FOOD + RECIPES

Fried Shallots and Shallot Oil

| San

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A must in my pantry.  A pot of shallot oil and a container with the crispy fried shallot bits are always at the corner of my kitchen counter.

Too lazy? Drizzle shallot oil with light soy sauce over blanched vegetables to make a simple dish.
Too boring?  Add a few drops over a bowl of clear hot soup, it will smell instantly better.
Too hungry?  Dry tossed egg noodles with shallot oil and kecap manis makes a fast and fulfilling meal, better than eating instant noodles.
It’s also my choice condiment over a plate of steaming hot chee cheong fun (猪肠粉), instead of the sweet sesame sauce that the breakfast stalls usually provide me with.

You can choose to make as much or as little as you want,  simply adjust the quantity of shallots and oil.  Just make sure that the amount of oil used is enough for the sliced shallots to be fully submerged.  If you are a die-hard-shallot-oil-fan like me, have a dedicated small covered pot just for frying shallot oil, and use it as the storage container after preparing.  That’s one less greasy utensil to wash later!

I don’t store the oil and fried shallots in fridge, as some recipes suggested, I find it too troublesome to return the oil to room temperature every time I use it.  I have been leaving them covered in a cool dark corner, this method has been working so far for me.  But try to finish them within one week, that should not be too difficult if you cook everyday, otherwise, keeping them in the fridge might be a safer idea.

FRIED SHALLOT OIL

INGREDIENTS

  • 200g shallots, remove peel and sliced thinly, about 2-3mm
  • Peanut or vegetable oil, enough to cover the sliced shallots

METHOD

01. Set a small pot over high heat, add oil and bring it to hot.  To test oil temperature, drop a shallot slice, oil is ready when it bubbles right away.
02. Add shallot slices, stir occasionally with a pair of wooden chopsticks.  The oil temperature will dip when the shallots are first added, watch for the oil temperature to return to high.
03. Once you notice that the temperature of the oil has returned to high, turn the heat slightly lower, and maintain this gentle sizzle, keep stirring.  Frying the shallots over high heat will shorten the cooking time, but may lead to burnt shallots and a bitter taste in the oil : a no-no.
04. At the first sight of the shallots turning from light purple to light brown –
// A. If you are using the cooking pot as the storage container for the shallot oil : shut down the fire and start to pick out the ones turning golden brown first with chopsticks or slotted spoon (the sizzling/cooking process will still go on even after turning off the heat). Drain them over a plate lined with paper towels.  The shallots will continue to cook even after being scooped out from the oil, and will turn a shade darker after they have cooled down.  Do not wait till them have turned golden/dark brown to drain them from the oil, or they will be burnt by the end of the cooling process.  There will be some shallot bits left at the bottom of the oil with this ‘picking’ method, but I am not too concerned with it; the heat has been turned down long before these bits can become charred.  Treat them as extra bonuses when you scoop them out with the oil!
// B. If you are not using the pot as the storage container : when the shallots has turned golden brown, turn off the heat and strain the hot oil over a clean, dry strainer.  Make sure you use a HEATPROOF container to collect the oil, as it is very hot.  Drain the fried shallots over paper towels to remove excess oil.
06.  Cool fried shallots and shallot oil completely before storing.  Use an air-tight container for fried shallots, crispy ones are very much preferred!

No-Bake Chocolate Cheesecake

| San

chocolatecheesecake005 chocolatecheesecake001 chocolatecheesecake002 chocolatecheesecake003 chocolatecheesecake004For days when I feel like having a cake, but simply don’t feel like going though the whole complete process.

Simply whip + chill.

And out comes my 8 inch dessert by brunch.

This school holiday is sure making me lazy 🙂

RECIPE : NO-BAKE CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE
/ Source (Cheesecake Filling)
/ Source (Graham Cracker Crust)

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For Graham Cracker Crust

150 grams Digestive Biscuits
2 tablespoons (30 grams) granulated white sugar
6 tablespoons (85 grams) unsalted butter, melted

For Cheesecake

8 oz (250 grams) semisweet chocolate chips, melted
2 x 8oz (250 grams) blocks of cream cheese at room temperature
1/3 cup of brown sugar
1/3 cup of granulated white sugar
2 tablespoons of fresh milk
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of instant coffee powder (NOT 3-in-1)
chocolate chips for topping, optional

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For Crust
01. Put all digestive biscuits in a large zip-lock bag, and place it flat on kitchen counter, crush the biscuits into fine crumbs with rolling pin, or bare hands.

02. Mix biscuits crumbs, sugar and melted butter in an 8 inch spring form pan.

03. Press the crumbs mixture evenly onto the bottom of the pan to achieve the cheesecake crust finishing.  Chill this in the fridge while making the filling.

For Filling
01. Whip cream cheese in a large bowl till fluffy, about 2 minutes.

02. Add brown and white sugars, milk, coffee powder and vanilla extract, whip for 2 minutes.

03. Add melted chocolate and whip for 2 minutes.

Construction
01. Scoop/ Pour the filling into the pan with chilled crust.  Smooth the surface with the back of a spoon.

02. Sprinkle top of the cake with chocolate chips.

03. Chill the cake for at least 3 hours before serving.

+ Note 001 // Before releasing the spring-form pan to remove the cake, I use a butter knife to go around the edge of the cake, to make sure that the cheese filling does not stick to the side of the pan.

+ Note 002 // Used Nestle Tollhouse semi-sweet morsels for toppings, and Beryl semi-sweet baking chocolate for fillings.

+ Note 003 // Yields an 8 inch cake

Creamy Creamless Pumpkin And Cauliflower Soup

| San

creamypumpkinsoup003 creamypumpkinsoup001 creamypumpkinsoup002How many times have I been “creative” with this creamy soup without cream recipe?  I am not stopping yet! 🙂

CREAMY CREAMLESS PUMPKIN & CAULIFLOWER SOUP
// Adapted from : The Amateur Gourmet
// Yields a generous bowl

INGREDIENTS

  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 medium yellow onion, sliced thin
  • 1 head cauliflower, chopped
  • 1/4 of a small pumpkin, cut into cubes
  • Salt, to taste
  • Hot boiling water

01. Heat the olive oil in a pot on medium heat. Add the onions, cook them over low fire until they turn soft and translucent.  Ensure that they don’t turn brown, stir occasionally.
02. Add the chopped cauliflower and pumpkins just enough hot water to cover the ingredients.  Increase the heat slightly, add salt and allow soup to boil.  Once the soup starts to boil, turn heat lower and simmer for about 15 -20 minutes, till cauliflower and pumpkins are cooked and have turned soft.  Let soup cool aside till lukewarm.
03. Pour the mixture in batches into a blender and blend.  When the soup is fully blended, pour it back to the pot and reheat it.
04. Season with salt and pepper.  Serve immediately.

Mini Coffee Chiffon Cake

| San

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I have some 4 inches mini tube pans that I love to death.  They are wonderful for testing out new recipes, and by baking mini versions, sharing is also prettier when you can just give a couple of these whole cakes away, instead of slicing from a bigger cake.

I baked these mini coffee chiffon cakes with 3-in-1 instant coffee mix powder dissolved in 20ml of hot water.  I used it to replace 1 tablespoon coffee powder, 20 ml fresh milk and 20 grams sugar from the original recipe, in case you don’t have 3-in-1.

RECIPE : MINI COFFEE CHIFFON CAKE
/ Source
/ Makes 2 x 4 inch cakes

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  • 1 tablespoon 3-in-1 instant coffee mix*
  • 20ml hot water
  • 2 egg yolks
  • 20ml cooking oil
  • 40g self raising flour
  • 2 egg whites
  • 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 50g castor sugar

* I used “Super” brand of Instant White Coffee Mix

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01. Dissolve instant coffee mix powder in hot water.

02. In a mixing bowl, combine well the dissolved coffee, egg yolks and oil.

03. Fold in self raising flour to form batter. Set aside.

04. In a separate bowl, whisk egg white with cream of tartar until soft peaks are formed.

05. Gradually add sugar in three additions, beat at high speed until stiff peaks are formed.

06. Gently fold in the egg white mixture into the yolk batter.

07. Pour batter into the mini tube pans.  Tap the pans on the table to remove air pockets.

08. Bake for 25-30 minutes in a preheated oven at 170C.

09. Remove from oven, invert pan on a rack to cool for 15 minutes before removing the cake to serve.

Easy Fried Bee Hoon

| San

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I am not sure who is happier after the exams, my kids or me.  Anyway, to free up my precious afternoon time for some movies and a proper tea time, I prepared an easy bee hoon (rice vermicelli) dish that can last from lunch to dinner, kept hot in a thermal cooker.

Fried bee hoon is great as a one pot meal, it’s also equally versatile, replacing jasmine rice to pair with other dishes, which is what I intend to do for dinner.  If you want to make it real plain, just fry the been hoon with soy sauce mixture will do.

EASY FRIED BEE HOON
// Adapted from Noobcook
// Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

  • 400g dried bee hoon (that’s one pack)
  • 5 cloves garlic, chopped finely
  • 500ml water, mixed well with the 2 kind of sauces below, set aside
  • 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
  • 6 tablespoons light soy sauce

Optional

  • 4-6 shitake mushroom, sliced
  • A handful of bean sprouts, both ends removed
  • Omelette, made from large 3 eggs, sliced

METHOD

01. Fully submerge dried bee hoon in a pot of tap water, soak till softened, about 40 minutes.  Drain away water, set aside.
02. Add oil to a heated wok, over high heat, saute chopped garlic till fragrant.
03. Add in optional ingredients (except omelette), and fry for a few minutes.
04. Add in bee hoon, and mix briefly all ingredients.
05. Pour in the soy sauce mixture, cook till the bee hoon soaked up the liquid, stirring all while to prevent been hoon from getting charred.
06. Serve immediately, garnish with sliced omelette.

DIY Popsicle #008 : Cashew Butter Popsicle

| San

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Inspired by the many cashew butter ice-cream all over the web, I decided to try one out for my popsicle project.  According to this recipe from My New Roots, I could team it with any fruit I want : peaches, blackberries, plums, or mangoes.  I went for bananas.

DIY Popsicle Version 00 : Cashew Butter Popiscle
1. Base :  Soaked 70 grams of raw cashew nuts overnight in the fridge.  Next day, blend it on high speed with 2 tablespoons of water and honey(or any other sweetener like agave or maple syrup) until smooth.  Add in 2 large bananas (cut) and continue blending.
2. For some bites : None.  I wanted the the final texture was really smooth, with some nutty taste from the cashews.

The Perfect Hardboiled Egg Salad Sandwich

| San

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How many ways can you cook a perfect hard boiled egg?  I have seen this question being asked and replied so many times before.

I have been using this timing from 101 Cookbook for the longest time: 7 minutes exactly. 

This is the amount of time I let the eggs sit fully submerged in a covered pot of water, after the eggs and the water have been brought to a gentle boil TOGETHER in the pot.  Use room temperature eggs, not cold ones, for best results.

After 7 minutes, dip the eggs into a separate pot of cold water to stop the cooking, and let the eggs cool down enough for handling.  I don’t use ice cold water, just water from tap will do.  I prefer to eat the eggs VERY WARM, so I will do the shell peeling immediately, with my hands and eggs in the water, since the shells do not become too hot to touch this way.

The 7 minutes sitting rule works perfectly every time for my large eggs (55g – 60g).  Prior to following this timing, I resorted to leaving my eggs in the hot water (sometimes still boiling!) for as long as I could, to make sure that they are fully cooked.  Later, I realized that the dark green ring that forms on the yolk is a sign of an overcooked egg.  Nothing dangerous or toxic, I guess, just unappealing to the eyes.  Perfectly cooked egg yolks should be prettier in bright yellow.

Try this out and use it to make an equally perfect egg salad sandwich.

++Notes 001 // I managed to yield 4 sandwiches with just 4 large eggs, instead of 6 as per original recipe. I do not want exceed the number of eggs our family eat every week (fat, cholestrol concerns), we do have eggs pretty often.

++Notes002 // I skipped on the lemon juice as I used Kewpie mayonnaise, which I think is slightly more sour than the American version.

RECIPE : EGG SALAD SANDWICH
/ Source
/ Serves 4

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4 large hard boiled eggs, peeled
1 tablespoon of mayonnaise
1 bunch of chives, chopped
8 slices of walnut bread, toasted
black pepper, to taste

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01. Break up the hard boiled eggs in a large bowl with a fork.

02. Mix in mayonnaise.  Add more if the mixture is not moist enough.

03. Stir in chopped chives.

04. To assemble sandwich, scoop egg salad mixture and spread on a toasted bread slice.

05. Sprinkle some pepper on top of egg salad mixture, finish by topping with a second piece of toast.

Simple Oyakodon : October Recipe

| San

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The recipe featured this month on my desk calendar is Oyakodon /親子丼.

The kids never order this item when we eat out at Japanese restaurants, they always choose the teriyaki-don and ramen in milky broth over this equally ubiquitous item on Japanese menu.  Glad to know that they like it, the caramelized onions made the chicken meat very appetizing, like many other dishes that are cooked with onions.

+ Adapted the calendar recipe into a side dish instead of serving it on top of a bowl of rice to make it a one-dish-meal.  (Strictly speaking, it might not be an Oyakodon anymore when only the egg and chicken is left, what do you call this dish then?)

+ I used chicken breast meat, not chicken thigh.

+ Original recipe asked for Dashi soup concentrate (1 1/2 teaspoons), I opted this out as I don’t have it.

OYAKODON
// Adapted from : Ascendas Group 2013 Calendar
// Serves 1

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 skinless chicken breast, sliced
  • 2 teaspoons mirin
  • 2 teaspoons light soya sauce
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon peanut oil
  • 1/2 large white onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1 stalk scallion (Optional)

METHOD

01. Combine mirin, soya sauce and sugar in a medium bowl.  Marinate chicken meat slices in this mixture for 30 minutes.
02. Heat oil in a frying pan.
03. Add onions and chicken, fry till the meat turns slightly brown.
04. Add a bit of water, reduce heat, and simmer for 10 minutes.
05. Slowly pour in beaten egg on top, do not stir or mix.
06. Continue to simmer till the egg is cooked.
07. Serve immediately, top with chopped scallions.

Hoen Kwe (Mung Bean Kueh)

| San

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Keep seeing this flour on the supermarket shelves everywhere, the simple recipe is conveniently printed on the packaging.

It took me less than 15 minutes to stir and boil the mixture into a starchy consistency, after which I proceed to scrape (pouring was not impossible) it into a 6 inch cake pan to cool, and subsequently chilled before serving.