Thai-Themed Meal: Tod Mun Pla (Thai Fish Cake), Khao Pad Sapparod (Pineapple Fried Rice), Som Tum (Green Papaya Salad)

[ Collaboration with Borges Singapore and Singapore Home Cooks ]
Dish 1 - Braised Chicken with Bamboo Shoot & Mushroom
Dish 2 - Thai-themed ~ Tod Mun Pla (Thai Fish Cake) and Khao Pad Sapparod (Pineapple Fried Rice)

As I mentioned in my previous post, I have been using olive oil and grapeseed oil for most of my cooking in the recent years, because they are healthier and boast of multiple health benefits. Many people have this misconception that olive oil and grapeseed oil can only be used for western cooking or drizzling on salad; however both oils are good for stir-frying and deep-frying as well! I usually alternate between the two types of oil for my cooking (as well as baking).

Once again appreciate the opportunity given by Borges Singapore and Singapore Home Cooks to demonstrate the use of olive oil and grapeseed oil in our common daily Asian dishes :)

For my second dish (or rather dishes), I'm going Thai since I'm currently residing in Thailand =D That said, many Singaporeans simply love Thailand as well as Thai food, judging from the frequent trips that I see on FB by friends and snaking queues at Thai eateries in Singapore. My family included :p

I've been trying to cook more thai dishes, since I've access to more thai ingredients now. Today's dishes are Tod Mun Pla (Thai Fish Cake), Khao Pad Sapparod (Pineapple Fried Rice), Som Tum (Green Papaya Salad), all popular and quite easy to cook at home, and I'm using Borges Grapeseed oil to cook them (except for Som Tum which doesn't require oil).

Some useful info about Grapeseed oil (source from Borges Singapore and Singapore Home Cooks):

• Cholesterol Free. Contains vitamin E and A. 
• Ideal for Wok, sautéing, frying and fondues.
• Mild taste, light and nutty overstones that allows the flavours of other foods to shine through when used for frying and cooking.
• Contains acid linoleic essential fats.
• Low in saturated fats. No Trans Fat.
• Carbohydrate and sodium free.
• No added preservatives, flavourings or colorings.
• With a smoke point 210-245ºC, it is ideal for stir-frying, fondues and deep-frying.

The Grapeseed oil is unique by its polyunsaturated fatty acid concentration and natural antioxidants that contribute to regulating the free cholesterol presence and radicals in the body. Grapeseed oil has a relatively high smoke point approximately 420ºF (260ºC), so it can be safely used for stir-fries, sautéing and fondue. In addition to this smoking point, Grapeseed oil has other positive attributes in relation to cooking. It has a clean, light taste that can be described as “nutty”.

Tod Mun Pla or Thai Fish Cake is a popular snack or appetiser which is very easy to make at home. Simply blend fish meat, red curry paste, egg yolk and sugar into a paste, add long beans, kaffir lime leaf and thai/holy basil, shape into a patty and pan-fry. Taste really good with sweet chilli dipping sauce. I make my own sweet chilli dipping sauce as well, so that I can adjust the sweetness and spiciness level. Mine is less sweet with more vinegar (for a more tangy taste).

Tod Mun Pla (Thai Fish Cake)
(makes about 18-20 pcs)

Ingredients

• 500g fish meat (choose more tender fish, I use dory and tilapia)
• 2 tbsp red curry paste (storebought)
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 tsp sugar
• 2 stalks long beans, cut into thin slices
• 8 pcs kaffir lime leaves, cut very finely
• Handful of thai basil or holy basil
• Fish sauce (to taste, if necessary)
• 10 tbsp Grapeseed Oil (Borges)

Steps

1. Cut fish meat into small pieces. Add the fish meat, red curry paste, egg yolk and sugar into a food processor or chopper and blend till a paste forms.
2. Taste-test: Wet both hands and a teaspoon, scoop a spoonful of paste and form into a patty. Heat a frying pan with 1 tbsp of oil and pan-fry the patty till golden brown on both sides. Taste to see if salty or flavourful enough. I use store-bought red curry which is quite salty and flavourful. If not, add 1 tbsp more of red curry paste and/or 1 tsp of fish sauce to the fish paste.
3. Once fish paste is ready, add long beans, kaffir lime leaves and basil, use a spatula to fold the ingredients till well-mixed.
4. Heat frying pan with 10 tbsp of oil (my pan is 26cm) on medium high heat. Wet both hands and a tablespoon, scoop a spoonful of paste and form into a patty using the hands. Pan-fry the shaped patties in the frying pan till golden brown on both sides.
5. Best serve hot with sweet chilli dipping sauce.

Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

• 4 cloves garlic
• 1 big red chilli
• 3-4 thai chilli/chilli padi (to taste)
• 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp sugar (to taste)
• 1/3 cup white or rice vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp water
• Garnish: sliced shallot, cucumber and coriander

 Steps

1. In an electric chopper or food processor, add garlic and both chilli and blend coarsely (bits are visible).
2. Place blended garlic and chilli bits into a small pot, add sugar, vinegar, salt and water and bring to gentle boil over low heat. Taste and add more sugar or chilli if necessary.
3. Stir till mixture turns syrupy and remove from heat. The mixture will thicken slightly more once cool down. 
4. To serve, top with sliced shallot, cucumber and coriander.

Pineapple fried rice is yet another favourite dish, as it has a tinge of sweetness from the pineapple (and raisins), aroma from curry powder, seafood freshness from the prawns and different textures from the rice and cashew nuts.

Khao Pad Sapparod (Pineapple Fried Rice)
(serves 4-5)

Ingredients

• 3-4 tbsp Grapeseed Oil (Borges)
• 10 pcs prawns, deveined and sliced into half
• 2 eggs
• 530g cooked rice (preferably overnight)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 10 pcs cherry tomatoes, cut into quarters
• 150g pineapple flesh, cut into small pieces
• 60g cashew nuts, lightly toasted
• 4 tsp thai soy sauce
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• pinch of salt
• 1.5 tsp curry powder
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 4 stalks spring onion, finely chopped
• Garnish: coriander, thai lime

Steps

1. Heat up a large deep frying pan or wok on medium high heat, add 2 tbsp of grapeseed oil and saute the sliced prawns till just cooked. Dish up and set aside.
2. Add 1 tbsp of oil, add the eggs and scramble lightly. Once eggs are almost cooked, add the rice and toss to mix well with the eggs.
3. Push the rice aside, add 1 tbsp of oil and saute the onion till slightly cooked (changes colour), then toss the onion with the rice.
4. Add the seasonings and toss the rice to mix well. Taste and adjust seasonings accordingly. Mine is on lighter side.
5. Add cooked prawns, cherry tomatoes, pineapple, cashews into the rice. Toss to mix well.
6. Off heat and add spring onions and toss to mix well.
7. Best serve hot (in pineapple bowl or plates).

And finally Som Tum (Green Papaya Salad)! This is such a refreshing salad that our family eats it so very often as it's crunchy and appetising with different textures and taste. Many times the HB would tabao from the evening market on his way back from work. It's convenient to buy from street stalls as you can find it everywhere, but the thing is sometimes they are too spicy and sweet for my palate. Of course the advantage of homemade is, you can adjust the taste to suit your own tastebud.

The below recipe is on the lighter side, feel free to adjust the seasonings. As my mortar and pestle is  small and I don't have a big proper som tum mortar, I make my som tum in my own steps by batches, which is not the authentic way of preparing it. Please google or check youtube videos on how it's done properly.

Som Tum (Green Papaya Salad)
(serves 4)

Ingredients

• 200g julienned green papaya (I use a slicer tool to slice the papaya into thin strips)
• 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 stalks long beans, cut into 1cm pieces
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3-4 thai chilli, add more to taste
• 2 tbsp fish sauce, add more to taste
• 1-2 tbsp palm sugar, add more to taste
• Juice from 1 thai lime, add more to taste
• 3 tsp tamarind juice, add more to taste
• 3 tbsp raw skinless peanuts, toasted till slightly browned
• 1 tbsp tiny dried shrimps, lightly toasted

1. Soak the julienned green papaya in iced water for 10 mins. After 10 mins, dry using salad spinner or kitchen towel.
2. Add the green papaya into a large mixing bowl, use a pestle to lightly pound/crush the papaya strips.
3. Add cherry tomatoes and long beans into the mixing bowl and lightly pound/crush them using the pestle.
4. Add the tiny dried shrimps into the salad.
5. Add the peanuts into the stone mortar, lightly crush the peanuts into halves or smaller pieces. Add the peanut pieces into the salad.
6. In the same stone mortar, pound the garlic and chilli till a coarse paste. Add fish sauce, palm sugar, lime juice and tamarind juice. Lightly pound and stir till the palm sugar is melted.
7. Pour the sauce from the mortar into the mixing bowl, toss everything together till well-mixed. 
8. Taste the salad and adjust taste to preference.
9. The salad tastes best freshly prepared.

Hope everyone enjoys these thai dishes! I'll try to post more thai recipes in time to come (if I have the time!). Stay tuned :)

LAST CALL for Borges Giveaway!
Want the best from the Mediterranean? We are giving away three sets of Borges Gift Basket worth $60 at http://bit.ly/2INmCz4 

Be sure to check it out!
#BorgesRecipes

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!

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

Vietnamese-style Honey Pork & Rice Noodle Salad

Collaboration with Sasha's Fine Food
Dish 1 - Honey mustard rosemary roasted chicken
Dish 2 - Asian chicken skewers with peanut sauce
Dish 3 & 4 - Teriyaki salmon, Chirashi Sushi


The third product I'm showcasing from Sasha's Fine Food is the Wicks Manor English Pork Stir Fry which comes in 250g per pack (frozen); this pack of stir-fry pork uses a lean cut of chump meat - where the leg meets the loin.

The pork is sourced from Wick Manor a small, family-run pig farm in Essex, England. The pigs are fed a natural diet of wheat and barley that is grown and milled on the farm itself. Vitamins, minerals, vegetable oil, soya and biscuit meal are also added to their diet. The natural and clean environment along with healthy diet and lifestyle helps the pork develop a beautiful depth of flavour whilst remaining lean.

For stir-fry pork, I usually cook home-style dishes like stir-fry pork with kailan, potato or sze chuan vegetables and golden mushroom.

This time, I decided to go for something different, a Vietnamese-style Honey Pork and Rice Noodle Salad, which is sweet, tangy, spicy and salty, perfect for this hot and humid weather! 

The Vietnamese call it Bún Thịt Nướng. Bún means noodles, Thịt nướng means baked or barbecued meat and the meat used is always pork. So basically the dish consists of grilled pork, rice vermicelli or noodle, pickles, vegetables, aromatic herbs, all displayed in a colourful arrangement, and finally served with a tangy, spicy, salty fish sauce dressing called nước chấm.


Vietnamese-style Honey Pork & Rice Noodle Salad
(reference from Hungry Huy and Danang Cuisine)

(serves 1-2)


Honey pork

• 250g sliced/stir-fry pork
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 clove shallot
• 1 stalk lemongrass
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp parsley
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp hua tiao cooking wine
• 1 tsp fish sauce
•  1/4 tsp sesame oil

1. Combine all the ingredients except pork into a food processor or electric chopper, blend into a paste.
2. Marinate the pork slices using the paste at least 4hrs or overnight.
3. Before cooking, remove from fridge and let the pork return to room temperature.
4. Set a grill pan or frying pan over medium heat, add 2 tbsp of cooking oil and grill/pan-fry the marinated pork till fully cooked and slightly charred. Set aside.

Pickles

• 2 cups water
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 4 shallots, peeled
• 1 chili padi, cut into 2-3 pieces
• 1 cucumber, sliced thinly
• 1 carrot, sliced thinly

1. Combine water, sugar and vinegar in a small pot, bring to boil till sugar is dissolved.
2. Add shallots and chilli padi into the pickling liquid and let the liquid cool completely.
3. Add the sliced cucumber and carrot into the pickling liquid and store overnight in fridge.

Fish Sauce Dressing

• 5 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 lime
• 1/2pc chili padi, cut into tiny pieces
• 1 clove garlic, finely minced

1. Mix water, fish sauce and sugar, stir till sugar is dissolved.
2. Add lime juice, chili padi and garlic, mix well.

Assemble

• 200g rice noodle
• Honey pork
• Pickled cucumber, carrot and shallot
• Lettuce, basil, parsley, mint leaves, chili padi

1. Blanch rice noodle in boiling water for 30s. Drain thoroughly and arrange in serving bowl/plate.
2. Arrange pickles, lettuce, basil, parsley, mint leaves and chili padi in serving bowl/plate.
3. Add honey pork.
4. Drizzle with some fish sauce dressing before serving.

This is definitely my kind of salad! Totally appetising and aromatic as well!

By just looking at the photo, I'm already salivating over the pretty colours and presentation, not to mention the various tastes and textures that come together. The highlight of this dish is certainly the pork which is sweet and succulent and tasted great with a tinge of smoky flavour from the charred bits.

This dish is certainly a keeper for me :)

Stay tune as I present the last dish using cod fillet from Sasha's Fine Food.

Sasha's Fine Food is an online F&B company that sourced ethically produced goods with preference to free-range, organic and/or fair trade food and drinks, and at the same time avoiding foods with unacceptable or unhealthy addictive. There's a wide variety of produce available in the webstore, from meat and fish to dry goods and groceries, dairy to beverages.

Festive Gatherings 2016

Wow, it's nearly the end of the year and it has been pretty exciting for me the past week with festive celebrations and all! There were two festive gatherings at my place on Friday and Sunday (for my hb's colleagues and my Sec Sch/JC friends respectively), two cake orders for a twin's birthday celebration and treats for my son's Christmas celebration in school. Don't ask me why everything had to happen in this particular week, it just happened.

Since I don't have a helper, to pull off this feat, I had to plan my schedule carefully and time my purchases meticulously due to limited fridge capacity. That said, there were incidences where I forgot to buy certain items and had to make unnecessary trips to the supermarket or the places I went ran out of stock/didn't carry certain stock and I had to think of alternatives or make additional trips. Oh well.

Basically, I literally camped in my kitchen starting from Monday, all the way till Sunday, except when making countless purchasing trips to and fro the supermarkets and markets near my place! *PHEW*

Anyways, I'm kinda proud of myself for pulling it off altogether, baking/cooking up a storm on my own within a limited time frame. There were frustrating and challenging moments but I quite enjoyed the whole process and experience at the end of the day.

Here's sharing the menus for the two gatherings at my place and some of the recipes.

Festive Gathering 1 (Friday, 23 Dec 2016) - for hb's colleagues, preparing for about 18-19 pax.

1. Nachos (Tostitos Scoops) with fresh salsa and avocado yogurt dips
2. Veggie sticks with garlic mayo dip
3. Pan-fried HK-style radish cake
4. Cheddar sausage (Johnsonville)
5. Kong Bak Bao (braised pork belly with ho hup bao)
6. Vegetarian spring roll
7. Potato curry samosa
8. Tempura mushroom
9. Fried beehoon with canned stewed pork
10. Chicken curry (Prima premix)
11. Bake Cheese Tart
12. Sticky date toffee pudding

Nachos (Tostitos Scoops) with fresh salsa and avocado yogurt dips

Made this appetiser back in July and it was very well-received, so decided to make it again. I don't really like nachos chips, except for Tostitos Scoops which I feel was "lighter" then the usual ones. Instead of store-bought salsa sauce which tasted quite overwhelming on the palate (personally), I prefer making my own fresh salsa. Couldn't find jalapeno in the supermarkets and made do with chili padi which worked out ok fortunately. In addition to salsa, I also made a creamy and tangy avocado yogurt dip.
Once again, a popular item among guests.
Recipe: http://dreamersloft.blogspot.sg/2016/07/grazing-platter-tomato-salsa-and.html

Veggie sticks with garlic mayo dip
Also made this appetiser before and usually well-received. The trio of cucumber, carrot and celery is very refreshing, especially with the homemade garlic mayo dip which is slightly tangy and complemented the sweetness and crunchiness of the veggies well.
Similarly, a popular item among guests.
Recipe: http://dreamersloft.blogspot.sg/2009/01/veggie-sticks-dips.html

Vegetarian spring roll, potato curry samosa, tempura mushroom
As there's an Indian guest who's vegetarian, I prepared a few vegetarian items after discussing with the hb. Spring roll and samosa are usually popular during parties, so decided to try it. Initially thought of getting those frozen ready-made ones from the supermarket, but the stubborn cook in me decided to make it myself! And surprisingly, both spring roll and potato curry samosa were not difficult to make at all! I made the spring rolls on Monday and potato curry samosa on Tuesday, and freeze them. The tempura mushroom was quite last minute, made on the day itself using a tempura premix.
These items should preferably be eaten while hot and crispy; the samosa stayed crispy for a longer time, but spring roll and tempura mushroom turned soft after a while. Got to think of a way to retain their crispiness.
Recipes for spring roll and samosa will be posted when I have time.

Pan-fried HK-style radish cake, Cheddar sausage (Johnsonville)
The HK-style radish cake is usually my must-make for gatherings/parties as it can be prepared in advance, stored in fridge or freezer and pan-fried very quickly.
Tasted nice even when cold, well-received among guests.
Recipe: http://dreamersloft.blogspot.sg/2011/07/hong-kong-style-pan-fried-radish-cake.html

The Johnsonville cheddar sausage is my family's absolute favourite sausage, it's not cheap at $9.95 per pack of six but tasted so cheesy and salty and yummy! I used my air-fryer to fry the whole sausage then sliced into sections. The first item to be gone!

Fried beehoon with canned stewed pork
Another popular party food, I like to fry my beehoon with canned stewed pork with lots of shredded cabbage and carrot. The beehoon will soaked up all the sauce from the stewed pork and taste really flavourful!
Recipe: http://dreamersloft.blogspot.sg/2007/04/quick-easy-meals-ii-fried-beehoon.html

Chicken curry (Prima premix)
My hb insisted on curry, because he claimed that what's beehoon without curry? I don't have time to cook curry from scratch, and anyways, my family's favourite curry is the Prima premix one, so I stuck to this all the time. For the chicken, I always insist on using kampung chicken bought from the wet market, as the chicken texture is more chewy. For potato, I normally buy the "Holland" one, also better texture for cooking curry. I will usually cut the chicken and potato into bite-size pieces, easier for guests to eat.

These 2 items proved to be popular and all gone as well.

Kong Bak Bao (braised pork belly with ho hup bao)
Highlight of the menu! I don't usually cook this as this has to be prepared 2 days in advance and very tedious. But this item is always requested so I have to oblige :)
Day 1, blanch the pork belly, pan-fry on all sides, cut into slices and marinate overnight.
Day 2, steam the marinated pork belly in a wok for 2hrs. After cool down slightly, transfer to cast iron pot, cover and let flavours develop overnight.
Day 3, reheat in the morning, and reheat just before serving.
I prefer to steam the pork belly instead of cooking it over stove, as I feel that the natural juices from the pork get locked in, the meat gets tender evenly and stays intact.
Limited edition item (about 24 pieces), all gone in a jiffy!
Recipe: http://dreamersloft.blogspot.sg/2014/09/pork-belly-bun-aff-singapore-sep-2014.html

Bake Cheese Tart, Sticky date toffee pudding
Since Bake Cheese Tart is the "in" dessert this year, and also my signature dessert, I had to bake it right :)
For this batch, I used my Part III recipe, and yielded 16 medium size and 41 petite ones (of which I gave 24 to my son's Christmas party in school).
Recipe: http://dreamersloft.blogspot.sg/2016/07/hokkaido-bake-cheese-tart-iii.html

And since it's Christmas season, I baked the Sticky date toffee pudding cake, a cake which is very tender and moist and not too sweet. Not sharing recipe here yet, as it was from a past baking class. I do sell this cake though, for those keen to order.

While the desserts were well-received, there were some leftovers, probably because everyone was too full from the main dishes (and 4 guests didn't turn up last minute).

\(^o^)/\(^o^)/\(^o^)/\(^o^)/\(^o^)/\(^o^)/\(^o^)/\(^o^)/\(^o^)/

Festive Gathering 2 (Sunday, 25 Dec 2016) - for my JC/Sec Sch long time friends, preparing for about 19 adults and 15 kids.

This was an even bigger crowd than the previous gathering!
Had planned to BBQ some food items in order to ease the workload in the kitchen. Unfortunately, it started raining in the late afternoon and we had to forgo the BBQ last minute :( Had to scramble to cook up the BBQ food items using oven, stove and air-fryer. Luckily my friends came over my place earlier to help out.

1. Nachos (Tostitos Scoops) with fresh salsa and avocado yogurt dips
2. Quinoa salad
3. Kong Bak Bao (braised pork belly with ho hup bao)
4. Salmon croquettes
5. Mac & Cheese
6. Fried beehoon with canned stewed pork
7. Bake Cheese Tart
8. Sticky date toffee pudding
9. Oven-baked/air-fried --- chicken wings, stuffed portobello mushroom, satay, otah otah, taiwan sausage, cheese sausage, sambal sotong

Nachos (Tostitos Scoops) with fresh salsa and avocado yogurt dips
Since this is very popular, it's a keeper! Had to make fresh batch because the fresh salsa and avocado dips don't keep well.
Recipe: http://dreamersloft.blogspot.sg/2016/07/grazing-platter-tomato-salsa-and.html

Quinoa salad
This is a very refreshing salad which is healthy yet yummy, suitable for vegetarians! Made using mixed salad greens, quinoa, sweet & crunchy peppers (orange, yellow, red, green), carrot, olives, dried cranberries, dried raisins and a dressing of lemon juice, maple syrup, paprika and a pinch of salt.

Taiwan sausage, cheddar sausage
These were meant for the BBQ. Air-fryer to the rescue, 180 degree celsius for about 10 mins.

Salmon croquettes
This is my son's absolute favourite food, and it's also where I hid vegetables because he hates them. What's inside? Salmon, potato, cauliflower, carrot, baby oats, shredded cheese and a small cube of cream cheese in the middle. Coated with breadcrumbs and pan-fried.
Recipe: http://dreamersloft.blogspot.sg/2015/03/salmon-potato-cheese-croquette.html

Fried beehoon with canned stewed pork
Party staple which is a keeper. Wanted to make some curry to go with it (as the hb said so), but couldn't find kampung chichen leg/thigh meat. No kampung chicken, no curry.
Recipe: http://dreamersloft.blogspot.sg/2007/04/quick-easy-meals-ii-fried-beehoon.html

Mac & cheese
This was made for the kids. A kids-friendly milk and cheese sauce which is less salty. Basically heat up some milk, add a bit of flour to thicken, then add shredded cheese. Stir-fry some onion, mushroom, corn kernels and sweet peas, mix with cooked pasta and milk/cheese sauce, mix well to serve. Didn't make enough sauce and the pasta dried up a bit. Must make more sauce next time.

Portobello mushroom, sambal sotong, satay
These were meant to be barbecued. In the end, the satay went into the oven, whereas the sotong and mushroom went into the air-fryer. The satay was storebought, the sotong was from our last fishing trip in Malaysia (sambal storebought), portobello mushroom was actually last minute addition as I had a packet of mushroom in the fridge. Simply minced the stems, combine with some shredded cheese, stuff into the underside of the mushroom caps, sprinkle with some mixed herbs and air-fry.
Turned out very well in the end and all were wiped out quickly.

Chicken wings, Kong Bak Bao (braised pork belly with ho hup bao)
Likewise, the chicken wings were meant to be barbecued. Bought fresh kampung ones from the wet market and marinated them overnight. Baked half batch in the oven and the other half, I coated them with tapioca starch (taiwanese brand) and pan-fried them, followed by air-fried. Luckily both turned out ok, especially the fried version which was very well-received.

For the pork belly, made a bigger batch then the previous gathering, about 32 pieces, likewise all gone!
Recipe: http://dreamersloft.blogspot.sg/2014/09/pork-belly-bun-aff-singapore-sep-2014.html

Bake Cheese Tart, Sticky date toffee pudding
To keep things simple, made the same desserts which proved to be popular.
For this batch of cheese tarts, I used my Part IV recipe, and yielded 18 medium size and 18 petite ones.
Recipe: http://dreamersloft.blogspot.sg/2016/10/hokkaido-bake-cheese-tart-iv.html

After the party on Sunday, and after washing/cleaning up the kitchen, I was totally knocked out until today!
Would I do it again? I would say, probably. It was challenging yet fulfilling, to see friends and guests enjoying the feast; it gave me a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, I mean hardly would I have the chance to whip up a feast during normal days right? Looking forward to the next feast soon!

Wholegrain Burger & Salad

Updated as at 7 Jun with addition of Quinoa Salad.

2 weekends ago, I attended a Wholegrain Burgers & Salads Class conducted by Chef Mayura Mohta (author of The Wholefood Kitchen - Naturally Nourishing Meals for a Healthy Lifestyle) at Shermay's Cooking School. (For those unaware, Shermay's Cooking School is closing and shifting office from end June onwards).

In the recent months, I'm on an exercise and diet regime, hoping to lose some weight and eat more healthily. My knowledge with wholegrain/herb/spice ingredients and cooking is very limited and honestly I'm not sure whether I would enjoy eating these food. Rather than buying the ingredients and exploring recipes myself, I thought perhaps by attending an initiation class like this (with tasting), I could try for myself whether this category of food would actually appeal to my palate.

To my delight, Chef Mayura really convinced me that healthy wholegrain food like quinoa, millet and wild rice can actually taste yummy and not difficult to prepare! In a span of less than a week, I've already tried and adapted some of the recipes. Certainly a good start!

Will not be sharing exact recipes here due to copyright, and also I didn't follow the recipes exactly, just estimated and adapted everything to my personal taste.

The first recipe I tried was the Quinoa Beet burger. I always thought that quinoa is very difficult to cook but surprisingly easy, just cook in water till all the water is absorbed and you can see sprouts appearing, so cute!

In this burger, besides cooked quinoa, I also added beet, carrot, sweet potato; and spices/herbs included ginger, garlic, cumin powder, Gochugaru Korean Chilli Powder, tumeric powder, salt, parsley and spring onion. After mixing all the ingredients and shaping them into burger patties, they were then oven-baked. At this point, they were ready to eat, or they could be frozen for up to 2 weeks.

The Quinoa Beet burger was very flavourful with the spices/herbs added and sweet due to the beet, carrot and sweet potato. I pan-fried it (without oil) for a while, so the exterior was very crispy. Overall the texture of the burger had a lot of bite, due to the quinoa and root vegetables. I also paired the burger with a Avocado Yogurt dip and loved the combination!

Another recipe I attempted was the Potato Oat burger. Pretty straightforward and I believe would be accepted by kids too.

In this burger, I added potato, zucchini, rolled oats, instant oats (which is a binder, alternatively use an egg), feta cheese, sundried tomatoes, assorted seeds and nuts (pine nuts, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds). I reserved a portion of this for my son, and for the remaining added spring onion, parsley, cumin powder, Gochugaru Korean Chilli powder, all-spice mix, ginger, garlic and salt. Likewise after mixing all the ingredients and shaping them into burger patties, they were then oven-baked. At this point, they were ready to eat, or they could be frozen for up to 2 weeks.

Love this burger! Very creamy and fragrant due to the addition of potato and oats. The feta cheese, sundried tomatoes and nuts/seeds added texture and taste to the burger. The kiddo ate one burger (sandwiched with burger buns) and he didn't even know zucchini was added! Haha, clever way to trick kids into eating more veg yah? For my version, I loved the addition of the spices and herbs which enhanced the overall taste. Paired the burger with beet hummus which was even better than eating it plain.

The beet hummus that I paired with the potato oat burger was made using beet, chickpeas, sesame seeds, lemon juice, garlic, dried parsley, cumin powder, black pepper and salt. Whereas the avocado yogurt was made with avocado, Greek yogurt, maple syrup, garlic, lemon juice, black pepper and salt. These two dips are very versatile, besides having them with burgers, they could also be eaten with chips or bread sticks.

One of the salad I learnt from the class was the Wild Rice Salad. Interestingly, wild rice isn't even a rice, it's actually seed of grass which is high in fibre, protein-rice and gluten-free!

The cooked wild rice takes a slightly longer time to cook then quinoa, is very chewy and earthy. I love it! This salad is mixed with cooked wild rice, celery, pomegranate, yellow bell pepper, spring onions, fresh parsley, fresh mint leaves, feta cheese, raisins and assorted nuts/seeds. The dressing paired during class was a pomegranate dressing made with pomegranate juice, garlic, salt, paprika powder, lemon juice and olive oil. I replaced the pomegranate juice with homemade strawberry jamr.

Totally love this salad, very flavourful, with lots of different textures and tastes. I made a large batch and finished it over 3-4 meals. Will definitely have this salad once or twice a month!

Update as at 7 Jun
Made Quinoa Salad and love it as well! Besides quinoa, added chickpeas, arugula leaves (rocket leaves), red bell pepper, carrot, sundried tomatoes, olives, fresh parsley, dried raisins, dried cranberries and assorted nuts/seeds like almond, cashew, pine, sunflower, pumpkin (the dried fruits and nuts/seeds came mixed in a pack). For the dressing, I used lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, salt, maple syrup and paprika.

The different textures as well as flavours worked really well together here. The dressing of lemon juice and maple syrup gave a very refreshing taste to the salad. The surprise for me was the arugula leaves. I hated the taste of it and would avoid it whenever I eat salad. But surprisingly the strong nutty flavour blended perfectly with the rest of the ingredients and I actually added more to the salad.

Another satisfying salad that I could add to my list now!

Salads learnt from the class:

• Mediterranean Quinoa Salad with Lemon Honey Dressing
• Millet Salad with Spicy Buttermilk Dressing
• Wild Rice Salad with Pomegranate Dressing

All three salads offer different textures and flavours, and I love them all! Next up, I'm going to try the Quinoa Salad and Millet Salad.

The burgers and salads were in fact so satiating (had them late afternoon) that I felt full without necessity for dinner! The class certainly expanded my horizon and changed my perception about wholegrains altogether. Wholegrains will certainly form part of my diet from now onwards!

Tofu & Sweet Corn Salad 玉米豆腐沙拉

This is another slimming recipe from the chinese book that I bought, "这样吃, 一定瘦!", 台湾生机饮食专家王明勇老师 ("Eat This Way, Slim Forever", by a renown Macrobiotic expert in Taiwan); it was also featured in a Channel U programme "饮食误区 Dietary Errors" by 王明勇老师 2 years ago.

Very quick and easy to prep just three ingredients needed, firm tofu (tau kwa), cucumber and sweet corn. As for seasoning, just sesame oil, sea salt and black pepper. Some days when I felt like eating light, I would eat it as a meal on its own. This could also be served as a warm side salad. Simple but fulfilling and best of all delicious; can taste the crunchy texture of the cucumber, juicy and sweetness from the corn, the warm and light texture of the firm tofu. Simple seasonings yet complimented the tastes of the ingredients well.

Tofu & Sweet Corn Salad 玉米豆腐沙拉
(serves 1-2)

Ingredients

• 100g sweet corn kernels (I bought packet ones from Heinz), drained
• 1pc Jap cucumber, cut into cubes
• 2pc firm tofu (tau kwa)
• Sea salt, to taste (I use Maldon sea salt flakes)
• Black pepper, light sprinkle
• Sesame oil, dash

Steps

1. Slice the firm tofu into 1/2 inch thick slices, dry thoroughly using kitchen towel.
2. Heat a tablespoon of cooking oil on medium heat in a frying pan.
3. Pan fry the firm tofu slices until slight golden brown on both sides. Let cool for 5 mins.
4. Place the tofu into a mixing bowl, use your hands or fork to break the tofu into small pieces.
5. Add the cubed cucumber, corn kernels and seasonings to taste. Toss well.
6. Best served warm.

Burdock, carrot & cucumber salad

The weather has been so hot and humid recently that I tend to crave for light and refreshing salads during lunchtime.

One of my favourite salad is this burdock, carrot and cucumber salad. I've bought and eaten a similar one at a Japanese eatery at Liang Court before. Recently when I went to Tokyo I also saw this particular salad featured in a food magazine. I guess this is somewhat a modern Jap kind of salad because traditionally Japanese use burdock root to make a dish called kinpira gobō which is shredded burdock root and carrot braised with soy sauce, sugar, mirin and sesame oil.

Burdock known as gobō (in Japan) or 牛蒡 (locally or Taiwan/China) apparently has many health benefits and even medicinal properties. In local markets, we usually find the variety imported from China; the root is "aged" thus very hard and very fibrous; typically used to cook soups and seldom eaten on its own. At traditional chinese medicine halls, we can also find dried burdock (cut into thin slices) used for cooking herbal soups.

Variety imported from Japan is found only at Japanese supermarkets like Isetan and Meidi-ya. But still, they tend to be the more aged ones. For this particular salad, it's best to use young gobō which is very tender and sweet. Not sure if young gobō is imported or not, if not try to find the "youngest looking root" available. Whenever I go to Japan, I would buy a packet back since it's not easily available locally.

Ingredients are very simple, two young burdock roots (1 packet as seen in photo), one Japanese cucumber, one small carrot/half medium carrot, sesame seeds, Japanese mayonnaise and sesame dressing. The Jap mayo and sesame dressing can be found at major supermarkets like NTUC, at the Jap food section.

First, julienne everything. Then boil about 3 cups of water with 2 tbsp of vinegar (I use Japanese brown rice vinegar), blanch the burdock root for 30 secs followed by the carrot for another 30 secs. This step would remove the strong earthy smell of the burdock and also make both the burdock and carrot slightly tender.

Finally, just toss all the three ingredients with  2 tbsp of sesame dressing, 2 tbsp of Jap mayo and 1 tbsp of toasted sesame seeds. The salad is ready to eat but I prefer chilling it in the fridge first to make it truly refreshing. I can have this salad over two meals with probably sandwich or some other carbo.Totally love the crunch and sweetness of the veg, complimented by the creamy dressing and aroma from the sesame seeds. Yums!

Burdock, carrot & cucumber salad

Ingredients

• 2 stalks young burdock root (1 packet)
• 1 pc Japanese cucumber
• 1/2 medium carrot or 1 small carrot
• 2 tbsp Japanese mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp sesame dressing
• 1 tbsp sesame seeds, lightly toasted
• 3 cups water
• 2 tbsp brown rice vinegar

Steps

1. Julienne burdock root, cucumber and carrot. Set aside. *If the bottom section of the burdock root looks very hard and fibrous, I usually cut about 5cm away and reserve it for soups instead of this salad.
2. Boil 3 cups of water in a pot, add 2 tbsp of brown rice vinegar
3. Blanch burdock root for 30 secs. Add carrot and blanch for another 30 secs.
4. Drain and let cool.
5. Toss burdock root, cucumber and carrot together with the mayo, sesame dressing and sesame seeds.
6. Chill in fridge before serving.