Jiao Zi 'Yang Shen' Soup

Remember more than 10 years back, I have once taken dim sum somewhere in Melaka. One of their specialty is jiaozi in 'pao shen' soup. I still remember very clearly the flavour of the soup is absolutely stunning. Too bad that the restaurant already closed down a few years ago. 'Pao shen' is one of many kind of herbal root other than 'yang shen' and 'ginseng'. 'Ginseng' is the most expensive one and is marked as the first class herbal root. While 'pao shen' is the middle class herbal root and 'yang shen' is the cheapest, yet still contained loads of beneficial.

'Yang shen' root is much bitter the taste and it's also best for healing the heaty body, sore throat and more. So, here is the lovely brunch for the day.

Ingredient for 'yang shen' Soup :
handful of 'yang shen', washed & drained
500gm chicken bones, boiled & rinsed
3L water
200gm preserved, vegetables, 'da tou chai'
1 large onion
a few slices ginger
pepper to taste

Method :
(1) combine all ingredients into a big pot and let to boiled for an hour over medium heat.
(2) withdraw all the ingredients once the soup is ready.



Ingredients for 'jiao zi' filling :
300gm chicken fillet, minced
salt & pepper to taste
1 tspn sugar
1 tspn ginger juice
2 tspn sesame oil
2 tbsp chopped spring onion
1 large onion, chopped
2 tspn wheat starch
(combine all ingredients and mix well)
* one packet of jiaozi skin or homemade jiaozi skin

Eventhough 'yang shen' is a little bitter but after cooking in soup, it turns into a completely different flavour. I'm not sure about you guys but I am loving it. Enjoy!
(dumpling, herbal soup. dim sum, chinese meal, Asian)
*I'm sending this to 3 Hungry Tummies @ Muhibbah Malaysian Monday blog event.

Red Pitaya & Strawberry Popsicle

THIS..... or....

THIS!!!!! Or in any form! I am still loving it every single bit. I especially adore the gorgeous colour of the red pitaya. Though, it doesn't taste as sweet as it looks but the colour is good enough to melt me away at any time. Combining it with strawberry is absolutely a terrific idea since both is red....one is lighter in taste while the other is berry tasty. So, the combination should be in perfect balance of flavours. HAHAHA....

The colour is simply amazing, isn't it?

Ingredents :
1 cup red pitaya puree
1/2 cup strawberry puree
1/2 cup castor sugar
1-1/2 cup full cream milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup syrup
a pinch of salt
1tbsp corn starch
3 tbsp milk powder
1 tbsp lemon juice

Method :
(1) combine pitaya & strawberry puree and sugar into a saucepan and boil untill sugar dissolved, stirring often.
(2) reduce the heat, then stir in one(1) cup milk, cream and syrup, let to simmer over medium heat untill mixture begins to steam (without boiling it).
(3) now off the heat, mix the remaining milk together with lemon juice, milk powder and corn starch.
(4) finally, add cornstarch mixture into hot mixture and mix till thickened.

(5) remove the saucepan away from the heating area and leave to cool completely.
(6) transfer mixture into a large container and freeze untill almost set, again blend the icy mixture till smooth.
(7) now, place blended mixture into separate popsicle moulds and keep frozen untill set or overnight.

TAaaaa....DAaaaa.....

Just can't wait to take a few more bites! Sorry guys that's all for today. Have to run now. Enjoy!
(ice-cream, desserts )

Almost A Hoagie....Banana & Chocolate Roll !

Why I'm calling it almost a Hoagie roll! It's all about the changed of plan. I was about to make a hoagie roll but after the addition of some leftover bananas & chocolate chips, then I decided to make it half of the size. So, almost a Hoagie roll is formed. haha.... What exactly a Hoagie roll? From all the information that I have, Hoagie roll is actually bun which is shaped like a torpedo or hotdog bread and is used in making sandwiches. There's no particular recipes to use in this bread. Yeap, you can use any bread recipe to recreate a Hoagie roll as your own preference. And this is my version! It's special for cream filling instead of savory fillings.

Ingredients :
3 banana, mashed
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup water
1 egg
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tspn salt
3-2/3 cups bread flour
3 tspn yeast
3 tbsp olive oil
*1/2 cup chocolate chips
*extra flour for coating

Method :
(1) combine flour, yeast, sugar and salt into a big mixing bowl.
(2) combine milk, water & banana and mix well.
(3) now, stir milk mixture and egg into the dry ingredients to for form a soft dough.
(4) add in oil and continue kneading for another 2 mins. ( the dough is a little sticky~do not add in extra flour)
(5) then set aside to rest for an hour or untill double it size.
(6) again knead the dough till smooth before placing it to the working table.
(7) slightly floured the working, place on the dough and divide into 8 portions.
(8) roll each dough flat and place in the chocolate chips, then roll it into swiss roll and place it to the baking tray.
(9) again leave to rest for another 20 mins.
(10) finally, bake at preheated ove 180-185'C for 20-25mins.

The crust looks incredible eventhough without the spread of egg glaze.

The additional of banana is always my desire in breadmaking and I finally done it. The bread is soft and crispy at the same time. And with the special flavour, life is completely a fairytale. Enjoy!

(bread)

Loquat Tea @ 'Pei Pa'.....And The Giveaways Result!

Does anyone came across something like this before? This is actually dried loquat flower which also called as 'pei pa' flower in Chinese. I bought this at the night market on my last trip to KL. I know most of you already heard of the name 'pei pa' candies or cough syrup but not tea. Loquat is believed to have such effect as soothing throat.

I remember I've seen fresh loquat fruits available at the supermarket some time ago but just not sure what it was! I will definitely keep my eyes on them for the next time. I am very much looking forward to make some loquat jam. Probably will be available somewhere around November to January!

Ingredients :
50gm dried loquet flower/'pei pa' flower
4 cups of water
4 tbsp honey

Method :
(1) place 4 cups of water to a pot and bring it to boil.
(2) add in 50gm dried loquat flower (rinsed & drained), let it simmer for 5 ins over medium heat.
(3) and then serve lukewarm with some honey.
(loquat tea, healty drinks)

GIVEAWAYS RESULT TIME !!!!!

Finally, here we are! It's the announcement day. First of all, I would like to thank you for your kind comments and participation. I am sure you are all eager to find out who is the lucky two here.

The winners are......
(1) Ann @ Cooking Healthy For Me (Overseas)
(2) Alice Law @ My Little Sprouts (Local)

Congratulations ladies! Please kindly send me your mailing address as soon as possible.

Ragi Cinnamon Roll

Ragi flour, is it something new? No, actually it is not something new. Just that we don't use it very often. Ragi flour is also called as red millet or finger millet. It's about the size of the millet but in different colours, something like buckwheat flour. By the way, do you know that buckwheat is not a wheat but it's actually fruit seeds! Ragi flour is gluten-free too and it's perfect for celiac patients.

And here's the recipe.

Ingredients :
400gm Spelt flour/ATTA flour
200gm ragi flour
2 tbsp bran flakes
2 tspn yeast
2 tbsp sugar
1 tspn salt
50gm butter, cubed
250ml lukewarm water

#cinnamon mixture : 2/3 cup brown sugar + 1-1/2 tbsp cinnamon powder

Method :
(1) combine all dry ingredients into a big bowl.
(2) slowly stir in water and mix to form a soft dough.
(3) add in butter and knead till well combined and smooth.
(4) keep dough covered and set aside for an hour or untill double in size.



(6) once it's ready, place dough to a slightly floured working table.
(7) punch and knead to release air from dough.
(8) now, roll dough out flat into a rectangle shape about 10x14".
(9) spread on melted butter evenly and follow by cinnamon mixture.
(10) roll the dough into swiss roll and divide into 12 portion.
(11) arrange dough onto well coated pan and let to rest for 20 mins.
(12) then bake at preheated oven 220'C for about 20-25 ins or untill brown.

Making bread by using mixed flour is to reduce the intake of less gluten product which is good for our digestion system. Don't ever expect to have very very soft and fluffy bread from either buckwheat or ragi flour because they are both gluten-free. But with the help of spelt flour or ATTA flour should works better in the rising part. Enjoy the healthy bread to have a healthy heart!
(bread, ragi flour, spelt flour, atta flour )
#
And don't forget about the GIVEAWAYS !!!!

Berry Spiced Cake Pops

It has been a hectic week! Gosh, I need to sit down and have a nice cup of coffee with some delightful treat infront of me right now. How I wish there's a maid here asking me : "m'dm, do you want tea or coffee for your afternoon treat....scones or muffins....or a nice slice of cake???" Yeap, I am day dreaming again. HAHAHA..... Well, when you're craving for something sweet & homemade, it doesn't always mean that you'll have to bake or spending long hours in the kitchen for something delicious. Try something fast...something like cake pops! Also a perfect way for clearing up all the leftover cakes.

Now what I'm going to do is to finish off the leftover spiced boysenberry cake that I made the other day, by transforming into something alluring.



Ingredients :
1/3 spiced berry cake
200gm cream cheese frosting
250gm chocolate bar, chopped in pcs
50gm white chocolate bar, chopped in pcs

Method :
(1) mashed cake in fine nice crumb.
(2) add in cream cheese frosting and mix untill combined.
(3) then shape them into balls and keep refrigerated for 10 mins.
(4) melt both chocolate bars in different sauce pan over double boiler.
(5) coat each cake balls with melted chocolate.
(6) then ganache the top with melted white chocolate.

But I ganache mine with peppermint icing frosting. Tasted really yummy!

Ingredients for peppermint forsting :
1/3 cup icing sugar
2 tspn peppermint extract/oil
(combine all and mix well, transfer the mixture to a pipping bag)

Oooo... at last, I can sit down and enjoy these with my cup of coffee. Hmmm...mm... this is heavenly.
cake, candy, desserts

And guys, don't forget about the GIVEAWAYS ! Maybe it's your lucky day.

Spiced Boysenberry Bundt Cake..... & GIVEAWAYS!

There's NO four seasons here and don't even dream of having fresh boysenberry either. Ya, still remember the last batch of boysenberry I kept in the freezer! Portion of it went straight down in this recipe. This is actually my first attempt trying out the whole lot of spices in one cake and I think it's awesome.

Ingredients for cake :
226gm butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tspn vanilla essence
1/2 cup yoghurt
1/3 cup milk
2-3/4 cup flour
1 tspn baking powder
1/2 tspn baking soda
1/2 tspn salt
1/2 tspn cinnamon powder
1/2 tspn ginger powder
1/2 tspn nutmeg powder
2 tspn chinese 5 spice
1 cup boysenberries
1/2 cup dried cranberries

Method :
(1) combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and all the spices together and mix well.
(2) cream butter & sugar untill fluffy.
(3) add in eggs and beat to combine.
(4) whisk in yoghurt & milk untill well mixed.
(5) then fold in all the dry ingredients and mix to combine.
(6) stir in dried cranberry & frozen boysenberry.
(7) pour batter to well coated tray.
(8) bake at preheated over 175'C for about an hour.
(9) leave cool before placing on the icing frosting.

Ingredients for icing frosting :
1/2 cup icing sugar
4 tspn lime juice
(combine and mix well, spread it over the cake once it's ready)

The whole combination is like a BOMB...slowly melted inside your mouth! Hmm..Hmmm...... Don't forget about the giveaways! :o)
(cake, dessert, boysenberry, snack)

And here's the magnificent GIVEAWAYS you've been waiting for, guys!!!!!

Just let me introduce you to the giveaways which is sponsored by Reilly Dunn, Partnership Director of JoyBauer.com. These fabulous books are all about healthy living and sumptuous recipes for special diet. I'm sure you all going to love it very much. There will be two(2) winners, one(1) for overseas and one(1) for local. Besides of that, I am also giving away some marvelous moulds for overseas winner. So, all the best & good luck to all of you. Have fun!

And here's the rules :
(1) as a qualified winner, you must be a follower.
(2) leave as many comments as you want.
(3) closing date is on the 21st of July, mid-night and announcement made on the 22nd of July.

Roti Jala.....Or Net Bread, Anyone!

Here, let me introduce you to another favourite local food I love very much, ROTI JALA ! Also meaning as 'roti' is bread and 'jala' is net. Roti jala is a Malay cuisine which is shaped like a fish net and taste like a pancake or dosa. Roti jala is usually served with curry for savory version or serawa gravy for sweet version. Serawa is a gravy made from the mixture of boiled coconut milk, brown sugar & pandan leaves. Both are taste as fabulous.

And let me show you the gadget I used in making this roti jala and also the Vietnamese net rolls I made long ago. It just a simple gadget. And please do take note, I will be hosting some giveaways soon including books & other stuffs. So, stay tune for more!

And here's the recipe as follow.

Ingredients :
200gm all purpose flour
350ml coconut milk
100ml water
1 egg
a pinch of salt
1/2 tpsn pandan paste
1 tspn turmeric powder

Method :
(1) beat together milk, water & egg.
(2) combine salt, flour & egg mixture into a bowl and mix well, then leave aside for 30mins.
(3) divide mixture into 2 portion, add turmeric powder in one and pandan paste to other portion.
(4) fill one portion of batter to the gadget and follow the method here.

Doesn't this look so irresistible? I bet you're hungry now.... ha..ha.. Enjoy!
*
I'm sending this to 3 Hungry Tummies @ Muhibbah Malaysian Monday.
(bread, pancake, snack, tradition cuisine, asian cuisine)

Pear Relish Chutney

Chutney is not something new to me, just that I have never thought of making it my own. In the past, my aunt (sum sum) will give us her homemade spicy salted fish chutney whenever she visits us. It was her mom's secret recipe and was once widely sold in Penang but not sure if she still have time for this. She hasn't been feeling very well for the past couple of years and I seldom see her during the Chinese New Year either. She owned a food business at Mid Valley for years and now her kids are taking over the kitchen. I hope to see her on the next coming Chinese New Year. I wonder if I still remember how's her chutney was taste like! It's been a long long time since I had them. She has tempted me to start up my own chutney, and so is Amy (The Canning Wife). So, here's what I did.

Ingredients : (Recipe adapted to Amy)
4 large green pear, cubed
1 cup vinegar
1/2 cup raisins
1 cup brown sugar
1 large onion, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped

Spices Used :
2 tspn mustard seeds/ground mustard
1/2 tspn ginger powder
2 tspn all spice
1-1/2 tspn salt
(I omit the curry powder)


Method :
(1) combine pear, raisins, sugar and vinegar to a sauce pan and let it boil for 30 mins over medium flame.
(2) stir in bell pepper and onion after 15 mins boiling the pear and continue on boiling.
(3) the mixture will become thickened later on, bring it to low heat.
(4) after that, it's time to add in all the spices and stir well.
(5) keep simmer for another 5-10 mins and then off the heat.
(6) bottle them up with cleaned jars and with caps.
(7) then put them back to the boiling water and simmer for 5-10 mins to secure the seal.
(8) remove from boiling water and leave to cool completely and store in dark room. Or refer here for more info.

This recipe just perfect to fill in two jam bottles, which can be stored for at least 12 months time.
My kids are both learning to love it. I've also started some other canning project to store up leftover vegetables. So that NO food waste! Cool huh!
jam, sauce, dressing, pickling