CUTE ANIMALS KONYAKKU JELLY

Yesterday I was so bored and decided to make a konyakku jelly with the bento egg moulds and cookie cutter for more patterns.

I really love the outcome and it's colorful too. My kids keep asking...'Mommy...when can I eat it'. Well...I told them that you only can eat it once the jelly is firm.

Will sure make more and with different patterns!!!

MACKEREL FISH CURRY

I was in the Asian grocery store and I spot that they sell some of the Malaysian ready sauces on the shelves. Sometimes these sauces really make our life more easier to prepare the dinner on the table for those who are so busy at work and with the kids.

I really like this Fish Curry Powder from Hup Loong the Penang Nyonya Recipe and it's really taste yummy, sour and spicy.

All you need to cook this Curry Fish are as below stated :

INGREDIENTS :

1 whole medium size fresh mackerel fish, cut into pieces
400 ml coconut milk
500 ml water
350 g ground onions
200 g lady fingers
3 plum tomatoes, cut in quartered
3 stalks lemon grass, cut into 2-inch lenght
1 pack of Hup Loong the Penang Nyonya Fish Curry
salt to taste


METHODS :

1. In a heavy skillet with some vegetable oil, deep fried the fish in high heat until it just browned. Dish up and set aside.

2. Fry the ground onions with 2 tbsp of vegetable oil until fragrant, for about 5 minutes. Add in 1 packet of Fish Curry Powder and lemon grass, sautee it until fragrant in medium heat.

3. Add in the cut tomatoes, lady fingers, water and coconut milk to a boil.

4. Add in the fish and bring it to a boil and let it simmer in medium heat until the fish is cooked.

5. Served it hot with steamed white rice. Enjoy!!!

SPICY BONELESS & SKINLESS CHICKEN TIGHTS

Boneless and skinless chicken tights....does it sound healthy to you??? Well...it is!!! This recipe is kinda similar to Indian recipe like Tandoori if you grilled them. But I baked them because it was raining the whole day at my place.

Anyway...the dish turn outs very delicious, spicy and juicy. Well....hope you'll like this recipe of mine....ENJOY!!!

INGREDIENTS :

8 chicken tights, boneless and skinless, pierced all over with a fork
5 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
1 2-inch ginger, peeled and chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
1 lemon, zest and juiced
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander seeds / ground coriander
salt to taste



METHODS :

1. In a food processor, grind to paste the garlic, ginger, pepper, tomato paste, cumin powder, coriander, salt, lemon juice and zest.

2. In a 13 x 12 baking sheet, add in the chicken tights and rub it with the grind paste evenly. Cover and refrigerator for up to a day.

3. Preheat the oven to 400 F and let the chicken tights comes down to a room temperature before baking.

4. Bake for about 45 minutes or until the chicken is done.

5. Serve it hot with sauce and steamed white rice.

THREE CUPS CHICKEN/SAN BEIJI (三杯雞)

Three Cups Chicken / San bei ji ( 三杯雞 ) is a popular chicken dish in Chinese Cuisine. The dish originates from the Jiangxi Province of southern China, and is a specialty of Ningdu. However, it has become especially popular in Taiwan, so much so that it is said "a restaurant that cannot cook San bei ji is not a true Taiwanese restaurant."

Its name literally translates as "three cups chicken," referring to the sauce used for it.

For each chicken, a cup each of soy sauce, rice wine and sesame oil are added. Some Taiwanese believes that the traditional recipe called for a cup each of soy sauce, sesame oil and sugar, with added ginger and basil.

For today generations, nobody cook a big pot for a family of 4 or 5 and I change the recipe to a minimum serving.

INGREDIENTS :

2.5 lb chicken tight, cut into small pieces
40 ml sesame oil
1 tbsp garlic, coarsely chopped
1.5-inches ginger, thinly sliced
7 stalks green onions, cut into 1-inch length and seperate the white and green parts
8 pieces dried chilies, soaked and drained (if you don't like too spicy, reduce the chilies)

Marinate:
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp soy sauce

Seasoning:
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
80 ml light soy sauce
120 ml Shao Hsing Hua Tiau wine
1 tbsp sugar or to taste
50 ml water
salt to taste


METHODS :

1. Marinate the chicken pieces with the marinate ingredients for at least 1 hour or more before cooking.


2. On a large heavy skillet with a medium heat, saute the garlic, ginger, white part of green onions and dried chilies in the sesame oil until fragnant, about 3-4 minutes. Add in the marinated chicken pieces and toss for another 2-3 minutes, until lightly the chicken lightly browned.

3. Pour in the seasoning ingredients except the salt and let it come to a boil.

4. Reduce the heat and simmer covered for about 30 minutes. Then continue to simmer uncovered, for another 15 minutes or more until the sauce has reduced by half and chicken is tender. Stir occasionally while simmering.

5. When the dish is almost done, add the rest of the green onions and season with salt to taste.

6. Serve it hot with a bowl of steamed white rice and enjoy!!!

PEAR FRANGIPANE TART

This is a french recipe I adapted from Barbara Adams website called Beyond Wonderful. I used to buy this kind of dessert at pastries store but now I can bake fresh from my oven myself.

Last week, my sister gave me a bunch of pears from her house and I decided to make some pear tart to share. The tart came out to be the yummiest tart I ever had with the creamiest of the almond cream and the fruitiness of the poached pears. Let me share this recipe with all my dearest blogger friends and Happy Baking!!!

You need to poached the pears 1 day ahead (for method on how to poached pears, please go to this link) or you can buy it from a jar at grocery store.

INGREDIENTS :

For Pate Sablee Tart:

2 cups all-purpose flour
8 tbsp unsalted butter, cut into small pieces, chilled
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Direction :

1. Pulse flour, butter, sugar and salt in a food processor just to combine, about 20 seconds.

2. Add egg and vanilla and pulse until the mixing just begins to hold together.

3. Dust hand with flour and evenly press the dough along the bottom and sides of a 9-inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom.

Note: The crust should be approximately 1/4-inch thick

4. Prick the bottom of the shell several times with a fork, cover with plastic wrap and put it in the freezer to keep it cold while you preparing the filling.



For The Frangipane /Almond Cream:

6 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup ground blanched almonds
2 tsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp cornstarch
1 large egg
2 tsp dark rum or 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Directions :

1. Put the butter and sugar in the food processor or if you prefer, you can make the cream in a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or in a bowl with a rubber spatula and process until the mixture is smooth and satiny. Add the ground almonds and continue to process until well blended.

2. Add in the flour and cornstarch, process, and then add the egg. Process for about 15 seconds more, or until the almond cream is homogeneous. Add the rum or vanilla and process just to blend.

3. Scrape the almond cream into a container and either use it immediately or refrigerate it until firm, about 2 hours.

4. Spread the frangipane /almond cream mixture evenly across the chilled tart shell.

5. Cut each poached pears in half and then cut each half in a fan. Use a spatula to lift the cut pears onto the tart, placing evenly at four points on top of the frangipane.


6. Place the tart on a baking sheet and bake for 45-50 minutes, until the frangipane is puffed and golden brown and brush it with some apricot jam.

7. Cool on the metal rack and serve with some powdered sugar (optional).