Banana Cinnamon Walnut Bread

Makes one 8 inches square loaf*

Ingredients:
3 small or 2 large eggs3/4 cup packed brown sugar
120g cooking oil (warm)
1 1/2 cup ripe mashed bananas (about 3-4 Delmonte)
2 tbsp sour cream or creme fraiche or plain yogurt
1 tsp vanilla extract

240g all-purpose / plain flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon (can increase if prefer strong cinnamon taste)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped (optional)

Steps:
1. Lined base of 8" square tin with parchment paper.

2. Preheat oven to 170°.

3. Whisk whole eggs with vanilla essence and brown sugar to form thick ribbon better.

4. Pour in warm oil slowly and whisk at slow speed to mix well.

5. Add in mashed banana and plain yoghurt and whisk at slow speed and mix thoroughly. 

6. Sift flour with baking power, baking soda and cinnamon powder. Add salt to sieved dried ingredients.

7. Fold in dry ingredients gently with walnut in between.

8. Pour into prepared tin and bake at 170° for 20 to 25 mins (make sure cake rise well) before lowering temperature to 160° and continue to bake for another 20 mins.

9. When bread is cooked (skewer inserted comes out clean or finger pressure test), remove bread and allow to cool slightly in pan for 10 mins  

10. Remove from tin and transfer to rack to further cool the cake.

11. Slice and serve warm or at room temperature.

Peach Resin Vegetarian Bird Nest White Fungus Dessert

Recipe for family of 4

Ingredients:
1. Peach Resin (桃胶) x 1 pc
2. Vegetarian Bird Nest (素血燕) x 1pc
3. Wild white fungus x 1 pc
4. Dried Lotus Seed (莲子) x 20pcs
5. Aloe Vera cubes (I used store bought)
6. Lemongrass x 3
7. Pandan Leaves x 3
8. Rock sugar

Steps:
1. Soak peach resin, vegetarian bird nest and white fungus overnight.
2. Remove impurities and cut white fungus into pcs.
3. Pre boil lotus seed with rock sugar n pandan leaves for 20min and soak them in the syrup (cook this 1 day before)
4. Boil lemongrass with pandan leaves for 30mins then add dried lotus seed with syrup and white fungus to cook for another 15 to 20 mins.
5. Add rock sugar and adjust taste to your preference.
6. Before serving just add the rest  and bring it to final boil.

Tips:
1. Do not add Peach Resin, 'birdnest' n aloe vera too early else the soup will be very thick n ingredients turn soggy.
2. Can also add canned or fresh sea coconut and/or wolfberry seeds 枸杞子 if wish too.
3. For alternate flavours， can add osmanthus 桂花.

Salted Baked Chicken

Ingredients
1 kampong chicken
6 thick slices ginger or 1 crushed thumb size
1 stalk of coriander with root
1 stalk of spring onion
4 - 5 crushed garlic with skin on

For Baking: 2 kg Coarse Salt

Seasoning Ingredients
2 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine
1 1/2 tbsp Sand Ginger Powder 沙姜
1/2 tbsp ground white pepper
1 tsp sea salt

Method
1) Clean the chicken and pat the chicken dry with paper towels.
2) Rub seasoning all over the chicken, including the cavity.
3) Leave the chicken uncovered and marinade overnight (or room temperature for at least 2hr in the fridge to dry out the chicken skin.
4) Take out the chicken the second day and let it come to room temperature (about 2 hours) before cooking.
5) Insert the ginger, corainder, spring onion and garlic into the cavity.
6) Wrap the chicken with parchment paper 1 layer at a time or at least 4 layers.
7) Heat the wok with coarse salt until very hot stirring constantly.
8) Make a well in the center of the heated salt and place wrapped chicken in it. Cover the wrapped chicken completely with salt. Cook in moderate heat for 15 minutes.
9) Flip to the other side and again cover with salt to cook for another 15 - 20 minutes.
10) Remove parchment paper wrappings from chicken and enjoy.

Seafood Tofu

Adapted from Singapore Home Cook by Lily Tan


Ingredients"Seawaves Cuttlefish Paste 海威苏东酱”  - 1/3 packet (approx. 170g)  (from NTUC frozen section)
 Prawns (peeled, deveined, minced into paste) -  100g
Tofu (ideal for frying type) - 2 boxes
Eggs (beaten) - 2
Water Chestnuts (chopped and squeeze off juice) - 6 to 8
Carrot - 50g
Coriander leaves - 3 stalks (finely chopped)


Marinate
Light Soy Sauce - 3 tbsp
Fish Sauce - 2 tbsp
Sesame Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - 1 tsp (add 1/2 tsp first and adjust to own preference)
Sugar - 2 tsp
Corn Flour - 3 tbsp
Pepper - 1/2 tsp


Coating
- Rice Flour (粘米粉) : Corn Flour ~ Ratio 2:1


Steps
1. Remove tofu from box. Pat dry, mash it finely with fork.
2. Set aside and drain excess water with kitchen tissue.
3. Mix all ingredients except tofu and eggs in a big bowl.
4. Add drained mashed tofu and beaten eggs.
5. Season mixture with marinate and mix well.
6. Line baking tin with parchment paper.
7. Pour mixture into tin and steam it with high heat for about 20 mins or until cooked.
8. Remove from steamer and place kitchen tissue on top to absorb excess water from steaming.
9. Let tofu cool down before frying (best to chill it in the refrigerator for about an hour or longer to let it set and harden a little for ease of cutting and frying).
10. Cut tofu into preferred size, pat dry with kitchen towel before coating it with the flour mixture.
11. Heat oil and deep fry tofu till its outside is crispy and golden brown.
12. Serve with dips like mayonnaise, sweet black sauce, Thai sweet chilli with lime juice etc. Enjoy!

Pasta Sauce

Homemade Pasta Sauce (make 2 jars)

Ingredients:
400g Tomato Puree
200g Peeled n chopped tomato
1 Big Yellow Onion
1 or 1.5 Celery
2 Small Carrots
5 Cloves of Garlic
5 to 6 Bay Leaves
2 teaspoon Dried Thyme
4 tablespoons Olive Oil
300ml Chicken Stock
Sugar to season



Steps:
1) Sterilize the jars by rinsing n place in oven at 100 degree till dry n I usually off the oven n leave them there till ready to use. Alternatively, you may rinse w hot water n let it dry.
2) Chop all vegetables into fine cubes to shorten cooking time.
3) Heat up the wok and fry onion and garlic till fragrance followed by celery and carrot.
4) When vegetables are soft, add chopped tomatoes and puree followed by bay leaves and dried thymes.
5) Add chicken stock and let it simmers and season with sugar if you find it too sour.
6) Fill up the sterilized bottle with ready pasta sauce and keep in refrigerator after it is cooled.



Note:
a) You may use fresh tomatoes but I used canned types for both puree and chopped tomatoes.
b) I used 1 can of Swenson chicken stock.
c) Pasta sauce can keep up to 3 weeks in refrigerator or longer in freezer but preferably and tastier to consume within 3 wks.
d) Blend the sauce after cooking if u like paste form but my family likes to eat the sauce with vegetable chunks.

Natural Yeast Dried Fruits and Nuts Soft Bun

 

Ingredients
Freshly Fed Natural Yeast  200g (use within 2 - 4 hrs of feeding)
Bread flour 250g (I used 300g Blue Jacket bread flour and omit the wholemeal flour)
Wholemeal flour 50g
Salt ½ teaspoon
Brown Sugar Honey 50g (I use normal honey)
Full cream milk powder 15g
Milk 120 – 130 ml (at room temperature; mix with 75% of liquid and leave 25% to adjust according to dough texture)

Walnut 25g
Raisin 25g
 
Brushing: Milk
 

Steps
1. Knead all ingredients excluding dried fruits and nuts and 25% of liquid.
2. Slowly add in balance 25% of liquid according to dough texture to form a smooth dough,
3. Continue to knead till window pane.
4. Form a smooth and shiny round dough.
5. Spray with water and cover to proof till double in size and this may take 60 mins or doubled in size. (Leave them either in bread maker or oven)
6. Apply some bread flour on working top. Remove dough and apply little flour on dough.
7. Punch out air and divide into 6 x 110g sizes.
8. Rounding and let the dough relax for 15 mins.
9. Flatten the dough with rolling pin (15 x 15 cm)and place dried fruits and nuts on flatten dough and roll into long bun shape.
10. Spray with water, covered and final proof for 60 - 100 mins or doubled in size.
11. 10 mins before baking, preheat oven to 180 degree.
12. Brush dough surface with milk.
13. Bake at middle rack 180 degree for about 15 - 20 mins or till golden brown.
14. Remove from mould to cool.

Banana Chocolate Mousse Cake

Chocolate Sponge cake (9" Round):

Large Egg Yolks - 4

Castor Sugar - 90g
Self Raising flour - 120g  (or 1 cup Plain Flour + 1  1/2 tsp. Baking Powder + 1/2 tsp Salt)
Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp
Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp
Corn Oil - 50g
Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp



Large Egg White  - 4 ½

Cream of Tartar - 1/4 tsp (or 1 teaspoon lemon juice)
Castor Sugar - 60g



Cocoa Powder - 30g
Hot Water - 120g (Stir and dissolve cocoa powder in hot water to form cocoa mixture)

Method:
1) Preheat oven at 180C.
2) Sieve all dry ingredients (flour, baking soda and baking powder).
3) Beat egg yolks and sugar until sugar dissolve and become pale yellow color.
4) Add oil, vanilla essence and cocoa mixture into egg yolk batter and mix well.
5) Fold in dry ingredients gently into mixed egg batter with a balloon whisk.

6) Beat egg white with cream of tartar (or lemon juice) till bubbles form, then pour in sugar gradually till egg white becomes fluffy. Beat till Medium peak.
7) Fold the egg yolk mixture into the egg white mixture. (see tips in chiffon cake on folding steps).
8) Pour into a lined cake tin.
9) Bake at 175C for about 40-50 min. or till cooked.
10) Off the oven and leave the cake with door ajar in oven for 10 min before removing (this will prevent cake from shrinking)
10) Overturn cake tin and removed cake from tin.
11) Turn cake back to normal position and let it cool on rack with the lined paper on.
12) Remove the lined paper when cake it cool and slice into 3 layers.





Chocolate mousse:


(A)
Gelatin powder - 1 tsp.
Hot water - 4 tbspn. (baine marie to dissolve gelatin)

(B)
Nescafe - 1 1/2 Tablespoon
Hot Water - 1 1/2 Tablespoon



(C)
Cocoa powder - 50g
Icing sugar - 80g



(D)
Dairy Whip Cream - 400g (Dairy will taste nicer but be softer. Non Dairy is more stable)
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp.
"Kahlua" or "Tia Maria" coffee liquer - 1 tbspn

Method:
1) Dissolve (A) gelatin in hot water using bain marie method.
2) Dissolve (B) Nescafe granules in hot water.
3) Mix #1 and #2 and stir in (C) to form paste and let it cool (not too cool else will form jelly)
4) Beat (D) whip cream over bowl of ice (this will allow the cream to be whipped faster and don't over beat else will separate to form butter)
5) Mix all the ingredients together and use it immediately to assemble the cooled cake.

Assemble the Cake


Prepared Chocolate Mousse
2 large ripe Del Monte Bananas - slice about 7-8mm each and coat with lemon juice
Cake tin bigger than baked cake (at least by 1cm).



Method:

1) Pour some mousse as the base of the cake tin.
2) Place 1st layer of cake on the mousse.
3) Pour additional mousse and top with sliced banana.
4) Follow by 2nd layer of cake.
5) Pour additional mousse and top with sliced banana.

6) Follow by 3rd layer of cake.
7) Pour remaining mousse to fill up gaps on the side of the cake tin.
8) Place "moussed" cake into refrigerator to set.

Decorate the Cake 

 

Ganache

Cocoa powder - 35g
Sugar - 4og
Dairy whipping cream - 150 g
Chopped dark chocolate or mini chocolate bits - 80g
Soften Butter - 30g
Fresh milk (15ml or more optional)


Method:
1) Bain marie whipping cream and dark chocolate till dissolve.
2) Add in cocoa powder and sugar till dissolve.
3) Add some fresh milk if find the chocolate mixture too thick.
4) Add soften butter before turning off the fire to create shine in the ganache.
5) Cool before pouring onto cake.
6) Use a warm towel to wrap the cooled tin or use air dryer to heat up the side and base for easy release of cold and set mousse cake from the cake tin.
7) Place the set mousse cake on wire rack over a baking tray.
8) Pour the cooled ganache over the mousse cake and let the ganache flows down the side smoothly.
9) Decorate the side with chocolate shaves or use a plastic film to wrap it.
10) Decorate the cake and put into the refrigerator till coating sets.
11) Slice with a warm knife and serve.