Pandan Chiffon Cake

 

This is one of my favorite childhood cakes. In those days we did not have an electric cake mixer and my mum used a giant spring/pump whisk to pump the egg whites, one of my brothers always standing by to help her. It needs a lot of energy to pump up the egg whites and sugar. We finished the cake within minutes and she never had a chance to get a second piece. A couple of years later my dad bought her a Kenwood stand mixer, not sure why she didn't use it to make this recipe. It is difficult to find this cake in Charlotte. I have seen it once in a Asian grocery store but the store is very far from us. Anyway, this is not difficult to make.

 
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1 1/3 cup sugar, separated. (take 1/2 cup from here for whisking egg whites)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup coconut cream
5 Egg yolks
1/4 tsp Pandan essence






7 Egg whites
1/2 cup Sugar (take from the 1 1/3cup above) 
1/2 tsp Cream tartar

1 tbsp baking powder


Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 9 1/2" round tube pan.

In a big mixing bowl, mix together the first group of ingredients: cake flour, salt, sugar, coconut cream, egg yolks, pandan essence and set aside.

In another medium bowl, whisk egg whites and cream of tartar on medium speed until foamy,  gradually increase the speed and add in the sugar in 3 to 4 portions , beat until the egg whites form a stiff peak on the whisk (see picture on the right), about 5 minutes and set aside. 

Add the baking powder into the pandan batter and mix well.  

Now you have to work quickly but gently. Pour 1/3 of the egg whites into the pandan batter, mix well with a spatula, gently pour in the rest of the egg whites and mix until just combined. At this point you can see many bubbles in the batter, the baking power has started to work. Over mixing will let out a lot of air and the cake will not rise and will become hard. 

Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until the cake tester inserted into the thickest part comes out clear.  Serve once it is cooled.

Note: I noticed the baking powder starts to work almost immediately once it is added into the pandan batter, that is why I add it after the egg white is ready. This is to prevent the cake from rising unevenly. (Spongy top and hard bottom)

Cajun Chicken and Mushroom Stuffed Bell Peppers

 

We stopped in Pittsburgh PA on our way back from Toronto.  This city is also known as The Iron City and is the country's largest inland port. There are many things that interested us to make the stop. Other than the historical side, this is also the city of three rivers, the Allegheny and Monongahela rivers join to form the Ohio River.

There are many fresh markets and restaurants there. You will also find many old shops selling souvenirs, kitchen utensils, Asian groceries, herbs and spices from many different nationalities. I was especially attracted to one Italian grocery shop. The minute we stepped into the store, the aroma from the spices really enticed me. They have many freshly ground spices, baked Italian bread, cheeses, cured meats like ham, salami, Porchetta... all kind of nuts, fresh meats, vegetables etc. Their spices are stored in big containers and it is sold by weight. I was busy at the sample section!


The taste of their freshly baked  bread goes with the olive oil, the cheeses and not to forget the cured meat, mmm mmmm mmm! It is unforgettable. The shop has been there for over a  hundred years  and this is my kind of shop.





That afternoon, we had Mediterranean food for lunch, the food was barbecued right in the front of the restaurant and it was delicious. Their dinning area is nicely air conditioned. 

Now back to cooking. One of the spices that we bought is Cajun. I have used it mostly on chicken and fish. Today I used it on chicken, mushrooms and rice and here is the recipe.




4 large Bell Peppers, cut off the top and remove the seeds

For the filling:

1 cup Fresh chicken meat, cut into cubes  
1 tbsp Cajun Spice
1/4 tsp salt, omit this if the Cajun Spice has salt 
1 tsp red Spanish Wine

1 medium size Onion, chopped
3 large Button Mushrooms, cut into big pieces
2 cups Cooked Rice
1/3 cup frozen Green Peas 
1/4 cup Cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup Shredded Cheese
1/4 cup water 

1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Wash bell peppers with cold running water, cut off the top of the bell peppers, remove seeds and core. Dry with paper towel and set aside.

Marinate the chicken with cajun spice, salt, red wine and set aside. 

Heat a frying pan on medium high heat. Add in 1 tbsp oil and 1tbsp butter, stir in the chopped onion. Once it starts to get translucent add mushrooms, stir for about 2 minutes then add chicken and saute until it is fully cooked (no more pink), pour in the cooked rice and green peas, stir and cover with lid for about 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the lid, add salt and chopped cilantro, mix well and they are ready to stuff into the bell peppers. 

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Spoon the cooked chicken rice into the bell peppers, top with cheese and place into a baking pan/dish. Add 1/4 cup of water into

the pan and bake for 30 minutes. 

Serve warm with salad.

Keropok / Lekor my way (fried fish snack)

One of the snacks I miss very much from Malaysia is Lekor or Keropok (fried fish snack).  It takes a long time and a lot of work to make this the traditional way, plus I have never seen sago flour at the local Asian markets. This is fast and easy. Hope you like this.

1 cup All Purpose Flour (use a spoon and loosely sift the flour into the cup, do not press the flour into the cup, the measurement will be different)
1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 full tsp salt 
1 can (5 oz/142 gm) tuna in water/oil
3 tbsp water

Oil for deep frying 


In a medium bowl, add together all purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well and set aside.

*Separate tuna from water/oil. Pour the tuna meat into a small bowl, use a fork to mash it into small pieces and add into the flour mixture. Use your hand or fork to mix them together, it will be crumbly and dry. Once it is done, pour in the tuna water/oil and water, mix until just combined. Over mixing will cause the dough to be chewy. The dough will appear sticky. Let rest for 15 minutes.

Heat oil to 375°F. Scoop dough into the oil 1 teaspoon at a time and fry until golden brown, about 5 minutes, turning from time to time. Once done, remove the keropok from oil and drain on paper towels. Serve warm. 

*Note: Adding the tuna with its' water/oil together into the flour mixture required longer time to get it combined and the end result will be the keropok becoming chewy.

Pan Fried Potatoes with Paprika and Cumin

There are many definitions of Tapas. Generally, people know them as snacks, finger food or a light meal and can be served at any time of the day.  Tapas can be made by many different ingredients: ham, cheese, sausages, anchovies, eggs, nuts, vegetables and more. In Spain almost all the bars serve these. Usually they are displayed on the bar, the waiter will serve your selections on small plates. Every region has their own version/taste of Tapas.  It is something you should not miss when you visit Spain. This is one of the hundreds of recipes of Tapas, hope you like it.

3 tsp Paprika
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1/4 tsp Cayenne Pepper, optional if you don't like spicy
1/2 tsp Salt

I lb Yukon Gold potatoes

Oil for frying

In a small bowl, mix together the paprika, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, salt and set aside.

Peel, wash the potatoes and cut into wedges. Heat oil, add the potatoes in single layer and cook for about 10 minutes, turning from time to time until golden brown. Remove and drain the oil on paper towels. While the potatoes are still hot sprinkle with the spices and gently toss it until all sides are coated. Serve warm.

Fried Kow Choy 九菜 (Chinese Garlic Chives) with Shrimp

This is one of the afternoon snacks my mother made for us when we where young. It is also one of our favorites. You can replace the dried shrimp with shrimp or chicken bouillon. I bought the shrimp bouillon in a Mexican supermarket, the dried shrimps can be found there too. I bought mine in an Asian market. As for Chinese Garlic Chives most Asian supermarkets have it. I cannot cook this as often as I would like, as it will stink up the whole house, besides that it is not a health food.

2 cups all purpose flour
2/4 tsp baking power
2 tbsp dried shrimp, chopped
1/2 Ib Chinese Garlic Chives
1 small red onion, chopped
2 tsp salt, omit if using shrimp or chicken bouillon
1 cube shrimp or chicken bouillon, add more salt if not using this 

3/4 cups water

Oil for deep frying

Wash the Chinese Garlic Chives carefully, especially towards the white part of the leaves, to remove dirt. Cut into 1/2" length and set aside.

If you are using chicken or shrimp bouillon either melt it with warm water or use a knife to chop it into small pieces. I used a chef knife to chop.

In a big mixing bowl, mix together all the ingredients except water and oil: all purpose flour, baking powder, shrimp or chicken bouillon/salt and mix well. Then add water and stir until just combined. Do not over stir or the dough will become hard. Let rest for 15 minutes.

Heat oil to 375°F, scoop the batter one table spoon at a time into the hot oil and fry until golden brown. Serve warm. 

Meat Loaf stuffed with Spinach, Mushroom and Cheese

This is a "less-meat" meat loaf. Most meat loaf recipes that I read have no filling and are too meaty for me. So I had mine stuffed with vegetables and cheese, to reduce the amount of meat. We enjoyed this very much.

8 oz Pork, grounded
7 oz Beef, grounded
3 pieces Garlic, finely chopped
1 medium Onion, chopped
1 tsp Poultry Spice
1 tbsp Paprika
1 Egg, beaten
2 tsp Salt and pepper (do not add too much salt, as the cheese is salty)

1/4 cup Bread crumbs
3 tbsp Milk
 
1 cup Cheese, shredded (any cheese you like. I used Colby Jack)
1 cup fresh Spinach, chopped
1/2 cup fresh Parsley, coarsely chopped
1 can Mushroom, sliced 

I medium Cauliflower, cut into chunks
1 cup Baby carrots

Plastic food wrap

9" x 13" Baking pan 



In a small bowl mix together milk and bread crumbs and set aside. 

In a big bowl add the first group of the ingredients: pork, beef, garlic, onion, poultry spice, paprika, beaten egg and add the bread crumbs. Mix until just combined. Over mixing will make the meat hard.



Wet the counter top with a damp cloth, and place the plastic food wrap on it.This is to prevent the plastic from moving around. Spread the meat mixture into a rectangular shape.

Arrange the filling (please chop the spinach smaller, I made a mistake by not chopping smaller, it was difficult to cut when it is cooked). There are no rules on which ingredient comes first.

Once all the fillings are in, carefully use some of the plastic wrap to fold half of the meat over the other half, carefully seal all the filling inside the meat. Then pull the other side of the plastic up and wrap up the whole meat. See picture on the left.

Refrigerate for an hour or more to firm up and maintain the shape of the meat.

 

Preheat Oven to 350°F and bake for an hour or  until the kitchen meat thermometer reaches 170°F. It does not require more time to bake as fillings are vegetables and the meat is not thick. 1/2 hour before it is done add baby carrots and cauliflower.

Let cool for 5 minutes, cut and serve.

Steamed fish wrapped in wax paper

Today is Friday. Our main course for dinner is fish. Instead of pan frying the fish, I had it steamed. I first learned this recipe from my older brother. He often cooked this during his university days. He wrapped the fish, salt and butter with aluminum foil and cooked it in the oven and had the lemon juice squeezed on the fish right before eating. The taste is simply delicious.

We bought a bottle of McCormick Lemon spice (with no MSG and no artificial flavor) a couple of weeks ago, no regrets, the spice is not only good on fish, it is also good with chicken and salad. I use the Mc Comick Lemon Spice instead of lemon juice. Additionally I added some cheese and parsley. 

3 pcs Fish, I used whiting fish fillet

3 tsp Lemon Spice, I sprinkled directly from the bottle

2 tbsp Butter, divided and cut into slices instead of cubes for easy arrangement

2 tbsp Shredded Cheese, I used Kraft Italian 6 cheese

2 pcs Waxed paper, enough to wrap the two portions of fish

Cut two pieces of waxed paper 12" x 12" or enough to wrap the fish. 

In a frying pan pour in about 1 inch of water. Cover and let boil on medium heat.

Wash and cut each piece of the fish into half for easy wrapping. Divide the fish into two portions and set aside. 

In the middle of the waxed paper, place a few slices of the butter. Sprinkle some lemon spice. Place the first piece of the fish on the butter and sprinkle some lemon spice. Repeat with other pieces. Sprinkle some more lemon spice on top of the last piece, then follow with cheese, butter and parsley (optional, I ran out of parsley). See picture on the right.

  

To wrap the fish, fold together the waxed paper, press to secure the fold. On the two ends, fold tightly as shown in the picture. You have to seal it tightly to avoid the water from the pan going into the pocket. Repeat the second portion in the same way. See picture on the left.

The water in the pan should be boiling by now. Place the two wrapped fish into it and cover. Depending on the size of your fish, steam for 5 to 8 minutes. Serve hot.

Collard Greens with Black Truffle oil

I was very curious about this vegetable. It is called Collard Greens. Last week it was on sale and we bought some. I immediately looked for Collard Greens recipes when we got home. All the recipes that I read had it cooked over an hour. It was too late to try any of those recipe as dinner time was near. So I cooked it like my mother cooks her green vegetables, the Chinese way. Instead of using garlic and canola oil, I use Black Truffle oil with no garlic. I don't want the taste of garlic to overpower the truffle flavor. Well, it turned out good and is easy and fast.

 
1 lb Collard Green, wash and cut into 1/2" strips, discard the stalks (the leafs are really big, you might want to cut it smaller)

1 1/2 tbsp Black Truffle oil

3 tbsp of water (don't use too much water as the vegetable retains some water from the washing)

Salt to taste



These few things must stay near the frying pan before you start to cook: Pan lid, vegetable, water and salt. 

Heat a cast iron frying pan or stainless steel pan on high heat. Once the pan is heated add oil. The oil should look runny in the pan, if not your pan is not hot enough. Add the vegetable into the pan and cover it immediately, wait for 30 seconds.

Uncover and use a spatula (I use chop stick) to stir the vegetable, at this point, vegetables on the top should look green and the bottom ones should have already changed color. Turn the vegetables upside down, work fast, add water and quickly cover the pan again. Wait for a minute or until the vegetables are cooked through. Add salt to taste and serve hot. 

Tips:

It is a bad idea to use non stick pan for high heat stir fly or deep fry. Even though the manufacturer stated the pan can stand up to 500°F, I had a painful and expensive experience. I now use a cast iron or stainless steel pan for high heat stir fry and deep fry.

This one is from my sister. One day when I was cooking, she saw me splatter the vegetables outside the pan. The Chinese saying is "chicken hand duck leg" hahaha. She told me to have the fresh vegetables placed into the pan cover instead of another plate. Once the pan is heated, drop the whole thing onto the pan. Isn't this a good idea? You might have some pieces of vegetable sticking out from the cover after you drop in the vegetables. Leave it, don't try to push it in or what ever, by doing so you will lose a lot of heat. After the first 30 seconds, you can stir in the rest.

Chocolate Cappuccino Marble Cake

My husband loves dessert. He likes chocolate and coffee. I like both chocolate and vanilla with a touch of coffee. This cake is a good combination for us.

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 3/4 cups cake flour
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
3 eggs
2/3 cup sour cream

1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp instant cappuccino or any coffee of your choice
1/4 cup boiling hot water

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease 2 8" x 4" bread pans.

In a bowl, mix together flour, salt, baking powder and set aside.

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add vanilla, mix well and add eggs one at a time, scraping down the side of the bowl when needed. Beat until well combined. Add flour mixture in three batches alternating with sour cream, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Do not over mix or your cake will become tough.

In a medium bowl mix together cocoa power, instant cappuccino and boiling water. Pour in 1/2 of the cake batter and mix well.

Spoon the batter into the pans, alternating the vanilla and chocolate coffee batter. Run a knife ( I use a chop stick) through the batters in a swirling motion to create the marbling effect.

Bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until the wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack. Serve once it is cooled.

Moroccan Tagine Chicken

I wanted to try Moroccan Chicken with preserved lemon for a long time. The spices used in the recipe look delicious. We finally brought a Tagine over a month ago, I can't wait to try the recipe but cannot because I couldn't find preserve lemon anywhere in the nearby supermarkets. Out of frustration I made my own. The lemons are supposed  to be preserved for at least a month. I couldn't wait and used it after a week hahahah... and it turned out fine. I have made another patch after that, this time I will wait for a  month at least, anyway you can use fresh lemon, I haven't tried that yet. I hope you will enjoy it as much as we do. This is another delicious comfort food that we love.

Ingredients:

1 tsp Cumin

2 cardamon

1/4 tsp pepper

1 tsp ground turmeric

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon powder

2 tsp ground paprika

2 tbsp olive oil

1/2 of a chicken, cut into medium size

1 tsp fresh ginger, I used a microplane to grate

Salt

1  medium Onion, chop 

2  clove garlic, chop

1 preserved lemon, rinsed, (discard pulp) and cut lemon into thin strips

1/2 cup olive, pitted
1/2 cup water

1/4 cup sour cream

fresh cilantro or parsley or both

Method:

1. Grind cumin, cardamon and pepper in a grinder, place in a small bowl, add in the rest of the spices, mix well and set a side.

2. Wash chicken with cold water, pat dry with paper tower and cut into medium size pieces, rub oil, ginger, salt (hold your horses on the salt here, as the preserved lemon has a lot of salt) and the mixed spice over the chicken and marinate for at least 2 hours or over night.

3.  Heat oil in a tagine or a heavy pot, on medium high heat, lightly brown all sides of the chicken, once ready add onion and garlic, stir well, add water, cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Turn chicken, add sour cream, olives, preserved lemon and simmer until the chicken is fully cooked (about 30 minutes). Add salt to taste.

4.  Skim oil, mix in fresh parsley and serve hot with rice or couscous. 

Note: Tagine may crack with sudden change of temperature, If chicken is marinated in the fridge overnight, let the chicken sit in room temperature for a while before cooking.