Masak Lemak Chili padi Pucuk Paku with Prawns

10 big prawns (or you may use 2 crabs quatered)

2 cups pucuk paku ( edible fern shoots : or you may also use topiaca shoots aka pucuk ubi )

3-5 bird chilies

3 shallots

1 inch fresh tumeric root

2 sticks lemon grass -bruised

1 cup evaporated milk

salt 

1 cup thick coconut milk (or you may use 2 cups evaporated milk without the coconut milk)

In a mortar and pestle pound together the bird chillies, shallots and tumeric root. In a sauce pan put in the seafood and the vegetables. Put in the pounded ingredients and pour in the milk and coconut milk, bruised lemon grass and salt. Cook over very low heat stirring often. Simmer until the seafood changes colour and the sauce begins to boil. Serve over hot steamed rice.

3 Taste Sea Bass with Mango salad (Siakap 3 Rasa dengan Kerabu Mangga)

This is my son's favorite dish. This popular Thai dish has a blended taste of hot, sweet and sour. Unlike the normal sweet and sour dish, the sourness in this dish comes from tamarind and young mango instead of tomato. The fish is crispy on the outside but tender on the inside .

1 whole sea bass cleaned ,scored and seasoned with a little white pepper and salt
1 chili pepper finely diced
2 stalk spring onion thinly cut
1/2 cup tamarind water made by soaking 2-3 tablespoon tamarind with 1/2 cup of water
2 tablespoon fish sauce
2 tablespoon palm sugar
1 tablespoon white sugar

For the mango salad

1 cup young mango julienne
2  shallots thinly sliced
1-5 bird chili - cut into thin slices (depending on how hot you like)
1 teaspoon chopped ginger flower (bunga kantan)
2 tablespoon sweet plum sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
fried dried shrimp or cuttlefish (optional)

vegetable oil for deep  frying
1 teaspoon sesame oil

In a bowl mix together chili, shallot, bunga kantan, plum sauce and fish sauce. Toss in the julieene young mango and if you prefer the fried dried shrimp or cuttlefish. Chill in a  refrigerator

oil for deep frying in a wok (make sure it is big enough for the fish and the oil enough for deep frying. The heat must be smoking hot when you put the fish in. Fry on both side . remove and drain off excess oil. set aside

In a wok  heat 1 teaspoon sesame oil and 2 tablespoon vegetable oil. Put in the finely diced red chili and spring onion. Stir until for 20 seconds. add in the tamarind -water mixture, fish sauce and the sugars. Bring to boil and slightly reduce the sauce . Sauce will be slightly thickened. Pour over the fish . Top the fish with the mango salad and garnish with julienne spring onion , red chili peppers and some mint or basil sprig .

Grilled Tomato and Mozarella Cheese Sandwich

2 slices of white bread
2 oz grated mozarella cheese
4 slices of tomatoes
1/2 cup plain flour 
fresh chopped parsley
1 egg -beaten
2 tablespoon butter for frying

Cut each slice of bread into 2. On one piece put grated cheese and sprinkle some parsley over Finally put 2 slices of tomatoes. Put a little of the beaten egg around the bottom slice to seal the two slices together. Dip the sandwich in plain flour making sure whole sandwich is covered. The flour will make the sandwich crispy. Finally dip in the beaten egg . In a frying pan, melt the butter and place the sandwich on the pan. When it turns golden flip to the other side and fry till golden.

New England Seafood Chowder

Hearty and filling meal on its own. Warms your tummy especially on a cold rainy day.Just LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT!! :)

1/2 cup butter

2 big onions - finely diced

2 stalk celery - finely diced

1/2 cup plain flour

20 fresh clam -steamed,shelled and keep the juice or use 1 can of canned clams and juice

15 king prawns -shelled and buterflied (boil the shell and keep the juice)

1 cup Dory fish meat cubes ( 2 cm cubes)

2 potatoes (russet is best) -cut into 1 cm cubes . Make sure to soak in water to avoid discolouring)

1 can evaporated milk

1 teaspoon worteshire sauce

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon Italian seasoing /herbs

1 cup water

salt and pepper .

Chopped fresh English parsly for garnishing 

In a saucepan melt the butter. Put in the onion and celery and sweat the vegetables. Do not brown the onion. simply stir for about 7 minutes till the vegetables are soft. Add the flour and stir into a rue. Take off the heat and continue stirring into a paste. Put back on the heat and pour in the clam and prawn juice. Stir into a thick paste. Pour in the water and simmer. Add in the diced potatoes, milk , worstershire sauce,thyme and Italian seasoning . Stir often. Put in clams and other seafood and bring to boil. Simmer for a few minutes If the chowder is too thick simply add hot water. Finally add salt and pepper to taste. 

Serve hot with thin and crispy garlic bread. garnish with some fresh chopped English parsly

Brocolli, Mushroom and Cheese Quiche

Made these beauties today for my high school friends who came to visit for Hari Raya. Sometimes I make these quiche with four different cheeses, but today I am using only mozarella and cheddar as they are the only ones available in the refrigerator. It turned out just as wonderful!

The pastry

Ready made pie pastry -

rolled and cut into circles and line muffin moulds. Brush with some egg white.Put aside.

The filling

1 onion (medium sized only)- diced finely

some fatty beef - diced finely and slightly seasoned with salt

4 button mushrooms sliced an quartered 

In a frying pan fry the beef bits and add the onion. Stir till onions caramelize.Add the mushrooms and stir for another 5 minutes. Set aside

4 oz grated mozarelle  cheese

4 oz grated cheddar cheese

1/4 cup  brocolli floweretts - steam and cut into tiny flowerettes

 The egg mixture

4 eggs

1 cup evaporated milk  (for a more creamy quiche substitute 1/4 cup with whipping cream

pepper and fresh chopped parsley

In a bowl, beat the eggs , add in the milk, grated cheeses, brocolli and the beef /onion/mushroom mix. Seasoned with pepper and add in the chopped parsley.

Fill the pastry lined moulds with the egg mixture and bake in a 170 degrees Celcius pre-heated oven for 20-30 minutes. When a knife or skewer inserted comes out clean, the quiche is ready.

Roti Jala -special handed down recipe

• 375 gm plain flour
• 1 egg
• 2 cups milk 
• pinch of salt
• Ghee (clarified butter ) for brushing on

In a blender (very important) mix a thick slurry of the flour, salt, egg and half of the milk. Pour into a bowl and  add in the balance milk to a consistency of a chocolate syrup. It should be runny but thick enough that if you let in run through your fingers it would flow like a ribbon.. hahaha thats the best way of explaining it, Anyway make sure it is not too runny...Let it stand for 30 minutes to an hour.

Now, you will a heavy griddle for this. Using the funnel (see above) scoop the batter and swill in a circular motion to form a net like pancake.(see picture) When the net changes to a matte color , brush a little ghee all over it. Immediately remove from griddle . Place on a plate ghee side down, fold the sides and then roll into a scroll. Serve with chicken curry or even sweet durian sauce ( not a hit among westerners though :))

My Moist Boiled Fruitcake

This fruit cake is very moist and mildly sweetened.

Ingredients A

175 gm unsalted butter

220 gm brown sugar 

1 kilogram mixed dried fruits- raisins orange peel,glazed cherries and sultanas

100 gm almonds (optional)

zest of 1 lemon

applesauce made from 1 green apple (cut up apple and cook with a little water to a puree)

1 teaspoon each cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg

2 tablespoon black treacle

250 ml water or orange juice

Ingredients B
250 gm plain flour(sifted together with the baking powder)
1 teaspoon baking powder50 gm samolina flour


3 eggs - beaten

1/2 a cup of simple sugar syrup - made by boiling equal amount of sugar and water and once cooled add a teaspoon of vanilla extract.


In a saucepan boil all Ingredient A until the fruits are soft.Leave to cool for 35 min
Preheat oven to 150degrees Celsius. Grease and lined an 8in round pan.

When the boiled fruit mixture is cool,  stir in the beaten egg and finally fold in Ingredient B. Bake for 1 and a half hour. 

Take out from the oven and poke some holes in the cake . Using a brush, brush half a cup of sugar syrup all over to the top of the cake.

Rainbow cupcakes.

 

My daughter tried this cupcake recipe by Cookiemonster from Allrecepi.com. and it turned our great! very flavorful and moist  indeed. Think this is the best cupcake I've tasted really.. Did not make the frosting this time but will try to make it again soon with the frosting and all and upload the picture :))

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• red food coloring
• blue food coloring
• green food coloring
• yellow food coloring

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line two 12 cup muffin pans with paper baking cups. Stir together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Whisk together the milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract in a separate bowl until evenly blended; set aside.
2. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until light and fluffy. The mixture should be noticeably lighter in color. Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, allowing each egg to blend into the butter mixture before adding the next. Pour in the flour mixture alternately with the milk mixture, mixing until just incorporated.
3. Divide the cake batter into four separate bowls. Add a few drops of food coloring into one bowl of batter and stir; add more food coloring, if necessary, to reach the desired shade. Repeat with the remaining colors and bowls of batter.
4. Using a different spoon for each color batter, spoon a small spoonful of each color into the cupcake liners, until 1/2 to 3/4 full. Do not mix the batter once it is in the cupcake liner. Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the cake comes clean, about 15 to 20 minutes.