Superlicious Cinnamon Rolls!!

It is so good to have someone whom we can communicate throughout the whole process of a recipe when we are going to face a recipe that we have not bake or cook before.  There might be some technical issue which we could encounter during the midst of preparing the ingredient or whatsoever and I am so glad I have my baking buddy here, Hui of butterfly waltz, communicating thru whatsapp giving me some good tips right after she make this Superlicious Cinnamon Rolls!!

Decadent. Luscious. Superlicious. NO-KNEAD! ~ this is what Hui have rated to this delicious Cinnamon Rolls.

This Cinnamon Rolls originated from The Pioneer Woman.  If you have visited her site about this recipe, there's a warning indication from her if you intend to make this yourself......

"A warning. If you follow these instructions and wind up delivering these cinnamon rolls to your friends, be prepared for any of the following to occur:

1. They’ll call you after they’ve taken the first bite and profess their eternal love for every
    ounce of your body.
2. They’ll pass out after the first bite, hit their head on the kitchen counter, sustain a 
    concussion, and sue you for damages, despite the fact that the one bite they tasted of 
    your cinnamon roll was the single most profound culinary experience in their miserable 
    little life.
3. They’ll call you and ask for the recipe, saying, "HOW did you make those?"
4. They’ll call you and propose marriage.
5. They’ll hug the cinnamon roll pan, get maple frosting all over their clothes, and send 
    you the bill for the dry cleaning. "

Cinnamon Rolls 
Recipe sourced & highly recommended from Hui of Butterfly Waltz

~ makes 27 rolls in 3 7-inch square trays 

Dough

2 cups / 500 ml milk

1/2 cup / 125 ml vegetable oil

1/4 scant cup sugar
1 packet active dry yeast /or  2 1/4 tsp instant yeast
4 cups all purpose flour (I use 3 cups plain flour + 1 cup bread flour)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 scant tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Filling
1 cup (227g) melted butter

2 tbsp cinnamon powder

1/4 cup sugar (white or brown)

1. Bring milk, oil and sugar to just short of a boil. Remove from heat and leave to cool for 45

    minutes - 1 hour.

2. Add active dry yeast to lukewarm milk mixture and leave it to sit and bubble. Omit this 

    step if using instant yeast.

3. If using instant yeast, blend in with the 4 cups of flour. Add flour into the milk mixture and

     mix till well combined. Cover and leave to double in size for about 1 hour.

4. Mix the extra 1/2 cup flour with baking powder and baking soda till well blended. Add the 

    flours into the dough till well combined.

5. Refrigerate dough for later use or use immediately. Refrigerating overnight would be a 

    good choice.

6. Generously flour working surface, and roll out dough thinly into a rectangle.  

   Tip: Wrap rolling pin with plastic cling wrap to make it easy to roll it out.

7. Spread melted butter all over dough. Sprinkle cinnamon powder and sugar all over evenly.

8. Roll dough from the long end towards you. Roll tightly and pinch the seams to seal.

9. Slice rolls into 3/4 or 1 inch thick and place them in greased baking tins. Leave to rise for 

    20-30 minutes.

10. Bake in preheated oven of 400F/200C till light golden brown for 15-20 minutes.

11. Remove and drizzle generously with sauce/topping of your choice! 

Easy caramel sauce 

(Highly Recommended to make this to drizzle to the rolls!!)
 ~ make 1 1/2 cups
 
Ingredients
* 1/2 scant cup brown sugar
1 stick / 115g butter
1/4 cup heavy/whipping cream
1/4 cup honey
** add 2-3 pinches of sea salt ~ you won't regret this!

Bring all ingredients to a boil. Lower heat  and continue to stir and cook for 2 minutes. 
Once the Cinnamon rolls have slightly cooled down, drizzle the sauce all over.

                             Does my Cinnamon Roll looks like a rose?  I baked some of the 
                             rolls in muffin pan.

It is so easy to make as it doesn't require to knead at all.  You can prepare the dough at night and refrigerated it, and start making it the next morning.  


As for the filling, you can add extra raisins or some walnuts for some extra crunch and flavour too.

                               My Verdict :  YUMMYLICIOUS !!!!!

Japchae With Beef Bulgogi (Korean stir fried beef noodles with vegetables)

My family and I loves Korean dishes very much ~ can't blame us as we use to operate a Korean BBQ restaurant many many years ago.   During those days, even after we have stopped operating the business, our family still get together to have this Korean style BBQ together. 

On my last visit to Auckland, sometimes when we're lazy to cook, we will have take away.  Every Saturday, there is a "night market" available in a basement parking lot in one of the shopping mall.  Many varieties of food stalls to choose from ~ western, chinese, korean, japanese, indian, etc. etc.   On my first visit there, I just couldn't make up my mind what to have, everything seem to be so delicious; can't blame me as the weather is cold and you will get hungry all the time and when you see food around you, everything seem to be delicious too.   And finally I chose the Korean stall and select the Japchae Beef Bulgogi. 

And now back home, I have missed this dish so much and I just got to try this at home.

JAPCHAE WITH BEEF BULGOGI

BEEF BULGOGI
Recipe sourced from trifood.com 

Ingredients

200g thinly sliced beef (sirloin or rib eye)

2 tbsp sugar

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tsp finely chopped garlic

1/8 tsp salt

2 tbsp Mirin

1 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

Method

Mix all ingredients except carrots. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Stir fry the beef until just well done and caramelized on the outside.

Dish up and set aside.

JAPCHAE (Korean Glass Noodles)

Recipe sourced from Steamy Kitchen with changes

(Below portion serves for 1-2 person)

Ingredients

50-70g dried Korean sweet potato noodles
½ tbsp cooking oil
1/4 cup thinly sliced onions (I used leeks)
1 small carrot, cut into matchsticks
1 cloves garlic, finely minced
3 stalks green onions, cut into 1″ lengths
¼  cup mushrooms or wood ear, thinly sliced
80-100g spinach, washed well and drained (I didn’t add this)

Method

Fill a large pot with water and boil. When water is boiling, add the noodles and cook for 5-10 minutes. Immediately drain and rinse with cold water. Drain again and toss with only 1 tsp of the sesame oil. Use kitchen shears to cut noodles into shorter pieces, about 8 inches in length. Set aside.

Add the cooking oil in a wok or large saute pan on high heat and swirl to coat. When the cooking oil is hot but not smoking, fry onions and carrots, until just softened, about 1 minute. Add the garlic, green onions and mushrooms, fry 30 seconds. Then add the spinach and noodles and ry 2-3 minutes until the noodles are cooked through.  Then add in the beef bulgogi and stir well till all are combined and absorsed in the sauce.

Turn off heat,  toss with sesame seeds and drizzle some sesame oil if preferred.

                                Korean Glass Noodles or Korean Sweet Potato Noodles

Honey & Thyme Roast Chicken

I think no one will say no to fried chicken or roast chicken, right?  I am constantly looking for new recipe and flavour for roast chicken or fried chicken because I love to eat  chicken meat.  When I see new post of roast chicken from fellow bloggers, I will usually visit to view their ingredients and if the ingredients are simple and easy, I will not hesitate to try it out.

I have in fact have tried out many version of roast chicken but rarely post it to my blog because it is just not good timing to take pictures during evening time.  Well, if I can, I will try to snap few if good lighting permits me to do so.

Honey & Thyme Roast Chicken 
Makes 6

(Recipe Source from Jessie - Cooking Moments with slight change) 

Ingredients:
6 ChickenDrumsticks
6 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
6 tbsp Melted Butter
4 tbsp Honey
2 tbsp Ginger Juice * 
2 tbsp Shao Xing Cooking Wine
1.5 tbsp Garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce
1 tsp Five Spice Powder
1 tsp Salt 

*  (I use 2 tsp ginger powder dilute in 2 tbsp water) 

Method: 
1. Marinate Chicken with all other ingredients & refrigerate overnight.
2. Preheat oven to 180C(fan-forced).  Cook in the middle level for 15 minutes.
3. Remove, baste the chicken with the marinade & put back to the oven.
4. Reduce heat to 175C. Repeat Step 3 every 12-15 minutes until golden & the chicken parts
   are cooked through. 

NOTE: 
The chicken skin will be browned very quickly after each basting, so do watch out the heat or alternatively, cover with foil.

Absolutely delicious!  All roast chicken are delicious even if you marinated with simple ingredients.  

A fuss free meal and less utensils to wash up or scrub your kitchen stove later.....LOL!!

 I’m submitting this to Little Thumbs Up(LTU) Oct – Soy Beans theme that was originally organized by 

 Zoe@Bakefor Happy Kids & Mui Mui@My Little Favourite DIY & currently hosted by Mich of Piece of Cake.

Chicken Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken)

I guess those of us who cook for the family, we are constantly in a dilemma what to prepare and cook for the family. Well, for me if I cook the same old boring food frequently, I might get bore of it too, not to say my family members and of course I wouldn't want to hear from my members saying "oh no, not this again!".  For me here at home, I had fish almost everyday..... and sometimes even when I try various way to cook the fish, I still get bored of eating fish sometimes.  

Have you heard the news lately?  The normal meaty Chicken, the chicken seller dye the chicken into yellowish colour and sell it to consumers saying that the chicken is the "Kampung Chicken" (free range chicken).  Sometimes, I just can't believe this kind of thing they also want to cheat the consumers.   Nowadays, I really don't know what food is healthy to eat.

I'm sure almost everyone loves fried chicken right?  Why not give this a try, Chicken Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken) a change from the normal usual fried chicken.

Chicken Karaage (Japanese Fried Chicken)
(recipe source and adapted from Sonia from NasiLemakLover with slight change
 

Ingredients

 3 boneless chicken thighs (with skin on), cut into small equal bite size pieces

Seasonings
1 tbsp Japanese soy sauce
2 tsp Mirin (I used Sake) 

1/4tsp salt or to taste
1tsp grated ginger
1tsp grated shallot

For deep frying
5 tbsp potato flour 风车粉
3 tbsp self raising flour
3 tbsp iced cold water
Oil for deep frying

Garnishing- Japanese mayonnaise, tomato wedges, cabbage thinly shredded (soak in iced cold water for crispiness)

Method
1. Marinate chicken with all seasonings, keep inside the fridge for 1 hr.
2. Add in potato flour, self raising flour and iced cold water, mix well.
3. Heat oil in a wok over medium high heat (to test oil readiness for deep frying is by putting 

    chopstick in the oil and when you see bubbles around the tip).
4. Deep fry the chicken pieces in few small batches, fry for about 2mins. Drain on a wire rack.
5. Continue to deep fry till finished. Return the fried chicken to the hot oil and deep fry again.
6. Serve the fried chicken with shredded cabbage and tomato, and drizzle with Japanese 

    mayonnaise.

Oishii !!

Homemade Char Siew

Char Siew ~ I don't think I need any further introduction of this delicious roast meat.

Homemade Char Siew

Recipe sourced from Chef and Sommelier

Ingredients

1 kg Pork (Shoulder or Collar)

2 tablespoons oil

1 cup water

Marinade

1 teaspoon salt (To add later)

1 teaspoon light soya sauce

1 teaspoon white pepper

2 tablespoons maltose

2 cubes red fermented bean curds

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons oyster sauce

1 tablespoon chinese wine

1 tablespoon peanut oil

Method

Clean and pat dry the pork.

Mix all the ingredients for the marinade (except salt) and marinate pork over night.

Next day, add the salt to marinated pork 30 minutes before cooking.

In a medium wok, heat peanut oil over medium heat. Brown pork on all sides. Add marinade and water. Simmer over low heat for about 45 minutes until marinade thickens to form sauce. 

Meanwhile, heat up oven to 250C on grill mode.

Brush the meat with the sauce and remove from wok. Remove excess oil and further thicken the sauce if required. 

Grill pork in oven until the sides are nicely charred, about 5-10 minutes each side.

Remove and let Char Siew rest before slicing and serving.

With this Char Siew, it is easily go with rice, wantan noodles, or make your favourite Char Siew Pau, or Seremban Siew Pau, Char Siew Soh, etc. etc.

Char Siew Rice

Delicious!!

I'm linking this post to the Little Thumbs Up 'Soy Bean' event organised by Doreen from my little favourite DIY and Zoe of  Bake for Happy Kids, hosted by  Mich of  Piece of Cake.

Korokke (Japanese Croquette)

Croquette ~ is my all time favourite.  I always remember croquette because my mum used to make this for her children but her version is usually very simple in ingredients only.

KOROKKE (Japanese Croquette)
Recipe sourced & adapted from Nami - Just One Cookbook 

Ingredients:
4 russet potatoes, boiled and roughly mashed
1 large onion, finely diced
1 small carrots, finely diced
2 Shiitake mushrooms (optional)
Some chopped spring onions
2 Tbsp. oil
450g ground meat (beef/chicken/pork)
1 egg
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. white pepper
Freshly ground black pepper
2-3 eggs, lightly beaten (put into a shallow plate)
2 cup Panko/breadcrumbs  (put into a shallow plate)
½ cup flour  ((put into a shallow plate)
Oil for deep frying 

In a large skillet, heat oil on medium high heat.  Put in the onion and sauté until soft.  Add
carrots and Shiitake mushrooms and cook until they are soft. 

Add the meat and break it up with a wooden spoon.  When the meat is cooked, add salt, 
white pepper and black pepper. Turn off the heat. 

Add the meat mixture to the mashed potatoes and mix all up well together with the 1 egg in.  Let it rest to cool down a little so you have worked with your hands later on. 

As the mixture is still warm, start making your Croquette balls.  You can form it into a balls and flatten it or make it in a longer shape.  Any shape to your desire. 

Dredge each croquette balls into the flour - egg - breadcrumbs. 

Deep fry the croquette till golden brown only.  Transfer Korokke to paper towels and let the oil absorbed in the paper. Serve immediately with Tonkatsu Sauce*.

* If you want to make your own Tonkatsu Sauce, please go to Nami's site to view her Tonkatsu Sauce

YUM!!

 “I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest #1 Oct 2013 : Japan), 

hosted by Alan from Travelling-foodies 

Jian Dui 煎堆 (Deep fried glutinous rice balls / Sesame seed balls)

There was a time my sister and I went to a Taiwanese Restaurant here in JB and after we finished our meal, came the dessert.  I never knew there was a dessert included in our meal.  And it was "Jian Dui" (fried glutinuous rice balls coated with sesame seeds).  It has been ages and I can't remember when was the last time I had this snack.  It was so yummy and delicious.

During my young time, it just never occur to me why this snack is called Jian Dui. To translate it from Cantonese, "Jian 煎" means fry, "Dui 堆" is pile or could be lots or batch ~ so it is "frying in a pile".

It was not too long ago, well more than one year ago, Sonia (NasiLemakLover) made this Jian Dui and had bookmarked it since then.  So, today I made my Jian Dui.  

Jian Dui煎堆(Deep fried glutinous rice balls / Sesame seed balls)
(recipe source & full adapted from Sonia of NasiLemakLover

A) Dough
30g Tang Mien flour (Wheat starch)
75ml water

Method
1. Warm Tang Mien flour over a pot of simmering water.
2. Boil the water and pour and mix with flour, combine well.
3. Cover and set aside.


B) Syrup
120ml water
40g sugar
A pinch of salt

Method
1. Add sugar and salt with water in a pot.
2. Boil water till sugar melted, set aside.


To make dough
150g glutinous rice flour 糯米粉, sifted
3tsp baking powder, sifted ( or replace with 1tsp double action baking powder)
1tbsp cooking oil

Method
1. Add glutinous rice flour and baking powder in a mixing bowl.
2. Slowly add in the warm syrup (B), mix it.
3. Add cooking oil and Tang meng dough (A), and knead till smooth (count 75 times or about 90 seconds), cover and to rest for 10mins.

Filling & Coating
200g red bean paste or Lotus paste
Sesame seeds

Method
1. Divide red bean paste into small round ball (10g each).
2. Divide dough into small round ball (15g each), cover with cloth from time to time.
3. Flatten the dough and wrap red bean ball into round ball. Repeat the rest until finished.

    (wet your palm from time to time as the dough will dry up quickly)
4. Spray water on the ball, roll it on the sesame seeds.
5. Deep fry over low heat till puff up and golden brown.

There is this Video to demonstrate how to make this Jian Dui. 

                             I have made half portion with red bean paste and half in lotus paste.

 

I don't know why few of the Jian Dui, the filling burst out while frying.  I think I did not press hard to release some air out.

                                           Come "Yum Cha" at my home......

Japanese Potato Salad

Isn't this great for a light lunch?
 

Japanese Potato Salad
Recipe sourced from Nami of Just One Cookbook with slight changes

Ingredients 
2 Russet potatoes
½  tsp. salt
1 egg
2 ½ inch carrot
2 -3” cucumbers
2-3 tbsp cooked scrimps
1/3 to ½  cup Japanese mayonnaise
Salt
Fresh ground black pepper 

Method

Peel potato skins and cut into half or quarters.  Put potatoes in a large pot and add water until it covers all the potatoes.  Boil the potatoes and cook until a skewer can goes through the potato smoothly. Drain the water from pot and put the potato back on the stove again.

Mash the potatoes but leave some small chunks for texture. Sprinkle salt and transfer it into a big bowl and let it cool on the kitchen counter. 

Meanwhile prepare to boiled egg. Remove the shell and mash the egg with a fork in a small bowl. Set aside.  

Cut carrots into quarter (or half) and then slice it thinly. Put them in a microwave-safe container and cover it with water. Microwave for a few minutes until a skewer goes smoothly through the carrot (don’t overcook). Drain water and cool down.

Peel the cucumbers (leave some skin on to create stripe pattern) and cut into quarter. Then slice it thinly.

Add the cooked scrimps and veggies into the mashed potato bowl. Grind some pepper over and mix well.

Add mayonnaise and mix until incorporated.  Add boiled eggs and mix a bit but don’t over do it. Let it cool and keep in the fridge till you are ready to serve.

                           Make this in the morning and pack it to office for lunch if you want a 
                           light meal.  

 “I am submitting this post to Asian Food Fest #1 Oct 2013 : Japan), hosted by

 Alan from Travelling-foodies