Crunchy Mixed Nuts Cake

This recipe is special meant for those who do not like creamy type of cakes and I am one of them J !  Munching nuts could be an additive but how would it taste if we added in a cake? 

I have chosen walnuts, almonds and pistachios to blend in with butter base cake. 

Why these 3 types of nuts?  Walnuts – one of the best plant sources of protein, rich in fiber too.  It bring together with almonds that are lower in saturated fat and contain many other protective nutrients.  How can we miss out pistachios for its delicious and its color to brighten up your cake?

You will love the combination – the crunchy nuts with the butter base that comes along with some coffee essence and chocolate milk.  It’s definitely a best choice for tea time.  Trust me, when you have done with the first piece, you certainly will look for the second piece.

It is a rather simple recipe and an easy home-made cake.  I am sure you will like it.  I have to go for my tea break now! 

Ingredients

(A)

150g butter

150g brown sugar

3 eggs

(B)

150g high protein flour

50g self-raising flour

100g chocolate milk

1 tsp coffee essence

(C)

50g walnut

50g almond

50g pistachio

(Toast and chop)

Directions

• Preheat oven
• Beat butter and sugar till whitened.
• Add eggs – one after another, combine the mixture with first egg before adding the second and the third egg. Beat well.
• Pour in Ingredients (B) and continue to beat until well-blended.
• Lastly, add in Ingredients (C) or mixed nuts.
• Pour the batter into a greased tray.
• Bake at 170◦C for 40 minutes or till it cooked.

Steam Dark Soy Sauce Sesame Chicken Mushroom Rice

Even though I have missed this weekend #SundaySupper with the theme of “Celebrating Family Heritage”, but it has brought me to those day’s sweet memories, where all family members used to enjoy the cook from the ‘chef’ of the house – our beloved late mother.

Suddenly, I have this thought of dish that she used to cook for us and she described it as “easy & simple making” recipe that save time and steps.  I really missed it so much as I didn’t have a chance to taste the same after she had left us.

This is a simple recipe which is suitable for all those busy mommies out there.  I have changed the recipe from normal white rice to brown rice, where I am a regular for brown rice.  Surprisingly, it turns out great with dark soy sauce and sesame oil chicken that stir-fried with the mixture of dried mushrooms and button mushrooms.  You may add-in a splash of Chinese wine (Shao-Xing wine) to enhance the taste.

This dish is so high on taste and low on effort that it has become a favorite to me and my husband now.

Ingredients

2 cups of brown rice, washed & soaked for half-an-hour

½ of a chicken, chopped into small pieces

8-10 slices of ginger

8 medium size of dried mushrooms, soaked until soft, then cut 1 to 4 pieces

1 can of button mushrooms (350gm), cut into half size

2 tbsp of cooking oil

Seasoning (chicken):

4 tbsp of dark soy sauce

2 tbsp of normal soy sauce

1 tbsp of oyster sauce

3 tbsp of sesame oil

2 tsp of sugar

(Marinate chicken for at least 20 minutes)

A splash of Chinese wine (Shao-Xing wine) - optional

Directions

• Heat oil in a wok until it turns hot
• Add in ginger until its turn brownish
• Add in the marinated chicken and start to toss
• Add in the 2 types of mushrooms and splash in the Chinese wine (Shao-Xing Wine) then continue to toss for another 10 minutes.
• Remove from wok.
• Prepare rice with water in a tray to be placed in the wok or steamer to start steaming.
• After about 10-15 minutes of steaming or it’s has half-cooked, used a fork to loosen-up the rice.
• Pour in the chicken with mushrooms together with all gravy on top of the rice and continue to steam about 20 minutes or until it is cooked.

Sliced ginger

Seasoned Chicken

Soaked & cut dried mushrooms

Button mushrooms - cut into half size

Add in seasoned chickens and toss

Half-cooked dark soy sauce chicken with mushrooms

To prepare rice in a tray to steam

Steam Chicken Rice is ready

The Simple Fried Pasta

Although boiling may be the most common way to prepare pasta, like most of the western style of pasta that most of it used tomato puree or creamy type.  As for me, I would make fried pasta now and then for a change, to add in some Asian flair to salads and main dish meals, how about that?  For me, if I want a quick, simple meal, it’s just like making fried rice, which Chinese make most of the time.  I have seen fried spicy “sambal” (a Malay signature spicy sauce) spaghetti when I do some research on fried pasta but I feel it will loose the origin of pasta.  So, I have decided to try this – the combination of western with east flair fried pasta.  I am not talking about deep fried pasta here, is just an ordinary stir-frying done in a pan or a wok. I have chosen spirals, it could be the multi-color of these pasta has actually attracted me. It turns out interesting especially when I have mixed it with some colorful bell peppers.  As for the seasoning, I am still keeping the western taste. I used Italian herbs, Oregano and ground black pepper and even some parmesan cheese, no meats but I add in some sausages …....you won’t believe it, it’s tasted great and you must try it and am sure your children will like it too!

The Simple Fried Pasta

Ingredients:

200 gm of spirals pasta

1 capsicum (any color), cut into cubes

2 pcs of plain sausage, sliced

2 tbsp of olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tsp of Italian herbs

2 tsb of oregano

2 tsb of ground black pepper

2 tbsp of parmesan cheese

Salt to taste

Directions:

• Boil pasta in a pot of water that added with oil and pinch of salt for taste.  Drain it.
• Heat oil in pan or wok over medium heat
• Add in garlic and onions for a minute
• Add in capsicum and sliced sausage
• Stir it until its half cook
• Add in pasta and toss it
• Add in Italian herbs, oregano, ground black pepper and a pinch of salt for taste and continue to toss.
• Lastly, add in parmesan cheese and stir for another few minutes.
• Remove from pan or wok and serve it warm.

Capsicum cuts in cube

Sliced sausage

Boiled Pasta

Fried pasta ready to serve

Cream Cheese Bread

A Passion for Bread........Bread is a rich and fascinating source of exciting recipes and expert information.  Bread has enduring culinary and cultural significance all around the world.  The making of bread requires little more than a pair of your hands, an oven, patience and of course a love or passionJ.  Here I would like to share my first experience on making bread, the Cream Cheese Bread.  If you want me to tell you my feeling on bread making – Bread is Alive!  Happy Trying!

Cream Cheese Bread

Ingredients:

• 1 kg bread flour
• 15g instant dried yeast
• 55g milk powder
• 60g sugar
• 100g butter
• 100g cream cheese
• 600g water
• 20g salt
• 1 egg – beaten

Directions:

• Hand-mix  bread flour, instant dried yeast, milk powder, sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. 
• Add in cream cheese and water and knead to form a dough.
• Add in butter, continue to knead to form a smooth and elastic dough.
• Shape the dough as for a long loaf and place into a greased loaf tin.
• Cover dough with clear film or a towel.  Let it prove for 50 – 60 minutes, or till it doubles its size.
• Brush with beaten egg and bake in an oven pre-heated to 180◦C for 30 minutes, or until golden brown.

Cream cheese adds a creamy and cheesy aroma to white bread.  It is ideal for sandwiching smoked salmon and other smoked meats.

The dough-making

Kneeding & Shaping

Place dough into the loaf tin

Bread is ready

Cream Cheese Bread is ready to serve

Chayote Vermicelli Soup

To Mom with LOVE.......Mother’s Day Celebration is round the corner.  I am sure everyone has planned their day. How are you going to celebrate this special day with your beloved mother? Buy her a dinner?  Shop together with her? Cook a meal for her? There are so many things that you can do for with her but not me.  I am unable to do all this now as we have apart right now as she has gone to another world.  The saddest, I never have a chance to cook for her.  She always the “main cook” in the house, no matter is breakfast, lunch or dinner.   Those wonderful home-cook meals are still fresh in my mind now…...and become my willpower in the kitchen now.  And today, I wish like to share one of my mom’s recipes that always bright in my head and also one of my favorites - Chayote Vermicelli Soup. 

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Lovely Mothers out there!

Chayote Vermicelli Soup

Ingredients

2 medium size of Chayote, diced in cube

300gm – Vermicelli, soak till soft

200gm – Minced meat or lean meat (it can be pork or chicken meat)

30gm – Dried Chinese Black Fungus, soak till soft

2 slices – Ginger

2 cloves – Garlic, chopped

2 tbsp – Cooking oil

1tsp - Salt

Seasoning for minced meat or lean pork or chicken meat:

2 tsp - Corn Flour

2 tbsp – Soy Sauce

1 tbsp – Oyster Sauce

1 tbsp – Sesame Oil

Method:

• Heat oil in the wok or pot
• Add in chopped garlic and ginger
• Add in seasoned minced meat and black fungus, toss it
• Add in with 2 big bowl of water, leave it boil for 10 minutes
• Add in diced Chayote, cook for minutes or till it half soften
• Lastly, add in the soften Vermicelli and cook for another 5-10 minutes and some salt on your taste.
• Remove from wok or pot and serve straight away.