PORTUGUESE EGG TARTS

Portuguese-style egg tarts were evolved from "Pastel de Nata", a traditional Portuguese custard pastry that consists of custard in a creme brulee-like consistency caramelized fashion in a puff pastry case. It was created more than 200 years ago by Catholic Sisters at Jeronimos Monastery (Portuguese: Mosteiro dos Jerónimos) at Belem in Lisbon. Casa Pastéis de Belém was the first pastry shop outside of the convent to sell this pastry in 1837, and it is now a popular pastry in every pastry shop around the world owned by Portuguese descendants.

The Portuguese-style egg tarts known in Macau originated from Lord Stow's Café in Coloane, owned by a Briton named Andrew Stow. Stow modified the recipe of pastel de nata using techniques of making English custard tarts. It has since become available at numerous bakeries, as well as Macau-style restaurants and KFC restaurant chains in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. There was an egg tart craze in Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan in the late 1990s.

My family and I really love this egg tarts especially with coffee or tea. I hope you'll will love this recipe that I found from Rasa Malaysia website.

This is the egg tart that I used with puff pastry. The crust is more flakier than pie tart.

INGREDIENTS :
( To make 12 pie crusts or 16 puff pastry crusts with 4" cookie cutter )

1 box Pillsbury ready pie crust / 1 box thawed ready Puff Pastry
8 egg yolks
2/3 cup of sugar
2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
2/3 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract


METHODS :

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F. Spray the muffin cups with non-stick butter flavor spray. On a floured cutting board, place the ready pie crust/ready thawed puff pastry and used a 4" cookie cutter to cut out each tart shape. Press down the cut tart into the muffin pan and set aside.

2. With a electric hand mixer, beat all the remaining ingredients for about 4 minutes in a mixing bowl. Strain the mixture through a strainer.

3. Pour the egg mixture into each crust dough about 80-90% full.

4. Bake for about 25-30 minutes then turn the broiler to Hi. Put the muffin pan on the very top of the oven and broil until a little brown crust appear on top of the egg custard.

5. Let it cool completely on a wire rack and serve!!!

This is the egg tart that I use with ready pie crust from Pillsbury. This crust taste more tartness.

BENTO#12

My another bento lunch for my little boy. I was making this on Sunday afternoon since my son had completed doing all his reading on 4 story books.


And so I told him that I'm going to reward him a special lunch in his favorite bento/lunch boxes.



This bento/lunch box I cooked a fried noodles with peas and carrots topping with 2 little cute hotdog squids.



And this bento/lunch box I created a boiled egg and put it in a bear egg mould with a little penguin bottle of sweet soy sauce, some little but very sweet grapes in the cute food picks and some shrimp crackers with a container of sweet chili sauce.

LAMB CHOPS WITH CHIANTI VINAIGRETTE

This recipe is courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis from Everyday Italian at Food Network. This is my second times making it and it always the best meal of all. I love lamb chop especially when they are from New Zealand...well..I don't know why!!! So...all my friends who loves lamb chops, do give it a try of this special recipe from my favorite chef at Food Network.

INGREDIENTS :

4 to 6 lamb chops (I used New Zealand lamb chop)
2 cups Chianti wine
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary leaves
1 tsp kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning



METHODS :

1. Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Season the lamb with salt and pepper. Grill until caramel-colored grill marks appear, and an instant-read meat thermometer registers 125 degrees F. for medium-rare, about 5 to 7 minutes per side, depending on thickness.

2. Meanwhile, place the wine in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Boil gently until reduced to 1 cup, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Whisk in the honey until dissolved. Add the extra-virgin olive oil, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Whisk to combine.

3. Serve the lamb chops on a platter with a serving bowl of the Chianti vinaigrette alongside for drizzling over the meat.

STEAMED SILKY EGG CUSTARD WITH GROUND PORK

After browsing for so many websites for this silky steamed egg, finally I have an idea to make it like they served in restaurants. This steamed egg custard is so silky like a silken tofu. I'm also thinking of making some egg custard dessert next time with this idea. My hubby and the boys were thrilled by my individual steamed egg custard with ground pork and nothing was leftover...that's what I like it!!!

INGREDIENTS :

For Egg Custard:

625 ml chicken stock
5 large eggs
2 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp cornstarch


For Marinated Ground Pork

150 g ground pork
1/2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp garlic, chopped
1 tsp shallots oil
1/2 tsp sesame oil


METHODS :

For Marinated Ground Pork:

1. In a bowl combine all ingredients until well mixed and cover with a plastic wrap. Refrigerator for 20-30 minutes.


For Egg Custard:

1. Prepared a steamer with some water to boil. Meanwhile, add the eggs into a mixing bowl with the fish sauce. Beat the egg lightly to prevent any bubbles form.

2. Add in the chicken stock into the egg mixture and stir it well.

3. Strain the egg mixture into another clean bowl and set aside.

4. Add some cornstarch into the marinated ground pork and mix it well. In each individual ramekin, divide the ground pork. Then add a little of egg custard into the ground pork and mix it well with a fork so the pork will be more tender when steamed.

5. Then pour all the remaining egg custard into each ramekin and covered them with a foil paper.

6. Steam the egg custard for 15 minutes in a medium fire.

7. Uncovered the ramekin and add some fried shallots on top and serve it hot with steamed white rice.

PANDAN CREPE WITH COCONUT FILLING (KUIH DADAR/TAYAP)

This is one of my hubby favorite snack back from Malaysia. I was so happy to received this special cookbook from my cousin at Malaysia. I had been trying to get this cookbook from all websites and stores and most of them are sold out.

Now I can try all this cookbook recipe and share it with all my blogger friends who are interested in Nonya cuisine.

INGREDIENTS :

For Pandan Juice:
5 pandan leaves, chopped
3-4 tbsp water

For Crepe Batter:
120 g all-purpose flour
1 large egg
300 ml coconut milk mixed with
1/4 tsp salt
3 tbsp pandan juice / 1 tsp pandan paste
For Filling:
90 g Gula Melaka / Palm sugar, finely chopped
1 tbsp sugar
1 pandan leaf, knotted
50 ml water
1/2 coconut grated (white part only)
1 tsp cornstarch/cornflour

For Coconut Sauce:
150 ml coconut milk
50 g sugar
2 tsp cornstarch/cornflour



METHODS :

1. Combine the pandan leaf and water in an electric blender and blitz for a minute. Wrap the pulverised pandan in a muslin/cheese cloth and squeeze to extract juice, or strain through a fine sieve. Set aside. (P/S: I omit this method and I used pandan paste)

2. Sieve the flour into a mixing bowl. Make a well in the centre and crack in the egg. Slowly stir in the salted coconut milk and 3 tbsp thick pandan juice / 1 tsp pandan paste. Leave batter to stand while cooking the filling.

3. To cook the filling, combine the palm sugar with the sugar, pandan leaf and water in a pot. Cook cover in a medium flame until sugar dissolves. Strain the syrup and return it to the pot. Add in the grated coconut and cornflour/cornstarch and continue to cook for a few more minutes, about 15-20 minutes. Dish out into a bowl.

4. Heat up a shallow frying pan over a low flame and greased lightly with oil. Pour 2 tbsp of the crepe batter in the centre and swirl the panto coat it to form a thin crepe of about 13-cm / 5-inches diameter.

5. When the crepe is cooked, turn out onto a board (coarse surface facing down).

6. Place 2 heaped tsp of filling on the crepe abd roll up like spring roll style.

7. To cook the coconut sauce, combine all the sauce ingredients in a small pot and mix well. Cook over a slow fire until mixture thickens and boils.

8. Serve the Kuih Dadar with the Coconut Sauce.....yummy!!!!