Nutella Chocolate Chips Muffin

Ingredients:

 

(Makes around 8 small, 5 large)

2 cups             all purpose flour

1/2 cup            white sugar (raw sugar)

3 tsp                baking powder

1/2 tsp             salt

1/2 cup            walnut (chopped)

3/4 cup            mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

3/4 cup            milk (soy milk or full cream milk)

1/3 cup            vegetable oil

1                      egg

1 tsp                vanilla essence

2 tsp                Nutella

 

Method:

1. Pre-heat oven to 205oC. Line muffin trays with muffin cups.
2. In one medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, chocolate chips, salt and walnut. Mix well.
3. In another small bowl, combine soy milk, oil, vanilla essence and egg. Blend well.
4. Add the wet ingredients all at once to the dry ingredients, stir until dry ingredients are moistened (batter will be lumpy).
5. Add the Nutella into the mixture. Mix well.
6. Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with ice cream scoop.
7. Bake for 20-25min or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Cool 10min before removing from pan.

SG 50 Special: Nasi Lemak

When I was thinking what to do next for my SG50 special recipes, I thought it will be good to do some survey to get some ideas. So I asked my Malay colleague which is her favorite Singaporean dish and she told me it's Nasi Lemak. 

To many of us, we try not to eat nasi lemak so often because it is quite "sinful". Sinful in a way because it is high in calories. Rice cooked with coconut milk, fried chicken wings, fried ikan bilis and fried peanut doesn't sound very healthy to most of us. With this in mind, I thought why not I create a healthier nasi lemak for my fellow country man so that we can all enjoy this delicacy less "sinfully"

This recipe is really easy and fast to prepare. I was able to finish cooking everything in less than an hour. No greasy kitchen because most of the frying is done by my trusty air-fryer! Mr hippo (my hubby) loves it so much that he finished his share in less than 1 minute!

SG 50 Special: Nasi Lemak

(makes 2 portion)

rice:

1 cup of rice
1 cups of water
75ml of coconut milk and mix with some water to make 1 cup (i use Ayam brand Trim coconut milk)
2 pandan leaves (tied into knots)

side dishes: 

2 eggs

1/2 cucumber, sliced

1 handful of ikan bilis
1 handful of unsalted peanuts with skin

8 chicken wings ( marinate with 1 tsp soya sauce, a dash of pepper, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1 tsp oyster sauce and 1 tsp oyster sauce. Season for 20min)

Salt and Pepper for seasoning

Some beaten egg and cornflour for coating the chicken wings

Steps to prepare nasi (rice):

1. Wash the rice and pour it into the rice cooker pot

2. Add coconut milk, water, a pinch of salt and pandan leaves 

3. Cook the rice as per normal white rice using rice cooker

Steps to prepare fried ikan bilis and peanuts:

1. Preheat air-fryer at 180 degrees for 5 mins

2. Add the peanuts and ikan bilis into the air fryer and air fry @180 degrees for 15 minutes, until crispy and brown

3. Once done, remove fried ikan bilis and peanuts and toss them with a pinch of salt

Steps to prepare fried chicken:

1. Dip the chicken wings into beaten egg and coat it with corn flour. Remove any excess flour

2. Air fry it at 200 degrees for 30 mins, turn the chicken wings half-way through the frying process

Steps to prepare fried eggs:

1. Mix the eggs with a pinch of salt and pepper

2. Heat up a non-stick pan and add the eggs in

3. Turn the eggs over to cook the other side

4. Serve when it is ready

Last step:

Serve the rice with all the side dishes, sliced cucumber and the most important, SAMBAL BELCHAN!

SG 50 Special: Curry Chicken Pot Pie

In conjunction with SG50, I will be posting a series of Singapore recipes for month of August featuring Singaporeans' favorite local food.  Stay tune to check out these recipes! 

Sign up for my instagram and facebook page for more updates on these recipes!

And the first recipe under SG 50 featured posts will be my favorite curry puff!

Making the pastry puff is a very tedious process. Being a lazy cook, I am always finding the easy way out, and I realised that ready-made prata is a great substitute for flaky pastry.  It's my first time using ready-made prata to substitute puff pastry and the results is stunning!

There is still the flaky effect, yet not oily because the prata is baked, and not fried.  Prata complement the curry very nicely. No wonder some things has to come together.. just like you tiao with soya milk 

SG 50 Curry Chicken Pot Pie

Ingredients:

Filling
2 Pieces (about 420g) Chicken Breast (boneless & skinless), cut into small chunks

1 ½ Tbsp Curry Powder (store-bought)
½ Tbsp Chili Powder

4 Yellow Flesh Potatoes, boiled, peeled, and cut into small chunks
1 Large Yellow Onion, chopped
6 Tbsp Curry Powder (store-bought)
2 Tbsp Chili Powder
6 Tbsp of Water

400 ml Coconut Milk

1 ½ Cups Chicken Stock

 or Water
Salt
Vegetable Oil for cooking


4 Hard-Boiled Eggs, peeled
& quartered



1 packet of ready-made prata (frozen)

1. Make the filling: Combine chicken pieces with 1 ½ Tbsp of curry powder, ½ Tbsp of chili powder, a big pinch of salt. Marinate for about 20 minutes. 


2. Mix the curry powder and chili powder with water to form a paste.

3. In a large wok or pot, heat about 5 to 6 Tbsp of oil over moderate heat. Then add the chopped yellow onion. Cook until the onions are lightly brown in color. 

4. Add the curry paste, and cook until they are fragrant. Mix in the marinated chicken and cook for about 10 minutes or until the chicken is almost cooked. 

5. Then add the water and coconut milk. Bring the curry sauce to a boil and then lower the heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. 

6. Then, add the potatoes and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes. Season the curry with salt and let cool for about 20 minutes. 

7. Scoop the filling into a aluminium dish and top it with a prata.

8. Glaze the Pot Pie with beaten egg and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degree Celsius for 30 mins.

Blueberry Zucchini Bread

I tried making chocolate bread last week using bread maker machine and it did not turn out well.

Then, I did it again...Another dumb thing. I accidentally threw away my bread maker pin (the pin that mix the dough).. :~(

Well.. though that's the end for my bread maker machine, but not my bread making journey. I can still continue baking bread using my trusty oven. Just that i would need to buy some more loaf tins.

Here's a very unique and tasty bread i baked this weekend, the blueberry zucchini bread. It turns out to be super moist and was not too sweet. Just nice for all those health conscious foodies. Best thing is my food taster, JS (my hub), loves it too! 

yay! :)

Blueberry Zucchini Bread
Makes 2 bread loaves

Ingredients:

3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
3 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups white sugar
2  cups shredded zucchini
3 cups plain flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cinnamon powder
2 boxes fresh blueberries

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees C. Lightly grease loaf pans.

2. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar. Fold in the zucchini. Beat in the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Gently fold in the blueberries. Transfer to the prepared loaf pans.

3. Bake 55 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a knife inserted in the center of a loaf comes out clean. Cool 20 minutes in pans, then turn out onto wire racks to cool completely.

Thai Basil Pork Rice

Thai food always reminds me of my poly days when I was working as part-time in a fusion restaurant which serves Thai and Japanese cuisine. 

It was the time when I was exposed to different types of Thai dishes other than just tom yum soup. Thai basil pork/chicken rice is one of my favorite dishes followed by glass noodle salad, beef noodle soup, phat thai and the list goes on.. 

It was fun working at the restaurant. I made many good friends and it was a memory that I treasure dearly. 

Till today, my friends and I are still talking about our favorite Thai dishes. Let's just hope that I can master cooking all of them so that I can invite them over for a gathering soon. 

Thai Basil Pork Rice

Serves 4

Ingredients:
1 lb ground pork (can also use ground chicken)
1 bunch Thai Basil
1 red bell pepper
5 minced garlic cloves
1 minced shallot
1 chili padi

sauce -
1 tsp brown sugar
1-1/2 tbsp fish sauce
1 tbsp Kecap Manis

1. Combine the brown sugar, fish sauce, and Kecap Manis into a bowl. Mix well and set aside. 

2. De-seed and slice thinly the red bell pepper and set aside. 

3. Heat the wok on high setting with some oil. Once the oil is smoking hot, add the garlic and shallots and cook until it starts to brown and the aromas are strong (2-3 minutes). 

4. Then add the ground chicken and break it into small chunks. 

5. When the meat is half cooked add the sauce, stir it well before adding the chili padi and sliced bell pepper. Mix it well for a couple minutes. 

6. Then add the Thai Basil, give it a quick toss, and serve with rice. 

Zha Jiang Mian

I was first introduced to zha jiang mian by my cousin and his wife (who are both Germans) when we had dinner at Paradise Dynasty. 

It was highly recommended by my cousin's wife and she like it so much that she hoped to replicate this dish so that she can try making it when they are back in Germany. 

Therefore, this inspired me to research and to try various zha jiang mian recipe so that i can have a simple recipe which is usable even if you stay overseas.

Surprisingly, this is not that difficult to make and delicious! 

It's so fast and easy that you can try making it for a week day dinner. :)

In case you are curious what is sweet bean sauce, this is how it looks like:

Can also add spicy bean paste as shown below and chill oil, if you want some 'kick':

Ingredients

(Serves 4)

500g  ground pork
1 teaspoon soya sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon oil, plus 1

tablespoon
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
3 slices ginger, minced finely
4 cloves garlic, minced
6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, finely chopped
2 tablespoons sweet bean sauce
3 tablespoons ground bean paste (taucheo)
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce

1 cup water

4 portion of handmade noodles (you-mian)
1 cup julienned carrots
1 cup julienned Japanese cucumbers
1/2 cup julienned green onions

1.      Marinate the pork with the following for 15 minutes: 1 teaspoon soya sauce, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon oil, 1/8 teaspoon white pepper.

2.      Heat a tablespoon oil in your wok over medium heat. Add the marinated ground pork to the wok. Cook for a minute to brown it, and then add the ginger and garlic. Let
everything caramelize together.

3.      Add the chopped mushrooms. Stir fry everything together for another 2-3 minutes.

4.      Add the sweet bean sauce, bean paste, dark soy sauce, and water, stirring everything together well. Lower the heat and cover the wok. Simmer the sauce for 15-20 minutes,
stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.

5.      While the meat sauce is simmering, cook the noodles according to the package directions.

6.      Drain the noodles and place it in the serving bowl.

7.      Add the meat sauce and the julienned carrots, cucumbers, and green onions.

8.      Serve the noodles

Fuss-Free Weekend Bake: Banana Bread

When you have super ripe bananas lying on the table, this means that it is time for you to make banana cake!


Minimum cookware used.

Easily available ingredients.

Most importantly, fast to make!


And this conclude my fuss-free banana cake!

You don't need to be a expert in baking to do this. This recipe is suitable for anyone to do it. Hope everyone can try this. :)

Banana Cake


Ingredients:


2 ½ cups (300 g) of flour

½ cup (100g) of sugar

1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt

2 teaspoons (10 ml) baking soda

4 overly ripe, mashed bananas

3 eggs

3/4 cup (180 ml) of canola oil

¼ cup (60 ml) of water

1 tbsp (15 ml) vanilla

½ cup (75 g) of semi-sweet chocolate chip

½ cup (75 g) of Walnuts 



Method:

Preheat oven to 176C degrees. 

Grease a loaf pan.

In a medium bowl mix dry ingredients and set aside. 

In a large bowl mix wet ingredients until combined. Combine the dry into the wet, 1/3 at a time, being careful not to over mix! (Or you will have tough bread!)

Fold in the chocolate chips and walnuts. Pour into a greased loaf pan.

Bake for 55 mins or until a toothpick comes out clean. If bread starts to brown too much on the top, cover with foil and continue to bake until cooked through.


Slice into thick slices and serve. Enjoy!