Coconut Macaroons

Ingredients:

2 cups shredded coconut or dessicated coconut
2 egg whites
1/8 tsp salt
1/2 cup granulated sugar

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 °C for 15 minutes, toast coconut for 5 minutes or till fragrant and yellowish in color.

In a large bowl, whisk the egg whites and salt till stiff.

With spatula or tablespoon, gradually fold-in sugar and follow by the toasted coconut.

Drop heap teaspoons of the batter on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet, setting each portion 1 inch apart.

Bake the cookies in a preheated oven at 200 °C for 10 - 15 minutes or till slightly golden at the edges.

Remove cookies from oven.

Transfer cookies on a large wire cooling rack, let cool completely before store into air-tight container (cookies appear to be soft at the beginning but will harden after cool to room temperature).

Yield 40 cookies.

Hokkien Mee (Penang Prawns Soup Noodles)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rice vermicelli noodles, soaked for few hours, drained
1/2 cup yellow noodles (I used spaghetti and it taste the same), boiled, drained
1 cup mixture of prawn and chicken stock
1/2 of the prepared chili paste
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp light soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt or to taste

Garnish:

bean sprouts, quick blanched in boiling water
spinach, quick blanched in boiling water
water convolvulus, cut into 3 cm length, quick blanched in boiling water
prawns with tail's shell on, cooked in the prepared stock
lean chicken/meat slices, cooked in the prepared stock
fried sliced shallots
hard boiled egg, sliced

Chili Paste:

4 tbsp oil
1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp dried prawns, socked and drained.
1 1/2 tbsp sambal omelek chili paste

Prawn Stock:

shell and head of 300g prawns, washed
3 cups water

Chicken Stock:

500g chicken bone, quick scalded
4 cups water

Method:

Chili paste: Blend onion, garlic and dried prawns with some water, stir-fry in heated oil till fragrant, add-in chili paste and continue stir-frying till aroma, remove from heat; set aside.

Prawn stock: In a pot, stir-fry prawns' shell and head still fragrant, pour-in water, bring to boil for 2 hours or more; filter-off the residues.

Chicken stock: In another pot, add-in water and scalded chicken bone, bring to boil for 2 hours or more; withdraw the bone.

Pour chicken stock into prawn stock; set aside.

Blanch rice vermicelli noodles in boiling water till cooked (about 1 minutes), rinse with cold water; add into a serving bowl.

Add-in cooked spaghetti and the preference garnish items (excepts fried shallot flakes and hard boiled egg slices) into the serving bowl.

Bring 1 cup of prawn-chicken stock to boil.

Add-in half of the prepared chili paste, brown sugar, light soy sauce and salt, continue simmering for another few minutes.

Pour hot over the prepared serving bowl.

Sprinkles with some fried shallot flakes and arrange-on few slices of hard boiled egg.

Serve immediately and the remaining chili paste for extra spice.

Mung Beans Mooncake Pudding

Ingredients:

5 cups water
1/2 cup dried mung beans
1 1/2 tsp sugar or to taste (optional)
1/2 cup fruit favor pudding powder (I used mango favor)
1/4 tsp fruit sugar (is provided together with pudding powder)

Method:

Soak mung beans overnight, wash thoroughly, drained; set aside.

Bring water to boil, add-in mung beans and sugar, keep boiling till it's cooked and softened, about 45 minutes (stir occasionally).

Remove from heat, add-in pudding powder, keep stirring for about 5 minutes.

Add-in fruit sugar, stir to incorporate fully (about 30 seconds).

Pour into snow skin mooncake molds.

Keep in refrigerator till serve.

Yield about 4 cups mooncake pudding.

Sushi (Shari, Nigiri-Zushi, Maki-Zushi, Uramaki-Zushi)

Shari/Sushi Meshi (Sushi Rice)


Ingredients:

2 cup uncooked short grain white rice
2 cup water
2 tbsp sake
4 tbsp white vinegar
3 tbsp sugar
2 tsp salt

Method:

2 hours before cooking rice, wash the rice thoroughly, allow cool water to drain till the washing water is clear.

Mix rice with measured water, sock for at least an hour or more.

Right before rice cooking, add sake (I used rice cooker).

When the rice is cooked, let it stand covered for about 10-15 minutes.

In a small bowl, combine vinegar, sugar and salt; set aside.

Remove cooked rice from rice cooker, pour into a large container.

Slowly, pour the vinegar mixture over the hot rice, one hand gently stir in a slicing motion to thoroughly incorporate it while the other hand manually fan the rice to remove any excess moisture.

Keep the shari in a covered thermal container to keep warm at body temperature till use.


Nigiri Zushi


Ingredients:

1 heap tbsp shari for each nigiri zushi

Neta (topping):

prawns (popular)
salmon (popular)
tuna (popular)
baby octopus (popular)
mackerel
eel
squid
clams
scallops
egg omelet
(note: the toppings can be served raw, cooked, smoked or cured, grilled or batter fried)

Method:

Clean prawns, remove head but keep the shell on, use bamboo skewer to straighten the prawns by inserting the skewer from down side of tail-end towards backside and all along the backside shell.

Boil or steam prawns for 5 minutes or till fairly pink and cooked through (optional, I did used seasoning for steaming: 1/4 tsp fish sauce, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, 1 1/2 tbsp shao xing wine, 1/8 tsp salt and dash of pepper).

Remove from heat, let it stand till hand able temperature, remove bamboo skewer and shell but keep the tail on.

Slice the prawns deeply from down part and remain intact at the backside.

Assembly:

Wet both hands well with vinegar, take shari with one hand, squeeze shari into oblong bite size.

Pick a neta with the other hand, brush a bit wasabi on a surface, then place-on shari.

Press on shari gently with the thumb of holding hand, at the same time, make dent on both sides with the other hand's thumb and index fingers (neta side down).

Wrap neta around shari with shari side down.

Hold sushi with holding hand's fingers in a box shape, press on neta with both index and middle fingers of the other hand.

Open the holding hand's fingers from box shape into flat surface, with the other hand's thumb and index fingers, gently press on both sides inwards to give the shape of bottom boat side up.


Maki Zushi


Ingredients:

10 x 19.5 cm yaki nori (roasted seaweed sheets)
2 1/2-3 tbsp shari for each roll
makisu (bamboo rolling mat)

Neta (filling):

prawns (popular)
salmon (popular)
tuna (popular)
crab (popular)
cucumber (popular)
avocado (popular)
toasted black/white sesame seed (popular)
carrot
asparagus
tofu
salad vegetables
(note: the fillings can be served raw, cooked, smoked or cured, grilled or batter fried)

Method:

Wrap makisu with a layer of plastic, place-on a sheet of nori at bottom side of makisu.

Wet both hands well with vinegar, spread a thin layer of shari on nori from one side to the others.

Empty about 2 cm of space on the top of nori while about 1 cm on the bottom without any shari.

Spread some wasabi on shari all along the center core of nori.

Sprinkles-on some sesame seed all over the shari.

Place-on a long, thin strip of neta (I used cucumber, avocado and/or deep-fried prawn wrapped with lettuce).

Slowly, lift the makisu to roll it upwards evenly all along the nori, from one side to the others.

With both hands' fingers in a box shape, gently press-on all over the roll into a square shape.

Unroll the makisu, cut the maki zushi in half with a very sharp knife.

Place them together paralellly and cut into 6 equal size pieces.


Uramaki Zushi


Ingredients:

10 x 19.5 cm yaki nori (roasted seaweed sheets)
2 1/2-3 tbsp shari for each roll
makisu (bamboo rolling mat)

Neta (filling):

prawns (popular)
salmon (popular)
tuna (popular)
crab (popular)
cucumber (popular)
avocado (popular)
carrot
asparagus
tofu
salad vegetables
(note: the fillings can be served raw, cooked, smoked or cured, grilled or batter fried)

Spinklings:

toasted black/white sesame seed
fish eggs
chili flakes

Method:

Wrap makisu with a layer of plastic, place-on a sheet of nori at bottom side of makisu.

Wet both hands well with vinegar, spread a thin layer of shari on nori from one side to the others.

Apply some Sprinklings all over on the shari.

Turn nori over with shari side down on makisu.

Spread some wasabi on nori all along the center core.

Place-on a long, thin strip of neta (I used cucumber, avocado and/or deep-fried prawn wrapped with lettuce).

Slowly, lift the makisu to roll it upwards evenly all along the nori, from one side to the others.

With both hands' fingers in a box shape, gently press-on all over the roll into a square shape.

Unroll the makisu, cut the uramaki zushi in half with a very sharp knife.

Place them together paralellly and cut into 6 equal size pieces.


Sushi Dipping Sauce


Ingredients:

1 tsp light soy sauce
1 tsp water
1/4 tsp wasabi

Method:

In a small dipping plate, stir to combine the light soy sauce, water and wasabi; ready to serve with sushi.

Kuey Teow Soup (Flat Rice Noodles Soup)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup boiled dry flat rice noodles (5 mm)
1 cup chicken/pork stock
1/2 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp oyster sauce
1 tsp light soy sauce
1/4 tsp salt or to taste
1/4 tsp pepper or to taste
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp oil

Garnish:

straw mushrooms, sliced half
prawns with tail's shell on
chicken/meat slices
fish/meat/squid/prawn balls
bean sprout
1 tbsp chopped spring onion leave

Method:

Bring a pot of water to boil, boil dried flat rice noodles according to the package direction, drained, set aside in a serving bowl.

Heat oil in a pan or wok, saute garlic till fragrant and golden yellow, remove from heat, pour over boiled rice noodles.

Bring chicken stock to boil.

Add-in fish sauce, light soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt and pepper.

Add-in the preference garnish items, simmer for few minutes to cook thoroughly.

Pour hot over boiled rice noodles.

Sprinkles with spring onion and serve immediately.

Cereal Prawns

Ingredients:

250 g prawns
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
2 tbsp butter
2 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 chili padi (bird's eyes chillies), chopped
few curry leaves (optional)
1 small stick lemon grass, finely chopped (optional)
6 tbsp Nestum cereal
1/4 tsp salt or to taste
1/4 tsp pepper or to taste
oil for frying

Marinade:

1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp sesame oil

Method:

Clean prawns, slit in the back, remove guts, cut-off 1-1.5 cm from end of head while 0.5 mm from end of tail, but keep the head and shell on.

In a bowl, mix all the marinade ingredients.

Marinate prawns for at least 30 minutes.

Bread prawns with tapioca flour, then dip in egg white, then tapioca flour again.

In a pan or wok, heat oil to shallow-fry or deep-fry prawns till crispy and golden in color, drain on paper towel; set aside.

Mix cereal, salt and pepper in a small bowl; set aside.

Add butter to hot wok, then add-in garlic, chili padi and lemon grass, saute till fragrant (about 3-4 minutes).

Pour-in egg yolk into thin steady stream, stir non-stop till bubbly, became tiny pieces and cooked.

Reduce to low heat, add-in cereal mixture, stir-fry for a while (1-2 minutes).

Return prawns into wok, stir to coat.

Dish up, ready to serve.

Kuih Seri Ayu/Puteri Ayu (Snowy Mountains Mini Cakes)

Ingredients:

2 eggs
Sugar half of eggs by volume
1/2 tsp ovallet
2 1/2 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
small pinch of green coloring/1/2 tsp pandan (fragrant screwpine) paste
Oil for molds greasing

Coconut Topping:

1/2 cup desiccated coconut/fresh grated coconut
1 tbsp water/coconut milk
1/2 tsp corn flour
1/4 tsp salt

Method:

Dissolve salt and corn flour in water, pour over coconut and mix well.

Lightly grease molds with oil.

Press-in 1 heap tsp of coconut mixture into the base of molds (add more as desired), press firmly with finger; set aside.

Mix flour with baking powder; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk eggs with sugar, ovallet and green coloring till pale, thick and fluffy.

Fold-in flour mixture, stir batter to incorporate.

Spoon batter into the prepared molds.

Steam covered over high heat for 8 minutes.

Yield 12 mini cakes.

Kam Heong Mussels

Ingredients:

1.5 kg mussels with shell, rinsed with running water

Kam Hiong Sauce:

2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 slices ginger, minced
2 tbsp dried prawn, soaked, drained and chopped
1 shallot or onion, chopped
1 tsp fermented soya bean paste
1 tbsp sambal omelek chili paste
1 tsp coriander seed
few curry leaves
2 tbsp fish curry powder in 2 tbsp water
2 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tsp sugar
1/4 cup water
1/2 tsp cornflour
salt to taste (omitted)
2 tbsp cooking oil

Method:

Steam the shelled mussels until open (about 2 or 3 minutes).

Remove the opened mussels from heat and let cool.

Pull mussels out from shell, clean and set aside.

In a small bowl, combine oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, sugar, water and cornflour, set this seasoning mixture aside.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a deep pan or wok over medium high heat, saute garlic, ginger, onion and dried prawns till fragrant and golden yellow.

Add-in soya bean paste, chili paste, coriander seed, curry leaves and curry paste, stir-fry till fragrant.

Add-in the mussels, stir-fry for a minute.

Pour-in seasoning mixture and add salt to taste (if not enough salty), bring to simmer for further 2-3 minutes or till the mussels are cooked thorough.

Remove from heat and serve hot with rice.

Black Pepper Prawns

Ingredients:

250 g prawns, cleaned and pat-dried with shell on
1 tbsp butter
1 shallot or onion, finely chopped
1/2 tbsp preserved soya beans, mashed
1 tbsp dried prawn, soaked, drained and finely chopped
2 tsp freshly grounded black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup curry leaves
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 1/4 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp oyster sauce
20 mL water
oil for deep-frying

Method:

In a pan or wok, heat oil to shallow-fry or deep-fry prawns till fairly pink and half cooked.

Dish up, drain off excess oil on paper towel.

Add butter to hot wok, stir-fry onion till fragrant and begin to be golden yellow (about 4-5 minutes).

Add mashed soy beans, dried prawns, black pepper, garlic powder and curry leaves, stir-fry till fragrant for another 2-3 minutes.

Add prawns, dark soy sauce, sugar, oyster sauce and water, stir-fry till prawns are fully cooked and dried.

Serve hot with noodles or rice.