Black pepper Chicken Chop

First time making DIY black pepper chicken chop at home.The chicken need to be pounded first to make it more tender and juicer.What could be more happier than to have your own western food cooked at home all by yourself.Thumbs up for me!

2 boneless chicken

For marinating
1 tbsp worchester shire sauce
1 tbsp oyster sauce
some dash of pepper
a dash of salt

 add on sides:
3-4 potato wedges or french fries
brocoli
cauliflower

The sauce:
1 cup water
40g aji-shio blackpepper powder

1.Marinate the chicken over night.
2.Grill the chicken in oven or iron grill
3.Cook the sauce.Heat 2 tsp oil with garlic and onion.Pour water in.Put the aji-shio ready sauce in and stir till thick.
4.Pour over the grill chicken.Serve with brocoli,cauliflower or carrot ,mashpotatoes or french fries.(whatever your choice)

Note:This is my DIY western dish.Perhaps you got a better one?Share with me.

A Belated birthday

Oh!Oh!My neice mistaken her own birthday to another date and had to celebrate it five days late.I rushed to book seats in a nearby western cafe and rushed to buy her a cake.Luckily,I found one that suits her.All in all,it was a Belated Birthday dinner.

Unfortunately,her mom and dad are too busy to remember their  daughter's birthday.How Sad!

Happy Belated Birthday!Niece.

Don't Cry!

Horlicks Layer Cake/Kek Lapis Horlick

Horlicks Layer Cake

Ok!My first attempt of making kek lapis using my new oven didn't turned out well.
.Why? It was too dry because I've forgotten to put in the condensed milk.But,can you believe it?The children ate it all saying it was nice.See the picture below of the dry cake.

Last night,I try making my Horlicks Layer Cake again and this time,I made sure to add on everything and the cake turned out nice.It was even more nice on the next morning and I ate it for breakfast.My kids bring it to school.

I grill for about three hours plus.The hours was shorter compare to the first dry cake which took five hours to finished grilling.The reason was because I don't know how to use the new oven yet.I kept adjusting the temperature and the fan.

The recipe was given by a friend of mine.

RECIPE:

10 eggs

450g butter

190g castor sugar

240g flour(Hong Kong flour)

200g horlicks

1 can condensed milk(small can,388g)

METHOD:

Beat butter and castor sugar till creamy and fluffy.Add eggs one by one,beating till well-combined.

Add in milk.Add in flour and horlicks.(mix together first)Fold in 3 batches.Mix thoroughly till well-combined.

Scoop up one small ladle of the batter into a 7" cake tin and grill the cake at 200°C till you see brown colour.(my oven took 10 minutes to grill one piece).Take out from oven and press with a metal flattener to get rid of lumps.Repeat for every layer.Pour in the second layer and spread evenly again tilting the pan.Repeat grilling layer after layer and flattening.When done,cool on a wire rack.

In the original recipe,sugar was 220g but I lessen it to 190g.

My New Oven

I bought a new oven  today.I'm so excited about my new oven.My craze for making kek lapis goes
on............My intention of buying this new oven is to make kek lapis.I didn't know that this type of oven exist.It is a convection oven with a turbo fan and has a top,bottom and both top and bottom heating.My other old oven is a conventional oven that I have been using for years.At that time,I don't understand what the author of the recipe meant" by top grilling only".Somehow,I thought maybe they said using the bbq equipment for grilling.Ha!Ha!Now,I understood.So,I bought this oven loh!

You see,the thought of buying electric oven never come to my mind.The thought of paying too much electrical bills scared me.The conventional oven is enough to bake a perfect cake anytime.any day,above all can roast a chicken, but no to a kek lapis.Before that,I try to make kek lapis using the conventional oven but it got burnt baking layer by layer.By the time the layers were finished,the bottom of the caked burnt like charcoal and has to be thrown away.

Kek Lapis can either be grill or steamed.I often make the steamed type.It was easier,less time and colourful,whereas,I've heard grilling layers by layers took a longer process like three to four hours.Whether I can make it or not,I will tell you all in my next blog.So,wait!He!He!

Seaweed Meat Roll

You all may have already seen this picture a few months back when I blog about my special Chap Goh Mei dinner,but have yet to see any recipes.Now I'm giving it up for those who wants to follow.

Salt are not allowed to be added too much as the skin of the beancurd are already salty.If you do not want to use beancurd skin,substitute it with omellete.

Makes 3 rolls.

Recipe:
140g pork OR chicken meat
50g small fresh prawns(optional)
1 carrot(cut into thin strips)
2 long beans(cut into half)
1 egg beaten
3 beancurd skin
3 seaweed(nori sheet)
a pinch of salt

Method:
1.Mince the meat and prawns.Put it in a medium bowl.
2.Beat the egg with a pinch of salt.Pour it into the mince meat.
3.Spread a sheet of beancurd skin on the clean table or chopping board.Put the nori sheet on top of the beancurd skin.
4.Divide the meat to three equal portions.Put one portions onto the sheets.(on a triangular way)Put one strips of carrot and one strips of long bean on the side.
5.Fold both side first,then roll it up to make the meat roll.Reapeat for the other two portions.
6.Steam the meat rolls for 20 minutes.take it out.
7.Heat up a kuali/wok with enough oil for deep frying.Deep-fried the meat rolls until it turns brown.
8.Take it out to cool before cutting.Cut it diagonally.Serve onto a plate.

Note:If using omellete,put omellete first,then nori sheet second,follow by the meat and roll up.

Steamed chocolate Cheese Cake

Oops!Why are the layers of my chocolate cheese cake look so ugly?They are not even.They also look messy after cutting.I shouldn't have cut it while it was still warm,but I was too eager to try.Nevertheless,despite the look,they are super yummy!.Two bites is enough to make my stomach full.So,my advice to you all is to share this delicious,yummy cake."Sharing is a gift'."Sharing is Caring".Sharing is also to prevent getting high cholesterol!.

The Recipe:

Chocolate Layer:

170g butter

3 grade B eggs

200g castor sugar

45g cocoa powder (dilute with 150ml warm water0

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

Cheese Layer:

500g cream cheese(Tatura Brand)

2 eggs

90g castor sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

4 tbspoon all purpose flour

Method for the Chocolate layer:

1.Beat butter with sugar until fluffy and creamy at maximum speed.Add in the eggs one by one at slow speed.

2.Add in vanilla and continue beating.

3.Add in cocoa mixture and beat till well combined.

4.Lastly,add in flour a little at a time and mix well with a spatula for 20 minutes.Put aside first.

Method for making Cheese Layer:

1.Beat the cream cheese till creamy.Add in the sugar little by little till creamy and well combined.

2.Add in the eggs one by one and beat till well  combined.

3.Add in vanilla.

4.lastly,add in the flour and beat till well mix.

To steam:

1.Heat up some water in the kuali.

2.Brush the tin with butter.

3.Divide the both the chocolate and cheese mixture into two parts to form four layers.

4.Put the first part of chocolate layer in the pan.Steam for 15 minutes.

5.Put the second layer(cheese)into the first layer and repeat the different layers till finished.

6.Take it out when it is cold.



CURRY CHICKEN

Curry Chicken are my sons favorite dish.They started eating curry when they were still very small aged 4-6.They were reluctant to try at first but after telling them that my curry are not so spicy,they started trying it and they liked it ever since.In fact,they liked it so much that I cooked curry chicken very often back then(with santan added)
Today,curry chicken still rank first among their favorite dishes.This one below is without the santan (coconut milk).As they get older ,they want it more hot and spicy.

Curry,when no coconut mik added are orange in colour,but yellow when coconut milk are added.

Ingredients:

1.2 kg chicken(half chicken size)

4 large potatoes

2 stalks lemon grass(serai)

5 onions(diced small)

5  piece garlics(diced small)

1 large onions(sliced thin)

100g curry powder plus 4 tbsp water to make it into a paste

2 cups water

4-5 tbsps oil

Method;

Wash the chicken first,then cut into small pieces. Peel the potato skin,cut into 4 cubes.Pound the onions,garlic and shallots together.Cut the big onions into rings.Heat up some oil in wok for deep frying the potatoes.Take it out when it has already turned soft and brown..Put aside.Use about 4 tbsp of oil to fry the pounded ingredients till brown and aroma.Put the curry paste in.Add some water in if it is too dry.Quickly put in the chicken,add the water and cover to simmer for 15 minutes under low fire till the chicken are cooked.Stir every 5 minutes.Put in the fried potatoes and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes.Make sure the chicken are thoroughly cooked and tender before taking it out to serve.

This one can serve 6-7 people.

Tasty Lady's Fingers

Tasty Lady's Fingers

Food for the dummies!

Here's what you'll need:

9 lady's fingers

1 dried small chilly

1 small onions

1 small piece garlic

30g dried small prawns

a tiny piece of belacan

2 tbsp of water

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp cooking oil

Method;

Wash clean the lady's fingers.Cut it diagonally.Put aside.

Pound the onions,garlic,small dried prawns and belacan together.

Heat up 2 tbsp of oil in a wok.

Fry the pounded ingredients in till fragrant.

Add in the lady's finger, water and salt.

Cover for 2 mins.Stir.Cook for another 1 mins and dish out onto a serving plate.

Note: Because of the dried prawns and belacan are salty,don't add in too much salt.



Chocolate Muffins

Chocolate Muffins

2 cups all- purpose flour

1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup butter

11/4 cups castor sugar

2 large eggs,at room temperature

Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Prepare a 12 non-stick muffins cups tin.

Sift the flour,cocoa baking powder and salt into a bowl.

Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer at medium speed till creamy.

Add the eggs,one at a time until just blended after each addition.

With mixer at low speed,gradually beat in the dry ingredients,alternating with the milk.

Spoon the batter into the prepared tins.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Take out from the tins by pricking a fork in the middle.Let it get warm before serving.

My daughter's friend ate three!



Basic Muffin

Basic Muffin

This one is suitable for young children starting to learn on" How To Bake Muffins".

I taught my 10 year old daughter how to make this, but she ended up making chocolate muffins instead, for her best friend who came to our house last school holiday.A friend of mine gave me the recipes.

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup castor sugar

2 eggs

 lightly beaten

1/3 cup milk

1/2 cup butter melted

Preheat oven to 375 degree F.Prepare a non-stick muffins pan.

Sift the flour,baking powder and salt into a large bowl.Add sugar in.

Make a well in the center and stir in the eggs,milk and butter.

Spoon the batter into the muffins pan.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Take it out to cool.



Blondal Sewing Machine

Blondal Sewing Machine

Have you ever heard of Blondal Sewing Machine?I only heard of Singer brand.

Hmmn.....Let's talk something about it.I bought this from my brother a few days ago at a very cheap price.Seventy-five percent of the price that he bought originally.He bought for his wife to learn sewing but his wife wasn't interested.I 've never use an electronic sewing machine before nor am I interested.All I have is this old simple sewing machine:

I've been using this for years.It is very simple and reliable.Not that I knew sewing very well or know how to sew clothes but a sewing machine even old fashioned, can comes in handy.There are times when my children uniforms zipper got spoilt,their pants torn  apart and sometimes the new long pants need altering.I can even sew a simple curtains for my home and make handbags.As to say,I do not mind even if I don't have a modern type of sewing machine,except for one thing,that is,it needed space and I don't have enough space to put it that I've to squeeze it in my room.
Now,what am I to do with two sewing machines at home?Shall I sell one away?Which one shall I sell?Let's see!If I sell the old one,I can save space and make my room more spacious.If I sell the new one,I can get in profit.Undecided,I kept both until time will tell whether I want to sell or not to sell.

Back to the Blondal Sewing machine
I've no idea of how to thread this sewing machine.It has no instructions book to follow.Searching the internet doesn't help much as most people would only talk about their new sewing machines rather than give instructions.After days of searching and trying I finally found on youtube something similar to my one.Thanks to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7cNgJLya1Mhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S7cNgJLya1M,now I finally knew how to thread the sewing machine.I'm now on my way to sewing new curtains.At the moment,is only the basic seam cos I still got a lot to learn about the different types of stitches.

Corn Flakes Cookies

Corn Flakes Cookies

250g butter

150g sugar

2 eggs

300g all-purpose flour

60g nestle corn flakes

1 tsp vanilla essence

30g corn flour

Beat butter and sugar till pale and creamy.Add vanilla essence.Stir in the lightly beaten eggs.Fold in the flour mixture including corn flour.Take out 1 tsp of dough and roll over the crushed cornflakes.Put the cookie to a baking tray lined with parchment paper and bake for 25 minutes at 350degree Farenheit or till golden brown.

Wait for it to get cool before putting in an airtight container.