Seasaltwithfood

Peanut Cookies

2010-02-06T16:13:00.000-08:00

I think Peanut Cookies must be one of the easiest cookies to make. All you need is roasted peanuts, sugar, flour, peanut oil, a pinch of salt, and a couple of egg yolks to glaze the cookies. Sounds simple, right? Well, it is and I do hope you will give this recipe a try.

Peanut Cookies
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

300 g Roasted Peanuts, ground finely
150 g Sugar
350 g All-Purpose Flour
A pinch of Sea Salt
200 ml Peanut Oil
2 Egg Yolks, beaten (for glazing)

Method

Preheat the oven to 325˚F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the ground peanut, sugar, flour and salt.

Add the oil to the dry mixture and mix well with a wooden spoon. Then combine the mixture with fingers to form crumbly dough.

Pinch about 15g of the dough and shape into cherry-sized balls. Then use a chopstick to make a shallow dent. Brush the dough with the beaten egg yolks.

Bake the cookies for about 22 to 25 minutes. Let cool completely before storing in an airtight container.

Makes about 90 pcs.

Spicy Pork Ribs-Dwaeji Galbi

2010-02-05T00:03:00.000-08:00

As it’s SuperBowl weekend, I thought I’d share an “easylicious” recipe with you to enjoy with your family and friends. I will get back to cookies next.. So, this is Korean Spicy Ribs, a recipe that I adapted from the Eating Korean cookbook. I had to make two changes to the recipes i.e. substitute Korean malt syrup with honey, and roast the ribs in the oven instead of barbeque grilling them. However, if your weather permits, do fire up that grill of course. In any case, the end result was fantastic! Not overly spicy even with the amount of chili paste called for in the recipe. It will go well with your game beverage of choice. So, do consider trying this Korean style ribs for a change.

Recipe adapted from Eating Korean by Cecilia Hae-Jin Lee

Spicy Pork Ribs-Dwaeji Galbi
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

2 ½ lbs Pork Back Ribs
1 (1/2-inch) Piece Ginger Root, minced
1 Small Garlic Clove, finely chopped
½ Cup Chili Paste (Korean)
¼ Cup Korean Malt Syrup (mool yut)/(Substitute with Honey)
¼ Sugar
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
1 ½ Tbsp Sesame Oil
½ tsp Black Pepper

Method

Separate the ribs by cutting meat between the bones. Place in a large bowl.

Combine ginger, garlic, chili paste, malt syrup (or honey), sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, and black pepper in a large bowl. Rub marinate generously over the meat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Place the spare ribs on a large roasting tray and reserve the marinate sauce. Boil the marinate sauce and let simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce has thicken slightly.

Roast the ribs for about 30 minutes and baste the meat with marinate sauce. Continue to roast for about 15 minutes. Serve warm.

Serves 5 to 6

Kuih Bangkit-Tapioca Cookies

2010-02-04T00:03:00.000-08:00

Chinese Lunar New Year falls on Feb 14th this year. So, I thought it would be a great to share a couple more classic cookies’ recipes enjoyed by Chinese families in Malaysia and Singapore during this festive season. This is the recipe for Tapioca Cookies or also known as “Kuih Bangkit”. Obviously, the main ingredient is the tapioca flour itself. The cookies will just melt in your mouth, accompanied with a wonderful fragrant and taste from the coconut milk and Pandan (screw pine) leaves.

Kuih Bangkit-Tapioca Cookies
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

400 g Tapioca Flour
3 Pandan Leaves, washed, dried and cut into 1 inch length
100 g Sugar
150 ml Coconut Milk plus 5 Tbsp
2 Egg Yolks
½ tsp of Red Food Coloring (optional)

Method

Dry fry the tapioca flour with Pandan leaves on low heat until fragrant. (About 30 to 40 minutes) Let cool completely, preferably overnight, discard the Pandan leaves and sift the flour.

Preheat the oven to 350˚F.

Beat the egg and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in 150 ml of coconut milk and mix until well combined.

Then mix in 350 g of the sifted tapioca flour and knead lightly to form soft dough.

Dust the mold with the reserved tapioca flour. Press some dough onto the mold and scrape off excess dough with a small knife. Tap the dough out and place on the baking sheet. Put a red dot on the dough with a toothpick, if using.

If the dough seems dry, add 1 tsp of coconut milk at a time and knead the dough lightly before further use.

Bake the cookies for about 20 minutes. Let cool before storing them in an airtight container.

Makes about 100-150 pcs.

Pineapple Tarts-Pictorial & Video Guide-Bloggers Dinner at East Is East

2010-02-03T09:18:00.000-08:00

Recently, I attended a bloggers dinner gathering organized by Sherman of Sherman’s Food Adventures. The gathering was pretty well received, more than 20 bloggers attended the dinner which was held at East Is East restaurant. Well done Sherman! Appreciate your invitation to join the event. I did not take any pictures that evening; but, if you are interested, please feel free to view some of the photos and a write-up about the event from Victoria (Victoria's Food Secrets), Kim ( I'm Only Here For The Food) , Jessica & Mark (Yum-O-Rama), Wilson (La Petite Vancouver), Kevin (604 Foodtography), Darina (Gratinee), Melody (Gourmet Fury), TS ([eatingclub] Vancouver), Joyce & Frank (Van Foodies), Anita (La Petite Foodie), Jenny (My Secret Garden), Jonathan (Food and Tell), and Mijune (Follow Me Foodie)

Well, the winter Olympic is just around the corner and if you are coming over to Vancouver, do consider checking out all the above bloggers’ blogs as they will definitely provide you with some great ideas to dining out in Vancouver. They have diligently scout through and reviewed all of the restaurants and eateries here in Vancouver!

Anyway, back to my Pineapple Tarts post. I posted this recipe about a year ago and received many emails asking me about the technique used to wrap and shape the tart into little pineapples. Well, here is the pictorial guide and for the first time, I am also including a video guide as well to guide you through this easy process.

Pineapple Tarts
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

Pineapple Jam
3 Large Ripe Pineapples, skin and cut into chunks
200 g to 350 g Sugar (adjust accordingly)
2 cloves
5 cm Cinnamon Stick
3 Pandanus leaves, cleaned and knotted
80 g Golden Syrup or Maltose

Method

Blend the pineapple chunks in a blender or a food processor. Then pour into a sieve and drain off some of the juice.

Place the pineapple, sugar, cloves, cinnamon stick and pandanus leaves in a heavy bottom saucepan and cook over a low heat. Adjust the sugar accordingly. Stir frequently until the jams are slightly thick and add in the golden syrup. Then cook until the jam is thick and glossy. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool.

Then roll the pineapple jam into a small cherry sized balls.

Pastry
500 g Unsalted Butter, softened
100 g Confectioner Sugar
1 tsp Sea Salt
1 tsp Vanilla Extract
4 Large Egg Yolks
700 g All-Purpose Flour, sifted
100 g Corn Flour, sifted
2 Large Egg Yolks, lightly beaten for egg wash
Extra Cloves for decorating

Method

Preheat the oven to 180˚C and line baking tray with parchment paper.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the butter, sugar and salt. With a wooden spoon mix until they are well combined and add the egg yolks and vanilla extract. Then mix in all the sifted flours and knead lightly to form soft dough.

To shape the tarts - Flatten a piece of dough (about 15 g) with lightly floured hand and place a piece of the prepared pineapple jam in the center, wrap and seal well. Roll the tart lightly into an oval shape and snip the surface of the pastry with a small scissors to form a spiky look. Then insert a clove into one end.

Brush the pastry with the egg wash and bake for about 20 minutes or until they are light golden in color.

Cool on the rack and place the pineapple tart in small baking cups and store in airtight cookie jar.

Chocolate Mousse

2010-02-01T09:49:00.000-08:00

My family enjoyed this decadent Chocolate Mousse very much. I like how the flavors from the Cointreau, espresso, and chocolate comes together. I really can’t think of a word to describe the taste of this mousse, so, I guess you simply have to make it yourself to know what I mean. :-) Do try the recipe.

Recipe adapted from Patsy's Cookbook-Classic Italian Recipes

Chocolate Mousse
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

1 ¾ Cups Heavy Cream
½ tsp Vanilla Extract
2 Tbsp Confectioners’ Sugar
1 ¼ Cups (10 oz) Semisweet Chocolate Morsels
2 Tbsp Coffee-Flavored Liqueur (such as Kahlua, Tia Maria, Marnier or Cointreau
2 Tbsp Brewed Espresso
1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter, softened at room temperature
1 Tbsp Granulated Sugar
1 Extra-Large Egg

Method

Combine the cream, vanilla, and sugar in a large, deep bowl. Using an electric mixer or a hand beater, whip until soft peaks are formed. Refrigerate and reserve.

In the top of a double boiler, combine the chocolate morsels, coffee-flavored liqueur, espresso, butter, and granulated sugar. Cook over gently simmering hot water, stirring, just until the chocolate has melted and all the ingredients are combined. Remove from the heat.

Whip the egg in the top of a double boiler until foamy and fold into the chocolate mixture. Gently fold the reserved whipped cream into the mixture. Spoon into a serving bowl, or dessert dishes, and refrigerate for 4 hours, or until chilled and set.

Serves 4 to 6

Spicy Lemon Chicken

2010-01-31T00:13:00.000-08:00

This is a delicious Spicy Lemon Chicken recipe. The amount of dried chilies and pepper suggested by the cookbook was too mild for my liking. So, before I marinated the chicken, I had to adjust the level of spiciness to my liking. The result was perfect, not overly spicy and it did not over power the chicken’s lemony taste.

Recipe adapted from Patsy's Cookbook-Classic Italian Recipes

Spicy Lemon Chicken
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

1 Chicken (about 3 to 3 ½ lbs), cut into 8 pieces
½ Cup Fresh Lemon Juice (from about 3 lemons)
¼ Cup Olive Oil
1 tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (I used 1 Tbsp)
1 tsp Coarsely Ground Fresh White Pepper (I used 2 tsp)
1 tsp Sea Salt

Method

Rinse the chicken pieces, pat dry, and place in a deep pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, red pepper flakes, and white pepper. Mix well. Set aside and refrigerate ¼ Cup of the mixture, and pour the remainder over the chicken.

Place the chicken in the refrigerator and marinate for 3 hours, turning pieces every half hour.

Preheat the oven to 400˚F.

Remove the chicken from the marinade, discard the marinade, season the chicken with salt, place in a roasting pan, and roast, turning to brown on all sides. Spoon the reserved ¼ cup of lemon juice mixture over the chicken as it roasts. Test for doneness by piercing with a knife; chicken will be done when juices run clear and dark meat is tender, about an hour.

Pasta E Ceci-Pasta And Chickpea Soup

2010-01-29T21:08:00.000-08:00

I like the combination of this Pasta E Ceci or Pasta And Chickpea soup. A bowl of this soup serves as a complete meal for me. Here, I served it for lunch with some crusty bread.

Recipe adapted from Patsy's Cookbook-Classic Italian Recipes

Pasta E Ceci-Pasta And Chickpea Soup
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

1/3 Cup Olive Oil
1 Medium Yellow Onion, diced
2 Stalks Celery, chopped
1 Small Carrot, chopped
2 Cloves Garlic, minced
1 14 oz Can Whole Plum Tomatoes, with juice
6 Cups Vegetable Broth of Water
1 15 oz Can Chickpeas, undrained
½ lb Fusilli or Ziti Pasta, cooked al dente
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
¼ Cup Chopped Fresh Flat Leaf Parsley

Method

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium-high heat and sauté the onion, celery, and carrot, stirring occasionally, for 3 minutes, or until onions are just translucent.

Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute, or until lightly golden.

Coarsely chopped the tomatoes and add with their juice to the saucepan. Add the broth or water and bring it to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add the chickpeas and cooked pasta, stir to combine, and simmer for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until all ingredients are heated through. Season the soup with sea salt and pepper. Stir in the parsley and serve hot with thick slices of dense bread.

Portobello Tower

2010-01-28T08:48:00.000-08:00

This is an elegant oven baked Portobello Tower appetizer. The Portobello mushrooms are simply mated with zucchini, eggplants, bell peppers, and a variety of cheese. Prepare the layered vegetables ahead of time and then pop them into the oven just before serving. Easy.

Recipe adapted from Patsy's Cookbook-Classic Italian Recipes

Portobello Tower
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

4 Large Portobello Mushrooms
½ Cup Olive Oil, plus more for coating pan
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
1 Large Zucchini, sliced ¼ inch thick
2 Small Italian Eggplants
¼ lb Provolone, thinly sliced
1 Roasted Red Bell Pepper, quartered
¼ lb Mozzarella, thinly sliced

Method

Preheat the oven to 450˚F. Clean the mushrooms.

Lightly coat a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan with olive oil. Place the mushrooms, cap side down, in the pan and bake for 10 to 14 minutes, or until the mushrooms are tender. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and reserve. Don’t turn off the oven or clean the pan.

Heat 1 to 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini slices and sauté, turning once, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and reserve.

Remove the stems from the eggplants; halve each lengthwise, and then cut into ¼ inch crescent slices. Adding more oil if necessary and keeping the skillet hot at all times, add the eggplant and sauté, turning once, until lightly browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and reserve.

Re-oil the baking dish, if necessary, and add the mushrooms, create the layers by topping each mushroom with the zucchini, eggplant, provolone, red pepper, and mozzarella on top. Bake the Portobello tower for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and ingredients are heated through. Allow to rest for 5 minutes, before serving.

Mussels Arreganata-Orreganata

2010-01-27T08:18:00.000-08:00

If clams are not what you had in mind, then try this scrumptious Mussels Arreganata or Orreganata. The mussels are topped with seasoned breadcrumbs and then broiled in the oven. Simply divine!

Recipe adapted from Patsy's Cookbook-Classic Italian Recipes

Mussels Arreganata-Orreganata
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

24 Mussels, washed and cleaned
¼ Tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Cup Seasoned Bread Crumbs (recipe below)
¼ Cup Olive Oil
2 Lemons, cut into wedges

Method

Preheat the boiler.

Place the mussels in a large saucepan and add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook over high heat for 10 minutes, or until mussels open. Discard those that have not opened.

Transfer the mussels to a colander and rinse under cold water until they are cool enough to handle. Shuck the mussels, discard half the shells, and place the mussel meat in the remaining half shells. Season with pepper.

Spoon the breadcrumbs on the mussels and smooth with the back of a spoon. Arrange the mussels in one layer in a broiler pan, and drizzle lightly with olive oil to moisten.

Broil until the breadcrumbs are lightly browned, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and serve hot with lemon wedges.

Note: Seasoned Breadcrumbs – ½ small Italian Stale baguette (about ½ lb), 2 Tbsp Freshly Grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, ¼ cup minced flat-leaf Parsley, pinch of oregano, 1 garlic clove (minced), 3 Tbsp Olive Oil, sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Break the bread into large chunks and place in a food processor. Process until reduced to fine crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a large bowl. Stir in the cheese, parsley, oregano, and garlic. Gradually add the oil, stirring, until thoroughly combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Clams Posillipo

2010-01-26T16:48:00.000-08:00

It’s going be an Italian food fest at seasaltwithfood! I have some real easy and yet delicious recipes that I’ll be sharing throughout this week. All the recipes are adapted from Patsy’s Cookbook. It consists of classic Italian recipes from a New York City landmark restaurant. I will start with Clams Posillipo recipe. It’s clam in light tomato sauce and served as an appetizer.

Recipe adapted from Patsy's Cookbook-Classic Italian Recipes

Clams Posillipo
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

32 Littleneck Clams
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
6 Garlic Cloves, halved
1 Small Yellow Onion, chopped (about ¼ cup)
1 28 oz Can Whole Plum Tomatoes, with juice
Sea Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp Tomato Paste (optional)
¼ Cup Chopped Fresh Basil
1 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley, plus more for garnish

Method

Scrub the clam shells, rinse thoroughly in cold water, and place in a large pot. Add cold water to cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the shells open, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the clams to a large bowl. Discard any clams that have not opened.

Strain the cooking liquid through a chinois or a strainer lined with a coffee filter, and reserve ¾ cup of this liquid as clam broth. Return the clams to the pot, add cold water, and stir to remove any remaining sand. Drain and reserve.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium flame and sauté the garlic halves until golden, about 2 minutes. With a slotted spoon or tongs, remove and discard the garlic. Add the onions to the saucepan and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes, until soft and translucent. Coarsely chopped the tomatoes and add with their juice to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in the tomato paste (if using) and add the basil and parsley. Simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.

Add the reserved clam broth and clams to the sauce and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low, simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the clams are heated through. Spoon the clams and sauce into a large serving bowl, garnish with parsley and serve immediately.

Serves 4

Praline Semifreddo

2010-01-24T13:18:00.000-08:00

The second recipe is Praline Semifreddo adapted from Jamie Oliver’s earliest cookbook, The Naked Chef. Semifreddo (or half cold) class of semi frozen desserts are loved by folks all over the world and it’s certainly one of my all time favorites too. The best part about making Semifreddo is that you do not need an ice-cream maker to make this delicious treat. There is also no cooking involved, besides making the praline, which is not difficult at all. So, do try the recipe and I bet you will like it!

Recipe adapted from The Naked Chef by Jamie Oliver.

Praline Semifreddo
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

Paraline
11 oz Peeled Hazelnuts
1 Cup Sugar
¼ Cup Water

Semifreddo
1 Vanilla Bean
¼ Sugar
4 Large Eggs, separated
2 Cups plus 2 Tbsp Heavy Cream
Sea Salt

Method

Paraline: Roast the hazelnuts in the oven at 425˚F until golden (about 4 minutes). Put the sugar and water in a thick-bottomed pan and place on a medium-high heat. The mixture will start to bubble and then turn into a clear syrup. To begin with, it will gradually start to color in parts or from the sides.

Gently and carefully shake the pan, just moving it to mix the patches of color. When it’s golden brown, carefully tip it away from you and gently add the nuts. Turn the heat down to a simmer and gently stir to coat the nuts in caramel. When the caramel is dark golden brown, turn it out on to a clean, lightly oiled tray, or on to a double thickness of wax paper on a surface that won’t burn. It will cool to a flattish solid sheet.

When completely cooled (which takes about 20 minutes), smash it up roughly and pulse it in the food processor until the pieces are still quite chunky. Remove about half the praline, then pulse the rest to a powder, and add both lots of praline to the semifreddo mixture.

Semifreddo: Remove the seeds from the vanilla bean by scoring down the length and scraping the seeds out of each half. Whisk the vanilla seeds and sugar with the egg yolks in a large bowl until pale. In a second bowl whisk the cream until soft peaks form. (Important: Please don’t over whip it.) Then in a third bowl whisk or beat the egg whites with an electric mixer with a pinch of salt until they form very firm peaks.

At this point add the praline, the cream and egg whites, to the egg yolk mixture. Gently fold in. Immediately scoop the contents into your chosen container. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze until you’re ready to eat. To serve, take it out from the freezer, let it thaw slightly in the refrigerator to a “semifreddo” (semi-frozen).

Serves 12

Sausage Pasta

2010-01-23T16:48:00.000-08:00

This weekend, I will be sharing two recipes that I had adapted from Jamie Oliver’s cookbooks. The first recipe is an easy Sausage Pasta. The star of this dish is obviously the sausage. So, just get your favorite Italian sausages and make sure they are the best quality available.

Recipe adapted from Cook with Jamie

Sausage Pasta
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

2 Tbsp Fennel Seeds
2 Dried Red Chilies, crumbled
Olive Oil
600g/1 lb 6 oz Good Quality Coarse Italian Sausages
1 Tbsp Dried Oregano
A wineglass of White Wine
Zest and Juice of 1 Lemon
500g/1 lb 2 oz Good Quality Fusilli or Tortiglioni
Sea Salt to taste
Some Freshly Ground Black Pepper
A couple of knobs of Butter
A handful of freshly grated Parmesan Cheese, plus extra for serving
A small bunch of Fresh Flat-Leaf Parsley, leaves picked and chopped

Method

Bash up the fennel seeds and chilies in a pestle and mortar. Heat a splash of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan. Squeeze the meat out of the sausage skins and put into the pan, really breaking it up using the back of a spoon. Fry for a few minutes until the meat starts to color and the fat has rendered slightly, then crush it once more so it resembles coarse mince.

Add the bashed-up fennel seeds and chilies and cook on a medium heat for around 10 minutes until the meat becomes crisp, golden brown and slightly caramelized.

Stir in the oregano, then pour in the white wine and allow it to reduce by half. Add the lemon zest and juice. Turn the heat down to low while you cook your pasta in a large pan of salted boiling water according to the packet instructions. When the pasta has cooked al dente, drain it in a colander, reserving some of the cooking water, and toss it in the pan with your sausage meat.

Coat the pasta in all the lovely flavors then add the butter, Parmesan, chopped parsley and a few spoonfuls of the reserved cooking water. This will give you a lovely loose, shiny sauce. Taste and check for seasoning, then serve immediately with a little extra grated Parmesan sprinkled over the top.

Serves 4.

Chocolate Banana Cake

2010-01-22T15:43:00.000-08:00

Not sure if you’ve noticed, but, I have been baking quite a lot lately, haven’t I? I guess it must be the cooler weather over here in Vancouver now. Guess I must be trying too hard to contain my soaring gas bill by using the oven to keep parts of my house warm, especially, the dining hall. No one is buying that excuse yet, not even my kids! :-) In any case, this is a lovely Chocolate Banana Cake that I baked a couple of days back. The cake is just delightful, smells great and it’s filled with chocolate and has that awesome crumbly texture. Yummy!

Recipe adapted from Baking From my home to yours by Dorie Greenspan

Chocolate Banana Cake
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 ½ tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Sea Salt
¼ tsp Baking Soda
1 Stick (8 Tbsp) Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
¾ Cup Sugar
½ Cup (packed) Light Brown Sugar
2 Large Eggs
2 Ripe Bananas, mashed
¾ Cup Buttermilk
3 oz Bittersweet Chocolate, coarsely chopped, or ½ cup store-bought chocolate chips

Method

Preheat the oven to 350˚F.

Butter a 9 x 5 –inch loaf pan and place it on an insulated baking sheet or on two regular baking sheets stacked one on top of the other.

Sift together the flour, cocoa, baking powder, salt and baking soda.

Working with a stand mixer, preferable fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter at medium speed for about a minute, until softened.

Add the sugars and beat for 2 minutes more. Add the eggs one at a time, beating for a minute after each addition. At this point, the batter may look a little curdled-it’s okay.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and mix in the mashed bananas. Add the dry ingredients in 3 additions, mixing only until they disappear into the batter. Still on low speed, add the buttermilk, mixing until it is incorporated. Stir in the chopped chocolate. Scrape the batter into the pan.

Bake for 30 minutes. Cover the bread loosely with a foil tent to keep the top from getting too dark, and continue to bake for another 40 to 45 minutes (total baking time is between 70 to 75 minutes), or until a thin knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for at least 20 minutes before running a knife around the edges of the bread and unmolding it. Invert and cool at room temperature right side up.

Vietnamese Spring Rolls-Cha Gio

2010-01-21T10:38:00.000-08:00

These are Vietnamese Spring Rolls or aka Cha Gio. These deep-fried spring rolls are crispy and they are great appetizers. Simply wrap the spring rolls with some lettuce leaves, fresh herbs, and then dip-it lightly into the dipping sauce. Delicious!

Recipe adapted from Pleasures Of The Vietnamese Table by Mai Pham

Vietnamese Spring Rolls-Cha Gio
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

Filling
2 Eggs
2 Tbsp Fish Sauce
½ Tbsp Minced Garlic
¼ Tsp Sea Salt
2 tsp plus 3 Tbsp Sugar
½ tsp Ground Black Pepper
2 oz Bean Threads (cellophane noodles), soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, drained and cut into 2-inch pieces
5 to 6 Dried Wood-Ear Mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, drained, trimmed chewy stems and finely chopped (about ¼ cup)
2/3 Cup Yellow Onion, minced and squeezed gently to remove excess liquid
1 Taro/Yam Root, peeled and finely grated (about 1 cup) or 1 cup grated carrots
3 Scallions, cut into thin rings
1/3 lb Cooked Crabmeat, picked clean, or coarsely chopped Raw Shrimp
2/3 lb Ground Pork

2 quarts Warm Water
30 (6 or 8-inch) Dried Rice Paper Rounds, plus extras
Vegetable Oil for deep-frying
Vietnamese Dipping Sauce
Table Salad for serving

Method

Make the filling: Beat the eggs, fish sauce, garlic, salt, 2 tsp sugar and black pepper together in a large bowl. Add the bean threads, mushrooms, onion, taro root, scallions, crabmeat and pork. Using fork, gently mix until the ingredients are well blended.

Fill a large bowl with warm water. Add the remaining 3 Tbsp sugar to the water and stir to dissolve. (This helps the rice paper turn golden when fried.) Dip the rice paper into the warm water and turn to moisten the sheet completely. Lay the sheet on a damp kitchen cloth. Place 1 heap Tbsp of the filling on the bottom third of the sheet. Using your fingers, gently shape into a small cylinder. Lift the bottom edge over the filling, and then fold in both sides. Roll into a small cylinder, about 2/3 inch wide and 2 inches long. Place the seam side down. Do not stack the rolls. Continue to make the rolls with the remaining filling and paper in this way. If a wrapper has a tear, reinforce it by patching it with a small piece of dampened rice paper.

Pour about 1-½ inches of vegetable oil into a large skillet and heat to about 350˚F. Test the temperature by carefully placing a spring roll in it. If the oil foams but not too vigorously upon contact, it is hot enough. Add the rolls without crowding, and fry until evenly golden, about 5 to 6 minutes. (Cook in batches) Remove and drain on paper towels. Serve the spring rolls immediately with the dipping sauce and table salad.

Makes 30 Rolls

Note: Dipping Sauce: Mix 3 chopped Thai Bird's Eye Chilies with 1 clove of slice garlic, 3 Tbsp sugar, 2/3 cup warm water, 1 1/2 Tsp Lime Juice, 5 Tbsp fish sauce and 2 Tbsp shredded carrots.

Savory Corn And Pepper Muffins

2010-01-20T11:33:00.000-08:00

For now, I think I might have found the perfect savory muffin. I love the combination of the cornmeal with chili powder, corn kernels, jalapeno pepper, red bell pepper, and some fresh chopped cilantro. This Savory Corn and Pepper Muffins recipe was adapted from one of my favorite baking book by Dorie Greenspan. Personally, I think everyone that is into baking should get her book. I have tried many recipes from her book and they have all turned out great every time!

Recipe adapted from Baking From my home to yours by Dorie Greenspan

Savory Corn And Pepper Muffins
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

1 Cup All-Purpose Flour
1 Cup Yellow Cornmeal, preferably stone-ground
3 Tbsp Sugar
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
1 ½ tsp Chili Powder, or more to taste
1 tsp Sea Salt
½ tsp Baking Soda
¼ tsp Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Cup Buttermilk
1 Stick (8 Tbsp) Unsalted Butter, melted and cooled
1 Large Egg Yolk
¼ Cup Corn Kernels (add up to 3 Tbsp more if you’d like)-fresh, frozen or canned (in which case, they should be drained and patted dry)
1 Small Jalapeno Pepper, seeded, deveined and finely diced
¼ Red Bell Pepper, seeded, deveined and finely diced
2 Tbsp Finely Chopped Fresh Cilantro

Method

Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 400˚F.

Butter or spray the 12 molds in a regular size muffin pan or fit the molds with paper muffin cups. Place the muffin pan on a baking sheet.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, chili powder, salt, baking soda and black pepper. In a large glass measuring cup or another bowl, whisk the buttermilk, melted butter and egg yolk together until well blended.

Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and, with the whisk or a rubber spatula, gently but quickly stir to blend. Don’t worry about being thorough-the batter will be lumpy, and that’s just the way it should be. Stir in the corn kernels, jalapeno, red pepper and cilantro. Divide the batter evenly among the muffin cups.

Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden and a thin knife inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool for 5 minutes before carefully removing each muffin from its mold.

Shepherd's Pie

2010-01-19T09:38:00.000-08:00

I made this Shepherd’s Pie using the recipe from The Dean & Deluca’s cookbook. However, I made a couple of substitutions to their recipe. For instance, I used beef instead of lamb, and I also used green peas as opposed to corn. This is another great comfort food and it’s so easy to prepare.

Recipe adapted from The Dean & Deluca Cookbook

Shepherd's Pie-Cottage Pie
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

2 Large Baking Potatoes (450 g), peeled
½ Cup Milk
½ Stick (1/4 Cup) Butter
1 ½ tsp Sea Salt
1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
450 g Ground Beef
1 tsp Dried Oregano
1 ½ tsp Dried Parsley
1 ½ Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
4 tsp Flour
½ Cup Minced Onion
½ Cup Diced Carrot
¼ Cup White Wine
½ Cup Beef Stock
1 Cup Green Peas

Method

Put the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover them with water. Bring the water to a boil, and cook potatoes for about 40 minutes, until cooked through. Drain potatoes and place in a bowl. Mash them with the milk and 2 Tbsp of the butter. Season the potatoes with ½ tsp of the salt. Set aside.

Melt the remaining butter in a large skillet over moderate heat. Add the garlic and ground beef and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 to 7 minutes, until beef is well browned. Season with the remaining salt, oregano, parsley, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir well and then sprinkle mixture with 2 tsp of the flour. Stir again and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon and set aside. Pour excess grease out of pan.

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

Add the onion and carrot to pan and cook over moderate heat for 5 to 7 minutes, or until onion is translucent. Sprinkle with the remaining 2 tsp of flour and stir. Increase the heat slightly, and add white wine and beef stock, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to release any caramelized bits. Cook for another 5 to 7 minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by about half.

Add the beef mixture and peas. Stir well and cook another 3 to 4 minutes. (Enough of the liquid should have evaporated that a nice thick sauce holds the mixture together.)

Butter a casserole dish well and spread beef mixture over the bottom. Cover the beef with the mashed potatoes. Bake the casserole, uncovered, in the oven for 40 minutes, until heated through. Serve immediately.

Serves 4

Ondeh Ondeh With Sweet Potatoes

2010-01-17T13:48:00.000-08:00

This is Ondeh Ondeh with Sweet Potatoes, a popular tea-time snack in Malaysia. There are two varieties of this snack. One made completely with glutinous rice, which I had posted earlier and you can find the recipe here. Whilst the other recipe is made with a mixture of sweet potatoes and glutinous rice flour, which is what I am posting here today. In any case, if you plan to make this delicious snack, do adjust the flour according to the sweet potatoes’ texture. Some tubers’ might have very soft or fibrous flesh. Add more flour if it’s too soft, of course. Just remember that the dough is supposed to be very soft and slightly sticky. So, have fun making them.

Ondeh Ondeh With Sweet Potatoes
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients  

500 g White Color Sweet Potato Flesh (3 Medium, about 720g)
150 g Glutinous Rice Flour
20 g All-Purpose Flour 
2 Tbsp Pandan Extract (8 Pandan Leaves, pounded)
150 g Gula Melaka (Palm Sugar), finely chopped
 150 g Grated Coconut 
A Pinch Of Sea Salt  

Method 

Boil the sweet potatoes in a medium pot until tender, 20 to 30 minutes, depending on size of potatoes.  When cool enough to handle, mash the potatoes in a potato riser or masher. (If you are using a masher, you will have to peel the potatoes first)
 
In a large bowl, combine the sweet potato with glutinous rice flour, all-purpose flour, and Pandan extract and with knead well to form a soft dough.

 Mix the grated coconut with a pinch of salt and steam for about 2 - 3 minutes and let it cool completely.  

Bring a pot of water to boil. Pinch a small piece of dough (about 15 g each) and flatten lightly. Fill the center of the dough with palm sugar. Roll them in your palm to form a smooth ball and cook the ondeh ondeh in the boiling water. When the ondeh ondeh float to the surface, remove them with a slotted spoon and shake off the excess water.   Coat the ondeh ondeh with grated coconut and serve immediately.

Makes about 40 balls

Fried Sweet Potato Balls

2010-01-16T13:33:00.000-08:00

Up to making some snacks or “kuih” with sweet potatoes? This is a Fried Sweet Potato Balls recipe. They’re made of deep orange color sweet potato together with glutinous rice flour, sugar, and some grated coconut. Gently roll the mixture and fry until golden brown. They’ll be crunchy on the outside whilst remaining soft and chewy on the inside. Do try this easy recipe and if deep fry is not for you, do come back tomorrow for another interesting recipe with sweet potatoes.

Fried Sweet Potato Balls
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

450 g Orange Color Sweet Potato Flesh (from 2 Medium, about 520g)
250 g Glutinous Rice Flour
30 g Corn Flour
120-150 g Sugar
100 g Grated Coconut
¼ tsp Sea Salt
Oil for deep-frying

Method

Boil the sweet potatoes in a medium pot until tender, 20 to 30 minutes, depending on size of potatoes.

When cool enough to handle, mash the potatoes in a potato riser or masher. (If you are using a masher, you will have to peel the potatoes first)

Place the sweet potatoes in a large bowl and add in the glutinous rice flour, corn flour, sugar, grated coconut, and sea salt. Mix with your hand to get soft dough. Knead lightly to form a smooth dough.

Pinch a small piece of dough (about 15 g each) roll them in your palm to form a smooth ball.

Heat the oil in a deep fryer or heavy pan over low to moderate heat. Put in a cube of potato – when potato is nicely colored, the oil is hot enough to fry the sweet potato balls. Fry until golden, remove and drain on a paper towel. Serve immediately.

Makes about 50 balls.

Yam/Taro Rice

2010-01-14T20:09:00.000-08:00

Today I am posting Yam or Taro rice. It is a popular savory rice dish with Malaysian Chinese. The rice is cooked with yam, dried shrimps, shallots, and Pandanus leaves. It is very important to use long grain rice so that the rice cooks to perfect fluffiness. So, do try the recipe and I hope you will like it.

Yam/Taro Rice
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

1 (500-520g) Yam/Taro, peeled and cubed (yield about 400g)
2 Cups (400g) Long Grain Rice, washed and drained
5 Shallots, peeled and thinly sliced
40 g Dried Shrimps, soaked (5 minutes) and drained
3 ¾ Cups Chicken Stock
3 Pandanus Leaves, washed and knotted
5 Tbsp Peanut Oil
Fresh Cilantro
Sea Salt to taste
Fresh Ground White Pepper

Seasoning
1 Tbsp Soy Sauce
2 tsp Dark Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp Oyster Sauce
½ tsp Ground White Pepper

Method

Heat the oil in a wok and cook the shallots on moderate heat until golden brown. Remove the shallots with a slotted spoon and set aside. Pour the oil into a bowl.

Turn the heat on medium, add in the rice and stir for about 2 minutes. Remove the rice into a rice cooker.

Then return the oil to the wok. Turn the heat on high and cook the dried shrimps until crispy. Remove and set aside.

Mix in the yams and give it a quick stir. Then add the seasoning, half of the shallots and dried shrimps, chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil. Switch off the heat and pour the entire mixture into the rice cooker. Season the rice mixture with sea salt and pepper if necessary.

Cook the rice as per the cooker instructions. Serve the rice with crispy shallots, dried shrimps and top with some coriander leaves.

Serves 4

Magnolia's Chocolate Cupcakes

2010-01-13T21:18:00.000-08:00

Here is the second cupcakes recipe. This is Magnolia’s Chocolate Cupcakes with Vanilla Buttercream icing. I really like the chocolate cake by itself. It's packed with chocolate and buttermilk, a perfect combination.

Recipe adapted from The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook

Magnolia’s Chocolate Cupcakes
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

2 Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 Cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, softened
1 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Firmly Packed Light Brown Sugar
4 Large Eggs, at room temperature
6 Oz Unsweetened Chocolate
1 Cup Buttermilk
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Vanilla Buttercream Icing

Method

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a small bowl, sift together the flour and baking soda. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugars and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.

Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the chocolate, mixing until well incorporated. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the buttermilk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.

Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about ¾ full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

Magnolia's Vanilla Cupcakes

2010-01-12T18:38:00.000-08:00

Couple of days ago, my daughter insisted on baking some cupcakes for her friend's birthday. So, we chose two recipes from The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook. Magnolia Bakery will sound familiar to some of you as it's frequently featured along the Hermes Birkin and Jimmy Choo's shoes on Sex and The City. :-) Anyway, today I am posting a recipe for Magnolia’s Vanilla Cupcakes with Vanilla Butter cream. The cupcakes were really good; but, the icing was a bit too sweet for me. I know they are meant to be sweet and I am sure all the sweet tooth out there would love it.

Recipe adapted from The Complete Magnolia Bakery Cookbook.

Magnolia’s Vanilla Cupcakes
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

1 ½ Cups Self Rising Flour
1 ¼ Cups All-Purpose Flour
1 Cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, softened
2 Cups Sugar
4 Large Eggs, at room temperature
1 Cup Milk
1 tsp Vanilla Extract

Vanilla Buttercream Icing
1 Cup (2 sticks) Unsalted Butter, softened
6-8 Cups Confectioners’ Sugar
½ Cup Milk
2 tsp Vanilla Extract

Method

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

Line two 12-cup muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not overbeat.

Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about ¾ full. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in the tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.

For the icing: Place the butter in a large mixing bowl. Add 4 cups of the sugar and then the milk and vanilla. On the medium speed of an electric mixer, beat until smooth and creamy, about 3-5 minutes.

Gradually add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition (about 2 minutes), until the icing is thick enough to be good spreading consistency. You may not need to add all the sugar. If desired, add a few drops of food coloring and mix thoroughly. (Use and store the icing at room temperature because icing will set if chilled.) Icing can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Asian Pesto With Orecchiette Pasta And Scallops

2010-01-09T01:33:00.000-08:00

This is Asian Pesto With Orecchiette Pasta and Scallops. You might want to know that there is no cheese and pine nuts in the pesto. Besides using the pesto with pasta, you can also serve it as a dip with chips or with grilled chicken, which incidentally is another of my favorites. Just lightly season the chicken with pesto before grilling and serve it with salad or as a sandwich.

Asian Pesto With Orecchiette Pasta And Scallops
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

1 Dozen Sea Scallops
400g Orecchiette Pasta
1 Cup Grape Tomatoes, halved
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
Juice of 1 Lemon or to taste

Asian Pesto
6 Cloves Garlic, peeled
3 Jalapeno Peppers, seeded
5 Thai Bird’s Eye Chilies, chopped (optional)
¾ Cup Packed Basil Leaves
¾ Cup Packed Fresh Cilantro
½ Cup Packed Fresh Mint Leaves
1 Cup Toasted Walnuts
Zest of 2 Lemons
Sea Salt to taste
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ Cup Hazelnut Oil

Method

Make the pesto. Combine the garlic, peppers, chilies, basil, cilantro, mint leaves, walnuts, and lemon zest in a food processor or a blender. Process all the ingredients with the oils and season with sea salt and pepper.

Cook the pasta according to the package instructions.

Sear the scallops in a cast-iron pan that has been heating over a high heat with 1 Tbsp of Olive Oil. Turn scallops once, and remove from heat when scallops are just cooked, about 1 minute per side. 

Toss the pasta with ½ of the pesto recipe, tomatoes and lemon juice. Then top with scallops and season with extra black pepper, if desired. Serve immediately.

Serves 4 to 6.

Traditional Marble Loaf Cake

2010-01-07T11:28:00.000-08:00

One of my friends once said to me, “you dislike baking because you don’t like to follow the recipe from the baking book; but, you can sure make a marble effect on a Marble Cake!” Hah, to be honest, I don’t know how a perfect marble cake is supposed to look like, do you? Anyway, do you think this marble cake looks okay? It tastes pretty good though I thought.

So, if you think it looks okay, then you can consider trying my method. I am not sure whether it will work with other marble cake recipes; but, it turned out fine using the recipe from Dorie Greenspan’s baking book. This is how I did it - Instead of dividing the batter into 2 parts, I removed about 1 cup of batter and mixed it into the melted chocolate and gently folded the mixture with a rubber spatula until they combined. Then, I scraped the chocolate mixture into the other batter. My little trick here is that I folded the batter as if you were folding the egg whites. (Do not over mix the batter.) Fold it gently for about 5 to 6 times and finally, scrape the batter into the baking pan. Dip a skewer deep into the batter and make 2 big swirls or 2 big zigzags. Then if you like, make a few swirls on top of the batter. That’s it, sounds real easy, doesn’t it? :-)

Recipe adapted from Baking From my home to yours by Dorie Greenspan

Traditional Marble Loaf Cake

Ingredients

2 Cups Flour plus 2 Tbsp All-Purpose Flour
1 ¼ tsp Baking Powder
½ tsp Sea Salt
1 ½ Sticks (12 Tbsp) Unsalted Butter, at room temperature
1 Cup Sugar
4 Large Eggs
½ tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
½ Cup Whole Milk
4 oz Bittersweet Chocolate, melted

Method

Preheat the oven to 325˚F. Butter an 8 ½ x 4 ½ x 2 ½-inch loaf pan, dust the inside with flour and tap out the excess. Place the pan on an insulated baking sheet or 2 regular baking sheets stacked one on top of the other.

Whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Working with a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, or with hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth, about 3 minutes. Add the sugar and beat for another 2 to 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Don’t be concerned if the batter curdles and stay curdled-it will be fine. Beat in the vanilla. Reduce the mixer speed to low and alternately add the flour mixture in 3 additions and the milk in 2 (begin with the dry ingredients), mixing only until each addition is incorporated.

Traditional method: Divide the batter in half and stir the melted chocolate into one half and keep the other half plain. Drop spoonfuls of dark and light batter randomly into the pan, and then plunge a table knife deep into the batter and zigzag the knife through the batter, making only about 6 to 8 zigs and zags. Scrape the batter into the pan.

Bake the cake for 1 hour and 20 to 30 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted deep into the center comes out clean. If the cake looks as if it’s getting too brown during its bake, cover loosely with a foil tent. Transfer the cake to a cooling rack and let it rest for about 15 minutes before unmolding, then cool the cake to room temperature right side up on the rack.

Stir-Fry Bean Sprouts

2010-01-06T19:49:00.000-08:00

Here is a simple Stir-Fry Bean Sprouts recipe that goes just great with any curry dish. Try it when you have your curry next time. :-)

Stir-Fry Bean Sprouts
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

400 g Bean Sprouts, washed and drained 
200 g Firm Bean Curd, cubed  
2 Scallions, cut into an inch in length 
2 Red Chilies, sliced thickly 
3 Cloves Garlic, coarsely chopped
2 tsp Oyster Sauce 
1 ½ Tbsp Peanut Oil 
Sea salt to taste  

Method  

Heat the oil in a wok and pan-fry the bean curd on moderate heat until light golden in color. Toss in the garlic and cook until fragrant.
 
Turn the heat on high. Add in the chilies, bean sprouts, scallions and oyster sauce. Stir-fry for about 30 to 40 seconds and season with salt. Serve immediately.

Chinese Style Preserved Radish Omelette

2010-01-05T09:48:00.000-08:00

I like having my curry with an egg and a vegetable dish at home. This is a Chinese style Preserved Radish Omelette that I served with my pineapple curry. Preserved radish provides a good crunch to the omelette. If you are going to try to make this omelette, make sure you get the radish strips variety instead of the chopped up version. They are not as salty and taste much better.

Chinese Style Preserved Radish Omelette
(Printable Recipe)

Ingredients

  100 g of Peeled Prawns, diced  
60 g Preserved Radish, soaked for 5 minutes, drained and diced
 1 Red Chili, thinly sliced
 2 cloves Garlic, chopped
2 Scallions, thinly sliced
 4 Eggs
2 Dashes of White Pepper
 1 tsp Soy Sauce  2
Tbsp Peanut Oil
 Sea Salt to taste

 Method
 
In a cast iron or a non-stick frying pan, heat 1 Tbsp of the oil on a moderate heat. Toss in the preserved radish and stir fry until fragrant. Then mix in the garlic and prawns and give it a quick stir. When the prawns turn pink, remove the mixture and set aside.

Beat the eggs together with prawn mixture, scallions, soy sauce, and season with white pepper and a pinch of sea salt.

Heat the pan over medium to high heat, add ½ Tbsp of oil and pour in half of the egg mixture. When the egg has become lightly golden on the bottom, flip it over and cook the other side. Then continue to cook with the other half of the egg mixture. Serve immediately with some scallions and red chili, if desired.