Balsamic, Mint & Rosemary Lambchops with Quinoa Salad

Collaboration with The Meat Club
Dish 1 - Homemade Beef Burger 
Dish 2 - Apple Sage & Rosemary Pork Sausage
Dish 3 - Chorizo & Beef Sausage Meatballs in Tomato & Creamy Sauce with Fusilli Pasta


My last dish that I'm sharing is this gorgeous lamb chop imported directly from Australia! All the premium quality produce from The Meat Club arrive here in Singapore fresh and chilled and not frozen. Apparently when you freeze meat, the cellular structure of the protein is compromised, causing the meat to "bleed" when cooked and thus resulting in less tender and juicy texture. The meat produce from The Meat Club are specially vacuum packed which helps seal the freshness and quality.

The Meat Club actually has an interesting subscription service where if you opt for an Auto-Pilot service, your selection of meat will be delivered in line with their import cycle (every 28 days) ensuring that you get the freshest batch of produce with a longer shelf life monthly. That said, they do offer one-off, just in time delivery for meat as well. Visit their website to find out more!

Mentioned in some of my previous posts that I'm interested in western food and plating recently, so even before I started thinking about how to cook the lamb chops, I was already thinking about how to present the dish and the accompaniment :) But since I'm a noob in this area, it was rather challenging!

Should I serve the lamb chops with mashed potatos or pureed cauliflower or pumpkin, or roasted vegetables? Eventually I decided not to over-complicate and just go with a simple Quinoa Salad which is easy to put together.

As for the lamb chops, usually I would just season with salt and black pepper, pan-grill and eat with lots of mint sauce. But this time, I made a marinate using mint leaves, rosemary, garlic, caramelised balsamic vinegar, olive oil, sea salt, black pepper and lemon juice. Just blend all the ingredients, rub them on both sides of the lamb chops and let the meat marinate for thirty minutes to an hour.

Thereafter, pan-sear the lamb chops for about 2-3 mins each side and transfer to the oven to bake for 6-8 mins.

Balsamic, Mint & Rosemary Lambchops with Quinoa Salad
(serves 2)

Ingredients
Lamb chop

• 4pcs lamb chops
• 12g fresh mint leaves
• 4g fresh rosemary
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 tbsp caramelised balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• Juice from 1/2 lemon

Quinoa Salad

• 1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
• 1 cup water
• Bunch of rocket leaves
• 1/4pc carrot, shredded
• 30g cranberries
• 12 olives, chopped
• Caramelised balsamic vinegar, lemon juice

Steps

1. Add mint leaves, rosemary, garlic, vinegar, olive oil, seas salt, black pepper and lemon juice into a food processor or electric chopper, blend into a coarse paste.
2. Rub the marinate on both sides of the lamb chops and let the meat rest for 30-60mins.
3. To cook, heat a grill pan with olive oil on stove till very hot, add the lamb chops and grill for 2-3 mins each side.
4. Remove grill pan from stove and place it into the oven (pre-heated) and bake for 6-8 mins.
5. Once done, let the meat rest for a few mins before plating.
6. To cook quinoa, place water and quinoa into a pot and cook on medium low heat. Stir the quinoa occasionally. Once the water is almost absorbed by the quinoa, turn off the heat. The cooked quinoa looks "popped" open revealing the germ of the kernel.
7. To make salad, toss cooked quinoa, rocket leaves, shredded carrot, cranberries, chopped olives, lemon juice and caramelised balsamic vinegar together till well-mixed.
8. To serve, divide the quinoa salad onto the serving plates, rest the lamb chops on the salad, garnish with some mint leaves. cranberries and balsamic. Ready to serve.

I love how the dish turned out! The lamb chops were succulent and flavourful without any gamey smell and the quinoa salad was a nice pairing. I think I should do this more often!

With this dish, it concludes my collaboration with The Meat Club. Really appreciate the opportunity to try out the premium quality produce that the company offers. Do check out their website for exclusive promotions and details!

Bake Matcha Latte Cheese Tart

I'm pleased to introduce another new Bake Cheese Tart flavour, the Matcha Latte Cheese Tart!!

So far I've attempted the original (Check them out - Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV), Thai Milk Tea,  Pandan Coconut as well as Coconut flavours.

Wonder why I took so long to make this matcha flavour? Our family loves green tea as well as matcha and we drink this beverage on a regular basis. Oh well, better late than never right?

Actually I was conducting fridge-clearing "exercise", have half a tub of mascarpone cheese, few pieces of cream cheese, some milk, a bit of matcha powder, so yep, why not give it a go?

In fact, the basic recipe is there, it's just a matter of experimenting with different flavour and proportion.

I have 2 types of matcha in my fridge. 1 type is matcha with green tea, the taste is lighter, suitable for drinking only. The other type is pure matcha powder, taste stronger with distinct vegetal aroma, suitable for drinking and baking/cooking. I use the pure matcha powder for the cheese custard as I prefer a stronger note of matcha.

Bake Matcha Latte Cheese Tart
13 petite size tarts - 5cm round cutter/2.5cm base tart cas
8 small size tarts, using 6cm fluted cutter/3.5cm base tart case

Ingredients

(A) Tart pastry

• 115g plain flour
• 5g matcha powder (about 2 tsp)
• 10g caster sugar
• 60g salted butter, cut into cubes, cold
• 3-4 tsp fresh milk

(B) Matcha latte cheese custard

• 100g fresh milk
• 85g cream cheese
• 50g mascarpone cheese
• 40g salted butter
• 50g caster sugar
• 3-4g matcha powder 
• 10g corn starch
• 1 egg (about 50g nett weight)
• Egg wash for brushing sides of tart pastry 

Steps

(A) Tart pastry

1. Sift plain flour and matcha powder into a large bowl, add caster sugar and mix well.
2. Add cold salted butter cubes. Using finger tips, break the butter and rub the butter into the flour mixture, until it resembles bread crumbs.
3. Add 3-4 tsp of fresh milk to the mixture, use a scrapper to help with the mixing.
4. The mixture will come together and thereafter, use hands to form the mixture into a pliable dough.
5. Knead the dough gently into a ball. Place the dough between 2 pieces of plastic sheet.
6. Roll the dough to about 4-5mm thickness and place in fridge to rest for about 1 hour.

(B) Matcha latte cheese custard

1. Add fresh milk, cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, salted butter and caster sugar into a small pot.
2. Place the pot into a large, shallow pan/pot with barely simmering water. This is the bain marie method, to create a gentle and uniform heat for cooking custard. Keep stirring the mixture till everything is melted.
3. Add sifted matcha powder. Mix till well-blended. The matcha powder may not dissolve fully.
4. Add sifted corn starch. Mix till well-blended, the mixture will thicken slowly.
5. Add the egg and keep stirring till well-blended, the mixture will further thicken into custard.
6. Stop cooking once the desired thickness of custard is reached (shorter cooking time - runny texture, longer cooking time - gooey texture)
7. Sift the custard for a smoother texture (as they may be some fine lumps and grainy bits in the custard).
8. Cover the custard with a clingwrap on the surface and let the custard cool down completely. 
9. Fill the custard into a piping bag. Set aside.

(C) Assembly

1. Remove the dough from fridge. Dust a baking mat (and rolling pin) with flour, use the round cutter to stamp the dough.
2. Use a metal scrapper (dust with flour) to lift up the cut dough.
3. Place the cut dough over the tart case and gently press it downwards.
4. Using finger tips, gently press and mold the dough into the tart case. Use a fork to poke holes at the base of the tart pastry.
5. Bake the tarts at 180C, fan mode for 10mins. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.
6. After the tart cases are cooled slightly, remove them from the tins and let cool completely before use.
7. Preheat oven to 235C conventional mode. 
8. Pipe the matcha latte cheese custard into the tart pastry, shape slightly domed. Use a spatula to smoothen the top if necessary. Brush the sides of the tart pastry evenly with egg wash.
9. Bake the tarts at 235C conventional mode, 5-6 mins for petite size, 7-8 mins for small size.
10. Once baked, remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool. Best eaten warm, freshly baked.  

** I made a video of tart making in the Coconut Cheese Tart post. As the steps are quite similar, re-post here for reference.

Love love love how the tarts turned out! Crunchy tart pastry and gooey cheese custard with distinct aroma and taste of matcha. Had to resist myself from eating one after another.

The kiddo super loved it and declared that this flavour is his favourite of all, well not surprising since he's a matcha lover too. He chomped a few pieces after my photo-taking (kept asking me if I'm done) and already reserved a few for his breakfast and snack in school. I know for sure this recipe and flavour is a keeper for my family.

Not sure if I will continue to explore other flavours, such as chocolate (once again why I haven't try yet huh)? Depends on whether I'm in the mood for baking like today (and it had to rain in the afternoon making the lighting so poor for photo-taking. DUH).

Chorizo & Beef Sausage Meatballs in Tomato & Creamy Sauce with Fusilli Pasta

Collaboration with The Meat Club
Dish 1 - Homemade Beef Burger 
Dish 2 - Apple Sage & Rosemary Pork Sausages


The other day I was feeling lethargic (post holiday syndrome. haha) and didn't want to spend too much effort in whipping up a meal. Moreover the weather was so warm and humid and times like these, I usually like to eat something tangy or spicy to whet the appetite.

Pasta to the rescue! The kiddo is a big pasta lover, so he doesn't mind. The hb and I are not big pasta eaters but we don't mind some with tomato base once in a while. But the thing is, what's quick and easy to go with the pasta and sauce?

Now, I still have a packet of Pork Spanish Chorizo as well as Beef Herb & Garlic Sausages from The Meat Club to try, so decided to turn them into meatballs! Meatballs are perfect with pasta!

Both sausages are very flavourful on their own, it's not even necessary to add any seasonings. Simply remove the minced from their casings and mix them together. They are rather dense in texture, so I added some grated garlic and onion to make it easier for the mince to come together.
Thereafter, just roll into meatballs about the size of fishball. Easy meatballs!

Chorizo & Beef Sausage Meatballs
(makes 30 meatballs, serves 3-4 pax)

Ingredients
(A) Meatballs

• 3pcs Beef herb & garlic sausages (about 250g)
• 3pcs Pork sausage - spanish chorizo (about 200g)
• 1/2 yellow onion, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, grated

(B) Tomato sauce

• 2 cans chopped tomatoes
• 1 tsp finely chopped garlic
• 2 tbsp finely chopped onion
• Handful of basil and a few sprigs of parsley
• Sea salt, black pepper, sugar
• Water

(C) Creamy sauce

• 1 tsp butter
• 1 tsp plain flour
• 1/2 cup beef stock
• 60ml cooking cream

• 200g Fusilli pasta, cook in salted boiling water for 8 mins)

Steps

1. Remove casing from the beef and chorizo sausages and place the minced meat into a large bowl.
2. Add grated onion and garlic into the minced meat and mixed well.
3. Roll the minced meat into meatballs, size of fishball.
4. In a frying pan or casserole, add about 2-3 tbsp olive oil. Pan-fry the meatballs till golden brown on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.
5. Make tomato sauce: In the same frying pan, add garlic and onion and sautee till fragrant. Add the 2 cans of chopped tomatoes and let the sauce simmer (on low heat) for 10mins (covered), add some water if necessary. Add the meatballs and cook for another 8mins (covered). Add basil, sea salt, black pepper and sugar (to taste) and simmer for another 1-2 mins (covered). Sauce is ready.
6. Make creamy sauce: In a small pot on low heat, add butter then flour, stir to make a roux. Add beef stock and cooking cream and bring to boil. Off heat. Sauce is ready.
7. To serve, divide the fusilli pasta into 3-4 portions, scoop tomato or creamy sauce over together with the meatballs. Best eaten hot.

The meatballs turned out really yummy; they were slightly salty and heavy on the palate and hence, the tangy tomato sauce provided a balance to the taste!

In fact, they taste a little like Ikea meatballs! I still have some leftover sausages, I think I'm going to try making the Ikea-style meatballs with brown sauce one of these days.

The kiddo prefers the creamy sauce, hence I made a small portion of creamy sauce for him to go with his meatballs and pasta. This creamy sauce is easy-peasy to make and in fact I can improvise this into the Ikea brown sauce.

Fresh sausages are actually quite versatile; they can be eaten on its own after grilling or pan-frying, made into meatballs, or simply use them as quick mince to any dishes. Next time when I need quick-fix meatballs, I will certainly go for this method!

Stay tuned, as upcoming I will share the last dish using fresh lamb chops from The Meat Club.

Apple Sage & Rosemary Pork Sausages

Collaboration with The Meat Club
Dish 1 - Homemade Beef Burger


I'm not a morning person and thus it's almost impossible for me to wake up early to prepare gourmet breakfast on a daily basis (schooldays are definitely out of the question). That said, once in a while on Saturdays, if I'm in a good mood I will prepare cafe-style gourmet breakfast at home :p.

Since I received a few packs of fresh sausages from The Meat Club Singapore earlier this month, decided to try one of them, the Apple Sage & Rosemary Pork Sausages.

Now, being Asian/Chinese, our family is not big on fresh sausages that are pre-seasoned with herbs. I guess it's not really our culture here to consume this type of sausages frequently. We do consume ham and bacon but that's about it.

Before preparing the full sets of breakfast, I pan-fried one piece of the sausage for taste-test. The pork sausage was fresh, and really flavourful but slightly on the salty side.

Therefore, I decided to add some "sweetness" and "tartness" to the sausages in order to balance the taste. Basically sauteed some sliced onions to caramelise it, then add the sausages and cook till golden brown. Finally drizzle generous of caramelised balsamic vinegar and let the sausages and onions simmer for a few mins. That's it!

Served the sausages with sunny-sideup (creamy scrambled eggs for the kiddo), sauteed portobello mushroom, grilled tomatoes and some greens. Viola, a hearty cafe-style breakfast at home!

The sausages suited our tastebuds better with addition of the caramelised onions and I guess we could eat it once in a while but not often as they are quite meaty and salty, heavy on our palate.

Nonetheless, really glad that I was given this opportunity to test the sausages.

The Meat Club has an interesting subscription service where if you opt for an Auto-Pilot service, your selection of meat will be delivered in line with their import cycle (every 28 days) ensuring that you get the freshest batch of produce with a longer shelf life monthly. That said, they do offer one-off, just in time delivery for meat as well. Visit their website to find out more!

Stay tuned as I have 2 more dishes using the produce from The Meat Club to share!

Stir-fried Gnocchi in Dark Sweet Sauce

[ Collaboration with Casa Rinaldi ]

As mentioned in the previous post, I was offered 2 packets of Casa Rinaldi Gnocchi (NYOH-kee, NOH-kee) to try by GUSTOSO SG in collaboration with Singapore Home Cooks.


And I've made an Italian-Indonesian fusion Gnocchi Gado Gado with Peanut Sauce.

Decide to make a second dish with local flavour, our very own Chai Tow Kway 菜头粿 or Fried Radish/Carrot Cake using Gnocchi to replace the carrot/radish cake! As all Singaporeans know, the original Chai Tow Kway has 2 versions, black or white; my personal favourite is the black one, the darker the better!

Since gnocchi has a chewy texture (after boiling and pan-frying), I thought it might work well as a substitute to the carrot cake so I gave it a try. I guess this will serve as a quick fix for those Singaporeans located overseas and unable to buy commercial-made ones from their local markets or those who don't have time to make their own carrot cake.

Cooking this dish is really quick and easy. After re-hydrating the gnocchi by boiling it, drain and pat-dry, pan-fry the gnocchi until slightly crusty. Next, add minced garlic and some sweet or salted (or both or none) preserved turnip (Chai Poh) and stir-fry with the gnocchi till fragrant before adding the sauces to taste. If you like it sweeter, add more kecap manis or dark sweet sauce, or if you like it spicy, add some chilli sauce! Finally add lightly beaten egg over the gnocchi and fry till just cooked. Sprinkle with some chopped spring onion and enjoy it hot!

Stir-fried Gnocchi in Dark Sweet Sauce

• 200g gnocchi
• 2 eggs
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp sweet preserved turnip (sweet chai poh), soak and drain
• 3 tbsp kecap manis
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1-2 tbsp finely chopped spring onion

Steps

1. Bring a pot of water to boil, add the gnocchi. Once all the gnocchi float, drain, pat dry and set aside. 
2. Add about 2 tbsp of cooking oil to a frying pan (medium heat), stir fry the gnocchi till they turn slightly crusty. Push to one side of the pan.
3. Add minced garlic and sweet preserved turnip to the frying pan and stir-fry till fragrant. Add more oil if too dry.
4. Add kecap manis, fish sauce and dark soy sauce to the gnocchi mixture and fry till well-mixed.
5. Pour lightly beaten egg over the gnocchi mixture, stir-fry till egg is slightly crispy.
6. Dish the gnocchi onto serving plate, sprinkle with spring onion. Best eaten hot.

Hmmmm, I must say that this local-flavour infused gnocchi is not bad at all! Love the chewy texture of the gnocchi, the soft pieces of egg with bits of sweet chai poh, which complements each other along with the dark sweet sauce. Whether you are a Gnocchi or Chai Tow Kway lover, do give this a try yah?

Casa Rinaldi Gnocchi is available exclusively at NTUC finest under the pasta section. (Retail price at $9.50 per pack). Don't miss out Casa Rinaldi giveaway at http://bit.ly/2f9PfwJ

#CasaRinaldiSG

Gnocchi Gado Gado with Peanut Sauce

[ Collaboration with Casa Rinaldi ]

Was offered 2 packets of Casa Rinaldi Gnocchi (NYOH-kee, NOH-kee) to try by GUSTOSO SG in collaboration with Singapore Home Cooks.

Prior to this, I'm totally unfamiliar with this pasta which looks like plump little lumps the size of my thumb (haha, it rhymes!). The gnocchi is made mostly of potato and wheat flour; to cook it, simply add them to salted boiling water and once they float to the surface it's considered done and ready to eat. The Italians usually eat with it pasta sauce, or sometimes they panfry the gnocchi and coat with cheese sauce.

When asked to try infusing some local flavours to the gnocchi, one of the dish that came to my mind is the (Indonesian) Gado Gado with Peanut Sauce. I'm a big Gado Gado fan and I make this salad very often as my lunch. Since the gnocchi is made mostly of potato and wheat flour, it's the perfect substitution for potato and ketupat (rice cake). Yay, I can cut down the preparation of ingredients since it's two-in-one!

This fusion Gnocchi Gado Gado is really easy to put together! My key ingredients are gnocchi, tempe and hard-boil egg along with lettuce, cucumber, carrot and bean sprouts. Feel free to add any other ingredients you prefer, like tau kwa (firm tofu) and cabbage, but these are already sufficient for me.

I chose to deep-fry the gnocchi (after boiling) because after deep-frying the gnocchi has a more chewy texture with a slightly crispy crust which I prefer. Well, I'm already deep-frying the tempe anyway.

And not to forget the Peanut Sauce which is a quick and easy version. Simply blend toasted skinless peanuts,  garlic, chilli padi (use less or omit if don't like spicy), tamarind juice, kecap manis, belachan and water to a paste, then bring to boil with water, gula melaka and lime juice to taste.

Gnocchi Gado Gado with Peanut Sauce

Ingredients

• 200g gnocchi
• 100g tempe, cut into thick strips
• 1/2 pc cucumber, shredded
• 1/2 pc carrot, shredded
• 50g bean sprout, blanched
• 5 leaves lettuce
• Few sprigs of parsley
• 1 hard-boil egg

Peanut Sauce

• 100g peanut (skinless), toasted
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1pc chilli padi
• 2 tbsp tamarind juice
• 2 tbsp kecap manis
• 1/2 tsp belachan, toasted
• 2 tbsp gula melaka
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup water
• Juice from 1 lime

Steps

1. Bring a pot of water to boil, add the gnocchi. Once all the gnocchi float, drain, pat dry and set aside. 
2. Add cooking oil to a pot and set on medium heat, deep fry the gnocchi till they turn crusty. Drain on kitchen towel and set aside.
3. Next deep fry the tempe till they turn golden brown. Drain on kitchen towel and set aside.
4. Blend peanut, garlic, chilli padi, tamarind juice, kecap manis and belachan in a food chopper or processor till they turn into paste. Add some water if necessary.
5. Add the paste, gula melaka and water to a small pot and bring to boil. Add lime juice to taste. Peanut sauce is ready.
6. To serve, arrange lettuce, shredded cucumber and carrot, bean sprout, gnocchi, tempe and parsley in a bowl or plate. Drizzle with warm peanut sauce. Ready to serve.

 

You can choose to drizzle the peanut sauce onto the salad as you eat, or simply pour all of it and toss with all the ingredients.

Ooooh, I love love love how my Gnocchi Gado Gado turns out! The deep-fried gnocchi goes really well with the peanut sauce! In fact, it's quite addictive to munch into the crispy yet chewy gnocchi. I find myself dipping the gnocchi into the peanut sauce and popping it into my mouth non-stop.

This is definitely going to be a staple ingredient in my gado gado from now onwards!

Casa Rinaldi Gnocchi is available exclusively at NTUC finest under the pasta section. (Retail price at $9.50 per pack). Don't miss out Casa Rinaldi giveaway at http://bit.ly/2f9PfwJ

#CasaRinaldiSG

Mango Sticky Rice

The kiddo has been bugging me to make Mango Sticky Rice for him.

Whenever we go to Thailand or Thai Restaurants, this is one of the few items that he enjoys (he can't take much spicy stuff), probably because mango is one of his favourite fruit and the sticky rice taste sweet and fragrant. Well, this is such a likable snack/dessert, I don't think anyone will dislike it right?

Since I have extra packets of coconut milk and I happen to have glutinous rice too, all I need is mango. Found some lovely Thai Honey Mango at the fruit stall near my place, so Mango Sticky Rice it is!

Actually this Thai street snack/dessert is very easy to make at home! Basically, rinse the glutinous rice a few times and soak them overnight first. The next day, steam the rice for 18-20 mins, make coconut sauce, mix the sauce with hot steamed rice, serve with mango and some crispy mung beans, that's it!

This is how I steam the rice - by laying a piece of cotton cloth/muslin cloth (I use those soup filter bags) on the steamer. When the rice is steamed, it will be translucent, just hold the bag/cloth at the 4 corners and pour it into a heatproof bowl. 

Mango Sticky Rice
(makes 2 servings)

Ingredients

• 1 cup glutinous rice (about 150g)
• 200ml coconut milk
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 mango
• 20-30g split mung bean *optional

Steps

1. Wash and rinse the glutinous rice at least 4-5 times till water runs clear.
2. Soak the rice overnight. The next day, drain the water and place the rice onto a piece of muslin cloth.
3. Place the muslin cloth into a steamer. Steam on medium high heat for 18-20 mins.
4. Meanwhile, add coconut milk, sugar and salt into a small pot. Heat the mixture on low heat, stir and cook till the sugar is fully dissolve. Off heat and set aside.
5. When the glutinous rice is ready, pour it into a heatproof bowl. Add half quantity of the coconut sauce bit by bit into the rice and mix gently till fully absorbed.
6. Slice or cut the mango into desired servings.
7. Rinse and boil the mung beans in water for about 5-10 mins. Off heat and cool down. Drain liquid and dry-fry the mung beans in a frying pan till golden and crispy, or air-fry.
8. To serve, place the sticky rice and mango in a serving plate, drizzle with more coconut sauce and some crispy mung beans. 

*cover the sticky rice with clingwrap if not eating immediately, otherwise the rice will turn dry and harden.

The kiddo is a happy camper when I serve him this Mango Sticky Rice for lunch. Yep, who says this can't be lunch, it has rice, fruit and coconut milk, a totally nutritious meal :p

Ok, since I'm at it, might as well submit this entry for the Ayam Brand's Coconut Milk Cooking Contest hosted by Singapore Home Cooks :p


Check out my first entry here - Bake Coconut Cheese Tart

#AyamBrandCoconutMilk

Bake Coconut Cheese Tart

I'm back with more Bake Cheese Tarts!

So far, besides the original version (Check them out - Part I, Part II, Part III, Part IV), I attempted Thai Milk Tea as well as Pandan Coconut Flavours ✌🏻

This time, decided to try a pure Coconut version where coconut lovers can enjoy the full richness and aroma of coconut along with the cheese custard 👍🏻

Well, actually I created them for Ayam Brand's Coconut Milk Cooking Contest hosted by Singapore Home Cooks :p

Initially wanted to just use the Pandan Coconut Cheese Tart (bake a new batch) for submission as I was too tired to come up with a new recipe using coconut milk. But I had created that flavour for another event (although not a contest) and if possible, I hope to do something different each time. Hence, a quick way is to tweak the recipe by a little. And hey, it turned out great!

The ingredients are almost similar to that of the Pandan Coconut version, just omit the Pandan extract, increase the amount of coconut milk and for a more intense coconut fragrance, I added a touch of virgin coconut oil (which I happen to have in my cupboard).

Can't decide whether to make petite or small ones, decided to make both sizes.

To differentiate this coconut flavour from the original Bake Cheese Tart (as they look the same), I added some dessicated coconut on top of the custard before sending them for baking 😉 I must say it turned out quite nicely as the dessicated coconut added a different texture to the tart and I could taste the little bits of coconut 👍🏻

Bake Coconut Cheese Tart
14 petite size tarts - 5cm round cutter/2.5cm base tart case
5 small size tarts, using 6cm fluted cutter/3.5cm base tart case

Ingredients

(A) Tart pastry

• 120g plain flour
• 10g caster sugar
• 60g salted butter, cut into cubes, cold
• 3-4 tsp coconut milk

(B) Coconut cheese custard

• 100g coconut milk
• 20g fresh milk
• 35g cream cheese
• 45g mascarpone cheese
• 40g salted butter
• 30g caster sugar
• 10g corn starch
• 1 egg (about 55g nett weight)
• 1/2 tsp virgin coconut oil *optional
• Egg wash for brushing sides of tart pastry 

Steps

(A) Tart pastry

1. Sift plain flour into a large bowl, add caster sugar and mix well.
2. Add cold salted butter cubes. Using finger tips, break the butter and rub the butter into the flour mixture, until it resembles bread crumbs.
3. Add 3-4 tsp of coconut milk to the mixture, use a scrapper to help with the mixing.
4. The mixture will come together and thereafter, use hands to form the mixture into a dough.
5. Knead the dough gently into a ball. Place the dough between 2 pieces of plastic sheet.
6. Roll the dough to about 4-5mm thickness and place in fridge to rest for about 1 hour.

(B) Coconut cheese custard

1. Add coconut milk, fresh milk, cream cheese, mascarpone cheese, salted butter and caster sugar into a small pot.
2. Place the pot into a large, shallow pan/pot with barely simmering water. This is the bain marie method, to create a gentle and uniform heat for cooking custard. Keep stirring the mixture till everything is melted.
3. Add sifted corn starch. Mix till well-blended, the mixture will thicken slowly.
4. Add the egg and keep stirring till well-blended, the mixture will further thicken into custard.
5. Add 1/2 tsp virgin coconut oil and mix well.
6. Stop cooking once the desired thickness of custard is reached (shorter cooking time - runny texture, longer cooking time - gooey texture)
7. Sift the custard for a smoother texture (as they may be some fine lumps and grainy bits in the custard).
8. Cover the custard with a clingwrap on the surface and let the custard cool down completely. 
9. Fill the custard into a piping bag. Set aside.

(C) Assembly

1. Remove the dough from fridge. Dust a baking mat (and rolling pin) with flour, use the round cutter to stamp the dough.
2. Use a metal scrapper (dust with flour) to lift up the cut dough.
3. Place the cut dough over the tart case and gently press it downwards.
4. Using finger tips, gently press and mold the dough into the tart case. Use a fork to poke holes at the base of the tart pastry.
5. Bake the tarts at 180C, fan mode for 10mins. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.
6. After the tart cases are cooled slightly, remove them from the tins and let cool completely before use.
7. Preheat oven to 235C conventional mode. 
8. Pipe the coconut cheese custard into the tart pastry, shape slightly domed. Use a spatula to smoothen the top if necessary. Brush the sides of the tart pastry evenly with egg wash.
9. Sprinkle some dessicated coconut on top of each tart.
10. Bake the tarts at 235C conventional mode, for 6-8 mins.
11. Once baked, remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool. Best eaten warm, freshly baked.

I've also put together a condensed 5min video clip to show the steps. It's quite hastily put together and raining during the video taking so quality is not so good. Hope to improve on my videography skills next time!

These Bake Coconut Cheese Tart are gooey and yummy, with the rich lemak taste and aroma of coconut, and as well as the salty cheesy aftertaste. A keeper for me :)

Submitting this recipe for the contest, wish me luck!

#AyamBrandCoconutMilk

Homemade Beef Burger

Before I started cooking more adventurously, I would dine at restaurants or cafes that offer good quality burgers whenever I crave for beef burgers. Have tried those pre-made/pre-seasoned beef patties sold at supermarkets, sorry but somehow they sucked! Either the seasonings weren't to my liking (too overwhelming on the palate) or the mince was so compact that the whole patty turned out very hard after cooking.

These days I prefer making my own beef patty and I realise it isn't difficult at all. All you need is some good quality mince beef and half the job is done!

Earlier this week, I received a package from The Meat Club Singapore and they have kindly offered some premium lean mince, assorted sausages as well as lamb chops for me to try!

These premium quality produce are directly imported from Australia and they arrive here fresh and chilled and not frozen. Apparently when you freeze meat, the cellular structure of the protein is compromised, causing the meat to "bleed" when cooked and thus resulting in less tender and juicy texture. The meat produce from The Meat Club are specially vacuum packed which helps seal the freshness and quality.

The Meat Club actually has an interesting subscription service where if you opt for an Auto-Pilot service, your selection of meat will be delivered in line with their import cycle (every 28 days) ensuring that you get the freshest batch of produce with a longer shelf life monthly. That said, they do offer one-off, just in time delivery for meat as well. Visit their website to find out more!

The first produce I'm trying is the premium lean mince which comes in a 500g pack.

I usually like to create mini burgers as they are cuter and easier to eat, but this time decided to go for a full-size burger, just like those gourmet ones sold at restaurants and cafes =D

I even made my own burger buns to match the size of the beef patty, so these are truly homemade beef burger!

Basically I seasoned the mince with some grated garlic, onion, shredded cheese, tonkatsu sauce (which is the Japanese version of Worcestershire sauce), ketchup, sea salt, mixed herbs and egg.

After mixing the seasonings into the mince, they are divided into 4 patties, about 160g each. Shape into rounds, flatten with a dent in the middle and chill in the fridge before cooking.

Besides the usual lettuce, tomato and cheese slice, I also added a topping of sauteed onion and portobello mushroom in teriyaki sauce. Initially was even thinking of topping with a sunny side-up with runny yolk, but I figured it's going to be overkill for my family.

Homemade Beef Burger
(makes 4 full-size burgers)

Beef Patty

• 500g lean mince
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1/2 pc onion, grated
• 50g shredded cheese
• 1 tbsp Tonkatsu sauce or Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp mixed herbs
• 1 egg

1. Mix all the seasonings into the lean mince until just combined.
2. Divide the mince into 4 portions, each about 160g. Roll into balls, flatten into patties and press a dent into the centre of each patty using the thumb. *this prevents the patty from forming a dome and shrinking when cooking.
3. Cover and chill the patties until ready to use.

Sauteed onion and portobello mushroom in teriyaki sauce

• 1/2pc onion, cut into thin rings
• 1pc large portobello mushroom, sliced
• 2 tbsp mirin
• 2 tbsp cooking sake
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp corn starch
• 1 tbsp water

1. In a frying pan, heat 1 tbsp of olive oil, add onion and sauté till slightly softened.
2. Add sliced mushroom and sauté till softened.
3. Combine the teriyaki sauce ingredients except corn starch and water, and add the sauce to the onion and mushroom.
4. Stir-fry sauce with onion and mushroom till fully cooked.
5. Mix corn starch and water and add the mixture into the frying pan.
6. Stir till sauce thickens slightly. Dish and set aside.

Homemade Burger Bun

The burger buns are made using water roux method. Please refer to recipe at this link.

Dough total weight about 320g, divide dough into 4 portions, each about 80g.

Assemble

• 4 beef patties
• 4 burger buns
• 4 leaves lettuce
• 4 slices tomato
• 4 slices cheese
• Sauteed onion and mushroom
• Mayonnaise (optional)

1. In a frying pan, heat 2 tbsp of olive oil, add the beef patties and cook for 4-5 mins on one side.
2. Flip to the other side and cook for another 1 min. 
3. Add 1 slice of cheese to each beef patty, cover and cook for another 30secs.
4. Remove beef patties from pan onto a plate and let them rest.
5. Slice the burger buns into halves, butter on both sides and toast till slightly browned.
6. Squeeze 1-2 tsp of mayo on the bottom half of the bun, add a piece of lettuce, follow by tomato, beef patty and lastly onion and mushroom. Close with top half of the bun. Use a bamboo skewer to hold the burger in place if necessary. Repeat for the remaining burgers.
7. Best serve warm.

So do my burgers look tantalising and can they passed off as those gourmet ones sold at restaurants and cafes?

They sure are very satisfying and yummy! Well, I enjoyed my burger very much, but it's kind of too big for me, felt really bloated after eating the full burger. Will probably make smaller size burgers next time :p

Stay tuned as I try the other products from The Meat Club!

Breaded Chicken Taco with Pineapple Salsa

Another hot and humid day! Makes me crave for something light yet hearty, something tangy and sweet, oh, throw in something crispy as well :p

I love taco and burrito very much and would make it quite often for my own meal as I'm not sure if the HB and kiddo like it or not. Yesterday when I asked the HB what he would like for dinner, he said something light, so I threw him a few options such as porridge or soup but he didn't want those. Since I was craving for some taco wraps, I asked him if he would like to try it and he agreed! Yay, saves me the trouble of preparing something separately!

As Woh Hup is currently running a contest on Singapore Home Cooks FB group, I thought of killing two birds with one stone, that is, make my taco wrap and use one of the specified sauces at the same time! Heehee :p

Basically I have decided on a breaded chicken taco already, so initially I wanted to make a creamy sesame mayo sauce (using Woh Hup Sesame Sauce) to go with it. But couldn't find the sauce at the supermarkets near my place. In the end after reading through the ingredients of various sauces available, I decided to use the Pineapple Sweet & Sour Sauce to make a Pineapple Salsa! Because the sauce itself already contains tiny bits of pineapple, onion and tomato =D

Making the breaded chicken is relatively easy, simply cut deboned chicken thigh (or use chicken fillet if preferred) into strips, marinate with some salt and pepper, coat with corn starch, egg and panko breadcrumbs and finally deep-fry!

As for the Pineapple Salsa, it's even simpler. Since the Woh Hup Pineapple Sweet & Sour Sauce is already very flavourful, sweet and tangy, I simply finely chopped some pineapple, tomato, yellow bell peppers, onion, parsley and mix them together with the sauce. To enhance the tangy flavour, I added some more lime juice.

To assemble, take a piece of taco wrap, place some lettuce, shredded cucumber and carrot or any preferred vegetables, follow by a piece of breaded chicken. Finally top with 1-2 tbsp of pineapple salsa, wrap/fold and enjoy!

One point to note here, I actually trimmed the tortilla wraps slightly smaller for photography presentation purpose. Couldn't find smaller size tortilla wraps in the supermarkets; had wanted to make my own but didn't have time!

Breaded Chicken Taco with Pineapple Salsa
(makes 6 rolls)

Ingredients

(A) Breaded chicken

• 2pcs deboned chicken thigh, cut into 6 strips
• 1/4 tsp salt
• Dash of pepper
• Corn starch, egg, panko breadcrumbs
• Cooking oil 

(B) Pineapple salsa

• 2 tbsp Woh Hup Pineapple Sweet & Sour Sauce
• 3-4 rings canned pineapple, finely chopped
• 1 large tomato, finely chopped 
• 1 small yellow bellpeppers, finely chopped
• 1/4pcs purple onion, finely chopped
• 2 stalks parsley, finely chopped
• Juice of 1/4 - 1/2 pc lime

(C) Assemble

• 6pcs tortilla wrap
• 6pcs lettuce
• 1/2pcs cucumber, shredded
• 1/2pcs, carrot, shredded

Steps

1. Marinate the 6 strips of chicken thigh with salt and pepper.
2. Coat the chicken strips with corn starch, follow by egg and finally panko breadcrumbs.
3. In a pot/pan, heat cooking oil using medium fire. Deep-fry the chicken strips till slightly brown, drain from oil and set aside for 10 mins. 
4. Heat the cooking oil again on high heat this time, deep-fry the chicken strips a second time till golden brown. Drain from oil and set aside.
5. In a small mixing bowl, add sweet & sour sauce, pineapple, tomato, bell peppers, onion, parsley, lime juice and stir till well-mixed. If desired, chill the pineapple salsa in fridge before use.
6. In a shallow frying pan, heat the tortilla wraps till slightly crispy. Remove from heat and set aside.
7. Take a piece of tortilla wrap, place 1pc of lettuce, some shredded cucumber and carrot, follow by 1pcs of breaded chicken, top with 1-2 tbsp of pineapple salsa, fold or wrap and serve. Repeat for the remaining wraps.

Oooooh, I love the different textures, the soft and slightly crispy tortilla wrap, the crunchy vegetables, the crispy and juicy breaded chicken and best of all, the fruity, sweet and tangy Pineapple Salsa which enhances the flavour of the entire chicken taco! Yum yum yum!

The Pineapple Salsa is more than enough to make 6 wraps, so I made some more popcorn chicken to go with it! The popcorn chicken is cooked using the same method, except that the chicken pieces are cut into bite-size pieces.

This Pineapple Salsa is in fact very versatile and can be used as sauce for chicken, fish, prawn, corn chips, veggies sticks and more!

This recipe is definitely a keeper for me :)

Meanwhile, will be submitting this dish as my entry for the Woh Hup Contest! Wish me luck!

#WohHupKitchen #SingaporeHomeCooks