Penang Acar

Acar is a very typical Nyonya dish that will adrone the tables of any true-blue Peranakan in Malaysia. Acar is actually a Hindustani word for a spicy pickle.

In my hometown of Malaysia, this dish too is a pickle which is made up of various types of vegetables in a spicy sauce. Each Peranakan family would have their own family recipe where Acar is concerned. In fact the Acar found in Penang and that in Malacca varies as well. But whatever it is, it is delicious especially if eaten with rice.  Sometimes it is served together with Nasi Lemak (Coconut Rice) another typical Malaysian dish.



However the process of puting this dish together is somewhat labourious and therefore you cannot compare the homemade version to that found sold in supermarkets. The ground spices need to be prepared and there is lot of cutting and slicing involved. But once the dish is put together, you will be glad that you had put in such an effort because it is really delicious!

In the days of my grandmother, I remember that she would make Acar quite often especially when Chinese New Year was around the corner.  In those days, a food processor was non-existent and a mortar and pestel was used instead.  The blanched and cut vegetables would be strewn out onto wooden weaved rattan baskets and dried under the sun before it was drenched in the spicy sauce.  Nowadays recipes of our grandmothers are shortened and quick-easy shortcuts are taken.  Thinking back I really do miss some of the dishes my grandmother had made!


Penang Acar
Makes about 2.5kg
Recipe Adapted from "Malaysian" by Betty Saw

Ingredients to be cut:

1.25kg cucumber, half lengthwise, center core removed and cut into 1.5" long strips
1 large carrot, peeled and cut into 1.5" long strips
300g long beans, cut into 1.5" length
500g chinese cabbage, cut into 2.5" square pieces
300g cauliflower, cut into bit size florets
600g roasted peanuts, skin removed, and coarsely grounded
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp salt
450ml white vinegar
180g sugar
500ml cooking oil

Ingredients to be grinded (A):

20 pieces dried chillies soaked to soften
6 red chillies

Ingredients to be grinded (B):

360g shallots, peeled
1 bulb garlic, peeled
1" piece fresh tumeric, peeled
1" piece fresh galangal, peeled
4 candlenuts

Method:

1) Place cucumber and carrot strips in a bowl.  Mix weall with 1 Tbsp salt and leave for 30 minutes.  Then wash thoroughly with water and drain. Using a piece of muslin cloth, squeeze out as much water as possible from the vegetable strips.

2) Half fill a large pot with water, add half of the vinegar and bring to a boil.  Add a pinch of salt to the water.  Then blanch the vegetables in batches for about 4 minutes.  Remove and transfer to a colander, drain well.

3) Lay the blanced vegetables out in the sun to dry for about 30 minutes.  If there is no sun, place them under a fan to dry out for about 90 minutes

4) Heat a large wok or large frying pan.  Add the oil and once hot, fry ground ingredients (A) for 2 minutes.  Then add in ground ingredients (B) and fry until fragrant and the oil separates - about 10 minutes.  Add remaining vinegar, sugar and 1 tsp of salt.  Stir in the peanuts and mix thoroughly.

5) Last add in the vegetables and stir well.  Keep acar overnight in the refrigerator for the flavours to develop.  To serve, dish out and add a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.

* Acar can be kept in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks.

Kerabu Beehoon (Rice Vermicelli Salad)

Throughout this blog I have featured a few Nyonya or Peranakan recipes. Nyonya or Peranakan Recipes is a combination of dishes that incoporates sour, sweet, salty, hot and spicy. The best of Nyonya recipes are their curries (spicy or mild), soups, vegetable dishes, salads and pickles. Besides this, they are also known for their all-time favorite nyonya desserts recipes and nyonya kuih recipes which are easy and simple to cook or prepare.



Nyonya food is influenced by the combination of many cultures. Nyonya cuisine is now acknowledged as one of the earliest examples of Asian exotic and fusion food. The secrets to Nyonya method of cooking is by the infamous "agak-agak", translated means rough estimates method as most of these recipes have been passed down through generations, from great grandmother, to grandmother, to mother and then to daughter. Most of the time these recipes are not properly documented and as a result of this a number of nyonya recipes have been lost.





Kerabu Beehoon (Rice Vermicelli Salad)
Recipe Adapted from "Chef Wan"
Serves 5 - 6

Ingredients:

8 fresh red chillies, deseeded, finely pounded (add more chillies if you want a spicier dish)
1" roasted shrimp paste or 2 tsp shrimp paste granules
8 Tbsp Palm Sugar (Gula Melaka), grated
7 Tbsp Fish Sauce
10 Calamansi Lime Juice (you can substitute with about 5 - 6 limes)
250g dried Shrimps (Hebi, Udang Kering), stir-fry crisp and finely pounded
500g fresh prawns, shelled, blanched in boiling water, deveined and kept whole
300g Rice Vermicelli (Bee Hoon), cooked and drained
3 tomatoes, remove seeds and cut roughly into cubes
3 cloves garlic, peeled and finely pounded
1 inch Ginger, peeled and finely pounded
250g roasted peanuts, pounded lightly so that you still the crunch
150 g / 9 oz crisp-fried Shallots (Bawang Goreng)
4 Kaffir Lime Leaves (daun limau purut), sliced into thin narrow strips
6 pieces of beancurd puffs, toasted and then cut into small cubes
4 Lemongrass (Serai), thinly sliced
10 Shallots (Red Onion), peeled and finely sliced (can replace with other onion though wont be so fragrant)
170g Chinese Parsley, finely chopped (use the stem as well)
125g Laksa Leaves or Vietnamese Mint (Daun Kesum), finely chopped. Can substitute with normal mint but taste of the dish will be different

Method:

1) In a small bowl, place garlic, fish sauce, palm sugar and half the lime juice and stir well until the sugar has dissolved.

2) In a large salad bowl, place all the other ingredients with the exception of the dressing. Mix well.

3) Then pour in the dressing and toss well. Slowly add in the rest of the lime juice, adjust taste accordingly to how sour you wish the salad to be. Also adjust seasoning and add more fish sauce if required.

4) Leave salad to stand for about 15 - 20 minutes before serving. Left overs should be kept in the refrigerator to be consumed within 24 hours.

Yam Som-O (Spicy Pomelo Salad)

I was pleasantly surprised when I was checking my personal emails one evening to receive an invitation from Jasmine to attend a Food Bloggers tea-party. I did not know who Jasmine was but did know a couple of bloggers on the invitation list, namely Edith and Zhuoyuan . The tea-party would be hosted at Edith's house. This would not be the first time Edith would be hosting a food bloggers gathering. A year and half ago, she had hosted our first gathering and it was a tremendous success. Again Edith has so kindly opened her beautiful home to all of us.





As usual whenever food bloggers get together there would be a huge assortment of treats. This time round was no exception and the menu consisted mainly of desserts with a couple of savoury items thrown in. Almost everyone brought two types of desserts and we ended up with a huge feast. We had cupcakes, brownies, lemon bars, durian swiss roll, durian chiffon cake, cheesecakes, meat balls, macarons and more. Check out the below blogs of my "old" and new blogger friends, each and every one so very talented as well.

Edith of Precious Moments
Wendy of Wen's Delight
Cathy of Cathy's Joy
Jean of Noms I Must
Jess of J3ss Kitch3n
Jasmine of The Sweetylicious
Zhuoyuan of Baking Library

I decided to bring something savoury instead. And as I didn't have much time over the week, I made a Thai pomelo salad instead.



Yam Som-O (Spicy Pomelo Salad)
Serves 6

Ingredients:

1 medium sized pomelo or 2 grapefruits
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp sugar
150g cooked prawns, sliced half lengthwise
200gm cooked chicken breast, shredded
2 Tbsp dessicated coconut
1/2 cup coconut cream
1 Tbsp dried shrimp, toasted and finely chopped
1 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Handful of mint leaves

Method:

1) Peel pomelo and shread the flesh. Leave as chunky pieces.

2) Place lime juice, fish sauce and sugar in a bowl and stir to mix until sugar has dissolved.

3) Then add in the prawns, chicken, dessicated coconut and coconut cream. Toss to coat the pomelo. Add in the mint leaves and transfer to serving platter. Sprinkle the top with dried shrimp and toasted sesame seeds and a few mint leaves.

4) Serve immediately as this salad does not keep over night.

Vegetarian Chickpea Burgers

When we think about vegetarian meals in the past, the first thing that would have come to our minds would be boring! If we think about it in today's context, we probably would not be using this word at all. Vegetarian meals have certainly come a long ways, both in Western and Asian cuisine.

As with any diet, the key to a healthy vegetarian or vegan diet is to eat a wide variety of foods, including fruits, vegetables, plenty of leafy greens, whole grain products, nuts, seeds, and legumes. As I was reading the internet, I found the below information extracted from AllRecipes.com to be very interesting. It lists down the different nutritions found in a vegetarian diet.

For Protein

Tofu, tempeh, beans and peas, seeds and nuts, as well as mycoprotein (from fungi) are some of the foods highest in protein. Pasta and whole wheat breads are also good sources. Essential for cellular growth and repair, proteins play a crucial role in virtually all biological processes in the body. Plant-based sources of protein are lower in saturated fats--and often lower in total fat--than animal protein.

For Calcium

Broccoli, some green leafy vegetables (collard greens, turnip greens, mustard greens, and bok choy), and almonds and brazil nuts are good sources of calcium. Tofu made with calcium sulfate is also a good source, as are dried figs. Calcium is essential to bone health.

For Iron

Good sources of iron are spinach and turnip greens, whole grains (including whole wheat bread), black-eyed peas, lentils, peas, and some dried fruits (dried apricots, prunes, and raisins). Eating iron-rich foods with foods containing vitamin C can increase iron absorption: a few slices of tomato with your spinach salad can make a difference. Iron is needed by the body for the formation of blood.

For Zinc

White beans, kidney beans, and chickpeas, as well as wheat germ and pumpkin seeds are all good plant sources of zinc. Zinc helps the immune system function properly, and is estimated to be in thousands of proteins in the human body

Vitamin B12

Eggs and dairy products are good sources of vitamin B12. Fermented soy products, seaweeds, and algae such as spirulina have all been cited as containing significant B12. However, the B12 present in plant foods may not be in a form usable to humans, and so these foods should not be relied upon as safe sources. For this reason, many vegan foods are supplemented with B12. This vitamin helps maintain healthy nerve cells and red blood cells. It is also needed to help make DNA, the genetic material in all cells.



Vegetarian Chickpea Burgers
Recipe adapted from "Everyday with Rachel Ray"
Serves 4

Ingredients:
One 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 - 2 chipolate chilli, diced finely (alternatively you can use 1 fresh chilli)
1/3 cup packed chilantro leaves, then rougly chopped
1/3 cup packed basil leaves, then roughly chopped
2/3 cup bread crumbs
Salt and black pepper
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
4 thin slices cheddar cheese
4 hamburger buns
Dijon mustard, ketchup or mayonnaise, for serving

Method:

1) In a food processor, pulse the chickpeas until finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and stir in the cilantro, basil, bread crumbs and seasoning. Mix to incorporate all the ingredients. Then stir in the egg and form the mixture into 4 patties, each about 2/3 inch thick.

2) In a large skillet or grill pan, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Cook the burgers for 4 minutes, then flip and cook for 3 minutes more. Top the patties with the cheese slices for the last minute of cooking. Serve the cheeseburgers on the hamburger buns with mustard, ketchup or mayonnaise. Garnish with sliced tomatoes and cucumber.

Chinese Stir Fried Mixed Vegetables

Over the last couple of weeks, I have been an emotional baggage. I am slowly coming to terms with my loss but I think as time goes by, it will be better. I am extremely grateful for the family and friends support that I have had over this difficult period. It is also amazing that I have had emails and words of encouragement from bloggers whom I have never even met before, all giving me emotional support ... to this I thank each and every one of you.

I will continue to keep blogging as it is something I love doing. My hubby has always said that I tend to go overboard at times, especially over the weekend as I may even go to the extend of trying out 3 new recipes in one day. He would always be my official "taster" especially when it comes to savoury foods. I had also been cooking a bit more lately just to indulge his stomach.

I will definitely be coming back to my regular blogging schedule, so stay tuned for more recipes. In the meantime, I leave you with this quick stir fried vegetable recipe.



Chinese Stir Fried Mixed Vegetables
serves 8 - 10

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp sunflower oil
1 Tbsp sesame oil
3 garlic clove, smashed and roughly chopped
1 medium sized yellow onion, half and then sliced
250g broccoli and cauliflower florets (mixed), cut into small pieces
1 packet sugar snap peas (about 160g)
1 medium carrot (160), sliced about 1/4" thick
10 shitake mushrooms, sliced in half
170g red capsicum, remove seeds and cut into 1" square
1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp oyster sauce
2 Tbsp Chinese rice wine
1/2 water
1 Tbsp water mixed with 1 1/2 tsp cornflour
Salt and white pepper, to taste

Method:

1) Heat the sunflower and sesame oils in a preheated wok or large frying pan, add the garlic and onion and stir-fry for 30 seconds.

2) Add the broccoli/cauliflower florets and carrots and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add 1/4 cup water and mix in. Cover your frying pan and let it steam for about 30 seconds.

3) Then add the sugar snap peas, capsicum and mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes.

4) Add in the seasonings and remaining water and stir-fry for a further 3 minutes, or until the vegetables are just tender. (Do not overcook) Taste and then dish out. Serve immediately.

Cold Potato Salad

Don't you think that every BBQ should have a potato salad? I do! To me a cold potato salad sort of balances out the grilled foods. Plus it is really no joke standing over a BBQ pit in temperaturs of 24C and a humidity of 90s and still try to grill some sausages and chicken wings. So a cold dish works awfully well in such circumstances. Sometimes I envy those of you who live in much cooler climates .... it would be so much fun to have a BBQ, say in autumn or spring.

My ex colleague organized a BBQ at her place couple of months ago and I volunteered to bring some potato salad. It was a great gathering as I managed to catch up with other ex-colleagues, some of whom I have not seen for the last 10 years. We had so much food as well - satays, curry chicken, BBQ spicey stingray and calamari and chicken wings. Not forgetting we also had dessert after that.



Cold Potato Salad
Serves 4
Recipe Adapted from "Classic Essential - Potatos" published by Periplus Mini Cookbooks

Ingredients:

600g waxy white or red potatoes unpeeled (eg. russett potatos)
1 large sized red onion, finely chopped
1 small green capsicum, chopped
1 small red capsicum, chopped
3 celery sticks, chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped spring onion

For the Dressing:

3/4 cup (185g) whole egg mayonnaise
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar or lemon juice (add more if you like it a bit sourish)
3 Tbsp sour cream
1 tsp dried mixed herbs or Italian herbs
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

Method:

1) Boil potatoes in big pot of water until cook. If potatoes are very large, cut them in half. Drain and cool completely. Then remove skin and cut into 1" cubes.

2) Combine the celery, onion and capsicum with the cubed potatoes in a large mixing bowl.

3) In another bowl, add all the ingredients for the dressing and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

4) Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to combine. Transfer to a serving bowl. Garnish with spring onion. Cover salad bowl with clingwrap and place into refrigerator for about an hour. Serve cold.

Daring Cooks Challenge with Nut Butters

The July 2010 Daring Cooks’ Challenge was hosted by Margie of More Please and
Natashya of Living in the Kitchen with Puppies . They chose to challenge Daring Cooks to make their own nut butter from scratch, and use the nut butter in a recipe. Their sources include Better with Nut Butter by Cooking Light Magazine, Asian Noodles by Nina Simonds, and Food Network online.

Nutrition research suggests that nuts are good for your health. Nut butters, or pureed nuts, make it easy to use nuts in cooking. Although peanut butter is a staple in North America, most popular as the star ingredient in peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and beloved in peanut butter cookies and other sweets, it's seldom used in preparing savory dishes. Nut butters -- including not only peanut butter but almond, cashew, and walnut butters -- are common ingredients in many Asian and African countries, used in a wide array of savory dishes. Nut butters add complex & interesting flavors to dishes, provide body & thickness to sauces, and can be used to replace the dairy fats or other oils in recipes.

I was very excited with this month's challenge as using nuts in cooking can be found in a number of Asian recipes. I decided to go all out Asian this month and be even more adventurous than normal. In fact I decided to come up with two recipes. The first recipe is Gado-Gado or Indonesian Salad with a Peanut Sauce.





Gado-Gado (Indonesian Salad with Peanut Sauce)
Recipe Adapted from "Meals from Asian Kitchen"
Serves 4 - 5

Ingredients for the Salad:

300g water convolvulous (kangkong), cut into 3" length, blanched
500g beansprout, cleaned and blanched
200g longbeans, cut into 3cm length, blanched
300g cabbage cut into bite sized and blanched
400g cucumber, cut into bite sized pieces and blanched
4 hard boiled egges, cut into quarters
3 large soya bean cakes (taukwa), fried and cut into 1" cubes
200g boiled potatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
3 pieces of tempeh (fermented soya bean cakes), fried and cut into bite sized pieces
2 - 3 cups of prawn crackers

Ingredients for the Sauce:

500g raw peanuts
20 fresh red chillies
150g shallots
4 cloves garlic
2" x 2" piece shrimp paste (belacan)
80g palm sugar (gula melaka) cut into small pieces
50g tamarind paste, soaked in 225ml water
Oil
Salt to taste

Method:

1) Prepare vegetables and other salad ingredients and arrange on a large platter. Set aside.

2) Grind chillies, shallot garlic and shrimp paste and set aside.

3) Roast the peanuts, cool and remove skin. Pound coarsely. Boil the peanuts in 1 litre of water for an hour over low fire. Stir occassionally

4) Fry the grinded paste with 3 tbsp oil until fragrant. Remove and add this to the peanuts which have been cooking for 1 hour. Stir well to mix and cook for 5 mins.

5) Now include the palm sugar, tamarind sauce and salt to taste. Simmer for another 5 mins. Transfer to a serving bowl.

6) Serve salad with prawn crackers and peanut sauce.





My second recipe is Glutinous Rice Ball or Tang Yuan (汤圆 in Chinese), also known as Ah Balling, is a Teochew Chinese Dessert. Basically, it comprises glutinous rice balls served in a hot sweet soup, such as peanut soup or even ginger soup. It has a filling which can be made of peanut paste, yam or black sesame paste. In Chinese culture, it is traditionally served on Dong Zhi, the winter solstice. By eating tang yuan, you welcome in the winter and become one year older. Tang yuan makes a delicious winter snack and is easy to prepare. Despite its association with mid-winter, it can be enjoyed at any time of year. I decided to make mine with a black sesame paste filling.



Glutinous Rice Dumplings with Black Sesame Paste (Tang Yuan)
Recipe Adapted from Rasa Malaysia

Ingredients:

8 oz. glutinous rice (sticky rice) flour
180 ml water (3/4 cup water)
1/4 cup black sesame seeds
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 stick unsalted butter (1/4 cup or 4 tablespoons)

Ginger syrup

50g of fresh ginger
80g of sugarcane rock sugar
10g of pandan leaves (tied into a knot)
10g of chrysanthemum flowers
4 cups of water

Method:

1) Lightly toast the black sesame seeds over medium fire until you smell the aroma of the black sesame seeds. The sesame seeds will start popping when they are heated, so use your lid to cover. Don’t burn the black sesame seeds; transfer them out and let cool as soon as they smell aromatic.

2) Use a mini food processor to grind the black sesame seeds until they become fine. Transfer the ground black sesame into a wok, add sugar and butter and stir well to form a thick paste. If they are too dry, add more butter. Dish out and let cool in the fridge. (This will make the filling easier to handle)

3) In a big bowl, mix the glutinous rice flour with water until it forms a smooth paste and no longer sticks to your hands. Divide it equally into 16-20 balls (depends how you like the size, the bigger the size, the easier it is to do the filling). Flatten each ball in your palm, and then use a pair of chopsticks to pick up some black sesame paste and lay it in the middle of the flatten ball. Fold the edge to seal the dumpling. Lightly roll it into a ball shape using both palms, very gently and delicately. Set aside.

4) Prepare the ginger syrup by boiling the water. Add the ginger and screwpine/pandan leaves (optional) into the water and boil for 10-15 minutes with medium heat. Add sugar and chrysanthemum flowers and boil for another 5 minutes. Lower heat to simmer and reduce to about 3 cups of water. Add more sugar to taste if you like.

5) Heat up another pot of boiling water. Drop the dumplings into the hot boiling water. As soon as they float to the top, transfer them out and into the ginger syrup. Turn off heat and serve the black sesame dumplings in a bowl immediately.

Cook’s Notes:

Don’t be too greedy with the black sesame paste. Use moderate amount for your dumplings or else the dumplings might “burst” when you roll them into balls. They might also “burst” during boiling.

You want to boil the dumplings separately so the ginger syrup doesn’t get cloudy. In case some of your black sesame dumplings burst, you will not ruin the ginger syrup.

If you wish to have the black sesame dumplings without the ginger syrup, just boil them in the hot boiling water and serve your dumplings with that hot water. Eat only the dumplings, but not the hot water.

Kuih Pie Tee aka "Top Hats"

If you are not familiar with this snack, you'll probably wondering what is Kuih Pie Tee or "Top Hat". It is a very popular Malaysian Nyonya snack dish, particularly so in Malacca (a state in Malaysia which is famous for it's Nyonya cuisine). It consist of a crispy tart-like shell which has a vegetable/seafood filing. The shell itself looks like an inverted top hat, thus earning it's nickname of "Top Hat".

I have read from Bee of Rasa Malaysia that making this delicious snack was no easy feat. I guess I was not convinced and dived head-on into making some kuih pie tee over the weekend. I was already forwarned that frying the casings would take a long time. And after attempting this recipe, I can attest to having a sore back and tired legs. My initial frying resulted in about a dozen spoilt casings due the oil being too hot or not hot enough, I released the cases too early from its mould, the batter coating was too thin or the cases stuck completely to the mould.

Later on I sort of got a hang of things and the cases came out pretty nicely. But after about three plus hours of frying the cases, I finally threw in the towel and made do with what I already had made. The kuih pie tees were delicious though but I told my hubby that "never again will I do this". I'd rather pay for pre-made ones even though they are expensive. I guess the saying of "no pain, no gain" really rings through with this recipe.













Kuih Pie Tee aka "Top Hats"

Ingredients for the Pie Tee Cases:

180gm rice flour
50gm corn flour
50gm plain flour
1 egg
1/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 egg
400ml water

Ingredients for the Filling:

1 1/2 cup turnip or jicama (sengkuang), julienned
1/2 cup carrot, julienned
1/3 cup thinly sliced shitake mushroom
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp dried shrimp, slightly pounded
5 medium fresh prawns, shelled, deveined and chopped
1 Tbsp of oyster sauce
Salt, light soy sauce and white pepper powder to taste

For Garnishing:

Cilantro, finely chopped (optional)
Shallot crisp (optional)
Bottled chilli garlic sauce

Method for the Cases:

1) Mix all ingredients a bowl until all flour is incorporated, whisk the batter until smooth. Sieve the batter and leave it to stand for one hour.

2) Heat oil in a wok or a small saucepan. Once the oil is hot, lower the fire.

3) Place the pie tee mould into the oil to get it hot. This is to ensure that the batter will stick to the mould easily. Do not overheat the mould.

3) Dip the oiled mould to about 90% of its height into the batter. Ensure that it is evenly coated. Shake the mould slightly to drip off excess batter.

4) Place the mould with batter into the oil and hold on to it for a few seconds. Make sure that the oil does not sizzle or your batter will puff up.

5) Once the batter is semi set release the case from the mould by jiggling the mould up and down or use a fork to loosen the edges. Hold on the casing with the mould for a while to make sure that the casing hardens up enough to retain its shape. If you release it too early from the mould, the case will collapse and flatten out.

6) Once released, allow the case to deep fry until golden brown. Remove from oil and allow to cool completely. Store in air-tight container. The cases should be consumed within a day or two. If the casing has soften slight, you can pop them into the oven to crisp them up.

7) Dip the empty mould back into the oil to heat up again before starting on the next casing.

8) Fry as many cases as you want. The balance batter can be refrigerated (store in air-tight container) and used the next day.







Method for the Filing:

1) Add some oil into a wok and fry the dried shrimp until fragrant. Careful not to burn it. Remove from wok.

2) Add a bit more oil and fry the chopped garlic until light brown. Add in the vegetables, the fried dried shrimp and fresh chopped shrimp. Add in the oyster sauce and 1/4 cup of water to the vegetables and cook until soften. Season to taste.

3) To serve, fill the cases with the filling, top with garnishing and serve with chili sauce.

Bang Bang Chicken Salad

A lazy Sunday usually means a quick and easy to prepare dinner for me. This particular Sunday was one of those and as we had already been stuffing ourselves the day before I decided to whip up something light. So I decided that I would mix up a salad and this particular recipe looked just right. It had simple to find ingredients and easy enough method.

Would you believe that this is just what we had for dinner that night? It's a really refreshing salad and the dressing reminded me of "Yee Sang". For those who have not heard of this dish, yee sang or yuu sahng (simplified Chinese: 鱼生; pinyin: yúshēng), also known as lo hei (Cantonese for 撈起 or 捞起) is a Teochew-style raw fish salad. It usually consists of strips of raw fish (most commonly salmon), mixed with shredded vegetables and a variety of sauces and condiments, among other ingredients. Yee Sang literally means "raw fish". To the Chinese community in Malaysia and Singapore, eating this dish during the Chinese New Year symbolises abundance, prosperity and vigor.



Bang Bang Chicken Salad
Recipe Adapted from "Good Cooking" by Jill Dupleix
Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 chicken breast halves
2 slices peeled fresh ginger
4 stalks of green onion or spring onion
2 stalks chinese celery leaf, cut into 1" length
1 carrot peeled
1 cup thinly sliced iceberg lettuce
1 cucumber peeled
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (or white vinegar)
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
1 tablespoon toasted crushed peanuts
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

For the Dressing:

1 tablspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoon peanut butter
1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce (I used bottled Thai sweet chili sauce)
2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 small, finely sliced fresh red chili (seeds removed)

Method:

1) Put the chicken into a pan with 1 teaspoon salt, giner and enough cold water to cover. Finely shred the green onion and add half to the pan. Bring to a simmer and poach gently for 15 mins. Remove from the heat and leave for 30 mins, then drain.

2) Cut the cucumber, carrot into matchsticks or you can use a grater and grate it into long strips.

3) Finely shread the chicken and combine with cucumber, carrot, lettuce, remaining green onion and celery leaf. Add the sesame oil, vinegar and pepper and toss to mix. Arrange in four bowls or plates.

4) To make the dressing, mix the sesame oil, peanut butter, chili sauce, soy, sugar and vinegar to a paste. Gradually whisk in up to 1/2 cup water until running but still quick thick. Add in the chili and mix well.

6) Spoon the dressing over the chicken salad, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds and peanuts, and serve as a starter or as part of a Chinese meal.

Mezze Platter - a Daring Cooks Challenge!

The 2010 February Daring Cooks challenge was hosted by Michele of Veggie Num Nums. Michele chose to challenge everyone to make mezze based on various recipes from Claudia Roden, Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Dugid.

I really had fun with this month's challenge and am really glad I decided to sign up as a Daring Cook. I've had middle eastern food before at Turkish/Lebanese restaurants in Singapore and also had a chance to visit Turkey many years ago. To me Turkey was such an experience - the country, the people and the food. I loved it whilst there and hope to have the opportunity to visit again.

Having said that cooking middle eastern food is totally new to me. Had it not been for this challenge, I can rightfully say that I would not even attempt it. I managed to dedicate one Sunday afternoon to prepare this for our Sunday dinner. My husband has never tasted hummus before and he simply loved it. I also made a separate dip made of basil pesto and macadamians which he loved as well. I don't suppose this is a middle eastern dip?



Pita Bread
Recipe adapted from Flatbreads & Flavors by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid
Prep time: 20 minutes to make, 90 minutes to rise and about 45 minutes to cook

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons regular dry yeast (.43 ounces/12.1 grams)
2.5 cups lukewarm water (21 ounces/591 grams)
5-6 cups all-purpose flour (may use a combination of 50% whole wheat and 50% all-purpose, or a combination of alternative flours for gluten free pita) (17.5 -21 ounces/497-596 grams)
1 tablespoon table salt (.50 ounces/15 grams)
2 tablespoons olive oil (.95 ounces/29 ml)

Method:

1) In a large bread bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. Stir to dissolve. Stir in 3 cups flour, a cup at a time, and then stir 100 times, about 1 minute, in the same direction to activate the gluten. Let this sponge rest for at least 10 minutes, or as long as 2 hours.

2) Sprinkle the salt over the sponge and stir in the olive oil. Mix well. Add more flour, a cup at a time, until the dough is too stiff to stir. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Rinse out the bowl, dry, and lightly oil. Return the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until at least doubled in size, approximately 1 1/2 hours.

3) Place a pizza stone, or two small baking sheets, on the bottom rack of your oven, leaving a 1-inch gap all around between the stone or sheets and the oven walls to allow heat to circulate. Preheat the oven to 450F (230C).

4) Gently punch down the dough. Divide the dough in half, and then set half aside, covered, while you work with the rest. Divide the other half into 8 equal pieces and flatten each piece with lightly floured hands. Roll out each piece to a circle 8 to 9inches in diameter and less than 1/4 inch thick. Keep the rolled-out breads covered until ready to bake, but do not stack.

5) Place 2 breads, or more if your oven is large enough, on the stone or baking sheets, and bake for 2 to 3 minutes, or until each bread has gone into a full balloon. If for some reason your bread doesn't puff up, don't worry it should still taste delicious. Wrap the baked breads together in a large kitchen towel to keep them warm and soft while you bake the remaining rolled-out breads. Then repeat with the rest of the dough.



Hummus
Recipe adapted from The New Book of Middle Eastern Food by Claudia Roden
Prep Time: Hummus can be made in about 15 minutes once the beans are cooked. If you’re using dried beans you need to soak them overnight and then cook them the next day which takes about 90 minutes.

Ingredients:

1.5 cups dried chickpeas, soaked in cold water overnight (or substitute well drained canned chickpeas and omit the cooking) (10 ounces/301 grams)
2-2.5 lemons, juiced (3 ounces/89ml)
2-3 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
a big pinch of salt
4 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste) OR use peanut butter or any other nut butter—feel free to experiment) (1.5 ounces/45 grams)

Method:

1) Drain and boil the soaked chickpeas in fresh water for about 1 ½ hours, or until tender. Drain, but reserve the cooking liquid.

2) Puree the beans in a food processor (or you can use a potato masher) adding the cooking water as needed until you have a smooth paste.

3) Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. Adjust the seasonings to taste.


Mezza Platter with everything on it



Middle Eastern Sesame Lamb Meatballs With Cucumber Yogurt Dip
Recipe "Arabesque: A Taste of Morocco, Turkey, and Lebanon" by Claudia Roden
Makes about 32 meatballs

Ingredients:

1/3 cup minced onion
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon dried mint, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
a pinch cinnamon
1 pound ground lamb (10% fat)
1 cup fine fresh bread crumbs
1 large egg, beaten lightly
2 tablespoons dried currants
1/4 cup black sesame seeds*
1/4 cup white sesame seeds, toasted lightly

*available at Asian markets and some specialty foods shops and supermarkets

To make the meatballs:

In a small non-stick skillet cook onion and garlic in oil over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Transfer mixture to a bowl and stir in mint, salt, allspice, and cinnamon. Add lamb, bread crumbs, egg, and currants and combinewell. Form level tablespoons of lamb mixture into 1 1/4-inch meatballs, arranging on a tray as formed.

In a small bowl roll half of meatballs, 1 at a time, in black sesame seeds until coated, transferring to a rack set in a shallow baking pan. Coat remaining meatballs with white sesame seeds in same manner, transferring to rack. Meatballs may be prepared up to this point 1 day ahead and chilled, covered loosely.

Preheat oven to 450°F.

Bake meatballs in upper third of oven 8 to 10 minutes, or until golden and just cooked through.

Cucumber and Yogurt Sauce
Yields about 1 cup

1/2 cup peeled, seeded, and finely diced English cucumber
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
Kosher salt
1/2 cup plain whole-milk or lowfat yogurt, preferably Greek
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro



Aromatic Lamb/Beef Meatballs
Recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson
Makes approximately 78 lamb meatballs

Ingredients:

1 pound ground lamb/beef
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
1 egg
Vegetable oil, for frying

Method:

1) Put the lamb into a bowl and add the scallions. Sprinkle over the spices, salt, and semolina, and then beat the egg adding to the bowl. Work everything together thoroughly with your hands, and then cover with plastic wrap and leave in the refrigerator for half an hour.

2) Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap and scoop out a scant teaspoon of the mixture. Roll in your hands to form the meatball and place on the lined baking sheet. Have a bowl of cold water beside you to dampen your hands with; this helps them not get too sticky for rolling the meatballs.

3) When you are ready to cook them, heat about 1/2-inch of oil in a frying pan. Line another baking sheet with kitchen towel, and when the oil is hot, fry the meatballs in batches without overcrowding the pan. Cook them for about a minute a side, or until golden brown all over.


Chicken wings are a popular mezze item. These chicken wings are quite lemony and garlicky, and therefore makes great finger food.

Jawaneh (Grilled Chicken Wings with Lemon and Chicken)

Ingredients:

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and black pepper
2 to 4 garlic cloves, crushed
16 chicken wings
2 Tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley

Method:

1) Mix the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and garlic, and place the chicken wings in the marinade. Leave for 1 hour, covered with plastic wrap, in the refrigerator.

2) Remove the wings from the marinade and place them on a piece of foil on a baking tray and cook them under a preheated broiler for 7 minutes, turning them over once. Or barbecue them over glowing embers for the same amount of time. Serve them sprinkled with chopped parsley.



Cherry Tomato & Onion Salad

I also included a quick salad made of cherry tomatoes, diced small red onions, cucumber, fresh cilantro mixed with lemon juice, olive oil and seasoning.

Quick and Easy Artisan Bread

Quite a number of bloggers seem to be baking Artisan Breads and its made me wonder what's all the fuss about! Having said that I was truly intrigued as the pictures of their creations were beautiful rustic looking loafs. This was how I ended up purchasing Artisan Bread in Five Minutes from Amazon (my favourite online bookshop).


This is my first recipe from this book and I even managed to find a video by Jeff Hertzberg demonstrating this recipe on a television talk show.

This a really, really easy recipe to do! And I'm not bluffing! If it's your first time attempting bread you may want to try this. No kneading is required. All the ingredients are dumped into one bowl, let the dough proof for a couple of hours and then chuck the whole thing into the fridge for one night. The next day remove the dough from the fridge, shape it, let it proof again and then bake. What more could a baker ask for! I even left the dough in the fridge for 3 nights before baking it. I shaped the dough into one large loaf and was proofing it for about 30 minutes before I realized that I was not satisfied with the shape. I grabbed the proofing dough, punched it down again and reshaped it into 3 separate loafs. I wasn't sure if the dough could take such treatment after this ... but guess what! It did! I was totally amazed and the loafs turned out exactly as they should have.

The crust is nice and crisp and chewy, and the longer the dough sits, the more it develops a sourdough flavor. The dough can be used for other types of bread by adding dried fruit, nuts or sprinkle oats on top for a farmer's loaf. You can even use the dough for pizzas or naans.



Quick and Easy Artisan Bread
Recipe from "Artisan Bread in Five Minutes"
(makes about 4 medium loafs)

Ingredients:

3 cups of lukewarm water
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 tablespoons coarse salt
6 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

Method:

1) Grab a very large mixing bowl, or a large container that you can cover. In it, mix the water, yeast, and salt. Just let that sit together for about 5 minutes. Then dump the flour all at once and stir with a wooden spoon. You don’t need to knead this, and you’re not looking to make it come together into a dough ball. You just want everything mixed well, with no streaks of flour left, and you’re done.

2) Leave it in your container, covered (but not airtight, or it’ll pop), for about 2 hours. When it has risen and then deflated a bit, your dough is done. It’s ready to be used or stored in the refrigerator.

To bake the Bread:

1) Just grab a chunk of dough (they recommend a chunk about the size of a grapefruit, but you can use larger chunks). Dust your hands with flour to help prevent sticking, dust the dough with flour and gently pull the sides of the dough toward the bottom, rotating the dough, until you get a roundish shape with a smooth surface. It should only take you about a minute or less to do this. The dough won’t be entirely in the bottom, where it may look bunched up, but don’t worry about it.

2) Put the dough onto a baking sheet or tray that’s been dusted with cornmeal to prevent sticking, and let it rest for at least 40 minutes. No need to cover it. If the dough has been refrigerated, it helps to let it rest a little more, until it’s no longer chilled.

3) Twenty minutes before you are ready to bake, put a pizza stone or baking sheet in the middle rack of your oven, and put a broiler pan in the bottom rack. Preheat your oven to 450 degrees. Dust some flour on the top of your loaf, and make some slashes on the dough, about 1/4-inch deep. (Unfortunately I didn't slash deep enough which is my the end result looks flat)

4) After twenty minutes of preheating, it’s time to bake. (You can put the bread in after 20 minutes, even if your oven hasn’t reached 450 degrees yet.) Slide the loaf onto the baking stone or sheet, and then quickly pour 1 cup of hot tap water into the broiler pan. Then quickly shut the oven door to keep the steam inside.

5) Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until you get a nice brown crust. It tastes best when you let it cool completely. Don’t worry if your beautiful crust seems to soften a bit. It will harden again.



I served my slices of Artisan Bread with a smear of tapenade and topped it with a simple salad made of cherry tomatoes, diced red onions and cucumber and seasoned it with black pepper, salt, fresh basil, balsamic vinegar and olive oil. It made a great Sunday brunch!