness. You may be feeling bloated due to overeating or following a surgical procedure.

All you need are water, old ginger and dried longan meat. You do not need to add any sugar.

INGREDIENTS

2 litres water

50g old ginger

1 cup dried longan meat

METHOD

1. Pour the water in a pot and turn the heat to high.

2. Wash the ginger and peel off the skin but do not slice the ginger.

3. Using the back of a knife, smash the ginger to release the flavour.

4. Place the ginger in the pot.

5. When the water has boiled, reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.

6. Add the dried longan meat and turn the heat to high.

7. When the water has boiled again, reduce the heat and simmer for another 15 minutes.

TIPS

1. When you are bloated, it is advisable to drink at least 2 litres of water. What I usually do is to boil at least 2 litres of this ginger and dried longan drink and consume it within the day. The drink can be drunk hot or when cooled.

2. If you are drinking at least 2 litres of water a day, your urine should be as clear as possible. If it is dark brown or the colour of Chinese tea, you should consult your doctor immediately as it may be a sign that your kidneys are not flushing out the waste in your body.

slow cooker chicken stew

If you like to cook stews, I would recommend that you use a slow cooker (also known as crockpot) to cook the stew. The advantage is that it is like "walk-away cookware" - you place all the ingredients in the slow cooker, switch on the slow cooker and the stew is ready to be eaten in a few hours. The alternative would be to stand next to the stove, stirring the simmering stew every now and then.

As slow cookers tend to have slow cooking process (hence its name), if you are using a big slow cooker, it would be advisable to start your cooking process in the morning so that the vegetables can be soft enough to be eaten at dinnertime. The chicken need not be added in the morning. What I usually do is to marinate the chicken in the morning and add the chicken to the slow cooker only in the early afternoon. Otherwise, if the chicken is cooked for too long, it would either break up into small pieces or become hard.

INGREDIENTS (serves 8 to 10 persons)

2 cans of chicken stock

2 pieces of hot dog

1 green capsicum

2 large potatoes

2 large carrots

2 large yellow onions

4 sticks of celery

1 can of button mushroom

1 pkt of cherry tomatoes

1 can of cut young corn

1 can of green peas

salt and pepper to taste

8 to 10 pieces of chicken (marinated with Worcestershire sauce, oyster sauce and freshly grated black peppercorn)

3 tbsp corn flour mixed with some water (to thicken the stew)

METHOD

1. Marinate the chicken pieces in a bowl and leave it in the refrigerator for several hours.

2. Pour the chicken stock into the slow cooker and switch on the slow cooker. Set the dial at "AUTO".

3. Cut the other ingredients to desired size and place them in the slow cooker.

4. When the chicken has been marinated for about 3 to 4 hours, add them to the slow cooker.

5. When the vegetables have softened, add some salt and pepper to taste.

6. Thicken the stew with the corn flour and water mixture.

7. Let the stew cook for another 10 minutes before serving.

TIP

It would be advisable to cut the ingredients (including the chicken) into big pieces. If the pieces are too small, they tend to break up during the cooking process.

yoghurt doughnuts (baked)

I have finally managed to find a doughnut baking tray being sold at a shop at Seah Street that sells baking paraphernalia. Each tray cost S$7. I decided to buy two trays (in any event, there were only two left on the shelf!). The tray is non-stick, which is quite a good deal considering the price. I can finally bake doughnuts! The problem with commercially sold doughnuts are that they are deep fried and hence not so healthy.

To give the doughnuts some flavour, I added yoghurt drink to the batter. I used a non-fat tropical mixed fruit yoghurt drink but do feel free to substitute this with any other flavour of your choice.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup self-raising flour
1/3 cup castor sugar
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
90ml yoghurt drink
1 tbsp sunflower oil

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees celsius.

2. Grease the doughnut baking tray with some margarine or oil.

3. Sift the self-raising flour, bicarbonate of soda and salt into a mixing bowl. Add the sugar and mix well.

4. In a separate bowl, mix the egg, yoghurt drink and sunflower oil. Pour this mixture into the flour mixture. Using a spatula, stir the batter until the flour is incorporated into the batter. Do not over-mix. The batter will be lumpy.

5. Fill the doughnut baking tray till half-full.

6. Bake at 200 degrees celsius for 7 minutes or until a skewer inserted near the centre of the doughnut comes out clean.

7. Let the doughnuts cool in the doughnut baking pan for 5 minutes before transferring the doughnuts onto a wire rack to cool thoroughly.

8. Store the doughnuts in an air-tight container.


TIPS

1. As my doughnut baking pan makes mini-doughnuts, the baking time is about 7 minutes. If your doughnut baking pan makes larger doughnuts, bake the doughnuts for about 10 minutes or until a skewer inserted near the middle of the doughnut comes out clean.

2. The baked doughnuts are delicious on their own and there is no necessity to glaze the doughnuts. If you prefer, sprinkle cinnamon sugar onto both sides of the doughnut while it is still hot and leave the doughnuts on a wire rack to cool.

3. If you wish to glaze the doughnuts, mix 1 cup of icing sugar with 2 tbsp of milk in a small bowl. Dip one side of the doughnut into the glaze and decorate the glazed side of the doughnut with chocolate rice, rainbow sprinkles or any other toppings of your choice. Remember to place the doughnuts onto a wire rack (glazed side up) after glazing to allow any excess glaze to drip.

toufu with minced meat

When my brothers and I were growing up, my mother used to cook this signature dish of hers quite often. It is a simple dish of toufu but it is very delicious and appetising.

At the request of GP, I have asked my mother to share her trade secret, so here it is.... enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

cooking oil

2 toufu (deep fried)

4 cloves garlic (chopped)

300g minced pork (marinated in light sauce, pepper, sesame oil and cornstarch)

6 Chinese dried mushrooms (sliced)

1 red chilli (chopped)

2 tbsp fermented bean paste ("tau chiew")

hot water

sugar (to taste)

METHOD

1. Deep fry the whole toufu. Drain off the excess oil and place the toufu in a large bowl.

2. Fry the garlic in some oil until fragrant.

3. Add the minced pork, dried mushrooms and red chilli and fry until cooked.

4. Add the fermented bean paste and hot water. Add sugar to taste.

5. When the gravy has boiled, pour over the toufu.

tom yam bee hoon (rice vermicelli)

This is my mother's recipe for tom yam rice vermicelli. When she fried these noodles on 24 June 2009, she did not have time to do some grocery shopping. As such, she made do with whatever ingredients she had in the larder and refrigerator. The ingredients in this recipe are as per what my mother cooked on that day. Do check out the tip at the end of this post for variations of the tom yam rice vermicelli.

INGREDIENTS

cooking oil

4 to 5 cloves garlic (chopped)

300g to 400g lean pork (sliced and marinated with light sauce, pepper, sesame oil and cornstarch)

12 dried Chinese mushrooms (soaked and sliced)

1 can button mushrooms (sliced)

4 tbsp tom yam paste

2 bowls hot water

sugar (to taste)

1 packet rice vermicelli (washed and drained - do not soak)

chilli dried prawns (for garnishing)

METHOD

1. Fry the garlic in some oil until fragrant.

2. Add the pork, Chinese mushrooms and button mushrooms and fry until cooked.

3. Add the tom yam paste and hot water and stir well. Add sugar to taste.

4. Add the rice vermicelli and mix with the ingredients using large chopsticks.

5. Serve onto plates and garnish with chilli dried prawns.

TIPS

Usually, when Tuayi and my mother fry tom yam rice vermicelli, they would add a lot of vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, green leafy vegetables. The inclusion of vegetables makes the dish sweeter. Tuayi is a vegetarian and hence, she would omit the pork and the dried prawns.

Hi Tuayi and Ma - any other tips to add?

marble cheesecake

I made a marble cheesecake for the birthday of my sister-in-law, MF on 8 February 2009. MF is the wife of my brother, LB.

As I used a 9" round pan to make the cheesecake (I have not yet gotten round to buying an 8" round pan yet), the filling was not as high as it would have been had I used an 8" round pan. I would advise that you use an 8" round pan instead.

The beauty of this cheesecake is that it does not require baking. It is easy to make. The only thing is that there is a bit of a waiting time. For example, you have to chill the biscuit base for at least one hour in the freezer, which means that you have to find something to occupy your time while waiting for the base to chill. It is only when the base has chilled that you prepare the cheese layer because the preparation time for the cheese layer is quite fast.

Ingredients

base:
190g digestive biscuits (finely crushed)
75g butter (melted)

filling:
100ml water
2 tbsp gelatin granules / powder
250g cream cheese (softened)
75g castor sugar
250ml natural plain yoghurt
75ml blackcurrant and apple juice cordial (or any other cordial of your choice)

Method

1. Lightly grease and line the base and the sides of an 8" round pan (with removable base) with baking paper and set aside.

2. Combine the crushed digestive biscuits with the melted butter together in a mixing bowl.

3. Press the biscuit crumbs onto the base of the prepared pan. Press down the crumbs to ensure that the base is even. Chill in the freezer compartment of your refrigerator for at least one hour.

4. Measure the water into a bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the water. Do not stir. Set the bowl aside for 10 minutes to allow the gelatin grains to swell.

5. Set the bowl of gelatin solution over a pot of simmering hot water. Stir with a spoon continuously. Once the gelatin has melted, remove the bowl from the pot and set aside to cool to room temperature.

6. Whisk the cream cheese and sugar in a mixing bowl using an electric mixer until smooth.

7. Add the gelatin solution and yoghurt. Whisk until the mixture turns smooth.

8. Divide the mixture evenly into two bowls. Add the cordial into one of the bowls and mix well with a spoon.

9. Spoon the two mixtures alternately onto the chilled crust. Level the top and swirl with a skewer or a knife through the mixture to create a marble effect.

10. Refrigerate the cheesecake overnight until it is set.

Tips


1. As an alternative to setting the cheesecake overnight, you may want to consider placing the cheesecake in the freezer compartment of your refrigerator until it is set.


2. It is easier to slice the cheesecake using a kitchen knife instead of the serrated plastic knife that cake shops supply whenever you buy a whole cake from them.

fruity chiffon cake

In the past, I avoided baking chiffon cakes as I was not certain about some of the steps in the preparatory process. For example, what does it mean to beat the egg whites till stiff peaks form?

I have since decided that "nothing ventured, nothing gained". I embarked on my first attempt to bake a chiffon cake and I was very encouraged by the results.

When the cake was removed from the oven and I inserted a toothpick near the middle of the cake, I could tell that the texture of the cake was light and soft. A smile came to my face. To think that I was daring enough to bake a fruity chiffon cake instead of a basic chiffon cake! The Lord is good to me. He made sure that the 1 hour or so that I spent from start to finish was not a wasted effort.

INGREDIENTS

70g plain flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

3 egg yolks

20g castor sugar

40ml sunflower oil

40ml fruit juice

3 tbsp jam

3 egg whites

50g castor sugar (note: this is separate from the 20g castor sugar mentioned above)

METHOD

1. Preheat the oven to 170 degrees celsius.

2. Sieve the plain flour, baking powder and ground cinnamon in a medium bowl. Set aside.

3. Separate the egg yolks and egg whites.

4. Place the egg yolks in a medium bowl. Add 20g castor sugar. Using a manual whisk, whisk the mixture until it becomes pale and sticky.

5. Add the sunflower oil to the egg yolk mixture and whisk until well combined.

6. Add the fruit juice to the egg yolk mixture and whisk until well combined.

7. Add the jam to the egg yolk mixture and whisk until well combined.

8. Add the flour mixture to the egg yolk mixture and whisk until the flour is fully incorporated into the batter.

9. In a separate medium bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until the mixture becomes frothy and foamy. Split 50g castor sugar into 3 portions and add a portion at a time to the egg white, each time whisking on high speed. Continue to whisk until stiff peaks form.

10. Add the beaten egg white into the egg yolk batter in 3 separate additions, each time folding gently with a wooden spatula until just blended.

11. Pour the batter into a 7" ungreased tube pan. Tap the pan lightly on the table top to remove any air bubbles that may be trapped in the batter.

12. Bake at 170 degrees celsius for 35 minutes or until the cake surface turns golden brown and a skewer inserted near the centre of the cake comes out clean.

13. Remove the cake from the oven and invert the pan immediately.

14. When the cake has cooled, unmould the cake by running a thin-bladed knife around the inside of the pan and the centre core. Release the cake and run the knife along the base of the pan to remove the cake.

TIPS

1. You can use any type of fruity jam and fruit juice but it would be ideal if the jam and the juice complement each other.

2. As I used blueberry jam, instead of adding 40ml fruit juice, I added 40ml of Ribena (ie. 15 ml Ribena diluted with 25 ml water). Alternatively, blueberry jam would complement cranberry juice.

miso soup

Da and I enjoy eating Japanese food. Whilst I have fried yaki udon for family and friends to eat, I have not advanced to the stage of making sushi yet.

Miso soup is a Japanese soup made from a stock called dashi (usually made from dried kelp, dried bonito flakes, dried small sardines, dried shiitake mushrooms, etc) mixed with miso paste (that is, fermented soybean paste). Other ingredients are often added to the miso soup to enhance the taste of the soup, such as seaweed, toufu, etc.

Recently, Da and I bought a tub of dashi miso paste from the Japanese section of NTUC Supermarket. The dashi and the miso in this paste have already been mixed. As such, we do not need to buy the dashi stock and the miso paste separately.

I decided to try my hand at cooking miso soup. This soup is not difficult to cook and although the traditional miso soup does not contain any meat or seafood, at the end of the day, it is all up to personal preference.

The miso soup that I cooked was the traditional type, that is, without meat nor seafood.

Ingredients

4 cups water
4 to 5 tbsp dashi miso paste
1 medium red onion
2 stalks of spring onion
1 pkt silken toufu
seaweed

Method

1. Boil the water in a pot.

2. When the water has boiled, add the dashi miso paste and mix well.

3. Slice the red onion into rings and add to the soup.

4. Slice the spring onion diagonally and add to the soup.

5. Dice the toufu and add to the soup.

6. Cut the seaweed into strips and add to the soup.

7. When the soup has boiled, reduce the heat and simmer until the onion rings have softened. The onion rings would have lightened in colour.

8. Do a taste-test. If the soup is not salty enough, add more dashi miso paste to taste.

9. Ladle onto a bowl and sit back to enjoy a steaming hot bowl of miso soup.

Tips

1. As the dashi miso paste is salty, if you intend to use seasoned seaweed, I would suggest that you start with 4 tbsp of dashi miso paste (instead of 5 tbsp). You can always add more dashi miso paste to the soup when you do your taste-test, if you find that the soup is not salty enough.

2. When buying the toufu, choose the type that is plain toufu instead of egg toufu. The soup tastes better with plain toufu.

3. If you are unable to find dashi miso paste, you can substitute with:-

(a) 2 tsp dashi granules and 3 tbsp miso paste; or

(b) 4 cups dashi soup stock and 4 tbsp miso paste - if you buy dashi soup stock (instead of dashi granules), please omit the 4 cups of water that I mentioned in my recipe above because the stock is already in liquid form.

Regardless whether you opt for (a) or (b), it is best to do a taste-test before you serve the miso soup as each of us has different levels of tolerance of saltiness. As such, if you find that the soup is not salty enough, you can add more miso paste to the soup before you serve the soup.

garlic spread

I have been making my own garlic spread for several years. It complements french loaf or focaccia bread. All you need to do is to spread the garlic spread onto one side of sliced bread and toast at 180 degrees celsius for 10 minutes or until the edges of the bread are a little crispy.

As requested by GP, here is my recipe for garlic spread.


INGREDIENTS

250g butter (softened)
5 tbsp finely chopped garlic (I use a Moulinex chopper instead of a knife and chopping board)
3 tbsp dried Italian / mixed herbs

METHOD

1. Place the softened butter in a container. The container need not be air-tight.

2. Add the finely chopped garlic and dried Italian / mixed herbs and mix thoroughly.

3. Do a taste test if you like, that is, spread a bit of the spread onto a small piece of bread and toast the bread at 180 degrees celsius for 10 minutes or until the edges of the bread are a little crispy. Add more finely chopped garlic and/or dried Italian / mixed herbs to the garlic spread to suit your taste.

4. Refrigerate the container of garlic spread.

TIPS

1. My family likes the strong taste of garlic and the herbs. If you are not sure whether you have similar taste buds, I would suggest that you start with 4 tbsp of finely chopped garlic and 2 tbsp of dried Italian / mixed herbs. Do a taste test and add more finely chopped garlic and/or dried Italian / mixed herbs to the garlic spread to suit your taste.

2. I like the garlic bread crispy. As such, I toast the garlic bread at 180 degrees for 10 minutes. If you prefer garlic bread that is softer, toast the garlic bread at 160 degrees instead.

3. Do not spread the garlic spread on both sides of the slice of bread. If you do that, you may end up with very soggy bread when it has been toasted in the oven.

sausage rolls

Every now and then, one of my colleagues would go around the department taking orders for frozen products such as sausages and bacon to be delivered to our office. I have to date ordered cheese sausages, bratwurst and pork chipolata. I intend to order the bacon the next time that my colleague takes orders - I have in mind to bake some bacon bread. Yummy....

When I baked some sausage rolls, I used the cheese sausages. These sausages are longer than the regular packets of frozen sausages. As such, I had to roll the bread dough into a large piece in order to wrap the dough around the sausages. As a result, the layer of bread around the sausage was not as thick as the sausage rolls that you can buy from the confectioneries. If you were to use a smaller sausage, you should be able to achieve a similar look to the sausage rolls sold at the confectioneries.

The highlight of the day was when I presented the sausage rolls to my family when they came to our home for dinner and they thought that Da and I had bought the sausage rolls. Ah.... the satisfaction of home cooking! *grin*

Ever since I started using our breadmaker machine on a weekly basis, Da and I rarely buy bread from the confectioneries. I am always on the lookout for new bread recipes to try!

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp castor sugar

1 tsp salt

low fat milk mixed with 1 egg (beaten together) to total 230g

300g bread flour

2 1/2 tsp instant dry yeast

8 sausages

egg wash (comprising 1 egg + 1 tsp water)

METHOD

1. Place all the ingredients except the bread flour, yeast, sausages and egg wash in the bucket of the breadmaker machine.

2. Add the bread flour, making sure that the wet ingredients are totally covered.

3. Add the yeast.

4. Place the bucket in the breadmaker machine and set to "dough" cycle. Start the cycle.

5. When the cycle has been completed, turn the dough onto a floured board. Using floured hands, knead the dough for 5 minutes.

6. Separate the dough into 8 equal portions, roll each portion into a ball and let them rest for 10 minutes covered with a damp cloth.

7. Use a rolling pin and roll each portion of dough into an oval shape. Place a sausage in the centre of the dough. Cut each side of the dough into 6 to 7 strips. Fold the strips alternating the left and right over the sausage.

8. Place the rolls on a baking tray that has been lined with baking paper. Cover the tray with a damp cloth and leave for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

9. Brush the dough with the egg wash and bake at 200 degrees celsius for 8 minutes, then at 180 degrees celsius for 5 minutes or until the sausage rolls turn golden brown.