Pumpkin Kaya (jam)

From the whole pumpkin that I bought from Tesco yesterday, I used only 150 g for pumpkin buns.  Now, I going to look into the recipe book from Seiketsu that I bought a super speed blender and soya maker.  Ah  hah... a recipe which is easy and simple and I think my son and my husband would be interested too.  Pumpkin kaya.

There are only 3 ingredients for this recipe,
500 gram pumpkin with skin and seeds.
130 gram of lightly toasted cashew nuts, and
80 gram of sugar.

Wash and cut the pumpkin into small slices.  Steam for 10 minutes or until cook.

 

steam with the skin and seeds intact.

 

lightly toast the cashew nut.
Put all the ingredients in my Seiketsu blender and blend for 1 minute.
Ta...tah...delicious pumpkin kaya is ready!

It taste very creamy, better then the normal egg kaya.  Good to spread on breads or  crakers, yummy yum.

Pumpkin steamed buns

Today the pumpkins are very cheap, only 0 .99 cents a kg in Tesco.  Choose a medium sized pumpkin.  Run through my recipes, cannot decide what to do other then those old recipes.  So, on the lap top and started to search for recipes that make use of pumpkin. Finally I settled down in a blog and found a steam sweet potato buns recipe. I changed sweet potato to pumpkin. This is a very simple recipe and I can find all the ingredients in my kitchen store.


The ingredients are,

100 ml water,
1 tsp yeast,
2 tbsp. water,
300g pau flour/plain flour,
150g steamed and smashed pumpkin,
20 g sugar,
1/2 tsp salt,
20 g shortening.

Mix the yeast into the water and stand for about 10 to 20 minutes.
The method is to combine pau ingredients except the shortening into yeast mixture..Knead the dough until smooth, about 10 to 15 minutes, then add in the shortening.  Continue to knead until the dough become elastic.  Cover with cloth for 15 to 20 minutes or when it becomes double the size. Instead of all this, I use my bread maker to do all the job for me,I put all the ingredients into it, it takes 11/2hour to knead and proof.

 

 

the dough after kneading and proofing in my bread maker.

Punch down the dough and divide into 4 equal parts.  Shape into balls and divide into 4 more equal parts.  Make into shapes or round balls and leave to proof for another 30 to 40 minutes.

 the dough make into 14 equal parts, and shape into small balls.

Steam for 10 minutes.  My pumpkin buns are ready to be served for tea.

Hakka Lei Cha

My Shelina multi function hi-fiber food processor not working anymore after had been working hard for me for the last 3 years.  When I sent for repair , it will cost me too high to do it.  I gave it up.

My husband and me used to have fruit juice everyday and so got use to my Shelina blender, felt very uneasy without any blender or food processor at home.  We went to the nearest hipper market and bought a simple Tefel 400 watts blender, however it does not work well for me, very disappointed.

A few days later met a new friend Elian, she mentioned about her hi power blender and she love to use it everyday.  I was very interested so Elian made an appointment and drove me to another new friend, (yoke yin) house to see some demonstrations.  Though Elian has bought the blender for more then half a year, she have not seen any demonstrations.

The first thing Yoke Yin prepared was Hakka Lei Cha, by using the blender to blend the mix herbs.  the end result was that the herbs were very fine, many of my friends and me too love this soup!   Wah! Elian and me were excited , tasted so good.

Yoke Yin  continued to blend mix fruit juice, mango smoothie and a few other food that make from another product (seiketsu healthy love iii).

After spending 2 hours and see all the demonstration and tasted all the food, finally I order 2 of the products. Cosmos soy love ii ( the blender/food processor) and Seiketsu healthy love iii)

.

By using the blender, the first thing I wanted to prepare is
Hakka Lei Cha.

The ingredients for Lei Cha tea paste are,
(Serve 4 to 5 persons)

5 pips of garlic,
400 grams basil,
100 grams mint leaves,
 50 grams coriander,
100 grams roasted peanuts,
100 grams roasted sesame
1 small packet of Chinese tea leaves,
1 bowl of water.

I manage to harvest enough basil and mint leaves from my back yard garden.

Wash and rinse all the vegetables well, let dry.  Smash the garlics.  In a wok, heat up 2 tablespoon of oil and lightly fry the garlics, add in all the vegetables and have a quick stir.

Put the Chinese tea leaves in the blender , blend for a few seconds, then add in the fried vegetables, peanuts, sesame and water.  With this new blender, I used auto, that is 1 minute, and the vegetable paste is ready.

Meanwhile boil 5 bowls of water, pour in the paste when the water is boiled.  Stirring until the paste mix well into the water, add salt and some mushroom granule to taste.  The Hakka Lei Cha is ready to be serve.

I have prepared some side dishes and rice to go together with Lei cha.

Cut some celery, carrot, French beans, red and green pepper, sawi, lightly fry with some oil, garlic and salt.  I missed out preserved radish, with this to go with the rice and the soup will enhance the whole Hakka Lei cha.

My first self home made Hakka Lei Cha.  I invited my neighbours to share my success of this soup.  My son love the soup too, the first time he tasted Lei Cha.

Banana Choc Chip Muffin

Its been a long, long time since I come into this blog.  I was really lost and cannot log into this blog for the last whole year and my lap top gave me  a lots of problems as well.  finally I bought a new Toshiba lap top.  I started to look and search for the ways to log into my blog after  familiar with my new lap top.

I have two blogs, this and the other (allreasonsforcakes).  I can easily sign into my second blog but not this one.  Finally, I found a line typed(sign in as another person), I tried using my other email, oh!  I made it,  I was so happy and excited and started to share my experiences in food and travel again.

Here, I wanted to share my new baking.  Banana Chocolate Chips Muffin.  My son used to visit Starbucks coffee and always love to order the banana choc chips muffin.  He bought back one of the muffin  for me one day.  Ya, it really taste good.  I wanted to bake this for him too.

Finally I settled with a recipe from Internet and started to bake the muffin the next day.

the ingredients are

3 large ripe banana,
3/4 cup sugar,
1 egg,
1 teaspoon soda,
1 teaspoon baking powder.
1/2 teaspoon salt,
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour,
1/3 cup oil,
1 cup chocolate chips.
170 degrees Celsius
I used a folk to smash the bananas.  Leave a side.

In a mixing bowl, put the flour ,sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt, mix well.
Lightly beat the egg and pour into the flour mixture.  Mix in the oil.  Stir just well blend.

Add in smashed banana and chocolate chips.  Mix well.

Use a large spoon to scoop into prepare muffin or cupcake paper cups.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes .

The result of my first time baked banana chocolate chips muffins.

Though the muffins do not have that good look as those of the Starbucks, but they taste as good.
Me and my son love it, he will not buy from Starbucks anymore.

Beer and Cocacola Trotter

Its Chinese New Year again. Time really flies, day after day and year after year.  I remember the last time I wrote about Chinese New Year was 2 years ago and now is already 2012.  This year we are not going out for our reunion because only 4 of us, my 2 sons and Alfred. I have planned to prepare 4 dishes and 1 soup for 4 of us.  I will cook a special trotter, that is beer and coca cola trotter.  My friend Evelyn, came back from U.S.A. cook this dish for me and other friends 2 weeks ago, all of us like it very much and it was very easy and simple to prepare.

The ingredients just 1 port trotter about 1 1/2 to 2 kg, 1 can of Carlsberg beer and 1 can of coca cola, 1/2 cup of good soy sauce and 2 inches slice of brown sugar.

Get the butcher to cut the trotter into bite size when you buy from the market.  Clean and par-boil the trotter for about 5 minutes.  Rinse and drain. 
 In a wok or deep sauce pan ,put in all the ingredients.  Bring to boil then use low fire to simmer the trotter until the liquid reduced and the trotter is tender.  You may add in sea cucumber, dried mushrooms or even dried chilies if you like it a bit  hot.

 

This is the result of the cooked trotter. Look nice?  Taste good too.

The other dishes I prepared were fried soy sauce prawns,

abalones stir fry dried mushrooms and broccoli,

fried fish fillets,

and stew dried scallops, fish maws, American ginseng with chicken soup.

Though only 4 of us taking reunion dinner without my daughter,(in Melbourne, miss her very much every year without her), we are happy with our home cook foods then eating out in the restaurant.

Jackfruit cake

My nneighbour gave me a jack fruit which was a cross breed of jack fruit and artocarpus integer. Artocarpus integer in fact has more fragrant smell then jack fruit.  When both mix together the fruit become so fragrant and has better taste.  I have not bake any jack fruit cake before and I would like to try to bake one it.  So, got a recipe from the Internet and follow the steps to start baking jack fruit cake.

The ingredients are,
for the cake(chiffon)
4 egg yolks,
70g sugar
120 g super fine flour
80ml water
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
100 g jack fruit(pureed)
1/2 cup corn oil

4egg whites
70g sugar
1/2 tsp cream of tartar

for the filling
350ml whipping cream
150g jack fruit (pureed)
1/2tsp gelatin(dissolved in 50ml of water)
another 250g jack fruit flesh(pureed)
for the topping
60ml milk/soy milk/coconut milk
1 tbsp corn starch/custard powder
1 tsp gelatin(dissolved in 1 tbsp water)
100g jack fruit flesh (pureed)

 Crossed breed of both jack fruit and artocarpus integer looks just as a normal artocarpus integer.

 and the fruits just look exactly like artocarpus integer.

 Remove the seeds and add 2 tbsp of sugar , cook the flesh until soft.  About 15 minutes. Let cool.

 Puree the flesh by the blender.  Leave aside for later use.

Meanwhile prepare the chiffon cake.  Preheat the oven to 170 degrees cecious.  In a bowl, hand whisk the egg yolks and sugar until the egg turn pale in colour.  Add in the water, 100g pureed fruit flesh, oil and mix well. Finally add in the salt, baking powder and the flour.  Mix until the batter become smooth.  Leave aside.

Use electric mixer to whisk the egg whites ,sugar and cream of tartar until thick peak.  Pour the egg yolk mixture into the egg whites.  Fold in the egg yolk until well mix.  Pour into a 9'' baking tine and bake for 35 minutes or until done. 

Turn the cake upside down to cool.  Slice the cake into 3 horizontally.

Now, prepare the filling. Whisk the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Stir in jack fruit puree and the dissolved gelatin . Mix well.

To assemble the cake, place a layer of the cake on the board, spread a layer of whipped cream then a layer of pure fruit puree and repeat the next layer.  Cover the whole cake with the rest of the whipped cream.  Put in the freeze to set about 3 hours.

AS for the topping, combing the milk,custard powder in a sauce pan. Stir over low heat until mixture boils and has thicken.  Add in gelatin mixture and fruit puree. Mix well. Let cool.

Spread the topping on the cake and I decorated with sliced fruit flesh.

The whole freeze was smell of the fruit, so pleasant and nice.  Well, my first jack fruit cake is done.  Lets taste it.  Wow!   Good....mm mm, the taste of the real fruit taste. I like it.

Happy New Year 2012

My hair dresser, Lee Ching invited me and Alfred to join her family for the 2011 countdown in Ipoh Country Club.  All were given a party set on our sitting place at the dinner table. The set has a pair of green mask, whistle and balloon.

All put on the masks.

 My hairdresser, Lee ching and family.

 Japanese friend ,Mr and Mrs Koro

 Lee Ching with her friends.

 Me and Alfred.

 The dinner was served at 8pm.  The four seasons was the first dish, with salad prawns, fried sotong balls and other fried stuffs.

 The second dish was the fish lips soup.  Quite tasty.

 Followed by the fried chicken served with Thai sauce.

 Sweet sour prawns.  The other dishes were deep fried fish with Chinese sauce, vegetarian mixed fried vegetables, fried rice and the last was desserts.

After all the dishes we have our group photo for our album.

The nights programmes started with various dances performed by dancers from Kuala Lumpur.

 They were very good dancers and dance very well.

 The organiser invited (guys) dancers from Kuala lumpur.  They made funs and dance to all the audience. They really entertained all of us in the ballroom.

 When the clock clicked at 11.50pm, all guests were to be on the floor, keep dancing and enjoying the music.

 Get ready for countdown.

 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.....Happy New Year!!!!

 HAPPY NEW YEAR 2012