Chocolate Chips Cookies

This Chocolate Chips Cookies is a request from my lovely niece, Tiffany!  Hope you like it!

Recipe adapted from here

280g all purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
¾ teaspoon baking soda
226 unsalted butter, at room temperature
200g sugar (I reduced 20g as I find it too sweet)
115g packed light brown sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 large eggs
340g semi-sweet chocolate chips
100g finely chopped pecans ( I changed it to walnut)

1.  Preheat the oven to 190ºC. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
2.  Sift together the flour, salt and baking soda.
3.  Beat butter on medium speed for about 1 min till smooth, add in all the sugars and beat till well
     blended.  Add in vanilla extract.
4.  Add in the eggs, one at a time beating well after each addition.
5.  On low speed, add in the flour mixture, mixing all well till incorporated.
6.  Using a spatula, mix the chocolate chips and walnuts in.
7.  Spoon about 1 tablespoons, with slightly rounded onto the baking sheets, leaving in between 2 in away.
8.  Bake at preheated oven for about 10-12 minutes till the edges are brownish and golden in colour.
9.  Remove from oven and let the cookies rest for 1 minute before transfer to the cooling rack.

Enjoying my cup of coffee and the chocolate chips cookies now!  Want one?

Steamed Free-Range Chicken In Glutinous Wine

Steaming meats or vegetables are always the healthy way of cooking, and for me it is fuss free!  Here it is, Steamed Free-Range chicken in glutinous wine.  The taste of the 2 types wine is indeed appetizing.

Adapted from Steamed Cuisine

500g free-range chicken (cut into bite size)
20g black fungus (soaked, sliced)
4 Chinese mushroom (soaked)
1 tbsp chopped ginger
10g red dates
50ml glutinous wine
1/2 tbsp corn flour
50ml "Shaoxing" wine (add in after the chicken is cooked)

Seasoning
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp chicken stock powder (I've omitted this)
1 tsp sesame oil

1.  Combine chicken pieces with the remaining ingredients and seasoning, mix well.
     Put into a heatproof plate.
2.  Steam in a preheated steamer over high heat for 30 minutes until cooked.
3.  Remove and pour in the "Shaoxing" wine.  Serve at once.

Crustless Tuna & Ham Quiche

I always loves pies, puff pastry and quiches.  But the thought of having to knead out the dough pastry takes up some time to do.  And finally I found a Quiche recipe from here which is easy to make without any fuss.

Crustless Tuna & Ham Quiche  (recipe source from The Waitakere Redneck's Kitchen)

½ cup flour
¼ tsp baking powder
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups low fat milk
75g reduced-fat spread/butter, melted
210gm can tuna, drained
1 slice ham, chopped (optional)
1 onion, chopped
½ cup grated cheese
handful of chopped fresh chives (optional)
1 tomato, cut into rings (optional)
salt & black pepper to taste

1.  Sift flour and baking powder in a bowl.  Set aside.
2.  Slightly beat eggs, milk and the melted butter together.  Stir in to the flour mixture and mix till
     well combined.
3.  Add in tuna, ham, onion, grated cheese and chives and mix everything until well combined.
4.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
5.  Pour in to a greased baking pan and place a grease proof baking paper at the bottom of pan to prevent
     sticking.
6.  Place tomato rings on top.
7.  Bake at a preheated oven at 180C for 45 minutes or till set.
8.  Leave to slightly cool before slicing.

Pork Tocino

I've been food blogging quite awhile now and there was a day I came across this recipe Pork Tocino from one of the blogger, and by the look from the picture shown, it does look so much like "Char Siew".  So I quickly bookmark it to try it one day.   Pork Tocino is a recipe favourite from Philippines.  And here it is......

Pork Tocino  (adapted from Table for 2..... or more 

1kg pork shoulder slices
250ml canned pineapple juice
125ml Cola drink
125ml ketchup
80ml light soy sauce
200gm brown sugar
1 Tbsp grated garlic
1 Tbsp salt
1 tsp ground black pepper

1. Marinate everything together.  (you can place it in the ziplock bag or in a bowl shrink wrap it).
2. Place it in the fridge chiller compartment for 48 hours.
2. Pour some oil in a saucepan and put in pork slices. Brown both sides and pour in 1 cup of the
    marinade. Cook on medium heat until the gravy dries up.
3. Dish up and serve with rice.

 It is so delicious.  I believe my cousin Jowyn must have eaten this Pork Tocino dish before judging that Louie is a good cook!  Have you, Jowyn?
My camera wasn't sharp enough to take photos and wish Louie is here to help me.

Special Mashed Potatoes

I believe majority people loves mashed potatoes.  Everyone has their own way of making mashed potatoes and mine one is like this......

Special Mashed Potatoes

4 medium russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 tbsp butter
2 tsp finely chopped shallots
2 tbsp warm milk
Salt & pepper to taste

1.  Place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil, cook for 15-20 minutes or till
     tender.  Drain well, and mashed till light and fluffy.
2.  In a frying pan, brown the butter for a minute and pour in the finely chopped shallots.  Continue to
     stir fry for 20 seconds.  Pour the butter and shallots to the mashed potatoes.
3.  Add in the warm milk and mix all well together.

Olive Fried Rice

Have you ever tried Olive Fried Rice before?  Many years ago, my brother in law, Clifford took us to this Soup Restaurant in Singapore and they have many delicious dishes available in this restaurant and Olive Rice was one of it.  I have tried searching the web for this recipe and I think the simple way to make this Olive Rice is mixing the plain rice with the preserved black olive together.  And here it is....

 
Olive Fried Rice

Ingredients
1 bowl of plain cooked rice
1 tbsp preserved black olive (you can add extra if you like the taste)

1.  Heat up a frying pan and put in the 1 tbsp preserved olive.  (no need to put in oil as the preserved olive
     has oil in it).  Stir fry for 30 seconds.
2.  Put in the plain cooked rice and mix all up together and stir fry for 2 minutes.
3.  Dish up and serves hot.

It is a delicious fried rice.  Doesn't need to put salt or pepper in it.  Try it.

Strawberry & Plum tray bake with cheeseripple cake

It is my eldest sister birthday today!  She told me that she loves fruits on the cake.  So I decided to bake her this Strawberry & Plum tray bake with cheeseripple. 
The cake is soft and moist as cream cheese were part of the ingredients inside.  It is indeed yummylicious!

I wish you a very Happy Birthday my dear sister!  Have a wonderful time.

Recipe fully adapted from Table for 2 or more.....
and also from Technicolor Kitchen

Cream Cheese Mixture
125gm cream cheese
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Cake Batter
120gm butter
120gm soft brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
140gm all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
200gm blueberries & plum (you can use any fruits such as blueberries, raspberries, apricot)

1.  Fully line an 8" square pan with overlapping baking paper.  Grease the paper as well.
2.  Rinse and pat dry the fruits.  Cut into small pieces.  Set aside.
3.  Preheat oven to 160C.
4.  Beat cream cheese, vanilla and sugar till creamy.  Set aside.
5.  Sift flour and baking powder.  Set aside.
6.  Cream butter and brown sugar till light and fluffy.  Add in eggs one at a time, beating
     well after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract.
7.  Put in sifted flour and beat till well combined.
8.  Pour half of the batter into the prepare pan as a base, spread it evenly. 
9.  Dollop half of the cream cheese over the batter and half of the fruits in it.
10. Spoon the remaining batter and dot the rest of cream cheese over.
11.  Scatter the remaining fruits and lightly press the fruits in.
12.  Bake for 35 mins. or until skewer comes out clean.
       Do not overbake.

Butter Rice

When I was young, my mum used to make butter rice for us.  Till now she still make butter rice for my nieces.  Her butter rice is different from mine one here.  She just have a bowl of cooked rice and mix a tablespoon of butter with a pinch of salt and mix all well.  That's it; and it is still delicious and yummy.


Adapted from table for 2

1 cup Basmathi Rice  (you can use normal rice)
2 cups water
2 large cloves of garlic, grated
1 heaps tbsp grated carrot
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp butter
small pinch of tumeric powder for colour

1. Wash the rice. Drain well.
2. Put everything together and cook.
3. Fluff rice before serving.

This butter rice is indeed very yummy even eaten by its own.  I believe all little children would loves this too.

My Dinner on 22nd March 2011

Macaroni pork chop with button mushroom in carbonara sauce

"A simple dinner yet delicious"