Simplified PenCai (盆菜)

All yummy food in a pot.  Last minute decided to prepare PenCai (盆菜). Normally it will take a long time, even days to prepare this dish. A popular dish during the Chinese New Year's celebration / reunion dinner.

A quick check into my stocks, I don't have frozen scallops :( I'll just have to make do with what I have available in my kitchen. 

Phew! I found 2 cans of braised abalone! 

Lay the ingredients neatly on the vegetables. 

After 1.5hr, voilà! a simple PenCai is served. 

We had it with Beehoon today. Yum! 

Simplified PenCai Recipe:

Ingredients

2 cans of braised abalones - I used Skylight

1 can of limpets 

Some dried mushrooms - soaked 

Some prawns 

1 Chinese cabbage - cut into big pieces. 

Some fish maw 

Other seafood of choice 

Fresh mushrooms of choice 

Some canned abalone 

Roasted pork / chicken ( optional ) 

Preparation steps: 

1. Separate the canned ingredients & the broth. 

2. Pour broth into a pot & bring to boil. 

3. Add in the Chinese cabbage. 

4. Add in the soaked dried mushrooms. Bring to boil for about 10 mins & let it simmer.  

5. Slowly arrange all the canned ingredients, seafood of choice & other ingredients neatly on the Chinese cabbage. Put on the lid & let it simmer until all ingredients are fully cooked. 

6. Served hot. 

Bon appétit !! 

Chin's notes: 

1. Use any ingredients that does not require a long cooking time. Normally I like to use fresh / frozen seafood. Fish balls are ideal too. 

2. Any choice of canned seafood are ideal, pacific clams are ideal too.

3. No additional seasoning is required as I find the braised abalone's broth is quite tasty. After the vegetable is cooked, it enhanced the broth.  Can add some oyster sauce if you like. 

4. No additional water is required as the Chinese cabbage will release some fluid during the cooking process. 

5. Idéal to eat this dish the following day. But I find that they are quite tasty on the day it was prepared. 

Chinese New Year Craft - 2015

Was busy the whole day today preparing the things needed for a craft session with the Brownies at school today. The objective is something about Chinese New Year. Initially wanted to make a dragon craft, then a pair of firecrackers. Eventually the night before, thought it will be a good idea to introduce the 12 Chinese Zodiac animals to the non-Asian kids (except for one, my daughter ;).

These were made by the kids. They had lots of fun & I had a bit of fun too.. ;) 

May this year of the wooden goat brings you happiness, wealth & good health all year round!!! Meeeh meeh... !! 

Honey Combs / Bee Hives Snack

A popular snack usually during the Chinese New Year celebrations. Crispy & a very fragrant snack.

I have always wanted to make this snack but never get around to make them. The mould is more than 10 years old, bought by MeiCheen's mom from Thailand. It was almost gone with all the junks when I was moving. Phew! 

9PM - Interesting I just found out that there are other names for this snack. Lotus blossom from the Thai people & Rose biscuits by others. 

Finally I made some today.

Honey Comb Recipe: 

Ingredients: 

80g sugar 

150g rice flour

50g self raising flour 

250ml coconut milk

2 tbsp sesame seeds 

2 eggs 

Oil for deep frying 

Icing sugar for garnishing - optional 

Preparation steps: 

1. Put all the flour in a big bowl.  Make a well, then add in the eggs. With a wooden/big spoon, slowly mix the ingredients in a circular motion.

2. Add in coconut milk bit by bit as you stir. When you have a smooth batter, add in the sugar & sesame seeds. Mix well.  Remove any lumps. 

3. In a wok / pan , heat up the oil. Heat up the mould, by letting it sit in the hot oil for a while. 

4. Dip the hot mould into the batter mix and then quickly dip the battered mould into the hot oil. After a few seconds, slowly shake it off the mould. Let it bobble in the hot oil until golden brown. Repeat the process until all the batter finished.

5. Drained the oil, and leave them completely cool before storing in airtight containers. 

6. Optional - Sprinkle with some icing sugar before serving. 

Bon appétit !

Chin's notes: 

1. Wash & soak the mould with some tamarind juice before use. It will gives it a nice shine.

2. Don't dip the mould completely into the batter.  Leave about 3 - 5 mm of the top of mould without batter. If dip completely, it may be difficult to shake if off, during the cooking process. 

2. It may be difficult to shake the batter off the mould initially, use a chopstick / tip of knife to remove. After a few application, it will get easier. Took me almost 8 times to get it easier. Phew!!

3. Always stir the batter before you dip the mould in because the sesame seeds may be at the bottom of the batter. 

Heat up the mould before dipping into the batter mixture.

Transfer the mould dip in batter into the hot oil.
Slowly shaking off the batter from the mould.

Pineapple Rolls

Finally got around to make these.  These are popular snacks for Chinese New Year.  My first attempt for Pineaple rolls.  I think it is a great way to start a new year!! :)

It is very nice of my friend Evelyn Lim to share her lovely recipe with me.  I made some adjustment to her recipe because I do not have all the needed ingredients & wanted so badly to try to make these rolls.  Ghee is also another ingredients which I'd read in many blogs that it will give the tarts a buttery flavour.  

These rolls are so yummy & they melts in your mouth. 

I used these tools to help me piped out the pastry. Thanks to my friend SiewLoon who brought me these when she visited Paris in March 2014. 

Pineapple Rolls Adapted from Evelyn Lim's Recipe.  

Pastry Ingredients : 

150g butter 

100g pure ghee ( I used QB pure ghee )

60g icing sugar 

2 egg yolks

370g plain flour

2 tbsp custard powder 

2 tbsp cornflour 

Tart fillings :

500g pineapple jam 

Egg wash :

1 egg - beaten 

1/4 tsp salt 

Method : 

1. Divide the pineapple jam into small portion & form into an oval shapes. 

2. Combine all the pastry ingredients into a mixer, set on low speed until a soft dough is form. Remove & let it rest for 5 minutes. 

3a. Place some dough into to the mould & pressed out the dough about 5cm in length. Place a piece of jam fillings on one end & roll up to enclose the fillings. 

Note: with the grains facing down. 

3b. Alternatively you can piped out a long strips , put the jam filling at the end , roll & cut out, continue until you finish the whole strips. Hence you do not need to measure the each strips.  Thanks to Christina Lim's advise. I'll try that the next batch of bake! ;) 

4. Brush some egg wash on the pastry. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 deg C for 15 mins or until golden brown. 

5. Remove from oven & leave it completely cool before keeping them in an airtight containers. 

Bon appétit !! 

Chin's Note:

1. The original recipe as for 250g margarine. I replaced with butter & ghee. 

2. Here are some pictures of the process for making these rolls. 

3. There are other moulds used to pipe out the pastry. I find the tools that I have needs a lot of strength, after a few my thumb & fingers hurts. I could be doing it the wrong way. 

4. Added 05/01/2015 - Apparently there is an extension for my mould. Here is a picture of Chirstina's tool to pipe out the pastry. 

Pineapple tarts

All time favourite.  Been wanting to try out this recipe for a long time & I have finally made them.

It has the melting effects but not buttery enough. 

I used a cookies/fondant cutter (pink tool below) to emboss the prints on the pineapple balls. 

Here is the link to recipe from NasiLemak Lover blog: 

http://nasilemaklover.blogspot.fr/2013/02/my-best-melt-in-mouth-pineapple-tarts.html?m=1

My homemade pineapple jam with brown sugar: