Char Kway Teow (Fried Flat Rice Noodle) with Eggnet

"How can something so messy taste so good?" - Anthony Bourdain

That's the beauty of this dish.

Malaysia is famous for its street food. If you ask me what do I miss the most besides my family and friends after moving to Sydney 10 years ago, I would answer without any hesitation:"Malaysian Street Food". Char Kway Teow, Laksa, Nasi Lemak, Roti Canai, just to name a few.

After reading this post from The Little Teochew, I couldn't stop craving for a good plate of Char Kway Teow. Few weeks later, I saw myself making it for dinner with her recipe.

I decided to add a little special touch to this popular Malaysian street fare: Top it with an Eggnet! Look, how pretty is that?

Char Kway Teow (Fried Flat Rice Noodles) with Eggnet Recipe
(Loosely adapted from The Little Teochew)

Ingredients

Part A (basic ingredients):
400 g fresh kway teow (flat rice noodles)
1 stalk green onions, cut into inch-long strips
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 handful beansprouts (more, if you like)

Part B (add-on ingredients):
8 large king prawns, shelled and deveined with tails still on
Fish cake, cut into thin slices
Lap Cheong (Chinese sausage), cut into thin slices

Part C (for the seasoning sauce):
2 tbsp thick sweet soy sauce
(Note: It's crucial to find a good Malaysian or Singaporean brand of thick sweet soy sauce which is made from molasses, sugar, water and caramel. Using the Chinese thick soy sauce or Indonesian kicap manis will give you less than desired results. The Little Teochew used Rose brand and I used Prima Taste brand thick sweet soy sauce packet)
3 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp water
dash of salt and pepper (if required)
Mix all your everything in a bowl and leave aside.

Part D (Eggnet):
2 eggs, lightly beaten and sieved

Method

1. To Make Eggnet: Grease the frying pan with oil. Use a Roti Jala mold or simply use your hand to drizzle the egg on the frying pan to create the eggnet pattern. Turn once.

   Remove and spread the eggnet in a bowl.

   

2. Heat oil in wok on high. You have to maintain high heat throughout.
3. Stir-fry garlic a few seconds, add Chinese sausage for about a minute.
4. Toss in fresh prawns and/or meat (if using), and stir-fry till semi-cooked.
5. Add noodles , drizzle 3 to 4 tbsp of the seasoning sauce soy sauce mixture/ all over the noodles. Gently stir-fry for 3-5 mins.
6. Add green onions and bean sprouts, fold the noodles over, give it one good last stir-fry to mix well with the noodles.

   

7. Turn off heat, dish onto individual bowls layered with eggnet. Turn over the bowl and gently pour the noodles and eggnet onto a serving plate, garnish with more spring onions and chopped fresh chilies.

Greek Yogurt with Blueberries and Honey

So I heard...

"His food obsession is Greek yogurt with blueberries." - ROBsessedpattinson.com

"It is reported that Rob loved Greek yogurt while filming 'Remember Me'." - Twilightseries.co.za

So I made one for myself....

I like it drizzled with honey.

Greek Yogurt with Blueberries and Honey

Ingredients

3/4 glass of Greek Yogurt
A handful of Blueberries
Honey

Method

1. Fill 3/4 glass with your favourite brand of Greek yogurt. Top it with a handful of blueberries.
2. Drizzle with honey.

Greek yogurt with blueberries is a healthy obsession.

So is Robert Pattinson.

Coconut and Palm Sugar Macarons with Mango Buttercream - Daring Bakers' October 2009 Challenge

The 2009 October Daring Bakers’ challenge was brought to us by Ami S. She chose macarons from Claudia Fleming’s The Last Course: The Desserts of Gramercy Tavern as the challenge recipe.

Macarons. It can be a very daunting word for a lot of young bakers. I didn't dare to venture near them until 3 weeks ago. I finally overcame my fear and gave it a try.

I was very much encouraged by this post from Muffins Are Ugly Cupcakes which uses a macaron recipe from Martha Stewart.

I did my first batch of macarons: Matcha (Japanese Green Tea) Macarons. I was pleasantly surprised with the successful results. Not perfect, but with feet. I was delighted.


Then I made my second batch of macarons the following week: Honey and Vanilla Chai Macarons. I succeeded with better results. I was really pleased.


I was then quietly confident and ready to tackle the Daring Bakers' Challenge of this month: Macarons. I started to think about different flavours and combinations. The possibilities are endless.

I finally settled on Coconut and Palm Sugar Macarons with Mango Buttercream. It's inspired by this popular Thai dessert: Mango with Sticky Rice Pudding (Khao Niaow Ma Muang).

I love Martha's macaron recipe. It's very easy and if you follow it closely, you are ensured of success. I learnt a few tips which I like to share with you if you plan to experiment with her recipe:

1. My eggs are straight from the fridge and I didn't age them. It didn't affect the results. I have tested it three times.
2. Beating the egg white and sugar to the right soft peak stage is crucial.
3. Don't be afraid of over-mixing the dry ingredients to the meringue mix. You need to stir them well until most bubbles have vanished.
4. After piping the macarons, hit the baking sheet hard on the kitchen counter / table a couple of times to remove the air bubbles.
5. Leave the piped macarons on the kitchen counter / table for 30-60 minutes until a skin is formed. It's not necessary but if you do so, you will be ensured of higher feet and the macarons will be flatter looking. See the difference between the Honey & Vanilla Chai Macarons (I put them straight into the oven after piping which resulted in rounder shape with lower feet) and Coconut & Palm Sugar Macarons (I left them on the counter for 45 minutes which gave a flatter shape with higher feet):

Coconut and Palm Sugar Macarons with Mango Buttercream Recipe
(* Please take note that I have modified the original DB recipe)

Makes about 16 filled macarons

Ingredients

Confectioners’ sugar + 2 tbsp light palm sugar (make up to 1 cup)
3/4 cup ground almonds
1/4 cup dessicated coconuts
6 tbsp of egg whites (I use 3 egg whites, 55g each)
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Mango Buttercream:
2 sticks of unsalted butter at room temperature
1/2 cup mango puree
2 lbs confectioner's sugar (more or less)

Method

1. To Make Mango Buttercream: Cream butter, and mango. Slowly add sugar until the buttercream is no longer separated by the mango. Use or keep chilled for up to 2 weeks.
2. Grind ground almond, dessicated coconuts, icing sugar and palm sugar with food processor to make sure there’s no lumps.
3. Whip the eggs whites with a pinch of salt and slowly adding in the granulated sugar until soft peaks formed. Add the dry ingredients to the egg whites half at a time and start folding.
4. You should get a slow moving batter (flow-like-magma consistency).
5. Pipe the macaron batter onto baking paper.
6. Bake at 320F (160C) for 12 mins.
   
   

   

7. Let cool.
   
   

   

8. Fill the macaron shells with Mango Buttercream.

Halloween Recipe: Pumpkin Mont Blanc

A Mont Blanc is a cake or tart made of puréed chestnuts and whipped cream, often on a meringue base. It is named "Mont Blanc" because it is constructed to look like the Mont Blanc, the highest mountain in the Alps. In French, it is called Mont Blanc aux Marrons, or White Mountain with Chestnuts. In Italian, it is called Monte Bianco: Mont Blanc translated from French into Italian. Often sugar or cream will decorate the top of a Mont Blanc to resemble the snow-capped mountain.

Some sources claim that the cake was invented at the famous Angelina cafe in Paris. The cafe was founded in 1907, but it is uncertain when the Mont Blanc was added to the menu.

Since I was in a playful mood, I recreated this famous Mont Blanc dessert with a Halloween theme including a "Surprise Centre" - Ferraro Rondnoir chocolate ball. I replaced the puréed chestnuts with puréed pumpkin and I used chocolate coated Rice Krispies instead of meringue as the base. I have placed the Month Blanc in a pool of 'blood' which is made of puréed strawberries.

Mind you, although this Halloween dessert is complete with bloody, maggoty and wormy effects, it is super delicious. Think of these three wow factors: The sweet and sourly fresh strawberry sauce, the bitter sweet dark chocolate with crunchy Ferrero Rondnoir chocolate ball and crispy Rice Krispies and the spicy and creamy pumpkin buttercream.

May I present you the Halloween Pumpkin Mont Blanc, not for the faint hearted:
Pumpkin Mont Blanc Recipe
Serves 4

Ingredients

8 tbsp Kellogg Rice Krispies
50 g Dark Chocolate
4 x Ferrero Rondnoir (or any other chocolate balls, mousse, or truffles)
8 x strawberries

Pumpkin Buttercream (Adapted from A Year In The Kitchen):
2 sticks of unsalted butter at room temp.
1/2 cup pumpkin puree
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 lbs confectioner's sugar (more or less)

Method

1. Make Pumpkin Buttercream: Cream butter, pumpkin and spices. Slowly add sugar until the buttercream is no longer separated by the pumpkin. Use or keep chilled for up to 2 weeks.
2. Puree strawberries. Set aside.
3. Melt the dark chocolate, stir in Rice Krispies and mix well.
4. Place a round food ring on a serving plate. Scoop 2 tbsp of the chocolate Rice Krispies mix to make a round circle base and top it with a Ferrero Rondnoir chocolate ball.
   
   

   

5. Pipe the pumpkin buttercream using a spaghetti or small round nozzle with zigzag pattern.
6. Spoon strawberry puree around the pumpkin mont blanc before serving.

Honey and Ginger Roast Chicken

This is one of my favourite dish for dinner. Easy enough for a regular family dinner and sophisticated enough for a dinner party.

Have a good weekend!

Honey and Ginger Roast Chicken
Serves 4

Ingredients

10 cm piece fresh ginger (50 g), sliced thinly
1 medium lemon (140 g)
1/4 firmly (55 g)packed brown sugar
1/3 cup (120 g) honey
1/4 cup (60 ml) water
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 fresh large green chili, chopped, optional
4 x 350 g chicken Marylands (or 4 x drumsticks + 4 x chicken thigh cutlets)
3 green onions, sliced thinly

Method

1. Cut ginger slices into thin strips. Remove rind thinly for lemon using a zester, or peel rind with a vegetable peeler, avoiding the white pith; cut rind into thin strips.
2. Stir sugar, honey and the water in medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar is dissolved; bring to the boil. Add ginger; simmer, stirring, 5 minutes or until ginger is tender. Transfer to large heatproof bowl; stir in garlic, chili and rind.
3. Cut deep slashes through the thick part of the chicken flesh at 2 cm intervals; combine with honey ginger mixture. Cover; refrigerate 3 hours or overnight, turning chicken occasionally.
4. Preheat oven to 180C. Place chicken mixture, in single layer, in medium baking dish. Roast, uncovered, about 40 minutes or until chicken is browned and cooked through.
5. Top chicken with green onions and serve with steamed rice, if desired.
   
   

Halloween Recipe: Macaroni Cheese Bake in Coffin Toast

Believe it or not, I have never celebrated Halloween. I have never been to trick-or-treating when I was young, nor have I been to a Halloween party.

I contributed it to the fact that Halloween is not a popular event in Malaysia. Being born into a Chinese family, superstition rules over everything. Chinese are well known for their superstitiousness, especially the older generations. You won't see a Chinese family gathering together to share a dish that is associated with death. They don't dress up the children as unholy characters nor do they host a party with spooky ghostly theme.

Halloween is also not a huge event in Australia besides the children going for treat-or-tricking around the neighbourhood. During my first year living in Australia which was about 10 years ago, I had my first trick-or-treating encounter. Came October 31st. Evening. The door bell of our apartment rang. Door Opened. Group of kids with Halloween costumes. OMG!!! I had nothing to offer them..... Immediately ran to the fridge, took out cans of coke and handed them to the kids. They gave me a puzzled look but still left happily. Oh well... it's better than nothing, right? At least coca-cola is sweet and it's a treat to some kids :p

I was more prepared the following years with bowls and bowls of candies.

To be really honest with you, this is the first Halloween recipe I have ever made in my life.

So, are you ready to find out what is hidden inside the coffin toast??

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Tadah...................... It's macaroni cheese with a skeleton skull which is perfect for a timely Halloween dinner for kids or even for playful adults.

Macaroni Cheese Bake In Coffin Toast Recipe

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 mini bread loaves, unsliced (I use Mini White Flour Loaf from Bakers Delight)
1 cup macaroni pasta

30 g butter

2 tbsp plain flour

1 1/2 cups milk

3/4 cup grated tasty / cheddar cheese

Method

1. Slice the white loaf lengthway to create the coffin cover and cut out the centre to make a hollow of about 5 cm (2 inches) deep. Repeat with the other three loaves. Set aside.

   

2. Bring large saucepan of water to boil, gradually add macaroni, boil, uncovered, for about 12 minutes or until macaroni is tender; drain well.
3. Melt butter in a large saucepan, stir in flour. Stir constantly over medium heat for about 2 minutes or until mixture is bubbly; do not allow mixture to brown.
4. Remove from heat, gradually stir in milk. Return to heat, stir constantly over medium heat until the sauce boils and thickens slightly.
5. Add cheese, stir until melted.
6. Gently stir in macaroni.
7. Divide macaroni into the hollow loaves, butter the edges of the loaves and sprinkle top with a little extra cheese.

   

8. Place under hot grill for a few minutes or until lightly brown.

   

9. Place a skeleton skull on top of the macaroni cheese bake and gently push it in.

The Aftermath:

Little Miss C couldn't wait to dig in!

Mr J made a Salami toast out of the coffin cover.

Thai Mango and Sticky Rice Pudding (Khao Nieow Ma Muang)

It's spring time in Sydney. Mango is coming into season. I can't find a better way to welcome the mango season than making this classic Thai dessert - Mango and Sticky Rice Pudding which is arguably the best of Thai dessert.

On a side note, I haven't been writing much lately. My posts are short, just long enough to describe what I need to say about the recipes. There are two main reasons behind it.

My computer that I work on everyday (the one that I can't live without) has died last Friday. While nothing is lost on the hard disk but I will need to get a new computer which will take about 2-4 weeks to arrive. At the meantime, I am using the second unit: my tiny lapbook which is notoriously hard to type and edit photos.

The second reason is that we had too much fun on our recent Port Douglas holiday. We went on a 80km/h speed boat (the reef sprinter) to get to the Great Barrier Reef for snorkeling. While speeding against the wave, my old joints couldn't take it and shifted :p The force has aggravated my old neck and back injury which requires a couple of physio sessions to fix them. While at it, my physio has instructed me not to spend too much time in front of my desk.

So please bear with me :)

Mango and Sticky Rice Pudding (Khao Nieow Ma Muang)
(Adapted from Food of the Word Cookbook)
Serves 4

Ingredients

4 large ripe mangoes
200 g (1 cup) glutinous rice
170 ml (2/3 cup) coconut milk
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
170 ml (2/3 cup coconut cream mixed with 1/4 tsp salt, for garnish
2 tbsp dry-fried mung beans (optional)

Method

1. To Make Sticky Rice: Put the glutinous rice in a bowl and pour in cold water to come 5 cm (2 inches) above the rice. Soak for at least 3 hours, or overnight. Drain and transfer to a steamer. Spread the rice in the steamer. Cover and steam at low heat for 20-25 minutes or until the rice swells and is glistering and tender. The cooking time will vary depending on the soaking time.
2. While the rice is cooking, stir the coconut milk, sugar and salt in a small saucepan over low heat until the sugar has dissolved. As soon as the rice is cooked, use a wooden spoon to gently mix it with the coconut milk. Set aside for 15 minutes.
3. Peel the mangoes and slice off the two outside cheeks of each, removing as much flesh as you can in large pieces. Avoid cutting very close to the stone where the flesh is fibrous. Discard the stone. Slice each cheek lengthways into four or five pieces.
4. Arrange the mango pieces on a serving plate. Spoon a portion of steamed sticky rice with coconut milk near the mango slices. Spoon the coconut cream garnish on top and sprinkle with mung beans. Serve at room temperature.
   
   

Siew Bao (Baked BBQ Pork Buns / 烧包) - Guest Post at Rasa Malaysia

I was beyond excited when I received an email from Bee of Rasa Malaysia asking me to write a guest post at her blog.

I immediately decided to make this Siew Bao (Baked BBQ Pork Buns / 烧包), a savoury Asian snack made popular by my hometown Seremban, Malaysia.

Please stop by at Rasa Malaysia to check out the my guest post and recipe. To Bee, thanks for having me as your guest.

Curried Beef Pot Pie

This is an extremely easy pot pie recipe and yet it's full of wonderful flavours from the curry spices which makes an ideal evening meal for a lazy, chilly evening.

Curried Beef Pot Pie Recipe

(Adapted from The Good Housekeeping Step-by-Step Cookbook)

Ingredients

1 pound lean boneless beef chunk, cut into 1/2 inch cubes

3 tsp olive or vegetable oil

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tbsp curry powder

2 medium carrots, sliced

1 medium onion, diced

1 beef-flavour bouillon cube or envelope

3/4 tsp salt

1 tbsp cornstarch

10 ounces frozen peas

Ready-rolled puff pastry

1 egg yolk, light beaten

Method

1. Pat beef dry with paper towels. In 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat 2 tsp oil over medium-high heat; add beef and cook until browned on all sides. Stir in garlic and curry powder; cook 1 minute longer. With slotted spoon, transfer beef mixture to bowl. In same skillet, heat remaining 1 tsp oil; add carrots and onion and cook 10 minutes, or until browned.
2. Add beef, bouillon, salt, and 1 1/4 cups water; heat to boiling over high heat. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 1 hour. In cup, mix cornstarch and 1/4 cup water; gradually add to skillet. Cook over high heat, stirring until mixture thickens; boil 1 minute. Stir in peas; remove from heat.
3. Preheat oven to 220C.
4. Spoon filling into a large pie plate or 6 individual ramekins.
5. Shape the puff pastry into size that fit the pie plate or ramekins and plate the pastry onto of it.
6. Lightly brush the pastry surface with egg wash.
7. Bake in oven for 10-15 minutes or until pastry is puffed and golden brown.