Pork chops

Inspired by Chef Eric Low, I decided to do Pork Chops for lunch n treat my hubby to western food. 

I replaced pork loin with pork chops n used McCormick perfect pinch instead of rosemary.

Recipe 

Ingredients

2 pcs of frozen pork chops defrosted

Seasoning

1-2 pcs garlic chopped finely 

Some McCormick Perfect Pinch

Some salt

Some crushed black pepper

Some extra virgin olive oil

Method 

Defrost the pork chops.

Marinate with the above seasoning.

Panfry on both sides for a few minutes till browned. About 3-4 minutes each side.

Potatoes

Ingredients

I used a few of these potatoes. About

500 gm. To make 4 servings of potato.

A few tablespoon of milk

A sprig of parsley chopped

Some salt 

Some butter

Method 

Boil a pot of water

Peel n cut potatoes into chunks

Add into boiling water the potatoes n add salt

Cook for about 20 minutes till you can push a fork in

Drain the potatoes n mash half the potatoes finely 

Mix mashed potatoes with salt n 2 or 3 tablespoon of milk

Do not over add milk or it will become too mushy

Add in the chopped parsley n mix

Use a ice cream scoop n scoop out the mashed potatoes. 

Drizzle sauce in top.

I used Masterfoods Roasted Garlic n Herbs finishing sauce.

You can also serve the cooked potatoes just with this seasoning.

The sauce is quite tasty. Serve the pork chop with green peas n carrots and potatoes .

I also had some red wine to go with the meal.

Enjoy!

Chef Eric Low cooking session

This is the second time I attended a cooking demo session by Chef Eric Low.  He is very knowledgeable and willing to share with us many tips on cooking.

This session is organized by City Gas and and the colour is Purple.

So Chef Eric cooked for us Pork Chops with Balsamic Fig Jam, Braised Red Cabbage and Port Wine Sauce. He replaced figs with cranberries as they were not available.
I really enjoyed the Balsamic Cranberries Jam as it is very appetizing.  When you pair it with the pork chops, the taste is so delicious!

The second dish is Chilled Black Glutinuous Rice with Yam Coconut Ice Cream.

He has placed the glutinous rice at the bottom and decorated with red beans and attap seeds. Used one potong ice cream and placed a few sweet potato chips in. Scattered on it is the toasted dessicated coconut. Very creative and beautiful.

 

Banana chocolate chip cake

 

After all the excitement of Halloween is over, I finally settled down to do other bakes not related to pumpkin.

 

It's been a long time since I used bananas and I tweaked this recipe and incorporated chocolate chips and cinnamon too for added fragrance to the cake.

 

The original recipe is from simplyrecipes.com.  titled Banana Bread Recipe

 

It is easy to do and you don't need an electric beater.  I chose to do this so that I can involve my daughter as well.

 

Recipe

Ingredients

3 or 4 ripe bananas, smashed

1/3 cup melted butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg, beaten

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

Pinch of salt

1 1/2 cups of plain flour

I also added about 1 /3 cup of semi sweet chocolate chips and more for sprinkling on top

about 1/4 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

 

Method

 

Preheat the oven to 175 deg celcius. ( I used 170)

Use a wooden spoon to mix the melted butter with the smashed bananas in a large mixing bowl.

Mix in the sugar, egg and vanilla.

Sprinkle the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in.

My step - Mix the flour with the cinnamon and chocolate chips. Add in and mix.

Butter one loaf pan and pour the mixture in. Sprinkle more chocolate chips on top.

Bake for 1 hr.  I used about 50 minutes.

Cool on a rack. Remove from pan and slice to serve.

 

 

 

Bananas and melted butter

My daughter mixing it up

 

 

Before baking

 

 

 After 50 minutes, crusty chocolate top

 

 

Yummy cake ready to eat!

 

Happy Baking!

 

Fried Taukwa with Honey Peanut

I created this recipe with inspiration from a local dish called Rojak which uses prawn sauce and peanuts. I opted to make a sweet version instead.

Ingredients
1 pc of tau kwa extra firm tofu
Honey
1 tablespoon fine sugar
2 tablespoon of crushed peanut
Cornflour
Some cooking oil

Method
Cut a piece of tau kwa into 12 pcs.
Make sure you dry tau kwa.
Coat with corn flour n fry till golden brown.
Set aside on plate.
Mix 2 tablespoon of crushed peanuts with one tablespoon of fine sugar.
Drizzle honey onto tofu .
Scatter sugar peanuts on top n serve.

After frying - absorb oil using kitchen paper towels.

Drizzle honey - I love orange blossom honey.

Mix 1 tablespoon of sugar with 2 tablespoon of crushed peanuts

Plate it and serve! You can also serve with your own sambal chilli if you prefer a spicier dish.

 

Enjoy cooking!

Baked butternut pumpkin with portobello mushrooms

This is quite an amazing dish- easy to make n dish up. 

I adapted the recipe from allrecipes.com.au

I bought this butternut pumpkin from Fairprice. 

I also used this feta cheese for garnishing 

 

Ingredients :

1/4 butternut pumpkin (see picture above)

2 tablespoon of olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 sprig of Chinese parsley - chopped ( I chose only the leaves)

pinch of some salt

about 1 tsp of dried thyme (optional)

1 or more  Portobello mushroom, gill removed and cut into cubes

2 tablespoon of Kikkoman Soy Sauce

Use about 1-2 cm thickness of Feta cheese

 

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180 Celcius.
2. Remove as much as possible the skin of the pumpkin using a peeler n also the seeds.
3. Cut the pumpkin to 1 cm thick slices.
4.  Mince the garlic.
5.  Chop the parsley.
6. Add in cubed Portobello mushroom
7. Put inside a baking tin.
8. Add in the olive oil, sprinkled salt, thyme (optional) and drizzle the Kikkoman Soy Sauce. Mix everything up.
9. Bake for 30 minutes or until pumpkin is tender. I used about 25 minutes.
10. Dish up and serve with some crumbled feta cheese.

Note : There may be some skin left on the pumpkin. 

 

My husband ate everything but I am a picky eater, and left some skin behind.

Before baking

After baking

 

Serves 2 persons.

Suggested to serve with a green salad as a meal.

 

Happy baking!

 

Pumpkin Cinnamon Swirl Bread

This is the first time I am using pumpkin in bread n this recipe comes from http://www.bakedbyrachel.com/2013/10/pumpkin-cinnamon-swirl-bread-recipe/

 

Please follow the above link to get the method.

 

Dough

1/2 cup milk, heated to 115F  ( so I warmed up the milk and added in half unwarmed milk)

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

1/3 cup plus 1 tsp granulated sugar, divided

1 egg

1 cup pumpkin puree - steamed the pumpkin and mash it

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

Pinch ground cloves

1 tsp salt

3 1/2 cup - 4 cup all purpose flour

 

Filling

2 tbsp. unsalted butter,softened

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 1/2 tbsp. cinnamon

 

Egg Wash

1 egg

1 tbsp. water

 

Note :

I omitted the ground cloves and I also could not fit the loaf into my regular loaf tin

Spices used

After proofing the dough - mixed spice filling n unsalted butter

Rolled out dough to spread the butter n filling

After baking / I couldn't fit into my regular loaf tin n I flipped the dough over

 

The bread is really very soft, next time I may divide the dough into 2 portions so that I can fit them into 2 regular loaf tins.

 

I also served my bread with some Planta margarine to eat.

 

Hope you enjoy baking this marvelous soft bread - thanks to Rachel's recipe.

Brown Sugar Meringues

 

Brown Sugar Meringues - recipe from Martha Day cookbook.

Made 18-20 pcs.
Recipe
Ingredients
115 gm fine brown sugar- original is light muscovado sugar
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon finely chopped walnuts(I replaced with almond flakes n semi sweet chocolate chips)

Method
1. Line 2 baking trays with non stick baking paper. Press the sugar through a sieve.
2. Whisk the egg whites in a clean, dry bowl until very stiff n dry, whisk in the sugar 1 tablespoon at a time until the meringue is very thick n glossy .
3.Preheat oven to 160 deg celcius.
4. Spoon small mounds of the meringue on to prepared trays.
5 . Press a few almond flakes or semi sweet chocolate chips into the meringues. Or sprinkle the finely chopped walnuts on the meringues. Bake for 30 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes on the baking trays then leave on a wire rack.
Keep inside an airtight container.

Egg whites beaten stiff n brown sugar

Beaten with sugar - till glossy stage

Spoon onto lined trays n press on almond flakes or choc chips or walnuts bits

Yummy meringues ready to eat!