Black Sesame Paste

黑芝麻糊

This recipe makes 2 bowls of sesame paste.

Ingredients:

30g glutinous rice

10g black glutinous rice

60g black sesame seeds

40g rock sugar (about 8% of water)

475ml water

Method:

1. Soak glutinous rice for a few hours or overnight. Drain thereafter and discard the water ( or use it to water plants).

2. Toast the black sesame seeds in a pan over very low heat and keep stirring them until they are slightly popping. This takes around 3 mins.

3. Transfer the sesame seeds to the blender. Add in the glutinous rice and 150ml water. Blend until you get a smooth mixture. 

4. Pour the mixture into a pot and add the remaining water. Cook the mixture over low heat on the stove, stirring constantly using a wooden spatula, until the mixture thickens and you can draw a "line" (refer to video - taken on a different day using a different pot). Note: the sesame paste is quite creamy. Increase the amount of water if you prefer less creamier paste.

5. Turn off the heat and add in rock sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves. Note: increase the amount of rock sugar if you prefer sweeter sesame paste.

Sourdough Scones

天然酵母司康

Ingredients (4 scones)

120g plain flour/whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking powder (omit if using self raising flour)

80g sourdough starter, discard/unfed, straight from fridge

1 tbsp sugar 

40g whipped cream

50g unsalted butter (very cold)

1/8 tsp salt (0.6g)

Method:

1. Sieve flour and baking powder into mixing bowl. Add sugar and salt and mix roughly with a fork.

2. Add cold butter and use your fingers to quickly but gently rub the butter into the flour until the mix looks like breadcrumbs.

3. Add milk and starter, and use fork/dough scrapper to mix until dough just come together (ok to have small bits of flour). Don't overmix or knead the dough.

4. [Optional] Turn the dough to lightly floured tabletop and use hands to lightly press and level the dough to about 2 to 3cm thick. Do not over mix.

5. Wrap the dough with cling wrap and lightly flatten it into a disc of about 2 to 3cm thickness, then chill in fridge for 30minutes. I pre-shaped the dough into a square so that I can cut them up into square pieces later.

6. Preheat oven 200°c, fan mode.

7. Cut the scones to your favourite shape (round, square or triangle) or lightly shape with hands. If you use a cookie cutter, gather the trimmings together and lightly press/level again to cut more scones.

8. Arrange scones on a lightly greased tray and brush with olive oil (or milk). 

9. Bake for 15 mins or until golden brown. Transfer to wire rack to cool.

Oven Roasted Chicken Wings

烧烤鸡翅

Ingredients

15 chicken wings (mid joint)

1.5 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1.5 tablespoon unsalted butter (melted)*

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 garlic cloves (minced)*

* alternatively, can use garlic butter

Method

1. Rub salt all over the chicken wings and wash away the salt. Dab the wings dry with kitchen towel.

2. Prepare the seasoning by mixing olive oil, butter, salt, garlic and black pepper in a mixing bowl. 

3. Rub the wings with the oil mixture (step 2 above). Keep the remaining oil mixture for use later.

4. Preheat the oven to 175 deg cel. Line an oven tray with aluminium foil for easy cleaning later. Put a roasting rack on the tray and the wings on the roasting rack.

5. Roast the wings for 20mins on one side. Flip the wings and brush with oil mixture (step 2 and 3 above). Roast for another 10 minutes.

The wings are best eaten hot as they are crispy.

Fried Pork Meatball

炸肉丸子

Ingredients

800g minced pork 

1/4 carrot (diced into very small cubes)

2 tablespoon minced/grated/chopped garlic

3 tablespoon minced/grated/chopped shallots

3-4 chopped water chestnuts (optional)

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon oyster sauce

1 tablespoon corn flour

1 teaspoon five spice powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon white pepper powder

2 teaspoon light soy sauce

1 egg

Method

1. Put all ingredients (except egg and corn flour) in a mixing bowl and use hand to squeeze/knead the meat mixture until it comes together. Slam the meat a few times against the mixing bowl. Add egg and corn flour and continue to squeeze/knead until it becomes glue-like.

2. Use hand to squeeze and scoop meat mixture with spoon like making fish balls. Set aside in fridge until ready to deep fry.

3. Heat up enough oil in the wok or pot for deep frying. It is ready for frying when you see small bubbles form around the tip of the chopstick that is dipped into the hot oil.

4. Gently lower the meat balls, one by one, into the hot oil. Fry until golden brown and place on a wire rack/kitchen towel to drain excess oil.

Serve hot and enjoy!

Stir Fried Pork Liver

姜蒜炒猪肝

Pork liver is not everyone's cup of tea but do you know that in Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is considered a tonic for blood. This dish is thus loaded with health benefits! 

Ingredients

200g pork liver

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

2 cloves garlic (chopped into small pieces) 

8 to 10 stalks sping onion (cut into 2 inch length)

1 knob of ginger (cut into thin strips)

Method

1. Rinse the liver and dab dry with kitchen towel. Cut into thin slices. 

2. Marinate the liver with sesame oil and dark soy sauce for 30 minutes.

3. Heat up wok with a tablespoon of oil under medium heat. Saute garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add in liver and stir fry quickly for 30 seconds. Add in 1 teaspoon salt and spring onion. Stir fry quickly for 1 minute and remove from wok. Do not overcook the liver!

Serve hot with rice!

Grilled Cheese Sandwich

 芝士三文治

Want a quick breakfast? Try this sandwich recipe

Ingredient

2 slices of bread (any bread will do)

2 slices of smoked bacon

10 - 15g shredded cheese (we like KRAFT shredded Colby & Monterey Jack Cheeses)

Method

1. Cut each slice of bacon into two and pan fry them until crispy. Set aside.

2. Spread some butter on each slice of bread. Alternatively, use the oil from frying bacon in step 1, then skip to step 4.

3. Heat up a pan/skillet (no oil required) under low heat. Put one slice with the buttered side facing down on the skillet/cast iron pan. If you are using the same pan for frying smoked bacon, remove all the oil/fat released from the bacon.

4. Add shredded cheese on top of the bread, followed by bacon slices and more cheese. Then place the second piece of bread with the buttered side facing up on top of the sandwich. 

5. Once the bottom piece of bread is nicely browned (around 5 minutes) gently flip the sandwich over and grill the other slice of bread (for around 3 minutes).

6. Remove the sandwich from the pan, cut diagonally into two and serve immediately.

Sweet Mung Bean Dessert (Tau Suan)

 豆爽

This is one of the easiest dishes to cook at home. Once the mung beans are soaked, this dessert can be cooked in 30 minutes. Plus, we can to control how starchy, how sweet and how much mung beans to cook.

Ingredient

150g mung bean

75g rock sugar

1 litre water (to soak mung beans)

900ml water (to cook mung beans)

pandan leaves (optional)

sweet potato starch (30g sweet potato flour mixed with 50ml water)

Method

1. Wash the mung beans and soak for a few hours.

2. Drain the mung beans and steam over high-medium heat for 15 minutes. (I spread the beans on a bamboo sushi mat and put the mat on top of steaming rack.)

3. Boil a pot of water and add rock sugar and pandan leaves (if using). Turn off fire. Then slowly stir in the sweet potato starch until well combined. 

4. Add the steamed mung beans into the pot and stir to mix. Turn on the fire and bring to boil. Then turn off fire and cover the pot. Let the mung beans fluff up for 15minutes before serving.

5. Serve with youtiao (Chinese doughnut stick).