Chee Cheong Fan

This was not a successful CCF :(
but I will try again......

Found this Chee Cheong Fan recipe here. I didn't use Wheat Starch because I can't get it here. I guess that's the main reason of my CCF didn't turn out well.

Steam bun

I though this was difficult to make, but I was wrong.
I made: Char Siew Pau, Tausa Pau(red marking), Kaya Pau(green marking)

Ingredients:
3 tbsp Sugar
250ml Warm water
1 1/2 tsp dried yeast or 10gm of fresh yeast (I used dried yeast)
400gm Strong Flour=高筋面粉 (they are also known as Pau Flour/Hong Kong Flour)
2 tbsp Cooking oil(sunflower or soya oil will do)
1 1/2 tsp Baking powder

Filling (your choice):
Tausa (Red Bean paste) can get ready made in Japanese food store/Baking shop
Kaya (home-made or can)
Char Siew (diced and mix with some char siew sauce)
Minced Pork

Method:
1. Dissolve the sugar in the warm water, then add the yeast. Stir lightly, then set aside for 10 minutes, or until foamy.

2. Sift the flour into a bowl and add the yeast mixture and the oil. Using a wooden spoon, mix the ingredients to a rough dough.

3. Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8-10 minutes, or until the dough is smooth and elastic. If it's very stick, knead in a little more flour- the dough should be soft.

4. Lightly grease a bowl with some oil. Place the dough in the bowl and turn it so all sides of the dough are coated.

5. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and set aside to rise in a drought-free place for 3 hours.

After 3 hours

6. Uncover the dough, punch it down, and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. If you are not using the dough straightaway, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

7. When you are ready to use the dough, flatten it and make a well in the center.

8. Place the baking powder in the well and gather up the edges to enclose the baking powder. Pinch the edges to seal. Lightly knead the dough for several minutes to evenly incorporate the baking powder, which will activate immediately.

9. Divide the dough into 12 large or 24 small portions, depending on how large you want the buns to be. Cover with a tea towel.

10. Working with one portion at a time, press the dough into circles with the edges thinner than the center.

11. Place the filling on the dough. Draw the sides in to enclose the filling. Pinch the top together and put each bun on a square of greaseproof paper. (Make sure that you seal them properly. The buns can also be turned over, then cooked the other way up so they look like round balls.)

12. Place the buns well apart in the steamer. Cover and steam over simmering water for 10-15 minutes, or until the buns are well risen and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out hot.
Tips:
1. I did try using all purpose flour to make the bun, but the result is not as good as Strong Flour. The colour is a bit yellowish and it didn't rise as much as the strong flour, texture is also no that good.
2. You can steam it then leave to cool and freeze it up to a week.
3. Use only 1 drop of colouring and mix with 1 tsp of water is more than enough for marking. Use a toothpick to do the marking.

Chicken Stew

Ingredients:
400gm Chicken meat, cut into bite size
1/4 tsp Tarragon (optional)
1/4 tsp Rosemary (optional)
3 Celery stick, cut into cube
1 Carrot, cut into cube
1 Onion, cut into cube
Button mushroom, cut into half
3 Garlic, chopped
1 Bay leave
50ml White/Red wine (optional)
100ml Chicken stock
Salt & Crashed Black pepper
2 tbsp Oil

Method:
1. Marinate the chicken with some tarragon, rosemary, salt and pepper.
2. Saute onion with oil in a pot until soft.
3. Add in garlic continue to saute till golden brown.
4. Add in chicken and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the carrot, celery, mushroom, bay leave and mix well.
6. Pour in wine and chicken stock. Mix well and put the lid on, simmer in slow fire for 45minutes to 1 hour.
7. Season with salt and pepper to taste, continue to cook for 10-20 minutes.
8. Ready to serve with some bread.

Tips:
1. You may use this stew for chicken pie filling.
2. You may also serve this with pasta-
Simply boil a serving of pasta and toss with 1 portion of the chicken stew.

And you get this - Simple 1 dish meal

Steam Fish

Ingredients:
1 Pomfret
Ginger, cut into julienne
Dash of pepper

Seasoned soy sauce for steam fish
Fried garlic oil
Spring Onion, cut into julienne
Carrot, cut in to julienne

Method:
1. Clean fish, pat dry with kitchen paper. Season the fish with some pepper.
2. Place the fish in a plate, arrange the julienne ginger.
3. Steam fish for 5 minutes.
4. Remove the excess liquid from the fish.
5. Pour the seasoned soy sauce over the fish and continue to steam for 2 minutes or till the fish is cooked.
6. Garnish the fish with some fried garlic & oil, spring onion and carrot julienne.
7. Serve hot.

I use this:

Maki - Sushi Roll

Ingredients:
Cooked rice
Nori- Seaweed
Cucumber, cut into long stick
Eggroll
Crabstick
Mayonnaise

Method:
1. Cover the sushi bamboo mat with a plastic bag or cling firm. To avoid the mat get dirty.

2. Place one sheet of nori onto the bamboo mat, on a flat surface.

3. Put the rice along one long side of the nori, leaving a 2cm(1 inch) border around the remaining three sides.

4. Arrange the cucumber stick, eggroll and crab-stick at the center of the rice. Spread some mayonnaise over the ingredients.

5. Using the mat as a guide, roll nori up firmly from the bottom, enclosing rice around centered ingredients. Fold the maki and apply pressure.

6. Fold the mat forwards again and apply more pressure. Press the nori edges together to seal the roll.

7. Using a sharp knife to trim off the uneven ends. Then cut the maki roll into 2.5cm(1 inch) rounds.

8. Arrange sushi on serving plate with each piece facing up.

9. Ready to serve with some pickled ginger and sushi soy sauce.

Tips:
Moisten your hands in a bowl of water. This will stop the rice from sticking to your fingers, when spreading rice over the nori.

Curry Mee

Ingredients for Laksa paste:
6 dried chillies
2 stalks lemongras
8 shallots, peeled
4 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tbsp coriander seeds, roasted
10 white peppercorns
5gm belacan

100ml cooking oil

Laksa Stock:
1 ltr chicken stock
500ml coconut milk
15g rock sugar
2 tsp salt to taste
10 beancurd puffs, halved (Optional)

600g yellow noodles, scalded
200g dried rice vermicelli(Beehoon), scalded
150g beansprouts, scalded

Topping:
Prawn, cooked and shelled
Chicken, cooked and shredded
Egg, hard boiled and shelled

Garnish:
Sambal/Fried Chili Paste
Spring onion, chopped
Fried shallots

Method to prepare laksa stock:
1. Roughly cut up the chillies, lemongrass, shallots and garlic.
2. Pound or blend all the laksa paste ingredients(except oil), until fine.
3. Heat the oil and fry the paste until fragrant.
4. Add chicken stock, bring to a boil and simmer for 5minutes before adding the coconut milk.
5. Season to taste with the rock sugar and salt.
6. Add the beancurd puffs and cook for a few minutes, stirring continuously to prevent the coconut milk from curdling.

To serve:
1. Place some noodles, beehoon and bean sprouts in a bowl.
2. Top with some egg, prawn and chicken.
3. Ladle the laksa over with a few beancurd puffs.
4. Garnish with chopped spring onion, fried shallot and sambal belacan.
5. Serve hot.

Fried Pomfret served with Ginger & Garlic Soy

Ingredients:
Pomfret
Salt & pepper
Corn flour

Ginger, cut into julienne
Chopped garlic
Light soy sauce
Dark soy sauce
Sesame oil

Method:
1. Clean the fish, pat dry and season with salt & pepper.
2. Lightly coat fish with corn flour.
3. Heat oil for deep frying.
4. Once the oil is hot enough, put in the fish for deep frying until it's crispy.
5. Remove and drain on kitchen towel.
6. Keep some oil in the work and fry the ginger until it's crispy, remove and keep aside.
7. Fried the garlic till golden brown, then remove and keep aside.
8. Arrange the fish on a plate.
9. Sprinkle the fish with some fried ginger julienne, and fried garlic.
10. Drizzle some light soy, dark soy and sesame oil
11. Ready to serve.

Chicken Char Siew

I tried this because my mother in law doesn't eat pork. It turned out well, and she loves it!

Ingredients:
1.5 kg Whole Chicken drumstick, debone

Marinade:
5 tbsp Hoisin sauce
1 tsp Fresh garlic, chopped
4 tsp Soy sauce
1 tbsp Dark soy sauce
1/4 cup Sugar
2 tbsp Shao Xing Rice wine
1 tsp Five spice powder
1/4 Salt
1/2 tsp Red colouring
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp oil

Method:
1. Marinade chicken with all the ingredients for 2 hours or more.

2. Pre heat the oven to 220 c.

3. Place the chicken (keep the marinating sauce) on a rack, grill for 20 minutes until both side are cooked, brushing the marinating sauce on the meat to give a nice shinny glaze.

4. Increase the heat to 250 c and Grill the meat for further 5 minutes until slightly charred.

5. Boil the marinating sauce mixture in a wok until it is thicken sauce.

6. Cut the meat into slices and serve with the sauce.

Tips: 1. You can use chicken breast

Instant Roti Canai

Buatan Malaysia!
p/s: I don't get any commission for promoting this product.
Because I find this is good, so I would like to share it!

This was recommended by my friend. I quit like this, easy to cook and taste good too. You can get it in most of the supermarket in UAE.

Braised Pork with Soy Sauce III

I have some left over gravy. Which I don't want to waste it, so I make it into this dish.

Ingredients:
Pork ribs
Dried mushroom, soaked
Fu Chuk, soaked

Method:
1. Boil a pot of water and blanch the pork. Then rinse under running tap water. Set aside
2. Heat up the gravy, add pork and mushroom. Make sure the liquid is enough to cover the meat, should you add more water. Don't forget to add more seasoning as well.
3. Cook over a slow fire for 1.5-2 hours or until meat is tender.
4. Add in the fu chuk and continue to cook for 30 minutes.
5. Ready to serve.

Tips:
1. Blanch the pork could help to remove the odour from the meat.
2. You can add hard boiled egg in it as well.
3. Best served with steamed white rice or porridge.

Braised Soy Sauce Chicken / 豉油鸡 / 卤鸡

Thanks to Nyuk Shan for sharing this simple and delicious recipe. I cooked this last night and my husband love it!
The original recipe from Nyuk Shan is very simple, I am sure it taste as good as it is!
Because I am using frozen chicken, so I was a bit concern the chicken might have smell (血腥味). Hence, I put in some additional ingredients to avoid the smell and to enhance the dish (提味).

Ingredients:
500gm Chicken drumstick, cut into pieces
2 tbsp Sugar
Dark soy sauce
Light soy sauce
Pepper
Water

Optional ingredients:
3 Ginger slices
2 Cloves Garlic
2 Shallot
1 Star Anise
10 White pepper corn, crushed

Method:
1. Heat up a clean work, put in sugar and let is caramelized till golden colour over slow fire.
2. Add in the dark soy, light soy, pepper and water then bring it to boil.
3. Add in the optional ingredients.
4. Add in chicken. Make sure the liquid is enough to cover the chicken.
5. Cook over low fire till the meat is tender and sauce thicken.
6. Ready to serve. Best to eat with steamed rice or porridge.

Tips:
1. Make sure don't burnt the sugar, or else the dish will taste bitter.
2. If you don't like the dish to be too sweet, reduce the sugar to 1 tbsp.
3. You can use PORK to cook this dish.
4. You can keep the gravy and add in hard boiled egg-卤蛋 (then you get another effortless dish!! Lazy cooking! Horray!!!)

Sambal Belacan / Fried Chili Paste

Ingredients:
30 Dried Chilies, remove the seeds and soaked to soften
5 Fresh Red Chillies
10 Shallots, peeled
4 Cloves Garlic, peeled
4 tbsp Dried Shrimp, soaked
2 tsp Belacan
Sugar and salt to taste
Cooking oil

Method:
1. Roughly cut up the dried and fresh chillies, shallots and garlic.
2. Blend or pound chillies, shallots, garlic, dried shrimp and belacan to a paste.
3. Heat up the oil and fry the paste at slow fire until fragrant. Season with salt and sugar.
4. Ready to serve.

Tips:
1. Add just a little bit of water when you blend the ingredients.
2. Should you like the sambal to be more spicy, you don't have to remove the seed of the dried chillies.
3. You may cook this is big quantity and store it in the fridge.
4. You can serve this Sambal Belacan with Prawn mee, Curry mee.
5. You can use this sambal to cook Kangkung belacan, or other vegetable.

Loh Mai Kai

Ingredients:
500gm glutinous rice, soaked overnight and drain
2 cups water/chicken stock
2 tbsp chopped garlic
2 tbsp chopped shallots
2 pieces whole chicken leg meat, debone and sliced
100gm char siew, sliced
1 Chinese sausage (Lap Cheong), sliced
3 black Chinese mushrooms, soaked and cut into thin slices

Seasoning A:
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp ginger juice, grated ginger and squeeze out the juice
1 tbsp Rice wine
1 tbsp corn flour
2 tbsp water

Seasoning B:
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp Chinese Five spice powder
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
Seasoning powder (optional)
3 tbsp oil

Method:
1. Marinate chicken with seasoning A for about 2 hours.

2. Heat some oil in wok, saute 1 tbsp of shallots and 1 tbsp of garlic until fragrant. Then add chicken and mushrooms to cook for 2 minutes. Dish out and keep aside.

3. Heat 3tbsp oil in wok, saute 1 tbsp of shallots and 1 tbsp of garlic until fragrant, then put in the glutinous rice and seasoning B and mix well. Dish out and keep aside.

4. Use rice bowl or small stainless steal bowl, arrange mushroom slices, chinese sausages, chicken and char siew. Top up with glutinous rice(don't fill it up so much, keep some room about 1cm) and lightly press it down with a spoon.

5. Fill the bowls with water/chicken stock, make sure the water level is above the rice(aprox 0.5cm).

6. Steam for 50 minutes. Turn over the rice bowl onto a plate and serve.

**Seasoning is subject to individual preference, you can adjust it to your liking.
**You can freeze it up to 6 months. Cool the Loh Mai Kai completely, unmold it from the bowl then use a aluminium foil to wrap it like parcel and Freeze it.
**To cook, take out from freezer(No need to defrost) and steam the whole aluminium parcel on boilding water for 30mins. Discard the aluminium foil and Ready to serve. 

MeatBalls

Ingredients:
500gm meat

Seasoning:
2 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp white pepper
1 tsp sugar
1 egg white
1 tbsp sesame oil

Mix together:
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp water

Method:
1. Mince the meat in a food processor until really fine almost like a paste.

2. Transfer processed meat to the cake mixer and use the paddle, beat the meat for 10 seconds, then add in the seasonings. Beat the meat again until seasonings are well blended.

3. Add in the salt, cornflour and water mixture and beat until the meat feels spongy.

4. Heat a small pot of water. Make balls by taking a small amount of paste in your hand and squeeze the paste through the thumb and index finger to form balls. Remove ball with a spoon and put ball straight into the boiling water. Balls ae cooked when they float to the top.

5. MeatBalls are now ready to eat.

Ketayap

Batter Ingredients:
180gm Plain flour
1/3 tsp Salt
2 Egg, beaten
6 Pandan leaves, blended with 350ml water, strained
a little green colouring, if necessary

Filling Ingredients:
3 cups White grated coconut
90gm Gula melaka, chopped
3 tbsp Water
1 piece Pandan leaf, knotted
1/3 tsp Salt

Method:
1. Batter: Sieve flour and salt into a mixing bowl, make a well in the center and eggs and pandan juice gradually. Mix flour into water slowly working from center outwards. Strain and leave to stand for at least half an hour.

2. Filling: Cook gula melaka and water in a saucepan until syrupy. Add coconut, pandan, salt and mix throughly. Cook until thick and leave to cool.

3. Making ketayap: Heat up a 15cm non-stick pan, grease with a little oil, pour 1 scoop batter in pan, tilt pan quickly to form a thin pancake. Cook on low heat until set. Remove from pan, put 1 tbsp filling on pancake and roll up tightly like popiah/spring roll.

4. Ready to serve.

Pulut Inti

Ingredients A:
300gm Glutinous rice, washed and soaked for 4 hours and drained
180ml Coconut milk
3 Pandan leaves, knotted
1/2 tsp Salt

Ingredients B:
1/2 Grated coconut (white part only)
100gm Gula Melaka, chopped
4 tbsp Water
2 Pandan leaves, knotted
1/4 tsp Salt

12 pieces Banana leaves (18cm x 15cm), softened and wipe clean

Method:
1. For ingredients A, put well-drained glutinous rice, coconut milk and salt into a steaming tray and mix well (coconut milk should just cover the rice). Place pandan leaves on top and steam for 30 minutes until cooked and dry.

2. For ingredients B, boil water and gula melaka until sugar is dissolved. Add grated coconut, pandan leaves and salt. Cook until it's dry. Dish up and leave to cool. Divide into 12 parts.

3. Fluff up glutinous rice and divide into 12 portions.

4. Put 1 portion of glutinous rice on banana leaf, and top with 1 portion of coconut. Wrap up neatly into a triangle shap parcel. Ready to serve.

Mamak Maggie Goreng ala tehhun's style

Ingredients:
Maggie mee or any instant noodle will do
Chicken or Prawn
Onion, sliced
Garlic, chopped
Cabbage/sawi, cleaned and cut into 3cm length
Chili, sliced
Tomato, cut into wedges
Egg
Chili tumis
Oil

Seasoning:
Tomato sauce
Chili sacue
Light soy sauce
Dark soy sauce
dash of pepper

Garnish:
Spring Onion
Fried shallots
Red chili
Lime

Method:
1. Cook the instant noodle in a pot of boiling water for 1 minute.
2. Drain the noodle and run in cold water for 1 minute. Drain and keep a side.
3. Heat oil in a wok and stir fry onion and garlic until fragrant, add in the chili tumis to cook.
4. Add chicken or prawn to cook for 1 minute.
5. Break in egg and stir to cook.
6. Add the noodle and the seasoning then stir well.
7. Add cabbage, chili and tomato to cook for further 1 minute.
8. Stir well until is hot and dry.
9. Serve hot with garnish.

Char Siew II

I found this recipe from Lily Ng's website, it looks so tempting. So I decided to try it and it just out fantastic! I love Char Siew with a little bit of fat.
I have to say-Lily, thanks for sharing your great recipes and you are definately a great cook!

I do not have garlic powder, so I used fresh chopped garlic. I did add some red colouring(prefer my char siew a bit reddish colour).

Here are the recipes:
Ingredients:
1kg Pork belly, cut into 2 inches strips

Marinade:
5 tbsp Hoisin sauce
1 tsp Fresh garlic, chopped
4 tsp Soy sauce
1 tbsp Dark soy sauce
1/4 cup Sugar
2 tbsp Shao Xing Rice wine
1 tsp Five spice powder
1/4 Salt
1/2 tsp Red colouring(optional)
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp oil

Method:
1. Marinade pork with all the ingredients for 2 hours or overnight.

2. Cook pork together with the marinade in a wok for 30-45mins(You may add some  water from time to time) until the gravy thickens Stir occasionally to prevent burning.

3. Preheat oven to 250c, grill the pork until it is charred(not burnt), 3-5 mins each side turn to the other side for even grilling.
4. Deep the pork into the gravy in the wok and return pork to grill just for a short while, just enough to give pork some shine.
5. Cut the meat into slices. Serve with the sauce which which cooked with the meat earlier.

Tips:
1. I used 1kg of meat, after cooking it weight 600gm.
2. If you prefer lean char siew, you may use pork tenderloin.
3. Aside from Pork belly, you can also use Pork shoulder(cheaper).

Cashew & Almond Cookies

Ingredients:
120gm Butter
120gm Caster sugar
1 nos Egg yolk
70gm Ground almonds
150gm Plain flour
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
Cashew nut, halved

Egg wash:
1 nos Egg yolk
Some Milk

Method:
1. Beat butter and caster sugar till creamy
2. Add egg yolk and ground almonds and mix well.
3. Sift in the flour, baking soda and salt.
4. Mix into a dough.
5. Scoop dough with a teaspoon, shape it with hands into ball shape.
6. Arrange on lines tray. Place a halved cashew nut on top on each cookie.
7. Brush with egg wash mixture.
8. Bake in preheated 180c oven for 10 to 12 minutes till cookies are lightly golden brown.
(You need to check the cookies from time to time, in order not to over-bake or under-bake.)
9. Allow cookies to cool completely on a rack then store in container.

Pineapple Tarts

My pineapple tart

I was inspired and motivated by Wokkingmum's pineapple tart. Have to thank Elaine for her wonderful recipe and tempting pineapple tart photo. So I tried her recipes, which turn out very nice.

I also tried other recipes like the Amy Beh's Pineapple tart. Here I've learned how to make pineapple jam from scratch. After all it's not so difficult and it taste better then those commercial stuff.

Both recipes are quit similar, except one with corn flour and icing sugar.
Both taste are great!

Here are the recipe:
Ingredients for Pastry
250gm Butter
50gm Icing sugar
2 nos Egg yolk

350gm Flour
50gm Corn flour
1/4 tsp Salt

Pineapple jam:
900gm-1kg grated fresh pineapple
200-300gm sugar (personal preference of sweetness)

1 cinnamon stick & 6 clove

Egg wash:
1 Egg yolk
Some Milk

Method to make the pineapple jam:
1. Place grated pineapple and sugar in a saucepan and cook over moderate heat to boil.
2. Cook the mixture until it's almost dry and thick. Keep stirring all the time.
3. Remove the cinnamon stick and clove. Leave the jam aside to cool.
4. Wet your hand, scoop the jam with a teaspoon, shape it with hands into small ball shape.

Method to make the pastry:
1. Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg yolk one at a time.
2. Fold in sifted dry ingredients and mix to a firm dough.

3. Wrap the dough in cling wrap and let the dough to rest for 15mins.
4. Roll pastry into 0.5cm thickness and stamp out with Jam-tart mould.
5. Add the pineapple filling.
5. Brush with egg wash.
6. Bake in preheated oven at 180c for 12-15 minutes or until lightly golden brown.
7. Cool on wire rack before store in container.

Tips:
1. When you buy fresh whole pineapple, expect only to get half or a bit lesser from the actual weight. This is because after you peel,grate it. For example: buy 1.2kg pineapple, you might get only about 400gm of grated and drained pineapple.

2. You can choose to drain the juice or not. I did not drain the juice, so it take a bit longer time to cook.

3. Make sure you wet your hand while shaping the jam, and have a bowl of water to wet your hand whenever is needed.

Jam-tart mould

My Style of Serving Fries

I love my Fries with Salt and Crushed Black Pepper,
serve with Mayonnaise and Chili Sauce

Ingredients:
Frozen Fries
Oil for deep-frying
Crushed Black Pepper
Salt
Chili sauce
Mayonnaise

Method:
1. Heat oil to 180 c. Put fries in hot oil and fry for 4 minutes. Remove and drain fries from hot oil.
2. After 1 minute or so, put the fries back into the hot oil again continue fry for 1 minute.
3. Remove and drain fries on kitchen towel paper.
4. Sprinkle generous amount of crushed black pepper and some salt.
5. Serve hot with chili sauce and mayonnaise.

Char Siew

Ingredients:
Pork Tenderloin
Chopped garlic
Char Siew sauce
Dark Soy Sauce
Red colouring
Salt & Pepper

Sauce:
Char Siew Sauce
Water
Pepper
Corn flour with water to thicken the sauce

Method:
1. Marinate the pork with all the ingredients in a plastic bag/bowl. Cover and leave in the fridge for at least 6 hours.
2. Pre heat the oven to 220 c. Place the char siew(keep the marinating sauce) on a rack in a roasting tin, grill for 25 minutes until both side cooked (keep brushing the marinating sauce on the meat and over turn)

3. Increase the heat to 250 c and Grill the meat for further 5 minutes until slightly burned.

4. Cut the meat into slices. Bring the sauce mixture to boil and serve over the Char Siew.

Char Siew Rice

Jiao Zi / 饺子/ 水饺 / Dumpling

Ingredients for Jiao Zi dough/ dumpling wrappers:
3 cups Plain Flour
1 cup Water
1/4 tsp Salt

Ingredients for the filling:
500gm Minced pork
1 tbsp Finely chopped Ginger
2 springs Chive/ Spring Onion, finely chopped
3 tbsp Light soya sauce
1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
2 tbsp Seasame oil
Salt & Pepper to taste
1 tbsp Cornflour

Method to prepare the dumpling wrappers:
1. Shift flour into a big bowl, add salt and mix well.
2. Slowly stir in the water, make sure add the water little by little until it form a smooth dough (until no flour lump will be sticking on the hand). Knead the dough into a smooth ball. Cover the dough which a dry cloth and let it rest for at least 30 minutes.

While the dough is resting, prepare the filling.

Method to prepare the filling:
1. Add the spring onion, ginger, soy sauce, salt, rice wine, pepper and corn flour to the meat and mix well.

Method to make Jiao Zi:
1. Knead the dough until it forms a smooth ball, then roll it into a long sausage shape. Divide the dough into small pieces. Roll and flatten each piece out into a circle about 2.5 inches in diameter wrapper.

2. Place a small portion (about 1 heaped tsp) of the filling into the middle of each wrapper. Wet the edges of the dumpling with water. Fold the dough over the filling into a half moon shape and pinch the edges to seal. Continue with the remainder of the dumplings.

3. To cook the dumpling (水饺):
I. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add in some salt and oil.
II. Put in the dumplings, gently stir it so they don't stick together.
III. Bring the water to a boil again, and add 1/2 cup of cold water.
IV. Cover and wait for the water to a boil for a third time, the dumplings are ready when it float.

V. Remove and drain the dumplings.
VI. Place it on to a plate, drizzle a few drops of sesame oil.

V. Serve with ginger, garlic & vinegar or chili sauce.

Tips:
1. You can make this in big quantity and freezer it (Lightly flour the container, before put in the dumpling)
2. When you want to eat:
I. DO NOT Thaw the dumpling, just put it into a pot of lightly salted & oiled Boiling water.
II. Boil it for 10-15mins, the dumpling is ready when it floats
III. Remove and drain the dumplings.
IV. Place it on to a plate, drizzle a few drops of sesame oil.

Dumplings should serve hot. 饺子/ 水饺

The dumplings can also be Fried (Guo Tie/锅贴).
1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a frying pan, add a single layer of dumplings and cook for 2 minutes, shaking the pan slightly to make sure they don't stick.
2. Add some corn flour water(corn flour mix with water), cover and steam for 2 minutes, then uncover and continue to cook until the water has evaporated. Repeat with the remaining dumplings.
3. Serve with ginger, garlic & vinegar or any dipping sauce.

Guo Tie/锅贴

Ginger, Garlic & Vinegar sauce:
Simply mix grated ginger, grated garlic with some black vinegar and light soy sauce.

Strawberry Chilled Cheese Cake

Ingredients:
250gm Fresh Strawberry, cut into cubes
100gm Caster sugar
5 tbsp water
5gm gelatine, dissolved with 1 tbsp of boiling water
1 Plain Chilled Cheese Cake

Method:
1. Put strawberry, sugar and water into a pot. Botil until the strawberry breaks into puree form. You may use a masher to mash the strawberry into puree form.
2. Check the boiling liquid from time to time and keep stirring to prevent from burning.
3. Off the fire, pour in the gelatine mixture and mix well. Leave it to cool for a while.
4. When the strawberry puree is at room temperature. Spreed it over the Cheese Cake and keep it in the fridge to chill until set.

Plain Chilled Cheese Cake

Ingredients:
75gm butter
200gm digestive biscuits, crushed
450gm Cream Cheese, at room temperature
100ml milk
120gm caster sugar
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
1 sachet of gelatine (10gm), dissolved in 3 tablespoons of hot water
100ml cooking cream, lightly whipped

Method:
1. Line the spring-form cake tin with greese proved paper.
2. Melt the butter and mix with the crushed biscuit crumbs.
3. Press into the base of a 20cm spring-form cake tin. Chill until needed.
4. Beat the cream cheese until silky smooth.
5. Add the milk, sugar, lemon rind and juice. Mix throughly.
6. Stir the gelatine into the cream cheese mixture and then fold in the cream.
7. Pour onto the crumb base and chill until set.

Tips:
1. You may use any brand of cream cheese like Philadelphia or Anchor.
2. Mix the sugar and milk in advance, so it's dissolved well when you mix it in the cream cheese mixture.
3. Whipped the cooking cream in advance, while you preparing for all the ingredients.
4. I always like to prepare all the ingredients in advance. It helps make the working area tidy and smooth to making process and you will not forgot things. After all, it is much easier to clean up as well.

Lamb Stew

Ingredients:
Cube Mutton/Lamb shoulder
Leek, cube
Celery, cube
Onion, cube
Carrot, cube
Garlic
Plain Flour
Salt
Pepper
Rosemary
Red wine

Method:
1. Season meat with salt and pepper then slightly coat the meat cube with some flour.
2. Heat 3 tbsp of oil in a pan. Sear the meat then remove from heat and keep it aside.
3. Drain off some oil in the pan, saute the onion, leek, celery, carrot and garlic.
4. Put in the meat, add rosemary and mix well.
5. Pour in red wine and let it simmer in slow fire until meat are tender.
6. Serve hot with bread.

Chicken and Pasta in Mushroom Cream Sauce

Ingredients:
1 portion Pasta(Penne or Rigatoni)
Chicken drumstick/ Chicken thigh cutlets
Button Mushroom, sliced
2 cloves Garlic, crushed
20ml White wine (Optional)
150ml Cream
Oil
Salt & crushed black pepper

Method:
1. Cook the pasta to "al dente"; drain and keep a side.
2. Season chicken with some salt and pepper
3. Heat oil in the pan, cook chicken until browned both sides and cooked trough. Cover chicken to keep warm.
4. Drain away some excess oil then add in mushroom and garlic cook for 2-3 minutes or until mushroom are browned lightly.
5. Add wine and stir well until liquid is almost evaporated.
6. Add cream and continue cooking until sauce thicken slightly.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Stir in pasta mix well or until heated through.
9. Dish the pasta into a plate, top with hot chicken.
10. Garnish with some crushed black pepper.
11. Ready to serve.

Deep fried Lady Finger Fish

Not really sure what's the real name for this fish,
but over here they call it Lady's Finger Fish.

Ingredients:
Lady's Finger Fish
Corn Flour
Plain Flour
Salt and Pepper

Dipping sauce:
Mayonnaise
Lime

Method:
1. Clean the fish, remove the head and pat dry.
2. Mix equal amount of corn flour and plain flour in a deep plate.
3. Season the flour with lots of salt and pepper.
4. Heat oil for deep frying.
5. Once the oil is hot enough, put in the fish for deep frying until it's crispy.
6. Remove and drain on kitchen towel.
7. Put Mayonnaise in a bowl, squeeze some lime juice in and mix well.
8. Arrange the fish in a plate and serve with the lime mayonnaise aside.

Stir Fry Asparagus with Corn and Carrot

Ingredients:
Asparagus
Fresh Young Corn
Carrot
2 slice Ginger
Garlic, chopped
Oil
Oyster sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste

Method:
1. Cut all the vegetable into same length.
2. Bring a pot of water to boil and add some salt.
3. Blanch the corn for 2 minutes, then add in carrot and asparagus continue to boil for further 1 minute.
4. Remove all the vegetable and plunge into ice water. Drain and keep a side.
5. Heat some oil in the wok, put in the ginger and garlic stir fry until slightly golden brown.
6. Put in the vegetable and stir well.
7. Season it with oyster sauce, salt and pepper to taste.
8. Ready to serve.