Radish Cake/Chai Tow Kuih

This is taken from Lily Ng's blog. Thanks Lily.

Ingredients:
about 500 gms radish - shred finely or use a food processor to cut
500 gms rice flour
4 tbsp tapioca flour
1 tbsp
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tbsp sesame oil
1/2 tsp white pepper
about 750 ml water

For frying a plate :

1 bowl of diced radish cake
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1/2 - 1 tsp of fresh ground chilly or sambal olek
1 tbsp chopped preserved turnip (chai poh)
1/4 tsp sugar(omit if the chai poh is the sweet type)
1/2 tsp dark soya sauce
a handful of taugeh(green bean sprouts)
1 tsp chopped spring onions
a dash of white pepper
1 egg
2 tsp oil

Method:

To make the Chai Tow Kuih

Mix the ingredients together in a large glass bowl and microwave on high, 2 minutes at the time, stir well, until mixture has thickened or you can put them in a saucepan and cook over medium heat till the mixture has thickened.

Pour into a 10 inch round cake pan and steam on high heat for about 1/2 hour.

Leave to cool.

To fry one serving
Cut the cooled cake into cubes.

Using a non stick pan, heat 1 tsp oil and pan fry the diced kuih until very fragrant.(do not stir or turn kueh until it is brown on one side).

Remove kueh to the plate and heat the other tsp oil.

When oil is hot, add chopped garlic and fry until fragrant before adding the chilly.

Add the chai poh and sugar and saute until well mixed.

Add in the pan fried kueh and dark soy sauce. (Black version)

When well mixed, crack in the egg and fry until egg is cooked.

Add in the taugeh and stir fry (do not overcook the taugeh). Add  spring onions.

Dish out and dash with white pepper.

Enjoy while it is piping hot.

If you want the white version, omit the dark soy sauce.

Brazilian Cheese Bread (Pão de Queijo)

Adapted from: Simply Recipes
Makes about 20

I have been wanting to make this for the longest time and never really found the time or a good recipe. Had copied this and was in my drafts for so long and last Sunday being a long weekend, got off my butt and made this.

As I did not have a mini muffin tin, I used a flatter muffin tin and this is what came out from it.
Eat it warm and it is soooo good. If there's any left over, simply put them in a foil and heat up and it will taste just as good!

Ingredients:
1 egg, at room temperature
1/3 cup olive oil
2/3 cup milk
170 grams tapioca flour (tapioca starch)
about 100 grams grated cheese of your choice (I used 1/2 cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese)
1/2 tsp salt

Method:
Preheat the oven to 400°F (200 deg C).
Grease a mini-muffin tin generously.
Mix the wet ingredients first, then add the tapioca flour (starch), I used a whisk to mix them together.
Pour into the muffin tins and fill to the brim.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, until all puffy and just lightly browned. Remove from the oven and let cool on a rack for a few minutes. Eat while warm or save to reheat later.

Note: I bought a mini muffin tin yesterday and will revisit this site again in a couple of weeks time to see if I can get them to be a bit more ball like!

Singapore Part 1

Sunday, Feb 3 -back dated post.

Sorry my dear readers, have been back for almost 2 months and I have not posted pixs of my trip. Will be posting in stages.

Arrived in Singapore on Sunday, Feb 3 an hour early. Goodness, 11 plus hours for a flight to SG, that's a first and it was all because of a very strong tail wind!

Liana was late because she didnt check the timing and also she got played out the last time. She had to wait 3 hours cos the plane was delayed in London.

Anyway it was too bad, she and Roy got to the airport in record time, picked me up, went home showered and then we went out.

Went to have Dim Sum somewhere in near Mustafa called Swee Choon. Food was not too bad and although I dont really like paus, the salted egg paus were heavenly!

Friday, Feb 8
Dinner with my aunties and uncles from the Wee Clan - my father's side!
We had dinner at Pan Pacific Orchard (The old Negara Hotel) and the restaurant is called 1 The Claymore.
They serve a buffet dinner and also have an a la carte menu. The a la carte section has Penang specialities like Assam Laska (best - the gravy was nice and thick), Hokkien Prawn noodles, Penang Char Kuey Teow,  Rojak, to name a few and then they have Steak and fish dishes as well. These are all taster sizes but all very well done!

These were some of the buffet selection. And oh yes, they have seafood like lobster, crabs, crayfish and sushi!

Saturday, Feb 9
Reunion Dinner with my uncles and their families from my mother's side. We had dinner at Seafood International at East Coast Parkway and we were lucky my auntie managed to book the 7pm slot. They had 3 sittings - 5, 7 and 9!

Kaya

I had extra eggs that I wanted to use up and what better way to use it than make kaya! Kaya is our local word for egg coconut jam. It is sweet and moreish!

In the olden days pre slow cooker, I watched my mum making kaya by cooking it in a double boiler and standing over it and stirring away to prevent it from being burnt.

I think you will all know by now that I always try to find short cut ways to cook, and I have seen my friends making kaya with a slow cooker and here is my way.

Ingredients:

400ml thick coconut cream 
10 eggs, lightly beaten
400g regular fine sugar *
10 pandan leaves, washed and tied into a knot

Method:

1. Wash pandan leaves throughly & knot them.
2.Assemble all ingredients in a slow cooker.
3, Switch on slow cooker on high and stir mixture till sugar thoroughly dissolves.
4. Remove cover & stir mixture from the bottom every 30 minutes.
5. Cook for a total of 1 - 1 1/2 hours.

 The kaya will be lumpy and there will be some liquid at the bottom of the slow cooker. Dont worry about this as once it has been blended, everything will be fine.

After blending, this is the final result

Kaya on muffin!

Note: I did not add any pandan colouring to the kaya, hence it is very light green from the pandan leaves. But if you like you ca  fry one or two tablespoons sugar separately and stir in the caramel. Add this to the kaya to achieve the golden colour.

400gm of sugar may seem sweet but when spread on bread, it is just nice!

Harry Potter Museum

Harry Potter museum was opened sometime this year in May and though we had a chance to visit it in October, we had to pass on it. And then James and his girls (our guests during Christmas) wanted to visit it, and we managed to get tickets for it.

The museum is set in the grounds of Leavesden studio in Watford. This is a  unique walking tour and showcases the sets, costumes and secrets behind the show. It takes about 3 hours to view the exhibits and wonder round the museum!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas

We had a family of 5 come stay with us from Christmas eve to 30 Jan. It was really nice having them around.
We went for Christmas mass this morning then came back and rested for a bit and then had to start preparing for dinner.

Something was wrong with me this morning, not feeling too well, but as they say, the show must go on.....

As we are not too keen on Turkey, tonight's dinner menu will be:
Roast pork (sio bak)
Roast beef
Roast potatoes
with side vegetables
Desserts: Mango and passion fruit trifle and agar2 gula melaka

Rendang

There are so many versions of rendang and mine is kind of a shortened or easier version. I have used curry powder whereas purists may want to use star anise, cumin, coriander, etc. But for me, even with this easier version, it still tastes just as good. Oh yes, if you are worried about cholesterol from the coconut milk, you can even use light evaporated milk and it tastes just as good as the coconut milk version!

Ingredients:

(Spice paste - rempah)
1 big onion
1 inch galangal
1 inch ginger
3 cloves garlic
4 candlenuts
3 stalks lemon grass (white part only)
10 dried chillies (soaked)

700 gms stewing beef cut into cubes
2 stalks lemongrass - white part only (bash the thick part with cleaver or mortar)
400 ml coconut milk or
evaporated milk
1 - 2 tbsp curry powder *
3 kaffir lime leaves (cut into small strips)
3 tbsp dessicated coconut (dry fried to light brown)

Seasoning:
1 tsp sugar
salt

Method:
1. Combine all the spice paste ingredients and blend into a fine paste. Set aside
2.  Heat a saucepan till hot and add oil, then add the blended paste ingredients and fry for a few minutes until  
fragrant. Add curry powder and mix well and then add the cubed beef and fry till beef is browned.
3. Add coconut milk or evaporated milk and bring to the boil. Add bashed lemongrass. Once mixture has come to the boil, cover with lid and simmer for about half and hour.
4. After half an hour, add in the fried coconut, sliced kaffir lime leaves, seasoning and cover again and simmer till beef is tender.
5. Once beef is almost ready, if gravy has not thickened, remove lid and simmer till gravy is thickened.