Hasselback Potatoes

 

 

Hasselback Potatoes are not a type of potato, but a Swedish potato dish which got its name from the restaurant, Hasselbacken in Stockholm where they were first served in the 1940s.  They are also known as Accordian Potato because of the way they are cut which resemble a fan or accordion with the bottom still attached when roasted.  Once roasted, the potato crisp up on the outside but tender and creamy on the inside.

Ingredients:

6 medium-sized Desiree potatoes (about 130g each), scrub and leave skin intact
30g butter, melted
2 tbsp olive oil
1 sprig rosemary
2 cloves garlic, halved
4 cloves garlic, sliced
sage,
sea salt
pepper
1 tbsp melted butter
breadcrumbs

• Preheat oven to 220 deg C.  Line a baking tray with foil.
• Cut a thin slice off one long side of each potato to give a flat surface so that potatoes will not move around.
• Place a potato, cut-side down, on the chopping board with two chopsticks on either side.  Using a sharp knife, make thin, evenly-spaced cuts of about 5mm apart.  Repeat with the rest of the potatoes.
• In a small saucepan, combine butter, olive oil and garlic halves.  Cook under low heat for about 2 minutes.  Remove the garlic oil/butter mixture from heat.  
• Rub garlic oil over potatoes to coat evenly.  Insert sage and garlic alternately into the cuts. Arrange potatoes on the prepared tray and place into the preheated oven.  Bake for 15 minutes.
• Bake for about 1 hour (or until potatoes are soft), basting every 20 minutes with the oil/butter mixture.
• When the potatoes are almost done, brush melted butter all over the potatoes.  Sprinkle sea salt, pepper and breadcrumbs over the potatoes.
• Bake for another 15 - 20 minutes until golden brown and crisp.
• Serve immediately.

Note:   Choose potatoes with firm flesh that holds its shape well and choose those with oblong shape.

100% Wholemeal Bread

Adapted from Carol's  湯種100%全麥吐司


Ingredients:

(A) Tang Zhong Dough (mix together and chill overnight in the fridge)
50ml scalded milk
50g wholemeal bread flour

(B) Main Dough
100g Tang Zhong
255g wholemeal bread flour
1 egg (50g)
1 tsp instant yeast
1/2 tsp salt
30g honey
90g cold milk

30g butter

• In a mixer fitted with a dough hook, combine all ingredients (B) together.  Then add in (A), knead until well combined.  Gradually add in butter and continue to knead until dough is smooth and elastic. 
• Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with clingwrap.  Place it in a warm place to allow the dough to rise until at least doubled in volume.
• Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and divide into two equal portions.  Shape into balls.  Cover and rest for 20 minutes. 
• Flatten the dough into rectangular shape and roll them up like swiss rolls.
• Place the two rolls  into a greased loaf pan; cover and let it proof again until almost doubled or 90%.
• Bake in a preheated oven (175 deg C) for about 40 minutes or until brown.
• Remove the bread from the pan immediately and brush the top with melted butter if you wish.

Pandan Kuih Bingka Beras

Recipe from Annielicious Food with slight changes

Ingredients:

153g rice flour
42g mung bean flour
12g tapioca flour
500ml coconut milk
500ml water
140g caster sugar
pinch of salt
2 drops of pandan paste

• Grease and line a 7" square pan.  Preheat oven to 220 deg C.
• Mix all ingredients together and stir until sugar dissolves.  Strain mixture into a saucepan.
• Place the saucepan under low heat.  Stir continuously until mixture begins to thickened.
• Pour mixture into the prepared pan and bake for 40 minutes or until cooked.  Then place the kuih bengka under the grill for 5 minutes or until the top of the kuih turns dark brown.
• Cool the kuih completely before cutting.

Pork & Fennel Rolls

Recipe adapted from  Nasi Lemak Lover

Ingredients:
(A)
2 kg minced pork
150g celery, finely chopped
180g carrot, finely chopped
240g brown onions, finely chopped
2 1/2 tbsp minced garlic
12 tbsp oil
5 tsp ground fennel
4 tsp dried thyme
80g fresh bread crumbs
3/4 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp salt
1/2 tbsp ground white pepper

(B)
10 sheets frozen "Pampas" puff pastry (semi-thawed)
extra fresh breadcrumbs
egg wash (mix 1 egg with 1 tbsp milk and a pinch of salt)
poppy seeds, for sprinkling

• Heat olive oil in a saucepan, saute minced garlic and onion until aromatic.
• Add in celery and carrot; continue to cook for a minute.  Set aside to cool.
• In a large mixing bowl, combine everything in (A).  Blend and stir the meat mixture in one direction until mixture becomes gluey.
• Cut the pastry sheets into halves.  Shape the meat mixture into logs and coat with extra breadcrumbs.  Then place along the long edge of the pastry.  Roll up the pastry to make into rolls.  Cut into 8.  Place rolls, seam-side down onto the baking tray.
• Brush rolls with egg wash and sprinkle with poppy seeds. 
• Bake in a preheated oven of 180 deg C for about 20 minutes or until golden and puffed up.

Pandan Sponge Cupcakes

Adapted from Qi Qi in the house

Ingredients:

4 eggs (66g each), room temperature
90g caster sugar
50g corn oil (I used rice bran oil)
30g pandan juice
10g coconut milk
a few drops of pandan paste - optional
100g plain flour (sifted twice)

• Preheat oven to 120 deg C.
• Put the eggs and sugar in a metal bowl over a saucepan of hot water and whisk with an electric mixer (on medium-high speed) until sugar dissolves.  Remove bowl from the saucepan.  Whisk until mixture triples in volume and is thick enough to hold a trail.  Reduce to low speed and whisk for another minute. Then whisk in pandan juice and coconut milk.
• Using a balloon whisk, gently fold in the flour in 3 or 4 batches.
• Gradually pour the oil around the edge of the mixing bowl and mix well.  
• Spoon the mixture into the patty cases to 90% full.
• Bake in a preheated oven  for about 20 - 25 minutes or until cooked through.
• Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool.

Southern Thai Pork Ribs

Recipe adapted from Appon's Thai Food

(A)
5g dried red chillies, soaked 
65g shallots
30g garlic
1 stalk lemon grass, chopped
30g coriander roots

(B)
650g pork spare ribs, blanched
2 tbsp fish sauce
1 cup water
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp grated palm sugar

• Place everything in (A) into a blender and blitz to form a paste.
• Put (B) into a saucepan and mix in the paste.  Set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes. Then put the saucepan over medium high heat and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 2 hours or until ribs are tender.  Add more water if it dries up.

I am submitting this post to  Asian Food Fest  (Thailand) - November Month 

hosted by  Lena of  Frozen Wings

Pumpkin Xi Ban

The first time I made Pandan Hakka Xi Ban, only one third of my buns turned out nice, the rest were wrinkly and dimpled - due to steam condensation that dripped onto the buns :-(   This time I took extra care in the steaming process -  I wrapped my steamer cover with a towel and I didn't uncover the steamer immediately after turning off the fire and I left the buns sitting in the steamer with a gap opened for about 3 minutes before removing them.  Much to my delight, ALL of my Xi Ban were 'unblemished', phew!

After sampling these Pumpkin Xi Ban, I think I prefer the plain Xi Ban as I find that these pumpkin ones are not as chewy.  What is your verdict?  And how do you protect the buns from any steam that may condense and drip onto the buns during steaming?

Recipe source:  Do What I Like


Ingredients:

(A)
200g plain flour
2 tsp yeast
170ml warm water

(B)
200g glutinous rice flour
100g plain flour
2 tbsp oil
260g mashed pumpkin
110g sugar

vegetable oil for greasing hands

squares of baking paper

• In a mixing bowl, combine all ingredients in (A).  Cover  with clingwrap and let prove for 3 hours (I proved mine in the refrigerator overnight).
• Steam pumpkin until soft.  While pumpkin is still hot, add in sugar and mashed with a fork.  
• Mix mashed pumpkin into the rest of the ingredients in (B).  Do not add in all the mashed pumpkin at once,  firstly add in 200g and then a little at a time until you get a pliable dough.  Add in (A) and using a dough hook, knead until you get a smooth dough.  Dough will be sticky at this stage but you should be able to mould it into small round balls  (add in a little flour - about 10g  if it is too sticky to handle).
• Cover and leave to proof until doubled.
• Divide the soft dough into 50g portion each and shape into round balls.  Place the balls onto the baking paper and using your palm (which has been greased with some cooking oil), flatten the balls slightly.
• Cover the dough and proof again until they almost doubled in size. 
• Steam over medium high heat for 13 minutes or until cooked.  Turn off the fire and leave the xi ban in the steamer, with a little gap opened for about 3 minutes before removing them.

Vegetables Thai Green Curry

Recipe Adapted from  Australian Women's Weekly - Easy Thai-style Cookery  


Green Curry Paste:  Blend into fine paste

3 fresh green chillies
1 small red onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander (including roots)
2 stalks lemon grass
1 small knob galangal, peeled
1 piece shrimp paste, roasted until fragrant and dry
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp turmeric
3 kaffir lime leaves, spine removed
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp water


1 carrots, cut into chunks
1 egg plant, cut into chunks
200g french beans, cut into 2cm length
1/4 cabbage, cut into big pieces
half a pack of tofu puffs
10 button mushroom
1 can (400 ml) coconut milk
palm sugar, to taste
fish sauce, to taste

• In a wok, heat about 2 tbsp oil and stir fry green curry paste until aromatic.  
• Add in 3/4 of the coconut milk and bring to the boil.
• Put in tofu puffs and vegetables (thicker and harder vegetables should go in first since they take longer to cook). Cook until all vegetables are tender.
• Season with palm sugar and fish sauce.  Then tip in the remaining coconut milk.
• Serve immediately with steamed rice.

I am submitting this post to  Asian Food Fest  (Thailand) - November Month 

hosted by  Lena of  Frozen Wings

.

Tofu Dressing on Salad

This tofu dressing is incredibly creamy and smooth.  It can be served as a salad dressing or a dip for raw vegetables. And it is pretty healthy too!

Ingredients:

140g soft tofu
1 tbsp white sesame seeds (toasted)
40g chickpeas
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
dash of pepper
5 tbsp lemon juice  (adjust according to taste)
1/4 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tbsp honey
1/4 tsp minced garlic
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• Place all the ingredients except olive oil  into the Spectablend and blend until smooth.
• While the blender is running, drizzle in olive oil and blend until it reaches the consistency of a salad dressing.
  
  

Crunchy Oatmeal-Carrot Cookies

Ingredients:  [Makes 45 cookies]

125g butter, melted

100g grated coconut sugar

60g caster sugar

2 egg yolks

225g plain flour

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

70g grated carrot (mix with 1 tbsp lemon juice)

90g organic rolled oats

30g quinoa flakes

20g walnuts, toasted and chopped

30g dried cranberries, chopped

• Preheat oven to 170 degrees C.  
• Melt butter.  Allow to cool.
• Sift flour, bicarbonate of soda and ground cinnamon together into a big mixing bowl. Add in sugars, oats, cranberries, quinoa flakes, chopped walnuts and grated carrot. Stir to combine.
• Add sugars and egg yolks into the melted butter.  Using a fork, blend everything together and pour mixture into the dry ingredients.  Stir well to combine.
• Shape dough into walnut-sized balls and then gently flatten. 
• Place cookies on lined baking tray and bake for about about 13 - 15 minutes or until cookies are lightly golden.

This post is linked to the event, Little Thumbs Up organised by Zoe of Bake for Happy Kids and Doreen of My Little Favourite DIY and hosted by Vivian of Vivian Pang's Kitchen.

Creme Caramel

I had my very first taste of Creme Caramel  in the early 1980's in one of the coffee shops in Ipoh old town and I fell in love with it.  I only knew it as Egg Custard then.   Anyway, Creme Caramel has become one of my favourite desserts; I loved its smooth, velvety and silky texture.  I would usually  baked it in a water bath but yesterday I decided to steam it in my wok instead.  This morning, much to my delight, when I turned  my creme caramel out, they tasted exactly the same as they would baked.  By steaming, it definitely saves time. 

Makes 6

For caramel:
3/4 cup caster sugar 
3 tbsp water

• Combine sugar and water in a small heavy-based saucepan.  Stir over medium-high heat until sugar melted and become an amber-coloured caramel.   Remove saucepan from heat. Pour caramel into ramekins and immediately tilt the ramekin to spread the caramel evenly over the base.  Set aside.

For custard:
1/4 cup caster sugar
2 cups milk
1/2 cup fresh cream
2 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
pinch of salt
1/2 vanilla bean

• Place the cream and milk in a saucepan.  Using a small sharp knife, split the vanilla bean lengthways, then scrape the seeds out and add the seeds and bean into the milk mixture.   Slowly bring the cream and milk just to a boil.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs, yolks and sugar.
• While still whisking, drizzle in about a quarter of the hot milk mixture.  Gradually, while whisking,  pour in the remaining of the hot milk mixture.  
• Strain the mixture through a fine sieve into a jug and fill the ramekins with custard.
• Put the ramekins in a wok or steamer and steam them over medium-high heat for about 13 minutes or until custard sets.  (Remember to place a large plate or foil over the ramekins)
• Remove from the wok and let custard cool to room temperature.  Cover ramekins with clingwrap and refrigerate custard for at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Before serving, run a thin knife around the edge of each ramekin.  Turn out onto a plate and serve.