Favourite Salade

Recently i fell in love eating this type of salade..ingredients of your choice, i have here are olives, cherry tomatoes, rape carrots and sucrines. Sauce i have juz lemon juice and dash of salt with 2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil. Mix well and serve immediately..

My resolution for 2011 is to eat more fresh vegetables like salade..it can be eaten anytime of the day as and when you like it....Bon Sante!!

Pandan Fruit Cake

Hubby was craving for CAKES..et voila, here i have new invention ~ Pandan fruit cake ~

Ingredients

200 g plain flour
1 egg
100 g sugar
1-2 cups of cocktails
75 g melted butter
7 up/soda/sprite
pandan paste

Method

Mixed all the ingredients together leave behind the cocktail for the last part. Careful on the pandan paste. Need to estimate on the 7 up, just to make sure you get a dropping batter. I used 7 up in replacement of self-raising flour also i can cut down on the consumption of the egg or even without it is fine too. Last stir in the cocktail blend well, pour into a cake mould and put into a preheat oven at 220 degrees and bake till cooked.

What's Up?

Hello all!  The calendar says Christmas will be here in couple of days...then comes 2011 and then the year of the Cat (I'm Vietnamese...we don't have rabbits in our zodiac, lol!).  Man oh man... how time flies!  I've been so busy lately...to busy to post anything or ever take pictures.  Things are calming down now and I owe it to myself to say hi to everyone out there who still visits.

***Hi, hope you're doing well!***

Seeing the picture above you've probably already figured out what I've been up to, but...it doesn't take 4 months to create a Gingerbread house right?  Or does it? No it doesn't.  The Gingerbread displays were created for Wild Ginger and The Triple Door...where I've been working at since August.  I made the Pagoda (yes, I know it looks like a Church), which is on display at the Triple Door.  The train and the Christmas tree made by my pastry team - Aja and Davona; are on display at Wild Ginger Seattle (train) and Wild Ginger Bellevue (tree).  Come check it out! While you're there why not have dessert made my yours truly?  

Happy Holidays Everyone!

Onde Onde

Finally i made Onde Onde...but why itz not greeen?? Well, there are 2 versions for this recettes. Either used only glutinous rice flour and add pandan paste or using oranged flesh sweet potato and preserved its natural colour. And i chosen the latter, also by using more sweet potato and less flour the texture of the onde onde becomes softer. So here you go with the ingredients:

250 g Sweet Potato (peeled, boiled and mashed)
350 g Glutinous Rice flour
a pinch of salt
200 g Gula Melaka or palm sugar (chopped)
200 g Grated coconut

Method

1. Bring a pot of water to boil. Mix the salt into the grated coconut and set aside.

2. Mix all the ingredients except sugar, and knead until you get a soft dough. If the dough is sticky add abit more glutinous rice flour. Roll into small lumps.

3. Create a hole in middle of each lump and fill with some gula melaka, then close the hole by rolling the dough back into a ball.

4. Drop the balls into the boiling water. The onde onde is cooked when they float to the top. Drain, roll them in the grated coconut and serve.


P.S If you can't get fresh grated coconut, use dried grated and spray with water till moist.

Easy Huat Kueh

Yeaa..finally succeeded making huat kueh with the help of this powder mix bou from home town!! It is really simple, juz follow the instruction on the back....

You can add 300 ml of water or coconut milk to the powder. And blend in the mixture.

Pour into paper or plastic cups and put to steam about 20-45 minutes depending on the size.

There you are...hot and soft huat kueh ready for tuck in..even if kept to next day, the kueh still taste yummy...

New Invention

Out of recipe title..simply name it New Invention..basically as shown, ingredients are brussel sprout and tomatoes..i bought the frozen sprouts for quick cooking time..juz add tomatoes cut into wedges, seasoning, some water for gravy and simmer till the sprouts are soft..

Stewed Pot

For a change i added potatoes into this recette..it tasted like 'lor' juz that i simplified the version using only canned mock abalone and beancurd sheet..Seasoning are dark soya sauce, vegetarian bouillon, pepper and sesame oil..and lotsa of ginger strips..

Bake Tapioca Cake (Bingku Ubi)

Here you are...the 2nd tapioca cake mentioned earlier..this recette is also simple...only thing is my grated tapioca was kept in freezer, and after defroze...it became heavier and moist up..therefore after baking, the cake texture gotten abit wet..otherwise is fine...cheers :)

Ingredients

500 g grated Tapioca
200 g sugar
250 ml Coconut milk
1 egg
75 g melted butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla essence

Method

Put all the ingredients together and mixed well. Greased a baking tin and pour the mixture in and put to bake at 220 degrees till cooked.


P.S hub commented both my tapioca recettes not 'up to standard' and no more tapioca cake in the next 1-2 months...haha

Steam Tapioca Cake

Saw fresh tapiocca at supermarket one day, and thot it would great to get it since i wanted to try 2 recipes..today i make one steam and another bake..the grated coconut available here in the local stores are in dried form, hence it needs to be sprayed with some water and sprinkled with salt and put to steam to make it moist...for this recette, please refer to http://crystalbyblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/nonya-kueh-steamed-tapioca-kueh.html

Have fun trying out..it is very simple indeed :)

Poon Kuey

Yay..finally get to do poon kuey! bought the mould long time ago, but never have the chance to do it..firstly was, donno how the flour proportion supposed to be..however after i consulted a friend on the soon kuey..i decided to attempt poon kuey....only regret is the colour turn up to be abit dull instead of the usual dark pink..and i only had chinese mushroom, it will be better with peanuts which gives the crunchiness when bite..

Ingredients
(it makes abt 10-12 kueys)

200 g Rice flour
100 g Glutinous Rice flour
300 ml hot water
100 ml oil
red colouring (mixed together with oil)
poon kuey mould

Rice

1.5 cups of Glutinous rice (soaked at least 4 hours)
a handful of shredded mushrooms
light soya sauce (to taste)
generous dash of pepper
salt

Method

1. Put rice in cooker, add about 1 cup of water. Dash in pepper and salt.

2. Stir fry shredded mushroom, ginger and light soya sauce together.

3. Pour the mushroom in the cooker, and put to cook. Leave it to cool.

4. Meanwhile prepare the flour: put rice flour and glutinous flour in a mixing bowl. Slowly pour in hot water mixed with oil and colouring. Stir gently with a wooden spoon till the flour are well blended.

5. Let it stand for about 5 mins, then knead it. Roll them into individual balls.

6. Take a small ball, press onto the mould and spread out evenly to line the base. Scoop some rice and place on the mould.

7. Covering the rice with the dough and try to seal up nicely.

8. Drop the kuey out from the mould. Repeat till finished. Put to steam about 20 minutes. Serve hot or cold with dark sweet sauce and chilli.

Bread Sushi

Bread sushi?? yesss..as shown, i used wholemeal bread for a healthier eating habits instead of white..and transformed from the traditional rice to this new discovery...something not so heavy for a simple high tea party...receipe refer to http://crystalbyblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/bread-sushi.html


Cheers :)

(coming up - Tapiocca Cake (Bingku ubi) and Poon kuey, dont miss it)

Sweet&Sour sauce

Found this Sweet&Sour sauce at Netto costing 2.30 euro, very convenient just add into the dish will do..main ingredients: tomato and pineapple..

Sương Sáo - Grass Jelly

Sương Sáo aka Grass Jelly is a dessert/drink popular throughout Southeast Asia.  According to Chinese medicine it has "cooling" properties and is good for the skin.  Grass Jelly is actually made from a dried herb that is a member of the mint family...not grass as the name suggests.  The herb's name in Chinese which is "len fan chou" (cooling grass). Thus, jelly made from cooling grass is....you guessed it Grass Jelly.

You can purchase Grass Jelly at just about any Asian grocery store for dirt cheap...but where's the fun in that?

"Grass" to make Grass Jelly can be found at most Chinese Herbal/Medicine Shops.  Rinse/wash the grass, add water to cover the grass by 2", simmer for at least 1 hour. 






Cool and strain the grass through a cheese cloth or a fine sieve or...both.  The liquid obtained will be used as the base to make grass jelly.






 
To make grass jelly.....
Use a measuring cup to measure the liquid obtained after straining out the herb.  Dilute that liquid with an equal amount of water.  For example, if you got 2 cups of liquid add 2 cups water (+/- depending on how pronounced you want you jelly to taste).  For every 6 cups of diluted liquid you will need 75g of tapioca starch (+/- depending on how firm you want you jelly to be).

Bring 5 cups of liquid to a boil.  Meanwhile, dissolve the tapioca starch in the remaining 1 cup of liquid.  As soon as the liquid in the pot begins to boil, stir in the starch mixture.  You'll notice the liquid will thicken immediately.  Mix well and fast, then pour the mixture into a clean bowl and allow to set.  The jelly set right before you eyes...literally.  In about 20 mins the grass jelly is ready to be served.

To serve: cut the jelly into small pieces, mix with sugar or honey...grass jelly also pairs exceptionally well with Nước Rau Má (Pennywort drink)....I was going to post a recipe but my dear friend Lily beat me to it...you can find her recipe here http://lilyng2000.blogspot.com/2010/07/pennywortpegaga-drink-secret-fountain.html 

Just in case you're wondering...this isn't 'real' grass jelly since the starch is setting the jelly and not the grass.  I thought so too...so I experimented.  I tried to thicken 6 cups of water with 75g of tapioca starch to see if the liquid would set like grass jelly....it didn't...as you can see from the picture below.  The white mess in the bowl is the water + tapioca starch vs. grass jelly + tapioca starch.  

The starch triggers a chemical reaction with the grass jelly liquid to set the jelly.  The starch alone can not do the job.  Besides tapioca starch you can also use corn starch, mung bean starch, arrow root starch or rice flour.  However, I found that tapioca starch gives the jelly the best appearance (clear and pitch black). If you prefer a very soft jelly, use 30g of starch (it's the minimum amount of starch you'll need to set 6 cups of grass jelly; the more starch the firmer the jelly).  For a slightly chewy texture add 1/2 tsp lye water. 

Tagliatelles with soup

New invention - Tagliatelles aux basilic with soup

Tired of eating pastas? how about trying this new creation of mine..chinese meet western :) ingredients at your choice, just boil a pot of soup ladle over the tagliatelles and serve hot.

Pandan Pulut Inti

Ok, first traditionally the blue coloured rice that we normally seen is the result of using the extract of blue pea flower. But in here you can use food colouring. However i do not have so i replaced it with pandan paste. And i omitted pandan leaves while cooking the rice.

As for the wrapping, it is up to individual. I tried wrapping up to form a pyramid but failed so i simplified it into a rectangular-squarish shape as shown.

Ingredients
(makes 15-18)

400 g glutinous rice
200 ml water
200 ml coconut milk
1 tsp pandan paste
2 pinches of salt

Filling

150 g grated coconut
80 ml water
120 g gula melaka (chopped)

Method

1. Rinse the rice and soaked for 4 hours. Drain thoroughly.

2. Place the rice, salt, milk, water and pandan paste in the rice cooker, mix well and turn it on.

3. To make the filling - combine water and gula melaka in a small pot and cook over low heat until sugar dissolves. Add in the grated coconut and mix well. Off fire and simmer until the liquid dry up.

4. To assemble - place 1 tablespoon of rice in the middle of the plastic wrapper and topped with 1 teaspoon of caramelized coconut filling and fold into a rectangular shape.

5. Serve warm.

Garland Chrysanthemum dish

Stir fry garland chrysanthemum with fried mee suah

Garland chrysanthemum in soup

Zoomed in view of the veggie

Our garden veggies

Our harvested garden veggies plantation :) here we have on the left kai lan and the right garland chrysanthemum

A closer view of this new veggie - Garland Chrysanthemum - first time seeing this veggie, but it really tasted great..either stir fry or in soup..it has its own natural taste when stir fry..cheers :)

Ice Jelly with Fruit Cocktails

This is the season for some cold dessert..i bought from hometown 4 miserable packets of ice jelly and finally is time to try it..very simple, juz prepare the jelly according to the instruction from the packet. I added some sugar else the jelly tasted very blend..

For serving scoop a few tablespoons of chilled jelly, topped with fruit cocktails and ice cubes or grinded ice..since i didn't have lime, i squeezed some lemon juice..et voila my own ice jelly (wan tor long) dessert..cheers :)

Glutinous rice ball with gula melaka (palm sugar)

I was browsing my friend's blog http://crystalbyblog.blogspot.com/2007/04/coconut-glutinous-rice-ball-with-palm.html and came into this recette...the very moment it reminded me of the malay kueh - 'lo pey' - triangular shape pressed rice with grated coconut drizzle with gula melaka, it was like yum yum....and the recipe really very simple, so i gave it a try..i omitted the grated coconut because i had only 1 packet and i decided to reserve for the next recipe...

Ingredients
(8-10 balls depending on sizes)

200 g glutinous rice
200 ml water
2 pinches of salt
2 pandan leaves, knotted (optional, i did not put since i don't have)

Sauce

100 g gula melaka (chopped into pieces)
50 ml water

Method

1. Rinse glutinous rice and soaked for 4 hours. Drain thoroughly.

2. Place the glutinous rice, salt and water in an electric rice cooker.

3. When done, use your hand and shape the rice into balls (you can coat with grated coconut) and set aside.

4. Combine chopped gula melaka and water in a small pot over low heat until the sugar dissolves.

5. Serve the glutinous rice balls with the sugar syrup.

Modified Kimchi

2nd time i attempted this recipe..first was too spicy ended up i finished up myself, so i thot this try i make it less spicy...the colour may not look attractive, first of all i don't have that required amount of chilli powder as recommended..i used piment de cayenne (available in supermart) extra forte powder..is really very spicy!

I juz left with half (balance) of the chinese cabbage in my frigo..cut it into 4 parts and slice it coarsely..next i added a moderate amount of salt into a bowl of warm water, give a quick stir and pour over the cabbage. Leave it aside to sweat.

A few hours later, you can see the sweat cabbage size decrease. Rinse with water and drain. Transfer to a mixing bowl, added 2 tsp of sugar (the actual kimchi recipe i saw they have apple and pear blended into juice, and pour over the cabbage), a few dash of sesame oil and lastly shake enough of piment (avoid to spicy) and mix well..taste every now and then to check the level of spicy..et voila my own version of home-made kimchi..cheers :)

Soon Kuey

Ingredients A

(makes 15-18 for this size)

100 g Rice flour

50 g Tapioca flour

50 g Plain flour

50 ml oil

300 ml Hot water

Ingredients B

(fillings)

500 g Turnips (shredded)

4 chinese mushrooms soaked and shred

1/2 tsp dark soya sauce

1 tbsp mushroom sauce

1/2 tsp pepper

250 ml water

Method

1. Heat oil in a pan, fry mushroom for 2-3 minutes. Add shredded turnips.

2. Add in the seasonings and stir fry over small heat till dry.

3. Remove and leave it aside cool completely.

4. In a mixing bowl, add in the flour.

5. Add oil into the hot water and pour it into the flour mixture.

6. Stir quickly with a wooden spoon, cover the bowl and leave for 10 minutes.

7. Removed and knead into a smooth dough. Divide the dough into 10 portions.

8. Flatten each ball into a thin layer, cut into round, wrapped fillings and seals by picking the sides.

9. Put into a greased steaming tray and steam for 15 minutes. Remove and brush with some oil alternatively sesame oil.

10. Serve hot with sweet dark sauce or chilli sauce.

White Asparagus Steam

This is the season for white and green asparagus. Always wanted to try out white asparagus since it is so cheap here. Until that day my hub told me a colleague taught him how to prepare it. However when i search internet there are also other ways of eating..

You can either blanched or steam the asparagus. Removed and sprinkled with salt and spread with olive oil. Serve and eat hot.

In this recipe, i steam it so to preserve the nutrients in it. So before preparing, you have to peel away the tough skin on the stalks. Rinse and cut as shown. Put to steam for 15 minutes. Removed and served with mayonaise and dash of sesame/olive oil. Sprinkled with some sesame seeds..eh voila the dish is ready.

I always like to adopt the west meets east cooking style. So next time i can purchase more white asparagus and experimenting it more ways..

Mì Vịt Tiềm - Braised Duck with Egg Noodles

A Vietnamese favorite with Chinese origins, Mì Vịt Tiềm is composed of fresh egg noodles, shiitake mushrooms, watercress, and a braised duck leg quarter.  The duck is braised in a mix of spices creating a rich flavorful broth for the noodles.  Condiments include hot mustard, and pickled green papaya and carrots. 

For the Braise Duck:

**For every pound of duck**

-1/2 tsp salt

-1/4 tsp 5 spice

-1 tsp cooking wine

-1 tsp dark soy sauce

-1/2 tsp honey or maltose

-2 slices of ginger

-oil for deep frying
-a few shiitake mushrooms

*Rub the duck leg quarters with ginger, salt, 5 spice and cooking wine.  Marinate for at least 2 hours, pat dry with a towel.   Combine honey and soy sauce, bush the mixture over the duck leg.  Deep fry the legs until golden (doesn't need to be cooked all the way, just aim for color).  Reconstitute the mushrooms.

Meanwhile, in a large stock pot to toast...

-1/2 tsp fennel
-1 clove
-2 star anise
-3 pieces/slices of licorice root
-1 piece of cinnamon about 1/2 inch long
-1 piece of dried tangerine peel

...until fragrant add water and...

-2 tbs soy sauce
-1 1/2 tsp salt
-1 tsp sugar

...bring to a boil.

Add the duck legs (fried), and mushrooms.  Add more water if necessary to cover the duck.  Simmer over low heat for about 45 mins or until the duck is tender. 

Serve with fresh egg noodles (blanched) and watercress, bok choy, yu choy or iceberg lettuce (I prefer watercress, it's peppery taste goes well with the duck).

The noodles are served with pickled green papaya and carrots. Hot mustard is perfect for dipping the duck into. To make the pickled green papaya and carrots use this recipe, replace the daikon with thinly sliced green papaya.

Bánh Bông Lan - Orchid Cakes

What's an orchid cake?  If you've ever tasted Sponge Cake or Génoise you've tasted Orchid Cake.  Bánh Bông Lan/Orchid Cakes are small sponge cakes baked the old school way.  Although génoise's family tree traces it back to Italy; cake was introduced to Vietnam by the French.

What's with the name?  Génoise are often flavored with vanilla.  Vanilla comes from/is an type of orchid.  Orchid in Vietnamese is "Bông Lan", thus the name Bánh Bông Lan - Orchid Cakes.  Traditionally, the cakes are baked in a cast iron mold heated with charcoal.  Modern ovens make baking these cakes much less laborious...but some how I still prefer the traditional way...nothing like sitting outside on a mild spring day, enjoying the light breeze, the bright shinning sun and baking sponge cakes. 

Ingredients:
-4 egg (200g)
-120g flour
-120g sugar
-1 tbs tsp oil or melted butter
-1 tsp vanilla powder or extract

Method:
Beat the egg whites with the sugar until stiff peaks are formed.  Add the yolks one at a time.  Sift and fold the flour into the eggs.  Fold in the butter and vanilla last.

To Bake: 





 Preheat the mold, brush each cavity with a cotton ball dipped in oil.

Fill until 3/4 full of batter.

Cover and bake for about 3-5 mins.

Hoa Thủy Tiên - Water Angel/Fairy Flower

Hoa Thủy Tiên literally translates to "Water Angel/Fairy Flower". It's, or shall I say "her" botanical name is narcissus tazetta and they're a variety of narcissus (daffodil, paper whites, etc...). The bulbs are forced in water to set off graceful flowers for Tết - Chinese/Vietnamese/Lunar New Year. Thus, the name "Water Angel/Fairy".

Angel or Fairy? In Vietnamese, Tiên is a mythical being from the heavens who is beautiful and graceful while possessing supernatural powers. Although Tiên can be either male or female....it usually implies female. For example, Chị Hằng Nga of the mid-autumn festival. Angel for fairy? I'll let you decide.

There are 2 ways to force these bulbs into blooming. One is to simply stick the bulbs in a container filled with water, change the water every few days and in about 6 weeks you'll see angels. The second method is more traditional and complicated. The bulbs are "carved" to expose the flower buds and then placed in water. As the leaves and stems grow, they too are carved to manipulate them into their graceful shapes. With this method, the bulbs should bloom in 20 days (+/-). As with all plants temperature plays an important role, if the temp is too warm, then they'll bloom earlier and vice versa. You can somewhat control how fast they bloom by controlling the temperature of the water. It is desirable to have the flowers bloom exactly at midnight on the eve of the New Year….so plan accordingly.

*Click on the pictures for larger images*

 

Step 1:  The bulbs will look like this when you buy them from the store.  Look for ones that are plump, white with plenty of bulbs attached (each bulb is a flower stalk); each attached bulb should be at least thumb size (smaller ones won't bloom).

  

Step 2:  Using a sharp paring knife, begin carving away the outer layers of the bulb (the bulb is made up of many layers like an onion).   Use extreme caution as you get to the center of the bulb.

  

Step 3:  Only cut away half/one side of the bulb like in the picture above.  Stop once you get to the young shoots in the center (if you look closely you'll notice the flower buds are already set).  It's ok if you damage the leaves but if any of the flower buds are hurt they will not bloom. 

  

Step 4: Soak the bulb cut side down in cold water.  Soak for 2 days, changing the water and carefully washing the bulbs everyday. 

  

Step 5: After 2 day, flip the bulb over and soak it for another 2 days, changing the water everyday. 

Step 6: Next step is to place the bulb into a vase/container, use rocks, marbles, etc...to anchor the plant if you need too.

Step 7: Cover the cut surface of the bulb with a wet paper towel or cotton, fill the container with fresh water.  Make sure the towel or cotton touches the water underneath (or else it will dry out, defeating the purpose of using it to keep the top of the bulb moist).   Change the water every few days....sit back, relax and watch your angel bloom.  

**As the plant grows you can trim/carve the leaves and flower stems to turn them into unique patterns.  For the leaves, just trim away a small sliver of the leaf.    The leaf will bend/curl towards the side that's been trimmed.  Same goes for the stems of the flowers.  DO NOT touch the flower heads/buds.  Any damage to them will cause the bulbs to abort the flowers.**

I'll post an update when mine's bloom...but until then...you can google "hoa thuy tien" for a few images, if you're curious.

Thorns and Worms - Bánh Gai/Bánh Đuông

Vietnamese 101....

Bánh = pastry
Gai = thorn
Đuông = a type of worm, found in the heart of coconut and palm trees

Thus gives us the name for these cookies.

They are somewhat related to "Dragon Cookies" which are found in other Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia during Chinese New Year. The Vietnamese version is a bit more complicated in ingredients.  In this speciality, traditional Southeast Asian ingredients such as tapioca starch and coconut milk are paired with French influences of butter and condensed milk.....goes to show the east meets west concept is not just a fad it's..., well....it's history and tradition.  The texture and method for making the cookies very much resemble Les sablés pouchés (piped shortbread cookies).  The worm shape is strictly Vietnamese.

Ingredients:
-100g all purpose flour
-100g tapioca starh
-80g sugar
-25g coconut milk
-1 1/2 tbs condensed milk
-20g butter, melted
-2 egg yolks
-1/2 tsp baking soda
-1/2 tsp lemon extract 


What to Do:
Sift together flours and baking soda.  Whisk together sugar, coconut milk, condensed milk , butter, egg yolks and extract.  Add the flour mixture to the mix of wet ingredients.  Mix to form a slightly sticky dough.

To Make Bánh Gai:
Fit a star tip into a piping bag and fill with cookie dough.  Pipe the dough onto a baking sheet.  Traditionally, these cookies are made with the aid of a specially created mold.  The mold works like a cookie gun. However, if you live outside of Vietnam or Asia...chances are pretty slim that you'll be able to get your hands on one... The pastry bag works just as great.

To Make Bánh Đuông:
Add 1 tbs tapioca starch to the above dough (the dough should be firmer).  Pinch off small pieces of dough and roll them between the palms of your hand to turn them into worms.  Use a clean comb to give the worms the signature indentation. 

Bake the cookies at 350'F until golden (about 12-15 mins).