Our Little Bundle of Joy

Pardon me for not updating the blog for weeks.. You may already know what's going on if you are one of the frequent visitor :) I would like to introduce you our newly addition to the family - Elyse was decided to say hello to family 1 week early. She was born on April the 7th at 3:17AM.

Check the following link for more pictures.


If you think having a new born is not stressful enough, what about relocating to new city in the coming 3 months and quiting my current job become a stay home mom for at least months to come if not for long term? Yes, that's what's going on with my family right now.. Wish me luck.

Chocolate Loaf

The chocolate bun from chowtimes really caught my attention for some reasons. I really wanted to bake some bun but due to the time constraint, I don't think I am up to the challenge right now so I turn this into a chocolate loaf.

I reduced the sugar from the original recipe since this is loaf that I probably will eat it with some jam and kaya, I don't want the loaf to be too sweet. The loaf turn out very soft and fluffy. I was quite surprise with the results as I was not convince that regular bread flour can produce a soft and fluffy loaf. But this loaf does give me a whole new perspective on bread flour.

The only downside on this loaf I think is lack of chocolate flavor. I was expecting a richer chocolate taste. I was sure because the recipe to call for any salt or because the cocoa powder I used was not fresh? ( the powder has been sitting in my pantry for a year ) what do you think huh? Maybe adding some chocolate essence will do the trick huh? Anyway.. I am definitely up for experiment again next time with the same recipe and make it a chocolate bun some day.
my adapted version:


Ingredients:

• 1 cup warm milk
• 1 egg
  
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 cups bread flour
• 1/4 cup sugar ( original recipe 1/2 cup)
  
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  
• 2 1/2 tsp active dry yeast

Method:

• Put all ingredients into the bread machine according to your machine manual
• Select Sweet function, 2lb loaf with light crust
  
• Start the machine.
  

Stir-fry Asparagus with Cloud Ear Fungus

This is one of my family favorite stir-fry I would like to share with you. The original recipe from my cookbook collection uses white fungus, since I am out of the white, I replaced it with the cloud ear fungus.


Ingredients:

• 1 cup cloud ear fungus ( pre soaked and cleaned)
  
• 1/2 lb Pork
• 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp cooking wine
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 1/2 lb Asparagus
• 1 tbsp Ginger (julienne)

Sauce:

• 1/3 tsp salt
• 1/3 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp corn starch
• 3 tbsp water
  

Method:

• Marinate pork with soy sauce, wine and corn starch
• Cut Asparagus in about 1.5 inch long
• On a stir fry pan, heat about 1 tbsp oil, stir in ginger until fragrant.
• Add in asparagus and 2 tbsp water and stir for about 2-3 minutes until steamy. Removed and set aside.
• Heat 2 tbsp oil and stir fry pork until turn cooked.
• Add in fungus, asparagus and sauce. Stir to mix well.
  

Nutella Crescent Roll

Here's my shortcut way to satisfy my Italian style breakfast croissant with Nutella spread. Always stock up some crescent rolls in my freezer just in case I ran out of food to snack in between meal or breakfast.
To prepare this all you need it a can of crescent roll and some spread or jam. Add a layer of jam on the dough and roll it up. Bake in the over for 15-20 minutes.. voila.. you got a nice and warm breakfast. how easy is that ?
In case you are interested to know who is always with me while I am in the kitchen preparing meal. Here you go, mommy's little helper in his apron and cooking utensil. haa.. He is sure having fun in the kitchen banging all my pots and pans.

Spice Pork Soba with Dumpling 五香肉荞麦面条

After reading various way of eating Soba from teczcape - an escape to Food, I decided to come up one with my own. Prepare this over a weekday dinner and in less than 30 minutes... impress??

Recipe?? yes yes.. how can I miss that.

Ingredients:

• some blanched lettuce head
• Cook soba
• cook package dumpling
• A can of spice pork cube

Get everything heat up on your stove or microwave.. 30 minutes later tada.a.. Honey dinner is ready!

Char Siu Prata

Another simple breakfast I prepared during the weekend morning. Have been wanting to try this for long time but never get the chance, since I still have some left over char siu and Roti Prata in my freezer, guess it's the time to get the baby baked.

I want to have this as breakfast, so I prepared the char siu filling the night before and store in the fridge overnight. All I have to do in the morning is thaw the frozen Prata skin, add the filling to the skin and fold over to seal like making a kari puff. Brush lightly with beaten egg yolk to give it a shining look and baked in the preheated oven 395F for 15-25 minutes or until it looks puffy.

Voila... fresh from the oven Char Siu puff is ready for your family.. yum yum..

Char Siu Filling Ingredients

• 300g char siu
• 1 yellow onion chopped
  
• 1tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
  
• 1 tbsp corn starch
• 7 tbsp water
• 1 tbsp sugar
• pepper to taste
• 2 tbsp oil
  

Method:

• In a bowl, mix in oyster sauce, soy sauce, dark sauce, corn starch,water and sugar, then set aside
  
• Heat pan with oil and stir fry chopped onion until soft.
• Add char siu and fry for couple minutes
• Add the liquid mixture and cook until the sauce is thicken
• set aside the filling and let it cold before wrapping with the Prata skin

** the filling yield to prepare about 6-7 puffs.

Cranberries Cream Cheese Loaf

Have been reading a lots of positive feedback for this cream cheese bread and after seeing this attractive production from Pure Enjoyment, I told myself there is no way I want to skip this. Since I have not been able to stop by the Asian store to stock up the high gluten flour I have been using for all my bread, I bought a package a bread flour from the regular groceries store and want to confirm again what the different between the high gluten and regular bread flour we get in the state.

The results was quite good, even though hubby still think that the bread may taste better with high gluten flour because he prefer a softer and elastic texture of bread as oppose to denser, heavier loaf. One thing for sure, the loaf remain very soft even 2 days after. I think this is another keeper but I probably will 1.5 the recipe.
Trying to be a bit creative here, In stead of a white plan loaf, I added some cranberries to sweeten the flavor so that Aidan can eat it plain. He is serious eating too much sweet stuff from his day care, so want to cut back his sugar intake now haa..

This is my adapted version
Ingredients :(Click here to the original recipe)

• 160g fresh milk
• 50g cream cheese
• 15g sugar
• 3g salt
• 20g butter
• 250g bread flour
• 1/2 tsp dry yeast
• 1/2 tsp bread improver (optional)
• 1/3 of cranberries (optional)

Method:

• Put the ingredients according to your bread machine instruction
• Select 1lb size with basic white loaf function
  
• Slice and enjoy
• for my bread machine, I added the cranberries at the final kneading cycle
  

Low Fat Yogurt Cupcakes

Low fat yogurt cupcakes, does this sound healthy to you? It sure did for me.. looking for something not too sweet but yet sweet enough to satisfy my sweet tooth and I found this from fellow blogger. The cake uses yogurt with very little butter, so no worry about trans fat. Adding yogurt to increase the calcium content, it is just perfect for me, since my doctor advise me to take at least 16oz of milk a day just to make sure I have enough daily calcium intake.
The cake is very light and soft right from the oven. Not too sweet. Since I have about 1/4 cup of chocolate chip left from my previous baking ( not sure when, but must be long time ago), thought just mix it in to kick it up a notch. This recipe enough to prepare 9 cup cakes, instead of using mixture, I whisked everything with hand therefore I did not follow exactly the method used from the original recipe. Next time I would double the recipe for ease mixing the ingredients with electric mixture.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cake flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 whole egg
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter (approx 45 g)
• 1/2 cup nonfat plain yogurt
  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• Handful of chocolate chips ( optional)
  

Method:

• Preheat oven to 355F.
  
• Combine first 4 ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
  
• Whisk whole egg and set aside.
  
• Beat the butter until soften, gradually add sugar and beat until soften and mixed well.
  
• Dribble eggs in slowly and continue beating for a minute.
  
• Add yogurt and mix well then add the flour to the mixture. Continue beat for another 2 minutes.
• Add in choc chip and mix well.
  
• Scoop into lined muffin tins about 3/4 cup full.
  
• Bake for about 17-20 minutes and a tester inserted comes out clean.

** Bake about 9 cupcakes

I do notice the cake get a bit dense on the next day, wonder why? Keen to share any good cupcake recipes that will produce a light and airy cake that last for a couple days?

Ham Roll

Very simple but quite time consuming dish that I don't usually prepare. It's ham roll with asparagus. All you need are some asparagus and ham. This is quite a tasty dish where you get the saltiness taste from the ham blend with the natural sweetness from the asparagus. I enjoy it very much.
Here's how I prepared.

• Cut asparagus into 3 pieces long
• Slice the ham and blanch the ham in boiling water to reduce the saltness
  
• Blanch asparagus in boiling water and oil
• Roll and seal the edge with corn flour
• Steam ham roll for about 8 -10 mins
• In a bowl mix in some soy sauce, salt, sugar, water and corn starch.
  
• Bring the mixture to boil and pour on the roll
• Ready to serve.
  

Braised Tofu in Vinegar

A simple tofu stir-fry I like to prepare for my family. The provided recipe is a rough estimate amount I used, if you interested to try please adjust the flavor according to your personal preference :)

Ingredients

• 1 cube of tofu
• 200gm minced meat
  
• 4 tbsp chopper scallion
  
• 2 tsp minced ginger
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 2 tsp hot bean paste
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 3 tbsp dark( black) vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• corn starch and water as thickening agent
• 3 tbsp oil
  

Method:

• Heat pan with oil, and stir fry and break the meat into pieces for about 3 minutes.
• Add in ginger, garlic, scallion, hot bean paste and bean curd stir fry for another minute.
• Add in water, vinegar, sugar and sesame oil, cover the pan with lid and let it simmer for 3 mins.
  
• Add the corn starch mixture
• Garnish with some scallion and ready to serve.