Asian/Tropical Tiramisu

Ingredients:

Cream Cheese Filling

150 g cream cheese
250 g whipping cream
80 g icing sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp kahlua or any coffee flavored liqueur or instant coffee powder

Chocolate Sponge (Each Layer)

40 mL cake flour
1/2 tbsp corn flour
1/4 tsp baking powder (optional)

1 egg white
pinch of cream of tartar (optional)
3 tbsp sugar

40 mL milk/water with 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 ½ tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp salt

1 egg yolk
20 mL vegetable oil

Coffee Syrup

1/2 cup coffee
2 tbsp brandy or coffee flavored liqueur

Topping Option

unsweetened cocoa powder
shaved chocolate
dessicated coconut

Method:

To prepare the cheese filling

In a large bowl, whisk thoroughly cheese with sugar, salt and liqueur until homogeneous cream resulted; set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk cream till stiff.

Gradually, fold-in stiffed cream into cheese mixture and chill in fridge till use.

To prepare the chocolate sponge

Preheat oven to 170 °C.

In a bowl, combine together flours and baking powder; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk egg white and cream of tartar till frothy; gradually add-in sugar and continue whisking till stiff peaks form (I always whisk egg white first because I use the same whisk for egg yolk mixture later without washing); set aside.

In a cup of warm milk, dissolve-in cocoa powder, sugar and salt; set aside.

In another large bowl, whisk egg yolk till pale and glossy.

Stir-in oil and chocolate solution, continue whisking till batter is fully incorporated.

Fold-in flours mixtures, stir-well to form homogeneous batter.

Gradually and gently, fold the egg white mixture into the egg yolk batter.

Pour batter into a baking paper layered cake pan (18 cm) and bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of cake comes out clean.

Remove from oven and let cool completely before assembly.

With a flexible thin knife or spatula, loose cake from pan and invert onto a serving plate for cake assembly.

Repeat the recipe for another layer or double up the recipe volume and slice into 2 layers.

To Assembly

Brush each sponge with the mixture of coffee and brandy syrup till the mixture is used up.

Lay one layer of sponge into same size springform cake pan.

Top the base sponge with two third of the filling or fill to about 1/2 inch thick.

Lay-on another layer of sponge.

Spread on the rest of the filling or to the desired thickness.

Sprinkle-on shaved chocolate and chill in fridge overnight till serve.

Right before serving, sift-on a thin layer of cocoa powder.

Sweet and Sour Chicken/Meat/Fish

Ingredients:

Breading for Chicken/Meat/Fish:

1 kg Chicken, Meat or Fish, cut Chicken/Meat into bite size
2/3 tsp salt or 1 tbsp soy sauce to taste
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp pepper
3 tbsp flour
3 tbsp cornstarch
1 egg

Oil for deep-frying

Garnish Ingredients:

1 large green bell pepper, cut to bite size
1 onion, sliced
1 tomato, wedged
1/2 can (580 g with 5 rings) pineapple chunks, cut to bite size
2 tbsp oil

Sauce:

1/2cup vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 salt
1/4 cup orange juice of 1 orange
1/4 cup reserved syrup of canned pineapple
1/4 cup ketchup

2 tbsp cornstarch + 1/8 cup reserved syrup of canned pineapple syrup

Method:

Marinate chicken/meat/fish with salt, sugar and pepper for 30 minutes or more.

In two separated bowls, one filled with flours and the other one filled with lightly whisked egg.

Toss marinated chicken/meat/fish first in flours mixture, then in egg wet mixture and again in flours dry mixture; set aside.

Deep-fry the marinated chicken/meat/fish into hot oil till crispy and golden brown; set aside on paper towels to absorb excess oil.

In a bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients; set aside.

Heat 2 tbsp in a saucepan or wok, stir-fry bell pepper and onion for 2-3 minutes, remove from heat and set aside.

Pour sauce mixture into saucepan, bring to boil and let simmer for 10 minutes (add water if appear dried out).

Pour-in cornstarch solution and stir to thicken.

Add-in tomato and pineapple chunks, stir to cook thoroughly.

Return the chicken/meat and/or precooked garnish into saucepan and stir to mix (for fish, pour the garnish-sauce over the deep fried fish on serving plate).

Dish-out and best serve hot with steamed rice.

Mixed Vegetables Quince

Ingredients:

Pastry:

150 g all-purpose flour
75 g butter, cut to small pieces
1/4 tsp salt
1 egg
enough water to blind

Filling:

2 cup cooked string bean, green peas and carrot
1 big onion, boiled/sauteed
1 cup(100 g) grated parmigiana cheese
3 eggs, beated
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp salt or to taste

olive oil, bread crumb and oregano for sprinkling

Method:

To prepare the pastry:

In a large bowl, mix together flour, butter and salt till crumbly (not to over-mix).

Add-in egg and slightly knead to smooth dough.

Gradually add-in enough water to blind dough if the dough still appear crumbly after the egg.

Shape dough into ball, wrap in plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes.

To prepare the filling:

In a large bowl, mix-well all the filling ingredients, set aside.

To assembly the quince:

Preheat oven to 200 °C.

Roll out the chilled dough into thin sheet, transfer it into a small baking tray and press to form firm base.

Spoon-in the prepared filling.

Sprinkle-on enough olive oil, followed by bread crumb and oregano.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 minutes or till set.

Bak Kwa (肉干)

Ingredients:

450-500 g ground pork (not lean)

Marinate:

3/4 tbsp fish sauce
3/4 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar or to taste
1/2 tsp five spiced powder
1/4 tsp licorice powder
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp cooking wine
1/4 tsp salt
1 ½ tbsp honey

Method:

In a container, mix pork with all the marinate ingredients, stir-well to fully incorporate.

Place pork in fridge covered to marinate overnight.

Preheat oven to 100 °C.

Line a baking tray (dimension about 25 x 42 cm) with parchment paper.

Spread the marinated pork portion by portion onto the prepared baking tray as thin as possible (important).

Bake it in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or till firm to touch (test with fork).

Remove from oven and absorb-off any excess oil with paper towels.

Cut the partially cooked pork sheet into smaller rectangular pieces.

Grill each over medium heat for about 10 minutes or till shrink and cooked thoroughly.

Chocolate-Milo Doggie Cookies

Ingredients:

Milo Dough:

1 cup butter
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/2 cup milo powder
2 cup flour
1/4 cup corn flour

Chocolate Dough:

1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened chocolate powder
2/3 cup flour
1 tbsp corn flour

70 pieces chocolate rice

Method:

Line a baking tray with parchment paper; set aside.

To prepare the milo dough:

In a large bowl, cream butter and icing sugar together till creamy.

Add-in milo powder, whisk to incorporate fully.

Gradually stir-in flour and corn flour to form dough.

Divide dough and shape it into small balls, set aside.

To prepare chocolate dough:

In another bowl, cream butter and icing sugar together till creamy.

Add-in chocolate powder, whisk to incorporate fully.

Gradually stir-in flour and corn flour to form dough; set aside.

Preheat oven to 140 °C.

Each small ball of milo dough, insert two chocolate rices to form eyes.

Take two enough portions of chocolate dough, shape it into log and attach on both sides to form ears.

Take another smaller portion of chocolate dough, shape it round to form nose in the center.

Place shaped cookies onto the prepared tray.

Bake cookies in the preheated oven for 25 minutes or till fragrant and firm to tough.

Remove cookies from oven, transfer onto wire rack and set aside to cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Yields about 35 cookies.

Wat Than Hor (Char Hor Fun or Gravy Fried Flat Rice Noodles)

Ingredients:

100 g dry flat rice noodles
100 g mee hoon/mihun/vermicelli noodles

Gravy:

2 tbsp cornstarch in 1 ½ cup water or stock
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper powder
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 egg white, lightly beaten

Noodles stir-fry:

3 tbsp oil
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
few shrimps/prawns, removed shells
few slices of meat/chicken
few slices of fish cake
1 tbsp oyster sauce
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 ½ tbsp fish sauce
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp pepper powder
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
few stalks of Chinese mustard/choy sum, cut to 2 inch length

Chili Paste:

1/2 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 tbsp sambal omelek chili paste
4 tbsp oil

Method:

Soak the vermicelli in water for 30 minutes or till soften, drain well and set aside.

Boil the dry flat rice noodles according to the package and drain well; set aside.

To prepare the gravy:

Stir-in cornstarch to stock and bring to boil.

Add-in oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, pepper, sesame oil and light soy sauce, stir to mix.

Pour-in egg white and do a quick stir to break down into small white pieces as it cooked.

Bring to simmer to thicken the gravy to a desired consistency, set aside.

Noodles stir-fry:

In a wok or deep pan, heat 3 tbsp oil over medium high heat.

Saute garlic till fragrant and golden.

Add-in meat, prawns and fish cakes, stir-fry over high heat still prawns are seared.

Add-in flat rice noodles and stir-fry for few minutes.

Add-in vermicelli and the remaining seasoning ingredients, toss evenly over high heat for few minutes or till noodles are charred.

Add-in Chinese mustard and continue tossing for another short while.

Dish-up and transfer onto a serving plate.

Return gravy to wok and heat through.

Pour the hot gravy over the fried noodles.

Serve hot immediately with chili paste and white pepper powder if desired.

To make the chili paste, blend onion and garlic to yield paste. Heat 4 tbsp oil in wok over low heat, stir-fry onion-garlic paste still fragrant, add-in omelek chili paste, continue stir-fry till aroma, remove from heat and it is ready to serve.

Eggs Curry (Anda Curry)

Ingredients:

12 eggs
oil for deep-frying
4 tbsp oil or ghee

Blended ingredients:

5 cloves garlic, peeled
6 onions, peeled
1 knob fresh ginger, peeled

Seasoning ingredients:

1 tbsp coriander powder
2 tbsp fennel powder
1 ½ tbsp cumin powder
2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp chili powder or to taste

4 tomato, diced and pureed
4 tsp salt or to taste
1 tsp pepper powder
1 cup water
2 tsp garam masala
250 g paneer (farmer cheese) and/or 1 can green peas (optional)
coriander leaves or curry leaves for sprinkling (optional)

Method:

Boil a pot of water and hard boil the eggs.

Transfer cooked eggs to a running cold tap water, shelled and set aside.

In a wok or deep pan, heat enough oil, deep fry peeled eggs till golden brown, drain on absorbent paper towels and cool to a handle-able temperature.

Make a cross-cut at one end of the eggs and set aside.

With blender/food processor, blend together garlic, onion and ginger to paste; set aside.

Heat 4 tbsp oil or ghee in wok or deep pan over medium high heat, saute the blended paste till fragrant and start to golden brown (about 3 minutes).

Add-in all the seasoning ingredients and fry for a few seconds till aroma.

Add-in tomato, salt and pepper, stir for few minutes.

Pour-in water, add-in paneer or green peas (if desired), cover and simmer till gravy is thick (water can be added if the gravy is too dry).

Stir-in garam masala and return eggs into wok, stir to heat through and the gravy is homogeneously dispersed.

Sprinkle-on leaves.

Dish-up and best serve hot with rice.