LEMON GLAZED CHICKEN WINGS

This Lemon Glazed Chicken Wings is really the best recipe I ever created. These wings have the taste of sweet and tangy and my kids are the big fans. Hereby....let me share this special recipe with all of you =)

INGREDIENTS :

2 lb whole chicken wings, cleaned and cut in 2 pieces with the tips removed

2 tsp freshly grated ginger

6 slices of fresh lemon, or more for ganishing

For Marinate Seasoning :

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tsp kosher salt

2 tsp cornstarch

4 tsp Shaoxing cooking wine

Some freshly ground black pepper

For Seasoning Sauce :

3 tbsp honey

2 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

4 tbsp water

2 tsp cornstarch

METHODS :

1. In a bowl, mix all the marinade seasoning and add the cleaned and patted dry chicken wings. Covered the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

2. Heat the saute pan with some vegetable oil over medium heat. Pan fried the chicken wings both sides until golden brown. Stir in the grated ginger, covered and cook for at least 5 minutes or until the chicken wings are throughly cooked.

3. Open the cover and poured in the seasoning sauce with the lemon slices and stir until well combined. Cook the sauce until thickened and dish up on a platter.

Serve hot with some steamed white rice

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE-DOWN CAKE

An upside-down cake is a cake usually made in a pan with a curved bottom. Once cooked, turned over and allowed to set, the cake eaten upside-down. Usually, chopped fruits such as apples, pineapples and cherries are placed at the bottom of the pan before the batter is poured in, so that they form a decorative topping once the cake is inverted.

I adapted this recipe from Emeril Lagasse at Food Network. After trying with so many recipes, I love Emeril recipe the most. His cake comes out so fluffy and the taste was delicous :P

INGREDIENTS :

1/2 ripe medium pineapple, peeled, cored, eyes removed and sliced into 1/2-inch rounds

( about 4 or 5 slices )

3/4 cup ( 1 1/2 sticks ) unsalted butter

3/4 cup light brown sugar

14 pecan halves

1 cup cake flour ( not self-rising)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup granulated sugar ( I only used 1/2 cup if you like it less sweet )

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tbsp dark rum

4 fresh, halved and pits removed ( I used can cherries with juices )

METHODS :

1. Melt 4 tbsp of the butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet, over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and stir to combine. Increased the heat to medium high and cook until the sugar mixture is bubbly, about 2 minutes. Arrange pineapple slices in the skillet in a pleasing pattern and continue to cook for 2 minutes, or until the sugar mixture turns an amber color. Turn the pineapple slices over and remove the pan from the heat. The mixture will continue to cook even though the heat is off. Arrange the pecan halves in the spaces between the rings. Set aside to cool slightly.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 F.

3. Stir together the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium mixing bowl.

4. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream together the remaining 1/2 cup butter and granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, mixing just until incorporated. Add the flour mixture and buttermilk alternately in 3 batches, mixing at low speed after each addition until just combined. Stir in the vanilla and rum.

5. Spoon the batter evenly over the pineapple slices in the skillet. Bake in the middle of the oven until golden brown and a tester comes out clean, about 35 to 45 minutes.

6. Cool the cake in the skillet on a wire rack for 4 minutes only. Run a thin knife around the edge of the cake and, wearing oven mitts and working quickly, invert the cake onto a cake place, keeping plate and skillet firmly pressed together. Carefully lift the skillet off the cake and replace any fruit stuck to the bottom of the skillet, if necessary. Arrange the fresh cherry halves, cut side down, into the top of the cake, in the center of the pineapple rings.

Serve cake warm or at room temperature

HAINANESE CHICKEN RICE / 海南雞飯

Although Hainanese Chicken Rice is a mainstay in food food courts and restaurants in Singapore and Malaysia, its origins lie with the Chinese living on the island of Hainan off the coast of China.

I would like to share this recipe which I found from my favorite blogger friends, Jaden at Steamy Kitchen. After attempting with so many recipes, I found this is the best I ever found. The Hainanese Chicken tastes so good and delicious with the combinations of the Ginger Scallion Sauce, Garlic Chili Sauce and some ABC brand sweet dark soy sauce. Hereby I would like to share this recipe with friends.

INGREDIENTS :

FOR POACHING THE CHICKEN

1 whole chicken ( about 3.5 to 4 lbs ), preferably Organic

Kosher salt

4" section of fresh ginger, sliced in 1/4" thickness

2 stalks green onions, cut into 1" sections ( both the green and white parts )

1 tsp sesame oil

FOR THE RICE:

2 tbsp chicken fat or 2 tbsp vegetable oil

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1" section of ginger, finely minced

2 cups long-grain uncooked rice, washed and soaked in cool water for 10 min or longer

( I soaked for 2 hours )

2 cups reserved chicken poaching broth

1" fresh ginger

a generous pinch of salt, to taste

FOR THE GARLIC CHILI SAUCE

1 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp reserved chicken poaching broth

2 tsp sugar

4 tbsp Sriracha chili sauce

4 cloves garlic

1" fresh ginger

a generous pinch of salt, to taste

FOR THE GINGER SCALLION SAUCE

(recipe courtesy of My Kitchen Snippets)

1/4 cup finely grated ginger

1/2 cup finely chopped green onion

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

3 tbsp sesame oil

1/2 cup vegetable oil

salt and pepper to taste

FOR THE TABLE

1/4 cup dark soy sauce ( I used ABC brand sweet dark soy sauce )

Few sprigs cilantro leaves

1 cucumber, thinly sliced or cut into bite-sized chunks

METHODS:

1. To clean the chicken, with a small handful of kosher salt, rub the chicken all over, getting rid of any loose skin and dirt. Wash and pat the chicken very dry inside and outside. Season the chicken generously with some salt inside and outside. Stuff the chicken with the ginger slices and green onion. Place the chicken in a large stockpot and fill with cold water to cover the chicken by 1-inch. Bring the pot to a boil over high heat, then immediately turn the heat to low to keep a simmer. Cook about 30 minutes more ( less if you're using smaller chicken ). Check for doneness by sticking a chopstick into the flesh under the leg and see if the juices run clear or insert a thermometer into the thickness part of the tight not touching the bone and it should be read 170F.

2. When the chicken is cooked through, turn off the heat and remove the pot from the burner. Immediately lift and transfer the chicken into a bath of ice water to cool and discard the ginger and green onions. Don't forget to reserve the poaching broth for your rice, chili garlic sauce and accompanying soup. The quick cooling will stop the cooking process, keeping the meat soft and tender, and giving the skin a lovely firm texture.

3. To cook the rice: Drain the rice. In a wok or saucepan ( use a medium saucepan if you plan on cooking the rice on the stove top ), heat 2 tbsp of cooking oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the ginger and the garlic and fry until your kitchen smells like heaven. But be careful not to burn the aromatic!!! Add in your drained rice and stir to coat, cook for 2 minutes. Add the sesame oil, mix well.

To cook rice on the stove: In the same saucepan, add 2 cups of your reserved poaching broth, add salt and bring to a boil. Immediately turn the heat down to low, cover the pot and cook for 15 minutes. Removed from heat and let it sit with the lid on for about 5-10 minutes or more.

To cook rice in rice cooker: Pour aromatics and rice ( after frying ) into your rice cooker, add 2 1/2 cups of your reserved poaching broth and salt. And turn on the rice cooker switch.

4. While your rice is cooking, removed the chicken from the ice bath and rub the outside of the chicken with the sesame oil. Carved the chicken into serving size to served.

5. To make the garlic chili sauce: Blend your garlic chili sauce ingredients in a blender until smooth and bright red.

6. To make the soup: You should have 6 to 7 cups of reserved poaching broth leftover to serve as soup. Just before serving, heat up the soup, taste and season with salt as necessary.

7. To make the ginger scallion sauce: Put the ginger, green onion and garlic in a bowl. Add in sesame oil, salt and pepper. Stir well and set aside. In a small saucepan, heat up the oil until smoking hot. Pour the hot oil carefully and slowly into the ginger mixture. Using a chopstick and mix it well.

NOTE: Please be careful when you pour the oil into the ginger mixture as the oil will splatter and bubble over the herbs.

Serve the chicken rice with garlic chili sauce, dark soy sauce, cucumber slices, and a bowl of hot broth garnished with cilantro leaves or green onions.

STEAMED HAKKA HEE PAN / XIN BAN ( 喜板 )

Hakka Hee Pan is a traditional Hakka people kuih which right now being enjoyed by many people in a region. This kuih usually served in Hakka wedding and Chinese traditional ceremonies.

That's the look of the Hakka Hee Pan being mould and waiting for it to proof for another 20 minutes at a warm place.

Hereby is the recipe I would like to share and it can makes about 15 pieces of Hakka Hee Pan.

INGREDIENTS:

(A)

1 tsp instant yeast

150 g all-purpose flour

125 ml water

(B)

150 g all-purpose flour

150 g glutinous rice flour

(C)

150 g fine granulated sugar

150 g water

2 pandan leaves, knotted

a few drop of pink coloring

Some banana leaves - greased with some oil

DIRECTIONS :

1. Mix all the ingredients (A) for the sponge dough, covered it with plastic wrap and keep it overnight at a warm place so it can proof/rise the next day.

2. The next day, bring the ingredients (B) to a boil. Removed the pandan leaves and set it aside to cool.

3. Mix all the ingredients (A), (B) and (C) together into soft dough by kneading it for 20 minutes. Cover the dough and let it proof/rise for another 4 hours in a warm place.

4. Put enough water in the steamer and bring to a boil. Apply enough oil on your fingers and palms, slowly pull out enough dough (about 50g each) to form a small ball and gently drop them onto greased banana leaves. Let it proof/rise again for another 15 minutes at a warm place.

5. Steamed the hee pan in a moderate heat for at least 15 minutes.

6. Trim the excess banana leaves around the random shape of these steamed buns with a scissor.

This Hakka Hee Pan is good when eat it freshly right after steaming or in the same day. Enjoy!!!

HONG KONG STYLE EGG TART ( 蛋撻 )

The egg tart or egg custard tart ( commonly romanized as dan ta / 蛋撻 ) is a pastry commonly found in Hong Kong and other Asian countries, which consists of an outer pastry crust that is filled with egg custard and baked.

I got these 12 mini tart pan from a friend name Julie Tan and her company, Brown Cookie been selling all kind of baking utensils. I loved these mini tart pan because they baked very evenly and very easy to released. If you want to bake these tarts and need those mini tart pans....I highly recommend that you can get from Brown Cookie.

Today, egg tarts come in many variations within Hong Kong cuisine, including egg white, milk , honey-egg, ginger-flavored egg, which are variations of a traditional milk custard and egg custard served in cha chaan tengs, and also chocolate tarts, green-tea-flavoured tarts, and even bird nest tarts.

Overall, Hong Kong egg tarts have two main types of crusts: shortcrust pastry and puff pastry pastry, traditionally made with lard rather than butter or shortening. Most Hong Kong Chinese food purists hold the egg tarts made with puff pastry in higher regard.

My recipe will make about 24 egg tarts

INGREDIENTS :

For the Crust:

450 g All Purpose flour

250 g unsalted butter, at room temperature

110 g powdered sugar

2 eggs, whisked

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1 tsp salt

METHODS :

1. Cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer over medium speed until the mixture is smooth, fluffy and light in color.

2. Add in the whisked egg, half at a time and beat over low speed. Then add in the vanilla extract.

3. Sieve the flour and mixed it with the salt. Then add the flour into the egg mixture in 3 batches. scraping down the sides of the bowl between additions with a spatula until well combined.

4. Knead the dough and make it into a rectangle shape, wrapped it with a plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour.

5. Preheat the oven to 400 degree F. Take the dough from the refrigerator and roll out the dough to 1/4-inch thickness and use the top part ( measured 3-inches ) of the tart pan to cut the shape. Then press firmly into the tart pan to cover evenly. Continue with the rest of the tart pans and put them on a baking sheet. Set aside.

For the Custard Filling:

210 g granulated sugar

480 g water

6 eggs plus 3 egg yolks

90 ml evaporated milk

1 1/2 tbsp custard powder

1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

METHODS :

1. Add the sugar and water into a saucepan and cook until melted. Set aside to slightly warm.

2. In a bowl, slowly add the evaporated milk into the custard powder and whisked until well combined. Then whisked in the eggs.

3. Pour in the sugar syrup into the egg mixture and whisked until well combined. Strained the egg mixture and then add the vanilla extract.

4. Slowly pour the egg mixture into each prepared tart pans and bake for at least 20-25 minutes.

5. While baking about 10-15 minutes, check the oven for the custard been puffed. Once you see the custard been puffed a little, open the oven door slightly about 2-3 inches. Continue baking until the time is end.

6. After baking, let the tarts sit on the baking sheet for 5 minutes. Remove the egg tart slowly from the tart pan and served.